#then we get more development from aveiro!

[terran-slaine]

Oleanna updated :> Click on the link under the image to go straight to Chapter 4!

Inaho goes to a Christmas party, and has an awkward conversation uwu

it's not about slaine, i feel like that would be the assumption otherwise

[silver-rings-and-rabbits]

Landing Chapter 1 of 2

"Matthew, I need to talk to you about something."

Raf's voice was calm but his eyes kept darting around and he was rubbing the back of his neck. Matthew frowned; he hadn't seen Raf like this before.

"Sure, I've always got time for you. What's up?"

Raf slid into the seat opposite Matthew, grateful that the doctor had chosen a quiet corner of Edenbrook's cafeteria.

"Um, the thing is...unless you want to go somewhere quieter...no, you're eating, I..."

"Raf." Matthew's voice was guarded now. "What's going on?"

Raf took a deep breath. "Remember when I met up with my old school friend yesterday?"

"The one you used to date, you mean?" Matthew reminded him. Raf nodded.

"The thing is...we...things went really well between us yesterday..."

"What are you saying?" Matthew asked hoarsely. His eyes were wide, his face pale. His salad was in front of him, half-eaten and already forgotten.

Raf steeled himself. He was telling Matthew this because he didn't want any secrets between them, he reminded himself.

"We didn't do anything, but it was a lot like how we had been and...well, I don't know if anything is likely to develop."

Matthew didn't trust himself to speak as his stomach plummeted. The buzz of chatter in the cafeteria grew distant.

"Like I said before, I don't want to keep secrets from you so I'm telling you now. I just want to step back a little and figure out where to go from here whether it's with you or Sora."

Matthew drew in a deep breath, sitting back in his chair and hiding his shaking hands under the table.

"OK. Thanks for telling me. I get it, you gotta figure out what you want." He gave a nod and then glanced at Raf. Then just past him. "Just...let me know?"

"I will. Promise."

That had been five days ago. Until then, Matthew had been cruising through the days, looking forward to the summer, his friends at his side. The position of junior fellow on the diagnostic team was secured, Aurora was preparing to move in with them soon, and Raf was right beside him with strong, welcoming arms. Except...was he really right beside him? Try as he might, Matthew couldn't shake the feeling that he was falling behind but at what, he didn't know.

He checked his phone but there was nothing new since the last time he had looked two minutes ago. Their group chat was alive and he and Rafael were both heavily involved but in their private messages--Matthew had fondly nicknamed Raf 'My Hero'--there had been nothing but radio silence.

"Food!" Sienna announced, breaking Matthew out of his brooding.

"Eat something," Jackie said to him, gentle but firm, as Sienna brought several home-made pizzas to the coffee table. Meanwhile, Elijah was setting up MarioKart.

"Who wants to go first?" He asked. "Jackie?"

"Maybe later, I'll go feral if I don't eat something right now."

"Quick Sienna, put food in Jackie before she goes on a rampage and loses us our deposit," Elijah snickered. "How about you Matthew?"

Matthew put his phone on the side of the coffee table, screen up. "Yeah, why not."

His game was off. He kept sending Yoshi careening off the edge of the track and overturning into the sides.

"Damn it!" Elijah cursed as the character behind him threw a red shell at the last second, causing Bowser to fall into second place. Then he chuckled. "Hey Matthew, you won't mind if I don't wait up will you?"

"Shush," Matthew smiled. He had to admit, it was nice to focus on the game and banter with his roomies. Chances to switch off and relax had become few and far between and he refused to let them pass by.

Eventually, Yoshi crawled over the finish line and Matthew relinquished the controller to Jackie, who selected Koopa Troopa. Matthew settled back against the couch cushions, suddenly feeling more relaxed than he'd been for five days. He picked up a slice of the vegetable pizza and chewed a few mouthfuls. Sienna smiled at him.

And then his phone rang, the name came up on the screen clear as day: Raf Aveiro - My Hero.

Matthew's stomach clenched and he dropped his half-eaten pizza back onto the plate. His roommates were frozen, looking between him and each other. The game blared on, but nobody cared anymore.

Matthew cleared his throat. "I'll take it outside," he muttered, picking up the phone and heading for the door. "Hello?"

He braced himself against the wall, trying to still his beating heart. He was shaking. Somehow, he suddenly didn't want to know what Raf had to say.

"Hi Matthew." Raf's voice was calm. It sounded too similar to when he had sought Matthew out in the cafeteria five days ago. "How are you?"

I'm scared. I feel sick. I haven't eaten or slept properly in five days and it's only getting worse.

"I'm good. Surviving. Work's been...y'know." Matthew gulped and pushed his hand through his hair. "I guess you've reached a decision?"

"Yes. Do you want to meet up with me, or I can come to you to talk about it?"

Matthew suddenly couldn't wait anymore. "That's ok, just tell me. Whatever it is, be honest."

There was a pause that went on for just a fraction of a second too long and suddenly Matthew knew.

"I've decided to be with Sora."

Matthew threw out a hand, steadying himself against the wall. His entire body trembled, he wouldn't have noticed the floor giving way beneath his feet. Falling never hurts but landing does indeed...

"OK," he said simply, interrupting whatever Raf was trying to explain. Something about old times and wanting to see how things go. But Matthew didn't want to know. He was already falling away from Raf's world.

"It's OK," he said again. Thank god for the tumultuous first year that had, amongst other things, taught him how to appear calm and professional as his heart fell to pieces. "This was your choice to make, you don't need to justify how you feel."

"Are you OK?" Rafael asked hesitantly. Matthew cursed internally. Why was he so nice?

But he couldn't lie to Raf. "I will be, just...in time."

"Matthew...I'd still like to be friends, if that's OK with you."

Matthew bit his lip. Did he want that awkward friendship? Did he want to cut Raf off completely? That stung to imagine; Rafael was well and truly ingrained in Matthew's life. Besides, he was also good friends with Bryce and the rest of the roomies.

"That's fine but...be patient with me, OK?"

Rafael hesitated. "Of course. And thanks for understanding."

Matthew made a non-committal sound. It was all he could handle. If he could just keep it together for another minute...

"See you at work Matthew."

"Sure." Matthew's voice came out as a croak. He stabbed at the screen, ending the call.

His breath came out in a gasp as his knees gave out and he collapsed to the ground, his phone falling from his hand and landing on the patterned carpet. The patterned carpet that he couldn't see because the tears were falling thick and fast and his breathing became gasping, choking sobs that sounded so horrific he buried his face in his hands to smother them as best he could.

"Matthew? I just thought I'd..." Sienna caught sight of Matthew curled up on the floor and her heart sank. Matthew looked up at her, his face blotchy, his eyes red, watery and burning him already.

"He chose Sora, didn't he?" Sienna whispered as she knelt beside him. Matthew nodded, crumpling into Sienna's arms.

The next five-minutes were some of the most heart-wrenching of Sienna's life. Matthew--usually so calm, cool and collected--clung onto her like a child and wept into her chest. At six foot one, Matthew had ten inches on Sienna and yet he suddenly felt small and vulnerable, leaning on her heavily, unable to stand up on his own.

The sensible part of Matthew's mind slowly pushed through his pain, making him realise that he had to calm down though it seemed impossible. A woman named Mrs Turner had once told him to close his eyes, breathe, and count to three. Edenbrook and med school had somehow overlooked this kind of advice and yet was invaluable in his career. As he took several shaking breaths, he became more aware of Sienna rubbing his back, soothing him the only way she could in that moment.

Matthew sat up very slowly, wiping his eyes on the back of his shaking hand, feeling a little light-headed. Sienna cuddled close to his side, his strongest constant support.

"Did he say why?" She asked cautiously.

Matthew shrugged. His voice was barely more than a whisper. "Something about wanting to see how things go ending it with me would be fair to the both of us, and he didn't want to be cheating or anything. I think that's what he said, I kind of stopped listening." He hung his head. "Where are the other two?"

"Still inside. We didn't want to crowd you out if...well, this." She rested her head on Matthew's shoulder. "I'm so sorry Matthew. I thought...we hoped..." she floundered helplessly before grabbing his arm. "I just wish I knew what to say to comfort you!"

"Don't," Matthew whispered with a wobbly smile. "You literally just held me together when I was having a breakdown. You are comforting me...but we should probably go inside."

Sienna stood and offered him her hand, helping him upright. He was white as a sheet, his hand trembling in hers.

"Do you want me to go on ahead and warn the others?"

Matthew shook his head with a sigh after only a moment's hesitation.

"No. I'll tell them now. Doesn't matter anyway."

And so they made their way back into the apartment, where Matthew carefully closed the front door before turning to face Elijah and Jackie who were looking at him with nervous apprehension.

"He chose Sora," Matthew told them, and then like a cloudburst he was crying again.

"Oh geez..."

Someone--probably Sienna--was pushing him onto the couch, where he curled up into a ball around the hole that had been punched through his heart. Sienna once again cradled him to her chest, Elijah rolled up to him, patting his knee comfortingly. Jackie had jumped off the couch and was now sliding a glass of water and a heap of tissue in front of him. Colourful characters continued to dance across the screen opposite them.

Matthew's eyes stung but he was powerless against the hurt that ripped him apart and sent aching sobs through his body. As powerless as his roommates were to cheer him up.

"Why Sora though? You guys were going strong." That was Elijah. Matthew shrugged. Jackie muttered something that sounded suspiciously like 'bastard' and Matthew winced.

"Look at the state you're in, Matthew, and he didn't even face you--"

"He was going to, I didn't want to wait any longer for him to get here, I told him to just say it."

"But he hasn't exactly been in huge contact though, has he? You said he wasn't messaging you and he hasn't been overly personal in the group chat--"

"He needed space and I was giving him that--"

"He's a bastard, I can't believe he handled it like this--"

"Jackie, PLEASE."

The sudden shout shocked them into silence. Sienna and Elijah glanced at each other nervously. Jackie away from Matthew, ashamed.

"I'm so sorry," she said, taking his hand. "I just...can't stand seeing you sad."

Matthew squeezed her hand in return. "I know...just...I can't hear any of this right now." Another tear ran down his cheek.

A squeaking at Sienna's doorway made them all look up. The chinchilla, who had been dozing on Sienna's bed, was watching them curiously, whiskers twitching, confused by the noise.

Sienna gave Matthew a squeeze before hopping off the sofa, scooping Spooky into her hands and carrying her over to the group, passing her to Matthew. Matthew cuddled Spooky to his chest as she gazed at him intently before scampering up to nuzzle his cheek. She licked at the teardrop curiously, finally bringing out a small smile from Matthew. A tiny ray of light that relaxed the atmosphere in the room.

Elijah gently offered another round of MarioKart, to which Jackie and Sienna agreed. Matthew stayed curled on the sofa, cuddling his beloved chinchilla as if she could fill the hole that Rafael had left.

He wasn't angry with Jackie. She was just looking out for him. And, despite the situation, he wasn't angry with Rafael either. He had just made a choice that Matthew happened to disagree with. Matthew bit his lip as his stomach rolled. If only it were that easy to accept in reality.

"Do Bryce and Aurora know?" Sienna asked suddenly. Matthew started. He had been so caught up he hadn't even noticed his friends had turned off the console. He just shrugged in response to her question. Sienna texted the each of the other two with a simple update and Bryce sent a simple answer: WTF?!?

"What does Sora look like anyway?" Jackie asked. She did a quick search on her phone. Whatever she saw, she made a face.

Matthew couldn't help it. "Show me?"

He saw a picture of a stranger with neat black hair, wearing a smart black sweater, leaning on a fence as he looked over his shoulder at the camera. Wherever he was, there was the ocean in the background.

So Matthew finally had a face to the name that had defeated him, and it hurt like hell. What had once been a concept was now a person, with memories and thoughts and dreams. God only knew how many of those were shared with Rafael. Sora knew Rafael so much more than Matthew did, and he was only just beginning to realise how much of Rafael's life he hadn't seen. Not like Sora. They had practically grown up together.

Jackie pulled her phone away from Matthew and muttered something like 'you're much better looking'. Matthew didn't care. Neither did Rafael.

"Hey, Bryce wants to know if he should cancel his gym session with Rafael on Tuesday?" Sienna asked, bringing Matthew back into the room.

"What? No! Why would he do that?"

"Because you're our friend and we don't want to upset you?"

"You're Rafael's friends too." Matthew rubbed his raw, tired eyes. He had once been so desperate for Rafael to meet and get along with his friends. "Guys, don't think you have to stop being friends with Rafael because of me. I don't want to cause more drama than necessary."

"Too nice Matthew." Jackie suddenly gave him a hug.

One by one, they went to bed. Spooky followed Matthew and curled up on the other side of his bed. She had ample room now.

At half past eleven that night, Matthew cleared the couple photos of him and Rafael from his phone. A drop of water hit the screen onto the contact name: Rafael Aveiro. The nickname was gone.

At 3AM, Matthew found himself looking through social media. Rafael hadn't updated anything regarding his newfound relationship, and Sora didn't seem to have much of a social media presence at all. The picture Matthew had seen was his current profile picture and was dated three years ago.

Maybe it was a good thing Matthew couldn't find anything; social media was already bad enough for relationships and mental health, and the chinchilla had left the room hours ago. He was alone again.

Matthew might have dozed intermittently, but by half past five he couldn't tell. Birds were already chirping incessantly. If he had looked, he would have seen the pink light of dawn on a gorgeous late spring day.

Matthew dragged himself out of bed, pulled on his clothes and headed into the living room. Nothing in the fridge was appetizing but he made himself a ham and cheese sandwich anyway, only to bite into it and have his stomach clench so hard he doubled up, biting down on his lip to keep from making a sound.

The sandwich was tossed in the trash.

Elijah wheeled into the room an hour later to find Matthew sitting cross-legged on the sofa staring at the water stain on the ceiling.

"Morning Matthew," he yawned. "How are you doing, buddy?"

"Fine," Matthew lied. Elijah looked at him silently.

"Not fine," Matthew amended, guiltily. "I just...don't know what to do anymore."

"I know," Elijah nodded. "Believe me, I know. But it will pass. We're here for you. I promise it will pass."

Matthew tried to picture the time passing. Going to work. Healing his patients. Coming home. Going to work. Healing his patients...

He loved his job and that had never changed, and yet...now there was no excitement, no draw to anything. Just long hours, sore feet, and endless rooms of a never-ending cycle of patients.

He knew what he was going to do, of course. It just wasn't ever going to be as much fun.

Chapter 2

[choicesenthusiast]

Representation at Pixelberry: The Follow-Up

One year ago, on June 15, 2020, Pixelberry released a statement regarding representation at the company. Here is the LINK to the original blog post, and here was MY RESPONSE. Oh, how naïve and optimistic I was. It contained a list of goals and promises they hoped to accomplish within a year. Well, a year has passed, and here is my attempt to hold PB accountable. I'll be going over the five main points of their representation plan and if they achieved what they promised. All criticisms are about content released after June 15th. Long post beware, but I'm not putting it under a read more because I feel like it's important for all to see.

1. Commitment to diversity of Love Interests - FAIL

We’ve already been moving towards having Love Interests have customizable skin tones. We will continue to do this with some stories, while also having some characters with clear ethnic identities. At the same time when we have multiple love interests of different ethnicities, we are aiming for those Love Interests to have equal game time.

"LIs with customizable skin tones" mean they come in three flavours: white, black, and ambiguously Asian/Latinx interchangeably. So far I have rarely seen an LI as connected to their culture/ethnicity as Rafael Aveiro, and he just talked about his Vovo's food if he ever were on screen. They had many chances with the other OH LIs as well. Even Ayna Seth and Tatum Mendoza were confirmed to be Indian and Filipino, respectively, though FA gets a little leeway, as it was set in a fictional west-European continent.

As for equal game time? I'm sure the biggest example we can all think of was the mess that was Open Heart 3, which was written during the hiatus (which only existed because they were going to straight up kill Rafael in Book 2). Game time was not equal among LIs, and the white male LI was heavily favoured. PB also continues to pay female LIs dirt by giving them no screen time. In addition to that, LGBT+ players, who are consistently underrepresented, receive one (1) unprepared pride month survey, prpbably only because someone asked them about it on Twitter.

This is the meat and potatoes of everything because it's what they're outputting to their audience. It's what the people see. Given that things haven't been going so well lately in this department, consider this promise a big fat fail.

2. More authentic and diverse hairstyles for people of color - QUESTIONABLE

Our team will focus on providing more authentic and representative hairstyles. We are prioritizing these hairstyles outside of our normal book processes and will introduce them in new books as they are ready.

While, yes, they have added two new hairstyles in WEH, they also just took Jade Bonet's hair and recycled it for LoA F!MC. PB recycles all their hair more often than not.

3. More diverse book covers - QUESTIONABLE

This is an initiative we started in January of this year. As a result the number of Black, Latinx, Asian, Native American, Pacific Islander, mixed, and other characters on new book covers increased from 35% of characters in 2019 to 60% characters in the first half of 2020. However, the number of black characters is still not high enough this year. More are already scheduled for books later this year. We will make sure that Black characters are well represented on our covers in the future.

"Diverse" does not just mean by race, but also gender, sexual orientation, etc. FA has the only recent MLM cover. And don't tell me that the FA and LoA covers are any different from each other. The only black characters on covers are Zoey Wade (QB), and Black!Gabe Ricci (LoA) and Bastien (WB), which aren't even their canon races unless you choose them to be. This is the case for many single-LI books, such as Cassian Keane (W:ABR, which technically premiered on Mar. 16, but the sentiment is the same), Sam Dalton (TNA), and Dakota Winchester (WEH). Not to mention the customizable/multi LI books like DS, RT, BaBu2, MTFL, etc. Majority of these covers are just cishet couples delicately cradling each other's bodies or whatever. And we're not even gonna get into how PB literally put the Open Heart LIs in order of their favouritism on Book 3's cover.

4. Writers/Staff - QUESTIONABLE

We will be engaging in professional training on historical and current racism for our writers to ensure more of them have a better understanding and more context for views of diverse characters in Choices. We will also create a program that gives more authority to people of color in the studio to advise writers and artists on more authentic portrayals in both writing and art of black, brown, and minority characters.

A story with a Black-led cast is something I have asked for in the past, but failed to follow-up on. We will very likely start this with a Black-led cast story led by Chelsa, one of Pixelberry's Black writers.

We will increase the number of diverse writers we source for new stories, starting with hiring more Black and Latinx writers to lead the charge.

For all teams at Pixelberry we will actively work to bring in more Black and Latinx candidates with the goal to increase the number of Black and Latinx employees at Pixelberry. Although Pixelberry is over 50% female, on teams where females are not at 50% we will actively work to source more female candidates.

This promise seemed like a copout from the start because we have no way of knowing who works on what at PB unless we very meticulously stalk their LinkedIn or Twitter or whatever. We have no solid statistics except for what they feed us. I do know, however, that they recently let the Ms. Match writers go and were hiring for external writers, but there really is no way of knowing what's going on behind-the-scenes with their 112+ employees, and of course there would be NDAs involved. We are yet to see a book with an all-Black cast, and receive rare development updates with new books. Actually, I think a really good way to promote diversity is to do staff showcases on their social media. Just a way to show the public who's responsible for what. Writers, game devs, the art team, etc. Don't think it'll happen, but it's always a good idea.

5. Donations - QUESTIONABLE

Pixelberry will also be making $100,000 in donations to Black Girls Code, the Black Writers Collective, and the Latinx Writers Collective at Techqueria. Rather than as a lump sum, we will be making these donations over the course of a year to remind us that we are not making short term changes, but are committed to long term sustainable actions. We’ll also be donating up to an additional $100k from profits for this week, 6/15-6/21.

There has been no proof, no receipts, no evidence from PB that they have donated anything to anyone, and as far as we're concerned, their word doesn't mean anything. No news or updates news about it. I would love to believe that they did something, but as you can see, I've become quite the pessimist. BWC still uses PB's old logo (like, pre-Choices) on their sponsors page, and the last interaction they've had with BGC was in 2013. They don't even follow each other on Instagram. In fact, BGC received a huge donation from MacKenzie Scott, formerly Bezos last July. Yes, that billionaire Bezos, and that got coverage from them. Obviously donations don't need to be for publicity, but in this case I think it's important there should be proof. Again, it's really hard to tell with these behind-the-scenes things, but given how PB loves to gloat and hates to keep promises, we can assume that none of this happened.

~~~

So, what's the takeaway? That PB's fallen down the drainhole of shitty content and empty promises and has no intention of climbing out as long as they still make that bank? Seems counterproductive, because good representation gets good feedback and income. They pump out bad books with barebones "representation" if you can call it that, then drop their precious merch and pretend all is fine and dandy. But just as I suspected one year ago, none of this matters, because people forget things, and people move on, and shit gets swept under rugs. Yet, here I am, yelling at a company in a post I for sure doubt they'll see. Because if not me, then who?

@playchoices Your move. It's been your move for a year now. When will you actually make it?

[curiousconch]

Ricochet (An Open Heart AU)

Series Synopsis: Dr. Heather Song, Edenbrook’s newest diagnostician, gets embroiled in a plot of revenge against Boston’s top politician. Together with FBI Special Agent Rafael Aveiro and rising star prosecutor, Bryce Lahela, they try to uncover a web of conspiracies far greater than their imagination. Can they stop the attack in time? Or will their entangled hearts eventually become caught up in the crossfire?

Pairing: Rafael Aveiro x MC (Dr. Heather Song) x Bryce Lahela 

Words: 1.3k+ | Genre: Crime, Mystery, Thriller, Romance

Rating/Warnings: Mature (16+) / implied violence

Author's notes: I'd like to thank the following for inspiring me to do this series:

@eleanorbloom​ - her awesome works made me see that there’s so much more to Bryce Lahela than being a meathead and a scalpel jockey

@kat-tia801 - for the captivating AU worlds she built with her TRR series, please check her works here. 

Finally, @alwaysmychoices​ - the same emotion you put into the stories of Charlie & Ethan is something I aspire to achieve with the characters of this fanfic series. 

Without these talented writers, I wouldn't be able to get this work out to the world.

PROLOGUE

"Here's the copy of the MRI you requested for Room 502, doctor," a blonde nurse dropped an envelope on the pile already in front of her.

"Thanks Kaley," she smiled and nodded briefly from the patient charts she was finishing in the nurse's station, her brunette bangs slightly rustling at the sudden movement.

She went back to the mountain of paper work she was trying to finish, her Johns Hopkins Montblanc pen squiqqling as she went. On the bottom of the last page, she wrote her full name: Dr. Heather Song, along with her medical license number. 

She opened the envelope containing the scan results, and examined the writings on the sheet of paper. No tumors - meaning that the patient's headaches were probably caused by a genetic, albeit irritating migraine. She prescribed a relaxant, and handed it to Danny, along with the rest of the clipboards. 

She bit her lower lip as she tapped on her fitbit: 8:39 pm - another 14 hour shift. It was another day at work in the diagnostics team. Thankfully, she loved her job, so she has no complaints for the long hours.

Scrolling, she checked the rest of her messages. Her frown turned into a smile as she read out a text from her boyfriend:

I'm done for the day. Pick you up in 20 minutes?

She took out her phone from the pocket of her white coat and texted him back, agreeing to the said rendezvous.

With a friendly nod to the night shift nurses, she stood up and walked towards the Diagnostics office, her white sneakers squeaking along with her steps. With the door behind her hissing closed, she went to her table and retrieved her sling bag. She shoved her ID badge and her phone inside, while she shutdown her PC. She retouched her lip gloss before shrugging off her coat, revealing a blue crew neck shirt, neatly tucked into her dark jeans.

She freed her shoulder length hair from the tight bun that she usually wears at work and brushed off the few loose strands. Once she was satisfied with her appearance, she grabbed her belongings and stepped out of the empty room, making her way towards the elevator bay. 

As she walked through Edenbrook's ground floor hallways, her pale skin glowed against the fluorescent lights. She crossed the atrium and bid her goodbye to Bobby, the hospital's security guard, then went outside, into the cold night air.

A green bomber jacket caught her sight, and her heart immediately skipped a beat. The tall, dark figure had a backpack slung on his left shoulder, his right foot tapping along a mental beat.

"Hey, handsome," Heather slung her arm around Rafael's, tiptoeing to plant a kiss on his cheek. "Missed me?"

Rafael chuckled, as his eyes glistened in the dark, humming in agreement. He returned the compliment with a quick peck on her lips.

He gazed down at her, "Hungry, Dr. Song?"

Heather nodded in excitement. She loved his cooking, but she missed the gelateria near his place.

Fond memories flooded her, making her smile. 

A year ago, Rafael first whisked her away to the same Italian ice cream shop to decompress, seeing how stressed she was with the investigation. It was the night after she called in Travis Perry to the authorities. 

Ed Farrugia was just one of those patients her team took in to increase Edenbrook's struggling funds. He was Massachusetts' most popular Senator, and the media mileage he gave the hospital prevented it from going under. 

But what they first thought as just another day in the job took a turn when Heather diagnosed the politician's illness as lead poisoning. By midday, she was able to confirm that the chemical element was not coming from his newly-purchased house. A quick search engine lookup returned a suspicious article about Travis, his aide. Not wanting to make conclusions without concrete evidence, she raised her own suspicions with her mentors, Dr. Ramsey and Chief Banerji. Collectively, they decided that the best course of action was to quietly alert the authorities. 

That day was the first time Rafael walked into the hospital's hallways.  He got assigned to the case once Dr. Naveen called the FBI Boston field office. Rafael's discreet but valiant efforts foiled the perpetrator's sinister plans - of releasing a deadly airborne poison into the hospital room of the unknowing Senator. 

He was able to stop the attack and prevented deaths, including Heather's. They later found out that the attacker wanted to take revenge on her due to her earlier attempts to treat the senator. Travis Perry admitted to sprinkling lead in the politician's assorted drinks over the years. 

With the criminal charges filed and the case handed over to the district attorney's office, they were able to focus on the budding attraction between them. Several dates and a couple of samba lessons later, it bloomed into a full-on romance. 

Heather easily fell for him. He was an easy guy to love. His ways are simple, uncomplicated. 

He was a welcome reverie from the chaos of her first  year as a junior fellow of Edenbrook's premier Diagnostics Team. It was Rafael's sweet charms that made the unbearable, bearable. His tenacity to crack the cases he was assigned to matched her own. But his motive - of always being more than willing to serve others and his community, regardless of danger, never failed to amaze her. 

When they became an item, his whole community took her in. It was a sincere group of people consisted of his grandmother, his colleagues, and the elderly at the senior center where he volunteered. Rafael also frequently hung out with Heather's friends. Sienna, Elijah, Aurora and even Jackie were nothing but supportive of their relationship. 

Snapping out of her head space with a gentle nudge from Rafael, they began to leave the front steps of Edenbrook. They hadn't walked far when a familiar voice calling her name stopped them in their tracks. 

'Heather. Dr. Heather Song!"

Both turning around, they saw a tall man approaching them hurriedly. She had to raise her head to gaze at him as he neared.

"ADA Lahela," she saluted him in a greeting. She gave him a polite smile, letting Rafael go briefly to shake the hand of the man in the gray suit. "To what do we owe the pleasure of your company?"

"Something very urgent. I wouldn't spoil your RnR, but this really can't wait until tomorrow." Bryce Lahela, the rising star of the Boston's District Attorney's office, nodded back at Raf, catching his breathe.  "Ah, Agent Aveiro, hi. I believe this also very much concerns you." he also waved at Rafael, a hint of unsteadiness in his voice. 

She tried to recall the last time she saw Bryce. It was 3 months ago, on the last day of the trial of Travis Perry. The fierce young lawyer eagerly took on the case of Senator Farrugia, who single-handedly put Perry behind bars for the rest of his life. 

Her head perked a little, sensing the quick falter in the young prosecutor's greeting. She waved off his apology, expressing she didn't mind the intrusion. She trusted him enough to make the judgment that this couldn't wait. They were friends after all. 

"There's been a new development in the Ed Farrugia case," the assistant district attorney clutched his leather shoulder bag and pulled out a peculiar looking paper.  "Someone sent a blank message to my office email address an hour ago, it included this file attachment," he handed the page to Heather, a look of concern crossing his face. 

Beside her, Raf tensed.

The black and white printout, with words spelled from cutouts of magazines, knotted Heather's stomach in a million ways. 

It's not over, Dr. Song.

The sinister note made her skin crawl, unleashing a wave of terror within her. 

She immediately knew right then that the mirage of her quiet life threatened to crumble. She just didn't know how much. 

Tagging also @choicesficwriterscreations for #fics of the week.

Chapter 1 to be posted tomorrow.

[lovebubblechoices]

Frozen Forget-me-not

Author’s note : This, was requested a lot (no pressure haha ><) and then my twisted silly mind imagined this. I hope you will like it as much as I liked writting it. Of course it will be angsty and sad for the most part at the begining but the theme is not easy. There’s an accident, a car accident + coma involved. I’m not a specialist by the way so don't get mad at me… I’m doing it for the Community so feedback would be nice you know, just saying… Of course, apart from MC (Victoria “Vicky” Monroe) every characters belong to Pixelberry and lastly, as usual, English is not my first language so be nice and enjoy!

Word count : 2,346 (woopsie…)

Tags : @missmiimiie - @caroldxnvxrs - @unusualvisionsblog - @acourustic -@faithhasnowords - @wvndora - @tiki-tay​ - @noboundariesplease​ - @openheart12​ - @youcancallmeanet​ - @edgiestwinter​ -  @basicgirlwithbasicdreams​ - @nhievyenne​ - You, maybe?

Chapter 1 : The Downfall

The ambulance was rushing toward the hospital at full speed and with the lights on. Rafael Aveiro was driving as his own life was on the line and the other paramedics within the ambulance were scared to death.

« You’re gonna get us killed Rafael! Slow down Jesus Christ! »

But the driver was so stressed he did not and then responded something in Portuguese while his brain could not proceed English at the moment. He never was so stressed by his job really; for him it was just about saving countless lives and heroism, making his Nana proud even. But tonight, as he hurried to Edenbrook hospital everything felt different. Rafael’s beliefs were shaken because of his friend lying at the back of the ambulance.

The night had started correctly for Dr. Victoria Monroe, just like any other nights when she wasn’t working. She had planned a lovely evening on her own, outside of Boston for once. What she did not planned at all was for her car to get hit by a trunk on her way back at some crossroad in Boston. Everything happened fast - her checking the road twice, her driving carefully then some horn on her right side and blinding lights, her screaming while the trunk get closer and closer. Finally brutal noises of shattering metal while the car took a dramatic fly in the air only to fall on concrete completely destroyed and its owner left unconscious inside. She had been bleeding nonstop and her life was endangered since then. When the ambulance arrived and that the paramedics managed to get her outside the still-steaming wreck, Rafael recognized her on the spot and insisted on driving whereas he was supposed to be in the back with her. The heartbreak was too much to handle for him - seeing one of the few he loved and cared about in this critical situation. Thankfully the ambulance finally arrived an eternity later, which was in fact 25 minutes later because of the speed and much to his displeasure, Rafael ran into Dr. Varma and Trinh.

« What do we g- VICKY??!!! » Jackie shouted, shocked as ever. « I’ll get her to the OR » indicated Sienna who was trying her best to remain calm and professional despite it was her bestie in front of her. « How long had she been unconscious Rafael? » asked Jackie « At least for 30 minutes I’d say... » the young man responded. « I don’t know her vitals, I was driving... probably too fast » he smiled to himself.

He left without another word, lost in his thoughts. Jackie sighed and went back to her other patients since she wasn’t a surgeon, unlike Bryce or Harper Emery. The young talented doctor wiped forming tears in her eyes as she smiled weakly. She was hoping her friend would be taken care of by Dr. Emery. She feared Bryce would paralysed in front of a lifeless Victoria. But she wasn’t worried that much: Edenbrook was considered to be the Elite. What could possibly go wrong?...

***

Dr. Emery had Dr. Lahela step down for this one. He usually assisted her because she could tell he was one of the most driven surgeon-to-be in here but the young fellow became paralysed when he heard it was Dr. Monroe and that it was ugly, very ugly. But he accepted his fate and welcomed it with some sort of relief. At least, he wouldn’t be the one to blame if the situation messed up and that comforted him somehow but deep down… he was genuinely worried for his friend – he had caught Harper’s look studying the body and he knew what it meant.

No good.

But Victoria, or Vicky for friends, was tough; a true force of nature. Surprisingly enough Bryce came to wonder if she had any lover… He wasn’t quite sure why the thought hit him but there he was gazing in front of him without noticing anything strange or out of the ordinary on the wall. As if the wall could give him that answer. Was it the terror of losing her for good that made him think of potential boyfriends she could have?

For sure, Bryce Lahela could have easily been one of them. At some point, the two were flirting back and forth but it was mostly pick-up lines that made them laugh like idiots. But there was somebody in the picture since last year because he wasn’t on the DT but Bryce noticed small changes in her behavior and he had teased Vicky multiple times about this but she never said anything. It was her secret and her lover’s.

“Not practicing with Harper tonight Lahela?” asked a deep masculine voice.

“Ah! Dr. Ramsey!” said Bryce, looking up. “No… Not tonight. Or this current one at least” he sighed in deafeat.

“How come?”

“I… I could mess it up Dr. Ramsey” Bryce explained “and obviously, I don’t want to” he added thoughtfully.

“I’ve been told you’re one of the promising one Lahela. Why the fear?”

“It’s one of friends in there… How do you put distance between your carrer and your personal feelings Dr. Ramsey?” Bryce genuinely asked the older doctor.”

“I guess everyone’s different Lahela” Dr. Ramsey chuckled.

He was giving the young surgeon the impression his argument for stepping down wasn’t valid but truth was Ethan Ramsey understood the young lad too much. He almost replied that he went to the Amazon for that same reason.

 ***

“I guess I’ll learn with time…” sighed Bryce.

“Who is it, if I may ask?”

“Oh… hum. Probably the best among our small gang. Dr. Monroe’s in there, fighting for her life and I literally cannot step up for the challenge…” the surgeon sighed once again.

“If you’ll excuse me Lahela… I have business to attend to” Ramsey uttered in a slow monotone voice.

“Oh! Of course Dr. Ramsey. Thank you for your time…” simply replied Bryce and Ethan nodded as he continue down the corridor.

***

He. Had. Not. Been. There. For. Her.

There was an earthquake beneath his feet. What kind of doctor he thought he was? What kind of man even? Ethan Ramsey couldn’t think straight. He wanted to go in the OR and helped Harper but could he? Could he help her colleague saving the woman he loved more than his own life?... He wasn’t so sure about that but his pager decided otherwise.

Need you in OR 2. HE

He was screwed. He wasn’t ready to see Victoria on the operating table but hell must be damned: he needed her in his life even if they were doomed to stay colleagues. He must do something, he had to save her. Everything but losing her.

Ethan clenched involuntarily his fists because of the anger growing in him. He was angry with him because he wasn’t able to protect her and he was angry with her because apparently, it was a 50/50 chance to save her. Why on Earth she had been outside of Boston? Why she hadn’t told him about her plans for tonight? Why she hadn’t texted him?

You idiot! You hate texting. And you make excuses up – boundaries, personal development and so on. The diagnostician hated himself. He ran down the corridor the other way and entered the Operating Room n°2 after he dressed up appropriately. Then, he silently acknowledged Harper and came by her side where she was doing was she did best…

Ethan mechanically followed Harper’s orders but his mind was focused on the body lying down the operating table. His hands were slightly shaking but still precise. That was his way to keep control over the whole situation but he knew he couldn’t hold this for long. The dam was thinner and emotions were ready to flood everything and everyone else.

Ethan was on thin ice.

***

After multiple surgeries and countless hours, Victoria’s state was finally stabilized and therefore she was put in a coma and transferred to the intensive care unit. She will be able to make it thanks to Harper Emery’s talent and dedication for her job. Ramsey was glad he had not lost it but he was exhausted and his early day shift wasn’t finished yet. He had to meet Mrs. Monroe and informed her about her daughter and this was dreadful even though Victoria Monroe was out of danger for now.

He called her name in the waiting area of Edenbrook and instantly a middle-aged woman stood up and walked towards him. Ramsey took a minute to detail the woman before him as they exchanged a formal handshake.

She had seemingly soft grey short hair that were unmistakably blonde when she was younger. Dark green eyes lighten her tired features and a worried smile soften her angular yet beautiful face. Ethan could say Mrs. Monroe was an elegant woman and a quick look to her clothes confirmed it. He also assumed a wealthy background but clearly the Monroes weren’t the richest but provided for their daughter or children if Victoria had siblings. He closed the door behind her and gentlemanly offered a seat which she accepted hastily. Then, he went behind his desk, sat and faced her for the first time.

“What happened? I’ve been told my daughter’s been transferred to intensive care” she sobbed quietly.

“That’s correct Mrs. Monroe. Would you like a glass of water before we continue?” he asked her.

He grabbed a plastic goblet and put some water in it before handed it to the lady. She accepted it gracefully and waited for him to unfold the events for her. Ethan Ramsey returned to his desk and explained as calm as he possibly could the events to the worried mother. He wished his own mother was like this but it never ever had been the case. That woman walked on them when he was only 9.

“But is she saved?”

“It’s too soon to be assertive but I know her quite well… she’s a tough one.” He smiled.

“That she is.” confirmed Vicky’s mother. “Could I see her anytime soon?”

“Not for a week at least, I’m sorry.”

“No, no! I understand Doctor. Don’t apologize for doing your work. I appreciate honesty. It’s just… hard, you know? She’s my baby” she justified herself.

“Don’t worry Mrs. Monroe, I perfectly understand it” Ethan assured her in return.

“Her friends must be devastated…” she tought for herself “I’m sorry but… do you know if there’ll be consequences? After-effects due to the coma?...”

Ethan Ramsey took the time to respond. This was a serious matter and he did not know the answer for sure. He sighed heavily as he was facing the truth also for himself.

“The coma here is designed to help the recovery, to ease it. The risks of after-effects are great and unfortunately” his tone darken “the loss of her memory is plausible at this stage. Depending on how long Victoria stays in coma”.

Silence enveloped them afterwards. Then, Mrs. Monroe looked Dr. Ramsey right in the eyes and said:

“Thank you Dr. Ramsey for you know… saying the truth and only the truth to me. And also caring this much for her. As I said, I feel very lucky she has you.”

“No need Mrs. Monroe. I’m just doing my job and… And she means a lot to me” Ethan vaguely concluded.

 If only you knew what your daughter meant to me, you’d be terrified dear… Ethan was trying to stay focused but his mind kept running back to the accident, to the fact that he wasn’t there with her when it happened. Moreover, there were all the things he left unsaid on purpose because he thought that was the best thing to do for both of them but now, he was losing her as Victoria was lying in a bed in the intensive care unit.

If only I had not been such of fool of myself… We’d be the power couple of Edenbrook and nothing could stop us from being the best diagnosticians… Ethan Ramsey sighed but he did not feel defeated as he had felt defeated when Naveen was dying and he didn’t know what to do. With Victoria, he instinctively knew what to do. He knew he had to be there for her, talk to her, wait for her to return from the darkness she was in. All he had to do was waiting for her to come back to him but the wait already promised to be ridiculously long and painful.

Ethan Ramsey promised Victoria’s mom to inform her of any development on her daughter’s case. Then he stood up, imitated by Mrs. Monroe. He accompanied her to the hospital exit and ran into Naveen who was looking for his protégé.

“How are you feeling my boy?”

“Exhausted and nervous. I extended my shift because Harper needed me” Ethan explained.

“I heard yes…” Naveen nodded “and about that Ethan…” he said cautiously “I should dismiss you of the case.” Naveen clarified sadly.

Ethan let out a sigh. Deep down he knew Naveen would do such a thing but he could he accept it without a word? Not that easy. “Listen, I know I’m close –“

“Ethan… I hope you know it is to protect both of you. What did exactly happen in Miami last year by the way?”

“I… We…” Ethan hesitated. “She kissed me” he finally murmured.

“I KNEW IT” Naveen shouted in the hall overjoyed. “You deserve happiness my boy, so does she”

“Maybe you’re right… But don’t dismiss me, I need her and she’ll need me”

“I won’t for now but I hope you’re aware she might not recognize you when she wakes up…” inquired Naveen

“Yeah… I know the risks. But I am willing to take them. She’s worth it” asserted Ethan.

For the first time in his life, Ethan Ramsey was willing to fight for a woman. Naveen smiled mischievously and pated Ethan on the shoulder.

“Congratulations my boy, you’re in love.” he beamed.

Ethan chuckled and they parted ways.

[justanotherdumpingground]

Chapter Reviews: March 5-9, 2019 + Thoughts on Upcoming Books

High School Story: Class Act Chapter 4:

Okay, so the bake sale went mostly well, and it's fun to sway Michael to vote for the twin, even though he originally supported Morgan. There are better candidates to vote for, boy. Still miffed that there's no substance to Cliff and Graham's romance together besides cutesy side stuff.

From what I've seen with Ajay's parents arguing, I think there will be a subplot that shows how arguing couples damage their children. While I applaud Picelberry's attempt to tackle this issue, I'm worried that it will be mishandled. The child abuse subplot involving Skye still needs a satisfying conclusion because the progress I've seen so far is Skye having Brenda as a parental substitute. I need to delve more into her home life and see to it that her story gets a satisfying conclusion.

Disappointed but not surprised that I have to pay diamonds just to learn about Ajay's home life. Look, I get that he's polarizing, but that doesn't excuse vital elements of his character being paywalled. Honestly, it's extremely stupid to pay diamonds just to learn more about a character, especially a love interest. I get that Pixelberry's a company, but in a game titled Choices, all plot and character arcs are supposed to be free to view, with premium options hiding mature content and other trivial things. Not doing so reeks of dishonesty.

The Heist: Monaco Chapter 14:

Dang, this is it, huh? It's like time flies by despite the incredible journey. I'm stoked and anxious at the same time for the journey ahead, now that the crown jewels are in my possession. It's super satisfying to see my crew trusting me despite my lack of premium options for most of them. I love seeing them bond together and having one another's backs during the heist.

So glad I picked the premium options to free Whisper and steal Ulrich's tools. I knew they'll come in handy for Sybil as well as me. And it was a relief I checked the blueprints and found the RGB clue on what to do to entee the vault. It indicates the color of the text I have to pick, and I sometimes thought I picked the wrong option whenever Sybil looks agitated.

It's satisfying to see Ansel locked in the car with Fabien driving him away. Good riddance to that smug snake.

Handcuffed by Sonia? This is gonna be good, especially since I like her enough to consider her a main love interest for my MC. I just hope her trust in me is enough.

Desire & Decorum Chapter 11:

After seeing another part of Briar's indecisiveness over who she'll pursue, I just wish she would make up her mind, because the setting up a character with someone reeks of lack of free will on the side characters' part and a blatant cash grab.

It's great to see my friends following me to Bath and look out after me. I appreciate them jumping at the call, but I also want them to work with me on the investigation freely instead of paywalling them. Also miffed that there's not much political intrigue and no incorporation of industrialization.

Not a surprise Duke Richards and Gideon are plotting to overthrow the Prince Regent, but I don't want the showdown against them to be anticlimactic. After all, the clues I've gathered so far should've had an edge in piecing together his ultimate motives and even gain bonuses along the way.

America's Most Eligible Chapter 8:

I still don't trust Ivy and consider her as much of a snake as Vince and Slater. She and Slater may not be on the same team, but that doesn't mean I fully embrace her. I admit that her plan sounds like an opportunity to discredit Slater for cheating, allowing me to act devious.

Can I say that the athletic outfit suits my MC well? Because he's a flirt, he should have no problems wearing enticing clothing that turns people's heads towards him. I think it would suit him more if the outfit's more revealing.

It baffles me that I have to pay diamonds to set other couples up. I know this practice exists since Choices's founding, but it still reeks of characters having no free will. I like Eden and Kiana together, but paying diamonds to ensure that reeks of greed and lack of logic.

At first, I'm not sure whether to win or not, but I ended up losing just to see more of Ivy's plan. Apparently, the winner gets to go on a date together. That made me think my MC would seduce Slater a bit, only for me to watch on YouTube that they get discredited if they won, and Derek and Kiana won anyway. It seemed that I dodged a bullet by not getting involved with Slater.

Open Heart Chapter 4:

This is an emotional chapter, and I love it. I get to see Ethan putting his energy on his patients, whom he genuinely care for, and seeing him sad at Dolores's death was heartbreaking. Even more so when her baby's revealed to be named after him. Since Dolores has sisters, this means baby Ethan will be raised by his aunts. I get that there are players who want the baby raised by Ethan himself, but if there are other family members willing to raise the child, then I say let them. Nevertheless, I hope this means he'll be more like Professor Enrique Vasquez through the use of tough love and nothing like Nick Peralta, whom I despise for being an ungrateful, disrespectful guest as well as a horrible boss.

After seeing people wanting Rafael Aveiro to be a love interest along with Kyra Santana and Sienna Trinh, I'd say nah. I'm more interested to see how my MC grows as a doctor than lust over any other characters. I like those three, but I think Ethan, Bryce, and Jackie are enough for me. Regarding people wanting Sienna as love interest, what if her boyfriend is really one of the nicest characters in the story and eventually dies in the hospital regardless?

As for Aurora, man, I'm shocked and horrified at her dismissal of Dolores's condition as smoke inhalation just because she wants a more interesting patient. I get that she wants to prove her worth as a doctor in her own right, but because she's a doctor whose job is to ensure the wellbeing of all patients regardless of condition, she has no right to be picky at which patients to treat.

Moreover, I'm even more disappointed at the writers for writing this. They could've used this opportunity to explore her even more, especially since the first three chapters show her chafing at living under her aunt's shadow, caring for Annie, being unable to treat her because she was summoned to her aunt's office, and giving some diagnosis on a patient. Pixelberry should've picked up from this and build her as a character who yearns to prove her worth by doing her job properly, not make her into someone people might as well continue to hate like handing Dolores to MC for having an "uninteresting" condition. This reminds me of the situation with Xanthe, but with differences. Xanthe's a courtesan who fits best as a love to hate character like Madeleine from TRR, built as a conniving strategist who has her political agendas that go beyond being merely mean and catty. As for Aurora, her appearances at the first three chapters shows that she didn't do anything remotely wrong aside from being aloof. It was this chapter that shows a crack in Pixelberry, who assumes the audience must continue to hate her even though she started as a mere rival with complex motivations. If Pixelberry's intention to bring Aurora down is to merely cater to their target audience with no regard to the unfortunate implications they've created, then they've succeeded. Now they just have to face the consequences.

Ride or Die Chapter 8:

Well, that confrontation with the dad is as heated as I thought. I understand that he doesn't want her daughter hanging out with criminals, but I think he's too overprotective of her daughter, such as keeping her sheltered even though she's now eighteen. That doesn't mean she should hang out with the MPC, but she should be taught to act with discernment and wisdom. In fact, I hate that the narrative wants me

As for Jason, I told the dad that he recruited MC as an informant, so now they're at odds with each other. That complicates the case with the MPC and the Brotherhood. It could be possible Jason or one of the detectives (the one with Russell Thibbs's model, to be exact). I'm leaning towards the latter.

I swear, Teppei Kaneko is dumb. His last meeting with the Brotherhood ended with him getting injured, and now he's going back to confront them again. Bah. Anyway, I rejected a tattoo (my MC's most like going to wear that sweater for the rest of the story) and ended up staying put (I would've spent diamonds to go with Mona to learn about the Brotherhood if the story is remotely any good, which it isn't).

Across the Void's return:

While a part of me is glad this story will progress to the end, I'm not super excited. There's too much focus on Pax and Eos in the first 13 chapters despite how annoying they are and how little they contribute to the story. Doing so keeps the story from exploring the setting, the plot from capturing my interest, and other important characters from developing properly. So far, Kepler's the only character we get to know, and we get to explore part of the setting through her, but I still want more than that. Other characters have potential, namely Lyra (because she's Senator Tauri) and Sol (because of his vast knowledge of various cultures).

The Elememtalist's return:

I'm pumped for this, though I'm also concerned that the quality will be worse, since the time gap between the first and second book is relatively short. I love how badass Shreya looks (Conjuring fire with just one finger instead of two hands? Awesome!), and I wish this second book will shed more light on the characters, explore the dynamics between the different races, and make Discount Dorian Pavus an interesting villain. Raife Highmore's a forgettable villain. By the way, why does the cover depict Beckett as kinda ugly? Maybe because of how thick his eyebrows are and the way he frowns.

New books and gender options:

I'm surprised and glad Nightbound and Passport to Romance will have the option to pick the protagonist's gender. That sounds like a long time coming, especially for Nightbound, which is a spinoff of Bloodbound. I like Bloodbound in some ways, but I'll always be irked at the inability to pick the protagonist's gender and the flimsy reason behind it. I get that Pixelberry thinks it will be a failure because of how clichéd it looks, hence why there's no option, but they've also released light-hearted stories with gender options. The funny thing about Nightbound is that I thought we'll have a co-protagonists system like TC&TF and MW. The man and woman fighting side by side gave me that impression.

I'm not super excited for Passport to Romance, even though it involves traveling and I get to pick the protagonist's gender. It would've been better if it's mainly an adventure book with romance kept to the sidelines. That way, one love interest won't hog the spotlight while offering little to no substance along the way.

Wishful Thinking being genderlocked and a romcom sounds like a disappointment, especially since it reminds me too much of #LoveHacks, which I dislike. Maybe it will surprise me, though.

After seeing the Q&A on Choices's subreddit, I saw a mention of a dark take on fairy tales, which captures my interest because I'd take a dark, gritty, and thought-provoking story any day. I also love the idea of a book where I rise to the top as some sort of "mean girl" for the sake of playing a conniving character who manipulates her way to the top, but I also want the protagonist to be a 3-dimensional character in her own right, and it would be cool if a worse outside threat is used as an opportunity to gain good publicity. Please make them happen someday.

[scifigeneration]

Filling the early universe with knots can explain why the world is three-dimensional

The next time you come across a knotted jumble of rope or wire or yarn, ponder this: The natural tendency for things to tangle may help explain the three-dimensional nature of the universe and how it formed.

An international team of physicists has developed an out-of-the-box theory which proposes that shortly after it popped into existence 13.8 billion years ago the universe was filled with knots formed from flexible strands of energy called flux tubes that link elementary particles together. The idea provides a neat explanation for why we inhabit a three-dimensional world and is described in a paper titled “Knotty inflation and the dimensionality of space time” accepted for publication in the European Physical Journal C and available on the arXiv preprint server.

"Although the question of why our universe has exactly three (large) spatial dimensions is one of the most profound puzzles in cosmology ... it is actually only occasionally addressed in the [scientific] literature," the article begins.

For a new solution to this puzzle, the five co-authors -- physics professors Arjun Berera at the University of Edinburgh, Roman Buniy at Chapman University, Heinrich Päs (author of The Perfect Wave: With Neutrinos at the Boundary of Space and Time) at the University of Dortmund, João Rosa at the University of Aveiro and Thomas Kephart at Vanderbilt University -- took a common element from the standard model of particle physics and mixed it with a little basic knot theory to produce a novel scenario that not only can explain the predominance of three dimensions but also provides a natural power source for the inflationary growth spurt that most cosmologists believe the universe went through microseconds after it burst into existence.

The common element that the physicists borrowed is the "flux tube" composed of quarks, the elementary particles that make up protons and neutrons, held together by another type of elementary particle called a gluon that "glues" quarks together. Gluons link positive quarks to matching negative antiquarks with flexible strands of energy called flux tubes. As the linked particles are pulled apart, the flux tube gets longer until it reaches a point where it breaks. When it does, it releases enough energy to form a second quark-antiquark pair that splits up and binds with the original particles, producing two pairs of bound particles. (The process is similar to cutting a bar magnet in half to get two smaller magnets, both with north and south poles.)

"We've taken the well-known phenomenon of the flux tube and kicked it up to a higher energy level," said Kephart, professor of physics at Vanderbilt.

The physicists have been working out the details of their new theory since 2012, when they attended a workshop that Kephart organized at the Isaac Newton Institute in Cambridge, England. Berera, Buniy and Päs all knew Kephart because they were employed as post-doctoral fellows at Vanderbilt before getting faculty appointments. In discussions at the workshop, the group became intrigued by the possibility that flux tubes could have played a key role in the initial formation of the universe.

According to current theories, when the universe was created it was initially filled with a superheated primordial soup called quark-gluon plasma. This consisted of a mixture of quarks and gluons. (In 2005 the quark-gluon plasma was successfully recreated in a particle accelerator, the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider at Brookhaven National Laboratory, by an international group of physicists, including three from Vanderbilt: Stevenson Chair in Physics Victoria Greene and Professors of Physics Charles Maguire and Julia Velkovska.)

Kephart and his collaborators realized that a higher energy version of the quark-gluon plasma would have been an ideal environment for flux tube formation in the very early universe. The large numbers of pairs of quarks and antiquarks being spontaneously created and annihilated would create myriads of flux tubes.

Normally, the flux tube that links a quark and antiquark disappears when the two particles come into contact and self-annihilate, but there are exceptions.

If a tube takes the form of a knot, for example, then it becomes stable and can outlive the particles that created it. If one of particles traces the path of an overhand knot, for instance, then its flux tube will form a trefoil knot. As a result, the knotted tube will continue to exist, even after the particles that it links annihilate each other. Stable flux tubes are also created when two or more flux tubes become interlinked. The simplest example is the Hopf link, which consists of two interlinked circles.

In this fashion, the entire universe could have filled up with a tight network of flux tubes, the authors envisioned. Then, when they calculated how much energy such a network might contain, they were pleasantly surprised to discover that it was enough to power an early period of cosmic inflation.

Since the idea of cosmic inflation was introduced in the early 1980s, cosmologists have generally accepted the proposition that the early universe went through a period when it expanded from the size of a proton to the size of a grapefruit in less than a trillionth of a second.

This period of hyper-expansion solves two important problems in cosmology. It can explain observations that space is both flatter and smoother than astrophysicists think it should be. Despite these advantages, acceptance of the theory has been hindered because an appropriate energy source has not been identified.

"Not only does our flux tube network provide the energy needed to drive inflation, it also explains why it stopped so abruptly," said Kephart. "As the universe began expanding, the flux-tube network began decaying and eventually broke apart, eliminating the energy source that was powering the expansion."

When the network broke down, it filled the universe with a gas of subatomic particles and radiation, allowing the evolution of the universe to continue along the lines that have previously been determined.

The most distinctive characteristic of their theory is that it provides a natural explanation for a three-dimensional world. There are a number of higher dimensional theories, such as string theory, that visualize the universe as having nine or ten spatial dimensions. Generally, their proponents explain that these higher dimensions are hidden from view in one fashion or another.

The flux-tube theory's explanation comes from basic knot theory. "It was Heinrich Päs who knew that knots only form in three dimensions and wanted to use this fact to explain why we live in three dimensions," said Kephart.

A two-dimensional example helps explain. Say you put a dot in the center of a circle on a sheet of paper. There is no way to free the circle from the dot while staying on the sheet. But if you add a third dimension, you can lift the circle above the dot and move it to one side until the dot is no longer inside the circle before lowering it back down. Something similar happens to three-dimensional knots if you add a fourth dimension -- mathematicians have shown that they unravel. "For this reason, knotted or linked tubes can't form in higher-dimension spaces," said Kephart.

The net result is that inflation would have been limited to three dimensions. Additional dimensions, if they exist, would remain infinitesimal in size, far too small for us to perceive.

The next step for the physicists is to develop their theory until it makes some predictions about the nature of the universe that can be tested.

The research was supported by U.S. Department of Energy grant DE-SC0010504, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, The European Commission and the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology.

[e-cul-tours]

The 5th transnational meeting in Berlin, Germany

The 5th transnational meeting was held in Berlin, 4th and 5th of March 2019 and it was organized by leading organization EUFRAK-EUROCONSULTS BERLIN GMBH. The meeting gathered all the partners of the project: Bergamo University (Italy), Fachhoschule Stralsund (Germany), Dalarna University (Sweden), Aveiro University (Portugal), European Projects Association asbl (Belgium) and EUFRAK-EuroConsults Berlin GmbH (Germany). E-CUL-TOURS works on improving the employment possibilities of students with the development of new skills. The easiest way to learn from an expert from another country is to develop the innovative Module on Managing Cultural Heritage in Tourism that will have no face to face learning, as it will include e-learning courses, interactive seminars (webinars), creation of cases studies presented in real working contexts and blended mobilities to get a more detailed understanding of the heterogeneity of heritage tourism sites. In that scope, in two days of 5th transnational meeting in Berlin We discussed:

The project results and detailing the pending activities and possible issues;

Evaluation forms for O3 i.e. Didactic tutorial and O4 i.e. Technical Tutorial;

Review of the structure aims and formal requirements of ISP and blended mobility;

Preparation of the 2 field study trips (agenda, goals, visits, networking events, stakeholders and experts involvement, real case studies, additional practice experience, evaluation criteria, dissemination, follow-up activities);

Review of activities in relation to the online-course, discussion.

The meeting was fruitful both for the project E-CUL-TOURS and for the partners. With the joint forces, we manage to finalize and establish the structure and implementation schedule of the online course.

[lodelcar]

IMPROVEMENT OF WOMEN ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Picture: Belgian woman entrepreneur explains her goals & perspectives, realisations, strategy, working conditions, network to interested Turkish audience in Brussels, CoR

1. Entrepreneurs are entrepreneurs, whatever their gender

The statement made above should be obvious. Economy is a universal principle and starting up and running a business is a competence that is not given to everyone. So: those who have the courage and perseverance to start and run a business should be supported and admired whether they are male or female. If business leaders still choose to expand their business and recruit staff and treat and reward them properly, they should be cherished by society, whether they are men or women. This is the theory; in practice things prove to be very different. Women all over the world still have to overcome obstacles that are almost absurd if they feel the entrepreneurial blood tickle. As a result, in a country such as Belgium, which nevertheless belongs to the OECD, only 1 / 3rd of the entrepreneurs are women. As a result, in most OECD countries, women-led companies find it much more difficult to get loans or venture capital than companies run by men. After all, 94% of the investors are men, which means that female entrepreneurs attract only 2% of the venture capital.[1]   The fact that it is mainly prejudices that play tricks on women is proven by the fact that women are much more likely to have crowdfunding. A context that is much less dominated by men and where women often achieve better results than men. According to research from PwC, 22% of the crowdfunding campaigns led by women achieve the stated goal, compared to 17% of the campaigns led by men.[2]

But are the differences between male and female entrepreneurs so different? American research by Illuminate Ventures, a fund that invests in tech companies and has an eye for but is not limited to start-ups with female founders, teaches us that there are more similarities between male and female entrepreneurs than generally assumed. Women entrepreneurs are no more risk averse than men and are also not inhibited more than men (on the contrary even) by the lack of financial security. The ambition to develop a company on a global scale scores equally low with both groups. [3]

In 2017, a study “Women’s empowerment in the Mediterranean Region” was ordered by the ARLEM[4] network and drafted by CASE – Center for Social and Economic Research, covered the European Union southern neighbouring partner countries and some other countries comprised by the ARLEM network. The focus of the report was specifically on how regional and local governments can play a role in empowering women and challenging social norms that impede women’s progress in society and how the European Union and the Union for the Mediterranean can support and facilitate that process. The study’s main findings can be resumed as follows[5]:

The International Labour Organisation reports shows that globally women represent around 24% of all employers in all regions except the Middle East and North Africa where they are around 6%.

Women entrepreneurs in the Southern Mediterranean face significantly more challenges than their European counterparts.

If we deepen out these statistics towards the Turkish context, we can deliver the following statements:

According to TurkStats, the labour participation rate among women is only 31.5%, while in the European Union it is 51.3%, on average.

Nevertheless, female participation has increased to 50% in the country's urban areas - an increase fueled primarily by university-educated women.[6]

 2. Why are women entrepreneurs  interesting in the economic process?

Women entrepreneurs offer many advantages. After all, women go bankrupt much less quickly, because they have prepared their business plan more thoroughly and also because they (dare to) take fewer risks. Women entrepreneurs also have a number of human skills, such as empathy, cooperation and creativity.[7]  The American company Boston Consulting Group calculated that female startups raised 78 cents per invested dollar compared to less than half (31 cents) for "male".[8]

Female leadership is on the rise in Europe. In 2019, the Belgian organisation “Women on Board”[9] conducted a study together with the marketing research agency Profacts in which 80 percent of the Belgians say that if they start a business tomorrow, they would opt for a Board of Directors with as many women as men. 60 percent think a Board of Management without women is outrageous. In five areas, according to the Belgians, Boards of Directors with a third women distinguish themselves through a strong long-term vision, long-term sustainability, consideration of climate impact, better relationships with social partners and a clear diversity policy.[10]

These last years, people have started to find women more competent, intelligent, emotional and social, but not more ambitious, decisive and aggressive. This appears in an analysis of sixteen opinion polls from the period 1946 -2018, in which representative samples of a total of more than 30,000 American adults had indicated whether certain character traits are more prevalent among men or more among women. The research was published in July 2019 in the scientific journal American Psychologist [11].  The authors  looked at three clusters of qualities requested in the surveys. "Intelligent", for example, with "creative" and "organized" fell under the competence-related characteristics. Socio-emotional characteristics were, for example, "emotional", "honest" and "warm". And then there is the cluster that the psychologists identify with the word agency: properties such as "decisive," "arrogant," and "aggressive," related to goal achievement and power. Interestingly, people have started to find women more competent, but have not attributed more agency to women, and did not find women even more social.  Perhaps women are more intrinsically social than men and men have more intrinsic agency by nature. But another  way of appreciating these elements could be that perhaps social norms push them in a certain direction, away from jobs that require qualities that are typical of the opposite sex.[12]

3. Typology of female entrepreneurs

The international consultancy firm Ernst & Young organizes an annual academy for promising female entrepreneurs from all over Europe. The description of the profiles of all participants can be found on the internet.[13]  From the description of the 54 candidates for 2016, 2017 and 2018, many conclusions can be drawn, both about the studies they did, the sectors in which they started their companies, whether they are active regionally, nationally or internationally and whether they are alone or with a partner when they started up their company.

Most of the female entrepreneurs have a master’s degree, some of them even a PhD. Of the 54 companies that are included in the academy, 8 are with two female partners. Some also have a male partner: husband, brother or fellow student. Several of the female entrepreneurs also belong to an entrepreneurial family and have continued the business of their parents, or have received financial and logistical support from the family when they started up or took over an existing company. About half of the start-ups work regionally, with one or a few stores or developed a consultancy company that has a regional impact. The other half is already working nationally or internationally, often out of necessity because the market in which they operate contains too few potential customers regionally. It is striking that among the 54 companies described, the female managers are very active in networks, by chairing professional associations or by other activities in which they can expand their network and introduce their customers. With regard to the sectors in which women entrepreneurs are active, it is noticeable that few women have found their way into traditional heavy industry or construction, with some notable exceptions. Many have been creative and have found themselves a niche in services such as marketing and market analysis, baby sitting, home & decor, groceries and gardening, recreation parks, education & didactics, risk management for the healthcare sector etc. In addition, they are active in typically female professions such as creation of lingerie, hair products, organic raw food bar, vegan shops, silk development, wedding clothing, organic cotton development, HR etc. And then there is, of course, the full range of ICT developments such as apps for care centers, for local nightlife, ordering or catering; cyber security, fintech, etc. An example among many is the Portuguese Susana Sargento. This entrepreneur, scientific researcher and professor at the University of Aveiro created in 2012 the technological Veniam together with João Barros, University of Porto. The company develops technology that enables the linking of cars to networks, turning them into Internet access points and collecting information on vehicles, for example to enable better management of traffic or public transport networks.[14]

It is also remarkable that in the list of companies that focus on the circular economy in Flanders, Belgium, we also have found very many female entrepreneurs active. For example, we find in the list a matchmaker between second-hand baby stuff and parents in school, Subscribe to children's clothing, an artisan who is able to recycle everyday materials into something new that looks professional and equally sophisticated, etc.[15]

The Brussels training center Interface 3, which we mentioned earlier, also set up an initiative with similar training centres in Europe called All Digital and which is supported by the EU. In October 2010, All Digital was formed into an AISBL (International Nonprofit Association) with the name Telecentre Europe and has taken up residence at Interface3's headquarters. New information and communication technologies represent a bridge to economic and social development. The mission of the All Digital network is to help its members improve their effectiveness and increase their impact through the exchange of information, knowledge and best practices. 30,000 Digital Public Spaces in 33 European countries and ten non-European countries are members of All Digital.[16]

4.       How are women supported in their development as entrepreneurs?

Governments often undertake to encourage female entrepreneurship. In addition, cities and regional governments go further and deeper than national governments. After all, they are closer to the entrepreneurs and see the usefulness of their companies for the region more clearly.

The EU supports initiatives combatting inequality and poverty in the framework of its regional development policy. We already introduced the study ordered by the Euro-Mediterranean Regional and Local Assembly (ARLEM) network. A series of recommendations have been delivered through the study, emphasising the following items[17]:

Access to education and training is absolutely essential for the empowerment of girls and women. The education gap between men and women is closing in South and Eastern Med Countries. However, there are still inequalities, particularly in rural areas.

Regional and local governments have a central role to play in both formal and informal education at local level.

Compensatory/second chance education programmes should be available to young women who missed out on formal schooling in both urban and rural areas. EU funded projects could provide valuable assistance in this regard.

The importance of micro-credits as tool for empowerment women in business should further be exploited.

The balanced participation of men and women in decision-making structures is a sine qua non of a democratic society. A number of Southern Mediterranean countries are now operating quota systems for women, particularly, in local government.

The role of women in the cultural sphere can be very positive especially at local level. New technologies and innovative practices such as digitization and social media continue to open up new opportunities for creatives within this sphere.

Women and particularly women refugees from Southern and Eastern Mediterranean countries can play a leading role in the development of the cultural economy with assistance and coordination, from regional and local Authorities.

The potential of the digital world should be further explored in this field in order to give access to content to the maximum number of women and girls.

The ARLEM community has organised also for the first time an ARLEM AWARD. The purpose of the award is to reward a young entrepreneur at local level from a Mediterranean partner country where the youth unemployment is a big problem, as well as the Mayor/President of Region who promoted his/her entrepreneurship. Initiatives from all South Mediterranean countries members of ARLEM can take part in the competition. Women and men are equally invited to introduce their projects. This attitude confirms my opening statement: Entrepreneurs are entrepreneurs, whatever their gender

The EU attributes also awards during the EU Week for Regions and Cities. They are indicated by the name “RegioStars”. One of the candidates for the RegioStars Award 2019[18] is the Irish WISE Project. WISE (Women's Integrated Skills & Employment) is a project running in Donegal, helping ladies return to employment, education or self-employment. There are dedicated Employment Advisers who provide the following services, CV building, cover letter & interview skills, job brokering, access to employment and educational opportunities, self-employment guidance, support confidence and motivational building and development opportunities. With funding available for short-term accredited courses.[19] The project, run by  People 1st Employment and Skills is funded for almost 300.000 € by the European Social Fund.

In Sweden the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth, was tasked by the Swedish Government to promote women’s entrepreneurship in the period 2007–2014. This decision came as a result of a study revealing that conditions for entrepreneurship are not equal for women and men who wants to start, run, lead and develop a business.[20]

In an article on the Blog Ochimusya Drive, we find an ode to the way that Sweden encourages female entrepreneurship, even if the entrepreneurs in question are not of Swedish origin, but tried to build a new life in Sweden. The author cites a Femtech start-up weekend in which 76 women having different backgrounds such as business / marketing design / UX or programming joined this event in order to work on their ideas and turn them into reality as teams.[21]

In Belgium, female entrepreneurship is supported both regionally and nationally. A national "Plan for the promotion of female entrepreneurship" encouraged valuable initiatives from regional non-profit organizations to propose projects. For example, the well-known non-profit organization Markant submitted the OnderneemstersDUET project. OnderneemstersDUET wants to bridge the difficult initial period of entrepreneurship among recently started women. They get a strong female role model as a personal mentor. Mentee and mentor form a nice "duet" for 1 year. Afterwards, the mentee needs to feel more motivated to manage her business in a solid way. In the course of the project, an eco-system between mentors and mentees is developed through various events, and the practical cases are published.[22] The Brussels non-profit organization H.E.R.O. pour le réseau Wowo received financial support for the WonderFullWomen project. WonderFullWomen is a project structured around the 5 instruments to promote female entrepreneurship: a mentoring program, a coaching program, inspiring TV clips, the only paper magazine intended for female entrepreneurs and events. The WonderFullWomen want to be a source of inspiration but also get inspiration to do business.[23]

In Germany, women entrepreneurs are supported in various ways by the regional authorities through the non-profit organization “Frauen Unternehmen” (WOMEN business). They organize in the first place the "Vorbild-Unternehmerinnen" (= Model Entrepreneurs). More than 160 role model women entrepreneurs are already supporting the "WOMEN business" initiative.[24] In addition, the same non-profit organization also organizes "Multiplikatorinnen & NetzwerkpartnerInnen" (=Female multiplicators and female network partners). In this specific project the Model Entrepreneurs work as volunteers  

with schoolgirls, they playfully explore what it's like to be your own boss, for example during class visits, as part of project weeks, career orientation days or at the annual Girls'Day. They support founder plan games or the foundation of student companies.

with students and graduates they show that entrepreneurial independence is an attractive career option, for example by attending podium discussions, workshops and career days.

They support business plan seminars, entrepreneurship competitions or are individually prepared as mentors. The Model Entrepreneurs participate also in regional events to inform women interested in founding a company about the advantages and challenges of self-employment. The events include, for example, female entrepreneurial tables, a series of events of the chambers of commerce and of municipalities or career and founding fairs. In employment agencies they operate in “question and answer" sessions  to show women new job and life perspectives in their career orientation.

Yet there are also numerous private initiatives. In Portugal we name the Chicas Poderosas movement, a project that was born in Latin America and whose mission is to give women skills related to technology that has spread worldwide. The Portuguese Mariana Santos is its founder. She is still the CEO of Unicorn Interactive, a digital content startup.[25]. In the UK Veronica Costache, originary from Romania, has an advertising company RoComm. A part from that she also enables and coaches her fellow countrywomen to develop their lives, especially when it comes to entrepreneurship, under the umbrella organisation Romanian women in the U.K. [26]

5.       Women entrepreneurs: an asset for regional development

Stimulating women towards entrepreneurship is primarily a regional matter. The circumstances may vary considerably from region to region. The economic situation is sometimes so positive that companies are begging for employees and that women are being driven to work in a natural way, without their husband's resistance.  In other circumstances, there is so little work that men leave to look for work. Women stay behind and have to take care of themselves without a good education. Enterprising women will still try to start a mini-company, often at home, in order to stimulate the education of children and the creation of income. Local governments should therefore integrate vocational training programmes for women into local economic development strategies, so that training is related to labour market opportunities.

Women have more modest goals and often opt for entrepreneurship to better combine work and children. In addition, many women deliberately keep their business small, so that they can avoid certain issues that come up with more personnel, such as employment law and management issues.[27] This does not necessarily have to be a disadvantage, on the contrary. Small-scale initiatives can be supported to grow gradually and are also more connected to a region. Cities and regions can support this dynamic by educating women, offering them financial guarantees and grouping them in associations.

In Romania, the regional option is reflected in the way the n.g.o. for the promotion of female entrepreneurship is organized: CONAF[28] is a confederation of provincial and local organizations. Every local association is supported by local entrepreneurs who spend part of their time promoting entrepreneurship and guiding women who want to set up a business. The Braşov division is led by Silvia-Daniela Pohrib, who, in addition to her accounting office, also conducts entrepreneurship courses for young people within the n.g.o. Mentalio and coaches women in their entrepreneurship.

In Turkey, the approach has to differ definitely when it comes to remote rural areas, such as the city of Erzincan, we are working with. Although the main cities have a strong participation degree of women in their economic life and labour structure, this cannot be said for remote areas such as Erzincan. There is a reluctance from men that women should lead a business and will not be at home for the children. However, when it comes to farm work, most labour is done by women nowadays. But they idea that an income is generated separately, calls for opposition. Moreover, the educated people from the city systematically fled because of the lack of labour opportunities. It is therefore not enough to train women but also to influence society about the role of women entrepreneurs in society. [29]

Women are not only encouraged to become entrepreneurs, but also to acquire competences that until recently were considered to be a matter for men. In most European countries, the proportion of women in the computer industry is below 20%. As for the proportion of young women enrolled in higher education courses in computer science, it is currently below 10%, all regions and all levels combined. In Brussels, an Adult Education Centre has been in existence since 1988 that focuses exclusively on women and focuses exclusively on introducing women into ICT and digital competences. The Centre is called Interface 3. This non-profit association is recognized and supported by many private and institutional partners for the quality and innovative nature of its training. Each year nearly 400 women job seekers undergo training, short or long, initiation or specialization. The insertion rate at the end of qualifying training is 70%! The Interface3 training courses are designed for women wishing to integrate into professional life, to reintegrate themselves or to reorient themselves towards promising sectors (job-seeking women, long-term unemployed women, "returning" women). These programs focus on ICT but also on other requirements of today's professions: project management, language skills, ...[30]

Earlier in the article, we will also provide a series of examples of how cities and regions are often engaged by higher authorities to use funds to promote female entrepreneurship as efficiently as possible. They in turn often work together with civil society organizations, in the West European sense of the word.

6.       Encourage women entrepreneurs

The fact that a woman, Ursula von der Leyen, was proposed to lead the European Commission and that another woman, Christine Lagarde, was nominated to become President of the European Central Bank, shows that European male politicians realize that there are talents available who are unused until now and who deal with leadership in a different way. And that a choice for women can have positive effects on the further development of the European Union.

Studies have sufficiently demonstrated that women are just as good entrepreneurs as men and that by excluding them a lot of potential for job creation is lost. In many countries, policymakers have understood that women entrepreneurs not only create small businesses to support their families and escape the poverty trap, but because they have valuable ideas and view business and employment differently than men. The fact that they are often disapproved in conservative circles with the fallacy that they will never be able to combine their family duties with their entrepreneurship is being refuted by the facts in many countries. Women not only have the right to remunerated work because it is important for their self-deployment and self-conscience. Women can be both good mothers and good entrepreneurs. They must, however, be supported and not left to their fate. In the first place in the family circle.

The fact that female entrepreneurship is actively promoted and supported in many continents, countries and regions is based on the positive effects that female entrepreneurship can have on a family, municipality or region: they are reliable and productive, they are good with money, they are efficient distributors of goods and services within the household[31].

Louis Delcart, board member EAR-AER, www.ear-aer.eu

This article regroups the first conclusions from a project in the framework of Supporting Civil Society Dialogue Between the EU and Turkey, that the European Academy of the Regions is implementing in collaboration with Ersiad Ankara between September 2019 and April 2020. It has been presented as a speech in Ankara on December 6th 2019.

[1] DE VOORDELEN VAN VROUWELIJKE ONDERNEMERS (THE BENEFITS OF FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS), An in blog Yarlini, 14-05-2019, https://www.yarlini.be/blog-de-voordelen-van-vrouwelijke-ondernemers/

[2] Wanneer vallen barrières voor vrouwelijke ondernemers weg? 16-10-2018 in MT.be, https://www.mt.be/business/wanneer-vallen-barrieres-voor-vrouwelijke-ondernemers-weg/6818

[3]Wanneer vallen barrières voor vrouwelijke ondernemers weg? (When will barriers for female entrepreneurs disappear?) 16-10-2018 in MT.be, https://www.tijd.be/opinie/column/weg-met-vooroordelen-tegen-vrouwelijke-ondernemers/10038347.html

[4] Euro-Mediterranean Regional and Local Assembly

[5] Simona LIVIDEANU, Contribution of the European Committee of the Regions to empowerment of the women in the Mediterranean Region, presentation European Committee of the Regions, dd. 15-11-2019

[6] source World Bank

[7] DE VOORDELEN VAN VROUWELIJKE ONDERNEMERS (THE BENEFITS OF FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS), An in blog Yarlini, 14-05-2019, https://www.yarlini.be/blog-de-voordelen-van-vrouwelijke-ondernemers/

[8] Wanneer vallen barrières voor vrouwelijke ondernemers weg? (When will barriers for female entrepreneurs disappear?) 16-10-2018 in MT.be, https://www.tijd.be/opinie/column/weg-met-vooroordelen-tegen-vrouwelijke-ondernemers/10038347.html

[9] The Belgian non-profit organization "Women on board" ‘s main objective is to create a "pool" of talented women that can take mandates on boards of directors. Today the organization has 293 members.

[10] Françoise Roels, Vrouwelijk leiderschap is bezig aan een Europese opmars (Female leadership is on the rise in Europe) in: VRT Nws, 4-7-2019 https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2019/07/04/vrouwelijk-leiderschap-is-bezig-aan-een-europese-opmars/

[11] Alice Eagly, PhD, Northwestern University; Christa Nater, MSc, Michèle Kaufmann, PhD; Sabine Sczesny, PhD, University of Bern; David Miller, PhD, American Institutes for Research: Gender Stereotypes Have Changed: A Cross-Temporal Meta-Analysis of U.S. Public Opinion Polls From 1946 to 2018, American Psychologist, published online July 18, 2019.

[12] Ellen de Bruin in: Vrouwen zijn slimmer, mannen bereiken meer  (Women are smarter, men achieve more), - de Standaard Avond, 9-8-2019

[13] EY - Entrepreneurial Winning Women Europe Class of 2016, Helping outstanding women entrepreneurs think big and grow rapidly, https://www.ey.com/be/en/services/strategic-growth-markets/ey-entrepreneurial-winning-women-europe-class-of-2016; https://www.ey.com/be/en/services/strategic-growth-markets/ey-entrepreneurial-winning-women-europe-class-of-2017; https://www.ey.com/be/en/services/strategic-growth-markets/ey-entrepreneurial-winning-women-europe-class-of-2018

[14] 5 mulheres empreendedoras portuguesas que deves conhecer (5 Portuguese women entrepreneurs that you should know), in Universia Portugal, 25 de Junho de 2018  , https://noticias.universia.pt/emprego/noticia/2018/06/25/1160164/5-mulheres-empreendedoras-portuguesas-deves-conhecer.html

[15] Louis Delcart: Waste management and circular economy in Flanders – Belgium, in blog “Principles of Regional Approach” , 9-12-2018, https://lodelcar.tumblr.com/post/180955829970/waste-management-and-circular-economy-in-flanders

[16] All Digital: l’accès aux TIC pour tous (All Digital: Access to ICT for everyone), https://www.interface3.be/fr/text/all-digital

[17] Simona LIVIDEANU, Contribution of the European Committee of the Regions to empowerment of the women in the Mediterranean Region, presentation European Committee of the Regions, dd. 15-11-2019

[18] https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/en/regio-stars-awards/#1

[19] https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/en/regio-stars-awards/2019/finalist?r=wise-project

[20] Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth: Women's entrepreneurship, 5-7-2018 https://tillvaxtverket.se/english/womens-entrepreneurship.html

[21] Ochymusya, How female entrepreneurs are active in Sweden, posted 2/10/2017, https://ochimusyadrive.com/how-female-entrepreneurs-are-active-in-sweden/

[22] Plan ter promotie van het vrouwelijke ondernemerschap (Plan to promote female entrepreneurship), on website of Federal Ministry of Economy Belgium, 8-3-2019 https://economie.fgov.be/nl/themas/ondernemingen/een-onderneming-beheren-en/promotie-van-het/plan-ter-promotie-van-het

[23] Plan ter promotie van het vrouwelijke ondernemerschap (Plan to promote female entrepreneurship), on website of Federal Ministry of Economy Belgium, 8-3-2019,  https://economie.fgov.be/nl/themas/ondernemingen/een-onderneming-beheren-en/promotie-van-het/plan-ter-promotie-van-het

[24] https://www.existenzgruenderinnen.de/DE/Vernetzung/Frauen-unternehmen/MultiplikatorInnen/MultiplikatorInnen_node.html;jsessionid=69525D6284CDA6F6773BDA9104E3CA9D

[25] 5 mulheres empreendedoras portuguesas que deves conhecer (5 Portuguese women entrepreneurs that you should know) in Universia Portugal, 25-6-2018, https://noticias.universia.pt/emprego/noticia/2018/06/25/1160164/5-mulheres-empreendedoras-portuguesas-deves-conhecer.html

[26] both organisations are on Facebook

[27] DE VOORDELEN VAN VROUWELIJKE ONDERNEMERS (THE BENEFITS OF FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS), An in blog Yarlini, 14-05-2019, https://www.yarlini.be/blog-de-voordelen-van-vrouwelijke-ondernemers/

[28] CONAF = Confederaţia Natională pentre Antreprenorat Feminin

[29] Louis Delcart, Supporting Civil Society Dialogue Between the EU and Turkey, “Improvement of Women Entrepreneurship with the EU”, internal report of Brussels visit dd.14-15/11/2019  

[30] Interface 3: Centre de formation bruxellois pour femmes en recherche d’emploi (Interface 3 : Brussels’ training centre for women in search of employment) https://www.interface3.be/fr/interface3

[31] Dr. Sarah Bradshaw, Dr. Joshua Castellino, Ms. Bineta Diop: Women’s role in economic development: Overcoming the constraints, Sustainable Development Solution Network, UN, 20-5-2013  http://unsdsn.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/130520-Women-Economic-Development-Paper-for-HLP.pdf

[jasperwestmacott-blog]

Alcohols

Considering that there are plenty of home services on call today it is vital that you perform a little from checking out before choosing one to join. And so, just how our experts are actually examining alkali and considering that our company are actually mainly concentrated on the ag market as well as the requirement and also the ability in order to get that product up and also through, the ability to provide on a two-week to four-week window, the separation between Tampa as well as the Midwest, I assume are going to become a lot more pronounced if Tampa bay stays at this level, because that does not mirror an ag market value for ammonia related to the ground. So you have two-three opportunities far better brand name taste; two-three opportunities better label great deal; two-three times better allotment of obvious stock; two-three opportunities along with additional products each outlet; two-three opportunities extra colders in the marketplace. And also I think that is actually the secret and the technique for us to become able to assess ourselves to maintain our own selves sincere that we're taking a cost mix that our team could have without going over board as well as harmonizing that along with quantity growth in such a way that we possess the top-line development that will create the cash flows to be capable to money the assets that our team should make, not merely in the bottom service but in every the brand new types that our team would like to go out.

Also in an area as loaded with architectural treasures and also social meccas as Chicago, when our team are actually wrapped up in the daily hustle that is actually simple to speed past all that when our experts are actually as well occupied checking through our Facebook feeds for the fifth attend the same hour.

So as I kind I have a flooded mudroom, a possibly-ruined washing machine, a 56 ° house, a -13 ° evening ahead of time, a dead vehicle, am low on woodpile (with the help of extreme chilly and 2 stoves running at once), AND Friday resides in warm. When 2 from the orgs validated the alleged fake product, the blog post obtained an incredibly desirable "disputed" icon and the kind of strict precaution that any kind of marketing expert can inform you would be terrific for receiving individuals to click and share.

You will definitely get to view plenty of beautiful historic properties in this area like the Aveiro Sanctuary, Camara Municipal, Carmelite Church, etc, or you could see its own parks like the Santo Antonio Park as well as the Dom Pedro Youngster's Playground. If you then take a look at the addition, the growing diversity as well as the momentum our team've had as well as the strategy our company worked with, if you take EBITDA minus CapEx, phone call that some proxy free of cost capital or even internet money, you'll find that is actually even faster development fee, so really thrilled through that. In today times the PlayStation 4 family members gones on top from the purchases charts, sporting activities a game library filled along with good exclusives and is dipping brand new modern technology like VR. But when Property initially took the reins, he possessed a laborious in front of him coming off from an unsatisfying run with the PS3 that included" $599 US dollars" and a hacking incident that removed PlayStation System for much more than a month Property has actually been with PlayStation due to the fact that the starting point, operating in Sony's advertising and marketing as well as interactions team on the launch of the original console, inevitably operating the PlayStation business in Europe as of 2009. Guide harp on the lives from males and females and also kids who have been rooted out off their house in country communities of India, by http://louisfitblog.info/ implacable attribute and also unfavorable instances, as well as thrown into an urban area whose capacity for hospitality has actually been actually driven past is actually a tale regarding exactly how individuals find out despite astonishingly hard possibilities to endure, to discuss and to enjoy. Having said that, with an escape you obtain the greatest from both globes - a relaxing and romantic excursion for simply the 2 to kindle the emotions from passion you eat each other together with the kind of direction you should strengthen your relationship and receive this back on the right track.

[tipsoctopus]

A huge wake-up call: Youngster's harsh verdict must serve as a warning for Palace - opinion

This article is part of Football FanCast’s In The Pipeline series, which takes a look at some of the most promising young talent either linked with clubs or emerging from their academies…

Crystal Palace prospect Kian Flanagan recently expressed his frustration at the current pace of progress through the ranks at Selhurst Park, and his comments should act as a wake-up call for the Eagles.

The 20-year-old – who was reportedly of interest to Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United back in 2015 – spoke openly about his annoyance at the fact that he is now in his fourth season of Under-23 football, and called on the Eagles to loan him out.

Flanagan said: “This is our fourth U23 season. We really shouldn’t be here this season. We should be out on loan, honestly.”

Attacking midfielder Flanagan – who won the Under-23 Player of the Season award last year – may not get an immediate first-team place anytime soon given the fact that even Max Meyer can’t get into Roy Hodgson’s starting XI on a regular basis – the German started just 15 league games last term and has just two league starts this season.

However, another youngster who plays in a problematic position at Selhurst Park does deserve an opportunity and Flanagan’s comments should serve as a warning for the Eagles in potentially scuppering his development – we’re talking about Brandon Aveiro.

With the exciting 17-year-old forward three years younger than the attacking midfielder, Palace must be aware of the perils of allowing the goalscoring talent to sleepwalk into the same frustration, when he could arguably be having an impact at first-team level or indeed learning out on loan.

The Portuguese forward – who was called up to Portugal’s Under-18 training camp this year – scored a hat-trick against Watford just a week after signing his first professional contract with the Eagles back in March.

Aveiro – who is reportedly on Benfica’s radar – followed that performance up by hitting four goals in one game against Birmingham, having earned his call-up to the Under-23s after scoring 14 and assisting 10 for the Under-18 side.

Of course, Aveiro should not immediately be thrown in ahead of Jordan Ayew and Christian Benteke, but the fact that the duo scored just two league goals between them last term proves there are problems in attack for Palace.

Having already demonstrated his potential and attracted interest from a major European club, perhaps Aveiro can provide a solution, whether that’s from the bench or eventually dislodging one of the aforementioned duo after being integrated into the senior squad.

But if Palace continue to overlook their academy prospects by not carving out clear paths for them and instead letting them fester with the U23s, Aveiro will become another talent that goes to waste.

It must have taken Flanagan a lot to openly speak out against his situation and ultimately his employers – that in itself proves Palace need to act on what he’s said.

Perhaps a loan move first makes more sense, instead looking ahead to next season when Benteke’s contract expires. But either way, that career trajectory needs to be established before Aveiro ends up being yet another frustrated Palace prospect.

from FootballFanCast.com https://ift.tt/2nXxftp via IFTTT from Blogger https://ift.tt/2o7gUm8 via IFTTT

[curiousconch]

No Clear Skies Ahead

Chapter 1 of Ricochet (An Open Heart AU). Read the prologue here. 

Chapter Synopsis: An investigation is launched after a threat was sent to the DA's office. In an attempt to protect Heather, Rafael zooms in on the case but stumbles upon an inner struggle which leads to dire consequences.

Pairing: Rafael Aveiro x MC (Dr. Heather Song) 

Words: 3k+ | Genre: Crime, Mystery, Thriller, Romance

Rating/Warnings: Mature (16+) / sex, mental health issues

Author’s Notes: Majority of the characters are owned by Pixelberry, except the main character Heather Song. There are also small references to canon, so spoiler alert for those who haven’t played OH 2 yet. This specific chapter was inspired by Bruno Mars' It Will Rain (Live version - X Factor).

Rafael dropped his bag on the apartment floor, an exasperated sigh escaped his lips as he waded his way to the kitchen. 

On a normal day, Rafael wouldn't be this ill-tempered. But today wasn't normal, normalcy went out the window since they received that threat. 

Two weeks has passed since, and both of their lives are imploding. He shook his head as he recalled their conversation that night, while trying to have a peaceful dinner for once. 

"I need to go, Raf. This is groundbreaking cancer research that may help some of our patients," she explained while she unwrapped her bibimbap. 

"How long will you be at Johns Hopkins then?" he asked, while he himself took a bite from his beef patties. 

"The initial plan would be at least a week. I'll fly out to Maryland on Monday, so I won't be back until Saturday morning. We want to be able to lend a hand to the planning of the clinical trials. Edenbrook wants to participate," her voice sounded excited. 

"I don't think it's a great idea right now, Heather," he shook his head gently, a genuine look of concern in his face. 

Heather wasn't entirely enthused by his response. 

"What, I can't live my life now because of that stupid note?" she said in a vicious tone. "If I let this thing hang over my head for the rest of my life, there's no use of all of this fuss."

"I'm just trying to look out for you, Heath," he replied, not wanting to spend this rare quality time arguing.

She got awfully quiet, as she averted her gaze. She was stubborn, but her behavior told him she was on edge. 

Resigned, he just nodded and expressed his agreement. He reminded her to come back as soon as possible, and made plans to pick her up at the airport.

He spent the rest of the night sucking up his frustration. They individually came up with an excuse and parted early, even the idea of sex was off the table. 

He grabbed a beer from his fridge and padded his way to the living room, switching on the TV to watch some late night news. 

A special report was playing, covering much of the recent developments in the case. It briefly mentioned Heather, making him frown. 

They only knew a few things about the note, including the fact that it was emailed directly to Bryce Lahela, the same prosecutor who executed Travis Perry in court. He suspected that It was meant to hit two birds in one stone - to threaten the DA and the doctor who reported the ruse. The mastermind is informed who was involved. 

The IT team were able to trace where the email was sent - it was from a terminal in a nearby public library. This was expected, and Rafael wasn't wrong to ignore his gut that told him this was just the start. 

A week after, a second note came. This time, faxed to Senator Ed Farrugia's office. But unlike the first message, it was wordless.

Instead, it contained two images - two shots of the politician meeting with associates at a nearby hotel. The office of the senator confirmed it to be taken the same day the fax was sent. 

The whole Boston field office was on full gear, with the Senate presurring the agency to reopen the case. The stakes were slowly becoming higher. 

This wasn't a childish prank, he concluded. It's the beginning of a well-planned attack. 

He waited for another move from the faceless sender. His training told him that this is going to be a slow burn. If the perpetrator waited months to put this into action, they wouldn't hesitate to wait for the perfect time. Raf's whole team were still clueless to the most important matter at hand - the when and the how. 

He wished hard for it to be nothing but empty threats, but he knew better. He struggled to stop himself from taking this too personally, convincing himself that he had a job to do. But he can't help himself. So he spent the past two weeks leaving no stone unturned. 

Meanwhile, Heather drowned herself with work. 

Rafael knew it was an effort of her taking control. In the few months that they were dating, he learned how she had to hide anything that was wrong. She was a doctor, and she was required to smile at her patients every single day. That's also how she coped - pretending that there's nothing wrong and pushing everyone away. 

His own attempts to comfort her proved futile as most of his time was also occupied by the investigation. 

It's not over, Dr. Song. Every single word in that short sentence cast a long shadow over his every move, beckoning a hidden resentment he never knew existed. 

The rising anxiety within him got amplified as their shifts ended in irregular hours. For two weeks, they barely saw each other. He would call her at the end of his day, but he felt that she involuntarily withdrew from him more over time. He knew it was her defense, Rafael himself a stark reminder of the threat that just overturned her life. 

Her shielded independence irked him greatly. He wanted her to rely on him, now, more than ever. He wanted to share this with her, and his concerns only grew every single day. 

He never thought  that there would ever be a distance between them. He hated the thought of Heather wanting to tend to herself. 

Did she not trust him enough? Didn't she want to rely on him? Can't she just lean on him, especially during this time? What else is this relationship for then? 

He knew she grew up independently, she was forced to rely on no one but herself for most of her teenage and adult years. She was strong and not fragile.  But he desired so much to protect her, to save her, just like the same way he did the year before. But he knew she wasn't that kind of girl. 

And when Heather shut him down another time tonight, he felt cornered.  She'll be out, indefinitely. Will she even miss me? His head hurt just thinking about it. He had a hard time sleeping that night, feeling an emptiness he didn't feel ever since he met her. 

It wasn't long when the void that he felt over her abrupt absence got filled by someone else. 

The week Heather flew to Johns Hopkins, a childhood friend came back to Boston. An ex, in fact. Sora, his high school sweetheart. It all began with a seemingly innocent chat, an invitation to catch up. 

But it soon escalated to him being more involved with her, volunteering his spare time to help her reacquainted to their neighborhood. With Heather dismissing him in every turn, he diverted his energies to spending time with Sora. For a few days, he didn't know why he kept her company, but as time went on, he understood. 

It was Sora's consistent need of him, asking small favors from him every chance she gets. It was the total opposite of what Heather was doing. 

She was familiar with Rafael, so she it was easy for her to feed his uncontrollable need to be someone's savior. Superman needed his own fix. 

It's partially the reason why he ended up being an FBI agent himself. It was his innate need to save someone from practically anything. He lived and breathed to be someone's hero. 

With no desire to spend another night at Donahues, he asked his high school friends to come over to his place on Friday after work for some movies and beer, a mini reunion, for Sora. He persuaded himself that it was nothing else but an effort to help a friend out. 

That night became full of nostalgia, as friends who showed up exchanged stories of their adventures from their childhood and teenage years. Over the next few hours, their friends left one by one, eventually leaving him and Sora alone. They each had a few more beers than they usually drank, and their chat unsurprisingly catapulted towards the end of their high school love affair. They talked about what attracted them to one another, eventually venturing to the regrets Sora had when they broke up.

"I think I never got over you, you know," Sora casually teased him, chugging down another bottle of beer. "Our breakup felt forced, and I hadn't been able to feel the same way with someone else..." her voice trailed off, her hand gently hovering over his thigh. 

He didn't push her away. Although he wanted to, but he melted in the attention she was giving him. 

He just nodded in reply, drinking from his own bottle, his mind racing, his heart beating uncontrollably in his chest. He knew he had to stop this, but he lacked the willpower to do so. 

With Rafael's pent up frustrations and Sora's voluntary prodding, they ended up kissing. Their hands roaming each other as they tried to rediscover their past, their clothes carelessly discarded one after another on his living room. Rafael's head screamed opposition, but his body cannot resist the contact. Shutting down the shouting disagreement in his mind, he let his hands take over him. 

He let his hands roam, feeling electrified by someone familiar, who knew his flaws, his body. He sensed that Sora felt exactly the same.  In the heat of their bodies, they didn't hear the keys jingling and a door creaking open. 

A sound of glass breaking made them look up. 

"What the hell?" 

There, standing in his dim entryway, was a flushed faced Heather. She held a suitcase, staring daggers at him and Sora as they were sprawled half-naked on the living room couch.

Shit. 

Sora followed his gaze, and a mortified look of shame filled her eyes.  Heather instantly fled, slamming the door closed behind her.  Rafael rose from the couch, cursing under his breathe as he retrieved his clothes and covered his body. 

He shot Sora a look of apology, and she understood. Grabbing his jacket and his keys, he followed Heather, running like he was being chased by death.  A bitter taste formed at the back of his tongue as his mind raced with the number of possibilities how this night would end. He shook himself out of his thoughts, surprised as rain fell over him the moment he stepped out his apartment building. November is Boston's wettest month. 

Despite the lack of visibility, his eyes shot in different directions, trying to find a trace of Heather. He saw her black suitcase just as it disappeared in the nearest street corner.

His shoes dug heavily on the wet sidewalk as he followed her sprinting shadow for two full blocks. He called out to her, unfazed by the fact that the pouring rain could mute him. 

At last Heather stopped. He saw as the lights of the stream of traffic shining at her small figure. 

He called her once more. But panic instantly filled him as he saw her advance the street in front of a fast-approaching car. 

He rushed towards her, pulling her back in time. 

"What the hell, Heather?" he looked down at her with fury and concern.  He was surprised with her strength as she pushed  him back, freeing herself from his grip. 

"I asked you first," she gave him an accusing look, poison in her words. He instantly remembered why he chased her. 

His stance immediately got defensive. Without thinking, he dragged Heather, ignoring her protests. He found an alley with some sort of roof, saving them from the downpour momentarily. 

"Meu amor," his raspy voice breaking as he struggled to make Heather look at him. He reached out to her, touching her shoulders. Her face filled with pain crushed his soul. 

"I don't have any words except I'm sorry." His whole body shook, his strong arms wrapping around her as he began to sob. "Heather, I... I made a mistake. I was weak," his hands gently cupped her face, his voice lowering to nothing but a faint whisper. "I just missed you so much, but I swear, I didn't mean for this to happen."  

Rafael felt stupid at the lame excuse he could muster, knowing full well how horribly he fucked up.

Being soaked through the bones did not numb the pain he was feeling. Her silence became more unbearable by the minute. He attempted to kiss her, but failed the moment she  avoided it. 

"If you wanted to give up, you didn't have to pretend." she hissed, with tear-stained cheeks and a gaze haunting back at him, speaking volumes. "If you didn't want me around anymore, you should have just told me." he saw her bite her lip, her voice filled with contempt. 

His chest constricted, realizing the damage he had done. "I want you, I still want you. I want no one else but you," he pleaded, wishing that there was a way to reverse what he had done. "Forgive me, meu amor, give me the chance to make this right, please," his voice shook as he begged her, his lungs about to give out, heavy of guilt. 

Her silence stung more than any word. Her rigid body, motionless against his shivering chest. When he couldn't take her refusal to speak anymore, he took one last attempt to pound down the walls she was beginning to build. Fueled by nothing but desperation, he took her hands in his and knelt in front of her, waiting eagerly for an answer.

But as he gazed up at her, the small glimmer of hope in him dissipated. The eyes that once shined like the whole universe was in it, turned empty, dark and desolate.

She retrieved her hands from his grip, Rafael's face twisted in horror as he felt her slip away. He knew right then that he just lost her.  "I can't, Rafael. I just can't right now."

In those few words, his world tumbled over. He watched her turn around and walk away, helpless. Once that he can no longer see any trace of her, his knuckles pounded the ground until it bled. 

The rain outside crept its way inside him. It will be a long time before it stopped.  

[ghostlybouquetballoonstuff-blog1]

Portuguese Tourism

Portugal is a metropolis of historical significance. Son Bou is a protracted seashore with loads of sand dunes, freshwater marshes stuffed with geese and a lagoon close to by. Glorious water sports facilities can be found right here although you need to take care to check the situations for swimming as there are dangerous currents at occasions. Shopping for property in Silver Coast Portugal gives good prospects for rental from both the native market and from holidaymakers, and with the potential of great property worth rises on the Silver Coast Portugal, this could be the best place to invest in a holiday residence. At this time 4 communities are appropriately categorized underneath the Sephardic label, though the time period Sephardic is usually misused to designate other communities that were from North Africa, the Arabian peninsula, or present day Iraq and Iran. Build high quality is high, property costs have grown a steady 10-15% per annum for the reason that Millennium, and there's a broad alternative of property throughout the price vary and nation - within the Silver Coast the price develop within the following years will possibly reach the 25 - 35 %. Rahman is descended from a Syrian and a Berber and could be very nicely received in Spain as he represents the unique Umayyad?s who initially occupied Spain in 711 they haven't acknowledged the change in power led to by the assassination of his household. As soon as you realize in your coronary heart that you are working with trustworthy folks and are proud of the supply you may have been made you ought to be prepared to order your rental villa or condo and enjoy the ultimate preparations to your holidays. Say you might be in Morocco and you want to visit the architectural heritage of Morocco however simply have no idea the place and tips on how to go, discovering a local travel agency such as the Morocco Journey Company to join a day tour around the lovely sights of Moroccan buildings can go away you with completely satisfied recollections to final. Although he's just 22 years of age proper now, Cristiano Ronaldo already has 208 professional matches and 53 targets (190 matches and 50 objectives for Manchester, the others for Sporting) and 46 caps within the national squad, with a tally of 17 objectives for Portugal. These, combined with the fact that the placement, though completely secluded, is shut enough to many native ammenities akin to the new Algarve Buying centre in Guia, make it ideally suited for the purposes of the Naturist holiday maker: privateness and entry. Aveiro Metropolis nonetheless has lots extra to offer any visitor like surfing in addition to wind surfing in its Costa Nova Beach and the river, or you possibly can always go shopping at Forum Aveiro or the Rua dos Combatientes de Guerra as well as store at Avenida Dr. Lourenco Peixinho. We at the moment wholesale swarovski havaianas, havaianas and custom beaded havaianas to ebay sellers, botique shops in Italy, Germany, Spain , Portugal, Sweden, Netherlands, France, UK, Monaco, Greece, Australia, Tokyo, South Africa, Mexico, Canada and USA. Looking is likely one of the most necessary activities, not only for providing food but for the symbolic meanings and status historically hooked up to it. Expert Hunters are very revered and taken into great consideration, especially in the event that they specialise in the most rewarding and important game activity: The Massive Elephant Hunt. We found the castle such an atmospheric place that we had been content material just to wander round its enchanting gardens, stopping to look out from the ramparts over the panorama of crimson roofs, or to simply sit and listen to a guitarist expertly enjoying intoxicating melodies in the courtyard below us. After we eventually left the citadel, we descended by means of the narrow streets and alleyways of the Alfama district, where the pointed roofs of the houses virtually touched one another and the sloping buildings appeared to defy the laws of gravity. Also the indigenous individuals were most likely extra apprehensive of the war like Franks who lived above the Pyrenees than they were of the Berbers from North Africa whom they had known for many years as buying and selling partners and folks of commerce. Spain when Euric declared his independence from Rome was of only secondary significance to say the territory that was already occupied and managed by the Visigoths in France which was much larger and at the moment of way more worth to Euric's empire. Gastronomy in the area is wealthy and various: there are lots of delicious pork dishes, oven baked kid, stewed rabbit with rice, celebrated fish stews, baked or boiled sea bream and rock bass from Peniche, eels and cockles from the Obidos lake and shellfish from the beds at Porto de Barcas (lagosta suada - 'sweating lobster' - is a delicacy which might solely be discovered in the Western Area). cheap flights priceline Crossing over to the get pleasure from Gulf Coast villas, you would easily be spoilt for choice of where to guide a vacation residence as most vacation accommodation is located across the beautiful seashores of St Pete's, Clearwater and Sanibel Island. Whether or not you need to hire a cycle and go off in your personal group or join one in every of many organised cycle excursions, the bike-pleasant local weather and delightful surroundings should make this a perfect starter to motion packed holidays in the Algarve. On a sandbank itself, Faro's seaside can be accessed through a small rope bridge, which as soon as crossed offers you wonderful gold sand, clear waters and loads of area and solitude to calm down with a chilly drink and a e-book while working in your tan. In the Western Mediterranean you can discover the traditional white Andalucian villages of Southern Spain, sample the world-famous Manzanilla sherry in Cadiz and go to the cultural hub of Europe in the form of Barcelona,before travelling onwards to the French Riviera. Although daytime temperatures can get into the low 20s Celsius and it does feel fairly heat, it shortly cools down when the Sun disappears round 5.30 pm. Due to this fact I always emphasise to anyone contemplating a visit outdoors the summer time months that they need to bring heat garments for the evening and night-time as it might, and does, get fairly chilly. The Silver Coast stretches from Porto down to Portugal's capital Lisbon and hugs the North Atlantic shoreline; it's residence to lovely beaches, superb cliffs, quaint fishing villages, lush rolling countryside and some of the most fascinating historic websites in Portugal. Allthough he was an occupier in a rustic which was not his original dwelling in many ways he and his occupation have been in some ways welcomed or perhaps I should say not opposed by the indigenous population as they introduced trade and financial system to Spain and with it got here a better life model and as we'd say right this moment an increase in the usual of living. Throughout this time there are persevering with hostilities between different tribes of Visigoth's so they're having inside energy struggles not solely between fellow Visigoth's but also with the unique local inhabitants which might have included Huns and Catholic Christians. Rural Portugal has proven to be a fertile area in which many individuals from different European nations (and from an excellent share of different nations from world wide) are taking to establishing second houses, pretty and enjoyable retreats tucked away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Related again in Historical past to the Roman invasion of Southern England in Ad 43 where the native inhabitants whose chief was identified by an adopted Roman identify the native inhabitants had traded with and had identified the Romans for some two hundred 12 months as in certainly the Spanish inhabitants had recognized and traded with the noble Berbers for many tons of of years. This would inevitably eradicate wardrobe battles along with your children regarding the appropriate garments to put on to high school, save time getting ready for college within the morning and make your procuring experience for college apparel a much simpler and less tense course of. The walled town of Obidos must also not he missed, with its slim streets of brightly white-washed homes and putting towers of the Fort that's now a splendid Pousada Take only a short trip south and you'll explore the lively fishing port of Peniche which has a dominating sixteenth century fort constructed for cover in opposition to marauding pirates. The world boasts full-bodied, fragrant crimson wines with wonderful alcoholic content material: the wines of the south (castas Camarate, Periquita and Tinto Miudo) are vigorous when younger, intense yet nicely balanced and with an beautiful bouquet when aged. Water sports together with browsing, windsurfing, water snowboarding and crusing are on supply from the seashores here in Cascais. Along the coastal regions of Portugal, an excessive amount of actual estate improvement has taken place. From tip to tip, Madeira measures roughly 54km (west to east) by 23km (north to south).

[sassydestinyexpert]

(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WS39bKWw8q4)

Hercobuly & Hercobul Started in 1999 With the Name Of; Euromarketing And After 19 Years It Transforms In The Online Company That It Is Known Has The Hercobuly & Hercobul, An I & O Company.​​ Is a Internet domain directory. It listed websites along with information about their content. Allows Internet users to add entries or modify information, it has become a for more than just websites. The site now allows pages to be created for people, places, and almost anything else. Mario Nunes, Helder Reis, Paul Reis founded the Hercobuly & Hercobul in 2005. Later in 2006 a small staff of five people in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, England - United Kingdom developed out the site. The staff expanded to more than thirty people and two continents with an office in Esmoriz, Ovar, Aveiro, Portugal. From May 2007 to early 2011, Mario Nunes, developer of the ArticleContentFire, the ArticleFire, both sites about Article/Content Publish/Listing, the Vitta Social Community NetWork, a the LocalItyStarFire, the Business Listing was the chief technology officer. Hercobuly and the other websites attracted at least 1.4 million U.S. visitors in July 2008. The new company has since redesigned the website, migrated its infrastructure over to Amazon Web Services, and increased visitors and revenue. There are now approximately four individuals that actively operate the site. Mission Statement At Supreme Optimization, we have a mission to become the #1 provider in the world for Life Science Digital Marketing services and resources. ​ Positively Impact the World: We help the most incredible companies bring their technology to life for the benefit of mankind. ​ Our Promise At Supreme Optimization, we promise transparency and integrity in all of our digital marketing strategies. This means we will never utilise shortcuts with unsustainable results. Instead, we always are bringing you the latest and greatest in digital marketing strategy and technologies. WHY US? 57% of life scientists use search engines as the #1 source for finding new products and services, but life science companies have struggled to effectively market online. We offer a one-stop-shop for all of your digital marketing expertise, as the only agency built exclusively for life science companies to drive traffic and conversion. Created by a team of scientists and online marketers. OUR MISSION Nothing makes us more proud than seeing your company succeed above and beyond expectations. For many companies, we’ve been there from the start and helped grow them from their first investment to IPO or major acquisition. That being said, we are very selective with the life science companies that we market with. In order for us to achieve our mission of providing the highest quality and most impactful services possible, we only work with companies that share our passion for success. OUR SERVICES PayPal® Acceptable Use Policy Compliance Statement We're 100% compliant with PayPal's policies because we are not offering unsolicited bulk email submission services, we're not selling lists of any kind nor are we giving out personal identifying information. We can send for you (Client-buyers, your ads to our 100% double opt-in leads as many times per day as they-you-client wish. We at Hercobuly Hercobul I&O Company Ad Solutions have been building the hottest selling, most innovative and effectual email submitters since the end of the last century. ​ For 18 years we have conscientiously laboured to make available the marketing society with simple to manipulate, far above the ground quality goods that formulate advertising easier and profits soar. For quite a while our members have been clamouring for the opportunity to sell more than one or two of our products and we finally decided. Why Not? and created this awesome program for everyone. It is perhaps the most comprehensive submitter program ever devised and we know people will be gobbling up faster than a speeding bullet. At the present, for simply between £200.00 and £300.00 for the next 3 Months-long and paying nothing more during this time-consuming, you can have more than 60 distinctive systems and one massive site featuring everyone the more than 60 products together on one page. The items you'll be able to buy is a range price from as low as £99.00 to almost £300.00 apiece. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to assume out that as little as one sale a month could have you reaping profit because you get 100% guarantee of great results on EVERYTHING! That's right, every sale you make through our services goes directly to you and you keep everything. To make sweeter the deal, we handle all the at the back the scenes legwork such as maintaining leads databases. How cool is that? All you need to do is send to us by email all we need to promote your website/blog, such as; your full name, URL link of your website/blog, and your ad in your own your own words, because, her, we take care of everything else. This is an amazing deal and you're going to want to get your website/blog promoted to hundreds of millions of potential customers every day long. So, make your purchase ASAP so you can start earning immediately.

[lovebubblechoices]

Who’s Inside the MF coffin?

Guys… We kind of forget someone but I’ll come to that in a minute.

Here are a few possibilities but I’ll explain why it can’t be them.

Ethan Ramsey : He was my first pick and I’ve said it multiple times since yesterday and today but I really doubt it be him. Okay, he went to the Amazon forest to put distance between him and MC and could have very easily catch Something bad in the jungle but let’s face it, he is the most important LI (to them) and PB invested probably too much in him to kill him at the end of this year.

Naveen Banerji : The good ol’ Naveen was my second choice for this tragic end. He could totally get sick again and this time there’s nothing left to do but it is not likely to be him either because all the efforts of Book One will be reduced to nothing. Plus, we already had the “I quit” act from Ethan so I don't think PB would go there again because if Naveen dies, Ethan will question his position as Doctor but he already did that in Book 1. My bet is, this year that’s MC who is going through this path, not Ethan.

So.

It has to be someone they’re close to.

A patient : not very like if I’m honest. We already had Mrs. Matinez and the ethics trial so not again I guess...

Kyra : that would exclude her for the reason I developped just above but her cancer came back so nothing is certain… It’s really a 50/50 chance for her.

Rafael Aveiro : Everyone is panicking because we haven’t seen him in this opening Chapter. I don't think it’s him because I don't see PB introducting another paramedic to the Open Heart universe. But he was in a critical state at the end that’s true and it would have been easy for PB to get rid of him. But PB devs said in an interview that this loss would be meaningful for BOTH MC and their friends and I didn’t get the feeling Raf is that close to the rest of the gang… I might be wrong but I dont think that’s him

Aurora Emery : excluded. Just join the crew. Plus what would be the point of killing her ? She hasn’t a very important role yet

Jackie Varma : She’s the funny and somewhat comic competition to MC and Aurora. No point in killing her or I don't see it.

Bryce Lahela : Almost impossible to kill for PB. Second favorite (if not first?) to the choices fandom. And same as Raf, I Don't see PB replacing him and Edenbrook needs a surgeon the age of MC to balanced to story. I dont know if it’s very clear but here you go.

Sienna Trinh : Not my pick but most of us will be extremely pissed if it’s her. She’s funny, suporting, Always ready to help others but I Don't know… Something tells me it’s not her either. She wanted to quit medicine remember so why kill her when you could give her the Opportunity or motivation to do so ?

And that leaves us with...

Elijah Greene, ladies and gents : Unfortunately his death would be far more meaningful for MC and the others. First, nobody ABSOLUTELY NO ONE thought of him but if go into the details: he is loved by everybody, always have the right word for any situations, his motivations to become a doctor are more than noble. And last but not least he’s in a wheelchair. What if his condition evolves the bad way due to an experimental treatment? Remember he wants to be cured. MC will be absolutely CRUSHED and could question their position as a Doctor if they help him in anyway, same goes for Sienna.

So Elijah’s my wild pick for the funeral scene

[lodelcar]

FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS: A NON-NEGLECTIBLE ASSET IN REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Picture: Fashion shop in Tbilisi (Georgia) - female entrepreneur - own collection

1. Entrepreneurs are entrepreneurs, whatever their gender

The statement made above should be obvious. Economy is a universal principle and starting up and running a business is a competence that is not given to everyone. So: those who have the courage and perseverance to start and run a business should be supported and admired whether they are male or female. If business leaders still choose to expand their business and recruit staff and treat and reward them properly, they should be cherished by society, whether they are men or women. This is the theory; in practice things prove to be very different. Women all over the world still have to overcome obstacles that are almost absurd if they feel the entrepreneurial blood tickle. As a result, in a country such as Belgium, which nevertheless belongs to the OECD, only 1 / 3rd of the entrepreneurs are women. As a result, in most OECD countries, women-led companies find it much more difficult to get loans or venture capital than companies run by men. After all, 94% of the investors are men, which means that female entrepreneurs attract only 2% of the venture capital.[1]   The fact that it is mainly prejudices that play tricks on women is proven by the fact that women are much more likely to have crowdfunding. A context that is much less dominated by men and where women often achieve better results than men. According to research from PwC, 22% of the crowdfunding campaigns led by women achieve the stated goal, compared to 17% of the campaigns led by men.[2]

Women entrepreneurs, however, offer many advantages. After all, women go bankrupt much less quickly, because they have prepared their business plan more thoroughly and also because they (dare to) take fewer risks. Women entrepreneurs also have a number of human skills, such as empathy, cooperation and creativity.[3]  The American company Boston Consulting Group calculated that female startups raised 78 cents per invested dollar compared to less than half (31 cents) for "male".[4] Films starring female leads consistently outperform male-led films at the box office, according to a study from 2018 organised by the gender equality organization Time's Up.[5]

But are the differences between male and female entrepreneurs so different? American research by Illuminate Ventures, a fund that invests in tech companies and has an eye for but is not limited to start-ups with female founders, teaches us that there are more similarities between male and female entrepreneurs than generally assumed. Women entrepreneurs are no more risk averse than men and are also not inhibited more than men (on the contrary even) by the lack of financial security. The ambition to develop a company on a global scale scores equally low with both groups. [6]

2. Women entrepreneurs: an asset for regional development

Many studies have shown that there are a number of classic factors in a country or region that encourage entrepreneurship. In this regard there is the national or regional capacity for innovation that is reflected in the quality of STEM education (science, technology, engineering, and math ), the availability of venture capital and support from national or regional governments. More recent studies also point to social norms that support or reject entrepreneurship: are entrepreneurs praised or turned their backs on in the media, do the media pay a lot of attention to positive cases of entrepreneurship, is entrepreneurship considered an appreciated career and are opportunities for entrepreneurs described in daily life? The latter questions depend on a cultural background that is risk-supporting or risk-averse.  That culture varies from country to country and often has to do with its historical context. Countries in which wars were often fought are more risk averse. Countries with a strong naval past, both military and civilian, are more focused on trade and less on production. They make less of the link between innovative research and economic development. Some of the earliest organizations founded in the American colonies were colleges and institutions of higher learning for preachers, such as Harvard College and Yale College. It was no coincidence that these organizations were institutions of higher learning, rather than chartered trading companies or public houses.[7]

However, one element from the various studies convinced us of the advantage of supporting female entrepreneurship if we want to support regions with a less dynamic economic structure. Women have more modest goals and often opt for entrepreneurship to better combine work and children. In addition, many women deliberately keep their business small, so that they can avoid certain issues that come up with more personnel, such as employment law and management issues.[8] This does not necessarily have to be a disadvantage, on the contrary. Small-scale initiatives can be supported to grow gradually and are also more connected to a region.

In Romania, the regional option is reflected in the way the n.g.o. for the promotion of female entrepreneurship is organized: CONAF[9] is a confederation of provincial and local organizations. Every local association is supported by local entrepreneurs who spend part of their time promoting entrepreneurship and guiding women who want to set up a business. The Braşov division is led by Silvia-Daniela Pohrib, who, in addition to her accounting office, also conducts entrepreneurship courses for young people within the n.g.o. Mentalio and coaches women in their entrepreneurship.

Women are not only encouraged to become entrepreneurs, but also to acquire competences that until recently were considered to be a matter for men. In most European countries, the proportion of women in the computer industry is below 20%. As for the proportion of young women enrolled in higher education courses in computer science, it is currently below 10%, all regions and all levels combined. In Brussels, an Adult Education Center has been in existence since 1988 that focuses exclusively on women and focuses exclusively on introducing women into ICT and digital competences. The Center is called Interface 3. This non-profit association is recognized and supported by many private and institutional partners for the quality and innovative nature of its training. Each year nearly 400 women job seekers undergo training, short or long, initiation or specialization. The insertion rate at the end of qualifying training is 70%! The Interface3 training courses are designed for women wishing to integrate into professional life, to reintegrate themselves or to reorient themselves towards promising sectors (job-seeking women, long-term unemployed women, "returning" women). These programs focus on ICT but also on other requirements of today's professions: project management, language skills, ...[10]

Later in the article, we will also provide a series of examples of how cities and regions are often engaged by higher governments to use funds to promote female entrepreneurship as efficiently as possible. They in turn often work together with civil society organizations, in the West European sense of the word, in other words not politically bound.[11]

3. Typology of female entrepreneurs

The international consultancy firm Ernst & Young organizes an annual academy for promising female entrepreneurs from all over Europe. The description of the profiles of all participants can be found on the internet.[12]  From the description of the 54 candidates for 2016, 2017 and 2018, many conclusions can be drawn, both about the studies they did, the sectors in which they started their companies, whether they are active regionally, nationally or internationally and whether they are alone or with a partner when they started up their company.

Most of the female entrepreneurs have a master’s degree, some of them even a PhD. Of the 54 companies that are included in the academy, 8 are with two female partners. Some also have a male partner: husband, brother or fellow student. Several of the female entrepreneurs also belong to an entrepreneurial family and have continued the business of their parents, or have received financial and logistical support from the family when they started up or took over an existing company. About half of the start-ups work regionally, with one or a few stores or developed a consultancy company that has a regional impact. The other half is already working nationally or internationally, often out of necessity because the market in which they operate contains too few potential customers regionally. It is striking that among the 54 companies described, the female managers are very active in networks, by chairing professional associations or by other activities in which they can expand their network and introduce their customers. With regard to the sectors in which women entrepreneurs are active, it is noticeable that few women have found their way into traditional heavy industry or construction, with some notable exceptions. Many have been creative and have found themselves a niche in services such as marketing and market analysis, baby sitting, home & decor, groceries and gardening, recreation parks, education & didactics, risk management for the healthcare sector etc. In addition, they are active in typically female professions such as creation of lingerie, hair products, organic raw food bar, vegan shops, silk development, wedding clothing, organic cotton development, HR etc. And then there is, of course, the full range of ICT developments such as apps for care centers, for local nightlife, ordering of catering; cyber security, fintech, etc. An example among many is the Portuguese Susana Sargento. This entrepreneur, scientific researcher and professor at the University of Aveiro created in 2012 the technological Veniam together with João Barros, University of Porto. The company develops technology that enables the linking of cars to networks, turning them into Internet access points and collecting information on vehicles, for example to enable better management of traffic or public transport networks.[13]

It is also remarkable that in the list of companies that focus on the circular economy in Flanders, Belgium, we also have found very many female entrepreneurs active. For example, we find in the list a matchmaker between second-hand baby stuff and parents in school, subscription to children's clothing regularly in order to catch up with the childrens’ growth pace, an artisan who is able to recycle everyday materials into something new that looks professional and equally sophisticated, etc.[14]

The Brussels training center Interface 3, which we mentioned earlier, also set up an initiative with similar training centres in Europe called All Digital and which is supported by the EU. In October 2010, All Digital was formed into an AISBL (International Nonprofit Association) with the name Telecentre Europe and has taken up residence at Interface3's headquarters. New information and communication technologies represent a bridge to economic and social development. The mission of the All Digital network is to help its members improve their effectiveness and increase their impact through the exchange of information, knowledge and best practices. 30,000 Digital Public Spaces in 33 European countries and ten non-European countries are members of All Digital.[15]

These last years, people have started to find women more competent, intelligent, emotional and social, but not more ambitious, decisive and aggressive. This appears in an analysis of sixteen opinion polls from the period 1946 -2018, in which representative samples of a total of more than 30,000 American adults had indicated whether certain character traits are more prevalent among men or more among women. The research was published in July 2019 in the scientific journal American Psychologist [16].  The authors  looked at three clusters of qualities requested in the surveys. "Intelligent", for example, with "creative" and "organized" fell under the competence-related characteristics. Socio-emotional characteristics were, for example, "emotional", "honest" and "warm". And then there is the cluster that the psychologists identify with the word agency: properties such as "decisive," "arrogant," and "aggressive," related to goal achievement and power. Interestingly, people have started to find women more competent, but have not attributed more agency to women, and did not find women even more social.  Perhaps women are more intrinsically social than men and men have more intrinsic agency by nature. But another  way of appreciating these elements could be that perhaps social norms push them in a certain direction, away from jobs that require qualities that are typical of the opposite sex.[17]

4. How are women supported in their development as entrepreneurs?

Governments often undertake to encourage female entrepreneurship. In addition, cities and regional governments go further and deeper than national governments. After all, they are closer to the entrepreneurs and see the usefulness of their companies for the region more clearly.

The EU supports  initiatives combatting inequality and poverty in the framework of its regional development policy. In its yearly competition “RegioStars”, of which the awards are attrituted during the EU Week for Regions and Cities, one of the candidates for the RegioStars Award 2019[18] is the Irish WISE Project. WISE (Women's Integrated Skills & Employment) is a project running in Donegal, helping ladies return to employment, education or self-employment. There are dedicated Employment Advisers who provide the following services, CV building, cover letter & interview skills, job brokering, access to employment and educational opportunities, self-employment guidance, support confidence and motivational building and development opportunities. With funding available for short-term accredited courses.[19] The project, run by  People 1st Employment and Skills is funded for almost 300.000 € by the European Social Fund.

In Sweden the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth, was tasked by the Swedish Government to promote women’s entrepreneurship in the period 2007–2014. This decision came as a result of a study revealing that conditions for entrepreneurship are not equal for women and men who wants to start, run, lead and develop a business.[20]

In an article on the Blog Ochimusya Drive, we find an ode to the way that Sweden encourages female entrepreneurship, even if the entrepreneurs in question are not of Swedish origin, but tried to build a new life in Sweden. The author cites a Femtech start-up weekend in which 76 women having different backgrounds such as business / marketing design / UX or programming joined this event in order to work on their ideas and turn them into reality as teams.[21]

In Belgium, female entrepreneurship is supported both regionally and nationally. A national "Plan for the promotion of female entrepreneurship" encouraged valuable initiatives from regional non-profit organizations to propose projects. For example, the well-known non-profit organization Markant submitted the OnderneemstersDUET project. OnderneemstersDUET wants to bridge the difficult initial period of entrepreneurship among recently started women. They get a strong female role model as a personal mentor. Mentee and mentor form a nice "duet" for 1 year. Afterwards, the mentee needs to feel more motivated to manage her business in a solid way. In the course of the project, an eco-system between mentors and mentees is developed through various events, and the practical cases are published.[22] The Brussels non-profit organization H.E.R.O. pour le réseau Wowo received financial support for the WonderFullWomen project. WonderFullWomen is a project structured around the 5 instruments to promote female entrepreneurship: a mentoring program, a coaching program, inspiring TV clips, the only paper magazine intended for female entrepreneurs and events. The WonderFullWomen want to be a source of inspiration but also get inspiration to do business.[23]

In Germany, women entrepreneurs are supported in various ways by the regional authorities through the non-profit organization “Frauen Unternehmen” (WOMEN business). They organize in the first place the "Vorbild-Unternehmerinnen" (= Model Entrepreneurs). More than 160 role model women entrepreneurs are already supporting the "WOMEN business" initiative.[24] In addition, the same non-profit organization also organizes "Multiplikatorinnen & NetzwerkpartnerInnen" (=Female multiplicators and female network partners). In this specific project the Model Entrepreneurs work as volunteers 

·        -  with schoolgirls, they playfully explore what it's like to be your own boss, for example during class visits, as part of project weeks, career orientation days or at the annual Girls'Day. They support founder plan games or the foundation of student companies.

·        - with students and graduates they show that entrepreneurial independence is an attractive career option, for example by attending podium discussions, workshops and career days.

They support business plan seminars, entrepreneurship competitions or are individually prepared as mentors.

The Model Entrepreneurs participate also in regional events to inform women interested in founding a company about the advantages and challenges of self-employment. The events include, for example, female entrepreneurial tables, a series of events of the chambers of commerce and of municipalities or career and founding fairs. In employment agencies they operate in “question and answer" sessions  to show women new job and life perspectives in their career orientation.

Yet there are also numerous private initiatives. In Portugal we name the Chicas Poderosas movement, a project that was born in Latin America and whose mission is to give women skills related to technology that has spread worldwide. The Portuguese Mariana Santos is its founder. She is still the CEO of Unicorn Interactive, a digital content startup.[25] In the UK Veronica Costache, originary from Romania, has an advertising company RoComm. A part from that she also enables and coaches her fellow countrywomen to develop their lives, especially when it comes to entrepreneurship, under the umbrella organisation Romanian women in the U.K.[26]

5. Encourage women entrepreneurs

Female leadership is on the rise in Europe. In 2019, the Belgian organisation “Women on Board”[27] conducted a study together with the marketing research agency Profacts in which 80 percent of the Belgians say that if they start a business tomorrow, they would opt for a Board of Directors with as many women as men. 60 percent think a Board of Management without women is outrageous. In five areas, according to the Belgians, Boards of Directors with a third women distinguish themselves through a strong long-term vision, long-term sustainability, consideration of climate impact, better relationships with social partners and a clear diversity policy.[28] The fact that a woman, Ursula von der Leyen, was proposed to lead the European Commission and that another woman, Christine Lagarde, was nominated to become President of the European Central Bank, shows that European male politicians realize that there are talents available who are unused until now and who deal with leadership in a different way. And that a choice for women can have positive effects on the further development of the European Union. In this regard Air France made history by announcing that Anne Rigail will become the company’s next CEO — making her the first woman to lead a major airline.[29]

Studies have sufficiently demonstrated that women are just as good entrepreneurs as men and that by excluding them a lot of potential for job creation is lost. In many countries, policymakers have understood that women entrepreneurs not only create small businesses to support their families and escape the poverty trap, but because they have valuable ideas and view business and employment differently than men. The fact that they are often disapproved in conservative circles with the fallacy that they will never be able to combine their family duties with their entrepreneurship is being refuted by the facts in many countries. Women not only have the right to remunerated work because it is important for their self-deployment and self-conscience. Women can be both good mothers and good entrepreneurs. They must, however, be supported and not left to their fate. In the first place in the family circle.

The fact that female entrepreneurship is actively promoted and supported in many continents, countries and regions is based on the positive effects that female entrepreneurship can have on a family, municipality or region: they are reliable and productive, they are good with money, they are efficient distributors of goods and services within the household[30].

Louis Delcart, board member EAR-AER, www.ear-aer.eu

This article was written in response to the Improvement of Women Entrepreneurship with the EU project, which the European Academy of the Regions is implementing in collaboration with Ersiad Ankara between September 2019 and December 2020.

[1]

DE VOORDELEN VAN VROUWELIJKE ONDERNEMERS (THE BENEFITS OF FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS), An in blog Yarlini, 14-05-2019,

https://www.yarlini.be/blog-de-voordelen-van-vrouwelijke-ondernemers

/

[2] Wanneer vallen barrières voor vrouwelijke ondernemers weg? 16-10-2018 in MT.be, https://www.mt.be/business/wanneer-vallen-barrieres-voor-vrouwelijke-ondernemers-weg/6818

[3] DE VOORDELEN VAN VROUWELIJKE ONDERNEMERS (THE BENEFITS OF FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS), An in blog Yarlini, 14-05-2019, https://www.yarlini.be/blog-de-voordelen-van-vrouwelijke-ondernemers/

[4] Wanneer vallen barrières voor vrouwelijke ondernemers weg? (When will barriers for female entrepreneurs disappear?) 16-10-2018 in MT.be, https://www.tijd.be/opinie/column/weg-met-vooroordelen-tegen-vrouwelijke-ondernemers/10038347.html

[5] Morgan Gstalter, Women-led films outperform male ones at box office, in The Hill, 12/11/18, - https://thehill.com/homenews/media/420867-timesup-study-women-led-films-outperform-male-ones-at-box-office. The study analyzed 350 of the top-grossing worldwide films released between January 2014 and December 2017. Of the films studied, 105 qualified as female-led and 254 as male-led.

[6]Wanneer vallen barrières voor vrouwelijke ondernemers weg? (When will barriers for female entrepreneurs disappear?) 16-10-2018 in MT.be, https://www.tijd.be/opinie/column/weg-met-vooroordelen-tegen-vrouwelijke-ondernemers/10038347.html

[7] Valentina A. Assenova, Why Are Some Societies More Entrepreneurial than Others? Evidence from 192 Countries over 2001-2018, University of Pennsylvania, January 25, 2019, https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3449762

[8] DE VOORDELEN VAN VROUWELIJKE ONDERNEMERS (THE BENEFITS OF FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS), An in blog Yarlini, 14-05-2019, https://www.yarlini.be/blog-de-voordelen-van-vrouwelijke-ondernemers/

[9] CONAF = Confederaţia Natională pentre Antreprenorat Feminin

[10] Interface 3: Centre de formation bruxellois pour femmes en recherche d’emploi (Interface 3 : Brussels’ training centre for women in search of employment) https://www.interface3.be/fr/interface3

[11] Louis Delcart, Stimulating local and regional ecobomic projects and technological innovation through financial incentives, in blog “Principles of regional approach”, 28-10-2018 https://lodelcar.tumblr.com/post/179513665875/stimulating-local-and-regional-economic-projects

[12] EY - Entrepreneurial Winning Women Europe Class of 2016, Helping outstanding women entrepreneurs think big and grow rapidly, https://www.ey.com/be/en/services/strategic-growth-markets/ey-entrepreneurial-winning-women-europe-class-of-2016; https://www.ey.com/be/en/services/strategic-growth-markets/ey-entrepreneurial-winning-women-europe-class-of-2017; https://www.ey.com/be/en/services/strategic-growth-markets/ey-entrepreneurial-winning-women-europe-class-of-2018

[13] 5 mulheres empreendedoras portuguesas que deves conhecer (5 Portuguese women entrepreneurs that you should know), in Universia Portugal, 25 de Junho de 2018  , https://noticias.universia.pt/emprego/noticia/2018/06/25/1160164/5-mulheres-empreendedoras-portuguesas-deves-conhecer.html

[14] Louis Delcart: Waste management and circular economy in Flanders – Belgium, in blog “Principles of Regional Approach” , 9-12-2018, https://lodelcar.tumblr.com/post/180955829970/waste-management-and-circular-economy-in-flanders

[15] All Digital: l’accès aux TIC pour tous (All Digital: Access to ICT for everyone), https://www.interface3.be/fr/text/all-digital

[16] Alice Eagly, PhD, Northwestern University; Christa Nater, MSc, Michèle Kaufmann, PhD; Sabine Sczesny, PhD, University of Bern; David Miller, PhD, American Institutes for Research: Gender Stereotypes Have Changed: A Cross-Temporal Meta-Analysis of U.S. Public Opinion Polls From 1946 to 2018, American Psychologist, published online July 18, 2019.

[17] Ellen de Bruin in: Vrouwen zijn slimmer, mannen bereiken meer  (Women are smarter, men achieve more), - de Standaard Avond, 9-8-2019

[18] https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/en/regio-stars-awards/#1

[19] https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/en/regio-stars-awards/2019/finalist?r=wise-project

[20] Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth: Women's entrepreneurship, 5-7-2018 https://tillvaxtverket.se/english/womens-entrepreneurship.html

[21] Ochymusya, How female entrepreneurs are active in Sweden, posted 2/10/2017, https://ochimusyadrive.com/how-female-entrepreneurs-are-active-in-sweden/

[22] Plan ter promotie van het vrouwelijke ondernemerschap (Plan to promote female entrepreneurship), on website of Federal Ministry of Economy Belgium,  8-3-2019 https://economie.fgov.be/nl/themas/ondernemingen/een-onderneming-beheren-en/promotie-van-het/plan-ter-promotie-van-het

[23] Plan ter promotie van het vrouwelijke ondernemerschap (Plan to promote female entrepreneurship), on website of Federal Ministry of Economy Belgium,  8-3-2019,  https://economie.fgov.be/nl/themas/ondernemingen/een-onderneming-beheren-en/promotie-van-het/plan-ter-promotie-van-het

[24] https://www.existenzgruenderinnen.de/DE/Vernetzung/Frauen-unternehmen/MultiplikatorInnen/MultiplikatorInnen_node.html;jsessionid=69525D6284CDA6F6773BDA9104E3CA9D

[25] 5 mulheres empreendedoras portuguesas que deves conhecer (5 Portuguese women entrepreneurs that you should know) in Universia Portugal, 25-6-2018, https://noticias.universia.pt/emprego/noticia/2018/06/25/1160164/5-mulheres-empreendedoras-portuguesas-deves-conhecer.html

[26] http://madisharma.org/about-me/

[27] The Belgian non-profit organization "Women on board" ‘s main objective is to create a "pool" of talented women that can take mandates on boards of directors. Today the organization has 293 members.

[28] Françoise Roels, Vrouwelijk leiderschap is bezig aan een Europese opmars (Female leadership is on the rise in Europe) in: VRT Nws, 4-7-2019 https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2019/07/04/vrouwelijk-leiderschap-is-bezig-aan-een-europese-opmars/

[29] Morgan Gstalter, Air France becomes first major airline to be led by female CEO, in The Hill, 13-152-2018 - https://thehill.com/policy/transportation/421330-air-france-first-major-airline-to-be-led-by-female-ceo

[30] Dr. Sarah Bradshaw, Dr. Joshua Castellino, Ms. Bineta Diop: Women’s role in economic development: Overcoming the constraints, Sustainable Development Solution Network, UN, 20-5-2013  http://unsdsn.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/130520-Women-Economic-Development-Paper-for-HLP.pdf