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New documentary focuses on heartwarming relationship between Israeli psychologist (& former Winnipegger) Solly Dreman and Indigenous local photographer Don Barnard

Solly Dreman/Don Barnard

By MYRON LOVE Over the past few years, Yolanda Papini Pollock has created a solid body of work as a documentary filmmaker with a focus on human rights.

Her credits include “Painful Truth: the Falun Gong Genocide” , about the Chinese suppression of what is essentially a spiritual practice; “Never Again: A Broken Promise”, highlighting post-Holocaust genocides; “Get Over It: A Path to Healing” about the effects of residential schools on Indigenous health in Canada and ”Fixit” (“Tikkun Olam”), which captures the interaction between local Holocaust survivor Isaac Gotfried and the impact his recitation of his experiences had on students at J.H. Bruns Collegiate.
The former Gray Academy teacher’s newest documentary, “Unusual in Every Way”, is the story of the unlikely friendship between Don Barnard, an individual of Indigenous background, who lives with disabilities and post traumatic stress, and Solly Dreman, a former Winnipegger who made aliyah almost 60 years ago and is a retired Ben Gurion University professor of psychology.
As was reported by Jewish & News publisher and editor Bernie Bellan, in September, 2020, – and as Barnard says at the beginning of the documentary (which he collaborated on), the talented videographer has lived a troubled life. He was born into a Métis family, to a father who grew up in the foster care system and who experienced considerable discrimination over his lifetime. Coming from a disadvantaged background, Don Barnard, at the age of 12, was placed in foster care, where he was exposed to considerable physical and psychological abuse.
Barnard was determined to have an IQ of 163 during childhood. In his 30s, he was diagnosed as having Autism Spectrum Disorder – which has caused him considerable hardship during his lifetime.
“Unusual in Every Way” is a collaboration between Barnard, Papini-Pollock and Orly Dreman. Barnard recalls (in the documentary) as a child dreaming about having a loving family and a warm home. In Dreman and his wife, Orly, he seems to have found that sense of family.
It was through Papini-Pollock that the Winnipeg-born Israeli professor and the filmmaker came to know each other. Barnard met Papini-Pollock while working with her and Rogers Ofime (an international award winning director and producer from Nigeria), on the film ‘Never again a broken promise’, a documentary about genocides.
In September 2016, Dreman and his wife Orly were in Winnipeg where Solly was giving a lecture on “Immigrants, Refugees and Terrorism: Is There Hope?”, sponsored by the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba, the Winnipeg Friends of Israel (which was founded and led by Papini- Pollock), the Canadian Associates of Ben Gurion University and the JP&N. At that time Solly and Orly also hosted 60 friends and family members at a reunion luncheon. Barnard was suggested by Papini-Pollock to video both his lecture and the reunion.
The Israeli-born Papini-Pollock adds that Barnard has long been a staunch supporter of Israel. He views the Jewish people in Israel as an indigenous, displaced people – much as he perceives himself as a member of a displaced first nation.
The Dremans and Barnard hit it off and the Israeli couple invited him to come to Israel at their expense. It also so happens that among Solly Dreman’s post-retirement activities has been helping youth with severe learning disorders.
In 2020, thanks to the Dremans’ generosity, Barnard was able to realize his long-time dream of visiting Israel. He stayed with his hosts in Jerusalem for a week and toured the country with Orly’s son, Oren Cytto, as his tour guide.
Solly Dreman also bought his Canadian guest a professional level video camera.

His visit to Israel had a huge impact on Barnard.

“Unusual in Every Way” though, goes beyond being simply a feel-good story about an individual in Barnard struggling with emotional issues finding salvation thanks to the unconditional love he found in Israel with the Dremans. On a larger scale, it is an examination of how communities as well as individuals deal with trauma – contrasting the experiences of Holocaust survivors and Israelis who have been exposed to the terrors of war and how they dealt with that trauma with the trauma of Canada’s Aboriginal people, who have historically been victims of racism, prejudice, and physical and psychological abuse, as well as genocide by successive Canadian governments and institutions at all levels.
Nor does this film have a happy ending.
Papini-Pollock reports that overcoming trauma is not a simple process and Barnard’s personal recovery may take a long time. Despite being inspired by the stories he heard in Israel, his personal journey to healing has been a roller coaster. As he says near the end of the documentary, he has his good days and his bad days – and he never knows when his disabilities will cause him to have a meltdown.

Papini-Pollock notes that “Unusual in Every Way” was made possible thanks to the support of The Jewish Foundation of Manitoba and has been picked up by two educational distributors to be made available to schools in Canada and the United States.
The filmmaker – who was also instrumental in launching Operation Ezra – further reports that she is already working on a new documentary for CBC with a human rights focus.

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Features

Myths and Reality: Are There Winning Strategies at Online Casinos?

Ask around, and everyone seems to have a theory. Plenty of Turkish players hunting for a fast, stable way into their favorite games lean on Pinco giriş to sign in, poke around the lobby, and see which offers are live that week. Then comes the real question, the one nobody quite lets go of.

Can a person actually beat the house long term? Short answer, said plainly: not reliably. To back that up, Pinco Сasino breaks down how these games are wired and why clever-sounding systems keep falling apart the moment real money is involved.

Where the Myths Come From

Here is the thing about casino myths. They almost never start with data. Someone wins big on a random Tuesday, tells the story twice, and a lucky fluke quietly turns into a “method.” Ads nudge it along. Forums repeat it. Newcomers testing Pinco giris often show up already half-convinced of a few of these.

The usual suspects:

  • A machine is “due” after a long cold streak.
  • Doubling bets after a loss will win it all back.
  • Some hours of the night pay out better than others.
  • The last spin somehow hints at the next one.

Not one of them survives a close look. Every round stands alone. A clock does not care, and a losing streak has no memory. Players who accept that early tend to keep both their patience and their cash.

What the Math Actually Says

There is a number behind every game: the house edge. It is just the slice the operator expects to keep over time. One session? It predicts nothing. Ten thousand rounds? It shows up like clockwork. Folks who reach Pinco Сasino giriş usually relax and enjoy things more once that figure stops feeling like a trick.

House Edge in Plain Terms

The table gives a rough picture of how game types stack up. Exact numbers move around depending on the rules and the studio behind them.

Game TypeTypical House EdgeSkill Involved
Slots3% – 10%Very low
Roulette2.7% – 5.3%Low
Blackjack0.5% – 2%Moderate
Video Poker0.5% – 3%Moderate

So skill-based games attract strategic players, while slots remain a pure coin flip. Still, that edge never hits zero. The house keeps its sliver over the long haul, no exceptions. Reading the numbers first helps players expect the truth rather than a fairy tale.

Smart Habits That Reduce Risk

Real strategy has nothing to do with cracking the odds. It comes down to control, a budget, and picking games with a clear head. Some regulars keep the Pinco APK close so they can monitor spending and session time right from their phones.

A handful of habits actually move the needle:

  • Decide on a budget before the first bet, then quit when it is gone.
  • Lean toward lower-edge games when the plan is a long session.
  • Think of bonuses as extra minutes, never as promised profit.
  • Step away often, because tired choices get expensive.

A Pinco promosyon kodu might stretch a bankroll a bit, sure. It still does not touch the underlying math. What these habits really protect is the fun, so the whole thing stays a hobby and not a chase.

The Honest Bottom Line

No secret formula exists. Anyone peddling one is selling a story, nothing more. What Pinco pushes instead is calm, responsible play built on firm limits and goals a person can live with. That habit outlasts any hot streak.

For Turkish users, a solid Pinco oyun sitesi should feel simple: clear rules, quick access, fair terms. Good nights come. Bad ones come too. The players who last are the ones who know the odds cold, guard their budget, and refuse to mistake a bit of luck for a plan.

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Features

The Blackjack Bet Behind the Everyday Phrase Double Down

Imagine sending a terrible pun to someone you fancy. They laugh, so you send another. Soon, the two of you have a running joke, and a friend says you have doubled down on the cheesy approach.

The words sound at home in that exchange. They also fit a chief executive’s plans or a politician’s speech. In each case, someone puts more weight behind a choice they have already made. Whether that sounds charming, sensible or stubborn depends on the choice, and on who is describing it.

How the Phrase Left the Card Table

Double down comes from blackjack, where it names a betting option recorded in print by the late 1940s.

Today, it appears in business talk, political speeches and dating conversations, far beyond any online casino. The gambling connection deserves a reminder: gambling involves financial risk, and anyone who participates should set spending and time limits and seek support if it causes harm.

By 1991, Joseph Epstein was using the expression figuratively in his essay collection A Line Out for a Walk. It offered a way to describe taking a further risk outside gambling.

The meaning continued to broaden. Merriam-Webster includes becoming more determined in a position or undertaking. Dictionary.com describes increasing effort or holding to an opinion, especially under pressure.

Those definitions cover actions as well as arguments. Someone might spend more time developing a promising project, or defend a disputed view more firmly. The words leave room for both.

A Business Reason to Keep Going

Jeff Bezos supplied an example in his 2016 shareholder letter, released in April 2017. Writing about patient experimentation and attention to customers, the Amazon founder advised readers to “double down when you see customer delight”.

In the published letter, that advice sits alongside accepting failures, planting seeds and protecting young ideas. The sequence gives the expression a purpose: allow ideas to develop, notice what customers appreciate, then give those ideas more support.

Here, doubling down sounds considered. A positive response supplies the reason for doing more.

The phrase also does useful work without attaching a figure to the decision. It conveys increased effort while leaving the details to the situation. Picture a team finding that customers value a particular service and deciding to develop it further. The expression gives that decision a sense of confidence.

Put the same decision in a political argument, though, and someone may question the direction.

When Determination Becomes a Criticism

In his January 24, 2012 State of the Union address, Barack Obama described other countries as doubling down on education. The official transcript places the phrase in a discussion of teachers, skills and preparation for future employment.

Education was something to back more strongly. Obama’s wording gave added effort an approving tone.

Later that year, Bill Clinton used the expression against an opposing economic approach. His prepared remarks for the Democratic National Convention included “double down on trickle-down”, a line whose repeated sounds helped carry the criticism.

The contrast is revealing. Obama presented greater commitment as desirable; Clinton made it part of his objection. Both used the expression to describe pressing further along an existing path.

That difference helps explain why the phrase works in news and commentary. It can describe what someone is doing while also suggesting how the speaker feels about it. The judgement comes through the surrounding words, something readers can recognise in personal conversations too.

What It Sounds Like in Dating

Bumble brings the expression into familiar dating territory in its guidance for people recovering after ghosting. It encourages readers to double down on self-care, directing their energy towards their own wellbeing.

Psychologist Cheryl Harasymchuk uses it differently in an article published by Carleton University. Discussing positive relationship experiences, she gives the example of a couple following an enjoyable date night with more opportunities to spend time together.

These are gentler uses than Clinton’s political jab. One concerns looking after yourself; the other concerns making room for something you enjoy as a couple. Both give stronger effort an everyday, recognisable purpose.

They also show why the words following double down matter. Self-care, education and a disputed policy lead the reader towards different judgements about persistence.

Back in that imaginary message exchange, another awful pun might be welcome because both people are enjoying the joke. The shared response makes continuing it feel playful and personal.

That brings the expression back to ordinary conversation. Double down tells us that someone is committing more strongly. The rest of the story tells us what to make of it.

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Features

When a Partner’s Betting Becomes a Relationship Talking Point

You sit down to work out next month’s bills and realise you have different ideas about what is available to spend. One of you has been counting on a contribution to savings. The other assumed there was room for personal purchases. Suddenly, the conversation is about expectations as much as money.

That is often a useful place to start. Explaining what has worried you, and asking how your partner sees it, gives you something specific to work through together.

When Spending Starts Affecting Shared Plans

A habit becomes worth discussing when it affects plans or responsibilities you share. Perhaps a bill went unpaid, money was moved from savings or an activity has begun taking up time you usually spend together.

Habits such as online betting can come into that conversation through their effect on household finances, time and trust.

Start with one specific example that explains your concern. A missed payment and its consequences give you a clearer starting point than a broad judgment about someone’s spending.

Find Out What Money Means to Each of You

The numbers tell part of the story. Family experiences, financial worries and personal goals also shape how people spend and save.

Someone who grew up around financial uncertainty may feel reassured by having money set aside. Their partner may value being able to make personal purchases independently. Understanding those priorities helps explain why the same expense can produce different reactions.

Utah State University Extension’s guidance on discussing finances recommends talking about money experiences, fears and goals alongside practical plans. It also emphasizes honesty about purchases and debts, so each partner understands the commitments behind shared decisions.

Ask how money was handled in each person’s family, what feels stressful now and what you both want to save toward. From there, you can discuss the expectations affecting today’s decisions: which money is committed, what remains for personal use and which purchases need a conversation first.

Choose Your Moment, Then Be Specific

Once you know what you want to raise, find a private time when you can both pay attention. Keep the first discussion focused on one concern.

Explain what happened and how it affected you. If money moved out of savings, describe the purchase or payment you had expected it to cover. If a bill was missed, explain the worry that caused about the next one.

Then ask what happened. Allow time for an answer, and check that you have understood it before suggesting what to do.

The answer may bring up embarrassment, pressure or difficulty managing a habit. Give those feelings room while keeping the original concern in view. You can care about your partner’s experience and be clear about the effect on you.

Aim to leave with a better understanding of the situation and a practical next step.

Make an Agreement You Can Both Follow

Start with the next bill or other immediate expense. Decide who will pay it, when the money will be available and what each person will contribute.

Then look at spending decisions that affect you both. You might agree to discuss purchases above a chosen amount, or any use of money set aside for a shared goal.

The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada describes several ways couples can handle their finances, including separate accounts, pooled money or a household account alongside personal accounts. Whichever arrangement you choose, you still need to agree on contributions, payment dates and what happens if income changes.

Set a date to see how the agreement is working. Review the payments and discuss anything that proved difficult.

Get Support When the Same Concerns Return

If these patterns keep returning after an agreement is in place, professional support can help. Counselling can work through financial strain, hurt feelings and trust.

The concerned partner can seek help too, including advice about managing shared financial responsibilities and their own distress. Where threats or violence are present, get professional advice before raising financial limits.

In Ontario, ConnexOntario offers free, confidential information and help finding mental health, addiction and gambling services. Partners and family members can contact it for themselves or someone they care about. The service is available 24/7, call 1-866-531-2600, text CONNEX to 247247, or use live chat. Standard message and data rates may apply.

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