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'Boys In The Band' Original Film Continues…
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Kardashian, Trump White House Reality TV Star Summit Yields Zero Results
Earlier this week, the Oval Office became the site of a Mensa meeting in which some of the world's biggest problems were swiftly and definitively solved forever. J/k, it was a meeting between Kim Kardashian and Donald Trump.
KK and DT have a lot in common: They're both reality stars, they're both attention-seeking narcissists, and they both have no idea how government works. And yet, it was inspiring to see them come together despite their differences — not the least of which is that one goes viral around the world for her social media posts, while the other uses social media posts to cause viral epidemics of fear over impending nuclear war. Oh, and Kim actually talks to the Eric Trump of her family (Rob Kardashian.)
But Kim wasn't there to fool around. She was there to discuss prison reform — after, of course, joking about how she and Donald Trump were both incredibly rich and famous (one via sex tape, the other via questioning Obama's birthplace.)
Kim K reportedly discussed a presidential pardon for Alice Marie Johnson, who has served more than 20 years in prison for a first-time, non-violent, low-level drug offense. Earlier in the day, Kim tweeted, "Happy Birthday Alice Marie Johnson. Today is for you," followed by the prayer hands emoji.
"I would like to thank President Trump for his time this afternoon. It is our hope that the President will grant clemency to Ms. Alice Marie Johnson who is serving a life sentence for a first-time, non-violent drug offense," Kardashian West said in a statement Wednesday night. "We are optimistic about Ms. Johnson's future and hopeful that she — and so many like her — will get a second chance at life."
So today, after his groundbreaking and life-changing meeting with Kim Kardashian, Donald Trump instead pardoned Dinesh D'Souza, a radically racist conservative documentarian guilty of felony federal campaign finance charges.
So that's America folks. Two needy, selfish fame whores who contribute nothing to human progress convened for a meeting that resulted in a viral selfie. What a time to be alive.
tags: a confederacy of dunces, alice marie johnson, dinesh d'souza, kanye, kim kardashian, trump dump
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We have so much to be grateful for. The little things, like running water and warm bread, and the big things, like a God who loves us so much that he sent his son Jesus to die in our place.
My prayer is that you will find the grace and peace of Christ on this Thursday. As you gather with friends and family, I pray that the love of Christ pours out of you and onto everyone around you.
If you are unable to be with family, I pray that you experience God's love, the embrace of a loving caring parent and child.
Take nothing for granted. Give without expectation. Find good in everyone and celebrate it. And above all else, give thanks to God, from whom all blessings flow.
Paul, when writing to the church in Corinth, reminds us that the true way to show the Lord we are thankful is to give. The effect is profound, through our cheerful obedience is born a spirit of thanksgiving in the receiver.
Give selflessly to those around you today, for that is the true meaning of Thanksgiving and the beginning of thanksgiving eternal.
First Sunday of Advent 2014: Mary Did You Know?


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Roe Rage
Smart, Fearless Journalism
CHART: Welfare Reform Is Leaving More In Deep Poverty
Stephanie Mencimer
Senior ReporterBio | Follow
The economy is picking up in some parts of the country, but that hasn't translated into any new serious efforts to help those suffering the most hardship. In fact, for those on the lowest rung of the economic ladder, life may be getting even harder. A new report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) looks at cash benefits provided under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, commonly known as "welfare." It finds that the value of monthly cash benefits that make up the fragile safety net for the poorest families with children has continued to decline steadily since the program was "reformed" in 1996.
Back then, benefits weren't exactly generous, but they did manage to keep a whole lot of kids out of really deep poverty. Today, those benefits are almost nonexistent. The lucky few who are able to get cash assistance aren't getting enough to pay rent or keep the lights on in most states, and the value of the benefits has declined precipitously since 1996—even more so since the recession started. According to CBPP, there is not a state in the country whose welfare benefits are enough to lift a poor single mother with two kids above 50 percent of the poverty line, or about $9700 a year. In many southern states, TANF doesn't provide enough money to get a poor family much above 10 percent of the poverty line. What's especially troubling about these figures is that, as CBPP reports, TANF benefits are often the only form of cash assistance poor families receive. They may be getting food stamps, which definitely help their situations, but you can't buy diapers or pay the rent with food stamps.
People like President Bill Clinton and then-Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich claimed they'd be doing welfare recipients a favor in the 1990s when they reformed the welfare program to impose work requirements and make it more difficult for people to get benefits. The idea was that welfare recipients were just lazy and that their government checks were keeping them from working, making them dependent on the government. When the reform legislation passed, with Clinton's signature, some people in the administration quit in protest, arguing that cutting off cash assistance for poor families would push millions of children into poverty. That didn't happen, at least not right away. But funding for the TANF block grant hasn't increased since 1996, meaning that in real terms, what the country spends to help poor families in the program has fallen 30 percent overall since welfare was "reformed," and benefit levels have fallen even more in some states that cut benefits after the financial crisis started in 2007. Not surprisingly, since 1996, the number of families with children living in extreme poverty—that is, on $2 a day or less—has gone up nearly 130 percent.
The US Census Bureau reports that the number of Americans suffering significant hardships, such as having utilities cut off, getting evicted, or suffering food shortages, has escalated sharply during the recession. Between 2005 and 2011, nearly 7 million additional people were unable to make a mortgage or rent payment, suggesting that as the nation's last-ditch safety net for people in really dire straits, TANF, is not working. Given that science is now showing just how damaging the stress of poverty is to children and their health and intellectual development, maybe it's finally time for welfare reform to be reformed in a way that gives poor kids a fair shot at a decent future.
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CHART: Welfare Benefits Far Smaller Than Scorn Heaped On Them
Missouri Lawmaker: No Welfare If Your Kid Gets Mono or Depression
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From perilous life-threatening moments to people as well as animals finding themselves stuck in unusual circumstances, rescuers lay it on the line and it's all caught on camera!
A television news crew took over a dramatic boat rescue when the sheriff's rescue boat carrying five people accidentally went over a dam itself!
Horse falls into a backyard pool and is unable to get out on its own. The owners come to its rescue and are able to pull it to safety, but not after a struggle.
Coast Rescues Mariners After Boat Catches Fire!
Police officer in Michigan saves a frightened deer frozen in the middle of a rural road. The deer apparently was traumatized by some sort of accident and stood in the road for about 0 minutes. The officer eventually moves the deer and it eventually runs back into the woods.
Three men are lucky to be alive after being rescued from the Missouri River after their boat smashed into a bridge piling!
NYPD rescue a hiker who sprained her ankle and was stuck on the hills and cliffs near the Hudson River in New Jersey. Good work fellas!


I hope that everyone is having a great summer! I have been busy finishing a new record that I recorded with Eamon McGrath in Toronto in January. Russell Broom came on board to mix the album in Calgary, and I just received the final masters from Andy Magoffin a couple weeks ago! I'm really excited with how it turned out and can't wait to share it with everyone. The date is not yet set, as I am currently searching for a label to help with it's release. I am hoping for early 2019.
Tomorrow, July 4th, Ill be starting on a solo tour between Alberta and Nova Scotia, hitting some US dates on my way back. Stoked to see some familiar faces out there and meet some new people! I will be playing some songs off of the new album as well. Please come and bring your friends if I a going to be in your neck of the woods. All dates are posted on my shows page, and also on the poster which I made on my phone. haha Not bad for my first try!
I will sign off for now, follow me on Facebook and Instagram for updates on tour and photos of some of my favourite places while travelling across the country.
Limited Edition One Week Record Vinyl Release Day, and Video Premiere for the song "24".
Today is a really exciting day! I've teamed up with Little Rocket Records for the vinyl release of my One Week Record, and it is available now through my online store here, and also through www.littlerocketrecords.co.uk/. Super stoked to be working with them along with Melanie Kaye PR on the release and cannot sat thank you enough!
I am in Saskatoon now on my way to play the Windsor tonight in Winnipeg , check my shows section for details, and am on route to play PouzzaFest in Montreal next weekend with a bunch of other dates across Canada!
I am a few days into tour now in the southern interior of British Columbia. I ve really been enjoying the shows, and driving through this area is always a treat, especially at this time of year. It is so beautiful, and relaxing. I understand why people choose this part of the country to call home. We are blessed to be surrounded by such magnificent landscapes all across Canada.
I had the pleasure, and surprise of opening for Joey Cape (Lagwagon), Brian Wahlstrom, Walt Hamburger, and Steven Rawles (Belvedere) in Calgary this past Sunday at Broken City as part of the One Week Records tour. It was a really amazing show! It is always exciting meeting people from bands that you've looked up to for so long, and have them totally exceed all of your expectations. What are great crew of guys, it was an honour to share the stage with them. Also, a huge thank you to my good buddy Bj Downey for heping to get me onto the stage for the show!
I then had two relaxing days in Fernie, playing at the Brickhouse both nights and got the chance to catch up with my pals in Shred Kelly. It is always a blast seeing them!
I arrived in Kimberley yesterday, to the home of my guitar player and Canmore ex-pat, Robin "Sideburns" Pereira. He joined me for the show last night at the Green Door. I hope that everyone at the show enjoyed us insulting each other all night on stage:) haha We had a great time! If your are ever in this neck of the woods, go check this place out! A truly inspiring artist based type of venue run by really amazing people. I love stumbling upon these types of places on my travels!
Saddling up today to head on to Nelson. It will be my first time visitng and I couldn't be more excited! It is almost surreal to finally be going there. I've heard so much about it in my ten years of living in Western Canada, but the stars have yet to align untill today! I'll be playing at The Blue Mule Espresso Bar at 8PM. Please pass word along if you have any Nelson buddies!
On that note I will leave you. Every day has been inspiring and exciting with every turn of the highway, to all the new folks I've met, and old friends I've seen. Can't wait to see you all soon!
Seth One Week Records crew @ Broken City, Calgary, AB. Sept.20, 2015.


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Life As I Know It: Have You Noticed?
I got a blog make-over?
How exciting! It was courtesy of Kait and I love it! I get to be all prettied up and I didn't have to do any of the work. Thanks Kait!
If you're reading me in a reader then click on over and check it out.


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All sorts of rubbish left behind, or left lying about the yard and not considered harmful, can and does injure wildlife and other animals. How we responsibly dispose of rubbish can help prevent severe injuries and death to inquisitive or hungry critters.
WIRES, unfortunately, receives a large number of calls to rescue birds injured by, or tangled in, fishing line. Rather sad really, considering it is a preventable injury, which occurs generally from neglect. If you do go fishing, please be alert and pick up any discarded line you may see lying about and dispose of it responsibly.
It is not just along the coast that this sort of injury happens either; recently WIRES rescued a local Tawny frogmouth well away from the coast, with a rusted fishing hook embedded in its leg. Thankfully, after minor surgery to remove hook and 9 days in rehab, WIRES carer Alicia was able to release this bird back into the wild, where it had come from.
Almost all of us use plastic milk or cordial bottles, these all have a round plastic seal around the top, and how we dispose of this small ring can be the difference between life and tragic death for unwitting wildlife. Before disposal, cut it open with scissors, so it no longer poses a threat to wildlife, as seen here in photo. This Magpie was lucky, it was found before starving to death, many do not fare so well, and they succumb silently, in agony and out of sight.
Drink cans are also deadly traps, when thoughtlessly discarded, snakes are one of many species that can become trapped while exploring the inside of the can. If a snake slithers its head through the opening, it may be unable to get it back out, as its scales do not bend backwards and can keep it pinned at the neck.
Plastic bags, the bane of modern society, are seen along almost every roadside; many of these end up in our waterways entangling turtles and platypus or wash out to sea causing untold damage to many aquatic creatures and slow death to marin e mammals by compromising them in many ways.
Let us not forget the dreaded orchard netting, often seen as discarded piles about yards or sheds, when no longer needed, or loosely draped over fruit trees and veggie gardens, to protect plants. Many creatures get tangled up in the netting, suffering constriction, dehydration and starvation, it's not pleasant to find an animal in this condition.we ask everyone to be diligent about the responsible removal of unused or unnecessary netting from around their property, and please urge others to do likewise.
Brown snake seen here trapped in discarded orchard netting.
It received extensive veterinary treatment, and after time in care was successfully released.
Glass from empty bottles, left behind and broken by time, can cut the feet or mouths of unsuspecting wildlife, when running or grazing. Unfortunately, they cannot go to the doctor for stitching, bandaging and antibiotics, so many suffer infections that can be fatal, or are crippled, inhibiting their ability to survive.
Sounds depressing? It need not be, if we only spare a thought for the other creatures we share this environment with, by cleaning up after ourselves, or after others less responsible.
Going for a swim on a hot day turned out quite different than expected for Jamil, this bird's rescuer.
A goshawk was snagged on a fishing lure approximately 12 metres above the deep swimming hole at Rosebank where Jamil was about to have his swim. Rather than dive into the cool water he called WIRES.
Follow Jamils eyes to see the bird hanging high above the water.
To reach the site we walked a few hundred metres downstream carrying the rescue gear, at times wading waist deep with car keys and phone high and dry on my head in my cap.
On arrival we looked at all options to rescue. Very tricky! There was no way to reach the branch to cut it - bar felling the entire tree.
Jamil who called the rescue in is standing on top of a 2 metrer step ladder which he managed to secure on the pond floor in the picture. We tied two, yes 2 extendable poles together and tied a knife on top, and were ready with a snake bag to catch the bird before it hit the water.
After many failed attempts and exhaustive efforts, Jamil finally managed to jag the line and the hawk landed close to the opposite bank. He quickly swam to its aid and floated back to my side of the creek with the bird cupped in both hands. We lost the snake bag in the creek.
It truly was an amazing rescue. There is no way I could have done what Jamil did.
The bird had a fishing lure / hook deeply embedded in its wing so was taken to WIRES raptor specialist where we cut the hook and our raptor lady attended to his creature needs.
I took him to Casino Vet Clinic the bird was gassed whilst a piece of hook that was embedded in the wing near the wrist joint was carefully removed.
There is significant bruising indicating that the poor bird had been hanging and struggling for some time. He was also still very dehydrated so he was given subcutaneous fluids while still under the anaesthetic.
Time will tell whether he has suffered nerve or tendon damage and the vet will x-ray in a few days when he has recovered. He is on pain medication and antibiotics.
The offending lure removed from the hawks wing.
Please take all fishing gear with you when you leave.
This magnificent bird was released two week later back at Rosebank.
Pictures below taken just before release.
Had a magical WIRES moment yesterday. I was called out to pick up a baby 'noisy miner' bird that had fallen from it's nest and apparently had fishing wire hanging from it's mouth. There it was, dazed, lonely & confused,... nest on the ground, no sign of mum or dad, but also no fishing wire?!
I scooped it up took it to the vets and got the all clear, no fishing wire:) Baby 'Noisy miner' was also started to live up to his name! So back to the tree we went, noisy all the way! On arrival there though I heard some other "TWeeT TWeT TWeeTs" from the bottom of another tree, 2 more babies and the mum & dad still feeding them!
I had made a nest basket out of 'gutter guard' and put the old nest inside, tied it back up in the tree, popped them all in and a few minutes later mum, dad & babies all reunited in a nice secure nest in the tree!! Such a nice feeling! Thank you Vitality Vets & thank you WIRES!
Diana stepped out her front door to see a juvenile magpie in distress hanging 15 meters high in a tree across the road, Diana knew this bird as it's parents and two siblings are regulars to the bird bath in her garden.
Diana had been monitoring this bird for some time knowing that it had string caught on its feet; the two feet tied together, but had been unable to contain it to relieve it of its plight.
Now the bird had snagged itself high in the tree top and it's parents were still attending to its needs, feeding and reassuring it as best they could.
Having arranged for an arborist to assist, a WIRES volunteer arrived on the scene.
While waiting for help to arrive a neighbour returned home to find some commotion on his doorstep. Fortunately for the magpie Craig was an arborist.
Assessing the situation, Craig sprang into action.
Using equipment from the WIRES volunteers car, a saw was taped to a rescue pole, rope to secure the branch and minutes later the hanging bird was delivered into the hands of the WIRES volunteer.
Remarkably the juvenile magpie had not sustained any injury and following a brief operation to remove the string and the bird given rehydration fluid it was released to a pair of very anxious parents.
WIRES unfortunately receive a number of calls regarding birds injured by b eing tangled in fishing line. This is rather sad, considering it is a preventable injury. If you do go fishing, please be responsible and pick up discarded line from the beach.
This Tawny frogmouth had a rusty fishing hook embedded in its leg. WIRES carer Alicia was fortunately able to save this bird, seen here just before having the hook removed from its leg.
Yet another victim of discarded fishing line. This Magpie did not fare as well as the Tawny Frogmouth, both of its legs were tied together and broken due to discarded fishing line.
A discarded fishing net is a death trap for native animals. This Coastal Carpet python was lucky to be discovered struggling trying to get free of a discarded fishing net, unfortunately the more it struggled the worse the entanglement became.
WIRES snake handler was called and the snake was able to be released straight away after being cut free. Please ensure you take any discarded nets and fishing gear with you when your fishing trip is over, leaving rubbish behind can cause severe damage.
This python is 2.4 meters in length and now safely back in his territory.
When Nathan of Alstonville noticed a young magpie suspended from a branch high in a tree hanging and flapping in distress with string around its leg he immediately called WIRES for help.
WIRES carer Leoni responded to the call and after seeing the situation called Alstonville Fire brigade for assistance.
As always the fire brigade was extremely helpful, they put up a long ladder, cut the branch and lowered the young magpie slowly to the ground.
Whilst the young one was up in the tree still trapped by the string, the mother magpie flew up and tried to feed the chick whilst Brett the fireman was climbing up the ladder, it was as if she was trying to calm the chick down.
WIRES would like to thank the Alstonville fire brigade for their help, it is very much appreciated, and also Nathan for calling us when seeing the little fledgling in distress, as a result this little bird will only require a few days care before being returned to his family as no bones were broken . The situation would have been much worse had the bird been there for extended time..
Discarded fruit netting can be deadly for many native animals including snakes.
WIRES Northern Rivers received a call from a member of the public that two snakes were caught in netting.
Getting snakes out of this situation takes more than one reptile handler as the job can be dangerous to say the least and in this case it most certainly was a situation that would take some very careful handling.
WIRES trained reptile handlers Helen and Melanie went out and as you can see by the images it was a delicate operation to free the snakes, one an Eastern Brown snake the other a Red-Bellied Black snake.
Both snakes were severely injured in particular the Eastern Brown which had most likely been trapped for extended time as it was dehydrated and had cuts to its body where it had struggled to free itself.
Both snakes are currently in care. Please ensure that netting is disposed of in a manner that will not injure our wildlife.
He was found in a compost bin, the lid was put back on after having been accidentally left off overnight.
He was a Mountain Brushtail possum just looking for a meal, it became his last.
He died shortly after being found.
Please check before putting lids back on bins as a possum such as this may be sheltering inside.
This juvenile female Squirrel Glider was found on the edge of a cattle water trough on a property at Leycester, near Lismore. Her mother had drowned in the trough. The young one was bedraggled and hungry however is now doing well in care.
Squirrel Gliders are officially listed as Threatened Species.
Snakes are not in a position to withdraw once caught in things like wire fencing. They will become trapped as in this case where a Yellow faced Whip snake was lucky to be spotted just after becoming trapped. It was rescued by WIRES snake handler Rick, and released unharmed.
Had this snake been trapped for prolonged time, things may not have turned out so well for the snake, so please call immediately should you find a snake in distress.


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California has embarked on a prison downsizing experiment of historical significance. Facing a U.S. Supreme Court decision, Brown v. Plata, which ordered the state to reduce its prison population by 25% within two years, Governor Jerry Brown signed the Public Safety Realignment Ace (AB 109). Realignment transferred authority for large numbers of convicted felons from the state prison and parole system to the state's fifty-eight counties.


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Home / Charter Destinations / Croatia / See & Do / UNESCO Heritage Sites in Croatia
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Croatia OVERVIEW	Croatia ITINERARY	Croatia YACHT SEARCH
UNESCO Heritage Sites in Croatia
Equal parts beautiful and historic, Croatia is the one of Europe's top tourist destinations. Sitting in the Adriatic Sea, and home to more than 1,000 idyllic islands, this enchanting country is home to seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites – all of which are worth seeing on your next yachting adventure in the Adriatic Sea. They are:
The Old City of Dubrovnik:
Thought to be the "Pearl of the Adriatic," the old city of Dubrovnik was a main center of maritime trade in the 15th and 16th centuries. It is filled with countless gothic, Baroque and Renaissance architectural gems – from churches and monasteries, to palaces, like Rector's Palace and Sponza Palace. This quaint town became an UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979, and has since been considered one of the best-preserved Medieval cities from across the globe.
The Plitvice Lakes National Park:
As the only natural UNESCO World Heritage Site in Croatia, this national park is filled with lakes, waterfalls and limestone and chalk formations stemming from thousands of years prior. The park is known for its beautiful flora and fauna, including rare species of birds, bears and wolves.
The Historical Complex of Split:
Joining the UNESCO World Heritage family in 1979, the Historical Complex of Split is 38,500 square meters of Roman monuments and archaeological finds that go back as far as 2,000 years. It is most recognized for Diocletian's Palace, the "retirement palace" of the Roman Emperor Diocletian in 300AD, which sits within its borders. While this complex is an open-air museum today, its palace was originally built with stone from the island of Brač, and was so significant to the area that it was even added to the back side of Croatia's 500 Kuna banknote in 1993.
The Historical City of Trogir:
As the best-preserved Roman-Gothic complex in central Europe, the historical city of Trogir is known for its enchanting beauty, cultural significance, and seemingly endless collection of palaces and churches. It is most popular for its impressive number of Baroque buildings, Roman churches and Venetian-era Renaissance structures, one being the Church of St. Lovro – one of the most important architectural buildings in Croatia.
The Episcopal Complex of the Euphrasian Basilica:
First built in the year 313, this complex is one of the foremost examples of Byzantine architecture and art in the world, and is believed to be one of the founding places of Christianity as a whole. It houses a church, a memorial chapel, an atrium, a baptistery and an episcopal palace, and is most known for its mosaic illustrations, which have a gold glow in the candlelight.
The Cathedral of St. James:
This cathedral became a UNESCO Heritage Site in the year 2000, and sits in the small town of Šibenik. It's a leading example of a unique mix of northern Italian, Tuscan and Dalmatian architecture, and is the most significant piece of Renaissance architecture in all of Croatia. Towering high above the sea, the Cathedral of St. James is surrounded by an exterior frieze of 71 individual men, women, and children, each with different facial expressions that have never been identified; giving the cathedral an intriguing, and mysterious, air.
Hvar's Stari Grad Plain:
An example of ancient Greek agriculture at its finest, Hvar's Stari Grad Plain still harvests grapes and olives that are consistently used today. This agriculture system still looks the same as it did in the 4th century, and offers an enchanting backdrop of discovery for anyone interested in its ancient Greek past.
O'Mega
FROM €550,000 / WEEK
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FROM €65,000 / WEEK
Serenity II


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Dublin man (28) charged with child porn possession remanded on bail
Man from Clontarf is accused of knowingly distributing child porn photographs
Fri, Jan 5, 2018, 20:22
Tom Tuite
Peter McDonagh of St Lawrence's Road, Clontarf, Dublin 3, faces two charges for knowingly distributing child porn
A 28-year-old Dublin man has been remanded on bail pending the preparation of a book of evidence after he was charged with possessing and distributing child porn.
Peter McDonagh of St Lawrence's Road, Clontarf, Dublin 3, faces two charges for knowingly distributing child porn on unknown dates at his address and possessing child porn pictures at the same location on January 18th last year.
The alleged offences are under sections five and six of the 1998 Child Trafficking and Pornography Act.
Judge Alan Mitchell was told the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has directed that the man is to face trial on indictment. This means the case is to be sent forward to the Circuit Court once the book of evidence has been completed.
Garda Desmond McNally said the DPP has also consented to the accused being sent forward to the higher court on a signed plea of guilty should that arise.
The defendant has not yet indicated how he will plead.
Judge Mitchell ordered him to appear again on a date in February when it is expected he will be served with the book of evidence and returned for trial.
The judge agreed to defence solicitor Siobhan Conlon's request to grant legal aid after hearing the accused was not working and was on social welfare.
The court heard that when charged the man made no reply after caution. There was no objection to bail.
The judge said reporting restrictions in relation to the defendant did not apply.
Alan Mitchell
Garda Desmond McNally
Peter Mcdonagh
Siobhan Conlon


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by liftcobusiness_admin | May 30, 2019 | Trade Marketing
The Future Of Canadian Cannabis Retail: Refining The Rollout
It's been a patchy start as retailers juggle regulations, supply and connecting with consumers, but also a lesson in agility and possibilities.
By liftcobusiness_admin May 30, 2019
When it comes to cannabis retail, Canada contains multitudes. Iterations range from government-run stores on the East Coast, private retail locations in the West, to more ambitious attempts to raffle off the business licences in Ontario. A lot of things can be said about the rollout of retail cannabis sales, but there's one thing everyone seems to agree on: if nothing else, it's been interesting to watch.
In the first year of legalization, retailers are figuring out there isn't a single "right" way to sell cannabis. The provinces and territories have set up different regulatory regimes, and businesses are finding ways to operate within those rules.
Hedging supply challenges
Retailers across Canada have been most preoccupied with supply challenges. With many provinces setting up wholesaling operations, which have the exclusive right to buy from licensed producers, many of the decisions retailers make depend on how the provincial body wants to do business.
While some are quick to criticize the operation of these provincial bodies, their existence is as much dictated by the need to carefully manage supply as anything.
Some retailers, though, don't love these regulatory interlocutors.
"Everything's been slow, and slower than we would like with the supply shortage," says Trevor Fencott, CEO of retailer Fire & Flower, which currently has locations in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ontario. The basic fact of supply challenges has pushed provinces to regulate in different directions, which has a knock-on effect on the retail landscape.
"We see the differences in the way the provinces approach the problem. Obviously Ontario's was to say, 'Look, we're just going to restrict the number of licences,' versus Alberta, who said, 'We're going to open up the licences but restrict supply,'" Fencott says.
Canada's most retail-friendly region may be the Prairies, specifically Saskatchewan, which Fencott calls "probably the most positive." There, retailers can deal directly with producers, eliminating a step some retailers see as contributing to the very supply challenge they're meant to manage.
Fencott says Fire & Flower has never had supply issues in Saskatchewan.
"We went directly to these producers who we know, and got direct deals with them. And they understand that as part of this partnership, if they don't produce product then it's obviously going to be very challenging to convince us to buy their products. So it's a natural check and balance there."
In Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta, regulations that allow companies to vertically integrate throughout the supply chain are applauded by retailers as a way to mitigate supply challenges and smooth out the bottlenecks.
"We certainly see the merits in that," says John Arbuthnot, CEO of delta9, a Manitoba-based licensed producer and retailer. "We have a little bit better ability to combat any of these shortages [by] supplying our own product to our stores."
'Government weed' and the consumer disconnect
But for some, retail is just one small part of a larger, more abstract process of actually getting cannabis consumers on board — something that's far from a foregone conclusion.
There remains "a disconnect between the regular cannabis consumer and the legal industry," says Abi Roach, owner of the HotBox Cafe in Toronto. Recent statistics suggest more than one-third of cannabis consumers are still buying their pot off the street, rather than in retail shops.
"The fact that most people who consume cannabis still call it 'government weed'? That's the disconnect," Roach says. "So how do we shift people's minds into becoming a legal consumer? Having a retail store is great, but if people aren't interested in visiting or coming back, how do we bridge the gap between the legal industry and the consumer?"
Nick Kuzyk of High Tide Inc., the company behind the Canna Cabana retail chain, points out many customers might continue to feel somewhat alienated by legal products they can't interact with.
"It seems like you have a lot of retailers who aren't letting customers interact with the product in any way," he says. "Most set up with product behind the desk, dispensary style."
Canna Cabana tries to give customers a more hands-on experience, at least as much as regulations will permit.
"Our layout has these fish bowls, these islands, with the product displayed under glass and the information is on top," Kuzyk says. "People can kind of be left alone to do their own exploring and interact with the product through a couple different senses."
Edibles and concentrates could shift retail landscape
While retailers continue to grapple with supply issues, there are other changes on the horizon — namely, edibles and concentrates. That, says Roach, is likely to have a greater impact on the retail landscape than licensing and supply issues, because it will allow for the proliferation of different varieties of stores.
"Right now, it's very cut and dry — flower. Everyone's selling the same thing," she says.
But think about what a cannabis topicals store might look like, or a drinkables shop, and you can see cannabis retail as it exists right now is only a small sliver of what it could become.
"Right now cannabis is the main product — of course! It's the cannabis stores," Roach says. "But I think the big shift in retail will be about cannabis that is a product within other things."
For retailers, the rollout has been defined by the need to comply with regulations that are constantly being clarified and (in the case of Ontario) re-jigged on a short time scale. In short, nailing the retail rollout is both a work in progress and a moving target.
The flipside is that all of it will change and loosen up over time, and as the regulatory forces let their hair down, so will the retailers.
"If you look at the cannabis retail landscape from [20 years ago] to now and then imagine that, 10 years from now it isn't overly restrictive," Roach says. All three branches of the retail market — politicians, retailers, and customers — need to work in tandem with one another to make a thriving market.
"Our politicians are coming out of the hole of almost 100 years of prohibition and stigma," says Roach. "If policymakers need to catch up to the industry, the industry needs to catch up to the consumer. Once that happens, everything will balance."
High Style: How Design Elevates Cannabis Retail Stores
6 Tips For Cannabis Retailers To Build Customer Loyalty
Legalization 2.0 Is A Gold Rush — Here's How Companies Can Cash In
4 Strategic Lessons Canada Can Learn From U.S. Edibles Markets


It's Thursday 17th December 1998. Four months ago a Zinedine Zidane brace in Paris led France to their first ever World Cup title and in a few days B*Witched's instantly forgettable 'To You I Belong' will end the seven week reign of 'Believe' – Cher's all-time pop classic – as UK number one. And in Drammen, a fast-growing city in eastern Norway that is one of the most environmentally-friendly in Europe, 24 year old footballer Hans Erik Ødegaard – an accomplished if unspectacular midfielder for Strømsgodset – is celebrating the birth of his son.
Fifteen years and ten months later, that son is Martin Ødegaard – Norway international and the hottest teenage property in football.
Ødegaard, who like his father before him plays for Strømsgodset in the Norwegian Tippeligaen, came to the world's attention when he came on as a second half substitute in Norway's 2-1 victory over Bulgaria in the most recent batch of European Championship qualifiers. In doing so, the attacking midfielder – aged 15 years and 300 days old at the time – smashed the record of youngest player to appear in a European Championship game (held by Iceland's Sigurdur Jonsson since 1984) by 312 days.
Since then the continent's media has been abuzz with rumour of where the youngster will choose to take his post-pubescent career.
He has already trained with Manchester United, and has visited Bayern Munich, Stuttgart and Borussia Dortmund while on a tour of Germany, but is also reportedly interesting the big Spanish clubs, as well as Liverpool, of whom Martin and his father are both ardent supporters.
But Ødegaard's national team coach, Per-Mathias Högmo, has told his young charge not to be over-ambitious, and make a move that is best for his game, not his wallet.
The Eredivisie has a good record of bringing through young players from Scandinavia and the rest of Northern Europe. As we reported last week, a significant crop of Iceland's young side have taken their first steps in continental football at clubs like Heerenveen and AZ Alkmaar. And Christian Eriksen, by far the most hyped Danish youngster for some time, refined his game at Ajax before moving to Tottenham last year – a stop-over that has allowed him time to evolve from a bright young thing to a bonafide top-level player.
At the age of 15, what Ødegaard has achieved already in the game is incredible. Though you might have expected his appearance against Bulgaria to have been a token gesture – a taste of the big time to show what could be – it was nothing of the sort. Norway – in with a chance of qualifying for the main tournament in the new format – were locked at 1-1 when he was introduced in the 63rd minute and got the winner ten minutes later. His substitution was a tactical decision to win a must-win game.
Ødegaard has taken to senior football at club level like a duck to water. Since making his debut in April, a month into the Norwegian season, he has seen regular action as his club strive to qualify for the Europa League, currently sitting 4th with just a couple of weeks of the campaign left. In his 13 starts, he has scored five goals, laid on a host of assists with his trickery and is growing into his role with every passing week.
Watching video of Ødegaard is just like watching any of these other pre-teen prodigies that get hyped up by the likes of the Mail upon signing for AC Milan at the age of 9. He waltzes all over the pitch, taking the ball past confused defenders, sometimes two or three times, reluctant to give up the ball, with a few unnecessary step-overs thrown in for good measure.
The difference is that this video is from a fully-professional league. The players he's flying past aren't uninterested 14 year olds who will have given up the game in a couple of years when they discover girls and alcohol, they're twenty-something men, with years of experience and pride at stake.
As fresh-faced as you'd expect, he plays with no fear, trying anything he can think of to take the ball past his man. His approach is Zlatan-esque: a five minute video will have you laughing at some of the moves he comes up with, but it always seems natural, never forced and more often than not constructive.
At the moment he sits in the hole behind the strikers, and uses his two-footed trickery to either hold the ball up to allow his teammates to get into good positions, or his vision to pick out strike partners without a hint of telegraphing. Although he's only 15, he's not holding his own in this league, he's looking really bloody good.
Of course, things will change when he does decide to step up a level. Though the Norwegian league is no slouch, wherever he chooses to go he will meet defenders with better speed of thought and anticipation, less accommodating to his lovely flicks and whirls.
It would be nice to see him go to a Dutch or lesser German side – to not bite off more than he can chew and get some good coaching and regular football before trying his arm at the highest level – and maybe the guidance of his father, a footballer himself who should know how talent grows, will make that more likely – but money talks, as modern football makes ever more clear.
Whatever happens, Martin Ødegaard is definitely one worth keeping your eye on.
Has Football Manager influenced or just predicted the future?
Will Dele Alli finish the season at MK Dons?


How the free market freed women and entrepreneurs in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong is one of the most successful multi-racial societies in the world. But this is a relatively recent development.
The major difference between Hong Kong and other peaceful multi-racial/multi-ethnic societies like Australia (and the US) is that in Australia minorities, over time, lose their separate tribal identities and become members of a single tribe: Australians.
There remains some differentiation based on whether your ancestry was Irish, Polish, African, or Asian. But by the third or fourth generation, all these groups share one thing in common: they are culturally and linguistically Australian, and have lost the language and to a large degree cultural affinities of their parents or great-grandparents.
But in Hong Kong, the different ethnic, linguistic and national groups maintained their separate identities: there was very little "absorption" of minorities into the Chinese majority.
The best example is the Indian minority, which has existed in Hong Kong almost since the British arrived in 1841. More than any other group, including the Chinese, they have resisted "westernization" and kept their original cultural, linguistic and religious traditions more or less intact.
Historically, Hong Kong shares many similarities with other former British colonies. First, of course, is the British heritage of common law. Second, a history of racial inequality ("dogs and Chinese not allowed" — actually a sign on a park in Shanghai, but it applied just as much to Hong Kong): white was superior to yellow because the reins of power were, of course, in British hands.
But racial [or tribal] prejudice went far deeper than white vs. Chinese. Indians kept to themselves (and, as a continuing minority, remain the most culturally cohesive, and "unwesternized" group). In the 1950s and '60s, Eurasians were despised by both whites and Chinese (any Chinese girl seen with a gweilo was, "by definition," a whore). As a result, Eurasians (like Indians) formed a separate community and lived in specific area.
And then there were tribal divisions amongst Chinese, based primarily on dialect [language].
Naturally, the Chinese resented being the underclass, and riots and strikes broke out occasionally, especially in the years following the 1911 revolution in China.
There was one important exception to this general rule that the tribes and races didn't mix: in the marketplace.
While a Chinese or Indian could never become "taipan" in a British "hong," he could start his own "hong" — and even put the British out of business. The legal system of common law and property rights meant that the arena of the marketplace was color-blind. And, of course, the "language" of the marketplace — money, profit, and loss — has no terminology for tribe, or race, or prejudice.
As the 1950s began, the tribes of Hong Kong remained separate and apart socially. In business, price and quality were the only considerations. Banks would finance a promising entrepreneur — even if they'd never invite him to tea.
But the most marked change caused by the forces of the market was the altered status of the Chinese woman: not only did inter-racial barriers disappear, at the same time the market also liberated the Chinese woman from her subservient state.
In all societies — except the mythical Amazons — woman was subservient to man. And so too in China. Daughters were always less valued than sons — often, female children were (and sometimes still are) killed at birth, especially if times were hard. A new wife moved in with her husband's family, where, often, she was treated not much better than a slave — especially by her new mother-in-law (until, of course, she became the mother-in-law). No woman could become an official of the empire because only men could take the all-important civil service exam.
In Hong Kong, this Chinese "cultural" attitude to woman was, in one aspect, recognized in law. Chinese men (but not men of other races) could keep concubines ("junior wives") and take tax deductions for them and their children on the same basis as the first wife. This provision of the law lasted until the early 1970s.
Most tribal and other barriers were not legal but social, as each cultural group maintained its own customs despite the "challenge from the marketplace." One "index" of this change (or "westernization") was dress.
Well before the 1950s, most Chinese men had ceased to wear the traditional Chinese long gown in favor of western suits. But only on the "swinging sixties" did the Chinese woman begin to discard the traditional Chinese garb in favor of the unending variety of western dress.
One factor was economic: Hong Kong had become a source of cheap textile products for export to the west. But only in the 1960s, within Hong Kong, did ready-made western clothing become cheaper than the tailor-made Chinese.
More important was the effect of rising affluence on the freedom of the Chinese woman (and, of course, on the freedom of all other individuals). As more women were employed at higher rates of pay, they achieved the economic independence to escape the cultural restrictions imposed by the Chinese male. Or, in the specific context of any individual woman, the restrictions imposed by her parents.
With no government-imposed impediments to any person choosing to live where they wished, with whom they wished, only cultural barriers remained to be overcome. Meaning: the disapproval of one's parents, elders, and peers.
As the Chinese woman was no longer economically dependent on her parents and/or prospective husband, she was now free to reject an arranged marriage; and so free to choose her own partner — or none at all.
She was now free to and capable of moving out of the restrictive life placed on her by her parents. She displayed this new independence in small ways, such as dress; in major ways such as living with someone of a different race; or in perplexing ways, such as starting her own business — hitherto, a completely male domain.
In 1949, when the communists won China's civil war, Hong Kong was still a sleepy colonial outpost. The main business center on the China coast was not Hong Kong but Shanghai.
The communist victory caused a massive influx of refugees into Hong Kong. Among the refugees was an incredible concentration of entrepreneurial talent and capital. It was this "first wave" of entrepreneurs who began to transform Hong Kong into the dynamic, entrepreneurial city the visitor sees today.
Most of these entrepreneurs, in the main Shanghainese, were already established businessmen. Some had lost all their assets, but using their contacts and talents they were quickly back in business.
But the truly aggressive entrepreneurs came in the "second wave," from the tens of thousands of people who fled across the border from China to freedom, usually arriving in Hong Kong without a penny in their pockets. People like Fung King-hey, who started Sun Hung Kai Securities, and Li Ka-Shing, who built Cheung Kong — in both cases, from nothing.
Hong Kong also attracted entrepreneurs from all over the world, of all nationalities — in the way that flowers attract bees.
What allowed this enormous entrepreneurial activity was the laissez-faire attitude of Hong Kong's British rulers. Hong Kong was in the lucky position of having an indeterminate political future. Since Britain leased the major part of Hong Kong's area from China, Hong Kong could not become an independent nation. So Hong Kong was spared developments in other British colonies, where Britain aggressively handed over power to local elites, who'd usually been trained in the "virtues" of interventionist, socialist government at the London School of Economics (or, in the case of Idi Amin, at Sandhurst).
As Chinese businessmen grew in numbers and wealth, the social barriers of the adapted British "class" system slowly broke down. British clubs removed their restrictions on admitting members who were not white. Eurasians were no longer pariahs — and inter-racial marriages became commonplace. The "old elite" of British government officials and "taipans" eroded in significance — partly as Chinese became members of this "elite"; primarily as a "new elite" of wealthy Chinese businessmen displaced it in significance.
And, as Hong Kong became a "consumer society," the dominance of the Chinese increased in all areas — for the obvious reason that the Chinese, being 98% of the population, represented the mass market.
An ironic example is that when the British-dominated government issued TV broadcasting licences, it required each licencee to operate an English-language station: in effect, to subsidize the English-speaking minority. However, the majority of viewers, even for the English-language stations, are Chinese, so programming on all channels is determined by the tastes of the Chinese majority.
The culmination of these cultural changes took place in the 1980s — on the Hong Kong stock market.
In the marketplace, the new Chinese firms — together with American, Japanese and other multi-nationals — came to dominate business. Management of the British "hongs" tended to be sleepy by comparison — living in a world that had long gone where to be British was to automatically be superior.
By 1997, only two British "hongs" remained under British control: Swire Pacific (which owned Cathay Pacific Airlines), which didn't make serious business mistakes and whose shares were tightly-held by the Swire family; and Jardine Matheson, which only avoided succumbing to a takeover bid through its cross-ownership with another then-ailing British firm, Hong Kong Land.
By the time Britain handed Hong Kong back to China in 1997, to judge by the Hong Kong stock market this transformation was complete: the overwhelming majority of companies that made up the Hang Seng Index of Hong Kong stocks then were locally owned and run.
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Meet Dr. Holly
Speaker/Trainer
DOT/SAP Assessment
Below are past events!
Scroll below to read, listen or watch the replay!
Matthew Perry and Alcoholics Anonymous: Does the anonymity perpetuate a stigma?
Alcoholics Anonymous was founded in Akron, Ohio, in 1935, and one of its core tenants is its dedication to maintaining personal anonymity. According to its website, this provides protection for all members and especially newcomers, allowing disclosure to remain their choice. The word "anonymous" is an option, A.A. says, not an obligation. It's meant to provide as much privacy as an individual may desire.
There are many reasons why people may opt to keep their addiction a secret. Most commonly, the fear of judgement is often all-encompassing, especially in a culture that still demonizes substance use as a "moral failing," rather than a disease. "A.A. provides safe spaces that people could go to, to identify and talk about their addiction because they may have felt ostracized by family members or society at large," says Holly Sawyer, professor and director of the Masters in Addictions Counseling program at Drexel University. "So when you have this community where everyone can be anonymous, that makes you feel like you're not alone, that you're not being judged."
I had the pleasure and an amazing time speaking at Killin' It Camp hosted by Joe Sanok, Practice of the Practice in Cancun, Mexico where I spoke about ways you can tap out before burning out when working in and owning a group practice. I led an interactive activity with some of the most amazing private practice therapists where I helped them identify ways they to leverage owning a group practice as passive income.
Dr. Holly Sawyer presented at the NBCC Foundation 2022 Bridging the Gap Symposium: Eliminating Mental Health Disparities June 4–5, 2022, in the Washington, D.C., metro area. The theme for the Symposium is Elevating Families and Communities, with an emphasis on counseling skills, research, and resources that can improve, strengthen, or enrich the lives of families, communities, and those impacted by trauma.
How can you learn from others while following your own path? What are some things to consider when working with diverse populations? Why is harm reduction so important?
In the third episode of the Diverse Clinicians Series, Joe Sanok speaks with Dr. Holly Sawyer about making therapy easily accessible to diverse populations.
In this Podcast:
Making therapy accessible to all
Stay true to what it is and who it is that you want to serve
Working with diverse populations
Racial disparities in dealing with substance use disorders
It was a pleasure participating in the health talk conversation with Marley Dyer of Shut Up or Talk Up Wellness lifestyle brand.
Their goal is to educate on the many specialties within healthcare and the importance of researching and scheduling appointments with the appropriate healthcare providers.
This "Health Talk" initiative focuses on mental, emotional and physical health with medical professionals. I was able to educate and share feedback on these topics!
Hope you enjoy our video chat 😀
Practitioners in Mental Health this video is for you. Reynelda Jones , LMSW-C, CAADC, ADS, CIMHP and I are updating our viewers on what has happened with our businesses since the launching of the Glowing Up in Private Practice eBook. If you're thinking of starting your own private practice and are not sure where to start; want to learn about passive and active income outside the therapy room; watch the video below!
How to Feel Empowered as a Highly Sensitive Person in the Workplace
The Am I OK? Podcast helps individuals with issues related to being an empath and a highly sensitive person.
I specifically talked to podcast host, Lisa Lewis, LPC, LMFT about How to Feel Empowered as a Highly Sensitive Person in the Workplace.
We dove into...
The strengths highly sensitive people bring into the workplace.
How highly sensitive people can maintain their self-care during isolation.
Why highly sensitive people should consider finding a supportive community.
How to Implement Self-Care and Prevent Burnout in Your Daily Life with Dr. Holly
Listen to Sass Says podcast where I predominantly discuss self-care practices and strategies to prevent burnout. Christie and I talk about scheduling sex, self-medicating and addiction, microaggressions in the workplace, trauma, and how therapy is for everyone. I also shared with Christie my own motherhood journey. Remember, therapy is for everyone because all have mental health.
What are some lessons that you've learned from that COVI(D) life? Venture Cafe Philly hosted a conversation with between Tiara Durham and I about how we manage our sanity and make sense of what has happened over the last 18 months.
Watch Replay Below
During the pandemic, we have seen many health challenges and not just due to COVID! Many people have struggled with stress, isolation, mental issues, abuse, and more. Dr. Dee Stokes invited me to join her in helping others understand and learn how to fight against DIS-EASE of all kinds during her Health Awareness series this month. Watch the replay below!
Eleanor Murkey invited me on her platform to discuss the perspective of a mental health therapist and coach, how gratitude can build confidence, navigating depression, and defining mind focus.
The Pros of Online Therapy
On Wednesday, March 3rd, I discussed the benefits of online therapy and why it may be the best fit for your life. Watch replay below.
Mental Health & Communities of Color
On Tuesday, February 9th, I was on a panel with other therapists at Slippery Rock University where discussed mental health, the Black community and the benefits of going to therapy. Watch the replay below.
Targeted Self-Care: Redefining Your Approach to Healthy Living
If you missed the event on Targeted Self-Care hosted by Community Health Training Alliance, watch the replay below!
Sip & Tip Business Happy Hour
Hey Friends!
Friday, January 15th, 7-9 pm with Hot and Mobile CEO, Jackie R. I shared helpful tips on how to juggle life as a business owner with a mate, partner and/or family. I also nonjudgmentally shared challenges with having a partner that doesn't understand entrepreneurship and the lack of support. I also co-judged a 60-second pitch competition!
Valerie Daniel,
PhD, LCSW
Holly Sawyer,
PhD, LPC, CAADC, NCC
On Wednesday, January 13th, Dr. Valerie Daniel, PhD, LCSW and I presented a webinar on Targeted Self-Care for Uniquely Stressful Times. We discussed:
The PEMSS Model and targeted self-care.
Untargeted self-care patterns and blocks to implementing targeted self-care.
Intentional, targeted self-care routines with mindfulness.
Self-care is essential to maintain your physical, emotional, mental, social, and spiritual health.
Watch Replay Here
Addressing Microaggressions:
Our Role as OT Practitioners
On Sunday, January 10th, the Pennsylvania Occupational Therapy Association invited me to facilitate an important conversation on microaggressions, and how Occupational Therapists need to address this in healthcare and educational environments.
Philly Hott Radio Presents: The Romans 12:2 Experience Radio Show
I was a 2-time guest on The Romans 12:2 Experience Radio Show where I shared strategies and insight on how to navigate through the holiday season. Watch the replay here!
Saturday, September 26th, I was a guest on the Romans 12:2 radio show. Watch the replay!
Dr. Holly Sawyer Sincerely Syreeta, WURD Radio
I was a guest on WURD's Happy Hour, a talk radio show hosted by Sincerely Syreeta that provides listeners with the soundtrack for life, compelling conversation for thought, and information for an improved livelihood. Happy Hour on WURD ultimately offers an empowering, fresh and innovative platform for millennial's and the broader community to connect.
I shared with listeners and viewers how it became a thing back in 1986 when the Chicago Tribune coined the term to describe how the nation used "retail therapy" to nurse themselves mentally. Today, at least 65% of women use retail therapy to buy clothes, whereas men at 40% buy food. Retail Therapy is the act of shopping in order to feel happier or improve your mood (depression, stress, anxiety, etc.). Anxiety is usually the most common reason people use retail therapy. Please note, retail therapy is a short-term comfort as purchases are considered a "comfort" buy.
Retail therapy can turn into an addiction or compulsive buying disorder. If you find yourself doing any of the following, consider seeing a therapist:
You avoid your credit card or bank statements.
You are lying and/or hiding purchases
You are missing work, school or other obligations.
You are feeling shame, guilt or irritable.
Here are 9 ways to use retail therapy in moderation.
Shop for things you actually need
Window shop
Put your item(s) on hold/lay-a-way
De-clutter and rediscover forgotten items you already have with tags on them
2-Day rule (give yourself 2 days before you make a purchase)
Remove or minimize the amount of spending apps encouraging you to spend
Call a friend to hold you accountable
If you missed me Wednesday, September 9th at Noon where I shared discussed ways to embrace yourself through criticism from a lens of self-love and understanding, you can watch the presentation below!
Understanding Microaggressions: How to Be Culturally Supportive of Your Employees
How does an employer handle today's cultural environment to ensure positive diversity and productivity?
Watch this timely webinar on microaggressions in the workplace and how to avoid them. As an employer, you will learn how to handle today's cultural environment to ensure positive diversity and productivity. I share the psychological impacts of Microaggressions, how they show up in the workplace, best ways to eliminate them and how to be culturally supportive of employees. I also shared ways to create a more inclusive workplace environment and steps to take to ensure diversity for a sound business.
Throughout the month of July, Adonica Shaw, Podcast Host of "I Surrender," is featuring a special series of interviews for minority mental health awareness month to raise awareness about issues that impact minority communities.
I recently spoke with Adonica about How to Manage Racial Microaggressions in the Workplace.
Dr. Tyra Gardner, Psychotherapist and host of Tyra's Just Saying, and I discussed Mental Health, business and current events.
Wednesday, July 1st at Noon me and my colleagues shared our stories and experiences with racism. We discussed our different stories.
We shared our black experiences in a safe space.
We answered questions from the audience and provided suggestions going forward in the face of ongoing racial injustice with the hope for long-term change to create a better future.
If you missed it, click on the replay below!
Awesome Women in Philly: Launching an Online Therapy Practice
Dr. Holly has launched an online group practice, The Therapy Loft Collective and is currently hiring for Pennsylvania Licensed Therapists who are looking to practice therapy online. Anyone interested in applying must be licensed, have a Masters degree with 2 or more years of clinical experience. Resumes can be sent to careers@thetherapyloftcollective.com
Download Presentation Here
If you missed me Monday, June 29th where I shared ways you can show your support to a friend &/or loved one suffering from depression, you can watch the presentation below!
Do you know what a microaggression is?
How can you be an ally?
As an organization, what can be done to systematically address microaggression in the workplace?
In this podcast episode, Joe Sanok and I discuss microaggressions.
Strong Witness is a platform founded by LaToya Smith, LPC. Strong Witness is a platform designed to give people a safe space to share their stories, any stories of triumph, victory, pain, joy, gratitude, shame, love or defeat.
Thursday's episode (May 21st) featured Frank Minikon, Kimberly Turner and yours truly!
The theme was "under pressure" and "redirection" as Frank discussed his "why" for moving across the country, Kimberly shared her experience with having 4 miscarriages and I dove into the weight of being told "no" in many attempts in trying to climb the latter in the 9 to 5 world while dealing with imposter syndrome once "arriving."
Follow Strong Witness on Facebook for live stories every Thursday!
On Thursday, May 7th, I was featured at the Science Center, Venture Cafe to share ways to target self-care specifically to your needs and how to access for burnout.
Entrepreneurs wear a lot of different hats. This can result in burnout and negatively impact your relationships, business, physical, emotional, spiritual, social and mental health.
Watch below!
On Thursday, April 23rd, I was part of a conversation with Frantzcez Lys, MSW and Sabeen Shaiq, LCSW about how to implement the proper balance to ease anxieties and promote balance through a holistic lens to persevere through this pandemic even better than when it started. Watch the replay below!
Are you feeling bored, depressed, hopeless, lonely, fearful, tired, anxious, lost, confused or down?
Have you been furloughed or laid off?
Do you feel like giving up?
On Tuesday, April 21st, I was part of a discussion for singles in the in quarantine to help them transform and renew their mind!
Leave feeling encouraged, equipped and empowered. Click below to watch the replay and download the FREE resource guide!
Download Free Resource Guide Here
On Thursday, April 16th, I was featured at the Science Center, Venture Cafe to share 9 ways to cope with COVID-19.
COVID-19 is an overwhelming experience that many of us are having a hard time adjusting to, properly processing on our own and coping day to day with these presenting challenges.
Click below to watch!
The Resiliency Of Mompreneurs
Building a business already comes with its challenges. It takes an infinite mindset, in other words, there's no overnight to success and you're in it for the long haul. And those who venture into the game, know that the road is hard. It takes dedication and requires patience. It takes being knocked down and getting back up again. It takes a level of vulnerability to trust and to ask for help. It requires a kind of energy that will test your limits.
How Much News Is Too Much News These Days? Here's how to stay informed without becoming overwhelmed
If you regularly watch, listen to or read the news, you're being inundated by the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis right now. But even before the pandemic dominated the media, there was always plenty of anxiety-inducing content — crime, political division, terrorism —-to watch on 24-hour cable news channels. Of course, it's important to stay up to date on the news, especially important findings related to COVID-19 and how to keep ourselves and our communities safe. But mental health experts say watching too much bad news can take a toll on your psyche.
How to Use Doxy.me: 10 Tips for Better Telemedicine Sessions
I have been using Doxy.me, for several years to deliver teletherapy to my clients! Many people are not aware of how it works so it may seem overwhelming for the first time. If you're thinking about teletherapy with a therapist that uses Doxy.me, please read some tips on ways I recommend how to get the best user experience. I'm currently providing teletherapy for anyone living in Pennsylvania, Florida and New Jersey. Schedule today!
Coronavirus anxiety is all around. 'Don't oversaturate yourself,' Philly experts advise.
As coronavirus cases increase around the country, the idea of a Philadelphia outbreak is causing anxiety for many, therapists and psychologists say. Studies on the mental health effects of quarantine found that people often experience post-traumatic stress symptoms, confusion, and anger. Potential stressors include fears of infection, boredom, inadequate supplies, lack of information, and financial loss.
4 Common Stressors That Hide In Plain Sight
If you're like most folks, you can probably pinpoint the most prominent stressors in your life. This likely involves some combination of work, finances and family—just to name a few. There's also the generous sprinkling of daily stressors, like traffic jams or losing your keys. Click below to learn more!
If You're Journaling to Manage Your Anxiety or Depression, These Therapists' Tips Could Help
If you're interested in journaling to help with your anxiety or depression, click below on how to get started. Please keep in mind that journaling is not meant to replace any treatments you are currently partaking in, and is instead an additional way to potentially help improve your mental health. If you are feeling anxious or depressed and need help finding help or resources, the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (1-240-485-1001) and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (1-800-950-6264) have resources available.
Welcome Amirra Jenkins, Life First Therapy's First Intern
Life First Therapy gives a warm welcome to its first intern, Amirra Jenkins!
Amirra is a senior at Imhotep Institute Charter High School. She loves turtles and soft batches of chocolate chip cookies. Her favorite subject in school is English. Toni Morrison is her favorite author. Her favorite book by Toni Morrison is The Bluest Eye! Her favorite movies are Scary Movie 2, Shrek 2, and Finding Nemo.
After high school, Amirra will be attending Howard University where she will study Human Development and then pursue her masters and PhD in Social Work. Her future career goal is to become a Social Worker that specializes in mental health because of her own personal experiences and the stigma on mental health in the Black community where she hopes to get rid of the stigma and help bring more awareness! Below is Amirra's blog titled, Rites of Passage:
"A child's mental health is just as important as their physical health and deserves the same quality of support" (Kate Middleton). In Philadelphia, mental health classes are not mandatory to take and they rarely exist. Unfortunately, there are so many children in public and charter Philadelphia schools who need to have this kind of class. Fortunately for some Philadelphia students, Imhotep Institute Charter High School is a school that provides their students with a much similar class called a Rites of Passage.
Imhotep Institute Charter High School is a cultural African centered school. The school is predominantly black, or African American high school. The environment at the school is amazing and changes for the better each and every year. As far as Imhotep goes, they go out their way to help their students. They have 2 counselors (one male and one female) and a social worker who are always on campus during school hours. Everyone is completely accessible. Other than seeking the counselors or social worker, we are provided with a safe space in our rites of passage class.
Rites of Passage is a ceremony or event marking an important stage in someone's life, especially birth, puberty, marriage, and death. Rites of Passage is mainly practiced in Africa. Imhotep has transformed this tradition into a class with ceremonies that are celebrated among completion each year. This class and completion of all 3 ceremonies are a requirement at Imhotep. Ideally, everything is all cultural.
Rites of passage classes at Imhotep are separated by male and female. Females are given a female teacher and the males are given a male teacher. The female Rites of passage class main purpose is to help our young woman identify who they truly are. One exercise that the instructor always does is "Circle Time". This is the moment for our young woman to get a circle and open up about whatever we feel comfortable discussing and then we all comfort and help one another by giving advice. These are not mental health sessions but they definitely feel like one. Every time we form that circle and we are able to freely speak one whatever and this makes things feel so good for us all. The weights are definitely being lifted from our shoulders and it makes the school feel like a place of comfort.
The connection between mental health and rites of passage is very important to understand. Especially for African American children, who endure so much trauma and experiences that have a powerful effect on our mental health and abilities. I truly believe there should be mandatory mental health classes in schools. This is how we can tackle the mental health crisis within the youth. This is a step worth taking. The moment we fight for this is the moment mental health won't be a critical issue for our future. We can make this happen.
"Birds sing not because they have answers but because they have songs." — African proverb
9 Ways To Help A Friend Going Through A Crisis
Here are 9 ways to help a friend going through a crisis. I was featured on the 7th tip.
Black Teens who Experience Daily Racial Discrimination Show Depressive Symptoms
Black teens experience several forms of racial discrimination every day, which leads to increased short-term depressive symptoms, according to a study by researchers at Rutgers University.
31 Days of Healthy Relationship Tips: Day 13 with Dr Holly Sawyer (Aired 12/13/19)
On this feature hosted by Sharon J. Lawrence, LCSW - C, I discuss healthy relationships. I share tips and techniques for those that find themselves riddled in guilt and involved in strained relationships with a desire to have a relationship even when it is dismissive towards themselves. I talk more about what one can do to help make this difficult shift happen. Grieving old parts of yourself that you are outgrowing is natural.
Although therapy is dope, it is a process and it takes work to heal. The real work happens between sessions. I encourage you to do your work.
The need for cultural competency in therapy is so critical when working with African American clients. Having a therapist of color who understand your culture, oppression, issues that relate to your struggles is key to helping you gain the necessary life skills for success!  Best thing is most therapists of color are the therapist they needed when they needed a therapist so they know exactly where you're coming from!
I had the pleasure of being on Annie Schuessler's podcast, Rebel Therapist! Being a Rebel Therapist and working with Annie has been life changing. Take a listen as we kick the breeze on "writing your book."
Women and Guns
How do you feel about women owning guns? Are you a woman who owns a gun? Are guns just for men?
Microaggressions in the Workplace
Melanin and Mental Health are two dope therapists and hosts of the Between Sessions Podcast. It is a live streaming discussion to social media to increase awareness about mental health. As their special guest, I had the opportunity to discuss microaggressions in the workplace.
How to Have a Voice
Shrinks on Third podcast episode titled How to Have a Voice discusses Life First Therapy and the work Dr. Holly does around micro-aggressions towards professional black women.
An Interview with an Addiction Counselor: Dr. Holly Sawyer
Phone: 267-598-LIFE (5433)
Email: hnsawyer@lifefirsttherapy.com
2031 66th Ave, #14176
If you are in a crisis, online therapy is not the best option for you. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
1-800-273-8255 or text "NAMI" to 741741.
Disclaimer: Please note, the information offered on this website is not, nor is it intended to be, therapy or psychological advice, nor does it constitute a client/therapist relationship. Please consult a physician for individual advice regarding your own personal health and well-being. Thank you.
© 2017-2023 Life First Therapy | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.


BURNING AT BOTH ENDS candleholder seeks to challenge the concept of gravity and possibility. The candleholder is striped to its minimum expression placing the candle at its centre.
Material: The candleholder's are made of metal and have a powder coated finish. Available in solid polished brass and stainless steel as well as various coloured finished.


text:
Home Our work Emergencies
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Afar Pastoralist Development Association
Anglican Church of Kenya
Diocese of Nampula, Mozambique
Cathedral Relief Service, Kolkata
Ahli Arab Hospital
Spafford Children's Center
Anglican Church of Melanesia, Solomon Islands
Lanka Evangelical Alliance Development Service, Sri Lanka
Anglican Church of Melanesia, Vanuatu
Past emergencies
Shine a Light - Sri Lanka Crisis Appeal 2022
Rapid Response Emergency Fund
Syria in Crisis Appeal
Current emergency appeals
Kenya Hunger Crisis Appeal
An estimated 4.1 million people in Kenya urgently require access to food and water.
In Kenya there has been rain failure for the last 5 seasons and predictions are that the October -December short rains 2022 will also fail. In September 2021 the then Kenyan president declared drought a national disaster calling for humanitarian response. This situation worsened this year with massive loss of livestock and livelihoods, especially in the 22 most affected counties.
Monies raised are providing emergency food to 900 vulnerable households and feeding programs for 77 primary schools.
Read more on our dedicated Kenya Hunger Appeal page.
To donate to our Kenya Hunger Appeal, please click here (choose 'Kenya Drought Appeal' from the 'Donation' drop-down menu). Alternatively, you can call us on 1800 249 880.
After a slow build up, the Russian Federation launched a military offensive in Ukraine on 24th February 2022, resulting in severe deterioration of the security situation.
Armed violence quickly escalated in at least eight oblasts, including the capital city of Kyiv, as well as in the eastern oblasts of Donetska and Luhanska which were already affected by conflict.
The intense military escalation has resulted in loss of life, injuries and mass movement of the civilian population throughout the country and to neighbouring countries, as well as severe destruction and damage to infrastructure and residential housing.
As a member of ACT Alliance, (a global faith-based coalition of organisations in more than 135 countries), all funds donated to AOA will be programmed through Europe Forum member, Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in Ukraine and in Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Romania to support Ukrainian refugees.
LWF have identified community engagement, shelter, non-food items, food, advocacy, mental health and psychosocial support as priority areas for intervention and assistance.
Read more on our dedicated Ukraine Crisis Appeal page.
To donate to our Ukraine Crisis Appeal, please click here (choose 'Ukraine Crisis Appeal' from the 'Donation' drop-down menu). Alternatively, you can call us on 1800 249 880.
East Africa is currently facing famine which still has the potential to affect up to 22 million people. That is almost equivalent to the whole population of Australia.
The causes of the famine include drought, failed rains, conflict and a lack of humanitarian access to communities in need.
Monies raised are providing emergency food and nutrition, health services, water, sanitation, and agricultural livelihoods support to vulnerable communities, particularly women and children.
Read more on our dedicated East Africa Food Crisis Appeal page.
To donate to our East Africa Food Crisis Appeal, please click here (choose 'East Africa Food Crisis Appeal' from the 'Donation' drop-down menu). Alternatively, you can call us on 1800 249 880.
Read about some of the past emergencies Anglican Overseas Aid has responded to with the generous support of donors in Australia.
Below are some stories about people we work with during emergencies.
Rapid Response Emergency Fund: From no hope to know hope
Donating to our Rapid Response Emergency Fund enables us to respond quickly when an emergency strikes around the world. Your donations will either be sent directly to our partners if we work in the affected area or we will join with the ACT Alliance, using their networks to provide basic necessities such as food, safe drinking water, shelter, and good hygiene practice.
18 Months After Cyclones Idai and Kenneth
Thanks to your support through Anglican Overseas Aid's Rapid Response Emergency Fund, our partner in Mozambique, the Missionary Diocese of Nampula, was able to help many in the aftermath of consecutive cyclones in the coastal African country in 2019. In...
Nepal: One Year On
With the Himalayas offering a back-drop of massive solidity and magnificent strength, it is hard to imagine that they could be fragile and susceptible to change and movement. Yet that is what happened in April and May of 2015, when two massive earthquakes lite...
Lush looks can be deceiving
Claudia Roline-Kokona stands in the middle of a lush, green open area near her community. The oppressive heat doesn't diminish the beauty of the view before me, my Australian eyes drinking in the open, green field framed by trees and the waterfall spilling ove...
Vanuatu: Cyclone Pam 2015
Cyclone Pam rampaged across the 80 islands of the Pacific nation of Vanuatu on 13 March 2015. Out of a population of 267,000 people, 188,000 were affected, with 110,000 people in need of drinking water, and many left homeless or with damaged homes. Crop land w...
The ACT Alliance
Anglican Overseas Aid is a member of the ACT Alliance, a global coalition of more than 150 churches and affiliated organisations working in 120 countries on long-term development and emergency response. Anglican Overseas Aid often responds to disasters and emergencies through the ACT Alliance. Our membership allows us to respond quickly and effectively and know that the activities are being carried out to the highest global standards.
ACFID
Anglican Overseas Aid is also a full member of the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID), the peak council for Australian not-for-profit aid and development agencies, and we are a signatory to the ACFID Code of Conduct.


The Moulded Particulate Respirator has a polypropylene (P.P) outer layer provides smooth lining and avoids loose fibres.
The respirator embossed fringe seal avoids fluffy open layers around the edges.
It has a latex free synthetic rubber head strap.
The contour design ensures the compatibility of glasses / goggles and reduces fogging.
Soft close-cell nose foam and adjustable nosepiece ensure custom shape and increase the worker comfort.


Hamptons Park at 6233 Katsura Street. Located next to a park, easy access to city centre, close to schools, transit and shopping malls. Resort style club house offers huge glass top indoor pool, gym, lounge/theatre room, steam bath and sauna. This complex consists of 111 condo units and 25 town house units at 6233 Katsura and 96 condo units and 20 townhouse units at 9133 Hemlock Dr.