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When Your Child Decides He May Not Go to College

This is the time of year when kids go back to school and parents post fabulous Facebook photos of their children in front of the house or at the bus stop. I’ve posted these photos before as well. But this year I didn’t.

Ethan, my oldest son, started his junior year of college and moved into his first apartment off campus. I opted to let him mark the transition without a lot of fanfare. And, Noah, a high school senior, is choosing not to complete 12th grade in the traditional way.

He’s not going back to high school.

Noah at age 12

This wasn’t an easy decision but it’s what he wanted to do. I didn’t feel a photo was appropriate for him either. For Noah, this year is a big deal – photo or no photo – and besides not joining his friends at high school, he may not apply to college. Noah is a trainee at Boston Ballet. It’s a two-year program, although many of the dancers leave at the end of this year to join professional ballet companies around the world. It’s a huge stepping stone for Noah and he was confronted with an important choice: College or a ballet career? He is leaning toward ballet.

While Noah makes his decision, I sit here day after day tossing away college application invitations from the likes of UCLA and USC on the West Coast to Northeast powerhouses like Harvard, Brown, Dartmouth and Princeton. Each time an application invitation arrives, I show it to Noah. With a knowing look, I toss them in the trash (a few I save just for the memories). It’s a look of:

“You’ve worked hard, achieved academic success and now it’s time to follow your passion.”

Face to Face with Parent Choices

Once upon a time I was a young mother and made the choice to move to a town with a high-ranked public school system – the same choice countless parents make all over the nation. Would I do it all over again? Maybe. But if I knew then what I know now, I may have stayed where I was as my children both had passion and drive. They would have excelled ANYWHERE. Instead, the academic environment in our high school is intense. You’re probably familiar with this story in many high schools: Kids study hours upon hours to get the best grades, take as many AP courses as possible and even cheat their way to the top – all to get into the best colleges so they can basically repeat this cycle all over again. I get it: It’s a dog eat dog world out there. But through my own children, I know this isn’t necessary, nor is it the only way to succeed in your career or life. There are other choices, albeit not as conventional.

Noah, you see, chose to stay in high school for his junior year and excelled in all of his honors and AP courses. And now that he’s top-ranked in his top-ranked high school, he may be setting aside a college degree to pursue his passion: Ballet. Some would say he worked hard in high school for nothing. But I say: He worked hard for the right reasons and not because his parents pushed him. Or because he felt peer pressure. Or because he had to get these grades so he could get into the best college.

He did it for himself. And it makes the whole high school experience that much better.

Now, some parents have said to me:

“Really, he may not go to college? What about all he achieved in high school? Are you sure that’s a wise move?” My answers: #1: “Yup, he may not go to college.” #2: “He worked hard to learn.” #3: “Following your passion and pouring that same academic drive into your dream career is the wisest thing any high school teen can possibly do.”

That doesn’t mean I don’t sometimes think:

“Should he just fill out a few college applications and see what happens?”

But I know that this is parental peer pressure kicking in. This is what kids usually do at this age. It’s also what raising children in a highly competitive academic environment does. It points kids and parents in one direction: This way to college.

Encourage Passion

I would perhaps feel differently about my son if he had no other plans for the foreseeable future. But this isn’t the case. And this leads me to consider how stressful the high school environment is for teenagers today. In fact, kids are so busy jockeying to get into the best colleges that many don’t have time to pursue a passion. I realize this is just my opinion, but based on what I saw happening with my kids’ friends, many teenagers cram in as many activities as they can as this makes them seem well-rounded (and of course there are about 10 spots on the Common Application to list activities and who wants to leave blanks?) In many cases, going straight to college is the right answer. But not always. What would happen if every one of these kids decided to follow ONE passion wholeheartedly while in high school? I don’t know the answer to this but it might make the high school years less stressful and more enjoyable. It might also create new pathways and opportunities.

This is the Time

So, as this back-to-school season kicks into high gear, I invite you all to consider the potential your children have and help them discover their passions. This might change their course entirely. It might not. But, leaving the door wide open will allow your teenager to cross the threshold on his own and discover what’s on the other side.

About the author: Robyn Parets is a personal finance and business writer based in Boston. A former writer for Investor’s Business Daily (IBD) and NerdWallet, Robyn is also the founder and owner of Pretzel Kids®, a children’s fitness brand and online training course. You can find her on Twitter @RobynParets, follow her musings at Away From Om, or reach her via email at robynparets@gmail.com

Categories: being a mother, challenges, College, growing up, letting go, mother, musings, parenting, Philosophy, raising boys, raising sons, That's Life!, Truth, Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

Post No.3 — Everyone’s Favorite Birthday Boy

Raw honesty through words. A rare talent. Give it a read……

Ethan Parets

I’ve never been the biggest on the whole birthday thing. I don’t usually ask for tons of things or want huge parties thrown. What I usually want is to just hang out with my friends and have fun. For the first time in my life, my birthday was to be spent abroad, in a country with a language  of which my comprehension level is (on a good day) maybe equal to that of a Spanish fourth grader, with 20 or so people I have known for three days. Not my ideal birthday, and that was tough for me.

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Post No.2 — Space Log 13.5.15

Well, another blogger in the family who is a brilliant wordsmith! Here’s my witty son’s humorous blog post on his first 48 hours in Spain (and plane!) And it’s his 19th birthday today so give it a read. Well worth it!

Ethan Parets

To say that the last 48 hours have been exhausting would be a gross under-exaggeration. But here’s essentially how they went:

Monday 2 p.m.: Arrive at Logan International. Alright I’m breathing, very nervous, but OK.

Monday 3:30 p.m.: Seated at the gate. Now I need some food before relegated to a metal tube flying 500 miles per hour over the Atlantic. I guess Sbarro will do.

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Careening Down a Dangerous Path

So, I’m perusing through my Facebook feed the other day and I see this post:

“Sometime soon, we may reach a point where half the women in America will be teaching yoga to the other half…”

An interesting quip from a man I worked with at a California newspaper in the early 90’s.  To my knowledge, he’s a PR executive and not a yoga teacher. Hmmm, even non-yogis realize things are out of control and there’s no end in sight.

I touched on this in late 2013 when I wrote an article that evoked much discussion in the yoga community. My honest reflection resonated with many, ticked off some, and got people thinking.

Icicles on studioSo, here I am watching the snow fall outside my window in Massachusetts. It’s been about two years since I traveled to 40 cities in the US and Canada in the course of 15 months. I got a realistic pulse of the yoga landscape in America and hit classes in strip malls, YMCAs, intimate settings, large chain studios, gyms, and pretty much every place in-between. When I returned home, I reassessed where I wanted to go with my studio, Breathe Joy Yoga, which sits behind my house in the woods.  After witnessing the state of the yoga industry, I knew it was time for a change. I was done operating a full-blown studio where part of the job was competing for yoga newbies who are more concerned about sweating, low prices and convenience than immersing themselves in the practice. So, instead, I focus on teaching two to four classes a week at Breathe Joy Yoga. Everyone is welcome and every class is engaging and unique as I never have a yoga pose playlist prepared. I also oversee Pretzel Kids® trainings and classes, and I have returned to freelance journalism. Once in a while, I offer PR and marketing consulting services to other yoga professionals trying to navigate this rocky landscape.

So why revisit this topic? Well, because we’re no better off than we were two years ago. In fact, we’re much worse off. And this, my friends, affects how and where we practice yoga, as well as the integrity of our community as a whole.

Today, I would guess 30-50% of yoga studios offer 200-hour yoga teacher trainings. It’s no surprise as these courses generate fast cash and help pack studio classes. Now, don’t get me wrong. Studio owners deserve to earn a living and hopping on the teacher training gravy train is a sure-fire way to ensure that they do so. There is nothing inherently wrong with this. But, here’s the problem: As long as students continue to drink the Koolaid served at the closest yoga studio, teacher trainings will multiply like bunnies in a highly unregulated industry. Seems a little harsh, I know. But let’s peel off some more layers here.

DSCF0442Yoga in America isn’t what it used to be and we, as a yoga community, should stand up in Tadasana and take notice. It was only 11 years ago when I opened Breathe Joy Yoga. I offered a comprehensive teacher training course as much out of need as desire. There were simply no programs in my area. The market wasn’t saturated and skilled yoga teachers were in high demand.

Flash forward to today: If you throw a ball out a window in any major US city, it will hit one yoga teacher on the head and bounce onto another instructor’s asana. Taking classes and teaching yoga is the “in” thing and many students wear rose-colored glasses and think that, if they become a yoga teacher, they too can open a successful studio (just find an empty corner, start a Facebook page, and viola!) or at least teach a few classes a week (good luck finding a studio without a two-page list of subs). The plot thickens. Many still think they can quit their day jobs and make big bucks teaching yoga. Now, I know…..some of you are thinking I sound cynical or this is just sour grapes. But, let me tell you right here and now: I sure as heck don’t have sour grapes. I love to practice and teach yoga. And, I enjoyed the challenge of turning a small, community-supported studio into a thriving business. I wouldn’t have chosen any other life or livelihood for the eight years I ran a yoga studio full-time.

Here’s another thing: I love that yoga is now readily available. I just wish we were more responsible about this mushrooming growth. One of the pitfalls of working and practicing in an unregulated industry is that many businesses offer yoga classes and have no idea whether their own yoga instructors are skilled. A certificate from a crash course is sometimes all a health club needs to hire a teacher. It’s even become commonplace for prospective teachers to “audition.”  Here’s a common scenario: A club owner sits through a slate of “auditions” and then, regardless of whether this “casting director” knows the difference between yoga and Pilates, a yoga teacher who fits the “part” is selected from the lot.

And then there are master classes. What defines a master class? Well, nothing really. At least not anymore. Any newly-minted, recent 200-hour graduate can throw together a workshop and call it a master class. Scratch that. No 200-hour certificate is necessary as anyone can teach a master class. It certainly sounds impressive and many students take the bait, especially when they see this so-called expert on Instagram striking a perfect pose. Our industry has run amuck here. In my opinion, there are only a small handful of teachers who should be considered “masters” in any field. Yoga is no exception.

About now I’m probably pissing off some of you. But, put your egos aside for a moment. I’m saying it like it is. Satya for ya in its truest sense.

To that end, I’m going to tell you a story that may help illustrate where our industry is headed. I’m warning you: It’s a doozy.

A couple of months ago I received a pitch for a workshop from an out-of-town teacher whom I had never met. I usually only offer workshops taught by experienced teachers I know. This way, I feel comfortable about what I’m selling and confident that my students will take away something valuable from their time and financial investment. But, it sounded good so I decided to give it a go. The teacher sent me a description of the workshop for beginners, which would include backbends, arm balances and inversions. She then explained that the inversions would encompass variations of headstand, shoulder stand and maybe handstand. Further information indicated her method will help students reach happiness faster. Ok. Let’s stop right there. Reach happiness faster? By doing a headstand? Wow. Now you really got me going.

Call me crazy. Call me responsible. I don’t care. I had to put my foot down and question her proposal. Here’s our email chain:

The “teacher”: “Regarding inversions, I am skillfully trained to teach them in a very safe and attentive way. I realize that not a lot of instructors feel comfortable teaching them (and thus they go untaught which I believe is a shame), but I feel that if proper alignment is taught, modifications are given and safely precautions are taken, inversions are not only extremely beneficial but tangible to even the most beginner of yogis. (INSERT HERE THIS TEACHER’S STYLE, PURPOSEFULLY LEFT OUT) places a strong focus on inversions and without them, I wouldn’t stay true to its homage….”

I agree that inversions are beneficial, however, kicking our egos to the curb: Even with modifications and the best instructor in the world, my experience is that it’s impossible to watch everyone at the same time in a large room filled with upside-down beginners who you don’t know. I was getting squeamish just thinking about the possibility of someone falling over on my hardwood floor. I also wasn’t feeling too warm and fuzzy about a teacher who felt that, without teaching specific inversions, she was not staying true to her yoga lineage. I mean, c’mon, really? Aren’t there plenty of other asana choices out there? Um, yes.

Here’s how it ended peacefully as I was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt:

Me: So, here is my position: From a liability perspective, I feel it’s not responsible or safe for me to offer this at my studio.  I understand that you would prefer to stay true to your homage but I need to stay true to safety and health. Are you able to offer rabbit pose, basic tripod and/or modified shoulder stand with legs up in an “L” (like legs up the wall without the wall) as alternatives? Let me know your thoughts. Thanks again.”

She wrote back: I understand your concerns. Yet on the other hand I ‘respectively’ [sic] disagree.

That was that.

So let’s talk a little about homage and lineage. What does that even mean? Back in the heyday (meaning hundreds and even thousands of years ago – long before lululemon pants graced our yoga classes), yoga teachers were taught by true experts to pass down this ancient tradition.

Take my primary teacher, Diane Lagadec. Diane is the real deal. About to turn 71, Diane runs Maha Yoga Center in Bridgewater, Ma. and you can often find her in a safe backbend or inversion. She trained with Shri Khanna, who was one of the yogis who came to the states in the late ’60’s and early ’70’s to learn and teach.

“He came to Boston to complete a doctorate and while he was here he created a small ashram in a home in West Newton. He was friends with Yogi Desai, Dr. Mishra (also known as Swami Brahmananda Sarasvati), etc. We got to meet and learn from wonderful teachers. Shri was from the Maha Ananda Ashram in Simla, India. I studied with him for years,” said Diane.

I realize there’s no one path to anything, but I am fairly certain that enrolling in a 200-hour teacher training for a handful of weekends or taking classes in a hyped-up studio with packed classes and hotshot teachers is not going to help you reach nirvana faster. What to do? For starters, do your research.

If you practice yoga, inquire of yourself: Why am I choosing this teacher to guide me? Maybe you have no idea whether he/she is skilled. Maybe the time works for your schedule. Maybe the quality or safety of the class doesn’t matter to you. You still should ask.

If you’re considering enrolling in a teacher training, ask yourself:  Why do I want to take this course with these teachers at this studio?

If you’re a yoga teacher or studio owner, ask yourself: Why do I want to teach? Why do I want to run a 200-hour course? There is no right or wrong answer.

The point is: We should all be digging deep. Or, as we yogis say, it’s time to practice self-study, a.k.a. Svadhyaya.

I may be going out on a limb here but we are careening down a dangerous path. Literally. Yoga students are blowing out hips and shoulders regularly. I’m thinking Patanjali didn’t have this in mind. Take a look at the Yoga Sutras. Depending on your interpretation, only about five of the 196 sutras (II: 29 and II: 46-49) discuss anything to do with asana. Let’s sit on that for a while.

Robyn Parets, a journalist and yoga teacher, is founder of Pretzel Kids® and owner of Breathe Joy Yoga studio in Massachusetts. A former writer for the Los Angeles Times, Inc. Magazine Group, Investor’s Business Daily, and many other publications, Parets turned to yoga and meditation in 1999 after her life was interrupted by a neurological disorder. Bedridden for nearly two years with two children under four, Parets credits her dedicated practice with helping her gain back her health. She recently traveled across the country, documenting the changing yoga landscape along the way. Parets is now focusing on blogging, reconnecting, and creating her next chapter! Find inspiration at: www.awayfromom.net

Categories: business, business of yoga, Etcetera, get real, humor, journalism, Philosophy, That's Life!, Truth, Uncategorized, Writing, Yoga | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Frozen in Time

As I drove to a yoga class earlier this week,  in a hurry to make it there on time, I slowed down to a snail’s pace when I got to the school zone for a local elementary school. Sure, I had to slow down to 20 miles an hour as this is the speed limit. But, for a brief minute, everything slowed down, not just the speed on my speedometer.

Ethan and Noah

Ethan, left, Noah, right at about age 7 and 4

For a brief minute, it was as if my life was frozen in time. I watched the crossing guards channel the children into school and the parents walking with their children, who looked as if they were going to topple over underneath the weight of those heavy backpacks. I stared at one little girl with bright red hair and watched her trying to walk tall and proud with her books in tow. And then, for no more than five seconds, I locked eyes — out of my left driver’s side window — with an attentive father en route to school with his child. I quickly looked back to the road in front of me and then glanced to my left again. He was no longer looking my way but, rather, looking forward as he continued his slow and steady pace toward the school. It was as if he knew what I was thinking: Where did the time go? Wasn’t it just yesterday when I walked my once proud first-grader to school?

I was caught up in a trance-like state, only coming out of it when I realized I was no longer driving through the school zone and it was time to speed up again. But I wasn’t ready for speeding back up. I wanted to slow down again and walk my boys to school. My eyes got teary as I started to drive faster. When I hopped on the highway, I was back at the speed limit but I couldn’t let go of that father. Still can’t.

Today, I was on my way home and my eyes started tearing up again. I looked to my left and saw a large, bright orange sign: “Be Prepared to Stop.”  Workmen were on the street doing repairs. But I took it as a sign — my own personal sign. And, in case, I forget what this sign says, I can see it from my yard. Guess the universe wants me to keep seeing this sign.

Today, I drove past the parking lot at Sharon High School. I looked to my left and saw my son’s car (err, my car) parked in its usual spot, covered with dirt. My eyes teared up.

Ethan and Noah laughing

my little boys!

I looked out at the women in my yoga class this week and realized I have lived a whole phase of my life (their lives too) with them. When I started teaching this group, our kids went to Cottage Street Elementary school together. Now our kids are either adults or almost adults. We are empty nesters or almost there. And we sure as heck aren’t meeting at the entrance to school to pick up our children and talk about the upcoming school fair.

One could say I am turning into a sentimental mess. Or, going through a phase. Or, realizing that I’m not 30 anymore and time just sort of sped up while my eyes were closed. Or, all of the above.

Ethan Senior portrait

Ethan’s senior picture

In less than a month, my oldest son Ethan is graduating from high school. Next week, he turns 18 and I go get my grey hair covered.  He is taking AP tests today so I drove Noah, who just turned 15, to high school. We were talking and I caught him rolling his eyes at me. My first instinct was to say, “Why did you do that? Was that necessary?” But I said nothing. He’s a typical teenage boy and I am a typical teenager’s mom: I think I’m hip and cool (do they even say those words anymore?) but I am really a 46-year-old mom trying hard to hold fast to memories and my little boys.

In yoga, we all talk about “being present” and “living in the present.” Today, it hit home that the “present” goes by way too fast. We get one chance to do it right “in the present” and then that chance is gone, forever. All we have left is the past and future and we’re not supposed to dwell on that, right? But this week I am struggling to let go and thinking of all the things I should have done better. I know — that’s not productive or healthy. But I’m only human.

Here’s the truth. The gosh-darned human truth. My truth……I am afraid to let go. I am scared out of my mind. I write this as my eyes well up with tears. I am afraid to let my son go to Northeastern University in August. I am afraid for him to move out on his own and begin his adult life. And it’s not because I don’t think he’ll succeed or be ok. I know he will do just great in whatever he sets out to do in life.

It’s because I don’t know if I’LL be ok. There, I said it. I wrote it.

Up until this week, I thought I was fine with Ethan graduating and moving on. I couldn’t possibly be more proud of him. But now, I am reduced to a tearful mess. Ethan and I haven’t always got along in his high school years. Maybe it’s because we are so much alike — both headstrong and opinionated but yet we give 100% of ourselves to others. I’ll admit it: there were times when I couldn’t wait for him to move out. But now that this is becoming a reality, I know that I am just not ready to lose him to the world. I’m not ready to walk into his empty room (which will most likely turn into his room/guest suite next fall) and not trip over piles of dirty laundry. I’m not ready to have nothing to remind him about, all the time. I am not ready to be the mother of a college student.

I am not ready for how I will deal with the void.

Me and the boys in the snow

Frozen in Time

These next few weeks will be particularly challenging. I will cry tears of joy and sadness. I will do my best, even when it’s not good enough, to stay present and enjoy every moment. I will never get these moments back. That much I know. I will try not to cry hysterically next time I pass a group of elementary school children and their parents walking to school. I will always look for that father with the big brown eyes and all his dark brown hair intact.

He has “30” frozen in time.  Take care of that beautiful child weighted under that monstrous backpack. He will be 18 in no time.

Categories: Accidental Stage Mom, Etcetera, get real, letting go, mother, parenting, raising boys, That's Life!, Truth, Uncategorized, Writing, Yoga | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Wake Up and Smell the Incense

By Robyn Parets

Holy savasana!

It’s time for yogis to wake up from resting pose — the English translation for the Sanskrit word pronounced shiv-asana — and smell the incense.  In the latest salvo proving big business is here to stay in the yoga world, a company received a patent last week for its technique of filming yoga classes for online distribution.

On December 10, Santa Monica, Ca.-based YogaGlo, Inc. was issued a patent claiming that its technique for YogaGlo class renderingfilming a yoga class is novel. In a nutshell, the patent gives YogaGlo exclusive rights to film yoga classes from the back of a room with a camera about three feet off the ground. It also requires that there be a “no mat zone” or “corridor” from the camera to the teacher whereby students are situated on mats on either side of the corridor. This enables a clear view from the camera to the instructor.

Yogis aren’t the only ones wondering why a patent this general and certainly not novel was granted in the first place.

Joel Lehrer, a partner at Goodwin Procter LLP in Boston, said it didn’t appear as if there was any legitimate invention in the way YogaGlo films its classes. Filming from the back of a class with an unobstructed view of the teacher is commonplace. Yet, YogaGlo managed to get the patent probably because the patent examiner didn’t quite understand the dynamics of a yoga class and that filming a teacher down a center aisle from a specified height is not unusual, he said.

“This patent (US serial number 8,605,152) gives YogaGlo the right to restrict others from doing what their patent covers and gives them a government-granted limited monopoly if they choose to enforce it,” said Lehrer, who specializes in patent and intellectual property law.

Oftentimes vague patents in other businesses do get approved. The software industry has been grappling with this for years, said Lehrer. In fact, even software companies with valid inventions are sometimes hesitant to file patents for fear of alienating their customer base. He explained that there is a stigma surrounding what some consider “inhibiting the advancement of technology.”

“Some companies in the software space choose not to pursue patents for fear of the backlash. They are afraid people won’t want to work for them or do business with them for ethical reasons.”

This industry backlash, said Lehrer, is something a company like YogaGlo could face if it chooses to enforce its patent.  In fact, while waiting to see if its patent would be approved, YogaGlo did send companies cease and desist letters, including the non-profit organization Yoga International.  Now, however, YogaGlo also has the right to charge licensing fees to companies that want to continue filming videos in a way consistent with the patent.

YogaGlo, which did not respond to inquiries for an interview, has been radio silent on this issue since last week’s news. But Lehrer said the company could also decide not to police the patent at all. “They are under no legal obligation to enforce it,” said Lehrer.

Todd Wolfenberg, executive director at Yoga International, said his organization removed 14 videos from its website in response to YogaGlo’s cease and desist letter.  “They were filmed in a similar way (to YogaGlo’s classes). Our cameras were about five feet off the ground but we also had aisles with students on both sides and a teacher in front.  Many people have filmed using this orientation before. Without an aisle, you can’t see the teacher,” said Wolfenberg, who said his organization, part of the 400-acre Himalayan Institute, does not want to get embroiled in a court battle.

Yoga International, said Wolfenberg, has the means and ability to film classes from different angles and is in the process of doing just that.  Visitors to the site usually have to pay for video content. Yet, while Yoga International is re-shooting certain classes, all video content is free.

“We think it serves you better in the long-term to take the high road. It’s better than lashing out and getting angry,” he said.

Yoga International is not the only one that this patent may affect. Companies in the business of filming yoga classes are plentiful and include Gaiam Inc., a publicly traded corporation that recently purchased My Yoga Online (MYT); YogaVibes; Yoga Download; and Yoga Today.  All of these companies charge fees for viewing content. There are also plenty of yoga teachers and companies that provide their streaming classes for free or by donation, such as DoYogaWithMe.com.  Still other large studio chains, like YogaWorks, now offer their own online system for viewing classes taught by their instructors.

Jamie Kent, president and founder of Denver-based Yoga Download, couldn’t believe a yoga company received a patent of this nature.

“This is far-reaching and goes beyond the yoga world. It has implications in the film industry, fitness business and other markets as well,” said Kent. “If one company can patent a camera angle, what’s to stop others from doing the same thing?” she said.

Yoga Download, with 9,000 monthly members, both creates its own content with a group of teachers and works with content partners who wish to stream videos on the Yoga Download platform.  About fifty percent of its business comes from membership and the other half is generated through single downloads or other non-member purchases. Kent said the company will now diligently convey new filming guidelines to its content providers.

Kent, as well as others in the yoga video streaming field agree that as the industry grows, smaller studios and yoga teachers will need to be aware of this patent and its ramifications.

Tania Neild, founder of StudioLiveTV, works with yoga studios to create a platform, or channel, to deliver online classes.  Since StudioLiveTV handles the technology end for its partners, it will ensure that classes are filmed in a way that doesn’t infringe on the patent, said Neild.

So far, the YogaGlo patent has only affected a couple of classes on the company’s Fitness for Action channel. The fundraising channel was launched to raise money for victims of the typhoon in the Philippines and other charities. YogaGlo, as well as other yoga content providers, donated classes. YogaGlo asked StudioLiveTV to remove a couple of the classes that infringed the pending patent and StudioLiveTV obliged, said Neild.

“They were very polite and were also generous in donating to our channel,” she said.

Nonetheless, it was a wake-up call that expertise from companies like StudioLiveTV and Yoga Download will be in high demand. Neild and others also note that the patent flies in the face of what many consider yoga to be all about: a healing art meant to help people on their path to wellness. Despite this, yoga is emerging as a business, not unlike any other industry. And with that comes potential lawsuits. In fact, the only way to challenge this patent entails going to court or a filing at the Patent Office, said Lehrer.

One way to invalidate a patent in court is by proving the existence of “prior art.” Essentially this would mean others, or even YogaGlo, used the same filming technique before August 2009, at least one year before YogaGlo initially filed for its patent in August 2010, said Lehrer. Yet, simply challenging the validity of a patent, regardless of its merit, can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, he said. The only other legal alternative, also costly, entails going to court as a defendant if YogaGlo threatens a lawsuit, he said.

The buzz in the yoga community is that perhaps Yoga Alliance, a non-profit association representing yoga teachers, will step up to the plate. Yet, YA isn’t sure what it will do next.  Although YA opposes the patent, President Richard Karpel stated, “I can’t provide more details about our plans because they haven’t been determined yet.”

As ugly as all this may sound in a business built upon peace, love and flowers, this may not be the last patent for yoga related businesses. ”Sadly, exclusive feels good to some. It’s contradictory to yoga, but it happens,” said Neild at StudioLiveTV.

According to Wolfenberg at Yoga International, it’s important for those involved in the yoga and business community at large to educate themselves. “It’s a very strange type of situation and I don’t know where Pandora’s box is going to open up next,” he said.

There’s one thing Wolfenberg knows for sure: “Yoga is changing.”

Robyn Parets is a journalist, editor, yoga teacher, and owner of two yoga-related businesses: Breathe Joy Yoga studio (www.breathejoyyoga.com) and Pretzel Kids, a trademarked children’s yoga brand (www.pretzelkids.com). She also blogs about yoga, business and life in general and can be found at www.awayfromom.net.

Categories: business, business of yoga, Etcetera, filming, get real, journalism, patents, Truth, Uncategorized, Writing, Yoga | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Discriminate and Eliminate: Walk On…….

I’ve been home for two months now. For the first time in a VERY long time, I have space to reflect. Life feels peaceful and calm – a major contrast to the whirlwind of a lifestyle I had for the past 15 years. Between having kids, working full-time as a journalist, running a yoga studio (open seven days a week), and then going on tour with Noah, I felt like I didn’t ever have a break. Oh, and I almost forgot: I was sick for two years with a neurological disorder (that I am blessed to have recovered from) and I got divorced, re-married and acquired a step-son along the way. Don’t get me wrong. I am not complaining. I had two successful careers, have an incredible husband, a supportive ex-husband, three wonderful sons, and my health. My future is sprawled out in front of me. I am blessed.

field with a path

follow your path

But in order to get to a place where I can look across this huge, spacious field of opportunity, I needed to walk away. Walk away from people, jobs, houses, sticky situations and more. Just walk away. There have been times when I have tried to walk away while others kept trying to drag me back in. There have been times when I have found myself knee-deep in a situation I desperately wanted out of and the only way to break free was to make a choice: walk away and not look back. There have been situations where I know I was right YET my happiness was being sacrificed. So I walked away. There have been times when I wished I had told people my side of a story or situation. Yet, I knew this would cause controversy and instead kept quiet. In those instances, I walked away. I know this is very vague, but there are just too many situations that come to mind. I somehow know that you can all relate.

It all boils down to this: Sometimes the path to peace and happiness in your own life is to pick another path and change your direction. Now, everyone has their own opinions and surely for some, walking away is a cowardly route. Yet, look at the alternative: staying in a toxic situation, place, relationship or job (just to name a few) is simply unhealthy – emotionally and physically.

When leaving a difficult place, you will notice a lot of commotion around you. This makes it even harder to walk away. Some people will support you without asking questions. Others will demand explanations, as if your choice to let go is somehow their business. Others will ignore you because they don’t know what to say. Still others will talk about your decisions and tear you down as a person, leading to rumors and gossip which can become not just untrue, but ugly. These types of people are usually the ones who have nothing better to do then gossip about others rather than deal with their own lives head-on. The truth is: your life is your life and your choices are uniquely yours. No one else, except those you invite in, need to know what led to your decisions. If they insist on knowing or opt to start rumors, they were probably not worth having in your life to begin with. Hmmm – maybe time to walk away.

Walking away is the same as letting go. And this is not easy. How many of you have struggled with leaving behind a love relationship, even when you know it’s a bad one? What about friends? This can be challenging too. Have you ever grappled with ending a friendship because you’re afraid of the ramifications such as mutual other friends walking away from YOU or this so-called friend starting negative rumors? Not all relationships are meant to go on forever. Surround yourself with good, kind people. People that lift you up, not pull you down. When people no longer do this for you, maybe it’s time move on. Ultimately, letting go is very personal. Some of us hang on for way too long and others don’t give things enough time. There is no right or wrong choice. There is only your choice.

field of flowers

create your field of dreams

A wise yoga teacher once said (and it has stayed with me): Discriminate and eliminate. Plain and simple.

If we all spent more time figuring this out and walking our path instead of involving ourselves in situations which are none of our business, the world would be a more peaceful place.

So here I am in the now. I’m doing the work. Simplifying and letting go. Looking ahead at the vast field and not knowing what’s on the other side. I’m ok with that.

Categories: Accidental Stage Mom, Etcetera, get real, letting go, Philosophy, That's Life!, Travel, Truth, Uncategorized, Writing, Yoga | Tags: , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Listen to Your Inner GPS

After 15 months away from home, I got in my own car in my own garage and turned on my GPS. As I went to plug in an address, I saw this across the screen:

“A Lot Has Changed. Please Load New Maps.” What? For real? It was as if the past year was flashing before my eyes. I had never seen this message before and this was the same GPS that traveled North America with me. I shut it off and turned it back on. No message. The next day……no message.

For the past several weeks since I’ve been home, I still can’t kick the feeling that the universe was sending me a blatant message: Look around at all that’s changed. Look within at all that’s changed. Look forward and don’t look back. Most importantly, don’t be afraid of the unknown path.

At Central Park Zoo

At Central Park Zoo

When looking for answers in your life (or even not looking) all you need to do is open your eyes and tune in. Be aware. You will see, you will know. The answers are there. And so it goes with my GPS. I know, some of you may still be thinking: did my GPS really TELL me that things have changed?  Well, yes. Did I already know this? Well, yes. BUT, it did help me understand the importance of paying attention to the signs and listening within.

I told my husband about the message. He had never seen this on his Garmin GPS before. I saw it as a metaphor for my life in the moment: A lot HAD changed. A lot IS changing. I need to load new maps, that’s for sure. The answers aren’t always THIS black and while, at least not for most people. Maybe it’s because I am tuned in, but typically my signs are pretty darned blatant. You see, we all have an inner GPS — something that helps us to determine our direction in life. It’s usually a gut feeling, an inner voice. Sometimes someone might even suggest something in conversation that you have been ruminating for a while and suddenly you have clarity. Or, maybe you are trying to figure something out when a song comes on the radio, and the lyrics pretty much offer a solution. Whatever it is: Listen. More often than not, we ignore it and keep barreling down the same road we’ve always traveled. But if we ignore that inner GPS, that road will become more and more difficult to travel. Road blocks will appear and you will have to either knock yourself out to jump over them OR you can plug in and turn around now.

I am happily settling back into life at home in Massachusetts yet nothing is the same. I’m not talking about things that have changed around us, on the surface – things like new restaurants in town, new neighbors etc. (although that makes you really realize that time doesn’t stand still). The Billy Elliot experience transformed all of our lives from the inside, not just Noah’s. There were good times, there were bad. It wasn’t just about a show. It was about growing, changing and learning. I learned how to handle some pretty tough situations. I made choices I never thought I’d have to make and then had to accept those choices (I listened to the signs, by the way). My family banded together so that we could have this experience. Everyone helped and I mean everyone: my husband, my ex-husband, my parents, my in-laws, my other children. I had been married for less than two years when we left to go on tour. But I feel closer to my husband now than ever before.

Today has been a day of deep reflection, perhaps in part because the tour ends for good tonight and I know many of our friends will have to turn on their inner GPS’ starting now. When you’ve traveled one particular road for a long time, it’s not easy to find a new path. I’m still loading maps myself.

Talking about new maps, I’m not sure which direction I will take in the next couple of months. I have some different roads before me. Some choices to make. But something tells me things will keep changing and moving and I’ll have to travel right along as well. I know one thing for sure: I am about to embark on a new path. I’m listening for the signs. I’m following my inner GPS.

Oh, and, see ya Billy! Thanks for the journey!

Categories: Accidental Stage Mom, Billy Elliot, Etcetera, get real, On the Road, Philosophy, That's Life!, Travel, Truth, Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

When You Can’t Stand (On) Your Own Two Feet

On December 31, 2012, I woke up in my own bed, put my feet on the floor, stood up, and sat right back down again. I thought I was imagining things, but it hurt to stand. And not just a little bit. A lot.

I stood up again on my hard wood floor and walked to the bathroom. Each step was more painful than the previous one. What the hell was going on? It wasn’t just one foot. It was both. Every time I rocked forward on the balls of my feet to propel into the next step, it felt like I was stepping on sharp objects.

I couldn’t imagine what I did to my feet or why I was experiencing this pain. I had been on the road with my son for months and just arrived home the night before (mind you, after a snow storm delayed our trip home by 24 hours. We had to stay at yet another hotel). Maybe it was the stress of the storm or having to walk on ice to get from the hotel to the diner across the street? Maybe it was from wearing bad shoes to walk all over Baltimore the week before in icy conditions?

All I know is that I was experiencing searing pain every time I stood up and walked. That day I bought cushy insoles for my running shoes but that didn’t help. I took Motrin. That didn’t help. I just hoped it would get better. I couldn’t teach yoga, let alone practice standing asanas as it was just too painful. Meanwhile, my week home was spent stressing about what to do with my studio (keep it going, close it, etc. – see my last post here). I chose to ignore making any major decisions….again.

The next week took me to Montreal. The pain in the balls of my feet intensified. The next week took me to East Lansing, Michigan. The pain was yet worse AND I caught the flu. I dragged myself fever and all to a podiatrist,  who diagnosed me with severely inflamed metatarsal joints. He made me special inserts for my shoes, I bought super expensive “nurse” shoes at an orthopedic shoe store, and I started taking heavy duty doses of Aleve. Meanwhile, a standing yoga practice was out of the question as was walking more than a couple of blocks.

I spent the week in East Lansing sick and depressed.

The next month took me to mainly warmer climates. My feet were nowhere near made for walking, but at least I could drive around in a convertible and catch some rays while sporting my nurse shoes.

In February, I went home again for a few days and this time I went to see a recommended podiatrist in the Boston area. He diagnosed me with nerve damage AND severely inflamed metatarsal joints. He crafted another round of inserts and I continued the Aleve.

Still, no one could figure out why this odd injury occurred in the first place. I mean, of all people…to me? I live much of my life barefoot teaching and practicing yoga on hard wood floors. I almost NEVER wear high heels. I’ve NEVER had a foot problem or foot injury in my life.

y2But something happened while I was home last February, moaning about my feet. I REALIZED why I couldn’t stand (on) my own two feet! And that was the beginning of the end of this injury.

As strange as this injury is, it happened to me for a reason. It was sort of like a wake-up call. I was saddled with indecision. Indecision about what to do with my yoga studio. This was causing stress. And, emotional stress manifests itself as physical pain.

Backing up, let’s take a look at the location of the pain: MY FEET. The soles of my feet. The balls of my feet to be more specific. The EXACT area where weight bears down when you need to stand and walk forward. The pain was immobilizing. I couldn’t practice standing asana or teach. I was stuck. The universe was sending me a very strong message to the exact spot where it knew I would eventually need to stand up (ironically) and take notice.

My first chakra (root chakra) was completely stagnant. I know, I know. You’re probably thinking that this post was interesting until I went and got all New Age on you. But let’s be real here. The first chakra has everything to do with security and stability. It’s about feeling grounded, centered, safe, comfortable in your surroundings and with your decisions. It’s about being financially secure and rooted in family and community. Deciding whether to close my business – my sense of financial security AND community for almost a decade – was throwing my root chakra out of whack. I finally knew how to heal myself. It was time to close down.

I picked a date: April 1. I would close on April 1. Now I knew my feet would start to feel better but I also knew that they would not heal completely until the studio actually closed.

In that transition phase, my feet had their good days and bad days. I started practicing yoga again – slow, modified poses. I gave up worrying about fashionable footwear (not that it was ever something I thought much about anyway). I wore my “nurse shoes” everywhere. Slowly, walking became easier.

In March, I went home again and dealt with closing the studio head on. We arranged to move some classes to the community center and I worked on a transition strategy.

On April 1, we closed the doors. One day in mid-April, not too long after the closure, I woke up in California, put both feet on the ground and walked pain-free for the first time in 2013. I began to roll out my mat regularly. I took the inserts out of my running shoes.

I sent my “nurse shoes” home.

I can stand on my own two feet (even one) once again.

Categories: Etcetera, On the Road, Philosophy, That's Life!, Travel, Truth, Uncategorized, Yoga | Tags: , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Breaking Up Is Hard to Do

Breaking Up is Hard to Do………….

But so is hanging on. Trust me on this one. It’s sort of like standing in quick sand, not that I have ever actually done this. Nonetheless, I imagine this is what it feels like. You want to leave or set yourself free. In some instances, you want to run, fast. But you can’t. You’re stuck. Every time you try to free yourself, you seem to sink in even deeper.

Hypothetically, if you are in this type of situation, what do you do? You either stay stuck and keep sinking OR you find some way to break free. Sometimes it’s easier to remain stuck. You know the environment and your little spot is familiar and comfy. What’s the alternative? The unknown. Yet somehow, you KNOW you need to cut yourself loose. But this takes courage and it’s scary to venture beyond your comfort zone.

Still with me? I’m going somewhere here, I promise. Let’s back up a bit. You haven’t heard a peep from me in oh, almost three months. You could say I’ve been stuck in the quick sand and it’s not too far from the truth, metaphorically speaking. I’ve had some big decisions to make and opted to simply not make them for months. All the while, I sunk in deeper and while this was going on, my life became more and more stressful. I knew what I needed to do, yet I couldn’t do it.

I needed to close a door — at least for a while — in order for others to open. To simplify: I needed to stop running Breathe Joy Yoga, the business I opened nine years ago and have been operating from the road for almost a year. It was becoming insurmountable. What seemed like a simple business to outsiders was way more complicated than it looked.

Here I am, traveling full-time with my son AND trying to balance the books, schedule classes, manage a staff, communicate with customers, handle payroll, send out marketing e-blasts, keep up our social media sites and more. I wanted to give it a try. I thought I could do it all. But I couldn’t. It was exhausting me. Stressing me out. Stressing my family out. Stressing my manager out. Not only that but I started to resent the studio and yoga in general. I wanted to devote my time to my son and the show but there was always something else that I had to handle. It was just too much. But yet I could not let go. Not for six months. I knew in September that I needed to give it up. But it took me six months to do it. Tomorrow (April 1) is our last class at Breathe Joy Yoga. At least for a while. Ironically, I will be home this summer. So why couldn’t I  keep the doors open for another few months until I return?

It was time. Time to let go. Period.

It’s hard to let go of anything you care about. We’ve all been there. How many of you have held onto something or someone for way too long? When you finally make the decision to break away, you instantly feel relief — if for no other reason than you simply made a decision despite how difficult it was. Tomorrow I will be free. It doesn’t mean I won’t be sad. It took me nine years to build my business from the ground up. But I feel good about this decision. I have no regrets because it was the right choice.

So now, when I get home this summer, I won’t have a yoga studio anymore. Maybe I will teach yoga classes elsewhere. Maybe I will teach in my studio once again. Maybe I won’t teach at all. Maybe I will sell my studio, my business, my house. Maybe I will tour again (I know, my tour friends are laughing now!) Maybe I will write a blog post every day. Maybe I will do nothing for a while. Maybe I will relish in spending more time with my kids, husband and dog. Maybe I will travel. Maybe I will move to another city or state or country. Maybe I will learn to bask in the complete unknown. Maybe — no, certainly — I will feel grateful that I can make choices and have the complete support of my family.

There is one thing, however, that I know for sure. Doors that had been shut tight will now open because I was brave enough to set myself free. This is how it works. I’m ready to see what’s on the other side.

Categories: Accidental Stage Mom, Etcetera, On the Road, Philosophy, That's Life!, Travel, Truth, Uncategorized, Writing, Yoga | Tags: , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

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Home > fish-seafood > Herb and Butter Cod

Herb and Butter Cod

April 5, 2010

Flaky cod fillets baked with a medley of fresh herbs and mustard are a perfect entree for an early spring meal.

Wine pairing suggestion: Pair with either a light, tropical Sauvignon Blanc or a medium-bodied Pinot Noir.

  • 6 (6-ounce) cod fillets
  • 1-1/2 sticks melted, unsalted butter (3/4 cup)
  • salt and pepper
  • 1/2 cup mixed fresh herbs (parsley, thyme, dill, mint, chervil or basil)
  • 1/2 cup grainy French mustard

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place the cod fillets in a 9×13-inch baking dish.
3. Pour the butter over the fish and season with salt and pepper.
4. Sprinkle all but 2 tablespoons of the herbs on top of the fish.
5. Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until just flaky tender.
6. Remove from oven and place the fish on a serving platter.
7. Put mustard in a medium bowl and slowly whisk in the herbed butter from the pan.
8. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons fresh herbs and pour over fish.
9. Serve at once!!

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Azn Badger's Blog

What About the Lysine Contingency…?

What’s Up With Lego’s These Days?

I pride myself on maintaining this blog as a source of entertainment.

This blog is not a journalistic venue, nor is it an online diary where I share my poetry and sad song lyrics.

Seriously, I can’t stand that self-important bullshit

Though sadly, that's all this man/woman/Crying Game canditate knows...

Anyway, despite my mission statement for this blog, tonight I feel the need to bring up something that’s been irking me for some time now:

What the fuck is up with Lego’s these days?

Everywhere I look, there’s fuckin’ “theme” Lego boxsets based on all sorts of mainstream pop-culture properties.

We’ve got Batman Legos.

Sweet Jesus...

We’ve got Harry Potter Legos.

*Gasp!* He's not yellow!

And you better believe we’ve got every George “Control Freak” Lucas franchise imaginable in Lego form.

...Including George Lucas himself!

Not only that, we’ve also got videogames based, not just on the original source material; but specifically the Lego version of said intellectual properties.

... I don't get it.

Just what the fuck happened that made Legos so fuckin’ bankable?

In my day, Legos came in theme boxes, like “space Legos,” or “pirate Legos,” or in the later stages of my youth, crazy shit like “deep sea mining Legos vs. deep sea pirate legos.”

Despite a handful of specialized pieces, like the parts to make the sharks or crocodiles, or the various transparent parts for the space guys, none of these theme boxes ever came with unique parts.

Honestly, I think that’s the aspect of the whole “Legos of all of your favorite mainstream pop-culture icons!” deal.

It’s not the fact that the dirty Danes sitting on the Lego franchise are obviously making bank off of kids and fanboys buying up all of their Harry Potter and Star Wars memorabilia.

It’s the simple fact that, in recreating all of these pre-established characters and settings, they’ve gone ahead and made unique parts too accomodate said specific intellectual properties.

You know what my favorite part about Legos was as a kid?

Opening up my box of random pieces and taking shit like Play-Doe, and Magic Markers to them so I could make my own shit, my way.

Say I wanted to make a fuckin’ Darth Vader Lego man back in the day.

I would have to find the standard pieces that matched the character best, and then use my imagination to find a way to make my own Darth.

Nowadays, kids get handed a box of Legos, and they’re no longer handed a box of possibilities, they’re handed a box with Darth Vader, Harry Potter, and fuckin’ Batman, already pre-painted and pre-sculpted.

Shit, you as well be selling action figures, or model kits when you look at it that way.

Really fuckin’ blocky, and jaundice infected action figures, but action figures nonetheless…

Legos were always about giving kids a blank slate to let kids explore their imaginations in a constructive fashion.

Like giving a kid a slab of butcher paper and some crayons.

I don’t know, maybe I’m just overreacting and not having enough faith in the youths of today.

I guess if I look on the bright side of things, Lego box sets, not matter how “Lucas-ified” or “Potter-ized” they may be, still come with a hefty supply of standard Lego pieces.

Hopefully there’s kids out there that take time to put aside the shiny plastic-y goodness of their Harry Potter Lego men and take a moment to appreciate the fun that can be had when taking 2 random blocks and putting them together…Without the aid of an instruction manual.

*Apologies, malware is still tearing my computer a new asshole, so I had to use dad’s for the last half of the post, hence the lack of pictures and hyperlinks.*

Filed under: Comics, Games, Movies, Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

One Response

  1. BOB SAGGOT says:

    lol YOU KNOW THEY HAD PRINCE Of persia ones too!

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I’d rather sleep in Budapest (or in Vienna)—particularly because good-value options in central Bratislava are slim, and service tends to be surly.—Rick Steves

Bratislava architecture--windows

Coke lite, Miller Lite, Hungry Jack Syrup Lite—Bratislava is a lot like that. Compared to your average European-bucket-list cities, Bratislava is an unassuming wallflower at the party. Many tourists overlook it completely. Some stop off for a few hours before boarding a riverboat cruise and put it on their list, because it wasn’t there before, just so they can tick it off.

Bratislava is a bashful Prague Lite, and perhaps, another one of those places where expectations might lure you toward disappointment. If you arrive here expecting the party in Prague or Vienna or Paris, you may leave believing you’ve been punked. However, if you approach the town in sloth mode, saunter slowly into the sophisticated café scene, rub shoulders with its history, smell the flowers, unwrap its clandestine sense of humor, sip a snifter of pear-flavored slivovica (slee-wo-weetza), rummage through its quirky eccentricities, you just might find yourself extending your hand and asking the wall flower to dance.

Attila on T-shirt

The Russians weren’t the first to roll in, bully the locals, and rule this part of the world, you know. Attila the Hun and his brother led their marauding horde here in the mid-400’s; they controlled the vast area from the Black Sea to Germany. Word on the street is that Attila killed his own brother, so he could rule the empire alone. It was not a benevolent dictatorship, nor a good time to become a slave.

Ludovit Stur Square sculpture

As you leave the surprisingly wide, but ishly-disappointing Danube and wander along Mostova Street, you happen upon a communist-era bronze sculpture in Ludovit Stur Square. Ludovit Stur was a Slovak hero and, encouraged by his religious beliefs—he was a staunch Lutheran Protestant—led the movement to install the Slovak dialect as the official Slovak language standard, instead of the one then used by Catholics and older generation Slovaks—sort of the way Hard Rock is now being eased out by Pop. Apparently through much of history, perhaps even more so than geography or gold or lust, religion is the reason for many of those—pesky and unwanted-by-some—changes we sometimes face in life. Right up there with megalomaniac dictators, scary presidents, and Destiny’s Child.

Bratislava flowers

Throughout Bratislava’s Old Town streets, you’ll happen upon atavistic lamp poles flaunting bouquets of flowers just begging you to take their photograph. Bratislava actually does this better, and on a larger scale, than Prague, or Paris, or Amsterdam. And if you love photographing buildings, or doors, keep your camera ready on its strap around your neck.

Bratislava bronze door

Humans started making stoneware drinking bowls here in 5000 BCE. The first Celts arrived in 200 BCE and brought their metal goblets. Then around 400 CE, the Romans were growing grapes for wine and introduced their stemmed drinking glass. Crystal has deep roots in this part of the world; the art and method of glass blowing here is over 700 years old, and fairly unchanged in all that time.

Crystal glasses

As soon as you start walking, you’ll wander past several crystal shops. I didn’t even wander inside one of them. No, I take that back. I did wander into one, but there was so much cut glass, some clear, some in bright colors —boldly tacky to my eye and palate— and arranged in such seeming disarray, crammed on shelves from floor to ceiling with narrow aisles and crowded with tourists to the point of claustrophobia, that I turned around and walked right back out.

I may be weird: I’m not a shopper, and I dislike being surrounded by a crowd of people, and glass—or sharks. I would like a crystal candle holder, a modest design of fine quality, from this part of the world—well, they don’t make Buddha statues or malas or neti pots—but I’m traveling for months. How safe is a glass candle stick in your bag anyway?

But if you’re ever in Bratislava and find yourself inside one of these stores—or maybe, a second-hand shop in Boise, Idaho—you might want to know how to tell the difference between crystal and plain glass: if you hold it up to the light and see a rainbow, you’re holding crystal; if you spit on your finger and rub the rim of a glass and it begins to chime, you’re holding crystal.

Reduta Building, Bratislava

On the corner of Mostova and Palackeho, you see one of Bratislava’s most marvelous pieces of architecture, the brash and lucid, Baroque Reduta Building, now the home of the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra. Odd, how a vase of royal blue cut-glass crystal seems gaudy, and a gaudy building like this seems majestically impressive, to some.

Victory Statue, Bratislava

Cross the street, and you’ll wander into an inviting, green park at Námestie Eugena Suchoňa, one of many public green spaces in town. Center stage here is the Victory Monument. We’re in the foothills of the Carpathian Mountains, and if you cruise just outside town, you’ll find thickets of poplar, Douglas fir and black locust. One park, Forest Park, is actually a forest where they have discovered remnants from a Paleolithic hunter-gatherer culture that lived here over 200,000 years ago. You might run across a bear, a lynx, a wild boar herding piglets.

Lamp with flowers, Bratislava

Hike through the grass and trees and exit Suchona square on the other side, and you’ll notice more bouquets clarifying the air.

National Theatre, Bratislava

Wander across Hviezdoslavovo namestie, the main pedestrian thoroughfare, and you’ll be standing in front of another iconic building, the old Slovak National Theatre. When opened in 1886, the rather extravagant Neo-Renaissance structure contained more than 700 gas lamps for lighting and a thousand seats.

Bratislava architecture, windows

From here, take Rybarska brana, and if you turn your head to the left while walking, you won’t have to look at the McDonald’s “McCafe” on the corner. Thankfully, they have not erected floor-to-roof golden arches here; their sign is maybe a foot or two tall. And they’ve installed wooden sidewalk tables with umbrellas outdoors, no plastic chairs. I’ve been traveling and working outside the States for 16 years, so I can only imagine this café concept is something new for them? Still, no matter how you dress it up, it’s the home of the original slider. And heart disease. What would you think if you were told someone injects their beef with polydiethystilbe-something, a female hormone, to make cows plumper? Please, don’t anyone tell me what they put in Starbucks coffee.

Cumil, Bratislava, Watcher

Shuffle along Rybarska until you hit Panksa. Look down, and you discover the now highly-copied (yes, in some of those grander party towns) sculpture of Cumil: the man at work, the gaper, or the peeper, depending on who’s translating for you—your city-tour guide, a travel article, or Rick Steves.

Bratislava pedestrian street

Stroll on down one more narrow block, and imagine horse-drawn carriages while passing some quaint local cafes: Le Papillon, Antik Café, Schokocafe. You’ll feel comfortable stopping in at any of these joints if you’re feeling in need of refreshment, and remember, Starbucks lies all the way across the UFO bridge on the other side of the Danube. I ran across four Starbucks while meandering through Prague; makes you wonder why there is merely one, and only recently opened this year, in Bratislava. Prague Lite, indeed?

Schone Naci statue, Bratislava

Just before you reach the Hlavne Namestie, or Main Square, you’ll spot a silver-ish sculpture of a renowned Bratislava resident named Schone Naci. Apparently, he was quite the ladies man. Legend states that he would wander the town as we are now, in top hat and tails, a scarf at his neck, and he’d tip his hat to all the ladies, sometimes offering a gift or a song. But get this, I checked Wikipedia for the spelling of his name, and the site translates its information into English like this: “Some people say Missing resource ] that his wife left him at the altar, so going mad, going out with a nicely wrapped package and the health of all women.” This is one reason why we tell our students they cannot use Wikipedia as a source to write their essays. But then, an old geezer can only hope to go out with a nicely-wrapped package.

Bench with dolls, Bratislava art

I’m not sure when Rick Steves visited Bratislava, but I can’t agree less with his assessment of the place. I find the town remarkably friendly, the townspeople remarkably un-surly, and there are some truly marvelous beds in various classes of hotels and apartments these days at extremely reasonable rates. You can rent a room for $19, or a very nicely appointed apartment overlooking the Danube for $55 (Tiny, maybe, but still). Most everything is cheaper than the Big 10 European party towns—from goulash to symphony tickets.

And for a town that shies away from the dance floor in the shadows, Bratislava harbors a whole shedload of personality, good vibes, and humor—way more than, say, Prague where surly service seems de rigueur; but then, perhaps you’d act surly, too, if thousands of pesky tourists ravaged your city daily, forcing prices up, congesting traffic, smothering your bridges, Segwaying your sidewalks, photographing your brides, photobombing your selfies.

Still, for me, when it comes to the “unsurly-ness” of its people, roles reverse here: Prague becomes Bratislava Lite. It seems if you relax your pace and swallow your expectations, the character of Bratislava radiates into your day, slow and unassuming, the way morning sun filters into the depths of the ocean — cool, calm, consoling.

Water fountain with child, Bratislava

More smiles in Bratislava coming up next week in Part III.

See more of Jo’s:  Monday Walks

See more of Lucile’s: Photo Rehab

  1. Space! That’s what I crave. And no, not the type I have to be launched into. Though I can remember making the acquaintance of a floor after my first (and being faint-hearted, I think only!) glass of slivovitz. See I can’t even spell it since that time- happy days 🙂 🙂 Smitten with the selfie in crystal, and honoured to be mentioned here, Mr Nice Guy Fish. Thank you so much. Abu Dhabi, did you promise next?

    • Well, since most of my posts are not “walks,” I can’t usually link to your walks. But this one is a walk! And I forgot to mention…there’s a part III coming up next. I am thinking of doing some posts on Abu Dhabi…is that what you meant? There’s some pretty cool things here that most people don’t know about.

  2. Ahhhh I like what you are doing with your photographs ~ from the extremely overexposed, to the deeply saturated with color. Very artistic indeed!
    My favorite is the one of the sculpture which looks as if she is leaping into the garden of green. Any city that has a lot of parks is worth visiting. For me anyway, getting the benefit of urban pleasures such as architecture and cool doors yet juxtaposed with trees and green.

  3. I’m afraid I spurned the wallflower, but in all fairness, I also skipped the pretty big sisters Prague and Vienna on my Eastern Europe and Balkans jaunt a few summers ago. Bratislava WAS on the list, but fell off when we ran out of time. Clearly I need to give her a second chance. This was a great post; I loved everything about it – the photos, the descriptions, the mood. As a silly side note, that Wikipedia entry sounds like it was written by some of my students this semester … 😦 For some reason, I have more than usual who love running their native language through a translator and coming up with some seriously unintelligible stuff!

    • Lex…well, it sounds like you must have been having yourself a party elsewhere if you ran out of time. Are you saying you had no “plan” or you forgot about it while downing local brew? You may not have missed much. It’s an OK place, if you’re there. Nothing to rush off to, like Cuba for Xmas!!
      And hey, that’s not such a silly sidenote: my students try to do the same thing, and what they come up with is like…bonkers. Are your students Spanish speakers, or what?

      Liked by 1 person

  4. Good to hear all that. I was there a long time ago, just after the independence set in, and yep, it was surly, grey, downcast eyes, new neon-Plečnik-disco architecture, plastic bars, old old old atmosphere. It sounds like everything has changed. Slovenians get mistaken with Slovaks a lot – similar name, language, coat-of-arms, flag. But it’s understandable, I don’t blame anybody. Both even call themselves ‘Slovenci’ in our respective languages. How you got pear-tasting slivovica is a mystery though – since ‘sliva’ is a plum. 😉

    • Cool. When were you there, during Russian rule? The buildings now are all fairly colorful and interesting. People have smiles. Still…it’s not Amsterdam by a long shot. But I’m sure things have changed for the better. I’m pretty sure that stuff said “pear”…but now I’m gonna have to go check my notes, eh? And right…I kept getting Slovenia and Slovakia mixed in my own mind, and I’ve been to Slovenia, I should know better.

      Liked by 1 person

  5. Bratislava sounds like a low-key city compared to the others like Vienna and Prague. I think I would like to visit it given its slower pace. Those crystal shops sound blinding. One tiny wrong turn and you could send glass crashing to the floor and the next thing you know you’d be handing your wallet over 😀

    $19 for a nice room in the town? Now that is really unsurly at all 😀

    “the way morning sun filters into the depths of the ocean — cool, calm, consoling.” Love the alliteration at the end there. Brilliant writing, Badfish.

    • Mabel…low-key is the right word, all right, especially just coming from Prague and its hoards of visitors, where on some streets you couldn’t even turn around, you just had to go in the direction of the crowd on the narrow streets! Not fun. And yeah, the glass shop was scary, like shark waters. Alliteration…I always wanted to be a poet!

    • Sally…I always wonder what people think about the mix of history, whether it’s as interesting to them as it is to me. I just love discovering what happened in the past (even if humans are learning nothing from our past mistakes). I also wonder if my humor actually comes across, or if it’s offending someone, so thanks for mentioning that!!

  6. You make this place sound really appealing, and I have to say I love the Attila: the European tour photo! I also like the guy coming out of the manhole. The place seems to have some very nice public art and beautiful buildings. It does remind me a bit of Vienna, maybe without the horses…

    • Yes, Bratislava is fairly appealing…once you get past the brown Danube!! You know, I was in Vienna…hmmm, 1969 was it, and I can’t remember exactly what it looks like. But I imagine many of those cities built by the Habsburgs, or during those years, might all look similar, or at least have cool buildings?? I was surprised at all the art in some of these places, it’s all over Bratislava

  7. I like the thought of travelling “sloth mode” and I reckon we already tend to do that. I just hadn’t thought of it in those terms. I just can’t see the point of paying a small fortune for flights to the other side of the world, then doing one of the 50 countries in 15 days tours that seem to abound and returning home exhausted feeling like I’ve seen nothing. Being a travel sloth is the only way to go.
    I’d like to think the man in the manhole is a working man. It’s much nicer than the alternatives. Great post, Badfish. Thanks for giving me another place to add to my list!

    • Sloth mode is the badfish mode, for sure! And right…those tours of all those countries I think are good for “one-time” travelers, who will only travel out of their country this one time, and so for them, it’s a good thing to at least “see” some of everything: if it’s Tuesday, it must be Paris. But I’d rather spend a month in a place and get to know the girl who makes fish tacos. And last thing I want is to need a vacation when I get home from my vacation!! And me too, the “worker” seems so much better than some peeping tom, eh?

      Liked by 1 person

  8. Your photos have imparted a dream-like quality to this post. This sounds like the perfect kind of understated visit without the crushing crowds. What’s not to love about that?!
    I loved the giant clock. It sums up the feeling of stepping back into history.

    Liked by 1 person

  9. Ah…the writing this time…somehow better than ever, although I am still catching up on earliest posts. Reading this today was a very calming experience. The photography seemed perfect to match the ways you describe it all with words…quiet beauty indeed.
    And I’m with Restlessjo, smitten for sure.

    • smitten with the selfie, eh…and with my phone! I should have been wearing my thongs. The photos were probably just lucky shots, it was bright sun most of the time, not good usually for photos. was it you who wanted emoticons?

      Liked by 1 person

      • Yes, I want emoticons, as corny (and lazy) as they can sometimes be, they are expressive and convenient when there are no other options for a quick way to say, for example, the word “like” is simply not enough when responding to someone’s brilliant post.

        There. From the Queen of the run-on sentence…

  10. I like to save your posts for a lazy weekend morning with a cup of coffee and take my time reading. Always enjoyable escape from the stress or humdrum of everyday life. Fun to see a little peek-a-boo reflection of you in the crystal shop window (like the Badfish bull outside a china shop that you are!)

  11. I’m sure you’ve run across this already. Here’s a picture of the real Schone (Schoner) (or Ignac Lamar) before they bronzed him. Even more dapper than the statue. Not a bad way to make a living.

    Liked by 1 person

  12. I’m convinced. The Brat goes on the list. Fave photos: Door #5 and you in the crystal! From all you’ve said I think I’d love the Brat. There are always interesting things to find/see/do. Love the two stuffed people on the bench.

  13. I definitely like the dreamlike quality of your photos. As for Crystal. Crystal candlesticks would travel perfectly well rolled up inside shirts and undies. I love crystal. I liken it to how I see people or imagine they could be. Crystal is clear (true – how people should be) with occasional bubbles (varied in character), appearing fragile and yet stronger than you imagine. It is also recyclable. I have several pieces from Czechoslovakia and Austria. No complete sets, just a little this and that. They really serve no function but for me to admire. However a full shop would be intimidating. I’d be afraid to break something.
    I like the way you travel, and I love the way you tell the story. Thanks!

    • Jo, yeah, I actually like crystal myself. I like the clarity and visual beauty of it. But not the colored bright blue stuff. And not in a store with too much of it. And not the cut-glass stuff…it’s too busy for me. And a candle stick would be just the thing if I ever return. It’s recyclable???

      Liked by 1 person

  14. Bratislava seems like my kind of place. When I went to Prague many years ago it was just starting to be over run by tourists, and I can’t imagine it now. Good to hear that the people were friendly and receptive and not jaded by tourists! Having worked in the tourist industry for many years, I understand how you can get sick of the people 😦

  15. Just not the city is beautiful the name baristtalava sounds so mysterious so fun…m an Asian more so an Indian…we don’t have such names so may be I find it beautiful…thnks for introducing me to such a new city

    Liked by 1 person

  16. OK, so now I have familiarized myself with Brat and would say that a trip to the entire region, for me, would require at least one month so I could rent transportation of some sort and just wander around. My motivation to do that is not high, as I have other places that I would likely want to see first. But, I can’t be sure. It is intriguing and your descriptions are very attractive.

    • Beth…OK, I’m going to let you in on a secret: there really is no town named Bratislava. I made it up. And the photos are mostly from Italy. So, don’t rent that car! Go to Madagascar instead. Or Cinque Terre.

  17. Bratiava certainly has its own charm, stands proud, and demands the respect and attention it rarely receives from the outside world. Cases in point are its portrayal the films Hostel and Eurotrip. I loved the spirit of its people and the beauty of its old town and you described both very well! Great post!

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January 20, 2018
Opinion Latest News | Poll Questions | Bridgewater Arrest | Bangor Mall | Real ID

May 30, 2011: Scripture and rapture, slap-happy land

Scripture and rapture

A well-publicized failed attempt by someone claiming to know when the end of the world is coming is a reminder that date setting and sensationalism serve only to confuse and mislead.

According to Scripture, a central feature of the coming kingdom shall be the salvation of the nation of Israel, a salvation to occur only after the full number of Gentiles have been grafted into the symbolic olive tree mentioned in Romans 11:24-26. This full number is a mystery number known to God alone.

Also, according to Scripture, the coming salvation of the nation of Israel shall not come easy, but will involve a time of trouble the likes of which the world has never seen (Jeremiah 30:7, Matthew  24:15-22).

The coming translation of Christian believers, which is also called the rapture, predicted in  I Thessalonians 4:13-18 is to occur before the coming time of trouble, according to Christian fundamentalists, and this for dispensational reasons. In any case, there is an important distinction between the Thessalonians account and that of Matthew 25:31-46 which concerns our Lord’s Second Coming.

Irvin Dube

Food for thought

As a member of the congregation at I Care Ministries, I feel the need to express my views concerning recent articles in the newspapers and media on the subject involving Good Shepherd Food-Bank.

Anybody who has been blessed by the services given at ICM, if they spoke truthfully, would say it was done with love and compassion.

True, Pastor Hafford may have given recipients religious materials, a Bible if they wanted one or offered spiritual advice to feed their souls. But so say that church attendance is or was a prerequisite for services is totally untrue.

It’s hard to defend yourself against false accusations when some are so ready to believe everything they see or hear. But Jesus understands. He walked that path. To quote Jesus in Matthew 25:35-36: “I was hungry and you gave me food. I was thirsty and you gave me drink. I was a stranger and you took me in. I was naked and you clothed me. I was sick and you visited me. I was in prison and you came to me.” Pastor Hafford lives by and practices this Scripture daily.

So to those of you who are so quick to falsely judge this mighty man of God, I quote Proverbs 19:5: “A false witness will not go unpunished and he who speaks lies will not escape.”

Food for thought.

Louise Morey

Slap-happy land

I have to admit that I went for it full monty. What a windfall it would be, the answer to all my energy-cost travail and angst, cutting my energy costs (heating) in half by deregulating the electric utility companies, creating a rate-competition among power companies that the little guy (me) would benefit from in the form of cheaper energy costs.

Even the Public Utilities Commission with all its high-tower perception and understanding was solidly behind it, so who was I to question the veracity, sagacity, of the upwelling momentum building then in the Augusta caldera?

I try not to remember how long ago it was! I guess it was six or seven years. What I do know is that my heating bill has more than doubled since that legislation went into effect.

Anyway, now the nice, caring, people in Augusta have come forward again to save my world, bless them, by creating price competition in the health-care industry so that I will be able to afford the medical attention upon which my daily survival unmistakably predicates. They will go at each other with competitive, internecine fervor and costs will plummet once the health-care boy scouts are no longer subject to scrutiny.

Bless them, I say! For our benevolent and paternalistic legislators are this time the cognitively endowed! And they will lead us unselfishly onward and upward and we will dwell in slap-happy land forever.

Phil Tobin

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January 20, 2018
Midcoast Latest News | Poll Questions | Bridgewater Arrest | Bangor Mall | Real ID

Motorcyclist sent to hospital after early-morning collision with van in Durham

By Ryan McLaughlin, BDN Staff

DURHAM, Maine — A motorcyclist was taken to the hospital early Tuesday after his motorcycle collided with a van, according to police.

The biker, whom State Police Trooper Jodell Wilkinson declined to identify pending family notification, was headed southbound on Route 125 just before 8:30 a.m. when a passenger van driven by a woman, whose name is also being withheld, attempted to turn onto the road and struck the bike.

The woman’s van was at a stop sign, Wilkinson said.

The driver of the van “stopped, looked both ways, and basically didn’t see the motorcycle,” Wilkinson said.

The biker, who was not wearing a helmet, was thrown to the pavement and suffered a head laceration, road rash on his back and an ankle injury. He was taken to Maine Medical Center in Portland for treatment.

The van’s driver was not injured in the crash, Wilkinson said. She was the only person in the van, and it does not appear she was distracted.

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The Memphis Grizzlies kicked off the NBA’s trading season with a bang this week. After making a relatively minor deal to supply the Cleveland Cavaliers with a bench, they finally pulled the trigger on moving Rudy Gay in a massive three-team trade on Wednesday. There were “basketball reasons” at play, but financial considerations also clearly played a huge role.

From the Dallas Mavericks to Oklahoma City Thunder and now Memphis, we’ve seen teams make personnel decisions with one eye firmly placed on the league’s stiff new luxury tax penalties. The penalties are an economic straightjacket that make very little sense for a sport with so much money pouring into it, but that’s the price we all have to pay to keep guys like Robert Sarver in business. As a result, as anyone who has played around with the NBA Trade Checker knows, it’s very hard to create win-win trades that also make sense financially.

In reality, any remaining trades are more like to resemble the Marreese Speights deal than the Gay one. But where’s the fun in that? Here’s four deals, with varying degrees of plausibility, that would actually affect the balance of power in the league.

Pau Gasol for Shawn Marion, Chris Kaman, Dahntay Jones

A possible spark for two of the most disappointing teams in the NBA. The Los Angeles Lakers and the Mavericks have shown signs of life in recent weeks, but they’re going to need a lot more than that to dig themselves out of the holes they’re currently in. This could be a game-changer for both.

For the Lakers, it satisfies their two main priorities: adding speed and shooting around Dwight Howard while not taking on any more additional long-term salary. Marion is signed for only one more season, while Kaman and Jones are on expiring contracts. Marion is 34, but his game has aged well. He’s been the Mavericks best player this season and he’s the ideal small-ball 4 for Mike D’Antoni’s system. Marion and Jones would dramatically improve the Lakers team speed (kind of a sad when you can say that about two 10+ year NBA veterans in their 30’s), while Kaman could be useful in limited minutes as Howard’s backup.

For Dallas, it’s a belated acknowledgement of reality. Dwight Howard isn’t coming and Chris Paul isn’t either. You think “Cliff Paul”, State Farm spokesman, is happening in Dallas? You think Adidas wants Howard to leave the most high-profile franchise in the NBA? Gasol has had a tough season, but he’s still only 32, and he has the size and skill to age as well as Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett have, if he can play center. The Mavericks would need to add some speed around them in the offseason, but the Gasol/Dirk tandem is their best chance of throwing together one more elite team around Nowitzki before it’s too late.

Josh Smith for Meyers Leonard, JJ Hickson, Nolan Smith and a first-round pick

Everyone focuses on Josh Smith’s iffy shot-selection, but he can play some basketball too. He’s an Atlanta native who has spent the first nine years of his career playing for one of the most poorly run and nondescript franchises in the NBA. More than anything else, he needs a change of scenery.

Portland would be the ideal fit. It would force LaMarcus Aldridge to play at the 5, but with the NBA game becoming smaller and more perimeter-oriented, that’s a natural transition. Aldridge and Smith’s games mesh perfectly: Aldridge can stretch the floor and allow Smith to operate closer to the basket, while Smith’s passing ability would create easy shots for a big man who can finish from any part of the floor. A front-court with those two and Nic Batum is only the progression of Damian Lillard and a bench away from being an elite team.

For Atlanta, the same logic about a fresh start applies. Re-signing Smith locks them into the same team with the ceiling of a second-round exit they’ve been for almost half a decade. Leonard is still very raw, but he’s an athletic 20-year-old center whose holding his own as a rookie. A two-way center on a rookie contract is about the best deal you’re going to get for a disgruntled star. With Leonard, Al Horford and Jeff Teague to build around, the Hawks could focus on finding wing players in the draft and free agency.

Kevin Garnett for Kawhi Leonard, Tiago Splitter and Boris Diaw

Now, here’s where we get speculative. The Celtics are keeping up a brave face, but they were barely a playoff team with one of the NBA’s best PG’s playing 40 minutes a night. In all likelihood, Rondo won’t be at or near 100% for at least 12 months, which means two essentially rebuilding years for Boston. At that point, Paul Pierce will be 37 and Garnett will be 38. Dealing them now would accelerate the rebuilding process around Rondo and it could be sold as a way to give two Hall of Famers one more chance at a ring.

For the Celtics, Kawhi Leonard is the key piece in this trade. He’s an athletic 6’7, 225 small forward who can match up with multiple positions, rebound and stretch the floor. That’s exactly the type of player I want around Rondo: someone who can run the break and provide spacing in the half-court without compromising the team defensively. Splitter and Diaw are there as expiring contracts. They could help Boston’s depth upfront, but the Celtics would probably waive them to “give Jared Sullinger an opportunity” a.k.a. move up in the draft.

Giving up Leonard would be difficult for the Spurs, but their primary concern should be maximizing Tim Duncan’s final years. When he’s gone, a team built around Leonard and an aging Tony Parker isn’t going anywhere. Garnett would be the absolute perfect piece: he’s precisely the combination of interior defense and perimeter shooting they’ve been looking for since Robert Horry retired. How awesome would it be to watch the two greatest power forwards of all-time ride off into the sunset together?

Paul Pierce for Javale McGee, Wilson Chandler and Quincy Miller

Hold on. I can explain.

I’ll admit that Boston dealing one of the most storied players in franchise history for the right to pay JaVale McGee $30 million dollars looks off. However, while McGee is still racking up gifs on a nightly basis, he’s also starting to come into his own with Denver. The guy is a 25-year-old, 7’1 center with a 21.5 PER who can single-handedly change the complexion of a game defensively. What if his career trajectory follows Tyson Chandler’s? He’s all upside and Rondo could be the perfect PG to maximize his abilities.

Wilson Chandler and Leonard would form one of the most athletic forward duos in the NBA and they’d have the shooting ability to make it work offensively. Along with McGee, that’s a trio of frontcourt players who would look awfully good next to Rondo, whose spent his entire career shackled to veterans who want to play in the halfcourt, where his lack of a jumper is more of a problem than in transition. Quincy Miller, the Nuggets second round pick out of Baylor, is the wildcard. There’s a reason he was once the No. 2 player in the country. At 6’10, 220 with a 7’1 wingspan, he’s got a combination of skill, size and athleticism you can’t teach.

For Denver, the move would realign their rotation and give them a puncher’s chance in the West while also re-setting their cap situation going forward. Pierce is no longer the player he once was, but he would give the Nuggets their best shot-creator since Carmelo Anthony; on the other end of the floor, Iguodala could protect him by taking the more difficult assignment on the wings every night. Just as important, the option on Pierce’s contract next season would allow Denver to blow everything up if things didn’t go right and operate with a clean slate financially going forward.


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-DI Above +DI on Shares of Goodheart-Willcox Co. Inc. (GWOX)

Focusing in closer on shares of Goodheart-Willcox Co. Inc. (GWOX), we have seen that the Minus Directional Indicator is presently above the Plus Directional Indicator. Traders tracking these indicators might be looking for the stock to be gaining bearish momentum.

At the time of writing, the 14-day ADX for Goodheart-Willcox Co. Inc. (GWOX) is 65.63. Many technical chart analysts believe that an ADX value over 25 would suggest a strong trend. A reading under 20 would indicate no trend, and a reading from 20-25 would suggest that there is no clear trend signal. The ADX is typically plotted along with two other directional movement indicator lines, the Plus Directional Indicator (+DI) and Minus Directional Indicator (-DI). Some analysts believe that the ADX is one of the best trend strength indicators available.

Traders watching the charts on Goodheart-Willcox Co. Inc. (GWOX) may be interested in viewing the RSI. In terms of Relative Strength Index, the 14-day RSI is currently sitting at 49.14, the 7-day is 56.34, and the 3-day is spotted at 71.10. The RSI, or Relative Strength Index is a popular oscillating indicator among traders and investors. The RSI operates in a range-bound area with values between 0 and 100. When the RSI line moves up, the stock may be experiencing strength. The opposite is the case when the RSI line is heading lower. Different time periods may be used when using the RSI indicator. The RSI may be more volatile using a shorter period of time. Many traders keep an eye on the 30 and 70 marks on the RSI scale. A move above 70 is widely considered to show the stock as overbought, and a move below 30 would indicate that the stock may be oversold. Traders may use these levels to help identify stock price reversals.

Investors may use various technical indicators to help spot trends and buy/sell signals. Presently, Goodheart-Willcox Co. Inc. (GWOX) has a 14-day Commodity Channel Index (CCI) of 62.77. The CCI was developed by Donald Lambert. The assumption behind the indicator is that investment instruments move in cycles with highs and lows coming at certain periodic intervals. The original guidelines focused on creating buy/sell signals when the reading moved above +100 or below -100. Traders may also use the reading to identify overbought/oversold conditions.

Technical analysts may be interested in how Goodheart-Willcox Co. Inc. (GWOX) is trading in relation to some moving averages. Presently, the 200-day MA is resting at 77.41, and the 50-day is 76.36. Moving averages are considered to be lagging indicators that simply take the average price of a stock over a specific period of time. Moving averages can be very useful for identifying peaks and troughs. They may also be used to help the trader calculate reliable support and resistance levels for the stock.

When applying indicators for technical analysis, traders and investors might want to look at the ATR or Average True Range. The current 14-day ATR for Goodheart-Willcox Co. Inc. (GWOX) is currently sitting at 1.24. The ATR basically measures the volatility of a stock on a day-to-day basis. The average true range is typically based on 14 periods and may be calculated daily, weekly, monthly, or intraday. The ATR is not considered a directional indicator, but it may reflect the strength of a particular move.

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Reviews in 200 Words

Alice in Chains: Alice in Chains, 1995

In Album (Throw-back) on November 11, 2010 at 3:43 pm

Remember that dog? Remember Layne Staley’s addiction to heroin? Remember how many times you played “Heaven Beside You,” and felt a little evil about it–but in a good way? “Alice in Chains” certainly nails despair; kind of makes you want to relive your growing-up years, right? For all the loneliness and lessons in disappointment that came with them? Maybe not; but damn if this isn’t the album to do them to. This was the age of grunge: rebellion, being your own angry self for a little while. In fact, grunge was sort of the musical discovery of angst. And what is angst if not ultimately the blues? The sound embodies the genre: messy, distorted, fuzzy. Even though this album relies heavily on metal–there’s quite a bit of contrast–there’s varied melody and stretches of acoustic tribute. But with rebellion, new things are usually stumbled upon: listen to “Grind,” “Again,” “Over Now;” there’s liberation here. Alice in Chains will be remembered for their place in grunge/metal history, which tends to be a rather bleak world, but they also gave fairly spiritual instruction, Be what you want to be, see what you came to see.

Micah Ling

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