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Star Wars Art Comics - Dennis O'Neil
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Star Wars Art Comics
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"Star Wars" and comics share a history as long as "The Star Wars Saga" itself: "Star Wars" debuted both on the silver screen and the printed page in 1977, when, a few months after the first film's premiere, Marvel Comics began publishing a monthly series inspired by the characters, worlds, and adventures of "Episode IV: A New Hope". Soon, a daily comic strip followed, and now, more than three decades later, countless ongoing and limited comic-book series from Dark Horse Comics continue to enrich and expand the "Star Wars" Galaxy. "Star Wars Art: Comics" brings together the very best artwork from the entire history of "Star Wars" comics publishing, including original and finished art from the top comics artists, cartoonists, painters, and illustrators working in the industry. Hand-selected and curated by George Lucas, this volume includes pencil roughs, inked pages, concept art, and fully painted covers and interior art from the original Marvel Comics series, "The Star Wars" comic strip, more than two decades of "Star Wars" comics from Dark Horse Comics, and officially licensed Japanese manga. Featuring the work of Howard Chaykin, Al Williamson, Gene Colan, Dave Cockrum, Drew Struzan, Carmine Infantino, and many more, "Star Wars Art: Comics" is a celebration of the worldwide inspiration that is Star Wars, as well as a look at the creative process behind the page.
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April 10, 2014 - Press Release
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by Daisy Luther, The Organic Prepper:
When people think of the average EBT (Electronic Benefits Transfer) card user, they envision a career welfare recipient who has 12 kids by 11 different prison-residing fathers. Because of this notion, when the story broke this weekend about the EBT system failure, many of the responses were quite cold, callous, and even downright spiteful.
Of course, the rioting through Wal-Marts across the nation certainly didn't help. Within hours the shelves were razed. The abandoned shopping carts of melting food and the carefully selected hungry spokespeople on the mainstream news just served to reinforce the conception that those who were left to go without groceries deserved to miss a few meals.
But….who IS the average EBT user?
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- Home /
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- Third Reich Insignia /
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Footnote: From the collection of approximately 900 German buckles accumulated by John R. Angolia, who start collecting buckles, belts and brocades from 1944 until around 1990; most of the buckles were obtained from the American and German veterans; most of these buckles present a core of Angolia's book "Belt Buckles & Brocades of the Third Reich", published in 2001.
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A Finnish Northern Front Cross 1941-1942 by Hopeatakomo
Two-piece construction, silvered and gilt bronze with black, white, red and blue enamels, 34.5 mm x 34.5 mm, maker marked "HOPEATAKOMO O.Y." on the screwback, intact enamels, light contact, near extremely fine.
Item G24029
A Pre First War Prussian Military Long Service Decoration
A Pre First War Prussian Military Long Service Decoration - Type I (1825-1913) Bronze gilt, very crisp detail, 39.3 mm, on a ribboned trapezoid framed suspension with pinback as worn by the veteran, light contact, extremely fine.
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You have no obligation to purchase the product once you know the price. You can simply remove the item from your cart.


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POSITION PAPER No 3. Has service user participation made a difference to social care services? Better knowledge for better practice
- Alban May
- 1 years ago
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1 POSITION PAPER No 3 Has service user participation made a difference to social care services? Better knowledge for better practice MARCH 2004
2 Has service user participation made a difference to social care services? Sarah Carr Better knowledge for better practice POLICY P P P R E S S i
3 Has service user participation made a difference to social care services? First published in Great Britain in March 2004 by the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) Social Care Institute for Excellence 1st Floor Goldings House 2 Hay s Lane London SE1 2HB UK Social Care Institute for Excellence 2004 British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library ISBN Sarah Carr is a Research Analyst at SCIE. The right of Sarah Carr to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the 1988 Copyright, Designs and Patents Act. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, or stored in any retrieval system of any nature, without prior permission of the publisher. Produced by The Policy Press University of Bristol Fourth Floor, Beacon House Queen s Road Bristol BS8 1QU UK Printed and bound in Great Britain by Hobbs the Printers Ltd, Southampton. ii
4 Contents Acknowledgements Executive summary: key themes and findings iv v 1. Introduction 1 2. Methods Reference key for reviews Note on format 4 3. Background Policy context Participation concepts The social model of disability and service user priorities 5 4. Main findings Extent of current knowledge Intrinsic benefits of participation Feedback Participation and change at an individual level Choice and control Direct Payments Complaints Organisational commitment and responsiveness Power relations Partnership or consultancy? Conflict and expectations Diversity and marginalisation The Wiltshire and Swindon User Network: an example in practice Conclusion: messages for policy and practice Messages from the research for policy makers 28 Additional references 29 Appendix 31 iii
5 Has service user participation made a difference to social care services? Acknowledgements We would like to thank all those who contributed to the production of this report, for their comments, advice and insight. Particular thanks go to Clare Evans who advised on the final overview and to Carlisle People First, Greater London Action on Disability, Older People Researching Social Issues, Voice for the Child in Care, Age Concern, the Tizard Centre and Hertfordshire County Council. We are also grateful to Dr Stuart Anderson, Dr Mike Crawford and Angela Sweeney for their assistance in obtaining the NHS Service Delivery and Organisation Research and Development Programme (NHS SDO) review work. iv
6 Executive summary: key themes and findings This summary brings together the key themes and findings from the synthesis of six literature reviews on the impact of user participation on change and improvement in social care services. Reviews on older people, children and young people, people with learning difficulties and disabled people were commissioned by the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE). Reviews on mental health service user participation and on general user/ consumer involvement were commissioned by NHS Service Delivery and Organisation Research and Development Programme (NHS SDO). The conclusion at the end of this Position paper (see pp 27-8) suggests some ways forward. In addition, the findings from this Position paper will form the basis for Practice guides on service user participation, which will provide examples of how to build on current progress. Messages for policy and practice Efforts to involve people in the planning and development of the services they use are taking place across the UK. However, the impact of that participation on the change and improvement of social care services is yet to be properly monitored and evaluated. Much progress has been made in establishing the principle of service user participation and developing ways of doing this. There is now a second stage that will entail looking at how organisations, systems and practice need to change in order to respond to participation. At local and regional levels policy makers would be advised to integrate change mapping and feedback into the whole participation process. Monitoring and evaluation techniques should be developed with service users. Messages from research show the need for a range of models of involvement, depending on the level of activity that participants wish to commit. What is important is that the choice is there, and that the involvement or partnership is real (R2) (see pp 2-4 for an explanation of the reference sources). User participation should relate clearly to a decision that the organisation plans to make, and is open to influence. It should be made clear what service users may or may not be able to change. Professionals are now interacting with service users as partners in strategic planning arenas as well as at front-line service delivery level. It appears that involving front-line staff in participation strategies and providing user-led awareness training could help improve relations at both strategic and service delivery level. The role of professional allies could be usefully explored. Challenges to traditional professional modes of thinking and operating are emerging as a result of participation. Organisational cultures and structures need to respond and change in order to accommodate new partnerships and new ways of working with people who have often been oppressed and marginalised. The service user movement seems to be exposing the limitations of traditional, fragmented service categories for organising participation designed to promote strategic change. Participation provides a unique opportunity for organisations to develop through user-led v
7 Has service user participation made a difference to social care services? critical enquiry using the social model of disability, ideas about control, oppression, rights, poverty and citizenship. Extent of current knowledge There is a general lack of research and evaluation on the impact and outcomes of service user participation. Little seems to be formally recorded at local, regional or national levels and the influence of user participation on transforming services has not been the subject of any major UK research studies to date. There is some knowledge about participation techniques but little or no examination of the relationship between the process and the achievement of tangible user-led change. This is not to say that certain participation initiatives are not contributing to the improvement of services for the people who use them, but that those changes are not being monitored. Intrinsic benefits of participation Where monitoring is taking place, it is often related to participation processes rather than outcomes. Some agencies may only be focusing on the intermediate aspects of how individuals experience the process, rather than combining this evaluation with that of impact and outcome. While intrinsic benefits are important, the true effectiveness of these processes to promote change and impact on improvement remains largely untested. Feedback Service users say they need to receive feedback as an integral part of the participation process, but this does not appear to be happening. Agencies should see monitoring of impact and meaningful feedback as a vital constituent of process, as it related to engagement and commitment. When little or nothing is communicated back to participants, this can have a negative effect on their motivation, trust and confidence. Participation and change at an individual level The groundswell for change can originate at individual service level. Exercise of choice as an individual welfare consumer remains restricted, particularly if you are from a black or minority ethnic group or are lesbian or gay. The ability to make choices can be limited by a lack of information about options and a lack of support for decision making. Professionally led assessment of eligibility for services can pose difficulties for exercising choice and control. The implementation of Direct Payments by local authorities and the extent to which they are publicised is inconsistent. Good support systems, including access to advisers and peer support networks, are needed. The limited choice and support has, in some cases, led to the establishment of user-controlled service providers and services by and for black and minority ethnic people. Local authorities have formal complaints procedures intended to enable individuals to exercise some control over the quality of services. However, such procedures may not be functioning to the advantage of the service user or the agency. Research suggests that complaints procedures can remain unknown, inaccessible or intimidating to service users. Organisational commitment and responsiveness Despite the overall lack of research or recorded knowledge illuminating the relationship between user participation and service change and improvement, the reviews show strong indications of why change may not be occurring. A lack of organisational responsiveness is an issue common to all the reviews. A fundamental political commitment vi
8 Executive summary to change should be driving participation initiatives. knowledge and support to empower them to participate. Power relations Power issues underlie the majority of identified difficulties with effective user-led change. User participation initiatives require continual awareness of the context of power relations in which they are being conducted. Exclusionary structures, institutional practices and professional attitudes can still affect the extent to which service users can influence change. It appears that power sharing can be difficult within established mainstream structures, formal consultation mechanisms and traditional ideologies. The relative values placed on different types of expertise and language and the professional assumptions about decision-making competence can make it difficult for users to be heard, or to make an impact on decisions. Managerial concern about achieving representativeness (although not necessarily diversity in terms of culture, race, sexuality or disability) can also impede the progress of userled change. Partnership or consultancy? In some cases there is a risk of user participation initiatives being conducted as externalised consultation exercises to approve of professional service planning and policy proposals, rather than enabling service users to be integral partners for their formulation. Embedded, continuous but varied participation approaches which engage service users as partners in decision making seem to have most potential for influencing change. Service users want to choose how they are represented. Agencies are recommended to re-examine their notion of service users who are thought to be hard to reach. Some service users may lack structures of representation or the Conflict and expectations Dissatisfaction and even conflict may be an inevitable part of the user participation process. Service users and professionals can have conflicting priorities. Limited funds and service remits can restrain the degree to which service users may be able to influence changes in services. Organisations should be clear from the outset about what can and cannot be done as a result of participation and the true extent of user influence in the given circumstances. Similarly, service users should be empowered to voice their limits and expectations. Development of mutual understanding and trust takes time. Working to timetables determined without service users may result in the exclusion of some people or limit their effective participation. Organisations and their managers should support front-line practitioners to focus on user concerns. It is important for agencies to support and fund user groups to maintain their independence and critical function. Diversity and marginalisation Attention to the diversity of service users in terms of race, culture and sexuality is lacking both in mainstream services and participation initiatives. This relates to both diversity within user groups and the relative lack of knowledge about user participation for marginalised people. There are also difficulties for black and minority ethnic people and lesbian and gay people with disabilities, who are also working on the margins of a predominantly white, culturally heterosexual user movement. The challenge to mainstream services is to creatively engage all marginalised peoples, the concerns of whom often extend beyond service provision to creating positive social and political identities in the face of discrimination. vii
9 Has service user participation made a difference to social care services? viii
10 1 Introduction The positive contribution service users can make to social care planning and development is now recognised in government policy. Service users are taking an active role in efforts to improve both health and social care services. However, the level and extent of effective service user participation in changing and improving services is inconsistent. This can be both change and improvement in immediate services and in the culture and attitudes of the agencies and staff who deliver those services. User participation in research, training and education are also important for service change and improvement: these topics are not covered within the scope of this overview but will be the subject of other work. Similarly, the experiences of carers, parents and supporters will be the subject of later Knowledge reviews. The remit of the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) is to develop a knowledge base for social care, so that evidence on what works best is available to everyone involved. There are many guides on how to involve service users in developing social care services, but less is known about the outcomes of that involvement. This report examines the evidence about the impact service user participation may have had on creating better quality social care services. Part of this includes looking at why change may or may not have happened. The reviews describe the material available (the evidence) and the findings drawn from the evidence. The evidence can be from a range of sources including research literature, practice, and the knowledge held by users. These SCIE Knowledge reviews cover older people, children and young people, people with learning difficulties and disabled people. This Position paper also incorporates findings from two NHS Service Delivery and Organisation Research and Development Programme (NHS SDO) literature reviews concerning mental health service users and user and consumer involvement in managing change generally. The aim of this work is to give an overview or synthesis of these reviews in order to provide a comprehensive, accessible account of what is currently known about the impact of service user participation on change and improvement in social care services. It will also provide a basis for SCIE Practice guides on service user participation. This report is a SCIE Position paper. SCIE Position papers give an analysis, drawing on available knowledge, of a particular policy question. This particular Position paper draws together four Knowledge reviews commissioned by SCIE. A SCIE Knowledge review takes a systematic approach to the analysis of knowledge on a particular topic. 1
11 Has service user participation made a difference to social care services? 2
12 2 Methods At the beginning of this project a scoping exercise took place to see if any similar work was taking place and the reviews being commissioned by the NHS SDO were identified. SCIE did not want to duplicate this work so decided to commission work to complement these existing reviews. As a result SCIE commissioned reviews entitled user involvement in promoting change and enhancing the quality of services for older people, children and young people, people with learning difficulties and disabled people. When SCIE commissioned the reviews authors were asked to look at different types of literature. It was felt to be very important to ensure that accounts from service users that may not be published in the conventional way were included. Therefore the Knowledge reviews cover a wide range of relevant materials, including: research studies of the processes and outcomes of methods of user involvement; descriptive/analytical accounts of activities and developments; knowledge produced by user groups; best practice; and accounts that may not be published or officially written up. The reviews drew on materials concerning user involvement in England and Wales along with relevant literature focusing on Northern Ireland and Scotland. The date range for literature and accounts was from 1992 to 2002, with seminal work before those dates included where appropriate. The majority of material covered statutory and voluntary social care services, with limited coverage of the independent sector. There was service user participation at all stages of production. A service user had equal decision-making power on the tender board that chose the successful proposals. SCIE required service users to have significant involvement in the commissioned work, and included this in the decision criteria for the tender board. In some cases service users authored the reviews. The drafts were independently assessed by people with experience as service users in the particular area under review (for example, the report on older people was assessed by older people). This overview report was authored by someone with experience of using services and was independently assessed by a service user. Everyone SCIE invited to take part in the selection and review process was paid fairly and equally, and all expenses met where needed Reference key for reviews This overview report includes direct quotations from the (unpublished) reviews. The codes used in the text correspond with the following titles: R1 = Danso, C., Greaves, H., Howell, S., Ryan, M., Sinclair, R. and Tunnard, J. (2003) The involvement of children and young people in promoting change and enhancing the quality of services: A research report for SCIE from the National Children s Bureau. R2 = Janzon, K. and Law, S. (2003) Older people influencing social care: Aspirations and realities. Research review on user involvement in promoting change and enhancing the 3
13 Has service user participation made a difference to social care services? quality of social care services, Final report for SCIE. R3 = Williams, V. (2003) Has anything changed? User involvement in promoting change and enhancing the quality of services for people with learning difficulties, Final report for SCIE. R4 = Barnes, C., Mercer, G. and Din, I. (2003) Research review on user involvement in promoting change and enhancing the quality of social care services for disabled people, Final report for SCIE. R5 = Rose, D., Fleischmann, P., Tonkiss, F., Campbell, P. and Wykes, T. (2003) Review of the literature: User and carer involvement in change management in a mental health context: Report to NHS Service Delivery and Organisation Research and Development Programme (NHS SDO). R6 = Crawford, M., Rutter, D. and Thelwall, S. (2003) User involvement in change management: A review of the literature, Report to NHS Service Delivery and Organisation Research and Development Programme (NHS SDO). Please see the Appendix for further details Note on format The text of this report contains both bold and italic characters. The passages in italic are direct quotations from the original reviews, referenced using the codes explained above. Bold is used to highlight key points within the text, which may include the sentences in italics. 4
14 3 Background 3.1. Policy context Over the past 20 years several major pieces of legislation have made service user participation a requirement in many aspects of the UK health and social services. The first of these was the 1990 National Health Service and Community Care Act, which made consultation with service users a legislative duty for local authorities. Later, increased requirements for active service user (and carer) participation in service development and regulation were set out in government directives on Best Value for local authorities, and the legislation associated with the New Labour public service modernisation agenda Participation concepts There are long-standing debates about the distinctions to be drawn between the different types and levels of user participation. It ranges on a continuum from consultation on an individual level including feedback about services, surveys and complaints through participation in the planning and development of services to user control and management of services 1. Distinctions have been identified between consumerist and democratic approaches and agency-led and user-led initiatives, both having implications for power and control. Democratic initiatives involve service users influencing and making decisions at strategic levels, while consumerist approaches focus more narrowly on consulting people about the services they receive. Gradually there has been a move away from the idea of just consulting people about agency-led proposals to the notion of developing services in active partnership with those who use them; however, this is not always translated into practice. Messages from research show the need for a range of models of involvement, depending on the level of activity that participants wish to commit. What is important is that the choice is there, and that the involvement or partnership is real (R2). Further to this it has been emphasised that participation needs to be appropriate to its context and to take account of the issues involved, the objectives sought and the people who make up the target group. Different kinds of participation might be appropriate for different parts of a project or at different stages in its development (R1) The social model of disability and service user priorities The social model of disability was originally conceived by the disability movement as a tool for gaining insight into their situation and to recognise how they were oppressed: It is society which disables physically impaired people. Disability is something imposed on top of our impairments 2. The idea that it is society that erects barriers and restricts the options and activities of disabled people has been used by others who are disempowered by social, cultural and physical structures to interpret their situations. For example, society often disables older people simply because they are old and by assuming they cannot perform certain tasks and activities (R2), and the user movement of mental health service users tries to reframe a negative social identity as positive and strong (R5). The social model of disability has 5
15 Has service user participation made a difference to social care services? therefore become fundamental for the service user movement and the demand for independent living and citizenship rights. When service users understand participation as active citizenship it goes beyond their rights as users of social services to assert their broader rights as citizens and as people 3. Service users may [then] have a dual identity as consumers of services, and as citizens to whom such services are accountable (R5). The social model of disability has implications for the way in which services have been organised and participation initiatives conceived: as one review points out [community care] planning bodies were based upon traditional service divisions, emphasising the separate incapacities of client groups rather than the common experience of social restrictions (R6). choices are not extraordinary, measured by the quality of life we would all expect (R3). The review for people with learning difficulties also warns those who are organising participation to promote change in policy and practice that policy may often outstrip what is happening for people at grassroots level, and it is important to look behind the glamour of board meetings and conferences, into the reality of people s lived experiences (R3). Similarly, for children and young people attention should be paid to the issues that children see as important, often different to the issues about which adults are most concerned. For children, day-to-day matters and issues of contact with families are of key importance (R1). There are clear preferences among people who use social care services for support and assistance to live independently, rather than care, which implies dependency. For some people, particularly older people, families and mental health service users, preventative support work rather than crisis intervention is seen as crucial. The service user movement has been clear about promoting the right of disadvantaged people to support and equal access to the ordinary things of life 4. This is consistent with the social model of disability as described above. Literature from the service user movement and elsewhere provides a general consensus that positive change needs to be felt at the point of service delivery if it is to be meaningful: Service users are interested in what services can help them achieve, in the purposes and outcomes of such services, in the effect on their lives 5. This is reflected in what the reviews found out about the approach of service users to desired outcomes. Research has shown that older people want to help to support their independence, rather than care, and want services to be more responsive to individual preferences and changing circumstances (R2), and that for people with learning difficulties their goals for a home, friendships, work and 6
16 4 Main findings 4.1. Extent of current knowledge All reviews conclude that there is a lack of research, monitoring and evaluation on the impact and outcomes of service user participation in general. Very little seems to be formally recorded at local, regional or national levels and the direct influence of user participation on transforming services has not been the subject of any major UK research studies to date. For example, the 2000 Children Act says that there are as yet no routine statistical collections that inform the Quality Protects objective about participation (R1). There is some knowledge about participation techniques but little or no examination of the relationship between the process and the achievement of tangible user-led change. This is not to say that certain participation initiatives are not contributing to the improvement of services for the people who use them, but that those changes are not being properly monitored and evaluated. Monitoring impact and auditing change as a result of service user participation does not appear to be recognised as a constituent part of the whole participation process. As the following findings from the reviews show there is a general consensus about this situation. Of the participation of children and young people, reports tend to convey optimism about the values of changes, and an assumption that there are positive outputs from participatory activity. But the lack of evaluation leaves the causal link unproven. And there is very little written about improvements in the quality of service received (R1). Additionally, there is consensus among reviewers that the emphasis is on process rather than outcomes, either desired or achieved, and that those that do measure outcomes rely on perceptions of those involved rather than objective measures identified at the start of the exercise (R1). The literature for people with learning difficulties suggests that there seems to be a general consensus that to date it has been impossible to assess the impact of inclusive approaches to research or to planning, largely because outcomes are not always documented, or may be recorded in non-conventional ways (R3). Within this small body of literature, knowledge of outcomes is by far the most significant gap. The reports of specific changes are haphazard and incomplete. There is currently far more documentation relating to the process than to the achievement of gains in the lives of people with learning difficulties. This may be a necessary stage and it is important to get the processes right. However, it is equally important to ensure that participation forums such as partnership boards move on to substance, and that we build up more knowledge of change (R3). There is an identical situation with older people s involvement where the broad consensus emerging from researchers, inspectors and service users is that there is little evidence overall that involvement of older people is transforming services to reflect their expressed preferences and/or priorities (R2). For disabled people, the literature search produced a striking absence of studies evaluating the relationship between disabled user involvement in social care services and specific quality and outcomes. Instead of using quasi-experimental research designs, the 7
17 Has service user participation made a difference to social care services? favoured approach has been to gather survey or qualitative data on the perceived impact of user involvement. This is typically in the form of ratings by service users, managers and professional providers of their satisfaction with the process and/or outcomes (R4). In the field of participation by people who use mental health services there is a relatively weak evidence base for the impact of user involvement on organisational change (R5). The review found that the outcomes identified in the literature are hardly ever-measurable ones, indicating the difficulty of measuring cultural and organisational change and its sustainability. The majority of papers indicated that the outcomes of user involvement in change management are unclear or unknown (R5). Finally, the NHS SDO multi-sector literature review found little evidence of independent research in any of the sectors examined. Most of the reports were discussion papers that illustrated points raised with reference to brief case studies (R6). Overall, it appears that where monitoring is taking place, it is related to participation processes rather than outcomes. This suggests that some agencies may only be focusing on the intermediate aspects of how individuals experience the process, rather than combining this evaluation with that of impact and outcome. The true effectiveness of these processes to promote user-led change and impact on service improvement remains largely untested Intrinsic benefits of participation One difficulty identified in the majority of the reviews is the tendency for agencies to focus on the intrinsic benefits of participation, that is to say, how the people have gained personally from the experience of participation, rather than on the change achieved. The NHS SDO general literature review found that where participation outcomes were being monitored, this was generally in the form of qualitative process evaluation of user involvement initiatives or surveys of service users and providers involved in the process (R6). Service user participation exercises can be an opportunity for often excluded and disenfranchised people to have a say in matters of direct concern to their lives. This can be a positive experience for the individual, such as the older person who said that s one of the best things that s ever happened to me, is getting to go there and voice my opinion (R6). The reviews reveal some positive developments in this area. Evaluation of some participation initiatives for older people have demonstrated intrinsic benefits for the users related to social contact, opportunities for learning and developments of self-esteem (R2). Similarly for children and young people the SCIE review found that there is substantial evidence that children and young people perceive that they have gained in selfconfidence, self-belief, knowledge and skills, education and employment. There are also accounts of improved peer relations, the development of group skills, and the erosion of gender divisions between participating young people (R1). For mental health service users, however, the notion of intrinsic benefits is sometimes translated into user participation as therapy, an understanding that is thought to have negative consequences: there is an argument to be made that some supportive professional attitudes can limit the impact and effectiveness by reducing this to individual therapeutic outcomes. That is, user involvement may be endorsed by professionals as performing a therapeutic or rehabilitative function in enhancing individuals skills, competence and self-esteem (R5). For people with learning difficulties the practice of self-advocacy and speaking up is an important process for individuals, which can contribute positively to building confidence and esteem. However, it is also noted that the purpose of self-advocacy is to produce change and that involvement must be about a collective voice for people with learning difficulties, not just about 8
18 Main findings individuals (R3). Often, when self-advocates speak up and participate, it is not only for the intermediate individual benefits, but to demand service change. The power of the collective approach of service user organisations to participation is an important consideration. Individuals can feel empowered through collective involvement to instigate change and improvement in their own service provision. It has been argued that the success of user involvement projects cannot be measured solely by reference to objective changes with service agencies (R6). However, findings emerging from the reviews suggest that while individual experiences are being monitored in some cases, objective changes to service quality remain unmeasured. The review for disabled people showed that it is evident that much attention has been given by service providers over recent years to the process of user consultation but relatively less concern about why to consult or to what end. If the reason for consulting disabled people is not clearly thought through then the form of consultation becomes more important than the content or outcome (R4). While attention may be paid to the quality of the process for the individual, outcomes and change as a result of participation may not be realised. Individual service user experience of participation mechanisms should be monitored, so that agencies can learn from both positive and negative responses and improve the process. User research in the voluntary sector has shown that by frequently asking themselves and others what worked well and why, users and managers developed systems of continuous feedback, which enabled them to learn, and adapt 6. Although intrinsic benefits to individual service users can be indicated, this is not the sole purpose of participation. The reviews positively indicate that it is important to monitor both process and outcome, and note that the success of participation should not be reduced to individual at the expense of organisational outcomes. Agencies are advised against satisfaction with intrinsic benefits alone, but should respond to what service users have said during the participation process. As the review for children and young people emphasises, ensuring participation is not simply an end in itself but a means to change (R1) Feedback The reviews show that service users require feedback about the impact of their participation. Service users say they need not only to feel the changes in their lives as a result of improvement at individual or service level, but also need to receive feedback as an integral part of the participation process. The Audit Commission has stressed the importance of change beginning and ending with users or consumers 7. Emerging findings show that agencies should see monitoring of impact and meaningful feedback as a vital constituent of the user participation initiative, as it is related to engagement and commitment. The research examined in the reviews suggests that lack of feedback can result in frustration and cynicism about the practice of service user participation as well as potential disengagement from the process altogether. When little or nothing is communicated back to participants, this can have a negative effect on their motivation and confidence. The NHS SDO general literature review on user participation in managing change reports there is general agreement that in order to achieve sustained involvement of users it is important to provide adequate time and resources to make their contribution and to ensure that those taking part receive feedback on how their contribution affected service delivery. Emphasis in the literature on process, rather than outcomes, of user involvement suggests that users often do not have the information to judge whether their participation made a difference (R6). In the case of older people the Audit Commission has reported that although service users experience an increase in listening 9
19 Has service user participation made a difference to social care services? and consultation, they are not getting adequate feedback and are still waiting to feel associated improvements in the services they receive. In this case, frequent consultation without tangible results has led to a continued feeling of disempowerment and sometimes cynicism and disengagement 8. This situation is common to many service users and has led to criticism from different groups of people. For example, the self-advocacy movement of people with learning difficulties has a very action-oriented approach. Selfadvocacy should be about action ie how to achieve real and long-lasting change (R3). When the action taken as a result of participation is not communicated, selfadvocates often report dissatisfaction and frustration. For children and young people, one of the main deterrents identified is that children assume, on the basis of experience that nothing will change: they will not be listened to if they are nothing will happen. There is some evidence of increased cynicism after children have been involved in consultation that is tokenistic (R1). Children are helped by being clear about the process of decision making, about the reason for their involvement and where their opinions will go, what will be done with them, and how and when they will receive feedback (R1). Disabled people too report that there is a further risk of involvement fatigue with too many consultation initiatives that have little impact on service standards or profiles (R4). For people whose lives are often characterised by levels of disempowerment, a service user participation process that reinforces this feeling could be harmful. The reviews emphasise the importance of recognising that participation is a two-way process and of acting accordingly Participation and change at an individual level At individual consumer level, community care legislation has given adult service users the right to involvement in constructing their own care or support packages, the idea being to provide choice and greater flexibility to the consumer. Legislation concerning services for children and young people says that they should have the opportunity to voice their preferences. It has been suggested that by using services as individuals, people are already participating in change and development 9. Research from the learning difficulties field has shown that individual life changes can create a groundswell for change, and so methodologies such as person-centred planning and Direct Payments that will help individuals and families move forward are very important (R3). Some of the SCIE commissioned reviews looked at the individual service aspects of participation in change, in the context of the wider participation agenda. This section briefly examines the report findings on how participation at the level of the individual consumer of social care services may have contributed to service change. The reports for this overview identified the following areas: choice and control; Direct Payments; and complaints Choice and control So far evidence in this area is patchy but inspection reports, qualitative studies and accounts from service users suggest that exercise of choice as an individual welfare consumer remains restricted, particularly if you are from a black or minority ethnic group or are lesbian or gay. There still appears to be a lack of opportunity for people to have a say in their own services. As regards the exercise of choice for older people, service users report that they feel consulted rather than involved and for some there was a sense of powerlessness in what to them was a complex or confusing system (R2). Research also indicated that users were restricting their choices at assessment because of a perception that local authorities had limited resources for community care (R2). For black and minority ethnic older people, 10
20 Main findings research shows that there is still poor communication and availability of information about available services as well as indication that minority ethnic older people are less likely to find an appropriate care provider. There is still an assumption that black and minority ethnic families look after their own. Overall, for older people, what appears at a strategic level as more choice, because of an increase in providers, at the service user level, is no more than a potential for choice (R2). The participation of children and young people in their individual care planning also has identified limitations. The report emphasises that it is a cause for concern that a wide range of studies report that children continue to feel that they are not listened to despite a statutory framework for participation (R1). Although there is some evidence that children feel able to influence decisions at family group conferences, consultation and involvement in decision making is largely organised around formal processes such as reviews. Children perceive these meetings as boring, repetitive, intrusive and also frightening (R1). It is noted that the processes to allow children and young people to exercise choice may not be working well for those who are younger, from a minority ethnic background, disabled or looked after. For children and young people and people with learning difficulties, the ability to make choices was often limited by a lack of information about options and preparatory information for meetings, along with a lack of support or creative communication in decision making. The review for people with learning difficulties notes that service users as consumers can be pervasively marginalised by lack of knowledge about their own situation (R3), knowledge vital for enabling choice and control. Disabled people have found that assessment of eligibility for services can pose difficulties for exercising choice and control: at the individual level, the imposition of strict eligibility and assessment criteria for access to support services seriously undermines the notion of meaningful participation and choice (R4). Decisions about access to assessments are often influenced by service criteria based on risk and budgetary concerns (R4). There is evidence that there can be potential for improvement if users are involved in developing assessment and care management forms 10. Research also points to the importance of creatively engaging service users in the continual consultation and review of how the care or support is working for them, not just at initial assessment stage. Finally there is some indication, particularly for potential black and minority ethnic service users, that consultation strategies may stop at needs assessment, with professionals planning how needs should be met, often within institutional frameworks (R6) Direct Payments Through the collective campaigning efforts of service users (particularly disabled people and people with learning difficulties) and their allies, Direct Payments were introduced in They constitute a meaningful advance for the extent to which entitled service users can exercise control over their support and assistance in order to live independently. Disabled people, people with learning difficulties, mental health service users and now older people are entitled to use local authority funds to purchase their own personal assistance. Although there is a general agreement among service users that Direct Payments are a very positive development, their implementation by local authorities and the extent to which they are publicised remains inconsistent. They are also cash limited. Once the cash ceiling is reached users are at risk of having their support withdrawn (R4). The review for disabled people showed that the provision is uneven geographically with, for example, disproportionately more personal assistant users in South East England. Many local authorities have been extremely reluctant 11
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Both Microsoft and AOL have laid out plans to concentrate on building their content channels. Yahoo should be joining suit.
Google is now the most visited site on the web, according to Alexa, a spot Yahoo maintained for years. Interestingly, Yahoo has more hot pages over at Alexa. When I looked a little while ago it was a sports page and news page. If Yahoo concentrated on their content as CEO Carol Bartz has mentioned previously and their new redesign is supposed to address, they may be joining Microsoft and AOL.
Microsoft is building out five verticals, yje Wall Street Journal reported. "In a new focus that will start to be apparent in the next month, MSN will heavily add to its News, Sports, Finance, Lifestyle and Entertainment offerings, weaving more data from Bing into the mix," Kara Swisher noted.
Meanwhile, AOL is going for complete domination and this Friday will "unveil the early stages of a plan to become the internet's largest provider of original content within two years," the Financial Times stated.
If anyone is going to find a way to challenge the dominance of Google it seems content is the best approach.
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We are interested in detecting episodes in a data stream that are characterized by a period of time over which a condition holds, usually with a minimum duration. For example, we might want to know whenever any router has a packet-drop rate above 0.3% continuously for more than two minutes. Such episodes can be interesting in their own right for monitoring… (More)
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If there were any doubts about Jon Lester's desire to remain with the Red Sox beyond this coming season, they vanished on Thursday. The left-hander offered one of the most striking public expressions ever heard by a Red Sox player nearing free agency about his hope to avoid testing the market. He made clear not only that he considers the city his home, but stated bluntly that he won't balk about the idea of leaving money on the table in order to stay.
"I want to be here till they have to rip this jersey off my back," said Lester.
The Red Sox, of course, share the sentiment to some degree. They value what Lester has done in his career with them, both on and off the field, and appreciate the distinct relationship that has been forged through not just a playing career but also through a more significant health concern, when the then-22-year-old was diagnosed with cancer.
Yet it is the job of the team not merely to get caught in sentiment, but instead to delve into the particulars of whether or not a long-term investment in Lester -- even at a supposed discount -- would represent a solid one. After all, even the pitcher himself recognizes that he is not Clayton Kershaw or even Masahiro Tanaka, 25-year-olds who seemingly stand on the cusp of their career peaks. Lester, by contrast, just turned (gasp) 30 this month.
So, about life at (and after) 30 ...
"From what I've heard, I'm basically dead now, as far as being a pitcher," Lester said with a smirk, before offering a more candid assessment of his health. "I feel good. Other than just the normal getting back into things, the first two weeks of the offseason and getting back into everything is hell. You feel like an old man. Every year it's the same thing, and then you pick up a baseball, and you're like, 'God, I don't know if I can do this this year,' and you get through the initial two weeks of lifting and that first week of throwing, and after that it usually falls back into place. I surprisingly feel pretty good -- to be 30."
Though Lester was kidding, there is a reality: Being 30 is different -- even for someone like Lester, who has been one of the most durable pitchers in the game since he broke through as a staple of the Red Sox rotation as a 24-year-old in 2008.
Before getting to the grim reality of life as a thirtysomething pitcher, it's worth noting the degree to which Lester has distinguished himself as one of the game's most reliable hurlers.
He's one of just nine pitchers (joining Justin Verlander, James Shields, CC Sabathia, Cliff Lee, Felix Hernandez, Cole Hamels, Mark Buehrle and Bronson Arroyo) to produce six straight years of 190 or more innings, and one of 10 (add Matt Cain to the aforementioned list) with 200 or more innings in at least five of the last six years. He ranks 10th in the majors in wins above replacement (WAR) as measured by Baseball-Reference.com, behind a who's who of the game's top pitchers (Cliff Lee, Justin Verlander, Clayton Kershaw, Felix Hernandez, Roy Halladay, CC Sabathia, Zack Greinke, Cole Hamels, Jared Weaver) and ahead of some notable peers (Matt Cain, Mark Buehrle and Adam Wainwright slot right behind him).
Does that stature suggest that Lester represents a good bet to defy his age? Coming off one of the most dominant stretches in his career -- while his year-ending 3.75 ERA was fairly pedestrian, from the second half through the end of the postseason, he had a 2.27 ERA in 18 starts -- might Lester represent a relatively safe bet to sustain his performance of his career to date through whatever sort of contract extension he might sign?
Short answer: No.
Since 1960, Lester is one of 32 pitchers in all of baseball to record six straight seasons of 180 or more innings with an ERA+ (ERA compared to league average) of 110 (meaning 10 percent better than league average). Lester, in fact, ranks in the upper half of that group with a 120 ERA+ for his age 24-29 seasons -- just behind one Hall of Famer (Catfish Hunter) and just ahead of another (Don Drysdale).
So what happened to that group -- the pitchers who showed the ability both to perform at an above-average level while enduring a consistent workload in their late-20s -- after they reached their 30s?
Using that group of 32 pitchers, decline would appear a virtual inevitability for Lester. Of the pitchers on the list, every one of them experienced some kind of performance decline from their 20s to the next six years (ages 30-35) -- the years that Lester and the Sox will likely discuss to frame a possible extension. (Lester, of course, is already under contract for his age 30 season; his age 31-35 campaigns are what will likely be discussed for contract purposes.)
Based on the history of those whose age 24-29 seasons compare to or exceeded Lester's in terms of durability and dominance, the most charitable interpretation suggests a likely innings decrease of about 25 percent -- though more if one notes that Brandon Webb didn't log a single inning from ages 31-35; Don Drysdale's age 32 campaign was his last; Ken Holtzman, Catfish Hunter and Jack McDowell were finished at age 33; and Fritz Peterson never pitched after his age 34 season. (One other pitcher -- Don Wilson -- died tragically after his age 30 season.) And, of course, some of the pitchers in the sample (Lester, CC Sabathia, Tim Lincecum, Cole Hamels, Mark Buehrle, Justin Verlander) are active with likely performance and durability declines in their future.
Given the decrease in innings that can be expected, it's also little surprise to see that a decrease in overall value typically accompanies this sample of pitchers as they reached their 30s. Most strikingly, exactly ZERO of the 32 pitchers on this list saw his average WAR per season increase from ages 24-29 to ages 30-35. Instead, the only issue was the extent of the performance decline from one six-year period to the next.
The best-case scenarios featured a relatively modest decline -- a level of consistency into the mid-30s that made Hall of Fame cases for Bert Blyleven (5 percent decline in WAR per year) and Don Sutton (6 percent). The worst-case scenarios featured pitchers who lost nearly all of their value by the time they reached their 30s, whether due to injuries (Webb, Holtzman) or declines in stuff (Barry Zito ranking among the foremost examples).
On average, in the six-year span from ages 24-29, this group of pitchers posted a WAR of 4.8 -- a mark that would typically rank among the top 20 or better among all big league starters. From age 30-35, the same group posted an average WAR of 3.0 -- a mark more typically representative of a No. 2 starter.
That distinction is noteworthy, since part of the rationale behind signing Lester to a long-term deal is the idea that he represents the sort of top-of-the-rotation starter around whom the Sox can build their rotation both now and into the future.
The Sox have a number of candidates to be strong No. 2 or 3 starters in the big leagues but no surefire No. 1. (Clay Buchholz comes the closest, but has only one full big league year in which he performed at such a level; of the prospects in the Sox system, Allen Webster and Trey Ball are the only ones with the arsenals that suggest a potential No. 1 -- Henry Owens' ceiling is more typically considered that of a No. 2.) Lester would seem the team's best shot at a pitcher of that caliber. But is he likely to live up to that stature in his next deal?
Again, the answer is likely a no. Pitchers who are over 30 are only rarely among the best in the game.
A look at last 10 years suggests as much. Using the loose definition of a No. 1 starter as one of the top 30 starting pitchers in the big leagues (as measured by WAR), most of the top 30 starters in the big leagues (meaning, those whose performances would be in theory good enough to front a rotation somewhere) came from the demographic that Lester is exiting -- the pitchers in the age 24-29 bracket. Roughly five of every eight pitchers who ranked in the top 30 for a single season (62 percent) fell somewhere between 24 and 29 years old. During the same 10-year span, roughly one out of every five (21 percent) came from the 30- to 35-year-old demographic that Lester is entering.
In other words, assuming a normal performance decline of about 37.5 percent from the No. 1-caliber level at which Lester has been performing (4.2 WAR per year), based on his peer group, he'd look likely to average about 2.7 wins above replacement per year -- a level that would have him, on average, in the neighborhood of the top 50 2013 performances by a starting pitcher, close to teammate John Lackey (2.8), Rays ace David Price (2.8 in an injury-riddled year) and free agents Ervin Santana (2.8), Ubaldo Jimenez (2.7) and Bronson Arroyo (2.5).
So, Lester would project to average being a top-50 starting pitcher in the big leagues from ages 30-35. While that may sound like a modest assessment, it would suggest a pitcher whose coming years are a decent bet to be, on average, at the level of a No. 2 big league starter.
Given that one executive whose team was in the $20 million-plus per year bidding on Tanaka said that his team viewed the Japanese right-hander as a No. 2 starter in the U.S., it's not hard to see why Lester likely would be in line to hit a jackpot in excess of $100 million and $20 million a year if he were to have a solid 2014 season and reach free agency. Such dollar figures are now appropriate for a likely No. 2 starter -- something that Lester, in the aggregate, appears a decent chance to be over the life of his next deal.
There are no guarantees, of course. The Sox thought that Josh Beckett represented a strong bet for his four-year contract extension; instead, the team ended up dumping him to the Dodgers at a time when his results, stuff and health were all in a state of decline. Still, as these things go, Lester does appear to represent a solid enough bet that his declared interest in staying with the team for the long haul -- and his openness to putting his money where his mouth is -- should be reciprocated in the form of a contract extension whose parameters could come together fairly quickly when the two sides sit down to discuss the matter.
We check in with former Patriot, current NFL Network analyst Heath Evans for his complete analysis on the Patriots win over the Bengals, and the rest of the NFL.
We talk to special teams Captain Matthew Slater about the win over the Bengals and some of the extra-curricular activities that took place between plays.
We check in with head coach Bill Belichick for his thoughts and analysis on beating the Bengals, and preparing for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Sam Packard is joined by Celtics 2nd Round draft pick Abdel Nader to discuss his path to the the NBA and how he plans to improve his game. Sam then talks to Player Development Coach Nick Friedman from Elite Skills Training, the pre-Draft camp Nader attended. Friedman also gives his opinion on the Celtics performance at summer league and the development of Jaylen Brown.
Isaiah Thomas talks to Glenn and Lou about why he loves Boston, the NBA Money Bump, oh, and some Durant guy
Danny Ainge joins Glenn and Christian to explain the Celtics draft process; and he also discusses the trade rumors that permeated the night.
Chris and Rob talk with former MLB Infielder and current ESPN analyst Alex Cora. Alex talks about some of the moves he saw in the Red Sox-Indians ALDS, and talks about the core group of young players the Red Sox have
We wrap up the Sox season with our final weekly visit with Sox manager John Farrell, on the heels of the news that he will be back as Sox skipper for the 2017 season.
Red Sox Hall of Famer Joe Castiglione wraps up the 2016 Boston Red Sox season
Joey Mac joins Ken Laird on his Saturday show to discuss the David Backes addition and Loui Eriksson departure in NHL free agency
DJ and Pete continue to assess the season that was for the Bruins and look toward the future for the franchise and how they can improve.
DJ and Pete are together for the final Sunday Skate of the season. They get into their overall thoughts on the season, the Bruins keeping Claude Julien on as head coach and the end-of-season press conferences last week. They discuss the rebuild process, what the Bruins need and how they can obtain it. Plenty of callers have their own theories and opinions on all of these topics as well.
Listeners voice their displeasure with the NFL and Michael Lombardi called in to give his thoughts on Roger Goodell and Josh Brown.
Gerry, Kirk and Mut react to Mad Dog defending Josh Brown.
The guys praised Jerry Thornton's questions to Peter King and headlines with Minihane.
Glenn, Lou, and Christian discuss the MMQB's comments on Dale and Holley defending the NFL and Giants organization. They find fault with him and other NFL apologists in their rationale of making excuses for the league and the Giants as to why Josh Brown was only suspended one game.
The OMFers open the show talking about new revelations about Giants Kicker Josh Brown and his domestic violence case. They discuss the NFL's failure to uphold the standards that they had placed on themselves in policing domestic violence perpetrators.
Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio makes his weekly appearance on OMF to discuss the NFL and New York Giants mishandling of the Josh Brown situation.
Dale, Michael and Jerry check in with MMQB's Peter King for our weekly hit with him. The guys discuss Josh Brown, the Giants and the NFL, the Patriots, and also the Robert Klemko vs Bills fans situation.
Dale, Michael and Jerry spend the majority of the day discussing the latest revelations in kicker Josh Brown's domestic violence case, and more specifically how the NFL and NY Giants try to sweep it all under the rug.
We close out the show with the best soundbites of the day. And prostitutes.
Kirk Minihane, avid runner, talks to Charlie Engle about the passion of running, how running became an addiction that replaced drug related addictions, and Charlie's time in jail. Kirk and Charlie have had similar paths through life and they discuss how a passion for running changed their lives.
Kirk was scheduled to interview Jeff Pearlman but the connection sucked and we called a late audible and interrupted the K&C Post Show podcast. Kirk takes over the K&C podcast and turns into Enough About Me and an epic bitchfest ensues.
Kirk Minihane sits down with Red Sox legend Mo Vaughn to talk to Mo about his playing days here in Boston, why the Sox couldn't have won a World Series in the 90's, and what life has been like since his playing day's have ended.
Brad Feldman joins the show to talk about what the Revs need to do to get back to the top of the Eastern Conference, what the future holds for Jay Heaps, and the front office philosophy.
Uncle Buck and friends discuss the return of Bill Goldberg to the WWE and Ronda Rousey's return to the UFC.
Ken Laird and Chris Curtis are in for the Friday edition of the post K&C show podcast, talking about Minihane's new love DOB and his short fuse in the office.
Gerry, Kirk and Meter reacted to Artie Lange's podcast in 'Headlines' and Meter loves Mookie Betts as the guys get a little baseball talk in during hour two of Thursday's show.More from this show
Mark Dondero of WPRI in Providence called in to defend himself and Kirk was ready to take on a listener in hour four of Thursday's show with Jon Meterparel in on Dino's Casting Couch.More from this show
Gerry, Kirk and Meter discussed the 3rd and final presidential debate in hour one of the Thursday show and have all concluded Hillary Clinton is going to be our next president.More from this show
Gerry, Kirk and Trenni talked about the brutal NFL ratings and Trags called in to defend the local Patriots media,More from this show
To start hour three of Thursday's show, Gerry, Kirk and Meter discuss a New York Post story exposing Josh Brown and Curtis recounted his awkward photo day experience.More from this show


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Hello lovely`s!!
Today i`m going to share with you a new review and this time it`s about makeup brushes. This is a makeup brush set that I`ve been using for a long time, the Royal Langnickel Silk Synthetic Makeup 12 piece Brush Set.
This makeup brush set has 12 brushes special indicated to apply facial and eye makeup products. Let`s see every brush.
The facial makeup brushes (powder, blush, foundation) are really great the bristles are really soft allowing you to apply any product very easily.
As for the eye makeup brushes they still have an exceptional quality. But as for their functionality, i think the concealer brush is too small and the smudge brush has some really hard bristles so i find it more useful to apply eye shadow on the outer corner of the eye.
I have to tell you that i don`t really use the eyeliner brush i find it too larger, i prefer the angled brow brush to apply gel eyeliner.
The angled fluff brush is really good to smudge the eye shadow on the crease. The lip brush is really great too it has the perfect size. The double brush for the eyebrows i don`t really used, since i use a gel brow product.
The bristles of these brushes are really soft and flexible allowing you to apply any product really easily. I have these brushes for quite a long time and they don`t lost it`s shape neigher any bristles. This makeup brush set is perfect, it have the essentials makeup brushes that allows you to create a complete makeup. For a travel makeup brushes i may remove some brushes that i don`t really use. What about the price you say, so the price it`s a little bad 50£ around 59 and you can find them here. So concluding ...
Texture/Application: 5/5
Price: 3/5
Package: 5/5
Reality x official product description: 5/5
Average: 4.5
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Source link: http://www.royalbrush.com/welcome/intro.php


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Arte In Sughero
An adorable chant to practice letter sounds! Includes some fun letter pages to turn this activity in to a game.
Let students learn how math concepts are connected to the real world as they design their own 3D TINY HOUSE! Area, perimeter, and geometry-- math is everywhere in this project based learning activity (PBL). Designing, creating, and problem solving are key features of this resource. Build a Tiny House! $
Love this fall nail art in a mixture of pink shades.
A whole pumpkin patch of wine cork pumpkins from True Vine Gifts on Etsy.
21 awesome gratitude and thankful lists to include in your bullet journal to…
Here are 9 books that get kids writing in writers workshop. These mentor text books will help your students find ideas for their narrative stories.
Simple tutorial to help you remove wax residue from candle jars and use them in your home decor. I love how these turned out!
What a great idea for classroom Halloween parties! Free printable Halloween masks that kids can color in and cut out all by themselves. Easy and fun Halloween craft activity for kids. #ad #NestleShareAScare
"SNOWGLOBE À LA MODE." with teensy, tiny gingerbread houses. | The Art of Doing Stuff
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Shinedown posts new single
pretty good, although the lyrics are a bit predictable
album will be interesting
It's like Shinedown and Three Days Grace had a one night stand in a cheap New York motel and this is the resulting baby..
Sounds pretty horrible, and really cliche juvenile lyrical content.
Shinedown is one of the worst post-grunge acts out there.
Shinedown is one of the worst post-grunge acts out there.
Disagree, I consider them higher tier radio rock personally.
Disagree, I consider them higher tier radio rock personally.
That guitarist sure does love his pitch-shifter thingy. I thought it was cool, I enjoy their stuff. It's definitely generally higher tier radio rock, which is admittedly like slightly less unhealthy junk food, but I partake of that, too, so why not.
It doesn't even sound like Shinedown. Barely
What is with these damn lyric videos.
Who cares
"Who cares"
u do, since you commented ur just trying to look cool
quite pathetic really
I'm pathetic now? It's not me who's getting enraged over a simple internet comment.
2 poor
Black Eyed Peas Elephunk
Green Day American Idiot
Linkin Park Hybrid Theory
Linkin Park Meteora
linkin park rulez , kid
go rate all their albums a 5
But i don't think they rule, unfortunately :p
breaking the habit is a 5/5
That's your opinion, and you're as rightfully entitled to it as anyone else.
it's fact wtf
Song is actually pretty good even though the lyrics suck and are some what predictable.
Shinedown kicks fuckin ass
I do like some shinedown songs but this one didn't hold my interest. Also agree it's higher tier radio rock
aint got nothin on devour
Why would he color his hair like that...?
I've never listened to this band and I don't intend to now.
Not crazy about this song. I do think they've put out some pretty solid stuff, however.
shinedown rules so hard
"Why would he color his hair like that...?"
If you asked him and the guy from Seether that question, and they gave
an honest answer, it would probably consist of them looking down sheepishly
and mumbling ".....Kurt Cobain."
The Sound of Madness was great so im looking forward to seeing how this turns out.
Digging: Jimmy Eat World - Integrity Blues
There is nothing remotely interesting happening in that song.
"Disagree, I consider them higher tier radio rock personally."
That's fair enough. I actually can't think of one I like better, probably more a testament to how much I hate radio rock.
They were "higher tier" radio rock, mostly because of Brent Smith's vocal talents and the overall maturity of their approach (especially compared to Breaking Benjamin, Nickelback, Three Days Grace, etc), but that was before they released this Godawful song.
And judging by how much they're pushing me to repost and share this song via Facebook, I'm pretty sure it's a case of dollar-bill enduced hypnosis, if you know what I mean.
thatdudeud0ntknow: Oh, come off it. Facebook reposting is just a big part of marketing these days, tons of bands do it. And by "bands", I mean who ever works on their marketing.
They were one of the best mainstream rock bands out there but this is by far the worst song they've put out. Oh well, at least they got 3 great albums out before going downhill.
Digging: Alter Bridge - The Last Hero
yeah this song isn't that great
but i'll always love their first 3 albums
Digging: Yellowcard - Yellowcard
guys i just saw hayleys commet
I like Shinedown but song sucks hard
had the chorus stuck in my head all day
felt dirty ):
Digging: The Dillinger Escape Plan - Dissociation
well you should because I couldve wrote a better chorus when I was 11.
it's catchy but not in a good way. more in an irritating-europop way
"it's catchy but not in a good way. more in an irritating-europop way"
Thinkin' the same, it's been stuck in my head too. Saw an interview with Brent, Eric and their ridiculous haircuts, and they were saying how they didn't want to say "no" to anything with this album.
Maybe this was something to say no to...
Yeah this song completely sucks... I love 45 and burning bright and save me.
that's about it.
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