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...it is banned books week, a time when most librarians celebrate and defend the FREADOM of reading whatever you want to read. "Whatever!" I am not usually a fan of that word, but it works this week and in this situation.
I can't imagine being told as a high school student that I can not read a certain book. This would be similar to your parents forbidding you from dating a certain boy...and of course...you go right out and do it. Read. Date. Whatever.
We put up a banned and challenged book display in the library and I had to include the currently challenged title: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. The entire series is challenged. And maybe that is part of the reason why this series is so popular. It would be interesting to speak with Suzanne Collins, the author, to get her perspective on this. Do you think she receives nasty letters from people? I love the book and the series - that's my perspective - whatever! (maybe I do like this word)
With or without intention my high school assigned many of the books that were challenged or banned...Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Catcher in the Rye, Call of the Wild, Lord of the Flies. We read Ray Bradbury and I am sure we would have read Lauren Myracle if her books were published back in the "olden days" of the late sixties - early seventies! (whatever - age is just a number!)
I read Banned Books, do you?
Do you know this one, this lovely and loving picture book?
And doesn't it look awful stamped Banned? This book is based on a true story. Do we ban mother nature. Okay, I won't go there.
You will most likely find this book in your public library....check-it-out. I will say no more about it except that: I love it...but, you know...whatever!
Now, some of my wonderful and supportive blog readers have sent photos for Bookface, (my new mini-series on the blog) I will state this disclaimer right up front - they had no idea that I would be blogging Banned Books Week when they sent their photos...but sometimes things align perfectly. A ninth grader is reading a novel by the forever famous Jack London who just happened to write books that would be banned. I doubt that was his goal, (even if he was quite a social activist) - possibly he wanted to get readers to think and feel. With great applause for this reader's recommendation...here's today's first Bookface:
White Fang, an American Classic
Click HERE to visit the author's page on Amazon. Learn more about Jack London and his books.
and now, for the more peaceful path.... Bookface continues with:
We love this book in the library. If you have a preschooler who adores big trucks and construction sites - this is the book to pick up from the library or purchase for a holiday gift.
Click Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site for more info
An end of summer, early fall, must read if your little one is off to Kindergarten!
Pick it up in the library or purchase when someone completes preschool.
Now honestly who doesn't love bears? This book just arrived at my library and I am saving it for a Bear themed Pajama Story Time. Bears! Baby Bears! Blue! The letter B.
Mo Willems writes amazing, sassy, funny books for kids and their parents! I suppose I should check to see if any of his titles have been challenged. He could easily be tempting fate with his sense of humor. Piper and I adore this book from the popular Pigeon series. You really should visit your library's website and place a hold on this book. Seriously. And then go get some cookies! (oatmeal, thanks for asking!)
Bookface continues! And I adore that you send me photos. Thank you. Please keep them coming :) And feel free to comment!
But today, I am curious about Banned Books...do you have a favorite that has been banned? Will you read a banned book this week - just because you can? I will be featuring some in story time tonight. I am thinking that Curious George may be part of tonight's story time. It drives me a little bit crazy when my favorite monkey is challenged. Please let me know - I look forward to reading your comments.
If you are interested in Banned Books Week please visit the American Library Association by clicking here
....and then let us know what you're thinking about!


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On my desk, a shaft of early autumnal sunlight indirectly and gently picks out the details of the pine cone and feather I brought home yesterday morning. I have been walking again, I didn't really stop, I mean long walks, up to the top of the lane walks. An hour or so in the morning and again in the evening.
The lane is a magical place. I have come to know it with a kind of intimacy I would never have known possible years ago. Years ago I only revelled in the theatrical kinds of beauty, storm waves pounding a wild and dangerous drum dance on this north western coast, soaring cliffs standing sentinel to sprawling vistas. Annie Dillard describes this wonderfully, 'After the one extravagant gesture of creation in the first place, the universe has continued to deal exclusively in extravagances, flinging intricacies and colossi down aeons of emptiness… The whole show has been on fire from the word go". I love these dramatic flourishes very much, but now I love the little, simple, plain things as much, if not more.
At the beginning of my walk on the lane this morning I knelt down, touched one hand to the cool, moss and grass-laced tarmac of the road beneath me and positioned myself in the morning sunlight. I had a simple intention for this walk, I just wanted to walk in the beauty, in full consciousness and presence for all that was arising within and around me. I always do, I always try to walk consciously, this started quite a few years ago now, greatly aided by my love of photography which has helped me to see deeply 'the miraculous under my nose'. But this morning was a little different and I feel like a thirst has been quenched. My heart had softened enough to be with it all with more ease and to be quite honest, I love autumn and she spoke to me this morning, bright, fresh with that little cool edge and alive with transformation. All around me spilled a bouquet of rusts and dark greens, heathery faded purples, thistle, clover, soft and deep magenta hues, some spiky and defined, others soft-petalled and floral, others cloud-like, pink froth of dew and ephemeral geometries.
My heart was full of a corner turned. Of possibilities. I have been trapped in a painful story and sought help this week from my friends and they met me with such love and grace that my eyes are filling writing this. The communities we make around us are a miracle. The smell of meadowsweet dew evaporating in morning sunlight is a miracle. The fact that I am here and able to write from the heart like this on this morning is a miracle. The fact that you are here and hear me is a miracle.
The painful story was an old friend of mine – 'not enough time'. I am writing a piece of academic work and have become exhausted. Unwittingly and despite my best efforts at self-care, (something I am grateful to be able to say I have learned a lot about and practice diligently), my mind had become my own sergeant major, fear and tiredness had coalesced into a dry concrete run, blinkers, strict routine, every day the deepening feeling of not being quite good enough and less confident. I hit the wall last week and realised I needed to call on my supports.
Speaking with a deeply wise and loving friend during the week I realised that this is a time of great change for me. His grounded and stable perspective helped me zoom out. The reality I had weaved is transforming, work is changing, the community and the beautiful space that we created together I have to leave behind and with a great deal of uncertainty as to what comes next. My beautiful dog friend is dying, a new relationship has blossomed, the program of study I have applied myself to for three years is coming to an end and the professional direction I had begun to dream has been cast in a new light, perhaps mercifully.
I don't have answers to many things at the moment. I probably never do really, just think I do. But it is an interesting time and this morning I had rested enough for my heart to have softened and my mind to have settled enough to just be. To breathe with one of the many fear stories and actually hold it with a real feeling of compassion, not just bear it. And out of that softening, standing watching the fog lifting over the lake in that golden light, berries and birdsong, horses and cows grazing and a bright, cloud streaked sky holding us all in it's Claddagh like embrace… I let the pain be and I asked, what new thing is trying to speak to me. And sure enough within a few minutes, the memory of a dream that I told Patrick about yesterday evening came back. I have had a strange recurring dream throughout my life about cycling to Dublin and when I told him he said, well sure we can do that. I loved the spontaneity of his offering. Feelings of possibility, excitement, anticipation welled up, sparkling into being and full of playful potential. Under the blanket of fear that I was too tired to lift, out of the shell of the flower that has bloomed and is returning to the earth for autumn, these new little seeds showed themselves. Possibility, I can cycle. I can cycle today, just a little bit and start to get fit again. Excitement of doing that with P, sharing something he loves. Openness, allowing, the taste of freedom.
The lane that I walk on is a great teacher and a great healer. I only have to go and breathe deeply, open my eyes, feel my feet upon the earth and I always feel healed, to whatever extent it is possible for me to allow it. My friends are great teachers and healers, I only have to ask for their help and they shower me with love and wisdom and presence, they help me to see when I am caught up in the fog of my own stories, help me to gently open my heart when it has contracted. I include as my friends those teachers living and dead that help me to stay connected to my heart and to my truest self, Tara Brach, John O'Donoghue, Jack Kornfield, Thich Nhat Hahn – there have been and are so many more. I am so grateful to those people who write, who share their wisdom and their hearts and their joy and pain and love and appreciation for beauty.
That is why I am writing this now. I was standing under the pine in my back garden with Ollie, after the walk, smiling at the text I had just read from John O'Donoghue and that phrase ringing in my ears – the call to beauty. The truth of it, the centrality of it to my own encounter with this life, the possibility for healing within it. Another spark of possibility lit in my heart. I want to give back, I have been nourished and lifted up by all those wise hearts that have travelled with me, before me, I want to be one of those voices that reassures and offers solace and points to the beauty too. It is time to join my voice with the vast, intricate, beautiful network of hearts that are offering love and support while we navigate this beautiful and difficult life together. And just as all the tiny wild flowers and grasses and ferns are so perfectly balanced and deeply interconnected I know that my voice will find its place, my heart will serve its purpose and the hearts to whom I speak will find what they need in our sharing of truth through these words.
With much love and looking forward to the journey,
Lou x

subset: commoncrawl


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Through Mara Moments I share my healing journey with my horse, Mara B, highlighting our interactions and promoting horse therapy. My blog and Instagram chronicle my path forward after the death of my son, Benjamin. I share the silent solitude and beauty of nature on the trails and our experiences. I want to share Mara as a companion for others to promote emotional wellbeing. I love connecting with Mara B at the stable and on the trails as we ride and spend time together. Please become a Follower and join us each day as we share our encounters with special barn pals, animals and events at River Brink Stables. I look forward to sharing my Mara Moments with you.
Also follow us on:
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mara.equine.moments/
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FB @ maraequinetherapy
Thank you. Happy Trails to you.
May 25, 2019
My thoughts on mental health, emotional wellness and suicide awareness are now provided in my daily posts rather than on this page.
May 1, 2017 Addendum
Dear followers, I thought I would share with you what's "behind" each blog post, so you can enjoy and understand more of the horse activities involved each day. Each post represents a summary of three to four hours of Mara B/Helen time. It is the routine, rituals and rhythms of this time that proves 'healing' and beneficial to me.
Each trip to the stable begins with getting the clothes, outerwear and boots I need and measuring out Mara's food supplement that I feed her …each day. The stable is a 14 mile beautiful county drive from home. Once I arrive Mara may be sort of clean to really filthy so grooming and cleaning her up may take 10 minutes to 45 minutes. I give her the daily ration booster, so feeding time is also included. Our ground work, tacking up and ride time varies from 40 minutes to 90 minutes. After riding I take off the saddle, pad and bridle, re-groom her and clean her hoofs and put everything away. Plus remember I'm taking photos when I'm riding Mara. Most photos that appear in a post are chosen from 15 to 20 photos I have taken that same day.
Returning Mara B to her paddock and saying goodbye concludes our time together. Then I have my drive home and I take care of our sweet pup Lindy B. My 'posting' time can take from 15 to 20+ minutes which brings me the satisfaction of sending out a glimpse of my Mara B time to each of you. Thank you for joining us as we enjoy our special human horse connection. Sharing this with others feels really great. Please stay tuned for more of our personal healing journey….
Helen's Therapy Path
Since Benjamin's death in 2010, my healing therapy path has included talk therapy for two years, adding our new pup Lindy to our home, obtaining a Little Free Library to "care for" in Benjamin's memory, acupuncture for 18 months following talk therapy, massages when I could, and then antidepressants all in combination with a major retreat from life. I believe in each of these forms of healing therapy and I know that each person must find their formula or combination of therapies for their own unique healing. Another step I took to provide emotional relief was reducing my work schedule, then further reducing my work schedule and finally concluding my 33 year library career.
Now I want to share the benefits of animal and specifically equine assisted therapy with others. My Mara B time is active, outdoors and physically demanding for me. Developing my close bond with Mara and my daily horse time routine has given me strength and healing. My barn time also provides warm relationships and time with generous horse people. We purchased Mara in August 2014, which is an indication of how long the "process" can be, how much work it takes to move forward and the many therapies you may need to "try."
The creativity of photographing my Mara Moments and sharing them through posts is another healing process for me.
Thank you for your interest and support. More thoughts to follow on another day.
Helen – May 2017
Helen's Healing Path – May 10, 2017
The concept of 'one' has been a healing principle that I was introduced to in therapy. My therapist, Tom, specializes in the area of "complicated grief." As a suicide survivor I was/am in a difficult realm of overwhelmingly complex emotional spiritual traumatic grief, and was a psychological mess. I needed his help. This concept suggested by Tom was the foundation of my healing path.
After I had been seeing Tom for some time, he proposed that I think about "adding ONE thing" to my life. This floored me; I had no idea of how I would have room to "add" anything. My head was so busy spinning in the negative. To even consider adding a new thing seemed impossible.
It took me weeks to work on this assignment, yet now I see it also pulled me away from all the nonstop negative thoughts I had swirling around in my mind. When I considered what I could maybe add, I was out of the swirl for a moment and that moment became a respite. After a few weeks I settled on attending a gentle yoga class one hour a week. I could go there, do the class and not have to talk. I could drive home after the class and be done. I started with one hour a week. That's all I could possibly do, but it was my start.
That one hour a week "add" became my start on this healing path. One, all I ask of myself is to try one thing or one percent more or one more time. This formula is also what I use with my Mara B horse time and our journey together, 'one more…..' To be continued another day. Thank you for listening.
Helen's Healing Path continued – Thoughts on Mother's Day 2017. (photos not included)
Mara B is a mother too, shown here with her beautiful "filly" Kona. Mara was living with six year old Kona when we bought her. Moving away and leaving Kona behind had to be a sad transition for Mara??? Certainly it was a major transition for her.
Here's a Mother's day photo of me before Benjamin died. Delighted to share a horse that I was leasing with my two sons. I now have conflicting feelings about Mother's day. It's a strange place to be, when I don't know how to respond, how to celebrate, how to have "fun" on a day that's so sad in many ways. The dichotomy is difficult for me to articulate. I certainly love Peter and have so much to love and celebrate as his mother. Yet the loss of Benjamin in our lives is incalculable.
Common greetings, common questions still throw me for a loop. "Do you have children?" is actually asked a lot; it brings up anxiety when I hear that question. What answer do you want? I have multiple versions of a response. If I say two, then what? I have said "one" and the person came back with "oh, you only have one?" And then I was in tears and could not handle the emotional pressure…. It's the state of confusion and uncertainty of how to respond that creates the emotional ups and downs I work to manage.
Happy Mother's Day ….. How that phrase impacts people in different ways is not simple to know or see for many many reasons. A lovely day to celebrate with some sensitivity in mind maybe. Thank you for listening.
Meet Mara – the other half of the therapy team – June 6, 2017
Mara has her own unique story in our healing journey. I want to share a little of her story with you to deepen your understanding of our equine therapy partnership.
Mara was raised and trained from age 4 by Lee. We bought her from Lee in 2014 when she was 12 years old.
Mara has also had difficult adjustments in her life. She lived on a farm and I moved her to a stable. She was living with only one other horse and suddenly she had to fit into a herd. Mara had never been in an indoor arena. She was unhappy having other horses ride close to her on the trail. She was very uncomfortable being put in a stall. These are just a few examples of changes Mara had to deal with.
Mara was loaded into a trailer and traveled for four hours before we unloaded her in a new place that she did not choose and did not know. She was taken from the one person she loved and adored. Suddenly Mara was mine and she does not know me. One of the most upsetting things you can do to a horse is to change their environment, which is what we had just done to Mara B.
So begins our relationship which truly took a year of hard work, tears and patience to develop. I even hired a trainer to work with her as Mara was very willing to be intimidating at the start of our relationship. Mara B is not a small horse; she weighs about 1200 pounds and she exudes confidence and power when she wants to! I knew I needed help and I am very grateful that I recognized that and found such a wonderful young gal to work with Mara and me. The firm foundation we developed and fine-tuned has brought us to the Zen relationship we have today.
In retrospect, I now see that the work and effort to make Mara "my" horse was diverting my mind from the constant negative spin swirling in my head after Benjamin's death. I had to focus so hard, both mentally and physically, while I was with her. I sobbed all the way home from the barn that first year…. I still simply had only so much capacity to "keep it together" on the outside before the inside pain fell out….
So slowly we started to figure out our relationship, know each other and become a team.
Mara was slowly pulling me forward. I had horse issues to think about now….
Thanks for listening, more of our healing journey to follow another day.
Help Along the Way – More of our Healing Journey – June 13, 2017
I have had a great deal of help since Benjamin's death. Help from family, friends, therapists, books, my pup and Mara B, nature, silence, travel adventures and retreating. The individuals who religiously have stayed in touch and called, emailed, sent cards and remembered important dates, anniversaries and each holiday that we were limping through are true Heroes and amazing people to have in my life.
A person on a healing path can feel very lonely, isolated and confused. I have recently really embraced a new phrase I have encountered, "Learning in Public," that fits the path I have been traveling. I am learning as I go along day to day and my learning often takes place in public, which is not easy. As a new suicide survivor I felt "different;" not sure what I would be getting from others and not sure what I could handle or not handle in any given moment. A coping mechanism I adopted was to become quite silent and Tom, my therapist, offered phrases that I could use when I needed them. But at the crucial moment I could not remember anything so I would panic even more because I forgot what I should say….
"I'm on the edge" became a favorite response to "Hi how are you?" actually, because the "I'm good or I'm fine" answer made me scream inside. My silence was the most powerful way to communicate back and express what a crazy question that was to even ask me. I mean let's be real and authentic.
Today I want to acknowledge my biggest helpers of all, Jay and Peter, who now continue as major Mara Moments helpers for me too! They both support and assist me in this blog, Instagram and this FB Page. Jay is my editor and technical assistant. Peter is my in- the-field photographer, and they are both cheering me on as I "try" to voice my healing equine assisted therapy path, as I continue to learn in public and share it with each of you.
My thanks to each of you reading this today. Thinking about what I can post for you at the end of each day is enriching as well as healing for me at this point. I appreciate that you look for my posts so I can create and continue on my healing journey with you.
Helen's Healing Path continued – Routine Contributes to my Healing
June 29th 2017
My daily horse time provides a structure and routine that I need. My time with Mara and being around the barn provides something I love and something I'm good at – being half of the Mara B and me team.
Having been broken and feeling very vulnerable, abandoned and confused by Benjamin's death, I had to practice over and over surrendering to the possibility that maybe I could eventually breathe again.
Healing for me has been trying, really just by the seat of my pants, to get a handle on my trauma loneliness and overwhelming state of confusion that I have felt. Dealing with Benjamin's death had shattered all of the routines I was accustomed to.
Before I decided to buy my own horse I was meeting with an amazing intuitive therapist who helped me clearly see that I had buried myself under grief, then heaped on shame and added in guilt and I simply could not find my way out from under the weight of it all without slowly and painstakingly unraveling the confusion and working very hard to put aside the nonstop negative thoughts and conditions that consumed me. As the years and months have passed, I now realize that Mara's physical presence and the commitment of caring for her has been a powerful piece of moving to a better plane.
Making the decision to have my own horse was a big move and commitment. Horses are very time consuming. They are physically demanding and require a high skill and confidence level. This I already knew, so saying "yes" to horse ownership was a giant step to move forward on my personal healing journey.
Caring for Mara, putting in the physical as well as emotional work of making her my horse provided a framework to slowly start letting go of some of those heavy negative threads that held me down. I could spend my daily horse hours away from the confusion and negative thoughts. Just long enough to find a respite. A respite that I still seek and value and one that has provided me some strength, courage and a positive healing activity.
My daily routines and relationship with Mara and the positive relationships around my barn time including each of you who read these words help with healing. I thank you for listening and for providing your support as a follower. More another day.
Reading horses, reading for healing, reading Mr. Rogers: Helen's healing path continued July 6, 2017
Reading is a big part of my life; I'm a reader, a librarian, and I'm an introvert.
I also "read" horses which means by closely observing horse I have learned much about them. What seems natural to me in my horse reading is actually the result of hours, days, months and years of watching and listening to the horses I've been around and interacted with.
I love to observe horses. It took a solid year of work for me to "read" Mara, a year that propelled me forward after Benjamin's death. Figuring out her unique horse personality to blend with my human personality required learning from mistakes, tons of patience and plenty of time. Reading Mara B provided a diversion from the overwhelming negative cloud I was buried under. We have formed a mutual understanding and strong bond that I now say is Zen.
I am a reader and I could not read after Benjamin's death. I wanted to read for some healing support but lack of focus, mental and emotional confusion, a heavy fog, my swirling negative mind, exhaustion and who knows what else did not allow me to read for many many months. Another loss for me. Slowly I made my way back to being a reader.
Mister Rogers was part of our family when the boys were growing up. His show before nap time was a positive pattern for us. We even used a Mister Rogers quote on Benjamin's funeral program "We cannot truly understand a person unless we know who that person has been, what that person has done and liked and suffered and believed." (Thanks Mr. Rogers)" So wouldn't you know it was our Mr Rogers books that got me back to reading. I had "The World According to Mister Rogers: Important Things to Remember" and "Life's Journey's According to Mister Rogers: Things to Remember along the Way" which I had given to Jay, Peter and Benjamin for Christmas in 2005.
Slowly I could read the one or two page thoughts from Mister Rogers and then I was able to add more reading over time. Reading for recovery is a source of healing for me still today. Mister Rogers was always everyone's friend and helper, he certainly has been mine. Mister Rogers understood loneliness. In thinking of what Mara Moments could be, I thought and hoped that Mara could be a friend to others too… a friend to share nature, horse sense and equine assisted therapy. A Mara Moment arriving in your inbox from a sweet horse, a bit of comfort from a friend, a ping against loneliness maybe.
Thank you to each of you reading this, for listening and for riding along with Mara B and me today, I appreciate your support. More another day. Helen
Thread of Three: Helen's Healing Journey on the way to Dallas July 13, 2017
We were the classic foursome; mom dad and the two boys and it felt perfect for me. Benjamin's death left just the three of us…. It's been a major adjustment. Four is so fun. Three can feel slight to us, just the minimum required to have an "immediate" family. Jay, Peter and Helen, plus our adored Lindy B and Mara B.
You see, the B is for Benjamin.
So I feel I'm in a world of threes now. My family of three with Benjamin off on his own.
During the day it is me my dog and my horse. Plus a daily thread of three activities I focus on these days; Mara Moments, Suicide Awareness and Prevention and Little Free Library.org
Each of these three projects has become an area of focus in my new evolving world. Slowly, they each revealed themselves to me and then grew into a major activity of my days. You're part of Mara Moments if you're reading this post, so you get that.
In the area of suicide awareness, we have been part of supporting some grassroots efforts. Jay and I support The Jed Foundation. We support Regions Hospital "Make it Ok" campaign. I post with hashtag #projectsemicolon #semicolonproject and #suicideprevetion daily on Instagram @ mara.equine.moments And a major issue I work to address is to correct the terminology around reporting and speaking of a suicide death. Please please please stop saying a person "committed." This only makes it sound like a crime and perpetuates the negative stigma. Whenever I hear or read the negative statement of "committed" I call radio stations, I email reporters and I write letters begging people to start referring to a death BY suicide. I state that Benjamin died by suicide. Tom, my therapist, said that I could also say that Benjamin died from an undiagnosed brain disease. I may start saying that too.
Suicide survivor is a group no one wants to join. Having been catapulted here, my brain is still scrambled and I feel a tremendous weight about all there is to do. That is why I'm starting to "try" to communicate about my suicide survivor status, grief and my healing journey.
The third thread of my path forward has been Little Free Library.org Early after Benjamin's death I heard about Little Free Libraries from my college friend, Mary, and we got one as a memorial for Benjamin in 2011. Jay and I have slowly increased our volunteer relationship with this incredible organization. Benjamin's Little Free Library is a positive, active and always evolving memorial that I love to nurture, care for, and share with others. It's a positive in a very difficult and sad reality.
I'm explaining this thread of three this week in advance of sharing with you next about our upcoming trip to Dallas. Jay, Peter and I will be in Dallas on July 22, 2017 to dedicate five Little Free Libraries that our family and some extended family members have sponsored in memory of the five Dallas Police Officers who were ambushed and killed in Dallas a year ago. The Dallas Daily News did a story on our donation last September if you wish to read the background. (Article by: Kaitlyn Martin on the DallasNews website)
More after our trip to Dallas. To each of you reading this, I thank you for following along on Mara Moments and for your friendship and support. Helen
Taking Action, Dallas (7/22/17) – Helen's Healing Journey continued July 29, 2017
Depression, anxiety, grief and trauma are heavy and weigh a person down so you feel like you are moving through quicksand. It may appear that the way ahead is clear and that it should be easy to move forward, however nothing is the same after a traumatic death and forward motion is difficult for survivors.
I have learned that positive action helps me feel better. Acting on some of my ideas has given me forward movement; not always straight, clear or easy, but the movement itself feels helpful and healing.
My horse time requires that I use mental and emotional energy and it is a very physical activity. Mara B time provides my own form of equine therapy which definitely is empowering. I promote equine therapy experiences through my Mara Moments posts because connections with horses are powerful and fulfilling and I like to share them.
Another positive action I have taken is the Little Free Library Dallas project in memory of the five Dallas Officers who were killed one year ago. That project required that I exert emotional and mental energy in a constructive way. The dedication ceremony for these libraries in Dallas last Saturday that Jay, Peter and I attended was active, positive and emotional. Also, we were able to distribute many Benjamin coins and that was special for the three of us.
Our day with the volunteers and stewards in Dallas who contributed so much to making this project a reality was very positive. They committed their time energy and creativity for the better part of one year to design, build and place the five libraries in the Dallas community. Their active personal service and giving attitude was so beneficial to observe. We were able to express our concern about the traumatic impacts of gun violence on families, communities and our country to those in attendance and now we are sharing it with you.
We talked to the assembled group at the dedication reception and concluded with the poem "Kindness" by Naomi Shihab Nye. It powerfully describes the need for kindness following a tragedy such the Dallas shootings. I hope you will find it and read it.
After our remarks a volunteer told me how much she loved that we ended our comments with that poem and that she did not know it. However she loves Naomi Shihab Nye's poems and thinks that I am the person who Naomi is talking about in her poem "Famous" which I did not know. Now I like "Famous" and want to share it with you. Let's all try to be famous to others in this way
By Naomi Shihab Nye
The river is famous to the fish.
The loud voice is famous to silence,
which knew it would inherit the earth
before anybody said so.
The cat sleeping on the fence is famous to the birds
watching him from the birdhouse.
The tear is famous, briefly, to the cheek.
The idea you carry close to your bosom
is famous to your bosom.
The boot is famous to the earth,
more famous than the dress shoe,
which is famous only to floors.
The bent photograph is famous to the one who carries it
and not at all famous to the one who is pictured.
I want to be famous to shuffling men
who smile while crossing streets,
sticky children in grocery lines,
famous as the one who smiled back.
I want to be famous in the way a pulley is famous,
or a buttonhole, not because it did anything spectacular,
but because it never forgot what it could do.
For your support of Mara Moments, I thank you – more another day.
The power of social media – Helen's healing path continues. September 4, 2017
It's been a while since my last "personal message." I've been feeling like I was on hold, so I felt silence and waiting was for the better. I was trying to find a peaceful rhythm without pressure, which I do not want or need. My daily ride and my daily post felt like enough for now. However good things have been developing behind the scenes and I want to share them with you today.
I have been able to quietly communicate about my healing path with Mara B through social media. By quietly I mean I have not talked to people individually. Instead I have posted my thoughts on my blog and FB Page, a process that is all new to me. It's been challenging, frustrating and sort of thrilling all at the same time. I have a story and as my heart and voice became stronger I felt drawn to share my personal experiences since Benjamin's death with those who may be interested. I want to express how real the trauma, anxiety and depression is and how difficult it truly is to "move forward" and "move on" to manage the grief and pain of a suicide death.
I started the Mara Moments blog almost one year ago, and then I added an Instagram account and a FB Page. Through this powerful communication of social media, I connected with Equusdocumentary via Instagram. EquusDocumentary is a team of two creative people, Anastasia and John, who are filming a groundbreaking documentary series highlighting different ways in which people work with horses in a healing context. They and we are supporting mental health initiatives and horse therapy and healing is one method we are trying to shine more light on. Please follow them on Instagram @equusdocumentary or their website @www.equusfilm.org.
Anastasia and John are currently here to film and interview me for their project. This is an amazing and validating opportunity for Mara B and me. Jay and I strongly support their work and this project. We invite you to do the same if it speaks to your heart too.
To my followers and to each of you reading this, I sincerely thank you for your support, interest and engagement as I continue to walk my healing path with Mara B. I'm passing on the title of a wonderful book to you today too, "There is no Good Card for This: What to say and do when life is scary, awful, and unfair to people you Love." By: Kelsey Crowe and Emily McDowell. Emily McDowell has an excellent online presence. Maybe this is another resource for you to embrace; I found it to be very well done.
Happy Trails to you. Helen
Recap and review of my Equusfilm.org interview and filming experience; Continuing along on Helen's healing path – September 21, 2017
Anastasia and John, the healing with horses documentary film project team, have been here and are now on to their next visit. They left me with a tender heart and a renewed desire to continue to share my mental health challenges, issues and experience with depression and guilt, shame and anxiety as well as retreating from daily life experiences.
They were with us for ten days and it was a privilege to get to know them and to participate in their documentary film project. We needed time and space to communicate and share some of what has happened to us since Benjamin's death, living as suicide survivors and sharing some of the "before" and now the "after" since his tragic death.
Mara B and Equine Therapy and healing with horses brought us together. Our shared passion for speaking up about suicide and suicide prevention, suicide survivors as well as suicide attempt survivors was a topic of much conversation and connection. However, mental health and wellbeing and supporting others dealing with mental health issues were also a major focus of our conversations. I am learning that many people desire communication and solid support in their own individual struggles, confusion and difficulties with mental and emotional pain. I appreciate hearing from readers through my blog, by email, Instagram ( @mara.equine.moments ) and LinkedIn.
Trauma has put me on this path and now I desire to be a voice and an advocate for others who suffer in silence. I had years of my own silence but now for some reason I've gained an interest in speaking about my personal journey of trying to heal, trying to move forward and of trying to enjoy more of daily life. Equusfilm.org provides a powerful avenue to do so.
To those who are reading this, I thank you and want you to know I appreciate your interest and support. More another day, Helen
November 7, 2017 Helen's Healing Journey
October brought the seventh anniversary of Benjamin's death. Now it's the seventh of November and I want to share seven concepts with readers who ride along on Mara Moments and who are interested in my unique healing path.
1. The "share your story" theme has evolved internationally as a way of helping others to know that they are not alone, to offer ideas and to provide words of support which is motivation for me to share my healing path via the Mara Moments blog. From Prince Harry speaking about mental health issues to the #metoo hashtag, I find positive support from voices of others who share their truth and experiences. I hope my posts sharing my experience will lighten that burden for some others. If we are going to make the world better, kinder, safer, more inclusive we need to be better at listening to what hurts. Hurts are like a hidden disability.
2. Hearing from numerous readers who express their gratitude for my words and thoughts is helpful and supportive for me. This encourages me to continue reaching out to others in this small way. I am continually motivated by the thought – "what it someone would have helped Benjamin?"
3. The continuing number of tragic suicide deaths in the news and the current reality of special friends who now face the future as suicide survivors motivates me to continue talking about this complex mental health crisis and to ask others to be aware of the difficulties many people endure. A special focus for me is to change the language around the use of "committed" with a suicide death. To use that term perpetuates the negative stigma of a death by suicide and makes it sound like a crime. I always say "Benjamin died by suicide" which is accurate without inserting a negative connotation when one is not needed. Please join me in making this important communication change and to educate others.
4. Animal assisted therapies are gaining more headlines, recognition and appreciation. Specifically, the use of equine therapy continues to expand and from my own positive experience I want to be a voice for the benefits it can provide and advocate for the value of this form of therapy. Through my posts, I want to share my equine experiences and provide support for people who do not have easy access to horses or who do not know about equine therapy.
5. Retreat, rest, calm, quiet, nature, solitude and healthy therapies continue to be critical for me each day. These are themes I try to emphasize for others to consider and to embrace. Healing is slow work and I promote slowing down to allow the healing process to progress at each person's own pace and capabilities. Pressure from others to just "fix it" or "move on" is not helpful.
6. Routine, even what may sometimes look like a boring routine, has been helpful and healing for me. Walking, reading and grooming are daily repetitive routines that may seem simple, yet in practice they bring me comfort. Being physically active and outside in nature, spending my days around animals and animal lovers is healing and helpful. With Mara Moments my intention is to share a moment of that routine as a type of peaceful supportive friendship and is my low key creative and simple way of sharing the routines that are so helpful for me.
7. Shift to rebuilding – Year seven and I'm just trying my hand at "rebuilding" (for which there is no set formula). I share the concept of rebuilding because folks need to know that there is no predetermined time limit on how long "it takes" to rebuild your future after a great loss. Give yourself time and please give others all the time they need to heal or find their way forward from trauma, grieving and sadness.
Again, if you're reading this, I thank you, (I'm not a great participant in daily reciprocal social media communications, sorry) Happy Trails and more another day. Peace, Helen
Helen's Healing Path – December 20, 2017
The Balance of Holiday Cheer
We have arrived at the Winter Solstice 2017. I always like this, because I love the natural light and it starts increasing tomorrow. And next it's the "holidays."
For many different reasons people experience the dichotomy of trying to have some festive fun with season's greetings and Christmas Cheer while encountering periods of depression or anxiety from the thought that "What I don't need is the pressure of social cheer." For me, emotional pressure rises as the Holiday Cheer intensifies.
I'm still trying to figure out Christmas. I have distinct "before" Benjamin died feelings about Christmas and an "after" he died approach to the holiday season. They are very different feelings. Our family "leaves" and we travel. We do Christmas different from the years before Benjamin died. That eases the impact of his absence – it "helps" somewhat. And I know many others are also at various points of the Holiday Cheer spectrum.
What I do have in my life today is wonderful, but without Benjamin I can also feel that I am not truly whole. Other people who are carrying a similar private weight of loss or poor health, trauma or various heavy burdens probably understand what I feel when I refer to the loss of the "whole."
Due to the loss and emotional trauma I have suffered, my view of life is more focused and intense now and I am more easily and frequently impacted by the pain and suffering that's all around. So, during this holiday season I simply wish to express – Let's balance the Holiday Cheer with our personal emotional challenges the best that we can. Often the most meaningful things we do for others are simple, thoughtful actions; gestures without a lot of words.
Suicide continues to be front and center in the news and to devastate families; depression and loneliness are very real and the effect of trauma is long lasting. When you have suffered such a blow, it is hard to display a phony smile when the devastation of your reality is usually on your face. That's what I'm pointing out here – a tough spot to be in any time, but especially with the expectation of Holiday Joy and Cheeriness. Let's simply be mindful that some struggle to feel and express the Cheer of the Season, and that's ok.
I also want to share the resources listed below for any reader who wishes to understand these thoughts further. I found them helpful, and I value that emotional issues are being more openly discussed, explained, supported and shared.
I am working with a new therapist in Somatic Experiencing (trauma resolution) and Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy. It's been a very positive and interesting experience.
"A Blue Christmas," Wall Street Journal 12/5/17
Survival Lessons by Alice Hoffman
And just for a light read that was emotionally comforting at the same time –
The Story of Arthur Trulove by: Elizabeth Berg
Tomorrow is the Winter Solstice and I value the additional light that will come our way. I wish you light, calm and peace for your Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or other Holiday celebration. I appreciate each of you who read these words and maybe you will explore some of the thoughts or ideas I shared and hopefully find them helpful.
To my family, friends, readers and followers, I thank you for riding along with Mara B and me. Mara and my world of equine therapy is a strong positive experience in my day. We continue to evolve and expand and sharing a piece of our time together with you feels good. Happy trails and blessings to you in 2018.
MLK Holiday weekend – More reflections on Helen's healing path 1/15/18
I remember the terrible day that Martin Luther King Jr was assassinated. Now fifty years later, society continues to struggle with gun violence and the trauma caused by gun violence. Whether homicide, suicide, or accidental deaths by gun, today I must speak to this topic because of my personal experience as a suicide survivor.
Usually I promote equine therapy which is so valuable and I do love my horse time and sharing Mara B with others. However, today it is more important to remind people of the lasting effects of trauma caused by guns. Healing for individuals, families, communities and our country will be an impossible hurdle until those who have no personal loss due to gun violence or concern about the issue of gun violence are educated about its deep negative impacts. Suicide can be prevented and not having access to a gun is a critical factor. I pray we collectively can move in this direction.
Mental health issues, gun violence and suicide prevention are now intertwined in my personal life story. This is not a fun, happy, upbeat topic that most people seek, but I need to voice it and we need to address it. Today as we celebrate the life, and reflect on the tragic death, and courageous work of Martin Luther King Jr, let us also think about life without gun deaths and work toward that goal. For Benjamin and for other parents, I will continue to share my voice and my actions to try to nudge us to advancements in understanding this issue.
I follow and support Giffords: Courage to Fight Gun Violence (https://giffords.org) Gabby Gifford's has the courage to fight gun violence, and Gun Violence Must Stop. Here's What We Can Do to Prevent More Deaths | Prevention Institute (https://preventioninstitute.org).
On a lighter note my current book that I wish to share is from the equusfilm.org folks, Anastasia and John. Journey to Softness by Mark Rashid is a wonderful book for horse people and all people to understand "softness of heart" as a way of life and as an important universal theme. Moving towards softness as a goal may help us all, and is one to embrace on MLK Day.
Thank you, readers and followers. Mara Moments is not just horsey fun and I appreciate that you will stop by and listen and engage on these tough topics too. Sincerely, Helen
Happy trails to you in 2018.
"21 to 29" Note from Helen May 25, 2018
Its Benjamin's birthday and he would have been 29 years old. Today I reflect on all that has been missed during his 20's; a decade of such change and growth for many people.
This year I'm thinking about the concept of "To Recognize." To recognize means to detect with the senses, to discern and to spot.
Through all of the ordeals with Mara B this Spring including the whole paddock change, saddle fit issue, foot problems and diet changes, I have realized that one of my jobs is "to recognize" subtle changes and communications from Mara. Questioning things at times and dismissing intuitions or observations at other times, I had been somewhat stumbling through my duty "to recognize" what impacts Mara's comfort and overall health. Fortunately, receiving clear and direct guidance and advice from Maura G. put me on a focused path to acknowledging and then addressing these issues for Mara B. I am grateful that I picked up some of the issues myself but more grateful to Maura G for delivering her insights and opinions about them.
Which brings me to Benjamin on his birthday and the themes of emotional wellbeing, mental health as well as suicide awareness and suicide prevention. It is so important "to recognize" when help is needed, to learn to ASK for help and to be willing to offer help to your inner circle even though these are often seen as delicate and sensitive topics. I want to remind us today "to recognize." Not easy, not always comfortable and not always well received. I respect and value the folks along the way who have offered me insights and ideas, even those who at the time I did not "get" or act on or even acknowledge, but now I recognize the loving guidance that was provided. We offered loving guidance to Benjamin for 21 years too. To us, Benjamin did not exhibit signs of someone who would take his own life which makes this topic so complex and difficult. I know this is not simple and it is not easy for me to keep talking about this. However, we cannot dismiss the reality and the need to make people aware of mental health issues and suicide.
Now every day I think "What if someone had helped Benjamin?" Maybe we wouldn't be sitting here without him. I'm hoping we may all find a clearer understanding of the complex challenges of experiencing, diagnosing and treating mental illness and that we come to see past the social stigma to the individuals and families who are suffering. MPR had a wonderful program on May 21, 2018 that I want to highlight "Call to Mind: Innovative Approaches to Mental Well Being." a conversation hosted by Tom Weber Also please be aware of "Note to Self" a current exhibit at the Science Museum of Minnesota. These are examples of great programs that are thankfully becoming 'common place.' Looking back to 2010, I was not aware of such mental health topics and suicide awareness initiatives. Thankfully, society is slowly making progress, yet so much more is needed. Let's not stop.
In conclusion I'm sharing a powerful quote that dearest friend Nancy gave me:
Thank you for reading. Sincerely, Helen
June 9, 2018
Summer Notes from Helen – thegoodhumanexperiment.com
Today I want to say Thank You to "The Good Human Experiment" site for publishing my horse therapy story. I hope you will take some time to look at this wonderful site and even consider following along and participating. This is the form of positive social media I personally value, appreciate and support. The Good Human Experiment emphasizes acting with goodness, empathy, compassion, courtesy and patience, which benefits our own emotional well-being and those around us.
This has been an overwhelming week of high profile suicides in the news; tragic reminders that mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety, really matter and they are often hidden or not recognized. We must not wait for the next celebrity suicide before we reach out.
I will continue to voice my concerns about this uncomfortable subject, because I'm thinking of the next 123 people who take their own lives each day and their families, as well as Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain. I ask readers to have a caring conversation with a loved one or friend about mental health, depression and suicide. Go ahead and tell them about Benjamin. You will probably feel uncomfortable, and that's ok. It's better than being a survivor of a family member's or friend's suicide. Remember that all of us need the help of other people when we are unable to help ourselves.
Thank you for reading this and thank you for engaging in this touchy, difficult subject. The best way to talk about mental health and suicide is openly and honestly. Believe me, we never thought suicide would happen to our family.


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10 July 2017 - One Year After Kem Ley's Assassination
A memorial service for political commentator and activist Kem Ley at the site where he was murdered in what many consider a politically directed assassination. The CPP government is still refusing to release a copy of the CCTV video surrounding the assassination. The police prudently did not interfere with the memorial service.Read More


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After being convicted of a crime he says he didn't commit, Kouichi returns to exact his revenge on the women involved.
What They Say:
On her morning commute, a young woman witnesses a guy molesting a woman on the train. Though she does not try to stop him or call for help, she does do something about it: she pleasures herself. She soon gets caught up in the pervert's world, becoming a willing victim and a recruiter for his dirty games. She then ups the ante, luring her hot friends into the trap. All aboard!
The Review:
The audio presentation for this release brings us the original Japanese language track in stereo along with the English language dub, both of which are encoded at the standard 192kbps. Kitty Media continues to get dubs for its adult releases, this time from Swirl, and that side of the show pretty much mirrors the Japanese side when it comes to the technical presentation. It's a dialogue driven show with nothing really here outside of the music to give it any life, so the standard stereo mix serves the material well. Dialogue is clean and clear throughout and we had no problems with dropouts or distortions during regular playback of either language track.
Originally released in 2007, the transfer for this two part OVA series is presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.78:1 and is enhanced for anamorphic playback. The show has a lot of very vibrant colors to it with the character animation and almost harkens back a touch to the overly digital shows rom years ago. The colors are quite varied and done in a real world style for the backgrounds. The transfer captures this quite well as there's really little issue here outside of some background noise in a few scenes and a touch of cross coloration for an instant or two. This release doesn't feel like some other shows with a very polished feel, but it has a strong look to it and the transfer brings that out well.
This cover does look a bit more like the visual novel games than an anime release in some ways because of the character design and the style used. The only character here is Kanon as she's all tied up and hanging in chains as her outfits is being pulled away from her and she has that weak and slightly scared look to her. The logo done sideways and uses the electronic format that you do see in trains and subways which looks fun and nicely done though a bit awkward at first. The back cover is a fair bit simpler as it's mostly made up of stills from the show that let the women stand out as well as the guy. The summary is very small but that's understandable considering the actual plot. The production credits round out the bottom along with a very good technical grid that's very clean and clear. No show related inserts are included nor is there a reversible cover.
The menu design takes the character artwork from the front cover and puts it to one side. The artwork looks more vibrant and detailed here than on the cover and it certainly sets the mood for the show. The navigation strip is along the side and it has the basics that you'd expect since there isn't anything on the disc besides the show and some trailers for other series. Submenus load quickly and it's easy to navigate but unfortunately the release did not read our players' language presets and defaulted to English with sign/song subtitles.
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
One of the more popular subgenres of the hentai world is that of the train fantasy where so many wonderful things happen. The Last Train to Gropesville obviously deals with the train and they deal with some fairly predictable material there. With the two episodes here, there is an underlying story to what's going on but it isn't until the last ten minutes or so that it starts to really come out. That's not necessarily a bad thing as it means that the bulk of the show is about the sex and the situations. Without that little bit of back story though, it isn't given anything bigger to hang onto in order to tell the story. You're left wondering – maybe even hoping – that there's a real reason behind all of this.
The story for this revolves around a slightly older gentleman named Kouichi who is out to have revenge. Revenge isn't what everyone realizes he's out for at first though as he's taking advantage of an attractive young lawyer woman who he has an issue with. Tormenting and teasing her on the train in public view is humiliation to be sure but she can't fight back against him since if she does, everyone will know what's going on and really see her. All of this catches the eye of young Kanon and she can't help but to watch. She's getting turned on by the situation and the realization that Kouichi knows that she's watching all of this happen. When she finds herself on the train with him later on, she knows that she knows him from somewhere and she can't help but to give in to him as he ravages her there for her first time on this empty train. The entire situation turns her into a very willing subject as she starts talking about making atonement and repayment to him for past sins.
It's from here that things go from bad to worse as Kouichi uses Kanon in order to get to her two older sisters, Nao and Kyoko. He uses his time with Kanon to get Nao to follow them and he takes her down quick in an elevator with a very willing Kanon. This leads to Nao being tied up in a secret room where he bends her to his will and puts his plans into motion for bringing Kyoko under his control as well. And once he has Kyoko, he has everything he wants for his revenge as we start to get the back story on why he's so angry and wanting revenge on the trio and the lawyer. Even that section doesn't get all that much coverage and it adds to the general feeling of unease about parts of the show. The women all give in to Kouichi so easily that it lacks that kind of real threat about it to make it believable. That they are so willing and eager afterwards only makes it all the less interesting since the connection isn't there. Some show spend a lot of time showing the domination of the female characters by the male, but here it's just skimmed over.
The sex in the show is pretty much as you'd expect where it's fairly graphic and non-consensual. The women aren't terribly abused here as you might see in some other shows, but they're tied up and held down repeatedly and there's ample use of toys and devices on them. There's only one male in the show and the four women and he works his way through all of them, though he also makes sure the women work each other over as well. The toys are well used from time to time and the girl on girl aspects are fun as well, though it all comes down to it having a similar problem (for me) in that the women seem like they're mindwiped once they've been turned to his side. There's just little appeal in seeing zombie women doing someone's bidding. Especially when said someone has a far too-red member in hand.
The character designs for the show do have that feeling, at least to me from when I got into the adult anime world more thoroughly, of those that were popular when the video game adaptations were becoming prominent during the traditional to digital transition. They've very polished in a way but lack that kind of realness about them. They don't exactly feel like they're within the world that they inhabit but rather are gliding on top of it. The designs are certainly appealing looking and they hit all the right marks, but when you combine that with the zombie aspect of their personalities as it goes on they aren't exactly characters to connect with or really enjoy. They're simply toys to be used. Well designed and good looking toys at least.
In Summary:
The Last Train to Gropesville is about what I expected from a show of this nature, though it doesn't take place entirely on a train which breaks tradition a little bit. It's got some good looking character designs and some enjoyable sex scenes, but it lacks good characters and people that you want to watch in these kinds of situations. This is one of those shows where it is sort of just there, especially after you watch something that does titillate and interest you a lot more. There's nothing terribly wrong with it, it accomplishes what it sets out to do in a genre that it wanted to be in with no surprises, but that's the problem. It's just one more thing that we've seen before in different shows without much difference.
Japanese 2.0 Language, English 2.0 Language, English Subtitles
Content Grade: C
Audio Grade: B+
Video Grade: B+
Packaging Grade: B
Menu Grade: B
Extras Grade: N/A
Released By: Kitty Media
Release Date: February 24th, 2009
Running Time: 60 Minutes
Video Encoding: 480i/p MPEG-2
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Review Equipment:
Sony KDL70R550A 70″ LED 1080P HDTV, Sony PlayStation3 Blu-ray player via HDMI set to 1080p, Onkyo TX-SR605 Receiver and Panasonic SB-TP20S Multi-Channel Speaker System With 100-Watt Subwoofer.


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"Hickey: I remain overweight gold. The secular bull market in gold isn't over. A negative interest-rate environment is bullish for gold, and rates keep getting more negative as central banks keep cutting rates that aren't yet zero-bound. Where interest rates are close to zero, as in the U.S., the U.K. and Japan, they engage in quantitative easing."
*This information is solely an excerpt of a third-party publication and is incomplete. Please subscribe to the referenced publication for the full article. This is not an offer to buy or sell precious metals. Investors should obtain advice based on their own individual circumstances and understand the risk before making any investment decision.


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Jeudi 30 Avril - Forecasting climate change impacts on large pelagic fish populations and fisheries: progress, uncertainties and research needs
Apr 30, 2015
from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
|Salle Lyot
Lehodey Patrick, CLS, France
|Add event to calendar
Lehodey Patrick, CLS, France
Titre: Forecasting climate change impacts on large pelagic fish populations and fisheries: progress, uncertainties and research needs
Résumé: High Seas pelagic fisheries target only a limited number of tuna species and billfishes (swordfish and marlins). The short-living skipjack tuna is the most tropical and productive species while bluefin tuna is the most temperate and long living species, providing small but extremely valuable levels of catch. A dozen of other exploited species share this oceanic habitat with other large predators, including sharks, and marine mammals, turtles and sea birds. These species have overlapping vertical and horizontal habitats defined by their preferences and tolerances developed over the evolution for several key physical and biological variables. Though some tuna and billfishes can move far in high latitudes searching for rich foraging grounds they all return to warm waters (roughly >24°C) for spawning, leading to seasonal migrations and complex population dynamics mechanisms interacting with several environmental variables. Therefore, characterizing habitats and projecting them in the future using IPCC scenarios is a useful but incomplete approach when investigating the impact of climate change on these species. The progress in the study of climate change impacts on tuna and associated species is reviewed with highlights on recent results based on a modeling framework developed to simulate the spatial dynamics of fish with mechanisms constrained by relationships based on the bio-physical environment predicted from coupled 3D models of ocean physics and biogeochemistry. This framework includes a Maximum likelihood Estimation approach allowing reconstructing past history of fish population, to dissociate fishing impacts from natural variability, and to forecast population dynamics under climate change scenarios. Future perspectives for a better modelling and management of tuna stocks and fisheries in the coming decades are discussed.


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Lochwood Ventures focuses on creating and developing companies from internal ideas. At the heart of its operations is entrepreneurial expertise and in-house infrastructure which help to generate concepts and build companies at scale.
Business owner and private investor Alexander Johnson is the founder and CEO of Johnson Corporation. He established Lochwood Capital and Lochwood Ventures to manage his investments and build scalable companies in the technology sector.


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Geoffrey Rush, Ian McKellen and Cate Blanchett pay tribute to Bille Brown
The Man Who Sued God star passed away in Brisbane two days after his 61st birthday, after a battle with bowel cancer, and his longtime friend, Oscar-wining actor Geoffrey Rush, was among those by his side.
Rush began his career in the 1970s working alongside Brown at the Queensland Theatre Company and they remained close friends up until his death, and The King's Speech star has released an emotional statement in his memory.
He says, "We have lost a great and truly original man of the theatre and I have farewelled a brother. Our professional lives and our deep friendship have been intertwined for 43 years… Bille confronted the challenge of his illness with an astonishing bravery and sense of privacy, sharing his difficult uncertain odyssey with only a handful of intimate friends and family. He was never alone in this final journey."
Queensland Theatre Company executive director Sue Donnelly reveals the actor kept his health battle a secret, even when he returned to the stage in a production of The Histrionic last year (12): "He just valiantly kept on going… He was on stage the whole time. It was an amazing performance and apparently at that point he may well have been suffering, knowing that he had bowel cancer… He was admitted to hospital and his family were all around him at the time that he died and I understand Geoffrey Rush was also around by his side."
McKellen appeared opposite Brown when he made his Broadway debut in a 1986 production of Wild Honey and worked with him many times throughout his career. He also remembered his friend in a moving statement: "Bille Brown was a man and an actor of the world… He has just died in Brisbane, two days after a birthday party, for which he ordered crab, lobster and champagne… I just hope, as his spirit leaves us, that he realised how respected he was by the rest of us, his friends, colleagues and audiences: how we too honoured him and how much we loved him."
Actress Blanchett and her playwright/director husband Andrew Upton also added their own tribute to Brown: "Audiences have lost one of this country's most unique, exuberant and accurate theatrical creatures. The theatre community has lost a mentor, a maniac and an inspiration; a glorious human being who will be sorely missed and always remembered."
Brown began his career alongside Rush at the Queensland Theatre Company in the 1970s before moving to the U.K. to join the revered Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC). His theatre career included numerous West End performances, and he also appeared on Broadway and in many stage shows in his native Australia, including a production of the Monty Python musical Spamalot.
His movie career took off after Monty Python funnyman John Cleese spotted him on stage and cast him in 1997's Fierce Creatures, the sequel to A Fish Called Wanda.
Brown's other film credits include The Man Who Sued God and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. His TV appearances included a stint in British drama Heartbeat.
In 2011 he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia.


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How are you doing on Day 2 of the writing challenges you've undertaken this month? We promised to keep you motivated through the month, didn't we? 🙂
So here are some
Quotes That Will Inspire You To Write More
Be ruthless about protecting writing days, i.e., do not cave in to endless requests to have "essential" and "long overdue" meetings on those days.
– J K Rowling
Somebody said that writers are like otters… Otters, if they do a trick and you give them a fish, the next time they'll do a better trick or a different trick because they'd already done that one. And writers tend to be otters. Most of us get pretty bored doing the same trick. We've done it, so let's do something different.
—Neil Gaiman
Write a lot. And finish what you write. Don't join writer's clubs and go sit around having coffee reading pieces of your manuscript to people. Write it. Finish it. I set those rules up years ago, and nothing's changed.
– Jerry Pournelle
To be a serious writer requires discipline that is iron fisted. It's sitting down and doing it whether you think you have it in you or not. Everyday. Alone. Without interruption. Contrary to what most people think, there is no glamour to writing. In fact, it's heartbreak most of the time.
– Harper Lee
What I like in a good author is not what he says, but what he whispers.
– Logan Pearsall Smith
The act of putting pen to paper encourages pause for thought, this in turn makes us think more deeply about life, which helps us regain our equilibrium.
– Norbet Platt
It is necessary to write, if the days are not to slip emptily by. How else, indeed, to clap the net over the butterfly of the moment? For the moment passes, it is forgotten; the mood is gone; life itself is gone. That is where the writer scores over his fellows: he catches the changes of his mind on the hop.
– Vita Sackville-West
Writing became such a process of discovery that I couldn't wait to get to work in the morning: I wanted to know what I was going to say.
– Sharon O'Brien
Ink surrounds me all the time
On my bed sheets, recorded in rhyme
Quills 'ever scribbling in my head
Sometimes damnit I forget what they said.
Ink has settled into my fingerprints
But to keep the words I fear to rinse…
– Terri Guillemets
Incite change. If your story is losing momentum, juice it up by inflicting some major changes on your characters. Crash the spaceship. End the marriage. Buy the monkey. Change is scary because we have to figure out what comes next. But feeling afraid is ten times better than feeling bored, and your book will benefit from your risk-taking. Go big this week! You won't regret it.
– Chris Baty


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"When making a decision between various finishes for your product, seeing the actual finish on the metal is a valuable aid to your decision making and seeing a process in action is even better!"
In recent years, "drag finishing" has become a popular alternative for surface finishing of high value and somewhat delicate metal components.
"Drag finishing" is pulling the components through the media mass thus, honing and polishing in the process.
In a drag finishing system, the parts or components are mounted, fixed and equipped with multiple workstations. Each component is then "dragged" through a circular work bowl filled with grinding or polishing media.
Continue reading Drag Finishing – What Is It And Why Should You Consider Using it?


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Yes, believe it or not, there is one.
I got some lovely comments on my recent post: My Surprise Threenager. I have to say, most were other parents commiserating with me, sharing their experiences, and best wishes for the future.
That's parenting sharing …
Then I got a comment from the lovely Nicole over at Tales from Mamaville. If you aren't following her blog already you really need to have a look.
She sent me two links to posts she had written about her son as a threenager. If you go check out her page you will see she has actually covered her experiences in a number of posts, all are relatable if you're a mama in the trenches.
One really stood out though, 5 Reasons I love the Terrible Threes . I won't rewrite it, but go check it out.
It's Not All Doom & Gloom
As she says, it's not all doom and gloom. In fact there are some really entertaining moments in time that are often fleeting and hard to remember because the other 95% of your day is a roller-coaster ride of frustration and emotion (and that's just you, never mind them). But they do happen.
Yesterday, while I was lying on the sofa, hungover, trying not to die. My three year old turns to me, completely unprompted and says:
Threenager: Mommy, to be married you must have a boy and a girl, right?
Me: Yeees … (waiting for more – really worried where this is going)
Threenager: Or a girl and a girl, or a boy and a boy. That's okay too right, as long as they love each other?
Me: Yes, of course it is.
Threenager: Okay.
*End of conversation.*
So just when you think you're failing at this parenting malarkey, you realise they might actually turn out to be decent human beings after all.
Meme Humour!
I'm a huge fan of ecard humour, so here are a few of my favourites. Share if you can relate.
I hope you enjoyed this post – Monday's are not always doom and gloom. Have a good week people.
And if you are lucky enough to be the parent of a three year old, share this post with your friends and family to ensure they enjoy the lighter side of parenting a three year old!


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Lunch Talk 'Forum Theater: Bring your own conflict'
As part of The Art of Being Together three members of Spring House came together to look into the ways we relate to each other. How do we build our community in a personal and authentic way? They created three different ativities to connect members in an unconventional way.
'Bring your own conflict' is one of these activities. Here Jasper Visser uses Forum Theatre to improve our everyday encounters in Spring House. Bring you example of small annoyances, large misunderstandings or outright conflicts.
Let us know if you want to share your conflicts.
Date: Thursday July 20
Time: 12.30–13.30
Spring House, De Ruyterkade 128, Amsterdam
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Visiting address
Spring House
De Ruyterkade 128
1011 AC, Amsterdam


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3. Wishill Technologies maintains the right to reassess this privacy statement at any time including to address new issues or reflect changes to our service. Such updates become effective immediately upon notice to you. Notice might be given by any methods including, but not limited to, posting the revised Privacy Statement on this service. Your use of this service resulting in our update might be esteemed to constitute acceptance by you of the revised terms.
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August 17, 2000
Release # 00-165
|Penray Recall Hotline: (800) 323-6329
CPSC Consumer Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: Ken Giles or
Yolanda Fultz-Morris, (301) 504-7908
CPSC, The Penray Companies Inc. Announce Recall of Starting Fluid
WASHINGTON, D.C. - In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), The Penray Companies Inc., of Wheeling, Ill., is recalling about 113,000 cans of starting fluid, which is a lubricant to aid starting gas and diesel engines. The cans containing the starting fluid can leak as a result of internal to external corrosion. The starting fluid is extremely flammable and the leaking fluid poses a fire hazard. Direct contact with the product also can irritate the consumer's eyes and skin.
Penray has received three reports of cans of the starting fluid leaking. No injuries have been reported.
The recalled starting fluid was sold under the Penray, Super-X and Service Pro brand names in 10.1 ounce cans. The recalled cans have a number printed on the dome of the can ranging from 9305 through 9365. For consumers who purchased the starting fluid by the case, the production date is written on the side of the case. The cans are mostly black with white and red writing and black plastic caps.
Automobile repair and rebuild shops sold the starting fluid nationwide from November 1999 through August 2000 for $2 to $3.
Consumers should stop using the recalled starting fluid immediately. Place it in a well-ventilated area away from sparks or flames. Consumers should call Penray toll-free at (800) 323-6329 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. CT Monday through Friday for information on how to dispose of these cans, and how to get a refund.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death associated with the use of thousands of types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $1 trillion annually. CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical or mechanical hazard. CPSC's work to help ensure the safety of consumer products - such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters and household chemicals -– contributed to a decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 40 years.
Federal law bars any person from selling products subject to a publicly-announced voluntary recall by a manufacturer or a mandatory recall ordered by the Commission.
To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury go online to www.SaferProducts.gov or call CPSC's Hotline at 800-638-2772 or teletypewriter at 301-595-7054 for the hearing impaired. Consumers can obtain news release and recall information at www.cpsc.gov, on Twitter @USCPSC or by subscribing to CPSC's free e-mail newsletters.
Please use the below phone number for all media requests.
Phone: (301) 504-7908
Spanish: (301) 504-7800


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Autism Channel
Related Channels
Autism Spectrum Disorder Symptoms
Autism spectrum disorder symptoms include problems with social skills, repeated behaviors and routines, and development. Examples of autism spectrum disorder symptoms include not making eye contact, trouble understanding other people's feelings, speaking with a flat sounding voice, and sticking with one topic of converstation for too long. No two people will have the same autism spectrum disorder symptoms.
Autism Spectrum Disorder Symptoms: An OverviewAs the name "autism spectrum disorder" suggests, autism spectrum disorders cover a wide range of behaviors and abilities. People who have autism spectrum disorders, like all people, differ greatly in the way they act and what they can do. No two people will have the same autism spectrum disorder symptoms. A symptom might be mild in one person and severe in another person.
Some examples of autism spectrum disorder symptoms include problems with:
- Social skills
- Speech, language, and communication
- Repeated behaviors and routines
- Development.
Autism Spectrum Disorder Symptoms: Social SkillsAutism spectrum disorders symptoms related to social skills can include:
- Not making eye contact and wanting to be alone
- Trouble understanding other people's feelings or talking about their own feelings
- Not wanting to be held or cuddled, or only cuddling when they want to
- Not noticing when other people try to talk to them
- Being very interested in people, but not knowing how to talk, play, or relate to them.
- Not interacting with others the way most people do, or not being interested in other people at all.
Explain Autism Spectrum Disorders
Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD


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Have you ever wondered how that staggering catalog of classes on offer at Guild School comes into being? The actual process of selection is spread over several months, here is the condensed version.
Sometime in late winter, Guild School Director Barbara Davis, sends a notice to all IGMA's Artisan and Fellow members, asking for proposals for classes for the following year. Prospective teachers, all of whom must be Artisan or Fellow members, have until May 15, to submit their ideas which generally include a brief description and a photo. The photos are very important as they are often the only information that students will have on which to base their opinions on which prospective classes they would be interested in taking. All these photos are posted on huge display boards outside the cafeteria at Guild School, and those display boards are often the first thing returning students look for. Nothing like planning for the next year when you haven't even begun the current year's classes!
Students have several days to examine the posted photos and mark their preferences on their opinion sheets-indicating with a 1 or 2, which classes they are definitely interested in taking, and which they might be interested in taking. These 'votes' are tallied and each proposed class then has a sort of beginning point from which further evaluations can be made. This is all what I'll call Step One in the process.
Step Two is in the hands of the School Committee. Upon arrival at school, each committee member receives a large packet of information containing photos and descriptions of each proposed class, along with a little information on the instructors and their teaching experience. Committee members are responsible for familiarizing themselves with that material during the week so that when they meet at week's end, they are ready to help with the selection process. When the committee meets, all the previously mentioned items are present for discussion. The student opinion tallies are often the beginning point, but committee members also spend a substantial amount of time reading student reviews of classes/teachers who have proposals under consideration.
Next, large sheets of paper are posted around the meeting room, one for each category of class, i.e. furniture, structure, metal, etc. to ensure that a variety of media and disciplines will be represented in the final choices. Starting with the longest classes, 48 and 36 hours, the list begins to be winnowed down. Any proposal with good numbers and strong teacher performance will make the list. If that teacher has more than one that proposal that looks good, discussion will ensue as to which might be the more popular choice, but often the final decision in cases like that is left to the director to work out with the instructor. When all proposals have been considered, then work continues to make sure the list is balanced according to category and media, by number of offerings overall, and also by time categories; for example, you obviously want more 12 hour classes than 36 hour classes as students can take 3 – 12 hour classes in the same time as one 36 hour class.
By the end of the meeting, which often takes a good 6-8 hours, Barbara Davis winds up with a list of possible classes for the following year. And that leads to Step Three, Barbara now goes home and begins to contact instructors. Sometimes she needs to ask them to make changes in their proposals to address questions that may have arisen in the committee meeting. Sometimes she needs to ask them if they'd mind teaching more classes, or fewer and be a student part-time. Some classes/instructors will drop out here, and sometimes, when registration begins, other classes will be dropped due to lack of interest. In any case, about 6 months after the process began, the school catalog is in production and the list of classes goes up on the website where eager students pore over the possibilities and start to make their lists!


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01628 682100
01753 670200
At Windrush Maidenhead, you can take advantage of a variety of Fixed Price Servicing options for all Volkswagens 3-15 years old, up to and including 2.0 litre engines. We only use genuine Audi, SEAT, Skoda and Commercial parts. All of our technicians are Volkswagen Group-qualified. Additionally, we will generally complete and email a complimentary video 'Express Visual Health Check' to you along with our recommendations of any additional work that is required on the day. If you own an Audi, SEAT, Skoda, Volkswagen Caddy or Transporter then we are fully equipped to complete the vast majority of your servicing and repair requirements – the only exception being warranty work. We generally have same-day availability of the required original parts from our own warehouse and you can take advantage of the great benefits of being a Windrush customer. While your car is with us you can choose our 'while you wait' option. Our 'Club Lounge' areas have free WiFi, complimentary refreshments and Sky TV. Alternatively, we offer low-cost loan cars as well as a collection and delivery service. Before handing your car back we will complete a complimentary exterior wash. Lastly we only ever use MOBIL SUPER 3000 FORMULA V 5W30 – a top grade fully synthetic oil that will ensure the best performance and promote longevity in your vehicle's engine.
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Our minor service will help prevent any little problems turning into big ones. The recommended service interval is every 12 months or 10,000 miles (whichever comes first).
Prices from: £179 for models up to and including 2.0 litre engines and £199 for Touareg.
It includes: Oil & filter change. Replace pollen filter (where required). Vehicle inspection and report to include all lights, instruments, bodywork, glass, locks,battery, coolant levels, drive belts, braking system, steering, hoses, drive shafts and exhaust system. Full vehicle road test. Diagnostic check including report. Re-set service interval display. Volkswagen stamp in service book.
Our major service will help your car run smoothly. The recommended service interval is every 24 months or 20,000 miles (whichever comes first).
Prices from: £349 for models up to and including 2.0 litre engines and £399 for Touareg.
It includes: Oil & filter change. Replace pollen filter. Replace air filter. Spark plugs (petrol engine) or fuel filter (diesel engine). Remove wheels and check brakes. Check/adjust tension of all drive belts. Check gearbox oil level. Check final drive oil level. Vehicle inspection and report to include all lights, instruments, bodywork, glass, locks, battery, coolant levels, drive belts, braking system, steering, hoses, drive shafts, suspension and exhaust system. Full vehicle road test. Diagnostic check including report. Re-set service interval display. Volkswagen stamp in service book.
We check the following as part of your MOT test: body and vehicle structure, fuel system, exhaust emissions, exhaust system, seat belts, seats, doors, mirrors, load security (boot lid or hatch), brakes, tyres and wheels, registration plates, lights, bonnet catch, wipers and washers, windscreen, horn, steering and suspension and vehicle identification number (VIN).
Who better to MOT your car? And if you need a little work done, we'll take care of that too.
Not changing your cambelt could cause a fair bit of damage to your engine. Thankfully, all you have to do is bring it to your nearest Windrush Volkswagen retailer and we'll change it for you.
Your water pump is driven by the cambelt and provides circulation of the fluids which cool your engine. In some cases a water pump can seize, which can cause the cambelt to stop suddenly and break. For this reason, it makes sense to replace the water pump at the same time as the cambelt. Completing both jobs at the same time gives you total peace of mind and acts as a cost effective method.
Price shown is for models built prior to 23/05/16 with R134a air-con gas
Your air conditioning system can lose up to 10 percent of its gas each year. Unless it's replaced the system will be less able to keep you cool and refreshed in the warmer months. Thankfully, all you have to do is bring it to your nearest Windrush Service Centre and we will service it for you.
Price shown is for models built after 23/05/16 and New Tiguan from launch with R1234yf air-con gas
Your air conditioning system can become full of bacterial and fungal contamination which, not only smells bad, it leads to poor airflow. A refresh treatment disinfects the evaporator and air ducts safely and effectively, removing any bacteria and bad smells from the system leaving the air clean and fresh.
Worn brake pads can affect your car's stopping distance. Fortunately, all you'll need to do is bring your car to one of our retailers and we'll check them for you. And, if they need replacing, we'll do that too.
Both discs and pads can become worn and corroded, so it's vital they are checked regularly for your safety.
Over time moisture gets into your brake fluid making it less effective. All your need to do is bring your car to one of our retailers and we'll be more than happy to change your brake fluid.
Old oil can cause real damage to your gearbox if left unchanged. Bring it to one of our retailers and we'll check the gearbox for leaks, drain it and replace the oil filter before filling it with high quality gearbox oil to Volkswagen Audi Group approved standards.
Old oil can cause significant damage to your gearbox if left unchanged. So bring it to us and we'll remove the oil from the system and replace it with fresh oil of the correct grade to the correct level.
You know your vehicle best so, if you feel that there may be something wrong with your car, we are here to help. We highly recommend a one-hour diagnostic booking is made to allow a full plugin interrogation and systems check as well as any required road testing and physical investigation. In some cases the fault can be fixed within the allotted time but, if extra time is required, we will gain authority first.
Initial 30-minute fault diagnosis investigation – £60
Our technicians will complete an 'initial diagnostic investigation' where we will investigate the specific concern you have raised. From this we will feedback the findings and, if further investigation/work is required, we will present the options to you.
Windrush can supply a fully-insured Volkswagen loan car for just £12.50 for your entire visit. So, whether your car is with us for one day or longer, the cost is still £12.50. All that we ask is for any fuel used to be replaced.
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Windrush Volkswagen is a credit broker and not a lender. We are Authorised and Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. 308275 Finance is Subject to status. Other offers may be available but cannot be used in conjunction with this offer. We work with a number of carefully selected credit providers who may be able to offer you finance for your purchase. Registered in England & Wales: 01631994. Registered Office: Address: 57 Farnham Road, Slough, SL1 3TN. Data Protection No: Z5225543
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