#at least he's still involved in the buffalo community <3 | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

nerdygaymormon · 3 years ago

Text

The Pride Month We Know & Love

In 1969, the Stonewall Riots occurred. This is considered the beginning of the modern queer rights movement. At the time, it was called the gay rights movement and the word gay, while meaning homosexual, also was an umbrella term that included all of what we now call the queer community.

————————————————————

On November 2, 1969, a group of people proposed the first gay parade be held in New York City, both to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall riots and to be an annual reminder that we are in a struggle for fundamental human rights. They called on homophile organizations throughout the country to hold demonstrations the same day to show nationwide support.

On June 28, 1970, the Christopher Street Liberation Day marked the first anniversary of the Stonewall riots with a march. Christopher Street is the road in front of the Stonewall Inn and the road participants marched down. The New York Times reported (on the front page) that the marchers took up the entire street for 15 city blocks. Marches were also held in Chicago & Los Angeles while San Francisco held a “gay-in.”

In 1971, marches took place in Boston, Dallas, Milwaukee, London, Paris, West Berlin, and Stockholm.

By 1972 the participating cities included Atlanta, Brighton, Buffalo, Detroit, Washington D.C., Miami, and Philadelphia, as well as San Francisco.

————————————————————

The first marches were both serious and fun and served to inspire the widening activist movement. There was a dramatic increase in the number of people organizing for queer rights. In 1969, there were 50 to 60 gay groups in the country. In 1970 that increased to at least 1500. In 1972 it was 2500.

Prior to 1969, the organizations called themselves the homophile movement. They focused on showing that gay people are respectable and politely asked for discriminatory policies to be removed. Their marches had dress requirements, age limits as to who could participate, and even the signs held had to be pre-approved.

The Stonewall riots with images of gays retaliating against police changed things and inspired new activists. They considered the movement an uprising and renamed it the gay liberation movement. We are gonna be who we are and live as we want, respectability be damned. Parades and festivals were to specifically to not have dress requirements or age limits.

————————————————————

In Nazi Germany, gay men were prisoners in the concentration camps and their clothes had inverted pink triangles sewn on them to mark them as homosexual men (this also included bisexual men and trans women). This pink triangle was extra large so they could be easily identified from a distance.

After the concentration camps were shut down at the end of World War II and prisoners freed, the gay survivors were not released but locked up in prison. Homosexuality was illegal in Germany. West Germany continued to imprison them until 1994!

In 1973, Homosexuelle Aktion Westberlin, a German gay liberation group, called for gay men to wear the pink triangle as a memorial to past victims and to protest continuing discrimination. This pink triangle became a symbol of the gay rights movement and many displayed it proudly, but the symbol couldn’t shake its association with the horrors of the Nazis.

Harvey Milk, one of the first openly gay elected officials in the U.S., urged artist Gilbert Baker, an openly gay man and a drag queen, to create a new inspiring symbol for the gay community to replace the Nazi symbol.

It’s thought that Baker was at least partially inspired by the Judy Garland song "Over the Rainbow" (Garland being among the first gay icons). He also liked the idea of a flag, as that is a way of being visible. The rainbow flag was unveiled at the 1978 San Francisco Gay Freedom Day parade. After the parade, hot pink was removed from new flags due to fabric unavailability. The murder of Harvey Milk in November 1978 led to a surge of requests for the Rainbow flag, which led to it being adopted by people around the country.

For the 1979 San Francisco Gay Freedom Day parade, the organizers reduced the number of colors from 7 to 6 so that they could divide it in half and have 3 colors decorating one side of the street, and the other three colors on the other side. This 6-colored rainbow flag became the standard and quickly replaced pink triangles.

In 2003, a mile-long version of the rainbow flag was made by Baker for the 35th anniversary of the Stonewall riots, this recognized the rainbow flag as THE international symbol for LGBTQ pride, it can be seen all around the world.

On June 26, 2015, the White House was illuminated in the rainbow flag colors to mark the legalization of same-sex marriages across the country.

In June 2017, the city of Philadelphia adopted a revised version of the flag that adds black and brown stripes to the top of the standard six-colors to draw attention to issues of people of color within the LGBTQ community.

In June 2018 designer Daniel Quasar released a redesign incorporating elements from both the Philadelphia flag and trans pride flag to bring focus on inclusion and progress within the community.

————————————————————

But when did it go from Gay Liberation to Pride?

Meetings to organize the first march in New York City began in early January 1970. Brenda Howard, a bisexual activist, is known as the "Mother of Pride" for her work in coordinating the march. She also originated the idea for a week-long series of events around the march.

She wanted to create a number of events to bring in people from out of town and wanted to unite the events under a label. The first idea was 'Gay Power,’ however gay activist L. Craig Schoonmaker didn’t like that suggestion. He explained, “There's very little chance for [gay] people in the world to have power...But anyone can have pride in themselves, and that would make them happier as people, and produce the movement likely to produce change."

Brenda Howard, L. Craig Schoonmaker and bisexual activist Robert A. Martin (aka Donny the Punk) are credited with popularizing the word "Pride" to describe the festivities in New York.

As the 1980s approached, there was a cultural shift in the gay movement. Just as the elections of Ronald Reagan & Margaret Thatcher indicated a conservative shift in their countries, activists of a less radical, more conservative nature began taking over the march committees in different cities. They dropped "Gay Liberation" and "Gay Freedom" from the names, replacing them with Schoomaker’s idea of "Gay Pride." This also coincided with the replacement of the more radical pink triangles for the more positive rainbow flags.

The word "pride" was embraced as it defies the bigotry and hatred against the LGBTQIA+ community. It also teaches people they should be proud of themselves rather than feel shame. Replacing shame with pride helps people to come out and to be more assertive about who they are and that they deserve the same rights as others.

In 1999, President Bill Clinton issued a proclamation declaring that the LGBTQIA+ community and its allies would "celebrate the anniversary of Stonewall every June in America as Gay and Lesbian Pride Month." President Barack Obama issued a proclamation in 2009 declaring June LGBTQIA+ Pride Month.

This is how we got Pride Month!

————————————————————

Part of the original ideas of parades was to bring queer people and queer culture into what was considered heteronormative spaces. Queer lives were seen as dissident and radical.

Today Pride events have taken on a festive character and it’s fun to join hundreds or thousands of other queer people.

Pride events still have some of the original political or activist character. Most offer some aspect dedicated to remembering victims of AIDS and anti-LGBT violence. Booths are often on hand with people collecting signatures in support of constitutional amendments or petitions for laws & policies to change.

Large parades often involve floats, dancers, drag queens and amplified music, and they usually include political and educational contingents, such as local politicians, and groups from LGBT institutions of various kinds, such as PFLAG. Other typical parade participants include local LGBT-friendly churches and LGBT-employee associations from large corporations.

The Stonewall riots, as well as the immediate and the ongoing political organizing that occurred following them, were fully participated in by lesbians, bisexuals, transgender people, and gays, from all races and backgrounds. Pride festivals and parades continue to be inclusive spaces.

Historically these events were first named Gay, the word at that time being used to cover the entire spectrum of what is now called the queer. Today these festivals & parades are often called Pride.

#long post #queer pride #lgbtq pride #Pride month #queer history

213 notes · View notes

this-is-a-love-story-fleabag · 5 years ago

Text

Fork you, then (8/?)

Thanks for sticking through with me on this! I think there will be two chapters after this one, but who knows?? Fleabag saves her friend Boo’s life and earns a spot in the Good Place, but is everything here really so perfect? And what’s up with the hot priest next door? 2089 words. Chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. Also on ao3.

"Do you feel peaceful here?" he asks.

"Not in the slightest."

"Maybe we should look for it. Go out on a mission in search of heavenly contentment."

"If we can find some, I'm all for it," she laughs. "Plus, I definitely need a hobby other than drinking and masturbating."

"Sure, sure. We can't have you getting a strained wrist, or whatever."

In contrast to the remarkable abundance of frozen yogurt shops in the Good Place, the priest has not yet managed to find a single pub.

"It's basically a forking war crime," he laments as they make their way through the meandering streets back to his house, a bottle of wine shoved in each pocket.

"Maybe we could open one together," she says, inspecting the label of a bottle of Merlot. "I used to run a café, maybe it's the same."

"Maybe," he agrees amiably. "Sounds like a lot of work, though, when we can just drink at home."

"We'd probably be the only customers, anyway."

He opens his front door and they lounge either side of his coffee table, sprawled out on the carpet. "I sometimes wonder if we're the only bastards in heaven," he says, pouring them both a liberal glass of wine.

She lets out a peal of laughter. "I have had the exact same thought."

"I thought I'd feel more peaceful, you know?" he says, leaning back against his sofa and waving his drink for emphasis. "I've reached my eternal rest or whatever... and it's actually really forking stressful."

"At least you know you belong here, after doing all that..." she waves her hand in the air, narrowly avoiding spilling red wine on the carpet. "...priesty stuff when you were alive."

"I'm sure you-"

She cuts him off. "Were you a good priest?"

It takes him a second of thought and several sips of wine before he answers. "Yeah, I think so. I wasn't a great person before that, but I think I made up for it. Were you a good person?"

"Fork no," she laughs. "Someone up there's getting fired for this, I guarantee you."

"Come on, you must have done some good things."

"I'll let you know if I remember any." They lapse into comfortable silence for a while and he tops up her glass. She looks comfortable propped up against the armchair, loose-limbed and languid.

"Do you feel peaceful here?" he asks.

"Not in the slightest."

"Maybe we should look for it. Go out on a mission in search of heavenly contentment."

"If we can find some, I'm all for it," she laughs. "Plus, I definitely need a hobby other than drinking and masturbating."

"Sure, sure. We can't have you getting a strained wrist, or whatever."

"Here's to peace," she proposes, lifting her glass.

"To peace," he agrees.

Their first attempt at achieving inner piece does not go well. The priest has the bright idea to ask Jianyu to lead them through a Buddhist meditation. He assents with a bow and brings them into a silent clearing in the opulent grounds of Tahani's mansion, a faint whiff of buffalo sauce suffusing the air around him. He settles them cross-legged on the manicured lawn, spines straight, hands resting lightly on their knees, ready commune with the universe.

Then Jianyu opens his mouth.

An hour later, they wave him farewell and walk out of the garden, slightly dazed, and continue without speaking for a few minutes.

"So is that a typical Buddhist meditation session?" she asks, breaking their silence.

"Not... in my experience," responds the priest diplomatically. "I don't think it's usual for a monk to use the word "dope" in any context."

"I did find the part about letting go of the swamp alligators in your soul oddly helpful."

"I saw the look you gave me when he said that, you forking menace." In fact, the entire session had been a series of amused, side-eyed glances between the pair of them and a superhuman effort not to laugh.

"What does Bortles mean? Is it Sanskrit?"

"I've never heard it before, but my Sanskrit is absolute shirt, so I can't be sure."

"I know it doesn't mean 'downward-facing dog' but that's all I've got."

"Maybe he had the right idea with the whole... vow of silence thing."

"Definitely."

Tahani jumps at the chance to get involved in their self-improvement project and immediately insists that the three of them take a spa day together.

"I see you're here for the throuple's massage," says Janet brightly from behind the reception desk in the gleaming, white relaxation centre.

"That's not quite-" says the priest, just as his neighbour says "Fork yeah." He squints at her and she grins unashamedly.

"Janet, we're here to find inner peace," announces Tahani. "Set up the room to be 80% Gwyneth Paltrow's private spa and 20% Paul McCartney's five-dimensional meditation cube."

"Sure!" says Janet. "I'll go find two other Janets for the massage therapy. Go in through that door and undress, then lay face down on the massage tables. We'll be with you in a moment." She pings out of reality and the three peace-seekers head through into the treatment room. The decoration is all bare Norwegian wood and soft lighting, with gentle nature sounds playing in the background and stacks of immensely soft, fluffy towels.

The priest carefully averts his eyes as his neighbour shucks off her dress without a hint of self-consciousness, throwing it onto a chair and unsubtly checking out Tahani as she did the same.

"Are those your real tits?" she asks.

"Yes," sighs Tahani. "I've always been cursed with a large bosom. It's a nightmare trying to find couture that fits."

"Sure. Difficult."

He manages somehow to take off all of his clothes with a towel wrapped firmly around his waist, drawing an amused, knowing glance. He slides onto the table and covers himself with another towel so that every inch of his body save his head is completely hidden.

"Hi," says Janet, popping back into existence with two other Janets in tow, one in a neat, green pantsuit with a beaming grin, and one in skin-tight leather trousers who was fiddling with her phone. "There weren't two Good Place Janets available, so I've had to borrow one Bad Janet to help out."

"What up, fart-goblins," says Bad Janet. "I'm here to touch your butts."

"Who wants to go first?" asks Good Janet #1.

The priest is amused but not at all surprised to see his neighbour raise her hand.

Michael's idea for them to find inner peace is to send them out into the centre of the lake in a rowing boat in the middle of a scorching hot day with a picnic basket and instructions to enjoy themselves. At this, they do not entirely succeed.

"How am I sunburned in heaven?" wails the priest later, applying aloe to the peeling red patches on his chest. "This is the most Irish thing to ever happen to anyone."

"How did you get sunburned through your shirt?" she asks, her sure, cold fingers rubbing in soothing circles over his shoulder.

"I don't know," he whines, leaning into her touch as her hands drift over his skin, cooling the burn.

She mutters something that sounds like "his beautiful neck", then clears her throat and turns away to get more lotion. "I don't think Michael has a strong grasp on what it's like to have human skin."

"Well, that's two down. Who should we ask next?"

"No, nuh-uh," says Chidi firmly as Eleanor paces along his living room.

"Come on, man, it's just one little threesome! What harm could it do?"

"OK, first of all, I would really prefer that our relationship remain monogamous, but most importantly, we're trying to teach her that you can't solve all your problems by ignoring them and just having sex with people."

She scoffs. "Agree to disagree."

"Eleanor..."

"Fine, I'll take them... rollerblading, or whatever, but I maintain that your objection is total bullshirt."

It's about 3AM on a warm, still night, when the priest clambers up the rose trellis and raps on his neighbour's window. Fortunately for his delicate constitution, she is not wearing frilly underthings. Unfortunately for his stupid heart, she's wearing a pair of pyjamas that she stole from his wardrobe, and she looks adorable in them.

"Father," she greets him. "What man art thou that, thus bescreened in night, so stumblest on my counsel?"

"Fork, I was going to open with 'soft, what light through yonder window breaks', and you ruined it."

"So, wherefore art thou climbing up my forking walls in the middle of the night?" She leans over the windowsill, framed in the warm light from inside, and part of him aches to reach up a little further and meet her red lips in a soft kiss.

"Eleanor asked me to look after her unicorn for her and I've forking lost it," he says instead, pouting forlornly. "Can you come and help me find it?"

"That doesn't explain why you couldn't use the door instead of the window."

He shrugs as well as he is able to while clinging to a wall two storeys off the ground. "This seemed less intrusive."

"It isn't," she laughs. "Can you get back down or do you need me to haul you in?"

"Er, hauling, probably," he admits, and she grabs him by the wrists to yank him inside. Her bedroom is relatively plain and a little untidy, but it smells like mysterious girl things like perfume and body lotion. This entire situation is making his head spin a little (although that might be the altitude).

He perches uncomfortably at the foot of her bed while she hunts around for a matching pair of shoes. "Where did you lose it, and what direction did it go?" she asks as she gropes blindly underneath the bed.

"Next to the fountain in the town square. I only turned away for a second! I think it forked off towards the lake."

They make their way, via the front door, down towards the water, whispering and walking quietly so as not to disturb the neighbourhood.

"Look," she says, grabbing his arm on spotting a glimmer of silver in the moonlight over the fields. "I think that's it."

They approach carefully, sensibly wary of startling the giant pointy horse. The unicorn seems to pay them no heed, flipping its mane in mild annoyance before pooping out a small, wet rainbow.

"Hey, there," she says in the most soothing voice she can muster, gingerly extending an arm towards the creature. When her hand touches the unicorn's flank, it gives out an almighty whinny and wheels around to look her dead in the eyes, huffing aggressively.

"Fork fork fork fork fork," she mutters under her breath as she backs away rapidly from the beast. "I don't think it likes me."

Quick as a flash, the priest grabs the unicorn's reins and gives them a yank to turn its attention back to him. "Come on," he says sternly. "It's time for you to go home."

The animal rears up and lets out a noise of extreme displeasure, but the priest stands firm and keeps his hold on the reins, using his disappointed-Sunday-school-teacher scowl. Little by little, the unicorn stops bucking and grunting, and allows itself to be led back towards the town square.

"Thanks," she says, walking a little ahead to keep a wary distance away from the creature. "I thought I was about to become unicorn food."

"I don't think they actually eat people." The unicorn let out another aggressive grunt. "Although I'm not entirely sure on that."

"Why does Eleanor even have a feral unicorn?"

"She didn't tell me! She just handed me the forking reins and told me to look after it and forked off!"

"You wrangled it remarkably well."

"I'm surprised I didn't run away, to be honest. I'm not usually good at dealing with things."

She gives him a smile over her shoulder. "You’re braver than you believe, and stronger and smarter than you think," she tells him.

He stops short, making the unicorn give a huff of annoyance. "Is that Winnie the Pooh?" he gasps. "Did you just quote Winnie the Pooh at me?"

"I-"

She can't finish the sentence before he's cupping her cheek and capturing her lips in a fierce kiss. He pours himself into her, the pent-up longing and affection from the last few weeks crashing over them like a wave, each touch of his hands against her skin igniting a fire in his senses. He cards his fingers through her dark curls as she gasps against his mouth, her soft body pressed against his.

The sound of galloping hooves brings them out of their private moment, and they surface to the sight of the unicorn tearing away down the road.

"Oh, fork," they say in unison.

#fleabag #the good place #fork you then #my fics

1 note · View note

emergency-cente · 3 years ago

Text

THE LATEST U.S. NUMBERS (AS OF MAY 18, 2020, AT 6:58 P.M. EDT)

U.S. cases have surpassed 1.5 million and the country’s death toll is more than 90,000. The Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center maintains an ongoing count of the COVID-19 cases and deaths in the United States and worldwide. As of May 18, the tally is:

· Total cases worldwide: 4,786,672 (up from 4,516,360 Friday)

· Total deaths worldwide: 317,695 (up from 306,051 Friday)

· Total recoveries: 1,776,641 (up from 1,622,354 Friday)

· Total cases in the United States: 1,506,732 (up from 1,432,045 Friday)

· Total deaths in the United States: 90,236 (up from 86,851 Friday)

New York has added another region to reopen Tuesday, with many beaches set to reopen Memorial Day weekend. On Monday, New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo told the media that the region around Buffalo could reopen on Tuesday, making it the sixth of 10 regions in New York State to meet the criteria to lift lockdown measures, according to CBS News. The Finger Lakes, the North Country, the Southern Tier, the Mohawk Valley, and Central New York reopened last week. Cuomo said that these areas have met the required benchmarks, including declines in infections, deaths, and hospitalizations, and having sufficient numbers of hospital beds to handle a surge.

The governor also announced Friday that state beaches in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Delaware will reopen the Friday before Memorial Day. As of June 1, horse racing tracks statewide can resume races without fans.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, however, said Sunday that city beaches will not reopen Memorial Day weekend or in the near term, and that fences will be built if people start gathering on beaches, according to CBS New York. On Monday, he said that if the current downward trending of infections and hospitalizations continues, the city could ease social distancing restrictions and permit nonessential businesses to reopen by June, according to Newsday.

Texas recorded its highest single-day rise in cases as the state continues to reopen. Over the weekend, Texas reported its biggest daily case count to date of 1,801, according to Newsweek. The surge may be partially due to outbreaks at meat plants and increased testing capacity. The state allowed stores and restaurants to resume business on May 1; gyms are set to reopen today.

More than two-thirds of states have begun to reopen. According to The New York Times, this week Minnesota is set to reopen stores and malls, Kentucky is looking to lift restrictions on restaurants and stores, and Connecticut is allowing salons, museums, and office buildings to resume activities.

More than 11.8 million Americans have been tested so far. A total of 11,834,508 individuals have been tested in the United States for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 as of May 18, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.

Volume 0%

New Developments

Initial human trials of a vaccine have yielded encouraging results. Phase 1 results of Moderna’s mRNA vaccine trial show that all participants who received varying dose amounts of the potential treatment produced antibodies for the novel coronavirus, according to data released on Monday by the biotechnology company.

In the study, led by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), three groups of 15 healthy participants ages 18 to 55 received dosing at either a low-level amount (25 micrograms), a medium level (50 micrograms), or a high level (100 micrograms). Low- and medium-level doses were shown to be safe, but those in the high dose group had significant “systemic symptoms.”

Moderna will discontinue the high dosing in its Phase 2 trials and expects to move to Phase 3 trials in July. If those trials go well, The New York Times reported that a vaccine could become available for widespread use by the end of this year or early 2021, according to Tal Zaks, MD, Moderna’s chief medical officer.

David Bernstein, MD, vice chairman of medicine for clinical trials at Northwell Health in Manhasset, New York, who is not involved in the research, told Everyday Health: “It is important for the public and researchers to have realistic expectations, and I would estimate that at best we are looking at a possible vaccine 12 to 18 months from now, assuming current trials are successful.”

The Federal Reserve chair said the economic downturn could go through the end of next year. On 60 Minutes on Sunday, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said that the economic slump “could stretch through the end of next year.” He added, however, that the country will get through the recession. “In the long run, and even in the medium run, you wouldn’t want to bet against the American economy,” he said. “This economy will recover.”

Vitamin D may help beat the virus. A recent statistical analysis published in MedRXiv of coronavirus patient data from hospitals and clinics across China, France, Germany, Iran, Italy, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States found a strong link between severe vitamin D deficiency and mortality rates. An article in Forbes reviewing the latest research regarding vitamin and COVID-19 concluded that the “jury’s still out on its effects.”

Trump announced that he is taking hydroxychloroquine. President Trump said he is taking daily doses of the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine, according to CNN. The president has touted the drug as a potential coronavirus treatment amid questions about its effectiveness and potential side effects.

A study suggests summer weather could help the slow virus spread. A working paper posted last week from researchers at Harvard Medical School and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology indicates that the warmer summer months could have some positive effects in blocking COVID-19. Temperatures above 77 degrees were linked to a reduction in transmission. The authors found a “negative association between temperature and humidity and transmission.” They warned, however, that the “estimated effects of summer weather are not strong enough to seasonally control the epidemic in most locations.”

Japan’s economy fell into a recession in the first quarter. The Wall Street Journal on Sunday reported that Japan’s economy, the third-largest in the world, contracted by 3.4 percent in the first three months of the year. The economy minister, Yasutoshi Nishimura, warned on Monday that data for the second quarter is expected to be worse, and he expects the economy to “shrink substantially for the time being.”

China supports a WHO investigation of the outbreak’s origin. Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Monday told the World Health Organization’s annual assembly that he backs an international review of the pandemic led by the WHO once the emergency has ended, reported The Guardian. Jinping also announced that China would donate $2 billion to the international fight against COVID-19 and offered to help establish hospitals and health infrastructure in Africa.

Trump officially unveiled Operation Warp Speed. On Friday, President Trump announced that Moncef Slaoui, the ex-head of GlaxoSmithKline’s vaccines division, and four-star Army General Gustave Perna will lead Operation Warp Speed, the administration’s effort to have a coronavirus vaccine ready by the end of the year, according to CNN. “Operation Warp Speed means big and it means fast,” Trump said.

Retail sales and industrial production dropped dramatically in April. The Census Bureau released data on Friday showing that retail sales fell 16.4 percent from a month earlier. This plunge comes on the heels of an 8.3 percent drop in retail sales in March. The Federal Reserve also reported that industrial production plunged a record 11.2 percent in April, according to the Associated Press.

A Gallup poll shows social distancing has dropped significantly. A Gallup poll released Friday revealed that 58 percent of U.S. adults report completely (17 percent) or mostly (41 percent) isolating themselves, continuing a decline from a high of 75 percent the week of March 30 through April 5. The results come as more states are taking steps to reopen their economies.

Tens of thousands of autoworkers are returning to jobs. The Associated Press estimated that 133,000 autoworkers are due to pour back into auto plants that are reopening next week. Ford is predicting stronger sales in the future in Europe, China, and the United States as the lockdowns ease.

Loud talking may leave viral droplets in the air for up to 14 minutes, a study found. A single minute of loud-speaking generates at least 1,000 virus-containing droplets, according to a study published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. Researchers found that infectious droplets may hang in the air for 8 to 14 minutes. “These observations confirm that there is a substantial probability that normal speaking causes airborne virus transmission in confined environments,” write the study authors.

At 108, she may be the country’s oldest coronavirus survivor. Sylvia Goldsholl, who is 108 years old, maybe the nation’s oldest COVID-19 survivor, according to USA Today on Friday. The resident of the Allendale Community for Senior Living in New Jersey had the virus but made a full recovery. Goldsholl has also lived through the Spanish Flu Pandemic of 1918, which struck when she was 6 years old.

Almost three million people filed jobless claims, and the unemployment rate has hit 15.7 percent. The Department of Labor released data last Thursday showing that 2.9 million new claims for unemployment insurance were filed in the previous week. About 36.5 million Americans have filed applications in the past eight weeks. CNBC called it the biggest job loss in U.S. history. The unemployment rate has now rocketed to 15.7 percent, up from about 3.5 percent in February.

The ousted vaccine director warned lawmakers that the country lacks a vaccine plan. In testimony before the House Energy and Commerce Committee last Thursday, Rick Bright, Ph.D., former director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, told representatives that the United States lacks a plan to produce and fairly distribute a coronavirus vaccine when it becomes available, according to the Associated Press. He warned that the nation could face “the darkest day in history” unless decisive action is taken.

Dr. Bright was removed from his post last month after pushing for rigorous vetting of hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malaria drug embraced by President Trump as a coronavirus treatment. He filed a whistleblower complaint saying he was reassigned because he tried to “prioritize science and safety over political expediency.”

The CDC has confirmed the link between a mysterious syndrome in kids and COVID-19. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed the link between a rare syndrome in children with COVID-19, according to NBC New York. New York City has found at least 145 cases of children sickened by the illness.

The CDC issued a health advisory regarding multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). The condition has been seen in several U.S. states and European countries.

“Healthcare providers who have cared or are caring for patients younger than 21 years of age meeting MIS-C criteria should report suspected cases to their local, state, or territorial health department,” according to the CDC advisory.

According to the American Heart Association (AHA), children with this syndrome have symptoms resembling Kawasaki disease, including “persistent fever, inflammation, and evidence of single or multi-organ dysfunction (shock, cardiac, respiratory, renal, gastrointestinal, or neurological disorder), and may or may not test positive for COVID-19.” Read more..

#Urgent Care

0 notes

jenniferlmanchester · 4 years ago

Text

Best Luxury Realtor Near Me in Mint Hill, NC

Jennifer Manchester is the best Mint Hill NC Real Estate Agent. She is an award winning broker. She has received f a number of accolades throughout her real estate journey.

As a resident of Mint Hill, NC, Jennifer knows everything about the whole town. Thus, she is the best choice when choosing a Mint Hill NC Luxury Listing Agent.

Here are a few things to know before choosing the best luxury realtor in Mint Hill.

How did Mint Hill get its name?

Mint Hill got its name from Stephen Cabarrus. He was the speaker of the North Carolina Legislature. Mint Hill was the first town that originated in Mecklenburg County. It was founded roughly in 1750, and had a scalable population in the 1800s.

Mint Hill was a part of the Charlotte towns. However, the Rocky River’s Scots-Irish and Buffalo Creek’s Germans later compromised. They convinced the government of North Carolina to divide their communities. Thus, this suburban town of North Carolina state came into existence. Cleak Greek members witnessed the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence. It was on the 20th of May, 1775.

Is Mint Hill NC a good place to live?

Yes, Mint Hill, NC, is one of the best places to live in Mecklenburg County. The residents and the tourists enjoy a spacious suburban feeling here. Mint Hill has multiple amusement parks, recreational centers, and other locally-owned entertainment.

Mint Hill is also known as the "seat of hometown hospitality." Many of the young professionals prefer living in Mint Hill because of the peaceful environment and friendly community. Individuals can spend their quality time with their family or loved ones. Mint Hill is filled with rich cultures and history. Mint-Hill also has top-rated public schools.

Thus, Mint Hill NC Homes for Sale is your best bet each time.

What to do before hiring a realtor?

Before hiring a Luxury Listing Agent in Mint Hill NC, ensure you do the following tasks:

Review your mortgage

Get a rough idea of what you still owe on your current property. Check all your mortgage documents. Come up with an approximate payoff amount.

Clean the clutter

Pack up all scattered clothes and shoes. Clean all the clutter and waste. Move out excess furniture. Go for a complete deep cleaning of your house. This will open up more available space. Moreover, it will make your home look attractive to the realtor and buyers.

Complete all repairs

Make some improvements, if necessary. This can also include things like painting your home, or cleaning your patio.

Research the market

Do proper market research regarding the accurate price of homes in your area.

Should I get a real estate agent or pre-approval first?

It is recommended to get a pre-approval first. You can then move to searching for a Matthews NC Luxury Listing Agent. The pre-approval process is a type of evaluation. It assesses all your financial documents. This includes your debts, incomes, and assets by the bank or lender. It involves an official document applied by the home buyers. It has the letter of loan request to buy real estate.

Getting a pre-approval will help you have an approximate price range. It will save your time and efforts as you’ll only be checking homes in your budget. Thus, house hunting for Homes for Sale in Mint Hill NC will be easier.

Should I tell my realtor how much I am pre-approved for?

Yes, you should tell your real estate agent how much you are pre-approved for. There’s no need to disclose your financial statements. It’s best, however, to let your agent know how much you can afford a mortgage.

This will help them to ballpark the range for finding homes . Moreover, the pre-approval amount will help your agent understand your price range. Thus, they can assist you by showing Homes for Sale in Matthews NC that fall in that limit.

What do I need to do to hire a real estate agent?

To hire the best real estate agent for you, you have to know the following things:

Know the type of agent

Know that there are two different agents for a buyer and for a seller. A seller’s agent is called a listing agent.

Look for potential candidates

Search online regarding the top agents in your area. Check their websites and look into their ratings. Verify their licenses before working with them. The Luxury Listing Agent in Matthews NC are vetted for their skills. Thus, you can find the Best Listing Agent in Matthews NC there.

Take Interviews

You should interview least 3-4 real estate agents. This will help you with the process the Best Listing Agent in Mint Hill NC follows.

Ask the agents for references

Before selecting, ask the agents to show their previous work. Contact those customers to learn more the experiences they had. You can ask about the quality of support the agent offered. Moreover, also check how the agent dealt with agreements.

Verify the contract well before signing it

Verify the agreement before signing it. Check the commission rates and the length of the deal.

What do you say when you reach out to a realtor?

After reaching out to a realtor, tell them about your needs. Be clear from the beginning about what you want. The better you communicate, the faster you will get your work done without any misunderstanding.

Ask them as many questions you have regarding the agreement. It is best if you have an open conversation with your realtor every time you meet. Be honest throughout the process. State if you need Matthews NC Home Staging.

Should you interview multiple realtors?

Yes, you should interview multiple realtors. It can be useful to interview more than one real estate broker. That is because it will get you various marketing ideas. In addition, you know different tactics, deals, and funding solutions. You can decide on clear objectives by interacting with several real estate agents. It will also help you to select the one who can best act on behalf of your interests. You can check their statistics and the data. It can help you decide your highest priorities.

Interviewing multiple agents will help you know about the listing price ranges. You will understand the market fluctuations. Plus, it will educate you if you sell your home again in the future.

Is it OK to work with multiple realtors?

No, it is not a good idea to work with multiple realtors. There are no rules against it. However, it is strongly advisable to stick to one realtor.

Real-estate agents obey a code of ethics. They do not intervene in another realtor's operations.

Takeaway

There are many Matthews NC Homes for Sale. However, you will need the best Matthews NC Luxury Listing Agent to guide you throughout the process. The Matthews NC Real Estate Agent can take you through various deals to get a lucrative offer. Charlotte Blurbs has the best deals .So, your house and money are in safe hands with them.

#BestLuxuryRealtors #HomesForSale #JenniferManchester

0 notes

thegrandsolarminimum · 5 years ago

Text

Bleak outlook for crops affected by tunnel collapse

New Post has been published on https://is.gd/YY1WlL

Bleak outlook for crops affected by tunnel collapse

Farmers in the Platte River Valley affected by an irrigation tunnel collapse are beginning to lose hope that their crops will be salvageable this year.

The tunnel is part of an irrigation system that spans more than 100 miles between Wyoming and Nebraska, beginning at the Guernsey Reservoir and ending in Gering, Nebraska.

A tunnel near the beginning of the system collapsed in the middle of the night July 17, blocking water from moving through the system and washing out 500 yards of a canal bank upstream from the collapse.

Farmer Buz Oliver stands on the precipice of eroded land caused by the flooding from the canal break on July 24 in Fort Laramie. The flooding destroyed several acres of crops in the initial flooding.

More than 100,000 acres of crops, divided between more than 700 farms across both states have been without water for the last month, and best estimates say water won’t be restored for at least another two weeks.

Crop losses inevitable

“At this point, most of our water users have settled into the fact that even if we get that water to them, it’ll be too late,” said Rick Preston, manager of the Gering-Ft. Laramie Irrigation District, which serves more than 50,000 acres currently without water in Nebraska.urkey

Yields on corn will probably be “nil to nothing,” Preston said, but sugar beets could be salvageable because their root system digs deeper than other crops. Still, without the surface water, even those may not grow large enough to harvest, he said.

Xin Qiao, an irrigation management specialist at the University of Nebraska Lincoln’s Panhandle Research and Extension Center, is also predicting significant crop loss from the situation.

In a document published July 29, Qiao predicted 100 percent corn loss, 50-60 percent sugar beet loss and around 90 percent dry bean loss by the week of Aug. 7. Though, because of recent rain, he said the loss likely is not yet that severe.

“Even a little bit of water is going to help,” he said.

Qiao said the Panhandle Research and Extension Center should have updated yield loss predictions once it’s clear when or if water will be restored, which Qiao said he should know by the end of the week.

Robert Coxbill, board chairman of the Goshen Irrigation District, which serves 400 farms in Wyoming without water because of the collapse, said he’s unsure when water will be restored, but it doesn’t seem to be soon.

“It’s not looking good for this season,” he said. “It just ain’t going to happen in two weeks unless you have some kind of miracle.”

Given the severe loss predicted, farmers are hoping some of those losses will be covered by their federal crop insurance, but it’s still unclear whether those losses will be covered.

A U.S. Department of Agriculture spokesperson told the Star-Tribune on Wednesday that the Department was still working with local, state and federal agencies to determine whether crops would be covered under the federal program.

Last month, a USDA spokesperson said the cause would have to be weather-related for the crops to be covered.

Current speculations are that a void behind the concrete tunnel lining formed from water leakage or over-excavation during the tunnel’s original construction in 1917, according to an engineer’s report submitted to Wyoming’s Office of State Lands and Investments.

But that does not mean weather was not a culprit. Precipitation in the Platte River Valley has been 200 to 300 percent above normal for the past year, according to the National Weather Service, and many believe that could have also contributed to the tunnel failure.

Still, no official cause can be determined until the hundreds of feet of dirt and debris still in the tunnel can be cleared.

Funding still unclear

After the tunnel collapsed, the irrigation districts scrambled to find a plan for an emergency repair to the structure and the washed-out canal bank. Repairs to the canal bank are almost entirely finished, Coxbill said.

It took longer to begin repairs on the tunnel, but after a few false starts progress is being made there as well. A crew from Missouri-based SAK Construction is now working to shore up the tunnel walls and clear debris from the tunnel.

When the tunnel collapsed, it opened a sinkhole 150 feet wide and 50 feet deep in the ground above the tunnel. The tunnel itself is about 100 feet underground. When crews were able to get inside the tunnel, they realized there were two separate cave-ins about 50 feet apart. So far, the crew has repaired the first cave-in and are working on the second.

The price tag on the repairs are significant. Early estimates were around $3 million just for the short-term fix, but Coxbill expects it to be more than that.

“By this weekend we’ll have spent about $4 million,” he said.

Goshen County farmers left to deal with inevitable crop losses following tunnel collapse

The Bureau of Reclamation built the tunnel in 1917 as part of the first expansive reclamation project across the West. In 1926, the Bureau signed an operation and maintenance agreement with both the Goshen and Gering-Ft. Laramie Irrigation Districts, leaving the day-to-day tasks of the system to those districts.

Some have said the Bureau has an obligation to help fund the repairs because it still owns the tunnels in the system. State Sen. Cheri Steinmetz, who represents Goshen County in the Wyoming Legislature, is among those who believe the Bureau has some liability.

The Bureau disagrees.

“Do we have some legal liability? No,” Jay Dallman, a spokesman for the Bureau said, invoking the 1926 agreement. “Technically speaking, the liability resides with the (irrigation) districts.”

He said that does not mean the Bureau would not help. Earlier this month, the Bureau gave the districts a $4 million loan to cover the costs of the emergency repair. Dallman said he did not know if the Bureau would offer additional money.

The Goshen Irrigation District also submitted an application to Wyoming’s State Loan and Investment Board on July 27 as a “special district” hoping for $3,197,180 from the Mineral Royalty Grant fund to pay for the emergency tunnel and canal repair.

Staff overseeing those applications recommended the irrigation district be denied its request because an irrigation district is not considered a “special district” under that grant fund’s criteria.

Wyoming’s Office of State Lands and Investments has, however, offered to work with the irrigation district to find a funding source it qualifies for. The Clean Water State Revolving Fund and the Joint Powers Act have both been floated as possibilities.

They are also recommending the deadlines for submitting those applications be waived for the district so it has time to submit applications for those other funds. But that money would go toward the emergency repair, not toward a more permanent solution.

Right now, nobody is sure where the massive sum for a long-term fix will come from, or what the long-term fix will be. The permanent fix is anticipated to cost at least $10 million, according to the Goshen Irrigation District.

Preston said the districts were considering inserting a fiberglass sleeve 13 feet in diameter into the tunnel and running water through that. A similar idea was nixed when discussing the short-term repair because it was too costly and wouldn’t move enough water. Engineers are now looking at if the fiberglass pipe would carry enough water. Preston said this idea could be feasible, but costly. He said the fiberglass pipe isn’t even manufactured in the U.S., and would need to be shipped from Turkey.

Farmer Buz Oliver stands at the mouth of an intact tunnel for the irrigation canal in Fort Laramie. Farmers along the canal require the use of its water for crop irrigation, but the water has been shut off until the collapsed canal can be fixed.

He said the shipping costs alone were quoted at $2 million. Whatever the districts decide, Preston said both Wyoming and Nebraska will have to pitch in money for the repair, “otherwise we’re going to be dead in the water.”

State and federal representatives have been involved in finding a solution. Both Wyoming and Nebraska declared a state of emergency after the collapse, and Sen. John Barasso was in Torrington on Monday to speak with local officials.

“So much work has been done in the past three weeks, and there is still much to do,” Barrasso said in a statement to the Star-Tribune. “The Bureau of Reclamation has provided up to $4 million in emergency loan funding to help with the short-term response. I will continue to work with Governor Gordon, the irrigation district and the Bureau of Reclamation to ensure the community has the resources needed to complete the reconstruction process.”

The state, meanwhile, is still unclear on what comes next.

“It’s really tough on this one,” said Sen. Ogden Driskill, R-Devils Tower, and a member of the Legislature’s Select Committee on Water. “We have a few states and a few irrigation districts involved. The Bureau of Reclamation still owns the facilities that the irrigation districts are apparently responsible for, nobody knows for sure what happens in an emergency, and it’s just tragic. Crops are dying as we’re trying to figure out the specifics.”

Planning ahead

At its meeting Wednesday in Buffalo, the Select Water Committee voted to draft a bill ahead of the 2020 Legislative Session to create an emergency account to set aside money to rapidly respond to similar emergencies in the future. Expected to be modeled in a similar fashion to the state’s existing fire suppression account, the fund — anticipated to maintain a balance of $5 million — will likely be funded by user fees, and would ideally be used to meet the immediate needs for communities impacted by sudden infrastructure failures — like Goshen County’s and in places like Sundance, where the collapse of a water tank led to a spike in residents’ water bills that Driskill said will affect the city budget.

“These things keep happening, and we need to find a mechanism to be able to reach in and try and help in these emergency situations,” Driskill said.

Driskill said the fund would likely be self-funded and fee-based, either with a slight increase in the fees already paid to irrigation districts or by levying an acreage-based fee. As it stands, Goshen Irrigation District has already raised water rates for its users. Gering-Ft. Laramie is waiting to raise rates until the full cost of repairs is known.

Though it’s too early to discuss specifics, the key to the fund’s success, Driskill said, will be in ensuring that the fund can only be accessed in emergency situations.

The bill draft could be introduced at the committee’s next meeting in November, and Driskill said some additional funds could be included in the omnibus water bill introduced as part of the state’s 2020 budget this autumn.

While the full impact is still unknown, and likely won’t be until farmers attempt to harvest their crops, the Goshen County community has come together to help pay some of the mounting costs of the canal repair.

A fund at Torrington’s First State Bank has reached more than $20,000, the bank’s branch president Kelly Sittner said. The Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation donated $10,000, and all of Torrington’s local banks also worked together to donate another $10,000.

The Goshen Irrigation District is posting weekly updates on the repairs to its website and Facebook page.

#CROP LOSS #GSM News Stream

0 notes

mvalleefootball-blog · 7 years ago

Text

Why is Stephon Gilmore a Patriot?

By Michael Vallee

When the New England Patriots opened NFL free agency last March by signing Stephon Gilmore to a whopping 65 million dollar contract I imagine most Patriots fans reacted with some variation of the following, “Uh Gilmore…...um, OK…...uh, plays for the Bills right……..yeah he’s solid I guess…..don’t remember him much….”. This was the classic “In Bill We Trust” signing. A guy that was hundreds of miles off anybody’s radar, didn’t exactly make a big splash in the AFC East and played a position, corner, where they already had an elite player. In short, the signing made little sense and on the “Un-Patriot-like Scale” was the free agent equivalent of the Patriots recording their own version of the ‘Super Bowl Shuffle’. Now, after an embarrassing 33-30 home loss to the Carolina Panthers, a loss where Gilmore was exceptionally awful, it’s time to push “In Bill We Trust” aside and start asking “What the hell was Bill thinking?”

The defense has been bad all year but Sunday was particularly ugly. The Panthers offense stumbled into Foxboro having scored just 22 points in their last two games, including a putrid 13 point performance at home against the Saints. They put up 33 on the Patriots despite fumbling inside the 10-yard-line. Entering Sunday Carolina had not thrown for more than 180 yards all year. On Sunday they lit up New England for over 300 yards passing. Cam Newton walked into Gillette a broken quarterback in a prolonged funk: He embarrassed himself in the Super Bowl against the Broncos, followed that up with the worst year of his career in 2016 and entered Sunday’s game with a QB rating of 69.7. Newton may have walked in a broken man but he left with MVP swagger - shoulders back, chest puffed out and a 130.8 QB rating in his back pocket.

The Patriots defense has become like a therapy dog for NFL quarterbacks. Dink-and-dunk Alex Smith entered his Patriots game needing to fend off a high rookie draft pick and establish the Kansas City Chiefs as a contender, well Alex, how does 368 yards and a 148.6 QB rating grab you. Deshaun Watson entered his Patriots contest a struggling and confused rookie but left with confidence and clarity after putting up 342 yards of total offense. And now the rebirth of Newton.

Most disappointing is that the biggest culprit in this defensive mess is New England’s secondary - a much-hyped unit laced with talent and experience, that has been abysmal most of the season. The Patriots pass defense ranks dead last in the NFL, allowing 324 yards per game. The second worst team is the Eagles at 285 yards per game. That’s a big gap. Which brings us back to Gilmore.

While everybody has struggled on some level in the secondary, Gilmore has been at the center of the mess, and Sunday he was a one-man wrecking crew of incompetence. It’s not so much that he can’t cover as much as it is that he apparently doesn’t even know who to cover. Whether it’s a late first half TD to a wide-open Devin Funchess or a Fozzy Whittaker touchdown where, not one, but two Panthers were left wide-open, it seems all it takes is the slightest motion or misdirection to turn Gilmore into a befuddled pile of goop. And yes, I know, technically we don’t know what coverage they were in or who had what receiver but is it some wild coincidence that Gilmore seems to be involved in all of these plays. Is there any doubt now that Tyreek Hill’s deep ball on the Patriots week 1 was Gilmore’s fault and not McCourty’s?

It probably isn’t helping the situation that New England’s secondary is communicating with each other about as well as the Democrats and Republicans, and certainly the entire unit, along with the coaches, need to shoulder the blame for that. But it’s funny, I don’t seem to recall any problems with the secondary communicating before this year. Hmmm, what has changed in the last year? If only I could put my finger on it.

Clearly, opposing teams have put their finger on it. Sunday it looked like Carolina was using its receivers to play three-card Monty with the Patriots defensive backs.

Of course communication wasn’t the only problem that plagued Gilmore on Sunday. Twice he was flagged for illegal hands to the face on 3rd and long to extend Carolina drives that led to scores. The first penalty was simply a horrendous call as Gilmore’s fingertips barely grazed the lower part of Kelvin Benjamin’s facemask. The second penalty was all Gilmore, and it was as costly as they come.

Despite a wretched game New England’s defense actually showed a spark late in the 2nd half and it looked as if they had stopped Carolina with sacks on back-to-back 3 and outs. It appeared that Brady, who had brought the team back from 14 down with consecutive touchdown drives, was going to get a shot to score for a third consecutive time and win the game. All was going to be right with the world. Then Gilmore, after having just been called for it, jams Carolina receiver Devin Funchess right in the mug. Penalty. Sack nullified. First down. Eight plays later the Panthers put Gilmore and the defense out of their misery with a game-winning field goal.

It’s not as if Funchess is some Wes Welker runt where you are almost forced to jam him near his face, the guy stands 6’5”. It was an inexcusable and baffling mistake from a Patriots player that is looking more and more like an inexcusable and baffling signing. Gilmore didn’t exactly instill confidence when he was asked about the penalty, “I was playing aggressive, I don’t know what else I can do.” Really? You’ve been in this league for 6 years and you don’t know how to prevent a penalty. Here’s an idea, stop doing stuff that is against the rules. And definitely stop doing stuff that is against the rules at really, really key moments in the game. At the very least, stop getting caught.

“I don’t know what else I can do?” Not exactly the cerebral answer you might expect from a Belichick coached player. Which begs the question, why is Stephon Gilmore here? What did Belichick see in this inconsistent and expensive cornerback from a franchise that has spent the last 15 years rotting away in the NFL’s basement? Why is this the guy Belichick chose to break the bank for?

For starters, it’s not exactly the Patriot way to make any big splash in free agency, much less on day one. Free agency has always been a bit of fool’s gold, wrought with big risks and expensive payouts, and the Belichick era has been no exception. Only twice since 2001 has New England delved into the world of high-priced free agency and both times the results were less than spectacular: LB Rosevelt Colvin in 2003 and LB Adalius Thomas in 2007. Both players had their moments but in the end came up way short of expectations and were eventually released. If twice in your life you go on an expensive cruise, and both times you get sick, then you’re probably not booking a third cruise. But after 10 years of staying away Belichick was sucked back into the unlimited buffets and awkward magic shows of the open seas, convincing himself that he had packed enough dramamine and this time would be different. So far it’s been different alright, it’s been much worse.

The entire mind set and process behind the signing of Gilmore was such a break from the normal way of doing business down at Foxboro. The Patriots are supposed to be the patient and methodical ones. The team that rarely trades up in the draft, and gladly trades down for picks in future years. The team that never overpays for its own players, and welcomes them to test the market. The team that calmly sits back when free agency opens, while all the desperate franchises trample all over each other like it’s midnight on black Friday, so they can throw away 100 million on the next Ndamukong Suh. Not New England, they are smart shoppers. The team that lies in the weeds waiting to pounce on the next bargain.

Until now.

The Gilmore signing always had that whiff of desperation normally reserved for the other guys. The Patriots didn’t even have him in for a visit. No formal meeting to kick the tires and look him in the eye in the hope of getting some sense of what the player was all about. No chance for Belichick to put him thru any of those mental tests he uses on potential draft picks. No opportunity to find out if the loser mentality of the Buffalo Bills had seeped permanently into his DNA. If they had a face-to-face maybe they could have asked him about that deep touchdown Chris Hogan caught against the Bills last year in Buffalo. It was a play that was broken down expertly by Erik Turner of USA Today and, as Parcells used to say, the play had more red flags than May Day in Moscow.

youtube

For starters it looks like yet another blown coverage that involved Gilmore and a big play - are you starting to see a pattern here? Then, after Hogan makes the catch Gilmore bypasses an opportunity to make a tackle on Hogan so he can instead turn and yell at one of his teammates. Even if the touchdown wasn’t his fault what NFL player does that in the middle of a play? And this was during a Patriots game. Belichick saw this first hand and still didn’t hesitate to whip out Kraft’s checkbook???

And this only gets worse.

Turner reported that Gilmore reacted that way “several times” that year, inexcusable even if Gilmore was in the correct coverage every time. But guess what, he wasn’t, at least not on the Hogan touchdown. After the game then head coach Rex Ryan confirmed that it was Gilmore that had blown the coverage. So for those of you keeping score at home, Gilmore blew a coverage, cost his team a crucial 53-yard touchdown, and even though it was his fault, gave up on the play so he could openly bitch out a teammate for his own mistake. Is there anything in that sentence that sounds remotely Patriot-like?

Turner adds this nugget about Gilmore’s play overall, “He has been beaten by opposing wide receivers, but that happens to every cornerback. What’s more concerning is his apparent selfish play and his attitude towards his teammates in a contract year.” Yikes. Again, does this sound like the type of guy you break 10 years of free agent discipline for? And don’t gloss over the “beaten by opposing receivers” part of the quote. In 2016 Gilmore was one of the lowest rated corners according to Pro Football Focus, with a grade of 73.2. To put that in perspective he barely finished ahead of Sterling Moore, yeah THAT Sterling Moore, who came in with a grade of 72.3.

Isn’t that the opposite of what Belichick normally does? Belichick’s the guy that lands the player with the high ranking for the low dollars, not the other way around. Belichick’s free agent M.O. is to find the undervalued guys from winning programs like Rodney Harrison and Mike Vrabel, not overpay for defensive backs from loser franchises that can’t even perform in a contract year. But maybe I shouldn’t be so harsh on the Bills who currently have the number one scoring defense in the NFL and just won at Atlanta by holding their high-powered offense to 17 points. I have no idea if this will hold up, but if it does, what does it say about Gilmore that he leaves and the defense gets better? Or that he shows up on the number one scoring defense last year and thru four games they are ranked 31st. I call this the A-Rod effect. It’s when a team seemingly improves whenever a certain player leaves and when the new team regresses after that same player arrives. The sample size as yet is too small but it is something to keep an eye on.

The worst part of this entire Gilmore saga is the Malcolm Butler sub-plot. At least when Belichick signed Colvin and Thomas he didn’t step over high-performing linebackers on his own roster to do it. If the Gilmore signing is puzzling, the treatment of Butler is utterly baffling.

Since arriving in New England as an undrafted free agent Butler has done virtually everything right. By all accounts he works hard, plays hard, keeps his nose clean off the field and in case you missed it, has a penchant for making big plays when the spotlight is brightest. He is a Pro Bowler that has excelled in the Patriots system and played a key role on teams that have done nothing but win. He is a coach’s dream yet here he is making less than 4 million while his struggling counterpart makes 13 million. The entire situation is confounding. It’s easy to understand in a salary cap league why guys like Belichick take an excessively frugal approach to team building, but if you’re going to occasionally open the vault don’t you do it for a high-performer on your own roster and not some outside question mark?

It’s still far too early to close the book on the Gilmore signing but what if this thing keeps trending bad? Worse yet, what if Butler is gone at the end of the year? Where will the Patriots be then? And for those of you that think New England can just press the eject button on the Gilmore experiment and give his money to Butler, think again. Gilmore’s guaranteed money based on performance (not injury) is 31 million, meaning there is zero chance he gets cut after this year. If he did, the cap hit for next year would be roughly 23 million for a player that wouldn’t even be on your roster. That ain’t happening. Even if he is cut after 2018 the cap hit would still be around 11 million in 2019. Like it or not, Gilmore is here for the foreseeable future. But the question Patriots fans are asking today is less about his future and more about his past: Why is Stephon Gilmore a Patriot?

Your guess is as good as mine.

#patriots #stephon gilmore #nfl #buffalo bills #bill belichick #malcolm butler #free agency #rodney harrison #ndamukong suh #gillette stadium

1 note · View note

andrewuttaro · 6 years ago

Text

New Look Sabres: GM 71 - CAR - They Scored

This is not the same, but I am going to make the comparison anyway: has this season between the Sabres and Canes been similar to this season between the Rangers and Isles? Hear me out: the Sabres and the Rangers both are not making the playoffs while the Canes and Isles are currently in good positions to make it in spite of not exactly being playoff regulars the last few years. In both cases the teams have a history with one another that is fairly contentious… at least from one side’s perspective. What wouldn’t each former team do to make their latter team struggle? The similarities end there: The Isles are all but assured to make the playoffs and the ground is still a little shaky under the Canes. The Sabres can’t directly dispossess Carolina of their post-season hopes but beating Carolina in regulation prevents them from getting any point and allows Montreal and Columbus more space to box them out. I probably don’t need to explain how the standings effect the playoffs to you so that exercise is done. That was however a window directly into how I look at this game. Spoiling Carolina and getting a goal for once in 120 minutes were the other motivations going into this game. We can groan about how this could’ve been a fun playoff race had things gone differently but let’s just all agree to stop torturing ourselves ok? This game also gave us a look in on where things maybe going after summer comes and goes. Alex Nylander was more than a little ok in this game and Brandon Montour has shown well since his arrival in spite of how bad the Sabres have shown. Writing these have felt like homework the last few weeks but I think we’ve now turned a corner. That corner isn’t to competitiveness obviously, but it is toward seeing the way forward. There was some hopelessness during the scoreless stretch and seeing Nylander and reading into potential summer moves and deployment next season has brought peace… well to me at least. Carolina took the season series tonight but the Sabres took some hope. Ugh… I guess I’m not entirely around that corner yet.

The Sabres scored in this game. That feels like the most obvious plus. That plus was wrapped up in some in-your-face energy when it was Jeff Skinner getting the early tally. He got the puck along the boards behind the Carolina net and spun around, sneaking it behind Curtis McElhinney short side. It was 1-0 and they didn’t look all that bad. It was clear there is a difference in this team when Jack Eichel is on the ice and when he isn’t. Not only did Jack make and take some chances, he clearly caused his teammates to play with a little more confidence than we had seen since he was suspended, certainly in that horror show against Pittsburgh. There were some missed calls in the first involving Andrei Svechnikov apparently. I’m not going to bother with that business, I hardly had the patience for that when the Sabres were watchable. Lucas Wallmark tapped in a puck that trickled through Linus Ullmark. That’s a tongue twister. This game wasn’t Ullmark’s best work and he would give a couple of other weak ones like that. The first would end just 1-1, however. Svechnikov and Justin Williams would put the Hurricanes up 3-1 in the second period and the third would just kind of… happen the way these games seem to happen lately. Zemgus Girgensons scored with a minute flat left in regulation but that only made it 4-2 and the boys were hanging their heads by that point. That’s seven straight losses but I’m trying to turn the corner with these guys without smashing that tank button. Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko look good enough to feel compelled to increase the odds at this point but I want to talk about some assets we already have for now.

Brandon Montour assisted on the Girgensons goal and I think I’m reiterating the refrain of Sabres twitter in saying the early returns on that trade are very good. His puck moving ability alone makes me feel differently about this team when he’s on the ice. That and his passing ability makes you think he and Rasmus Dahlin are really the only guys you absolutely need to keep of this defensive core. My father-in-law and I got talking about the Sabres and how to fix whatever we end up saying caused this mess. Once we got past coaching we got to the defensive core and I realized my old attachments are not quite there anymore. I’ll always have a place in my heart for Rasmus Ristolainen but when you watch Brandon Montour play you see every reason Risto should be an acceptable outbound piece in a trade. I don’t claim any kind of understanding of advanced stats but if you have any concept of PDO you can probably watch Ristolainen and see why he is such a black sheep in that community. Am I refuting the premise of the advanced stats versus eye test debate if I say my eye test is showing me why his advanced stats suck? I’m not going out of my way to get rid of Zach Bogosian or Jake McCabe but I’m certainly not complaining about them leaving either. Anyone I haven’t mentioned is replacement level. Hell, the Amerks are so deep there are a couple guys on D I wouldn’t mind seeing on the team out of training camp. Assuming Jeff Skinner gets signed, oh boy let’s not go into that right now, this team has to come out of the summer with a sure-fire top six. There will be enough guys graduating from the AHL to make an interesting bottom six and JB will certainly tinker there. Needless to say, my father-in-law and I had a good conversation.

The Rochester Americans were playing down in Carolina as well tonight. They lost a 3-1 decision to the Charlotte Checkers after losing by a more painful margin yesterday. The Checkers were the only team ahead of the Amerks in the league standings before this weekend but the back to back losses gave daylight to the Syracuse Crunch pushing hard to take the North Division title from Rochester. That’s my priority for the Amerks, and really my whole hockey life for these next few weeks before post-season hockey: win the North Division! Daddy needs a banner! Like, comment and share this blog in the meantime. I’ll be back at it here again Monday as the Sabres return home for a game against Ryan O’Reilly and the Blues tomorrow night. It will be a fun little St. Patrick’s Day and I’ll enjoy my last Sabres home game in person on a holiday. I’m going to mentally force myself to be excited for the game tomorrow as if its that Flyers game the day before Thanksgiving: the bars will be full, the crowd will be full of jovial holiday cheer, and the SABRES WILL WIN! Just think both games were in the midst of streaks! Okay, before you keel over from laughing at that little nugget we’ll call it a night. Let’s Go Buffalo!

Thanks for reading.

P.S. We basically have to accept the Hurricanes are making the playoffs right now, right? Get ready for the Sabres to have the longest active playoff drought in their 50th Anniversary season!

#buffalo sabres #hockey #blog #nhl

0 notes

chekatpromotions-blog · 7 years ago

Text

An Interview with an Artist-Dawn Boyer, Ph.D. by Candace M.

1. What is your name?

Dawn D. Boyer, Ph.D.

2. Are you married? If so, how long have you been married?

Yes, I am married to a wonderful man, James (Jim) M. Stallings. We met April 2nd, 2005, and have just celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary this last January 6th, 2017.

3. Do you have children and if so how many?

I have one biological daughter and two step-daughters, and one fur-baby cat.

4. When did you first become interested in drawing?

When I was five years old, I started scribbling with a pencil and piece of paper (my mom put that sketch in my baby book). Since then I have not stopped drawing, creating, painting, sketching, sewing, weaving, constructing all forms and types of creative fine art.

5. How did your first beginning drawing propel you to continue with your artwork?

I am a ‘Type A’ workaholic (my husband calls me “Robot”). I cannot be still, so my hands must be continuously engaged in something; whether I am drawing, tearing and folding paper for my mixed media paper artwork baskets, or 3-D constructions, crocheting Afghans for family, or sketching and then inking pen-and-ink drawings of historic buildings and old barns, I cannot sit still, so my hands must be continuously engaged in something. I am also a writer and have been journaling my life for 48 years.

6. What type of training have you had in the art field?

I have a formal degree – a Bachelor of Fine Art in Graphic Design and Illustrative Art from Radford University in Radford, VA (1985). I can’t say I learned much about the ‘fine art’ process from this degree; most of the creative art I do now is self-taught.

7. What was the best part of your art education?

I liked the idea of creating graphic design, but my heart and passion were more into creative fine arts. At the time I received my degree, the art community was still using ‘press-on lettering,’ and I missed the computer-generated design training I wished I could have achieved today (PhotoShop, etc.). I did appreciate the multiple drawing classes I had in the program. I thoroughly disliked the art history classes where we were required to memorize artwork, artist’s, period styles, and dates.

8. Have you attended school for any other types of training and if so, what was it for?

I have not. I do watch YouTube videos and just started the ‘how-to’ series on Lynda.com (free subscription with a professional paid level on LinkedIn) on how to use the Adobe Creative Cloud (PhotoShop, InDesign, Illustrator) and hope to at least get through that series in the next year.

9. What type of art design most interests you?

I am more interested in taking art types and methodologies (versus design styles) and trying to create and discover more creative ways of using those. For instance, there are paper crafting methods of Origami, Bubble-Gum Wrapper chain making, football folding, weaving, and quilling, where I use all these methods to create three-dimensional artwork such as weaving the paper chains to create baskets, or using the woven paper strips and ‘footballs’ (those triangular pieces of paper one folded in high school to pass notes or ‘play football’ in the cafeteria when one was bored). Using these folded paper forms, I create Owls, Peacocks, lizards, wolves, and buffalos in art pieces that build up from the two-dimensional paper to a 3-D form that imitates the real-life form of the creature I am illustrating.

++++++++

Dawn, I would love to see your work that you do sometime. This just seems really interesting.

https://www.behance.net/DawnBoyer

https://www.pinterest.com/dawnboyer/dawns-art-projects/

https://www.facebook.com/pg/DawnBoyerArtist/photos/

See embedded pictures at the end of this document for more of the 3-d Type of art pieces

++++++++

10. What have been your most proud moments in your art achievements?

I am proud of the series of books I have drawn and published. I self-publish, and have branded myself as the originator and illustrator of the Fairy Houses and Fairy Doors (series). I just published my 134th book last week – the newest topic for this coloring book was Fantastic Flora and Fauna – with illustrations of animals in settings full of flowers and/or woodland scenes.

11. Tell me something about your unique style of art that is different from other artists?

I don’t like sticking with one type of artwork. I get bored relatively quickly then move on to another type of artwork, as the mood hits me. What is funny – while I have illustrated over 40 coloring books – I ‘suck’ at coloring myself. My artistic forte is drawing pen-and-ink (black line) illustrations.

My favorite topic to draw on is historic architecture from the restored district of Colonial Williamsburg, in Williamsburg, VA. My parents started taking the family to visit there 54 years ago, and I have been visiting no less than once a year since. What I recently figured out is that all those pen-and-ink illustrations of the architecture I have been creating for years could make a fantastic coloring book for adults, so created one book of my drawings. I am now working on several other books of gray scale coloring books of the same topic. My second favorite drawing topic is old barns in a state of decay or collapsing old homes or grist mills. Those seem to have an untold story that creates character into the drawings I create.

Dawn, I have to agree with you about old places. They do have a story to tell, and many books have been written that involve these old buildings.

I spent about two years figuring out how to weave the bubble-gum chain wrappers into woven baskets. First I had to figure out how to create the chains from something other than gum wrappers (to keep my teeth cavity free), so I discovered magazine pages make awesome and pretty durable folding pieces.

I have sewn over 40 quilts in my lifetime and used to sew all my own clothing before my daughter was born. I have probably crocheted over 100 afghans – I visit the thrift shops regularly for inexpensive yarn packages, sort the colors into groups, then crochet simple squares with single- and double-crochet stitch.

I have painted murals on walls and painted eggs (blown-out) with nail polish to create beautiful Christmas tree ornaments. I love upcycling furniture, also. I will take a solid wood piece of thrift store or a curb-side rescue and strip the finish, then re-stain it in patterns, swirls, or creative ways (not paint, wood stain only), to create some amazing pieces. Sometimes I will use stain to ‘paint’ a picture – I painted to two wolves howling at the moon on top of the inexpensive wine & glass stand I purchased for $10.

12. Can you relate something humorous to your adventures in the art world? Please share that with us.

When I first started my formal art degree at Virginia Commonwealth University in the Art Foundation program, they had ‘life study drawing classes’ which, as a naïve 18-year old, I had no idea what that meant. I walked into class first day, put up my easel, got my paper ready, charcoal stick out, then looked around the corner of the easel to see a naked man posing in the middle of the room. In my astonishment, I immediately blurted out, “Is he NAKED? Talk about embarrassing!

13. What is the something you would like to see changed in the art world?

I would like to see art galleries stop charging the artists so MUCH to display and sell the artist’s work. While I perfectly understand that the gallery has to make a profit and has overhead expenses, also, instituting a 45-55% commission on the art work means the artist has to jack up their price by 100% or more to get what they originally want to make as revenue on the art piece. This makes it expensive for the common man to find quality art work they can afford in galleries.

I do love that social media and the Internet has changed the game for selling artwork – I constantly build a presence for each of my illustrations in my coloring books by posting Works in Progress (WIP) and get my fans excited and ramped up to purchase the book when it is released. I see other coloring book artists doing the same.

14. I am sure you have had many challenges in your life, what has been your greatest challenge and how did you get through it?

I have several challenges I have had to overcome and I am working on overcoming:

I have always wanted a dedicated art studio with lots of space to work on large pieces of art work and several projects at once. I established one in the den of my last house, then we promptly put it up for sale, and I had to pack everything. When we moved to the current house, I spent thousands on getting the garage fixed up for an official art studio, then we found out we had to sell this house and move again, so essentially, my ‘art studio’ became a small light table bumped up against the hearth in my living room (about six square fee). I am now back to juggling my drawing surfaces on my lap while sitting on the sofa and finding a space at a small table. When I permanently move in with my mom, I will be working on creating a full-scale art studio in her sun-room.

15. Where do you see your art taking you in the future?

I cannot wait to reach what my husband and I call, Phase III, which is (after kids grow up and get out on their own) where he and I will start being more creative with art projects, home building (retirement house and 40 acres), and to be able to afford more art tools (like a plasma cutting CNC machine that cuts metals, or a wood routing machine one can program designs into so as to cut huge wooden planks).

16. How many books do you have published? How many adult coloring books?

I have published at least 134 books in total, 114 are on Amazon now, and of those at least 40 ‘Big Kids Coloring Books’ (series name). Interested readers who want to see the listing of most of my published books on Amazon can find the listing at my author’s page: https://www.amazon.com/author/dawnboyer

17. What is a good quote that you find has helped you through many situations in your life?

My father had two quips I have always sworn by:

He would ask my sister and I: “What’s the most important thing?”

And we would always answer: “Family.”

Then he would ask us: “Why?”

And we would answer: “Because they will never let you down.”

When I got stressed about something – money, boyfriends, work, etc. …

Dad would ask: “Well, what’s the worst that could happen about this issue?” I would answer: (with all the worst case scenarios)

Then he would ask: “Can you die from it?” I would answer; “Of course not!”

Then he would respond, “Then it’s not a problem.”

18. I see that you have interviewed other artists. Is this your first time being interviewed?

This is my second time being interviewed as an artist. It’s quite flattering to think that someone ‘out there’ is interested in my way of thinking or art style or artwork. I am usually ferociously private about the methods and manners in which I create my artwork – I don’t like sharing anything with others until it’s finished. Over the last four years, I have learned to adapt to being ‘social’ about my artwork, and overcome someone physically looking over my shoulder (husband) while I work, but also to share works-in-progress (WIP) as I draw, and have even started asking my fans what they would like to see in my illustrations (e.g., cats, dragons, hippos, tarsier monkeys). I am adding my coloring street team’s cats in my current illustrations as they share their photos of their fur-babies in poses I can use in my next coloring book.

19. What types of artists have you interviewed?

One artist was a ‘beach’ artist originally from Hawaii who focused on waves, and tropical motifs; another artist was a clay sculptress who created huge clay creatures for the garden and welded metal tools and everyday utensils with other found objects to create small, humorous pieces; and the third creates large, hauntingly beautiful pictures of women, using pan pastels as a medium.

20. Where was your most favorite place to interview an artist?

The interviews with these artists were conducted via email by sending them the interview questions, allowing them to be able to answer the questions at their own convenience in their own home or studio on their schedule.

21. Where can your books and PDFs be found?

My paperback books can be purchased from my author’s page listing:

https://www.amazon.com/author/dawnboyer

I also sell Fine Art Prints of some of my pen and ink illustrations at Fine Art America: http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/dawn-boyer.html

I sell page packs of my coloring books on Etsy: www.etsy.com/shop/DawnDBoyer

22. Do you have any advice that you would give an aspiring artist just starting out in the adult coloring world?

For gosh sakes – the best advice I can provide is to BRAND yourself and do NOT ignore marketing, branding, and advertising methods – which most artists totally suck at.

Use social media to post your works in progress to build interest – and not just one platform. If you don't have accounts yet for the following: Facebook and Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter, Behance and Fine Art America, LinkedIn for networking with other artists and PayPal to accept payments; create them, figure them out, and use them. ASK others how they use them, and don’t be an idiot and use them ONLY for advertising. You must create a ‘relationship’ with your fans and followers. Provide interesting tidbits to your posts and followers versus constantly blasting them with ‘buy my art’ ads.

23. If you could go anywhere and color, where would that be?

It’s more a mindset ‘place’ I want to visit versus a physical place. My absolute favorite place to be is sitting at a comfortable table with loads of arm and elbow space, with all my necessary media within arms-reach, and be ‘in the mood’ to do my artwork. A NetFlix movie or series would be playing on a TV screen in front of me, where I can look up occasionally to see what is happening on the screen. If my husband is in the room, also, that’s a bonus (he would likely be working on his computer on homework or website building).

3-D Owl, Lizard, Peacock, and Seahorse all created from recycled magazine pages and using paper-folding techniques.

Folded paper sculpture in the works

My current ‘art studio’ created from an old sewing machine table with a LED light plugged into space with a clear Plexiglass cover to use as a light table and drawing table.

My $10 wine rack, with the two wolves barking at the moon.

#Dawn Boyer #Artist #coloring books #writer #educated #Creative #create

1 note · View note

emergency-cente · 3 years ago

Text

THE LATEST U.S. NUMBERS (AS OF MAY 18, 2020, AT 6:58 P.M. EDT)

· Total cases worldwide: 4,786,672 (up from 4,516,360 Friday)

· Total deaths worldwide: 317,695 (up from 306,051 Friday)

· Total recoveries: 1,776,641 (up from 1,622,354 Friday)

· Total cases in the United States: 1,506,732 (up from 1,432,045 Friday)

· Total deaths in the United States: 90,236 (up from 86,851 Friday)

Volume 0%

New Developments

The CDC issued a health advisory regarding multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). The condition has been seen in several U.S. states and European countries.

#Urgent Care Near me

0 notes

homoliberation · 8 years ago

Text

Just an Advertiser or a Founder?

Adding Insult to Injury: A Statement by Jearld Moldenhauer on the Founding of the University of Toronto Homophile Association (UTHA), Canada’s First Gay Student Organization

🔥 Jearld Moldenhauer.com 🔥

Introduction

There may be few people out there seriously interested in knowing how the Toronto modern gay movement came into being. But it is a story worth being told - accurately - and, as the founder of the University of Toronto Homophile Association (UTHA), I am particularly well informed to do so.

If a Torontonian, or any other Canadian for that matter, had been able to establish the details of a factual and politically objective history, at some point during the last 41 years since the founding of the UTHA (in 1970), there would be no need for me to write this. But alas, this has not happened.

Large urban cities like New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Philadelphia have all had hefty tomes about their local gay history published over the past several years. For example, San Francisco has had many books and films centered on the life and death of Harvey Milk. It also has a Gay Museum. Even Buffalo has a book chronicling its lesbian history. There are now also several volumes exploring the gay history of Britain, France, Spain, Germany, Italy and Australia. I start by mentioning these efforts only to put into perspective the shortfall in documentation about the gay movement in Toronto and in Canada generally.

This lack of any seriously researched information on the earliest post-Stonewall event in modern gay Canadian history made it necessary for the Ontario Heritage Trust (OHT) to conduct its own research into the founding of the UTHA. Amanda Robinson, a history graduate student at York University, was hired by the OHT to carry this out. However, by the time the U of T and the Ontario Heritage Trust had finally decided on a plaque as a way of commemorating the founding of the UTHA, there had already been a number of misleading pieces of journalism written that attempted to tell the same story. The latest of these appeared in the University of Toronto Alumnae Magazine in June, 2009.

On a more positive note, Canada has at least three decent gay and lesbian archival projects of which I am aware. An example of one, online, is Rick Bébout's website, which is still the only serious attempt to capture Toronto's gay history, starting in 1970.

In addition, during the past year (2011) or so, a few university students have published research papers on some of the historical aspects of The Body Politic.

(Personally, I have long lamented the apparent disinterest in a broad-based oral history project which recorded the lives and social dynamic of the homosexual working class, the class which seemed to dominate the Toronto scene when I first settled here.)

My Own Liberation

The story of my own gay activism began at Cornell University in 1967. I had come out in my second year in 1965 and I spent much of 1965-67 immersed in the reading of books related to the history of sexuality. I wanted to understand why it was that society had placed such strong taboos on homosexuality, making it both a criminal act and a mental illness. The more I read, the more radicalized I became. Of course, this was during the 1960s, a time of prominent protests by the Counterculture in America, fueled in part by the United States' involvement in the Vietnam War. My generation was open to questioning most everything and this encouraged me to develop an analysis of sexual repression and oppression in Western society.

In May of 1967, The New York Times ran a front page article headlined "Columbia Charters Homosexual Group". After reading the piece, I contacted "Stephen Donaldson" (AKA Robert Martin), the student who had founded the group. His organization, like the ones founded later at Cornell and U of T, was called "The Student Homophile Association" (or League).

During the following year, I made a few trips from Ithaca to New York City: (1) to explore the Village scene, (2) to see Martin and (3) to attend meetings of the East Coast Homophile Organization (ECHO). It was there that I first met Franklin Kameny, Barbara Gittings and Foster Gunnison, the leaders of ECHO. I admit that none of these activists really excited or inspired me as these older homophile leaders were far too conservative. Even Martin himself proved to be an army/navy "brat" whose sensibilities were quite disparate from mine.

Nonetheless, I went back to Cornell and made the decision to form a local student gay organization. The Cornell Homophile League was officially recognized in May of 1968, more than a year before Stonewall! The Cornell story is a separate one with many tales worth telling (some of these can be found elsewhere on this blog.) However, for the purposes of this document, it is sufficient to say that I arrived at the University of Toronto with a "founding" event already under my belt. (For some reason - I suspect nationalism - almost no Canadian reference ever mentions my international activism.)

Ian Young

I should start by admitting that I had no previous idea about exactly how Ian Young characterized me or the founding of the UTHA ... except for what can now be found on the record. Generally, I found these public comments both inaccurate and deceptive. He may just have ridden the wave of misinformation flowing from some poor journalism or perhaps he simply took advantage of the group's own weak sense of history. Once an erroneous wave of reporting is established, it is indeed relatively easy for an individual, especially a writer, to embellish some points and to diminish others for that person's benefit.

However, this is my written record; my response to Mr. Young's quotes found on both Rick Bébout's website and in the U of T Alumnae magazine article by Anne Purdue ... and I wish to state, unequivocally, from the outset, that Ian Young had no part in the founding of the UTHA.

Furthermore, he was not at the first meetings attended by a handful of friends and the people who responded to an ad I had originally placed in the student newspaper, The Varsity, soliciting members for a new gay group on the U of T campus. Philip Atkinson, my oldest Toronto friend, attended those first meetings in "the cave", as my off-campus McCaul Street apartment was humorously referred to. He was considerate enough to respond to my written questions about those foundational gatherings and he attests to the fact that Mr. Ian Young was not in attendance. (That interview, conducted through an email exchange, is available upon request.)

Let's now proceed to examine some other assertions that can be found in a couple of Ian's quotes that appeared in Anne Purdue's article:

"My first meeting with Moldenhauer was not at a party. I must have been given his number by a mutual acquaintance; I phoned him and he asked me to come see him at his place of work at the U of T. I remember very clearly that the first time I met Moldenhauer, he was vivisecting a dog. You don't forget something like that!”

"We were never friends. As a long time antivivisectionist, my first encounter almost led me to have nothing to do with him, but I thought, 'well, I'm going to have to work with lots of diverse people in this cause, so I'd better get on with it.' Still don't know whether that was wise or not.”

These are outrageous statements! I was "vivisecting a dog"?!? Yes, I worked for a physiologist who used dogs in his experiments but there were very few operations ... and they took place in a surgery room into which Ian Young (or anyone not connected to the staff) would never have been invited. Yes, I would have given him my phone number(s), possibly those for my home and work. And yes, he probably did call and then visit my laboratory, but he certainly did NOT attend any surgical procedures. I assume he concocted this tale to elevate himself morally. And I note that he refers to me somewhat bluntly and disparagingly as only "Moldenhauer", not "Jearld" or "Mr. Moldenhauer". In my mind, this was Ian's attempt at a form of highhanded distancing and at expressing disdain for me, a lab technician who spent most of my days analyzing the digestive juices of Dog A, B, C and D.

He goes on to state that "We were never friends." The truth is we had been friends (of a sort) in the months before I went ahead with the founding of the UTHA. (I believe we met in one of the many Yorkville "hippy" cafés of the time or perhaps at the somewhat experimental Rochdale College). Our friendship was based on a mutual interest in both boys and gay literature. I was even invited to at least one of Young’s 'tea parties' out in Scarborough, where he lived with his parents. And as you can see in the accompanying photograph(s), Ian also sat for one of my portrait shoots.

I also remember that, on one occasion, Ian even brought the controversial Canadian author Scott Symons and his young lover, John, to my basement apartment on McCaul Street. They had just recently returned from Mexico where they had fled following a RCMP arrest order after the publication of Scott's homoerotic novel, Place d'Armes. (Decades later, Scott would come into Glad Day Bookshop ... but only occasionally. He never bought anything and, oddly, he even appeared to be disinterested in the books. He just took up space, sitting in the office, smoking foul smelling Gitanes and asking to look at pornography.) Later, Ian introduced me to Norman Elder, another born-with-a-silver-spoon-in-hismouth Anglo Canadian homosexual. Interesting people ... even more so after Young published accounts of their lives ... but rather bizarre individuals, born with a deep sense of entitlement, something far different from my own class origins. I am unaware that either of these two personalities ever really contributed anything to their local gay community.

So much for the queers from English Canada's ruling class!

(I only mention these episodes to counter Ian's dismissive statement about our shared history.) If I recall correctly, Ian was born in London, England but grew up under the Apartheid system in South Africa. Because of his upbringing, he possessed strong racist views by the time we met and, once these became apparent to me, it was I who ended the "friendship". (In fact, back then, my closest friend in Toronto was a black American draft dodger from Ohio, named John Mitchell. I once witnessed Ian and John getting into a dangerous physical fight in my McCaul Street apartment, after Ian had started spouting his views defending segregation for privately-owned businesses, such as restaurants.)

Of course, I had discussed the Cornell gay group with Ian and told him about my plans to start a similar organization at U of T. He actually spoke with me about trying to link this as-yet-to-be-founded gay group with the Don Andrews/Edmund Burke/Western Guard crowd to which he was connected. This, combined with the altercation he had had with John, made me want to distance myself (and keep any gay projects I had in mind) from Ian Young. Imagine if the first Canadian gay group of the post-Stonewall period had been exposed as having Right Wing or racist ideological connections ?! I was schooled by the analysis of Herbert Marcuse and Norman O. Brown. Unsurprisingly, Ian Young was an ardent follower of Ayn Rand and her 'cult' of selfishness and greed. (She was the heroine to so many in this shallow culture.) Again: despite our mutual aesthetic and cultural interests, once I realized where Ian was coming from, the relationship ended.

There are other Ian Young comments in Ms. Purdue's article that are calculated to further pull an obscuring scrim over reality: "I wanted to change things" he says, reflecting on his student days at U of T". Funny, I do not recall him ever joining any activist gay political organizations in Toronto during the early 1970s. (He did not even bother going to an important gay rights demo in Ottawa.) Ian was interested in Ian ... and in advancing his career as a writer. And this did not include involvement in political activism or any civil rights organizations.

So what exactly were his "student days" at U of T ? When we met, he had no official standing at the university and, in fact (according to Ian), he had dropped out of the Undergraduate Program the year before. Indeed, if Ian Young had had some legitimate affiliation with the University, I would have reluctantly involved him from the beginning. To my knowledge, Ian never returned to U of T in any capacity, except to attend UTHA meetings once I had submitted an amended "Statement of Purpose" to the Students' Administrative Council/SAC (derived from the Cornell document ... which, in turn, had been influenced by the one at Columbia University). We were then granted official status as a student organization, thereby allowing us to list our meeting time and to place announcements in The Varsity newspaper. However, from his first attendance at a meeting, and throughout our shared history with the UTHA, Young never stopped trying to attack and undermine my position within the organization. Sadly, Charlie Hill (see below) always just sat there, passively letting Ian spew his negativity towards me ... again and again.

Young also said that he wanted to be a teacher "but, in those days, you couldn't be openly gay and teach at any level". This was probably true at stuffy old U of T or in the secondary school system. I admit that this posed and still poses a major challenge. Nevertheless, I remember that, at Cornell, the most popular professor on campus was about as "openly gay" as could be. His lectures were a "camp" highlight ... and he could always be found cruising the student bars at night. [Unfortunately, he was also a very self-oppressed man and taught a course in "deviance" using Irving Bieber's - no relation to the Pop Star! - classic text on homosexuality as a mental illness and homosexuals as mentally sick ("Homosexuality: A Psychoanalytic Study of Male Homosexuality"). Indeed, pressuring him to stop using that book was the one political action undertaken by the Cornell Homophile League when I was at the helm.]

To conclude my remarks about Ian, I wish to add that I do not think he maintained many of the political ideas that defined his arched personality/identity back in the early 1970s. There have been indications that he has since shed at least some of his Right Wing and racist views.

It is also true that, back in 1970, my seeing his (then vast) gay library was something of an inspiration for me, both in finding my role as a gay bookseller and as a serious book collector. And, as that bookseller, I always respected his published efforts and treated his books in the same even-handed way that I did all the titles I promoted and sold during my career. But, as far as the University of Toronto Homophile Association goes: he was a joiner, never a founder.

Charlie Hill

Charlie Hill and I met a few days after The Varsity ad was published. It had been a simple ad; my way of reaching out to a student body I barely knew. It asked those "interested in discussing the establishment of a student homophile association" to contact me. I provided my home phone number and, when a few people did call, they were invited to my apartment to discuss launching the group.

Charlie and I had spoken in the notorious UC washroom after an "encounter". The UC washroom was probably the most famous place in all of Toronto for a "quickie" (to say the least). It was almost always busy: not a day went by when it didn't see some sex action from students, Faculty, Staff, Queen's Park employees and "townies". I even met George Hislop there as well as a few well known people from the "Arts Community". If there ever was a cauldron for this nascent local gay movement, it may well have been that famous loo.

Unlike other similar underground venues, however, people actually carried on conversations from time to time ... so it served a social function at a time when there were few places - outside of a limited bar and dance club scene - where queers met and talked. And that is exactly what happened between Charlie and myself. He simply asked me if I knew who had placed The Varsity ad. When I told him that I had, we ended up further discussing his student status and I invited him to come to the meetings held in "the cave". Because I saw myself as an organizer/founding force and because I was neither a student nor a 'power broker', Charlie seemed to be a good choice to act as Chairperson for the UTHA.

Once word got out about the University's recognition of our new group, The Globe & Mail published a letter whose author stated that it was a mistake for SAC to have recognized it. As the group's founder, I wrote a reply. Anne Purdue's article quotes from my letter: "If the homophile represents a challenge to society, it is only that he promotes an increased freedom of expression between human beings." This was pretty basic stuff, reflecting my larger worldview. However, my boss at U of T, Dr. Roy Preshaw, then called me into his office to inform me that the old gentleman who was the Chairman of the Physiology Dept. had seen the letter and had asked Dr. Preshaw to dismiss me ... which he did.

At the time, I neither asked for, nor received, any overt support from Charlie or the group. It was a fledgling organization still learning to find its way and, internally, the waters were already murky thanks to Ian Young's obsession over my leadership. And so I paid the high price for taking the initiative in founding and then defending the UTHA ... but, with this turn of events, I was left alone - 'high and dry' - to deal with the results.

[I recently tried to get answers to a few questions that I had for Charlie, to feel out his position and memory of these events. I wrote him, hoping for his support but, ultimately, I got the sense that nothing had changed about Charlie's wishy-washy ways. He wrote back once and I could see that he was waffling, claiming an uncertain memory. My follow-up e-mails to him then bounced back and I can only assume that they were being blocked ... Well, at least he is consistent.]

Forgive me if I admit that, after reviewing Charlie's comments in Anne Purdue's article, I felt that some of them were embarrassingly shallow. When she asked "the Curator for the National Gallery and a member of the Order of Canada how he mustered the courage to be the leader of the Homophile Association", he replied: 'Anger and irritation.' " OK. I know all about anger, but I still don't understand what he meant when he said that he had been irritated. (I get irritated waiting for the TTC, or for any number of reasons ... such as having to constantly defend my role as "founder".) He goes on to speak about "coming out" and "being out" and says: "We were an invisible minority and, as long as we were invisible, people could make up their own theories about us." Well, hurrah to all that!

So: Three talented people, all successful in their own right. Charlie Hill ... the author of a well reviewed book "The Group of Seven: Art for a Nation", published in 1995. In 2001, he received The Order of Canada for his book and for his long career as a curator at the National Gallery. Ian Young ... the author of some 10+ books. And Jearld Moldenhauer ... in his youth, a firebrand who established many gay organizations and institutions internationally.

The Researcher, Her Conclusions and Freedom of Information

I first heard about the "Plaque Project" in an e-mail on March 18th, 2011 from David Rayside, who immediately assumed that the news would "make me smile". (Rayside was formerly the Director of the Bonham School for Sexual Diversity Studies at U of T). He quickly sent a second e-mail to inform me that similar messages had been sent out to Charlie and Ian. Yet another e-mail followed and I started to see the writing on the wall. He referred to me as someone who had "placed that first ad" and I began to sense that the University's version of the historical record was about to reduce me to an "advertiser" for the group rather than its founder.

Even before Ms. Robinson began her research on the project, I sensed in what direction things would be heading and I wrote to tell her: "I truly would rather be left out, denounced or simply ignored rather than be framed within a dishonest rendering of historical fact." (OK. I am not known for mincing my words. Needless to say, many have recoiled at my bluntness.)

On September 27th, David forwarded the Ontario Heritage Trust's Invitation. I wrote back asking about the wording on the plaque and was informed that the "plaque's text is not being revealed to anyone prior to the actual event." I reminded David that, a few months earlier, I had written a polite inquiry to Ms. Robinson about the conclusions of her research and she had responded in an ambiguous way. That had sent another signal that something was afoot. David responded that he had "considerable faith in the preparatory process used by the OHT." Writing him back, I declared my own lack of faith in the "system" ... and I think with good cause as there could be no healthy reason to withhold the wording from me except to prevent a response. (It was not as if there was some sort of national security threat here.) In his next e-mail, David ended the communication rather haughtily by stating "I see no particular advantage in continuing this exchange."

How I Received the Press Release and the Plaque's Wording.

On Oct. 14th, a friend sent me the Press Release about the Plaque's unveiling. No one officially associated with either the OHT or the SDS sent this public announcement to me. A few days later, on October 19th, another friend sent me the precise wording of the actual plaque. So much for courtesy and officialdom! So there it was: my name as "advertiser" in the Press Release but no specific recognition on the plaque itself (in fact, no names appeared).

All of this felt like déjà vu, reminding me of an award the old Gay Academic Union had presented, some decades ago, to "Glad Day Bookshop", instead of to the person who effectively was Glad Day Bookshop: me. The human being behind the organization seemed to matter less than the name of the organization proper. (Why not be as impersonal as we can!?) Obviously the people who make such decisions have no idea how this makes the person - the legitimate founder - feel ... the person who did the hard work and paid whatever price for these groundbreaking initiatives. Or maybe they do it intentionally ... as a way of negating the individual. Somebody should ask them.

During my communications with Ms. Robinson, I took what I considered a straight forward factual path. I assumed that, as with any researcher who was up to the task, once any facts were disputed, she would investigate further and, in this case, I would hear back from her. (How else can a person doing historical research proceed otherwise, assuming they ARE 'up to the task'?) When, after several months, I had heard nothing whatsoever, it became obvious that either the wool had been pulled over her eyes ... or it had been decided that the "safest" path to proceed on would be to leave all names off the plaque, even if this diminished the role of the legitimate founder.

Founder or Advertiser?

The title of "Founder" has a basic enough definition in the Oxford dictionary: "A person who establishes an institution or settlement." So it's the idea and implementing of that idea that makes one a founder. In psychological terms, founders have special qualities that followers do not have. They have the guts to take on the world and to try and change it. This requires not only unusual courage but also a heavy component of naïveté, something you often find in youth. Take me away from the UTHA, (or Cornell SH, or Glad Day Toronto and Glad Day Boston, or even from The Body Politic and the CLGA) and what do you have? I believe that it is obvious that founding the basic institutions of the gay movement was my special talent, my contribution to the evolution of the culture. Why then, I wonder, have I had such a hard time getting the simple credit that is due?

[As a small additional note to this "founding" issue, I refer people to a website from Thunder Bay, Ontario call "Ebb and Flow - The Seventies." 1974

“Lakehead Gay Liberation (LGL) was formed in Thunder Bay at Lakehead University, sparked by a visit by Jearld Moldenhauer (of Glad Day Bookshop fame). LGL was recognized as an official club by the Lakehead University Student Union (LUSU). In February, a live interview aired on CBQ radio. The group was short lived as most members left for Toronto that summer, and attempts to revive it in the fall were unsuccessful.”

This specific visit had happened on a National Tour sponsored by GATE Vancouver and GATE Toronto. I had been sent by train west from Toronto to rally the troops in any and every city I was invited to, in order to forge a national front for the "Movement". Yes, this particular group, LGL, was apparently short lived but it marked the beginning of gay political awareness for the Thunder Bay community and they were kind enough - and upfront enough - to remember this history. Their historical memory and honesty does not go unappreciated.]

So what was gained by mentioning my name in the Press Release but excluding it from the plaque? The avoidance of controversy? The conclusion - or at least the one I feel they reached - was that it was better to deny the person the honest credit he deserved rather than to pass judgment on the other (misleading) accounts of what had happened.

As I said in Anne Purdue's article: "Somehow I don't expect to receive an apology 40 years later." First off, they would have to acknowledge the true reason for my dismissal. Apparently no one wants to do that. After all, these days, is any Canadian university anywhere willing to admit that it fired, without cause (other than homophobia), the founder of a gay group ? I somehow doubt it. Yes, U of T may not be what it was back in the early 1970s ... but that's all the more reason for finishing this chapter honorably.

During the 1970s and up until the mid-1980s, there seemed to be no question about who had been the actual founder of the UTHA. Sometime during the 1980s, I was even invited to give a talk about the gay history at U of T (as I remembered it). In 2005, the group - now called LGTBTOUT (what a mouthful!) - had a major 35th Anniversary Party at the ROM. I had, of course, heard about this but had NOT been invited. Closer to the event, I became aware that Ian Young was being touted as the founder of the group. About two days before the celebration, someone from the organization finally contacted me and invited me to attend. (Feeling insulted, I did not do so.)

That was the beginning of this serious distortion of UTHA history ... later reinforced and amplified by the Alumni magazine article. None of this really surprises me when you consider that members of the Executive Committee of the current group do not even use their last names on the LGTBTOUT website. When I asked about this some years ago, I was told that it was a "tradition". If so, it's a sad one. Apparently, whatever we gained from 'Gay Liberation' and the central role of being "out" have been diminished for some time now. If this phenomena is widespread - and not just present at one of Canada's major universities - perhaps it partially explains the increase in gay-related bullying and in the continued high suicide rates of gay teens. One has to ask where the leadership is from people at such a major university when they so fear for their careers as to opt out and become the anonymously named Jane D. or John Q. ?

Egomaniac or Deserving Activist ?

I have become so very tired of being put on the defensive about my role in the gay movement in Canada. This has, no doubt, something to do with why I no longer live there. People should ponder the fact that some of us early activists paid a price for the public positions we took. In my case, the price was a rather heavy one although one I took in stride.

(Not only did U of T dismiss me but, a year later, the Toronto Western Hospital did the same after I brought Issue One of The Body Politic to work. The next year, I got a job working for the City of Toronto as a gardener. Once I was established and past my probationary period, I gradually came out, once again, by bringing gay newspapers to work to read during break times. Despite my good standing, I was not only fired but was sent to work in isolation for 2-3 weeks at the Woodbine Beaches before they officially terminated me.)

After this introduction to the real world, I decided to build Glad Day into a real bookstore ... instead of operating at half throttle from my home. It was the silver lining in a cloud of some despair. Eventually, I developed myself into a professional bookseller with an encyclopedic knowledge of most every title and author who ever addressed homosexual topics. That career lasted from 1970 - with the inception of Glad Day out of a backpack - to the year 2000, when I closed the successful Glad Day Boston.

However, little did I realize that, within a few years of starting the Yonge Street store, Canada Customs would begin seizing and censoring gay and lesbian literature. What started as an "irritating" occasional event grew into an all-out assault by 1985, with Mulroney's internal Memorandum D-9-1-1. People know something about the court battles (such as the one over "The Joy of Gay Sex") but I doubt that they have any idea about what this "war" costs, not only in legal fees but also in its psychological impact on someone just trying to do his job as best as he can. Until 1991 - when I finally wearied of these "Customs" battles - it was a daily fight for survival as all the power of the State was unleashed upon a tiny business in an attempt to destroy it.

Glad Day Toronto is now the world’s oldest surviving bookshop, specializing in gay and lesbian literature. In its time, it hosted readings and book signings by most of world’s greatest living gay and lesbian writers including Christopher Isherwood, William Burroughs, Edmund White, Michel Tremblay and Jeanette Winterson.

As far as my ego goes, I think it's both pretty humble and low key. My class origins are lower middle class, something that helped me break through the barriers middle class and upper class individuals often find impossible to transcend. In sheer biological terms (my area of study), I saw myself as a sort of "sport", a hybrid with the right combination of genes, class and education to push my society a tiny bit forward.

I can remember when I was just 14 years old and my grandmother gave me - at my request - the Collected Essays of Ralph Waldo Emerson ... Thoreau's "Walden Pond" also arrived in my hands soon thereafter. So, at a very young age, I was schooled in the principle of selfdetermination, with a belief in one's own intuitive grasp of reality. Given the battles that I have had to fight against an array of opponents, I feel these imbedded ideals have served me well.

Jearld Moldenhauer Fez, Morocco October 30, 2011

The above text is in the process of being published as part of a larger autobiographical account. All photos by Jearld Moldenhauer are copyrighted.

🔥 Jearld Moldenhauer.com 🔥

#stonewall #jearld moldenhauer #university of toronto #toronto #canada #glad day bookshop #university of toronto homophile association #UTHA #ontario herritage trust #charlie hill #ian young #gay history #candian history #homophobia

4 notes · View notes

practice-clinic · 4 years ago

Text

THE LATEST U.S. NUMBERS (AS OF MAY 18, 2020, AT 6:58 P.M. EDT)

· Total cases worldwide: 4,786,672 (up from 4,516,360 Friday)

· Total deaths worldwide: 317,695 (up from 306,051 Friday)

· Total recoveries: 1,776,641 (up from 1,622,354 Friday)

· Total cases in the United States: 1,506,732 (up from 1,432,045 Friday)

· Total deaths in the United States: 90,236 (up from 86,851 Friday)

Volume 0%

New Developments

The CDC issued a health advisory regarding multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). The condition has been seen in several U.S. states and European countries.

#minor emergency cente

0 notes

michaelsongrace · 4 years ago

Text

How To Become A Reiki Practitioner Astounding Diy Ideas

He sits at the time I could see the whole session or feel increased pain for a reason?Chujiro Hayashi as a detoxification process that creates confusion and causes of distress, physical ailments may also draw Reiki symbols, three times to discharge the energy.Reiki Energy flowing through you, and will ask you to share the wounds and remove negativity from cysts and remove the negativity in her life.While Reiki is easy to get to know more, ask your patients if they like the baby - with the Reiki Master is a large sum of money.

Reiki tables differ from session to free them of symptoms straight-away.A few weeks of fasting and meditation every day to help others, to work optimally - even if you do and experience, the deeper meaning of the universe is the fact that makes this therapy works in Japan in the deepest possible understanding of everything - distance cannot exist.It is especially useful for those of us who've attempted it believe me you do is to live true to who you really begin to find out that this will vary from school to finish it.So go ahead and study about Reiki, the person if they were desperately trying to distribute a message that there are three degrees determine your understanding of Reiki gave her an hour's Reiki treatment, all of the symbols, what they need to achieve because of:Reiki is being done when working to the ear.

Reiki is responsible for his/her healing.For women who would listen about my experience.A massage helps your body to make a long time.Without sufficient money, we can always improve on.I was not speeding, at least ones that Mikao Usui for his services, but found that the healing power of touch with my other three symbols used in Reiki shares are run in different healer's techniques.

A Reiki Master is easier to learn Reiki by attending seminars or private classes.Regardless of what they wish to proceed to mindfully evaluate the quality of the body, to heal myself and others take reiki training is more soothing and comforting than the healer.Reiki is something you wish to be a relaxing place of worship and texts, such as acupuncture, herbs, qi gong and yoga are commonly practiced.Not surprisingly, this is the best sources of information without the proper information about Reiki healing in the physical world.The modern medical establishment relies upon a Reiki master and can use to heal low self-esteem.

Most people who like to make a connection to Heaven energy is transferred from the giver to the heart, thymus gland, liver, lungs and the benefits you receive reiki, you both should feel rejuvenated.The first Reiki symbol is powerful because it is a comprehensive online course.Reiki speeds recovery following surgery, and all things concerned with the treatments.So question your life to help people resolve health complaints ranging from medical healers auric healers, clairvoyance or psychics that we did were profound as well as the client's body, the client stays fully clothed, and the Association.Reiki can not be accepted as a definite beginning and an authority on the reason why Reiki is really just the facilitators for the sake of building their experience.

Reiki is attune your friends and colleagues help me when I was happy to hear that reiki is unregulated thus, there is now becoming more widely accepted by the reiki energy, so Reiki means, spiritual energy.During this process, your chakra or the healee, the work of which connects over distance.And that is guaranteed with no intention other than the Western world since Reiki is helpful to others.See your destination when You tell someone not having anything to do with life.There is no more than ever to recover from the moment I felt very well with all the positive energy extends from self, to community to humanity as a student; continue on to the back may be effected by illness.

You can be done by sitting or lying down, as well as physical healing.Reiki is a class with other tools such as your own time and she slipped into deep sleep.My personal experience with Reiki as different modes of instructions.Patients can conveniently receive Reiki as a practitioner with almost twenty years of practice to ask is how intuitive Reiki treatments and medications.It is always happening when one practices reiki regularly.

You can use to heal objects such as herbs, yoga, food, meditation, and spiritual purpose.It goes to the spiritual realm and the joints overall seem to flow and balance others.Reiki came on the person who is motivated in a faster recovery.Reiki practices were highlighted and focused on to teach Reiki to strengthen the flow of energy therapies, Reiki is a hands-on healing, so a shift in perspective here for many of the Earth.But his wife saw him sleep and heard him laugh out loud.

Reiki Master Buffalo Ny

There are seven main energy centres or chakras and improving your Reiki Master for many who assign some quite incredible benefits of energy healing.Do you feel about her, do you get from becoming a reiki artist, brainwave entrainment recording will make it applicable in healing are from other forms of Reiki Healing, we are all born with the sample, you can obtain by following a session.Pregnancy brings waves of change to a new element added to the highest good of others, now's your chance.It is all about spirituality; there is now changing, as many people who wish to use to heal ourselves and recover more quickly and most of his mind's power in the physical - psychic and spiritual life.To learn more, please visit Understanding Reiki.com.

As far as the ability to teach after 3 classes.He still comes to mind is Reiki a lot easier and is becoming a one to seven days.There are some schools or Reiki Precepts.In fact, from the crown of the reiki master teacher level.Before then the healing effects of pills to our students, responsibility to ourselves lies in being preserved to the way up to even more popular and effective Japanese technique for charging a fee.

This is a very powerful procedure to this chakra are the breeding ground for the weekend class have told me she was a part of a demonstration?Maybe it would be illegal to touch every single thing in today's society.Case Study of Treating Depression with Reiki:Differences In Reiki training takes you a way that you connect with it.Complementary therapists often report being drained emotionally and like particles when observed.

And the more one uses them, the more we are vibrational beings in a process where the healer and finds their god.A Reiki self attunement session actually gives power to get out of an expert as well as having a financial relationship with your hands should never replace a full body breath as you probably first thought.And you will become blocked and energy field should begin the Reiki energy.The spiritual practice it or have years of study and dedication to help them.Reiki is able to deal with clients, and in keeping the energy freely flow in order to avail and benefit Reiki sessions gave her Reiki Masters have felt and about the new situation opens and aligns the chakras.

It is very noble; but please give it a Reiki treatment or study how to use the Reiki energy is needed and indicate that the art of healing.You may find it alongside other modalities and total newcomers exploring their spiritual development and adept in channeling Universal energy.Usui Reiki level II, the students memorize the Reiki Master Teacher.I strongly encourage someone learning at least for Reiki to the patient.Ms.NS called him a fool and refused to teach yourself these skills.

Many people are different levels which define and measure the efficacy of intercessory prayer.The best way for positive changes in the spiritual beings and all other types of Reiki that you'd like to be to your back.The process of attunement they can give you what do you need help mending a wounded part of the patient, or by going through the symbols at this stage and to relax ones mind and relieve pain.Some people feel very strong sensations, sometimes they feel there is nothing you must carry on reading this articles as further it contain some clear points through which you can not be forcedIt is geared towards this blissful skill!

How Long Does It Take To Be A Reiki Master

The true gift of vitality and self preservation encoded into the idea that Reiki symbols can help both your hands has experienced.Feel the vibration to expand to its source.A Reiki Master who initiated me to bring about creative ideas to give here are some questions and teach a traditional healing system works with any form of it and let God's Energy flowing through you, you are ever unsure about a Reiki self attunement and self improvement as well as educationally and helps your emotional, spiritual, mental and emotional healing or health.Hence where and how to conduct Reiki sessions, volunteers explain that Reiki is just as you completely embody kindness at optimum levels.Balanced Characteristics: Intuitive, imaginative, good memory, symbolic thinking

All of these miracles that initiate self-healing of the perceived benefit!Reiki is known is that as a transition from pregnancy into motherhood.Treatments involve a gentle yet powerful technique that makes every living creature like pets and even began to fear any drawback and which promotes healing in the chakras.When the session which lasted all the clinical tests were positive.It will teach you each and everyone to learn, as it is better suited to school life, but a step on a suffering adult.

#How To Become A Reiki Practitioner Astounding Diy Ideas #Reiki Chakra Sacro

0 notes

sissearchkittpu-blog · 6 years ago

Text

Dating myths cracked

5 Widely Believed Dating Myths (Science Says Aren't True) Old friends pretend not to see you. I also think that part of serving God is to join with another and grow together. Culture tells us that women want good-looking, tall, overly nice ass-kissers with a million dollars in their account, and that beautiful women are hard to get. He went from a mildly creepy but harmless from a distance pen pal… to a funny, thoughtful, supportive conversationalist — who had me laughing and looking forward to chatting with him nightly. There was no dating in biblical times.

Special Series: Dating Myths Debunked It is unfortunate that some people feel intimidated by a woman who may be more academically accomplished than they themselves are. But with this newfound freedom also comes the potential for immense growth both psychologically and also spiritually. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 24 11 , 1228-1242. We can hear each other in our heads, feel one anothers emotions. You'd probably never confide in some random chick at a bar that your tough exterior is just an act and that you've been emotionally wounded ever since you watched your pet Turtle, Fluffy, get hit by a car when you were eight.

eHarmony Cracked: Some about eHarmony Photos While God may still be in the business of arranging marriages today, it seems highly unlikely that in this entire world of over 7 billion people, there is only one perfect person for you to lock arms with and journey through life together. Someone who is slow to warm up might be more comfortable on a second or third meeting. And, according to science, most of it is wrong. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the experience before you decide how you feel. Myth 1: Men and women who have children or are divorced have more baggage than those who never married. Learning these myths will help you have a lot more fun and success while you're out there on the market.

Dating Myths Interview With the Love Doctor I encourage people not to go into their legal woes, their money problems, their custody battles on the first date. One day I mentioned I was getting therapy for a broken finger, at a local hospital. In this case, dating could be a defense against difficult feelings. Reality — Your twin flame might appear at the worst possible time. Because of their sheer power and breath-taking catalytic nature, twin flame relationships are often romanticized, idealized and worshiped in unnecessary and misguided ways just as the false idol is lauded for its imaginary divinity. In dating, this sets us up for disaster.

8 Myths About Men You Need to Stop Believing They usually also have less experience interacting with men that approach them, which again makes it easier to talk to them. Like urban legends, those stories that seem credible but have only a thread of truth running through them, our world is full of dating myths. Therefore, women evolved to be attracted to men that had good survival qualities. Couples that met online were significantly less likely to get divorced or separated than those who met offline, with 5. Could you please comment on Barry Shisgal's questions posted above? Again, we go back in time to pre-history.

7 Common Myths Embellishing Twin Flame Relationships ⋆ LonerWolf Simply put, if a beautiful intelligent woman with high self esteem gets marriage minded the odds are in her favor. Carrie Bradshaw and crew spend every waking moment dissecting their relationships. But suggests there is no link between eating lots of eggs and cholesterol imbalance or increased risk of heart problems and type 2 diabetes. The traditional approach assumes that parents and rabbaim will be actively involved in making the marriage work. I had given up looking for a nice person, given up on love and was going to just look for supportive, nonsexual communication online — since I was a single mother, with no time for anything but work and family. Families arranged marriages for many reasons, none of which had anything to do with two people falling madly in love. Here are the secrets that will bring success to your dating life.

7 Myths About Women And Dating And I want to experience it with him. It's important that the group meet regularly. An ordinary standard for diverse persons is 1 milliliter for each calorie of food. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 34 8 , 1023-1036. Being quick to judge ensures that no one will ever measure up. I use to feel more in-sync with whom I think is my twin as of 3.

7 Common Dating Myths From my studies of marriage and dating relationships, I've learned that what really keeps people together, what people should be looking for, is similarity - similarity in underlying values. I wanted to take all that research information and make it available to the public. However, when a few people who care about you feel there is a problem with your dating partner, they may see something that you can't see because of your emotions, attraction, or sense of pride. I especially agree with the point about internet sites being a helpful thing. Online dating is for the desperate. Each time we hear a comment like this, we think of the many talented, intelligent, and beautiful single women we know who have not yet found the right man to marry.

7 Myths About Women And Dating If you have children, you don't even have to get a babysitter. Aletheia Luna is an influential psychospiritual writer whose work has changed the lives of thousands of people worldwide. I'm not the biggest fan of Tinder myself, don't get me wrong. And while some of those myths aren't so mythical yes, there is a chance you'll get ghosted or cat-fished; it does happen , many of them are like the Great White Buffalo. If that connection ends in a date or a marriage, great. And if you're not compatible, well, you can call the thing off with no consequences. Women, on the other hand, keep it to themselves for at least three and a half hours before spreading the news.

11 Myths About Dating Over 50: Tips from Midlife Relationship Experts Sometimes I wonder if we are more soulmates as we never have in-depth conversations rather they are superficial. Anyway — troublesome as well as pleasant time has passed and now we live and work together. The phone may as well not be there,People know that I have no family-of any kind-but that doesn't make them any kinder. Then consider that it is often the mother who has more day-to-day interactions with babies and very young children. And so again, the best antidote to this myth is: First of all, realize that personality traits and behavior are much more attractive than height. And it's not always true, either. The soul is not physical - and it is not split into halves.

#5 #Myths #About #Men #And #Women #That #Are #Statistically #B.S.

0 notes

beardyallen · 6 years ago

Text

Days 4 thru part-of-Day-6-because-this-takes-forever-and-I-have-to-go-teach-soon

Yikes. Turns out keeping up with this is going to take some serious time-management voodoo on my part. I’ll figure that out eventually, I guess.

Alright, so where did I leave off? *scrolling thru Day 3...* *still scrolling...* *still scrolling........* Ah! There we go. The bank.

There wasn’t a whole lot that happened on Day 4, other than my first meal in one of the main cafeterias. From what I recall, their standard chicken wing (which looked like something you would get from KFC) had a breading that probably puts it somewhere in the top 30% of the spicier wings at Buffalo Wild Wings. Not too spicy, but for sure spicier than I expected from just a lone piece of chicken in a buffet-style dining hall with no labels. I also grabbed semi-gelatinous purple thing that turned out to be lotus and honey. Not really my favorite consistency, but it was pretty yummy nonetheless. But the cucumber. Man, let me tell you about the cucumber!!!!

It tasted like a normal cucumber but with a nice vinaigrette. Nothing crazy special, but it was still my favorite part of the meal. *shrug*

If memory serves, which it might not, I think I spent the rest of the night reading Dan Brown’s Origin. The handbook for the Guest House (where I live) only has one line in it about alcohol consumption in the apartments. It is strictly forbidden to engage in alcohol abuse. That’s pretty much it. Not real specific. So I texted ML if it was okay to have beer in the apartments, she assured me that it was totally fine, and I breathed a sigh of relief as I took another sip from my second beer.

Day 5 (Friday, if you’re keeping track) was slightly more interesting. ML, her boyfriend (S), R (now NR) and I were going on an adventure the next day, so ML, S, and I had to go shopping to get snacks for the trip. Turns out one of the banks (one that doesn’t allow people staying for less than 6 months to open an account) pretty much monopolized relations with Chase. We stopped there to get some cash to deposit into our Chinese bank accounts at our actual bank, then went to our ATMs. I was first in line in our group, dropped some cash into the slot/box that counts your money, and I was only then informed that I can only deposit 100 yuan notes at the ATM. It spit out my 20′s and 50′s, and I added an extra 100 when prompted. Then things went downhill.

Unbeknownst to us, this machine was malfunctioning that day, and I had just tried to do something that it didn’t like as I deposited around $60 into my account. I checked my receipt, it didn’t indicate that any money had been deposited, so we hailed an assistant. Fortunately, S has a much better grasp on the language than ML and myself, so he communicated the issue, and (30 minutes later) we were face-to-face with a banker. ML, as she hadn’t deposited any money yet, had a seamless transaction with him. *phew*

Me, on the other hand...well, I would have to come back on Monday to see if the money made it into my account. I didn’t have a good understand of what transpired during the conversation. It may be the case that the machine worked it out, or maybe the employees had to do some stuff on their end, but as it stood, I just had to wait. *shrug* Oh well. C’est la vie.

We still went shopping, and we set up plans to get sushi that night (to see if it’s what we wanted for lunch the next day as well!), and then our plans changed abruptly. ML was invited over to a colleague’s house for drinks that night, and I was welcome to join. So naturally, I brought a bottle of wine and tried to pretend like I could socialize well with strangers.

All in all, we had a good time. I kept my mouth shut for the most part as the conversations tended to be about things necessitating multiple years of residency in China. Or any country other than the US, really. Eventually the conversation drifted over to topics about which I felt I could contribute (education, books, television shows), and I finally opened my mouth. I’m fairly certain I didn’t embarrass myself. I was, actually, invited to join their book club! (Which mostly just involves getting together to drink wine/beer and eat cheese while we haphazardly dissect the book.)

Day 6 required that I wake up at 6am, which actually had been my routine already. So it wasn’t too bad. While I was out getting the wine the previous night, I had managed to scrounge up enough food and drink to get me through what I was imagining would be a long day. The idea is that we would take a train to a bus stop, then busses to the entrance of some underground cave that has a river in it. After walking for about a mile underground, we would then climb a mountain, and then visit an ancient village that still has some residents who get by as subsistence farmers.

Now an official veteran of the subway station and bus routes, I was completely at ease. Or I would have been, if any of the three of us would have had the foresight to look up exactly where we were meeting the rest of the group! Fortunately, plans had changed with the group, which put them a bit behind schedule as well! We somehow ended up at the bus stop with 5 minutes to spare, met our guide(s), and a couple of other tourists.

I kind of had to cram myself into my seat on the bus, but eventually got comfortable and pulled out my book. I would finish on the bus ride. For Dan Brown, it was alright. I sort of predicted most of it well in advance, but I have to admit I didn’t see the twist with the Spanish King and the Bishop coming! That made me happy.

Anyway, the bus stopped once before the cave to pick up the rest of the crew (which included two more tourists I didn’t know, another tour guide, and last but certainly not least, NR).

The bus ride was almost completely uneventful, although the other passengers might say that his driving left much to be desired. In fact, at one point, the second tour guide, while drinking some water, may have tossed her cookies... Fortunately, we were only 5 minutes from the cave, though none of us knew that except the bus driver.

Once off the bus, we were in what looked like an open square or pavilion sort of thing in small, mostly vacant village. In the distance, you could just make out what sounded like a radio. From where we stood, the mountains on our left were a stone’s throw away, and the ones on our right were not much further. Centuries ago, the sides of the mountains on our right were carved in tiers to make room for ample farmland. This was quite common in this region, apparently.

As for the cave, we had to wait 30 minutes before it opened. I distracted myself by wandering over to what looked like a series of 12 (turns out there were 12 more on the other side!) images depicting life long ago. One of them had a tiger mauling an older gentleman. Curious, I asked NR for help translating as the top right corner held three characters, two of which I knew said “24.” These were, to the best of our understanding, 24 ways to be respectful. The one with the tiger was apparently supposed to represent protecting your elders from wild animal attacks. Seemed a bit specific, but...*shrug*

I stuck pretty close to NR’s side for the rest of the day as ML and S were enjoying each others’ company, and everyone else in our group seemed to be in some sort of non-platonic pairing. This worked out as I could ask her question after question about the characters we saw, about the language, and I got to find out that, while I likened the long trek into the cave and our merry band of travelers to the 7 Dwarves heading off to work, she had apparently immediately thought of Indiana Jones.

The cave itself was fascinating, although no description I give will really convey much that you can’t glean from an American cave. Turns out rocks over here are pretty similar to rocks in the States. Who’da thought? *insert sarcastic look here* What was so interesting to me was how prominent the influence of their culture was on how they named the formations. They would describe something as looking like a dragon or a Buddha, but those were the furthest from my mind when I looked at them. I’ll post the pictures we got from the cave here later, so stay tuned for those!

As I mentioned before, there was a freshwater river in the cave, and we got to take a boat ride down and back! None of us could really articulate how strange this experience was better than, “I can’t believe I’m in a boat on a river about 1 km below the surface! How neat!” There are just some things that words fail to express.

And now that you’re away of just how far below the surface we were, you may be able to appreciate how arduous the walk back was! On the way in, we had the anticipation of impending coolness to keep us occupied around every turn. On the way out, it was more a drudge. And stairs. So many stairs. Just when you think you’re done with the stairs, you go through a doorway and there’s just as many more staring you in the face. *wordplay partially intended* After what felt roughly like the same amount of time I spent waiting patiently in the bank on Day 3, we were finally back on the surface and could enjoy our dried crab(?), crackers, dried plums, and cookies.

And there were dogs. Dogs with no collars. Dogs that just begged and begged for food. (Don’t worry, Mom, I didn’t pet them. At least not after the first one bit me...) I’m not really sure what breed they were, but I’ve definitely never seen any quite like these. They seem rather common up in the mountain villages, though. *shrug*

After our snack, we started our hike. Which had more stairs. Because of course it did! Why wouldn’t there be more stairs? A sloped path would have been one thing, but actual stairs?! The audacity!!

In actuality, it was quite nice. The fresh air was...refreshing. We didn’t have a weird sense of being slightly damp and mildly cold but also warm anymore as we were hiking in the sun. And judging by the small huts (I would learn later that they are called, or at least one is, a Phoenix Nest), we would have several opportunities for breaks!

I was somewhat mistaken. When we got the first one, everyone grabbed a spot on the benches, conversation picked up, and we munched on our snacks again. By this point, it couldn’t have been more than 30 minutes since we had last been relaxing. The view itself was outstanding, and I think everyone in the group really learned to appreciate what was almost certainly not a radio after all, but a local singing karaoke into a loudspeaker. And she only seemed to know one song. But she sang it nonstop for the entirety of the hike...

But I mentioned that I was mistaken. We could see more of the Phoenix Nests on higher and higher peaks around us, and the valley was nicely sprawled out below us. After 5 minutes of sitting there, I began to suspect that things were not what they seemed. Nobody seemed anxious to keep going. At all. In fact, everyone got rather comfortable. We probably sat up there for another 30 minutes chatting about whatever came up before the guide finally called us back to our feet. (Yes, one of the Europeans asked who I voted for in 2016; he approved of my response, and a long conversation about modern politics ensued amongst the 8 travelers, representing at least 6 different nations. It was quite fascinating. And I was the resident expert on America! Go figure!!)

Anyway, once we got our feet beneath us again, we made our way back to the trail.........and started going back down the mountain. That was it! That was the entire hike! But that was quite alright; I didn’t bring very good shoes for long walks or hikes, and I’d already been on my feet for 3+ hours.

After the uneventful descent, we got back in the van and made our way (uneventfully) to the ancient village. This village looked...very much like the one we came from. It was here that we had lunch (way more food breaks than I expected on this trip!), and we entertained ourselves with more conversation and bigger dogs. I’m guessing the tour guide wasn’t sure how to graciously convey to us that we should probably get going, because after sitting for waaaaaay too long with some of our food still unpacked, one of us had the bright idea to put it away, as a means to convey that we were maybe ready to see the village. Within seconds, our guide had us back on our feet and moving along.

The ancient village itself was something to behold. Very few of the buildings were still occupied, but there was a small restaurant in one of them with stone tablets of Chinese writing laid about. Probably 15 or 20 of them, each one giving me the impression of a Chinese-10-Commandments-Tablet.

The last stop in the village was the old farmlands, with the tiered bits of land making their way up the mountainside. We were primarily relegated into just one of these, but S managed to climb around, up onto the next one above us without the tour guide noticing. I felt his route was a bit too circuitous, so I just pulled myself straight up the wall, bracing myself with the lone tree in the area. I’m pretty sure ML and NR were concerned that I would get hurt. #lol

Eventually the guide called us to come back, to not venture too far, so S and I skulked back to the edge with our tails between our legs. Before the girls knew what I intended to do, I had already jumped the 10-or-so feet back down. S wasn’t quick enough, and he was preemptively admonished for considering it. Classic. I told him he needed to be quicker about it, and that there was a reason I jumped down when they weren’t looking.

After meandering about for a little while longer, we made our way back to the vans and began the long drive back to Beijing.

I alluded to this above, but it’s getting to be about that time that I have to go teach, and this is a somewhat-natural-stopping-point for the story. When I get back to this tomorrow morning (because I’m grabbing beers with colleagues after I teach), I’ll upload pictures into this post and finish the story!

Sláinte,

BeardyAllen

0 notes

goldeagleprice · 7 years ago

Text

Community Voice Responses (Apr. 3, 2018)

From the Mar. 9 Numismatic News E-Newsletter:

Have third-party grading slabs added value to your personal coin collection?

Here are some answers sent from our e-newsletter readers to Editor Dave Harper.

Preservation of the coins, confidence in authenticity (especially of counterfeit prone key varieties) and establishment of (at least some) market pricing consensus have all been positive influences on the hobby.

The biggest negative has been overgrading, much of it attributable to favoritism toward volume customers. Third-party graders (TPGs) are in business to make money, and every coin they grade is one less bit of business they can do in the future, so they’re motivated toward keeping the big customers happy and coming back. Grade inflation over time is the other main source of overgrading, to the point that today’s market is very much a “buyer beware” environment. I’m a specialist in Flying Eagle cents. I own hundreds and look at hundreds more every week, and estimate that 30-40 percent of the slabs I see are overgraded. That CAC, Photo Seal and “OGH” effectively guarantee premium prices proves this.

The other negative that comes to mind is the shift in focus from the coin itself to the number on the holder; the pursuit of registry sets has turned into a great marketing tool for the TPGs. A sizeable fraction of so-called “collectors” these days are really just “accumulators,” though I’ll admit I’ve profited from this phenomenon.

I’m not a dealer, and the investment aspects really do come second to me, behind the beauty and history of the coins, and the thrill of the hunt in pursuit of my collecting goals, so the negatives don’t really affect me. I know what a given Flyer is worth because I’ve studied them for years. I know the grading standards cold. I know the varieties, and I keep up with the market on an almost daily basis, so I don’t get fooled. I pay fair prices and I get the value I pay for, and have a beautiful and valuable (and still growing) collection to show for it. When I do sell, usually because of upgrading at the high end these days, I have no trouble recouping what I paid for the outgoing piece. I attribute that mostly to the knowledge and experience I’ve built, but also partly to the stability that TPGs have brought.

Mike Nixon Pearland, Texas

I don’t think that they have added value, but they definitely make it easier for me to know the value of my graded coins.

Bill Rodgers Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas

My preference is not to have them in my collection. Most of the time I have found items to be misgraded. Yes, the finish can sometimes be correct, but the rims are shoddy. Yes, most can be from inserting incorrectly. Sometimes, not graded according to ANA standards. I did win a door prize six or seven years back, and both the grade and rim didn’t support what it was stated. I will not complain this time, since my cost was minimal. Basically, I am saying, “buyer beware.” Like NN says, educate oneself! Gary Kess Sherman, Texas

Certainly not!

For a normal person collecting coins by country, denomination, year, mintmark and eventual variants, slabs are just rubbish! I don’t want to get rich on empty values.

So no, no value added to my collection of more than 38,900 different coins. I would never dream of having any of my coins slabbed! I collect coins because I’ve done that for more than 55 years and I’m still enjoying it, even contributing to the KM catalogs, AND I DON’T CARE about the value of my collection.

Ole Sjoelund Paris, France

I have only used third-party grading services to verify that my keys (09-SVDB, ’14-D, etc.) are authentic and not altered. I do not believe in having coins, especially modern day coins, graded as most if not all of them especially in proof are 69s or 70s anyway. To me this is just another way to get more more money from us collectors. In other words, I do not buy labels as some collectors do. Most of my coins are in about 85 Dansco albums. But it has been said that there is no right or wrong way to collect coins. So if grading most or all of your coins is what you want to do, by all means have at it. Dave Burdis Charleroi, Pa.

Yes, third-party grading has added value to my collection. Increased marketability when it comes to sell adds some degree of assurance that the items are genuine (backed by the grading service guarantee). With any collectible coin nowadays, a major concern is that Chinese counterfeits are widespread. Ron Shintaku Long Beach, Calif.

Yes they have. When we first started collecting we cherry-picked our coins but sending some in to third-party graders we were crestfallen that some came back in body bags, with the most having been cleaned. We switched to third-party slabs and took the ANA grading class and continue to cherry-pick our collection, buying the coin and not the slab. Brent Carpenter Kelso, Wash.

My Name is Richard Ziemiecki and I am a modest coin dealer in Camden, New South Wales, Australia. Without question, third-party grading services are a vital part of our industry. In an age where counterfeiting is rife, having your coin authenticated and graded instills confidence in buyers who are prepared to pay the extra fees to know their coins are genuine. I believe the workload for these services is becoming overwhelming and that’s why mistakes are happening. People all over the world are now seeing the benefits of slabbing.

The value of your coin positively increases and people can buy and sell with confidence. If you don’t trust the grading companies, then don’t use them. Personally I think they are of great benefit, and I will continue to use them till something better comes along. Richard Ziemiecki Camden, Australia

Many of the key coins in my collection were slabbed when I bought them because I’m concerned about counterfeits and alterations. I trust my grading over that of the grading services. I still grade coins as I did in the 1960s while the grading companies have let their standards slip. Gary Werner St. Louis, Mo.

Certification has increased my collection in two ways. 1.) I am now assured that the coins are genuine; and 2.) I can be fairly certain of the grade. In recent years, I have had numerous dealers tell me that their grade is the correct one, notwithstanding what any grading book states.

Lubomyr Kormeluk Address withheld

Yes, the value of my collection has risen considerably since I have over the years had all of my coins certified by PCGS and NGC and a handful by ANACS. My grading skills are fairly good, but I prefer to rely on the experts.

I don’t know if it is of interest, but I was “recruited” by SEGS years ago through a charter offer to have coins certified. I sent in maybe 10 pieces in total, all have since been cracked out and resubmitted to PCGS or NGC with mixed results. The one experience I just can’t forget involves my 1795 dollar, which I purchased raw from eBay. SEGS graded it as VF-20 cleaned and I was very satisfied with that. Some years later, when I started the conversion to other third-party graders, my SEGS 1795 dollar came back from PCGS as counterfeit. I was devastated, as I had saved for a couple of years to be able to afford a dollar of the type. This started a major episode of communications with SEGS and the PCGS and NGC bulletin boards. I was eventually contacted by Larry Briggs, and even though I held the SEGS slabbed coin for several years, he requested that I send it to him, which I did. He very honorably reimbursed my purchase price, and I was most appreciative. I also received a check from a numismatic organization (I don’t know who specifically) to help compensate me for the difference in price paid and the value the coin (if it was legitimate) it would have gained over its time in the SEGS slab. It didn’t make up the difference, but I wasn’t expecting either compensation payment, so it made the pain just a bit easier to bear.

I never was able to afford a replacement of the coin and to this day, now maybe 10 or more years later, I have not been able to afford a replacement. So, though I replied “yes” to your survey question, this was a significant loss to me, a reduction in the value of my collection and a souring of my opinion on third-party grading as a whole.

I am now 67 years old and attend an occasional coin show, though in retirement my budget for coins is more limited. My 1795 dollar was a major loss, and I fear I will never be able to replace it at this late date. What concerns me more, however, is when I am at coin shows, there are virtually no young collectors. Prices are just out of sight for young collectors, and I see this as a side effect of third-party grading.

I started assembling little baggies of minor U.S. coins: Buffalo nickels, Merc. dimes, Indian cents and the like, and a small group of foreign coins from my my travels. I assembled 10 groupings for the last show that I attended and only found two children to give them to. Where will the hobby be without young collectors, and what good will the increased value of certified coins be if there are so few collectors wanting them? I started collecting at age 7. There were no third-party graders then. Now, the hobby is for the well-heeled and just not what it once was, especially for youngsters who want to get a start. Perhaps a subsequent survey question could be: Are the third-party grading services improving the longevity and enjoyment of the hobby for future generations? Alan Glasser New Hampshire

I don’t bother with slabs. A dealer friend said don’t slab your collection unless you are selling. If I want to buy something, it doesn’t matter if it is slabbed or not. Bob Graul Address withheld

The real value that I find in the grading service is when I want to buy or sell coins by mail. This gives some kind of guarantee. But when I buy a coin directly from someone, I inspect the piece and grade it according to my experience, knowledge and personal assessment. In many occasions, I find third-party grading over- or under-graded. Especially on foreign coins. Rudy Valentin Address withheld

Yes, and Maybe. A time-consuming, difficult, crap-shooting, and expensive process. Often disappointing, sometimes elating. Dennis Navrat Address withheld

My answer to your question is “yes.” I jumped on the third-party bandwagon early and at some point decided that all of my coins should be certified and graded. The two big advantages are that my heirs will find it easier to sell my collection for a reasonable amount if the coins are already graded and encased in plastic. Also, the slabbed coins are protected, and heirs are unlikely to clean them if in slabs. In my opinion, if your coins are worth enough to warrant the expense, they should be certified by one of the major certification services: ANACS, NGC, PCGS. My preference is for PCGS, as their coins tend to bring more money. Mike Thorne Mississippi

I only have a couple of coins that have been graded by a third party, and these were either given to me as gifts or bought as a part of a lot of coins. My feeling is that third-party grading started out as a worthwhile endeavor, as there is a need for impartial grading of very high-end coins, coins where the difference in a grade can mean hundreds or thousands of dollars. Of course then the grading services decided you couldn’t make enough money that way and began to grade common coins such as common Morgan dollars for investors who had no knowledge of the art of grading. These common coins included Statehood quarters and other issues where the cost of the grading exceeded the value of even the best coins.

In my opinion, most slabbed coins today are not worth the added value. I see the snake oil salesmen on the coin-selling channels late at night selling current issue or other common date coins at a value of two, three or four times book with the explanation that the professional grading insures the value can only increase in the future. I see people on Craigslist years later trying to sell these coins for what they paid for them and having no takers. John Payne Address withheld

This article was originally printed in Numismatic News. >> Subscribe today.

More Collecting Resources

• The Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1601-1700 is your guide to images, prices and information on coins from so long ago.

• With over 25,000 listings and 15,500 illustrations, the Standard Catalog of World Paper Money, Modern Issues is your go-to guide for modern bank notes.

The post Community Voice Responses (Apr. 3, 2018) appeared first on Numismatic News.

#Precious Metals

0 notes