Purpose and Guidelines for our Virtual Listening Circle: Our virtual listening circle is a sacred space to support you to feel safe and trust that you can share deeply. What would support you to feel safe?
* Be aware of our feelings and reveal our deepest truth.
* Honor the thoughts, feelings and experiences of other people while keeping our heart and mind open.
* Respect as an active (not passive) process of understanding that we are surrounded by teachers, meaning we can learn from others.
* Understand that everyone's perspective is equally valued and honored; there is no right and wrong.
* Explore equality. Outside the circle we may experience people having different levels of power (based on social status or position) but in our circle everyone is equal and has something to offer.
My tipping point came last week after learning about the killing of 3 police officers in New Orleans, which had followed very shortly after the murder of five police officers in Dallas. Now we are killing the people that society has set up to keep us 'safe'! I felt a deep and ancient fear and anxiety rumbling within. I wondered if others felt this tremblement de terre – this inner earthquake.
My heart aches from the pain inflicted on others, as well as experienced by the individuals who acted out their fear in a murderous rampage. In some ways I should not be surprised by the desperate calls for help by those who are lost, confused and outraged. And our culture, sadly, through the media, technology and the greed for profits and an illusionary moment of recognition, validation or 'fame' makes access to weapons they can tote around irrationally easy. We are all responsible to be the change we want to see.
"It really boils down to this: that all life is interrelated. We are all caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied into a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly." – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
My inner earthquake was part of a shift in my own consciousness and a shift that I believe is part of our collective human consciousness. In my grieving for the loss of humanity in my communities and in our world I am being called to do more.
I can and must do better to reach out and be part of re-building the village.
I called a co-conspirator, Iden Campbell McCollum, with whom I have worked before on community building projects. We announced and have been carrying out free Listening To Orlando gatherings via teleconference. These have been a powerful source of connection, strength and inspiration for everyone on the calls. I feel closer to Iden then ever. We have created two safe, virtual spaces (one for the LGBTQI constituency and another for allies to LGBTQI) where we can get un-numb from the tragedies du jour and especially from the glaringly targeted murder of 49 mostly Latino LGBTQI. Does it matter to me that I live 2.5 hours from Orlando? Maybe. More importantly, my close connections with Iden and an array of oppressed constituencies – including some of my own identities, has inspired me. Feel globally, think rationally, act locally.
The other action I jut took as a privileged white woman was to go to my first NAACP (National Association of the Advancement of Colored People) community meeting. It started off well with prayers for unity in a standing room only space of over 300 people. Then a gentleman 15 feet from me had what appeared to be a heart attack. All the attention in the room shifted to him. He was unconscious and not breathing. It seemed like a long time until he was revived by police officers, followed by the EMTs. He was wheeled away on a stretcher with gratitude and applause. There was a palpable regaining of our breath in the room and a reminder of the life and death nature of this meeting. The bottom line was that the predominantly African-American community where the meeting took place was understandably outraged at their mistreatment by law enforcement officers, policies and procedures. And I witnessed a good white woman who happens to be the chief of police acting out her racism. And I will not be silent. I will not collude with her racism and with the institutionalized mistreatment of human beings. For me mental health advocacy encompasses ending all forms of oppression, of people hurting people. Any act to end any form of oppression is an act to end all forms of oppression and it is an essential part of the struggle to transform society.
I will not abandon the chief.
I have learned from my mistakes because people had the integrity and the courage to correct me – to point out my oppressive attitude, comments or actions. I have had some experience, as well, of correcting the oppressive attitudes and actions of others. Now it is time for me to step out of my comfort zone in a bigger way. It is more important then ever to not abandon each other, but rather to lift each other. I will not abandon the chief of police. I will offer to be her ally – and respectfully support her to see how her actions and words created a barrier to community building. First, I will take the time to be clear in my thinking and my analysis of the dynamics that transpired. This way I will be able to genuine, and relaxedly reach for her humanity.
I will thank her for the strengths she brought to the meeting. She started her presentation to the audience speaking from her heart. She shared her family lineage as a 4th generation police officer and why she became a cop. Her visits to the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. and the civil rights museum in Tennessee where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated helped fuel her commitment to human and civil rights and to be an agent of change in the new era of 'community policing.' Beautiful.
I plan to ask her if she noticed a point when the energy in the room shifted. I saw it and wonder what she observed. I saw the audience grow increasingly impatient, humiliated and insulted. Community members were not asked about their ideas for solutions. They were told how they should come to two different monthly law enforcement focused meetings and make improvements to police policies and procedures. They were encouraged to submit an application to become a police officer – how wonderful it is to police your neighborhood where you have established relationships.
Oh my!! White privilege and power reared its ugly head.
In my humble opinion the audience was not treated with dignity and respect and was not asked to be an equal partner in exploring solutions. This is not rocket science. Community building which includes changing attitudes is the hardest work I have ever done. To be done well I think it takes such a profound desire for change and learning that one needs to be willing to be unrecognizable to ones self. The process is rich with personal complexities, curious inquiry and forgiveness of self and others. I put a lot of my time and resource into being honest with who I am, my motivations, my blind side, and being in a space of genuine compassion so I can sensitively, respectfully engage in dialogue with people who look and/or act different from myself.
It is important both for me as a person interrupting oppression, and for the person acting in oppressive ways, to be allowed to share our thinking and feelings and understand that we will all make mistakes in this process and that we will get better at it.
Please share your insights and lessons learned from community building so we can all be lifted higher.
The purpose of these tele-gatherings are to get un-numb by giving people a space to have a voice, speak from their heart, be heard, validated and respected. The gatherings also provide a safe and compassionate space which serves as a contradiction to the hardness of the world we live in.
Join as many times as you would like.
Though this story is true and still unfolding the name of my friend, "Dakota," or "D," is fictitious.
D called a few days ago and said "I am calling you because I sent you a letter and a package. I wanted to talk to you before you got them because by the time you get them I will be dead." This was said in a calm but hesitatingly thoughtful voice. A voice that is certain of what needs to be said but is not easily spoken. I have known D for many years. And separate from that I am familiar with this tone and the emotion behind it. I hope everyone is familiar with that tone — that ask for help.
I asked what was going on. D had attempted suicide a few days ago and remained in the hospital due to medical complications from the suicide attempt. I listened. I told D how much I cared and was ready to come and get D if that was what D wanted and D could live in my guest bedroom for as long as D wanted. D would think about it.
I am not so interested in putting a band-aid on your wound, although I do believe a band-aid can help you get to tomorrow — and maybe the week after or the month after. I have seen too much suffering in my life — Your suffering and the suffering of countless others. I am learning that suffering is a cycle that only ends when you decide to end it. Just to be crystal clear, I speak of ending suffering, not of ending your life.
I decided that I want to do what I can to end your suffering because I intend to live my life without regrets. That means I want to show you how much I care and love you, and want to know that you have the big life you want and deserve – and you need to fight or struggle a little bit more to "know" that you already have it. I want to help you see it.
What this means to me – and this is a negotiation, I am not dictating, I am clarifying as best I can what I think makes sense at this point in time — I want you to get your things in order so that you can move into my home for as long as you need. Our work will take – my guess – at least 2 months, maybe more.
I want us to practice meditation daily – the power of which is something we are both familiar with. Perhaps, more important than meditation is learning to see beyond the illusion that we are taught to think of as the life we are living. We are taught, from our earliest age, so many hard lessons. We are not the sum of the hurtful, oppressive lessons sprinkled with a little fun and some successes. We are, as an international women's liberation leader once told a group of us at a workshop, "basket cases with some strengths." So you, the reader, don't misunderstand I will translate that by saying – We (every human being) are deeply wounded but have tremendous capacity.
My inside work for the past 26 years has been to get underneath what I was taught and to see who I was born to be. My birthright is still being revealed to me and discovered by me. It's an unfolding process. I was reminded of this process and what it means to me right now while walking on the beach this morning – just a couple hours ago. I was thinking of D and the work that lay before us if D agrees to come and live with me. I became aware that something else, deeper, was transpiring within my life. I listened more closely to my heart. I have learned that when I stop the chatter in my head (sometimes referred to as thinking) a deeper message is typically revealed.
My mind turned to today's date: 7-3-16. The numbers added together equal 26. As silly as it may sound I have found that often when I have a deeper message trying to be realized and I look at the date – it is related to something profound from my past. I instantly knew what the 26th meant. The only regret I have in my almost 60 years of living is what I said to my father. On May 26,1971 I told my father who was in the deepest stage of a coma what the neurosurgeons said was the best we could hope for if he survived. I was 14 and had not yet learned the grace of holding hope for another. Two days later my father passed and the world as I knew it ended.
1. To reconnect with our birthright – however we uniquely define it. Who were you born to be?
2. To understand and heal from the impact of the hurt, trauma and oppressive messages we were taught about ourselves and about our place in the world. What happened to you and how did you internalize those messages? How do those messages (or lessons learned) impact your relationships and your life today? How do you want your life to look? How can you get there? What practices support your healing, your liberation?
3. To find liberation – freedom from ego and from the dramatizing of unhealed hurts that pervade the dense dimension of life on this planet (e.g., the violence, destruction of the environment, war, suffering, etc). What would your liberation look like? What would your liberation feel like? If you could be anyone you wanted and do anything you wanted – what would that be?
4. To embody inner peace and co-create global peace. I know that is important work for you and it is for me. How sweet the journey is. Know that you are never alone and that separation is an illusion. We are all deeply connected whether we know it or not. What affects one affects all no matter how subtle.
The instant I sat down at my desk after my walk on the beach – and one minute before beginning to write this piece I decided to text D. I pushed 3 letters on my cell phone when a text from D arrived, "Good Morning" and a few other medical pleasantries. While I wrote the piece, above, we exchanged some texts which with D's permission I have copied below.
LS: I started texting you when your text popped up. I've been thinking a lot about you.
Please do not attempt to end your life until you've given life a complete chance to blossom.
I understand dark. I've been through plenty of them but I assure you the light at the end of the tunnel is more extraordinary than you imagine.
So let's talk when you feel ready. No urgency, no hurry. Life unfolds perfectly.
There is a deep reason why I invited you to come and live with me. And at the right time we will talk about that.
D: the last three nights have been hard. making it through the dark night alone. I am thankful you have remained in my life even when I have run away.
D: I have, it's just hard to accept and feel worthy.
LS: I believe a major part – Perhaps the most important lesson – you need to learn is that you matter, you are and always have been worthy. And you don't have to do anything in particular in your life to be worthy and to matter.
You can drive a bus for the rest of your life and be just as worthy and matter just as much to me.
When I needed to clean toilets at the women's homeless shelter which I ran it helped me to learn this lesson.
I am preparing for discharge. Going home with a catheter.
LS: The instant your text came through the sky opened up. It is pouring!!!!
D: it thundered and lightening last night here!
D loved the blog. I told D I had one more point to add and that I would send it to D before sending the blog to be posted.
The point I want to add is: Please let us know who the main support people are at this crisis point in time.
When you (anyone) survive a suicide attempt and you tell me (or anyone) – "This is confidential" please share at least one or two key names of those who know about the current crisis situation. This is vitally important, thoughtful and caring for those of us 'in the trenches' with you so we are able to share our experiences and put our best thinking together in order to both get support for ourselves and to optimize our thoughtfulness about how we might be a support to the suicide attempt survivor or to a person in crisis.
The following has nothing to do with D. It has to do with supporting the supporters by sharing the names (formally or informally) of the key support people around you at the time of crisis – before if possible – and allowing support to happen by trusting those supporters to think well of you and to do the right thing. The right thing, in all instances is to include the person in distress to the full extent possible in all decision making. The intent is to optimize the ability of the person in distress to make the best decision at the time and to know he or she is fully supported, heard, seen and loved and that together we will get through this.
Next I share lessons learned with the help of support people and refer to the person in crisis as Nancy. Knowing the main supporters in Nancy's life at the time of her crisis helped me and others survive Nancy's altered state, which was an extremely stressful time for many of us. We supporters formed an informal network primarily for ourselves. It also allowed us to think well about how we could offer Nancy support during the infrequent occasions that she actually communicated with one of us. The details of how this unfolded were nothing less than extraordinary and I fear that conveying the lessons learned very briefly and not giving much detail will diminish the point I am trying to make and understate the profound impact it had on me and others. Nevertheless – here is the short scoop.
At first there was no support network but as the events of Nancy's suddenly tumultuous life unfolded we learned about each other and needed assistance to get through the nightmare. I had many 1-2 hour late night phone calls with one supporter in particular whom I was not close to when the crisis began. Today I consider her one of my closest friends – because of what we shared on those late night calls and what we went through supporting someone we loved as best as we possible could.
The bottom line was that about 10 of us formed an informal support network including a few of Nancy's family members. The family members had very different opinions of what was needed and what the problem was compared to the mental health advocates who made up slightly more than half of the support network. We all connected on an individual basis and as the crisis endured we connected as a group via email and eventually via teleconferences. We did a lot of listening to each other and supporting each other. The advocates shared our different – holistic and self-determination — perspectives, always in a respectful manner even when family members were not able to hear our point. I and at least one other supporter had private conversations individually with most of the family members. After listening to them vent their fears and frustrations and thoughts about what needed to be done in the name of "treatment" (forced) and validating their concerns, I shared with them lessons I have learned from my experience being in altered states. They had never heard such information and found it quite thought provoking. It contradicted everything they had ever heard and understood about "mental illness." It seemed that the family members became more patient and understanding as they learned more about the peer/advocate perspective. And all — or almost all — of the advocates in the support network were persons the family members had heard about previously from Nancy.
The perfect ending occurred. As Nancy came out of the altered state and out of crisis she joined the emails and the teleconferences. Nancy expressed deep appreciation for the strong network that was formed around her. She delighted in having been the reason it was formed. I believe that without this network there was a very good chance that Nancy would not be alive today. I am proud of the love we cultivated and the enduring deep, healing connections that were made during that time, and that continue today.
Healing Voices, a feature-length documentary to be released globally on April 29, 2016, explores the experiences commonly labeled as psychosis through the real life stories of three people working to overcome extreme mental states and integrate these experiences into their lives in a meaningful way. The film includes commentary from experts in the field, including award-winning journalist Robert Whitaker; psychologist and social critic Dr. Bruce Levine; internationally known mental health consultant Will Hall, who has lived experience of a mental health condition; Dr. Marius Romme, a founder of the Hearing Voices movement; and others.
Healing Voices takes a giant step forward in the effort to transform mental health care across the U.S. This process of transformation can be traced back to 1969, when the seeds of a civil and human rights movement by and for individuals diagnosed with mental health conditions were planted in the U.S. by people with the lived experience of mental health recovery. Those seeds have taken root and are flourishing worldwide.
For 40 years I have worked full time along with thousands of other people to bring about a shift in community thinking about mental health liberation.
Decades ago, as a teenager, I suddenly found myself one evening in conversation with God. At the time I did not believe in God so this was a startling event. I found myself catapulted into an altered state of consciousness. My senses became overloaded with information and I had a vision: I needed to get to the President of the United States and be part of creating safe and healthy communities.
The next day I was put in a mental institution and labeled with chronic schizophrenia. My family and I were told that there was no hope for recovery, for a meaningful life in the community; I would always be on psychiatric drugs and in and out of mental institutions.
The experts were wrong. It took me many years and a lot of soul searching, grieving, forgiving and coming to understand the impact of trauma and oppression to learn that there was never anything wrong with me. Instead of a diagnosis, I needed compassion and supporters who believed that my mind had not gone anywhere and that I simply needed assistance to move from monologue (where I was stuck in my own thoughts) to dialogue. Had the intervention been different I would never have needed to be imprisoned and forcibly drugged for 15 months.
I have no regrets. Fast forward 35 years and I found myself at the White House engaged in mental health policy development. People with lived experience of mental health recovery, like myself, had formed the National Coalition for Mental Health Recovery (NCMHR) and I was their first director. The mission of the NCMHR is to ensure that individuals with lived experience of a mental health condition "have a major voice in the development and implementation of health care, mental health, and social policies at the state and national levels, empowering people to recover and lead a full life in the community." My job included educating Congress and senior administration officials about changes needed in our mental health system to make this community inclusion a reality.
Those changes are happening. The grass roots are blossoming and this film is a watershed example of that. The invitation is to open our hearts and our minds and look at the possibilities. Was my "schizophrenia" madness or was it a vision?
The Healing Voices movie is a one-of-a-kind social action event. It will bring together a virtual global community of individuals, groups, and organizations dedicated to promoting awareness and creating action around the critical social issue of emotional wellness and mental health.
Healing Voices invites us to rethink our cultural understanding of mental health problems. It is a catalyst to reframe what we have learned about "mental health problems." It gives us a broader understanding of the depth of human experience.
People can and do recover from even the most severe mental health challenges. Their lives aren't broken. Alternative approaches to supporting people through emotional crisis have proven to be highly effective. Social action films such as this one have made a significant impact on social consciousness and preceded social action. This is our intention – and you can be part of it.
Together, let's change the conversation.
Healing Voices is more than a film; it is the manifestation of a movement. Each of us plays a role in creating inclusive, compassionate, healthy communities. By taking social action, we can all become the healing voice.
The goal of the film is to move viewers into specific actions by providing them with ideas, opportunities, and resources for follow-up discussion. These could be personal actions, community action, financial action, or political action.
Many people who see the film may be hearing new information that can be a lot to take in. Dialogue following the movie is an opportunity to process what we've learned and to discuss the questions raised by the film. The movie event will be a safe space where differing points of view may be shared in a healthy, nonjudgmental, compassionate way.
It is an honor to have lived long enough to contribute to the shift in consciousness that is part of this transformation. There is much work still to be done to create safe, strength-based, healthy communities where everyone is respected and included in the fabric of society.
7pm at Unity of Sarasota Sanctuary; For more information contact 941-955-3301.
Both movie showings are followed by facilitated dialogue.
"We cannot eliminate a mental illness, but we can diminish it to deter mass gun violence", said Dan Rather.
Dan Rather said other horrendous things that were printed in the paper as well. They were quotes from a talk he gave recently.
Below is my letter to the editor of the paper that published the 1/2 page Dan Rather article. It appears that the paper is not going to publish my submission – so I will. Please feel free to use all or some of it in your work, disseminate it; let's spread truth far and wide.
"Rather Talks Mental Health, Homelessness" (12/26/15) makes numerous excellent points about practical resources and supports – such as housing and jobs – that allow people with mental health conditions to live successfully in the community.
Unfortunately, Dan Rather made erroneous comments about a presumed connection between mass gun violence and mental illness; and the Gondolier published this false information, which further propagates the myth.
Blaming an already marginalized group of people unjustly reinforces the widespread prejudice and discrimination faced by people with mental health diagnoses. This uninformed, fear-based, knee-jerk reaction to tragedies that can be traced directly to the lack of sensible gun control legislation. Such false preconceptions contribute to community exclusion and create barriers for people trying to work toward recovery.
As you plan future community dialogues, I strongly urge that people with lived experience of mental health conditions be on the panel. There are many of us, locally and nationally, who would be pleased to deepen the conversation.
1.My name is Lauren Spiro and I am happy to share with you a bit about myjourney of transformation.
everything looked so pleasant on the outside but on the inside I felt like I was living in a war zone.
4. I experienced such a profound lack of safety that it led to my clinging to anyone who offered a safe harbor or anything that could numb the pain.
5 By the age of 16 the irrationality of my life and of the world led to my experiencing a spiritual emergency. In an heroic act of integrity my mind desperately reached for the authentic Lauren in an attempt to find meaning and purpose in my life.
6 -7 I needed help to move from monologue to dialogue but instead I gotlocked up in a mental institution, put on psych drugs and labeled with chronic schizophrenia. As you might imagine this made my life a little more confusing.
8. Now I want to share the 5 most important lessons I learned that helped me transform my own consciousness.
8 Lesson 1. Someone whom I deeply respected told me there was never anything wrong with me. It took me a long time to wrap my mind around that concept. It meant understanding the larger social context of my spiritual emergency which required that I understand the impact of trauma and the dynamics of oppression.
9 -10 Lesson 2. Another person whom I deeply respected told me "I believe in you".
No one had ever told that before and it felt really good to hear those words and believe them. I realized, however, that I needed to believe in me. What would your life look like if you believed completely in yourself?
What happened was – a completely unexpected spiritual blanket came over me while I stood by the pond at Auschwitz and said "something happened here"; meaning right here and somehow it was related to me. Before I returned to that pond 1 year later I did a lot of emotional release work – opening up as wide as I could and letting go of rage and fear. I did a lot of grieving for my people and all people killed by oppression and war.
Last year when I returned to the pond and the Healing From War workshop my support group leader said to me "You found them". I immediately felt some pressure next to my heart and a few seconds later my mind realized what my heart (and body) already knew – that I had found my family buried in that pond. This lesson left me feeling profoundly connected to my people, to all people who ever lived, are living and will live.
19-20 Lesson 5. Listening to my heart lead me home to my soul.
What I know to be true is my experience. The process of transforming my consciousness came through my heart and my body (not my thinking brain). Listening deeply taught me that my heart knows what is true before the mind does. When I engage in inner war, struggle or suffering I don't know where home is. When I embody inner peace, I know that home everywhere I go.
Dialogues are an effective process in bridging an illusionary divide. Any group anywhere can follow a dialogue format and propose questions for inquiry and reflection. Dialogues are relatively easy to convene and they typically result in participants establishing deep connections with one another, having new insights and enhancing one's knowledge and skills about how to be or work in partnership with others.
I have been convening dialogues with people who have been labeled with a mental health condition as well as with those who have not in a way that invites transforming consciousness. Convening people of different perspectives or cultures to explore our thinking and our wisdom creates sparks of insight that ignite new thinking and moves us beyond our cultural conditioning.
In this safe and open space we discover how to move beyond cultural constraints and understand how we are more deeply connected than we may have realized. We evolve forward as we begin to see new synergies for creating elegant solution to the opportunities we face. The opportunities themselves become invitations to expand our minds and tap into a new fertile ground of unlimited possibilities.
My journey of recovery and liberation has led me to deeply embody inner peace and find that I am drawn to create peace in relationships and in community and, in turn, to create global peace. My intention is to support others on their journeys to inner peace, harmony, joy and being creative stewards of humanity. I am finding that the more my heart is aligned with my highest vision the more I am able to transform wisdom into action.
Although the series of dialogues summarized here was primarily but not exclusively comprised of "mental health" service recipients subsequent dialogues have been mostly with broad community participation and "mental health" services users were in the minority. Everyone is impacted by the forces to conform to how our society defines "normal", whether we are aware of it or not. The impact is typically a suppression of emotions, a reluctance to getting close with people particularly people of a cultural background different from ourselves and a sense of being confined by conventional thinking. In addition, our culture thrives on the illusion of separation and competition. How safe are we to be our authentic self? How safe are we to reach out to others from our heart?
The overall outcome of the dialogues – as participants stated – was a sense of connectedness around the human and spiritual qualities we share. Many spoke about the desire for deeper connections, for support and for a sense of belonging in community.
¨ We change each other easier than we think. Being on this call and hearing other peoples' heart-felt exploration is changing and expanding me in ways I never expected! I really appreciate it.
¨ I see the truth of who we are and we are not our diagnoses. There is not a disorder in me but a gift… to use as blessings for the world. I appreciate the opportunity for all of us to come together and share our authentic self.
¨ I loved the variety of voices from all over the country!
¨ I learned so much about not only listening, but hearing…The comments were enlightening.
¨ The dialogue enabled me to look deeper into myself to see who I am and who I can be.
¨ I found deeper connections related to relationships. Appreciated the many different ways of looking at emotions, spirit, soul – and seeing the common thread that runs throughout all the different perspectives.
1. Who were you born to be?
2. Exploring the relationship between emotions and the soul.
3. What is your life's purpose and how are you embodying that day-to-day?
One hundred and ten people registered for the dialogues and approximately 45 people participated in at least one dialogue. Approximately 30% of the participants of each dialogue responded to an anonymous evaluation. The following is an aggregate summary of the three dialogues as reported by participants.
¨ I will speak with more love and positiveness.
¨ I will look beyond what I am not and focus on who I can be as a man and as an active, contributing member of society.
¨ I will be real and authentic with others and more open to giving and receiving love.
¨ Other people's words helped me find focus and vocabulary for ideas that I had floating around in my head.
¨ Increase my belief and value of healing happening in relationship versus alone.
The vast majority of participants reported that they felt safe on the dialogue.
Ninety-five percent of respondents reported an interest in participating in future virtual learning opportunities. They shared ideas for topics of interest.
¨ Peer Support and how it is different than friendship.
¨ What brings you joy? What does freedom mean to you?
¨ Ways to achieve better harmony, balance, and health in the communities in which I live.
¨ Peer interaction for individuals who have, are or are considering getting off psych meds. A place to discuss experiences and hope.
¨ What really helps me change or succeed?
The dialogue format created a space for participants to have an inner dialogue (intrapersonal) more than an external (interpersonal) dialogue. The process encouraged participants to get in touch with their inner wisdom by observing the interaction of their own mind and their emotions and to focus more on listening and not be distracted by feeling a need to respond to what was said or to question what someone shared. The sense of safety may have been enhanced by understanding that whatever someone said would not be questioned by others in the virtual circle. Many of us discovered that when we open our hearts and listen deeply we change each other easily.
Since stepping down as the director of the National Coalition for Mental Health Recovery in mid-2014 I find myself being called to bridge an illusionary divide. I am bringing together people who have been labeled with a mental health condition and those who have not in a way that invites transforming consciousness. Convening people of different perspectives to explore our thinking and our wisdom creates sparks of insight that ignite new thinking and moves us beyond our cultural constraints.
In this safe and open space we discover that we are more deeply connected than we may have realized. We evolve forward as we begin to see new possibilities and synergies for creating solutions to the challenges we face. The challenges themselves become invitations to expand our minds and tap into a new fertile ground of unlimited possibilities.
My journey of recovery and liberation – a deeply transforming experience – has led me to embody inner peace and find that I am drawn to create peace in relationships and in community and, in turn, to create global peace. My intention is to support others on their journeys to inner peace, harmony, joy and being creative stewards of humanity. I am finding that the more my heart is aligned with my highest vision the more I am able to transform wisdom into action.
In January, 2015 I facilitated a series of three in-person Dialogues of Discovery, held one week apart. The dialogues were open to any woman who wanted to join any one or more of them. I decided to hold the first series with women only to increase the chance of creating a safe space to share their authentic voice. Each dialogue had a question. Dialogue 1: Who are you? Who were you born to be? We explored who we are beneath our social mask, roles, ego & attachments. Dialogue 2: What is the relationship between our emotions and our soul? What is your essence and how do you express it? The group agreed that our emotions are a pathway to the soul. Dialogue 3: Envisioning and creating the world you want. What is your life's mission and how are you embodying that day to day? Some of us shared our personal mission statement and all of us shared the steps we are taking to create the world or the life we want.
Ann Potter gave permission to share her personal mission statement which she prepared for Dialogue #3, To be awake to my life during the good, the bad and the ugly. And to not harden in my awakeness but to soften into it continually. Each dialogue was filled with sharing of emotion, thoughts and spiritual beliefs.
All dialogue participants wanted to continue our investigation, deepen our connections and include younger women so we may broaden the sharing of diverse perspectives and build bridges. All dialogue participants agreed to our next step which is a half-day retreat in February 2015 titled "Expressing Your Essence: Sharing our Collective Wisdom" and it will include women across a broad age span.
The same three in-person Dialogue of Discovery topics discussed above are currently being held in a teleconference format. The first one (Who were you born to be?) was held Jan 27, 2015 and here is what people said about it.
Tele-dialogue #1 began with brief introductions of all participants, then the features of dialogue were explained, after which we had a participatory process to establish a safe space. People expressed what would make them feel comfortable sharing, many people spoke about what they needed to feel safe and not judged so people could speak honestly and an agreement was made to maintain confidentiality. Then everyone had an opportunity to share their thinking regarding the question Who were you born to be? Since we couldn't see each other one person at a time spoke as we went around the virtual circle.
Twenty-four people from across the U.S. participated. Eleven people responded to an anonymous survey emailed out immediately after the dialogue and some samples of their responses are below. A large majority answered all questions positively and also expressed an interest in more tele-dialogues.
In response to the question Was the dialogue valuable? If yes, how?
An exercise in listening deeply. Exposure to others' paths. Witness to a process of bringing "strangers" together in a framework of safety and support to share at whatever level they desire.
I always enjoy learning from others people perspectives, and experiencing connection with people on their unique journeys.
In response to the question As a result of the dialogue, will you do something differently?
Increase my belief and value of healing happening in relationship versus alone.
I will try to be more open to giving and receiving love like some people mentioned.
What brings you joy? What does freedom mean to you?
Peer interaction for individuals who have, are or are considering getting off psych meds. A place to discuss experiences and hope.
What is the Relationship Between Our Emotions and Our Soul?
*To join the Dialogues, click the links above, which will register you for each session and provide a conference number and access code in the confirmation email. This is not a toll-free number.If you do not have free long-distance service, a nominal charge may apply. Check with your phone service provider for applicable rates to the 605 area code.
This blog is a response to Matthew Cohen's comment of concern based on Lauren's "Racism 101" blog which is found on www.madinamerica.com.
On a separate note, I think the excellent article which you cited ("12 Things White People Can Actually Do After the Ferguson Decision" http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-david-j-leonard/12-things-white-people-ca_b_6222784.html) has many important actions that people can take and should select some of these actions to take if they want to work towards racial justice and perhaps to begin to work on the edges of their own white racism.
There was one action step in the article you cited that I thought was particularly interesting and relatively easy to do so I copied it below. Can you imagine how we might contribute to ending racist police policies and actions if a lot of white people staeted filming these injustices?
Another brief comment before I share my thoughts on racism 101. There are many similarities between mental health oppression (which is an umbrella terms for what this blog/web site is about) and racism. I invite readers to contemplate the similarities and differences in these pernicious forms of oppressions. Sera Davidow has begun a wonderful Mad in America blog-discussion on this. Thank you Sera. In the mean time let me admit to my own racism. Here is what I wrote previously. I offer it as an invitation to racism 101.
What happened that caused us individually and collectively to begin to lose our humanity, our sense of connection with ourselves and with others. I am happy to share what I have learned about my own process and perhaps it will be useful to you and your process. I go early in my search for my truth. At the time of my birth and soon after that I find many answers to some of my core struggles. I don't think I am alone in these struggles, I think they are pervasive human struggles. When I was born I was looking for connection – the same connection and sense of belonging and safely I felt in the womb. I eventually learned as a very young child that no one was really there, consistently present to protect me, hold me, and keep me safe from an unsafe world. In that early hurt where disconnect begins, the seeds of separation were planted. If I can't trust a person who looks like me, how can I trust anyone? I learned to disconnect from others and from myself – it was the best way I could figure out to survive. These seeds form early beliefs that allow the development of all forms of oppression. I began believing in the illusion of separation – that I am a separate entity from you. My socialization process reinforced the sense of separation and the vital importance of protecting this illusion. That created a trap wherein more and more judgments were created to justify my illusions such as beliefs like – I am right, you are wrong or you are right and I am wrong. All of this led to inner war which then got projected onto others which in turn sets up relationships based on separation and war. And I come to believe that war is necessary in order to hold on to what I came to believe was true and mine – whether it be protecting my property, my family, my political or religious beliefs.
For me, healing as meant transcending my social conditioning. How can we see other ways of thinking and being in the world as valid and good? As we approach that more possibilities and relationships open up. Our heart and mind expand, our perceptual barriers dissolve.
What steps are you willing to take to end racism? I plan to continue to work to be more deeply aware of my own white racism. I will also continue to build close relationships with people from my own culture as well as people from cultures different than my own.


text:
"""
This module provides the security predicates used in decorating various models.
"""
import logging
from collections import defaultdict

from pylons import tmpl_context as c
from pylons import request
from webob import exc
from itertools import chain
from ming.utils import LazyProperty

from allura.lib.utils import TruthyCallable

log = logging.getLogger(__name__)

class Credentials(object):

    '''
    Role graph logic & caching
    '''

    def __init__(self):
        self.clear()

    @property
    def project_role(self):
        # bypass Ming model validation and use pymongo directly
        # for improved performance
        from allura import model as M
        db = M.session.main_doc_session.db
        return db[M.ProjectRole.__mongometa__.name]

    @classmethod
    def get(cls):
        'get the global :class:`Credentials` instance'
        import allura
        return allura.credentials

    def clear(self):
        'clear cache'
        self.users = {}
        self.projects = {}

    def clear_user(self, user_id, project_id=None):
        if project_id == '*':
            to_remove = [(uid, pid)
                         for uid, pid in self.users if uid == user_id]
        else:
            to_remove = [(user_id, project_id)]
        for uid, pid in to_remove:
            self.projects.pop(pid, None)
            self.users.pop((uid, pid), None)

    def load_user_roles(self, user_id, *project_ids):
        '''Load the credentials with all user roles for a set of projects'''
        # Don't reload roles
        project_ids = [
            pid for pid in project_ids if self.users.get((user_id, pid)) is None]
        if not project_ids:
            return
        if user_id is None:
            q = self.project_role.find({
                'user_id': None,
                'project_id': {'$in': project_ids},
                'name': '*anonymous'})
        else:
            q0 = self.project_role.find({
                'user_id': None,
                'project_id': {'$in': project_ids},
                'name': {'$in': ['*anonymous', '*authenticated']}})
            q1 = self.project_role.find({
                'user_id': user_id,
                'project_id': {'$in': project_ids},
                'name': None})
            q = chain(q0, q1)
        roles_by_project = dict((pid, []) for pid in project_ids)
        for role in q:
            roles_by_project[role['project_id']].append(role)
        for pid, roles in roles_by_project.iteritems():
            self.users[user_id, pid] = RoleCache(self, roles)

    def load_project_roles(self, *project_ids):
        '''Load the credentials with all user roles for a set of projects'''
        # Don't reload roles
        project_ids = [
            pid for pid in project_ids if self.projects.get(pid) is None]
        if not project_ids:
            return
        q = self.project_role.find({
            'project_id': {'$in': project_ids}})
        roles_by_project = dict((pid, []) for pid in project_ids)
        for role in q:
            roles_by_project[role['project_id']].append(role)
        for pid, roles in roles_by_project.iteritems():
            self.projects[pid] = RoleCache(self, roles)

    def project_roles(self, project_id):
        '''
        :returns: a :class:`RoleCache` of :class:`ProjectRoles <allura.model.auth.ProjectRole>` for project_id
        '''
        roles = self.projects.get(project_id)
        if roles is None:
            self.load_project_roles(project_id)
            roles = self.projects[project_id]
        return roles

    def user_roles(self, user_id, project_id=None):
        '''
        :returns: a :class:`RoleCache` of :class:`ProjectRoles <allura.model.auth.ProjectRole>` for given user_id and optional project_id, ``*anonymous`` and ``*authenticated`` checked as appropriate
        '''
        roles = self.users.get((user_id, project_id))
        if roles is None:
            if project_id is None:
                if user_id is None:
                    q = []
                else:
                    q = self.project_role.find({'user_id': user_id})
                roles = RoleCache(self, q)
            else:
                self.load_user_roles(user_id, project_id)
                roles = self.users.get((user_id, project_id))
            self.users[user_id, project_id] = roles
        return roles

    def user_has_any_role(self, user_id, project_id, role_ids):
        user_roles = self.user_roles(user_id=user_id, project_id=project_id)
        return bool(set(role_ids) & user_roles.reaching_ids_set)

    def users_with_named_role(self, project_id, name):
        """ returns in sorted order """
        role = RoleCache(self, [r for r in self.project_roles(project_id) if r.get('name') == name])
        return sorted(role.users_that_reach, key=lambda u: u.username)

    def userids_with_named_role(self, project_id, name):
        role = RoleCache(self, self.project_role.find({'project_id': project_id, 'name': name}))
        return role.userids_that_reach

class RoleCache(object):
    '''
    An iterable collection of :class:`ProjectRoles <allura.model.auth.ProjectRole>` that is cached after first use
    '''

    def __init__(self, cred, q):
        '''
        :param `Credentials` cred: :class:`Credentials`
        :param iterable q: An iterable (e.g a query) of :class:`ProjectRoles <allura.model.auth.ProjectRole>`
        '''
        self.cred = cred
        self.q = q

    def find(self, **kw):
        tests = kw.items()

        def _iter():
            for r in self:
                for k, v in tests:
                    val = r.get(k)
                    if callable(v):
                        if not v(val):
                            break
                    elif v != val:
                        break
                else:
                    yield r
        return RoleCache(self.cred, _iter())

    def get(self, **kw):
        for x in self.find(**kw):
            return x
        return None

    def __iter__(self):
        return self.index.itervalues()

    def __len__(self):
        return len(self.index)

    @LazyProperty
    def index(self):
        return dict((r['_id'], r) for r in self.q)

    @LazyProperty
    def named(self):
        return RoleCache(self.cred, (
            r for r in self
            if r.get('name') and not r.get('name').startswith('*')))

    @LazyProperty
    def reverse_index(self):
        rev_index = defaultdict(list)
        for r in self:
            for rr_id in r['roles']:
                rev_index[rr_id].append(r)
        return rev_index

    @LazyProperty
    def roles_that_reach(self):
        def _iter():
            visited = set()
            to_visit = list(self)
            while to_visit:
                r = to_visit.pop(0)
                if r['_id'] in visited:
                    continue
                visited.add(r['_id'])
                yield r
                pr_rindex = self.cred.project_roles(
                    r['project_id']).reverse_index
                to_visit += pr_rindex[r['_id']]
        return RoleCache(self.cred, _iter())

    @LazyProperty
    def users_that_reach(self):
        from allura import model as M
        uids = [uid for uid in self.userids_that_reach if uid]
        return M.User.query.find({'_id': {'$in': uids}})

    @LazyProperty
    def userids_that_reach(self):
        return [r['user_id'] for r in self.roles_that_reach]

    @LazyProperty
    def reaching_roles(self):
        def _iter():
            to_visit = self.index.items()
            project_ids = set([r['project_id'] for _id, r in to_visit])
            pr_index = {r['_id']: r for r in self.cred.project_role.find({
                'project_id': {'$in': list(project_ids)},
                'user_id': None,
            })}
            visited = set()
            while to_visit:
                (rid, role) = to_visit.pop()
                if rid in visited:
                    continue
                yield role
                for i in role['roles']:
                    if i in pr_index:
                        to_visit.append((i, pr_index[i]))
        return RoleCache(self.cred, _iter())

    @LazyProperty
    def reaching_ids(self):
        return [r['_id'] for r in self.reaching_roles]

    @LazyProperty
    def reaching_ids_set(self):
        return set(self.reaching_ids)

def has_access(obj, permission, user=None, project=None):
    '''Return whether the given user has the permission name on the given object.

    - First, all the roles for a user in the given project context are computed.

    - If the given object's ACL contains a DENY for this permission on this
      user's project role, return False and deny access.  TODO: make ACL order
      matter instead of doing DENY first; see ticket [#6715]

    - Next, for each role, the given object's ACL is examined linearly. If an ACE
      is found which matches the permission and user, and that ACE ALLOWs access,
      then the function returns True and access is permitted. If the ACE DENYs
      access, then that role is removed from further consideration.

    - If the obj is not a Neighborhood and the given user has the 'admin'
      permission on the current neighborhood, then the function returns True and
      access is allowed.

    - If the obj is not a Project and the given user has the 'admin'
      permission on the current project, then the function returns True and
      access is allowed.

    - If none of the ACEs on the object ALLOW access, and there are no more roles
      to be considered, then the function returns False and access is denied.

    - Processing continues using the remaining roles and the
      obj.parent_security_context(). If the parent_security_context is None, then
      the function returns False and access is denied.

    The effect of this processing is that:

      1. If the user's project_role is DENYed, access is denied (e.g. if the user
         has been blocked for a permission on a specific tool).

      2. Else, if *any* role for the user is ALLOWed access via a linear
         traversal of the ACLs, then access is allowed.

      3. Otherwise, DENY access to the resource.
    '''
    from allura import model as M

    def predicate(obj=obj, user=user, project=project, roles=None):
        if obj is None:
            return False
        if roles is None:
            if user is None:
                user = c.user
            assert user, 'c.user should always be at least M.User.anonymous()'
            cred = Credentials.get()
            if project is None:
                if isinstance(obj, M.Neighborhood):
                    project = obj.neighborhood_project
                    if project is None:
                        log.error('Neighborhood project missing for %s', obj)
                        return False
                elif isinstance(obj, M.Project):
                    project = obj.root_project
                else:
                    project = getattr(obj, 'project', None) or c.project
                    project = project.root_project
            roles = cred.user_roles(
                user_id=user._id, project_id=project._id).reaching_ids

        # TODO: move deny logic into loop below; see ticket [#6715]
        if user != M.User.anonymous():
            user_roles = Credentials.get().user_roles(user_id=user._id,
                                                      project_id=project.root_project._id)
            for r in user_roles:
                deny_user = M.ACE.deny(r['_id'], permission)
                if M.ACL.contains(deny_user, obj.acl):
                    return False

        chainable_roles = []
        for rid in roles:
            for ace in obj.acl:
                if M.ACE.match(ace, rid, permission):
                    if ace.access == M.ACE.ALLOW:
                        # access is allowed
                        # log.info('%s: True', txt)
                        return True
                    else:
                        # access is denied for this role
                        break
            else:
                # access neither allowed or denied, may chain to parent context
                chainable_roles.append(rid)
        parent = obj.parent_security_context()
        if parent and chainable_roles:
            result = has_access(parent, permission, user=user, project=project)(
                roles=tuple(chainable_roles))
        elif not isinstance(obj, M.Neighborhood):
            result = has_access(project.neighborhood, 'admin', user=user)()
            if not (result or isinstance(obj, M.Project)):
                result = has_access(project, 'admin', user=user)()
        else:
            result = False
        # log.info('%s: %s', txt, result)
        return result
    return TruthyCallable(predicate)

def all_allowed(obj, user_or_role=None, project=None):
    '''
    List all the permission names that a given user or named role
    is allowed for a given object.  This list reflects the permissions
    for which ``has_access()`` would return True for the user (or a user
    in the given named role, e.g. Developer).

    Example:

        Given a tracker with the following ACL (pseudo-code)::

            [
                ACE.allow(ProjectRole.by_name('Developer'), 'create'),
                ACE.allow(ProjectRole.by_name('Member'), 'post'),
                ACE.allow(ProjectRole.by_name('*anonymous'), 'read'),
            ]

        And user1 is in the Member group, then ``all_allowed(tracker, user1)``
        will return::

            set(['post', 'read'])

        And ``all_allowed(tracker, ProjectRole.by_name('Developer'))`` will return::

            set(['create', 'post', 'read'])
    '''
    from allura import model as M
    anon = M.ProjectRole.anonymous(project)
    auth = M.ProjectRole.authenticated(project)
    if user_or_role is None:
        user_or_role = c.user
    if user_or_role is None:
        user_or_role = anon
    if isinstance(user_or_role, M.User):
        user_or_role = M.ProjectRole.by_user(user_or_role, project)
        if user_or_role is None:
            user_or_role = auth  # user is not member of project, treat as auth
    roles = [user_or_role]
    if user_or_role == anon:
        pass  # anon inherits nothing
    elif user_or_role == auth:
        roles += [anon]  # auth inherits from anon
    else:
        roles += [auth, anon]  # named group or user inherits from auth + anon
    # match rules applicable to us
    role_ids = RoleCache(Credentials.get(), roles).reaching_ids
    perms = set()
    denied = defaultdict(set)
    while obj:  # traverse parent contexts
        for role_id in role_ids:
            for ace in obj.acl:
                if ace.permission in denied[role_id]:
                    # don't consider permissions that were denied for this role
                    continue
                if M.ACE.match(ace, role_id, ace.permission):
                    if ace.access == M.ACE.ALLOW:
                        perms.add(ace.permission)
                    else:
                        # explicit DENY overrides any ALLOW for this permission
                        # for this role_id in this ACL or parent(s) (but an ALLOW
                        # for a different role could still grant this
                        # permission)
                        denied[role_id].add(ace.permission)
        obj = obj.parent_security_context()
    if M.ALL_PERMISSIONS in perms:
        return set([M.ALL_PERMISSIONS])
    return perms

def require(predicate, message=None):
    '''
    Example: ``require(has_access(c.app, 'read'))``

    :param callable predicate: truth function to call
    :param str message: message to show upon failure
    :raises: HTTPForbidden or HTTPUnauthorized
    '''

    from allura import model as M
    if predicate():
        return
    if not message:
        message = """You don't have permission to do that.
                     You must ask a project administrator for rights to perform this task.
                     Please click the back button to return to the previous page."""
    if c.user != M.User.anonymous():
        request.environ['error_message'] = message
        raise exc.HTTPForbidden(detail=message)
    else:
        raise exc.HTTPUnauthorized()

def require_access(obj, permission, **kwargs):
    if obj is not None:
        predicate = has_access(obj, permission, **kwargs)
        return require(predicate, message='%s access required' % permission.capitalize())
    else:
        raise exc.HTTPForbidden(
            detail="Could not verify permissions for this page.")

def require_authenticated():
    '''
    :raises: HTTPUnauthorized if current user is anonymous
    '''
    from allura import model as M
    if c.user == M.User.anonymous():
        raise exc.HTTPUnauthorized()

def simple_grant(acl, role_id, permission):
    from allura.model.types import ACE
    for ace in acl:
        if ace.role_id == role_id and ace.permission == permission:
            return
    acl.append(ACE.allow(role_id, permission))

def simple_revoke(acl, role_id, permission):
    remove = []
    for i, ace in enumerate(acl):
        if ace.role_id == role_id and ace.permission == permission:
            remove.append(i)
    for i in reversed(remove):
        acl.pop(i)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Emil Streich
Heath Radke2019-05-31T14:14:46-05:00May 31st, 2019|Categories: Obituaries|
Emil Streich of Clarkfield died Monday, May 27, 2019 at the Clarkfield Care Center at the age of 88.
Funeral services will be held on Sunday, June 2, 2019 at 1:30 PM at Zion Lutheran Church, rural Boyd, MN. Rev. Dean Rager will officiate and interment will be at Arena Cemetery, rural Madison, MN.
Visitation will be held on Saturday, June 1 from 4:00 PM -7:00 PM at Lynner Funeral Home in Clarkfield with a prayer service at 6:30 PM. There will also be visitation at the church for one hour prior to services.
Emil John Streich was born November 27, 1930 in Mehurin Township to Emil and Savera (Kriese) Streich. He was baptized on December 21, 1930 at St. John's Lutheran Church, Marietta, MN, and confirmed on April 16, 1944 at Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, Arena Township, MN. Emil attended Country School District 77 until 9th grade. He enlisted in the US Army in May of 1955 and received his honorable discharge in May of 1957. Emil was united in marriage to Caroline June Haas on June 28, 1957 at Trinity Lutheran Church, Bellingham, MN. They made their home in Madison, and later on moved to Clarkfield. Together they had five children.
Emil spent most of his life working in the dairy industry including picking up milk cans and making butter & cheese in Madison & Clarkfield. He finished off his career in dairy working as a foreman for AMPI. Emil was also very involved in Zion Lutheran Church in rural Boyd, where he spent 18 years as the church treasurer. He also spent time in the church as an elder, a Wednesday school teacher and as a Lutheran Layman's League Secretary. Emil enjoyed baseball and other sports. As a young man he played town team ball and would often watch and cheer on the Minnesota Twins. Emil also enjoyed following his children and grandchildren in their sports and activities. After retirement Emil enjoyed gardening, helping farm, baking, canning and quilting. Emil was known for his 'special recipe' brownie frosting. Emil was an active member of the Clarkfield community, Clarkfield Fire Department, AAL/Thrivent and delivered Meals on Wheels for many years. He will always be remembered for his helping hand with his family and local community.
Emil is survived by his wife of 61 years, Caroline; children: Norma Streich, Marshall, MN, Larry (Brenda) Streich, Wood Lake, MN, Mark (Jolayne) Streich, Boyd, MN and Paul (Janice) Streich, Marietta, MN; grandchildren: Laura (Matt) Gault, Melissa (Luke) Stevens, Emily (Seth) Boerboom, Aaron and Katheryn Madson, MacKenzie (Kenneth) Schumacher and Ethan, Hannah, and Lily Streich; great-grandchild, Bethany Madson; sisters: Lorraine Stromswold, Bellevue, WA, Marie Hinz, High Point, NC and Grace Streich, Minneapolis, MN; brother, Kenneth Streich, Champlin, MN; and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents; son, Curtis James Streich; and brothers: Vernon and Earl.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


What are Dimensions in Google Analytics?
Definition: Dimensions are ways to view and segment qualitative data in Google Analytics, used in tandem with metrics. For example, the metric bounce rate could be viewed through dimension value landing page in a report that helps ecommerce merchants understand which pages lead users to further explore their website.
While metrics measure what a user does, dimensions segment to describe who they are in the first place.
For example, Dimensions can be used to uncover the gender, age, and location of the average user. While knowing that one individual customer is from Seattle isn't particularly helpful, knowing that 87% of the company's customers come from urban areas is helpful, because people who live in urban areas have clearly defined social and financial preferences that the company can cater to.
This information could also be used to improve the company's warehouse setup (by placing warehouses closer to where customers are), reduce shipping times and costs, and possibly even allow free shipping to be offered on lower-value orders.
Furthermore, Dimensions can be used to trace the route that customers use to move through the site. Understanding the path a customer takes to get to the product they want helps explain how easy the site is to navigate, which pages are most effective at converting users into paying customers, and which pages aren't performing well enough to be worth keeping.
Constantly improving the company's online store is an important part of succeeding in ecommerce, and Dimensions can help decide what to focus the company's efforts on.
Understanding the bigger picture requires looking at data through a variety of lenses.
User Type: This Dimension declares whether a particular user is new or returning, and is especially useful for judging the success of advertising campaigns and site stickiness.
Source: Tells merchants where their traffic is coming from. Monitoring acquisition sources is crucial to growing an online store, and can be further expanded on with the Source/Medium dimension.
Geo Network: If the store sells and ships physical goods, understanding where users live can impact a retailer's marketing and product development strategies.


text:
All Travel in Flanders
Antwerp Train Station
Antwerp-Central station, Dutch: Antwerpen-Centraal, is a Belgian railway station located on Place Reine Astrid near the center of the city of Antwerp, capital of the province of Antwerp in the Flemish Region. It is considered one of the most sumptuous monuments in Belgium and one of the most beautiful stations in the world. It offers the following train services: Thalys, Read more...
Ostend Train Station
Ostend railway station (Oostende station, in Dutch) is a Belgian train station terminus of line 50A, from Brussels to Ostend. It is located on the quays of the port of the city of Ostend, in the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region. It is the main station on the Belgian coast and sees more than 250,000 passengers pass Read more...
Gent Train Station
Ghent-Saint-Pierre railway station (Gent-Sint-Pieters station. in Dutch) is a Belgian railway station on line 50A, from Brussels to Ostend. It is located south of the center of the city of Ghent in the province of East Flanders in the Flemish Region. It is a station of the National Company of Belgian Railways (SNCB) served by InterCity (IC), Suburban (S), Omnibus Read more...
Brugge Train Station
Brugge train station in French is called Gare de Bruges. It is the main railway station in Bruges, West Flanders, Belgium. It is located in dowtown Bruges. Bruges is on the train lines Brussels-Ostend (50A), Bruges-Blankenberge (51), and Bruges-Kortrijk (66). The station serves InterCity (IC), Omnibus (L), and Heure de pointe (P) which is Rush Hour Traffic. The geographic coordinates Read more...


text:
Audit, Governance and Standards Committee
External Auditor�s Annual Audit Letter
Final Decision-Maker
Lead Head of Service
Mark Green, Director of Finance and Business Improvement
Lead Officer and Report Author
Ellie Dunnet, Head of Finance
Wards affected
The Annual Audit Letter attached at Appendix 1 summarises the main findings from the work undertaken by the external auditor for the year ended 31 March 2020, and brings the audit process for 2019/20 to a close.
The Audit Findings Report attached at Appendix 2 is an updated version of the report detailing the auditor�s key findings and conclusions in relation to the 2019/20 audit, which has been considered at previous meetings of this committee.
Officers from Grant Thornton will be in attendance to present their reports and respond to questions.
Purpose of Report
The committee is asked to note the report.
This report makes the following recommendations to this Committee:
1. That the Annual Audit Letter, attached at Appendix 1 be noted.
2. That the updated Audit Findings Report, attached at Appendix 2 be noted.
1. CROSS-CUTTING ISSUES AND IMPLICATIONS
Impact on Corporate Priorities
We do not expect the recommendations will by themselves materially affect achievement of corporate priorities. However, they will support the Council�s overall achievement of its aims in demonstrating accountability and value for money.
Cross Cutting Objectives
There is no specific implication, however sound financial management does support the delivery of the Council�s cross cutting objectives.
This is detailed within section 5.
As detailed in Appendices 1 & 2, the proposed audit fee for 2019/20 has increased to �53,316, which represents a 15% increase on the previously agreed fee of �46,366 and a 37% increase on the Public Sector Audit Appointments Ltd (PSAA) scale fee of �38,866.� This increase remains subject to discussion with Grant Thornton and PSAA approval.
None identified.
Under section 151 of the Local Government Act (LGA 1972), the Section 151 Officer has
statutory duties in relation to the financial
administration and stewardship of the authority, including advising on the corporate financial position and providing financial information. It is a function of the Audit, Governance and Standards Committee to review and approve the annual statement of accounts and to consider if appropriate accounting policies have been followed and whether there are concerns arising from the financial statements or from the audit that need to be brought to the attention of the Policy and Resources Committee or Council.
MKLS
There are no specific privacy or data protection issues to address.
No implications identified.
Crime and Disorder
2.����� INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
2.1 The Annual Audit Letter attached at Appendix 1 summarises the main findings from the work undertaken by the external auditor for the year ended 31 March 2020.� The committee has previously considered the Audit Findings.� The updated and final version of this report is attached at Appendix 2.� Representatives from Grant Thornton will attend the meeting to present their reports and respond to any questions which committee members may have.
2.2 It is recommended that these documents are considered by the committee in accordance with the terms of reference detailed within the council�s Constitution.
2.3 The Annual Audit Letter represents the conclusion of the 2019/20 audit by confirming that:
- The external auditor gave an unqualified opinion on the Council's accounts on 30 November 2020; and
- The external auditor is satisfied that in all significant respects the Council put in place proper arrangements to secure economy, efficiency and effectiveness in its use of resources for the year ending 31 March 2020.
2.4 The opinion on the financial statements included an emphasis of matter paragraph in respect of the uncertainty over valuations of the Council's land and buildings and the property assets of its pension fund given the Coronavirus pandemic. This did not affect the auditor�s opinion that the statements give a true and fair view of the Council's financial position and its income and expenditure for the year.
2.5 The reports detail a proposed increase in the fee for 2019/20 external audit work to �53,316.� Scale fees are set by Public Sector Audit Appointment Ltd (PSAA).� The scale fee for Maidstone Borough Council was set at �38,866 for 2019/20.� The committee was notified of an increase in the scale fee to �46,366 at its meeting on 16 March 2020.� The reasons for increasing the audit fee at this time were additional expectations being placed on audit firms by the Financial Reporting Council and the increased workload arising from the introduction of new accounting standards. A further increase of 15% is proposed at this time due to the additional burdens of Covid 19 and the work of the external auditor to investigate and resolve the prior period adjustment in the 2019/20 financial statements.� It should be noted that this remains subject to discussion with Grant Thornton and the agreement of PSAA.
3. AVAILABLE OPTIONS
3.1 These reports are for information and the committee is asked to note their contents.
4. PREFERRED OPTION AND REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS
4.1 The committee is asked to note the external auditor�s reports attached as appendices 1 and 2.
5. RISK
5.1 This report is presented for information only and has no risk management implications.
6. CONSULTATION RESULTS AND PREVIOUS COMMITTEE FEEDBACK
6.1 No consultation has been undertaken in relation to this agenda item.
7. REPORT APPENDICES
The following documents are to be published with this report and form part of the report:
� Appendix 1 - External Auditor�s Annual Audit Letter 2019-20
� Appendix 2 - Updated Audit Findings Report 2019-20
8. BACKGROUND PAPERS


Every Sunday, Realm Maintenance brings you a long list of WoW and other Blizzard franchise podcasts that were published the week and weekend before. If you don't see your favorite Blizzard franchise podcast listed, just let Rho know in the comments. Be sure to leave a link to it, and we'll pick it up next week. All podcasts and content belong to their owners. Realm Maintenance is not responsible for what you hear, and some of the content may not be safe for work.
All Things Azeroth – No Beta? No Problem!
Cloak and Quiver – Hippopotami?
Convert to Raid – The Celestalon and Zarhym Interview!
Ctrl Alt WoW – Darkmoon Faire Time Cometh!
Dots, Hots, and Grave Plots – Am I in the Right Stance?
Gnome's Eye View – Patch Notes? Oh Gnome!
The Instance Get to the Chopper!
Leetsauced – Warlords of Drain-or?
Legendary – Is a World of Warcraft Reality Show a Good Thing?
Lorewalker's Roundtable – Who Let The Dogs Out?
Heart of the Storm – Mucho Diablo!


text:
Home McCormick - International Harvester Collection page 26
The Harvester World: Volume 3, number 11, November 1912
STRIPPINCJ   EARTH   FROM   MESABA  ORE   BEDS
By M. Trewhella, Superintendent Agnew Mine, Hibbing, Minn.
In comparatively recent years, perhaps no event, or series of events, has wrought such marked revolutions in the industrial methods prevailing in the United .States as those phenomenal developments pertaining to the
discovery of the great Mesaba iron range and the mining transportation and working of its ores. The ingenuity and skill of many active brains were heavily taxed to bring about the solution of the successive jjioblems presented before these magnificent triumphs were fully accomplished.
All the other develop¬ ments, however, must be classed as supplemental to tne demonstration of the actual existence of immense deposits of high grade iron ore in this region, which important fact was a sub¬ ject of doubt, uncertainty and skepticism, for some years on the part, not only of the general public, but of experienced mining men. To assist in the solution of the problem of getting at the ore in such manner as to permit open pit mining on such a gigantic scale as has been carried on in the Mesaba range, many men, much capital and intelligent manipulations came into play. The stripping of earth from the deep mines in some sections of the Mesaba has been a very different proposition from the handling of material in surfacing a railroad grade.    It required no
M. Trewhella
small degree of executive and engineering skill to per¬ form some of the stripping work that has been done, and to apply the steam shovel in all places where the man with the jnck and shovel might go.
It was at first assumed by engineers, and'that not so very long ago, that the steam shovel would be limited in its efficiency to such workings as would involve only the removal of a comparatively shallow overburden. It was held as recently as 1897 that it would be impractic¬ able to remove more than one foot of overburden for every two feet of ore underneath, and it was not thought feasible to use the steam shovel in stripping to a greater depth than thirty, or at the most, forty feet.
Experience and the ingenuity and enterprise of mining engineers have upset both these theories. The proposi¬ tion that it would only pay to remove one foot of strip¬ ping for the underlying ore has been upset by changes in the labor and timber market, as well as by other considerations. Stripping was resorted to in many cases when shafts might have been used if timber had not become more expensive.
It has thus been made possible to advance the cost of stripping and go into more difficult workings. Tlie steam shovels have been working at a maximum depth from the surface of 150 feet. This achievement would have been ridiculed as an economic and physical impos¬ sibility a few years ago. The ratio of overburden to the underlying ore has been increased as an economic proposition until the most astonishing thing to an on¬ looker on the Mesaba range is the immensity of the cuts that have been made in laying bare the ore bodies.
It may be roughly figured that a yard of earth strip¬ ping will uncover a ton of ore, the ore weighing about twice as much as the earth. If it costs forty-five cents, as an outside estimate, to get at the ore, and ten cents a ton to load it on the cars, making the total cost of mining the ore about fifty cents a ton — the use of the steam shovel in the exploitation of the Mesaba range on economic grounds is at once obvious.
The Agnew Mine as it looks from above
Title The Harvester World: Volume 3, number 11, November 1912
Physical Description 7.25 x 10 inches
Series The Harvester World ; v. 3, no. 11
Source The Harvester World, November 1912
Page Number 26
Full Text 26
STRIPPINCJ EARTH FROM MESABA ORE BEDS By M. Trewhella, Superintendent Agnew Mine, Hibbing, Minn. In comparatively recent years, perhaps no event, or series of events, has wrought such marked revolutions in the industrial methods prevailing in the United .States as those phenomenal developments pertaining to the discovery of the great Mesaba iron range and the mining transportation and working of its ores. The ingenuity and skill of many active brains were heavily taxed to bring about the solution of the successive jjioblems presented before these magnificent triumphs were fully accomplished. All the other develop¬ ments, however, must be classed as supplemental to tne demonstration of the actual existence of immense deposits of high grade iron ore in this region, which important fact was a sub¬ ject of doubt, uncertainty and skepticism, for some years on the part, not only of the general public, but of experienced mining men. To assist in the solution of the problem of getting at the ore in such manner as to permit open pit mining on such a gigantic scale as has been carried on in the Mesaba range, many men, much capital and intelligent manipulations came into play. The stripping of earth from the deep mines in some sections of the Mesaba has been a very different proposition from the handling of material in surfacing a railroad grade. It required no M. Trewhella small degree of executive and engineering skill to per¬ form some of the stripping work that has been done, and to apply the steam shovel in all places where the man with the jnck and shovel might go. It was at first assumed by engineers, and'that not so very long ago, that the steam shovel would be limited in its efficiency to such workings as would involve only the removal of a comparatively shallow overburden. It was held as recently as 1897 that it would be impractic¬ able to remove more than one foot of overburden for every two feet of ore underneath, and it was not thought feasible to use the steam shovel in stripping to a greater depth than thirty, or at the most, forty feet. Experience and the ingenuity and enterprise of mining engineers have upset both these theories. The proposi¬ tion that it would only pay to remove one foot of strip¬ ping for the underlying ore has been upset by changes in the labor and timber market, as well as by other considerations. Stripping was resorted to in many cases when shafts might have been used if timber had not become more expensive. It has thus been made possible to advance the cost of stripping and go into more difficult workings. Tlie steam shovels have been working at a maximum depth from the surface of 150 feet. This achievement would have been ridiculed as an economic and physical impos¬ sibility a few years ago. The ratio of overburden to the underlying ore has been increased as an economic proposition until the most astonishing thing to an on¬ looker on the Mesaba range is the immensity of the cuts that have been made in laying bare the ore bodies. It may be roughly figured that a yard of earth strip¬ ping will uncover a ton of ore, the ore weighing about twice as much as the earth. If it costs forty-five cents, as an outside estimate, to get at the ore, and ten cents a ton to load it on the cars, making the total cost of mining the ore about fifty cents a ton — the use of the steam shovel in the exploitation of the Mesaba range on economic grounds is at once obvious. The Agnew Mine as it looks from above


The most important fact that a pregnant woman should accept as real is that smoking can cause her to have a miscarriage or if carried to term, can cause complications in the baby's physical and mental development. A tip to stop smoking that every pregnant woman should keep is a few signs saying things like," Smoke mommy and I might not be born." These signs can be put up on the refrigerator or even on the dresser mirror. They will probably cause the expectant mother to develop other problems that might require the expectant mother to plan her strategy to stay smoke free while pregnant.
Your most important part while pregnant is to keep your baby healthy. That includes not inflicting nicotene on your baby's developing spinal column and brain. Once you accept your role as a budding new mother and allow your system's natural processes to guide you, you will smop smoking, practice relaxation, and learn to eat healthy for two.
When faced with stress, you might fling your arms up at the uselessness of depriving yourself of a cigarette because no one else seems to care. These feelings are normal and the fact is that you care for your baby that needs a healthy environment to grow. Part of that healthy environment is, of course, nutrients. Plan your foods and make a time table for yourself when you can substitute a prepared food for a time when you used to smoke.
Some of these foods take time to prepare.
The fact is that a frozen treat while pregnant is desireable even more than a slice of chocolate cream pie. Prepare frozen treats made of applesauce, crushed pineapple, and fruit juices by putting them in paper cups with a stick in the center or in freezer trays. Eating one of these specially prepared for you treats is your time out for yourself to enjoy and to relax. Another favorite treat is to peel a ripe banana and cut it in half. Put a stick into the banana and dip it in yogurt and then in wheat germ or minced nuts. These treats will take your brain's attention of the nicotene triggered impulse and substitute a calming, nutritious signal that will require it to handle your body's factory properly and the smoking trigger will pass for a while.


There are a total of 7 assisted living facilities in LUMPKIN County, Georgia. This list includes LUMPKIN County senior housing, assisted senior living communities and residential care homes for the elderly. LUMPKIN County assisted senior living facilities also provide dementia and Alzheimer's care, also known as memory care in LUMPKIN County, GA.
Evergreen Terrace is an assisted living community in Dahlonega, Georgia. It can house a maximum of 24 older adults at a time. It is located at 53 Northwoods Drive, 30533 zip code in Lumpkin county. Evergreen Terrace helps senior citizens who need assistance with everyday tasks.
Foothills Ii Retirement Home provides assisted living in Lumpkin county, Georgia. It contains a total of 6 assisted living apartments for 55 and older adults. Foothills Ii Retirement Home provides affordable, pet-friendly assisted elderly housing and is located at 264 Myers Chance Road, Dahlonega, Georgia 30533.
Dogwood Bluff is an upscale assisted senior living facility in Dahlonega, Georgia. It supports a total of 13 assisted living units. Dogwood Bluff is available to all Lumpkin county elderly adult residents in need of assisted living. Dogwood Bluff is situated at 266 Pony Lake Lane in Dahlonega, Georgia.
Gold City Pch is a residential care facility in Dahlonega, Georgia, located at 350 Moores Drive in 30533 zip code. It provides memory care and assisted living throughout Lumpkin county in Georgia. Gold City Pch has a total of 24 assisted living apartment units.
Northwoods Retirement Home is an elderly assisted housing facility in Dahlonega, Georgia. Northwoods Retirement Home is located at 54 Northwoods Drive, 30533 zip code and provides assisted living to all Lumpkin county elderly residents. It provides 24 senior living units in total.
Sonshine Manor is a senior care and living facility in Dahlonega, Georgia, located at 634 Crown Mtn Dr. Any elderly or older adults looking for assisted living in Lumpkin county or near 30533 zip code should consider Sonshine Manor as one of the best options.
Foothills Retirement Home is an assisted senior living community in Dahlonega, Georgia, located in the Lumpkin county area. Foothills Retirement Home is directly located at 264 Myers And Chance Road in the 30533 zip code area. It has a maximum capacity of 6 assisted senior housing units.
Assisted Living Facilities in LUMPKIN County, GA. List of all of the best assisted living, senior living and elderly housing options in LUMPKIN County for 2019.


I would bring it up with MIL next time she is buying gifts for DC2. Something along the lines of reiterating how grateful you are to have MIL be so generous but you are concerned some of them are going unused because they don't fit DC2's interest. Bring up an example if there is one show MIL keeps buying memorabilia from that DC2 doesn't like. If you don't want to seem like you are criticizing MIL's present picking, maybe say DC2 is failing to play with gifts because there are just too many, so let's reduce to a small manageable number. That might help her stick to the Amazon wishlist which I think is more likely to be her main source of ideas if there are only 1-2 gifts versus, say, 4+.
Yeah, I just don't think that would go over well.
Yes, it's not easy. I think you're doing as much as you can. Some people don't like being told what to buy, or want to buy things that they enjoyed or think the child should experience, regardless of the child's interests.
It sounds like we have handled it similarly. I always gave "excess" gifts to holiday toy drives when my kids were babies. Now that they're older, they'll voluntarily hand over duplicates when they receive a gift they already have. I feel fairly fortunate that my kids aren't too attached to "stuff" yet. I don't know if that will change, but I'm enjoying it while it lasts.
My in-laws have purchased my kids some really awful gifts before (think: giant purple teddy bear bigger than my children's bodies), but my mom is just as bad. She shops sales to get the best deal without any regard whether they want the gift or not. Whatever was 30 percent off in the toys section at Kohl's is what they're getting. I give up.
To add to that, I also sold some of the new baby toys they didn't need and added those funds to their college savings! Now that they're older I'm more inclined to donate because I have less time.
Maybe the problem will be less pronounced when DC2 is old enough to tell the offending relatives hirself what gifts would be prefered? "Grandma I LOVE BATMAN!!1" repeated enough times from adorable grandchild will probably be more effective than you could ever be.
I just hope your kid won't get stung with realisation that they are getting cousin's cast-offs.
They're not literally the cousin's cast-offs– they are new toys. The cousin just is really into X, Y, and Z, so my in-laws assume that all same-gendered kids are into X, Y, and Z. Unfortunately X, Y, and Z don't really fit with our family values.
Assumptions that all same-gendered kids like the same things need to DIAF.
It is a little surprising that they don't get the idea, even if you give specific lists and such. I'd likely do what you are doing. If we were close, I'd find a way to tell them, but since we see our families less often than desirable, it just wouldn't seem like something I'd want to bring up.
I suspect this is a problem that goes with kids. The only unwanted/awkward gifts I've received in the past 20 years or so were from co-workers who didn't know me well. Since if they don't know me well, they've probably never been in my home and never will be, I feel no compunction about immediately turning around and donating the item.
We had a problem this year in which DH returned something right away (it was adorable but too small and was a substitute for what DC2 had asked for but not what zie actually wanted) and it turned out to be this Great Deal on Amazon Prime Day and MIL asked DH to hold onto it if zie didn't want it so she could pick it up for one of the younger grandkids the next time she visited. DH didn't even tell her that the reason we returned it was because it was the wrong size for DC2!
Ah, we have the same model of in laws: love stuff, can't understand that we don't want stuff and especially not random stuff, don't listen. I return what I can, and give the rest away if it can't be present-closeted.
Is it wrong that I am super excited about dc2 getting invited to a birthday party just so I can get rid of stuff?
MY parents, who LISTEN, give our children their time and affection, and art supplies, and sometimes custom sewn (by my mom) pajamas.
That reminds me of the bday party coming up this weekend!
My in-laws also give a lot of time and attention. They just give a lot of stuff too!
Well, then you have an upgraded model of in-laws from the one I was issued!
I found hidden caches of unopened toys I had completely forgotten about while going through the gift closet looking for a (duplicate) book I knew we had about going to kindergarten (turns out we had TWO duplicate books about going to kindergarten), since the birthday girl just graduated preschool and when else am I going to have an opportunity to get rid of that book. Toys kept hitting me on the head. We currently have FOUR SHELVES of excess toys because we didn't clear out before going on leave. Mostly small gendered toys. That's not counting the big $45 thing or the other stuff in the "donate" cabinet. Toys for tots is going to get a huge haul from us this year unless DC2 starts getting invited to more parties.
Our gift bag cabinet is also overfull. I think our tenants added to it while we were gone.
They seem to really enjoy shopping. And it probably makes them feel good to give things away. And they are actually looking at your Amazon list and giving you things off of that. This all sounds great.
Whatever the cousin likes is probably super popular, so it's probably highly appreciated at the toy donation place. So I think your responses are already perfect–except for the feeling bad part!
To answer your question, I try to tell everyone that I don't want gifts at all, and before they started listening so well, I tried to keep my Amazon wish list updated. When I get some anyway, I thank them and bring them home. Then I try to find a good home.
Yes, they definitely enjoy shopping! And they can afford to do it (they've come a long way since DH was born and don't live someplace expensive), so it's not like they're endangering their retirement. If they couldn't, then I would have forced DH to have a talk with them a long time ago.
Though I think they enjoy it a bit less with 6 grandkids than they did with 2. That's probably part of why they're just giving DC2 what the cousin enjoyed, though there's probably also some elements of fairness there.
I'm sure it's (c)– their kid loved it so they assumed yours would too.
I actually inherited a handful of nice things from my friend whose friends and coworkers don't seem to know her at all, though they're well intentioned (?) For example, a beautiful heavy yarn weight baby blanket, but she is single with no children and none expected or intended. She's in her 40s.
But our family who is heavy into highly priced gift-giving absolutely would not take well to any hints or suggestions or requests that they gift in a way we'd enjoy so we just quietly regift or donate or resell as appropriate. As long as I can resist having to reciprocate, I will resist the urge to try and stop it because, for some of them it's no financial burden and for some it's absolutely irresponsible spending, but none of them will respect our wishes without first taking offense. And sometimes not even then. So it's not worth a battle over it since we aren't close enough for them to see if we use the Thing or That Other Thing.
What you're already doing sounds good–specifying where possible so DC2 gets some things DC2 likes, and donating the rest. Sounds like the grandparents feel they should buy more gifts than they have ideas for, so they will probably still want to buy the same quantity but will be more work for them if you try to give feedback on choices. And I'm sure the kids who get them as donations really love them.
It also sounds like the grandparents have gotten better with DC1 over time too, so may just naturally start to ask DC2 more specifically as DC2 gets older?
Side note, my aunt still gets me gifts that are not my style at all, and my sister and I will enjoy an evening shrieking with laughter about how ridiculous we look the flower-print nighties that she has bought us (when aunt is not around of course), and then we'll politely thank her for sending them, and promptly donate to goodwill.
Haha, all my long-sleeved shirts are shirts my boyfriends parents bought for him that are slightly too small.
We tried so many strategies, and then we just gave up. We donate a lot of things. They ask us for specific lists and then buy not quite the thing on the list.
I'm sure Toys for Tots enjoys the donations. Last Christmas I asked for things that were on the wish list of the local homeless shelter and we just stopped there to drop stuff off before driving home from Christmas.
And I gave up on the "not our values" stuff. If they give it directly to kiddo, and he likes it, he gets to have it. Whatever. He's old enough to either have or not have our values at this point. But he's a lot older than your DC2.
We try to avoid things that, for example, demean women.
we haven't gotten demeaning stuff (I think. I can't keep up with the books he's reading anymore. Nothing obvious, at least) but I had to completely give up on my quality standards and not wanting cheap disposable plastic crap or pointlessly noisemaking things. And our anti-gun rules.
And the volume…we had this idea we were going to keep the gift pile smallish, keep the focus of holidays on being with people. But after a number of years when we didn't get him any presents because other people got him so many, i just said screw it, I like buying him stuff too (and making sure he gets at least one thing he really wants – I know from experience how incredibly frustrating it is to be asked to make a list, make a very specific list, and then not get the things you wanted & asked for. It's way worse than just not having any input and not getting what you want). Like you, I just don't want to fight about it and after many attempts at varied levels of directness I know the grandmas just are not interested in feedback.


text:
Reset Password | Login | Register
Member Stations
About the HBA
HBA Trustees
HBA Executive Leads
Volunteer with the HBA
Benefits of HBA Membership
HBA Impact Report
Donate to The HBA
Conference Bursary
Guide to Writing PR
National Hospital Radio Awards 2022
On-Air Magazine
OnAir Issues
Receive OnAir in Your Inbox
The Hospital Broadcasting Association (HBA), more formally known as the National Association of Hospital Broadcasting Organisations (NAHBO) is the national charity that supports and promotes Hospital Broadcasting in the UK.
The HBA is managed by a committee elected from its membership and is staffed entirely by volunteers.
The association currently consists of 170 individual broadcasting stations. Just like the HBA, almost all of our member stations are managed and staffed by volunteers; from presenters and producers, to ward visitors, childrens ward play volunteers, administrators and charity trustees and management. These volunteers come from all walks of life from students to the retired and from every industry you can imagine.
Patients in many UK hospitals benefit from programmes designed to make life better for people in hospital and aid their recovery. The volunteers within the hospital radio and television stations work tirelessly to provide this on an increasingly 24-hour basis.
The Hospital Broadcasting Association has two membership categories and new members are always welcome. Membership is open to individuals or hospital broadcasting associations.
As well as promoting hospital broadcasting and representing its members, the Hospital Broadcasting Association offers its members a variety of services and advice.
The HBA recognises that with our member stations being almost entirely volunteer led and run. We run training across a variety of formats from whole day training events, to half day talks and present a range of different taster seminars at our annual National Conference.
HBA is the operating name of the National Association of Hospital Broadcasting Organisations.
Registered in England and Wales as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (No. 1015501).
Principal Office: 19 Rowan Court, Norwich, Norfolk NR5 0RT