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Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Hang Hernandez

Upon further review, which one?

Wrongful death suit against Aaron Hernandez to go forward
Hernandez’s next trial set for Dec. 1
Aaron Hernandez, Alexander Bradley facing new lawsuit
Aaron Hernandez charged with Florida shooting
Man who shipped guns to Hernandez gets two years
Hernandez appears on witness-intimidation charge

Speaking of intimidating witnesses:

"Perjury charges dropped against Aaron Hernandez’s fiancée" by Peter Schworm Globe Staff  May 15, 2015

FALL RIVER — Prosecutors on Friday dropped perjury charges against Shayanna Jenkins, who was given immunity to testify against her fiance, former New England Patriots star Aaron Hernandez, in his first-degree murder trial.

In a brief court hearing, Bristol Superior Court Judge E. Susan Garsh agreed to dismiss the charges at the request of prosecutors, who previously alleged that Jenkins lied 29 times to a grand jury investigating the June 2013 shooting death of Odin Lloyd, 27.

In February, Jenkins was granted immunity from prosecution in exchange for her testimony. Last month, Hernandez was convicted of first-degree murder in Lloyd’s slaying and was sentenced to life in prison without parole.

Outside the courthouse, Jenkins appeared relieved and told reporters she was “feeling great.”

“I’m happy to start my future with my daughter and move forward,” she said. Hernandez is the father of her 2-year-old daughter. Asked if she and Hernandez were still a couple, Jenkins laughed and shrugged her shoulders noncommittally.

Her lawyer, Janice Bassil, criticized prosecutors for charging her with perjury to begin with, and said, “This is a long day coming.”

“Quite frankly, the charges never should have been brought. She made an honest mistake in the grand jury,’’ Bassil said. “The district attorney deliberately sought to prosecute her – and persecute her – to make sure that she became a witness for them.”

That's how AmeriKan JU$tice works.

Prosecutors alleged that Jenkins lied to the grand jury about conversations she had with Hernandez the day after Lloyd’s murder, and about discarding a box at his instruction.

Isn't that the height of hypocrisy? The state accusing others of lying.

At trial, Jenkins testified that Hernandez told her to remove a box from a downstairs storage room, and that she tossed it into a dumpster. She said she did not open the box, and that Hernandez did not tell her what was inside.

Prosecutors believe the box contained the murder weapon, which has not been found. Jenkins said she did not remember where she discarded the box amid the stress of Lloyd’s death.

“At that point I was nervous,” Jenkins said at trial. “There were a lot of things going on.”

She also told jurors she had once seen a gun in Hernandez’s house.

The Bristol district attorney’s office, which prosecuted the case against Hernandez, said Jenkins’s testimony “concerned specific matters that were the subject of the perjury indictment.”

“As a result of her relevant testimony at trial, we could not in good faith continue the prosecution of this case,” a spokesman said.

When a reporter asked Jenkins if she thought she cooperated against Hernandez, Bassil answered on her behalf.

“She did what she had to do under the law,’’ Bassil said.

Separately, defense attorneys for Hernandez have asked Garsh to rule that there was not enough evidence to convict him of murder and illegal possession of a firearm, a routine step after a conviction.

In a 19-page motion, the defense claimed jurors convicted Hernandez based on “improper speculation, conjecture, and guesswork.’’

I had that feeling from the prosecutor's closing arguments.

Prosecutors “utterly failed to prove that Hernandez intentionally participated in the killing of Odin Lloyd and that he acted with malice,” the motion contended.

“While there was substantial evidence placing Hernandez at the scene where Lloyd was killed, there was no evidence, let alone proof beyond a reasonable doubt, about what, if anything, Hernandez actually did at that scene or agreed to do,” they wrote. “None of the evidence about actions undertaken by Hernandez twelve hours or more after the killing filled that void.”

There are no answers forthcoming.

That was a real deflating outcome for the defiance and it was splashed all over the headlines. Gotta stand by your man in the face of the critics and get out in front of the injury to the head that has been dinged a couple of times. Maybe you know what I mean regarding the inflation of footballs that made one famous and placed them above the fold of great field generals.

"The “Free Tom Brady” rally, a grass-roots event that was organized on Facebook in response to the quarterback’s four-game suspension for his role in the Deflategate scandal."

It is so nice to see political activism on the part of the citizenry. They even received a surprise visitor!

Also see:

Tom Brady finds support at Best Buddies event
Julian Edelman teams with ‘Celebrate Israel’
Julian Edelman leads the Pops at Symphony Hall
Gronk leads drills for young football campers
Rob Gronkowski gets a buzz cut for One Mission

"Patriots coach Bill Belichick stopped into Davio’s Foxborough the other night with a few friends. We’re told Belichick was pleased to discover Davio’s stocks his favorite beer, Bud Light Lime."

Did you see who waited on him at the private party?

Here is candidate number 2:

"Deliberations drag on in 1979 case of missing boy Etan Patz" by Colleen Long Associated Press  April 30, 2015

NEW YORK — Midway through the 10th day Wednesday, came a note: ‘‘We are unable to reach a unanimous decision.’’

A judge instructed the jury to keep deliberating and on went a waiting game befitting a notorious missing child case that’s already spanned decades. Looking worn, jurors went back behind closed doors to try to decide whether Pedro Hernandez is guilty of murder and kidnapping.

Etan vanished May 25, 1979, after leaving his family’s SoHo apartment to walk to the bus. The disappearance helped galvanize the modern-day missing-children’s movement, with his picture one of the first to appear on a milk carton.

After police received a fresh tip in 2012, Hernandez confessed in a lengthy videotape that he choked Etan in the basement of a New York City convenience store. Defense attorneys tried to convince the jury the defendant is mentally ill, that his confession was a delusion, and that a convicted pedophile, now jailed in Pennsylvania, was the more likely culprit.

Opening statements began at the end of January. The deliberations have helped push the trial well into spring — something the judge has alluded to when bidding farewell to jurors each evening.

‘‘Try to enjoy the outdoors and think about something else for a while,’’ he said when dismissing them Wednesday afternoon. They were excused early ahead of a lengthy rereading of both sides’ closing arguments, at their request....

That's a weird thing to say!

"Mistrial in 1979 Etan Patz case" New York Times   May 09, 2015

NEW YORK — A judge declared a mistrial in the Etan Patz murder trial Friday after jurors said for a third time that they could not reach a verdict despite three weeks of deliberation, leaving unresolved a missing child case that has vexed the city for decades.

The jury of seven men and five women said they were firmly deadlocked in deciding the fate of Pedro Hernandez, 54, a disabled factory worker from New Jersey. The murder trial turned on a confession Hernandez gave 33 years after Etan, 6, vanished in 1979 while walking to a school bus stop in lower Manhattan.

The prosecution said the admission proved his guilt; the defense called it a fiction invented under police pressure.

Etan’s mother, Julie, had testified that it was the first day she had allowed her son to walk to the bus stop alone, and her nightmarish story came to embody the worst fears of American parents.

The mistrial ruling leaves District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr. with a hard decision: Either pursue another costly trial with the same evidence that failed to convince a jury, or allow a man who confessed to murdering a child to go free.

Nothing about the questionable evidence.

Vance issued a statement saying that he believes Hernandez is guilty, but did not indicate on a retrial.

"After NYC boy went missing, parenting was never the same" by Michael Wilson New York Times   May 10, 2015

NEW YORK — The legacy of Etan Patz.

On Friday, a Manhattan jury concluded that it could not reach a verdict in the trial of Pedro Hernandez, who was charged with killing Etan on the basis of a confession his lawyers argued was a figment of an unstable mind.

The district attorney has not decided whether to retry Hernandez, but no verdict, nor lack of one, could change the impact the 6-year-old boy’s disappearance had on parenting. His abduction in 1979 transformed the experience of childhood for many boys and girls his age and set the mold for the sort of fathers and mothers they themselves would become.

He was not famous when he vanished, his family not a wealthy target of kidnappers seeking ransom. And that made the case all the more haunting in its randomness. An early police theory, that a lonely woman had snatched up the boy to raise as her own, in hindsight seems startlingly naïve, quaint. The disappearance of Etan Patz changed what parents feared.

“In some ways, it is the most important case, culturally,” said Paula S. Fass, a historian and author of the book “Kidnapped: Child Abduction in America,” published in 1997. “This case served as a wellspring of the idea that when little boys and little girls — but especially boys — were taken, that it was almost certainly by a pedophile.”

Statistically, abductions by strangers remain rare. The vast majority of abductors were relatives or people who knew the children.

But Etan’s was the first of a small number of cases extending over a generation, including those involving Adam Walsh and Amber Hagerman, that were rare but still saturated news coverage, creating the impression of an epidemic.

Say again?

Fass became a mother in New York City two years after Etan disappeared. “The reason I began researching this book is I became what I describe as one of the victims of that cultural craziness,” she said.

Pushed on us by the ma$$ media!

Children who grew up in the city at the time Etan disappeared remember the search, the police helicopters hovering over SoHo, the volunteers shouting his name in the street.

“Those posters were everywhere,” said Elizabeth Blake, 42, a copywriter.

Eddie Spaedh, 42, was a boy in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. “The whole neighborhood changed.”

Well, not really.

Joshua Parkhurst, a lawyer, was growing up nearby in Greenwich Village. “I remember sometimes you were on the school bus and you’d see a kid with blond hair,” he said. “And you said to your friend, ‘Is that Etan Patz?’ ” Others said they thought they saw Etan years later, when they were well into their 20s.

Most of these children grew up to become, by their own definition, helicopter parents. Spaedh, with an 11-year-old son, said he knows he acts more like his parents did after Etan disappeared than they did before that day.

They are even worse now.

“I understand that kids have to fall down and get dirty,” he said. “But if I can’t catch them, it’s on me.”

"‘Free range’ parents cleared of child neglect in 1 case" Associated Press  May 27, 2015

SILVER SPRING, Md. — A Maryland couple who were investigated for neglect after letting their two young children walk home alone from local parks have been cleared in one of two such cases.

The Washington Post reported that Child Protective Services has ruled out neglect in the case against Danielle and Alexander Meitiv for allowing their children, ages 10 and 6, to walk about a mile home in December.

The suburban Washington, D.C., parents have been investigated three times since October by the Montgomery County agency, a division of the state Department of Human Resources.

The agency has been monitoring the Meitivs for their advocacy of so-called ‘‘free-range’’ parenting, which encourages independence and exploration.

As long as it is not sexual.

They remain under investigation for neglect related to their children walking home from another park April 12. The children were held by police and Child Protective Services for more than five hours that day.

The Meitivs said they were surprised when they received the letter May 18 stating that neglect was ‘‘ruled out’’ in the December case.

‘‘It was an enormous relief and vindication,’’ Danielle Meitiv said. ‘‘Of course there’s no neglect here. There never was. There was never even a hint of it.’’

Print ended there.

The new Child Protective Services finding followed an appeal of the agency’s earlier decision holding the Meitivs responsible for ‘‘unsubstantiated’’ child neglect, a finding typically made when there is conflicting or insufficient information for a more definitive conclusion.

The letter didn’t indicate whether the agency has changed its approach more broadly toward children walking or playing on their own outdoors, or simply made a narrow decision related to one case. Department of Human Resources spokeswoman Paula Tolson wouldn’t discuss the Meitivs’ cases specifically, citing confidentiality rules.

Something we did with no thought long ago.

‘‘The process is that each case is looked at separately and the circumstances surrounding that case are investigated,’’ she said.

The agency has until mid-June to issue a written decision in the April case. The Meitivs said they hope the recent decision means they will be cleared in that case, too.

‘‘What we’re hoping this means is that they recognize we never should have been on their radar,’’ Danielle Meitiv said. ‘‘Nothing we have done should have triggered an investigation.’’

JU$Tus didn't abandoned them.

What would you name your kids (how about Stephen or Nicole)?

Here is candidate number 3:

"Closing arguments made in security guard murder trial" by Evan Allen Globe Staff  May 09, 2015

There was only one person angry enough at Maiqui Hernandez to murder him, said Suffolk Assistant District Attorney Edmond Zabin. Certainly, Zabin said, Hernandez had flaws — he was a bit of a hothead, he drank, and the night that he died, he used cocaine. But, Zabin said, he was no gangster, no criminal.

“He was a man with no enemies,” said Zabin. “The only one who had motive and opportunity to kill him was the man who showed up at that doorstep with a pistol in his hand, with malice in his heart, and a box of .357 ammunition in his pocket. That man, ladies and gentlemen: the defendant.”

Zabin spoke Friday during closing arguments of Suber’s murder trial in Suffolk Superior Court, where jurors are now deliberating whether Suber is guilty of killing Hernandez on May 3, 2013, and wounding a woman inside a Prentiss Street apartment Hernandez was visiting. Hernandez was a 35-year-old security guard at Harvard University and father to two daughters.

Suber’s lawyer, Eduardo Masferrer, delivered a passionate rebuttal of the evidence against his client, who he said was a man with a learning disability confused into giving conflicting statements during an interrogation.

Masferrer questioned the credibility of the prosecution’s main witness, disputed the identification of Suber, asked why there was no gunshot residue found on Suber’s hands, and pointed to discrepancies between the description given of the suspect and Suber’s appearance when he was arrested 10 minutes after the shooting.

“Look at what the evidence reveals. It reveals itself to you,” he told the jury. “Devone Suber is not guilty of murder.”

During two weeks of testimony, prosecutors presented their case that Suber, now 29, had an altercation with Hernandez when Hernandez denied him a cigarette. The two crossed paths again about two weeks later, prosecutors said, on May 2, and that confrontation was physical.

Instead of letting it go, prosecutors say, Suber returned in the early-morning hours of May 3 to the Mission Hill apartment where Hernandez was visiting friends and shot Hernandez to death, wounding another woman in the process.

About 10 minutes later, and “a football field” away from the shooting, police arrested Suber, Zabin said, and Suber had a box of .357 ammunition in his pocket with five cartridges missing. Suber told detectives he found the ammunition in Mattapan and that it was not his, Zabin said.

Zabin said that Hernandez’s close friend, Angel Delgado, who was the prosecution’s key witness, identified Suber, whom he had met before, as the shooter. The woman who was wounded, Zubin said, described Suber generally but did not pick him out of a photo array.

Suber was caught on video hours earlier wearing the black jacket witnesses described the killer wearing, though he was dressed differently when he was arrested, Zabin said. And the bullets he carried could have been fired by the murder weapon, Zabin said, though he conceded that experts could not prove they were the same bullets.

There was no gunshot residue on Suber’s hands, said Zabin, though he argued that could not prove he did not fire a weapon. When detectives asked Suber if there was a reason they might find gunshot residue before they tested him, Zabin said, Suber replied that he did not know.

“That may not be a confession, ladies and gentlemen, but it’s pretty close,” said Zabin.

But Masferrer said that the prosecution’s case was not enough to meet the burden of proof.

“Not even a little bit,” he told the jury. He pointed to inconsistencies in Delgado’s testimony: Delgado, he said, lied about Hernandez’s drinking and cocaine use the night he died and Delgado’s description of the shooting did not match what other witnesses said.

“Why lie? The truth reveals something else,” said Masferrer. “What’s the true story? I don’t know.”

But I do know where I won't be finding it.

That was the first I ever saw of it -- and the last.

Patriot Brandon Spikes’s car found after report of crash
Brandon Spikes released by Patriots

NDU: You can check through the names yourself because as of 8 a.m. this morning, the purchased pos remains pristine of pen marks. I scanned, I saw, I said sick of it.

Brandon Spikes charged in Foxborough crash

"Rights of ‘free-range’ parents clarified in Maryland" Associated Press  June 13, 2015

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — After an outcry over one family’s ‘‘free-range’’ parenting case, officials on Friday clarified the state’s policy on how authorities handle cases of children walking or playing alone outdoors, saying the state should not investigate unless youths are harmed or face substantial risk of harm.

The mother in that case, which garnered international attention, called the clarification an important first step in reinforcing the rights of parents to choose how they wish to raise their children.

The updated policy directive about the involvement of Child Protective Services, first reported by The Washington Post, comes after the state agency ruled out neglect in the first of two cases against Danielle and Alexander Meitiv.

The Meitivs had allowed their 10-year-old son and 6-year-old daughter to walk home from a park in December.

Police stopped the children and drove them home after someone reported seeing them, a case that prompted wide debate about so-called ‘‘free-range’’ parenting.

Makes the kids seem like livestock, doesn't it?

Also see:

Aaron Hernandez lawyer says juror may have been ‘untruthful’

Aaron Hernandez’s lawyers press judge to toss murder conviction

Hernandez codefendants appear in court

First Odin Lloyd scholarship awarded

Hernandez was properly convicted in 2013 slaying, judge rules

He should have just pleaded guilty.

Prosecutors spent $462,000 on Aaron Hernandez prosecution

Maybe that will make you angry enough to do what I suggest (with tongue firmly planted in cheek).

Hernandez had ‘explicit’ relationship with tipster, prosecutors say

Judge wants sworn statement from tipster in Aaron Hernandez case

Aaron Hernandez’s home to be sold in civil suit

Hernandez request to question tipster under oath approved

Prosecutors grant immunity to Aaron Hernandez’s former friend

State drops prosecution of Hernandez cousin battling cancer

Aaron Hernandez’s friend loses bid to dismiss indictment

Judge finds Hernandez tipster unreliable

Aaron Hernandez’s prosecutor accuses defense of being untruthful

R.I. dealership seeks return of Aaron Hernandez’s vehicle


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Sunday, June 14, 2015

Slow Saturday Special: California Cuts Corporate Water Consumption

$hutting of the $pigot, $o to $peak:

"Calif. orders record water use cuts" Associated Press  June 13, 2015

SACRAMENTO — As California grapples with a relentless drought, state regulators on Friday ordered farmers and others who hold some of the strongest water rights in the state to stop all pumping from three major waterways in one of the country’s prime farm regions.

The order involving record cuts by senior water rights holders in the Sacramento, San Joaquin, and delta watersheds followed mandatory water curtailment earlier this year to cities and towns and to farmers with less ironclad water rights.

You know which is which, right, citizens?

The waterways targeted Friday in the order by the State Water Resources Control Board provide water to farms and cities in the agricultural-rich Central Valley and beyond.

Economists and agriculture experts say growing of some crops will shift in the short-term to regions with more water, so the water cuts are expected to have little immediate impact on food prices.

The curtailment order applies to 114 entities — including individual landowners and water districts serving farmers and small communities — with claims dating back to 1914 or before.

It will force thousands of water users in the state to tap ground water, buy water at rising costs, use previously stored water, or go dry.

This article just did.

I'm trusting the EPA to look after the water, and the planning is well underway.

Same day, same page photograph

The worst since the 1940s, they say, and it's only worth mentioning in a pair of photos

Besides, more important things happening down in Louisiana:

"Louisiana court blocks release of ‘Angola Three’ inmate" New York Times   June 13, 2015

NEW ORLEANS — A three-judge federal appeals court panel ruled Friday against the immediate release of Albert Woodfox, who has served nearly four decades in solitary confinement for the murder of a prison guard, deciding that he should stay in prison as the state appeals a federal order to free him.

Woodfox is the last imprisoned member of a group known as the Angola Three, a trio of politically active prisoners who were placed in solitary confinement.

Woodfox has been convicted twice in the 1972 murder of the prison guard, Brent Miller, 23, but both convictions have been thrown out on constitutional grounds.

The state has reindicted him each time, most recently in February, after a federal appeals court upheld a decision to vacate his second conviction.

On Monday, US District Judge James J. Brady not only ordered Woodfox’s release but also took the unusual step of barring the state from putting him on trial again.

This might leave you all wet:

"NY Times Applauds While Israel Robs Palestine of Water

By Barbara Erickson | TimesWarp | May 30, 2015

The New York Times invites us to gaze with wonder on the miracles of Israeli technology today, with a page 1 photo and story touting the innovations that have saved the country from drought. Because of wise policies and applied science, we learn, “there is plenty of water in Israel.”

The Times never tells us, however, that a significant number of those who reside on the land are seriously deprived of water: Palestinians in some areas of the West Bank are forced to survive on only 20 liters of water a day per person, well below the World Health Organization minimum of 60 liters. In Gaza 90 percent of the water is unfit to drink.

Meanwhile, Israelis in West Bank settlements “generally have access to as much running water as they please,” according to the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem, and Israelis over all use three times as much water as Palestinians. Settlers also confiscate West Bank springs, and Israeli security forces destroy water equipment in Palestinian villages and prevent their residents from building cisterns and wells.

In the Times story, “Aided by the Sea, Israel Overcomes an Old Foe: Drought,” Isabel Kershner writes that Israel is thriving because it has adopted recycling and desalination. She quotes at length from Israeli officials but includes not a single Palestinian voice.

Kershner manages to dismiss Palestinian concerns in two sentences: “Israel, which shares the mountain aquifer with the West Bank, says it provides the Palestinians with more water than it is obliged to under the existing peace accords. Palestinians say it is not enough and too expensive.” She feels no need to address the humanitarian crisis Israeli has created in confiscating Palestinian water for its own use.

In fact, Israel steals the water from under the feet of Palestinians, draining West Bank aquifers, allocating 73 percent of this water to Israel and another 10 percent to settlers. Palestinians are left with 17 percent, and many are forced to buy from the Israeli water company at rates up to three times as high as the tariffs charged Israelis.

Kershner omits any mention of the obvious inequalities between Israeli West Bank settlements and the Palestinian villages nearby. Settlements often have swimming pools and green, watered turf, while villages remain dusty and dry, without enough water for agriculture or even for home gardens.

The Times has also turned its back on news that underscores the outright theft of water in Palestine. It had nothing to report, for instance, when settlers recently surrounded a Palestinian spring with mines and barbed wire. The paper also remained silent when security forces destroyed pipes providing water to an impoverished Jordan Valley herding community earlier this year.

Many organizations, however, have spoken out. The United Nations, the World BankAmnesty International, B’Tselemchurch groups, If Americans Knew, and others. They have issued reports and press releases noting that Israel violates international law in confiscating Palestinian water resources and highlighting the striking disparities between West Bank villages and Jewish settlements.

Kershner found none of this worth mentioning in her story today. Instead, we find a promotional piece that should benefit Israeli water specialists now peddling their products in California and other drought-stricken areas of the United States.

Editors and reporters are complicit in this effort to tout Israel as an enlightened and technologically advanced country, even in the face of its flagrant theft of Palestinian water. The New York Times has found an Israeli puff piece on water technology to be worth a front page spread, but it deems the criminal confiscation of this basic resource unfit to print.

Israel will bring you water and a wee bit more. Hope this post slaked your thirst.

"Zoo animals on the loose after deadly flooding hits Georgia" by Michael Birnbaum Washington Post  June 15, 2015

TBILISI, Georgia — Escaped lions, tigers, bears, and a hippopotamus from the Tbilisi Zoo were roaming the streets of the Georgian capital Sunday, after flooding killed at least 12 people.

Georgian leaders asked residents to stay inside as they sought to track down the escaped animals. The hippopotamus swam from its enclosure and onto the central Heroes’ Square, eating leaves off a tree before being shot with a tranquilizer dart in front of a Swatch store.

The animals on the loose created a dangerous backdrop for rescue efforts. Rescuers used rafts and inflatable boats to reach people trapped by flooding. At least one lion and one bear were shot and killed by police officers, and a hyena chased a security guard across part of a university campus before it, too, was killed.

Officials said the flooding in the Georgian capital was the area’s worst natural disaster in recent memory....

"Tiger shot after killing man in Tbilisi" Washington Post News Service  June 18, 2015

TBILISI, Georgia — A tiger that escaped a flood-ravaged zoo was shot dead in central Tbilisi on Wednesday after killing a man working on disaster relief.

The tiger attacked residents of Georgia three days after flooding destroyed Tbilisi’s zoo, swept away homes, and killed at least 19 people. Zoo officials had initially said all of the animals were accounted for.

Camouflaged special forces officers swarmed the area near the zoo to hunt down the tiger after it fatally mauled the relief worker in a clearing house for construction supplies.

On Sunday, lions, bears, crocodiles, and hyenas went on the loose from the flood-damaged Tbilisi zoo, where the rising waters had killed bears, lions, and other animals.

Many of the wayward animals were shot. Others, including a hippopotamus, returned to the zoo.

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In an article by urban green council,

“The building sector is the source of 75 percent of New York City’s greenhouse gas emissions. 90 by 50’s modeling of eight typical building types shows that heating and cooling loads can be reduced through retrofit measures to a point where all thermal loads can be met by heat pumps, eliminating building fuel use. The resulting electric energy used in 2050, supplied by carbon-free sources, will be slightly more than today’s, while peak demand will increase significantly. “

How will we meet this goal when there are a number of behavioral, institutional and infrustructural issues?

Let’s name a few…..

  1. The NYC subway still has outdated lighting with T12 with magnetic ballasts
  2. A large # of residential buildings the tenants leave their window a/c units installed year round which results in heat loss
  3. Alternate side parking- numerous places throughout the city people sit and idle their cars while they wait for the street cleaner to pass
  4. Will NYC buses and Ferries run on alternative fuel? Who will pay for that?
  5. How long has it taken for the 2nd ave line and the #7 extension to be completed and yet still not done
  6. The city is strewn with tall Orange cones signifying high pressure steam leaks, down near bowling green there has been a cone sitting there forever (see my post from 5 months ago)
  7. A number of dept stores air condition the sidewalk and are not penalized
  8. Why don’t we harness the waste heat from the subway system, granted it is low quality heat but could be used to preheat DHW etc
  9. The financial system needs to be upgraded and standards for green capital needs assessments emphasized by HPD.
  10. At the end of a steam boiler’s life there should be greater incentive for retrofit to a hydronic heating system
  11. What is the carbon footprint of Times Square?
  12. Have you been downtown lately and seen the gridlock at the Holland Tunnel?

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Benefits of a balanced healthy diet

A healthy mind dwells in a healthy body! There is no doubt that health is of cardinal importance. Thus it is extremely important to maintain and follow a proper diet plan. Eating a balanced diet offers numerous health benefits that help you stay fit both mentally and physically. Physical workout is also extremely important to maintain a healthy body. We can never shun the importance of a balanced healthy diet. Good health is extremely important for leading a proper life!

In this era of rat-race and cut throat competition, the lifestyles of people aren’t that well organized and this causes several health issues. Thus to mitigate the health issues, maintaining a balanced diet is important. It’s not just about eating but it’s also about eating the correct diet!

A few of the benefits of maintaining a balanced healthy diet are:

  • It helps you to stay in shape and stay fit.
  • It helps you to reduce stress.
  • It helps you keep your digestive system properly functioning.
  • It helps you maintain the agility and enthusiasm throughout the day.
  • It makes you feel confident about yourself.
  • Also helps you maintain a proper work-life balance.

Often people opt for crash diet in order to achieve their goal of losing weight in a jiffy! This trend is becoming pretty popular these days. People take the crash diet courses to lose a lot of weight in no time. In crash diet plans you need to restrict yourself and this is a tad tough. Although it is believed that the results of the crash diet are fast yet it has certain disadvantages as well! Thus apparently it is like a shortcut! It may seem to bring immediate results but it is not the best thing to do in the long run! Some of the disadvantages of the crash diet are:

  • Nutrients are deprived. This plan deprives you of the necessary nutrients. Even though foods with calories may be bad especially if you take in too much, it does not mean that these foods do not contain the nutrients that your body needs as well. Thus these foods are also important
  • If you totally remove the calories from the diet, then you can expect to be deprived of the essential nutrients that your body needs that can only be acquired by certain foods rich in calories. Thus foods that are rich in calories can also be a good source of nutrients.
  • It can lead to starvation at times.
  • It can cause weakness in the body.
  • It can increase your stress levels as well!

Thus, these were some of the disadvantages of the crash diet. So it is pretty apparent that crash diet has both pros and cons. So try implementing a balanced healthy diet in your life to stay fit and healthy. Including honey in your diet or replacing sugar with honey can be a good step towards a healthy diet as honey offers many benefits.

Note: This blog post is written to promote Dabur Honey

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Guest Post for Sands Hetherington

Where Do Your Ideas Come From?
By Sands Hetherington

Sands Hetherington Night Buddies 2 web (2)

I write adventures for kids, and I have to confess that the main idea for my Night Buddies series came directly and unbidden from a real kid, my six-year-old son John.

I read to him every night for many years. It was a regular thing with us. One night when I was done reading and John wanted more, I may have suggested he invent a lights-out companion to go off to sleep with. Or maybe I didn’t and he undertook the project on his own. In any event, in a day or two, there for me was Crosley the crocodile, complete with goofy name and bright-red color. I was hooked.

John and I started throwing Crosley ideas around and making up episodes. This went on for a year or more and Crosley became an important family member. Then it dawned on me that there might be a sure-enough book in there somewhere. John and Crosley and an after-lights-out adventure. It was sitting right there in my lap. I hadn’t really invented anything; I was just lucky.

The trick was to figure out why on earth Crosley was red. You couldn’t just plop a red crocodile down as one of the main actors without some explanation. Then my flashbulb flashed: Crosley was red because he was allergic to water! Well, sort of. If he got water on him he broke out doing the Black Bottom dance and couldn’t stop for hours. Unless he took his antidote pills. These stopped the Black Bottom well enough but turned him red at the same time! It was one of those side-effects you can get from Black Bottom pills.

The rest fell into place fairly easily. Crosley started as a lights-out buddy for a kid named John who wasn’t ready to go to sleep yet, so why not make him a member of Night Buddies Amalgamated whose charter is to rescue kids from lying in bed awake and take them out on adventures. He shows up in John’s room on the night of our first story.

So I took John’s idea and ran with it. It was like a magic bean. I kept sticking it in the ground and it kept sprouting things. But it was always John’s magic bean. Maybe this is how the business works, at least how it works for me. Keep your story antennae out for something promising, and when you think you’ve found it, turn it over and over and poke it and peek inside it, and hopefully it will sprout something. Again, find something to start on. It may be out there in the world, or it may be already inside your head, but use it as a starting point, as a springboard. Don’t try to turn on some “idea switch” and conjure something out of nothing. I doubt you’ll conjure much that way.

Your basis can be quite ordinary. I wrote a wacky story once after seeing a stranger catch a rubber ball in a crowd of strangers. I transmogrified the incident by adding personalities to several of the strangers and tacking on a set of bizarre consequences. You can use any consequences you want. But first I had to see that guy catch that ball!

Anyway, that’s how I usually operate. William Faulkner said he got his stories from hanging around hunting camps as a boy. Go find something you think might be interesting and start with that. Use an event you heard about, or a huge peach you saw at the farmers’ market, or just a rubber ball in a crowd, and run with it. And if you get stuck, shove a note pad in your pocket and take a long walk like Dickens would late at night.

Thanks for having me!

You’re welcome! It was great to get to know you more. I wish you all the best for the future.

About adolescentgirlsblog

I am a freelance writer for adolescent girls. I love delving into the topics of self-esteem and self-confidence for girls. I find this writing really meaningful. This blog is devoted to girls and their issues.
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One Response to Guest Post for Sands Hetherington

  1. VS Grenier says:

    Thank you for hosting Sands on your blog today and letting him share where his ideas come from. Very interesting.

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Once Upon a Time in Romania

Once upon a time there was a castle in Romania. Actually there were a bunch of castles, and tour buses filled with curious older folks flocked to these castles from all across the land…

There was Peleş Castle, in Sinaia, the most popular tourist destination in all of Romania. It was quite beautiful, with large, intricate façades and an expansive green lawn that made for terrific pictures. Unfortunately, because this castle was so popular the Romanian government had decided to charge a very high price to enter, plus an even higher price if you wanted to take photos inside, which probably doesn’t come up much. I mean, you rarely see people taking photos of things these days, it seems, probably because it is such a cumbersome process and all. Not as simple as a button on your phone or anything. Then, on top of that, all visitors were required to tour the castle as part of an organized group. The group would most likely be led by someone who speaks your language, but if not, well, you’ll get the gist of it because you’re basically just looking at the “extravagant furnishings”, all of which have origin stories, I’m sure, but it’s not like you’re going to remember any of them anyway. Long story, well, sort of long, we didn’t go inside, but did spend some time wandering around outside enjoying the general area, taking photos from a variety of angles (at the low, low price of $0/photo!) and occasionally discussing the fact that at every single tourist attraction we visited in Romania there have been people taking wedding photos.

Then there was Bran Castle, which probably would have been even more popular than Peleş if it was more conveniently located. Nonetheless, Bran was also surrounded by thousands of tourists, partially because it is a very interesting castle located up on an imposing hill that makes it look fairly ominous and, of course, exceedingly villainous. But mostly people were there because Bran Castle is known as Castle Dracula. You know, Count Dracula from the books and movies. Fictional books and movies, that is. Which means it can’t really be Dracula’s castle because, well, Dracula is also fictional. Of course, the character is apparently based on a real life figure from Romanian history, Vlad Tepeş, also known as Vlad Dracula, and even more commonly, and definitely more fearsomely, as Vlad the Impaler (not Impeller, as we explained last time around). He was a famously ruthless and bloodthirsty dictator, as you probably guessed from the name, who ran things in these parts during the 15th century and presumably had much in common with the infamous fictional Dracula except for, I have to assume, the whole vampire thing. Of course, as far as the castle goes there are several more problems with this comparison other than, of course, the difference between reality and imagination. One being that not only did old Vlad never really live in Bran Castle but, in fact, only ever visited it once (or maybe twice, accounts vary), and for most of its recent existence it was occupied by members of the Hapsburg dynasty. And as for the castle being the inspiration for book, well, the author, Bram Stoker, apparently never once actually travelled to Eastern Europe and obviously had never even seen it (presumably Instagram didn’t enjoy the same popularity in those days). Nonetheless, despite all the question marks surrounding the entire concept, from the moment we parked our car we were inundated with tacky Dracula paraphernalia and vampire-themed clothing, souvenirs and, occasionally, burgers. Most annoyingly, though, from a practical standpoint, was that all the historic information and explanatory boards in the castle were provided only in Romanian except, of course, those pertaining to Dracula. Those, apparently, were well worth translating even though, you know, none of it was real. The first rule of show biz, “know your audience”. Or maybe the second rule, I’m pretty sure the first rule is actually “never pass herpes on to your co-stars, only the set crews and maybe the gaffer”. Either way, the point is we enjoyed looking around in it but didn’t really learn much, other than that the Hapsburgs must have been a pretty stumpy group to fit in beds that short.

A third stop was at Raşnov Citadel, located, conveniently enough, in the town of Raşnov. This one looked pretty imposing from the outskirts of town, set high up on a hill where it can loom over the town like the uncle who’s had too much to drink and hovers over his nephew demanding to hear what he learned in school today. He must have learned something! Much like all historic ruins, however, as well as female rappers, the closer you got the less impressed you became. In the end it was a nice place for a short stroll, and was fairly imperial from certain angles, but not the kind of place that etches a special place in your memory. Plus, there wasn’t even a single set of novelty vampire teeth for sale, so that was disappointing.

Meanwhile, immediately prior to all this castle-hopping, in the extremely hilly ski town of Sinaia which, like most ski towns is full of pizza places but lacks any really good bars, we undertook a wide variety of activities:

Had mediocre lasagna in a restaurant built in an abandoned building.

Took the cable car up to 2,000 metres in the Bucegi Mountains and hiked for a couple hours across the plateau. Good views at the beginning and end, and a really weird hotel in the middle that we mistook for a mining camp, with a lot of industrial equipment and its own Olympic-size running track.

Repeatedly climbed up and down, to and from our hotel located a solid 15-minute trudge up the hill from the main area of town.

We lost Looney for a full 24 hours to large quantities of alcohol and a brief encounter with love. Don’t worry, we eventually found him again, seemingly unharmed, maybe even a bit more tired and sluggish than usual, but now with a look that always seems just a hair away from becoming a smug smirk. Somehow, he seems to pull it off, in between yawns.

Our final Romanian destination was a remote hotel spectacularly located up on a thin ridge near Piatra Crailui National Park. The only way we could manage to hit Raşnov, Bran and make it to this well-hidden location was by renting a car in Braşov. Unfortunately, although we booked an ever so slightly larger vehicle that promised to be ever so slightly more able to handle the rigors of the rough roads we would face, the rental company did what rental companies always do, which is generally not pay any attention to what you want, and instead just give you whatever vehicle they happen to have sitting around. Which is how we found ourselves painstakingly creeping up a narrow, winding, rugged dirt road alternately doing our best to carefully squeeze around heavy machinery and hugging the inside corner as far from the sharp, imposing drop-offs as possible in a tiny bubble of a compact car. “The Opel Astra, Nobody’s Idea of an SUV.” Or at least that what’s their slogan should be. Either that, or maybe “The Only Car Round Enough to Roll Down a Hill Without Using Wheels.” But eventually we discovered our destination, a small collection of studio apartments that share a small but festive pavilion highlighted by one of the more stunning views one could hope to enjoy while drinking an ill-advised amount of beer and home-made plum firewater the night before tackling a difficult hike. Views or not, drink we did, some of us to the relatively reasonable hour prior to midnight, others continuing diligently on into the less conventional, and certainly more destructive, wee hours to drink even more and bond over heavy metal in the “big house”.

The following morning, all hangovers aside, our biggest issue soon turned to be actually finding the trailhead, something we were struggling mightily with until we finally came to a steep, gravelled hairpin turn which our childish ride proved embarrassingly incapable of conquering. The second time we found ourselves rolling backwards down the hill working hard to avoid careening off the edge, we decided to turn around and head back from whence we came, were lucky enough to procure directions from a helpful German hiker (who was clearly heading the opposite way to which he sent us) and before you know it found ourselves in the “big” parking lot described to us in extremely vague terms by Vlad the Hotelier the previous night. From there we hiked up through impressive Zarneşti Gorge, where it was all we could do to keep Chris from obsessively climbing into every dark corner even remotely resembling a cave, much like a cat that simply can’t resist a paper bag left lying on the carpet, then followed a side trail straight up the side of the hill for about half an hour before the trail levelled out just shy of Cabana Curmatura, then threw one last really steep stretch at us once we could already see the building, taste the cold beer waiting inside, and all too easily picture ourselves reclined on an old wooden picnic bench with our sweaty, disgusting feet airing out for all to grimace at. Well, my feet, anyway. Altogether it took about 4 hours, provided some nice views and was of great help when it came to the excretion of a certain toxin or two, which we knew was necessary to make room for all the new toxins we still had waiting in our fridge that certainly weren’t coming with us out of Romania the next day. A long, hectic day involving car washes, sweltering buses, a short flight and some train station chicken that surprisingly enough didn’t lead to any gastroenteric emergencies, but a day that nonetheless all ran as smoothly as one could hope. Which brings us to Greece. But that, my friends, will have to wait for next time…

More Romanian Headlines

Ancient cemetery woefully sad, but also excitingly photogenic

Hillside Braşov sign just like Hollywood sign, but shorter

Medieval square famous as one of just 4,357 in Europe

Buffet sausage fails to live up to billing

Poke-hunting expedition ends in disappointment, multiple Pidgeys

Beer tastes even better at sixth bar, man claims enthusiastically

Bran Castle a little low on vampire dung, complains disappointed Dracula fan

Peleş Castle wedding photos marred in equal measure by tourist hordes, ironically-dressed groom

Man sticks with ice cream over gelato despite mounting criticism

New study shows Cabana Babele’s “Sphinx Rock” actually more closely resembles Woody Harrelson

Groggy hiker bemoans previous night’s drunkenness, vows to cut down on hiking

One comment

  1. Rasnov citadel is a ruin and unfortunately the Romanian authorities haven’t figure out yet that it would be possible to turn it into a real tourist attraction, so no wonder there were no vampire teeth 🙂 Too bad about the little incident with the rental car, but it’s good you enjoyed your stay in Romania.

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FC Dallas had to wait four years for another playoff win, and they had to fight to the end for this one.
The Vancouver Whitecaps tried to physically intimidate FCD, but it came back to hurt them as FCD drew a penalty kick late, and Michel converted on it in the 84th minute to give Dallas the 2-1 knockout won over Vancouver at Toyota Stadium.
Dallas controlled the tempo for much of the first half in front of a raucous Frisco crowd twirling scarves, and it ultimately led to Tesho Akindele being on the receiving end of a fast break and firing one past David Ousted for the 1-0 lead in the 40th minute.
Showing frustration to times, the Whitecaps kept trying to scratch, claw and foul. Vancouver drew three yellow cards for the game, and then picked up a red card after the referee whistled the game over.
With that physicality, though, came some opportunities that ultimately led to Vancouver equalizing the game in the 62nd minute when FCD could not clear the ball out of their own end, and Erik Hurtado finally found the net.
But Dallas finally was able to get n the attack late, and a handball call in the box in the final 10 minutes led to Michel getting the chance at the penalty kick he needed.
The Vancouver players definitely questioned that handball call, and the frustration boiled over after the final whistle, with Sebastian Fernandez getting a red card that will cause him to miss the first MLS game of 2015.
FCD’s season, meanwhile continues with a Western Conference semifinal matchup with Supporters Shield winner Seattle. The first game of the aggregate series will be at Toyota Stadium on Sunday at 8 pm CT.

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Kid dances with trio of baby emus

squillaPublished: January 31, 201761,266 views
Published: January 31, 2017

It's the most adorable (and unique) dance-off you'll ever see! Check out this little boy bust some moves alongside three playful emus. Too funny!
It's always a joy to see kids spending time with animals, because it's one of the most precious bonds they can share. But in this particular case, we have a little boy who has emus as his best friends! He loves nothing more then to spend all of his playtime with them, running around the yard! This time, precious boy decides he's so happy to be outside, he just has to dance! So he pulls off some epic dance moves, and it's a party. Baby emus can't help but stand aside and enjoy the dance!

Just look at their faces!

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    talha123 · 1 year ago

    ED SHEERAN ★ SHAPE OF YOU ★ (Cover by Robert Michael) Spanglish


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22 killed in Ariana Grande concert attack in Manchester

ReutersNewsPublished: May 23, 2017527 views
Published: May 23, 2017

At least 22 people have been killed and 59 wounded in an explosion at the end of a concert by U.S. singer Ariana Grande in the English city of Manchester on Monday. U.S. officials say it's a suspected suicide bombing, and British police are treating it as a terror attack. Lucy Fielder reports.

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Saffron Herb Pistachio Rice

Looking for an exotic and festive side dish to add to your holiday dinner party? This is simple, elegant, and oh so delicious. Read below for the full Saffron Herb Pistachio rice recipe!

Prep Time: 5 min

Cook Time: 15 min

2 cups rice
2 1/3 cups boiling water
1 tsp saffron threads soaked in 3 tbsp water OR 3-4 tbsp Rumi saffron butter
1/2 cup chopped raisins soaked in lemon juice for half an hour
1 oz fresh dill
1/2 oz  fresh tarragon
1/2 cup toasted coarsely chopped pistachios

Melt the butter, coat the rice, then add the boiling water, salt and pepper
(and saffron) and steam with lid tightly on low heat for 12 to 15 minutes.

Cool and break apart rice grains. Chop all the herbs and add just before
serving with the raisins.

Mix well then sprinkle pistachios on top. Enjoy!

Saffron Herb Pistachio Rice

Dance Party at the Processing Facility

img_0576One by one, the women came up to me as Abdul Faisal wrote their carefully picked piles of saffron stigmas. He made small corrections on where they cut the stigmas – some were too long. He said to me, “The women are doing very well so soon. Already you can see the difference.” Indeed there was. The women were getting faster at it, so they were able to more skillfully pluck the quickly-fading flowers and thus produce longer and plumper threads. A heavy scent of saffron and flowers filled the room along with the low hum of ladies-talk.

The ladies all wore the Rumi Spice hijab, or head covering, as per custom. They usually do not allow pictures of their faces, although far-away photos are okay. Showing your hair is like showing cleavage. Afghan women value modesty above all else. My headscarf was always in disarray, and the ladies laughed about it constantly. They’d come over and fix it. In ten minutes it’d be back to chaos.

I sat myself next to a group of younger ladies, who stared at me as a stranger and looked away when I looked back. “Khob asti,” I said in my best Dari, which basically means, how are you? I grabbed some flowers and began picking the stigmas. It’s very dexterous work – thank god I took piano lessons for so many years.  The girl next to me, Zarlasht, showed me how to separate the stigmas better and faster. Gradually they began to smile, then fight over my help so that I would contribute to their piles. They asked me to play Beyoncé and Selena Gomez on my phone. They knew the words, or at least what it sounded like to them: “I love you like I love some baby.” Not the words, but definitely the sass!  Heads started to bob. Then I introduced some new dance moves. Then a few girls got up, giggles all around, and closed the door. Then the party started, and they showed me new dance moves.  We took each other’s hands and felt joy.

This moment of kinetic happiness came to a halt when the door flew open and Abdul Faisal looked very confused. The older ladies laughed and the young ladies hid behind me. So, we had to get back to work, and I had to leave the room because I was being too distracting. Oops. I banned myself for an hour, but every time I passed by the doorway, some of them would wink, smile and motion for me to sit next to them.

One of them, Sheikelah, stole my heart. This girl (about 16 years old) was a ball of sass and energy. She’d blow me kisses and say, “Excuse me! I love you!” very loudly. With a mischievous smile on her face, she’d say something very rapidly in Dari, full of gestures, and cause all the women in the room to snicker or shake their heads. I badly wanted to understand. She didn’t belong there sifting saffron. Sheikelah belonged on stage somewhere, with lights in her eyes charming a theater full of people. At one point, she grabbed my phone and took a burst-full of selfies, before getting scolded by her mother. Sheikelah said to me, through Abdul Faisal, Take me with you to America. I’ll work for you, and I’ll give you all of my money. She had her hand over her heart. This broke my heart quite a bit. Her look was very tender. I convinced myself that what I was doing Rumi Spice was enough. I’m not sure if it is sometimes.


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Being mindful of ourselves and others

As you may or may not be aware I have a long standing battle with depression and for me meditation, yoga and exercise keeps the dark clouds at bay. With the link between body and mind, I think it is important to be aware and look after both body and mind in order to stay healthy.

This doesn’t mean having to “go hard” all the time, in fact mindful rest is as if note more important than beasting it in the gym.

Today’s Mindful Monday post is about being more mindful. In recent weeks I’ve spoken about being grateful, spending quality time with loved ones without being connected to social media and self belief. Now it’s time to take some time to just breathe. I touched on this a while back, but it is important at times to just be still.

You don’t need to travel anywhere fancy, find a place where you feel comfortable and can have some time, turn off your phone/tablet/communication devices and sit down. Now just listen. The wind blowing through the trees, the bird communicating with another bird across the way, the cars outside. Now focus on steady breathing in …. And out. Nice even breathing. If you can manage ten minutes, fifteen or even three see if you can do it.

If you’re able to, every day this week take some time. I try to do this every morning and my day is usually then a good one.

Second task for this week is to thank someone and where possible explain why you’re thanking them. It could be as simple as a quick thank you to the man/woman who stopped at the zebra crossing to let you cross the road. Or your friend who called you when you had a bad day and made you laugh. We can be very quick to point out mistakes or moments where we aren’t happy with someone, but we don’t say thank you enough, especially where it could mean someone else is having a bad day and your words of gratitude take that person to a better mind space.

Have a wonderful week.

Love and light.

Time out

I’ve just come from what can only be described as the meeting of minds. Being so socially connected, it was so good to spend a few hours with someone and not have them check their phone every few seconds. I’m pleased to say that the hours sped by as we talked and laughed and I can’t wait to see her again, hopefully with our friend who introduced us to each other.

I know I am on a lot of social media, but I make it a point of putting my phone on silent/turning it off when I’m out with friends so they have my full attention, so it’s nice when friends do the same. We spend so much time “interacting” online, but how much time do we actually connect when we’re out? Who peeks at their phone at the first opportunity, send that “important “email or check messages?

There’s also the game where phones are placed on the table and whoever picks up their phone first pays the bill, to me it’s bad if you have to resort to bribery in order to take time away from social media in order to spend quality time with loved ones.

Today’s mindful Monday post is really a reminder to be mindful to try to take quality time out when with friends/loved ones.

Make that call

How many times have you put off making an awkward phone call? I can tell you, I’ve done it too many times to count. I don’t call many people, and when I do it is with purpose. There are a very small number of people that I feel I can call regularly, with the increase in messenger apps, this has made things easier for everyone to not have to make many calls too.

So when I was pulled up on this last week, I was put of the defensive. The conversation that unfolded where I was told to call that person more. Then I thought, “but hold on, while I don’t call you … You don’t call me either”. I haven’t felt for a long time that I could pick up the home to call them based on how our relationship as friends has been, and their job means they’re very busy. I am the type of person that would hate to think I was bothering someone when they are so busy, so sending a message to let them know I’m thinking of them. Trying to keep communication channels open for me was a better option than nothing at all, especially as I felt/feel like it was a little more one sided.

It got me on a chain of thought that has me thinking that I should make more of an effort to make more meaningful contact with my friends. The art of conversation has been lost to social media, which is not a good thing at all. While I don’t like spending hours talking on my mobile, I do appreciate conversation.

So this week, I will endeavour to make a few meaningful phone calls to a small handful of people and just connect properly. It may even include the catalyst for this post.

Be Happy!

Today’s post is very straight forward: Do something today that makes you happy.

Today is the first day since leaving my job and I am doing the following:

1. Meeting a lovely friend of mine I haven’t seen in such a long time.
2. Having a massage.
3. Spending time in my secret place where I go to meditate/read/do nothing.

Even if you are working or are busy today, take ten minutes to do something that makes you happy today, you deserve it.

Before I go, here’s something I was told recently by someone I adore which I don’t hear often/ever and I am passing this onto you reading this post.

“You are worthy”.

Love and light xx

Moving on

Last week I spoke to you about ‘Cleaning House’, today’s post is all about moving on.

“There’s no need for us to be held back by the past or how things have been so far. The important thing is what seeds we are sowing now for the future”.

– Daisaku Ikeda

It can be difficult at times to move on from bad/traumatic experiences, but it is necessary to do so in order to grow as a person. It isn’t always as simple as ‘letting’ go or to forget those experiences, but that is where taking some time to mourn the bad moment and dealing with it first in order to use it as a learning point and move on from it comes into play. This can take the form of therapy, talking to friends/family etc., meditation etc. As long as it’s a healthy way to deal with the problem, then do it!

Take some time out of the day today to reflect on how far you have come in situations where at the time you thought that you were never going to see an end to your suffering. Now remind yourself how grateful you are for that situation making you stronger and use that as a focal point whenever you’re having a tough time.

Enjoy your Monday, Love and light x

Cleaning House

Whilst you could also transfer this into actually cleaning your house full of clutter, today I’m referring to mindfully cleaning house where your thoughts are concerned.

Emotional baggage can be very harmful and take up space where positive should reside. If doing this is difficult, then turn to physically cleaning and use the sight of watching the suds disappearing down the drain as a metaphor for leaving the negative emotions behind and the clean plate as the beginnings of positive thoughts and in turn actions. Do you really three hundred magazines, shoes you’re never going to wear again or that ticket stub when Jonny Whitehead took you out on your first date aged 15? I’m guessing no. The same applies to those negative thoughts you’ve been harbouring for the past 10 years about something that probably doesn’t matter now.

Get cleaning!!

Start your week off right!

Monday seems to be the hardest day of the week for a lot of people as it means that the fun of the weekend is officially over. Why is that? Surely it should be taken as the start of a new week to do great things and be great, no?

For today’s Mindful Monday post, take today as your day to catch up on those things that you know will make the rest of the week amazing and make this a weekly plan. Use this day to remember to move forward with purpose; if you believe that the week is going to be a rubbish one, based on your beliefs and in turn your reaction to those negative thoughts/actions, chances are the week will become a bad one.

Use the following quote from Daisaku Ikeda as your motivation this week. Print it out and place it somewhere prominent if you need to:

“Everything depends on what is in our hearts. If we decide to ourselves that something is impossible, then, consistent with our minds in thinking so, even something that is possible for us will become impossible. On the other hand, if we have the confidence that we can definitely do something, then we are already one step closer to achieving it in reality.”

Start the week as you mean to go on!!

20 things I’m grateful for

Flicking through my Twitter timeline on Friday I saw a tweet posted by the awesome David McQueen which challenged his followers to list 20 things you’re grateful for which I promptly retweeted.

I was then sat on the tube en route to meet my sister to attend Wireless Festival a few hours later feeling really great, so I then began thinking of reasons why I’m grateful, here they are:

1. My Mother
2. The ability to hear. Music is everything.
3. My child telling me he loves me.
4. Spending precious time with my grandmother.
5. Being reunited with my two brothers.
6. Chocolate.
7. Meditation.
8. Having my heart broken. Nothing is forever.
9. Being told no.
10. The ability to say no. I can’t be everything to everyone.
11. Waking up before the alarm. Mini personal victory.
12. Access to clean water.
13. Facing my own mortality 18 February 2013.
14. Charlie Dark.
15. Education. In and outside academia.
16. Travel. Life is very interesting outside the M25.
17. Soya hot chocolate on a cold morning.
18. Exercise. Sanity inducer.
19. Chocolate. Yes. Two entries.
20. Freedom of self/expression. Much of the World are persecuted for something which we take for granted.

This was an interesting exercise and I thank David for challenging me, take a moment to reflect on gratitude and see how you do. I can safely say it won’t hurt.

Hold on, I’ll be five minutes …

This is technically not a fitness post, but I’ve been known to throw in a couple of curve balls here and there so bear with me. Whilst I’m an advocate of exercise and being healthy, I extend this to the mind. I suffer with depression and have made efforts to ensure that the bouts I have are few and far between, staying active is a HUGE part of that. There is also another way that I work on staying in a good place and that’s through rest and relaxation, particularly meditation.

I know you probably now have images of me sitting in a room full of floaty curtains, pillows and such like, but unfortunately I don’t have a pretty room like that in the ghetto lol.
Jokes aside taking five minutes out during work hours, before bed, on the way to a meeting to put away your phone, closing the laptop and concentrating on just breathing does wonders.

Research conducted by a university in California which was part of a Telegraph article showed that meditating for five minutes before class saw a significant increase in the concentration and grades of the students. In a busy world where there “isn’t any time” to do anything, taking five minutes out a day could impact you in a positive way. You don’t have to rush out and buy whale sounds, incense and pillows with little mirrors on. Yourself, a chair and five minutes is all you require. Shoot, you don’t even need the chair!

So try this: during your break at work; turn your phone off, find a space if you will have someone trying to talk to you and break your focus, get relaxed and just sit for five minutes clearing your mind of the stresses of the day and see whether or not you feel better afterward, you may just be surprised.


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5 Amazingly quirky running records that will leave you in awe

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5 Amazingly quirky running records that will leave you in awe 5 Amazingly quirky running records that will leave you in awe www.runnerclick.com

Most runners feel pretty hard core about having completed a marathon or ultra or two.  And being part of the relatively small percentage of earthlings who have accomplished such a feat certainly is praiseworthy.  But, did you know that there is an even smaller group of people who make it their mission to accomplish the seemingly impossible on the run?  With many of them doing it for a good cause?  Here are five amazingly quirky running records that will leave you in awe.

Running backwards for bees

The Comrades Marathon, which is held annually in South Africa, is referred to by many as “the ultimate human race”.  It covers a hilly 89 km between Durban and Pietermaritzburg and, with an entry cap of 20 000, boasts an atmosphere unlike any other.  Completing this ultra within the 12 hour cut-off time is a challenge in itself, but Zimbabwean-born Farai Chinomwe has taken it one step further.  He runs it backwards.  And by backwards we don’t mean that he runs the route from end to start; no.  He actually runs it facing the wrong way.

Farai, a Rastafarian Master Beekeeper, uses his unusual running technique to raise awareness about bees and the environment.  To date he has completed two Comrades Marathons running backwards for bees, in times of 11:41:31 and 11:25:21, respectively.  And although these are by no means the furthest backwards runs ever completed, Farai is the first person ever to conquer the “ultimate human race” in reverse.

Running for four…

Clocking a half-marathon time of 02:01:19 is pretty commonplace for any active, running mom.  But doing so while pushing not one, but three kids in a triple stroller is nothing short of amazing.  In October this year Suzy Goodwin did just that by completing the North Carolina Halloween Half Marathon while pushing her 14-month-old triplets in a 100 pound triple stroller.  In so doing she set a new category and high mark in the Guinness Book of World Records.

Just like any good stroller run, the Goodwins’ record attempt didn’t go without any hiccups.  Suzy had to stop mid-race to change a diaper, and to reprimand her daughter for nabbing her brothers’ snacks.

Suzy is raising money for Cape Fear Valley Health, where her triplets spent the first 10 weeks of their lives in the ICU.

And running for three!

Equally impressive is 38-year-old Chris Solarz’s double stroller half-marathon record of 01:18:08.  Chris set this record in October 2016 while pushing his two kids in a double stroller to finish the Suffolk Country Half Marathon in a blistering 5:57 minutes per mile.  The performance earned Chris a fourth place overall finish, and is his eighth world record.

Hula hooping away

Hoola hoop pedestrian” by Aaron Suggs is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Betty Shurin, better known as Betty Hoops, currently holds the record for completing the fastest half-marathon while hula hooping.  Betty set this record at the Hollywood Half Marathon in 2012, when she crossed the finish line in a respectable 03:03:48.  The rules of this record stipulate that the (standard sized) hula hoop must at all times be spinning between shoulder and hip height whenever the competitor takes a step forward.  If the hoop stops spinning, the competitor must also stop moving forward until the hoop is spinning again.  The competitor may also never touch the hoop with his/her hands during the race, except to get it spinning again while standing still.

Running with a rhino

The Save the Rhino Foundation has come up with a clever way to raise funds to help its cause.  Their iconic rhino suits, which weigh a hefty 8 kg each, made its fundraising debut at the 1992 London Marathon.  Runners have since donned these suits at races across the globe, including the gruelling Marathon des Sables and Atacama Crossing.  Volunteers apply to complete a race in one of the suits while raising funds for the foundation.

The current record for completing a marathon while wearing one of the rhino suits, is 04:17:27.  Vinny O’Neill clocked this record in 2012.  Vinny also went on to complete the 89 km Comrades Marathon wearing a rhino suit in an incredible 10:38:02.  This finishing time placed him in the top 29% of race finishers for the 2013 race.  And he did all of this while raising funds to protect one of the planet’s most endangered animals.

So the next time you hit the wall at mile 20 of a marathon, think of these runners.  Remember that there might just be someone running backwards, pushing a 100 pound stroller, hoola hooping or carrying a 8 kg rhino costume to the finish line.  It’s sure to give you a second wind!

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T-SHIRT DRESS - Grey Marle

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The best bike that you could get would definitely depend on how you like your bike to be, I have attached on a company that accepts buyers and sellers of bikes’ inquiries. And there are a lot of offers there, that you might not be able to resist try browsing the site’s directories to see if the bike that you want is in the list.

here are the bikes that I know which maybe on the site product directory:

Aprilia Tuono 1000

buy my BMW F800R

Harley Davidson Softail
Harley Davidson XL1200R
Harley Davidson Sportster 883 and 1200
Honda NT650V
Honda CBR1100 Blackbird
Honda XL650V Transalp
Honda FJS600 Silverwing
Kawasaki Z100
Kawasaki VN900 custom
Suzuki DL1000 V Strom GT
Suzuki AN650 Burgman
Suzuki GSX1400
Triumph Bonneville
Triumph Bonneville T100
Triumph Bonneville Scrambler
Triumph Tiger 800
Triumph Tiger 955
Triumph Spring 955i
Yamaha XP500
Yamaha XVS1300 Midnight Star
Yamaha XVS950 Midnight Star
Honda VFR800
Triumph Thunderbird 900
Moto Guzzi California
KTM 990 all models

If your bike is not listed there you should check on the site to see if it really has no available model of that bike of your choice.

Check the Bikes at VALUE BIKES CENTRE

The master of all Bikes


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The Magician's Handbook has come to you, but in order to reveal its pages you must travel to the dark and mysterious Cursed Valley and remove the curse that has haunted the valley these many years.

Return to a world of magic and mystery where the enchanted Magician's Handbook will be your guide. The evil magician pirate BlackLore has captured all the world's magicians and fairies. Using their magic to fly his pirate ship, he’s terrorized all who tried to get in his way…and you're next on his list!

Set out with your trusty wand in hand to find enchanted objects hidden throughout the valley that will help you to break the evil spell. Using incantations that you learn along the way, you can ward off the shadow and other distracters of light. Can you remove the curse from the valley and rediscover its true name? The Cursed Valley beckons you to restore its beauty.

* The only seek and find game with hand-painted backgrounds
* 13 Enchanted levels to explore
* Pages of captivating story
* Unlock special items by collecting coins hidden on each level
* Find cleverly hidden objects

/ 3 نظر / 4 بازدید

توحید جان سلام. . خوبی؟ . چرا سر نمی زنی به من؟ . ارادتمند همیشگیت...علی

سلام دوست خوبم . به دیدنم بیا که چشم در راهم . سبز باشی . تا همیشه ارادتمند...علی

دوست حوبم سلام . به دیدنم بیا که چشم در راهم . تا همیشه ارادتمند... علی


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How to make someone smile with pure pleasure

Hand them a gratis Cyalume stick.

Jorja has excelled herself – she not only managed to get off the chain AND get out of the yard, but after I visited the owners of the Custard Yellow house, who also live on the property here behind the moat – just over the other side of some trees, to apologise for my wandering Canine – she escaped AGAIN.

During the course of the visit, their little boy was in dire need of AAA batteries, of which I had some spare. That which made him positively thrilled was being handed two green Cyalume (Glow in the Dark)  sticks.  He is under strict instructions to SHARE with his sister…..

I was thinking of something I read once, about the questions you get asked when standing at the gates of Heaven – What did you find joy in ? and What did you do to spread joy?

Admittedly – 36 hours before having a root canal – joy is a little hard to find…though the painkillers do help 🙂

But today I am grateful that I have bought a cast off (and cast iron) bathtub so Aston can stop kicking over his water bucket (I swear, he does it with this butter wouldn’t melt in MY mouth expression) and the former owner of the bathtub was remarkably happy that I had answered their advert to acquire the bathtub.          I got to practise my somewhat limited Francais in order to strengthen relationships between Australia et other countries.   And they understood me….

At least I hope so and I haven’t just started a coup d’ etat somewhere o.O

(BTW – I need Chinese next…..)

Giving an unexpected cyalume stick to a little boy – Joy in the Megawatt scale.

Wish all men were that easy to please.IMAGE_084

Have I mentioned that it’s COLD here???

It’s been subzero on a number of mornings (read – all of them) this week.  This is what Green Car, resplendent in both ACT numberplates AND a significant layer of frost, looks like most mornings.

There’s something quite risky in even standing next to him I can feel how cold it is.

Maybe not quite *this* cold:

   But I do think it’s a cute ad 🙂

Maybe this is a more Amanda orientated Animal driven way of illustrating how cold and frosty it is here

Frosting modelled by the smallest Equine – Roy.

Not sure if I have introduced Roy to you properly – he’s a whopping 9 hands tall and about 13yo. He was acquired as a future companion for Aston as I am hoping to be able to keep Aston entire…

And I will make the point that Roy not only has a perfectly good shelter to sleep in, he does have a Navy blue Ripstop Rug.

He just has worked out how to roll out of it and I find him as a Chocolate Brown miniature mammoth, curled into a small ball in the middle of the garden.

He and Aston play fun games like Biteybitey and  bellychompies and do seem very happy in the 1/2 acre that is the garden – though once I have the bathtub and about 40metres of hot-tape, they’re both going back out into the bigger grazing area.

If only so I can do the dishes without a nose looming in at me from the darkness…

Yarnishly, I have not bought yarn in a remarkably long time plus I have used up four balls this week…

It’s all good 🙂

Hugs to you all.

~ by SB&C on July 8, 2009.

2 Responses to “How to make someone smile with pure pleasure”

  1. I love that picture of Roy! Such a cute little guy! Bathtubs to make wonderful water troughs! Stay warm – it does look awfully cold out there!

  2. give that sneaky adventerous K9 a big huge hug and make sure she knows how much you love her!!!!!!!!!!!!

    we lost our niko on sunday – on day shy of his first birthday. not very pretty here right now.

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Today was our second session at the weekly ‘Signing Tots.’ Once again it was an opportunity to learn. This time however, the teacher asked me and showed me some new BSL signs. Through the interpreter she expressed how important it was to use facial expressions also to communicate. I was fixated on watching her hands and replicating the sign properly that I was not looking at her face at all. As it is an informal session the teacher was able to give a lot of time and repeat things that one wouldn’t normally expect in any learning environment.

I was able to communicate to her a little about myself and the languages I can speak. She asked me which one was my favourite and I replied with French and Arabic. I have always loved learning French. Then she signed that BSL should be easy for me as the grammar of French and BSL are the same. I had not even thought about BSL having its own grammr but it does. After all it is a language so why should it not have a grammar.

My daughter thoroughly enjoyed the session too. The focus was on the ‘three little pigs’ and the room was equipped with toys that reinforced this popular child’s tale. It was not anything spectacular but the figurines that were laid on the floor amongst the carboard houses encouraged the learning of vocabulary. It reminded me of my own teaching in EFL and ESOL whereby,  I relied on minimal resources to instruct.

I could see my daughter attentively following the teachers gestures and try to make the signs with her minute hands. I am hoping that we are able to learn, implement and benefit others through these sessions Insha-Allah (God willing.)

Signing Tots

Earlier this week my youngest daughter and I attended a play session set up by a local Deaf centre where we live. I have always been interested in sign language and am familiar with Makaton. This is something that has been embedded in the early years curriculum for a number of years now. Most notably Makaton is used by Mr. Tumble (whom I know most parents and children will recognise!) However, British Sign Language (BSL) is what was used at the play group. I did not know what to expect as it was advertised for all not just exclusively for those who had hearing difficulties or an impairment. I was intrigued though. I have to say I was apprehensive too as I did not know any sign language.

Once we arrived we were greeted by the centre co-ordinator who explained how the session would work, which put me at ease. My daughter however was immediately engaged with the toys that were brought once the teacher arrived. I honestly was in awe at this point it was like I was in another world. Another person arrived and like me came as she was interested in BSL, more specifically Baby sign language.

The topic for the session was ‘The Farm’ and similar to other parent toddler groups I had attended the structure was the same. The only difference being that we were learning BSL as the session went on but in an informal manner. All the while I kept observing the interpreter, the child care assistant and the teacher communicate. ‘Communicate’ and ‘communication’ are not things I think about in my daily life. In this session, I kept thinking how blessed I am that I can hear and speak. How blessed and fortunate everyone in my family are especially my children that we have no defect and communication comes so naturally to us. Whilst writing this the ayah (verse) that comes to mind is “So, (O mankind and Jinn,) which of the bounties of your Lord will you deny?” (Surah Ar: Rahman 55: 15.) Over the past few days I have been thinking about hearing, sight, speaking, cognitive processes, understanding, vocalisation, the simple production of sound and the list continues.

I am someone who has a high pain threshold but can become flustered and unnerved by the minutest of things that some people would not even factor into their lives. If your familiar with my posts you will be aware the I experienced some health problems after having my second child. However, at that time I reminded myself of the blessings I had. It was still difficult. Over time I have began to manage some of my health problems and now see them as the very things that have given me incentive to show more gratitude to the one above. Attending the session somehow made me acknowledge the benefits of gratitude more so.

I also noticed how my daughter observed the teacher as she communicated using BSL. It is true that children learn especially at a young age through playing. During the session as she had to access to toys she was distracted but I saw her attentively watching an elderly couple signing to one another and making movements with her hands in an attempt to mirror their body language. I am fascinated by communication, language and linguistics overall. Hence why my children are exposed to a various different forms of communication e.g. drawing, painting as well as languages e.g. Bengali, French, Arabic and of course English.

I am hoping that this continues over their life time and they are able to benefit and utilise such skills as I have been able to do and share the same intrigue and curiosity as myself and someday relate and reflect these small moments.

2018 is here

So I haven’t been writing for a while but I have written down what I would like to write about insha-Allah. I would like to do more writing this year. If there are any topics anybody would like to suggest I would be happy to listen to them.

Moving on, I began this year in my hometown of Cleethorpes which I was not expecting at all. But we plan and the on above us plans and HE is the best of planners. When I was a kid the beginning of the new year always meant the start of a new term which I was excited about. As an adult the years that have started have always been a milestone of celebration for my children rather than for me. I like to start my year in the blessed month of Ramadan. Alas I digress.

As a year 2017 was eventful. I overcame some of my personal issues and achieved some goals that I thought would never be possible. My younger brother got married which was a great celebration. In the same year my grandfather passed away which caused us much grief. A few months earlier I decided to embark on Speech and Language Therapy then declined due to religious reasons. I tried to gain my QTLS but faced obstacles (albeit placed by oneself.)  I rekindled lost relationships and made new friends. I learnt and am still learning to improve myself and have no problem admitting my flaws.

Why do I write all of this? Well I’m not a talker you see nor do I like to brag but writing allows me to gather my thoughts and aids me to gain belief in myself. You know when you have one of them days where everything seems to get you down, you can’t see a way out or you just feel rubbish or you get fed up of doing the same thing and feel undermined you can come back and think LOOK HOW FAR I’ve come.

Our lives are made up of moments that form the most beautiful of memories. What matters is that we do have trust and belief in ourselves. Yes it is important to be selfless and kind but do not lose focus. It is possible to do one thing AND some thing else. That is what I would like to do in 2018 rather than thinking it is this OR this.

So this year and the years to come will be my AND years. Its strange because prior to falling into a minefield (in my head) I was an AND person not an OR person. For all the parents out there have realistic expectations of yourself and make the most of your time with your children. As my older brother said that I’ve always known “time with your children is not going to come back.”

So what are your thoughts about the year to come? Please let me know.

Trains, tickets and notes

I took this photo en route to an interview earlier this year. As I stepped onto the train nostalgia overtook my memory. I remembered travelling to university and moving all the way to the Capital-London- to pursue my studies. At that time it was different to how I consider things now- when I think of ensuing a degree.

On this journey I revelled in the scenery and let my thoughts meander just like the train meandered through the tracks. This was one of my easier days in that my mind seemed focused (away from other adult duties.)

Does anybody else just enjoy looking out the window and collecting their thoughts?

Midwives and swimming pools

Yesterday I went swimming after a looooong time. It seems in recent times I have begun to do things and not feel the ‘guilt’ of leaving the girls behind. It was very much needed. Growing up I never felt uncomfortable about my body or appearance and was always grateful for the health I had. However since having my girls I became more conscious about my physique and social media isn’t very helpful either. More so than this it was mental health that really declined. Well yesterday at the pool I was casually swimming and pondering if I should venture into the deep end (not the strongest of swimmers) when I began chatting to a lady. We instantly connected and lo and behold what did we discuss-our kids, labour, the future and as it happens she is a trained midwife.

When she first told me I was astonished as I thought of all the people I could spring up conversation with it would be a midwife. Although it was a momentary conversation she helped greatly. I spoke briefly about what I hoped to do and she simply said “go for it.”

It’s at times like this when I think had those bad moments and times not happened I wouldn’t maybe value these pleasant moments as much.

My daughter has recently began school this year. Similar to other schools there is a large focus on literacy and numeracy, especially in the early years. All that mark making and refining the cognitive skills really comes into fruition at this stage. She is still learning to write and cannot yet read but is a trier! At home we have been practicing using the Ruth Miskin method and those jingles really aid to help her write the alphabet.

In the past I have invested in the dry-wipe books to encourage her pencil control and prepare for school. At the same time I did not want to over do it as I want her to enjoy her childhood. I do still want her to acquire languages and share the same as I do. In my previous post I discussed the importance of literacy in the home. I think it is equally vital to revive those traditions of story telling in our own language as well as Arabic too. I have been learning Arabic for a number of years now but I really want my children to be fluent in it whilst they are young.

When the Angel came to our beloved Messenger (SAW) the first word he said was “Read” and he repeated this too. This interaction carries many gems but to me it illustrates the significance of literacy. In fact it denotes that this is one of the first things we should endeavour to be. Over time I have thought about this a lot- often having bright ideas that I need to write about at an ungodly hour. One thing comes to mind each time and that is that to be ‘literate’ (I say this loosely) is underpinning our faith.

Working in the field of education for eight years now I come across terms such as literacy, comprehension, literate all the time. There is a deeper meaning to them that goes unnoticed and that is that we were encouraged to ‘read’ and learn in our scriptures. Now when I see the effort placed in Early Years it makes me think this is how it should be  for Arabic and other languages-because that truly opens the door to cultures that we are unaware of.

English is slowly becoming the Lingua Franca in the world-which has its advantages and disadvantages. Lets revive and maintain the diaspora of other languages that are out there to. What I have decided is to use the resources and methods I have acquired in English Pedagogy and teach Bengali, French and Arabic. If my daughter can now produce the alphabet in English why then can she not become familiar with the morphemes of Arabic. After all it is all promoting literacy! When I was a child my older siblings would have to explain things to me in Bengali as I did not know English when I began school. I on the other hand I have to explain things in English as my daughters are not that familiar with Bengali.

I wonder if she is going to loose the ‘Bengali Literacy.’ I do not mean academically rather the politeness principles, the jokes, the cultural idioms etc. Similarly, not engaging with Arabic in the manner I had hoped will that give her a neurological disadvantage?(now theres something to thing about.) It all brings me back to the act of reading.

For now I will be taking small steps as I believe this will encourage my tiny little wonders more than completely blasting them with languages and then becoming stagnate.

I guess I wanted to share the surge of excitement I felt about the link to Islam.

A few months ago I was having a conversation with my sister in law. She said “do you know I read something?” I enquired what it was, she said “I came across a post on Instagram and it said ‘spend time with newborn children as they have spent the most time with God.” The words really struck me as I had been contemplating the ups and downs of motherhood (as you do and never stop.) I was feeling as though I had reached somewhat of a plato. On the one hand I am aware of the tantamount of blessings associated with motherhood, but at the same time there are other things I want to explore and aspirations I want to fulfil.

Then at the same time I do have the usual ‘mum guilt’ that accompanies me and I’m sure accompanies other mothers too. I think about the dichotomy and try and do a balancing act. It usual begins positively but I encounter obstacles sometimes and then it dissipates. Hearing this did give me a renewed vigour for motherhood. It was something small and I am not the type of person who seeks compliments or reassurance but having this perspective is nice at times. It helped me in that moment as it drew upon spirituality which is equally as important as anything else in parenting I believe.

Are there any mothers who also feel like this please leave your comments below.


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(ada orang tu cakap dia busy bukan main lagi…tapi ada jugak post break ni :D)

Terjumpa video clip ni. Ada je video clip yang ada orang-orang bergerak. But I think, its much better if I put this one.

Part of the lyric has been kidnapped by me. :P. You may check it out if you dont trust me, page 243 in KMR.

My life is down

And I’m out of my mind

Eveything so dark

And there is no light

O’ my Lord, I turn to you…

Bebila rasa macam sedih, down… I just love to listen to this song and few(a lot of, actually) others. Kadang-kadang, masa tak sedih pun dengar je. Soothing… and you feel Allah is so close. 😀 Buat teman study bila dah tension tahap tak tau nak cakap cam mana. 😛

But still, please put Kalamullah at the first place. The most beautiful, soulful words ever. If you dont understand the arabic, go get yourself a translation of Kalamullah. And you’ll find the verses just hit the best spot in your heart. My friend did say-masa jalan-jalan melihat alam, quoted from an ustaz graduated(not really sure whether he’s already graduated or not yet. But he was the driver during the travel) from arabs country, arabic is the most beautiful language ever. No wonder the arabs people are so beautiful. And no wonder, arabic was choosen as the language of jannah. I wish I could read al-Quran like my mother-tongue and understand the meaning straight away. But… what to do, I’m born as a Malay-mix yang tak nampak mix sebab dah banyak sangat ‘mix’nya*lol*. Haha. I should be grateful. Astaghfirullah…*ketuk dahi sendiri*.

Ouh, I’m a song-holics (sesuka hati reka perkataan ni) and a universal listener. So, dont be surprised if you find me promoting songs. 😀

Whatever the song is, whatever we do. As long as it is not ‘lagha’, its is permissible. This is my opinion. If you have different one, its just fine. 😀 Its just me… yang entah hape-hape ni.

Enough crapping. I should continue my reading again :-(. Adoila… too much distractions… 😛 I should stay far-far away from my lappy.