#daniels family holiday part 6 thousand

[faofinn]

No. 15 "I don't need you to help me, I can handle things myself."

@whumptober-archive

Makeshift Bandages | Suppressed Suffering | "I'm fine."

Alex had laughed at Fao when he’d said he wanted to take Finn camping over the summer. She’d asked if Afghanistan hadn’t been enough for him, if the English summer was the extra level of suffering he craved. He’d told her to piss off, that it would be a nice holiday, something to enjoy. He had his house, they could camp there, swim in the lake, and there were always showers, and warm beds if the weather got really shit. They’d buy a big tent, Finn could bring Jess, and Fao even invited Hars and Marcus. They both had time off, and had agreed, though Hars grumbled if he got cold overnight he’d be going inside and nobody was stopping him. 

Sure enough they’d all driven down, hiked out to the camping spot next to the lake, and set up the big tent there, all cosy with airbeds and duvets. It was luxury compared to being on tour, that was for sure. Finn’s seizures were a worry, of course, but Steve had made sure they had the meds they needed, that plans were available if needed, and told them to enjoy themselves. After all, they had enough medics there to make sure he was safe. 

They were sat around the campfire that first night, looking up at the stars as they toasted marshmallows, listening to the crackle of the fire. Finn had brought his guitar with him, and his soft strumming broke the night air every so often as he tried to work out what he wanted to play.  

After a few hours just chatting and singing along to Finn’s guitar they all headed to bed, snuggling down under warm duvets. After a slap up breakfast the next morning, Fao insisted they at least go for a walk and enjoy nature. There were loads of footpaths leading off his land, and some of the walks had some amazing views. Alex teased him and told him he was turning into Fred, and Finn said the same, but Fao didn’t care. They were going to enjoy their holiday, and the countryside was perfect to unwind. 

Mornings were far from Harrison’s favourite, the air still cold and not quite fixed by Fao's breakfast. He grumbled half heartedly as he ate. Marcus was much more of a morning person, laughing at the state of his boyfriend. He'd never been to Fao's, and was quite excited to go explore, even if Harrison wasn't.

Food was packed, as well as drinks and Finn's meds - it seemed everyone had double checked that one - and soon enough they were on the trails. Harrison had brightened up, happily joining in the conversation as they went. Finn was slightly withdrawn as they picked their path, a little tired and worried he'd ruin it as he always did. Jess, of course, told him to stop being daft, linking their fingers and swinging their hands as a distraction. 

It didn't take long for Finn to start complaining he was hungry, so of course they had to stop for a snack. It was easier than listening to his complaining, that was for sure. Once Finn was happily chewing away, they continued, glad of the five minutes' peace.

Despite Finn’s grumblings, it was a nice walk, up into the hills and then down to the stream that cut through the land. They’d been going for a few hours now, and they were all in need of a rest, so Fao paused to sit on a large rock, digging around in his backpack for some water. 

Finn had been trailing behind, having been distracted by a butterfly on a plant, crouched close to the edge. He'd sent a few photos to his dad, knowing he’d love to see them too. On his way back, his stomach twisted, his phone falling from his hand. He shook his head, swearing softly. It wasn’t a full aura, just a partial, nothing to worry about, he was sure.

Finn’s quiet swearing had caught Harrison's attention, frowning at the other man too close to the edge. He brushed it off, assuming he was just being overly cautious. But then, he caught the look on his face, all too aware of Finn’s seizures - tonic-clonic or not, Finn was too close to the edge. He jumped up, rushing to grab him before he just walked off the edge. 

Finn made no move to stop himself, not even a frown as Harrison grabbed him. He pulled him away from the edge, Finn tripping over his own feet. He landed on his arse in the grass, dazed and disoriented. 

Harrison, however, wasn’t so lucky. Everything happened all at once, his ankle twisting as the edge of the riverbank gave way. He gave a surprised shout, hands scrambling at the side to try and stop himself from falling. It was no use.

A sudden stab of pain in his palm saw him lose his grip, blood immediately dripping down his arm. It wasn't his main priority for long, finding himself dunked under the cold water. Instinctively, he gasped, river water in his lungs making him retch and cough. Head under water, it took him a moment to realise what happened, forcing himself to try to kick to the surface. As his head finally raised above, Marcus's hand grabbed at him, dragging him to the edge.

Harrison collapsed onto his side, his whole body shaking. He continued to retch and cough, Marcus trying to help by smacking his back. It took him a moment to realise he was speaking to him, crouched by him with soft words and gentle hands. He gratefully leaned into him, closing his eyes. They were both wet, soaked through, but it was the least of Marcus' worries.

Fao and the girls had been just too far away from the edge of the river once they realised there was an issue, as everything fell apart and Harrison ended up under the water. At least Marcus had been close to him, and as Fao scrambled to his feet to get over to the edge he’d already hauled him out and onto the bank, Harrison coughing and retching at the water he’d taken in. Jess had gone straight to Finn, fussing over him where he was still rather confused. 

“Fucking hell.” Fao commented, moving closer to the pair. Harrison was pissing blood from a cut somewhere, too, and he looked shocking. “Are you hurt, Marcus?” He asked, eyes flicking over both men. 

"I'm fine, I'm fine." He said quickly. "Hars? Sit up a bit for me, yeah?" 

Harrison shook his head, surprisingly exhausted. He continued trembling, unable to stop himself. 

Harrison had properly shut down, Fao could see it in his eyes. He knelt in front of him. “Hars? Did you hit your head?”

He shook his head again. His throat was too raw to speak, and he wasn't sure he even had the energy to. He managed a weak smile as Marcus brushed his hair from his forehead, stopping the water from dripping in his face. 

“‘Lex, did you bring the first aid kit?” Fao called over his shoulder. His girlfriend dug around in their bag for it, and then shook her head. 

“Must’ve left it.”

“Fuck’s sake.” Fao muttered, and then pulled his t-shirt off over his head. “This’ll have to do, otherwise you’re going to bleed everywhere.” He paused, and then ripped a couple of strips from it with some difficulty. 

Harrison flinched away from him instinctively, turning into Marcus for protection. 

"It's alright. You're okay." He hummed, pressing a kiss to his hair. "Just relax."

“Sorry, Tomcat.” Fao said gently. “I’m not gonna hurt you. Can I have a look at your hand? That’s gotta be sore.”

Marcus took Harrison's arm, holding it out for Fao to sort. "You're okay."

“Thank you.” He murmured, glancing up at Marcus. “I’m gonna sort it, yeah? And we’ll look at it properly when we get back. He wiped the worst of the blood away as gently as he could, and then set about wrapping it tightly. It wasn’t ideal, but it would do for now. As he did it, he turned to look at his brother. “Jess? How’s Finn?”

It was Finn that answered. "I'm fine. I didn't mean for Hars to get hurt. I don't know what happened."

“Just an accident Finn, not your fault.” Fao told his brother. 

"Is Hars okay?" His voice wavered with guilt and worry. 

"Just a bit bruised, I think." Marcus replied, glancing at Fao. It was obvious Finn was blaming himself, and it wouldn't help anyone if they let it. 

“Bruised and dazed. He’s alright.” Fao told him. “Think we’ll head back to camp though.”

Harrison pulled away from the pair of them, turning away to cough and vomit. He instinctively reached for Marcus to steady himself, crying out as he used the wrong hand. 

“Careful, careful.” Fao said. “Maybe he did hit his head. We’ll keep an eye.”

Harrison shook his head, his back still to the pair as he retched again. He tried not to be sick, but it was no use, bringing up more water. 

"Swallowed it." Harrison managed, breathing heavily as he all but collapsed against his boyfriend. 

“Yeah, okay.” Fao said, wanting to reach out and comfort him but knowing it would just make him worse. “We’ll stay here a bit, let everyone get their breath back and then we’ll head back.”

Marcus wrapped his arms around him, holding him close. "We're okay, yeah? We're okay."

[tabloidtoc]

OK, December 21

You can buy a copy of this issue for your very own at my eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/bradentonbooks

Cover: Queen Elizabeth cancels Christmas

Page 1: Big Pic -- David Beckham in an ad for Haig Club 

Page 2: Contents 

Page 4: Bella and Olivia Jade Giannulli -- life on their own -- find out what Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli’s daughters have been up to while their famous parents sweat it out in prison -- Bella has been so stressed out and felt she deserved a trip with her buds so she went to a luxury resort in Santa Barbara over Thanksgiving weekend 

Page 6: It’s been a little over a year since Felicity Huffman was released from prison after serving her time for role in the college admissions scandal but she is finally starting to get her life and career back on track -- initially she was nervous about working again given the controversy and everything that went down and she seriously wondered if there would be anything out there for her material-wise but she shouldn’t have worried as she landed a part in an upcoming pilot in which she’ll play a recently widowed owner of a Triple-A baseball team and she’s really excited about the show 

Page 7: Kristin Cavallari is fed up with Carrie Underwood’s meddling in her divorce from Jay Cutler -- after Kristin called time on her seven-year marriage Carrie and her husband Mike Fisher who used to be Nashville couple-friends to both Kristin and Jay have taken Jay’s side and since then there’s been some snide stuff said that’s made it clear how Carrie really fills about Kristin -- while Jay spent Thanksgiving with Carrie and Mike, Kristin filmed a wine-fueled Instagram Live and Carrie finds this type of thirsty behavior on social media incredibly lame and she’s saying it’s obvious Kristin cares more about upping her profile than making any type of family peace 

* After nearly 60 years in showbiz Cher has a different aspirations -- since traveling to Pakistan to help a mistreated elephant from a local zoo be relocated to an animal sanctuary she’s saying this is her new mission to help endangered species in third world countries and campaign for other good eco causes -- Cher spends much of her time cooped up and bored in her Malibu mansion and her trip made her realize there’s a world out there that needs her help 

* Mark Harmon of NCIS is all work and no play these days and nearly two decades in the same TV gig as Leroy Gibbs has only made things worse as the responsibilities of the show seem to wear heavier on Mark by the year and even on a break you can’t get him to crack a smile or tell a joke; he’d rather go lie down in his trailer -- off set Mark and his wife of 33 years Pam Dawber get along because they’re such homebodies and Mark can usually be found working on his cars in the garage or relaxing in the yard and he cherishes his quiet time but people have stopped inviting him out because he’s known as Mr. Boring 

Page 8: Dolly Parton is spreading Christmas cheer far and wide with a new TV special and album and Netflix movie but at her home in Tennessee the holiday spirit is decidedly lacking because Dolly is forgoing her favorite 40-year-running traditions which are filling her house with trees and driving her nieces and nephews and their kids around her farm in golf carts dressed as Santa and handing out presents because of her concern for her husband Carl Dean who has Alzheimer’s disease and he’s in a high-risk group for coronavirus so she’s restricted the property to just them and two staff members -- it breaks Dolly’s heart to have to cancel her big annual celebration and she’s still decorated her home to the nines but it’s a lonely feeling knowing the family won’t be there to see it 

* Prince William and Duchess Kate Middleton are proving themselves to be perfectly postmodern parents by raising their kids Prince George and Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis with firm rules for TV and electronic use -- Kate who recently revealed she’s fielded her share of temper tantrums actively attempts to stave off meltdowns with a strict rewards chart and the kids have to earn screen time -- Kate prefers to keep them busy with activities like board games and hikes and baking which the children enjoy anyway

* After spending the last several years living a relatively low-key life in his native England Russell Brand is desperate to have a bigger presence in Hollywood but his wife Laura insists he stay put -- Russell’s craving SoCal living and the copious acting jobs and event invites that came with it but Laura prefers their British life outside the spotlight with their young daughters -- while some work has come to him in England like the upcoming Death on the Nile if he had his way he’d make a more aggressive career push in L.A. 

Page 10: Red Hot on the Red Carpet -- stars stand out in festive green dresses -- Carly Pearce, Angela Bassett, Zendaya 

Page 11: Jodie Comer, Adriana Lima 

Page 12: Who Wore It Better? Melissa Gorga vs. Jennifer Lahmers, Abigail Spencer vs. Hailey Bieber in Max Mara, Olivia Culpo vs. Aurora Culpo 

Page 14: News in Photos -- Brooke Burke with Christmas ornaments that will be auctioned by non-profit Operation Smile 

Page 16: Audrina Patridge brought along her daughter Kirra’s favorite toys for a picnic in Beverly Hills, Padma Lakshmi visits The Vitamin Shoppe in NYC, Brandy at the BET Soul Train Awards 

Page 17: Kelly Rutherford felt the love from her dogs in L.A., Shawn Mendes out for a walk in Miami 

Page 21: Robin Wright and husband Clement Giraudet held hands while riding their bikes in L.A., long-time friends Gabrielle Union and Snoop Dogg unpacked ingredients delivered by Shipt 

Page 22: Josh Duhamel on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Karlie Kloss on her new Adidas collection 

Page 24: Vanessa Hudgens snuggled up to her beloved pup Darla while at the park in L.A., Jay-Z taking a walk around the island in Hawaii 

Page 25: Kimora Lee Simmons and her children handed out food to residents of a housing complex, Prince Jackson safely helped a community church distribute food to those in need 

Page 26: Inside My Home -- Ariel Winter’s stylish setup 

Page 28: Like most Garth Brooks and wife Trisha Yearwood have had a challenging 2020 but their 15-year marriage was put to the test this past summer when the country superstars’ daughter Allie tested positive for Covid-19 -- they were worried sick and had to go into quarantine themselves and not being able to hold Allie’s hand was terrible for both of them but fortunately Allie’s case was mild and Garth and Trisha’s tests came back negative 

Page 30: Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott who have amicably coparented their daughter Stormi since their split last year and recently spent Thanksgiving together as a family are drawing up plans to have another baby together in 2021 because both of them want to give Stormi a sibling ASAP and neither can imagine going through this process with anyone else -- the exes are figuring out a contract to specify their family plans that will protect Kylie’s money and outline coparenting terms more formally and give them each an agreeable share of custody if things don’t stay as rosy down the line

* They’ve costarred in five films and have proclaimed they’re each other’s work wives and are finally single at the same time so pals of Jennifer Aniston and Jason Sudeikis are urging the longtime friends to give it a go romantically especially now that Jason has split from Olivia Wilde -- Jennifer always says Jason makes her laugh the way no one else can -- while Jason’s primarily focusing on coparenting his kids he’s long harbored warm and fuzzy feelings toward Jen and he would love to ask her out but the only thing holding him back is the potential to ruin their solid friendship

* Love Bites -- Johnny Galecki and Alaina Meyer split, Rihanna and A$AP Rocky dating, Jonathan Bennett and Jaymes Vaughan engaged 

Page 31: Matthew Perry’s loved ones are worried the Friends star has made a rash call by suddenly getting engaged to literary manager Molly Hurwitz -- the on-off two-year romance between Matthew and Molly has been dysfunctional from the get-go and Matthew’s way more into this than Molly who seems to love him more like a brother

* A rough year for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle including inter-family strife and a move across the pond and a devastating miscarriage has only strengthened their bond -- after Meghan revealed she and Harry had miscarried in July the two were quite overwhelmed by the outpouring of compassion and the response not only validated their decision to go public a thousand times over but it also helped them grow even closer -- they’re determined to put this behind them and try for another baby at the earliest opportunity but more than anything else it’s really underlined how they belong together as soulmates 

Page 32: Cover Story -- Queen Elizabeth’s holiday shake-up -- inside the monarch’s heartbreaking decision to call off the family’s annual Christmas celebration -- the queen will celebrate the holidays at Windsor Castle in Berkshire for the first time in more than three decades -- while the queen is upset not to have the company of the younger royals this year she has to think about her and Prince Philip’s health 

Page 36: Katie Holmes’ season of joy -- how Katie is spending the holidays with her new love Emilio Vitolo Jr. 

Page 38: Mistaken Identity -- with these celeb look-alikes it’s deja vu all over again -- Carrie Underwood and Reese Witherspoon, Daniel Radcliffe and Elijah Wood 

Page 39: Mark Wahlberg and Matt Damon, Amy Adams and Isla Fisher, Lucy Hale and Selena Gomez 

Page 40: Interview -- Tommy Lee’s new beat -- the veteran rock star opens up about his latest solo album and his new fan base 

Page 42: Gal Power -- how Wonder Woman actress Gal Gadot gets into superhero shape 

Page 43: Fight Club -- these buttkicking superheroines pushed themselves to new limits -- Brie Larson, Scarlett Johansson, Danai Gurira 

Page 46: Style -- Zendaya for Lancome’s new mascara 

Page 48: Sleek activewear from celeb-loved label Gigi C Bikinis makes it easy to look like a star when you work out 

Page 49: 5 minutes with Adrienne Bailon 

Page 54: Entertainment 

Page 58: Buzz -- Disney Holiday Singalong featuring Ryan Seacrest, Katy Perry, Pink and daughter Willow, Ciara and her kids Future and Sienna 

Page 60: Sound Bites -- Nelly on feeling disappointed with placing third on Dancing With the Stars, Kaley Cuoco on husband Karl Cook’s social media presence, Megan Fox on first meeting boyfriend Machine Gun Kelly 

Page 61: Paul McCartney on why he doesn’t like taking pictures with fans, Cardi B joking about how her 2-year-old crashed her selfie video 

Page 62: Horoscope -- Sagittarius Vanessa Hudgens turned 32 on December 14 

Page 64: By the Numbers -- Dan Levy 

[lucyllesheltonroi]

12 Things I Stole From People More Successful Than Me

Throughout my entire life, I’ve been fortunate enough to have read 100’s of books written by people who are a lot more successful than I am.

People like Nobel Prize winner Daniel Kahneman, billionaire investor Charlie Munger, Founding Father Ben Franklin, NBA legend Kobe Bryant, modern-day Stoic Ryan Holiday, and many more.

This has exposed me to thousands of new insights and practical ideas for living a better life. And let me tell you something…

I’ve happily stolen and applied every single piece of advice these people have kindly given away in their books.

Whether it’s building better habits, elevating my level of happiness, or earning more money, these ideas have greatly benefited my own life.

So to make these ideas easier for you to benefit from, here are 12 of the best and most unconventional ideas I’ve shamelessly stolen from people who are a lot more successful than I am.

I hope you enjoy it!

1) Pare Down The Number of Decisions You Make Every Day

Every single day, you make thousands of decisions: Should I hit the snooze button or not? What time should I leave for work? Should I exercise today? And if so, what time? The list goes on and on. Some of these decisions are important, but most are trivial.

Unfortunately, researchers have found that, as humans, our capacity to consistently make well thought out decisions is finite.

What this means is that when you use your brainpower earlier in the day deciding what to eat for breakfast, for example, you’ll consequently have less of it later in the day when you have to decide if you should have that piece of cake or not. As a result, you’ll most likely give in and decide to eat the cake. This is what’s known as decision fatigue, which is the psychological condition where making a decision in the present will reduce your decision making ability in the future.

John Tierney, coauthor of the New York Times bestselling book “Willpower,” says,

“Decision fatigue helps explain why ordinarily sensible people get angry at colleagues and families, splurge on clothes, buy junk food at the supermarket and can’t resist the dealer’s offer to rustproof their new car. No matter how rational and high-minded you try to be, you can’t make decision after decision without paying a biological price. It’s different from ordinary physical fatigue — you’re not consciously aware of being tired — but you’re low on mental energy.”

Simply put, every decision you make uses up your mental energy. So in order to save your mental power for the important decisions of the day, you have to learn to reduce the number of decisions you make on a daily basis either by automating them or delegating them.

By doing this, you’ll find yourself becoming significantly less stressed, more productive, and overall happier.

2) Tear Up Your To-Do List

Here’s an important piece of advice: Success is never achieved by the person who does the most things every day. Instead, success is always achieved by the person who does what is most important every day.

This is why to-do lists can oftentimes do more harm than good. Why? Because a to-do list is essentially everything you think you need to do, not everything you ought to do.

It may feel good to check off a lot of small, unimportant tasks from your to-do list, but a to-do list tends to just obscure what’s really important.

So what do you need instead of a to-do list? You need a success list.

In the book “The One Thing,”​ Gary Keller, founder of the largest real estate company in the world, says,

“To-do lists tend to be long; success lists are short. One pulls you in all directions; the other aims you in a specific direction. One is a disorganized directory and the other is an organized directive. If a list isn’t built around success, then that’s not where it takes you. If your to-do lists contain everything, then it’s probably taking you everywhere but where you really want to go.”

Not everything matters equally. Having clean windows may seem important for you to do, but it doesn’t help you achieve success. They only distract you from success.

So the next time you create a to-do list, don’t make your to-do list in random order. Instead, take a few extra minutes to list everything on your to-do list in order of priority and then focus on only doing the 3 most important things on your list.

3) Turn “Have-To” Into “Get-To”

At one point in my life, I constantly struggled to build new habits. But here’s a simple idea that helped me overcome this: Don’t view your habits as challenges. Instead, view them as opportunities.

In the book “Atomic Habits,” habit building expert James Clear says,

“We often talk about everything we have to do in a given day. You have to wake up early for work. You have to make another sales call for your business. You have to cook dinner for your family. Now, imagine changing just one word: You don’t “have” to. You “get” to. You “get” to wake up early for work. You “get” to make another sales call for your business. You “get” to cook dinner for your family.”

This may just seem like semantics, but it’s actually a crucial component for building new habits and improving your life. By simply changing one word in your life, from “have-to” into “get-to,” you start to see building habits like going for a run and reading every day as a privilege rather than as a burden.

For instance:

Don’t tell yourself “I have to go running today.” Instead, tell yourself, “I get to build endurance and get fast today.”

Don’t tell yourself, “I have to read today. Instead, tell yourself, “I get to learn from the most intelligent and successful individuals who ever lived today.”

Don’t tell yourself, “I have to write today. Instead, tell yourself, “I get to impact thousands of people for the better through my thoughts today.”

Learn to reframe your habits to highlight their benefits rather than their drawbacks. Doing this is a fast and easy way to reprogram your mind and to make intimidating and burdensome habits seem more attractive.

4) Use People’s Favorite Sound

Do you wish you were more likeable? I mean, who doesn’t? Even people who say they don’t care about being liked by other people still care about being liked.

And they should… You know why? Because being liked by others is extremely important when it comes to both your career success and personal relationships.

Luckily, there’s a simple technique you can use that can have a huge positive impact on how others perceive you. In the classic book “How To Win Friends and Influence People,” Dale Carnegie interviews the late American politician Jim Farley on his secret to being a more likeable and persuasive person.

What was his secret? Amazingly, Farley would go out of his way to remember the names of everyone he met. In fact, Farley could remember the first names of 50,000 people!

This is definitely impressive, but why is remembering and using people’s names important? There are two reasons: First, when you remember someone’s name, it makes that person feel respected and more important. However, when you don’t remember someone’s name, especially when they’ve told you their name multiple times, it can make that person feel slighted. Second, when you actively use someone’s name in conversation, it makes that person feel more engaged and interested. Unsurprisingly, Carnegie says, this is because “a person’s name is to him or her the sweetest and most important sound in any language.”

Remembering and using someone’s name is a very subtle, yet powerful way to win people over. So the next time you meet someone and you want to quickly win their favor be sure to remember their name and use it often in conversation.

5) Look At People’s Feet

When you’re having a conversation with someone, how do you know if the other person is engaged in the conversation, disinterested, or just uncomfortable to be there?

Typically, most people will look at the other person’s facial expression to try to get a sense of how that person feels.

Unfortunately, the problem with this strategy is that people are really good at changing their facial expressions in order to mask how they really feel.

Luckily, there’s a better strategy. According to the book “What Every Body Is Saying,” former FBI agent Joe Navarro recommends that in order to tell how someone feels, you should look down at their feet.

Navarro says that out of all our body parts, our feet are the most honest parts of our body.

For example, let’s say you’re talking to someone and their facial expression makes it seem like they’re engaged with you, but their feet are pointing away from you. Navarro says this is a bad sign. This can mean they’re ready to get out of the conversation immediately or that they don’t feel comfortable being there.

If, however, their feet are pointed towards you, then Navarro says that’s a good sign. This can mean that they feel comfortable talking with you or that they’re enjoying the conversation.

So the next time you’re standing and talking with someone, look at where their feet are pointing. You’ll discover some of the most revealing nonverbal information from that person just by looking at their feet.

6) Mise En Place

In the culinary arts, professional chefs have a term they use called “mise en place,” which is French for “put in place.”

Essentially, chefs don’t start cooking until everything is, literally, in its place: their instruments and spices are organized, everything is clean, their ingredients are pre-chopped, their ingredients are pre-measured, etc.

Mise en place helps chefs reduce the friction they experience in the kitchen. As a result, chefs are able to cook better meals with far less effort.

This is a simple concept that helps chefs cook better, but it also extends outside of the kitchen.

In the book “Good Habits, Bad Habits: The Science of Making Positive Changes That Stick,” professor and habit researcher Amy Wood recommends using mise en place to build better habits.

Like professional chefs, Wood recommends trying to reduce the friction needed to do your desired habit.

For instance:

If you want to eat better, then prepare healthy breakfast, lunch, and dinner meals in advance.

If you want to exercise in the morning, then lay out your workout clothes the night before.

If you want to read more, then put a book on your bed.

If you can reduce the friction for the positive habits that you want to build, then it won’t be as hard for you to build life-changing habits into your life.

7) Don’t Be A Donkey

When Tim Ferriss asked Derek Sivers what advice he would give to his younger self for his book “Tools of Titans,” Sivers gave one of the best pieces of advice in this entire 700+ page book: “Don’t be a donkey.”

In this book, Sivers tells a short story about a donkey who is both equally hungry and thirsty. Fortunately for the donkey, there’s a stack of hay a few feet away from him on his left side and a pail of water a few feet away on his right side.

But here’s the thing: Because the hay and water are equally as far, the donkey can’t decide whether he should eat the hay first or drink the water first. Paralyzed by indecision, the donkey eventually falls over and dies from both hunger and thirst.

Sivers says,

“A donkey can’t think of the future. If he did, he’d realize he could clearly go first to drink the water, then go eat the hay. So my advice to my 30-year-old self is, don’t be a donkey. You can do everything you want to do. You just need foresight and patience.”

Therefore, if you have 10 things you want to accomplish over the next 10 years, just know that you can definitely achieve those 10 things. But all you have to do is simply dedicate yourself to one thing for a year. And then dedicate yourself to the next thing for another year. And so on. However, if you try to do all 10 things at once, then you’re going to end up like a donkey and not achieve anything. Don’t be a donkey.

8) Stop Using The Number 7

Whenever you don’t know if you should say no to something, simply rate it on a scale from 1 to 10. However, there’s one condition: You can’t use the number 7.

This strategy comes from Tim Ferriss in his book “Tribe of Mentors: Short Life Advice From The Best In The World.”

Why does Tim Ferriss say you’re not allowed to use 7? Because 7 is too safe of a number. 7 doesn’t commit to anything.

If you rate something a 7, there’s a good chance you’ll feel obligated to say yes to it when you shouldn’t.

Whereas, if you rate something a 6 (terrible) or an 8 (exciting), it’s a lot easier to quickly decide whether or not you should even consider it.

The benefit of making decisions this way is that it forces you to make a decision.

This is a method you can use for anything, whether it’s deciding if you should buy a specific book, go to a conference, or have a coffee chat with someone.

Don’t be scared to have an opinion. Stop playing it safe. Make a decision.

9) Be A Whiner

Mark Cuban is a huge whiner. But that’s exactly why he’s so successful.

When Mark Cuban was in high school, for example, he whined about not being able to take business classes. So he decided to take classes at the University of Pittsburgh instead.

When Mark Cuban was hanging out with his friend, they both whined they couldn’t listen to any hometown sports in Dallas. So they decided to start AudioNet.

When Mark Cuban was sitting in attendance at a Mavericks basketball game, he whined that there wasn’t enough energy or entertainment. Cuban thought he could do a better job. So he decided to buy the Mavericks.

In his book “How To Win At The Sport of Business,” Mark Cuban says,

“I’m sure there have been many other things I have whined about in the past, and many more that I will whine about in the future. What I don’t understand is why so many people think whining has a negative connotation. I don’t. Whining is the first step toward change. It’s the moment when you realize something is very wrong and that you have to take the initiative to do something about it… People who don’t whine are punching bags. They just go about their days, their jobs, their lives, knowing there is nothing they can do to change a darn thing, so why say a word? They see no reason to whine because they know they are incapable of effecting change. Call me a whiner any day.”

10) Take Sabbaticals From Your Work

If you ever feel like you’re experiencing creative roadblocks in your work or that you’re feeling burnt out, it’s probably time to take a sabbatical.

What’s a sabbatical? Sabbaticals are mini-vacations from your work, which are meant to act as a detox from your daily routine so that you can recharge and get back to work better than before.

In the book “Show Your Work,” best selling author and creative Austin Kleon says,

“The designer Stefan Sagmeister swears by the power of the sabbatical — every seven years, he shuts down his studio and takes a year off [to rejuvenate and refresh his creative outlook.] His thinking is that we dedicate the first 25 years or so of our lives to learning, the next 40 to work, and the last 15 to retirement, so why not take 5 years off retirement and use them to break up the work years? He says the sabbatical has turned out to be invaluable to his work: “Everything that we designed in the seven years following the first sabbatical had it’s roots in thinking done during that sabbatical.”

Stefan Sagmeister is only one among thousands of successful entrepreneurs, creatives and VCs who rely on sabbaticals to feel refreshed.

Taking a sabbatical, whether it’s for a week, a day, or even just a few hours, is a great way to cultivate new ideas, to experience fewer creative blocks, and to avoid burnout in your work.

11) Never Ask For Someone’s ‘Opinion’

If you ever want to ask someone for input about an idea you have, then never ask for their “opinion.” Instead, always ask for their “advice.”

The differential phrasing might seem minor, but in the book “Pre-Suasion” psychology and marketing professor Robert Cialdini says that asking for ‘advice’ can have a significant positive impact in getting other people to provide you feedback as well as getting other people to want to work with you.

Why? Because when you ask someone for their ‘advice,’ this puts the other person in a togetherness state of mind, which helps increase the other person’s desire to support whatever you’re asking them for advice on.

Asking for their opinion, on the other hand, puts the other person in an introspection state of mind, which makes them focus more on themself and not on you.

So whenever you’re seeking input from your customers, peers, or even your boss, it’s worth asking them for their “advice.”

“The novelist Saul Bellow once observed, “When we ask for advice, we are usually looking for an accomplice.” I’d only add on the basis of scientific evidence that, if we get that advice, we usually get that accomplice.” — Robert Cialdini

12 Practice What’s It’s Like To Be Poor

For many of us, we constantly worry about not having enough money. We fear what life will look like if we can’t afford the things we think we want and are forced to live on just the bare necessities.

But oftentimes this fear paralyzes us and keeps us from being as happy and successful as we could be.

But instead of constantly worrying about what might go wrong if you were to get fired from your job or your business was to fail, why not rehearse what each potential fear-inducing moment would be like before it ever happens?

This is a psychological technique known as “fear rehearsing,” which is where you regularly microdose yourself with the worst case scenario as a way to desensitize yourself to your fears.

In the book “Letters From A Stoic,” the great Stoic philosopher Seneca says,

“Set aside a certain number of days, during which you shall be content with the scantiest and cheapest fare, with coarse and rough dress, saying to yourself the while: Is this the condition that I so feared?”

For 3 to 4 days, wear the same outfit every day. Eat a lot of instant oatmeal, ramen and/or rice and beans. Drink only water, cheap instant coffee or tea. Reduce the amount you spend on groceries and personal care in half. Forego any form of entertainment or leisure that costs money. Walk or take public transit everywhere. Turn off your TV. Take cold showers. Sleep in a sleeping bag. Only read books from your local library.

That’s it. That’s as hard as it gets. By doing this, you’ll realize just how independent your well being is from money. And once you understand this, it becomes easier to take “risks” and to push through your fears because you know that even if you were to experience a huge financial setback, you would still be completely okay.

People will think you’re resilient but actually you’ve just practiced the hard times as preparation.

[dailyaudiobible]

11/25/2020 DAB Transcript

Daniel 1:1-2:23, 1 Peter 3:8-4:6, Psalms 119:65-80, Proverbs 28:14

Today is the 25th day of November, welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I’m Brian it's wonderful to be here with you today as we take the next step forward like we do every day, the next step. It's funny, just the next step is what we take and then we…we end up having moved through the entire Bible and then through an entire year. And it's such a vivid portrait of what next steps can do when we take the next right step and letting the Bible be a voice in that next right step. Well that's why we come here every day around the Global Campfire isn’t it. So, let's dive in. And right off the bat here we’re moving into new territory in the old testament brand-new book.

Introduction to the book of Daniel:

This book is called Daniele and it’s an intriguing book to say the least, maybe one of the more intriguing books in the Old Testament. And it’s…it’s an historical account and is certainly helpful and valuable and gives insight into the…the kind of times, the times of exile that we've been reading about for quite a while now. It hasn't been that long ago, but it seems like it’s been a long time ago that we read the story of Solomon and we came to like the apex of ancient Israel's culture and civilization. And since that time we've…well…we've been in a lot of territory but this theme of exile, this thing of conquest and Jerusalem being conquered both historically and prophetically have been kind of where we’ve been camped out and we get a different perspective of that in Daniel. But Daniel also though contains these incredible visions and these visions have been poured over for thousands of years in eschatological studies - the studies of the end, the end time prophecies. Daniel is a centerpiece in that study. So, here's what's interesting. We just read the book of Ezekiel and Daniel was contemporary with Ezekiel. He was…he was taken into exile when Jerusalem first fell to Babylon in 597. And we know because we’ve been reading these stories of deportation and exile and prophets both in exile and in Jerusalem. So, we got Jeremiah prophesying from Jerusalem through all of the turmoil and we’ve got Ezekiel prophesying from exile in Babylon during all the turmoil. So, we know that it was not a good easy time whatsoever for those who were being displaced and Daniel was one of those people. And despite the struggle of being deported to a different land Daniel was favored by God. He was gifted. He was young. He rose to become an influential advisor. He was of utmost authority in the Babylonian kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar. But there's quite a story that got him there. And even though Daniel was exiled and was a Hebrew and was a prophet he really wasn't a prophet for or against Israel, which makes his voice unique because this isn't a particularly Jewish set of prophecies with the other prophets. We need that…that Hebrew context that we’ve been drilling into all year long to sort of understand the grievances that are being laid out before the people of Israel and what repentance might look like for them and what things might look like if they continue on the road that there on. Daniel’s not really prophesying with that kind of voice at all. So, we’ll notice that Daniels’s…it’s not broken up into two different halves or anything like that, but we’ll see that generally the first part of the book is the story of Daniel's life. So, we get to know Daniel in the first part of the book. And we’ll find some of the most famous of Sunday school stories in in this part of the book like the story of Shadrach Meshach and Abednego in the fiery furnace or the account of Daniel in the lion's den. Then once we kinda move through that narrative, move into the back half of the later part of the book, it shifts then to Daniel's prophetic visions. And he has visions of four great world empires. And it…it's…it's apocalyptic literature. So, as a genre, it's highly symbolic and allegoric and we’ll see almost cinematic in nature as its retold to us. Remember when we…remember the wheel within the wheel and all of that imagery in Isaiah when we’re trying to think this all through and picture all this. We’ll be doing that with Daniel as well. And of course, if…if eschatology, the study of the end times is a passion of yours then there's no way to avoid Daniel. It’s the centerpiece of that type of study in the Bible. But whether or not figuring out the end of all things, the end times, the apocalypse is…it is important or not in your faith journey, what Daniel portrays through all of his visions, if we had to kind of boil things down we would see that Daniel is revealing that God is sovereign over every kingdom of the world for all time. Like, God is the most-high God and He is sovereign over all. So, let's let’s dive in. Daniels gonna to carry us into the final month of the year, which is the month of December and we’re just days away from that.

And, man tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day here in the United States. It’s also China's birthday. So, I’ve had two major holidays land on two birthdays in my family. Jill’s birthday’s July 4th. So, that's a constant. Of course, China's birthday is the 26th of November, but it happens to fall on Thanksgiving. So…so we’re…we’re really at the threshold. This is like Thanksgiving Eve, everybody's cooking lots of food and after this we move into warp speed so quickly that we just need to take a deep breath as we move into this new territory, reminding ourselves that God is sovereign over all things and continue to do what we talked about just a few minutes ago, the next step forward, day by day, no matter what the chaos or…or all the stuff that's going on swirling around. Even though it's festive, the rhythm we've established is what's gonna carry us into the new year. So, we’re reading from the New International Version this week. Daniel chapter 1 verse 1 through 2 verse 23.

Prayer:

Father, we thank You for Your word. We thank You for another day. We thank You for bringing us into new territory. It's always exciting to turn the page and move into new territory. And, so, we thank You for the book of Daniel, and we ask Holy Spirit that You would awaken our minds, quicken our hearts that we might hear and learn and see whatever it is that You have for us as we continue this journey day by day, step-by-step. Come Holy Spirit, we pray in the mighty name of Jesus, we ask. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is home base, it is…it is the website, and it’s where you find out what’s going on around here. Of course, if you’re using the Daily Audio Bible app, everything that you can find at the web is also in the app, just push the Drawer icon in the upper left-hand corner. Be aware of that.

Be aware of the Community section. That's where the Prayer Wall is and lives and continues to be a resource 24 hours a day seven days a week. So, be aware of that.

There are also links there of where to get connected on social media, etc. So be aware of that.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, thank you. Thank you. If…if what's happening as we continue to sail across the year together in the Scriptures, as we continue to be a community around the Global Campfire, if that is important and makes a difference in your life then thank you profoundly and humbly for your partnership. There is a link on the homepage at dailyaudiobible.com. If you're using the app, you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner, or the mailing address is PO Box 1996 Spring Hill Tennessee 37174.

And, as always, if you have a prayer request or encouragement, you can dial 877-942-4253 or you can hit the Hotline button in the app, it's the little red button up at the top. And no matter where you are in the world you can share from there.

And that's it for today. I’m Brian I love you and I'll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

Community Prayer and Praise:

Hey this is Jared calling from Duluth Minnesota it’s 2:53 in the morning on Sunday November 22nd, day 575 of my renewed journey in the DAB family. I was so moved today by __ of joy who’s been cycling down for three weeks and can’t move, is scared, not going out of the house, completely alone and your desperate cry for help. Want you to know that we are praying for you and that I’ve been there before in a dark place and so difficult to get out of that…that hole sometimes but __ can help and God will be your rock in time of need. And also, for Rosie, Free in Jesus where one year ago her son disowned her like my son has disowned me and your husband died and contemplating suicide. And again, I’ve been in those dark places. I want you to know that we’re praying for you and that God would just supernaturally bring peace, comfort and joy in your life today and in the future. God bless. Bye.

Hello food DAB family this is Vonnie from Northern California calling on Sunday morning the 22nd of November. Just heard Sheer Joy crying out for help this morning and even though I know it’s been a few days I am praying for you dear sister and know that the Lord sees you and hears you. And even though your family is praying for you a few days after you called God sees you exactly where you are at that moment and He is going to come in and He is going to enter in His Holy Spirit to help you. And we’re asking, O Father please in the name of Jesus we ask You to bind the enemy and keep him from our dear sister, Sheer Joy. Bring back the joy, restore the joy of her salvation dear Father. Help her in Jesus’ name come in and eradicate any part of the enemy’s plan to bring her down. Bring someone else in, a friend, somebody who can bring light and joy and comfort and encouragement to our friend and bring her out of this pit. I think of David and the psalmist calling out from the pit and she’s doing exactly that Lord Jesus. I pray that You would restore the joy to her, fill her with the love that casts out all fear and all dread and bring her back to fullness and to healing and hope and to health. We thank You in Jesus’ name.

Good morning everybody this is God’s Smile here. Just like to share a little about Maria my helper. Maria had an experience. She’s had two this year. She’s been with me two years, Maria, and our relationship has really grown close. We’ve had some chats about the Lord but that’s as far as it’s gone. Maria had sleep paralysis twice now and, in that paralysis, she sensed evil and her hands were tied in front of her outstretched and she couldn’t speak or move, and it really frightened her. So, when I heard this, I said to her, “Maria there is power in the name of Jesus and so to use that name. And she said, “how do I use that?” and I said, “if you can’t speak it Maria just say it in your mind.” So, we conversed like this and I gave her a little prayer to say and gave it…spoke to her about the Lord and His love for her. So, Maria is covering around tomorrow to…she’s a teacher but she cleans for me. Isn’t that lovely? And, so, I felt…I felt the Lord saying get her a Bible, but I wasn’t sure when to give it. So, this Bibles come today. So, I’m…she’s been messaging me, and I really have this rise deep inside my heart that the Lord is in all this. Of course, He is. But you know, faith is rising to believe she is very close to receiving Him as her Lord and Savior. So, would you pray for us? My discerning about the right time…time’s ticking away…give her the Bible. Bye-bye everybody. Love from God’s smile. Kiss kiss.

This is for Dorothy the special ed teacher who called in with compassion fatigue and for all teachers, front line workers, nurses, doctors, police officers, first responders and I would add veterinarians for we’re doing our best to provide good medical care and love on our patients while providing curbside service and it’s just so difficult for people. There aren’t enough hours in the day and the dogs are so frightened. But we’re doing our best Lord. And I also want to lift up a prayer for the student who called in with so much anxiety she couldn’t leave her apartment. She was too anxious to stay in bed but too depressed to get out of bed. Oh Lord I lift up my prayers for mercy for from 138. I give thanks O Lord with my whole heart and sing your praise because when we call on you, you answer us. And the strength of our souls you do increase. You know that though we walk in the midst of trouble you preserve our lives. You stretch out your hand against the wrath of all that would threaten to overcome us, and your right hand delivers us. You will fulfill your purpose for us, and your steadfast love O Lord endures forever. For I know that you will not forsake the work of your hands but instead pour your Holy Spirit on us. Fill us with your living water. Lift us up with the power that raised Christ from the dead. Renew our strength. It will mount up like eagles. Lord I give you my thanks and I pray your grace and mercy on all of these who have called in. In Jesus’ name. Amen. This is Donna from Pennsylvania.

Hello Daily Audio Bible family this is Wonderfully Made in Albuquerque. Today’s the 23rd of November. I have a prayer request. I have been struggling with some really really extreme anxiety related to work stresses. The work that I am involved in deals with a lot of regulatory compliance issues and I lead a team that supports…has…is a support group for customers. And I…there are some customers that are pretty combative, and I am not the kind of person that deals well with that. I want peace I hate conflict. I know that conflict exists in this life, but I shut down when I have to deal with people who are like that. And I…it’s Monday, I‘m anxious, the emails are pouring in and I’m starting to shake because I am scared of what I’m going to have to deal with. And, yes, I could leave my job and go to a different job but the challenge with that is there’s always going to be people that are just very abrasive and mean and….and so I’m dealing with…I’m struggling with that, especially with how I respond as a Christian. I really don’t lash out in anger at people but what happens is I…I hold it in, and I think through conversations I want to have which I know won’t be edifying. So, anyway I’m just really really struggling, and I need prayers. Thank you so much.

[majorgarrett93]

The Winlock High Crimes

2009:

Eric had lived almost a decade of crime but was feeling like he had lost everything, maybe it was karma? He wasn’t ever put in jail or caught and quit while he was still ahead, he had a decent amount of money so why was Eric feeling hopeless and like he didn’t want to live anymore at the age of 25?

  2001:

 It was the early ‘00s, summer of 2001. Eric Hoffman and John De Palma were friends since middle school. They would often get drunk in the park after school, both dealing with dysfunctional families. John’s girlfriend Emily would often hang out and join in for a few drinks as well. John and Eric would often go out stealing for the thrill of it or as a dare and never got caught besides a couple close calls.

John’s dad was an alcoholic and often drunk, passed out so he would steal money from him and booze to share with his friends. Eric’s parents were both drug addicts, he would experiment with John but ninety percent of the pills he stole they would sell and would soon make a fortune.

It was a few days before the beginning of the school year and they were all in their senior year. They lived in a small town called Winlock where nothing ever happened. Looked like something six decades or so back of a more innocent time. You could leave your door open and didn’t have to worry about people breaking in, kids could play after dark, the husband worked and the wife stayed at home to take care of the kids… that’s how it appeared on the outside but it wasn’t like that on the inside. Sure, people acted normal and like everything was perfect but all the people in the neighborhood had flawed lives like abusive relationships, drug addiction, crime…

Meanwhile while John and Eric were dealing with drug addicted or alcoholic parent, Emily was dealing with a lot. Her parents were always fighting and had just recently gotten a divorce. These were everyday things that happened in Winlock.

The school year had began which they weren’t the most popular in school but weren’t total outcasts either. Due to the trouble John had often gotten into, principal MacLaine and Sheriff. Gerard Romero were always trying to get him and Eric busted.

It was the end of the school day, John and Eric would often hang out at Blockbuster to check out movies but mainly to sell drugs in the bathroom to other students. After done dealing, they would usually go to the park and drink. They typically preferred Jack Daniels but Eric would often ask John to bring a few Zimas as well. That night Eric stayed over at John’s and they had too much to drink, waking up hungover. It was early in the morning so they used a cocktail Advil and a hair of the dog which was a little more than hair of the dog. When they hit the extra few whisky shots and Four Locos as John said it would be fine because they have caffeine in them. The Four Locos made them into 2 locos, they made it to the bus but acted erratic and disorderly laughing at a kid tripping and everything like the bus was a stand-up comedy event that the bus driver mentioned to the principal. John and Eric got detention and John had to stay even later after asking the bus driver “how could it be stand-up if he was on the floor?”.

One day it was a Tuesday morning, John and Eric ran into Emily and she seemed upset about something and didn’t want to talk with them. At the end of the day they found her outside crying so Eric invites her and John to stay at his house. It was the September 11th and her oldest brother worked in an office in the World Trade Center. Eric began noticing odd behavior with John as he poured drinks for them and tried to help out Emily by talking to her but John showed no empathy and just ignored her. She finally saw who he really was: cold blooded, unable to feel empathy, possible psychopath.

Emily left John and despite him and Eric remaining friends, Emily wouldn’t even talk to Eric anymore. One day Eric is walking down the halls and sees Mark, an outcast that was often bullied. He invites Mark to join in with him and John in dealing and which Mark finally felt like he was part of something. He was also less likely to be caught and he was the kid nobody ever noticed so they had him carry their supply around before the day was over and join up at the Blockbuster. They were making a fortune, splitting up in the Blockbuster bathroom and 2 different locations downtown but unfortunately the days of dealing at school would soon be over. One day during lunch Mark comes running to Eric crying about his friend Jeff he found on the ground in the bathroom passed out and not responding. Eric tried to help but it was too late which the ambulance took him and the doctor ruled out as an opioid overdose. Jeff was the only friend Mark ever had before becoming friends with Eric and John. Unfortunately Mark was in too much grief losing his friend that he didn’t get rid of the few pills in his bag and paraphernalia. Romero came to question Mark and had him put in juvenile detention for possession of controlled and illegal substances. He was going to question John and Eric who had a lot of the supply that day but fortunately took off in their car they just bought with all their money before he showed up and were long gone.

All they had was a bottle of whisky in the bag and some pills to sell but then Eric asked John how much money he had since he handled the cash more. Eric had only five hundred in his bank account and a couple hundred with him, John had a total of thirty thousand which was more than enough for food, gas, hotels to stay at… however, John wasn’t spending much time with Eric the last couple weeks and starts to question where he got all the money.

They decided to buy their supply in cities and sell in rural areas where less readily available so they could charge more which worked well. Later on they would go into robbing stores late at night like one night when they hit Circuit City at 1:15 AM and got multiple flip phones and I-Pods to sell for cheap online.

Unfortunately John was going into more serious crime and John warned him about going to prison for decades or winding up dead but he wouldn’t stop.

  2002:

Eric had eventually made enough money and left the crime business, got a job working in an office and was renting an apartment in the city. He quit after the cops chased and fired at him which luckily he only got shot in the leg. He drove a hundred miles an hour and managed to get away, they didn’t get his license plate number but reported a red Corvette which Eric would have sold and exchanged for another used car right away. He had wrapped the wound and stopped at a gas station for some rubbing alcohol which he would have to remove the bullet himself which was excruciating but had some Advill and a bottle of vodka he paid someone to buy him outside a liquor store earlier that day which he would consume after checking into a motel in a rural town. After that night, Eric decided it was time to move on and quit while he was ahead after having a close call with going to prison or being killed. Meanwhile, John had taken further has after a successful hold-up at a bank he had so much money that he was offering members of gangs money to join him. He didn’t even rob places directly anymore as he had people doing it for him which he let them keep a good percent as well, he didn’t sell drugs directly and he was never proven guilty as people never ratted on him despite several being arrested multiple times and interrogated. Everyone working with him was on his side and everyone wanted to work for John.

One day he got a call from Eric and they met up for lunch and went to the movies to see Gangs of NY. Eric warned John about the dangers of his action and how he should quit or tone it down at least but he just ignored his advice. This would be the last time Eric and John would see each other.

  2005:

Eric had moved back close to Winlock over the holiday season of 2004 as he got a promotion which he would relocate for work. He later met Stephanie at work which the two would become engaged and gotten married in 2006. One day while at the store, he ran into Emily which he hadn’t seen since late 2001. She apologized for not talking to him just because he was friends with John and said that she treated him unfairly. She also told him that Mark lived only a block down from her house and was doing well. He invited both her and Mark to his house for dinner which he introduced both to Stephanie which she only heard stories about them before from Eric.

John had been taking more risks and one of his people got into a shoot out with a rival gang and wiped out several. He escaped alive but took a few bullets to the arm. There was no evidence that he had killed any as technically they were shooting at each other and he had fled the seen before it was investigated but cops believed John’s gang was involved still and began to search for more evidence getting the FBI involved.

  2007:

Eric and Stephanie were happily married but would soon face some unfortunate events. John was at the bar late at night with a couple of his people were with him, there was only one other customer still there who happened to be an off-duty cop that overheard one of his people mention the name of the store they robbed the night before but pretends he didn’t hear anything. As John and his gang head back to his place to celebrate a little more, he follows them and sees the building that they went into to report backup for suspicious activity. The FBI was involved as well and while they were back at their place celebrating, John had seen the FBI pull up which he had an escape plan and was seen but was on the other side of the building and ran to his car. He was too far for an accurate shot and almost got away but didn’t notice one cop out of the corner which wasn’t just a cop but the sheriff of Winlock, Gerard Romero which he couldn’t wait to catch John after 6 years. He gave him a warning to put his hands up but he began firing a powerful automatic, Romero had fired a shot to his head though when he saw him drawing the weapon and began firing more. John had dropped dead in a pool of blood with his face blown to pieces and Romero got him just like he said he would six years ago. Eric warned him but he continued going further and further until it was too late, Eric lost his friend which he heard in the news. Stephanie was diagnosed with cancer and died with only months.

  2009:

It had been exactly two years since Eric lost his wife and was visiting her grave feeling depressed, like he had nothing to live for and planned to end his life. He had some pills leftover from his days of crime he planned to take along with a bottle of vodka he was buying at the store. He was heading home and ran into Emily who indirectly saved his life which she invited him to go out to lunch with her and Mark. Eric lived on and realized that there was still a lot to live for. Eric would never recover completely from losing his friend and wife but still had a future.

[stephenmccull]

‘Is This Worth My Life?’: Traveling Health Workers Decry COVID Care Conditions

This story also ran on The Guardian. It can be republished for free.

David Joel Perea called from Maine, Vermont, Minnesota and, ultimately, Nevada, always with the same request: “Mom, can you send tamales?” Dominga Perea would ship them overnight.

That’s how she knew where her 35-year-old son was.

The traveling nurse had “a tremendous work ethic,” routinely putting in 80 hours a week, said his brother, Daniel.

But when Perea took a job at Lakeside Health & Wellness Suites — a Reno nursing home that has received dozens of safety citations since 2017 from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services — Dominga was “scared silly.”

During Perea’s stint, nearly one-fifth of Lakeside’s residents were infected with COVID-19, according to state health records. Lakeside’s “top priority is the safety of those who live and work in our facility,” a spokesperson said.

When her son didn’t respond to her text on April 6, Dominga knew something was wrong. Perea had COVID-19. He died days later.

As COVID-19 surges across the country, health care systems continue to suffer critical shortages, especially among non-physician staff such as nurses, X-ray technicians and respiratory therapists.

To replenish their ranks, facilities have relied on “travelers” like Perea. Staff agencies have deployed tens of thousands nationally since March outbreaks in the Northeast.

Now the virus is tearing through rural areas — particularly in the Great Plains and Rocky Mountain states — stressing the limited medical infrastructure.

Rural hospitals have relied largely on traveling nurses to fill staffing shortages that existed even before the pandemic, said Tim Blasl, president of the North Dakota Hospital Association. “They find staff for you, but it’s really expensive labor,” he said. “Our hospitals are willing to invest so the people of North Dakota get care.”

The arrangement presents risks for travelers and their patients. Personnel ping-ponging between overwhelmed cities and underserved towns could introduce infections. As contractors, travelers sometimes feel tensions their full-time colleagues do not. Frequently employed by staffing agencies based thousands of miles away, they can find themselves working in crisis without advocates or adequate safety equipment.

In 2020, the upsides of their jobs — freedom and flexibility — have been dwarfed by treacherous conditions. Now the ranks of travelers are thinning: The work is exhausting, bruising and dangerous. Thousands of front-line health workers have gotten the virus and hundreds have died, according to reporting by KHN and The Guardian.

On April 17, Lois Twum, a 23-year-old traveling nurse from New Orleans, was one of four passengers on a flight to New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport.

When the self-described “adventure-seeking adrenaline junkie” arrived for her first shift at Columbia University’s Irving Medical Center, she said, she was assigned four patients on a COVID-19 unit. (Intensive care nurses typically care for two or three patients.) As these “constantly crashing” patients required resuscitations and intubations, “there was practically no one to help,” Twum said, because “everyone’s patient was critical.” The hospital did not respond to requests for comment on the workplace conditions and treatment of travelers.

Meanwhile, as hospital employees got sick, quit or were furloughed amid budget cuts, travelers picked up the slack. They were redeployed, Twum said, assigned more patients as well as the sickest ones.

“It was like we were airdropped into Iraq,” Twum said. “Travelers, we got the worst of it.”

On social media and in email groups, recruiters for travelers circulate photos of sun-splashed skylines or coastlines emblazoned with dollar signs, boasting salaries two or three times those of staff nurses. They promise signing bonuses, relocation bonuses and referral bonuses. They make small talk, ask about travelers’ families and suggest restaurants in new cities.

But when it comes to navigating workplace issues, “these people can just disappear on you,” said Anna Skinner, a respiratory therapist who has traveled for over a decade. “They are not your friends.”

Caught between the hospitals where they report for duty and remote staffing agencies, their worker protections are blurred.

For instance, under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, providing protective equipment is the agency’s responsibility — but the travelers who spoke with KHN said agencies rarely distribute any.

Perea’s family said they believe David did not have adequate PPE. His employer said it was the nursing home’s responsibility to provide it. “It is up to each of our clients to provide PPE to our staff while they are working assignments through MAS,” said Sara Moore, a spokesperson for Perea’s agency, MAS Medical Staffing.

Sometimes travelers are assigned to emergency rooms or intensive care units with which they have little experience. Skinner, a pediatric specialist, said she landed in adult ICUs when deployed to the University of Miami Health System in April. She received an hour of orientation, she said, but “nothing could have prepared me for what I had to deal with.”

Over five weeks, she said, she intubated one patient after another; suctioned the blood pouring into patients’ lungs and out of their noses and mouths; and dealt with families who were aghast, angry and afraid. Under the stress, Skinner said, she couldn’t sleep and lost weight. The hospital did not respond to requests for comment on workplace conditions for travelers.

Travelers often face “incredibly onerous” hurdles to the overtime, sick leave or workers’ compensation they are entitled to under the Fair Labor Standards Act, said Nathan Piller, a lawyer at Schneider Wallace Cottrell Konecky, an employment and business litigation firm.

Even the number of hours they can count on working is out of their control, Skinner said. Contracts reviewed by KHN authorize travelers to work a set number of hours, but only a fraction of those hours are guaranteed, and must be approved by on-site managers. The guaranteed hours may be compensated at rates hovering around minimum wage, and may require working holidays, which are not uniformly recognized.

The terms can be “modified from time to time during employment,” according to the contracts.

In 2018, AMN Healthcare, one of the country’s largest travel nursing agencies, agreed to a $20 million settlement for wage violations involving nearly 9,000 travelers. Violations “appear fairly commonplace across the industry,” said Piller, who worked on the settlement.

Travelers, Skinner said, are left to advocate for themselves to managers they might have just met — and “complaining just isn’t an option.”

KHN reviewed travel nursing contracts issued by Aya Healthcare, a large staffing agency, and found that any disputes — wrongful termination claims; claims of discrimination, harassment or retaliation; wage claims; and claims for violation of federal, state or other laws or regulations — must be settled out of court, in arbitration.

Officials at the Service Employees International Union, the American Nurses Association and National Nurses United said their constituents have been suspended or fired from traveling worker agencies for speaking to the news media, posting on social media or otherwise voicing concerns about unfair practices.

Matthew Wall, a longtime traveling nurse, knows this all too well. In July, two days into his assignment at Piedmont Henry Hospital in Stockbridge, Georgia, Wall said, he reported to hospital administrators “undeniably unsafe” conditions for himself and patients, including inadequate PPE, long hours and high patient-to-staff ratios.

Instead of addressing his concerns, Wall said, the hospital — which is under investigation by the federal government for workplace safety issues after another traveling nurse died of COVID-19 in mid-March — canceled his contract. “Travelers are treated like dog chow,” Wall said. “The second you become a liability, they dispose of you.”

“We continue to closely follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines paired with our best practices in patient care and safety for all,” said John Manasso, a hospital spokesperson, who declined to comment on Wall’s case.

Some see an impossible choice. “We all know, if not for us, these patients would have no one,” Twum said, “but watching each other get sick left and right, it makes you wonder, is this worth my life?”

Skinner, for her part, took a job as a staff nurse in Aspen, Colorado. After his current contract in New Orleans ends, Wall is planning a break from nursing.

It was like we were airdropped into Iraq.

Lois Twum

Dominga Perea finally received a text back the night of April 6: “Don’t panic, Mama, I have the COVID.

“Pray for me.”

She saw David over FaceTime on Easter. “He struggled even eating mashed potatoes” she said, “because he couldn’t breathe.” The next morning he went on a ventilator and never woke up.

Months later, Lakeside hadn’t filled Perea’s position. “Ideal candidate must be a caring individual dedicated to providing high quality care,” the job listing read, and “able to react to emergency situations appropriately when required.”

KHN Mountain States editor Matt Volz contributed to this report.

Kaiser Health News (KHN) is a national health policy news service. It is an editorially independent program of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation which is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.

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This story can be republished for free (details).

‘Is This Worth My Life?’: Traveling Health Workers Decry COVID Care Conditions published first on https://smartdrinkingweb.weebly.com/

[gordonwilliamsweb]

‘Is This Worth My Life?’: Traveling Health Workers Decry COVID Care Conditions

This story also ran on The Guardian. It can be republished for free.

David Joel Perea called from Maine, Vermont, Minnesota and, ultimately, Nevada, always with the same request: “Mom, can you send tamales?” Dominga Perea would ship them overnight.

That’s how she knew where her 35-year-old son was.

The traveling nurse had “a tremendous work ethic,” routinely putting in 80 hours a week, said his brother, Daniel.

But when Perea took a job at Lakeside Health & Wellness Suites — a Reno nursing home that has received dozens of safety citations since 2017 from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services — Dominga was “scared silly.”

During Perea’s stint, nearly one-fifth of Lakeside’s residents were infected with COVID-19, according to state health records. Lakeside’s “top priority is the safety of those who live and work in our facility,” a spokesperson said.

When her son didn’t respond to her text on April 6, Dominga knew something was wrong. Perea had COVID-19. He died days later.

As COVID-19 surges across the country, health care systems continue to suffer critical shortages, especially among non-physician staff such as nurses, X-ray technicians and respiratory therapists.

To replenish their ranks, facilities have relied on “travelers” like Perea. Staff agencies have deployed tens of thousands nationally since March outbreaks in the Northeast.

Now the virus is tearing through rural areas — particularly in the Great Plains and Rocky Mountain states — stressing the limited medical infrastructure.

Rural hospitals have relied largely on traveling nurses to fill staffing shortages that existed even before the pandemic, said Tim Blasl, president of the North Dakota Hospital Association. “They find staff for you, but it’s really expensive labor,” he said. “Our hospitals are willing to invest so the people of North Dakota get care.”

The arrangement presents risks for travelers and their patients. Personnel ping-ponging between overwhelmed cities and underserved towns could introduce infections. As contractors, travelers sometimes feel tensions their full-time colleagues do not. Frequently employed by staffing agencies based thousands of miles away, they can find themselves working in crisis without advocates or adequate safety equipment.

In 2020, the upsides of their jobs — freedom and flexibility — have been dwarfed by treacherous conditions. Now the ranks of travelers are thinning: The work is exhausting, bruising and dangerous. Thousands of front-line health workers have gotten the virus and hundreds have died, according to reporting by KHN and The Guardian.

On April 17, Lois Twum, a 23-year-old traveling nurse from New Orleans, was one of four passengers on a flight to New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport.

When the self-described “adventure-seeking adrenaline junkie” arrived for her first shift at Columbia University’s Irving Medical Center, she said, she was assigned four patients on a COVID-19 unit. (Intensive care nurses typically care for two or three patients.) As these “constantly crashing” patients required resuscitations and intubations, “there was practically no one to help,” Twum said, because “everyone’s patient was critical.” The hospital did not respond to requests for comment on the workplace conditions and treatment of travelers.

Meanwhile, as hospital employees got sick, quit or were furloughed amid budget cuts, travelers picked up the slack. They were redeployed, Twum said, assigned more patients as well as the sickest ones.

“It was like we were airdropped into Iraq,” Twum said. “Travelers, we got the worst of it.”

On social media and in email groups, recruiters for travelers circulate photos of sun-splashed skylines or coastlines emblazoned with dollar signs, boasting salaries two or three times those of staff nurses. They promise signing bonuses, relocation bonuses and referral bonuses. They make small talk, ask about travelers’ families and suggest restaurants in new cities.

But when it comes to navigating workplace issues, “these people can just disappear on you,” said Anna Skinner, a respiratory therapist who has traveled for over a decade. “They are not your friends.”

Caught between the hospitals where they report for duty and remote staffing agencies, their worker protections are blurred.

For instance, under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, providing protective equipment is the agency’s responsibility — but the travelers who spoke with KHN said agencies rarely distribute any.

Perea’s family said they believe David did not have adequate PPE. His employer said it was the nursing home’s responsibility to provide it. “It is up to each of our clients to provide PPE to our staff while they are working assignments through MAS,” said Sara Moore, a spokesperson for Perea’s agency, MAS Medical Staffing.

Sometimes travelers are assigned to emergency rooms or intensive care units with which they have little experience. Skinner, a pediatric specialist, said she landed in adult ICUs when deployed to the University of Miami Health System in April. She received an hour of orientation, she said, but “nothing could have prepared me for what I had to deal with.”

Over five weeks, she said, she intubated one patient after another; suctioned the blood pouring into patients’ lungs and out of their noses and mouths; and dealt with families who were aghast, angry and afraid. Under the stress, Skinner said, she couldn’t sleep and lost weight. The hospital did not respond to requests for comment on workplace conditions for travelers.

Travelers often face “incredibly onerous” hurdles to the overtime, sick leave or workers’ compensation they are entitled to under the Fair Labor Standards Act, said Nathan Piller, a lawyer at Schneider Wallace Cottrell Konecky, an employment and business litigation firm.

Even the number of hours they can count on working is out of their control, Skinner said. Contracts reviewed by KHN authorize travelers to work a set number of hours, but only a fraction of those hours are guaranteed, and must be approved by on-site managers. The guaranteed hours may be compensated at rates hovering around minimum wage, and may require working holidays, which are not uniformly recognized.

The terms can be “modified from time to time during employment,” according to the contracts.

In 2018, AMN Healthcare, one of the country’s largest travel nursing agencies, agreed to a $20 million settlement for wage violations involving nearly 9,000 travelers. Violations “appear fairly commonplace across the industry,” said Piller, who worked on the settlement.

Travelers, Skinner said, are left to advocate for themselves to managers they might have just met — and “complaining just isn’t an option.”

KHN reviewed travel nursing contracts issued by Aya Healthcare, a large staffing agency, and found that any disputes — wrongful termination claims; claims of discrimination, harassment or retaliation; wage claims; and claims for violation of federal, state or other laws or regulations — must be settled out of court, in arbitration.

Officials at the Service Employees International Union, the American Nurses Association and National Nurses United said their constituents have been suspended or fired from traveling worker agencies for speaking to the news media, posting on social media or otherwise voicing concerns about unfair practices.

Matthew Wall, a longtime traveling nurse, knows this all too well. In July, two days into his assignment at Piedmont Henry Hospital in Stockbridge, Georgia, Wall said, he reported to hospital administrators “undeniably unsafe” conditions for himself and patients, including inadequate PPE, long hours and high patient-to-staff ratios.

Instead of addressing his concerns, Wall said, the hospital — which is under investigation by the federal government for workplace safety issues after another traveling nurse died of COVID-19 in mid-March — canceled his contract. “Travelers are treated like dog chow,” Wall said. “The second you become a liability, they dispose of you.”

“We continue to closely follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines paired with our best practices in patient care and safety for all,” said John Manasso, a hospital spokesperson, who declined to comment on Wall’s case.

Some see an impossible choice. “We all know, if not for us, these patients would have no one,” Twum said, “but watching each other get sick left and right, it makes you wonder, is this worth my life?”

Skinner, for her part, took a job as a staff nurse in Aspen, Colorado. After his current contract in New Orleans ends, Wall is planning a break from nursing.

It was like we were airdropped into Iraq.

Lois Twum

Dominga Perea finally received a text back the night of April 6: “Don’t panic, Mama, I have the COVID.

“Pray for me.”

She saw David over FaceTime on Easter. “He struggled even eating mashed potatoes” she said, “because he couldn’t breathe.” The next morning he went on a ventilator and never woke up.

Months later, Lakeside hadn’t filled Perea’s position. “Ideal candidate must be a caring individual dedicated to providing high quality care,” the job listing read, and “able to react to emergency situations appropriately when required.”

KHN Mountain States editor Matt Volz contributed to this report.

Kaiser Health News (KHN) is a national health policy news service. It is an editorially independent program of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation which is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.

USE OUR CONTENT

This story can be republished for free (details).

‘Is This Worth My Life?’: Traveling Health Workers Decry COVID Care Conditions published first on https://nootropicspowdersupplier.tumblr.com/

[dinafbrownil]

‘Is This Worth My Life?’: Traveling Health Workers Decry COVID Care Conditions

This story also ran on The Guardian. It can be republished for free.

David Joel Perea called from Maine, Vermont, Minnesota and, ultimately, Nevada, always with the same request: “Mom, can you send tamales?” Dominga Perea would ship them overnight.

That’s how she knew where her 35-year-old son was.

The traveling nurse had “a tremendous work ethic,” routinely putting in 80 hours a week, said his brother, Daniel.

But when Perea took a job at Lakeside Health & Wellness Suites — a Reno nursing home that has received dozens of safety citations since 2017 from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services — Dominga was “scared silly.”

During Perea’s stint, nearly one-fifth of Lakeside’s residents were infected with COVID-19, according to state health records. Lakeside’s “top priority is the safety of those who live and work in our facility,” a spokesperson said.

When her son didn’t respond to her text on April 6, Dominga knew something was wrong. Perea had COVID-19. He died days later.

As COVID-19 surges across the country, health care systems continue to suffer critical shortages, especially among non-physician staff such as nurses, X-ray technicians and respiratory therapists.

To replenish their ranks, facilities have relied on “travelers” like Perea. Staff agencies have deployed tens of thousands nationally since March outbreaks in the Northeast.

Now the virus is tearing through rural areas — particularly in the Great Plains and Rocky Mountain states — stressing the limited medical infrastructure.

Rural hospitals have relied largely on traveling nurses to fill staffing shortages that existed even before the pandemic, said Tim Blasl, president of the North Dakota Hospital Association. “They find staff for you, but it’s really expensive labor,” he said. “Our hospitals are willing to invest so the people of North Dakota get care.”

The arrangement presents risks for travelers and their patients. Personnel ping-ponging between overwhelmed cities and underserved towns could introduce infections. As contractors, travelers sometimes feel tensions their full-time colleagues do not. Frequently employed by staffing agencies based thousands of miles away, they can find themselves working in crisis without advocates or adequate safety equipment.

In 2020, the upsides of their jobs — freedom and flexibility — have been dwarfed by treacherous conditions. Now the ranks of travelers are thinning: The work is exhausting, bruising and dangerous. Thousands of front-line health workers have gotten the virus and hundreds have died, according to reporting by KHN and The Guardian.

On April 17, Lois Twum, a 23-year-old traveling nurse from New Orleans, was one of four passengers on a flight to New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport.

When the self-described “adventure-seeking adrenaline junkie” arrived for her first shift at Columbia University’s Irving Medical Center, she said, she was assigned four patients on a COVID-19 unit. (Intensive care nurses typically care for two or three patients.) As these “constantly crashing” patients required resuscitations and intubations, “there was practically no one to help,” Twum said, because “everyone’s patient was critical.” The hospital did not respond to requests for comment on the workplace conditions and treatment of travelers.

Meanwhile, as hospital employees got sick, quit or were furloughed amid budget cuts, travelers picked up the slack. They were redeployed, Twum said, assigned more patients as well as the sickest ones.

“It was like we were airdropped into Iraq,” Twum said. “Travelers, we got the worst of it.”

On social media and in email groups, recruiters for travelers circulate photos of sun-splashed skylines or coastlines emblazoned with dollar signs, boasting salaries two or three times those of staff nurses. They promise signing bonuses, relocation bonuses and referral bonuses. They make small talk, ask about travelers’ families and suggest restaurants in new cities.

But when it comes to navigating workplace issues, “these people can just disappear on you,” said Anna Skinner, a respiratory therapist who has traveled for over a decade. “They are not your friends.”

Caught between the hospitals where they report for duty and remote staffing agencies, their worker protections are blurred.

For instance, under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, providing protective equipment is the agency’s responsibility — but the travelers who spoke with KHN said agencies rarely distribute any.

Perea’s family said they believe David did not have adequate PPE. His employer said it was the nursing home’s responsibility to provide it. “It is up to each of our clients to provide PPE to our staff while they are working assignments through MAS,” said Sara Moore, a spokesperson for Perea’s agency, MAS Medical Staffing.

Sometimes travelers are assigned to emergency rooms or intensive care units with which they have little experience. Skinner, a pediatric specialist, said she landed in adult ICUs when deployed to the University of Miami Health System in April. She received an hour of orientation, she said, but “nothing could have prepared me for what I had to deal with.”

Over five weeks, she said, she intubated one patient after another; suctioned the blood pouring into patients’ lungs and out of their noses and mouths; and dealt with families who were aghast, angry and afraid. Under the stress, Skinner said, she couldn’t sleep and lost weight. The hospital did not respond to requests for comment on workplace conditions for travelers.

Travelers often face “incredibly onerous” hurdles to the overtime, sick leave or workers’ compensation they are entitled to under the Fair Labor Standards Act, said Nathan Piller, a lawyer at Schneider Wallace Cottrell Konecky, an employment and business litigation firm.

Even the number of hours they can count on working is out of their control, Skinner said. Contracts reviewed by KHN authorize travelers to work a set number of hours, but only a fraction of those hours are guaranteed, and must be approved by on-site managers. The guaranteed hours may be compensated at rates hovering around minimum wage, and may require working holidays, which are not uniformly recognized.

The terms can be “modified from time to time during employment,” according to the contracts.

In 2018, AMN Healthcare, one of the country’s largest travel nursing agencies, agreed to a $20 million settlement for wage violations involving nearly 9,000 travelers. Violations “appear fairly commonplace across the industry,” said Piller, who worked on the settlement.

Travelers, Skinner said, are left to advocate for themselves to managers they might have just met — and “complaining just isn’t an option.”

KHN reviewed travel nursing contracts issued by Aya Healthcare, a large staffing agency, and found that any disputes — wrongful termination claims; claims of discrimination, harassment or retaliation; wage claims; and claims for violation of federal, state or other laws or regulations — must be settled out of court, in arbitration.

Officials at the Service Employees International Union, the American Nurses Association and National Nurses United said their constituents have been suspended or fired from traveling worker agencies for speaking to the news media, posting on social media or otherwise voicing concerns about unfair practices.

Matthew Wall, a longtime traveling nurse, knows this all too well. In July, two days into his assignment at Piedmont Henry Hospital in Stockbridge, Georgia, Wall said, he reported to hospital administrators “undeniably unsafe” conditions for himself and patients, including inadequate PPE, long hours and high patient-to-staff ratios.

Instead of addressing his concerns, Wall said, the hospital — which is under investigation by the federal government for workplace safety issues after another traveling nurse died of COVID-19 in mid-March — canceled his contract. “Travelers are treated like dog chow,” Wall said. “The second you become a liability, they dispose of you.”

“We continue to closely follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines paired with our best practices in patient care and safety for all,” said John Manasso, a hospital spokesperson, who declined to comment on Wall’s case.

Some see an impossible choice. “We all know, if not for us, these patients would have no one,” Twum said, “but watching each other get sick left and right, it makes you wonder, is this worth my life?”

Skinner, for her part, took a job as a staff nurse in Aspen, Colorado. After his current contract in New Orleans ends, Wall is planning a break from nursing.

It was like we were airdropped into Iraq.

Lois Twum

Dominga Perea finally received a text back the night of April 6: “Don’t panic, Mama, I have the COVID.

“Pray for me.”

She saw David over FaceTime on Easter. “He struggled even eating mashed potatoes” she said, “because he couldn’t breathe.” The next morning he went on a ventilator and never woke up.

Months later, Lakeside hadn’t filled Perea’s position. “Ideal candidate must be a caring individual dedicated to providing high quality care,” the job listing read, and “able to react to emergency situations appropriately when required.”

KHN Mountain States editor Matt Volz contributed to this report.

Kaiser Health News (KHN) is a national health policy news service. It is an editorially independent program of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation which is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.

USE OUR CONTENT

This story can be republished for free (details).

from Updates By Dina https://khn.org/news/article/is-this-worth-my-life-traveling-health-workers-decry-covid-care-conditions/

[passantony-blog]

Day 11- Nov. 5th We are flying back from Huatulco to Mexico City where Ryan and Danielle will continue on to SFO and where I part ways with mi amigos and continue on to Guatemala (with a short 2 day stint in Mexico City). They’ve been an amazing couple to travel with together.

Full of customized songs including “Cats and the Bags”, “We got the things (We got it!)”, and the classic “800-Empire” tune. Lots of calibration (dropping things), combining patchwork Spanish and enjoying the great (and not so great) food. My cheeks sore from a permanent smile from Danielle and Ryans antics, heart heavy as we prepare to say our goodbyes.

The last week was a wonderful capstone to a mosaic of different experiences throughout the various communities and climates of one of the southern most states in Mexico. Our final portion of Oaxaca took us on an 8-hour bumping, but very comfy ride on the ADO bus up to the mile-high capital of Oaxaca City. A stark contrast to the sleepy Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca city is a high desert city of over 100,000 residents, possibly double that number given that it was the Dia de los Muertos festival.

We checked into a very homey and cozy casa located next to the gorgeous Santa Domingo Church, a close walk to most of the attractions but tucked away in a quiet neighborhood off the main drag. Quick story on the Airbnb host, Lorena. She was gracious enough in the last minute to offer up her home to us. She’s an environmental steward in Oaxaca working with agave farmers in the region to develop environmental certification processes for mezcal and the replanting wild, native agave in severely eroded sites around the valley. Coincidently, she also knows and visits Cotati often as a close friend to the owners of the nearby Ray’s Deli in Petaluma. Crazy small world (more on that to come). Needless to say that we connected and really enjoyed her home, full of succulents lining the inner courtyard and open air architecture of the simple, rustic and unique accommodations.

As much as we loved the house, we came for Day of the Dead and though our lids weighed heavy over our eyes from the sleep deprived bus ride, we rallied to see the city and nearby graveyards. Having already explored the major destinations around city last year, it was a warm welcome to not feel rushed or obligated to jam-pack the itinerary. A stroll through the cobblestone streets, sharing with Ryan and Danielle the sites of the city was a comfortable change of pace to my normal adrenaline-induced travel style. Muy Tranquila.

Searching for outdoor activities last year, I stumbled on a local ex-pat hiking group “Hoofing it Oaxaca” that took me on a wonderfully unique trek through the mountains with a group of mostly retired Canadians, Americans and Europeans. Returning this year, I found that they were offering several Day of the Dead themed hikes.The first being a shuttle to Xoxo (Pronounced “Ho-Ho”), a small town just outside of Oaxaca City notable for it’s massive graveyard. The scene there was very lively, with food stalls, Dia de los Muertos trinket vendors, live musica and loads of tourists snapping shots of the decorated graves as family members sat by. Initially somber in our approach we were quickly reminded by a man sitting by a grave that this was a celebration of those that are no longer with us. The man was sitting by a grave with beautiful marigolds and candles illuminating the sand art of a basketball and hoop. “Mi hermano. He loved basketball”. He proudly described his brother, handing us a shot of mezcal and raising a glass in his name, “Salute!”.

These specific marigolds that covered the graves were unlike those more commonly found in the US. They had a sweet, intoxicating scent that Mexicans believe was the smell of the dead. Laden with flowers, art and personal trinkets, illuminated by slow dripping candles, the intention of these alters was to attract souls back to the graves to enjoy their company on what they call the “All-Saints Day”, Nov. 1st. This day, a mixture of Spanish Catholicism and Mayan spirituality is believed to be the date where the spiritual and mortal world are at their thinnest boarder between the two. The alters and music are intended to attract the family and friends, being careful not to draw in the wrong spirits as they believe all spirits, both good and bad are wandering amongst them during this event. In all, Xoxo was a very incredible and uplifting event. Proud family members sharing the live of their past loved ones to passerby’s, though the waves of passing tour groups detracted from the overall experience.

The second graveyard, in the town of Atzompa, was much more intimate with small crowds and more locals sitting quietly around their tombstones. Excited children faces illuminated as they toy with the candles, passing the flame over unlit wicks. Abeulas in their head scarves huddled over the graves, silently respecting the dead. So curious to know what they’re thinking as they pay tribute to the deceased, they’re youth far behind them and the reality of their life to be celebrated in the near future alongside their family members. Wanting so badly to comminate and express gratitude and well-wishing to the families, but restricted by lack of a common language I was held to only subtle nods and smiles passing along the sites. Hopefully the gestures were understood.

On the second night, on a tip from our Airbnb host we traveled to the outskirts of town to an industrial art exhibit with a different, modern take on the Dia de los Muertos. Was interesting to see the interpretation of the holiday by the new generation, hammocks hanging in an old limestone factory, small alters tucked under the large cement tanks and a beautiful glassblowing art studio hidden beyond a catwalk leading to the old furnace room. What a gem to see the modern aspect of art and tradition.

Having arrived late to the art exhibit, we only had a few minutes to enjoy the building. We had more plans though, continuing on we taxied out to a small Etla, San Agustin, known for it’s large parades of rivalry Day of the Dead villages. One side reflecting thousands of small circular mirrors in a sort of chain mail garb that bounced and sparkled in their dance. The other side in furry long white-haired costumes from shoulders to their knees alongside both groups were brass bands belting tubas and trombones encouraging the two groups to dance and jump amongst one another as the throng of bystanders, smartphone in hand, flash photos of the scene, beer in hand. We were wiped from the day, and though the dancing and festivities lasted to sunrise we slipped out for an early night unable to keep up.

The rest of the week consisted of mellow meandering through the streets of Oaxaca, picking up fellow travelers along the way. Kate, a British doctor from Brighton, met us on the first evening with the Xoxo graveyard visit and was such a joy to have, we adopted the solo traveler for the rest of the week. Rachel and Erica, two girls that we serendipitously ran into at a taco shop were Sebastopudlians that happened to overhear us talking about Sonoma. A wonderful little crew formed enjoying the last few evenings together. Seems to always work out that way when you keep your blinders open.

Paid one last visit to the graveyards, these ones about an hour outside of town. While Ryan and Danielle had some solo time doing their cooking class, I teamed up with the Hoofing it Oaxaca one more time trekking for 6 miles along dirt roads through the farms where all the marigolds were grown for the regional celebration. Their Day of the Dead was held the day after others, using the leftover unsold flowers to cover their graves in huge bushels of yellow, red and white color. It was so interesting to see the different between each graveyard. All had their own cultural take and feel to the holiday reflective of their community.

With a late bus out of Oaxaca City, we shared our final hours with our new friends before giving cheers to one another’s safe journeys and going amongst our ways. After a much more comfortable ride back down the mountains, we awoke in Huatulco. The town was slightly more developed for tourism that Puerto Escondido but still held an isolated charm and was mostly visited by Mexican tourists with few gringos in the mix. Not the most exciting place, but wonderful beaches shaded in palm trees was exactly what we needed to cap an active first two weeks.

With Ryan and Danielle parting for their flight, we end the prologue of the trip. Two days in Mexico City to play before starting a completely different experience with the Guatemala volunteer commitment. Initial shock and loneliness at losing their jovial energy slowly replaced with the excitement of the new chapter.

Aloha guys! (Hello and goodbye)

[ashlyreads]

It’s that time of the week again where I wrap up everything that went down last week.

Did you have a good weekend? Read anything good? I didn’t read much because I started some pre-birthday celebrations. But, I did go to the bookstore and make a stop at a thrift store as well! So, prepare for some pretty book photos :D

Anyway, here’s what’s been happening.

Blog Posts

Monday: Book Review – Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Price

Tuesday: 2017 Sci-Fi Reading Challenges and Book Review – Selected by Evelyn Lederman

Wednesday: Playlist – The Merciless by Danielle Vega and Book Review – The Merciless by Danielle Vega

Thursday: You Read This, Now Watch That and Book Review – Wolf, Vol. 1: Blood and Magic by Ales Kot

Friday: Book Review – The Simpsons Comics: Hit the Road! by Matt Groening

Saturday: Mini Movie Reviews – Horror Movies

Review Copies Received

Disaster Falls: A Family Story by Stephane Gerson

Any Day Now by Robyn Carr

Only She Sees by Manel Loureiro

The Grey House by Mariam Petrosyan

Spirit Quest by Jennifer Frick-Ruppert

Lala Pettibone’s Act Two by Heidi Mastrogiovanni

The Case of the Green-Dressed Ghost by Lucy Banks

Borrowed

I’d Tell You I Love You, but Then I’d Have to Kill You by Ally Carter

Monster, Volume 5: After the Carnival by Naoki Urasawa

Monster, Volume 6: The Secret Woods by Naoki Urasawa

Beyond: Our Future in Space by Chris Impey

Faith, Vol. 1: Hollywood Vine by Jody Houser

Bought

So Long and Thanks for All the Fish by Douglas Adams

The Creepy Creations of Professor Shock (Give Yourself Goosebumps #14) by R.L. Stine

Zero-G by Rob Boffard

Goodnight Kiss 2 by R.L. Stine

Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke

Old Man’s War by Jonathan Scalzi

Desperation by Stephen King

Added to TBR

We are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson

The Dalek Book by Terry Nation

The Woman In Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware

The Fixer by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

The Shadow Land by Elizabeth Kostova

Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson

This is Our Story by Ashley Elston

Empress of a Thousand Skies by Rhoda Belleza

Shadows of Tomorrow by Jessica Meats

Where the Lost Girls Go: A Laura Mori Story by R.J. Noonan

The Final Girls by Riley Sager

Radiance by Catherynne M. Valente

I’m Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid

Small Admissions by Amy Poeppel

What is not Yours is not Yours by Helen Oyeyemi

We Were on a Break by Lindsey Kelk

Homeland by R.A. Salvatore

Karma and Fear by Dom Drake

Learning to Stay by Erin Celello

Finished

Invader Zim, Volume 2 by K.C. Green ★★★★★

The Ren & Stimpy Show Holiday Special “Black Mail, White Christmas, Green Moulah Parts 1 and 2” by by Dan Slott ★★★★★

Faith, Vol. 1: Hollywood and Vine by Jody Houser ★★★★★

Ultraviolet by R.J. Anderson ★★

The Ren & Stimpy Show “Native Son” by Dan Slott ★★★★★

Currently Reading

Done Dirt Cheap by Sarah Nicole Lemon

A Darker Shade of Sorcery by Will Collins

Harry Potter y La Piedra Filosofal by J.K. Rowling

‘Salem’s Lot by Stephen King

Doctor Who: The Secret Lives of Monsters by Justin Richards

Book Haul

Time for some pretty photos of books!

Thrift Store Haul

I picked up these 4 books for only $2 total at the thrift store. What awesome finds!

Used Bookstore Haul

The first 2 books are ones that are on my 2017 Sci-Fi reading challenges. The Stephen King book is one I’ve been desperately (haha get it??) looking for, and I’M SO HAPPY I FINALLY HAVE A COPY OF IT!

The End

Just look at this set!!!

Other Links to reach me at:

 Instagram | booklr | Goodreads | Twitter | Etsy Follow me on Snapchat: smashleyyy92.

Happy Reading!

Monday Wrap-Up – 1/16/17 + Book Haul It's that time of the week again where I wrap up everything that went down last week.

[rwep2014blog]

How to Avoid Burnout as an Entrepreneur

Last year, I experienced burnout which is why during this time where everyone is telling us to step up and help the financial-economic flow I wanted to share how to avoid burnout with you.

Learning to avoid burnout is something that is key to your business. I personally didn’t understand the true effect it would have on me. Previously in my entrepreneurial journey, I experienced looking back now as what I can only refer to as a mini burnout.

What I experienced at the end of last year was truly something that I don’t want anyone to experience. I literally couldn’t cope with the world and shut everyone out. A thousand messages from my Facebook friends and personal friends only added to my irritation.

In Carrie’s last blog post she shared How To Stay Positive During Really Uncertain Times. 

With everything that is happening in the world right now, it is easy as female entrepreneurs to want to push yourself to the max. Staying positive allows you to avoid burnout as it allows you to turn to your intuition. It allows you to be aware of what you are feeling

How do you exactly avoid burnout? Let’s explore some of the ways that you can implement in your life to eliminate this.

Plan your time effectively

Planning your time effectively allows you to be more productive. It stops the feeling of overwhelm and always chasing your tail mindset. By blocking out times within your calendar to complete tasks allows you to stick to a schedule. Decide on set working hours for your business and don’t deviate from them. 

One tool within The Members Club which has changed my life completely is the Lead Your Business Like A Ceo Masterclass by Racheal Cook.

In this masterclass, Racheal teaches you to plan your next 90 days out in a productive yet easy way that allows you to be and stay focused on your end goals. 

Racheal has an amazing story which she shared with Carrie.  Racheal uses the tools that she teaches in this masterclass within her own life. This has ensured that she only works a 25 hour week. Which allows her to have the life balance which we all seek out as entrepreneurs, without the guilt. 

Create a daily routine  

Creating a daily routine is key to avoiding burnout as this allows you to have a structure within your day. I personally use the time in the morning to connect with myself on a higher spiritual level. This allows my mindset to be in a positive vibe for the day ahead. 

When I first started to implement this in my life, I noticed a big difference in how my day went. The impact on my mindset allowed me to achieve things on my to-do list making me feel productive and happy. 

If you need help with creating a positive routine within your life then check out our last blog post – How To Create A Positive Routine When Working From Home where we share tips to help you achieve this.

Make time for you

Self-care is very important when it comes to avoiding burnout. I never really understood the importance of it as a business owner until I watched a TED Talk by Stefan Sagmeister. He spoke about The Power Of Time Off. This opened my eyes in a whole different way because what is shared was groundbreaking for me.  

As someone that is constantly trying to build and grow my business, I often find myself using not-so-kind self-talk when it comes to taking breaks and holidays. I have this constant feeling that I should be working 24/7 on my business. How else am I going to grow it? 

“There is virtue in work and there is virtue in rest. Use both and overlook neither” – Alan Cohen

What Stefan Sagmeister shared about how he conducts his business with a year off showed me that making time for you is one of the key forms within growing a business. Taking long breaks allows you to feed your mind with inspiration and creativity. This allows you to ensure that your passion for your business never goes out. It allows you to look at things in new ways and think outside the box. 

Making time for you is something that you need to build into your work schedule. Without this, you are on a fast-track road to allowing yourself to burnout. 

Keep yourself physically active

A form of exercise is a fantastic tool for avoiding burnout as this keeps your mind healthy. This is something that should be practised on a regular basis as it can reduce your stress levels and help to give your wellbeing a sense of balance.

There are lots of forms of exercise that you can practice without making it complicated with gym memberships if that is not what interests you. It could be as simple as going for a walk.  

This is something that Carrie often talks about and it is something that I personally also love to do. For me, walking is so underrated as it can really help you to become one with yourself. You can allow your thoughts to run free and calm the mind from the 101 things that you’re normally thinking about. 

If you don’t have access to any of the things I have mentioned above then you could do something that I have been practising my entire life. Put your favourite song on, turn the volume up and dance like you just don’t care. Shake your arms and legs to let go of all the stress and tension that is holding you back! It is also something that you can get your family involved in too. It will instantly add a smile to all your faces, especially if you are channelling your inner child!    

Help your mental health

Mindfulness can also be an excellent tool for keeping your mental health in a way that allows you to be healthy. It allows you to find focus, calm and clarity within your life. Mindfulness expert Andy Puddicombe’s TED Talk on “All It Takes Is 10 Mindful Minutes” shares how to be in the here and now. 

“There was a research paper that came out of Harvard just recently that said on average our minds are lost in thought almost 47% of the time” – Andy Puddicombe

In the paper that Andy is talking about, psychologists Matthew A. Killingsworth and Daniel T. Gilbert of Harvard University found that “mind-wandering appears to be the human brain’s default mode of operation”. 

Andy shares that taking just 10 mins a day can have a massive impact not only in your day but also on your life. If this is something that you struggle with then check out his video where he explains how to practice this in just 10 mins – CLICK HERE.

Don’t be hard on yourself

This is something that I used to be so guilty of in the early days of starting my business. As business owners, we often get swept up in the many things that we have to achieve on our to-do lists. When we don’t actually achieve something we desire, we automatically fall into the mode of being hard on ourselves. 

Instead, change this and start practising being proud of yourself. Focus on how far you have come. Carrie always talks about how she is constantly reviewing her goals and what she has achieved. In her video, Why You Should Have A Goal Review Session she shares how she does this.     

Looking back on the last 6 months, 12 months and even 3 years, allows you to track how much you have grown on your journey so far. Something that I do is to celebrate the little wins along the way. I love to bullet journal and before I set up a new month, I always write down 10 wins that I have achieved for the past month. 

By doing this, it has allowed me to have something to refer back to every time I start to have those negative thoughts of not achieving anything. Once I have done this I then I put on “Celebration” by Kool & The Gang and dance to celebrate my achievements.      

“The more you celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.” – Oprah Winfrey

Surround yourself with positive people

Surrounding yourself with positive people has a massive impact on how you can avoid burnout. When you do this, you allow your life to be filled with positivity. It is always great to have people that think the same way as you do. 

“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” – Jim Rohn 

There are lots of ways to find positive female entrepreneurs that understand what it takes to be in the field. Many of them are wanting to support and connect with others. Reach out into Facebook groups like She Means Business Free community. There are so many amazing groups out there online and in-person. 

Seeking help and support by asking these women around you is the key step to take when you start to feel stressed and overwhelmed. I have found this to be something that has allowed me to overcome the difficult times in my life. I have also made new friends and these women now play an important role in my life. Our WhatsApp group is filled with support and advice as well as celebrations for our wins. I honestly couldn’t imagine these women not being part of my life.  

Summary 

Taking these action steps to avoid burnout can really help eliminate this. They allow you to focus on your journey because that is what you are on. Journeys take time to get to, they take focusing on your goals, taking time out for you and celebrating along the way so that you reach your destination. If you ever feel like it is all too much for you then stop and take some time out to reconnect with yourself.

Have you ever experienced burnout? How did it affect you and what did you do to overcome it? Share with us in the comments section below.

Words by Laura Jane.

The post How to Avoid Burnout as an Entrepreneur appeared first on Female Entrepreneur Association.

Originally posted on How to Avoid Burnout as an Entrepreneur via Fitness Franchise Opportunities in the UK

syndicated from How to Avoid Burnout as an Entrepreneur

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[dailyaudiobible]

11/29/2019 DAB Transcript

Dan 6:1-28, 2 Pet 3:1-18, Ps 119:129-152, Pr 28:21-22

Today is the 29th day of November. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian. Happy…happy Black Friday. It's gonna be a shopping day today. This is the day that is traditionally…well...it traditionally kind of launches the holiday season. And yeah, we’ve mentioned it on a number of occasions, this is the point in the year where things seem to accelerate and for some reason between now and the end of the year it seems like everything’s moving at double speed and it’s really, really easy to get taken out and really easy to get knocked off of our…our usual rhythms. And, so, this is a time to focus in on what's most important and the things that we will not allow ourselves to be moved from and obviously the rhythm of Scripture should be one of those things. And, so, we’ll take the next step forward as we continue our journey through the Scriptures this year. We’re reading from the New International Version this week. Today from the Old Testament Daniel chapter 6.

Commentary:

Okay. So, as we move into the end of our week here and for that matter as we move into the end of this month and get ready for the 12th month of the year, we have concluded second Peter. So, I have a great idea. Let's talk about endurance because that's what the Bible talking about and but today, we have a really good opportunity to understand why endurance is necessary from a cosmic perspective. So, we can apply endurance to our own lives and understand that resistance makes us strong, right? And being…being patient and persevering actually strengthens our lives. So, we can…we can understand that even though it's difficult. But is there a greater purpose that we should endure? That’s what the apostle Peter is talking about it as we conclude this letter today. And as we concluded this letter today, we…we certainly brushed up against the apocalyptic worldview that existed in the first century. And we can go like, “like…well…what do I need to know about the apocalyptic worldview of the first century?” Because we have the same essential apocalyptic worldview. And essentially that is that the world as we know it is a changing thing and a new era is coming and this change that is taking place will eventually bring about unrest and great challenge, but inside of all of that rescue will come and something new will be born. So, we don't usually articulate that but that is a backdrop for our lives. Generally, we all believe this in one way or another and this belief or this sense of the fact that things are going somewhere was a part of the culture that…that Jesus was in in the first century. It actually was the kind of language He used because Jesus continually talked about the kingdom of heaven and revealing the kingdom of heaven, and the nowness of it. In fact, if Jesus were not looked at from a spiritual perspective just as a historical figure then He would generally be considered an apocalyptic profit. So, we’re a couple thousand years in the future since this letter so we know that a couple thousand years have passed since the time Jesus did his ministry on this earth. So, we understand that the…the apocalypse…the time is unknown…even though lots of people are trying to name the dates and figure it out, we accept that we don't know but we still live with the conviction that we are going somewhere, there is an ultimate destiny. And, so, as the generations go by, right, everybody is considering where we are on that continuum. And in light of this, at the time of the writing of second Peter, this understanding hadn't evolved, thousands of years hadn’t passed. And the early believers in the first century, they were not looking toward a…a distant unknown future. They believed that the return of Jesus was imminent. So, in the decades that followed Jesus life, His followers taught that Christ would soon return and reveal himself ushering in the kingdom of God revealing the new heaven and a new earth. And because this is all over the New Testament, we find ourselves basically waiting for the same thing. But in the time of…of Peter's writing, years had passed, and Jesus hadn't returned. So, what they thought was supposed to happen imminently hadn't happened imminently, hadn't happened at all, which left a problem that needed clarity. And, so, Peter stepped into that offering some clarity and I'm quoting here, “above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They’ll say, “where is this coming, He promised”. Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” And skipping ahead a little bit, “but do not forget this one thing, dear friends, with the Lord a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise as some understand slowness. Instead He is patient with you not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” So, this is where things get really interesting for us because we need the same clarity. According to Peter, God isn't being slow about anything, especially His promises. We are being impatient. And the irony is, the thing we are being impatient about is God's patience, which should flick some lights on for those of us who feel like we've been waiting on the Lord for a long time. God doesn't want to lose anyone, and He has entrusted we who have received Christ who are being transformed into His likeness. He has entrusted us to be His witness in the world, to reveal the good news. Now it's easy to quote from Revelation that they overcame by the blood of the lamb and the word of their testimony. That's what we’re talking about here. The blood of the Lamb is our salvation. The word of our testimony is what our lives are communicating to a world that is dying. When we endure. We are embodying God's patience. So, think of it like this, it's very easy for us to say, “Jesus, come. I wish it could be today. Can you just get me out of this mess?” Just, would you return? Would you just make things right?” And I certainly pray those prayers when a more appropriate posture might be, “God strengthen me to endure, to be Your witness in this world to stand here and show that what You…that what I claim to be true is true. May those who are lost and floundering see Your light in me and be drawn to it and help me to endure so that no one will be lost, so that all can hear?” Basically, when we live by faith and endure then we’re doing it for the sake of the world. It would be easy enough for us to say, “okay. If God could just bring fire down and end it all today and start a new thing, I would be with him, that would be great”, but what about…what about those that would be lost? We must find the heart of God in this. So, the next time we’re going berserk because of impatience, we must remember God's patience because if He hadn't been patient with us, we would have never known Him. And there are many that He would like to know. And we are His hands and feet in this world. Jesus said we are the light of the world. When we endure, we are revealing God's kingdom and that is a game changer.

Prayer:

Father we invite Your Holy Spirit into this and we ask that even though today’s a busy day and it's going to be busy, busy, busy, and we can be very distracted, we pray God that You would help us understand that we are here for a reason and it is to reveal the good news and we need to be willing to face whatever challenge that might bring, especially in this season, especially when we have the opportunity to interact and rub up against family and friends that we may not otherwise see the rest of the year. May we be light in the midst of it all, Come Holy Spirit we pray. In the name of Jesus, we ask. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is the website its home-base, its where you find out what’s going on around here.

And today is Black Friday, so like one of the biggest shopping days in the year if not the biggest shopping day of the year worldwide. So, I'm guessing that whether online or off-line, maybe chances are good you're going to do some shopping. So, have fun and be careful out there and…and…and share the love of Christ in everything that you do, even if that means you have to give up a parking place. Show the love of Christ.

I'll remind you that it's Black Friday and every…every Christmas season we compile resources and create the Daily Audio Bible family Christmas Box for the year. And, so, it's family Christmas Box for the year 2019 and we’re super excited about this. The things in this Box have…have never been in in any box because they’re…they’re…they’re new. And, so, a number of resources from our Global Campfire line that we…that we released back in September are in the Boxes, some of our most popular items. So, there are the brand-new Global Campfire postcards. There's five postcards. They’re in a nice little package and they’re beautiful, they’re frameable, they’re givable, they’re mailable, they’re shareable, they’re wonderful. And, so, five of them are in the Christmas Box as well as two of the Global Campfire stickers are in the Box. The…the brand-new resource in book form, known as the God of Your Story, which is a one year 365-day devotional that in written form captures the essence of our journey through the Scriptures in a year. So, it is a fantastic gift idea, but it's also a wonderful resource for everyone around the Global Campfire to have. It’s a tangible representation of what it is that we do here. So, this is a beautifully hardbound first edition and this is a signed first edition copy of the God of Your Story. And that's in the Christmas Box. We also have our new Daily Audio Bible Journal 2.0. We have well…we went to the drawing board and crafted a journal that we wanted to be, you know, something that's was beautiful, was the right size, was good to hold, had a good feel to it, had really good paper, was like the kind of thing that would encourage companionship and interaction with and writing in and…well…journaling. And, so, we went to the drawing board and crafted that and had some made and went back to the drawing board after that first batch and refined and just made it even better. And, so, our Journal 2.0 is in the Box this year. Also, fantastic gift for anybody that’s journaler but a wonderful way to set up for the new year. Life of your gonna take the journey through the Bible again then let's write down the things that God shares with us. And as those things accumulate over years, we begin to see the wisdom of God in our lives as He keeps bringing insights from His word into our hearts. So, that's what the Journal 2.0 is about. So, that's in the box. The brand-new Global Campfire candle is in the box. And I've mentioned many times, we worked hard to get this aroma right. It's amazing how an aroma, and we even studied this in the Scriptures when we were talking about the aroma of Christ, which is…which is something that Paul said. But it's incredible how an aroma changes the atmosphere. And, so, like here in the US we just went through Thanksgiving. My wife, she's like a master chef. So, you know, the day before Thanksgiving my house had such a festive, such a homey aroma in it, just a…that the entire atmosphere was permeated in my home. That's what an aroma can do. And we were trying to…to find an aroma that was reminiscent of Campfire and community and sweetness and…and wholeness and nature. And, so, we worked really hard to make the Global Campfire smell like a Global Campfire and…and it does. And, so, we've included a candle in the box. Ahhhh…the Daily Audio Bible ornament for the year 2019, those are only ever available in the Christmas Boxes, is in the Christmas Box. This one, it says Daily Audio Bible 2019 and our word which has been “Maintain” is on the…is on the ornament. And mine is hanging on my tree. And I hope yours will be hanging on your tree soon. We also have your choice of our Daily Audio Bible blend of whole bean coffee or our boutique tea. And the coffee is roasted fresh in Colorado and will be sent…sent. It will arrive to you fresh. It's not something that…well…I mean a lot of the gift Boxes that are out there that will have coffee and that kind of stuff in them, those were roasted may be a couple months ago and they’re just making their way through distribution channels. The coffee that we’re gonna send to you is gonna be roasted like days ago and you’ll be able to tell the difference, significantly. So, your choice, coffee or tea. We also have a pack of the 20 postcards…or…not postcards, Christmas cards, 20 of the Daily Audio Bible 2019 Christmas cards with their companion envelopes. And you can certainly get the Christmas cards in the Daily Audio Bible Shop separate from the Christmas Box, like if you need more than 20 or whatever. They’re five bucks for 20. I mean…and they’re a wonderful way to invite your friends and family along for the journey next year. These are not advertisements for Daily Audio Bible. They say Daily Audio Bible on the back where Hallmark would be written and that's it. But they are beautiful, and they are wonderful way to engage with your sphere of influence and invite your friends and family to be on this journey because where at this point in the year where you can see like a journey through the Bible, I mean it touches everything in your life and it's the constant in a year and it makes such a huge profound difference. So, invite your friends and family along for the journey next year. Anyway, a pack of 20 of the Christmas cards are in the Christmas Box. And lastly, one of the Global Campfire pop sockets, which has been very popular for your phone or your tablet device to…to…it’s a little thing that pulls out and you can use your fingers to kind of hold onto things, that's in the Box as well. So, check that out. Like I said, you can get Christmas cards separate if you need more.

There is a Christmas section in the Daily Audio Bible shop and it contains a few Christmas items including our own family Christmas album that we released…ahhh…I can’t remember…a couple years ago. And you get out on Spotify, you can that on Apple music, just search my name, search for family Christmas, you'll find that. Enjoy a Family Christmas. I created that album to be as classic…like the kind of album…I don't know…I’m a Christmas music lover and I’ve got albums from my childhood that they were made in such a way that they…they feel timeless and that's what I was going for in this instrumental Christmas album. It’s the kind of album that you put on after a busy day, right, you’re just kind of winding down for the night, it's the holiday season, you’ve got the tree on, I don't know, maybe you’ve got a fire, but all the lights are off and you’re just kind of sitting there in the bask of the glow of the lights and this album makes the perfect companion for that atmosphere. So…so, check that out as well. All of these things are available here on Black Friday in the Daily Audio Bible shop dailyaudiobible.com.

The only other thing I want to say about that is that our international cutoff date for shipping of the Christmas Box or for anything Christmas later will be Tuesday. We have an arrangement that allows us to ship via FedEx into another country. But then, that…that country then takes it…takes the item and via their domestic mail system delivers it and that can take 21 days or more. And, so, this is the date that we’re cutting off for international…I mean you can order internationally as long as we have these. Just heads up, like this is the date that we think is the last safe date ship for Christmas and that's just kind of born out of years of experience.

Okay, if you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, thank you, thank you, thank you. You can do that at the website, you can do that on the app, you can do that via the mail. The mailing address is PO Box 1996 Spring Hill Tennessee 37174.

And, as always, if you have a prayer request or comment 877-942-4253 is the number to dial or you can just press the Hotline button in app, the little red button up at the top and begin sharing your story.

And that is it for today. I'm Brian I love you and I'll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

Community Prayer and Praise:

Greetings everyone this is Toni from Germany. So, I am calling first and foremost because I am thinking about Prodigal because I remember Prodigal about last time of this…last year…pardon me at about this time where in December you were calling in with some very grim messages. And I’m smiling just thinking about where you are now compared to then. And, so, I’m grateful for that and I’m sure this will make others…other people smile who remember that time and have seen where you’ve come. And, so I’m glad you have hung on and you have listened to the Lord and you’ve leaned on the faith however thin it was and just kept hanging in there and that you’re doing, you know, with the Lord wants you to do basically. So, God bless you and continued…continued joy on your journey. As for me, I’m a little bit better health wise. I called in before. On a long journey of being sick but…and I’ve been using natural remedies but I just kind of feel that this illness that I’ve had is the Lord’s way of actually helping me get some other medical issues under control. So, yeah, so I’m on an interesting journey. A lot of different trials but I’m seeing the Lord in that and I’m trusting him. So, I just want to say too, hello mom. She started listening again. Bye-bye everyone. God bless.

Good morning Daily Audio Bible listeners my name is Vicki I am also called Victorine and I’m calling from Winnipeg in Canada. I am a longtime listener. I’ve listened actually for over 11 years now, but this is the first time I’m calling. I have tried to call before but just not had the courage to post it. Anyway, I’m calling today to ask for prayer because I will be having surgery tomorrow, November 25th, 2019. I know that will long be done by the time you guys listen to this request, but I believe that God is God and He knows what’s to be and I just pray that everything is a success and that my recovery is quick. I am hardly ever sick, and I’ve never gone to anything as major as this. So, needless to say I’m a little worried but I believe God is good and He means good for us and He’s a God that heals and He’s going to heal me. I want to thank you Brian and Jill for all you do. I want to thank you for this forum and thank you for all the people who call in regularly. I listen every time. I enjoy hearing the requests. I pray with people that give requests and I rejoice with those who call in to give prayers that have been answered. I don’t call. Anyway, this is my first time calling but I pray that that’s a __. I do miss some people’s voices like Pastor Gene who has called in the past. I listen for regulars like Biola, like Rebecca from Michigan and, like Blind Tony and several other people. I just…I just thank you so much for having the courage to call often. It is very encouraging. And for those who pray we are with you in spirit. I know I never call in to pray but we do pray for you in the background and we pray that God will walk us all through this different struggles that we have

Hey DAB family this is Dominque I know haven’t checked in a while. I just wanted to say thank you for everything. Thank you for the prayers, thank you for the books, thank you for the year planning…the year Bible reading book. Like I said this is Dominic Crumhold from LDC in Arab Alabama, friends with Pelham Morris. He’s a good brother of mine I love him the death. I’m very happy that God sent him, in my life. I just want to give you a quick update on myself. I’ve moved beyond the fear of the future. I am falling more and more in love with Jesus. I’m understanding and more and more and am emptying out myself more and more. I just recently give my testimony, which was amazing ordeal for me. I just love…I can’t even really explain it…I’m just loving walking with God, walking with my father, walking with dad. And I’m almost done with my program. I graduate in two months. Thank you for your time. Love you all.

Good morning Daily Audio Bible DABbers this is Norma from the Bronx and I just have to call and in the spirit of Thanksgiving, my favorite holiday, a time when I spend meditation particularly just in Thanksgiving for all of the great things that God has done for me for the year. And one of them is definitely for this Daily Audio Bible ministry. I just have to thank Brian for this amazing...I…I…that I divinely got…divinely got…just brought me to and wishing…wishing that I had found Daily Audio Bible sooner. It has been such a blessing to me. And I want to thank your wife for giving you the support to do this Daily Audio Bible forum. I am thankful for the DABbers, the community. I feel like I have brothers and sisters all over the world and I’m just so thankful to Jesus, to your blood, the resurrection, the power of the Holy Ghost. I thank you God for the gospel and just so thankful for all of you. I have you in my heart, I have you in my prayers, and I pray that each and every one of you will have many, many, many reasons to be thankful, to focus…focus on the things, the things you can be thankful for. Don’t focus on the things you don’t have. God bless you and I love you.

Hi everybody this is Susie from Colorado. I’m going to try to talk fast because I have so many praises to report. First of all, his little Cherry, thank you so much for praying for me and my children in Haiti and Joe my husband. We were getting ready for work this morning and my husband turned around and I looked at him and he looked at me and your voice was on DAB praying for us. I was just…it just started this week off so wonderfully. And then I talked to my staff in Haiti at the orphanage in the schools and they wanted to say praise God. We have had the biggest blessing and that not one of our children has had to be rushed to the emergency room during this civil war. This almost never happens. We almost always every week are having to take our children to the emergency room because we have a lot of terminally ill and very severely handicapped children. But God knew that we could not safely get in the streets, so He has kept them safe and well and we’ve had plenty of oxygen. We…this is also a miracle because we just run out of supplies so often with many, many crises, lots of little sick kiddos, but every one of them…no seizures in the last couple months. This is just a miracle. I can’t tell you. So, praise be to God. I mean…really. And thank you. Keep please keep praying for these kids in Haiti. Just we thank you should so very, very, very, very much. We love you and just keep us all in your prayers and just pray that God would keep the kids with no seizures, with no emergencies, and that we would not run about oxygen. We’ve lost a few animals because we couldn’t get into the streets to get food for them but just…and we’ve…

Hey everybody this is Pelham in Arab Alabama with lighthouse deliverance center. Addicted to Christ is my first white stone name that the DAB gave me. I’ve got a couple others, but I won’t mention those right now. I’m calling to let you guys know how…you know…I’m coming up on six months I’ve been in this program here which is…it’s tough but it’s life…but life is tough wherever you are. You face it day-to-day with His help and He’s got treasures along the way if you’re looking for them. So, I’m calling because on Friday…well okay…first of all, I can’t get on the Internet, I cannot listen to the show for the first time in almost a decade that I’ve been a part of this community, I can’t get to the show, I can’t hear Brian, I can’t keep up with what you guys are doing. So…but I still call, and I still let you guys know was going on. So, apparently someone has heard that and low and behold Friday I received a box with about 20 copies of the God of Your Story, the companion to the one-year Bible that goes through the whole thing and it’s get the words that Brian each day. So, now at the beginning of the new year I can keep up with you guys and I can actually read the book and then read Brian’s commentary. I read…I want to give the book to the guys in the program. That’s why they sent so many copies. And thank you so much to who sent them to me. I don’t have but a few more seconds. Brian your words in the opening introduction brought me to tears in front of the men in the program…

[mobianflame]

Storms snarl U.S. Thanksgiving travel, stranding cars and planes - Reuters

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Two winter storms blasted the United States on Wednesday, stranding motorists and causing thousands of flight delays as Americans jammed highways and airports to visit family and friends for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Scores of vehicles got stuck on Interstate 5 after a “bomb cyclone” - a supercharged winter storm caused by a rapid drop in atmospheric pressure - dumped up to four feet (1.2 meters) of snow in mountainous areas of the Pacific Northwest.

“We’ve been white knuckling it for the last four hours and sliding around the road,” said Lisa Chadwick after she stopped in Bend, Oregon, driving north from San Francisco. She had snowchains for her two-wheel drive car, but did not know how to put them on.

The U.S. Midwest was also hit hard by a storm that clobbered Denver on Tuesday, with airports in Minneapolis and Chicago suffering hundreds of delays and cancellations.

The storms hit on one of the busiest travel days of the year, with a near-record 55 million Americans set to journey at least 50 miles (80 km) for Thanksgiving on Thursday, according to the American Automobile Association.

After parts of Colorado got up to 30 inches (75 cm) of snow on Tuesday, Minneapolis was expected to get as much as 12 inches as the system slid east, said Brian Hurley, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in College Park, Maryland.

The storm, which is packing high winds, will move across upper Michigan and upstate New York toward central Maine, which could get 6 to 10 inches of snow, the Weather Service forecast.

“LOTS OF HONKING”

On the West Coast, heavy rain threatened flash floods from San Diego to Los Angeles.

Los Angeles International Airport told domestic passengers to arrive three hours early as it expected 238,000 passengers and 113,000 vehicles on Wednesday.

“There has been definitely lots of honking, lots of near accidents that I’ve seen, for sure,” Daniel Julien, a 24-year-old paralegal from Pasadena, said after making it to the airport.

A silver lining was that rain doused the Cave Fire in Santa Barbara County, which charred 7 square miles (1,810 hectares) of brush and woodlands. But it brought evacuation warnings to thousands of residents in Santa Barbara suburbs for possible mudslides on fire-charred hills.

Across the country, 4,083 flights were delayed, and 148 were canceled into or out of the United States by 6.30 p.m. ET, with Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport tallying the most, according to FlightAware.com.

“There are apocalyptic storms all over the country and 50mph winds! Why would things not be the worst. Anyway pray 4 me,” said a Twitter user going by the name of Abigail H., who was leaving O’Hare on Wednesday.

The East Coast was largely unscathed, but wind gusts of up to 40 mph (64 km) forecast for Thursday morning threatened to sideline the Macy’s New York City Thanksgiving parade’s 16 giant balloons for safety reasons. Organizers have said they will make the decision on Thursday whether to go ahead.

Reporting by Peter Szekely in New York, Brendan O'Brien in Chicago, Andrew Hay in Taos and Jane Ross in Los Angeles; Additional reporting by Jonathan Allen in New York; Editing by Jonathan Oatis, David Gregorio and Sonya Hepinstall

This content was originally published here.

[easytravelpw-blog]

Full text write on https://easy-travel.pw/queensland-s-best-beach-port-douglas-or-the-whitsundays/australia/

Queensland's Best Beach: Port Douglas or the Whitsundays?

01 of 08

Port Douglas or the Whitsundays. Which is Best?

Felix Martinez/Getty Images

An endless summer offering sparkling blue water, magical white sand and access to the Great Barrier Reef. You’ll get all of this and more when visiting Queensland’s North, so take our advice: if you’re travelling to this part of Australia, you’ll want to spend as much time as you can seeing as much as you can!

If time is not on your side, however, you’ll need to slim down your itinerary. Then, your big decision is: just what part of this picturesque coastline do you choose to spend your precious vacation hours exploring? 

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02 of 08

Whitsundays: What to Know

Daniel Osterkamp/Getty Image

Where is it? The Whitsundays isn’t actually one destination; instead, it’s a cluster of 74 islands of different shapes and sizes, dotted off the Queensland coast. Airlie Beach is the launching pad to the Whitsundays and is a 300km drive south of Townsville. You can fly here directly to the local airport, Proserpine, from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, or via connecting flights from other parts of Australia. Alternatively, if you’re really keen for a road trip, it’s about 1,100km north of Brisbane.

How to get there: You can save yourself a bit of time and fuel by flying direct from major Australian cities to Proserpine (via Virgin Blue or Jetstar), which is just a hop, skip and a shuttle to Airlie Beach.

Accommodation options: From budget backpackers to ritzy resorts and cosy campgrounds, you’re spoiled for choice when it comes to accommodation. It’s about deciding what kind of holiday you want: romance, adventure, relaxation, fun, cheap, once-in-a-lifetime. It’s all here.

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03 of 08

Whitsundays: What to Do

Danita Delimont/Getty Images

While most of the activities in the Whitsundays involve getting wet or at least being out on the water, there are adventurous options that’ll keep you dry (well, mostly).

The Whitsunday Crocodile Safari will get you up-close and personal with the snappy reptiles along with native and migratory birds and a host of fresh water marine animals that call the Proserpine River home.

You can show off your driving skills behind the wheel of a mini 4WD at Wings Adventure Park (this one could end up with you covered in mud).

Ever wondered if a koala is as cuddly as it seems? Spend the day at Bredl’s Wild Farm and you’re bound to get a snuggle. This is a terrific one for the kids – they only allow 20 people per day, which gives you close contact with both the animals and staff.

A fun way to see the best of Airlie Beach can be on top of two wheels as part of a variety of Segway tours, one even comes with afternoon Tapas.

To really emerge yourself in the Whitsundays and leave your stress at home, take a look at stunning Hamilton Island. It also has a domestic airport with direct flights from major cities along the east coast.

The accommodation options will astound you: palm bungalows, holiday homes, villas and private hideaways! There is even a ‘Baby’s First Holiday’ option complete with packages offering ‘mum alone time’, ‘dad alone time’, ‘family time’ and ‘mum and dad couple time’. I can hear you asking: “Where do I sign up?”

Hamilton Island is a perfect getaway for those wanting some time out from their busy schedules. This is likely why the busiest woman in show business, Taylor Swift, opted for Hamilton Island as her location of choice to celebrate her birthday – and give her band and crew some recharge time – during her tour of Australia in 2015.

If an island getaway is on your bucket list, you can also look at stay options on nearby Daydream Island, Hayman Island and Palm Bay Long Island.

While you can’t stay there, we would be remiss not to mention the spectacular Heart Island. It’s the brilliant little heart-shaped dot in the Great Barrier Reef that you see all over the world on postcards, tourism ads and could be the perfect way to pop the question…

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04 of 08

Whitsundays: Best Activity

Robert Francis / robertharding/Getty Images

Visiting Whitehaven Beach. To put yourself in the picture of Australia’s most photographed beach, the Whitsundays will need to be top of the list. Or more specifically, Whitehaven Beach on Whitsunday Island.

Voted the Best Beach in Australia (2015 TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards) and regularly rated amongst the world’s best, Whitehaven Beach is basically Mother Nature showing off. The idyllic combination of the most pure white sand you’ve ever squished between your toes and turquoise shaded flat water will assure you you’re on holidays.

It is the perfect beach, especially if you’re a ‘sandphob’. The sand is super fine, with a high amount of silica so it doesn’t get hot and isn’t as prone to sticking in places you’d rather it didn’t.

Then, when you’re ready to swap five stars for a million stars, book a national park campsite for a night of twinkling wonder.

Just remember: photos are all you can take away with you. Whitehaven Beach has a World Heritage Listing which means it’s illegal to take any sand. So, snap away and print a pic when you get home to remember your magical day.

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05 of 08

Port Douglas: What to Know

Stoneography/Getty Images

Where is it? When it comes to North Queensland, Port Douglas is about as far north as tourists will venture. Situated around 70km north of Cairns, which is around a two-hour flight north of Brisbane, this beach resort town is nestled between the infamous Great Barrier Reef and Daintree National Park. You’ll really feel like you’ve landed on another, visually spectacular planet.

How to get there: You’ll need to fly to Cairns from one of the major cities on the east coast (there are also semi-regular services from Darwin and remote areas). From Cairns, Port Douglas is just a 40-minute scenic drive. If you feel like taking the scenic route, for keen road-trippers it’s a 1,700km journey – a little over 1,000 miles – from Brisbane.

Accommodation options: Although Port Douglas is known for its luxury beachside resorts, you’ll also find a range of budget stays, along with holiday rentals that are ideal for families or group getaways. 

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06 of 08

Port Douglas: What to Do

Andrew Watson/Getty Images

When it comes to the best the great outdoors has to offer, you’re spoiled for choice in Port Douglas. You can start the day watching the sun rise over the Coral Sea and then carry on exploring the coastline, which stretches on for more than 200km.

If you don’t feel like heading to the beach just yet, head west for a rainforest tour. The World Heritage Listed Daintree National Park is close enough for a day trip, but it’s also worth spending a night or two here if you can afford the time.

The best way to see all it’s glory – complete with 800 different rainforest trees, flowering plants, animals, waterfalls and rugged mountains – is by hopping on board the Kuranda Scenic Railway.

Of course, if you don’t want to do much exploring at all, that’s perfectly fine as well! Port Douglas is world renowned for its beautiful beach resorts, which are so luxurious and well appointed, you really don’t have to leave after checking in (and checking out from day-to-day life!).

Port Douglas is also a popular jumping-off point for tours to the Great Barrier Reef, which depart from the iconic Reef Marina.

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07 of 08

Port Douglas: Best Activity

PETER HARRISON/Getty Images

Spending a day exploring the Great Barrier Reef while you’re so close to this incredible natural wonder. It may seem to be stating the obvious, but you could leave kicking yourself if you don’t dedicate at least one day to knocking this beauty off your Bucket List.

You won’t believe how, just metres from your comfy bed, an ocean bed is quite literally teeming with thousands of different types of marine life and the most breathtaking coral and plant life on the planet.

You’ll want to consider your ability and confidence in the water before deciding on just how you’ll take in this natural wonder of the world. You can choose from scuba diving or snorkelling, day trips or extended luxury cruises, with activities and adventures to suit all fitness and skill levels.

For tangible memories you can reflect on when you return home, it may be worth investing in an underwater camera, as this World Heritage Site needs to be left untouched ­– so there will be no opportunities to pop a piece of coral in your beach bag to take home with you!

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08 of 08

Which is best: Whitsundays or Port Douglas?

Naphakm/Getty Images

After singing the praises of both of these beautiful locations, it’s difficult to decide which one reigns supreme. It’s a little like trying to choose your favourite child!

Both locations have so much going for them, but when it comes to selecting the all-round great North Queensland holiday that will generate memories last a lifetime, Port Douglas really does have it all. It’s not just a resort town; it’s also the gateway to the incredible Great Barrier Reef. And how many cities do you know of that are sandwiched between two World Heritage Listed, breathtakingly beautiful natural wonders?

Make sure you plan to spend at least five days in this sensational part of Australia, so you have the opportunity to properly ‘meet’ the reef and explore the local villages. Whether you’re planning a romantic holiday, a family vacation, a solo adventure or a trip with friends, you’re sure to create lifelong memories in spectacular Port Douglas!

One final piece of advice: When planning to travel to tropical North Queensland, be sure to consider stinger season. From November to May every year, jellyfish are prevalent in water off the mainland and around the islands. The irukandji jellyfish in particular can be quite deadly, so make sure you read up on ways to protect yourself if you are booking travel during these months.

#travel #airlinetickets #airtickets #cheapairfare #planetickets #travelinsurance #travelquotes #travelblogger #traveller #travelling #travelocity #travelodge #vacation

[thesnhuup]

2017: Our Best Year Yet

2017 was an incredible year at SNHU. Maybe our best yet. I am grateful for many things, but as we head into the holiday season, I wanted to take a few minutes to share some highlights from the year.

  1. Our Students

Always, always, we start with our students. As we say in our Mission Statement, our success is measured by our students’ success. In 2017, more than 16,000 students earned their degree from SNHU, many of whom are military-affiliated, working parents, traditional-age learners, and first-generation college students. I always say a good day is when I get to interact with students on campus, or on the road. Here are some of my favorite student stories of the year:

Our oldest graduate, 94-year-old Amy Craton, completed her bachelor’s degree with a 4.0 GPA and is now going on to get her master’s degree.

Melissa Gillespie, a military spouse and mother of three, earned her nursing degree online after 17-years of constant relocation.

FC Dallas forward Tesho Akindele became the first MLS player to earn a degree from SNHU, as part of a partnership between the League and the University that helps professional athletes earn their degrees while juggling rigorous training and travel schedules.

Megan Lewis-Taylor, a Coast Guard veteran who was one of the first responders to the Boston Marathon bombing and Hurricane Sandy, came to SNHU when Daniel Webster College closed. Now, Megan has found a home at SNHU on the field hockey team and at our new College of Engineering, Technology, and Aeronautics where she is pursuing a dual degree in mechanical and aeronautical engineering.

    2. Giving Back to Our Community

Giving back is deeply ingrained in our culture at SNHU. This year, we donated to more than 20 local nonprofit organizations, including Families in Transition, City Year New Hampshire, and Big Brothers, Big Sisters.

We also celebrated our 2nd annual Global Days of Service, a month-long community service event, where alumni, students, faculty, and staff come together across the globe to strengthen our communities. In 2017, more than 800 SNHU community members volunteered 4,592 hours in New Hampshire and around the world to help out local schools, clean up our state parks, and tend to gardens for our local food bank. Our students volunteered an additional 16,000 hours in the greater Manchester community and across the country.

Together with our great partners, the Boston Celtics and the New England Patriots, we donated four new technology labs to local elementary and middle schools to help students gain access to the technology they need to be successful. And through our partnership with Major League Soccer, we unveiled three new soccer pitches around the country for communities in need. I am most looking forward to opening a mini-pitch right here in Manchester in 2018.

    3. Our Employees

This year, SNHU was recognized as a Great College to Work For by The Chronicle of Higher Education for the tenth consecutive year. I was most inspired by the feedback our staff and faculty provided in the survey; based on the top three responses, our employees feel supported by their colleagues and embraced for who they are as individuals, understand how their job contributes to the University’s mission, and believe SNHU actively contributes to the community in a positive way. I’m particularly proud of these responses, all focused on inclusion, mission, and service; our sense of community and culture is unlike any other in higher ed.

Each year, our staff and faculty also come together to host the SNHU United Way Campaign. This year, we raised more than $100,000 for the Granite State United Way. It gives me a great sense of pride to work with all of you to help students succeed; together, we are helping to make a difference in the lives of thousands of students and, in turn, the lives of their families and their communities.

    4. Innovation and Excellence

For the third consecutive year, SNHU was named the #1 Most Innovative University in the north by U.S. News & World Report and named one of the nation’s top 12 Most Innovative Colleges for Adult Learners by Washington Monthly. The University was also recognized as a 2017 digital learning innovator by the Online Learning Consortium for advancing undergraduate student success through the adoption of digital courseware. Thank you to the entire SNHU community for continuing to challenge the status quo to help more students achieve their dreams of earning a college degree.

  5. Growing STEM

In 2017, SNHU made great strides in expanding our commitment to STEM. We launched our new College of Engineering, Technology, and Aeronautics (CETA), with the goal of expanding access to STEM education for underrepresented populations in higher education. More than 175 students are currently enrolled, and plans for a new CETA facility are already underway. Our team has also been working hard to expand and improve our online STEM programs, which currently serve more than 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students.

This year, our students also participated in numerous events that encourage women and young girls to pursue STEM fields; a group of our online students attended the Grace Hopper Celebration, an annual conference that celebrates women in technology, and students hosted the “I Hate Math” Conference on campus, which is an event designed to inspire, encourage, and challenge girls to achieve their academic and personal goals.

  6. Supporting Military Students

SNHU has a long history of working with service members and veterans to help them continue their education dating as far back as World War II. This year, we doubled down on that effort once again by expanding our military discounts to include all members of the U.S. Reserve and National Guard. Now with more than 15,000 military-affiliated students and a dedicated team of military advisors, SNHU continues to work with military organizations to help our servicemen and women achieve their educational goals and help them transition to civilian life.

  This year we partnered with Operation Homefront again to host four “Homefront Celebrations” to honor military spouses and awarded four full-tuition scholarships to spouses wishing to continue their education. We also hosted a hiring fair for veterans with the Boston Celtics, donated more than $190,000 to the USO in partnership with MLS as part of Operation: Back of the Net, and hosted the Traveling Vietnam Memorial Wall on our campus this October.

  7. Expanding Access Across the World

One of the initiatives in 2017 of which I am most proud is our expanded work with refugees at home and abroad. We’ve been in the Kiziba Refugee Camp since 2013 helping Congolese refugees earn their college degrees. Now, with $10m of funding secured this year, we plan to expand the work we are doing in Rwanda to four other locations, phase one of a more ambitious multi-year goal of educating tens of thousands of refugees worldwide. The need is enormous, and we’re excited to continue this important work.

We also recently opened a new center in our own backyard to help local immigrant and refugee populations gain access to education and support services in the greater Manchester area. Programming at the SNHU Center for New Americans at YWCA NH will begin in early 2018, and our hope is that it will give new Americans the tools to thrive in the Granite State.

  8. Penmen Athletics 

We’ve had another great year for athletics; our men’s tennis and women’s soccer teams both conquered the Northeast-10 Championships, five of our teams participated in the NCAA Tournaments, 4 student-athletes were named All-Americans, and 4 players and 3 coaches were honored as NE10 Players/Coaches of the Year.

    The Penmen also participated in numerous community service endeavors this year, including a special project led by our soccer teams who stuffed more than 250 “Joy Jars” with MLS star Kelyn Rowe to deliver to pediatric cancer patients in the region. Our student-athletes truly do great work every day, on and off the field, and I could not be more proud.

  9. Cutting Ribbons On-Campus

Here at SNHU, we have been committed to reinvesting in our campus to provide a first-class academic experience for students. Over the past year, we’ve opened three new buildings, including a facility that houses our new College of Engineering, Technology, and Aeronautics (CETA); campus’ newest residence hall, Monadnock Hall; and the Gustafson Center, which houses our admission, career, and alumni offices, designed to get students thinking about life after college from their very first encounter at SNHU. This coming spring, we’ll also be unveiling our new athletics complex, Penmen Stadium, and I hope to see you all there, cheering on the Penmen!

  10. The SNHU Community

I have a lot for which to be grateful, but getting to do this work with a talented and fun group of colleagues is right at the top of my list. If you haven’t seen our new commercial, you might take a look. It’s a nice reminder of how lucky we are to do what we do each day. Thank you for all you do for our students.

http://ift.tt/2zczr09 from President's Corner http://ift.tt/2zcjmYq via IFTTT

[keeshawadham-blog]

Results On Abandoned Sons.

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