text:
Behind Closed Doors

Jekyll and Hyde

Who are you behind closed doors?

“I don’t know what to do with my daughter. She has such a terrible temper and is angry all the time. She raises her hands at me, slams doors, cusses and screams throughout the house. She calls the cops on me for pushing her away while trying to protect myself, and what do the cops say? I can’t do anything and neither can they. Social services says the same. So, what am I supposed to do? She needs help.”

This woman couldn’t have been talking about the same young girl I know. That young girl is a walking example of sweetness. She’s quiet, but happy and smiles at everyone she passes by. That sweet young girl, acting like that? No way. That can’t be right.

Apparently however, she has been acting surreptitiously for quite some time, portraying herself to be gentle and kind, while knowing that inside of her was rage and anger. It’s obvious that she’s crying out for help, but by looking at and listening to her, one would never imagine the scene that takes place behind closed doors.

Jekyll and Hyde

In many of us, there are two sides – One that we show to the world and the other that we keep at home. For some of us the two sides only vary a little and for others they are complete opposites.

In the privacy of my home I am silly, laid back and talkative. In public I am shy, quiet and reserved.

I’ve known others who are social butterflies, willing to help anyone in need. But in private, they are a ticking time bomb, ready to explode at any moment. In order to keep the peace, you have to constantly walk on egg shells when around them.

In public, people portray themselves to be whoever they need to be, in order to maintain their reputation. They don’t dare show others who they really are. It’s not until they’re in the comfort of their own home, that they can lay it all down and be the real them – no matter how unpleasant or ugly that may be.

That saying, “you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover” applies to everyone, both good and bad. Just because someone looks nice or speaks kindly, doesn’t mean that they are.

Who are they in private? That is where their true character is defined.

Sadly, those who have to be subjected to a person’s two sides, often have to do so alone. Rarely are they believed. “Joe? No way. I’ve known him for years. He’s one of the nicest people I know. You must be exaggerating.”

Unfortunately, this is how abusers and criminals get away with their evil deeds for so long. Their sweetness conceals the rottenness within and others refuse to see it.

Jekyll and Hyde – They are everywhere, walking among us… hiding within our friends, our coworkers, our spouse, and sometimes even the person in the mirror.

“Character is what you are in the dark.” ~ DL Moody

This post is for JusJoJan. Today’s prompt: surreptitiously by KG.

This entry was posted in Life and tagged , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

21 Responses to Behind Closed Doors

  1. Getting to the core of the person is the hard part. But few people fool everyone forever. The unfortunate part is that, while they are trying so hard to fool people, they end up fooling mostly themselves, because by presenting a false side to the world, they are denying the help they need. Even though it comes off as a cliche, people who do really bad things behind closed doors, hiding themselves from the scrutiny of the world, are really crying for help. If only we knew when to intervene!

    • mewhoami says:

      You are absolutely right. Although there are a few downright evil people in the world, most of them just need help. People try so hard to deal with things on their own for fear of being judged or to keep from burdening others. What they need to do however, is to cry out with their voice instead of their actions, so people can help them.

  2. joey says:

    I get so angry when people do that, “No, he would never, he’s such a nice guy” schpiel. That’s HOW they do it, you’re so right to point it out.

    In a less extreme circumstance, our youngest is a delight at school. She’s cooperative, helpful, kind, and shows great leadership. When I read her report card comments to her siblings, they all said, in unison, “Why can’t she be like that at home?” At home, so as not to impress us, she’s always been drama. I will say, it seems like over time she’s emerging as the school persona…but the early years were rough.

    • mewhoami says:

      Unfortunately, that happens all too often. The ‘good’ guy fools many people in in his path while often hurting those closest to him. What a backwards situation that is with your daughter. Not often do you hear about them being great in school, but difficult at home. I wonder if part of that stems from being comfortable at home to be her. That is the place where she doesn’t have to be ‘perfect’ to fit in or be someone she’s not. Then we she gets home, she let’s it all out. I don’t know…I could be completely off base, but it sounds good. 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  3. Mick Canning says:

    Extremely perceptive post. I guess we are all like this to a greater or lesser degree.

  4. DailyMusings says:

    It is so true that people may show only one side to the outside world-there are parts of ourselves we share with those close to us and other parts that we would never allow come to the surface with acquaintances. What is scary is when people who are truly abusive appear to be loving and kind to those who do not know them well. True manipulation.

    • mewhoami says:

      Abusers, in my opinion, are some of the greatest actors out there. Many times, their charm is what attracts their prey. It’s not until later down the road, that their charm turns to control and abuse.

      Liked by 1 person

  5. April says:

    Oh, here I go defending those with a mental illness. For decades I was one person on the outside yet another on the inside. The inside trying so very hard to be who I was on the outside. I became a pretty good actress. There is something to the Jekyll and Hyde perspective with regards to criminals or abusive people but some are simply trying very hard to just get up in the morning and live. Those looking for a speck of light to continue on. Maybe as a protective measure, we all do it for one reason or another?

    • mewhoami says:

      I agree with you wholeheartedly. In fact, one reason I began this blog was because of the Jekyll and Hyde I had been facing within myself most of my life. On the outside I was one thing and wanted to be that thing, but on the inside I was someone different entirely. Someone I deeply despised. Fighting within yourself is one of the most miserable ways to live. I still struggle with this, almost on a daily basis, but it’s gotten much easier over the years. So, you’re right – sometimes we have two sides, not because we want to, but because one side is what we’re striving to become.

      Liked by 1 person

  6. I want that picture as my gravatar lol. Did you draw it?

  7. Aaron says:

    Reblogged this on Aaron Elmore and commented:
    An interesting post about how we can have our private side and a public eye persona which we portray to the world.

  8. Miriam says:

    Such an interesting post and so very true. We all have different faces we present at different times and depending on circumstances. In most cases it’s not quite so simple as “what you see is what you get”. Life, and people, is extremely complex.

Please share your thoughts

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: Logo

You are commenting using your account. Log Out / Change )

Twitter picture

You are commenting using your Twitter account. Log Out / Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. Log Out / Change )

Google+ photo

You are commenting using your Google+ account. Log Out / Change )

Connecting to %s


Content-Type: application/http; msgtype=response

WARC-Identified-Payload-Type: text/html

WARC-Truncated: length

WARC-Type: response

text:
Music Review: John Mayer – ‘The Search for Everything – Wave One – EP’

by Ryan Lam

music-reviewJohn Mayer released four songs on his new EP, The Search for Everything – Wave One,  and throughout the upcoming months he will be a releasing four new songs until his entire tenth studio album is out. In this EP, Mayer opens up about his life and is vulnerable with his audience.

In ‘Moving on and getting over’, we see that he’s holding on to the hope of a second chance while also realizing that he needs to move on with life. ‘Changing’ talks about how life never stays the same and how the people we meet come and go as everyone’s lives changes and evolves. ‘Love on the weekend’ speaks on the different stages of his relationships, while ’You’re gonna live forever in me’ talks about how the people that he’s been in a relationship with have impacted and changed different aspects of his life throughout their time together.

As Mayer talks about failing love and the impact that his relationships have had, one parallel that is apparent is Gods love. We see that unlike the temporary love of people that we place such a high value on, God’s love never fails. God places people in our lives to leave an impact and change the way we view the world and it’s wonders, and even though people come and go, He remains constant.

Check it out!

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: Logo

You are commenting using your account. Log Out / Change )

Twitter picture

You are commenting using your Twitter account. Log Out / Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. Log Out / Change )

Google+ photo

You are commenting using your Google+ account. Log Out / Change )

Connecting to %s

warcinfo:
robots: classic
hostname: ip-10-158-191-93.ec2.internal
software: Nutch 1.6 (CC)
isPartOf: CC-MAIN-2017-51
operator: Common Crawl Admin
description: Wide crawl of the web for December 2017
publisher: Common Crawl
format: WARC File Format 1.0
conformsTo: http://bibnum.bnf.fr/WARC/WARC_ISO_28500_version1_latestdraft.pdf


text:
A Woman Cracking Up at Her Chewbacca Mask Just Broke Every Facebook Live Record Possible

Candace Payne

A Facebook Live video of a mom from Texas cracking herself up in a Chewbacca mask from Kohl's just became the-most watched live broadcast ever uploaded to the site.

Candace Payne's four-minute long broadcast of herself trying on the mask in her car had amassed well over 100,000 within the first 48 hours after it went live.

It shattered the previous record, which was held by BuzzFeed for a video in which its employees snapped rubber bands around a watermelon until the pressure caused it to explode. And to those who have attempted to wield the service in more purposeful ways to bolster their personal brands, the new record holder likely seemed to defy all logic.

Since Facebook rolled out the live broadcasting feature in late 2015, celebrities and media companies alike have scrambled to harness the power of live video to reach new audiences.

But on Friday, with no more than a mask that makes Wookiee noises and an infectious laugh, a mom from the suburbs bested them all.

The simplicity of Payne's video is exactly what makes it so compelling.

Captioned "It's the simple joys in life," Payne's video is humble, light and accessible. Her laughter is infectious, the joke immediately clear: It's a Chewbacca mask with a moving mouth, and Payne, referring to it as the "best birthday present ever," is losing her shit over it.

It will be impossible to determine whether the success of Payne's broadcast is a fluke or not for some time (the internet is a notoriously fickle thing).

Until then, we'll all have to content ourselves with scratching our heads and wondering why viewers seem to be less interested in life hacks, exploding watermelons and the 2016 election cycle than they are with being able to laugh along with someone who derives such pure, uninhibited joy from a $17.99 hunk of plastic.

Read more: The TSA Made $765,000 From Your Loose Change in 2015


text:
'It Happened One Night' Might Be a Film Classic, But Is It Actually Good?

I’m far from a movie buff, but I’d love to become one. So my strategy, for better or worse, is to watch every Best Picture winner. A daunting task for someone who hasn't even seen Jaws. To save you a ton of time, I’ll document my adventure here, and we can become movie buffs together.

If we’re delving into big-time Oscar winners, 1934’s It Happened One Night is the best next choice. It was the first film to sweep the Oscars, winning Best Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, and Screenplay. Only One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and The Silence of the Lambs can boast the same.

Having no idea what kind of film this is, I turn to Wikipedia for some basics. It’s a “screwball comedy” staring silver screen legends Claudette Colbert and Clark Gable. Now, full disclosure, I’ve seen Gone With the Wind and Clarke Gable is THE MAN, so no surprise he picked up some hardware. Let’s see how the other four Oscars pan out.

It Happened One Night is about a rich, socialite, Kardashian-of-the-30s named Ellie whose rich father won’t loosen the reins and just let Ellie do Ellie. To get back at her overbearing dad, she flees Miami by bus to marry a male gold-digger in New York named Westley. More naïve and helpless then she’d ever admit, she meets a confident, if somewhat down-on-his-luck Clark Gable who becomes her de facto travel companion to NYC. It's a Depression-era clash of classes that audiences of the day couldn't get enough of.

The plot drags a bit at first, but I have to give it up for Gable and Colbert, these two have some serious swagger. Clark Gable delivers every line like it’s going to become part of cinema lore. Colbert is equally as sassy. As a rich girl out to prove she can handle the world on her own, she’s all attitude. I’d be terrified to hit on her.

During one of my favorite scenes, Gable tries to show Colbert how to hitchhike. He’s got a of variety thumb gestures with all kinds of implied meanings — “The short jerky motions shows you’ve got money in your pockets!” After a series of unsuccessful attempts, Colbert gives it a shot — “I’ll stop a car … and I won’t use my thumb.” Going borderline 1930s porn, she hikes her skirt up mid-thigh. The next driver slams the breaks and picks up the little tart and her humbled tagalong. Beyond being funny, the dialog is razor sharp and the two are charmingly self-assured.

It was around here that I had a sudden realization — this movie is cute but not that funny. It’s supposed to be a “screwball comedy” right? Where are the hijinks and shenanigans? It dawns on me that I might have no idea what a “screwball comedy” is. Google time.

Apparently a “screwball comedy” is basically sharp, witty dialog, often with the female character in control. Has the definition of “screwball” changed over the last 80 years? I expected obvious, borderline sophomoric humor. I got subtle zingers. It’s actually widely regarded as the first of its genre, more influential than I realized.

Now fully enlightened, I’m starting to appreciate this all way more, especially Gable. His lines couldn’t slip through that pencil thin mustache any smoother. His cockiness actually borders on douchebag, and I wonder if the way he acts is how every douchebag thinks they’re acting. With the heavy reliance on dialog, did this film and others like it change how people communicate … forever? It’s possible that all the witty banter we expect, in life and movies, has its roots in a movie genre I didn’t know existed just days ago.

Another theme emerged in this 1934 vs. 2013 comparison. A lot goes wrong for Colbert on this journey that gives Gable ample opportunity to swoop in. Today, technology like smartphones and affordable air travel has made the world too streamlined and convenient for chance encounters. On Gable and Colbert’s bus trip, everyone sings songs and makes conversation. Today, it’s all earbuds and eBooks. We do our people-meeting at bars and online. Anyone mixing that up is often greeted with apprehension. Not that one is better than the other, but it’s interesting to think about.

As their journey continues, they break through each other’s façade and, as expected, fall in love. In another now-classic scene, Gable meets Colbert’s father, who asks him if he loves her. After dodging the question with some scathing remarks, he finally shouts, “Yes! Now don’t hold that against me, I’m a little screwy myself!”

There were a handful of comically outdated moments I have to share:

A serious, detailed convo about how to dunk a donut. I’ve been to many Dunkin’ Donuts, and despite the name, I’ve never seen anyone dunk a donut.

The phrase “Holy jumping catfish!” used with an absolute straight face. Runner up, “What a yarn!” in reference to an exciting story. This is a Montgomery Burns goldmine.

The two wind up on their own one night and sleep in a pile of hay like it’s no big deal. Gable actually fluffs it as if it's not his first time.

Does it hold up? It’s got charm for days, but whereas Wings had a great story held back by its silent film-ness, It Happened One Night has genre-defining acting and dialog that’s dragged down by a plotline that seems played out today. With the various predicaments they encounter during their travel (stolen luggage, bus driving into a pond, hitchhiking, weird motels), it’s basically a less funny Planes, Trains and Automobiles. Maybe I’m being harsh on a classic film, but while Gone With the Wind would still win Best Picture today, It Happened One Night might feel too romcom to get nominated for the non-acting Oscars it scooped up in 1934.


WARC-Identified-Payload-Type: application/xhtml+xml

text:
Skip to content

Golf Drill: Long Uphill Putts

February 18, 2013

Avoiding the dreaded three-putt

Although it seems that long, uphill putts would be the least of a golfer’s worries, it is important to get the ball close to the hole so as to avoid a costly 3-putt.

Viewing the putt from the side will give you a good feel for what the slope of the putt looks like.

When you return to your ball, take a few practice strokes, keeping in mind the length and pace of the putt. Making solid contact with the ball will allow for the most control in distance.

Getting the ball close to the hole is most important when negotiating a long putt, and will give you the best chance at making your following putt.

Minnesota PGA Professional Mike Barge demonstrates this easy-to-follow tip in the video below:

The Minnesota Section PGA consists of PGA Professionals who are experts in the game and business of golf. Our mission is to promote the enjoyment and involvement of the game of golf and to contribute to its growth by providing services to golf professionals, the golf industry, people who play golf or would like to start playing golf. PGA Section Offices oversee the 41 geographic regions throughout the United States and provide the grass-roots network for the nation’s 25 million amateur golfers and with the PGA’s 27,000 members.

No comments yet

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: Logo

You are commenting using your account. Log Out / Change )

Twitter picture

You are commenting using your Twitter account. Log Out / Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. Log Out / Change )

Google+ photo

You are commenting using your Google+ account. Log Out / Change )

Connecting to %s


text:
I live in the South-West of Finland, and I have never been to the northern part of the country until this midsummer. All I knew about Lapland was that:

  1. It is cold and snowy
  2. It is eternal darkness there in winters
  3. It is home of Finnish Santa (Joulupukki)
  4. Raindeers are walking around

But wait! What about summers then? I had a chance to check. 🙂

If it is always dark in winter, there must be light in summer. And it was! There was no sunset at all! 🙂    b2

The place looked like a fairy-tale. And yes, raindeers are everywhere even in summer! 🙂

Beside that, people were very friendly, kind, and helpful there. I will definitely come back again! 🙂

2 thoughts on “Lapland

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Log Out / Change )

Twitter picture

You are commenting using your Twitter account. Log Out / Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. Log Out / Change )

Google+ photo

You are commenting using your Google+ account. Log Out / Change )

Connecting to %s


text:
Newspaper Clippings: Jackson’s Art Deco Icon at the Beginning

Today’s newspaper clipping comes from the Jackson (Miss.) Daily News, Feb. 7, 1929, plastered right on the front page. While the building didn’t yet have a name, the editors unwittingly gave it its name in their headline, the Tower Building, better known today as the Standard Life Building. Anybody know whether that beacon ever lived up to its billing?

Towering New Jackson Office Building

Enochs Structure To Be 22 Stories, Cost Over Million

Chambers Interests Joins Enochs-Flowers in Project; Plans Revealed

Details of revised plans for a million dollar 22-story office building, towering more than 100 feet above any structure in Jackson, and to be built by the Enochs and Flowers interests and the Paul Chambers and associated interests, were announced last night.

The structure will be at Pearl and Roach street, facing both streets, just off Capitol street, and in the heart of the rapidly growing west-end section of the business district.

Ultra-conservative business men who declared that “no one would build a 20-story building in Jackson,” were stunned by the announcement that in its revised plans, the building will go up 22 stories, including the tower in which will be located a 50-mile searchlight.

The building will be 260 feet from sidewalk to top, 105 feet higher than the Edwards hotel, one of the tallest cement buildings in the United States, if not in the world. It will have more than 50,000 square feet of office space, exclusive of the store space on the first floor; will cost between a million and a million and quarter dollars and will be ready for first occupants this fall, the backers announced.

At the same time it was announced that the Paul Chambers interests, which had planned a 17-story office building, have combined with the Enochs-Flowers interests and associates for the building at Pearl and Roach and abandoned plans for the proposed 17 story unit.

Work of demolishing the three buildings which now occupy a part of the site of the huge structure will begin at once and construction of the building will be stated immediately thereafter. Day and night shifts of workmen will be employed to rush the job to completion.

Lindsley Drew Plans

All plans for the building were drawn by C.H. Lindsley, Jackson architect, and call for an office building of the most modern type, even to the step-back effect of the upper floors predominate in the newest big structures of New York, Chicago and other metropolitan centers. It will be one of the most modern office buildings ever erected in the South and by far the largest of its kind in the state, the backers announced.

Applications for leases in the building have been received and many leases signed, the owners announced, and 75 per cent of the tenants now in the Edwards Hotel building have reserved space in the new building.

New Interests Inquire

Interests outside of Mississippi and not now doing business in the state are inquiring about space in the building, it is announced, while many interests now in the state but not now doing business in Jackson have likewise made inquiries with a view to establishing offices in the new building.

Some of the largest and strongest financial interests in Jackson have combined with Enochs and Flowers interests and the Paul Chambers interests to finance the building, which they feel sure will dispel any doubts about adequate financing of the plant.

To Be 90 by 109 Feet

The building, which has not yet been named, will face 90 feet on Roach street, with a large entrance from Roach street, and front 109 feet on Pearl street, having also a large entrance on this street.

On the ground floor there will be four large store spaces in addition to the spacious lobby, which will be much larger than the lobby of the usual office building of this type. It will, in fact, be more of an arcade, according to the plans of Mr. Lindsley, and the stores will have entrances from the lobby as well as from the street.

The lobbies merge, the Roach street entrance running into the large Pearl street entrances at the elevator stop, where three high-speed elevators of the latest safety type will be located.

The first two floors of the building will cover the full lot 90 by 109 feet.

Towering Shaft

From the third to the 18th floors there will be only office space, the building being a large shaft 47 by 108 feet in size, set back from the lower floors as are the newest metropolitan office structures.

Another step-back is scheduled for the 19th and 20th floors, which will be taken up with large store-rooms and elevator machinery. Water supply tanks will occupy the 21st floor and on the top of all will be the tower in which is located the beacon and searchlight.

The building will be of reinforced concrete construction throughout with a faced brick exterior, trimmed either in terra cotta or stone.

Skyscraper Light Will Flash Beam for Fifty Miles

May Illuminate Vicksburg Bridge; Airport Beacon, Tunnel, Other Features

A strong beacon light pointing to the municipal airfield as a guide to the ever-increasing air travel of the state, and a revolving searchlight whose rays will carry 50 miles, will be placed atop the 22-story office building to go up at the corner of Pearl and Roach Streets, it was revealed last night by C.H. Lindsley, architect.

Since Jackson is 100 feet higher than Vicksburg, and the building will go up 260 feet, it is believed that the light will top any natural rises between Jackson and the river and light up the new Vicksburg bridge over the Mississippi.

Another innovation in the building will be an underground passageway connecting the office building and the Edwards hotel, which is owned by the Enochs and Flowers interests.

Jackson Daily News, February 17, 1929,  p. 1

Categories: Architectural Research, Cool Old Places, Jackson

10 replies

  1. How interesting. I have heard the claim that the Standard Life Building was the tallest reinforced concrete structure of its time but this is the first period document I’ve seen make the claim.

  2. Thanks for the clipping! One of my favorite buildings in the state. I like that it illustrates the paperback cover of Henry Miller’s Air Conditioned Nightmare, too. Good memory of climbing to the very top of the building in my student days in Jackson in the mid-80’s.

  3. Was there an attempt to create a tunnel from the Standard Life to the Edwards Hotel? If so, that would have been cool!

    • I hadn’t ever heard of that until this article, and I’ll bet it got cut before construction began. What an interesting concept though, and could have been the site of all sorts of interesting stories!

    • They could use the Town Creek Channel which passes just east of the Tower Building and now is covered up by concrete slabs and even has some buildings over it….hmm, wait…it doesn’t go toward the King Edward. Nevermind. HA!

  4. “Ultra-conservative business men who declared that “no one would build …”” wow! the more things change.

  5. The Plaza Building at the corner of Congress and Amite Streets was the Standard Life Building before Standard Life moved to the Tower Building and hung their company sign on the top.

  6. Did they ever put the light on top? Lighting up the Vicksburg Bridge from Jackson would have been quite a feat. I find it interesting how the Enochs show up throughout this period.

    • I had never heard of this light until this article and I suspect it never was even tried. I can’t believe it would have lit the bridge, but who knows?

      Yes, the Enochs name is everywhere back in that period and before–the Enochs Lumber Company was big in the late 19th century I believe.

  1. Standard Life Building: The towering Art Deco of 1929 | Suzassippi

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: Logo

You are commenting using your account. Log Out / Change )

Twitter picture

You are commenting using your Twitter account. Log Out / Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. Log Out / Change )

Google+ photo

You are commenting using your Google+ account. Log Out / Change )

Connecting to %s

%d bloggers like this:


text:
Elf Smudge Brush

Elf Smudge Brush

Okay, I’m going to try to be nice with this post. I’m a firm believer in “you get what you pay for,” that being said, this brush was $3.00. I bought it one day just because. I didn’t need it but I felt that I should add it to my collection. This brush started shedding immediately. I only got about three uses out of it before I decided to wash/clean it. Let me just say that it hasn’t been the same since. I’m not sure what type of synthetic hair this brush is made of, but it didn’t bounce back to its original condition or anything close to it. It didn’t create a controlled look which is the result that I usually like to get when I use a smudge brush. I haven’t totally given up on Elf brushes, but I will say if I do decide to purchase another one, I will not have high expectations of it.

Have you ever purchased a brush that didn’t deliver?

Tagged , ,

2 thoughts on “Elf Smudge Brush

  1. steetlaces says:

    very good review, I just purchased this brush as well and was dissapointed by it, the only ELF brush i adore is their powder brush. Would you mind checking out my blog, http://streetlaces.wordpress.com

  2. vanessa bell says:

    uh huh Date: Sun, 4 Aug 2013 18:53:57 +0000 To: vanessabell2011@hotmail.com

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Log Out / Change )

Twitter picture

You are commenting using your Twitter account. Log Out / Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. Log Out / Change )

Google+ photo

You are commenting using your Google+ account. Log Out / Change )

Connecting to %s

%d bloggers like this:


text:
PTSD: My Story.

Now that a new category has been added to this Blog, I will begin by sharing a little about how I came to acquire this brain injury. Once the awesome Bob Wagner has been added as a co-author, get ready for some gritty, real talk about this condition. As both of us are sufferers you will get insight into this nightmare from the sufferer’s perspective. Our aim is to educate, illustrate, inform, and provide support and information to others with this injury, and to those who have loved ones with PTSD. Don’t expect any of this to be couched in gentle, uplifting phraseology. There are no pink hearts and flowers and inspirational quotes written over attractive woodland settings to be found here. PTSD does not ‘do‘ platitudes.

When persons think of PTSD they often think of Combat Veterans. While it is true that a large percentage of individuals with PTSD come from the armed forces, one need never have seen battle in order to end up with this diagnosis.

We Australians are very reticent about sharing our personal lives with others so this post is not a comfortable one to write. I have no intention of providing the minutiae pertaining to the events that left me forever broken but I will provide you, dear reader, with a small amount of the story. So how did a capable, intelligent, confident Mistress become wreckage on two legs; placed on a Disability Pension, unable to work, and forevermore unable to function in ways she did before? The short answer is “A group of Americans”. If only ‘being forced into the wilderness of a foreign country on threat of death and you will be cool about it’ was the worst of it. If only having to pretend that I was ‘okay’ throughout the ordeal, with a hastily fashioned garrote in my back pocket, a sharpened hunting knife at my side, and the continued knowledge that I had to be faster than the ex-Military owner of the AR in plain sight if a decision was made to use it, was the worst of it. It wasn’t. But I pretended. My life depended on it. I pretended that I was ‘cool’ with something so far from ‘cool’ that I amaze myself when I think on it now.

It did not stop there, of course, and I am giving a summary here. While relations had (obviously) soured, this damage leaves the wounded party believing that this is not only their own fault, but that it was deserved in some way, so it may not come as a surprise to learn that I was too concerned to break contact with the individuals who did this thing to me, in case there was worse to be endured. There was. When dealing with sociopaths there is always worse to be endured. I was subjected to emotional blackmail, emotional abuse, the deliberate breaching of private correspondence, mobbing, bullying, and eventually tactics straight out of a manual on techniques used in the military as part of psychological warfare; lies, fabricated events that did not occur but were just believable enough to leave one questioning their own memories and sanity, false accusations about motives, behaviours, events, and actions, and a systematic and deliberate crusade to leave me feeling as unsafe in my own home country as possible: “Have gun, will, and can, travel”.

I am not going to write any more about this now. I have given you a glimpse of a horror far larger than I have shared here. I must stop now because even writing this much has caused me to relive the experience in vivid detail that has left my breathing shallow and my heart pounding hard and fast.

Just know this. Brain Imaging shows exactly what changes occur in the brain physically when one has PTSD. It is not a chemical imbalance, it is a wound. When I am not thinking about how this is all somehow my own fault, or dealing with intrusive memories, anxiety attacks, the loss of the ability to write, create new memories, make new friends, or even think, I am occasionally jolted by a comment or a picture that shows me quite clearly that this is an injury not a straightforward illness. At those times I get angry. At those times I can see physical damage inflicted upon me, as if someone had broken my ribs, as opposed to something that I ‘deserved’. And then I am utterly livid with the perpetrators. But let us not go ‘there’.

I am not safe. I will never be safe again. And, at least one of the individuals I have written about here, still stalks this Blog of mine. She will read these words. I can only hope that she is finally satisfied that she succeeded in destroying me completely. I am not dead yet. But there are things far, far worse than death: this waking nightmare is one of them.

Congratulations. Well done. Much kudos to you all for destroying another person. Rejoice! You’ve got to be happy with paying something like that forward.

Leave a comment

Filed under PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder)

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: Logo

You are commenting using your account. Log Out / Change )

Twitter picture

You are commenting using your Twitter account. Log Out / Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. Log Out / Change )

Google+ photo

You are commenting using your Google+ account. Log Out / Change )

Connecting to %s


text:
About Us

Meet Our MLW Team

With all that goes into renovating a home, we’ve built up a team of journeyman and apprentice carpenters capable of aligning our skills to meet your needs. MLW Contracting staffs a knowledgeable team of skilled employees who can meet the most demanding design challenges. Our network of sub-trades and suppliers also helps ensure you get a quality renovation and a great building experience.

MLW Contracting Ltd. is a member of the Stony Plain Chamber of Commerce and proud to hold an A+ Rating as an Accredited Member of the Better Business Bureau. We look forward to the opportunity to work with you on your next renovation project. Please give us a call today!

What Our Clients Say

Serving Edmonton, Parkland County, Spruce Grove, Stony Plain, and the Surrounding Areas
Edmonton: 780-423-6668
Stony Plain: 780-963-5125
Fax: 780-963-0829
Business HoursMonday – Friday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM


text:
Archive for the ‘Meetings’ Category

Agenda for the Meeting

Scientific Session I:  Intracranial Trauma

9:10 am –10:00 am

Moderator:  Matthew Hunt, M.D.

9:10 – 9:20 am  Meghan Murphy, MD – “Multiple Concussions in Young Athletes: Identifying Patients at Risk for Repeat Injury”

9:20 – 9:30 am Manish Sharma, MD – “Analysis of a 100% Survival Rate After Decompressive Lobectomy For Traumatic Brain Injury At A Level 3 Trauma Center”

9:30 – 9:40 am Abdullah Bin Zahid, M.D. and Molly Hubbard, M.D. – “Optimal Bedside Drain Placement for Subdural Hematoma Evacuation”

9:40 – 9:50 am Abdullah Bin Zahid, M.D. – “Eye Tracking a Biomarker for Concussion in the Pediatric Population”

9:50 – 10:00 am Amanda Porter – “Health Care Disparities in Traumatic Brain Injury: The Effect of Insurance on Severity of Presentation.”

10:00 am – 10:40 am Distinguished Lecturer

Joseph Cheng, MD, Yale

10:40 am – 10:50 am  Break

10:40 am – 10:50 am

Scientific Session II:  Skull Base/Tumor

10:50 am – 11:30 am

Moderator:  Michelle J. Clarke, M.D.

10:50 – 11:00 am Jennifer Grauberger– “Is Patient Age Associated with Perioperative Outcomes Following Surgical Resection of Benign Cranial Nerve Neoplasms?”

11:00 – 11:10 am Amanda Porter – “Increased Body Mass Index as a Risk Factor for Morbidity in Benign Cranial Nerve Tumor Resection”

11:10 – 11:20 am Christopher Graffeo, M.D – “Microsurgery for Recurrent Vestibular Schwannoma After Previous Gross Total Resection: Case Series and Systematic Review”

11:20 – 11:30 am Christopher Graffeo, M.D. – “Preoperative Diagnosis of Vagal and Sympathetic Cervical Schwannomas Based on Radiographic Findings”

Scientific Session III:  Vascular

11:30 am – 12:00 pm

Moderator:  Andrew Grande, M.D.

11:30 – 11:40 am Joshua Lim, M.D. – “Cerebral Vasospasm of Undetermined Significance in Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: Treatments and Outcomes.”

11:40 – 11:50 am Panos Kerezoudis, M.D. – “Predictors of 30-Day Perioperative Morbidity and Mortality of Unruptured Intracranial Aneurysm Surgery”

11:50 – 12:00 pm Mohammed Alvi, M.D. – “Coma and Stroke Following Surgical Treatment of Unruptured Intracranial Aneurysm: An ACS-NSQIP Study”

12:00 pm – 1:20 pm  Lunch  James J. Hill South Room

Scientific Session IV:  ICP & EVD

1:20 pm – 2:00 pm

Moderator: Stephen Haines, M.D.  Summit Room

1:20 – 1:30 pm Molly Hubbard, M.D. – “Elevated Intracranial Pressure Causes Reversible Eye Tracking Changes Detected While Viewing Film Clip”

1:30 – 1:40 pm Coridon Quinn, M.D. “Stay on Target: External Ventricular Drain Accuracy Grading Scale”

1:40 – 1:50 pm David Darrow, M.D. – “Creation of the National EVD Consortium for Infection”

2:00 – 2:20 pm U of M Update    Steven Haines, M.D., University of Minnesota

2:20 – 2:40 pm  Mayo Clinic Update  Robert Spinner, M.D., Mayo Clinic

2:40-3:00  Sunshine Act  Cati Miller, M.D.,

Council of State Neurosurgical Societies Socioeconomic Fellow

3:00 pm – 3:20 pm  Break

Scientific Session V:  General

3:20 pm – 4:20 pm

Moderator:  Ann Parr, M.D., PhD

3:20 – 3:30 pm Panos  Kerezoudis, M.D.  – “30 Day Postoperative Morbidity and Mortality After Temporal Lobectomy for Intractable Epilepsy”

3:30 – 3:40 pm Molly Hubbard, M.D. – “Naturally Occurring Canine Glioma as a Model for Novel Therapeutics”

3:40 – 3:50 pm Catherine Miller – “The Effects of Obesity on Neurosurgery: Are Changes Needed? “

3:50 – 4:00 pm         William Gibson, M.D. –  “Investigating the Effects of Deep Brain Stimulation on Functional and Effective Connectivity in Humans Using Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging.”

4:00 – 4:10 pm         Bryan Ladd, M.D. – Feasibility of Telementoring for Micro Neurosurgical Procedures Utilizing a Microscope, a Proof-of-Concept Study

Evening Reception, Dinner and Piepgras Awards

6:00 pm – 9:00 pm  Pazzaluna Restaurant  360 St. Peter St., St. Paul

Sunday, October 9, 2016

MNNS Business Meeting

9:00 am – 10:00 am

St. Paul Hotel Restaurant

*For meeting participants, please go to here to complete your Attendance Verification Form and Evaluation Form. There will also be an informational email sent out after the meeting with this link. Once this survey is completed, participants’ CME Certificate will be emailed within one month after the completion of the meeting.

Read Full Post »

exterior SPHDear Members of the Minnesota Neurosurgical Society

Please find attached the Registration form for the upcoming 2016 Minnesota Neurosurgical Society Meeting, October 7-9th at the St. Paul Hotel in St. Paul, Minnesota. So, come to town for the weekend, book a suite at the beautiful St. Paul Hotel overlooking Rice Park and enjoy all that downtown St. Paul has to offer! Take a break, have a great time, meet old neurosurgery friends and make some new ones, score some AANS CME, eat fantastic food, drink some fantastic scotch, bring the family and show them the town. Hope to see you there!

Also attached is the  Call for Abstracts.  The deadline for submission has been extended  to September 6, 2016

A MNNS Active Membership for attending physicians is $150; seniors and residents are free.  If you have not yet paid your 2016 annual dues, please pay online at https://mnneurosurgicalsociety.org/ or make your check payable to the Minnesota Neurosurgical Society and mail it to Michelle Clarke, MD, Mayo Clinic – Neurosurgery, 200 First Street SE, Gonda 8-209, Rochester, MN  55905.

While membership for seniors and residents is free, we request that you complete the MNNS Annual Membership Application Form so that we can be assured we have your updated information on file.

Gina Robertson | Medical Secretary | Neurosurgery | Michelle J. Clarke, M.D. | Jeremy L. Fogelson, M.D.| Laura A. Waksdahl, A.P.R.N., CNP | Phone: 507-266-2522 | Fax: 507-284-5206  | E-mail: robertson.gina@mayo.edu | Mayo Clinic | 200 First Street SW | Rochester, MN 55905 |www.mayoclinic.org

Registration Form-2016

Call for abstracts 2016

Read Full Post »

OrricoThis year’s annual Spring MNNS business meeting was held at the Bank Restaurant boardroom in Minneapolis on Friday evening, April 15th. The organization’s finances were reviewed along with anticipated expenses for the fall 2016 academic meeting to be held at the St. Paul Hotel from October 7-9th. The Society remains a stable financial concern although the need for increased member and industry participation to help support this program was emphasized. The most recent Counsel of State Neurosurgical Society’s (CSNS) resolutions were also discussed, most notably Resolution III-2016S: On-Call Compensation Analysis and Resolution VI-2016S: Impact of policy changes regarding simultaneous neurosurgical procedures.

The remainder of the program was primarily a wide ranging conversation with the Society’s guest speaker, Ms. Katie Orrico, the Director of the AANS’ Washington Office who provided her usual candid insights into the anticipated policy changes likely to affect the practice of neurosurgery over the next several years.

Read Full Post »

Our annual business meeting will be held on April 15, 2016 at The Bank in Minneapolis at 6:00 pm.  In addition to business items, we are honored to have a talk by Katie Orrico.  Please join us for informal hors d’oeuvres and full dinner.  This will be a great time to interact with Katie and learn more about what is happening at Neurosurgery’s Washington Office.

Michelle J. Clarke, M.D., President

Read Full Post »

All sessions are at The St. Paul Hotel

Friday, September 18, 2015

MNNS Opening Reception and Poster Session

7:00 pm – 10:00 pm

James J. Hill South Room

Saturday, September 19, 2015

8:00 am – 9:00 am

Summit Room

Matthew Hunt, MD

9:00 am – 9:10 am

Scientific Session I:  Functional / Spine

9:10 am –10:30 am

Moderator:  Ann Parr, MD, University of Minnesota, Neurosurgery

9:10 – 9:30 am  Paola Testini, MD – “Thalamic Deep Brain Stimulation for Tourette Syndrome: Clinical Outcomes and Neural Network Modulation”

9:30 – 9:50 am Christopher Graffeo, MD – “Type II Odontoid Process Fracture in Octogenarians: Surgical Versus Nonoperative Management”

9:50 – 10:10 am Patrick Maloney, MD – “Radiographic Analysis of Postoperative Delayed Cervical Palsies”

10:10 – 10:30 am David Darrow, MD – “Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Trigeminal Neuralgia: Meta-analysis”

10:30 am – 10:50 am

Scientific Session II:  Peripheral Nerve

10:50 am – 11:50 am

Moderator:  Matthew Hunt, MD, University of Minnesota, Neurosurgery

10:50 – 11:10 am Stepan Capek, MD – “Tumefactive Appearance of Peripheral Nerve Involvement in Hematologic Malignancies: A New Imaging Association”

11:10 – 11:30 am Nikhil Prasad – “The Sub-paraneurial Compartment: A New Concept in the Anatomic Classification of Peripheral Nerve Lesions”

11:30 – 11:50 am Robert Spinner, MD – “Recurrent Intraneural Ganglion Cysts: Pathoanatomic Patterns and Treatment Implications”

11:50 am – 1:00 pm

James J. Hill South Room

Distinguished Lecturer

Stephen J. Haines, MD

The Making of a Neurosurgeon”

1:00 pm – 1:45 pm

Summit Room

Scientific Session III:  Tumor

1:45 pm – 3:05 pm

Moderator:  Michelle Clarke, MD, Mayo Clinic, Neurosurgery

1:45 – 2:05 pm Catherine Miller, MD – “MAPK Pathway Inhibitor Therapy for Progressive Pediatric Astrocytomas”

2:05 – 2:25 pm Joshua Hughes, MD – “Magnetic Resopnance Elastography and Slip Interface Imaging of Meningiomas, Pituitary Adenomas, and Vestibular Schwannomas”

2:25 – 2:45 pm Paramita Das – “An Oncogene in Medulloblastoma”

2:45 – 3:05 pm Lydia Wheeler – “Clinicopathologic Features of MEN1 Neoplasms”

3:05 pm – 3:25 pm

Scientific Session IV:  General

3:25 pm – 4:25 pm

Moderator:  Anthony Bottini, MD, Park Nicollet Clinic

3:25 – 3:45 pm Ramachandra Tummala, MD  – “Teaching Brain Surgery – Observations of a Young Neurosurgeon”

3:45 – 4:05 pm Avital Perry, MD – “Clinical Correlation of Magnetic Resonance Elastography in Idiopathic Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus”

4:05 – 4:25 pm Anthony Burrows, MD – “Outcomes from Staphylococcus Aureus Colonization Screening and in Patients Undergoing Elective Neurologic Surgery“

Outgoing President Remarks

4:25 pm

Matthew Hunt, MD

Evening Reception, Dinner and Piepgras Awards

6:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Pazzaluna Restaurant

360 St. Peter St., St. Paul

Sunday, September 20, 2015

MNNS Business Meeting

9:00 am – 10:30 am

Hotel Restaurant

Minnesota Twins Game

1:00 pm

Target Field, Downtown Minneapolis

Read Full Post »

Submitted by: Gary Simonds (Ad Hoc Committee on Patient Safety)

WHEREAS, the principle charge of the CSNS is to act as a forum for the State Neurosurgical Societies to air and discuss socioeconomic issues and concerns; and

WHEREAS, language regarding the centrality of the patient in CSNS activities permeates the official language of the body, for example:

  1. The purpose of the Council of State Neurosurgical Societies is to provide a national forum for the State Neurosurgical Societies of the United States. This forum is primarily for discussion, consideration, and proposals of action regarding socioeconomic issues concerning Neurological Surgery.
  2. The Mission Statement for the Council of State Neurosurgical Societies is as follows:

The CSNS is a representative, deliberative and collaborative organization of delegate neurosurgeons in training and practice that exists to:

  1. positively influence and affect the socioeconomic policy of organized Neurosurgery for the benefit of Neurosurgical patients and our profession,
  2. serve as a resource for socioeconomic knowledge and education for our Neurosurgical colleagues, regulatory and health care officials as well as legislative representatives,
  3. provide a conduit for new initiatives, concerns and issues to be brought to the AANS and CNS for response and action, and
  4. provide an environment for developing future leaders in healthcare policy and advocacy for Neurosurgery.

We believe that the specialty of Neurosurgery stands for the highest quality of care and that neurosurgeons are their patient’s strongest advocates. ; and

WHEREAS, the welfare of the neurosurgical patient should be integral in the discourse surrounding socio-economic issues in neurosurgery (for the patient may be directly impacted by any such issues and/or action taken with respect to them); therefore

BE IT RESOLVED, that all resolutions submitted to the CSNS carry a “Patient Impact Assessment”; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED,  that the Patient Impact Assessment of a CSNS resolution comments upon the anticipated effect the resolution will have on neurosurgical patients if its requested action is seen to fruition; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a CSNS resolution author(s) is prepared to discuss the patient impact of the resolution in open testimony at the CSNS plenary session.

Conflicts of Interest: None

Fiscal Note: None

Prior Similar resolutions: None

Committee(s) Assigned:

“This content represents the business of the CSNS meeting and does not represent CSNS, AANS, or CNS policy unless adopted by this body and approved by the parent organizations”

Title: Making connections between graduating residents and state societies

Submitted By: Cara Sedney and Jeffrey Mullin on behalf of the Medical Practices Committee

WHEREAS, graduating neurosurgical residents often relocate upon residency graduation and may not be aware of existing state neurosurgical society infrastructure; and

WHEREAS, state neurosurgical societies and the CSNS have been working to reinvigorate the membership and involvement for these societies and involve young neurosurgeons; and

WHEREAS, a knowledge of the state society and local/state neurosurgeons may be beneficial to the new graduates; and

WHEREAS, the ABNS currently collects new contact information for graduating residents from their program coordinators as part of the board certification process; therefore

BE IT RESOLVED, that the CSNS petition the ABNS for access to this contact information; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this information be utilized to contact the newly graduated residents to connect them to their new state societies and CSNS quadrants.

Fiscal Note: none

Conflicts of Interest: none

Notes:  This resolution was approved for submission by the Medical Practices Committee by email vote on August 12, 2015.

Title:  “Integrated care pathways” for Neurosurgeons in the Era of the Affordable Care Act

Submitted by: Michelle Smith, Darlene Lobel, and Clemens Schirmer, on behalf of the Medical Practices Committee

WHEREAS, current health care reform places emphasis on care delivery across the continuum of care and utilizes alternative payment models to promote this; and,

WHEREAS, these alternative payment models include concepts such as bundling for disease based practices, value based care, and accountable care organizations for which hospitals and physicians will incur financial penalties for events such as readmissions, patient dissatisfaction, extended length of stay, or hospital acquired infections; and.

WHEREAS, as a response to these alternative payment models, many hospitals are requesting their physicians participate in the creation of “Disease Group Care Pathways”, also known as “Clinical pathways”, “care pathways”, “critical pathways”, “integrated care pathways”, or “care maps” to attempt to standardize a patient’s experience and eliminate variations of care, even when there is no evidence based medicine, in order to cut costs and improve quality; and,

WHEREAS, it is unclear what impact these “Care Pathways” will have on the practice of Neurosurgery; and

WHEREAS, there are few sources of practical knowledge and tools for neurosurgeons to effectively participate in such efforts; and

WHEREAS, there should be a means to share these pathways among Neurosurgeons; therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED, that the CSNS will investigate the extent to which “Integrated Care Pathways” are being implemented in neurosurgical practices, including the impact of these pathways on practice, and will report the findings in a white paper; and,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the CSNS create content that describes and explains the practical creation, validation and acceptance of an “Integrated Care Pathway” with relevance to clinical neurosurgery geared towards the busy practicing neurosurgeon and make available such content to both the CSNS membership and neurosurgeon members of the AANS and CNS.

Notes: This resolution was approved for submission by the Medical Practices Committee by email vote on August 12, 2015.

Aston, G. “Service Line Management: Now It’s Critical,” www.HHNmag.com January, 2015, p. 34-37.

Burwell S.M., “Setting Value-Based Payment Goals — HHS Efforts to Improve U.S. Health Care,” NEJM January, 2015, p. 1-3.

Title: CSNS resource to access and dispute Physician Payments Sunshine Act Data

Submitted By: Christine Hammer, Darlene Lobel, and Brad Zacharia, on behalf of the Medical Practices Committee.

WHEREAS, the Physician Payments Sunshine Act requires companies participating in United States Federal Health Care Programs to report certain financial relationships with individual physicians and teaching hospitals, including, but not limited to, speakers’ fees and honoraria, travel, meals, research funding, educational items; and

WHEREAS, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) implements this reporting through the Open Payments Program; and

WHEREAS, neurosurgeons’ financial data is available to the public through an open-access website; and

WHEREAS, CMS is not required to alert neurosurgeons about newly reported financial relationships, unless they sign up on the Open Payments website to receive alerts; and

WHEREAS, there exists potential for damage to physician and hospital reputations from inaccuracy in reporting, from misinterpretation of reports by patients or those unfamiliar with the reporting format; and,

WHEREAS, neurosurgeons may not know how to access their data, sign up for alerts, or properly dispute or correct a report; therefore

BE IT RESOLVED, that the CSNS will post a link to the Open Payments website on the CSNS website providing neurosurgeons access to their data in order to encourage and accommodate early review and timely disputing; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the CSNS will develop and post an informative document on the CSNS website describing how physicians can sign up to receive alerts when new reports are made and learn how to dispute or correct questionable reports.

Fiscal Note:  None

Conflicts of Interest: none

Notes: This resolution was approved for submission by the Medical Practices Committee by email vote on August 12, 2015.

Title: Assessing the impact of ICD-10 on neurosurgical practices and patient access to neurosurgical care

Submitted by: Luis M. Tumialán MD, Darlene Lobel MD, Todd Barnes MBA, and  Derek Cantrell

WHEREAS, the effects of the coding change from ICD-9 to ICD-10 are likely to have an impact on physicians and medical practices; and

WHEREAS, many of the changes may affect the productivity of physicians and the operation of their offices; and

WHEREAS, these changes may have a negative impact on the work flow of clinical operations and outpatient volumes; and

WHEREAS, the collective effect of the implementation of ICD-10-CM may result in decreasing patient access to neurosurgical care; therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED, that the CSNS will measure the impact of ICD-10 implementation by conducting a survey in collaboration with NERVES, that will be administered to the AANS, CNS, and NERVES membership, and that this survey will measure such factors as outpatient clinical volumes, surgical volumes, number of days of account receivables, charge lag, collections, denials, and cash flow ; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this survey will be sent out in two phases: the first survey will collect data from three months prior to until three months after ICD-10 implementation, and a second survey will be distributed six months after ICD-10 implementation to measure any changes from the initial survey; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a white paper summarizing the finding of the surveys will be drafted and distributed to AANS and CNS members.

Fiscal note: None

Conflicts of Interest: None

September 2015 CSNS Proposed Resolution

Title: Evaluating the impact of the medical review panel process on neurosurgical malpractice litigation

Submitted by: Bharat Guthikonda, MD; Richard Menger, MD; Cathy Mazzola, MD on behalf of the CSNS Medicolegal Committee

WHEREAS, The Medical Review Panel Process is in place in 17-20 states to evaluate medical malpractice litigation claims prior to proceeding to a trial and

WHEREAS, The Purpose of the Medical Review Panel is to provide, with the assistance of a judge, a consensus opinion as to whether the physician plaintiff acted within or outside the acceptable standard of care and

WHEREAS, the CSNS in invested in providing support for organized neurosurgery and protecting the neurosurgical community against frivolous litigation therefore

BE IT RESOLVED that, by the 2016 Spring CSNS meeting, the CSNS will assess the effectiveness of the medical review panel process in preventing frivolous litigation pertaining to neurosurgery only , and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that, if the medical review panel process is found to be helpful in protecting neurosurgeons against frivolous litigation, then the CSNS will formulate a statement of support / recommendation that the medical review panel process should be adopted in all 50 states

Title: Expansion of Non-delegate, non-appointee participation in CSNS activities

Submitted By: Clemens M. Schirmer and Scott Simon, on behalf Young Neurosurgons Representative Section (YNRS) and Website Committee.

WHEREAS, a recent change of the CSNS rules and regulations in Spring 2015 (see summary of changes referenced below) has created the category of Non-delegate, non-appointee individuals (NDNA); and

WHEREAS, there exist a current mandate from the chair and EC to expand membership and participation within the Young Neurosurgeons Representative Section (YNRS) from the larger body of eligible neurosurgeons to; and

WHEREAS, the use of the double negative in the NDNA designation could be considered repudiative and a disincentive for engagement of the target group of young neurosurgeons

WHEREAS, there is an ongoing lack of recognition of status and academic standing of the CSNS from the perspective of program directors and department chairs when ask to grant leave to attend the CSNS meeting due to the lack of a formal membership that signifies ongoing scholarly interest and engagement in organized neurosurgery; and

WHEREAS, currently there does not exist a membership class or coherent treatment of such individuals that allows access to protected portions of the CSNS website and ongoing participation in committee work that may require such access; therefore

BE IT RESOLVED, that the CSNS move to amend the rules and regulations to modify the description of the NDNA category to the positive descriptor “Affiliate”; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the new class of affiliates (NDNA members) of the CSNS are granted appropriate website access to foster collaboration and work on the committee level; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the CSNS further define and clarify the interpretation of the rules and regulations changes from Spring 2015, which created the status and privileges of Non-delegate, non-appointee individuals (NDNA) pertaining to the internal work of the CSNS with consideration of creation of a “Affiliate” membership class and a administrative framework to apply for and be granted membership similar to other Joint AANS/CNS Sections in order to further attract lasting interest and participation of neurosurgeons in the CSNS.

Fiscal Note: none

Prior Similar Resolutions: none

Conflicts of Interest: none

1. Summary of Spring 2015 CSNS Rules and Regulation changes pertaining to the above

  1. Followup on resolution XIII-2013F – Non delegate, non-appointee (NDNA) participation
    1. R/R committee worked on language for proposed change to allow participation by these individuals (see attached R/R version)
    2. Proposal outline
      1. NDNA individuals may serve on standing committees and help participate in committee work
      2. NDNDA individuals may provide testimony at plenary sessions if recognized to do so by the Chair of the CSNS  but must identify themselves as such
      3. NDNA individuals hold no right to vote, either in committees or at the plenary session
      4. NDNA individuals may not serve as committee chairs
      5. NDNA individuals who participate in CSNS functions are welcome at CSNS functions (lunch, reception)
    3. If we accept the wording for this, Appendix A also requires modifications (see attached proposed R/R)

2. Definition of Young Neurosurgeons as part of YNRS

Representative Section of the CSNS whose members are within 10 years of completion of training and are interested in advancing socioeconomic issues of particular interest to neurosurgeons, including job search, practice initiation, Board certification and recertification, training conditions, practice economics, and other related topics.  The mission of the Young Neurosurgeons Section is to educate, interest, and involve recently graduated and resident neurosurgeons in current CSNS and AANS/CNS organizational activities related to socioeconomic issues of neurosurgery practice. This committee undertakes research and report or educational projects on issues of particular interest to young neurosurgeons, including job search, practice initiation, Board certification and recertification, training conditions, practice economics, and other related topics.

TITLE: Development of new quality reporting measures

Submitted by: Cory Hartman, Darlene Lobel, Clemens Schirmer, and Brad Zacharia

WHEREAS, the Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) is a quality reporting system established by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for reporting quality of services provided to Medicare; and,

WHEREAS, CMS requires individual eligible professionals (EPs) and group practices to report a set of  Clinical Quality Measures (CQM) as stipulated in the criteria for meaningful use stage I-III and CMS final rule 77; and,

WHEREAS, quality measures were intended to be indicators of the quality of care provided by a specific practitioner or practice; and,

WHEREAS, the many of the quality measures established by the CMS are the result of coming up with a lowest common denominator for all physicians and may not be appropriate measures to represent the care provided by neurological surgeons; and,

WHEREAS, individual EPs and group practices who do not satisfy report data on quality measures for Medicare Part B Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) in 2015 will face the 2017 PQRS negative payment adjustment; and,

WHEREAS, the importance of satisfactorily reporting on quality measures through PQRS is critical due to CMS making performance data available to the public in 2016; therefore,

BE IT RESOVLED, that the CSNS develop a white paper which describes the process of creating a reportable quality measure that is relevant to neurosurgical practice; and,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the CSNS establish a web base tool accessible to all neurologic surgeons that will aid in the identification of PQRS quality measures applicable to neurologic surgeons; and,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the CSNS offer to work with the AANS and CNS, and work, in particular, with the Quality Improvement Council to establish a Potential Neurological Surgery Preferred Specialty Measure Set specific to the care of neurosurgical patients.

Fiscal Note: none

Conflicts of Interest: none

2015 Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS): Implementation Guide, accessed at https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Quality-Initiatives-Patient-Assessment-Instruments/PQRS/Downloads/2015_PQRS_ImplementationGuide.pdf

Assessment of the Impact of Mobile Technology in the Neurosurgical Operating Room

Submitted by:

Debraj Mukherjee, MD, MPH and Clemens M. Schirmer, MD, PhD

WHEREAS, the use of mobile technologies have dramatically increased among healthcare providers over the past decade; and

WHEREAS, use of mobile devices, particularly in the operating room, has been of increasing interest to patients and the general public; and

WHEREAS, such interest has primarily revolved around the balance between mobile technology’s ability to improve communication and enhance productivity for surgeons, in contrast to concerns over it’s potential role in causing distraction or contamination in the operating room; and

WHEREAS, formal position statements focusing on the use of mobile technologies in the operating room have been issued by the American College of Surgeons (ACS)1, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS)2, and the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN)3; and

WHEREAS, organized neurosurgery has yet to formally address the role of mobile technology within the operating suite; therefore

BE IT RESOLVED, that the CSNS develop a white paper to study the issue of mobile technology use in the neurosurgical operating room; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the CSNS request that the parent organizations develop a position statement on the use of mobile technologies in the neurosurgical operating room.

Fiscal Note: None

Conflicts of Interest: None

1. College’s Committee on Perioperative Care. Statement on use of cell phones in the operating room. Bull Am Coll Surg. 2008 Sep;93(9):33-4.

2. American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons. (December 2014). “Information Statement: Surgeon and Surgical Team Concentration”. http://www.aaos.org/about/papers/advistmt/1041.asp

3. Association of periOperative Registered Nurses. (January 2014). “AORN Position Statement on Managing Distractions and Noise During Perioperative Patient Care”. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.aorn.2013.10.010

Draft Resolution for Fall 2015 CSNS Meeting

Title: Development of recommendations for appropriate use of personal electronic devices and social media by neurosurgeons

Submitted By: Kristopher T. Kimmell, Jordan Amadio, G. Edward Vates

WHEREAS, neurosurgeons, like other healthcare providers, are increasingly dependent on personal electronic devices (PEDs) to carry out their workflow in caring for patients,

WHEREAS, PED use also carries significant risk secondary to potential security breach of personal health information (PHI) and distraction during patient care,

WHEREAS, these risks are a focus in the media and have resulted in medicolegal action in some instances,

WHEREAS, both PEDs and social media use (such as Facebook, Twitter, Doximity, and LinkedIn) engender both risks and positive opportunities for practicing neurosurgeons,

WHEREAS, several other specialty organizations have developed guidelines for clinicians in use of these devices in patient care areas (such as the operating room) as well as use of social media technologies,

WHEREAS, the CSNS has recently developed educational material to neurosurgeons regarding appropriate use of PEDs (RESOLUTION VII-2013F),

BE IT RESOLVED that the CSNS petition its parent organizations to develop formal recommendations on the appropriate use of PEDs and social media in healthcare delivery and patient care, and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the CSNS provide our parent organizations with three work products that can be distributed to members:

  1. How can neurosurgeons protect PHI when they use PEDs?
  2. Benefits and pitfalls of PEDs in the OR and clinic: what every neurosurgeon should know.
  3. Social media guidelines: best practices for neurosurgeons.

Previous resolutions: RESOLUTION VII-2013F

“Do Cell Phones Belong in the Operating Room?” http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/do-cellphones-belong-in-the-operating-room/2015/07/13/f524e908-1e9e-11e5-aeb9-a411a84c9d55_story.html

McGirt MJ. mHealth: The emerging role of mobile technology in healthcare delivery re-engineering. CNS Quarterly, Winter 2014

“ACS, as a Member of CSPS, Endorses Noise Reduction Resource”  https://www.facs.org/publications/newsscope/noise0515#sthash.m44Za9U2.dpuf

“Information Statement: Surgeon and Surgical Team Concentration”

‘Communication Devices: Personal cell phones, computers, tablets and other communication devices have become indispensable and critical tools for timely communication and acquisition of important information. Effective use of these devices is important to fulfill clinical responsibilities. Removal of these devices is impractical and may be dangerous in some critical care environments. However, inappropriate and unnecessary use in OR settings may introduce distractions and prevent focus on the important clinical task at hand. It is important for OR policies and procedures to assure appropriate use of such devices in the OR setting to promote optimal surgical and emergency care.’

“Technology: An Uninvited Guest in the O.R.?” http://www.asahq.org/resources/publications/newsletter-articles/2015/april-2015/technology-an-uninvited-guest-in-the-or

“Professional Use of Digital and Social Media” http://www.acog.org/Resources-And-Publications/Committee-Opinions/Committee-on-Professional-Liability/Professional-Use-of-Digital-and-Social-Media

“Surgeons and social media: Threat to professionalism or an essential part of contemporary surgical practice?” http://bulletin.facs.org/2015/08/surgeons-and-social-media-threat-to-professionalism-or-an-essential-part-of-contemporary-surgical-practice/

Read Full Post »

Location: Friday, April 24th at 7:00 pm at B.A.N.K. Restaurant in Minneapolis.
1. Review old business/minutes
2. Financial Report
3. Annual Meeting planning
    A. Summary of Planning to date/tentative agenda
    B. New ideas
    C. Future meeting ideas
4. Call for new delegate to CSNS
5. New business
All MNS members are welcome.

Read Full Post »

Older Posts »


text:
Royal Bank of Scotland Fixed 2.49% until 29/02/2020

Royal Bank of Scotland Fixed 2.49% until 29/02/2020

? customer score 57%

Overpayments allowed Portable Initial rate Reverts to Max LTV
Whether the deal allows you to pay more than you have to each month so you can pay your mortgage off more quickly and save on interest.
Whether the deal can be transferred to a new property if you move so you don’t have to pay charges for paying the mortgage off early.
The interest rate you'll pay during the initial deal period.
The interest rate you'll pay once the initial deal period ends.
The maximum amount you can borrow as a percentage of the property value.
Yes Yes 2.49% 3.99% 70.0%

Assumed borrowing of £125,000 over 25 years, representative 3.9% APRC. Total amount payable: £195,504.41. Includes interest of £68,336.41, Valuation fee of £173, Booking fee of £0 and Administration fee of £1,995. Repayments: 24 monthly repayments of £560.14 at 2.49% (fixed), then 276 monthly repayments of £651.79 at 3.99% (variable).

Royal Bank of Scotland customer satisfaction scorecard:

How do we work this out?
Clarity of statements Flexibility of payments Transparency of charges Customer service Overall customer score

Very poor

We have not been able to rate this provider as our customer satisfaction survey didn't generate a big enough sample of its customers but we aim to rate as many providers as possible

Maximum age 70
Minimum age 18
Location Any
Restricted location note N/A
Existing customer note N/A
Eligibility notes N/A

Mortgage product details

Mortgage types Remortgage, Buy to let
Deal type Fixed
Tracker type N/A
Payment options Interest only, Repayment

Mortgage product features

Overpayments allowed Yes
Overpayment limits note 10% of outstanding mortgage balance each year without extra charge
Offset mortgage No
Help to Buy mortgage No
Shared ownership mortgage No
Shared equity mortgage No
New-build mortgage No
Self-build mortgage No
Portable mortgage Yes

Product fees

Arrangement fee £1,995
Arrangement fee can be added to loan Yes
Booking fee £0
Telegraphic transfer fee £30
Insurance fee £0
Other fees £0

Rate information

Minimum borrowing amount £25,000
Maximum borrowing amount £3,500,000
Minimum term (years) 3
Maximum term (years) 35
Initial deal end date 29.02.20
Initial deal length (months) 24
APRC 3.88%
Initial rate 2.49%
Revert-to rate 3.99%
Maximum LTV 70.0%

Other charges

Exit fees £0
Valuation admin fee £75
Valuation fee From £123 for property value above £100,000
Early repayment note 2% then 1% until end of fixed period

Standard benefits

Valuation admin fee excluded from any refund offer Yes
Maximum free valuation £0
Cash back amount £0
Further notes about benefits N/A

Remortgage benefits

Cash back on legal fees No
Free legal work Yes
Valuation offer Free

Purchase mortgage benefits

Cash back on legal fees No
Free legal work No
Valuation offer Payable


text:
Leeds Building Society Fixed 2.49% until 28/02/2023

Leeds Building Society  Fixed 2.49% until 28/02/2023

? customer score 66%

Overpayments allowed Portable Initial rate Reverts to Max LTV
Whether the deal allows you to pay more than you have to each month so you can pay your mortgage off more quickly and save on interest.
Whether the deal can be transferred to a new property if you move so you don’t have to pay charges for paying the mortgage off early.
The interest rate you'll pay during the initial deal period.
The interest rate you'll pay once the initial deal period ends.
The maximum amount you can borrow as a percentage of the property value.
Yes No 2.49% 5.69% 75.0%

Assumed borrowing of £125,000 over 25 years, representative 4.6% APRC. Total amount payable: £211,354.11. Includes interest of £86,019.11, Valuation fee of £335, Booking fee of £0 and Administration fee of £0. Repayments: 60 monthly repayments of £560.14 at 2.49% (fixed), then 240 monthly repayments of £739.21 at 5.69% (variable).

Leeds Building Society customer satisfaction scorecard:

How do we work this out?
Clarity of statements Flexibility of payments Transparency of charges Customer service Overall customer score

We have not been able to rate this provider as our customer satisfaction survey didn't generate a big enough sample of its customers but we aim to rate as many providers as possible

Maximum age 80
Minimum age 18
Location Any
Restricted location note Only available in England.
Existing customer note N/A
Eligibility notes Maximum purchase price of £600,000.

Mortgage product details

Mortgage types Remortgage
Deal type Fixed
Tracker type N/A
Payment options Repayment

Mortgage product features

Overpayments allowed Yes
Overpayment limits note 10% penalty free capital over-repayments each year
Offset mortgage No
Help to Buy mortgage Yes
Shared ownership mortgage No
Shared equity mortgage No
New-build mortgage Yes
Self-build mortgage No
Portable mortgage No

Product fees

Arrangement fee £0
Arrangement fee can be added to loan No
Booking fee £0
Telegraphic transfer fee £35
Insurance fee £0
Other fees £0

Rate information

Minimum borrowing amount N/A
Maximum borrowing amount £500,000
Minimum term (years) 5
Maximum term (years) 40
Initial deal end date 28.02.23
Initial deal length (months) 60
APRC 4.64%
Initial rate 2.49%
Revert-to rate 5.69%
Maximum LTV 75.0%

Other charges

Exit fees £199
Valuation admin fee £0
Valuation fee From £230 for property value above £100,000
Early repayment note 5% then 5% then 4% then 3% then 2% until end of fixed period

Standard benefits

Valuation admin fee excluded from any refund offer Yes
Maximum free valuation £999
Cash back amount £500
Further notes about benefits N/A

Remortgage benefits

Cash back on legal fees No
Free legal work No
Valuation offer Free

Purchase mortgage benefits

Cash back on legal fees No
Free legal work No
Valuation offer Payable


text:
open to layouts, canvases and art journal pages. PLUS we host a word-based Mini Challenge

on the last week of each month for cards, tags and ATCs. There is definitely something for everyone!

01 July, 2017

July 2017 Main Challenge

Happy July 1st everyone!

It's time yet again to reveal a new Main Challenge,
and we really hope that you will love it!

We have a few new fabulous designers as announced a couple days ago,
and along with the rest of our very talented design team, they have created
some wonderful projects which we cannot wait to share with you.

So, without further delay, here is the July Main Challenge:
Our Main Challenge is based on a word inspiration and a creative challenge.
The challenge is open to layouts, canvases and art journal pages only.
Make sure to carefully read our instructions below.

Word Inspiration - EXPLORE
Creative Challenge - ARROWS

What does the word EXPLORE inspire you to create?
You can choose to use the actual word somewhere on your project
or simply be inspired by it.  Since, as you are aware, words are an integral
part of our challenges, we want to know how this month's word stimulated
your creative process, so please do explain in your blog post how it inspired you!

July is often a month during which we like to get away and explore new horizons whether we are in the Northern hemisphere and are enjoying Summer holidays or in the Southern hemisphere and want to escape Winter for a warmer climate. So we go our own way... follow our arrow, wherever it points! So, our creative challenge this month is to add ARROWS (1 or more) on your project!

To be eligible to win, you have to incorporate both requirements of the challenge,
the word inspiration (EXPLORE) and the creative challenge (ARROWS).
Just look at our designers' projects and descriptions as examples.
You must also include our board image as well as a link to our blog in your entry post.  AND you may combine our challenge with no more than 2 other challenges.

Please check out all our challenge rules in the RULES tab above.

 Heike: I want to be a happy traveler, one day when my kids are all grown up. Years ago, my husband and I made a bucket list. One point on this list is traveling. The word EXPLORE is the perfect description for our adventure. I made my layout on white cardstock and happy bright colors as well as many bold black arrows
as a symbol of our dream.

 Janice: This is my first layout as a More Than Words DT member, and I am feeling a little anxious about it all! I have added the word EXPLORE to my layout and journaled about Sarah walking around Time Square in the snow,
hence the ARROWS going around the photo.

 Mary: The word inspiration EXPLORE brought to my mind one of my dreams. I always wanted to travel and explore the world, so I decided to scrap a photo of a yacht traveling on the seas. I've also added some ARROWS on my layout
to show the directions that can be followed.

Torsa: I have created a layout on which you can find a story! It is inspired by my daughter. Her Summer break just began, and she has already packed her bags. When I asked her about her plans, she said that she wants to go on a treasure hunt. But where? 'I have to find out!', she said very seriously. I have created a road sign with ARROWS and used the word EXPLORE on my page.
I think I have nailed the challenge perfectly!

Pamela: To me, the word EXPLORE immediately brings to mind children. They have an innate curiosity about everything. They want to try everything, learn everything and play everything! So I chose a photo that represents a child exploring the world of art. There are ARROWS in my title as well as 2 on my page as decorations.

Elena T: For our July EXPLORE challenge, I took this photo of my youngest son. He is like a little pirate exploring the new possibilities of his equipment. This boy is always looking for an adventure! I used metallic ARROWS as a decorative
element in my composition.

Di: I was inspired to scrap this picture of my grandson that we took the other day. It was a perfect photo for this challenge because he is just 20 months old and at that age they just EXPLORE everything! Life is just one big exploration! I loved the ARROW challenge too and think I can definitely tick that box.

Caroline: When I saw the word inspiration EXPLORE, I thought about this picture of my 2 younger boys, walking hand in hand in the forest. It was last Summer, and I had no occasion to scrapbook it before now. I really like the way they walk together, looking around to try and see some animals in the woods. For the creative twist, I used a lot of ARROWS stamped and a couple of foil stickers.
I also have an arrow on my badge.

Lilibleu: To illustrate the EXPLORE theme, in addition to the word itself which I directly used on my project, I also chose a photo representing a door that opens on an unknown world.  It is an invitation to explore it! I put ARROWS all around my picture to give the idea of the direction to take.

Nicole: 'Be brave & EXPLORE life' - this is the title of my layout and a message that I would like to relay to my nieces, including the youngest in the photo, who are already living life to the fullest every day! They're a constant inspiration to me! I went a little crazy with the creative challenge - I added over 30 ARROWS on my page.  I made the deep fuschia swirly arrows pop out to represent how life doesn't always follow a straightforward path. You have to not be afraid
and follow wherever it may lead.

Aga: 'EXPLORE yourself' which I've written on my art journal page means to me that you have to focus on your objectives and try to reach them so that you can find yourself.  I added several different style of ARROWS to decorate my page.

Elena M: Children are little explorers! They are interested in everything. Everywhere they poke their little nosy noses! I made a layout about my nephew. He is a very active and cheerful baby. I have also added a lot of ARROWS to show how he is interested in EXPLORING the world in all directions.

Anguree: I found some mojo sitting on a yatch my hubby was interested to buy. We have been speaking of sailing the world since we met and maybe one day this dream will come true. It was not this day, but sitting there on the docks reminded me of the dream to EXPLORE new places and going where I have never been before. I dream of discovering hidden treasures and less traveled roads. These treasures are not the kind that may come to mind. It includes no gold or gems, but the people, relationships and experiences we hope to come across on our way. I have traveled a fair bit in my life and those are amongst the things that inspire me to do it over and over again. I added some beautiful metal ARROWS on my canvas
to help me find the way!

Valerie: My wish for my son is to see him spread his wings and EXPLORE what life can offer for him to be able to reach his dreams. For the creative challenge,
I added some paper ARROW die cuts.

Kavitha: My page is about EXPLORing our fears. One of my favorite quotes is 'Everything you want is on the other side of your fear.' We all have our fears, but finally when we gather the courage to overcome them, the result is always rewarding. So, overcome your fears and follow your dreams! For the creative challenge, I have used lots of ARROWS showing the direction
to your dreams coming true.

WOW!  Our DT sure have explored this challenge to the fullest
and have come up with stunning inspiration for all of you!

And now, on with the prizes...

All our prizes include free international postage!

(as voted by our DT)

$50 USD value prize from THE SCRAPBOOK DIARIES

Here is more information about this month's 1st place prize sponsor:

The Scrapbook Diaries is an online retailer for premium scrapbooking and paper craft supplies. We specialize in kits from the industries' top designers. Our kits come mailed with directions as well as access to step by step videos that enable you to follow the creative process of designers from around the world. We carry products from international manufactures and we boast the largest selection of laser-cut chipboard available on the web.

(as voted by our DT, in no particular order)

$25 USD value prize from MAGENTA

$25 USD value prize from LINDY'S
(image below is for illustration purposes only)

$25 USD value prize from THE DUSTY ATTIC

$25 USD value prize from 7 DOTS STUDIO
(image below is for illustration purposes only)

(picked at random from all eligible entries)

$25 USD value prize from MAJA DESIGN

$25 USD value prize from COCOA VANILLA STUDIO
(image below is for illustration purposes only)

(hand picked by our Admin team - an entry not in our Top 5,
but that has that special something that captured our attention)

$25 USD value prize from FABRIKA DECORU

We are very grateful to all our generous sponsors for these fabulous prizes!
To learn about any of them, click on the SPONSORS tab above.

We are looking forward to seeing your entries into our
July Main Challenge EXPLORE & ARROWS!

Link up your projects using our LinkyTool in the right sidebar
by July 31st at 11:59 pm EST.

  1. Wow! Such stunning creations by all DT's! Love the chosen word with arrow theme! So much work to see here! Love them all!

  2. An exciting challenge and inspirational examples from the team.

  3. Oh, what a fabulous reveal! Absolutely love this challenge and hope that LOTS will participate!

  4. de très jolie réalisations! et très jolis lot à gagner!

  5. Beautiful creations! Welcome to the new team members!

  6. Beautiful challenge and amazing inspirational work! Thank you team!

  7. Wow!! all inspirational projects are so gorgeous!!

  8. Fabulous challenge, and wonderful inspiration pieces

  9. Very cool challenge and awesome DT inspiration!
    The Leaf Studio