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Home » Episodes » Focus on the Family Broadcast » Developing Godly Character in Your Child
Focus on the Family Broadcast
Developing Godly Character in Your Child
Korie Robertson, of A&E's TV show "Duck Dynasty," shares her heart for raising kids with strong, godly character as well as some fun family stories of the Robertson clan.
Episode Transcript
Mrs. Korie Robertson:A lot of times on television, we see people who are good characters, but they've not necessary people of good character. And so, I think, sometimes our world kind of almost glamorizes good characters, but not necessarily people who have good character and have, you know, the character traits we talk about.
End of Teaser
John Fuller: That's Korie Robertson and she's with us today on "Focus on the Family" with Focus president and author, Jim Daly. Thanks for joining us. I'm John Fuller.
Jim Daly: John, many of us recognize Korie from A&E's "Duck Dynasty," you know, the Duck Commander crew. We've had Al and Lisa on the broadcast before and Korie has an amazing story, she and Willie, about family and the way they're raising the kids and we're gonna talk about that today, because we want you as a parent, to be as equipped as you can be with wonderful examples of raising children who are strong in the faith. And we're gonna talk about Willie and Korie's approach to parenting today.
John: And Korie keeps a busy household running and she, in addition to the TV appearances and all the family obligations, speaks and writes. And she's got a book called Strong and Kind and Other Important Character Traits Your Child Needs to Succeed [FYI Tradebook:Strong and Kind: Raising Kids of Character].
Jim: Korie, welcome to "Focus on the Family.
Korie: Thank you. I'm so happy to be here.
Jim: Now we have watched "Duck Dynasty." I've said this when Al and Lisa were on the program. The boys tuned in with it. I think they picked up a couple of the DVDs at Walmart and we started to watch it.
Korie: Yes.
Jim: We got addicted. It's like eatin' cotton (Laughter) candy. (Laughter) It's so funny and you guys as a family are so entertaining.
Korie: And you know, so I married into the family. I was 18 (Laughter) when I married into the family and so, I could kind of still, you know, I've been in the family for 25 years, but I can still kinda see it from a distance. So, I told Willie before the show, I was like, "Your family's not normal." Like (Laughter) I think this could work, you know.
And yeah, whenever all of them are like, I don't know who's gonna watch us. What's so interesting about us? I was like, "Y'all aren't normal. This will be interesting. Uncle Si, for one. I mean (Laughter), just put him on the air.
Jim: Well, if you're a normal-thinkin' person and you married into that family, it's gotta be hilarious havin' squirrels for dinner. (Laughter)
Korie: Yes, now I did grow up in Louisiana, so my granddad did teach me how to skin a squirrel as a little kid
Jim: That's just what you do in Louisiana.
Korie: So, that's Louisiana, yeah. Now I don't eat the brains, okay. Kay eats the squirrel brains. I leave those to Kay.
Jim: Okay, now all the vegetarians listening, including my wife are going, "What!?"
Korie: Yeah.
Jim: But you know, let me ask you though, it is kinda funny. It's not that unusual for families to be different. I mean, every family's a little different.
Korie: That's right.
Jim: And it's humorous in some ways, but it's normal in some ways, too, isn't it?
Korie: And I think that was kind of like what happened with our show. I think that A&E and you know, Hollywood, they thought people were gonna watch our show and be like, "Whoa! It's so weird. You eat squirrel" and you, you know, you hunt ducks and all the weird things about our family or whatever that make us unique.
But really people related to our family. They watched and they were like, oh, just like me and my brothers. We argue about stupid things. But at the end of the day, we sit down and you know, forgive one another and sit down at the dinner table. So, I think people related to it in a way that nobody really expected, you know.
Jim: Right, let's talk about your kids though, 'cause some people don't even know "Duck 'Dynasty" who are listening. Describe your family, you and Willie. How did you meet? How long ago? I think you just celebrated your 25th anniversary, right?
Korie: Twenty-fifth, yes. And actually last year we thought it was our 25th, which (Laughter) was, you know, I guess it's what happens when you've been married that long.
John: Felt like 25, year.
Korie: Yeah and so, at some point, somehow like he was like, "Oh, this is [the] 25th." And I was like, "Oh, yeah." We took a trip to Colorado. It was like awesome and then we realized it was our 24th. (Laughter) So, we celebrated 25 two years in a row.
Jim: I think it's a good thing.
Korie: That's right, yeah, it's not so bad. But yeah, we were 18 and 19 when we got married. We were very young and of course, my parents about had a fit. They were like, what in the world? Which they got married at 18 and 19, too, so they couldn't really say a whole lot. (Laughter)
Jim: Did you remind them of that?
Korie: Exactly, yes, I did. But yeah and it's just been, you know, a crazy ride, 25 years. We grew up together, got married and went to college. We got married on Saturday, started college on Monday and have just grown up together and we have six children now, plus.
Jim: Wow, yeah, talk about that.
Korie: Okay. So, Rebecca's our oldest and she's 28. Now she came to us when she was 16 as an exchange student from Taiwan, did not speak a word of English. I thought, oh, no, I've got like four little kids, like 2 to 6 and now I've got a 16-year-old that doesn't speak English; what am I gonna do?
But we survived that first year and just fell in love with her and invited her back for her senior year. She came her senior year and it was somewhere in there that we just realized, I remember tellin' somebody that I had four kids and one of my little ones said, "No, you don't; you have five." And Rebecca just became one of ours.
Jim: That's amazing and the whole complication of trying to adopt from a foreign country.
Korie: Yes, so we have not officially adopted her. She just kind of has become ours.
Jim: She is part of the family.
Korie: That's right. She has a mom in Taiwan.
Jim: And she lives with you.
Korie: Well, she's married now. She got married in December (2016), but she has a mom in Taiwan. Her dad passed away when she was 11, but her mom has come to see her a couple times and she goes back to Taiwan sometimes.
Jim: That's something.
Korie: But she just got married in December and Willie walked her down the aisle and was able to wear her dad's tie as he walked her down the aisle, so that was a really, really special moment. But so, yes, so she's 28. She's our oldest. And then John Luke, oh this is gonna get me in trouble. I've gotta say everybody's ages, John Luke.
Jim: Get close.
Korie: We have a lot of kids. (Laughter)
Jim: A mid-20's child.
Korie: Oh, yeah, he's 21, yes and he is married to Mary Kate and they're in school at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia and we just feel so fortunate for them to be there. It's just a great school. And they're doin' amazing. And then Sadie is 19 and she just moved to Nashville, Tennessee.
Jim: And Sadie's been on the show quite a bit.
Korie: Yes, uh-huh.
Jim: She's kinda been in that spotlight a bit.
Korie: She has. She did "Dancing with the Stars."
Jim: (Laughing) Right.
Korie: So she kinda had like a crazy moment. We were all in Hollywood for about three months there. It was nuts. It was the most fun. It was a really, really great experience.
Jim: And we want to say thanks to Sadie, too, 'cause we launched Brio last month, for all those that remember Brio magazine for teen girls. Sadie was our cover feature. We also did a radio program with her and we are so grateful for all of that. So, if you would like a copy of Brio magazine for teen girls, be sure to contact Focus,
Korie: Yeah, she's doin' amazing work. She actually started. She did the tour that all of our kids did this last fall called Live Original. And they did 16 cities around the country and it's really just about understanding God's purpose for your life and tryin' to live His calling for you.
Jim: It's gotta make you so proud. We're gonna get to the other kids though, but just with that, with seeing your children embrace Christ and in a public setting like Sadie has particularly, to stand for those things that you hoped your kids would embrace. It's gotta be rewarding.
Korie: Yeah, right, it's been incredible, yeah, that's of course the biggest reward.
Jim: That's the goal, isn't it?
Korie: Exactly, yeah.
Jim: Okay, keep movin' through the family tree.
Korie: Okay, so then next is Will and Will is 15 and we adopted Will when he was 5-weeks-old and he is musical and talented and [when] we did the tour, that original tour, he was the DJ, which is super fun to see him kinda like come into his own and use the talents God has given him for somethin' like that. So, he's 15. And Bella is 14 and she can get along with anybody, anywhere, anytime.
Jim: Really, she's charming.
Korie: She'll make friends with, yes, she was sittin' up in the audience. She'd make friends with everybody out there, yeah. (Laughter) And she's great and also Willie's the cook in our house. I am not. I'm terrible and so she's gotten that talent from Willie; so that's Bella.
John: It's good to have a chef in training.
Korie: It's really nice. It is really nice, 'cause when Willie's out of town, we eat grilled cheese (Laughter) if I'm in charge. (Laughter) So Bella's kinda of started takin' that on. And then Rowdy is our newest and youngest and he's 13 and we adopted him this last year, September 13th was his official adoption day.
Jim: Oh, it's beautiful to see your heart for adoption. What motivates that? Is it your parents' example?
Korie: So, yeah, I think first of all, I did grow up in a home where they never adopted, but we had foster children and lots of people in and out of our home always, very hospitable. My grandparents were that was, as well.
And then Willie's family [is] the same way. They had a small house, two-bedroom house, but they always had someone sleepin' on their couch and you know, always somebody there. But also, my senior year I was fortunate to go to a Christian school my senior year. And my Bible teach adopted and just really, really talked about how important it was and how that what God calls "true religion," is taking care of widows and orphans and that imprinted on my heart then.
And Willie and I were datin' at the time and I told him I wanted to adopt and he was all in from the very beginning. There was no hesitation on his part either. So, it was just somethin' we felt called to do really early on.
Jim: You know, I love that expression. I mentioned before we came to the studio that I was in the foster system as a 9-year-old and Jean and I have done fostering. So, I'm so excited that, a family that has the public eye the way you do and you know, the affluence that comes with that, it's not something you need to trouble yourself with, but it's wonderful to see your faith in action to take on, you know, some kids that struggle and that have difficulty.
Korie: Uh-hm.
Jim: It's a great example to the rest of us, so thank you for that.
Korie: Well, oh, you're welcome. I mean, it wasn't somethin' we even, you know, thought it was gonna be like, oh, this is gonna be like our platform or this is what we're gonna do. We didn't even think about it. You know, you adopt and it's part of your life; it's your family.
And then when the show came out, Will is biracial, so he looks different than us, so everyone noticed and we're like great. You know, who's Will? Where'd he come from and all that, so we started talkin' more about adoption. And the more I started talkin' about it and the more I started learning about and learning about the kids, you know, in foster care and that sometimes age out of the system and don't have a parent to call their own.
Jim: So many.
Korie: So, that's become more and more a passion of our heart and you know, somethin' that we feel like if we have this opportunity, God has given us this opportunity to speak and to talk and then let's use it to do some good in the world.
Jim: Well, it's wonderful and we have Wait No More and maybe at some point we can join forces and do more good in this community of foster care.
Jim: Let's turn to how we raise the kids, which is the goal. And you've written this wonderful book called Strong and Kind, which are two of the characteristics you and Willie are tryin' to instill in your kids.
Jean and I have had that discussion. You know, of all the attributes we could really concentrate on and there are several, which are the two, three that we should? And you've now written the book that illustrates that. So talk about coming to that point where you and Willie discussed this as your parenting approach and maybe even how it started with your mom and dad and the rules of your home growin' up.
Korie: Okay. Well, first of all, I never thought I was gonna be writing a parenting book, especially (Laughter) like in the midst of parenting. It's kind of like the jury's still out here. It's just a little bit of a scary task, so I never expected to.
When the show came out, it was kind of interesting. People started noticing that our kids said, "Yes, ma'am" and "No, sir" and you know, were respectful to their grandfather and things like that. And people started kind of noticing that and asking questions about that. And you know, I think it was kind of refreshing to see on television, like kids who like are respectful and obedient and that kind of thing, not that they're perfect and not that they're always that way, but people just kinda started noticing that and asking me and that's why I ended up decidin' to write a book about it.
But the Strong and Kind came whenever our kids were little. John Luke and Sadie were young and I went to a women's Bible study. It was, you know, when your kids are young, you're like, any women's Bible study I'll go to, to just be able to leave the kids at home.
John: It's an hour of quieter time.
Korie: Exactly, (Laughter) like I can go, you know. So, anyway, I was at this women's Bible study and someone said, "What are the values you want to instill in your kids?" And Strong and Kind just came to me that night immediately. And I remember saying it that night after women's Bible study and I came home. I talked to Willie about it and I think "strong" was because, you know, I had lived long enough to realize that life wasn't always easy, that there were gonna be ups and downs and hard times and you know, our faith and that strength, not in ourself, but in God and in knowing His power and knowing that He lives in us, so that whenever, you know, our kids do hit those rocky roads–they hit those tough times–they won't break. They know that God is with them and He's there.
Jim: Kind of resilience is in there, as well.
Korie: Yeah, resilience.
Jim: Strong and resilient. That's a good attribute.
Korie: Uh-huh, right. That's a big part of strength, uh-huh. And then "kind" was really just for other people, you know. I think kindness is, if we all were a little kinder in this world, we would be a much better place.
Jim: You know, Korie, let me ask you this. For the parent that struggles getting these attributes shared, I mean, these are characteristics that I believe are God's characteristics, you know—kindness and strength and those things–but for the parent that's struggling, why is character important?
Korie: Well, I think that for one, a lot of times on television, we see people who are good characters, but they've not necessary people of good character. And so, I think, sometimes our world kind of almost glamorizes good characters—
Jim: True.
Korie: but not necessarily people who have good character and have, you know, the character traits we talk about. One is humility, which is a tough one and a tough one in today's world, you know and loyalty and patience and those character traits that really contribute to not necessarily success by worldly standards, but a successful life, meaning a life that honors God, glorifies Him and is one that He calls us to.
Program Note:
John: Well, that's a good list and we're talking with Korie Robertson of A&E'S "Duck Dynasty" TV show about her book, Strong and King and Other Important Character Trains Your Child Needs to Succeed [FYI Tradebook Title:Strong and Kind: Raising Kids of Character]. And you can order your copy of that book and a CD or download of this program with extra content at www.focusonthefamily.com/radio or when you call 800, the letter A and the word FAMILY.
End of Program Note
Jim: You know, another point you make in your book, which I thought was so good, you said you stress the importance of the family as a whole being more important than one of the children. All of us parents could benefit by that. What do you mean by that?
Korie: Well, I think that in our kind of individualistic society and all the talk about self-esteem and all this, sometimes you can get [that] each person is their own person and unique. And of course, we treat each child that way. But you know, you can't let the one kid ruin the whole moment for everybody else, you know.
So, we always, you know, when our kids come out from a nap time and they're still grouchy and cryin' and fussy, then they're just like, "Well, you can just go back to your room until you can come out and be pleasant for everybody else." You know, so that's kind of one way when they were little that we did that. You know, we taught them that when you're able to come out and be pleasant for everybody, you can come out. But we're not gonna, you know, ruin the mood of everyone else because you're throwin' a temper tantrum right now. You know, so, that's as a little kid.
But as our children get older, you know, we did that with our show, with "Duck Dynasty." We talked to them about how, this is now about us. It's not about one individual person. It's really about givin' glory to God and pointin' people to Him. So, we're not gonna get our feelings hurt if somebody is on the show more or somebody gets to do this or someone gets this privilege or someone gets this.
You know, this is not about us anyway. And so, I think as a whole it's really a lesson of we're about pointin' people to God. It's really not about each individual person.
Jim: Yeah and then you exemplify that so well again with what we talked about a moment ago, just prayer on the show. And I'm sure with grandpa, talkin' about Phil, being able to stand pretty strong in that space and strong for the faith and all the kids supporting him in that way. That's a good example to the younger children to see, I think.
Jim: Let me ask you about consistency and discipline and being there in that way. I think it's one of the greatest struggles for parents and Jean and I struggle.
Korie: It's a hard thing.
Jim: I'm sure you and Dena, John, struggle that way.
John: Yep.
Jim: You know, consistency is tough because there [are] extenuating circumstances here. Let's give Sadie a break. I think you were saying in your book, consistency's critical.
Jim: How do you and Willie manage that as a couple?
Korie: It is and it is the hardest thing, I think. You know, one thing, having a spouse is to help; whenever you feel not so consistent, you know, the other one can kinda step in. That's really critical. So, I really, you know, honor single moms and single dads out there who don't have that, because that makes it even extra difficult, you know, whenever you don't have another person to kinda lean on whenever you hit your breaking point.
Jim: Great point.
Korie: But yeah, consistency, I think is just so important for kids. And also, kids need that security, you know. They need to feel the boundaries. Boundaries are good for kids and they need to feel that. That helps them feel secure. And whenever things are not consistent, whenever like one day you yell at 'em for this and the next day you don't or you just ignore it and then the next day, you know. It's confusing and it's confusing to kids. It'd be confusing to us if someone treated us that way.
Jim: You shared a story. In fact, you had surgery and you were down and you expected, like many moms would, you expected the family to kinda pick up the slack.
Jim: And it didn't happen quite the way you expected.
Jim: What happened?
Korie: Yeah, my kids still make fun of me for this moment and at the time it was not funny at all, but now I can definitely see the humor in it. But so, I was down. I was in the bed and I came out about 3 o'clock in the morning, 'cause I was thirsty and I needed water. And I mean, our house was like a frat party had happened in our house. (Laughter) It was literally like, milk was left out. There was ham, like deli ham left out on the counter and I was like, you left out the deli ham? Like that's expensive, you know.
Jim: And it's easy to put away.
Korie: Exactly, so easy to put away, how did you do that? And it was just like macaroni and cheese boxes. It was just a disaster in there and it just hit me. And all of a sudden in that moment at 3 o'clock in the morning, you think, how I've failed as a mom? You know, you think, what have I done? What have I not taught them about like being grateful for what you have and taking care of the blessings God gave you? And there are children starving in Africa and we're leaving the deli meat out, you know.
Jim: Didn't you text them like at 3 in the morning to say, "You guys are a bunch of slobs?"
Korie:So, yes, that was the text at 3 o'clock in the morning to our like family group message and it said, "I have raised a bunch of slobs." That was the first line and then it went on to tell them, Sadie calls it the D word, "disappointed." It went on to say [more]. The hardest things [for kids, they] don't want the parents to be disappointed in them and I said, "I'm disappointed in you. I cannot believe you did this." And I mean, I just laid it on them at 3 o'clock in the morning in a family group text, that normally like really positive and like, you know—
Jim: Correct.
Korie: –"I think you're great. I love you." You know, "Have a good night's sleep." And it was just, I mean, I laid into 'em. I was so furious. And the next day was Sunday. I said, "Go to church. Come home. Do not eat lunch and you know." So, they get home and I was still mad. I was just like, I cannot believe it.
John: So, you stewed on it.
Korie: I had stewed on it, yes and I just gave them the speech. And their little faces are just like [sad]. They cleaned that house spotless that day, which was good. But then though, that night, you know, I kinda thought about it and I thought, you know, maybe this is the moment that I overreacted a little bit. And so, we had a talk with the family, you know. So, I think it's important that like, yeah, we're gonna lose it sometimes. There are gonna be times whenever your kids try to push you over the edge.
Jim: Now if we were to peel back the blind a little bit for you and Willie, what is something that you, as parents, where you have struggled together? You have different opinions on something where you've had, I don't like to use the word "argument," but you have a good disagreement about something. Can we get a little peek into that?
Korie: Yeah, well, we have arguments sometimes, (Laughter) you know.
Jim: I never want to assume.
Korie: We could not have grown up in more different families. I mean, you can see that our family and how they are. As a matter of fact, whenever we decided to get married and I was only 17 when we first did it and my parents were like, you know, gave us the five-point plan, you know, what you need to think through and how you need to you know, go to college and all that.
Jim: So, your parents were real thoughtful, real engaged.
Korie: That's right, yeah. Phil said, "Well, you can get married at 16 in Arkansas. Well, what are you waitin' on?" You know, so (Laughter), that was kind of the difference in the parenting styles. So, yeah, we've definitely had different parenting styles.
And so, I have one that is struggling in school right now and he's very smart. It's, you know, he is choosing to not do homework in my opinion, you know, that kind of thing.
Jim: We know that feeling.
Korie: Exactly (Laughter), yeah. And Willie is a little bit more laid back about that. He's like, "Well, let him fail. It's his choice. If he wants to fail, hey, he'll fail and he'll take it over again.
Jim: It's so hard to do, isn't it?
Korie: And I just can't do that, you know. So, yeah, that's one of those things that as parents, you gotta have the behind the closed doors meeting and come to figure out, okay, how can we work together and get the best solution here? Well, I don't want to let him fail, so maybe we can get a tutor for him. Or maybe we can, you know, we'll take away the electronics and see if that makes a difference, you know, do some punishment [and] see what makes a difference. Sometimes you know, as parents, it's good to have both perspectives and come out work through that thing.
Jim: Well and I like what you said and this is where Jean and I sometimes will fail, where to be unified. Sometimes we're discussion that unification right out in the open in front of the kids. (Laughter) That's not a good place to have that discussion.
Jim: You really want to do it offline, so that when you come out of the bedroom, you are unified.
Korie: Right, yes.
Jim: And if there's an area where Jean and I struggle, that's probably it. We tend to think it through right there (Laughter) in the moment.
Korie: Well, you know, I think it's good for your kids to see you disagree about other things—
Jim: Right.
Korie: –like our kids see us disagree a lot about work or politics or you know, lots of things that we don't agree on. But as far as with the kids, we try to, you know, take that behind closed doors and then come out and present a unified front, 'cause they definitely know whenever they can pick off one over the other.
Jim: Sure.
Jim: Your parents had something called "The Howard Family Legacy of Principles for Living." (Laughter) I don't know if that [was an] acronym.
Korie: Well, a bit of a long title, yeah. (Laughter)
Jim: But it goes to what you were saying about your parents and the family of origin that you come from. It sounded very orderly and very concise, very thoughtful. What were these rules that you had in your home growing up?
Korie: So, every time when we would go on a family vacation, my dad would sit us all down and we would go through these principles of living. And it's really just values that our family saw as important. And now that I look back on it, I'm so thankful that he did that.
And it's things that, you know, it's simple things like, one of 'em is, be the first to say you're sorry, which is not so simple in the moment—
Korie: –but it's a good reminder to go back or one is people are more important than things. And I can't tell you how many times I've said that to our kids whenever one would break, the other one's, you know, favorite toy, you know. I was like, "Well, people are more important than things," you know and usually you go back to that.
So, it's these just simple one-liners that we can go back to and remember whenever you don't want to do the right thing, but you can remember, okay, this is important.
Jim: This has been so good, Korie. Thank you for making the time. Thank you for exemplifying Christian faith in a pressure cooker called "entertainment" and being on television the way you are with millions of people who follow you and millions of DVDs that are sold and we have bought them, as well. I think we have every season. My boys just so appreciate and love the humor of the family.
And what is amazing is, you in your family context, you're teaching other families like ours about those principles. So, from a parent to a parent, thank you for doing it so well on "Duck Dynasty" and doing it with such fun.
Korie: Well, thank you. It's been a fun, crazy fun ride.
Jim: Let me turn to you the listener. One of the great things we do here at Focus is to do research to ask you, the listener and those who support the ministry, how have we impacted your families. And over the last 12 months, 870,000 moms and dads credit Focus on the Family with helping them to build stronger, healthier and more God-honoring families. If you are one of those families that we were able to help, obviously, the work of God through the ministry here at Focus, I hope you can support the ministry to allow us to help others. That is the goal here.
We are listener supported, so as we work together, as we team up to help those in crisis, that is what we are doin' here. So, I'd like to see a million parents helped next year and to do that, we need your donation. So, please support the ministry today. And when you give a gift of any amount, we'll send you a copy of Strong and Kind by Korie Robertson, as our way of saying thank you for standing with parents to help them raise kids of godly character.
John: Yeah, you can donate and get resources at www.focusonthefamily.com/radio or call 1-800, the letter A and the word FAMILY: 800-232-6459. And certainly when you get in touch, ask about Korie's book. We've got it. We'd be happy to send it to you, Strong and Kind and Other Important Character Traits Your Child Needs to Succeed [FYI Tradebook:Strong and Kind: Raising Kids of Character].
Jim: Korie, before we leave, people have hopefully had fun listening, but there is that parent, that mom or dad who is struggling raising their kids in this culture because they're goin' off to school. They're learning and seeing things that go right against what they're tryin' to teach 'em. What's a piece of advice for that parent who's feeling the burden of parenting is just too heavy?
Korie: Yeah, you know, I think sometimes we lose that confidence and the Bible tells us to not lose our confidence, because our confidence is in Him. And He has given you those children. He has given you the tools and the things that you need to help them.
And you know, whenever you point them to Him, continually pointing them to Him, you know, He loves them even more than you do. So, I think that we can take heart in that, that you know, whatever mistakes we've made or whatever, you know, things that we've done that haven't been the best for our children, our God loves them even more than we do and He is for them and He is with them and He is in them.
Jim: What I hear you saying there is, relax and love them.
Jim: Yeah, that's good advice.
Korie: Yeah. That's right.
Jim: Great to have you.
Korie: Uh-hm, thank you.
Closing:
John: And again, Korie Robertson has been our guest today on "Focus on the Family." And to learn more about her book, Strong and Kind and to get a CD or download of this program which will include extra content, stop by www.focusonthefamily.comr/adio. Or call us and we'll tell you more, 800, the letter A and the word FAMILY; 800-232-6459.
And be sure to join us tomorrow. We'll have a special conversation with former President George W. Bush.
Former President George W. Bush: These troops are a tremendous national asset for the future of our country. There are men and women who have gotten a Ph.D. in life at a very young age. And to the extent they need help, we need to give them help.
John: On behalf of Jim Daly and the entire team, I'm John Fuller, thanking you for listening and inviting you back next time, as we once again, help you and your family thrive.
Today's Guests
Korie Robertson is one of the stars of A&E's TV reality show Duck Dynasty, the wife of Duck Commander® CEO Willie Robertson, a mother of six children and a New York Times best-selling author. She oversees licensing for the family's brands and retail store, speaks around the nation and undertakes philanthropic work as a board member for several organizations. Korie's books include The Women of Duck Commander, Duck Commander Devotions for Kids and Duck Commander Happy, Happy, Happy Stories for Kids.
More by Korie Robertson
Strong and Kind
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PrevPreviousBecoming the Woman God Made Me to Be
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Using Kindness to Open Doors in the Culture
Biola University President Dr. Barry Corey sheds light on the Bible's definition of kindness and describes how Christians can more effectively practice kindness in their daily lives.
Holding on to Grace During an Unplanned Pregnancy
Kourtney Rea Chapman and her father, Kevin Rea, describe how their family was transformed following an encounter she had with God while on her way to an abortion clinic after her life had been turned upside down by an unplanned pregnancy.
Offering Grace to People Different From You
In view of the heightened racial tension in our society, Dr. David Anderson offers insight and encouragement for how we can all help build bridges between races and bring peace, hope, and justice to our communities.
A Legacy of Music and Trusting the Lord
Popular Christian vocalist Larnelle Harris reflects on his five-decade music career, sharing the valuable life lessons he's learned about putting his family first, allowing God to redeem a troubled past, recognizing those who've sacrificed for his benefit, and faithfully adhering to biblical principles amidst all the opportunities that have come his way.
Accepting Your Imperfect Life
Amy Carroll explains how listeners can find freedom from self-imposed and unrealistic standards of perfection in a discussion based on her book, Breaking Up With Perfect: Kiss Perfection Goodbye and Embrace the Joy God Has in Store for You.
Being Seen by God
Dr. Francis Collins, Director of the National Institutes of Health, gives an update on the coronavirus pandemic.
Then, offering encouragement found in her book Unseen: The Gift of Being Hidden in a World That Loves to be Noticed, Sara Hagerty describes how we can experience God in ordinary, everday moments, and how we can find our identity in Him apart from what we do.


The end of 2017, brought the passing of a pioneer of tribal fusion bellydance long before the term was coined –the one and only Jamila Salimour. There is a lot to say about Jamila and how she shaped American style, interpretation and presentation of bellydance over the past several decades in America.
In learning of her death, my mind jumped to the one and only time in 2009, that I had an opportunity to learn from her at the Salimpour School in Oakland. It was an adjunct workshop to the annual San Fransisco Mecca Immersion, a tribal fusion intensive in San Fransisco, taught by both Jamila and Suhaila Salimpour. It was a zyll workshop and she played her giant saucer-sized zylls effortlessly, leading us through complex patterns. I had been playing zylls a couple of years and enjoyed the challenge, savoured the experience knowing I had a hell of a lot more work to do to feel comfortable with this instrument.
I became interested in tribal fusion bellydance around 2008 after dancing for a few years learning Arabic as well as cabaret styles from my teachers. While learning from Roula Said (the Salimpours were among her teachers in her travels to San Fransisco) at Om Laila for a few years, I had joined the student troupe under the direction of Megan Shields. Here I was exposed me to what she used to refer to as 'tribalesque' –the elements of ATS/ITS and tribal fusion that she brought into a more classical bellydance foundation. Once I discovered some more about this style of dance as well as what it means to fuse dance styles, I started to get more curious about its origins. That led me to a study trip to my first SF Mecca Immersion in 2008, where I learned that tribal fusion is a branch off of American Tribal Style group improv, the codified group dance created by Caroleena Nericcio-Bolhman of Fat Chance Bellydance. I stumbled my way through her workshop, trying to wrap my head around the cueing system, but noticing all of the common ground of vocabulary that shaped tribal fusion: elements of bellydance, flamenco and classical Indian dances. The raised strong arms, floreos, rhythmic isolations and fluid hips swaying to music from traditional to electronic. I was in love and fell hard. I went back for more in 2009, this time for the extended intermediate track of SF Mecca Immersion.
Its coming up on ten years since I first set foot in San Fransisco to explore dance roots. Some of that journey has been shared through this blog. I am fortunate to have teachers in Toronto who have learned and continue to learn from the pioneers of ATS/ITS and tribal fusion. I have now been in Serpentina North Ensemble for six years and have none other than the green haired forever goth, Orkideh to thank for the opportunity to delve so much deeper into group improv as well as fusion bellydance. Workshops, intensives, and performance has been a large focus of mine over the past decade I suppose. And we all live in the legacy of our teachers and our teachers' teachers. So whether or not you got a chance to directly learn from Jamila Salimpour, she is an iconic figure who created the foundation of what we know as tribal fusion.
To other dancers, I love to hear about peoples influences! Please feel free to share in comments, your experiences learning directly or indirectly from the work of Jamila Salimour.
I've used my fair share of glitter. I've glittered and over glittered for holiday parties, 90's late night rave adventures, (after all, it had to last til the break of dawn at least), pride, concerts and in more recent years as an essential part of many dance performances. As a bellydancer, glitter is just part of the preparation –a sort of show girl must, if you will. After all, who doesn't like to sparkle? Show folk of every gender joke about finding glitter days after shows often wedged into crevices they hadn't intended. With December upon us, many people use glittered items as part of their festive decor. And kids love glitter, that added element of dazzle on any kindergarten craft project. I mean there's scientific research on the evolutionary underpinnings to our love of sparkly things.
As a long time vegan, its not just about products containing animals that sits at the heart of the vegan ethic –but a dedication to uphold the value of all life. Over two decades ago I opted out of participating in the system of factory farming as well as fast fashion of the consumer machine. There is no point of 'arriving' in this ethic, only a continuous curiosity, learning and adjusting of habits and lifestyle that promotes dignity not destruction of living beings and our natural world.
Performers take people into another world of their choosing –often filled with fantasy, illusion and mystique. I obviously love all of these aspects of performance. And glitter adds to the otherworldly beauty of a performance –or just a night out. Still, we have to live with ourselves, we have to be able to sleep at night. Once you know the 'underbelly' of something as whimsical as glitter, it just can't be business as usual.
Stay tuned for glitter that everyone can live with, coming up in the new year through House of Shimmy.
Share your thoughts and continue the conversation in the comments area!
The body is not a robot (PS, I love robots). Most days, people treat their bodies like robots, like a machine that needs fixing, like a series of parts that can be replaced, improved or 'spot' trained. The ways we talk about our bodies matters and changing language can have a profound effect on our experience of our bodies.
We all have days that it feels like our body is a hindrance and depending on our particular age, health and ability/mobility, we each have a unique range of movement that we're working with. This is not an 'anyone can do it if they really try' type of sentiment that I'm talking about here.
Across all of these differences, we can embody our physicality in ways that are appreciative of the body as a process, as a complex ecosystem that remains forever in flux. The only constant is change, a zen concept that has a lot to offer us in our movement practice. Life will add and subtract things from our bodies, gravity will always be more reliable than willpower and time will not move backwards. Within these concepts are further subtleties as bodies oscillate along the continuum of sickness and wellness, stamina and fatigue.
Part of a healthy movement practice as I see it, is allowing for the fluctuation of practice while still maintaining a discipline. Pay attention to the messages you tell yourself both when you 'do well,' 'see results' as well as when you fall behind on your practice or fall short of accomplishing something you had your heart set on. This is all food for thought, these reflections on the stories we tell ourselves and how its connected to our movement.
I love watching dancers whose movement flows so seemingly effortlessly from their bodies, with a flow that gives the perception they are being moved by something the audience can't see. I know they worked their asses off for it but the ease of their movement weaves a compelling imaginary tale.
We're not all going to be able to do the things we admire in others. I will not be able to perform the physical feats of a professional dancer but I am serious about practices that maintain an ease of movement in walking and dancing and sitting life. All of it, bring ease to all of it. Even the uncomfortable and painful things, cultivating grace will allow the body to move in ways that brute force just wont be able to.
Yes pushing ourselves physically and mentally is healthy and necessary, that's how we grow. Trust the process, as they say. And, we are not robots, not machines, not broken to be fixed. We are fleshy, bony, organ-y, casings of shifting rhythms that house emotions and nervous systems and histories –be kind to yours no matter what.
So far this summer has been filled with delicious movement!
Katalyn Schafer (Hungary) pop-up workshop hosted by Ya Amar.
It's day 47 of 108 Days of Dance, my own personal challenge to dance each day. For a few reasons: general enjoyment of dance and movement aka FUN!, also to up my practice game, to work on technique refinement as well as improvisation. I had intended to document at least once a week on my blog via video, and write my insights along the way. Yet here I am at almost halfway, having done the practice, foregoing the documentation. Begging the new cultural question, if it wasn't posted online has it really happened?
This challenge for me has been a mostly solitary process, though much of my dancing is just the opposite: for and with other people. Filming oneself practicing is a strange thing. See, I practice to practice (and perform to perform)…I mean, I'm already looking at myself in the mirror which is in and of itself a type of performance. But enter the camera, recording for the purpose of sharing through social media, and another layer of awareness inserts itself into the process. Case in point: yesterday I posted a poorly-shot video of myself doing sun salutations to a favourite community radio show: Groove Concept Radio. Grainy and ill-framed, I wobbled sideways in my transition from downward dog to warrior…immediately my mind wandered to the edit, or maybe I should re-shoot that sequence? Instead, I left it as is. Yoga as any other form of dance/movement is imperfect, as we struggle through visceral experiences of this mortal coil (aka the meat suit) and the fluctuations of the mind. Not to mention the emotions that arise through movement, for better and worse!
So all of this is to say that I mostly prefer to be alone for my movement practice(s). Or at least with others who are focused internally yet also fully entrained in our collective experience (aka dance class).
In conclusion friends, I have in fact been dancing each and every day for this 108 Days of Dance. A few insights have been around the power of solitary practice, like the solitude of most creativity and innovation (at least the root of a new idea or creation, even if later collaborative, happens for most people in a solitary moment). During this time I have added a new class at Dragonfly to my schedule, tofu-ing (no beefing for this vegan!) up my home practice (mostly tribal fusion and cabaret styles) and weekly troupe rehearsals (shout out to my Serpentinis!). I guess what I've realized so far is that its not too far a stretch from my regular practice to dance each and every day. Though, it has created a new level of discipline, with the goal of maintaining a daily practice with this challenge, as I did with yoga in the wake of my teacher training a couple of years ago.
How about YOU? Do you prefer to practice movement alone or with others? How is it helpful (or not) to post your practice on social media?
How could you ever talk about dance without also talking about music?! The same day I filmed this little clip, I later on had the pleasure of seeing The Specials at the Danforth Music hall and though we were waaaaay in the back, we found room to dance in the aisles.
As always, we look forward to dancing for you all on Saturday!


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YouTube Gaming Wants To Challenge Twitch
By Will Usher published 13 June 15
YouTube is going gung-ho into the live-streaming sector for video games this summer. They've put a window on when they want the service to go live and they've done this by allowing the YouTube Gaming website to go live and give gamers a small taste of what's to come.
There's a neat little interactive website that has gone live for YouTube Gaming, and there's an accompanying blog that explains what the giant video service has planned for the interactive entertainment industry when it comes to live-streaming.
As mentioned on the blog post by product manager Alan Joyce...
YouTube Gaming is built to be all about your favorite games and gamers, with more videos than anywhere else. From "Asteroids" to "Zelda," more than 25,000 games will each have their own page, a single place for all the best videos and live streams about that title. You'll also find channels from a wide array of game publishers and YouTube creators.
The post mentions that gamers will be able to favorite games, receive notifications when certain streams start and get recommendations on which channels to keep an eye on.
In addition to this, YouTube is promising high-rate 60fps streaming (for gamers who have the bandwidth and caps to handle it) along with automatic stream conversions, so gamers can convert their live-streams into YouTube videos with ease. This will easily attract a lot of the current streamers on Twitch to at least try out Google... unless, of course, they don't have a Google Adsense account or can't get one. Then again, that's what the mega-partners are for in the YouTube space to help alleviate all the business backend ventures regarding game streaming and Let's Play culture... they'll only take a sizable chunk of the earnings from the Let's Play videos or live-streams for doing so.
According to the post, the YouTube Gaming service will go live this summer for gamers in the United States and in the United Kingdom. This should make an interesting turn of events between the competition of marketshare over live-streams between Google and Twitch.
Additionally, with Twitch recently having passed a ban on all AO-rated games by the ESRB, I wonder if Google will allow AO-rated games to be streamed via YouTube Gaming? If so, then gamers could stream Hatred (if they wanted). There were also previous bans (albeit temporary) handed out on Twitch for games like Senran Kagura because they felt the game was too sexually explicit.
Gamers not wanting to do deal with some of the strict rules and regulations regarding games that are and are not allowed on Twitch may easily help YouTube Gaming gather a strong community of live-streamers.
I'm sure we'll find out just how much freedom gamers will have (or won't have) as the service nears its official start.
In the meantime, you can head on over to the official YouTube Gaming website and click on the different polygons to see a brief animation relating to popular games, from Metal Gear Solid to Mario to The Legend of Zelda.
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Smartphones Getting Android 4.4 KitKat Update
Posted: December 26, 2013 in Tech Updates
Tags: Android, Android 4.4 KitKat, Android 4.4 KitKat Update, Android 4.4 Update, Android KitKat, Desire series, HTC Butterfly, HTC Droid DNA, HTC J, HTC one, HTC One X+, KitKat, KitKat Update, LG G2, LG Nexus 4, LG Optimus G, LG Optimus G Pro, LG Optimus L3, LG Optimus L5, LG Optimus L7, LG Optimus VU, List of smartphones, Samsung Galaxy Mega, Samsung Galaxy Note 2, Samsung Galaxy S3, Samsung Galaxy s4, Samsung Galaxy S4 Active, Samsung Galaxy S4 mini, Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom, Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 & Tab 2, Sony Xperia Tablet Z, sony xperia z, Sony Xperia Z Ultra, Sony Xperia Z1, Sony Xperia ZL
A dose of Android KitKat is what we all want today. Android KitKat is a ray of hope for many as it brings a new Linux Kernel at a smaller memory footprint.
The latest version of Android, Android 4.4, was released with Google Nexus 5 and has been able to create a liking for itself since then. A major reason for rejoice with KitKat is that it has been developed to run smoothly on any device, even those that have as little as 512MB space.
So manufacturers have no excuse to exclude any device from the list. Wish to know if your phone falls in the list of devices getting Android KitKat update? Here's the list to check out.
* Sony Xperia Z1
* Sony Xperia Z
* Sony Xperia Z Ultra
* Sony Xperia ZL
* Sony Xperia Tablet Z
* HTC One
* HTC One X+
* HTC One X
* New Desire series phones launched in 2013
* HTC Droid DNA
* HTC J
* HTC Butterfly
* LG G2
* LG Nexus 4
* LG Optimus L7, L5, L3
* LG Optimus G
* LG Optimus G Pro
* LG Optimus VU
* Samsung Galaxy S4
* Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom
* Samsung Galaxy S4 Active
* Samsung Galaxy Note 3
* Samsung Galaxy Mega (no confirmation whether the 5.8, 6.3 or both)
* Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini
* Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 & Tab 2
No Contract Plans – find the best no-contract plans for your phone.
Apple to launch big-screen iPhone in May
Tags: 11-inch Macbook Air, 12.9-inch, 12.9-inch screen, 13.3-inch, 20nm chipset, 4.7-inch display, 4K resolution, 6-inch panel, Apple, Apple big-screen iPhone in May, Apple gadgets, Apple to launch big-screen iPhone, Apple to launch big-screen iPhone in May, big-screen iPads, big-screen iPhones, big-screen iPhones and iPads, Chinese technology, Digitimes, iPads, iPhones, MacBook Air, May, October, Quanta Computer, Taiwan Quanta Computer, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, tim cook, TSMC, two big-screen iPhones
Apple CEO Tim Cook, in a letter to employees, has said that 2014 will be a big year for the company and customers will love its new products. Many in the tech community have taken this as a hint that Apple will finally unveil big-screen iPhones and iPads. And a recent report gives credence to this speculation.
Chinese technology website Digitimes, which has leaked Apple gadgets accurately in the past, has reported that the big-screen iPhone is scheduled for a May launch. This upcoming model will have a 20nm chipset made by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC).
It has long been rumoured that Apple is working on two big-screen iPhones – one with a 4.7-inch display and the other with a 6-inch panel.
The report also says that a big-screen iPad, with display sizes measuring 12.9-inch or 13.3-inch, will be unveiled in October next year. It is likely that Apple will pick the 12.9-inch screen size for final production; this falls in line with an earlier report that Apple will launch a 12.9-inch iPad Pro with 4K resolution in October.
Apple is working with Taiwan's Quanta Computer to manufacture this upcoming tablet. This large-screen iPad will replace the 11-inch Macbook Air, says the report, citing sources.
Why teens are abandoning Facebook
Tags: Facebook, Instagram, Jim Macnamara, Levi jeans, Levi's Effect, log-in, log-off, McQueen, Michael McQueen, Public Communication, smh.com.au, Snapchat, Teenagers On Facebook, twitter, University of Technology
The age of 30 has become Facebook's largest user demographic.
Social media expert Michael McQueen, in what is described as the 'Levi's Effect', said teenagers were abandoning Facebook for other social networks such as Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat.
McQueen said Levi jeans were a cool, young brand until parents' started wearing them and the same thing has happened with Facebook, smh.com.au reports.
In 2012, Facebook was the primary social networking site for teenagers but, this year Twitter has overtaken Facebook as the number one social networking website.
McQueen said that as teens' log-off from Facebook, people aged 30 and over were logging-in.
He said that the older generation began signing up in 2010 as a lot of these users were parents who wanted to spy on their kids.
He added that now parents were logging in to reconnecting with old school friends and people who live overseas and they have caught the Facebook bug.
Professor of Public Communication at the University of Technology, Jim Macnamara, said adults also turn to Facebook while on holidays.
Ubuntu OIL announced for broadest set of cloud infrastructure options
Tags: Dell, EMC, Emulex, Fusion-io, Hong Kong, HP, IBM, Inktank/Ceph, Intel, LSi, OIL, Open Compute, OpenStack, OpenStack Interoperability Lab, public cloud, SeaMicro, software-defined networking, testing, Ubuntu, Ubuntu LTS, Ubuntu OIL, Ubuntu OpenStack users, validation, VMware
On Nov 5, 2013 the OpenStack Design Summit in Hong Kong, we announced the Ubuntu OpenStack Interoperability Lab (Ubuntu OIL). The programme will test and validate the interoperability of hardware and software in a purpose-built lab, giving Ubuntu OpenStack users the reassurance and flexibility of choice.
They're launching the programme with many significant partners onboard, such as; Dell, EMC, Emulex, Fusion-io, HP, IBM, Inktank/Ceph, Intel, LSi, Open Compute, SeaMicro, VMware.
The OpenStack ecosystem has grown rapidly giving businesses access to a huge selection of components for their cloud environments. Most will expect that, whatever choices they make or however complex their requirements, the environment should 'just work', where any and all components are interoperable. That's why they created the Ubuntu OpenStack Interoperability Lab.
Ubuntu OIL is designed to offer integration and interoperability testing as well as validation to customers, ISVs and hardware manufacturers. Ecosystem partners can test their technologies' interoperability with Ubuntu OpenStack and a range of software and hardware, ensuring they work together seamlessly as well as with existing processes and systems. It means that manufacturers can get to market faster and with less cost, while users can minimise integration efforts required to connect Ubuntu OpenStack with their infrastructure.
Ubuntu is about giving customers choice. Over the last releases, they've introduced new hypervisors, and software-defined networking (SDN) stacks, and capabilities for workloads running on different types of public cloud options. Ubuntu OIL will test all of these options as well as other technologies to ensure Ubuntu OpenStack offers the broadest set of validated and supported technology options compatible with user deployments. Ubuntu OIL will test and validate for all supported and future releases of Ubuntu, Ubuntu LTS and OpenStack.
Involvement in the lab is through our Canonical Partner Programme. New partners can sign up here.
Barack Obama can't use an iPhone
Posted: December 6, 2013 in Tech Updates
Tags: allegation, Android, Android software, Apple, Apple's tablet computer, Barack Obama, Barack Obama can't use an iPhone, Bill Clinton, Blackberry, Bush, Edward Snowden, George W Bush, Google, ipad, iphone, National Security Agency, NSA, Obama, obama and apple, Obama blackberry, Obama can't use an iPhone, Obama don't use iphone, obama ipad, Obama iPhone, Obama Phone, obama tablet, obama use blackberry phone, phone used by obama, President Barack Obama, Research In Motion, RIM, tablet computer used by obama, US President, what phone is used by obama, which phone is used by obama
The troubled mobile phone maker BlackBerry still has at least one very loyal customer: US President Barack Obama.
At a meeting with youth to promote his landmark healthcare law, Obama said he is not allowed to have Apple's smartphone, the iPhone, for "security reasons," though he still uses Apple's tablet computer, the iPad.
Apple was one of several tech companies that may have allowed the National Security Agency(NSA) direct access to servers containing customer data, according to revelations by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden. The companies deny the allegation.
Obama fought to keep his BlackBerry after coming to the White House in 2009, though he said only 10 people have his personal email address. Neither George W. Bush nor Bill Clinton used email during their presidencies.
BlackBerry, a Canadian company formerly known as Research In Motion, virtually invented the idea of on-the-go email, but lost its market stranglehold as rivals brought out more consumer-friendly devices, like Apple's iPhone and phones using Google's Android software. The company recently halted plans to be sold and is trying to chart a new course by focusing on large business and government clients.


Vallourec Drilling Products will lay off roughly 150 employees in Texas, according to a regulatory filing.
HOUSTON, Feb 13 (Reuters) - Vallourec Drilling Products, a subsidiary of Paris, France-based steel pipe maker Vallourec, will lay off roughly 150 employees in Texas, according to a regulatory filing.
Vallourec specializes in making tubular products for the energy and other industrial sectors. It has about 19,000 employees worldwide, while its drilling products division employs roughly 600 people.
Companies that supply equipment and services to the oilfield are still recovering from a three-year rout in oil prices. Although benchmark crude futures have traded above $60 a barrel for much of the year, they have fallen recently amid concerns of growing supply.
On Tuesday, West Texas Intermediate crude futures were trading around $58.74 a barrel.
In December, Vallourec said it had received a binding offer from National Oilwell Varco to purchase its drilling products business for $63 million.
A spokesman for National Oilwell Varco declined to comment on the acquisition, which has not yet closed.
A representative of Vallourec Drilling Products did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Vallourec's North American Drilling Products group has offices in Houston, Texas and Edmond, Oklahoma.
Last week, rival drill pipe maker IPSCO Tubulars postponed an initial public offering because of adverse market conditions.


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Hong Kong Ocean Park, Hong Kong
"To Swim with a Dolphin at Ocean Park Hong Kong is Emotionally Inspiring"
Hong Kong Ocean Park is one of the most spectacular Marine Parks in the world.
Ocean Park simply has the biggest Marine Theater on the face of the planet. It is like an ocean contained within a massive plexi-glass aquarium.
Ocean Park Hong Kong also has its world famous amusement Park, which is perched atop two mountain peaks.
Learn about every ride available in Hong Kong Ocean Park
You can take a stroll through a clear Plexi-glass tunnel that runs through the heart of a massive Shark Tank loaded with hoards of giant Black-Tipped Reef Sharks.
Giant sharks just glide overhead and fat Groupers stare at you through the glass walls of the tunnel.
With those kinds of attributes, Hong Kong Ocean Park is a place I had to visit.
My Hotel Room was located in Tsim Sha Tsui so it was a short walk to the Hong Kong Tourist Information Office at the Star Ferry Terminal.
Tsim Sha Tsui is the best area to get a budget hotel because it's close to everything and yet boasts the best value-for-dollar hotels in the whole city.
I was walking South down Nathan road when a very chubby girl knocked into me.
"Where are you going?" She asked. I wasn't sure what to make of it. Her accent was English and her bum was as big as the sun.
"I'm off to Hong Kong Ocean Park. I've heard a lot of good things about it but mainly I'm going to see the Giant Pandas and walk through the glass tunnel."
"Oh, yes. That's where they keep 'Le Le' and 'Ying Ying'." (Names of the 2 Giant Pandas)
"I'll join you." She said assuredly.
That's all she said. I searched her eyes for her intention but she looked so innocent. She had a beautiful face and moved that bum like it was a gift from the gods.
I liked her and I really needed someone to hold the camera.
How to Get to Hong Kong Ocean Park
"Sure. You can come." I said then pointed South down Nathan road with my thumb. "I was just going to the Hong Kong Tourist Office to get the details on how to get to Ocean Park Hong Kong."
"Oh. You don't need to worry about that. We can book the Hong Kong Ocean Park tour online.
It's the easiest way to see Ocean Park. You don't run into so many people stuffing themselves next to you in the MTR or the Bus."
"I'm the Cheapest Man in the World. I have to do this as cheaply as possible and as far away from the organized tours as possible. Are you still coming with me?" I asked in a hesitant tone.
Find out how we got there as well as every possible detailed directions to get you to Ocean Park Hong Kong.
The Division of Ocean Park
Hong Kong Ocean Park is divided into two sections. The largest section is the higher headlands of 'Mount Nanlang'. The lower and smaller section is the 'Huang Zhu Keng Valley' lowlands.
The two sections Ocean Park are connected by a Gondola Lift System (or Cable Car System) and by the world's second longest Outdoor Escalator.
If it's too windy they will usually close the Gondola. That leaves you with just the escalator but it is a very interesting way to make the crossing in its own right.
"Bloom Girl' (My nickname for the girl who'd followed me) and I got off the bus at the second stop at Ocean Park. It's just 20 Meters away from the Main Entrance to Hong Kong Ocean Park.
"I want to see the animals first," 'Bloom Girl' said as we walked through the 'Main Entrance'. "Maybe they're still too sleep-drunk to realize that they are jailed and abused for our amusement."
Entrance Fees to Hong Kong Ocean Park
($1USD = $7.5HKD)
Adult Tickets to Ocean Park
$208HKD Per Person. It won't hurt so bad if you get to swim with the dolphins. Don't forget to REGISTER when you buy your tickets!
Children and Seniors (+65)
$103HKD Per Person.
Children Under 3 and the Handicapped
No Charge. I saw a few kids clearly over 5 get into the Park for free with a small white lie.
"My Boy is 3 and he doesn't have ID yet." That's just what I heard from a few families entering the Park. I'm not recommending it ... but I tell all.
Hong Kong Ocean Park is open from 10am - 6pm everyday but in the summer months they close an hour later at 11pm.
The girl I came with shook my arm. "Are you gonna pay?"
"Of course." I said. I'd learned my lesson. Then I noticed a sign at the Ticket window that said it was free for the handicapped and kids under 3 years of age.
"Any chance you can act a bit handicapped?" I asked her with a shrug.
"Do I look handicapped to you?" she demanded. Her face was filled with red anger. "And besides....you don't say handicapped. The word is 'Physically Challenged'!"
The Lowlands of Hong Kong Ocean Park
we headed to the 'Main Entrance' ticketing office once we had our tickets. I had done my homework.
If you want to swim with the Dolphins then you absolutely MUST remember to register for the 'Dolphin Encounter Program' at the 'Main Entrance' Ticketing Office when you first come through.
No doing it later or hoping someone does it for you.
I have had so many emails from people who just didn't know about this and missed a once-in-a-lifetime show.
If you have already booked the Budget Ocean Park Hong Kong Tour with Viator then they will automatically begin the process for you.
Once we had registered, we made a bee-line for the Giant Pandas.
The Giant Pandas at Ocean Park Hong Kong are very popular but I felt sorry for them. People just stare at them all day and they have a dullness to their eyes that seems devoid of life, despite the fact that they occasionally moved.
"Bloom Girl' and I watched one Giant Panda sleep like it was dead on that big rock. It was interesting because I had never seen a Giant Panda but the effect wore off quickly.
Then she slapped me in the side of the head.
"They shouldn't keep animals in cages like this. It's cruel and barbaric," 'Bloom Girl' mumbled just loud enough for me to hear.
Let us know how you feel about captive Animals held in zoos. "Bloom Girl" might even reply to you!
With that topic out of the bag, the day would be a long one. I agreed with her but loved her chubby red cheeks when she got flustered. So I chose to take the other side.
"I had a Hamster when I was nine and you probably had a Goldfish or worse..."
'Bloom Girl' just looked at me as though I hadn't yet evolved into a human being. So I kept talking.
"Hong Kong Ocean Park keeps 4 Giant Pandas. 'Jia Jia' (Girl) and 'An An' (Boy) as well as 'Le Le' (Boy) and 'Ying Ying' (Girl)," I said, reading from a Park Brochure I'd taken from the Ticket office.
"So then you condone this cruelty for profit?" 'Bloom Girl' looked at me in obvious disappointment.
"You knew they were here when you came," I said to her. "Why did you bother coming?"
"Because the rides are amazing and the views alone are worth the trip." Then she hesitated for a second. She clenched her jaw and looked me straight in the eye. "And I think I'm in love with you."
That was it. She just swiveled her fluttering butt and walked away more hurriedly than her body seemed willing to permit.
I began searching for the glowing red Exit signs that seemed beacons atop hills she couldn't have the stamina to climb.
What to See in The 'Lowlands' of Hong Kong Ocean Park?
Jockey Club Giant Panda Exhibit
This was the first thing we actually stopped to have a look at. It's located between the Grand Pris and the SkyFair.
The Exhibit is an impressive attempt at recreating the natural environment of the Pandas. Watching Giant Pandas sleep was like watching grass grow.
Hong Kong Ocean Park Kid's World
Kids world is on the East side of the 'Lowlands' area of Ocean Park Hong Kong. It's a place geared for children but there is a real interactive educational theme that exists in all the attractions.
Me and 'Bloom Girl' spent 20 minutes just writing the names down of all the attractions and getting a quick glance at excited children and the bored faces of their Parents.
"You seem to love Children," 'Bloom Girl' implied with wide glistening eyes.
"Naw. Hate the little buggers," I replied.
The Amazing Birds Theatre
I didn't think that birds were capable of being trained to put on such a complex and entertaining show. You'll come away thinking these birds are geniuses or you've been the victim of some illusion.
"What the Hell are we doing here? These poor animals are up for slaughter!" She screamed from behind me.
"What do you eat?" I asked.
"Vegetables and Fruit and Tofu and endless things. Stuff that doesn't include killing animals!" She said.
I reached out and held one of her hands gently. She became silent and her eyes filled with tenderness. Grace and Femininity ruled her gesture and expression.
But I still couldn't stop my mouth.
"Wow. Hearing you talk about food has made me hungry. I could eat a horse!"
Farmyard Fun
Sheep and Cows and hatching chickens and every other animal you'd find on a farm can be seen at Hong Kong Ocean Park.
I got into a great talk with an old Goat. Kids just love it. But if you don't have kids, don't even bother with the 'Kid's World' except for Dolphin University'.
Dolphin University
This is where they do the behind-the-scenes tours if you want to get up-close and personal with the Dolphins. A lot of it seemed geared for Kids but it seemed the Adults ruled the day in the Dolphin pool.
You actually get in the water with the Dolphins and can touch them as they swim past. If they let you. Unforgettable.
If you missed the chance to get close to the dolphins at Hong Kong Ocean Park and the Dolphin University then we recommend a proper Hong Kong Dolphin Watch Tour.
The Dolphin Tour is designed to put on a minimal cost tour without compromising safety. They are tailor made for people on a budget and at under 50 Euros, this is the cheapest way to have a full-blown Dolphin Encounter.
You get your money back if you don't see any Dolphins.
The boat takes you out to the waters that lie between Hong Kong and Macau. The Dolphins in these waters are pinker than the Boto Dolphins in the Amazon River in South America.
It's amazing to see them at play, racing ahead of the bow of the boat and yet so near to one of the world's busiest shipping centers and most densely populated urban areas.
"You have to get me the Hell out of here!" Demanded 'Bloom Girl' without warning. I had been paying more attention to the Dolphins than her.
I was shocked because she had been smiling like a horse with chewing gum in her mouth. She never once yelled at me or raised her voice but she spoke loud and clear with her face and her gestures.
"Then let's take the Cable Car back up to the headlands of Hong Kong Ocean Park and hit some of the rides," I suggested. She just nodded. I think she was a little embarrassed.
It takes only 8 minutes by the Gondola lift system to reach the headlands so have your Camera ready, the photo-ops fly by really quickly..
The views of Repulse Bay, Deep Water Bay, Aberdeen and the South China Sea are spectacular.
You can also look down at the lowlands of Ocean Park Hong Kong and see the Atoll Reef, the Shark Aquarium, Ocean Theater and even Ocean Park Tower.
I have never seen a better viewing spot in the whole city. You'll regret this one if you don't bring your camera on the Cable Car.
What to see in the Highlands Section of Hong Kong Ocean Park
Ocean Park Tower
Ocean Park Tower is a slowly revolving Observation deck 72 meters or about 236 feet above Hong Kong Ocean Park. You can get some terrific views of the entire Park as well as the South China sea.
Beyond the Panda habitat you'll enter the 'Dinosaur-Now and Then' exhibits in the Middle Kingdom of Hong Kong Ocean Park. The Middle Kingdom is a place filled with Ancient Temples, Pavilions and Streets.
The format is educational in nature. I learned how the Dinosaurs became extinct 65 million years ago. The Exhibit also includes the Chinese Alligator and the Giant Chinese Salamander.
There are many very lifelike models of the varying dinosaurs but special detail has been spared for the model of Tyrannosaurus Rex.
"I wonder if men have changed since the Dinosaur?" 'Bloom Girl' asked under her breath. I heard her and she knew it.
"A girl looking like you would make the men go mad. So, yes men probably haven't changed much."
'Bloom girl laughed and smiled at me. She leaned into me and touched my elbow. That part of me is very sensitive.
We continued on arm-in-arm.
The Pacific Pier
They keep mainly California sea lions here but there were also a few other species of seals on display. They just sit far away from the California Seals probably because they are American.
It smells like fish in there but it's a clean place overall.
Hong Kong Ocean Park Theater
Ocean Theater is the heart of 'Marineland' in the 'Lowlands' area of Hong Kong Ocean Park. It's an open-air theater with a large Pool at it's center and surrounded by tier seating for spectators.
They run scheduled performances where trainers put the Sea-Lions and Dolphins through a pretty good Performance. They jump through hoops and do all the standard tricks but it was nice.
They looked happy to me.
Not so for 'Bloom Girl'.
"Those poor animals are forced to perform against their will," she kept saying.
"They look like they're having fun," I said while she stared at me like I was an Ape gnawing on a bone. She had the most beautiful green eyes that glistened with fire when she was angry.
The Aviaries
Lota birds. Bird Lovers paradise. Boredom for me.
Flamingo Pond
A nice pond that is full of fat flamingos. It's well-kept and a pleasant place. Even 'Bloom Girl' seemed unaffected. But I'm always wrong with girls. Always.
Sea Jelly Spectacular
First Opened in 2006. This aquarium was built to display the more than 400 jelly fishes. Definitely worth a look at these amazing creatures in such vast numbers.
The Shark Aquarium
This is a plastic underwater viewing tunnel that you walk through and see the sharks all around you.
I really enjoyed just watching the big Black Tipped Reef Sharks gliding through the water just over my head. It was like being down there with them only I was safe from being eaten.
Ask any of the Staff about the feeding times of the sharks. Divers swim down and feed them with meat on the end of metal 'sticks'.
Atoll Reef
This is the Big One. It's a four-storied elliptical fishbowl with six centimeters (about 2.4 inches) of glass separating you from more than 2000 fish comprising 250 different species.
You will find a nice collection of Sharks, Tropical Fish, Morays, Groupers, Turtles and over 400 kinds of maritime animals from the Pacific Islands or the South China Sea.
There is so much to see that you could be a full day at it. Just avoid the weekends. The crowds will take any joy out of the experience.
Eat before you go or take some sandwiches from the bakery. Food at Hong Kong Ocean Park is very expensive and sucks bad.
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90th anniversary running of the Grade 1, $1.2 million Whitney to headline Fasig-Tipton Festival of Racing at Saratoga Race Course
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The 90th running of the prestigious Grade 1, $1.2 million Whitney, one of North America's premier races, will headline a day of world class thoroughbred racing and special events at Saratoga Race Course on Saturday, August 5.
The nine-furlong Whitney, a "Win and You're In" qualifier for the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic, will pair with the Grade 1, $500,000 Longines Test for 3-year-old fillies, and the Grade 3, $200,000 Fasig-Tipton Waya for turf fillies and mares on the first "must-see" card of the meet. Also on Saturday are two additional turf stakes: the $100,000 Fasig-Tipton Lure and the $100,000 Fasig-Tipton De La Rose for fillies and mares.
Limited reserved seats and hospitality can be purchased online at Ticketmaster.com, in-person at the NYRA Box Office at Saratoga Race Course, or by phone at 1-844-NYRA-TIX.
"The Whitney is a true highlight of the summer calendar at Saratoga, and we are pleased to witness the 90th anniversary running," said NYRA CEO and President Chris Kay. "This year's race may well turn out to be a showdown between Gun Runner and Keen Ice, two of the sport's top horses who are each very familiar to fans of Saratoga by virtue of their performances in the Travers. Both horses are coming into this race off of a major graded stakes victory, and we look forward to seeing them compete in this year's milestone edition of the Whitney."
Saratoga Race Course will honor the winning connections of the Whitney with a special custom-designed horse blanket made of hundreds of Marylou Whitney pink roses.
The Whitney will also be distinguished by a sterling silver, three-handled chalice trophy that is designated for the winning owner. The trophy is adorned with the Whitney crest to commemorate one of Saratoga's most prestigious and historic races.
The Whitney will go to post as race number 9 at 5:46 p.m. The Whitney will be broadcast live on NBC and will be preceded by coverage on FS2 beginning at 2:30 p.m. in a special edition of Saratoga Live.
The Whitney will be the final leg of a $1 million guaranteed Pick 4 and will also be part of the NYRA Bets Late Pick 5, available exclusively to NYRA Bets members nationwide and to bettors in New York wagering on-track or through a simulcast facility.
NYRA Bets members are also eligible for a guaranteed minimum $300,000 payout on Saturday in the event that an account holder is the sole winner of the NYRA Bets Late Pick 5. The $300,000 guaranteed payout is available only to NYRA Bets members on Saturdays until the end of the Saratoga summer meet. Every other race day of the meet there will be a guaranteed $150,000 payout to a sole winner of the NYRA Bets Late Pick 5, who wagers using NYRA Bets.
Saturday will mark the beginning of the Fasig-Tipton Festival of Racing, which celebrates the partnership between NYRA and Fasig-Tipton as a prelude to Fasig-Tipton's annual Saratoga sales at the Humphrey S. Pavilion on August 7, 8, 12 and 13. The festival includes the "Best Turned Out Horse" award, during which Fasig-Tipton will recognize the hard work that goes into daily grooming with a special prize for the groom of the best-turned-out horse participating in the Whitney. The award will be presented to the winning groom in the winner's circle prior to the race.
Fans on Saturday are also invited to visit Taste NY: Food and Artisans at the Berkshire Bank Saratoga Pavilion from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The lively on-track market features a variety of local food, fashion and artisan vendors offering products made exclusively in New York State. Guests will also have the opportunity to learn about NYRA Bets and the all-new NYRA XP mobile app.
On Whitney Day, the Community Outreach Booth will host Christie's Heartoberfest, a non-profit organization which assists the SADS Foundation as it supports those who are predisposed to sudden death due to heart rhythm abnormalities.
The 2017 summer meet at historic Saratoga Race Course continues through Labor Day, Monday, September 4. For more information about Saratoga Race Course, visit http://www.nyra.com/.
Tagged on: NYRA
By JuliAnn Goronkin | August 2, 2017 | News |
← Saratoga Race Course celebrates Berkshire Bank Family Mondays
Jockey Legends Day returns to Saratoga Race Course on August 6 →


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In situ usage of Lagrangian techniques has proven to be superior with respect to emerging supercomputing trends than the traditional Eulerian approach for scientific flow analysis. However, previous studies have not informed two key points: (1) the accuracy of the post hoc interpolated trajectory as a whole and (2) the spatiotemporal tradeoffs involved when using Lagrangian analysis. With this short paper, we address these points. We first conduct a more comprehensive evaluation via additional accuracy metrics tailored for evaluating Lagrangian trajectories. Second, we provide an understanding of the configurations where the Lagrangian approach works well by studying spatiotemporal tradeoffs. In addition, our study highlights the effects of error propagation and accumulation when performing Lagrangian interpolation for large numbers of steps. We believe our study is significant for better understanding the use of in situ Lagrangian techniques, as well as serving as a baseline for future Lagrangian research.


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Research & Analysis / FairVote Blog / LULAC v. Perry - A Clear Explanation of the Supreme Court's Decision on Texas Redistricting
LULAC v. Perry - A Clear Explanation of the Supreme Court's Decision on Texas Redistricting
by David Moon // Published June 29, 2006
Many in the election reform world have been eagerly anticipating the outcome of the recently decided case of LULAC v. Perry (aka - The "will Tom DeLay's re-redistricting be upheld?" Case). Since the decision is roughly 130 pages long, and chopped into four parts with four additional sub-parts - FairVote thought it might be helpful to clearly explain where the Justices stood on the issues in this case:
Part I: Concurring: *Kennedy, Roberts, Alito Concurring in part, dissenting in part: *Stevens, Breyer
Part II-A: Concurring: *Kennedy, Stevens, Souter, Ginsburg, Breyer Concurring in part, dissenting in part: *Stevens, Breyer
Part II-B: *Kennedy
Part II-C: *Kennedy
Part II-D: *Kennedy, Souter, Ginsburg
Part III: *Kennedy, Stevens, Souter, Ginsburg, Breyer
Part IV: Kennedy, Roberts, Alito
The Case: Concurring in part, dissenting in part: *Souter, Ginsburg Concurring in part, dissenting in part: *Breyer Concurring in part, concurring in the judgment in part, dissenting in part: *Roberts, Alito Concurring in judgment in part, dissenting in part: *Scalia, Thomas - joined by Roberts, Alito as to Part III
Note: An asterix indicates that the Justice authored the opinion.
Does that clear things up?
I didn't think so -- but redistricting is a complex issue, and heck even some of our supposedly wisest legal minds (albeit from different sides of the judicial-political spectrum) couldn't agree on much. But this fractured ruling in part stems from the conflict in values that different redistricting approaches will have -- do you value competition or having most voters represented (these are mutually exclusive under our single-member winner-take-all system). Proportional voting is the only way to lessen the impact on those values of line - drawing and let voters decide.
One thing is clear though -- the only challenge that survived the Supremes was the Voting Rights Act claim (striking down one Congressional District on behalf of latino/Hispanic voters) - meanwhile, the elusive quest for standards to regulate partisan gerrymandering now seems like a fool's errand.
Summary? -- If you want to do something about this mid-decade redistricting and partisan line-rigging, the court says "talk to Congress, not us." But FairVote welcomes that call. We've been advocating for national redistricting standards long before this decision came down. Rep.'s John Tanner (D-TN) and Zach Wamp (R-TN) have introduced the Fairness and Independence in Redistricting Act (HR 2642 - companion bill sponsored by Sen. Tim Johnson), and Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) has introduced a national redistricting reform bill too. Both of these bills would ban mid-decade redistricting and bring minimal national standards to govern how lines are drawn. While this wouldn't be a magic-bullet solution to our electoral woes (ie: lack of competition, under-representation of women and communities of color, one-party control of most districts, etc), this would at least reduce the ability of politicians to try and punish their enemies and use reapportionment for party-bossing.
More importantly, this would be a step in the direction of stronger federal regulation of our patchwork system of running elections. The variations that currently exist between state redistricting processes are vast -- but it means that any one state can skew the make-up of our national "People's House" through their redistricting process (whether it is independent or not).
So when the Supreme Court hangs up the phone on the American public, its time to pick up the phone and call your Congressional Representative next. Heck, even Nancy Pelosi's office issued a statement responding to this case calling for national redistricting standards. I put in a call to find out which bill they were supporting and haven't heard back yet -- but I'll be doing my part.


Sylvan Park's friendly community like area offers a visitors a variety of tasty restaurants such as Local Taco, Star Bagel, and natural food markets!
Southwest of downtown Nashville lies the quaint and quiet neighborhood of Sylvan Park, a beautiful setting with homes and businesses that run the gamut from funky to upscale. A few Nashville favorites in Sylvan Park are Local Taco, Park Cafe, and Star Bagel. If you are an active person, Sylvan Park may interest you. With the McCabe Community Center, Climb Nashville, the Richland Greenway, and the proximity to Centennial Park, there is some serious exercise potential.


Fourteen new stained glass windows designed, fabricated and installed by Rohlf's Studio at Zoodohos Peghe Greek Orthodox Church – Bronx, NY.
Holy Protection stained glass window at Zoodohos Peghe Greek Orthodox Church in Bronx, NY.
St. George stained glass window by Rohlf's Studio Zoodohos Peghe Greek Orthodox Church in Bronx, NY.
St. Spirydon stained glass window by Rohlf's Studio at Zoodohos Peghe Greek Orthodox Church in Bronx, NY.


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SEC Issues Cybersecurity Alert For Brokers And Financial Advisers
By Peter Stockburger
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On May 17, 2017, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), through its National Exam Program, issued a "Risk Alert" to broker-dealers, investment advisers and investment firms to advise them about the recent "WannaCry" ransomware attack and to encourage increased cybersecurity preparedness. The purpose of the alert, according to the SEC, was to "highlight for firms the risks and issues that the staff has identified during examinations of broker-dealers, investment advisers, and investment companies regarding cybersecurity preparedness."
Based on a 2015 survey of 75 SEC registered broker-dealers, investment advisers and investment firms, the SEC National Exam Program staff recognized certain firm practices that registrants may find relevant when dealing with threats such as the WannaCry ransomware attack:
Cyber-risk Assessment: Five percent of the broker-dealers, and 26 percent of the investment advisers and investment companies examined "did not conduct periodic risk assessments of critical systems to identify cybersecurity threats, vulnerabilities, and the potential business consequences."
Penetration Tests: Five percent of the broker-dealers, and 57 percent of the investment companies "did not conduct penetration tests and vulnerability scans on systems that the firms considered to be critical."
System Maintenance: All broker-dealers, and 96 percent of investment firms examined "have a process in place for ensuring regular system maintenance, including the installation of software patches to address security vulnerabilities." And only ten percent of the broker-dealers, and four percent of the investment firms examined had a significant number of critical and high-risk security patches that were missing important updates.
The SEC recommends registrants undertake at least two separate tasks: (1) assess supervisor, compliance and/or other risk management systems related to cybersecurity risks; and (2) make any changes, as may be appropriate, to address or strengthen such systems. To assistant registrants, the SEC highlights its Division of Investment Management's recent cybersecurity guidance, and the webpage of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), which has links to cybersecurity-related resources.
The SEC cautions that the recommendations described in the Risk Alert are not exhaustive, "nor will they constitute a safe harbor." Factors other than those described in the Risk Alert may be appropriate to consider, and some factors may not be applicable to a particular firm's business. Moreover, future changes in laws or regulations may supersede some of the factors or issues raised in the Risk Alert. Ultimately, the "adequacy of supervisory, compliance, and other risk management systems can be determined only with reference to the profile of each specific firm and other facts and circumstances."
The SEC recognizes that it is not possible for firms to anticipate and prevent every cyber-attack. However, "appropriate planning to address cybersecurity issues, including developing a rapid response capability is important and may assist firms in mitigating the impact of any such attacks and any related effects on investors and clients."
Dentons is the world's largest law firm, a leader on the Acritas Global Elite Brand Index, a BTI Client Service 30 Award winner, and recognized by prominent business and legal publications for its innovations in client service, including founding Nextlaw Labs and the Nextlaw Global Referral Network. Dentons' global Privacy and Cybersecurity Group operates at the intersection of technology and law, and was recently singled out as one of the law firms best at cybersecurity by corporate counsel, according to BTI Consulting Group.
About Peter Stockburger
Peter Stockburger is the office managing partner for the Firm's San Diego office, a member of the Firm's Global Data Privacy and Venture Technology Groups, and co-lead of the Firm's Autonomous Vehicles practice. With a focus on data privacy and security, Peter partners with clients around the globe to leverage data and talent to grow, operate, and protect their business.
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"CRTC encourages businesses to start preparing for Canada's anti-spam legislation"
Canada's Anti-Spam Law (CASL) is expected to enter into force in 2013, together with two sets of regulations that will […]
By Margot Patterson
President Trump's Budget Requests $1.5B For Homeland Security Cyber Unit
Survey Says…Cybersecurity Remains A Critical Challenge For Business


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Mtre. Pascale Pageau, at the Head of the Board of Directors of Juripop
Practicing Law Differently
Juripop is proud to announce the appointment of Mtre. Pascale Pageau, Ad. E., CIC.C., Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Delegatus – Collective of Lawyers, as Chair of the organization's Board of Directors.
Mtre. Pageau is a jurist with a career marked by the same values as Juripop. Her arrival crystallizes the organization's commitment to continue to practice law differently and to be creative in order to offer affordable legal services to those who cannot benefit from legal aid. Her involvement also highlights the organization's desire to continue to put people at the heart of its approaches and actions.
The law but differently
Mtre. Pageau's vision and talent have earned her nearly twenty awards and recognitions, including the title of Lawyer Emeritus of the Barreau du Québec and Top 100 Canada's Most Powerful Women – Trailblazers & Trendsetters category. Naturally, she cares about access to justice and the place of women in entrepreneurship.
At the head of Delegatus, a collective of lawyers that deliberately changes the game through a visionary and agile approach to business law, she has made her vision of a more human law not only a reality, but a success. Indeed, she has proven that it is possible to practice law by prioritizing human relations, all at affordable rates.
"I am very proud to become the new chair of the board of Juripop. I feel privileged to join this organization at this stage of its growth: a healthy organization, with renewed governance, equipped with a solid action plan and, above all, with an extraordinary field team headed by a devoted, strong, and charismatic executive director. Juripop has the wind in its sails and is set to reach next heights", mentions Mtre. Pascale Pageau, President of Juripop.
Getting Juripop to surpass itself
After nearly thirteen years of activity, the organization will benefit not only from the experience of an emeritus jurist, but also from her background as an entrepreneur and businesswoman. Her appointment is timely, as Juripop wishes to develop its business model to offer affordable legal services to a greater number of people.
"Since its very beginnings, Juripop has relied on social entrepreneurship to provide access to affordable legal services to people in the "grey zone" of the middle class. Mtre. Pascale Pageau is a visionary lawyer whose track record demonstrates her commitment to practicing law differently. We can only rejoice at the prospect of benefiting from her creativity and benevolence to support the development of Juripop", says Mtre. Sophie Gagnon, Executive Directo of Juripop.
COVID-19 – affordable legal services as even more essential
Mtre. Pageau takes the seat of the presidency at a pivotal moment for Juripop, when the COVID-19 pandemic has widened inequalities and has accentuated several obstacles to access to justice in Quebec.
The pandemic has accentuated the precariousness of employment and the housing crisis, and at the same time it has weakened the means available for people to assert their rights against their employer or landlord.
In addition, although the technological shift in the justice system triggered by the health crisis is absolutely necessary, it also brings its share of blind spots. Socially and economically vulnerable populations remain the hardest hit by digital inequalities that complicate access to virtual justice.
In Quebec, 12 % of households with an annual income inferior to $20 000 did not have an Internet connection in 2020.
45,6% of the people living in remote regions have access to broadband Internet services, compared to 98.6% of urban households.
Many seniors are less comfortable with technology.
A contribution worth highlighting
Juripop would like to thank Mtre. Michèle Rivet, C.M., Ad. E., who chaired the organization for the past year. Me Rivet marked the organization with her commitment to access to justice and her vision for the development of Juripop.
Her leadership will have allowed Juripop to carry out its strategic planning process, structure its governance and undertake the work that will enable it to offer services based on equality and inclusiveness.
Juripop obtains one of the first civil protection orders in a context of domestic violence
Juripop strengthens its board of directors