December 31st, 2008
Its distinctive beat gives it away. There is nothing in the world that sounds like reggae music. The expected chops and the back beat by the rhythm guitar and the distinctive sound of the bass drum marks reggae as a genre by its own right. Reggae music originated from several other Jamaican music types just as great as it is like ska, rocksteady, RandB, Jazz, Calypso, and Mento.
Jamaican music is as rich as its history. The soul of each and every Jamaican song traces its roots to the black people herded onto ships, clinging to their most priceless possessionsclothing, food, and for many, their drums. These drums that traveled as far as their owners have are what brought the world priceless gifts and that are the gifts of music. The slaves used their music to fill-up their lives and sang about everything. They have songs of praise, songs of love, songs of loneliness, and songs of inspiration. It is not surprising therefore, that reggae music has been used by the likes of Bob Marley and The Wailers to promote certain political issues like poverty and injustice.
From the characteristic drumbeats, Jamaican folk music has embraced innovation and has added a whole range of flavor to their indigenous music. Combining the drumbeats to a lot of different musical instruments, like the rhythm guitar, and the trumpet, produced ska, rocksteady and eventually reggae.
Reggae music swooped Jamaica just when it was about to proclaim its independence and the masses were clamoring for a beat, a sound that could articulate their emotions. Reggae rose up to the challenge and succeeded. A few years later, when the assurance of an improved quality of life and the promise of a bright tomorrow for a liberated nation came up empty reggae was still being played. But it started to serve a much higher purpose than entertainment. For the first time in its history, roots reggae took on its rebellious and defiant form. Reggae music told of stories of suffering in the shanties of Trenchtown, it told of stories of violence and corruption but most of all it told the people of Jamaica to get up and stand up for their rights.
As the country grew from bad to worse, the people started to look for a moral guidance that would give sense to the life of wretchedness they were living in. Rastafarianism answered the call of a people desperately seeking an alternative leader with convincing values of love and peace. The Rastafarian movement boomed, gained a huge following in Jamaica and reggae was the movement’s music. Eventually, roots reggae would be identified with Rastafarianism and vice versa. Dreadlocks, khakis, and kaftans became the symbol of reggae attitude.
Just when it seems that the evolution of reggae has gone through so much, it began to take on another controversial form with the arrival of dancehall reggae. This new type of reggae music is so called because its raunchy lyrics only allowed it to be played in dancehalls. Dancehall reggae is a form of rebellion against roots reggae because many artists believe that reggae music has gone too mainstream that it catered more to the demands of the audience than to reggae’s real spirit. Infused with a lot of techno beats and computer generated riffs, dancehall departed from old school reggae music’s slow and lulling beat and enveloped a more upbeat and fast rhythm.
And then there was ragga. Ragga music could be gangsta rap’s ancestor as it boldly came out with songs on violence, guns, and gangs. Many ragga songs were evidently masochistic with harsh lyrics demeaning women and praising male supremacy.
Over the course of history, ragga’s forerunners saw reason and tamed down their music. A couple prominent ragga figures went back to embrace Rastafarianism and sought a live of uprightness and peace.
Reggae music has come and changed in so many ways over the years. Yet it still makes the same sound as it did several decades ago. Reggae still sings the songs that make hearts beat faster, songs that make the feet dance harder, and songs that reflect the rhythm of the soul.
Contibuted By
RasBinghi.com Reggae Music
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December 31st, 2008
Many of us think in pictures and some of us think in words; all of us are capable of thinking in both ways. This is an interesting consideration in that, the brain can think very fast in visual images, but putting does visual images onto a two-dimensional piece of paper in linear text will in fact take the a lot of words. For instance picture a type of car in your head then picture another type of car; now put into words the differences between the two cars so that anyone can understand. Okay, now you see the problem.
Simply imagine the problems that brilliant aerospace workers go through when discussing things. Now, imagine writing that into a white paper with no diagrams. You see the problem? Indeed this is not an easy task. If you visit any aerospace design team you will see whiteboards, chalkboards and sketch paper all around. These designers are using visual imagery from mind onto paper to communicate. And in doing so they are thinking while sketching.
Now that we have discussed that, let us consider a man who thinks by writing. For those who write a lot, me for instance having written 5000 articles in 12-months, we may actually dream about a subject during lucid dreaming stages, where we are sitting down any keyboard or staring at the screen on a computer running a word processing program. In this case our brains have been formatted to think in terms of words and writing.
I can tell you from my previous experience that before I started writing, I always thought in pictures and had trouble talking fast enough to keep up with my visual images in my mind, in fact my whole life everyone told me I talked to fast. Now then, I still talk too fast and often leave people in the dust. The folks often say you make me tired just listening to you. I suppose they would also get tired reading my 5000 articles, but that does not mean they would not learn something.
Most people would agree that writing is a very serious communication skill, which you will need to learn for success in a modern civilization. However, if we look back some 30 years, we will find that all the billionaires that existed, generally had not even finished high school. Why is that? Well, perhaps someone who thinks in terms of visual images rather than words on a piece of paper or a computer word processing program, thinks faster and inherently different.
Is that to harsh of a statement to make? Or does such a line of thought have some validity? Now then, many of the most brilliant aerospace designers have written so few white papers, yet their designs outperform many of the top academic aerospace design teams. This is of interest because like Beethoven who saw the music, Visa brilliant aerospace designers see the airflow and picture it all in their minds. And whereas the academic aerospace designer may in fact have good knowledge of all the characteristics and forces associated with flight, their minds are working differently. Although this is an abstract discussion, I hope you will consider the full ramifications of this philosophical thought and how that effects to speed to innovation in the forward progression of our species, if we failed to address the full aspects of the creative human mind. Consider all those in 2006.
 “Lance Winslow” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/
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December 29th, 2008
1.Sharpen your Songwriting skills every day. Like an athlete who strives to practice so as to reach the peak of his/her performance, a songwriter or a composer should also practice regularly…OK. you are talented and everything, but your talent means nothing if your brain doesn’t get used to using this talent. Make a 30 min. music writing time per day and use it to experiment with chords, write themes or maybe rearrange something. But always keep in mind that you are just practicing, so there probably isn’t a “hit” coming out of these 30 min…Hits come like a flash so be always prepared!
2.Listen to music every day. The very famous Suzuki violin teaching method requires that the student listens to a tape containing the pieces he/she learns everyday to “develop musical ability”(Schinichi Suzuki). Guess what? It works. As you listen more you will unconsciously adapt more to music in general and, on the conscious level, discover tricks and techniques in music writing that you didn’t know about. Nobody can create music De Novo, it has got to have some roots!!
3.Don’t limit yourself to one style. My music education was classic, but I adore Rock and Metal (my favorite bands are Scorpions and Pink Floyd) as much as I adore Bach and Dvork and ,since I’m Egyptian, I also like my share of oriental music..!! Such a style mix can create the most wonderful ideas, and this is how most songwriters come up with new styles (ex: Pink Floyd’s Psychedelic Rock). Always explore and experiment with new styles, if you take a look at the history of any band, you find out that’s what songwriting is all about.
4.Learn the rules of the game. You probably think that since you can come up with a nice theme, that your are on the right track …WRONG ;). It is true that songwriting has no specific rules, but here you are looking for “Five Songwriting Tips”, eh?!!. A song is music + words…As much as you can, learn music theory and the basics of lyrics/poetry writing. Learning never stops and it’s a fact that as you learn more about the rules of the game, you become more skillful bending those rules..!!And never forget that writing catchy melodies and smart rhyming lyrics needs lots of practice.
5.Don’t be shy. Make everybody know about your songwriting skills. Show it to friends and family first, then to songwriting communities and finally, seek professional critiques. As you get your work more fine tuned, you will become more confident and, consequently, more open to new ideas and suggestions. Remember, it’s the people whom you are writing for, their thoughts do matter.
More Songwriting Tips Here: http://www.songwritingfever.com/songwritingtips/
Mahmoud Ibrahim is a young songwriter from Egypt. He is the owner of http://www.songwritingfever.com, the first website to be dedicated to songwriting collaboration.
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December 29th, 2008
The oil giant has to face the future without Peter Sutherland , its Irish chairman, but what does someone who has already run the World Trade Organisation move onto next?
Peter Sutherland was less than happy on Monday morning: the day preceeding his native country’s loss to Argentina in the Rugby World Cup, he could scarcely refrain from showing his annoyance. He’d been present at the game at Parc des Princes with his children and words such as “suicidal” and “bejesus” poured from his lips.
Just the day before, he was on the Eurostar, travelling back to Paris, for a meeting that was part politics and part business. Such are the contrasting worlds of Sutherland: Dubliner, father of three, huge rugby enthusiast, chairman of BP, chairman of Goldman Sachs International, new chairman of the London School of Economics, diplomatic fixer and afterdinner speaker extraordinaire.
If when we reach the gates of heaven we are presented with a choice I’d opt to come back as a smart Irishman. Previously, I might deliberated over being an English aristocrat but it’s the Irish who are the masters these days. They seem to be in control of everything. None more so than, a key figure in two business powerhouses and a millionaire many times over, thanks to his partnership at Goldman. But he’s served for a decade at BP and has begun the search for a successor. Suddenly, the oil major has to confront life without him .
You only have to talk to anyone at the top of BP, these past few years to realise what a powerhouse behind the scenes Sutherland has been. While the company has had its problems in America, they have been operational. On personnel matters, notably the attempt by Lord Browne and his friends to get the chief executive’s term extended, and then Browne’s departure following his lying under oath, Sutherland has played a pivotal role. His contribution in bringing BP forward is something which few can dispute.
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December 28th, 2008
What are the symptoms of BPD?
Individuals with BPD have several of the following symptoms:
marked mood swings with periods of intense depression, irritability, and/or anxiety lasting a few hours to a few days;
inappropriate, intense, or uncontrolled anger;
impulsiveness in spending, sex, substance use, shoplifting, reckless driving, or binge eating;
recurring suicidal threats or self-injurious behavior;
unstable, intense personal relationships with extreme, black and white views of people and experiences, sometimes alternating between “all good” idealization and “all bad” devaluation;
marked, persistent uncertainty about self-image, long term goals, friendships, and values;
chronic boredom or feelings of emptiness; and frantic efforts to avoid abandonment, either real or imagined. What causes BPD?
The causes of BPD are unclear, although psychological and biological factors may be involved. Originally thought to “border on” schizophrenia, BPD also appears to be related to serious depressive illness. In some cases, neurological disorders play a role. Biological problems may cause mood instability and lack of impulse control, which in turn may contribute to troubled relationships. Difficulties in psychological development during childhood, perhaps associated with neglect, abuse, or inconsistent parenting, may create identity and personality problems. More research is needed to clarify the psychological and/or biological factors causing BPD. The field is also actively looking at genetic vulnerabilities.
How is BPD treated?
A combination of psychotherapy and medication appears to provide the best results for treatment of BPD. Medications can be useful in reducing anxiety, depression, and disruptive impulses. Relief of such symptoms may help the individual deal with harmful patterns of thinking and interacting that disrupt daily activities.
Long-term outpatient psychotherapy and group therapy (if the individual is carefully matched to the group) can be helpful. Short-term hospitalization may be necessary during times of extreme stress, impulsive behavior, or substance abuse. More structured cognitive interventions like dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) are now widely used.
Can other disorders co-occur with BPD?
Yes. Determining whether other psychiatric disorders may be involved is critical. BPD may be accompanied by serious depressive illness (including bipolar disorder), eating disorders, and alcohol or drug abuse. About 50 percent of people with BPD experience episodes of serious depression. At these times, the “usual” depression becomes more intense and steady, and sleep and appetite disturbances may occur or worsen. These symptoms, and the other disorders mentioned above, may require specific treatment. A neurological evaluation may be necessary for some individuals.
What medications are prescribed for BPD?
Antidepressants, anticonvulsants, and the new atypical antipsychotics are common for BPD. Decisions about medication use should be made cooperatively between the individual and the therapist or psychiatrist. Issues to be considered include the person’s willingness to take the medication as prescribed, and the possible benefits, risks, and side effects of the medication, particularly the risk of overdose.
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December 27th, 2008
How much are your emotions affected by outside stimuli? This will be a difficult question to answer for anyone - Are You Happy? If yes, how much? Are you happy under all circumstances? At all the times? Are you happy even if you meet an old enemy? Are you happy when you have no money? Are you happy filing your Tax returns? Are you happy when you find your favorite candidate losing? No. We are happy or unhappy depending on what is happening to us and around us. happiness is only one of the emotional state. all our emotions get affected greatly by what inputs we get from outside. We have no control over our emotions most of the times.
What is happiness? Happiness can be defined as a feeling of satisfaction, feeling good and feeling joy. Why we become happy within event and unhappy at the other? A good news makes us happy and a sad news robs us of our happiness immediately. We fluctuate between the feelings of happiness and unhappiness throughout the day.
Are we so controlled by outside events that our mood gets affected easily? Can we not ignore whatever is happening and be happy always. Can we not look at everything with equanimity and say - I will be happy always. If we can do that, it will be really good for us. We will not be at the mercy of stimuli from outside to make us unhappy . It is not only stimuli from outside, but also from inside. Any bad memory can turn our mood upside down. We are in control of our own emotions.
Happiness is a boon. Things will always be going wrong. Memories will always come. But if we decide to keep ourselves happy, we can surely progress slowly to a state where unhappiness can not touch us easily. Happiness is only one emotion. We are affected by different emotions - Anger, Love, Hatred, compassion and so on. What applies to happiness also applies to all other emotions. Emotions batter us at all the times. We are like a ship freely getting beaten by the roaring ocean of emotions at all the times. That is not good, because we are not in control.
Try some fun quizzes to find out how much you get affected by stimuli and what is your control over your emotions.
C.D. Mohatta writes articles and advice on dating and love. He also writes for free wallpapers on nature and Inspiration and content for tests and quizzes on dating, personality and love.
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December 27th, 2008
There are Many Resources for Online Suicide Help
First of all, if you are currently having suicidal ideations please immediately call:
1-800-SUICIDE (800-748-2433)
This is the National Hopeline and you will be connected to a trained counselor in your local area that can help you.
There are many sources of online suicide help and information. The newest source for online suicide help is www.preventsuicide.net The Preventing Suicide National Journal was started three years ago, and was the nation’s first suicide prevention journal aimed at advocates, and other concerned people who wanted to take action to prevent suicide in their own communities. Since the summer of 2002, over 15 issues have been published with the latest in best practices, technology applications for crisis intervention, legislative initiatives, grant opportunities, and the latest findings in the research field.
The first online suicide help version of the Preventing Suicide National Journal was published in July of 2005. Once again, the National Hopeline broke ground with the very first interactive online suicide help journal. The inaugural on-line edition started off with more of the same and a complete review of the recent three year study of the National Hopeline Network and how effective crisis intervention is when the best practices we know are followed.
With the online suicide help edition, you simply click on a hyperlink and it will take you to the research, full text, or source of additional information the writer used in researching the article. The online suicide help version is even better as you do not have to wait a full month-two months for listing but can get them in real time as they are updates weekly or in the case of major news worthy items the next day.
Suicide is a serious risk for people with unipolar or bipolar disorder. By learning more about suicide, you’ll be taking an active step in understanding more about your illness. With www.preventsuicide.net, you will have immediate access to all of the online suicide help resources. The caretakers of a loved one wanting to die, also need access to online suicide help. You need to acknowledge the person’s feelings and thoughts without being judgmental. Offer reassurance and remind that person that there are many resources for treatment; online suicide help, The National Hopeline Network at 1-800-SUICIDE( 1-800-784-2433), the American Association of Suicidology, http://www.suicidology.org/
and the National Mental Health Association, http://www.nmha.org/
Remember, please don’t ever give up hope. You have not tried everything. On August 1, 2005, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration( FDA) approved vagus nerve stimulation therapy as an adjunctive treatment for chronic depression. If you doctor thinks that you should consider vagus nerve stimulation for your condition, you should educate yourself about this remarkable therapy. It is a 90-minute out-patient procedure and is not related to ECT or brain surgery. For the immediate future, you should be aware of all the online suicide help that is readily available to you.
You can learn more about vagus nerve stimulation at www.VagusNerveStimulator.com
Charles Donovan was a patient in the FDA investigational trial of vagus nerve stimulation as a treatment for chronic or recurrent treatment-resistant depression. He was implanted with the vagus nerve stimulator in April of 2001. He chronicles his journey from the grips of depression thanks to vagus nerve stimulation therapy in his book:
Out of the Black Hole: The Patient’s Guide to Vagus Nerve Stimulation and Depression
The book was exhibited at the American Psychiatric Association’s Annual Meeting in late May. It is available on his web site, 24 hours a day/7 days a week through the toll free number 1-888-VAGUS-88, Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble. He is founder of the http://www.VagusNerveStimulator.com Web Site.
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December 27th, 2008
When you are just starting out playing cricket it is not always straightforward to choose what you need to buy. If you go into a sports retail shop & ask them what you need, you will in all probability end up getting a great deal of gear that you don’t need. With this in mind, it’s wise to understand what you may want ahead of you going shopping. That way you are considerably more likely to get hold of what you require, instead of what the store landlord advises you require.
Below, is more or less a meticulous cricket equipment inventory, you do not require to get all the items on this list, as numerous clubs will loan you kit in particular at junior level:
Cricket whites, cricket bats, balls, helmets, gloves, batting (wicket keeping) inner gloves, wicket keeping gloves, batting pads, wicket keeping pads, box, chest pad, arm guard, inner thigh pad, cricket boots (bowling boots; batting boots), box (groin guard), stumps and bails.
For the majority of sports events you participate in you will require to have your own set of whites. Cricket whites contain white cricket trousers and a cricket shirt. Make certain that you get a correct pair of cricket trousers & also a nice white cricket shirt and jumper as it can easily turn pretty cold if you are standing out on the field for a great deal of time particularly if you intend to play in England (the start and end of the season are the coldest).
If you can not rent gear from your club the other most crucial items of equipment are a cricket bat and box. A high-quality cricket bat is crucial if you want to score a lot of runs and is a very special piece of cricket equipment, so spend several hours picking your bat, if possible you would be advised to go to a store & try one out before you buy in order for you to know how it feels to play with. (Once you know what you want you can often procure bats on the World Wide Web significantly cheaper). You need a good box to shield your groin from the ball, as getting hit down below’ is tremendously painful, so investing in a good box before you start is a must - you can’t bat without one. Find great offer on cricket equipment at Sportswear-Equipment.com.
Related topics of interest include: Formula One Merchandise & Buy Toys.
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December 27th, 2008
1994 started the beginning of a musical revolution called the Fugees. The Fugees contained the lyrical strength of Prakazrel Michel (Pras), the musical genius of Wyclef Jean (Clef) and harmonious voice of Lauren Hill. Although the group had dropped “Blunted on Reality” in 1994, that was only the tip of the iceberg for the group; it was not until 1996 when the group released the fury which was “The Score” upon the world, they became critically acclaimed. “The Score” reached the top of billboards chart during the same year with the help of such singles as: ‘Ready or Not’, ‘Killing me Softly’, ‘Fugee-la’ and an amazing cover of Bob Marley’s ‘No Woman Don’t Cry’, just to name a few. But ‘what goes up must come down’; after completion of the 1997 Smokin’ Grooves tour, Lauryn Hill to take time away from the group in expectation of her son.
Hill seemed to be the glue which held them together, because once she was away Pras and Clef begun to have tension with one another. Nothing worse than in camp dispute, look what it did to the Beetles, the Jackson 5, Wu-tang, so they all decided to pursue solo careers. Clef was first to debut his dolo joint with “The Carnival”, and with twenty-three tracks Clef once again flexed his musical prowess and gained an identity aside from the Fugees. Pras, not one to be out done, came out with “Ghetto Supastar”, and though didn’t get the same accolades as Clef, displayed his penmanship on such tracks as ‘For the Love of This’ and showed that he can grab the publics attention with the title track, ‘Ghetto Supastar’. But it was the massive success of Hill’s album which presented the strong case that the Fugees, might not ever come back together, “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill”. This album portrayed all which is Ms. Hill as an artist and a person and she gained worldly observation while being nominated for many musical awards.
With all the individual success, the raising star which was the Fugees has fallen; that is until a reunion at the Dave Chapelle’s block party. Hill has been the remediate in the whole situation trying to get the group back together; she and many fans got their wishes granted on this year’s BET awards. The Fugees opened the show and tore it down, performing many of their hits from “The Score”. After that performance even the group themselves couldn’t deny that they missed it, and so after a whole decade, of lets just say ‘personal growth’, the Fugees presented the first single ‘Take it Easy’, and they haven’t missed a beat. In a recent interview with Clef on local Washington D.C. radio station 95.5 fm, he explained how they were putting any and everything they had in this album, “Man on our shows we don’t have any back ups it’s just us; you’re getting all of us,”, the wait is over!!!
Xclusivetrax.com
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December 26th, 2008
As friends, relatives or others who care, there is nothing more difficult then watching those we care about endure painespecially the pain that comes from unexpected tragedy. As a society who is untrained in how to help, we may feel confused or unsure of how to best support those we care for. The following guidelines can help you support your loved one during dark times.
Don’t try to find the magic words or formula to eliminate the pain. Nothing can erase or minimize the painful tragedy your friend or loved one is facing. Your primary role at this time is simply to “be there.” Don’t worry about what to say or do, just be a presence that the person can lean on when needed.
Don’t try to minimize or make the person feel better. When we care about someone, we hate to see them in pain. Often we’ll say things like, “I know how you feel,” or “perhaps, it was for the best,” in order to minimize their hurt. While this can work in some instances, it never works with grief.
Help with responsibilities. Even though a life has stopped, life doesn’t. One of the best ways to help is to run errands, prepare food, take care of the kids, do laundry and help with the simplest of maintenance.
Don’t expect the person to reach out to you. Many people say, “call me if there is anything I can do.” At this stage, the person who is grieving will be overwhelmed at the simple thought of picking up a phone. If you are close to this person, simply stop over and begin to help. People need this but don’t think to ask.
Talk through decisions. While working through the grief process many bereaved people report difficulty with decision making. Be a sounding board for your friend or loved one and help them think through decisions.
Don’t be afraid to say the name of the deceased. Those who have lost someone usually speak of them often, and believe it or not, need to hear the deceased’s name and stories. In fact, many grievers welcome this.
Remember that time does not heal all wounds. Your friend or loved one will change because of what has happened. Everyone grieves differently. Some will be “fine” and then experience deep grief a year later, others grieve immediately. There are no timetables, no rulesbe patient.
Remind the bereaved to take care of themselves. Eating, resting and self-care are all difficult tasks when besieged by the taxing emotions of grief. You can help by keeping the house stocked with healthy foods that are already prepared or easy-to-prepare. Help with the laundry. Take over some errands so the bereaved can rest. However, do not push the bereaved to do things they may not be ready for. Many grievers say, “I wish they would just follow my lead.” While it may be upsetting to see the bereaved withdrawing from people and activitiesit is normal. They will rejoin as they are ready.
Avoid judging. Don’t tell people how to react or handle their emotions. Simply let them know that you will help in any way possible.
Share a Meal. Invite the bereaved over regularly to share a meal or take a meal to their home since meal times can be especially lonely. Consider inviting the bereaved out on important dates like the one-month anniversary of the death, the deceased’s birthday, etc.
Make a list of everything that needs to be done with the bereaved. This could include everything from bill paying to plant watering. Prioritize these by importance. Help the bereaved complete as many tasks as possible. If there are many responsibilities, find one or more additional friends to support you.
Make a personal commitment to help the one grieving get through this. After a death, many friendships change or disintegrate. People don’t know how to relate to the one who is grieving, or they get tired of being around someone who is sad. Vow to see your friend or loved one through this, to be an anchor in their darkest hour.
For more information and help, please visit www.griefsteps.com
by Brook Noel and Pamela D. Blair, Ph.D.
Adapted from I Wasn’t Ready to Say Goodbye: surviving, coping and healing after the sudden death of a loved one by Brook Noel and Pamela D. Blair, Ph.D. (Champion Press, 2000) http://www.championpress.com ISBN 1-891400-27-4 $14.95 For more information and articles, please visit http://www.griefsteps.com
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