text:
import bcolz
import pandas as pd

class TradingDatesStore(object):
    def __init__(self, f):
        self._dates = pd.Index(pd.Timestamp(str(d)) for d in bcolz.open(f, 'r'))

    def get_trading_calendar(self):
        return self._dates


Diabetes is a very common disease but not many men, according to a survey conducted by the Diabetes Prevention Program, are educated about the symptoms, risk factors and aftermaths.
How to recognize, that you probably suffer from diabetes?
According to the survey conducted by the Diabetes Prevention Program only 4 % of men knew about this fact.


CASA's Early Childhood Initiative advances our commitment to help children ages 0-5. In Los Angeles County, 35% of the children entering foster care are ages 0-5 (19% are under 24 months).
Through the Early Childhood Training program, developed in partnership with the Child Development Institute, our volunteers gain a sophisticated understanding of early childhood development, which they bring into every interaction they have with the child, the family, foster family, or other caregivers. Their training includes recognizing developmental milestones and possible delays exhibited by the children, like the loss of speech, or lack of facial expressions or social skills. CASAs also learn about protective factors that strengthen families (e.g., whether the parent has social supports) and help them deal more effectively with stressful events. Historically, a thorough understanding of early childhood development has been missing from the dependency court system, not only in Los Angeles, the largest such system in the country, but in many other jurisdictions as well. Therefore, the knowledge gained from this specialized training significantly aids in discussions with all the adults in the child's life, including parents, caregivers, social workers, attorneys, teachers and school administrators, and is reflected in recommendations made to the judge on behalf of the child.
The Early Childhood Training helps CASAs use a developmental lens to assess the child's situation, which helps the Court and concerned adults better understand the young child's needs to achieve physical, emotional, and attachment development. As the unique developmental needs of the child are recognized earlier, interventions happen sooner, and more children achieve permanency successfully.
The Early Childhood Initiative has and will continue to enhance the well-being of young children in the short term, as well as increase the chance that children ultimately achieve positive developmental outcomes and timely permanence in the long term. And examples like Darren are proving that our Early Childhood Initiative is not only changing the way CASAs are responding to this vulnerable population, but also helping our youngest children to develop more profound relationships, improve their development capabilities, and achieve timely permanency.


Item# UQM-C11 by UNIQUE MINIATURES - 1 Inch Scale Dollhouse Miniature - Replica Ornate Ceiling Carving (UMC11). SEE BELOW for Product Description, Specifications, Child Safety and Shipping Information.
Hobbyists & Miniaturists love Oakridge Hobbies' huge selection of scale miniature building materials, ceiling carvings, replica, decorative, plaster, trim. This high quality item is the UNIQUE MINIATURES - 1 Inch Scale Dollhouse Miniature - Replica Ornate Ceiling Carving (UMC11). COMMENTS: Many hobby and miniature items are very fragile and/or may contain small parts, so adult supervision is always recommended as small parts and pieces could cause a choking hazard.


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Fanconi Anemia via the FANCB Gene
7055 FANCB 81479 81479,81479 $890 Order Options and Pricing
Siwu Peng, PhD
Our favored testing approach is exome based NextGen sequencing with CNV analysis. This will allow cost effective reflexing to PGxome or other exome based tests. However, if full gene Sanger sequencing is desired for STAT turnaround time, insurance, or other reasons, please see link below for Test Code, pricing, and turnaround time information.
Patients with clinical features of FA, individuals with a family history of FA, and patients that develop aplastic anemia and hematologic disorders at any age even if they present no other physical abnormalities.
Fanconi Anemia (FA) is an inherited anemia associated with bone marrow failure (aplastic anemia), however, the clinical features of FA can expand well beyond hematologic anomalies. FA is also characterized by a range of physical abnormalities, pancytopenia, and predisposition to certain cancers - particularly acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), gynecologic and GI tract cancers, and cancers of the head and neck (Auerbach. 2009. PubMed ID: 19622403). FA patients are up to 800 fold more susceptible to AML than the general population with a median age of onset of 13 years (Rosenberg et al. 2003. PubMed ID: 12393424). Physical abnormalities include radial ray defects (absent thumb or radius), skin pigmentation defects, short stature, microphthalmia, renal and urinary tract defects, genital defects (males in particular), gastrointestinal malformations (atresia), congenital heart disease, hearing and central nervous system defects, and general developmental delay (Tischkowitz and Hodgson. 2003. PubMed ID: 12525534; Dokal. 2000. PubMed ID: 11030042). About one-third of FA patients have no obvious physical abnormalities and are diagnosed only after a family member is diagnosed, or after developing hematologic anomalies such as thromobocytopenia, leukopenia, and anemia (Giampietro et al. 1997. PubMed ID: 8986277).
A hallmark of FA is hypersensitivity of chromosomes to inter cross-strand linkage (ICL) agents such as diepoxybutane (DEB) or mitomycin C (MMC) (Sasaki and Tonomura. 1973. PubMed ID: 4352739). Exposure of primary cell cultures from FA patients to DEB or MMC results in chromosomal aberrations (breaks, radials, rearrangements) due to damaged DNA repair mechanisms that require functional products of the Fanconi anemia genes. For example, the FANCA, -B, -C, -E, -F, -G, -L, and -M proteins are part of a nuclear core complex that regulates monoubiquitination of the FANCD2 and FANCI proteins (ID complex) during S-phase and after exposure to DNA crosslinking agents (Moldovan and D'Andrea. 2009. PubMed ID: 19686080). In unaffected individuals, ubiquitination helps localize the ID complex to sites of DNA damage and facilitate repair, but in FA patients, this mechanism is impaired (Grompe and van de Vrugt. 2007. PubMed ID: 17488615; Smogorzewska et al. 2007. PubMed ID: 17412408).
FA is a genetically heterogeneous disorder. To date, 22 FA or FA-like genes have been discovered. Inheritance is primarily autosomal recessive or X-linked, however a case of heterozygous FA-like syndrome was associated with a dominant-negative variant in the RAD51 (FANCR) gene (Ameziane et al. 2015. PubMed ID: 26681308). Approximately 86% of all cases are attributed to variants in three genes: FANCA (~ 60%), FANCC (~ 16%), and FANCG (~ 10%) (Auerbach. 2009. PubMed ID: 19622403). Since variants in FANCA are the most common cause of FA, it is important to note that large deletions make up over one-third of all reported pathogenic variants in FANCA. In the United States, the carrier frequency for Fanconi anemia is estimated at 1 in 181, and the incidence rate is estimated at 1 in 131,000 (http://www.fanconi.org/; Rosenberg et al. 2011. PubMed ID: 21739583). Nearly 95% of all FA cases are attributed to variants in eight genes, FANCA, -C, -G, -D1 (aka BRCA2), -D2, -E, -F, and –L that are either part of the core complex required for ID complex ubiquitination and facilitation of DNA repair or function directly in ICL recognition and repair (Grompe and van de Vrugt. 2007. PubMed ID: 17488615). FA is phenotypically diverse even among related patients that harbor the same variants; null alleles however are reported to result in more severe phenotypes (Faivre et al. 2000. PubMed ID: 11110674). FA affects males and females roughly equally and affects all ethnic groups.
To date, over 20 unique causative variants have been reported throughout the FANCB gene comprising primarily missense variants and variants that result in premature protein termination such as nonsense variants, small frameshift deletions, or splice-site variants. At least 3 large deletions and one large duplication involving one or more exons of the FANCB gene have been reported in patients with FA (www.rockefeller.edu/fanconi/mutate/; Umana et al. 2011. PubMed ID: 22052692; Meetei et al. 2004. PubMed ID: 15502827; McCauley et al. 2011. PubMed ID: 2190217). FANCB is located on the X-chromosome. Males who inherit pathogenic variants in the FANCB gene will be affected; female carriers usually have no FA phenotype. Variants in FANCB account for ~ 2% of FA cases and are associated with VACTERL (vertebral, anal, cardiac, trachea-esophageal fistula, renal, and limb anomalies) (Umana et al. 2011. PubMed ID: 22052692; Meetei et al. 2004. PubMed ID: 15502827; McCauley et al. 2011. PubMed ID: 2190217).
Pathogenic variants in the FANCB gene account for ~ 2% of all Fanconi anemia cases (Mehta and Tolar. 2018. PubMed ID: 20301575).
Several gross deletions and one duplication involving one or more exons have been reported for the FANCB gene (The Rockefeller University Fanconi Anemia Mutation Database; Human Gene Mutation Database).
This test provides full coverage of all coding exons of the FANCB gene plus 10 bases of flanking noncoding DNA in all available transcripts along with other non-coding regions in which pathogenic variants have been identified at PreventionGenetics or reported elsewhere. We define full coverage as >20X NGS reads or Sanger sequencing. PGnome panels typically provide slightly increased coverage over the PGxome equivalent. PGnome sequencing panels have the added benefit of additional analysis and reporting of deep intronic regions (where applicable).
FANCB 300515
Fanconi Anemia, Complementation Group B XL 300514
Related Test
Fanconi Anemia via the FANCG Gene
Ameziane et al. 2015. PubMed ID: 26681308
Auerbach. 2009. PubMed ID: 19622403
Dokal. 2000. PubMed ID: 11030042
Faivre et al. 2000. PubMed ID: 11110674
Fanconi Anemia Research Fund, Inc.
Giampietro et al. 1997. PubMed ID: 8986277
Grompe and van de Vrught. 2007. PubMed ID: 17488615
Human Gene Mutation Database (Bio-base).
McCauley et al. 2011. PubMed ID: 21910217
Meetei et al. 2004. PubMed ID: 15502827
Mehta and Tolar. 2018. PubMed ID: 20301575
Moldovan and D'Andrea. 2009. PubMed ID: 19686080
Rosenberg et al. 2003. PubMed ID: 12393424
Sasaki and Tonomura. 1973. PubMed ID: 4352739
Smogorzewska et al. 2007. PubMed ID: 17412408
The Rockefeller University Fanconi Anemia Mutation Database.
Tischkowitz and Hodgson. 2003. PubMed ID: 12525534
Umana et al. 2011. PubMed ID: 22052692

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Review of "Care Giving Gift of Unconditional Love" by David Soh Poh Huat
Here's a heartfelt book that comes from a good place—a place of love, care, and compassion. Unfortunately, this is a book that is held back by shortcuts in its production process and the author's likely battle with English as a second language. It seems very unlikely that this book went through a proofreading process at all or that it was reviewed by beta readers before being published. It is also haphazardly organized, jumping from subject to subject often without a clear method to the madness.
"Care Giving Gift of Unconditional Love" is a memoir by David Soh Poh Huat reflecting on his experience with caring for his terminally ill parents as well as some of the lessons he learned from that experience. Right off the bat, it doesn't get much more heartfelt than that. The general thesis of this book seems to be that a person should be willing and able to care for their loved one in later life just as their loved one has or would have taken care of them earlier in life (had circumstances been better). The book doubles as a short manual on how to care for your sick and/or dying loved ones. Part of the problem is that we're unsure (and we're pretty sure the author was unsure) which of these two things he wanted to accomplish the most: whether to tell his story or to serve a didactic purpose in teaching others living a similar story.
And there's another problem: it's too oddly specific to the situation that the author and his loved ones were in. The author only provides specific medical tips regarding pneumonia, liver abscesses, and cancer because these are the medical problems that his loved ones dealt with. The issue there is that this book is marketed as a book for caregivers in general—presumably caregivers of people who suffer from many types of diseases and illnesses. In other words, the sections talking about pneumonia, liver abscesses, and cancer sound oddly specific and narrow for a book that we thought was supposed to have a larger scope.
The best example we can give you of this problem is when the author attempts to categorize the different kinds of "siblings" who are supposed to take care of a sick or dying loved one. To summarize: there are siblings who are selfish and don't care about their parents or their family, there are siblings who do care but don't want to pay medical expenses or provide care, and there are good siblings who do care and offer to help or pay medical expenses. Now, that's actually pretty relatable to many people facing this situation, but there's one question that's bothersome in all of this: what about the reader who doesn't have siblings? The author automatically seemed to assume that because he had siblings who acted this way that all the readers must have siblings who act in one of these ways. Well, we all know that can't be true. So, by default, the advice is not applicable to all caregivers. What if the caregiver, instead, is in a dispute with their nieces/nephews or in-laws over power of attorney or finances? What then? A far better example the author could've provided instead of listing categories of "siblings" is to list categories of loved ones in general. The reader shouldn't have to do mental gymnastics to obtain this information and figure out if or not it's relevant to them. That's the author's job. The author should provide the information in the best way possible, and this seems far from the best way possible.
Another thing that's a bit worrisome is that the author seems to provide medical advice to various individuals including encouraging them to challenge their doctors, all the while we don't remember reading a disclaimer that this book isn't intended as medical advice and isn't intended to cure, treat, or diagnose any diseases. The author just throws his medical opinions out there and considers it wisdom. Well, we can understand that. We believe things about medicine that run contrary to the establishment like about the benefits of herbs and special massages, however we haven't written a book distributing these beliefs and opinions without a warning or disclaimer. We can see that potentially being a legal or liability issue.
So, from the beginning we are confronted with one of the main issues of the book: the author is still wrestling with English. Even the title, "Care Giving Gift of Love," is a bit odd. Shouldn't the title be something like "Caregiving: A Gift of Love" or "A Caregiver's Gift of Love?"
There are entire words missing throughout this book. Words like "doctor" are capitalized for no reason. In fact, the author has an inclination to hit the ALL CAPS button a bit too frequently including in his name and the book's title. The sentences are very short and very choppy. The book itself is very short, very choppy, and skips around from topic to topic. Overall, the writing just isn't that good, unfortunately. As it exists now, this book borders on a Power Point presentation.
Where this book does shine is in its core message: that people should love one another and care for one another just as God and Jesus love and care for them. It's a beautiful and powerful message. We just really wish the author had worked more on this book to flesh it out and/or got help in producing it. There really should've been an editor and/or beta reader. As it exists now, this book borders on a Power Point presentation with its very few and very short pages. If you're someone who is purchasing this book, you already care enough about being a caregiver to look past the book's core message. You don't need to be told to care for the sake of caring, you already spent the money to buy a book about caring for the sake of caring.
Still, we support David Soh Poh Huat's inspirational and beautiful mission and hope that he continues to produce books and improve as a writer.
Check it out this book at Walmart!
Review of "Paris Blue" by Julie Scolnik
"Paris Blue" is a drama-filled memoir by Julie Scolnik chronicling her decade-plus, on and off romantic relationship with a Frenchman named Luc, a lover who shares Julie's passion for classical and baroque music. This book has several dimensions and layers.
This book reminds us of several books that we've read this year: "No Perfect Love" by Dr. Alyson Nerenberg (non-fiction) and "A Major League Love" by Domenic Melillo (fiction). All of these books highlight the twists and turns that life and love can take. Something unique about "Paris Blue" by Julie Scolnik, however, is that it especially highlights the "rose-tinted goggles" of idealism that lovers often have at first, leading to disappointments and shattered expectations. It's about what happens when the perfect love isn't so perfect, and it's also about a woman's journey to self-discovery.
First and foremost, "Paris Blue" is a will-they/won't-they romance about Julie and Luc. To say that this is the heart and soul of the book would be an understatement. The sexual and romantic tension is high throughout, and we are frustrated when Julie is frustrated, we are sad when Julie is sad, and we are angry when Julie is angry. We often find ourselves on Julie's side of the aisle, typical of an autobiography or memoir. It's very difficult to see things from the perspective of our other main character, Luc. In a lot of ways, he comes across to us as detestable and unlikable. In other words, this relationship almost always seems one-sided and often borders on manipulative and abusive, and we're guessing that can be a great morality tale for others to get out of these types of manipulative and abusive relationships. Remember that abuse isn't always physical, it can be mental and psychological. It comes in the form of neglect and manipulation.
The second layer or dimension of this book is how it's kind of a coming of age story about Julie, young and naive, learning to come to terms with her changing feelings, her changing body, and her changing world. We're with Julie from the age of 17—right at the cusp of becoming a full-fledged woman—and we journey with her into the middle of adulthood in which she becomes more mature, self-confident, and independent. We also see her journey as a musician, going from a hobbyist to someone who can be invited to perform at concerts.
The third layer or dimension of this book, and arguably the one we wish was further explored, is the culture shock that Julie experiences in transiting between America and France (and vice-versa). Julie absolutely detests the term "culture shock" and seems to go out of her way to avoid highlighting differences between America and France. Interestingly, Luc has the opposite point of view. Luc constantly sees America and Americans as different, and he openly criticizes and talks down about them. About a month ago, we'd read "Just Arrived" by Bona Udeze, a book about a Nigerian immigrant's interesting experiences in moving to America—full of culture shock, adapting to new foods, strange habits, and a fresh start. There's just an element of that missing with "Paris Blue." For a book with "Paris" in the title, we don't really see or learn much about the place. It's in the background. When Julie moves to and fro Paris, it is described as just being like any other big city, not much different from Boston where she eventually ends up. She walks the streets, takes buses, goes to restaurants, and attends or performs at concerts. You could do that in New York City. You could do that in Salt Lake City. You could do that in Honolulu or London. You could do that in Sydney or Dubai. This aspect of the book remains so criminally under-explored, unfortunately, especially when compared to something like "Just Arrived"--a top-notch book about moving to a new country.
One of the things we debated in literary terms was whether or not Luc could be considered a protagonist, a secondary protagonist, a love interest, an anti-hero, or a straight-up villain—a bad guy akin to someone like the manipulative, vindictive Cynthia from "A Major League Love." You could argue either way, or even that he's all of these things. But to us personally, he's a villain. He's only about a notch of villainy lower than Wally Mussel—the abusive, exploitative boss from "My Famous Brain" by Diane Wald. Luc is a demonic, Titanic piece of crap walking God's green earth in our opinion. Sorry. And the fact that Julie kept believing his lies and crawling back to him, especially after that knife incident in which Luc dismisses and ignores her as she's bleeding profusely, frustrates and angers us greatly. Or perhaps we're displacing some personal frustrations.
The fact of the matter is, this book is relatable. Many of us have been in relationships like this. Many of us have found ourselves afraid or unwilling to let go, even long after the point of no return. Scolnik captures that feeling perfectly.
You can check out the book on Amazon!
Review of "Using Japanese Paper for Digital Printing of Photographs" Carl-Evert Jonsson
"Using Japanese Paper for Digital Printing of Photographs" is a photography book compiled by the brilliant Carl-Evert Jonsson of Sweden, holding both a Ph.D. and an MD from the University of Uppsala. He specializes in reconstructive surgery, and his research is cited in multiple medical and scientific journals. Jonsson has practiced the art of photography with Japanese washi paper for years and is excited to share some of his work through this book.
We wish we could say more about this book, but there isn't much to work with. If you've read our other reviews, we can go on for pages and pages, hours and hours, breaking down every nitty gritty detail. The thing about this work is that it really isn't that substantive or instructive at all. Don't mix our words, we didn't say that the book isn't substantial (important), but that it isn't substantive (containing enough insightful or enlightening content to stand on its own). There are really only three and a half pages of text in this entire book, and it fails to answer the one key question that all of us are begging to be answered: HOW does a novice photographer or artist get into this practice?
Why would someone publish a book that implies it's going to show you how to do something, then doesn't show you how to do it? This book is the equivalent of your eccentric uncle showing you his vintage G.I. Joe action-figure collection, but saying you can't touch or play with any of them, and he's not going to explain how he got them or where to buy them because it's an ancient Chinese secret. You need to climb a mountain and fight Pei Mei to earn the right to know that privileged information. Quote us on that, it'll probably get you engagement and sales.
The author does briefly go over the methods in the broadest way possible, but he fails to supply a step-by-step breakdown of how it's done so that it can be replicated. That seems kinda important to us. Don't you agree? That's essential to the scientific method: every experiment needs to be reproducible. It is the author's job to make sure that his methods are reproducible by supplying adequate details. How much water should you spray on the photos? How much actual egg-oil do you use? What the heck is "10per cent?" Did you mean "ten percent?" Did you mean a mixture of 10% oil and 90% water? Wait a second, there's an Appendix 1? What the hey is dammar gum and where do we get it? What the blue heck is balsam turpentine and where do we get it? What's a "dash" of balsam turpentine? What if your "dash" is bigger than our "dash?" How vague and imprecise. How is that quantifiable? How is that scientific? How is that reproducible? Why would we go through all this trouble, follow all of these vague and imprecise instructions, just to make egg oil when we can probably order it for like $8 on Amazon? It's like the guy who grinds his own coffee beans.
How long do the photos need to be left out to dry? Do we need to dry them? We assume so. How many times do they need to be rewetted? Why? What exactly do you do with the soft brush? We assume you brush with it, but the author doesn't tell us that directly or explicitly. They use the vague language of "apply" the egg oil. Well, how much oil do we "apply?" How long should we keep brushing? Is it like making a cake and you're supposed to keep mixing for like 2 minutes? WHERE do we apply the egg oil? Do we apply it to the front AND the back? Do we only apply it to the top of the photo? The bottom of the photo? Do we have to apply pressure so that the egg oil can better be absorbed or are we supposed to be gentle so we don't damage the paper?
Why is it that the author uses passive language to describe what to do with the soft brush? Why is it that the author keeps using passive language to describe the method in general? Why is the author describing what other practitioners do but not what he does? Or are we to assume he does it the exact same way that they do?
What the heck is a Sennelier pigment? Where can we get it? Is it available on Amazon? Ebay? At Office Max or Walmart? Does it come in small, medium, and large? Does it come in some liquid vial with a dropper? Is it dry? Does it come in something resembling a salt shaker? Does the transparent paper have to be A4 sized too or does it have to be a little bigger to account for variation? What the heck is aquarelle paper? Is it available on Amazon? Ebay? At Office Max or Walmart?
Is Adobe Lightroom the only editing software we can use to crop the photos or change them to black & white? Can't we just use the free Photos app on a Windows OS? Or Canva? Or Photoshop? Why not? What is it about Adobe Lightroom that makes it the go-to software for washi-paper people? Could the author maybe enlighten us and tell us how to use the software in a clear, coherent, and substantive way?
Even assuming that we—the readers—are artists and photographers, these methods and techniques may be new to us. The software may be new to us. The author shouldn't assume that we can just pick it up and run with his vague and oddly passive instructions. Going back to an earlier example for our review of Dale L. Roberts's book, you can't just give a cyclist a motorcycle and say, "Hey, you can ride a bike, right? I'm sure you can ride this." They wouldn't know where the ignition was or how to control the headlights. Why? Because bicycles don't have ignitions or headlights. Motorcycles and bicycles are similar but two very different things with two very different propulsion methods. Likewise, you don't just toss some photography hobbyist some egg oil, a spray bottle, washi paper, Sennelier pigment, transparent paper, aquarelle paper, dammar gum, balsum terpentine, and a Adobe Lightroom software and say, "Hey, take all of this. You're a photographer, right? I'm sure you can figure out what to do." No!
It is so frustrating because the instructions aren't very instructive or helpful at all. What if we actually care about replicating the process? What if we actually care about doing this right? The author's not giving us the adequate tools and information with which to do it. We're better off just googling "washi paper photography" and learning for free.
So what is this book actually really good for? It's pretty, and it shows off the author's work, and for that it's commendable. Credit where credit is due: the photographs themselves are artistic. You wouldn't believe they were originally taken on a camera like a normal photo, you'd think that someone went through a painstaking process to draw and paint these because all of these look like paintings that could be in an art museum somewhere. There's a very National-Geographic-esque vibe to all of these like they come straight from some sort of vintage historical text. And that probably encapsulates this art-form as a whole: it's very vintage. Maybe that's not your jam, maybe it is. We can buy into classical, antique, vintage things. We collect old obscure art and even have swords and stuff. We're those kinda people.
And are these photos well-organized? Yes. They are divided into four sections, and you can see which techniques were used with which photos.
All in all, this book by an absolutely brilliant person can be fun to look at, but it just doesn't seem to supply the information and helpful instructions/guidance that we really wanted from a book of this nature.
You can check it out on Amazon
Review of "Dance Stance" by Once Upon a Dance
Once Upon a Dance is yet another returning Outstanding Creator Awards champion, this time in children's books!
This is a fantastic book if you have a child who might be interested in ballet or dance but don't know where to start. Think of this as Ballet/Dance 101, but instead of paying a lot upfront for a beginner's class, you can get it for probably less than $20 when the book releases on May 3rd. You as the parent or teacher, however, have to be prepared to consume and understand these techniques and then teach them. That's a commitment of time, energy, and mind-power. If you care enough about the practice, however, it can definitely be worth it, and your kids can definitely benefit. It's not too dissimilar to books teaching things like yoga to children.
The author provides helpful metaphors for these techniques. For example, your ideal posture can be imagined as being like a peacock spreading their feathers or a cobra stretching the sides of its neck ("hood"). Your ideal foot placement is compared to making the biggest footprint possible in the sand at the beach, feeling it between your toes. Other analogies are made such as forming a tripod with your body, emulating a flamingo, and imagining breathing in a large hot pot of spaghetti. The performer is instructed to imagine forming a tower with their hips, chest, and head. These analogies can be very helpful, and the illustrations further hit the points home.
This is not your traditional children's book with a short morality tale that's intended to be consumed in one sitting, although you could presumably read all of this in about 20 minutes. This is actually an educational guide containing detailed instructions, helpful tips, and complementary (and beautiful) illustrations showing you and your child how to perform some of the basics of ballet and dance.
If there's anything that keeps this book from being perfect, however, it's that it is very wordy. The author/instructor has a lot to say, and it can be pretty complex from time to time. Remember, it's not how much you (the coach) know, it's how much the players or the performers know. Again, you as the parent or teacher have to be prepared to read and understand this before presenting it. Sitting down with a child to read this from cover to cover may push their attention spans to their limits, so it's probably best to tackle one concept at a time or to take this information and create your own routine from it, perhaps practicing standing, breathing, and balancing for about 30 minutes each day. You and your child may find it fun to do this together!
Something very cool about Once Upon a Dance is that their books are all part of a multimedia program that includes other books and videos. We would not be surprised if there's audio to accompany this, and that could be very helpful. The reason for that is, it can be difficult to practice something while holding a book in your hand at the same time. It is easier for someone to read the instructions aloud to you, allowing you to focus on physically performing the actions/movements.
We encourage you to check them out at https://onceuponadance.com/dance-stance or https://www.facebook.com/OnceUponADanceViralDancing/ in anticipation for the May 3rd book release!
Review of "Make it a Double" by Randall McNair
From one book on alcoholism to another. They're roughly the same length but with completely opposite approaches. "Make it a Double" by Randall McNair takes a more snarky and cynical approach to the topic than "Dying for a Drink" by Amelia Baker, which attempted to be helpful and hopeful for the sake of the reader. The nomination letter also admits that this book has a "bleak" tone or outlook. How incredible that we have two books about the exact same topic but approach it in two very different ways, and it's not just poetry versus prose. Both authors struggled with alcoholism for about the same amount of time, but while one (Baker) has seemingly overcome it and strives to never go back, the other (McNair) seems to have "embraced the suck."
"Make it a Double" is a poetry book on alcoholism with poems written while the author was supposedly in an inebriated or drunken state, or at least a little tipsy. It shows. McNair calls alcohol his "muse." This is more than likely not the healthiest view of alcohol, and we fear may be triggering for some actual alcoholics. It's like the frequently-drunk dad who slaps you on the back and tries to give you advice while slurring and stumbling half the time, it can be somewhat amusing but also concerning, and obviously you aren't taking any of the advice.
At the same time, the approach that this book takes can arguably be beneficial in that it may be able to convince former and current alcoholics that alcoholism—while seemingly big, scary, and all-consuming—is not insurmountable and not unbeatable. Should you take a big issue like this lightly? It depends. Usually, no. But for some, the best way to overcome an obstacle is finding the courage and strength to say, "I can take you" or, like Rocky to Clubber Lang in Rocky III, "You're not so big. You're not so bad. You're nothing."
One of us has a somewhat related and also humorous personal story. He used to have a small fear of spiders like many do. Arachnophobia is very common like alcoholism. He got over this by making the commitment to punch every spider he saw "in the face." He soon found that spiders, while seemingly weird and terrifying, are nowhere near as formidable as a human fist and can't survive the force of a human punch. In the end, they're smaller than us and probably more afraid of us than we are of them. They die just like any creature. Alcoholism can be similar. Alcohol only has the power over us that we give it—that we allow it to have. It only has the significance and meaning that we give to it. Intrinsically, it's a substance in a liquid. For some people, that kind of thinking can be helpful.
Another example we heard from the TV show "Prison Break" is the child who is afraid of the supposed "monster" in their closet. This is another common fear that children have, even featuring as a major plot device in "Monsters Inc." Obviously, there is no monster in the closet, but because the child perceives the closet as mysterious, dark, and scary, it gains a greater meaning and power in their mind. The truth of the matter is, the closet is just a closet like any other closet. At some point, the child needs to find the strength and the courage to open that closet and see that for themselves. At some point, the alcoholic may need to confront their great enemy and realize that it does not have any intrinsic power over them.
Confronting your greatest fears with lighthearted snark and cynicism seems to be the essence of these poems and this book. We could literally envision the author thumbing his nose and sticking his tongue out at the issue. Alcoholism isn't the big, scary monster in this book. It's not the dragon that needs to be slayed. No, it's the dainty little harpy damsel that keeps badgering and nagging the knight on his journey, never lifting a finger to help—just being a ball and chain. No offense, but unless you find drunkenness amusing or funny somehow, it is very clear that the alcohol is not helping the poet to craft better poems, unless of course he's using alcohol to become less inhibited—to get over writer's block or something. The thoughts, as you'd expect, are scattered. They jump from things like drinking, partying, to "tits." Well, perhaps those three are more related than we'd like to think. But the point remains: the poetry is not our cup of tea. Most of them tell little stories of events that occurred while drunk, usually just as is with little subtext, some involving sex while others involve violence.
Something that bothered us about this book (and we alluded to it in our last review) was that this book can come across as quite mean-spirited. While Amelia Baker in her book was conscientious and remorseful, McNair in this book seems almost remorseless about the actions he took (and possibly continues to take) while drunk. He punches a man in the face while drunk and breaks his face, and this is something he seems to be proud of and celebrate. There's a part where he admits that his wife is probably home alone eating with their cat while he is out drinking at the bar, but it sounds more dismissive of her plight than remorseful. There's a whole poem in here that, instead of talking about alcoholism in the AA group, talks about the hypersexuality of its members. There's a pretty tough to read poem in here about a sexually transmitted disease (herpes) and another about breasts, spoken of in a very unsavory and aggressive way. These aren't things that we necessarily celebrate or even find funny. Sometimes it's just disgusting.
The author does demonstrate some ability to stick to a meter and have some beat. There are poems in here like "Clone" and "I Write Love Poems" that stick strictly to tercets. The lines of most of these poems are consistent in length. We do miss the rhymes and the rhythm though. We miss the emotion and the feels. Something about these poems is that they all deliberately seem detached. They seem to have a very nonchalant or "just screw it" tone to them. What's amazing is that one of the subtitles of this book is quite literally "Bad Poems- Book 2." Did the author go out of their way to portray the mind and ability level of an alcoholic? Because, in all honesty, if that's the case (and it very likely is), then this book is a cautionary one. Yes, you can find amusement in a silly drunk saying silly drunk things, but you (the reader) can also gather that perhaps alcohol is not a very helpful muse after all.
If you are interested, you can check out this poetry book on Amazon!
Review of "Dying for a Drink" by Amelia Baker
"Dying for a Drink" is a terrific memoir/autobiography by Amelia Baker reflecting on her relatable battle with alcoholism, a battle that has lasted for over a decade. Interestingly, this is one of two books on the topic in this contest along with "Make it a Double" by Randall McNair. "The Prodigal Father" by Forrest Hutter, a 2nd-place grand-prize winner in non-fiction, also heavily concerned alcoholism and Alcoholics Anonymous. That gives us some great points of reference and comparison. The fact that we've seen so many books about this one topic is also an indication that alcoholism is a huge problem that affects many lives. There are still a lot of people crying for help and longing for hope.
All in all, "Dying for a Drink" distinctly takes a more serious and optimistic tone at the topic than "Make it a Double"—which more so seemed to poke fun and be playful regarding it, not without reason. Sometimes you need to thumb your nose at your problems and your fears. Sometimes, you need to confront the monster in the closet with a laugh and a sneer. Whether that makes it more entertaining or enjoyable to read is arguable and depends on taste, however in our opinion, "Dying for a Drink" is generally more up our alley. The reason for that is that Amelia Baker as a person/character really seems like someone we can get behind and root for.
Where as McNair could come across as mean-spirited at times, sometimes even resorting to and glamorizing violence, Baker comes across as someone ridden with guilt and desperately trying to do the right thing. That's not to say that we need the narrator to be a littlest, purest angel. The opposite is true. In Hutter's work, the alcoholic father in question was abusive to the point of being uncomfortable to read about, but it wasn't abuse for the sake of abuse—he seemed to want his son to learn to be strong and independent so that he could take care of himself and his sister, which his son eventually did with great success. That doesn't excuse the narrator's actions, but it makes it more understandable. The obstacle that McNair came across was trying to put across his personal character in the form of poetry—poetry which was often sharp, cynical, and blunt, almost to the point of saying "screw it all."
That's in contrast to Baker who is constantly conscientious—constantly considering her actions and inactions—her concealment and neglect—the repercussions of these things on her family and other loved ones. She knows at seemingly all times whether or not her actions are wrong. She knows that she is her own worst enemy, and that a lot of the problems in her life like her son being born with an illness, her divorce, her abuse from a similarly alcoholic partner, falls, and accidents all followed her alcoholism. But like a truly abusive relationship, she kept going back to it for more.
The alcohol begins giving her health problems like a distinct "alcohol diarrhea" which features both tragically and humorously in this book as the character puts off cleaning herself after an occurrence in order to go upstairs and drink more alcohol. She also has frequent blackouts and develops obsessive-compulsive as well as secretive behavior. It takes a physical toll on her like a fall that breaks her clavicle. And, of course, the mental/psychological toll is severe. Furthermore, these problems snowball as they lead to such problems as a codeine addiction that bring her to the verge of overdosing. This all leads to suicidal idealization culminating in a suicide attempt.
At one point, the narrator's alcoholic behavior gets them barred from her nephew's wedding, a wedding which they'd planned for and hoped on for months. It destroys her relationships.
You don't have to be an alcoholic to relate to this book or Baker. Anyone who has struggled with addiction of any kind can relate to this book. Addiction isn't merely a blue-collar problem. It's not just something that affects the poor or those predisposed to having "issues." It can affect literally anyone, even someone affluent with a good home and a loving family, and that's something that definitely comes across in this book. And addiction doesn't only have to be to alcohol or drugs, you can have other addictions—to eating, to pornography, to shopping, to gambling, or even to diet and exercise (leading to bulimia and/or anorexia). Addiction takes many shapes and comes in many forms, but the affects are similar and familiar.
Something we love about this book is that not only does it present a narrative, it also provides support and advice. This is also something we absolutely loved about "A (True) Traumatic Brain History" by Mark Allen in the last contest. Amelia Baker seems genuinely interested in helping people and giving people an example to follow if they are struggling with addiction. Yes, some of these ideas are borrowed from Alcoholics Anonymous or similar programs/books, but they are no less helpful. It's one thing when Bill Belichick tells you how to throw, it's another thing when Tom Brady tells you how to throw. Both are experts, but one has genuine first-hand, recent experience with the process, and is also prolific at it. Similarly, hearing from Baker and learning from her is extremely valuable.
Check out this book on Amazon!
Review of "Statue of Liberty on Fire" by Kristan Ryan
"Statue of Liberty on Fire" is a severe and thought-provoking 40 x 30" acrylic painting by former and defending Outstanding Creator Award grand-prize winner Kristan Ryan. As we'd stated from evaluating Kristan Ryan's other work, "Woman Done Swallowing Her Words," art can greatly be judged by how much the work of art says without saying (or writing) anything.
The Statue of Liberty ("Lady Liberty" or Libertas) dominates the image. Though it is described as being "on fire," it almost appears to be weeping from the eyes and bleeding from the head. At the same time, flames radiate from the face and out into the torch-wielding right arm. There, the flames are most apparent as they go from a deep red to an orange-yellow like a flame you'd see in nature. Interestingly, though the blood-red brush strokes run down her neck and robe, they do not continue running all the way down to the very bottom of the portrait. They end just above her breast or heart line, this may have symbolic meaning, implying that despite America's woes, the heart of America is still good and hopeful. And, while the heart is symbolic of love and virtue, breasts are symbolic of a nurturing nature as a source of food for a newborn babe. Wasn't America intended as a safe harbor and a land of opportunity for immigrants—those who were new? Perhaps not all hope is lost for America's nurturing and open arms if the blood and fire haven't yet covered the breasts of liberty.
This work of art was made in the middle of the Trump presidency. Of course, Trump was a president who constantly went after immigrants and went out of his way to make life and the process of immigration more difficult for them. This is encapsulated in his construction of the southern border wall. The artist stated that she believes that Lady Liberty would be furious at this as well as how foreigners and those who speak different languages are treated in America. We have immigrants among our judges. And, yes, they speak multiple languages as well. They've also faced discrimination not only here but in other countries like Russia. We can definitely relate with this plight.
Although the Statue of Liberty itself is front and center in the image, and though the blood-red brush strokes draw most of our attention, there is probably just as much if not more blue in this painting that hangs mostly in the background or is covered by the red. To the artist's credit, she was skilled enough and/or knowledgeable enough to not have the statue blend into the background. In fact, the statue almost pops out at the viewer. But going back to the original point: there is actually so much blue in this painting that gets overshadowed by the red, but the blue is arguably even more important than the red, and here's why... Blue is the color of the sea or "the waters." That means that it's the color of everyone. "Seas" and "waters" are often symbolic of all the people of the world. You often see that in classical texts, especially religious ones. The world, of course, is much bigger than just America and Americans even though many Americans are Americentric. The sea or the waters are also where many immigrants come from, particularly the immigrants whom the Statue of Liberty was originally intended to greet. We're reminded of the scene from Titanic in which Rose and other survivors of the sinking are comforted by the sight of the statue after the traumatic events they've just been through.
Blue is also the color of the sky, and it's where many more immigrants come to the United States—by plane.
The left side of this portrait is particularly interesting because the strokes of blue become shorter and more varied. You see dark-blue strokes and light-blue strokes. They appear to be crisscrossing and running up against the fire that's building up along the right-arm. Could this imply the growing difficulty for immigrants? Possibly.
Once again, Kristan Ryan presents to us a work of art that initially seemed very simple on the surface and yet had a lot to say!
See more of her great art on Facebook!
Review of "Solita and the Purple Moon" by Miriam Isabel Elliott
This is our first ever bilingual children's book! We have to say that fact holds a special place in our hearts because about half of us are bilingual or multilingual.
"Solita and the Purple Moon" follows a little girl named Solita (perhaps a surrogate for the young reader) who finds it difficult to sleep at night because she feels afraid and lonely. How sad! But it is relatable. We've all had nightmares or times in which we found it difficult to sleep due to stress, anxiety, over-stimulation, or worry. We've all been alone at one time and afraid because of it. Some of us are afraid of the dark. Some of us have insomnia. Some of us suffer from night terrors. So, all of this is very relatable.
Solita, the little girl, longs for daylight to soothe the way she feels, but is comforted by the presence of the titular Purple Moon who shines light through her window, promising to be her friend and be with her until daylight comes. It promises to cover her in the light of her favorite color: purple.
It's a very simple premise with very simple art, but it's beautiful and appealing in its own way. Most of all, the bilingual aspect of this book is a terrific selling point. Children are very open to learning new languages when they are younger. They have a critical period in which it's easier for them to learn. In adulthood, learning a new language becomes more difficult. We recommend that the adult reader who is presenting this to their child/children should alternate between reading this book in English and in Spanish on different nights. It is also possible to read the English and Spanish subsequently, but because of the relative wordiness of the text, we fear that may push the limits of most children's' attention spans. The good news is that the English and Spanish versions are separated into blocks by a moon symbol, so it's easy to differentiate and to read one or the other.
With children's books, one of the key things we look at is whether the art is appealing or not. We're not looking for hyper-realism or anything, but we are looking for a certain level of refinement. Color helps. Having appealing characters who are easily identifiable also helps. The art in this book consists of mostly hand-drawn sketches with some color, mostly highlighting the little girl's hair or the Purple Moon's glow. We can understand that. In fact, we read a children's book with almost the exact same gimmick/dynamic called "The Greatest Light" by Tim & Cindy Morrison in which the book was mostly absent of color except for the light itself (which was normally portrayed as blue). Well, in this book, the light is purple.
The problem is that because over 90% of the book is pencil-gray, almost everything blends in with everything else. Even the Purple Moon, despite being purple, blends in because the purple is usually a very dull, faded purple. It's not especially bright or especially dark. It blends into the background too well, and so does the little girl. Yes, you can see the outline of her outfit and make out her strawberry-blonde hair, but aside from that, she still blends into the background. For some reason on page 13, perhaps the fact that the girl is finally asleep (?), the little girl's hair turns as gray as the background. It isn't colored at all. Is she supposed to be a bio-luminescent life-form or something? Does her hair only have color when she's awake? We know that a lot of heart and effort went into this book. It may have raised the overall quality if the author had hired an artist to take these existing pictures and refine them. Yes, it would be more expensive, but like with the editing that many prose authors pay for, it would greatly raise the quality.
Anyway, this book isn't intended to be taken too seriously in so far as being hyper-analyzed. It is intended to relax and calm your child before bedtime while also providing the opportunity for teaching Spanish language to English-speaking children and vice-versa. For that, we have to give it credit where credit is due.
Review of "The Prophecy" by JB Liquorish
"The Prophecy" is a solid, well-rounded fantasy novel with a combination of good protagonists, intimidating antagonists, solid world-building, and a great sense of adventure.
At first, we thought this was going to be a book about Drake, a legendary dragon slayer who—the story goes—lived in Scotland around 2,000 B.C. We then soon realized that our main character was actually going to be Warwick, who we playfully kept calling "Warrick Dunn" (perhaps "Warwick Dunn" would be more accurate to the story), a young boy unsure of himself and his great destiny. And, really, as much as we love badarse characters doing badarse things like they're Ip Man or Bruce Lee, it's usually better in a work of literature to introduce a character with a great deal more room for growth, someone like Warwick.
Indeed, the confidence, faith, and maturity that Warwick gains throughout the story is a huge part of his arc and the story as a whole. Warwick comes into contact with Rowan, who we playfully kept calling "Erick Rowan," an old seer who acts as a sort of Gandalf or Obi-Wan-like character. Warwick comes into possession of a special metal key that may be the literal key to stopping the massively powerful and dangerous dragons who are terrorizing the countryside.
Is Warwick kinda a generic protagonist? Yeah. Is Rowan kinda a generic sage-like figure? Yeah. Are the dragons kinda the most generic antagonists imaginable next to "evil kings" or "dark sorcerers?" Yeah. Is the setup kinda the most generic ever with the promised-one-protagonist finding the charred corpses of Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru? Yeah. But does all this generic-ness really matter? No. Mostly. Because Luke, Anakin, and Frodo were awesome. Gandalf and Obi-Wan were awesome. And dragons will never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever cease being the coolest, most awesome, most imposing, most captivating mythical creatures ever. The pieces are all there for a great story that's already been stress-tested and has stood up for centuries.
They don't make them like they used to. They certainly don't make them like this anymore. Whatever happened to just plain old fantasy tales about a young heroic upstart going off with a wizard to fight some dragons? It's a tale as old as time, it's a tried and true formula, and yet for some inexplicable reason, fantasy authors are just terrified of using it. Why? Because they're afraid to be seen as "too basic" or cliché, perhaps? Probably. But here's the thing: you don't want to avoid giving the audience what they want. True fantasy readers and fans of fantasy love to read about dragons. They love to read about young upstarts going on adventures. They love reading about mages, witches, and warlocks. They love magic. They love magical items. They love prophecies that need to be fulfilled, as generic and cliché as that trope is. They love David-like characters going up against Goliath-like characters. They love dragon slaying/giant slaying. That's just the way that this audience is wired.
When fantasy authors keep figuratively giving vanilla cake with strawberry syrup to an audience that actually loves chocolate ice cream with cookie bits, all they're doing is hurting the appeal of their book. That's where this book by JB Liquorish shines. It doesn't try to be a vanilla cake with strawberry syrup. It just is a bowl of chocolate ice cream with cookie bits, and we appreciate it for this reason.
Perhaps the best thing about this whole entire novel is that it captures the sense of adventure that all fantasy readers really want. This novel is never stagnant. The characters are almost never not going somewhere, often against great odds. They cross bodies of water, climb mountains, endure hunger, thirst, and lack of funds. The dragons are a constant threat, and we can truly grasp the sense of desperation the people of the land feel about them. There's almost no stopping them. We're along for the ride as Warwick and his fellowship of the ring takes them on.
Check out this novel if you love fantasy done the old school way!
Review of "Fixing Nick" by Howie Groff
"Fixing Nick" is a great children's book about teamwork and cooperation! How many things can all of these cute, wonderful animals accomplish when they work together toward a common goal? In this case, their barn (and home), personified with the name Nick, is in disrepair and is falling apart. This not only affects the barn but the farmer and all of his animals! The team of barn animals including cows, a mouse, sheep, sheep dog, horse, pig, and others band together to try to fix it. It's very cute and very exciting! We found ourselves inevitably rooting for each and every animal to have their big moment and to play a part in this huge undertaking. You could even argue that the goat, who is the biggest cynic and doesn't physically help to fix the barn, still motivates the other animals who know that the goat's plight (being cold) is something they all share if the barn isn't repaired.
What's extra interesting about reviewing this book is that we have an exact point of comparison with the book we just reviewed: "Chesapeake Nursery Rhyme" by Kay Swann-Gregor. In that book, while the animals were absolutely adorable, compelling, and interesting, their actual functions within the ecosystem weren't really explored. Yes, the beavers built and the blue crabs cleaned, but the other animals just seemed to want to goof off and play. In this book, every single animal seems to have a specific function, role, and/or task. They all play an important part in the story. Duke, the border collie, uses his adept communication skills to tell the other farm animals about the barn's condition. The pigs and sheep find and gather supplies for the repair while the horse helps to transport these supplies. The chickens mend the roof. The goose cleans the stalls. And they all help to repaint the barn.
Something else the author is able to do is give some of these non-human characters personalities. For example, Duke, the border collie, is very conscientious. We know this from his concern about the barn potentially being sold by the farmer. You can see the concern on Duke's face. The goat is very cynical and pessimistic, giving up on repairing the barn and wanting to live in a newer one instead. You can constantly see that the goat frowns upon the idea of fixing and living in the barn. His face is frequently in a scowl. Furthermore, the barn itself is well portrayed. The artist uses Nick's windows as eyes and his door as a mouth to portray emotions like being concerned, suffering, relieved, and eventually elated upon being fixed. That takes great tact.
The art is more "wonky" and less realistic than Swann-Gregor's book, which portrayed animals generally how they would look in nature with some embellishments like smiles and cuter features. This book has a very interesting look and feel to it. It almost looks like it could've been colored by the kids who are likely reading this themselves using crayons or color pencils. It's subjective, but we did like the more realistic and refined appearance of the animals in Swann-Gregor's book. That book is just so much more appealing to look at. There are times when the animals in this book actually don't look very inviting or friendly. The goat is the primary example. There's something about the scowling expression that he often has that can be off-putting, but then again parents and teachers can use this as a prompt to ask children how they think the goat feels.
Parents and teachers can also point out that some other creatures find the barn to be their home like a ladybug, a spider, a caterpillar who often show up. It can be fun for them to point this out.
This is a solid, well-rounded children's book about an important subject in teamwork!


This set of Ran pocket prayer beads consists of a total of twelve beads; the nine beads on the loop recall the nine worlds connected by Yggdrasil, the World Tree, while the three beads on the pendant remind us of Yggdrasil's three roots that reach into the Well. Joining the string is a pendant, a symbol representing the goddess: the shell, reminding us of Ran's sovereignty over the deep sea.
It is made with 10mm deep blue-green fire-polished Czech glass beads, separated by gunmetal-black metal spacer beads, and glass seed beads to provide a comfortable transition from one bead to the next and to make the piece lightweight, supple, and easy to handle. The loop itself is approximately 9.25" (23.5cm) in circumference and the pendant hangs from a 3" (7.6cm) string. It is designed to be used in prayer and meditation, to decorate an altar or shrine, and/or to adorn a statue. The small size makes it easy to keep on hand in a drawer, a purse, or a pocket.
The beads come with a prayer to Ran, written specifically to be used with this prayer bead design, and with a cotton muslin bag for storage.


This is a small community, located in the middle of the Nebraska, just two hours away from the Black Hills of South Dakota and four hours from the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. There are plenty of things to do in this community known for its quiet neighborhoods. They have a beautiful 18-hole championship golf course, disc golf course, speedway and much more.
This community is surrounded by natural habitat conducive to premier hunting and fishing. They have a progressive public school system with state of the art programs. It is also home to Western Nebraska Community College and only 45 minutes from Chadron State College. Enjoy the small town atmosphere with big city amenities.


MONDAY ISN'T BLUE IT IS BEAUTIFUL!
I am here this Sunday afternoon welcoming us both early Monday morning - or whenever you are checking in. Kudos if you are on your Monday morning!
And confessions, I am in a really good mood.
More confessions, I've been out of digital media range almost the entire day with most spent doing physical work outside under the sun.
Awesome uplifter in all ways for me. What did you do this weekend?
Which if you have been checking in with me you'll know I've been a bit out of sorts.
I think I got that worked out this weekend. I'll share in the podcast later today.
But for today, what I want to say and share is I have this feeling.... this Liberty Rising kind of feeling.
LIBERTY RISING ALL AROUND THE WORLD!
What I want to focus on for me isn't what is happening or because of who, but rather how I feel. I like the feeling of strength, freedom, no limits.
Because it is what you radiate that counts. Not what you do. Cause not Effect is the key to changing this world - so change you. Or just be the you as you want to BE.
I thought about why I've wanted to die and most of the reason was because I didn't want to live in a world where I had to fight so hard to survive. Fight to be different. Fight to get along.
Somewhere I stopped fighting and started complying and hiding.
But when I felt my own fire beginning to falter I knew it was life or death. I chose to live and proceeded to leave everything safe and certain behind.
I still spend too much time in survival mode as I try and navigate how to be free and me in a world that wants slaves and servants. YUK.
Where are you today? Do you want to live or die? Why? If you only want to die because the world is incredibly stupid, superficial, and insane? GET THAT.
But it's not a good reason.
Strength FEELS GOOD. If you've never felt the strength of real love? Well, wait until you do. Once you KNOW, you'll never give up, never go back and soon you too will be liberty rising!
Today is a new day and a new week. How do you want to FEEL right now? Choose.


Saturnia is a lamp family of clean, soft lines, made up of hanging lamps and designed by Basque-Swiss designer Óskar Cerezo for LZF Lamps. Its name and shape are reminiscent of Planet Saturn, the only planet whose rings can be seen from the Earth. On one side, the light passing thorough the wood sheets creates a warm ambience. On the other, the plexiglas diffusor allows for a good working light. Moreover, it incorporates state-of-the-art electronic technology that assures a minimum electrical consumption and is a perfect choice for direct as well and indirect lighting, both in private homes or contract.
Available in 3 sizes: as happens with other LZF lamps, it can be combined to create amazing lamp clusters.
Óskar Cerezo was born in Switzerland and raised in the Spanish Basque Country Oskar studied in Vitoria (Interior Architecture) and Madrid (Industrial Design); he has lived in Berlin since 1995. He enjoys moving around, seeing new things and isn't afraid of taking chances. His curiosity and taste for the new, and his passion for light is instrumental to his own life and has led him to experiment with light and objects. He began by interpreting classic design in lights until he found his own personal style based on his knowledge of these classics reinterpreted with his modern yet simplistic vision.


"Disappointing" is a continual refrain in Karen Johnson's history of Catholic inter-racialism in Chicago from the 1930s to the 1960s. At every turn in her narrative, Catholic bishops, priests and laypeople — including women religious — come up short in their commitment to racial justice.
One of the many consequences of the conflicts we are living through in this country and also the church is that many hopeful, nourishing voices are getting lost in the din.
A Chicago Catholic newspaper at Christmas may not be the obvious place for a review of a science fiction story set in Africa in a future so distant they have no record of our present day.
Most biblical commentaries traffic in scriptural analysis dense to the point of being unreadable for the average Catholic, and also often irrelevant. It's great to know the proper translation of this or that Greek word or the inside joke being made in the early chapters of Genesis, but when it comes right down to it, so what? Why should we care?
The unexpected papacy of Jorge Bergoglio has reinvigorated the Catholic Church. The past five years have seen the pope grace the pages of major newspapers and magazines (including People!), deliver a TED Talk and generally become a media sensation not seen since the early years of the pontificate of John Paul II.
"Civil war." Ross Douthat first uses the term nine lines in to his new book, "To Change the Church: Pope Francis and the Future of Catholicism." But readers might be surprised by the identity of the primary driver of the strife that could lead to schism. His subject is Pope Francis.
When teaching U.S. history at the University of Notre Dame, historian Jay Dolan used to ask his students to identify the significance of three dates: 1607, 1608 and 1610.
In "History and Presence," religion scholar Robert Orsi tells the history of "real presence" — a claim with doctrinally significant meanings for both Catholics and Protestants — by examining stories of "abundant presence" in the lives of ordinary people.
By Charles E. Zech, Mary L. Gautier, Mark M.Gray, Jonathon L. Wiggins, ThomasP.Gaunt, S.J.
The secular world clings to the idea that the Catholic Church is unchanging. Catholics know better. Pressed to say how, we turn to describing our parish. Perhaps seeing the church in one parish is like seeing the world in a grain of sand. But "Catholic Parishes of the 21st Century," looks at the big picture, reporting important data and details about parishes, parishioners and parish staffs.
Eileen Markey has written a remarkable book about Sister Maura Clarke, one of the four American churchwomen assassinated in El Salvador in 1980.


Description: If you love open, modern and move in ready this is your house! A complete remodel was recently completed on this large and beautiful home. Beautiful white and grey tones through out are highlighted by the polished engineered wood floors that have never been lived on, brand new countertops and subway tile back splash create the most gorgeous kitchen. The master bedroom is the ultimate retreat with a view of the back yard, a large walk in closet and in the bathroom a luxury stand-alone tub, sleek vanity and impressive tiled shower. The layout of this house is truly one of the best features. You cant fully appreciate this home until you see it in person. COME SEE IT TODAY!


At least 108 thousand workers are killed on site every year, a figure which represents about 30 per cent of all occupational fatal injuries. Data from a number of industrialized countries show that construction workers are 3 to 4 times more likely than other workers to die from accidents at work. In the developing world, the risks associated with construction work may be 3 to 6 times greater. Many more workers suffer and die from occupational diseases arising from past exposure to dangerous substances, such as asbestos.
Construction is one of the world's biggest industrial sectors, including the building, civil engineering, demolition and maintenance industries. It accounts for a large proportion of GDP – 10 percent in the U.K., 17 percent in Japan, for example. In many developing countries, construction is among the fastest growing areas of the labour market, continuing to provide a traditional entry point for labourers. It is, however, one of the most dangerous industries.
Construction workers build, repair, maintain, renovate and demolish houses, office buildings, factories, hospitals, roads, bridges, tunnels, stadiums, docks, airports and more. During the course of their work they are exposed to a wide variety of hazards on the job, including dusts and vapours, asbestos, awkward working positions, heavy loads, adverse weather conditions, work at heights, noise, vibration from tools, among many others. The causes of accidents and ill-health in the sector are well known and almost all are preventable.
The ILO has long sought to protect the safety and health of construction workers through the development and promotion of Conventions, Recommendations and Codes of Practice. The Safety Provisions (Building) Convention (No. 62) was adopted as long ago as 1937. It was superseded in 1988 by the Convention on Safety and Health in Construction (No. 167) and its accompanying Recommendation (No. 175) . A Code of Practice on Safety and Health in Construction was adopted in 1992. The Asbestos Convention (No. 162) and its accompanying Recommendation (R. 172), which were adopted in 1986, are also of particular relevance to the construction sector. However, these Conventions have not been widely ratified. In addition, the poor image of construction jobs as being traditionally dirty, difficult and dangerous has been compounded by flexible labour market policies, particularly "outsourcing", in which the construction workforce is recruited through subcontractors and other intermediaries. This has made work in construction increasingly temporary and insecure with a profound impact on occupational safety and health, training and the level of skills.
To address this situation the ILO is collaborating with the Building and Woodworkers' International (BWI) to promote research, training and the preparation of promotional tools to encourage and promote better practices in the field. A package of construction project management training materials for the main participant groups in the sector – clients (including house-builders and commercial property developers who determine what should be built and where); consultants (designers, architects, estimators, etc.); contractors; and workers – is helping them all to take safety and health considerations on board at all stages of a construction project.


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How vaccine misinformation made the COVID-19 death toll worse
By A Martínez,
American flags continue to fly at half staff in memory of those who've lost their lives to COVID. At one point, 1 million deaths seemed unthinkable. Now, according to the Johns Hopkins University COVID tracker, we're nearly there. It comes as cases and hospitalizations are again on the rise. And what makes the number more gut-wrenching is that many of these COVID deaths were preventable. NPR's Allison Aubrey joins us now. Allison, you've covered this pandemic from the very, very start. How did we get here?
ALLISON AUBREY, BYLINE: Oh, good morning. I think the great paradox is that the U.S. has played a huge role, an outsized role, in creating the vaccines and creating the medicines, the way out of the pandemic, thanks to the ingenuity of scientists and vaccine makers. But simultaneously, we've been hit so hard due to fragmentation and inequalities in our health care system, as well as vaccine hesitancy, often fueled by politically motivated misinformation. Consider this, A - if you tally up the number of unvaccinated people who died from COVID after vaccines were open to all adults last year, it's about 319,000 lives lost, according to a Brown University analysis. That is nearly one-third of all COVID deaths in the U.S., people who could be alive if they'd gotten vaccinated. I talked to a couple of doctors about this, Nicole Baldwin, a pediatrician in Cincinnati, and Calvin Johnson in Los Angeles.
NICOLE BALDWIN: It's really tragic.
CALVIN JOHNSON: It's just heartbreaking, you know, when it was preventable.
BALDWIN: And I wonder if there's something else we could have done.
AUBREY: Both Baldwin and Johnson have spent a lot of time trying to tackle misinformation. Yet, they point out, only about 30% of kids aged 5 to 11 are fully vaccinated.
MARTINEZ: We heard Dr. Baldwin wondering what else could have been done. I mean, why does she think so many families are hesitant to vaccinate?
AUBREY: There are multiple factors, but she points to social media. The decision to vaccinate, A, is no longer just a conversation between doctor and patient. Anti-vaccine influencers have gained so much traction. And more people spend more time engaging with them.
BALDWIN: I think the challenge is, you can say almost anything that you want to say on social media. You can claim expertise in a field whether or not you have it. And the algorithms on these channels push out content that people are looking at. So it's terrifying. It's frustrating.
AUBREY: Because, she says, the content being pushed out is often not the evidence-based or factual. It's often the more sensationalized content from influencers who intend to mislead or scare people.
MARTINEZ: All right. So who is pushing the anti-vaccine content? Who are these influencers?
AUBREY: Well, people who get attention on social media promoting anti-vaccine messages are often selling books or supplements or natural alternatives to vaccines. They scare people about vaccines because they benefit from it. Amid COVID, there's also been more politically motivated influencers, people against vaccines, because they don't want the government telling them what to do. These influencers can - have basically leveraged each other's networks and together have amassed very large followings. I spoke to a mother, Lydia Greene (ph). She's the mom of three children. She says she's seen firsthand how impressionable people can be to the messages of influencers with big followings.
LYDIA GREENE: They quickly, like, pile on and give you so many reasons not to vaccinate. Like, you're poisoning your kid. Why would you poison your kid?
AUBREY: Now, it's easy to say, like, what's up here? I mean, what is the root of this distrust? Why would parents, you know, trust social media influencers over their own doctors?
MARTINEZ: Yeah. So I mean, how do parents get pulled into the web of misinformation?
AUBREY: I think it often starts very innocently. New parents are looking for support, for camaraderie. When Lydia Greene's first child was born years ago, she found a site called mothering.com where moms would share information about breastfeeding, getting your baby to sleep. She says she was very grateful to find a group of moms to bond with.
GREENE: When I first joined Mothering, it was more liberal, educated hippy, granola moms just wanting to do the best for their children.
AUBREY: And part of what connects these moms is a sense that traditional doctors weren't really supporting them. When Lydia Greene had trouble breastfeeding, the doctor said, oh, you know, don't worry - there's formula. This created a seed of distrust with establishment or mainstream medicine. And it gave an opening to alternative approaches, which Greene liked at first. But then she saw that the natural parenting world was a gateway to the anti-vaccine world. And she says it was almost cult-like, where anti-vaccine leaders kind of lured you in with books and seminars and natural products.
GREENE: When you're in there, you believe that they're an underdog. They're sacrificing their career and their reputation to tell the truth about vaccines.
AUBREY: When really, she says, it's all very misleading. And she distanced herself. She got her own children vaccinated and she got vaccinated. She said she saw how COVID really provided an opening for anti-vaccine platforms to expand. You know, influencers were looking to grow their networks. She says natural parenting and kind of yoga or spiritual awakening influencers increasingly merged their networks with those of conspiracy theorists and groups opposed to government mandates, you know, uniting people who originally had very different reasons for opposing vaccines.
GREENE: So a lot of these yoga, granola, spiritual awakening people have now gone full conspiracy, QAnon. And it's like, wow. Oh, wow.
AUBREY: Her disbelief and her recognition of just how dangerous it is to steer people away from vaccines led her to form a support group. It's called Back to the VAX. It provides kind of a community and support for people who have fallen for anti-vaccine propaganda.
MARTINEZ: So it sounds like she's trying to help other parents kind of see through the misinformation.
AUBREY: That's right. And this comes at a time when pediatricians worry that the anti-vaccine sentiment is growing in certain circles. The most recent CDC data shows the number of kindergartners who don't have basic vaccines when they enter school has fallen slightly. So this worries pediatricians. And doctors and advocates, including Lydia Greene, say there's a lot more work to be done here.
MARTINEZ: That's NPR's Allison Aubrey. Allison, thanks a lot.
AUBREY: Thank you, A.
(SOUNDBITE OF LYMBYC SYSTYM'S "1000 ARMS") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
A Martínez
A Martínez is one of the hosts of Morning Edition and Up First. He came to NPR in 2021 and is based out of NPR West.
See stories by A Martínez


This year's Fresh issue marks the 50th magazine Edible Austin has released since our founding in 2007 -- what a time to celebrate! In this issue, you can read up on local school lunches, food trends for the year to come, and the art of washoku. You can also find articles on winter gardening, and Cuba's farm-to-table movement.
We hope you'll love this anniversary issue as much as we do!
ABOUT THE COVER: Bento box by Knoxy (page 29).
Trends for the year to come.
Introducing farm-fresh options, salad bars and food-truck fare.
Balanced cooking with room for creativity.
Urban Roots' Food & Leadership Fellowship.
Rachel and Matthew Buchanan of The Leaning Pear.
Planting a winter gardening bed.
Quick cooking tips for 2017.


It's the color that when you were young, would make your stomach flip inside out. The color Momma called ominous, although you were never really sure what that meant. It's all the wrong colors a sky should be at 3:00 on a sunny Summer day. Before the sky changed color, it was the perfect blue, like the color of the sea off the coast of a tropical island. You were in awe at the color. How could it possibly be so pale and bright at the same time? Then, you see it rolling in: thick blackish-grey clouds with streaks of purple and navy and even a little orange flipping over and under each other, making loud thunderous claps as they push closer and closer towards you until suddenly the entire sky looks so dark, you're sure God is summoning the devil from hell.
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City Leaders Promote Safety Locks For Guns
Gun-owning Philadelphians need to know about a new law requiring their safe storage in your residence if minors are living with you. That means equipping guns with gun locks.
The bill was introduced last April by Philadelphia City Council President Darrell Clarke, following a number of high-profile preventable tragedies involving children with firearms across the country. Approximately 265 children gained access to a firearm not equipped with a safety lock, and shot someone else or themselves.
Meeting at Temple University Hospital, whose emergency rooms have witnessed a heavy share of such accidents, on Aug. 1, to spread the word were City Council President Darrell L. Clarke, Council Safety Chair Curtis Jones, Jr., Sheriff Jewell Williams, District Attorney Seth Williams, Temple Hospital officials and several community anti-gun-violence groups.
Kicking off the program was the announcement gun locks would be distributed to gun owners at several National Night Out locations in the city Aug. 1 and 2. (For more information on gun locks, owners may call the distribution hotline at (215) 686-3572.)
Clarke said, "Philadelphians are required to keep firearms and ammunition locked away out of the reach of any minors present in the home. This bill was necessary since Pennsylvania is one of 47 states that lack safe-storage laws, despite a number of high-profile tragedies involving children accessing deadly weapons.
"There are few things more outrageous than the death of a child by her own hands or the hands of a playmate or sibling, simply because adults did not act responsibly and keep guns locked far out of reach," Clarke said. "Children who die in these entirely preventable tragedies are not the only victims: The children who pulled the trigger and the adults who failed to keep them safe must live with an indescribable shame for the rest of their lives. Keeping guns safely stored away from kids is inexpensive and easy, and I'm grateful to our partners for making these gun locks freely available to the public."
"Gun violence is an epidemic in the city of Philadelphia," said Amy Goldberg, MD, FACS, professor and chair of the Dept. of Surgery at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, surgeon-in-chief for Temple University Health System, and medical director of perioperative services at Temple University Hospital. "We've seen too many incidents where children have access to guns and accidently shoot others or themselves. One life is too many and whatever we can do to preserve a life is a step in the right direction.""As an army officer and a Philadelphian, and most importantly as a dad, I know guns in the hands of people who should not have them can cause accidents, injuries and sometimes death," said DA Williams. "It is an honor to stand with this coalition. I look forward to continuing to work with this team, and anyone else, who can help us distribute and advocate for the use of gun locks so we can do the important work of saving lives."
"Sadly, as evidenced by the number of gun victims that are treated here at Temple and throughout Philadelphia, we are a city that is awash in firearms," said Scott Charles, MAPP, trauma outreach coordinator at Temple University Hospital. "It is difficult for most people to comprehend the kind of damage that bullets do to the adult human body. The kind of devastation they cause small children is truly unthinkable. We have an obligation to protect our most vulnerable citizens from this kind of suffering and death."
Approximately 1,000 gun locks were given away over two days of National Night Out events beginning Monday. According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, there were more than 10,500 reported deaths from unintentional shootings from 1999 to 2014, of which 2,366 were deaths of minors. From 2001 to 2013, more than 215,000 nonfatal unintentional firearms injuries were reported, of which approximately 55,000 were injuries to minors.
"As part of our anti-crime efforts, giving away free gun locks to secure weapons, will make children safer in their own homes," said Jones.
Also in attendance for the announcement at Temple University Hospital were Dr. Larry Kaiser, president & CEO, Temple University Health System; Dorothy Johnson Speight, Mothers in Charge; Bilal Qayyum, Father's Day Rally Committee; Sandy Sheller, Sheller Family Foundation; Shira Goodman, CeaseFirePA; Rev. Bonnie Camarda, the Salvation Army; and representatives of Philadelphia CeaseFire.locked away out of the reach of any minors present in the home. This bill was necessary: Pennsylvania is one of 47 states that lack safe-storage laws, despite a number of high-profile tragedies involving children accessing deadly weapons.
"There are few things more outrageous than the death of a child by their own hand or the hands of a playmate or sibling, simply because adults did not act responsibly and keep guns locked far out of reach," Clarke said. "Children who die in these entirely preventable tragedies are not the only victims: The children who pulled the trigger and the adults who failed to keep them safe must live with an indescribable shame for the rest of their lives. Keeping guns safely stored away from kids is inexpensive and easy, and I'm grateful to our partners for making these gun locks freely available to the public."
Sheriff Williams added, "A gun lock is a tool that can be used to keep the public safe, including children and inexperienced gun-owners, regardless of whether the weapon is registered or not. The message is all about gun safety for everyone and saving lives. Got a gun? Get a gun lock!"
"As an army officer and a Philadelphian, and most importantly, as a dad, I know guns in the hands of people who should not have them can cause accidents, injuries and sometimes death," said DA Williams. "It is an honor to stand with this coalition. I look forward to continuing to work with this team, and anyone else, who can help us distribute and advocate for the use of gun locks so we can do the important work of saving lives."
"Gun violence is an epidemic in the city of Philadelphia," said Amy Goldberg, MD, FACS, professor and chair of the Dept. of Surgery at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, surgeon-in-chief for Temple University Health System, and medical director of perioperative services at Temple University Hospital. "We've seen too many incidents where children have access to guns and accidently shoot others or themselves. One life is too many and whatever we can do to preserve a life is a step in the right direction."
Also in attendance for the announcement at Temple University Hospital were Dr. Larry Kaiser, president & CEO, Temple University Health System; Dorothy Johnson Speight, Mothers in Charge; Bilal Qayyum, Father's Day Rally Committee; Sandy Sheller, Sheller Family Foundation; Shira Goodman, CeaseFirePA; Rev. Bonnie Camarda, the Salvation Army; and representatives of the Philadelphia branch of CeaseFirePA.
The Philadelphia Public Record
Philadelphia officials, advocates urging gun owners to lock their weapons
"Got a gun, get a lock."
That's the motto of a new initiative by Philadelphia City Council, law enforcement agencies and those working to reduce deadly violence to encourage gun owners to lock their weapons.
The Philadelphia sheriff's office expects to give out more than 500 free gun locks Monday during National Night Out events and plans to distribute thousands more in the weeks to come.
During a news conference announcing the effort Monday morning, Council President Darrell Clarke said anyone can get one — no questions asked.
"We are not going to ask you to show ID or registration for your weapon because, frankly speaking, if someone wants to lock an illegal gun, I'm OK with that," he said. The city has spent about $2,000 purchasing gun locks so far, according to Clarke's spokeswoman Jane Roh.
Clarke and other advocates said the effort would help prevent children from accidentally shooting themselves or others — in June, a 4-year-old from North Philadelphia died after shooting herself in the head. Monday morning, Philadelphia police said a 5-year-old in Germantown shot himself in the hand and was reported in stable condition.
"It just takes a few seconds to unlock that gun," said Shira Goodman with Ceasefire PA. "But for the person who is contemplating suicide or is angry or is depressed at that moment, the couple seconds it takes to unlock that gun could mean the difference between their life and death or somebody else's."
Gun owners who would like a free lock can get one by calling the city's Safe Storage Hotline, 215-686-3572, even if the weapon was purchased illegally or is not registered.
Free gun locks will also be distributed during National Night Out events at the following locations:
Fair Hill Square Park
4th and Lehigh Street
Rose Playground
North 75th Street and Lansdowne Avenue
6 to 8:30 p.m.
32nd and Cumberland streets
Written by Katie Colaneri for Newsworks.
City launches free gun lock program
If you own a gun, Philadelphia Sheriff Jewell Williams wants you to put a lock on it. The sheriff said if guns are locked up, a child, or a person who is angry or suicidal, is less likely to harm themselves or someone else.
To promote gun safety—and recognize National Night Out, held each year on the first Tuesday evening in August — Williams announced plans by he and City Council members to distribute approximately 500 free gun locks during three National Night Out events around the city last night and tonight, Aug. 2. The location for tonight's give-away is 32nd and Cumberland streets, 5 p.m. — 8:45 p.m., in cooperation with the Strawberry Mansion Faith-Based Coalition.
"A gun lock is a tool that can be used to keep the public safe, including children and inexperienced gun owners, regardless of whether the weapon is registered or not," Williams said. "The message is all about gun safety for everyone, and saving lives."
Williams spoke during an announcement of a Safe Storage initiative Monday morning at Temple University Hospital. Several entities came together, including Philadelphia City Council President Darrell Clarke, City Council Public Safety Chair and Councilman Curtis Jones Jr., Philadelphia District Attorney R. Seth Williams, Temple's Health System and its Cradle to Grave Program, Mothers in Charge, CeaseFirePA, the Father's Day Rally Committee and the Sheller Family Foundation. Clarke introduced a law earlier this year that requires firearms and ammunition to be locked away, out of reach from minors.
"There are few things more outrageous than the death of a child by her own hands or the hands of a playmate or sibling, simply because adults did not act responsibly and keep guns locked far out of reach," Clarke said. "Children who die in these entirely preventable tragedies are not the only victims. The children who pulled the trigger and the adults who failed to keep them safe must live with an indescribable shame for the rest of their lives."
The aim of Safe Storage is to give away free gun locks for gun owners — who have guns legally or illegally — and for them to lock up their guns, especially if they have young children in the home. The event promotes neighborhood engagement, public safety and police and community partnerships.
"Locks work," said CeaseFirePa Executive Director Shira Goodman, whose organization works with people and communities to stand against gun violence. "Obviously a lock doesn't work if you don't lock it up."
Almost three decades ago, Temple University Hospital's Dr. Amy Goldberg was a young surgical resident when a 4-year-old boy arrived with gunshot wounds to his upper body and was in cardiac arrest.
"We opened his chest and did our best to reverse the devastation caused by the bullets," said Goldberg, surgeon-in-chief at Temple University's Health System. "Well, we were unable to save him. He was shot by his older brother with a gun that was left unattended and unsecured in their home. So many tragedies occurred that day and continue to occur in our neighborhoods throughout Philadelphia."
And again just last week, Goldberg said a 10-year-old girl was shot in North Philadelphia and brought into the hospital.
"Hard to call her lucky after being shot, but she sustained a wound to her arm only and will live," Goldberg said. "Unfortunately, we here at Temple, as well as the other trauma centers across the city, know far too well the damage that gun violence produces."
Goldberg continued, "Our patients are killed, left paralyzed from the neck or waist down, unable to walk, breathe on their own or care for themselves. They are left with colostomy wounds that need to be cared for and they are forever changed both physically and mentally, but wounds from guns, guns left unattended, these deaths and injuries can be prevented and must be prevented."
Councilman Jones, who represents the 4th District, told the audience that he knew of at least 12 or more people who have been shot or killed by guns.
"This gun lock program is essential," Jones said. "Gun locks add an additional step, an additional thought, an additional action that may prevent someone from doing something that they may regret for the rest of their life."
Dorothy Johnson-Speight, founder and national executive director of the nonprofit Mothers In Charge, said she knows gun locks isn't a panacea for gun violence, but acknowledged that it's a step in the right direction.
"So many lives are being lost today and especially of young children, when they get their hands on guns and there is no lock on them," said Johnson-Speight, whose son was murdered in 2001. "We want to be out of business; we don't want mothers to keep coming to our organization because they have to bury their sons and daughters to violence."
According to the website for the National Association of Town Watch, called National Night Out.
Written by Ryanne Persinger for the Philadelphia Tribune.
Sheriff Jewell Williams Jurado En su segundo mandato
El 4 de enero, 2016, Sheriff Jewell Williams fue juramentado para un segundo mandato. Se trata de un informe sobre la ceremonia de CBS3 noticias del testigo.
La posesión ilegal de un hogar
Sheriff Jewell Williams habla con un reportero acerca de cómo una familia tomó posesión ilegal de una casa y fue detenido por ello.
Filadelfia sheriff promueve primer capitán Latino
FILADELFIA (AP) - Un latino ha alcanzado el grado de capitán por primera vez en la historia de 300 años de la Oficina del Sheriff de Filadelfia.
Capt. Michael Bastone fue uno de cinco hombres promovidas por el Sheriff Jewell Williams.
La oficina dice Bastone anotó el segundo más alto de los que tomaron la prueba. Ha estado con la oficina del alguacil durante 25 años.
Bastone dijo en un comunicado que fue humillado.
Publicado en el Herald de New Jersey el 27 de mayo el año 2015
Phila. recoge más de las ejecuciones hipotecarias, embargos fiscales
Los pagos a la tesorería y los servicios públicos de la ciudad de Filadelfia, a partir de las ejecuciones hipotecarias y los impuestos morosos, facturas de gas y agua, subieron a $ el 58,3 millones el año pasado, un salto de 40% a partir de $ el 34,4 millones en 2013, según un comunicado del electo Sheriff de la ciudad, Jewell Williams. La oficina, que también el transporte de presos, en el pasado ha sido acusado de ineficiencia y favoritismo en su gestión de los datos de los bienes morosos.
"El aumento de los ingresos se puede atribuir a dos cambios", dice la oficina de Williams: En primer lugar:. Una nueva política "que requiere los compradores de propiedades para hacer solución definitiva dentro de los treinta días después de la venta se lleva a cabo en el pasado, el pago final podría ser hecho meses después de una propiedad fue vendida ". En segundo lugar, "un nuevo sistema de gestión de datos que aumentó la velocidad de procesamiento de las ventas y la recolección de pagos."
"Cuanto más rápido nos pagan por propiedades, más rápido podemos enviar los impuestos en mora y tasas municipales para la ciudad", dijo Williams en un comunicado. Los pagos incluyen $ 22,7 millones en impuestos atrasados de propiedades ejecutadas, $ 8,5 millones en facturas de agua espalda, y $ 5.4 millones a los Philadelphia Gas Works de propiedad municipal.
Willaims también dice que su oficina ha acelerado hechos de procesamiento a la exclusión compradores a "20 días o menos," de "meses" en el pasado. "Las personas que compran propiedades en ventas sheriff necesitan una escritura de tomar posesión de los bienes y devolverlo al uso productivo", agregó Wiliams.
Escrito por Joseph N. DiStefano del Philadelphia Inquirer.