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Charlotte A veces es una novela para niños escrita por Penelope Farmer, escritora de origen inglés, publicada en 1969 en Gran Bretaña y los Estados Unidos. Es el tercio  y más-sabido de tres libros que presentan el Makepeace hermanas, Charlotte y Emma, a veces sabidos como el Aviary libros de Sala. La historia sigue una chica que empieza en entablar escolar quién encuentra una mañana  ha viajado misteriosamente atrás más de 40 años y está sabido cuando Clare. Charlotte y cambio de Clare coloca cada noche, alternando entre 1918 y el tiempo de Charlotte; a pesar de que Charlotte y Clare nunca se conocen,  se comunican a través de notas de diario en un libro de ejercicio. La historia está escrita del punto de vista de Charlotte: Clare nunca narra. Charlotte se encuentra atrapada en el tiempo de Clare, luchando para mantener su identidad.

Antecedentes
A  la edad de 21 años, Penelope Farmer fue contratada para su primera colección de cuentos, Las Personas de China. Una historia originalmente destinada para él resultó ser demasiado larga para incluirla. Esto fue reescrito como el primer capítulo de Los Pájaros de Verano (1962), su primer libro con Charlotte y Emma Makepeace. En 1996 siguió un segundo libro, Emma en Invierno, con Emma como como personaje principal. Charlotte A veces se publicó por primera vez en 1969 por Harcourt en los Estados Unidos, y por Chatto & Windus en el Reino Unido ese mismo año.

Penelope Farmer arregló muchos incidentes en Charlotte A veces con anticipación en función de las experiencias familiares. Más tarde escribió que Charlotte y Emma eran originalmente basadas en su madre y la hermana de su madre cuando eran niñas, sin padres y "teniendo que ser todo la una para la otra", siendo una la responsable, y la otra siendo bastante difícil. Ella escribió, "Emma y Charlotte han crecido en sus maneras propias y no es exactamente basado en mi madre y su hermana, pero eso es donde comenzó." La madre de Penelope Farmer, Penelope Boothby, quién era "habladora y poco convencional", además de ser la inspiración para Emma, también inspiró el carácter de Emily. El internado de la novela está ubicado cerca dónde vivía Penelope Farmer en Londres, pero está basado en la escuela de niñas Wst Heath en Sevenoaks, Kent, a la que ella y su hermana de gemela Judith asistieron en la década de 1950. Los elementos del libro basados en la escuela incluyen la puerta de entrada con columnas, la terraza de vidrio y el cedro, que aún está en pie, a partir de 2020. Algunos personajes estuvieron basados en alumnado real de la época. El episodio en el que Charlotte entra en la galería de cristal está basado en un acontecimiento real, cuándo Penelope Farmer se subió a la galería de cristal y la rompió.

Existen dos versiones de la novela. Una edición revisada publicada por Dell en 1985 tiene una serie de cambios realizados por el autor. Casi todas las revisiones fueron menores, como la modernización del vocabulario, puntuación y la reformulacíon menor de oraciones. El cambio más significativo es que unos cuantos acontecimientos al final de la historia se eliminan. Estos incluyen un conmovedor episodio donde Charlotte, en su propio tiempo, recibe un paquete y una carta de la hermana de Clare, Emily, ya adulta. También se eliminó el final original, en el que llega el final del periodo y los internos se van en el autobús escolar, Charlotte entre ellos se dirige a su casa en Aviary Hall.

El libro ha sido re-emitido, con el texto original, en la colección de Los Niños de Revisión de la Nueva York.

Argumento

Parte uno
Charlotte llega a un nuevo internado y una prefecto llamada Sarah le muestra el lugar. La madre de Sarah también asistió a esa escuela. Ella debe compartir una habitación con otras chicas (Susannah, Elizabeth, Janet, y Vanessa). La mañana próxima se encuentra en el mismo sitio, pero en el año 1918 con la guerra aún en curso. Una chica más joven llamada Emily llama a Charlotte su hermana y se dirige a ella como "Clare". Intenta pasar el día en 1918 sin ser notada. Cada noche, Charlotte se encuentra cambiando entre su tiempo propio y el tiempo de Clare. Tienen que aprender para vivir dos vidas diferentes. Charlotte y Clare logran escribirse en el diario de Clare, el cual  comparten y esconden en su cama.

Se supone que Emily y Clare pronto dejarán su habitación y se alojarán con la familia Chisel Brown. Tienen que asegurarse de que esto suceda cuando Clare esté en 1918, porque no serán capaces de cambiar otra vez después de eso.

Parte dos
Charlotte, esperando haber regresado a su propio tiempo por última vez, se sorprende al descubrir que no lo ha hecho, y sigue en 1918. Se hospedará con la familia  Chisel Brown: parece  que estará atrapada en el pasado. En la casa, la señorita Agnes Chisel Brown les muestra a Charlotte y Emily los juguetes con los que alguna vez jugó, incluyendo soldados de juguete y un solitario tablero de canicas. Ella le cuenta a las dos chicas sobre su hermano Arthur, quién murió en la guerra. Charlotte reflexiona, adelante y atrás: a Arthur en el pasado; su propia hermana Emma en el futuro; y Clare, atrapada en el tiempo de Charlotte. Ella lucha con su identidad, siendo Charlotte a veces pero Clare otras veces.

Charlotte y Emily forman un plan para ingresar a la escuela por la noche en un intento de llevar a Charlotte a la cama, lo que llevará a Charlotte a su propio tiempo. Dentro de su habitación, el cual ahora está siendo utilizado como la enfermería de la escuela, Charlotte descubre que la cama está ocupada, y por ello no puede regresar a casa. Ella escapa de ser vista por la enfermera Gregory, pero está vista por otro estudiante, Ruth.

Charlotte no es la única que lucha con la identidad. Emily habla de la miseria de no tener madre y no ser deseada, y mudarse de un hogar a otro mientras su padre lucha en la guerra. Mientras tanto, Charlotte sueña que lucha por permanecer como Charlotte. Sueña con Arthur.

Llega una carta para Clare y Emily de su padre. Emily  no deja que Charlotte la lea, para desconcierto de las otras chicas. Charlotte, pensativa como siempre, se pregunta quién es la madre de Sarah es: ¿quizás  será la propia Charlotte si queda atrapada en 1918?

Por la noche, Charlotte sueña con Arthur otra vez, y que ella se ha convertido en Agnes. Su crisis de identidad llega a un punto crítico mientras lucha para preservar su identidad como Charlotte.

Una noche, los Chisel Brown celebran una sesión de espiritismo en un intento de hablar con Arthur. Las chicas se esconden detrás de las cortinas para observar. Durante la sesión,  oyen la voz de Clare clamando por Emily. Emily llora y las las dos chicas son descubiertas y regañadas. Más tarde, la señorita Agnes pregunta sobre la voz que oyeron en la sesión: la de Clare. Luego le cuenta a Charlotte y Emily las experiencias de guerra de Arthur.

Finalmente, el Armisticio viene. La guerra es encima: baile de personas y celebrar en la calle, y Charlotte y Emily unen en, incluso aunque  enfade Señor Chisel Brown. En disgrace, Charlotte y Emily están devueltas a la escuela. Señorita Agnes les da los juguetes como regalo.

Parte tres
Ruth recuerda su "sueño" de ver a Clare mientras estaba en la habitación de un enfermo. Debido a la epidemia de gripe, el alumnado es capaz de jugar juegos salvajes en los dormitorios, y finalmente Charlotte es capaz de dormir en la cama que la devolverá a su propio tiempo.

Al regresar, Charlotte se sorprende al saber que su compañera de cuarto, Elizabeth, había deducido la verdad sobre su intercambio con Clare. Charlotte se pregunta sobre la madre de Sarah y qué ha sido de Emily y Clare. En la escuela, Charlotte ve a la anciana señorita Wilkin. Charlotte se da cuenta de que conoció a la señorita Wilkin cuando era una joven profesora en 1918.

Un día, Charlotte se entera de lo que ha sido de Emily y Clare a través de una conversación con Sarah. La madre de Sarah es Emily, y Clare murió en la epidemia de gripe después de la guerra. Más tarde, Charlotte y Elizabeth hablan los acontecimientos que Charlotte ha experimentado. Encuentran el cuaderno de ejercicios en una de las patas de la cama, donde ha estado durante cuarenta años. Incluye la última carta que Charlotte le escribió a Clare.

Charlotte recibe un paquete de Emily como adulta. Contiene una carta de Emily, y los juguetes que la señorita Agnes les había dado hace más de cuarenta años. Charlotte coloca las canicas del juego solitario en un frasco y lo llena de agua, el cual las otras chicas admiran. Charlotte siente un sentido  de identidad personal al tener ahora su propia decoración en su tocador, pero reflexiona que las canicas le pertenecían a ella cuando vivía la vida de otra persona, concretamente la de Clare. Llega el final del curso, y los internos salen de la escuela en el autobús escolar, cantando rimas.

Continuidad
Charlotte A veces empieza un año después del final de Los Pájaros de Verano, después de que Charlotte ha dejado la escuela de su pequeño pueblo, y cubre el periodo de su primer trimestre en un internado. Si bien se escribió tres años después de Emma en el invierno, ambientada durante el segundo período de Charlotte en el internado, los eventos de Charlotte A veces ocurren de antemano. La hermana de Charlotte, Emma, y su abuelo Elijah no aparecen en Charlotte A veces, aunque hay referencias a ellos. Por ejemplo, Charlotte compara a Emily con su hermana Emma en su propio tiempo y compara la casa de la familia Chisel Brown con su propia casa, Aviary Hall.

Emma en el Invierno comienza durante las mismas vacaciones de Navidad en las que termina Charlotte A veces, e indica que Charlotte se quedará una semana con uno de los amigos que hizo en el internado durante los eventos de Charlotte A veces. Emma en el invierno entonces sigue la historia de Emma mientras Charlotte regresa al internado.

Temas

Identidad
Mientras escribía Emma in Winter, Farmer no sabía que la identidad era un tema tan dominante en el libro. Solo se dio cuenta de eso cuando leyó los comentarios de Margery Fisher  sobre el libro en Growing Point. Tuvo una realización similar, esta vez por su cuenta, mientras escribía Charlotte A veces.

Ella escribe que "a la mitad de Charlotte A veces me di cuenta de que estaba escribiendo un libro sobre la identidad. Soy un gemelo, uno no idéntico, y aparentemente uno de los principales problemas de los gemelos no idénticos es siempre el establecimiento de un genuino y sentido separado de identidad. Mirando hacia atrás, puedo ver que, de hecho, ha sido una obsesión para mí, desde la edad de doce años más o menos".

El autor David Rees también señala esa identidad como un tema principal. Escribió: "Sus pasajes más memorables son conmovedores, resignados o relacionados con la ausencia, la pérdida o la muerte... Su tema no es tanto la maduración de las relaciones, sino la identidad... Charlotte comienza a preguntarse, con creciente consternación, si ella realmente es Charlotte: tal vez se haya convertido en Clare, en lugar de simplemente sustituirla. Este puede ser un miedo adulto: el miedo de no ser todo lo que tú y otras personas siempre han dicho que eres, la comprensión de que puedes ser alguien totalmente diferente."

Viaje de tiempo
Charlotte A veces continúa el tema, iniciado en Emma in Winter, del viaje en el tiempo al pasado. Si bien esto no se explica en Charlotte A veces, aparece una explicación teórica en Emma en Invierno. Emma y Bobby están leyendo diarios en el estudio de Elijah, el abuelo de Emma y Charlotte, en el que encuentran un artículo que teoriza sobre la naturaleza no lineal del tiempo. Describe el tiempo como un resorte en espiral, que se puede juntar, de modo que algunos momentos en el tiempo pueden estar muy cerca de un momento en otro tiempo.

Reseñas
Charlotte A veces recibió elogios generalizados de la crítica.

Margery Fisher, en una reseña de 1969 para su revista de literatura infantil Growing Point, escribió: "Al igual que Emma en Winter, este es realmente un estudio sobre la desintegración, el estudio de una niña que encuentra una identidad al perderla... Sobre todo, aquí hay un sueño -alegoría que enseña no a través de declaraciones sino a través del sentimiento. Percibimos el significado de los cambios de identidad de Charlotte en la forma en que ella misma los percibe... [Es] un libro de una distinción bastante excepcional... una historia inquietante y convincente que se acerca a ser una obra maestra de su tipo..."

La novelista infantil Eleanor Cameron escribió: "Farmer escribe con estilo. Es vívida en su descripción del lugar: en casi todas las páginas, salpicadas de coloridas figuras retóricas, somos atraídos a la escuela y los alrededores de la escuela a través de imágenes, sonidos y olores y texturas... sobre todo nos conmueve la profundidad y el patetismo de la relación entre Charlotte y Emily". Continúa: "Farmer siempre tiene el don de captar las posibilidades que nos dejan sin aliento, deleite y satisfacción."

Neil Millar en La Ciencia cristiana Monitor escribió: "Charlotte A veces es un libro de una distinción bastante excepcional... El libro trata esencialmente sobre la humanidad atrapada en el engaño del tiempo... No se olvida fácilmente"."

En 1969, El Tiempo de domingo describió el libro como "la fantasía más inquietante de este año".

La editora de libros para niñosMargaret K. McElderry escribió: "[Charlotte A veces] es una exploración fascinante de las frágiles barreras entre las capas del tiempo, manejada con gran habilidad en la escritura y delicadeza de percepción.

El autor infantil británico David Rees escribió en 1980 cómo "el libro no es peor por romper los límites convencionales de la novela infantil. Es probablemente la mejor novela de Penelope Farmer: compleja, tensa, sin una sola palabra equivocada, y merece totalmente el reconocimiento". popularidad que ha alcanzado."

Peggy Heeks escribe en Twentieth-Century Children's Writers que Charlotte A veces "muestra un manejo brillante de la técnica del cambio de tiempo y una sinceridad que rechaza soluciones hábiles a los dilemas de las dos heroínas".

Hannah Gerson, en una reseña de The Millions, escribió: "El libro es bueno, realmente bueno. . . . Puedo ver por qué esta novela inspiró The Cure. Es un libro algo lúgubre, una historia inquietante sobre la infancia, la identidad, la soledad y la muerte. Al mismo tiempo, tiene todos los placeres de una buena historia de viajes en el tiempo".

Influencia y adaptaciones
El programa de televisión infantil de BBC One, Jackanory, presentó a Charlotte A veces como una lectura serializada abreviada en cinco partes en enero de 1974, leída por Rosalie Crutchley .  Daphne Jones adaptó el texto como una serie y el programa contó con fotografías de Jimmy Matthews Joyce. La productora ejecutiva fue Anna Home .

En 1980, el escritor británico David Rees publicó The Marble in the Water, una colección de ensayos sobre literatura infantil británica y estadounidense.  Su título proviene del episodio del capítulo final de Charlotte A veces .  Cuando Charlotte, en su propio tiempo, coloca las canicas del juego de solitario que le envió la Emily adulta en una jarra de agua, nota lo grandes que se ven en el agua, aunque ordinarias cuando se sacan.

En 1993, Chivers Children's Audio Books lanzó una adaptación de Charlotte A veces en casete de audio.

En 1981, la banda inglesa The Cure lanzó un sencillo titulado Charlotte A veces . Su letra se refiere a Charlotte, el personaje central de la novela. Se refieren a los párrafos iniciales: "A la hora de acostarse, todas las caras, las voces se habían desdibujado para Charlotte a una sola cara, una sola voz. . . . La luz parecía demasiado brillante para ellos, brillando en las paredes blancas.",  y varios eventos cerca del final del libro: gente bailando en las calles en el Armisticio; y una caminata escolar cuando Charlotte llora al enterarse del destino de Clare. El título de la cara B del sencillo, "Splintered in Her Head", también se tomó de una línea de la novela.  The Cure luego lanzó otra canción basada en la novela, "The Empty World", en su álbum de 1984 The Top . En 2002, el cineasta Eric Byler estrenó una película titulada Charlotte a veces .  Su línea argumental no tiene relación con la novela de Penelope Farmer, aunque su título proviene de la canción de The Cure, basada en la novela.

"Charlotte a veces" fue utilizado anteriormente como nombre artístico por la cantautora estadounidense Jessica Charlotte Polonia .

Notas a pie de página

Enlaces externos

 Penelope Farmer: "Charlotte A veces – Regreso a clases." En: Granny P's  rockpool in the kitchen. Blog, 21 noviembre 2007.
Novelas de viajes en el tiempo
Wikipedia:Páginas con traducciones sin revisar


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Trending Now in News & Politics
"Swordfish Whisperer" Linda Greenlaw Says Swordfish Is Back and Lobsters Are Booming
The famed seafarer visited the Hamilton to talk fish.
Written by Carol Ross Joynt
| Published on August 22, 2013
Commercial fishing boat captain Linda Greenlaw during a small seafood lunch at the Hamilton. Photograph by Carol Ross Joynt.
Once upon a time—basically the 1980s—swordfish was the trendy food of the US culinary
scene. It seemed to be in every cookbook, on every backyard grill and every restaurant
menu—which led to overfishing and a challenge to the swordfish population. A Give
Swordfish a Break boycott was started, and the US National Marine Fisheries Service
launched a swordfish protection plan. That was the late '90s. Today, according to
one of the nation's best-known and most successful commercial fishing captains, swordfish
are back, and no one needs to feel politically incorrect about eating them.
"While I thought [the boycott and protection plan] was misguided at the
time, I can say my experience the past three years I swordfished is entirely different
from what I was catching" before, says
Linda Greenlaw, who is known as America's only female swordfishing captain. She was the featured
guest at a lunch Wednesday at the Hamilton, part of the Clyde's Restaurant Group,
which will be offering her branded Linda Greenlaw swordfish on the menus at all its
restaurants. She's proud of her catch. "Anything you buy that has my name on it is
100 percent maximum sustainable yield," she says. "It's going to be from the North
Atlantic ocean. It's a long-line fish . . . and 90 percent of the boats we are sourcing
fish from are using circle hooks," which she calls a "huge tool" in rebuilding the
population.
Greenlaw's measure of the rebound of the swordfish population, she says, is size.
She says that before the enforced regulations her catch had shrunk down to an average
of about 100 pounds per fish. "The average fish of the past three years is 170 to
200 pounds."
Greenlaw makes her home in Maine. When she's not at sea—often for as long as a month
at a time—she writes best-selling books and appears on the Discovery Channel program
Swords: Life on the Line. She was also a key figure in Sebastian Junger's book
The Perfect Storm, which told the story of the fatal voyage of the
Andrea Gail in a catastrophic Atlantic superstorm. Greenlaw was out in that storm, too, trying
to maintain radio contact with her friends on the
Gail, to warn them of the growing intensity of the storm. In the film of the book, she
was portrayed by Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio. She said that wasn't the worst storm
she'd ever experienced, but she wasn't in the worst part of it—her friends were, grappling
waves reportedly as high as 100 feet.
Greenlaw describes herself as a reluctant celebrity. When
The Perfect Storm was published to much acclaim, publishers started to come after her, too. "I was
very happy with my female fisherman thing, and had no interest, desire or aspiration
to write anything," she says. But major publishers in New York City kept calling to
ask her to write a book. She recognized it was an opportunity most people would beg
for. She wrote her first nonfiction book,
The Hungry Ocean, in 1999, followed by
The Lobster Chronicles in 2002,
All Fishermen Are Liars in 2004, and
Lifesaving Lessons in 2013; she has published two cookbooks with her mother; and also has written two
mysteries,
Slipknot and
Fishermen's Bend. Still, she finds time to go to sea.
During the lunch, she told us some interesting facts about swordfish. For example,
the most desirable swordfish is called a "bullet," because it is so fresh and healthy
that the flesh is rigid. Swordfish caught in foul weather isn't as high quality as
fish caught in fair weather, because in a storm the fish can get banged around and
bruised. Swordfish are "highly migratory" but do not spawn in the North Atlantic.
They go south, to the Caribbean, and Greenlaw follows them there. "When I fish down
there I get fish with a lot of eggs," she shared. She described life at sea as long
periods of boredom broken up by spells of excitement. But the important takeaway:
"Swordfish are fun. They are a fun fish to catch. They are colorful. Beautiful. It's
a challenge to catch a swordfish but worth it."
Her life is not only swordfish, however. Her husband is building her a new fiberglass
lobster boat, and she's looking forward to day trips for lobsters, a crop which she
says has become robust. "It was big the year before, bigger last year and even bigger
this year," she says. "It's because of global warming. They are shedding twice. We
have soft shell lobsters in October. We've never had that before." She anticipates
a continued boom in the lobster population.
We had to ask: Does she eat fish every day, or never? "About four days a week," she
said. And how does she like her swordfish? "The best preparation is a little bit of
olive oil, salt, and pepper and on the grill."
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


When Monday came around and the news that Jena Malone was officially cast in Catching Fire, I was actually amused.
Let's back up here. Sunday night, the night before the announcement, after winning his Choice Movie Actor award at the Teen Choice Awards, Josh Hutcherson was interviewed by Access Hollywood about being excited about the Catching Fire cast, and he mentioned Jena Malone. At that point, there had not been confirmation that she was cast to play Johanna Mason. Essentially, he appeared to have let the cat out of the bag.
So I had to wonder, was this casting announcement actually scheduled for Monday? Could it have maybe been scheduled for today, but bumped up to avoid articles the next day full of speculation from the media. Beat them to the punch the next day before it can just be another sensationalized rumor article! Damage control!
Or then again it could've just been scheduled for Monday. Contrary to some whisperings I've been hearing, not all casting announcements come on Tuesdays. Amanda Plummer's may have, but Philip Seymour Hoffman's was on a Monday as well. So there is no way to divine when a casting announcement will happen. We just know they don't happen on weekends. And there are still many spaces on CatchingFireCasting.com that need to be filled up! So be on alert. When casting for The Hunger Games happened, casting news came every day at one point (thanks to Savanna New for reminding us!).
And Josh, we hope you didn't get in trouble! And we hope Lionsgate doesn't make you get rid of your fledgeling sideburns as punishment (actually we do).
While he doesn't strike me as particularly bright, sweet as he may be, I doubt Josh Hutcherson would have intentionally spilled the beans without the okay from Lionsgate. Honestly, I sometimes wonder how much they know before we know. In that, we all knew she had officially been offered the role, we just didn't know if she had accepted it. Maybe he was going off of that? trying to give the benefit of the doubt. Although I agree about the fledgling sideburns. Those need to go.
Well, if he we find out if he's been highjacked then we'll know.


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Turkey Pfeil nach rechts
Deadly Nationalism: The Struggle of Orhan Pamuk and Turkey's Intellectuals
Deadly Nationalism The Struggle of Orhan Pamuk and Turkey's Intellectuals
The culture war in Turkey against critical authors and journalists is intensifying, as murderous nationalists agitate against dissidents. Many liberals are under threat, including Nobel Prize winner Orhan Pamuk, who has now left the country.
Von Annette Großbongardt
Orhan Pamuk flew to the Cairo International Book Fair on the day of the funeral of his friend Hrant Dink. There is "great interest in all aspects of Turkish literature and culture" in the Arab world, the winner of the 2006 Nobel Prize in Literature said, but it sounded as if he were attempting to justify his trip abroad, now that the situation in Turkey has become precarious for him and other liberal writers and journalists.
Author Orhan Pamuk standing in front of the home of murdered journalist Hrant Dink: "I am furious at everyone and everything."
By that point, Pamuk's moves were apparently prompted by fears for his own life. He did not attend the morning funeral procession two weeks ago for Dink, a Turkish-Armenian journalist who was murdered by ultra-nationalists. More than just a funeral procession, the event turned into a protest march of demonstrators who chanted "We are all Armenians," making a strong impression on Europeans. But despite his absence from the procession, Pamuk did not hesitate to publicly criticize the Turkish government, judiciary and society, which he held partly responsible for Dink's death. "The murder of my courageous, golden-hearted friend has soured my life," Pamuk confessed, "I am furious at everyone and everything, and I feel boundless shame."
As if to reinforce his words, Turkey was in an uproar last Friday over images of several police officers who were photographed in a chummy pose with the young murder suspect. The officers were suspended from duty, but not before the newspaper Sabah condemned the incident, writing that a nationalist murderer was being treated like a hero.
By then Pamuk, who has become the most prominent advocate of a modern, liberal, cosmopolitan Turkey, had already left Istanbul for the United States, where he plans to stay, for the time being, and give lectures at several universities. He cancelled a reading tour in Germany last week and ceremonies at the Free University of Berlin and the Catholic University of Brussels. Both institutions had planned to award Pamuk honorary doctorates, but the author simply declined to attend without so much as offering an explanation. The Carl Hanser Publishing Company, which has published his books in German, including "The White Fortress," "Snow" and, most recently, "Istanbul," received nothing but a blunt fax to explain Pamuk's absence. The answering machine at his house in Istanbul was switched off, and whenever journalists did manage to reach him, he would hang up the phone.
"More will die"
"Tell Orhan Pamuk to wise up!" one of the principal suspects in the Dink murder, right-wing extremist Yasin Hayal, a man with a criminal record, said publicly. The threat must have made a strong impression on the author.
Last week the self-proclaimed "Turkish Revenge Brigade" (TIT) posted a video on YouTube depicting Dink's corpse next to photos of Pamuk. The lyrics of a song that accompanied the images read: "We cannot be friends with them." The video ended with a shot of a Turkish flag and the head of a wolf -- the symbol of Turkish ultra-nationalists, and the threat: "More will die."
Dink's funeral procession in Istanbul Jan. 23, 2007: "We are all Armenians."
Pamuk, Turkey's most famous writer and a man who ought to be the pride of this country as it seeks European Union membership, has been pursued by hate-mongering nationalists for some time, and he is not the only one. About a dozen Turkish writers, journalists and academics are currently the targets of hate-spewing, fanatical right-wing extremists.
Pamuk's hasty departure shines a spotlight on the clash of cultures and the climate of agitation, intimidation and fear dissidents in Turkey currently face, especially those who dare to tackle national taboos -- of which there are many, including the 1915 genocide of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire, which the Turkish government continues to dispute, Christian minorities, the Kurds and the PKK (Kurdish Workers' Party) and, of course, Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the modern Turkish state.
According to statistics compiled by the Turkish Human Rights Foundation, close to 100 intellectuals have already been hauled before courts for voicing their critical opinions. Most have been charged with the crime of "insulting Turkishness," or disparaging national institutions. Reactionary prosecutors use a notorious Turkish law known as Article 301 to persecute critical thinkers.
Elif Shafak, 35, a popular and courageous female author, had done nothing more threatening than write a novel ("The Bastard of Istanbul") that tells the interweaving stories of a Turkish and an Armenian family in the United States and Istanbul. Her novel prompted a group of nationalist lawyers to take Shafak to court in 2006, merely because one of her characters says: "I am the grandchild of genocide survivors who lost all their lives to the hands of Turkish butchers in 1915."
Shafak was acquitted, but she confesses that she felt "quite shaken" by the "ordeal" of the trial. As happens in all of these trials, angry nationalist activists gathered outside the court house. The same brand of activists threw eggs at Pamuk, who was also accused of "insulting Turkishness," and berated Perihan Magden, a journalist who had written an article defending conscientious objectors, as a "whore of the PKK." Shafak was well into a pregnancy when her trial began. She had been receiving threatening letters for some time, but only after the Dink murder did the government finally acknowledge the danger she and other journalists faced. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has now assigned government bodyguards to writers and intellectuals considered in danger.
Hrant Dink's supected killer, Ögun Samast, has been treated like a hero by police.
Grassroots snitches
Ideologically obsessed citizens often act as informers, such as the attorney from Izmir who filed a complaint against Muazzez Ilmiye Çig, a 92-year-old female archeologist. The case against Çig revolved around the religious headscarf, one of the central symbols of conflict in Muslim but highly secular Turkey. Çig, an expert in the history of the Sumerians, had written that headscarves were originally worn by Sumerian priestesses to initiate young men into sex. Çig was accused of "inciting hatred" but was acquitted.
The portrait of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the modern Turkish nation, hangs in every Turkish government office, every business and every classroom. He has been dead 70 years, and yet criticizing him as a historic figure remains taboo. When Atilla Yayla, an Istanbul political scientist, dared to describe the first few years of Atatürk's government as a "step backwards, not a period of progress" and criticized the official cult of hero worship surrounding Atatürk, he was promptly suspended from his job.
When journalist Ipek Çalislar wrote about an episode in which Atatürk dressed in women's clothing to escape an assassination attempt, she was accused of having tarnished Atatürk's reputation. "Atatürk was an incredibly brave man and would never have done such a thing," wrote an angry reader who filed a complaint against the author with the public prosecutor's office. If Çalislar had been found guilty, she could have faced up to four and a half years in prison.
Even translators of undesirable books are not safe against persecution, nor are publishers like Fatih Tas, who published a study by an American professor on "the human costs of the US arms trade." Turkey, a US ally, is criticized in the report.
"A wave of nationalism"
For the European Union the trials, which seek to muzzle the freedom of speech, are a barometer for Turkey's suitability for EU membership. Each new trial creates fresh doubts as to whether the country is in fact succeeding in transforming itself into an open, pluralistic society.
The roots of the problem are deeply embedded in a highly traditional, conservative society, large segments of which have suddenly chosen to obstruct the country's efforts to become integrated into the West. "The Turkey of today harbors a smaller modern society and a vast pre-modern society that live side by side, but not in the same era," says sociologist Dogu Ergil.
Nationalists who prefer to drive their country into isolation rather than deliver it to "imperialistic enemies" in the West currently dominate the pre-modern segment of Turkish society.
The country has been seized by "a wave of nationalism of unprecedented scope," complains political scientist Baskin Oran, who was also once put on trial, in his case for writing a critical report about the situation of Turkish minorities. The Erdogan administration, which campaigned on a reform platform but is now eager to gain reelection, does little to stem the country's reactionary mood.
The other camp, the modern segment of Turkish society, is embodied by the 100,000 people who took to the streets to mourn murdered journalist Dink, but also by the country's economic elite, who know that Turkey can only have a future as part of the West. But the nationalists have met the show of solidarity with the country's Armenian minority with renewed attempts to wrest public opinion away from the demonstrators, and they are now holding up banners that read: "We are all Turks, our names are Mehmet, Hasan and Hüseyin, not Hrant Dink." A bitter fight has erupted over the future direction of Turkey, waged on one side in parts with murderous fervor. Which side will emerge victorious is still undecided.
Constant threats
The day Ismet Berkan, editor-in-chief of the liberal newspaper Radical, had to be accompanied by bodyguards to leave his office was the day he began thinking about leaving the country. "But that's exactly what they want," he says, "and that's why we must stay and raise our voices against those who want to cut Turkey off from the rest of the world."
Hrant Dink's wife Rakel (left) and her daughter Sera (second left) shed tears as they follow the funeral procession for their husband and father.
This requires courage, especially for someone who receives up to 50 threatening anonymous letters a day, letters that read: "We will get rid of you, we will kill you." A year ago, Berkan and four other journalists were put on trial for having criticized a court decision banning a conference on the Armenian question.
Baskin Oran also refuses to be driven out. The 62-year-old political science professor perseveres in his small row house in Ankara, clinging to the conviction that Turkey "is getting better every day, even if we are passing through hell on the road to paradise." He solicits understanding for his country, which he says is rushing through a development process in a matter of decades that lasted for centuries in Europe. Oran regularly receives e-mails, telephone calls and faxes in which fanatics disparage him as a "bastard" and "traitor," messages peppered with threats like "we will fuck your mother" and "we will kill you." In a report he wrote on Turkish minorities, Oran proposed the use of the term "citizens of Turkey" instead of the ethnically defining word "Turks."
Prosecutors accused Oran of "inciting hatred" and, with his ideas, of promoting "chaos" and jeopardizing the "fundamental elements of the Turkish Republic." Oran defended himself with a 40-page "counter-accusation," which he said he owed to his students, "whom I have been teaching, for the past 37 years, to take a stand against anti-democratic positions." His efforts were successful -- for the time being. But he nevertheless requires police protection every time he leaves his home.
"I live in a country that celebrates and honors its generals, police officers and statesman, even while they are still alive, but persecutes its writers with court trials and prison sentences," Pamuk said last year, when he was still embroiled in his own trial.
A difficult relationship with intellectuals
The hostile mood in Turkey reflects the country's difficult relationship with its intellectuals and its deep distrust of its pro-Western authors who criticize the system from within.
"We are always seen as potential runaways, if not potential traitors," says writer Shafak. "Criticizing the country is considered practically the equivalent of hating it." In a recent television interview, she was asked: "Did you ever say that you were not feeling at home in Turkey?"
When Pamuk was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in October, a first for Turkey, his otherwise staunchly nationalist fellow Turks were restrained in their praise for the author. To this day many are convinced that the only reason Pamuk received the prize was that he openly criticized the Armenian genocide.
Pamuk has toned down his rhetoric since then. "Especially now that I am a Nobel Prize winner," he says, "I am no longer interested in talking about minor political matters as much," he admits. Nevertheless, he adds, he sometimes becomes so furious that he is unable to hold his tongue. It seems that there are currently plenty of reasons for Pamuk to begin talking again.
Translated from the German by Christopher Sultan


The Cessna L-19/O-1 Bird Dog is a liaison and observation aircraft. It was the first all metal fixed wing aircraft ordered for and by the United States Army, since the U.S. Army Air Force separated from the army in 1947, becoming its own branch of service, U.S. Air Force. The Bird Dog had a lengthy career in the U.S. military as well as in other countries.
The U.S. Army was allowed to retain some O-1 Bird Dogs for artillery observation (spotting/forward air control) until the new army helicopters entered service. All previous operators mentioned above, including the US Army, continued using the O-1 Bird Dog throughout the war, however the bulk of the O-1s were operated by the U.S. Air Force from 1964 until the end of the war in 1975 (flown primarily by South Vietnamese airmen in 1975). During the Vietnam War, the planes were used for reconnaissance and forward air control (FAC). Supplementing the O-1, then gradually replacing it, was the USAF O-2 Skymaster, a faster, twin-engine aircraft which entered Vietnam in the mid 1960s. The last U.S. Army O-1 Bird Dog was officially retired in 1974.
During the course of the Vietnam War, 469 O-1 Bird Dogs were lost to all causes. The USAF lost 178, the USMC lost seven, and 284 were lost from the US Army, South Vietnamese Forces, and clandestine operators. Three Bird Dogs were lost to enemy surface-to-air missiles (SAMs).
As USAF phased out the O-1 in favor of the O-2, many O-1s in the United States were sold as surplus. During the 1970s and 80s, Ector Aircraft remanufactured many as the Ector Mountaineer with their original powerplants, and as the Ector Super Mountaineer with the Lycoming O-540-A4B5.
Many O-1s were turned over to the Civil Air Patrol for such duties as aerial search. Many of these were damaged in groundloops and other accidents, and eventually all were replaced by tricycle-gear Cessnas. The only O-1 remaining in CAP inventory is a static display on a post in front of CAP headquarters at Maxwell Air Force Base.


Australia's vocational education and training (VET) system has transformed over the past 20 years in response to changing economic and societal needs. This timeline helps understand the scale of change and the individual policies, programs or initiatives that have shaped VET at both the national and state and territory level. The comprehensive resource also includes economic events that may have influenced enrolments and completions of VET courses, apprenticeships and traineeships.
Default view: all events are displayed in the default view. This includes all national, state and territory and categories of information.
Filtering: use the icons to filter events by selected categories and/or regions. Click the reset button twice to remove the filters.
Searching: use the search box to quickly find specific policies, programs or initiatives. Tick the 'All' checkbox to once again display all events on the timeline.
Event colours: events are colour-coded to reflect regions; colours are based on national, state and territory colours.
Event description: hover over or click on an entry to see additional information about each policy, program or initiative.
Links: links to additional information are provided in the description box where applicable. Clicking on an event will show hyperlinked URLs at the bottom of the description box. Click on these hyperlinks to access this information.
Downloadable versions: links to PDF and Word versions of this timeline are available at the bottom of this page.
VET reform: provides information on significant reforms to the VET sector, such as introduction of student loans and demand driven models of training.
Regulation: refers to legislation, regulations, funding and other government-driven impacts on the VET sector.
Participation: relates to initiatives that were aimed to increase participation in VET.
Social: relates to initiatives that had a social inclusion element, for example, initiatives to support disadvantaged learners.
Apprentices & trainees: refers to initiatives that had a direct impact on commencement and/or completion of apprenticeships or traineeships.
VET within schools: refers to initiatives focused on VET undertaken at school, such as part of the senior secondary certificate or a school-based apprenticeship or traineeship.
Economic objective: relates to initiatives focused on improving labour market outcomes in a local area, such as skills shortages and retrenched workers.
Economic event: provides information on broad-ranging events that had a significant impact on the economy nationally or for the jurisdiction.
Governments: shows the political parties in government over the duration of this timeline.
VET funding in Australia: background, trends and future directions, a policy paper written by Peter Noonan and released by the Mitchell Institute in 2016.
The development of this resource required reaching back into time to locate information about past VET policies, programs and initiatives. Every effort has been made to ensure the information provided is accurate and complete within the scope of the project (see page introduction above), including consulting more broadly with a range of government, research and other VET stakeholders.
Where an exact date could not be determined, it is indicated in the description. If you know of any missing information or have any feedback about this resource, please let us know at voced@ncver.edu.au.
Disclaimer: This timeline has been developed and optimised for viewing on a desktop platform.
NCVER (National Centre for Vocational Education Research) 2018, Timeline of Australian VET policy initiatives, VET Knowledge Bank, NCVER, Adelaide, <http://www.voced.edu.au/vet-knowledge-bank-timeline-australian-vet-policy-initiatives-1998-2017>.


Pat here with a QKD April release. It's called Bloomin Basket by artist Jacquelynne Steves and it is just loaded with colorful blooms in anticipation of Spring!
I made a specially-folded card that was inspired by an image on Pinterest. I like it because it has a pocket in which to put surprises for the recipient. In this case, it looks like a flower pot, so behind Jacquelynne's image, I plan on putting a seed packet in its pocket and send this card to somebody special!
After cutting and folding my "flower pot," I added patterned papers from Basic Grey and the Paper Studio. I colored my basket with Copics, giving them sparkle and shine with smooch and Liquid Glass. The basket seemed to get lost on the patterned paper, so I colored a small paper doily with ink to frame it and then attached it to the front of my card. I embellished simply with flower sequins, as the patterned paper was enough eye candy.
You can find Bloomin' Basket by Jacquelynne Steves in the QKD Shop. Happy crafting!
So colourful and sping feeling!


What is the gender of this clownfish?: This clownfish is relatively large compared to other clownfish. Because of this size and its relationship to other clownfish, we classify this clownfish as a female. We recommend pairing this clownfish up with a smaller clownfish.
Clownfish Gender and Pairing: All clownfish are born male and have the ability to change gender from male to female. Dominance and aggression determine size and gender. When two or more clownfish are grouped together the more dominant becomes the largest and the female while all others remain male. Once a clownfish is female it will remain female for the rest of its life. It can be difficult to determine if a clownfish is male or female based on size alone. In order to provide the most accurate determination of gender, we also look at relationships within each clownfish group. We invite our customers to mix and match their pairs based on our recommendations. By pairing the clownfish of your choice, you can make matches that would be impossible to find anywhere else. Pairing clownfish can be exciting and fun!


(670 The Score) The Bears are expecting the return of star outside linebacker Khalil Mack and No. 1 receiver Allen Robinson on Sunday, as neither appeared on the game-status injury report that was released Friday.
After missing the last two games, Mack (right ankle) and Robinson (groin) are slated to return to action when the Bears (5-3) host the Lions (3-5) at Soldier Field. The team officially ruled out tight end Dion Sims (concussion) while listing defensive lineman Bilal Nichols (knee) as questionable.
Mack made a major impact before getting his right ankle rolled up on Oct. 14. He posted five sacks, four forced fumbles and a pick-six in his first four games in a Bears uniform. He was shut down for the last two weeks while the Bears allowed his ankle to heal.
Robinson has posted 25 receptions for 285 yards and two touchdowns in six games this season. He also was injured during that game in Miami on Oct. 14 and aggravated it against the Patriots on Oct. 21.
The Bears won both of their games without Mack and Robinson, doing so by a combined score of 65-19 against the lowly Jets and Bills. Starting Sunday, they face a string of three division games in 12 days.
"You spend your whole training camp and whole season preparing for November and December football, hoping to get into January," Robinson said. "That's the plan. Being back healthy at the right time is definitely good."
Detroit comes to Chicago with injury issues, as it was forced to hold guard T.J. Lang (neck) and cornerback Darius Slay (knee) out of practice Friday. As of early afternoon, Detroit had yet to release its final game-status report.
Kickoff between the Bears and Lions comes at noon CT Sunday from Soldier Field.


Despite the many hardships they encountered, including the loss of their daughter to whooping cough, the tragic death of a friend by a wild animal, and severe injuries sustained in an auto accident, Aimé and Madeleine Cosendai, Swiss missionaries to Africa, still count their years of mission service among the Cameroonians a privilege rather than a sacrifice.
This is a love story—not only the story of how a missionary couple comes to love and "adopt" the African people they came to serve, but a story of how the African people come to love and adopt the missionaries as their own,—as people they knew really loved them. And as you read, you'll come to love them all.


text:
Journal Management Management Skills for the 21st Century
Management Skills for the 21st Century
Communication and Interpersonal Skills Rank First
By Mark Mallinger, PhD
Do educators and practitioners agree on which management skills are required for success in the 21st century? How can communications between those who teach and those who practice business be improved so that companies are better prepared to meet the challenges of the new millennium? These questions are the impetus for a new research project at Pepperdine's George L. Graziadio School of Business and Management (GSBM).
Several recent business journals suggest a growing gap between those who teach in graduate business programs and those who practice business in corporations and agencies. One suggested reason for the increased separation is that the two groups do not usually interact. One of the reasons they don't interact is that practitioners, facing deadline and bottom line pressures, prefer to focus on solving immediate problems, while faculty, wanting to encourage thoughtful reasoning, require students to gather increasing amounts of information before making decisions. Thus, practitioners rarely seek out faculty research assistance in decision making, and many faculty view industry as interested only in short-term fixes. These natural tendencies can block meaningful dialogue and create hurdles for mutually beneficial partnerships.
Increased interaction between practitioners and faculty has several potential advantages for both groups. Enhanced communication can lead to the development of a community where industry benefits from practical research provided by faculty, and academics have increased access to quality research sites offered by practitioners. Faculty could also increase course content and value through "hands on" interactions with the business community. In addition, partnerships with practitioners would offer valuable data for the evaluation of business school curricula. Increased awareness of practitioners' current and future needs could be instrumental to developing cutting-edge academic programs.
These benefits suggest that greater dialogue between faculty and industry to explore common ground and to seek out an appreciation of the goals and expectations of each of the constituencies is valuable. However, few formal networks exist to bridge the gap. A mechanism that will promote, enhance, and foster increased conversation between business school faculties and industrial communities is necessary.
Southern California leaders in business and graduate business education recently took the first step in developing conversations aimed at examining these and other important questions. GSBM faculty members and members of the school's Board of Visitors met on May 12 in a meeting designed to encourage improved communication between those who teach business and those who practice business.
The Board of Visitors is comprised of more than 100 local business leaders who have agreed to serve in an advisory role. The mission of the Board is to provide essential advice in many areas, including, but not limited to: academic programs; executive education; managing technology; and global programs. Members of the Board also serve as advisors to GSBM Dean Otis Baskin in identifying and analyzing broad issues that will impact the school in coming years. Increased interaction between members of the Board of Visitors and GSBM faculty also can provide a means of overcoming barriers between industry and academe. Linking the two can create the communication needed to develop a learning community of scholars and business leaders.
The goal of the May 12 meeting included planting seeds for ongoing interaction between faculty and Board of Visitor members, allowing both groups to describe their needs, and encouraging input from practitioners that could be useful for curriculum planning. A significant part of that dialogue included a discussion of what skills successful managers will need in the upcoming millennium.
A questionnaire focusing on current and future business conditions was distributed to all faculty and Board members two months prior to the meeting. The questionnaire included four open-ended questions. Responses to the question asking what skills would be required of effective 21st century managers were the focus of the May 12 meeting. Sixty-two responses were returned, equally distributed between faculty and Board members. Fourteen categories of important attributes emerged from a content analysis of the data collected. Some were skills, but some also involved attitudes or other traits. A handout listing the 14 categories identified by respondents was distributed (Included at end of article.)
The participants were asked to work in groups of six to eight to determine which five of the fourteen attributes they deemed to be most important. There were faculty members and Board members in each group, with a facilitator for each group responsible for moderating the discussion and encouraging interaction and feedback from both practitioners and faculty. A total of seventy-nine participants were divided into twelve groups.
The exercise actually had a dual purpose. One purpose was to promote a general dialogue regarding the critical issues that managers face in accomplishing their goals, and the other was to identify the most important skills and attitudes needed to achieve these goals.
The participants were asked to select the five most critical skills or attributes for effective managers in the 21st century from those on the list. Thus the score represents the number of groups out of the possible 12 that reported this item to be one of their top five choices. (In some cases, when members of a group could not reduce their selection to five, an additional item or two were included).
Because of a tie, the list of the top five skills or attributes actually became a list of six. These skills include:
Communication and interpersonal skills
An ethical or spiritual orientation
The ability to manage change
The ability to motivate
Analytic and problem solving skills
Being a strategic/visionary manager
Some participant groups chose to include attributes not on the original list of 14 skills. These additional attributes included:
Persistence in overcoming difficulties
Managing the knowledge worker
Being passionate about work
The survey: The group decision-making technique used in this exercise revealed that the effective 21st century manager is likely to be a transformational leader. That is, a masterful change agent who, through the use of outstanding interpersonal skills and analytical application, is able to motivate others by sharing a strategic vision, while at the same time adhering to a rigorous ethical code.
A contemporary example of the transformational leader is Jack Welch, CEO of General Electric. For over 17 years, Welch has been the inspiration for GE's success. Measured by revenue, GE is the fifth largest company in the US, but the second-highest profit producer.
Widely recognized as a visionary strategic thinker, Welch is also an example of a leader who is able to communicate his goals in a manner that enhances commitment. By using the "mirror test," Welch asks employees to look at themselves introspectively when making ethical decisions. That GE holds the position it does today attests to the analytic and problem-solving skills that he personally exhibits and values among others in the company. The commitment to vision, along with his ability to motivate others to enroll in his mission, has made GE the highest market-valued company in the country.
It may be interesting for readers to reflect on their own management styles. If, indeed, the items identified above are qualities needed by effective managers, one may want to examine the extent to which he or she possesses these skills. Therefore, this exercise may be very helpful as a developmental activity that could be a valuable self-improvement tool.
You are encouraged to respond to the survey yourself, whether or not you agree with the top choices of those at this particular session. By clicking on the link at the end of this article, you can record your top five selections and then see how other readers have responded. If you wish to comment on this article, please go to the Your Turn Section of the Graziadio Business Review or send an e-mail to GBR. [PLEASE NOTE THAT THE SURVEY IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE.]
The reaction of those who participated in the faculty-Board discussion was favorable. The meeting provided the opportunity for faculty and practitioners to introduce themselves and become aware of each other's interests and to share perspectives on important business issues. It is planned that the initial meeting will become the first in an on-going series of similar events. The opportunity to communicate with business leaders is beneficial for faculty as a vehicle for gathering information about business practice, for becoming aware of research possibilities, and for receiving input for curricular changes.
Given the positive results that came out of this meeting, it would seem meaningful for future meetings to address other contemporary business concerns and to find new ways of enhancing dialogue. For example, issues related to external influences (e.g., government interventions or international competition) on business practice, and the effect on the development of middle and senior level managers would be appropriate for discussion. In addition, it may be useful for practitioners to become acquainted with the practical research being carried out by the faculty.
Handout Distributed at the Faculty/Board of Visitors Meeting
The following list was created from the responses of members of the Board of Visitors and GSBM Faculty to the questionnaire that was distributed earlier this year. Although all of the skills identified below are essential for effective management, please select the FIVE that you believe to be most important for 21st century managers in positions of authority.
Ability to manage differences
Ability to manage change– diversity
Ability to motivate
Decisive– quickness of action
Having a global perspective
Ethical and/or spiritual orientation– that is, to act with integrity
Knowledge of computer technology
Resiliency– being able to balance job, family and outside demands
Ability to facilitate/manage teams
Communication and interpersonal skills– people skills
Having a self-development mindset
Being able to recognize current trends/market conditions
Five Most Important Management Skills for the 21st Century
As Selected by GSBM Faculty and the Board of Visitors
12 Communication and interpersonal skills – people skills 10
7 Ethical and/or spiritual orientation – that is, to act with integrity 8
2 Ability to manage change — diversity 7
4 Ability to motivate 6
3 Being a strategic/visionary manager 5
9 Analytic and problem solving skills 5
6 Having a global perspective 4
5 Decisive — quickness of action 4
14 Being able to recognize current trends/market conditions 3
1 Ability to manage differences 3
8 Knowledge of computer technology 2
13 Having a self-development mindset 2
11 Ability to facilitate/manage teams 1
10 Resiliency — being able to balance job, family and outside demands 1
Author of the article
Author's profile
Mark Mallinger, PhD
Mark Mallinger, PhD, is a professor of applied behavioral science at the Graziadio School of Business and Management's at Pepperdine University. He teaches in the full-time, fully-employed, and executive programs. Dr. Mallinger is a management development consultant and has published works in a number of academic and practitioner journals.
Graziadio Business School | Copyright © 1998 Pepperdine University
More articles from 1998 Volume 1 Issue 2
A group exercise reveals that the effective 21st century manager is likely to be a transformational leader.
Middlaning
A few basic rules for becoming a "Middlaner," one who is deliberately living a reasonable and appropriately balanced lifestyle.
By David Hitchin, PhD and Jill Hitchin, MA, MSOD
Decision-Making in a Global Environment
An exploration of emerging challenges to current worldviews with suggestions as to how business practitioners can anticipate the future and plan accordingly.
By Marshall Nickles, EdD
Editor's Note: Welcome to the GBR, Volume I, Issue 2
Several world events, including President Clinton's recent trip to China, inspired the global focus of this issue of the Graziadio Business Review.
By W. Scott Sherman, PhD
Conversation with Global Pacific Information Services' Jeffrey Rigsby
Rigsby, President and CEO of Global Pacific Information Services, Inc., discusses breaking out of banking to start his own business.
By David Hitchin, PhD
Cultural Insights on Doing Business in China
The hidden obstacles of tradition, social structure, and thought patterns require extensive, time-consuming experience to overcome when doing business in China.
By L. Wayne Gertmenian, PhD
How Entrepreneurs Create High-Hope Environments
Entrepreneurs are valuable assets to society. The competitive climate in which they operate is inherently challenging, and they must continually seek new and unique methods to help them successfully compete.
By Charlotte Law, MSOD and Miriam Y. Lacey, PhD
Entrepreneurship / Innovation, Human Resources, Leadership, Management
CSAT or CES: Does It Matter?
As the role of the customer becomes more and more important to the sustainability of the firm, effective allocation of resources will provide a significant advantage to customer service organizations.
By William Bleuel, PhD
Decision Sciences, Global Business, Management, Uncategorized
The Digital Transformation of Management Education
Online programs, the fastest-growing segment in management education, are illustrative of how digital technology is now being applied to deliver world-class knowhow at a time and place convenient to the student.
By Charles A. Morrissey, PhD
Information Management/Technology (IT), Management


The Croatian island world is characterized by a fantastic scenery, Mediterranean flair, many islands, an extensive hilly landscape and the long coast. Regardless of whether you are looking for harmony and peace or a new challenge while you are sailing: Croatia offers an incredible diversity.
Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia is a state lying on the borderland of Central and Southeastern Europe. Croatia is a member of the European Union, NATO, the World Trade Organization, the OSCE and the UN.
Thanks to countless islands and bays, the Adriatic Sea offers gorgeous possibilities for sailing holidays. Yacht charter in Croatia is an unique experience, wich you should try at least once. Croats are identified with the sea and its special charm. It does not matter if someone rents a sailboat for a week or one day. Everyone will enjoy the unforgettable time aboard. The Adriatic Sea is also an excellent starting point for yachtsmen and sailing enthusiasts who want to start their sailing career. On many islands you can find innumerable marinas and bays. Marinas with numerous restaurants offer delicious dishes for everyone. Especially lovers of seafood and fish will find fantastic dishes. Thanks to the sailing areas in Dalmatia and Istria, Croatia offers not only beautiful views but also perfectly shows the culture and history of this country. Croatian hospitality is ubiquitous! It is really easy to reach Croatia travelling by car or arriving by plane, landing in Zadar, Split, Pula or Dubrovnik. We are delighted to inform you regarding any further details!
You want to discover this wonderful country apart from the Croatian mainland? Near Split you can find the beautiful island of Brac, which is very popular among tourists seeking for sun and nature. Being there it's worth hiking to the little mountain of Vidova Gora, which is the highest Croatian peak of all Croatian islands. It is 778 meters high. From there you can enjoy a wonderful view of the southern Adriatic Sea. The most spectacular beach on the island is on the so-called Golden Horn. The island of Hvar, which is close to Brac, is not only one of the most beautiful and luxurious, but also one of the sunniest islands in this country. Crystal clear water, green landscapes and wonderful beaches make it an ideal holiday destination. In addition, the island is known for the heavenly fragrant fields of lavender. Fantastic beaches, beautiful bays and great restaurants can be found almost everywhere on Hvar.
There are many coastal cities in Croatia that will enchant you. By sailing through Dalmatia, for example, you can discover the old city of Split, which was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Dubrovnik in the southern part of Dalmatia is famous for its preserved city walls, which are significant for the panorama of the city. These walls create an unique atmosphere, which is definitely worth seeing. By mooring your boat on the Istrian peninsula, Pula offers a nice marina. The old town of Pula, which was influenced by the Venetian era as well as from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, invites you for a stop over. It is also worth visiting the amphitheater which was built in Roman times!
The diversity of the landscape of the Croatian islands enchants many sailors each year. The beautiful landscapes of the Kvarner Bay and the North Dalmatian coast around Zadar and the island of Pag are becoming increasingly popular with many sailors. When planning a vacation in Croatia, you can experience many attractions.
There are more than 45 marinas and 27 harbours along the Croatian Adriatic coast and islands. In addition, the innumerable number of bays and buoy-fields between 1185 islands provide shelter and anchorage possibilities. Sailing with a chartered yacht in between many uninhabited islands, you can enjoy an undiscovered idyll.
There are many beautiful routes, such as the route from Dubrovnik to Sipanska Luka, which shows unique natural phenomena. Starting in Split or Trogir, you definitely have to visit the island of Brac and then continue sailing to the island of Hvar. You can proceed your trip to Dalmatia and discover one of the most beautiful islands in the Adriatic Sea: Vis. The neighbouring island Korcula is one of the greenest islands in the Adriatic Sea. It is also one of the most popular destinations in this part of Croatia. Like most Croatian islands, it was discovered by a Greek who named her "Black Corfu" because of the strong shading of the land and its abundant afforestation. The island itself is rich in art and culture, has a beautiful nature, numerous small and secluded beaches or bays as well as small and uninhabited islands with breathtaking views. Apparently the world-famous sailor Marco Polo was born here. Currently, in his house, there is a museum.
Maestrale (also called Maestral) - This wind should not be confused with the "Mistral" of the Rhone valley in France, which is extremely capricious! It is a normal and widespread wind that often accompanies you during a yacht charter in Croatia. It starts in the late morning and lasts until the evening with wind power up to 4 Beaufort. Deep blue sky, small clouds, steady wind, so perfect sailing conditions! What else could you desire?! Maestrale is a thermal wind that arises due to faster heating of air on land than at sea. In this way, the air flows over the land, blowing in the lower layers from the sea to land, and in the upper area, it blows back into the sea. This creates the proper wind dynamics for sailors, which lasts from 10 to 18 o'clock. The reverse effect is often observed at night: Burin, a night wind, arises due to faster cooling of the land than at the sea.
Yugo - bad weather is coming, the wind is blowing from south-east. First, there is a harsh weather, then rain and strong wind, which develops a wind force up to 7 Beaufort. It takes a day or two and then ceases. In autumn and spring, it can blow stronger and longer.
Bora - this wind (female) is dangerous, but fortunately quite rare. Bora blows from the north-east and comes from the proverbial pure sky. In gusts the wind speed rises up to 9 Beaufort on the mainland. This is due to the large difference in air pressure between water and mountains. It usually only lasts one day, then the wind is moderate again.


All of our prep solutions contain 10% weight by volume Povidone Iodine, USP solution equivalent to 1% available iodine.
Effective for skin and mucous membrane preparation prior to surgical procedures.
Also effective as a first aid antiseptic.


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Everyone is welcome here at Barrhead United Reformed Church
Being Reformed
Power from Below
Driven By Grace
God Is Still Speaking
A Political Church
A Thoughtful Faith
Life Events – Baptism
Life Events – Weddings
Daily Devotions from the URC
Sermon 5th November 2017 Andy Braunston
This is an interesting time of the year; for some it's quite difficult. The clocks changed last week and the evenings now draw in around us. The Church celebrates All Saints' Day (technically last Wednesday, 1st November) and, the day after, All Souls' Day. Next week we will watch the poignant Remembrance Day ceremonies and think of all those who have lost their lives due to violence, war and terror. Those who are bereaved find this time of year difficult and the run up to Christmas can heighten that sense of loss.
However, as Christians we believe that death is not the end and the twin festivals of All Saints' and All Souls can play their part in reminding us of the hope of resurrection to a New Heaven and a New Earth that our first hymn described and which we cling to in the face of loss and bereavement.
Since the earliest days of the Church we've had to wrestle with the reality of death and the hope of resurrection to the New Heaven and New Earth described in the book of Revelation.
We discussed and thought, a little earlier, about the concept of saints and said that in the earliest Church martyrs were automatically recognised as saints. Our first reading, from Revelation, is clearly where the Earliest Church received this idea from – here the great multitude of saints from every nation are those who were the persecuted and martyred ones who now sing praise to God.
Revelation is a rather challenging book and one that we often shy away from reading or trying to interpret because:
it addresses a reality that those of us in the West don't face – persecution. The book was written when Christians faced the reality of oppression and martyrdom – at least sporadically because of their beliefs.
it uses imagery and a style of writing which is rather uncomfortable to read and many of those who have tried to interpret this book often end up teaching rather odd doctrines.
it critiques Empire. The Roman Empire was a mixed blessing for the Church. Its internal communications, peace and order made it easy to travel to spread the Gospel, but the Empire was, as all Empires are, unjust.
So, let's look at each of these areas of discomfort to see what progress we can make in our reading of the passage.
Thankfully we live in safety and security in the UK. No one is bothered by our ethnicity, religion, political opinion, sexuality or gender. From the perspective of history, we're living in an unusual time; our forebears in the churches that led to the formation of the URC experienced discrimination and persecution because of their understanding of Christianity.
We're also unusual in terms of our world. In the West, we live in security with the rule of law, liberal democracies and wealth which insulates us from the cruel realities of the world. People are persecuted for their faith, their political opinions, their gender, and how they love in many parts of the world; a tiny number of these people manage to flee here for sanctuary. So perhaps this passage can give hope to those who live with persecution. Perhaps its promise of a future of freedom is one they can hold on to and perhaps this vision is one we can work to bring about.
There is a paradox in the Book of Revelation. Most Christians are rather wary of it, many non-Christians are fascinated by it! There is a wealth of material on the internet and in films which seek to interpret this or that passage in Revelation and to find some meaning or prophecy for how our world will go. Most Christians – possibly because of some very strange interpretations that are around – tend to shy away from the book. I think we make a mistake to do this – especially when many in wider society are fascinated by it. What we need to bear in mind, and communicate, is that this book relies heavily on the writer's imagination. We're drawn into his world and his world was dangerous. He uses imagery to obscure his meaning but much of what he meant is crystal clear.
The writer sketches an image, in this passage, of the saints being safe with the Lord – safe to love, safe to worship. Later in the Book he casts the image of the New Heaven and the New Earth which will come where all will live with the Lord without fear and where death and sickness and mourning and crying will be no more. The saints have the privilege of being the forerunners of what we will all experience in due course. It's a book of comfort.
It's easy to be critical of empires when we live in a country which no longer has one! The Jewish people at the time of the New Testament were precarious citizens of the Roman Empire. They were, just about, tolerated but they were the only religious group that were tolerated. Everyone else had to be part of the Imperial polytheistic cult. Christians at first managed to stay under the radar and to be yet another Jewish sect but as gentiles came into the Church and didn't want to take on the Jewish identity of the Church and as the Synagogue became more and more wary of the Church there was a parting of the ways. The Church was persecuted for two reasons. First it didn't take part in the Imperial cult and was seen as anti-social but more vitally, it was persecuted because it made some surprising claims. The Roman Empire found its stability and identity in the person of the Emperor. Caesar was Lord. All prosperity, health and safety was bound up, in Roman thinking with the Emperor who was, often, declared to be a god after he died – a process not unlike the contemporary declarations that someone has been judged to be a saint!
Yet Christianity offers a very different view of the world order. Salvation belongs to God not Caesar; all other imperial claimants have been dethroned – or at least spiritually defeated. In our context that means the powers and dominions that seek to rule our world for their own ends, the people who seek to enrich themselves at the expense of others, the social systems that seek only to increase the division between rich and poor will be dethroned, judged and found wanting. The saints, the persecuted ones, understood this and their loyalty to Jesus, not Caesar, cost them their lives.
A Pitfall
There is, however, a pitfall we need to avoid in looking at Revelation and its promise of resurrection into the New Heaven and the New Earth. Revelation offers hope of a better world but that better world seems to be the next one. It seems to be a new realm far beyond the cruel realities of our world so we might conceive of salvation to mean an escape from this life, from this world in all its despair, degradation, injustice and oppression. Many people who are poor and marginalised often think like this. Yet this otherworldliness is rather good news for those in power. It legitimizes the status quo. It's easy for the powerful to buy into the pie-in-the-sky promise of a new world as they keep their power and their wealth in the here-and-now. It isn't a sign of sainthood to opt out of the struggle for a better world. It isn't holy to ignore the needs of those around us. As Fred Pratt Green, in the hymn we sung earlier, while reminds us that some saints are those "who march with events to turn them God's way." True sanctity calls the world to judgement. True holiness reminds people that Jesus is Lord and that means there is a judgement and accounting to come. True sainthood reminds the world who is in charge.
Everyday Sainthood – St Matthew 5
In his marvellous book, the Power and the Glory, Graham Greene followed the progress of the last priest in a particular state in Mexico during a period of persecution. The priest was a whisky priest – in other words he was an alcoholic. He also had a daughter from an illicit relationship. Despite his frailty and foibles, he travelled around from place to place, hearing confessions, celebrating mass, and baptising children. Eventually he was caught by the authorities. He refused to renounce his faith and, unlike another priest, Padre Jose, refuses to marry, accept a state pension, and settle down as a tame example of a reformed priest. So, towards the end of the book he was executed. As he approached his execution it occurred to the priest that it would have been quite easy to have been a saint. He realised (paradoxically as he's being martyred and so will be declared a saint anyway) that it's the little things in life that mark our holiness.
This surely is the point behind our Gospel reading from the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus takes the everyday things of life – being poor, mourning, being meek, thirsting for justice, being merciful, being pure, being a peacemaker, suffering persecution, and being reviled and turning these into places of holiness. We are blessed when we realise we can encounter God in the everyday things of life – even the awful things like persecution and derision.
True Sanctity
My problem with how much of the Church recognises saints is that it cleans them up and holds them up as heroic examples of faith. The whisky priest, it is implied, will become a saint but the version of his life the Church will promulgate won't bear much resemblance to his reality. The Church must make people safe and, in so doing, makes them very different to us. Yet the saints are just like you and me; they were grumpy, they struggled to follow Jesus in the everyday things of life and many of them we probably wouldn't like very much. Those who were truly revolutionary – like the martyred Archbishop Oscar Romero – disturb the Church almost as much as the elite who had him killed.
Revelation urges us to look for a better world but, Jesus, in Matthew's Gospel, shows how to make that better world in the here and now.
Our hope of resurrection, however, does not mean that we need to glorify the suffering in our world. Those who are persecuted, beaten, raped and despised need to find the strength in God to resist their oppression and to find salvation and wholeness now. This is to be found not in the glorification of their suffering but in finding the grace to put suffering to an end. The saints were, I think edgy people who disturbed the status quo. The saints of the earliest Church, and the Reformation, were so edgy that they were killed. Others, pushed the boundaries of what the Church was about and found ways to interpret the Gospel in their own contexts. Biblical sanctity will always disturb the status quo, will always look to the better world which is to come, and will view the struggles in our world for freedom and justice as part of the coming of the kingdom.
We know that our struggles for sanctity, our yearning for justice and righteousness, our desire for the New Heaven and the New Earth won't come to fruition in our own life times. That promise is to come when we, and all God's saints, will be raised to live a new life. This promise of resurrection, however, needs to spur us on now as we seek God's face in our world, as we work to make His coming Kingdom of love and justice real. Surrounded by the saints as a great crowd of witnesses we can draw our inspiration from them as we obey Jesus' command to follow him – just as they did.
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This Q&A discusses the Medicaid and Medicare disproportionate hospital share payment program, and how it is changed under the ACA.
Charitable and safety-net hospitals have long provided uncompensated care to low- income and underserved individuals. In part to help offset the cost of this care, many of these hospitals receive funds through the Medicaid and Medicare Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) programs. On the assumption that the number of uninsured and underinsured people will fall precipitously beginning in 2014, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) decreases the amount of DSH payments under both programs.
This reduction in DSH payments, which was not affected by the Supreme Courtís ruling in National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius, will dramatically impact the financial situation of some hospitals. In states that do not expand Medicaid to all people up to 133% of the federal poverty line, the need for uncompensated care may remain relatively stable while the amount of DSH funds that were previously used to subsidize some of that care will fall substantially. This may lead some hospitals to provide less uncompensated care or aggressively pursue collection activities against uninsured individuals who receive such care. Advocates may be able to use state law and other provisions of the ACA to curb some of these practices if they occur.
Q. Iíve heard that there are two different types of DSH programs. Is that right?
Q. Can you provide a quick overview of the Medicaid DSH program?
Q. Can you provide a quick overview of the Medicare DSH program?
Q. How does the ACA change the DSH programs?
Q. How does the ACA reduce Medicaid DSH payments?
Q. How does the ACA reduce Medicare DSH payments?
Q. Will the Supreme Courtís ACA decision affect the scheduled DSH reductions?
A. No. However, the ACA assumed that many people who currently receive uncompensated hospital care would be covered by Medicaid in 2014 (or earlier, in states that choose to expand early). If states do not expand Medicaid to everyone up to 133% of the poverty line, the number of uninsured people seeking care will be much larger than expected. Both the Medicaid and Medicare DSH calculations take the number of uninsured people into account to some extent, but payments under both programs will fall substantially even if the number of uninsured people remains stable. This will likely put even more pressure on safety net providers such as community hospitals, and may make it more difficult for uninsured and underinsured people to access care.
Q. What should advocates in states threatening not to expand Medicaid be doing now?
A. Reductions in DSH payments will begin in October 2013 (federal fiscal year 2014). Hospitals that currently receive a large amount of funding through either or both DSH programs will likely begin attempting to make up for this lost revenue long before 2013.33 This will likely be especially true in states that do not expand Medicaid, since the number of uninsured individuals in those states is likely to remain relatively stable while funding for uncompensated care will fall dramatically. There have already been a number of reports of safety-net and other hospitals failing to provide care to uninsured and underinsured people or providing that care and then aggressively pursuing patients to recover its cost. 34 The reductions in DSH funding may accelerate these types of actions, particularly in non-expansion states.
Since hospitals in states that currently receive the largest amounts of DSH funding stand to lose the most when the cuts take effect, advocates should review their stateís current allocation to see where they stand.35 Particularly in states that currently receive a large amount of DSH funding, hospitals may prove effective partners in encouraging governors and legislatures to move forward with the Medicaid expansion. In states that fail to expand Medicaid as required, advocates should closely watch hospitals as the cuts take effect to ensure that they are not engaging in efforts to reduce provision of care or engage in unlawful collection practices.
Advocates should be aware of provisions in the ACA and state law that prohibit some of the more egregious hospital financial practices. Under the ACA, nonprofit hospitals are required to have a written financial assistance policy, and are prohibited from engaging in ìextraordinary collection actionsî unless and until they have made ìreasonable effortsî to determine whether the patient is eligible for financial assistance.36 Nonprofit hospitals are also required to limit charges for emergency or other medically necessary care provided to individuals eligible for assistance under the hospitalís financial assistance policy to the lowest amounts charged to individuals who have insurance covering such care, and gross charges are prohibited.37 Many states have similar requirements.38 Advocates should engage with community stakeholders, educate clients and staff, and take steps to ensure that hospitals are in compliance with the new ACA requirements as well as state laws.
Since many people currently receiving uncompensated care would be covered by the Medicaid expansion, advocates should take all possible steps to encourage states to adopt the Medicaid expansion as required by the ACA.


How can I link a artefact created with the standards objects and each other? It isn´t possible to save my model without an error message about conection.
I have a problem when saving a model in Modeler. There is message: "Error saving model" and in Czech language: "file is not empty". Any idea what could it mean?
Dear Juan Zuluaga, your link goes to nowhere.


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Sunday, November 29, 2020 (5)
Medicare Annual Open Enrollment Period
Oct 15, 2020 to Dec 7, 2020
10/15-12/7/20 - Medicare Open Enrollment Period. medicare.gov
Created by: Pippi
Fall Virtual Film Festival Presented by Levis JCC's Judy Levis Markhoff Boca Raton Jewish Film Festival
Oct 17, 2020 to Dec 25, 2020
The Festival features more than 30 engaging, entertaining, and thought-provoking films from around the world. Special to this year's virtual festival are webinars with filmmakers and cast members, and the opportunity to view the film up to 72 hours a
Created by: Jacquelyn Smith
Pandemic Craft and Holiday Sale
Location: First Presbyterian Church of Delray Beach
10/26-12/19 - Pandemic Craft and Holiday Sale at First Presbyterian Church of Delray Beach, 33 Gleason St. Craft supplies, sewing notions, fabric, handmade gifts. Cash and carry/masks required. By appointment only T, Th, Sat. Free admission. Call/ema
George Snow Scholarship Fund Applications
Nov 1, 2020 at 9:00 to Feb 1, 2021 at 17:00 EST
11/1-2/1 - George Snow Scholarship Fund Applications available online. See website for scholarship types, eligibility criteria, application, virtual presentation. Deadline to apply 5 pm on 2/1. 347-6799; scholarship.org
Celebrate Museum Store Sunday
Nov 29, 2020 at 11:00 EST
Location: Boca Raton Museum of Art
11/29 - Celebrate Museum Store Sunday at Boca Raton Museum of Art, 501 Plaza Real. Quality gifts filled with inspiration and educational value; all purchases benefit the Museum and the artisans and craftspeople who create many of the gifts. 20% off e


the whole environment (see below).
The importance of the environment is often overlooked when it comes to dental fear. If your dentist happens to be a serious bit of dental totty, you may be able to ignore everything else around you… but for most people, the environment definitely sets the tone and has a huge role to play in feeling relaxed.
Quite a few years have passed since the comment above appeared on our message board, and today, lots of dental practices have revamped their practices and uniforms. The traditional white dentisty outfit has largely been replaced by more modern colours (black and pink are currently high in the popularity stakes, alongside any other colour that matches the company logo). Our obsession with interior design has spilled over into the dental realm, and it is not unusual nowadays for a practice to look like something out of "Ideal Home" magazine. And thankfully, surgical instruments are nearly always kept out of sight these days.
This wasn't always the case (and of course, there's still room for improvement). In the following article from 2004, trend-setting dentist Lloyd Jerome describes how he uses the environment to make people feel at ease!
Ten years ago (in 1994), I created a dental practice that was intended to appeal to all, including, and especially, those people who have a deep-seated fear of dental treatment.
Having combined my dentistry with hypnotherapy for dental anxiety for several years, I understood the factors behind the triggering of anxiety-laden events, and I tried hard to re-design the whole dental environment from first principles in order to minimise these so-called "anchors".
So now, I have ten years of feedback, adjustments and monitoring from which I can draw conclusions.
The five basic senses all have roles to play in the refreshment of a person's memory, as well as informing them of the current surroundings. The unconscious mind interprets the information, and "advises" the emotions accordingly. This is never so true as in the sense of smell.
A smell that we find pleasant, especially one that our memory associates with a positive experience, will uplift our emotions, often without any conscious input (we won't necessarily know why we feel like we do). The same connection exists with negative emotions/smells/reactions, and anyone who has a fear of dental treatment will react in a negative way to the smell of Oil of Cloves (or Eugenol as we dentists like to euphemise).
So what can we do? In my case, I installed aromatherapy heaters in all corners of the practice, and sourced materials that didn't contain any strong-smelling chemicals. This in itself makes more difference than any other technique that we use, subtle though it is! Now when people step through the door, their very first reaction is that they cannot possibly be at the dentist's!
Visual stimuli have, needless to say, an important role in informing our conscious mind of our surroundings. So I didn't want the practice to look anything like a dentist's. Obviously, this is not always possible, bearing in mind that dental treatment is, in a sense, engineering on a microscopic level, and the equipment that we use has evolved slowly over nearly 200 years of refinement. Instead, I chose to create a strongly visual environment in the waiting area (otherwise known as an art gallery!) and extend this to all corners of the practice. The colours we use are calming, the lighting muted, projectors throw abstract and constantly-changing images on the walls, and none of us wear traditional (and, to my mind, unnecessary) dental uniforms. Instead, we chose our clothes for comfort and practicality, and our own taste.
The most memorable item in our visual distraction (and audio, too) is the Virtual-Reality headsets that we have incorporated into the dental realm. These are really just miniature televisions with a series of lenses to make the picture look big. They are very useful as a way of allowing our clients to escape to another world whilst we can work around them without interrupting the video. Some people love them, and some find them "one distraction too far", but they certainly can help, especially in order to ensure that an impatient child stays happy and relaxed. Everyone is given an opportunity to try them for themselves, and decide if they suit them.
Sound, too, is an important anchoring stimulus, and anyone who suffers dental anxiety will show all the signs of "fight or flight" if they hear the infamous air turbine whine (a.k.a.: "the drill"). Once again, other than doing without what is an essential piece of kit in painless dentistry, distraction is the key. In this case, well-fitting headphones, and a pleasant soundtrack can go a long way to help, and if the VR headset is not wanted, a distracting monologue (you'll note that I don't ask questions whilst I am working!) can work wonders.
Outside of the treatment room, in the Gallery, the soundproofing of the walls ensures that the waiting for an appointment is not an exercise in apprehension.
We try to choose ambient music to play in the practice that delights many without offending any. We sometimes succeed, and are helped greatly in this regard by one of our clients who owns a music shop, and pays for his treatment in well-selected CDs!
Taste and smell are closely linked, and we can even distract with flavour! We offer a wide range of drinks from the refreshing (water, fresh juice) via the stimulating (tea and coffee) through to the soporific (beer, wine and spirits). All of these, in their own way, help the more anxious client focus on something beyond their fears. In addition, sitting and having a drink with the dentist before an appointment has a "bonding" influence on both people, allowing for greater communication and trust, allaying some of the fears.
Within the realm of dentistry itself, we insist on using materials that, at worst, taste neutral, and we rely on pleasantly-flavoured mouthwashes, topical anaesthetics, and mould-taking materials.
Touch is the last of the senses, and it is within this category that most of dentistry falls. The watchword here is gentle. We insist that all members of the dental team are able to empathise with the anxious client, and by imagining their state of mind we can come closer to providing them with their ideal dental experience.
In addition, the materials and features of the practice and gallery are as tactile and pleasant as possible, and whilst no compromise on cleanliness is made, we try to ensure that the surroundings are as non-clinical as possible.
By using a combination of these techniques, we rapidly achieve a relationship with our clients that allows, gradually, for their feelings of anxiety to become a thing of the past, not their future.
What has surprised me is how well this combination works! I fully anticipated that I would be using hypnotherapy on a daily basis to alleviate my clients' tension, but in fact, by reducing the "mental anchors" as we have, the need for additional therapy has been limited to the clinical skills that I make use of at the chairside, and have more to do with gentle reassurance and less formal hypnosis.
I opened the practice with the intention (I quote from my first practice brochure) of "providing high-quality dentistry in an atmosphere of relaxation, education, and enjoyment". Ten years later, and this still holds true – but is now backed by the testimonials of many relaxed, distracted customers!
Lloyd Jerome invented his award-winning practice and art gallery in Glasgow because he believes that it's no longer necessary to be afraid of dentistry, and wonders why he still is… He loves ambient music, visual art, and all kinds of gadgets, and hates having to read instructions for any of them. The website of his practice in Glasgow, which is described in this article, can be found at www.dentalpractice.com. Since this article was written, Lloyd has moved to New Zealand, where he works in Kerikeri.
The information on this page has been provided by Lloyd Jerome BDS and Dental Fear Central. Last reviewed November 2, 2018. We welcome your feedback on our information resources.