I too have not posted here for sometime and I myself had a very lucky escape from Hansard about 3 years ago now at Eden.

I don't think the apprentices should be blamed either and I know of some who have had a very hard time coping and re-building their lives following this. One even changed his name so as not to be associated with Hansard any longer and I know of one other who has had to take time out to get over this, re-build her life and start practicing again, which she has only just started doing now.

Hansard is the one to blame here and is the one at fault - he was very good at taking people in. Let's just keep the focus on him.

Anyone over Canada way approached Ms Linda Sangwine of

[www.vancouveryoga.com]

One hopes she does not maintain a state of denial and resistance to reason concerning Mr.Hansard



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/05/2009 08:32PM by jeff bowe.

Quote
Christopher Hansard
"By Christopher Hansard
by Christopher Hansard. those who gossip are hungry. to fill a void. in their lives. those who are hungry. find gossip. a way to charge their. lack. with. a fix. snorting every word. injecting every nuance. into the blocked veins ..."

This is Hansard's latest answer to the various discussions regarding his lies and sexual abuse of clients, students, and workshop participants.

In summary, Christopher Hansard has been accused of sexually coercing and assaulting several women since setting up practice in 1992 in Adam and Eve Mews in Kensington. If anyone is wondering where those victims are and questions why they have not come forward, the answer is they are coping. Barely.

The grooming process that took place was not unlike that which occurs between a vulnerable child and an adult predator, and the vulnerability of a client, or student is the same. There is an extreme imbalance of power between practitioner and client or student, and more so if the practitioner carries the title of "spiritual leader' or in the case of Christopher Hansard, "Master Physician of Tibetan Dur Bon Medicine".

A title he has yet to remove from some of his sites.

Quote
Christopher Hansard
"Christopher Hansard
Master Physician of Tibetan Bön Medicine. Author, educator on ancient Tibetan lifestyle, health, and spirituality based in London, UK."

On his personal blog however it has been noted that he refers to himself as thus:

Quote
Christopher Hansard
"About me
Christopher Hansard
Christopher Hansard is a writer, healer and thinker in the areas of health, humanity, well-being, and spirituality. He is the author of three best selling books."

Those who have suffered emotionally, been physically abused and sexually assaulted paint a very different story.

It has been found that Christopher Hansard has lied about his teachings, credentials and skills. He has no formal training other than acting. His teacher, Urgyen Nam Chuk never existed. Many clients who tried to confront him or question his lack of boundaries or ethics or their own lack of results, were blamed themselves, further abused, or told that to stop "treatment" with him would be a detriment to their health and 'progress'. Some clients spent up to 6 years on completely fruitless "treatments", but were too afraid to quit, or blamed themselves and their own resistance to the "treatment" that was being offered.

This will continue until the victims are supported, are no longer blamed for what happened to them, and are encouraged to come forward.

The only person to blame here is Christopher Hansard. And he is the one person who wishes you to "be quiet"

Quote
Christopher Hansard
by Christopher Hansard. those who gossip are hungry. to fill a void. in their lives. those who are hungry. find gossip. a way to charge their. lack. with. a fix. snorting every word. injecting every nuance. into the blocked veins ..."

Hungry for Justice maybe.

This is not mere "Gossip" however Christopher Hansard. What you have done is wrong, what you continue to do is wrong, and we will not be silent. Christopher Hansard would have his victims be sheep. It is time to be just as he instructed his students and clients and those he abused, some over many years.

Quote
Tibetan saying
"It is better to live one day as a Tiger, than a thousand years as a Sheep"

Yet another journalist who failed to do ANY homework, research, or background checks into the claims of Christopher Hansard, and therefore, like many others before and after her, continue to keep up endorsements.

Quote
Frances Ive
Frances Ive is a journalist and a PR consultant with a background in several sectors. Since 1998 she has specialised in writing about health, nutrition and complementary medicine. Articles have regularly appeared in the Daily Express, Guardian, Times Body & Soul, Good Housekeeping, Spirit & Destiny, Health Which?, many women's and health magazines including Natural Health & Beauty, Zest, Health & Fitness, the former Here's Health and websites: www.real.co.uk and www.siteorg.co.uk

Freelance writing/PR: For 15 years Frances ran her own PR consultancy and is now in a position to take on ad hoc PR jobs, writing of brochures, websites, articles and newsletters. If your organisation needs PR or writing help email: feedback@healthysoul.co.uk or go to www.fivewrite.co.uk

The site has been developed by IveTech who have spent many hours of their time perfecting it so that it is both user-friendly and easy on the eye.

What she has to say about Christopher Hansard - known fraud, and a man who has been accused of sexually abusing and victimising his patients and students.

What is Bon Medicine?

Some further false reviews

Quote
Growing Lifestyle

Categories:

* Product Group > Books (643406)
* Books > Subjects > Health, Mind & Body > General (19983)
* Publisher > McArthur & Company / Not Applicable (2948)
* Books > Subjects > Religion & Spirituality > New Age (1735)
* Author > Hansard, Christopher



From Amazon.com:
The Tibetan Art of Living is a comprehensive guide to mind and body healing. Christopher Hansard, who says he has trained in Tibetan Bon medicine since the age of 4, provides a guide for putting the mind and body in balance by bringing thoughts and emotions into focus, cultivating wisdom and generosity, and practicing self-healing exercises. Touching on diet, the soul, and karma, Hansard promotes a holistic view of healing while illustrating with prominent cases from his own practice and explicit instructions for a variety of healing and meditative exercises. Going beyond Bill Moyers's work in Healing and the Mind, Hansard emphasizes that we can not only use the mind to prevent and cure illness, but that we can also use it to create and maintain a psychological balance which will carry us peacefully through life and into death. Wise and inspiring, The Tibetan Art of Living will set you on a sensible path to health and happiness. --Brian Bruya

AN EXCELLENT INTRODUCTION TO BON MEDICINE AND CULTURE:
A student of mine gave me this book for appraisal. It is both excellent and clear description of the oldest of the Bon spiritual traditions of medicine and culture. As a doctor in the Bon way and a married teacher of the three types of Bon,it brings complex ideas very simple. This book is of the early Bon not Yung Drung Bon of the monks, but there is much that is the same. It is a genuine book and has got much praise from other Bon teachers. The teacher of the author, his clan is known to us who come from Amdo and it is a good guide to the first of early Tibetan culture-the author is a dood doctor in the Tibretan way of Bon medicine when I met him somes years ago in Germany at a conference.I give the author much blessing. Tsering Damchog, Nagpa Training School,Sikkim , India

a masterrful work:
Having taught Bon to many people in the East and West, this book shown to me by a student is a revelation of clarity.This young man has obvioysly been taught by learned people and his spiritual realisation is obvious. The west is fortunate to have such a treasure, I look closely to what the future may bring for him and his work. Dorjong Rimpoche, Tajit Bon Retreat, The Kingdom of Mustang

Just A Wee-Bit Hard To Believe:
Ok, here's this guy's story. As a child, living down Australia way, he was just out playing with some friends one day when a tibetan/shaman/healer located him out of the blue using some tibetan astrological method that remains undisclosed. It seems the author had been picked out through some advanced technique of divination to be the recipient of an ancient knowledge handed down for centuries through a tibetan lineage. So, this anglo kid's parents talked to the tibetan, totally accepted all of this at face value, and allowed their little son to go visit the tibetan after school and on weekends through all the years he was growing up. Gee, what understanding parents. They must have been big believers in astrology too, to not decide the old tibetan was either a bad influence or a humongous waste of time or a plain old distraction from school for their young son. Maybe he showed them his shaman's license, clearing up any suspicions of his motives they might have had, that most parents would have had, if their child was approached by a total stranger with a story like that out of thin air, suspicions that he was really a Phillipino child molester pretending to be tibetan or something of that nature. Anyway, through all these years when the Tibetan had nothing better to do than cool his heals and wait for the anglo kid to get out of school so he could continue his lessons in Tibetanism, the young boy was given all this profound knowledge. So, here's my question: if this is all true and above board, why no pictures of him and the old tibetan back when they were spending all of their free time together? Not one? Not even one eensy weensy one? If it was my life, I'd have plenty of pictures of me and my beloved tibetan mentor, you can bet. Apparently this guy and his mum and dad never thought of that in all the years he was growing up. And what a kid he was--willing to sacrifice all that play at football and tag, and everything else you can name: girlfriends, listening to rock and roll, friends, peer group, just to hang out with some elderly asian and study things that would bore a western child stiff. And in all this rather far out story, not one shred, not one SCINTILLA, not one IOTA of documentation that it's true is ever offered. Gosh, you don't think he just...gulp...made it up do you? Well, friends, call me skeptical, call me negative, say I have a really bad attitude, but that's exactly what I think. I think he just made it up. I LOVE Tibetans and Tibetan culture from deep down inside, but I don't think there's anything in this book you couldn't dig out at a really good library with book-borrowing privileges. If you want to study tibetan culture, do yourself a favor, find books by real tibetans. Tenzin Wangyal's "Healing With Form, Energy and Light," or "Tibetan Medicine" by the venerable Rechung Rinpoche. Skip this one until some kind of proof of this semi-ridiculous story is provided.

EXCELLENT:
I have read the Tibetan Art of Living it is a rare treasure , a distillation by the author who has real understanding asnd spiritual acheivement. It is obvious in the hints of his training and effortless description of old Bon medicine and wisdom. It is a book shown to me by a professor at an american university and it is the real thing,I will encourage all students of differing types of Tibeyan wisdom to learn from the new and emerging spiritual master.

Genuine Tibetan Wisdom:
As a professor of Tibetan culture I can say that this book is genuine and excellent. KB CHAffin's review is interesting and I will inform the family of Mr Hansard's teacher about Mr Chaffin's words. Mr Hansard is a teacher and physician of Tibetan medicine of high calibre as many othodox doctors, East and West can attest to. The Tibetan Art of Living and Mr Hansards new book, The Tibetan Art of Positive Thinking are powerful translations of Tibetan culture to West that brings much needed clarity and wisdom.

Author: Christopher Hansard
Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 610
EAN: 9780340771242
ISBN: 0340771240
Number Of Pages: 304
Publication Date: 2002-12-19

Be sure to contact:
questions@growinglifestyle.com to read more great reviews!

While I have not submitted a response to "Genuine Tibetan Wisdom" review which was undoubtedly written by either Hansard or one of his sponsors, I too would love to be able to speak with "the family of Mr. Hansard's teacher".

In summary, Mr. Hansard made up the entire story of his teachings. He never had a teacher. Urgygen Nam Chuk did not exist, ever. There were very few, if any Tibetan people living in New Zealand during the time that Christopher Hansard's story takes place. However those facts are all arbitrary to those who religiously follow his 'teachings'. Those 'sheep' who follow his writings and him and continue to lend him credibility do so at the expense of his victims.

If this were a legitimate review and response it would be almost laughable, however as it is not genuine, and as the author of the review knows full well that "the family of Mr. Hansard's teacher" does NOT exist. it continues to lend insult to the injury already inflicted upon his victims.

Gita, for the purpose of clarification, and to amplify upon some of the excellent points you raise, I offer the following.

Hansard's websites (presented as they were in in the third-party) asserted that he was 'selected' ".....by the Tibetan Dür Bön cultural community..... The Bön Community predicted Christopher’s birth, and when he was 4 years old his teacher, Ürgyen Nam Chuk, found him in New Zealand". Reference to credible and eminent authorities on the subject, reveal that the term Dur-Bon relates to an archaic Tibetan funeral tradition, unrelated to healing or medicine, thus it's rather difficult to recognize how such a community can in fact exist, particularly as it is completely unknown to genuine Tibetan Bonpos. An immediate question thus arises. If this 'tradition' does not exist, how does one view Hansard's 'biographical' account, and claims made concerning his supposed 'lineage' and 'discovery'?

Which brings us to the subject of his 'teacher' Ürgyen Nam Chuk, who it is claimed was a member of the so-called GNam (another curious name) tribe in Amdo, Tibet's North-Eastern region. Hansard's 'biography' suggests that this Tibetan, having apparently found Christopher on a beach in New Zealand as a four-year-old, then trained the child in "...the pre-Buddhist and Bön spiritual teachings of Tibet". In order to lay aside a sceptical and incredulous response, we have to accept certain presumptions such as; this person must have been fluent in English, or alternatively as an infant Christopher Hansard was already speaking perfect Tibetan! Or was there perhaps a more esoteric method which enabled his 'studies' ?

According information available at Companies House in London, Christopher Hansard was born on 3rd January 1957 which means that this Tibetan would have been inside Chinese occupied Tibet during the 1950/60s a period which witnessed major bloodshed, uprisings against the Chinese invasion, and later, the brutalities of the so-called Cultural Revolution. During this time Tibet experienced several catastrophic famines, as result of insane agricultural policies imposed by China, these were dark and harrowing decades for Tibet, and its people. Monasteries, including Bon centres, were being ransacked and destroyed. Yet somehow Ürgyen Nam Chuk not only managed to travel to New Zealand, but, in the remote and empty grasslands and deserts of Amdo, had somehow learned to speak English, to such a standard, as to tutor a four year-old boy in the profound complexities of a dubiously named Tibetan medical tradition! Equally puzzling is that, given the totalitarian nature of the Communist Chinese regime, how did this man obtain the required paperwork to leave Tibet, at a time when China had sealed-off Tibet from the outside world? Perhaps such an amazing claim can be partly supported by reference to the records held by the New Zealand authorities of his arrival into the country, clearly this Tibetan resided somewhere, maybe Christopher Hansard is willing to provide further details?

To my knowledge the first Tibetan who came to New Zealand arrived in 1967, but he travelled from the exiled Tibetan community in India, and certainly was not a member of the so-called gNam Tribe. Yet there are other questions concerning Mr.Hansard's 'teacher', which undermine the credibility of Hansard's claims. These state that so-called Ürgyen Nam Chuk came from what was described as "the Bon Community" within a tribe "noted for their mystics, physicians, adepts and shamans".

Accepting these claims (for the purposes of further examination), how does Mr.Hansard explain the fact that Ürgyen is not a traditional Bon name, but is actually a Tibetan Buddhist name, closely associated with the Nyingmapa tradition? Considering the background he claims for Ürgyen Nam Chuk one would have reasonably thought he would have a non-Buddhist name, more in keeping with his supposed Bon surroundings? The mystery surrounding the existence of this 'teacher' deepens when we examine, more closely, his 'homeland' and supposed traditions. It was asserted on Hansard's website that this Tibetan was a member of the so-called "gNam Tribe" in Amdo, Tibet.

Having spoken with a number of Amdo-Tibetans and respected Bon scholars this 'tribe' and its name remains completely unknown, which is rather strange given the iconic importance attached by Hansard, neither does it appear in any of the authentic Tibetan Bon texts. I was assured that there are many clan names in Amdo and the only one that comes remotely close is Nampa Dong, but then neither Hansard nor his 'teacher' mentioned that tribe.

It is also claimed that the mysterious 'Ürgyen' of the equally curious 'gNam Tribe', "....taught Christopher Hansard the twelve teachings of Bön".According to the numerous conversations I have had with Bonpo Monks and Geshes, and based upon my own researches, these so-called "twelve teachings" have no correspondence whatsoever with traditional Tibetan Bon religion. (Hansard would appear to have plundered sections of Namkhai Norbu's book in this regard). Nor do we find any clarity in his claim that they belong to "The gNam tradition of the Jangter Bön" (the spurious gNam appearing again) when Hansard links so-called Jangter Bon, with what he states is the "Northern Treasure School" According to a highly resected Bon scholar:

"The Bon tradition does have so-called the Northern treasure which was not a school though. It is a name given to a certain number of texts believed to have been unearthed in Zangzang in the northern Tibet in the 13th century, hence the word changter, 'treasure from the north' ".

Once again we find Mr.Hansard's account displaying serious inconsistences and facual inaccuracies. There are many others. Take for example the following comments made during an 2003 interview, which appeared on Global Voices Radio, when talking about a venue which was hosting a Hansard workshop on Vancover Island, Canada. Mr.Hansard is asked if there is something special about the Comox Valley and Vancouver Island which brought him there:

" ..It is a very unique place and is mentioned in very old Tibetan Bon teachings, as is Vancouver Island...." .

What particular Bon texts would they be? How does Christopher Hansard explain how ancient Tibetans would be specifically aware of these particular locations, thousands of kilometres away, in a stange and different continent? Given that Mr.Hansard is not fluent in modern Tibetan, let alone the Zhang Zhung language of original Bon how exactly did he discover this 'fact'? Another esoteric transmission no doubt!

The uncritical and supine journalism which helped promote Christopher Hansard was too eager to consume the fantasy to permit even the most basic of journalistic standards to obstruct the exotic copy which filled a number of lifestyle and health pages. Onced the lie had been accepted it became a fact, there were to be many more deceptions, such as the invented book reviewers, all given a sufficiently Tibetan, Bon gloss.

"I have read the Tibetan Art of Living; it is a rare treasure, a distillation by the author who has real understanding and spiritual achievement. It is a book shown to me by a professor at an American university and it is the real thing, I will encourage all students of differing types of Tibetan wisdom to learn from the new and emerging spiritual master.".Tsevegar Rimpoche, Dharamsala.

Or:

"Christopher Hansard has obviously been taught by learned people and his spiritual realization is obvious. The west is fortunate to have such a treasure; I look closely to what the future may bring for him and his work." Dorjong Rimpoche, Tajit Bon Retreat, The Kingdom of Mustang.

Upon first reading such 'reviews', some time ago now, I was most curious about the identity of the 'authors' (particularly in light of their shared enthusiasm for using the same term 'treasure' in their reviews). Having many contacts in Dharamsala I was able to make a detailed enquiry, unfortunately no Tibetan was able to identify 'Tsevegar Rimpoche', a strange disappointment, not least because of the small size of that Tibetan settlement and given all Rimpoches are known by the community. Furthermore, the name itself 'Tsevegar' is rather curious, unlike any Tibetan name I have come across, more like Mongolian or Kazakh! Equally puzzling is the name of the second reviewer, 'Dorjong', another strange variation. What of the phrase 'Tajit'? This appears to have Turkic origins, yet its supposedly based in Mustang, a remote ethnically Tibetan region of Western Nepal that borders Tibet. How a Tibetan Bon monastery has acquired such a title is extremely puzzling. It has been suggested that Mr.Hansard was engaged in a vigorous and misleading campaign of self-promotion, after all his business was built upon an exotic fantasy of his own creation, and that such reviews were, in all likely-hood, authored by the ‘Master of Dur-Con’ himself.

Some particularly curious 'reviews' appear on the following

[www.amazon.com]

including the appearance of the non-existent 'Prof. Sonam Amdongyapa'

"As a professor of Tibetan culture I can say that this book is genuine and excellent. KB Chaffin's review is interesting and I will inform the family of Mr Hansard's teacher about Mr Chaffin's words. Mr Hansard is a teacher and physician of Tibetan medicine of high calibre as many othodox (sic)doctors, East and West can attest to. The Tibetan Art of Living and Mr Hansards new book, The Tibetan Art of Positive Thinking are powerful translations of Tibetan culture to West that bringsmuch needed clarity and wisdom". Prof. Sonam Amdongyapa (Vienna)’

Having been actively involved in researching and writing upon Tibet for over twenty-years, I have had the good fortune to develop a number of working relationships with a number of Tibetan academics and writers. Curiously no Tibetan scholars I approached had ever heard of ’Professor Amdongyapa‘, a rather puzzling fact given the relatively small number of Tibetan Professors, and the obvious pride felt within the Tibetan community when one of their members reaches such a position. Under such circumstances one would reasonably have imagined such a name would have been fairly well known. I contacted too the Tibetan Community in Austria, as this ‘Professor’ was stated to be based in Vienna, they had never heard of that individual and had no record of that name. I also emailed the Austrian Universities, including private establishments, if they recognized the name of this ’Professor’. Not one had!

What person of integrity and normal intelligence would decide to adopt a Tibetan sounding name, and bestow upon themselves a 'Professorship', all for the purpose of endorsing a work by the ‘Master of Dur-Con‘? Some clues lie in the name itself and certain elements of the review. The family name ‘Amdongyapa’ is peculiar, and not typically Tibetan. The first component ’Amdo’ is taken from a huge region in North Eastern Tibet, which borders China, it is completely unknown to me for Tibetans to name their child after a geographic, cultural and political territory. The normal procedure is that an infant is named by a Lama, who through insight, bestows a name that signifies some particular quality, usually personal or ’spiritual’, and often unique to that person.

However, if we recall Hansard’s so-called ’lineage’ and his ’teacher’, for both of which he made clear associations with Amdo, the name ‘Amdongyapa’ takes on a singular perspective., particularly if the ‘reviewer’ is seeking to reinforce Hansard’s ‘Dur-Con’ claims.

A closer examination of ‘Prof.Amdongyapa’s’ review proves illuminating:

‘... I can say that this book is genuine and excellent. KB Chaffin's review is interesting and I will inform the family of Mr Hansard's teacher ………..’.

So the authoritative credentials are first established (after all who can argue with a Professor? well I can, and do) Hansard’s book is then stamped with an ‘academic’ seal of approval; but more interesting still, this person, whose name just happens to be formed of a region that figures so large in Hansard’s colourful ‘Dur-Con' invention, is apparently in close contact with the relatives of that mysterious ’teacher’ of Christopher Hansard, who ’himself’ is stated (on a number of Hansard’s Websites) as coming from Amdo! What a convenient circle of coincidence!

Interesting to note the transparent deceptions at work here, which appeared to elude the experienced and trained eyes of a number of journalists within the print media, is it too much to hope that these people will have the same journalistic appetite to now expose the lie?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/13/2009 07:27PM by jeff bowe.

Jeff -- I suggest you contact John Kelly at Thus magazine. Its in blog format at the moment so Google it and you'll be there. John knows about Hansard, knows he's a fraud and a thoroughly disreputable person. With some adjustments, I think its likely that your latest item here would work for Thus. You would need to set it up from scratch tho, rather than assuming familiarity.

Now why oh why would I find my latest Google Alert so justly rewarding?

First the Headline "Pretty Prose for a sexual predator" and then the case in point and a perfect example...

Quote
Google Alerts for Tuesday March 31st, 2009
Google Blogs Alert for: christopher hansard
Such Pretty Prose For A Sexual Predator « The Christopher Hansard ...
By lizziejanecochran
*As was the case for many of the clients of “Dr. Christopher Hansard”, Author of The Tibetan Art of Positive Thinking, The Tibetan Art of Serenity, and The Tibetan Art of Living - Wise Body, Wise Mind, and Wise Life. ...
The Christopher Hansard Courant - [lizziejanecochran.wordpress.com]

Christopher Hansard:[ peace in all things] — Christopher Hansard
By Christopher Hansard
Christopher Hansard:[ peace in all things]. by Christopher Hansard. can you take some time. and pause. to sense that. peace. dwells. in. all. things. as your inner self. looks through. the gauze of your senses. it perceives ...
Christopher Hansard - http:// www . christopherhansard.com/

Lizzie goes on to say that his words are not congruent to his actions. Needless to say, but then she supplies more articles and resources for victims. *We encourage victims to contact their local police station, or the Sapphire Unit in London where most, though not all, of the incidences occurred.

By way of encouragement to those seeking to bring christopher hansard to justice here is some information regarding another freak in the same vein as hansard.

michael lyons also feigned magical powers, healing skills and Tibetan connections and for years raped and abused vulnerable women in the UK and the USA under the pretence of healing.

lyons is currently on trial in London and a large number of women abused by him have agreed to give evidence against him.

The information offered by Jo Black on the last page of the Rick Ross Forum link may reassure those afraid of testifying against hansard.

[www.telegraph.co.uk]

[forum.culteducation.com]

Do you want to tell him who Christopher Hansard woke up and decided he would be one morning, or shall I?

Quote
Thomas Hochmann (Thomas Time)
This is a great question to ask yourself every morning after you wake up, and indeed every moment — whether your buttons are being pushed or not. “Who do you want to be?”

Each day you are a blank slate, and you can be anybody you want to be. You can be someone whose actions are fueled by anger (even righteous anger), or whose actions are fueled by peace. You can be a person who sleep-walks through the day on autopilot, or a person who keeps awareness and lives life on purpose.

Who do you want to be? This is the meditation that should be on everyone’s lips, every moment. If more people gave that question serious thought before they spoke and acted, so much needless suffering would be avoided.

As Christopher Hansard says in The Tibetan Art of Living, "We are not reborn complete with a soul, but we do come to this life with all the ingredients to make one." Each day, you have the ingredients to make your soul anew -- who will you be today?

(Posted via email from bits of buddhism)
Posted by Thomas Hochmann at 20:37 0 comments

Someone who remembers CH from Mt Albert Grammar School, Auckland, in 1974 has left a post on www.lizziejanecochran@wordpress.com (May 10th.)