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This is one way to show that a polynomial in $\mathbb{Z}[x]$ is irreducible, but it does not always work. There are polynomials which are irreducible in $\mathbb{Z}[x]$ yet factor in $\mathbb{F}_p[x]$ for every prime $p$. The only examples I know are $x^4 + 1$ and $x^4 - 10x^2 + 1$.

I'd like to see more examples, in particular an infinite family of polynomials like this would be interesting. How does one go about finding them? Has anyone ever attempted classifying all polynomials in $\mathbb{Z}[x]$ with this property?

  • $\begingroup$ Your initial claim is false. For example, $f(x)=4x^2-1$ is reducible over $\mathbb{Z}$ but irreducible over $\mathbb{F}_2$. $\endgroup$ – Chris Eagle Jun 20 '12 at 16:42
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ Ah, you're right. I meant that unless the leading coefficient is zero modulo $p$. $\endgroup$ – spin Jun 20 '12 at 16:43
  • $\begingroup$ Are invertible polynomials considered irreducible? I thought they were neither reducible, no irreducible, like the integer $1$ is neither prime nor composite. $\endgroup$ – Alexey Dec 24 '18 at 9:12

There are two crucial results here.

Dedekind's theorem: Let $f$ be a monic irreducible polynomial over $\mathbb{Z}$ of degree $n$ and let $p$ be a prime such that $f$ has distinct roots $\bmod p$ (this is true for precisely the primes not dividing the discriminant). Suppose that the prime factorization of $f \bmod p$ is $$f \equiv \prod_{i=1}^k f_i \bmod p.$$

Then the Galois group $G$ of $f$ contains an element of cycle type $(\deg f_1, \deg f_2, ...)$. In particular, if $f$ is irreducible $\bmod p$, then $G$ contains an $n$-cycle.

Frobenius density theorem: The density of the primes with respect to which the factorization of $f \bmod p$ has the above form is equal to the density of elements of $G$ with the corresponding cycle type. In particular, for every cycle type there is at least one such prime $p$.

It follows that

$f$ is reducible $\bmod p$ for all $p$ if and only if $G$ does not contain an $n$-cycle.

The smallest value of $n$ for which this is possible is $n = 4$, where the Galois group $V_4 \cong C_2 \times C_2$ has no $4$-cycle. Thus to write down a family of examples it suffices to write down a family of irreducible quartics with Galois group $V_4$. As discussed for example in this math.SE question, if $$f(x) = (x^2 - a)^2 - b$$

is irreducible and $a^2 - b$ is a square, then $f$ has Galois group $V_4$. In particular, taking $b = a^2 - 1$ the problem reduces to finding infinitely many $a$ such that $$f(x) = x^4 - 2ax^2 + 1$$

is irreducible. We get your examples by setting $a = 0, 5$.

By the rational root theorem, the only possible rational roots of $f$ are $\pm 1$, so by taking $a \neq 1$ we already guarantee that $f$ has no rational roots. If $f$ splits into two quadratic factors, then they both have constant term $\pm 1$, so we can write $$x^4 - 2ax + 1 = (x^2 - bx \pm 1)(x^2 + bx \pm 1)$$

for some $b$. This gives $$2a = b^2 \mp 2.$$

Thus $f$ is irreducible if and only if $2a$ cannot be written in the above form (and also $a \neq 1$).

Classifying polynomials $f$ with this property seems quite difficult in general. When $n = 4$, it turns out that $V_4$ is in fact the only transitive subgroup of $S_4$ not containing a $4$-cycle, but for higher values of $n$ there should be lots more, and then one has to tell whether a polynomial has one of these as a Galois group...

(Except if $n = q$ is prime; in this case $q | |G|$ so it must have a $q$-cycle.)

  • 2
    $\begingroup$ I should mention that these theorems together can also be used to compute Galois groups. The idea is that one factors $f \bmod p$ for lots of primes $p$ and builds a table of the observed densities of the cycle types, then compares that table to the densities for all possible Galois groups of $f$. The density of cycle types uniquely characterizes the Galois group up to conjugacy for $n \le 7$ (I didn't check beyond that). $\endgroup$ – Qiaochu Yuan Jun 20 '12 at 16:59
  • $\begingroup$ Could you please explain why $f$ is reducible$\mod p$ in the case that $p$ divides the discriminant of $f$? In that case, the hypotheses for Dedekind's theorem do not hold. $\endgroup$ – John Gowers Nov 29 '13 at 0:03
  • $\begingroup$ OK - got the answer myself. If $f\mod p$ is inseparable, then it has some irreducible factor of the form $g(X^p)$ for some irreducible $g$. But every element of $\mathbb F_p$ is a $p$-th power so, applying the Frobenius automorphism, we can write $g(X^p)$ as $(h(x))^p$, where the coefficients of $h$ are the $p$-th roots of the coefficients of $g$. But this is clearly reducible. $\endgroup$ – John Gowers Nov 29 '13 at 15:30
  • $\begingroup$ @Qiaochu Yuan : For Frobenius density theorem, do we need that f is irreducible over $\mathbb{Z}$? $\endgroup$ – vgmath Jul 19 '17 at 14:35

The polynomials $p_n(x)=x^{2^n}+1$ form an infinite family of examples of such polynomials. They are irreducible over the rationals, because $p_n(x)$ is also the cyclotomic polynomial of order $2^{n+1}$.

But the polynomial $p_n(x)$ factors in $\mathbb{F}_p[x]$ for any prime $p$. If $p=2$, this is obvious because $$ p_n(x)\equiv (x+1)^{2^n}\pmod2. $$ If $p$ is an odd prime, then the reasoning is a little bit more subtle. It follows from the fact that the order $d$ of $p$ in the group $G=\mathbb{Z}/2^{n+1}\mathbb{Z}^*$ is less than $2^n$ (by virtue of non-cyclicity of $G$), and the fact that the field $\mathbb{F}_{p^d}$ then contains a primitive root of unity of order $2^{n+1}$ as $2^{n+1}\mid (p^d-1)$. This implies that the primitive roots of unity of order $2^{n+1}$ have minimal polynomials of degree $d$, and these must be factors of $p_n(x)$ in $\Bbb{Z}_p[x]$.

It is worth observing that for the same reason ($G$ not cyclic) the polynomials $p_n(x)$ pass the test described in Qiaochu's answer. The elements of the Galois group all have orders that are powers of two $<2^n$, so the maximum length of a cycle is $2^{n-1}$.

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    $\begingroup$ Slightly more obvious: for $n \ge 2$, $p_n(x) = p_2(x^{2^{n-2}})$, so if $p_2$ factors so does $p_n$. $\endgroup$ – Robert Israel Jun 20 '12 at 16:51

For any distinct primes $p_1,p_2$ the polynomial $$x^4-2(p_1+p_2)x^2+(p_1-p_2)^2,(1)$$

is irreducible in $\Bbb Q$, but this polynomial is reducible modulo $p$ for any prime $p$. Let us see why:

It is a well-known fact that $[\Bbb Q(\sqrt{p_1},\sqrt{p_2}):\Bbb Q]=4$ and $\Bbb Q(\sqrt{p_1}+\sqrt{p_2})=\Bbb Q(\sqrt{p_1},\sqrt{p_2})$; see this, thus as $\sqrt{p_1}+\sqrt{p_2}$ is a root of $(1)$, this polynomial is irreducible over $\Bbb Q$.

As the Legendre symbol is multiplicative we get that $p_1$ or $p_2$ have a square root modulo $p$ or $p_1p_2$ does; notice this happens trivially if $p=p_1$ or $p=p_2$, hence as $\Bbb F_p(\sqrt{p_1},\sqrt{p_2})=\Bbb F_p(\sqrt{p_1},\sqrt{p_1p_2})=\Bbb F_p(\sqrt{p_2},\sqrt{p_1p_2})$, we obtain $$[\Bbb F_p(\sqrt{p_1},\sqrt{p_2}):\Bbb F_p]\leq 2,$$

and this implies $(1)$ is not irreducible as $\sqrt{p_1}+\sqrt{p_2}$ is a root.

The polynomial $x^4-10x^2+1$ is a particular case with $p_1=2$ and $p_2=3$.

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GO GO GATO: one week away and counting…

My debut novel GO GO GATO is scheduled for release in one week, on August 1st, and I wanted to say a quick word about marketing/self-promotion.

And the word is this: tough.

It’s tough when you are an introvert and you want to be writer.  I mean, you want people to read your work, and you think your writing is good and people might be entertained by it, but at the same time, you do not want to annoy/pester/piss them off by constantly posting things on Twitter and FB or emailing them asking for favors like writing reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, and everywhere else. But alas, that’s part of the gig these days, which, really, I don’t mind doing because I love books so much.  In fact, the only reason I write at all is because I want to toss in my dash of spice to the great big wonderful stew known as Literature. (Did you see what I did there, with the metaphor thingie? How could you not want to read my book?!?)

Anyway, with that said, I would like to pre-thank any and all who have pre-ordered my book. No kidding, it means a lot to me, and I hope you enjoy reading it half as much as I enjoyed banging my head on the desk writing it (seriously, I did/do/will continue to do that. I have issues. Enough said.) I would also like to ask a small favor: after you read my book, if you would post an honest review on Amazon and Goodreads, I would be forever grateful. The review need not be lengthy. Even three or four sentences is a big help, especially if you actually liked the darn thing. Indie and Small Press authors like myself rely on reviews and word of mouth to gain a wider audience, so again, I say thanks in advance.

One more thing: I’m trying out a bit of a catchphrase/motto regarding marketing and my book.  Here it is: If you like it, tell a friend. If you hate it, tell an enemy. (Come on, I’m funny, right? Read my book!)

Book Review of THE SETUP MAN by T. T. Monday

Okay, so Johnny Adcock, a relief pitcher for the San Jose Bay Dogs and part-time private investigator, is a bit of a jerk.

And he is a millionaire with what amounts to two incredibly cool part-time jobs that pay more in a month than I make in a decade.

And he has a whip-smart and sexy girlfriend who is a venture capitalist and requires nothing more from Johnny than casual sex and witty banter.

And he travels all over the country, playing the greatest sport known to man and staying in plush hotels, and when he isn’t facing his one batter per game–note: that’s what a “set up man” in the bullpen does–he’s chasing down high-end prostitutes and fighting off Mexican gangsters and setting up stings.

Not a bad life, if you can get it.

Yeah, I’m jealous, for Johnny Adcock has the top two jobs on my All-Time Dream Jobs List: Major League ballplayer and private investigator.

In THE SETUP MAN, Adcock is asked by his teammate Frankie Herrera to look into a “problem with his wife.” Pretty standard stuff, until Adcock discovers Herrera’s wife has starred in a porn film, and apparently, someone is attempting to blackmail Herrera with it. As soon as Herrera enlists Adcock’s help, Herrera dies in a car crash. . .and there’s a woman in the car with him: a young prostitute.  From there, Adcock gets drawn into a ring of murder, high-end hookers, Mexican drug cartels, and blackmail. And it’s all fun.

Bottom line, this is a page turner, and even if you don’t know about or like baseball, you’ll get sucked into the narrative because of the sarcastic lead character, good dialogue, and fast-paced plot. Highly recommended.

the set up man cover

Review of DON’T DARE A DAME by M. Ruth Myers

On M. Ruth Myers’ website, the author claims her books have “strong women–small guns–smart dialogue.”  And Don’t Dare a Dame, the third book in the Maggie Sullivan detective series, makes good on those claims.  And then some.

Set during the Depression Era in Dayton, Ohio, Don’t Dare a Dame starts off in classic P.I. form with Maggie Sullivan taking a seemingly dead-end case. The Vanhorn Sisters, two sweet spinsters, one of them blind, hire Maggie to look into the disappearance of their father, who vanished some quarter of century ago during the Great Flood of 1913.  The investigation immediately turns deadly when the Vanhorn’s stepfather–and Maggie’s chief suspect–commits suicide, and then she gets hauled before the Chief of Police for asking too many questions. From there, the pot really begins to boil as Maggie discovers that the Vanhorn sisters’ suspicions are justified: their father was, indeed, murdered; the only question is: who is the killer?  But before Maggie can identify the killer and bring justice to the Vanhorn’s, her P.I. license, her livelihood, and her life will be put at risk.

Myers definitely makes good on the “strong women” in this novel, especially the protagonist Maggie Sullivan.  Tough and pretty with a smart mouth and a strong moral compass, Sullivan is a “dame” a reader can root for.  This is the passage in chapter one that really sold me on this character when Sullivan takes a bully down:

I hated to persuade him, but Neal seemed like one of those guys who needed taking down a peg or two. I gave him a quick little kitten jab in the snoot. Not enough to break it, just enough to start blood gushing down to his chin and get his attention. . .’Don’t drip on the rug on your way out,’ I said.

Now that’s my kind of detective, but if you remain unconvinced of her toughness, here’s a great exchange between Sullivan and one of her operatives after she’s caught a beating herself:

“Holy smokes, Sis! Someone roughed you up bad.”

“Yeah, but I shot him,” I said to allay his dismay. ..

“Was it Cy Warren’s mugs did it?”

“Nah,” I lied. “Some girls have a fan club. The one they started for me is people lining up to break my nose.”

But it’s not only Sullivan’s toughness and sharp tongue that make this an enjoyable read. It’s also the setting. The descriptions of the area, the secondary characters and how they act, speak, and think, and the police procedural aspects of the novel: all of these elements are authentic and highly readable. And when you add those elements with a formidable lead character and a page-turning plot, it all adds up to a great mystery.

Maggie Sullivan is in the running for my favorite new P.I. series, and I’ve already downloaded Tough Cookie to my Kindle. Don’t Dare a Dame, which was recently named a finalist for the Shamus Award for Best Indie P.I. novel,has everything working for it. Go buy it. You will not be sorry.

Review of THE SPARTAK TRIGGER by Bryce Allen

I love the voice in this novel, which is an addictive cross between Chuck Palahniuk and Mikey Spillane with a bit of spy-fi a la Ian Fleming thrown in for good measure. What this book does (and does well) is follow the classic structure of a detective/spy novel, plot twists and tough guy dialogue included, while simultaneously poking fun at those storied genres. There are insider jokes/familiar troupes on practically every page, and the author’s influences literally pop up and say, “Hello.” Usually, a writer will deliver jokes deadpan and only acknowledge his/her influences via author interview, but Allen calls attention to his in the actual narrative, which makes the book all the more comical and enjoyable. Too, this level of self-commentary adds a layer of depth to the narrative, making THE SPARTAK TRIGGER both a novel and, in its own way, criticism. . .and entertaining criticism at that.

But all English major stuff aside, this book does the most important thing a novel should do: it makes you want to turn pages; it draws you into its world and makes you want to stay there. Bottom line, that is my most fundamental requirement for fiction, and based on that, I highly recommend reading this one.

Book Review: DOVE SEASON by Johnny Shaw

In my mind, this novel can be broken down into two parts, and both of them are satisfying, but for different reasons.  Part One is about Jimmy Veeder, a good guy drifter with a sense of humor, who returns to the Imperial Valley in California to visit his dying father, Big Jack Veeder.  The highlights of this section are Shaw’s descriptions of Imperial Valley and Mexico, which is right on the border nearby.  Here is one of my favorite sections from the beginning of chapter six:

All the fun stuff is in Mexico. . . Hell, you can buy Cuban cigars. You can go to a bullfight, a dog fight, or a cock fight if that’s your pleasure. What is fun and illegal in the U.S., Mexico gladly offers in a semi-legal, slightly dangerous way. If the law looks the other way, then is it really illegal?

In this passage, Shaw comically sums up the moral and legal ambiguity of Mexico and what role America and Americans play in that ambiguity; pretty much throughout Part One, he manages to skillfully provide commentary on the complex relationship between the two countries, but without being preachy, long-winded, and, most importantly, without sacrificing the narrative thread. Another aspect of Part One I enjoyed was the relationships between Jimmy (the son) and Jack (the father).  Even in a crime novel, death bed scenes, especially death bed scenes between parent and child, could very easily come across as trite or just plain boring to read. But these aren’t.  Big Jack, a veteran and a farmer, is kind of the strong-silent type, but he has a wonderful sense of humor, especially about death.  Here’s Big Jack on death, from chapter three:

Dying is a bitch when you don’t believe in God. But I ain’t going to start now just because I’m scared. I’m afraid, and the only way I know how to kill fear is distraction. I want to die happy. I want to die laughing.  . .Let’s not let this get dark and sad and morose. Leave the crying to the women.

Throughout Part One, there are funny exchanges like this between Jimmy and Jack, the best of which happens when Jack asks his son to find him a prostitute, which, in a way, serves as the transition from Part One to Part Two.

Part Two of the novel is the crime element of this particular crime novel, and this is when the narrative really picks up speed.  Jimmy and his friend Bobby head into Mexico to locate Yolanda, a prostitute that Big Jack has a mysterious relationship with.  I never like to talk specifics about plot, but I can say this journey into Mexico brings death, kidnapping, and gangsters into the mix, which is always fun. I especially enjoy the character Tomas Morales, a stone-cold businessman who Jimmy used to look after when Tomas was a little kid. Morales is into all manner of illegal activity, but he assists Jimmy in finding Yolanda.  In this section of the novel, the reader really gets to know Jimmy, and the misadventures he gets into with Bobby are great fun.  As is their dialogue.  Here’s Bobby’s response when Jimmy asks him to go to Mexico and help Jimmy locate a hooker for Big Jack:

Your dad is fucking awesome. I am so in on this. Beats the shit out of bringing flowers. Jack wants a piece, let’s tear him off some chonch.

That made me laugh.  I also enjoyed the relationship Jimmy has with Angie, his ex-girlfriend who works at Big Jack’s hospice center. Tough as nails and every bit as funny as Bobby, Angie keeps Jimmy, a slacker by nature, focused and centered, and it is always fun to read.

Bottom line, this is an excellent book with a funny yet flawed main character and a fascinating setting.  The Mexico/US border is always fertile ground for great stories, and Johnny Shaw has certainly added a great new one.  I’ve already downloaded PLASTER CITY, which is another book in the Jimmy Veeder series. I give DOVE SEASON my highest recommendation.

dove season

Interview with Bryce Allen, author of THE SPARTAK TRIGGER

Why do you write?

ALLEN: I’ve never really thought about it to be honest, it’s kind of just something that I’ve always done in one form or another. In high school/college/my mid-20s I played in various bands and wrote songs but when that came to an end I began writing fiction as a creative outlet. It took a few years to get published but I definitely feel like I needed that time to improve my skills and develop stylistically.

When do you write?

ALLEN: Typically I’ll write at night but if I have a free day on the weekend I’ll brew a pot of coffee and pound on the keyboard all morning and into the early afternoon. I’ve tried writing during my lunch break at work but that tends to be unproductive.

Where do you write?

ALLEN: I’ll mainly write in my apartment on the sofa with a good CD playing. Sometimes I’ll throw on a DVD of a film I’ve seen a million times, just so there’s some white noise in the background. If I have to do any research for a story I’ll usually go to a café or library – for whatever reason I’m more productive on that front in public venues.

What do you write?

ALLEN: My undergrad degree was in history so I definitely got my fill of nonfiction/essay writing in college so now I write fiction pretty well exclusively… I’ve always enjoyed dark humour and action-packed stories so those elements will definitely always be present in my writing, with varying degrees of volume. In my first novel I tried to fuse transgressive meta-fiction with spy-fi so in the future I’m sure I’ll try fusing similarly divisive styles somehow.

How do you write?

ALLEN: I typically leave a LOT of blank spots to be filled in later. I was the same way writing essays back in school – I’d write a sentence that served as a placeholder for what that idea would be and then move on to something else. I’ve tried creating outlines and such for bigger projects but those usually go out the window – I think it’s better for writing to have an organic/natural flair so I definitely try not to overplan what I’m working on at any given time.

Tell me about your previous books and where they can be found.

ALLEN: My debut novel THE SPARTAK TRIGGER is currently available through Necro Publications/Bedlam Press:http://necropublications.myshopify.com/products/the-spartak-trigger. As I alluded to earlier, it’s an attempt at fusing Ian Fleming with Chuck Palahniuk and Charles Bukowski. It’s a short book with a LOT happening and several recurring gags/themes throughout… It’s definitely not something everyone will like but I wanted to write something I would enjoy myself, so from that standpoint I’m pleased with how it turned out.

Tell me what you’re currently working on.

ALLEN: Right now I’m working on an alternate history novel that takes the basic framework of Quebec’s FLQ Crisis and places/reimagines it in the American South. I did a lot of research on the FLQ back in school so it’s nice to be able to incorporate my history degree into something creative.

Tell me something funny.

ALLEN: I used to play bass in a Poison tribute band. I wish that was a joke.

Buy THE SPARTAK TRIGGER here: http://necropublications.myshopify.com/products/the-spartak-trigger

Follow Bryce on Twitter @Bryce_E_Allen

Read an excerpt from THE SPARTAK TRIGGER here: https://www.smashwords.com/extreader/read/419919/3/the-spartak-trigger

A SUNDAY IN ALPHABET LAND, my latest novel

I am 33,000 words into my new crime novel A SUNDAY IN ALPHABET LAND, and I am sneaking up on what I think will make for a killer ending. Similar to my Eli Sharpe books, this one features a “problem-solver” (a.k.a. detective) named the Rook, who is trying very hard to clean up Alphabet Land, a neighborhood that has gone to the dogs since the nuclear plant was decommissioned nine years prior.  Set in a fictitious town in South Carolina, Alphabet Land is blue-collar all the way, a neighborhood that has relied on the plant for employment for the past forty years, and when the novel begins, Alphabet Land is awash in drugs, violence, and crime, all of it controlled by a man named Luke Bump (a.k.a. villain).

This novel takes place during one Sunday, and it is action-packed, gritty, and totally noir.  It has guns and fights and cool, but scary settings where all the action takes place. I’m hoping to have this book finished within the next couple of weeks, and then I plan to submit it to agents before the summer is out. Hopefully, someone will be interested in it.

In the meantime, be on the lookout for the first book in the Eli Sharpe series entitled GO GO GATO. It’ll be released on August 1st. Click on the link below to pre-order.

Or enter my Goodreads giveaway and win a signed copy.


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Tag Archives: amphorae

‘Undisturbed’ Roman-era shipwreck discovered off Cyprus

By James Rogers | Fox News

Archaeologists have discovered the wreck of a Roman-era ship off the east coast of Cyprus.

In a statement, Cyprus’ Department of Antiquities explained that the wreck is the first undisturbed Roman shipwreck found in the Mediterranean island nation’s waters. The ship is loaded with amphorae, or large ancient jars, which are likely from Syria and ancient Cilicia on modern-day Turkey’s southeastern coast.

Analysis of the shipwreck will shed new light on seaborne trade between Cyprus and the rest of the Roman provinces of the eastern Mediterranean, officials explained in the statement.

The wreck was found near the resort town of Protaras by a pair of volunteer divers with the University of Cyprus’ archaeological research unit.

The shipwreck was discovered off the coast of Eastern Cyprus.

The shipwreck was discovered off the coast of Eastern Cyprus. (Republic of Cyprus, Department of Antiquities)

It’s also the first time an underwater archaeological project is fully funded by the Cyprus government.

A team from the Maritime Archaeological Research Laboratory at the University of Cyprus is working with the Department of Antiquities and Cyprus University of Technology to document and protect the site.

Other Roman shipwrecks have been grabbing attention in recent years. In 2017, for example, archaeologists in Egypt discovered three Roman-era shipwrecks and other stunning ancient artifacts on the Mediterranean seafloor off the coast of Alexandria.

Climate change researchers working in the Black Sea also discovered 60 shipwrecks dating back 2,500 years, which include vessels from the Roman and Byzantine eras.

Off the coast of Portugal, the Underwater Archaeological Chart of the Municipality of Cascais contains a host of shipwrecks dating back to the Roman era.

The Associated Press contributed to this article. Follow James Rogers on Twitter @jamesjrogers

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MCC hosted a public forum Immigration and Community Challenges in Lowell on Tuesday, April 12, at the Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center, Lowell, MA.

Christoph Strobel, Associate Professor of History, UMass Lowell

Bopha Malone, Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association, Enterprise
Bank, member of MCC Board of Trustees;

Julia Gavin, Director of Programming for Lowell’s Coalition for a Better Acre

David Kalivas, MCC History Professor and Director of the Commonwealth Honors Program, will moderate

Supported by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, in partnership with the Association of American Colleges & Universities, and The Democracy Commitment, the forum is co-sponsored by MCC, Lowell National Historical Park, Coalition for a Better Acre, and the Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association.


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The Wolves of World War II

An East Prussian Soldier’s Memoir of Combat and Captivity on the Eastern Front

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SKU: 9780786429714 Categories: , , , ,

About the Book

On September 25, 1944, Hitler attempted to shore up his faltering forces by creating the Volkssturm or People’s Army. His new draft called into service all remaining able-bodied men, including those whose civilian labor had previously been deemed indispensable. Among the latter was an East Prussian farmer named Hans Thiel, who suddenly found himself on the Eastern front, fighting not to bring glory to the Nazi Party (for which he felt at best a troubled resignation) but to save his country from destruction. With the defeat of the Germans, Thiel was taken prisoner by the advancing Soviet forces.
From the closing days of World War II through three years of postwar captivity, this memoir details the experiences of Hans Thiel. Beginning with the realities of agrarian life during World War II, it then describes Thiel’s conscription, his combat experiences, and his life as a postwar prisoner, held first by the Red Army and then transferred to camps under Polish control. The atrocities these prisoners suffered at the hands of their captors—as retaliation for German military war crimes—are discussed in detail.
The book includes a glossary (general terms), an appendix commenting on German agrarian policy under the Third Reich, a second appendix discussing the difficulties of tracing Thiel’s route through the war-torn countryside, and a third appendix of placenames. Photographs and maps are also included.

About the Author(s)

The late Hans Thiel (1902–1974) was an East Prussian farmer who spent several years as a prisoner of war.
Writer and translator Ivan Fehrenbach lives near Richmond, Virginia.

Bibliographic Details

Hans Thiel
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 191
Bibliographic Info: 8 photos, maps, glossary, appendices, notes, index
Copyright Date: 2007
pISBN: 978-0-7864-2971-4
eISBN: 978-0-7864-5503-4
Imprint: McFarland

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments       vii

Foreword by John K. Roth      1

Introduction by Ivan Fehrenbach      7

1. A Picture of the Homefront      23

2. Total War      41

3. Russian Captivity      91

4. The Polish Masters      106

Editor’s Epilogue      161

Appendix A: A Note on Agrarian Policy and Farm Life Under the Third Reich      163

Appendix B: Thiel’s Sojourn      165

Appendix C: Placenames      171

Glossary      175

Index      179

Book Reviews & Awards

“stark, unflinchingly honest account”—Midwest Book Review.


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I Dare to believe

Screen Shot 2015-12-31 at 1.21.48 AM

In a few days, I will be joining the annual prayer and fasting of our church. This is to start 2016 by humbling ourselves and seeking the Lord.

I desire to hear him speak to me. I  pray and fast to humble myself before the Lord: acknowledging that I need Him in my life, acknowledging that I am sinful and apart from Jesus, I am nothing,  acknowledging that he is before all things, and in Him all things hold together, acknowledging that His ways are better than my ways, and that He is Lord of Lords and  King of kings and lastly, acknowledging that He is the creator of the heavens and the earth.

I pray and  fast to seek His word, will and directions for 2016 and dare to believe for greater things.

IT IS THE WISEST THING TO TRUST THE PLAN OF THE ONE WHO KNOWS YOUR PAST, YOUR PRESENT, AND YOUR FUTURE.                                                      –Juray Mora

Dare to believeimg_6637

I dare to believe for the impossible and greater things for 2016. I dare to believe that God is able and more than capable of bringing His good promises to come to pass. I dare to hold on His words, and His power.

  • I dare to believe for breakthroughs.
  • I dare to believe for freedom from bondage and sin.
  • I dare to believe for radical change and transformation in the campuses, in the Philippines and the world.
  • I dare to believe for Salvation from family, friends and campus.

I dared to believe, because deep within me there is hunger beyond my appetite, that my soul yearns that only God can powerfully fulfil. What do you hunger for? What are you seeking God for? What do you dare to believe?

Then Joshua said to the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.”     Joshua 3:5 ESV

Go beyond feeding

Waking up extra early on sa Saturday morning was a struggle, it used to be a day with extended sleep. But for the last 7 weeks, By God’s grace I was able to wake up early and head on to Maybunga Elementary School Annex Building from my place. Upon  arrival, I would check if the volunteers for the day has arrived, then proceed to registration and orientation for the kids program.

The kids program was an initiative partnership to the school to help continue the feeding program to the identified students suffering from malnutrition. The school provided a list of students who are on the moderately malnourish to participate and these are ranging from grade 3 to 6.

Last November 7, 2015 was the day we started kids program,through the kids program we don’t just feed them, we prepare weekly event that starts with hand washing, to games and inter-action time with the volunteers of the day, Bible story telling, group discussions to help process the lessons and apply it to daily life, prayer and the most waited part, the feeding.

We don’t just ask them to sit down and be feed, we go beyond it. We don’t just nourish their physical bodies with healthy food, we also nourish their souls, by sharing  God’s word through story telling, imparting God’s goodness, faithfulness and unfailing character. Imparting hope, love, forgiveness, faith, gratitude and a lot more. We teach them to pray and encourage to pray and be in faith. Now that is planting hope and going beyond feeding.

Arts and Craft time
Group presentations
Hand washing activity before starting

My heart is filled with gratitude to those who help and made this possible, I am thankful to all the volunteers who gave to help us fund the feeding, to the volunteers who generously gave their time and talent to help us run our kids program every Saturday. This has been one of my  highlight for 2015. This has been a wonderful opportunity to give back the community.Waking up extra  early on Saturday was worth it, and priceless every time I see these kids smiles filled with joy, gratitude and hope.

Loveless. Clueless.?

Being single is a wonderful and joyful season. It’s a God given gift, a blessing and season worth enjoying while the vision of marriage awaits.

Unfortunately, for some, it’s more like a curse or a season to be forsaken. But why would they feel this way? What are the factors affecting? Here are just some of the few:

  • They feel that they are left out, when all their friends are getting engage or getting married.
  • They feel alone, and needs a partner to be with.
  • For some, being in a relationship, makes them complete, it gives them value and identity.
  • Sadly, one factor is influence surrounding them. Most popular Filipino television shows , movies and media speaks too much of relationships and romance.
  •  Another factor is the peers. When friends and family you expect to empower and encourage you in your season, seems to devalue you by making fun of your singleness with endless teasing. They may not entirely be pressuring you into a relationship, but it does communicates it in a million ways.

Let me share to you some of my take home from the staff summit last October and my insights.

            Singleness is not  a purgatory  as if your waiting for heaven                                                                                – Alex & Mitch Compton

Like what they have said, it is not a purgatory state, singleness is worth celebrating and rejoicing. When we are so fixed to being in a relationship or to getting married, it will not get you anywhere.

When we fail to see the value of our season, we fail to see and experience God’s wonderful gift for the season. It’s like rejecting a gift and wanting another. Everything is beautiful in its time. Maximize the season that is on your plate, or else you will miss out what’s given to you.

You are perfectly placed where you are, where God’s wants you to be. It’s not an accident. God knows exactly your every need down to the core of your heart and soul. Like Adam, He knows you need a suitable partner.

How are you going to be aware of the maximum value of our season? Here’s what Alex and Mitch Compton shared.

Intimacy with God is foundational and  fundamental, Set aside time to be with God, Time that you have right now is valuable. enjoy the season with greater delight and intimacy with our maker, There’s no way we can maximize our singleness aside from the presence of God. If we don’t have time now in word, prayer and spending time with our heavenly Father,  how much more when we have family and kids.

Develop and grew that relationship with Jesus. Out of our intimacy, God gives our identity. It’s not a man or woman  that can validate your being, only God.

As we grow in intimacy, God reveals to us his vision for the season. Our ability to hear Him clearly secures us in our season. As His word is forged into our hearts, we stand secure into his promises and to His unfailing character.


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Don’t Stop!

Don’t Stop!

Whatever your dream is, keep busting your butt, and someday you will achieve your goal.

Picture yourself as an established business. You built your client list. Social media is booming. Customer satisfaction is at its peak. Ask yourself…

Is there room for improvement?

ALWAYS! Whatever your job may be, there is room for improvement. There are always opportunities to add more clients. The place I work at now, has been in business since 1969, yet when I am helping customers with their payment and delivery setup, it is their first time buying something.

Keep building relationships, even if your established and profitable. The growth is infinite, no matter the economy.

Be Yourself and Don’t Lie

To succeed in any business, especially in the social media industry, you need to be upfront with your clients and customers. No need to hide any information. Why? These clients/customers are your future! They are the reason why we are able to pay bills, put food on the table, etc. Lying might solve the problem right away, but if you’re caught, good luck keeping that client!

Social media is extremely viral. Once you post something, millions of individuals see it immediately. So when a customer has a complaint about your company, it is seen by millions instantly. That is why many businesses hire freelancer social media managers and pay them on a regular basis. Think of a social media manager as a customer service representative, but instead of a phone call in order to solve a problem, it’s a Facebook post or tweet.

It takes several months to gain a customer but only takes seconds to lose one! Be upfront with your customers. You’re likely to keep their trust when you tell them the truth. Most importantly, be yourself. When dealing with customers, don’t turn into a salesman. Your personality got you where you are!

Get Your Social Media Marketing Assistance Right Here

Good Morning everyone!  I hope you all had a great Memorial Day weekend.  If you are needing anyone to manage your social media accounts, check out my latest offers on Task Army.  I have a Facebook offer as well as a Twitter one.  Have a good day!


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Meaning of Octaware Technologies in Urdu

Meaning and Translation of Octaware Technologies in Urdu Script and Roman Urdu with Short Information in Urdu, Related, Wikipedia Reference,

Short Information in Urdu

Octaware Technologies

ایک سافٹ ویئر کا ادارہ ہے

Octaware Technologies is a software development company based in Mumbai, India. It was incorporated in 2005. It is India's first company claiming sharia compliance that has been approved for listing on the Bombay Stock Exchange.

Read more at wikipedia


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New type of treatment for osteoarthritis shows promise for use in humans

A new type of treatment for osteoarthritis, currently in canine clinical trials, shows promise for eventual use in humans.

The treatment, developed by Cornell University biomedical engineers, is a synthetic version of a naturally occurring joint lubricant that binds to the surface of cartilage in joints and acts as a cushion during high-impact activities, such as running.

When the production of that specific lubricant goes down, it creates higher contact between the surfaces of the joint and, over time, it leads to osteoarthritis.”

David Putnam, a professor in the College of Engineering with appointments in the Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering and the Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

The study focuses on a naturally occurring joint lubricant called lubricin, the production of which declines following traumatic injuries to a joint, such as a ligament tear in a knee.

The knee is lubricated in two ways – hydrodynamic mode and boundary mode.

Hydrodynamic mode lubrication occurs when the joint is moving fast and there isn’t a strong force pushing down on it. In this mode, joints are lubricated by compounds like hyaluronic acid (HA) that are thick and gooey, like car oil. There are numerous HA products on the market, approved by the Food and Drug Administration, for treating hydrodynamic mode lubrication disorders.

But HA is ineffective when strong forces are pushing down on the joint, such as those that occur during running or jumping. In these instances, thick gooey HA squirts out from between the cartilage surfaces, and boundary mode lubrication is necessary. Under these forces, lubricin binds to the surface of the cartilage. It contains sugars that hold on to water, to cushion hard forces on the knee.

In the paper, the researchers describe a synthetic polymer they developed that mimics the function of lubricin and is much easier to produce. “We are in clinical trials, with dogs that have osteoarthritis, with our collaborators at Cornell’s College of Veterinary Medicine,” Putnam said.

“Once we finalize the efficacy study in dogs, we will be in a very good position to market the material for veterinary osteoarthritis treatment,” Putnam said. From there, the human market for a lubricin substitute should follow, just as HA has been made available for human use, mainly in knees.

Cornell University

Journal reference:

Putnam, D. et al. (2019) Boundary mode lubrication of articular cartilage with a biomimetic diblock copolymer. PNAS.

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1 Comment

  1. DR VARUN DUTT SWAMIJune 22, 2019

    I am a vet 64years very active life.I feel pain in patellar region pain in one rt leg.previously I was sport man and lot of running.suggest and advice I still can’t stay sedentary life

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Investigating Growth in Clinical Trials (Part 1: Growth by Industry)

It’s a time of significant growth for the major industries in clinical research, creating exciting opportunities for researchers and investors everywhere. Which industries are experiencing the highest growth? What factors are driving that growth? And how does it change the calculus when evaluating eClinical solutions?

Growth in Pharma

Growth in pharmaceutical clinical research is being outpaced by growth in other sectors. But the industry is still growing – particularly in 3 major areas:

Oncology clinical research is outgrowing the rest of the pharma sector in terms of trial volume.

Number of Trials, Total Drugs vs Oncology

This trend is expected to continue at least through

the next several years.

Share of Biotech in Top 100 Product Sales Worldwide

Biotech significantly outgrew the rest of the pharma sector between 2010
and 2017, and is expected to continue to do so through 2024.

In particular, the biosimilars market is expected to see a surge of activity.

What’s driving the biosimilars market?

Biosimilars can serve as a lower-cost alternative to other biologics, while expanding overall treatment options for life-threatening chronic diseases. And regulators have demonstrated their enthusiasm:

Orphan Drugs

Orphan drugs are another major growth segment in pharmaceutical clinical research.

For years, the orphan drugs segment has benefitted from various financial incentives.

Challenges and opportunities

As exciting as this surge in pharma clinical research is, it’s important to acknowledge the challenges facing the industry as well. Perhaps the biggest challenge is an economic one: While spending on research and development in pharma is increasing, return on investment has been in decline:

Behind this trend are several factors, including rising clinical trial costs, increasing competition from generics, and low market-arrival rates. And the consequences are hard to overstate: estimates on the cost of a failed clinical trial range from $800 million to $1.4 billion.

Pharmaceutical Clinical Research and Technology

With these rising cost pressures, efficiency in management of drug trials and patient data is of the utmost importance. eClinical solutions including EDC, eSource, and eConsent can go a long way toward reducing errors and delays in the management of clinical data, ensuring higher return on investment in clinical trials.

As researchers evaluate eClinical providers for their pharma trials – especially in the early phases
– several key characteristics should remain top of mind as keys to efficiency and cost reduction:

  • DIY processes: Researchers should be able to build and conduct their studies without reliance on costly programming staff or professional services.
  • Ease of use: Intuitive interfaces and robust training and onboarding resources are key to getting up and running quickly and getting drugs to submission faster.
  • Low cost of ownership: eClinical pricing structures should be simple and transparent, so researchers can reduce clinical trial costs and don’t end up wasting budget on unnecessary features.

Growth in Medical Device

Medical device trials have grown faster than the overall number of clinical trials worldwide:

Key growth drivers

Numerous factors have conspired to set the stage for the growth that the medical device industry is seeing today:

    • Advancements in clinical research, particularly diagnostics research, necessitate more technically sophisticated medical devices.
    • There’s a growing prevalence of virtual trials with the widespread availability of the internet and other technologies including electronic health records (EHR).
    • There’s also a need for products for use in minimally invasive surgeries, essential to improving the quality of healthcare.

Growth drivers on the regulatory side

    • The Protect Medical Innovation Act of 2018, in the US, is likely to repeal the Medical Device tax, which imposed a 2.3% excise tax on medical device manufacturers.
    • Considering the increasing globalization of clinical trials, the FDA has signalled an openness to accepting clinical trial data collected outside the US.
    • In April 2017, the Medical Device Regulation (MDR) was adopted by the European Union. The MDR is likely to make it easier to conduct clinical trials for medical devices due to the centralized electronic system.

Where is the medical device market growing fastest?

Driven by economic, regulatory, and cultural forces, Asia has registered growth in medical device trials at a much higher pace compared to the global numbers.

Growth in Diagnostics

Diagnostics clinical trials accounted for less than 1 % of the total worldwide clinical trials market in 2010. By 2017, it accounted for almost 4% – and is still growing.

At the heart of growth in diagnostics

Companion diagnostics is expected to be the fastest-growing segment of the worldwide diagnostics market, outpacing both in-vitro and in-vivo diagnostics by a wide margin.

There are numerous factors behind this surge of companion diagnostics. But there are also obstacles preventing the market from growing even faster.

Growth Drivers

    • Growing demand for personalized medicine
    • Improved regulatory guidelines, rising incidence of cancer, and growth in immunotherapy
    • Advances in the use of biomarkers to expand companion diagnostics into a wider range of therapeutic areas

    • Increasingly long processes for developing companion diagnostics and consenting clinical trial patients
    • Uncertain reimbursement scenarios in both developed and developing countries
    • Lack of professionals to perform the tests

Medical Device and Diagnostics Research:
A Smart Technology Strategy

The growth in medical device and diagnostics clinical research has created exciting opportunities for researchers in these sectors. But the wrong technology investments can end up hindering the ability of organizations to capitalize upon that opportunity. Many legacy EDC platforms, for example, are built for large and complex studies in Phase Ill pharmaceutical research.

But device and diagnostics trials tend to be short and straightforward in design – and these legacy systems can end up complicating their processes and lengthening their timelines with unnecessary logistical headaches.

This has significantly raised the stakes of eClinical vendor selection for these studies. The medical device and diagnostics organizations best equipped to capitalize on the growth in their industries will be those who identify eClinical systems that:

    • Cater to the needs of studies with straightforward designs and/or small patient populations
    • Empower researchers to handle study build and other processes themselves, without programming or other professional services
    • Offer the intuitiveness, as well as the training and support resources, to get users up and running in the software quickly and seamlessly.

With the right eClinical solution and other clinical trial technology, there’s no limit to what clinical researchers, regardless of their industry, can achieve.

1 WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP}, January 2018
2. Evaluate Pharma World Preview 2018, Outlook to 2024
3. Evaluate Pharma World Preview 2018, Outlook to 2024; Biosimilars: Global Markets, BCC Research, 2018.
4. A booming market – looking at the growth of the orphan drug market and its drivers, European Pharmaceutical Manufacturer, June 2018
5. Niche is the new normal: the growth of the orphan drugs market, Pharmaceutical Technology,June 2017
7. wvvw.outsourci Article/2018/08/06/I nd ustry-to-refocus-and-rei nvest -in-US-fol lowi ng-potentia I-med ical-device-tax-repeal-say-CRO-execs


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Posts tagged restore
4 Truths to Make the Broken Beautiful

Kintsugi is the Japanese art of restoring broken pottery or china. Rather than discarding the fragmented pieces of pottery, the artist reassembles them using a precious metal- such as liquid gold- to highlight the repairs. There is no attempt to make it look new or hide the “scars” of its brokenness. The technique adds value to the original object as the master artists creates something more beautiful than when it was new. Each Kintsugi becomes a unique work of art!

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Friday, December 5, 2014

A Winter Pick-Me-Up: Roasted Vegetable Salad

Roasted kale and celery root salad.

In summer, a ripe tomato salad mixed with peppery arugula leaves and bits of salty, creamy Bulgarian feta can be a meal in and of itself. When the weather cools and a weakening sun denies farmers the heat they need to grow nature’s leafy wonders, we still hunger for salads but now it’s time to look to hearty greens and root vegetables to satisfy that craving.
In winter, walking through the local supermarket’s fresh produce section, it’s easy to believe we live in a one-season world. Vegetables and fruit that require summer’s heat are stacked high in the bins. But one taste and it’s easy to tell, these delectables have been grown out of season or traveled long distances to reach our tables.
Root vegetables like celery root, beets, turnips and potatoes grow well in the colder months. When roasted, their starches convert into sugar, coaxing the best out of these subterranean gems.

Winter produce is perfect for roasting

Sturdy leafy greens, like kale, especially black or Tuscan kale, come into their own at this time of year. Delicious raw in a salad, tossed with toasted hazelnuts, and a simple vinaigrette, kale reaches new heights of deliciousness when roasted.
When roasted, oil and heat drive moisture out of the kale, creating an airy crispness. That delicate texture beautifully complements the earthiness of roasted root vegetables when combined in a warm vegetable salad.
Picture 1 of 7
Celeriac, celery root, peeled and cut in half. Credit: David Latt
Having only recently tried celery root or celeriac, I had to look beyond its decidedly unattractive exterior. Put simply, celeriac may have a pretty name, but it is a very ugly duckling.
You have to wonder at the leap of faith it took the first person who ate celeriac. What possessed that brave diner to bite into the pale brown bulb, stippled with stiff, hairy roots?
Only when the woody outer skin is peeled like a pineapple is the pale white flesh revealed. Cut into matchsticks and tossed with olive oil or mayonnaise, raw celeriac makes a refreshingly crisp salad. Like kale, however, celeriac achieves its best self when roasted.

Winter’s Best Salad: Roasted Black Kale, Celery Root, Shiitake Mushrooms, Shallots and Garlic

Simple and easy-to-prepare, a roasted vegetable salad can combine any of your favorite vegetables. For this dish, I wanted to complement roasted kale’s crispiness with tender, savory roasted celery root. Shiitake mushrooms, whole garlic cloves and large shallots added flavors to round out the umami of the dish.
Serves 4
2 pounds celery root or celeriac, washed, peeled, cut into batons 2 inches by ½ inch, yields 1½ pounds
6 shiitake mushrooms, washed, halved
3 garlic cloves, root ends and skin removed
1 bunch black kale, washed, stems removed
3 large shallots or 6 small shallots or 1 medium yellow onion, root ends and outer skin removed, washed, quartered
1 tablespoon olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
A pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
1. Heat the oven to 350 F.
2. Separately, toss each vegetable with a drizzle of olive oil, season with sea salt, pepper and cayenne (optional).
3. On a large baking pan lined with a Silpat sheet, parchment paper or aluminum foil, lay out the vegetables separately because they cook at different times. Place the pan in the oven.
4. Every five minutes, use tongs to turn the vegetables for even cooking, using the following times as a guide: kale leaves (10 minutes), shiitake mushrooms, shallots and garlic cloves (20 minutes), celery root (30 minutes).
5. Except for the kale, using a paring knife, check each vegetable for doneness.
6. After cooking, roughly chop the shiitake mushrooms, shallots and garlic cloves.
7. In a flat bowl, toss together the celeriac, shitake mushrooms, shallots and garlic cloves. Top with the crisp kale leaves.
8. Serve immediately to avoid the kale leaves losing their crispness.
  • Together with the other vegetables, roast 2 large carrots, ends trimmed, peeled. Cut these into 1-inch rounds, seasoned with sea salt, pepper and olive oil and added to the chopped salad after roasting.
  • Roast 2 large beets, whole, stems and leaves removed, washed, drizzled with olive oil. Place these on a lined baking sheet and cook in a 400 F oven for 45-60 minutes or until a paring knife pierces the flesh easily. Use rubber gloves to handle the beets. When cool to the touch, trim ends and peel off the skin. Rough chop the beets and toss with olive oil, sea salt and pepper separately so they do not color the other vegetables. Place them on the bottom of the serving bowl before adding the other vegetables.
  • Season the vegetables with your preference of herbs, such as fresh rosemary, sage or tarragon, or toss any one of the herbs with olive oil and roast on a lined baking sheet in a 350 F oven for five minutes. Remove the leaves, finely chop and sprinkle over the cooked vegetables before tossing.

Watermelon Surprise Ice Cubes Make a Refreshing Cocktail, Alcoholic or Not

I posted this article last summer. This year the world seems even hotter. A good time to share an easy-to-make, delicious cocktail. A...


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Thursday, February 2, 2017

February Newsletter

,  –

America Is Still Making Things | Energy Dept. Introduces New Financing Navigator for Energy Efficiency Projects | Made in Indiana Manufacturer of the Month 3rd Dimension Industrial 3D Printing | And More!

Check out our February Newsletter here:

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Free Local White Glove Shipping
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Visit Our Showroom|Call To Order Fabric Swatches (562) 337-8206|
Mayfair Table
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The Crossroads collection from Modus offers a carefully curated selection of eclectic, interchangeable dining room pieces designed to add style and comfort to your everyday routine. Crafted from premium timbers, molded metals and supple performance fabrics, Crossroads blurs the lines between contemporary, rustic, modern and traditional.
  • Made from solid Pine and black powder-coated steel tubing.
  • Un-planed surfaces are lightly sanded to draw out natural depth variances and saw marks acquired during the milling process.
  • Distressed finish.

  • 48" W x 30" H x 48" D
  • WEIGHT: 95 lbs
  • CUBES: 19.1


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Powerful Antibiotic Could Be A Prescription For Danger Pt. IIMore and more people are coming forward claiming to be seriously ill victims of a powerful antibiotic they too, supposedly to get well. Now CBS$'s Chief Investigator Michele Gillen reveals an internal FDA safety report and details what the government agency isn't telling the public.
Brain Injury Group: NFL Concussion Award Scheme WrongA national brain injury group says the proposed payout scheme for NFL concussion-related injuries is "deeply flawed."
Clippers Sale To Steve Ballmer Goes Through Steve Ballmer officially became the new owner of the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday for a record $2 billion.
Sterling Loses, Judge OKs $2B Sale Of ClippersEmbattled Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling lost his attempt to block the $2 billion sale of the team to former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.
Gov. Scott Signs Bills On Alzheimer's, Cancer CentersA trio of health care-related bills received Governor Rick Scott's signature on Wednesday.
Focus On South Florida: Keeping Dementia At BayAlzheimer’s is a growing problem nationwide. In Florida the prevalence of the disease in Florida is forecast to increase from 49 percent to 81 percent between now and 2025.
Online Test May Detect Alzheimer’s Disease EarlyThere isn’t a cure for Alzheimer’s, but researchers say they can slow the progression if it’s caught early.
Focus on South Florida: Fighting Alzheimer's As the Miami-Dade Walk to End Alzheimer's approaches we focus on the ways the Alzheimer's Association is providing resources to people living with the disease and to their caregivers. Plus we have details on the walk and how people can support the cause.
Report: NFL Players Face Triple The Risk Of Neurological DiseaseA new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention could break new ground on concussions suffered by ex-NFL players and the degenerative effects they have on them.
I-Team: Women, Hormones and Alzheimer's: The Missing Link? The link between the hormone estrogen and Alzheimer's could be the key to unlocking the mystery of this debilitating and frightening disease in women. The I-Team gets the facts from the top experts.
Brain Matters Targets Alzheimer'sA new case of Alzheimer’s disease is diagnosed every 70 seconds in America. South Florida is ground zero for the disease and that’s why one of the largest private facilities to treat it is here in the area.


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On “Balance” in RPGs

Recently, esteemed developer John Wick sparked debate over the subject of “game balance” in RPGs, arguing:

In a roleplaying game, game balance does not matter. What matters is spotlight. Making sure each player feels their character had a significant role in the story.

There’s a lot in the broader piece that I agree with, and a lot that I disagree with.  Before reading any further, go read Wick’s post over at his blog, otherwise the rest of this post won’t make sense.

Wick argues that the only thing we need to worry about balancing is spotlight time. But I think there’s something else that’s important to divide evenly, which is inexorably connected to conventional “game balance” concerns: narrative authority.

Simply put, if roleplaying is about collaborative storytelling, then each of the players wants to feel like their contributions to the story are valued. Usually, this means that they are able to contribute roughly as much as everyone else does (with the possible exception of a GM, who is Special. Whatever).

And in most roleplaying games, the characters we play, with their skills and stats and equipment bonuses etc, are the instruments by which players exert influence on the story. Example: if a party visits a new town and one of the players narrates that he came to a festival here when he was a boy, that is a contribution to the story that is likely to go unchallenged. If that same player was to narrate that he made a friend during the festival, and that friend is now the mayor, and the mayor gives me his magical sword of dragon slaying now, that is likely to be challenged by your GM, requiring (at the very least) some kind of dice rolling to see if you persuade the mayor to hand the sword over. Your odds of success are determined by how good your character is at persuading people, meaning that your ability to contribute to the story as desired is dependent on the numbers displayed on your character sheet.

(Of course, those numbers only determine if you succeed or fail, not whether something interesting happens. Something interesting should always happen. But I think it’s fair to say that for most players, their desired contribution to the story is for their character to succeed. After all, if they WANTED the mayor to still be angry that they’d got off with his sister and to refuse their request out of spite, they’d have probably suggested it as their original narrative contribution.)

So for players to feel like they have equal narrative authority, they need to “succeed”, or at least advance their characters’ story as intended, about as often as their fellows do. This isn’t the same as being equally good at fighting or whatever – one player can influence the story by capably murdering NPCs she doesn’t like, whilst another might be crap at fighting but just as narratively influential by using social skills. But it’s also not the same as spotlight time. Many games are engineered to give players equal opportunities to act within a story, round-the-table scene framing for example, but that doesn’t mean that every player is getting an equal opportunity to leave a mark on the story.

A player whose character who is great at fighting but crap at social stuff is going to have less opportunity to influence the narrative as desired than a player whose character is great at fighting AND social stuff due to their exploitation of a poorly “balanced” ruleset. And I think that’s a legitimate thing for a player to be upset about, even in a group that doesn’t care about numbers and mechanics whatsoever.

3 thoughts on “On “Balance” in RPGs

  1. You and him are not talking about the same thing when you say ‘game balance’. He conflates it with unnecessary complexity. I’m also bothered by this guy’s belief that there is a right and a wrong way to play roleplaying games.

  2. I think he’s talking about both balance and complexity, though I pretty much ignored the second in my post. (I don’t think Wick’s post is particularly clear in this regards, but he’s said he only ever intended it to be a first draft, so I’m inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt.)

    Like everyone, I’m opposed to unnecessary complexity. The question is how much complexity qualifies as unnecessary. I suspect that me and Wick are broadly on the same page in this regard, though I disagree with the specific examples he provides, the abolishing of social stats in Vampire most egregiously.

    I know a lot of people have been affronted by the tone of “This is the right way to play”, but I’m really not. He’s entitled to have his own opinion and a preferred brand of roleplaying. And I don’t think there’s much risk of anyone misinterpreting that opinion as an objective fact we all must obey now.

  3. He just comes on a little strong, I guess, and I happen to disagree with his vehement assertions that rolling dice isn’t roleplaying or that roleplaying games are solely about telling stories. He may be entitled to have and express those opinions, but I’m just as entitled to think he’s wrong and dislike the way he presents his ideas.

    I generally agree with the idea that if a mechanic doesn’t add anything meaningful to the proceedings, it probably shouldn’t be there. Perhaps rather unhelpfully though, that threshold lies in different places for different games for different people.

    As for ‘game balance’ as regards parity between characters, I think it very much does matter, as it informs how meaningful the players will feel their contributions to the game to be.

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The Practice of Creativity

Posts Tagged ‘movement

I’m thrilled to announce that I will be co-leading a writing workshop with Marjorie Hudson at the Table Rock Writers’ Workshop in August! We’ll be there for a week! Dates are August 26-30.

Our workshop is “Stretch. Breathe. Write: Opening the Writer’s Heart”

We’re exploring how gentle mindfulness and movement practices can enhance our work and open our hearts-so that our writing goes deeper and explores new territories. We’ll do lots of freewriting, as well as support projects that are already underway.

Writing together is always joyous, often funny, sometimes very moving. To have concentrated writing time is a rare blessing for most of us. To enjoy each other’s company for a couple of days in the mountains is sweet indeed.

Marjorie is an author (Accidental Birds of the Carolinas and Searching for Virginia Dare), my writing teacher/mentor and friend. Over the years, we have co-facilitated a number of writing and movement workshops. When we team up, MAGIC happens.

Table Rock is a supportive environment that is known for nurturing writers. It’s in the mountains and will provide a wonderful escape from the heat and humidity of the summer.

No movement experience necessary for our workshop; writers at all levels and genres are welcome.

The schedule is such that you’re in a specific workshop in the morning and then there are some afternoon sessions and evening sessions with the entire group. There’s also plenty of time for writing on your own. And, there will be time to get to meet and interact with the other faculty teaching there, chat with the editor-in-residence and get to know some of the other participants. Sometimes there’s evening entertainment. It’s a lively time.

See the full description of our workshop and more details at the website. Our workshop is already half-filled, so don’t take too long to decide!

I’d love to see you there and nurture your writing! Feel free to email me with questions!

Michele Tracy Berger

Michele Tracy Berger

Author, Academic, Creativity Expert I'm an award winning writer.

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Maria Barbal – Stone in a Landslide

Unusual first-person narrators are an obsession of mine—voices that jar or unique hybrid POVs—and so it was a pleasure to discover Conxa in Stone in a Landslide (Peirene Press, 2010) by Maria Barbal, and translated by Laura McGloughlin and Paul Mitchell. This is a Catalan novel, originally published in 1985, that begins in the early twentieth century and covers a lifetime.

The story begins when narrator Conxa is 13 years old and sent to live with her aunt in a village a day’s walk from her own. She settles in, works, falls in love and marries, and eventually has children—all against a background, gently described, of a changing region in the years building toward the Spanish Civil War. There are careful timestamps, like the Universal Exposition in Barcelona in 1929, the first uprisings in 1936 and so on and so forth. As the book deals with the personal side of the war, it is also describing a nation in the midst of a modernity crisis, and Barbal weaves the two elements together with a lot of grace.

Conxa has a deceptively straightforward voice and this is where the book really intrigued me. Technically, as a narrator, she is an old woman, and she’s telling the reader her story in retrospect. As fits this approach, there are tones of nostalgia in certain passages and foreshadowing in others for elements to come that are harder for her to relate. But she doesn’t play much with the voice of a “wise old woman” or even, more simply, with the reality of what might be known and understood in hindsight, and this creates a neat effect, in that we experience Conxa’s grappling with the changes around her—both personal and political—as she does, simply and honestly.

In some sense, Barbal gives Conxa a kind of naivety—to put it another way, you could describe her as simple, unassuming—and she only tempers this when we reach the end of her life. At first I struggled with this a little, because I wondered at the truth of it, wondered whether Conxa might have been a stereotype of a “woman from a small village” at that time in Catalan history. (Stone in a Landslide was Barbal’s first novel, and although she’s a Barcelona-based writer, this novel is, more than others it seems, centered on the rural region where she grew up). As Conxa moved further through her story, though, I stopped feeling this way completely, and felt more that Barbal was giving her character (and the reader) the space to experience what must have been a massive cultural upheaval without a retrospective agenda. Conxa is somehow both naïve and incredibly realistic, and while she may not be as brave as others, and spends more time avoiding change and politics, she lives her experiences fully—the good and the bad—and relates both with the same honest emotion that I ultimately found really compelling.

It is a quiet book in many ways, but I never mean that negatively. It felt in places like a gentle documentary, and yet I turned each page with real interest to see how Conxa’s life would turn out. The ending shifts tone—more poetic, and a voice that is hard-earned at this point—and this was extremely moving.

Quick note for Women in Translation month: from what I can see, Barbal has eleven novels, and Stone in a Landslide is the only one so far available in English translation. I hope there are more planned as one of my laments about so little ‘literature-in-translation’ available in English is that it is often hard to follow a writer’s evolution over time, and selfishly, I find this to be one of the most rewarding aspects of reading and discovering new writers. How have they changed, what do they read like twenty years into their careers?


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Drinking tea in the Presence of God

Processed with VSCO with ku1 preset

This week I sat on my deck, it was 6am, the birds were reminding me of the new day, while my sleeping ones stirred. The sun bounced through the leaves of the lilac tree. I watched the steam swirling from my hot tea and pondered the Holy Place. The place where God dwells and I rejoiced at the knowledge that because of Christ, I can enter into his presence. That no magic tricks are needed, that God has made His home in us.

And without a doubt, I was there. Loved, heard, reassured.

No longer are we separated by a veil before the holiest place. No longer is there a barrier to God. When Jesus died, the veil was torn in two. The 60 foot long, 30 feet wide, 4-inch thick veil – a veil that took hundreds of priests to manipulate.

It was only the one true God who could tear it in two on that day, as He moved from the temple of hands to the temples of heart.

Naturally, my early morning musings began to swirl into a post to share because I want everyone to know ALL are invited to His presence. I shared my first thoughts on my insta story and, my friend connected with it. Nic, having just returned from Israel, had also had her own moment of pondering access to his presence and she shared her words with me, which meant I didn’t have to write any because she wrote it so well…

‘We stand behind the wall.

We’re safe there behind the wall.

We’ll shuffle up close,

touch it,

lean against it,

hope our prayers will be heard through it.

But we won’t go past it.

We’re safe behind the boundary of the wall.

Fear keeps us, holds us.

Fear whispers in its lies of deceit that it protects us.

If we move past the wall, we will tread into the uncomfortable.

What will be asked of us?

Who might reject us?

What old coat will we be required to shed?

What new clothes will we be asked to wear?

What if everything we have always known we are asked to leave behind?

What if we enter beyond and into and we die?

What waits for us behind the wall?

A place where once a curtain hung.

A curtain that separated heaven and earth, God, and man.

A curtain that veiled the holy of holies.

But then in that prophecy fulfilled day, in the heavy blackened darkness, during three holy ordained hours raged the war of all wars battled,

as the King of all kings won the victory of all victories,

that curtain from top to bottom was torn in two.

Hear the war cry, “It is finished!”

Hear the war cries of,

Death defeated.

Life redeemed.

Fear overcome.

And freedom sings it’s song!

Hear the gentle voice,

“Come, child, fear no more. I destroyed the boundary to the Holy. I flew wide open the gate!

So why do you stand behind your own made wall?

Come, my child, walk with me in the garden. I have waited so long.

Let me take your fear so you can know my love.

Let me have your faith so I can give you goodness and life.

Walk with me in the garden, feel the breeze.

Walk with me in my garden. For no more is there a boundary.

Look, I stand behind your wall, let me tear down your wall?

Accept my breath of grace!

My beloved, come, my darling;

there are no more walls.

The winter has passed, and the rains have gone.

The season of singing has come.

Arise, come, my beautiful one, come with Me.’

by Nicole Richardson, check out more of her words here

I pray you to know the freedom of this truth.

Love, Michelle xo

*A few people have asked what the Collins Clan are up to nowadays, so look out for the Collins family news this week!

Promises, Promises

Happy Mother’s Day UK!

‘But Mom, we live in Canada,’ declare my children.

‘But I’m English,’ I reply.

Then on May 13, Mother’s Day, Canada.

‘But Mom, you’re English.’

‘And I live in Canada dear children.’

I am reminded of a post I wrote a while back about my Mom, ‘the laughing, tattooed prayer warrior’ and her love for God’s promises.

Mom’s life view is often from the valley, where mountains loom. But from that place, she always finds God’s promise and knows His presence. Whatever she faces, or we face, she is armed with a dog-eared notebook. This little piece of dynamite is overflowing with promises that God has given her. Verse upon verse, one promise after the other. Mom lives the promises of God, she sees many fulfilled, and some not – yet.

I remember as I went through the medieval torture of delivering twins naturally that Mom and Val played outside of my room. Wheeling one another up and down the halls in wheelchairs, laughing, waiting and no doubt being told off. I remember as Mom walked into the room, now quiet, she looked into my eyes – and hurt for the pain I was in.

As Moms, we never stop laboring. We never stop delivering.

Jesus promises us, ‘My grace is enough; it’s all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness.’ That verse has carried us through it all. Suffering still stings, promised strength is not pain immunity. It’s not positive thinking either. It’s focusing on the One who knows. Who sees us through those battles, one breath, one prayer at a time.

Thank you for showing me how this promise life works Mom, I’m thankful that my today is partly because of your faithful yesterdays – your faithful prayers of promise. You shine Mom – with life, His presence, and of course, a few added sequins,

I encourage you all today, find your promises, read them, memorize them, shout them, whisper them, sing them and cry them.

Let’s not work our problems out but allow His promises in.

Blessings and love,

Michelle xo

What promise are you standing with today? Need encouragement? Here are a few promises for you…

All your children shall be taught by the Lord,
And great shall be the peace of your children.

Isaiah 54:13.

‘You can’t force these things. They only come about through my Spirit’

Zechariah 4:6

‘Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.’

Matthew 11:28-30

‘No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; he’ll always be there to help you come through it.

1 Corinthians 10: 13

‘If it was a pound note you’d find it’ – my Dad’s response when I couldn’t find something as a child.

I’m sure in Canada it would be more like  ‘If it was a snake it’d bite you’

How many times a day do you search for something – online or otherwise.

Billions of searches are carried out each day on search engines and networking sites. What is everyone looking for?

In the States the hot google searches today are MLB drafts, Kurtz Busch, Pay Check Fairness Act and Bachelorette.

We are so fascinated by the celebrities with the most searched for person being Justin Bieber, followed by Kim Kardashian. #Nintendo is popular on twitter today, the company at  E3 hoping that the new Wii U will take them to the top again.

I could go on…

Actually, once you to start to search for what is searched its pretty fascinating what fascinates.

The Collins Clan search daily on our preferred google.

In the last few days we have searched for:

Phil’s hotel location, he’s on a retreat in Banff with a few pastors and Bill Hybels (glad I reread – Hybels had changed to hovels)

Trail traffic on Phil’s run in Banff

Volcanoes and Gold facts for school projects. Moshi monsters for Josiah.  And me,  someone just followed me on twitter who confessed to being ‘clourophobic’ I ran to the dictionary search.

But you all know what Clourophobia is right?

Searching, searching….

And as I write, believe it or not. What is playing on the radio? This!

 Oh the mystery of it all…

Alongside Google I spend a lot of time searching for items in my house. Keys mostly. Other regulars are iPods and TV remotes. This is where an OCD tendency would rear its head. I. Can. Not. Stop. Until. Found.

One of the fun things about my blog is the stats section. Here I can find out how many visitors drop by, the countries they visit from (big shout out to my Icelandic readers today) and how they came by my blog. Whether signed up to receive updates, links from other blogs or through searching.

Visitors often arrive from a random search. It’s 50/50, some search ‘Michelle Collins Pastor’s Wife Kelowna’ I’m guessing that’s me or ‘Michelle’s Musings’ Then there are the other half who are mostly looking for Michelle Collins the actress (Coronation Street) in the UK. Everyday someone, somewhere writes ‘Michelle Collins Sex’  – at which they are led to my review of Mark Driscoll’s book on ‘Real Marriage and Sex‘  Not sure that’s what the original search had in mind, then there’s ‘Michelle Collins Ass’ where the searching one is led to my post on ‘Balaam’s Donkey

I’d like to say a Hi to you visitors today who have found my post through various searches. Thank you for visiting, why not leave me a comment or maybe even sign up to receive regular musings.

Who knows where your search might lead.

You can be sure that all of my posts have a common thread.

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I found myself off the rails, my head or the planet.

I found myself stumbling in the dark.

I found myself in the early hours of the morning wondering where, actually who am I?

I found myself lost.

Until one night.

I found myself lying on the ground. Bruised. Cut. Shocked.

A crushed car after a head on collision. A crushed me.

I knew it was time to be found.

As God searched for this hiding Eve in the garden.

His grace and mercy shining light on the darkness that had so engulfed.

I allowed myself to be found by His love.

 Psalm 139 for you

God, investigate my life; get all the facts firsthand.

I’m an open book to you;  even from a distance, you know what I’m thinking.

You know when I leave and when I get back; I’m never out of your sight.

You know everything I’m going to say before I start the first sentence.

I look behind me and you’re there, then up ahead and you’re there, too—

Your reassuring presence, coming and going. This is too much, too wonderful—

I can’t take it all in!  Is there anyplace I can go to avoid your Spirit? to be out of your sight?

If I climb to the sky, you’re there!  If I go underground, you’re there!

If I flew on morning’s wings to the far western horizon,

You’d find me in a minute— you’re already there waiting!

Then I said to myself, “Oh, he even sees me in the dark! At night I’m immersed in the light!”

It’s a fact: darkness isn’t dark to you; night and day, darkness and light, they’re all the same to you.

Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother’s womb.

I thank you, High God—you’re breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made!

I worship in adoration—what a creation!

You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body;

You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something.

Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;

All the stages of my life were spread out before you,

The days of my life all prepared before I’d even lived one day.

Your thoughts—how rare, how beautiful!  God, I’ll never comprehend them!

I couldn’t even begin to count them— any more than I could count the sand of the sea.

Oh, let me rise in the morning and live always with you!

What was the last thing you searched for online?

Talk to me – answer in comments!


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Sandy’s Fish and Chips

5 Martin Road (at the corner of State Road)
Vineyard Haven, MA 02568

See my post with pictures here.

Sandy’s is part of John’s Fish Mkt and you gotta go there for the fishwiches. You gotta go. At least once a summer. Don’t forget tartar sauce.

The Cajun fries are IT. Crunchy deliciousness and not spicy.

I have not been able to venture away from the fab fish sandwiches although the menu includes extreme temptations such as soft shell crab sandwiches and lobster rolls.

Outside seating only. This year they have beautiful new blue umbrellas over the picnic tables and we only got wet from the drizzle on our backsides.

One response to “Sandy’s Fish and Chips

  1. Hello;

    It’s nice tosee someone appreciate good food. Samantha (the cook) is my daughter. It is nice to see that someone other than US, know where John’s and Sandy’s is. That can appreciate good fresh food. I have been going to Sandy’s for years, when Sam was wee small. I have NEVER been dissappointed with any item I have tried. I am VERY fond if the smoked tuna pate. Yummy.

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Women over Age 65

The protective fat pads along the soles of the feet degenerate with age, which can lead to foot problems for senior women. Most people in general experience some sort of foot problem with age; however, it is important to know that foot problems can be a symptom of several serious health issues, such as diabetes, poor circulation, nerve problems, and arthritis. At the first sign of a foot problem, women over age 65 should contact a health care provider such as a podiatrist for proper diagnosis and treatment. Changes in the foot’s appearance, as well as sudden and chronic pain, should never be ignored.

To keep the feet healthy, women over 65 should follow the following foot care suggestions:

  • Check your feet and toenails daily, or have someone else check them for changes. See a podiatrist if you notice something looks different or unusual.
  • Maintain good circulation to the lower extremities: walk frequently, avoid sitting for long periods with crossed legs and without rising to stretch and move, raise the feet when sitting or reclining, have the feet massaged regularly, keep the feet warm, and do not smoke.
  • Keep your feet clean and dry.
  • Wear properly-fitting, supportive, shock-absorbing shoes with a soft upper that will conform to the foot’s shape. The sole of the shoe should be flexible and have good traction to avoid slips and falls. A shoe that causes pressure or friction or lacks cushion and support can generate foot and toe problems.
  • Tears or cuts in the skin of the foot can also lead to infection.


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Benefits of Meditation

Meditation isn’t a new practice; it has been around for thousands of years. Interestingly, it’s been a practice in countries that made it routine without knowledge that others all over the world were also meditating in some form. And while the meditation techniques may vary, the purpose behind it doesn’t vary much at all from culture to culture.

Let’s take a look at why different religions and/or cultures have embraced meditation through the ages.

Why Meditate?

The Buddhist Center states that meditation is “a means of transforming the mind.” Why Meditate?Their techniques promote clarity of mind, concentration, focus on the present, positive emotions, and calming. In fact, the principles of Buddhism are center around meditation.

The faith of Baha’l promotes meditation as a way for the individual to connect with the forces of the universe.

Taoism believes that meditation helps establish qi – or nature’s force—within the individual meditating.

Christians have practiced meditation as way of deepening prayer and personal revelation.

Hindus meditate as a way of finding mindfulness and to connect the self with the universal or infinite force.

There are many other religions as well as non-religious practices related to meditation, and all have a singular purpose: for the individual to search inside him/herself for one’s own life force and nature’s forces in the universe.

Ok. Now, so far, reasons to meditate have been spiritually-based. But there are other reasons, too! Outside of the spiritual, what does meditation do?

It can boost the immune system and decrease inflammation (1), According to the Mayo Clinic, “Meditation can give you a sense of calm, peace and balance that can benefit both your emotional well-being and your overall health.” (2) Many practitioners say that it makes them more productive because it improves concentration versus continual scattered thought.

Using positive affirmations during meditation can certainly help self confidence, as well.

Now that we know what it does, how is the best way to do it?

Meditation Techniques (General)

(If you are looking for specific techniques to follow, I’ll get into that in some other blog posts, so make sure you follow to get updates on techniques or other posts that might interest you.)

There are many different techniques to use when meditating and the type of meditation that you practice could be as individual as the goal you have for meditating in the first place. And, while there are also a number of different ways you could categorize meditation, there are 2 primary categories: guided meditation, and self-directed meditation.

Guided meditation enables the practitioner to be walked, step-by-step through the process of their meditation. It helps focus thought; it keeps the practitioner on track. This can be a good way to meditate if someone is new to the practice, or if they just want to have their thoughts guided toward the specific goal.

Self-directed meditation requires more discipline to refocus thought, but can be great for a very specific, individualized goal for the session.

Both have their place, and both can be very beneficial.

Are you new to meditation? Are you wanting some tools to help you get started? Here are some tools that might be helpful in getting you the easiest, most enjoyable entrance into the world of meditation. Check them out, and if you do, let me know what you think! I love success stories!

The Secret Of Healing: Meditations For Transformation And Higher Consciousness
Guided meditation
Goodbye Worries

These are affiliate links.  If you purchase from this page, you pay no more for your products, AND help buy me a much needed coffee.  Thank you!  And if you do, let me know what you think!

1) “A comparison of mindfulness-based stress reduction and an active control in modulation of neurogenic inflammation”
Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, Volume 27, Issue null, Pages 174-184
Melissa A. Rosenkranz, Richard J. Davidson, Donal G. MacCoon, John F. Sheridan, Ned H. Kalin, Antoine Lutz
2) “Meditation: A simple, fast way to reduce stress”; Tests and Procedures Meditation, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; w


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At Minds Alike we’re different and we want to tell you why! We are excited to share our passion, the research behind our concept and welcome journalist and bloggers to test us out. For media enquiries please write to us at pre[email protected]

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If you would like to use our logo or other images for a publication please contact us at [email protected].

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