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Sunday, May 8, 2011

Macroprudential.  That's a word most of us don't use very often, or even knew before last week.  In a sense, "macroprudential" is the current Federal Reserve chairman's bookend to "irrational exuberance," coined by his predecessor on December 5, 1996.  Irrational exuberance expressed Greenspan's concern about what led to the current financial crisis (which, by the way, isn't over yet, don't kid yourself) and Bernanke is using it to describe what the federal government is doing to prevent more trouble -- regulating with an eye to possible effects on the entire financial system (macroprudential regulation), in contrast to simply looking at whether a particular institution might have problems or fail (microprudential regulation).

"Stop," says Virginia.  "That's all we need to know."

She's right.  That's all you'll read here about it.

It's interesting to think about words and expressions we know today that we didn't know 20 or 10 years ago.  A lot of tech words come to mind, these are easy to think of -- camcorder, CD, flash drive, boot, email, DAT, download, upload, MIDI, cellphone, text message.

Reaching a little bit -- s/he, what's her face, foodie, localvore, Jazzercise, muggle, blamestorming, gaydar, grrrl, threequel, frankenfood.

And with the recent revival of Ayn Rand, "Who is John Galt?"  (character in Atlas Shrugged)

This reminds me of a children's book I wish I'd written -- "The Frindle" by Andrew Clements, with its main character, a fifth grader named Nicholas Allen.

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Friday, May 25, 2012

Crispy Chicken Wraps

I'm sure all of us can relate to those days where you want something simple for dinner but your brain isn't helping you out. I had one of those days today as the dinner hour grew near. But I remembered seeing a recipe for these simple wraps over at "Heat Oven to 350" and decided they would be on the menu today. I added a few seasonings just based on other wrap recipes and they were a hit. And super easy to make which is always a plus!

Crispy Chicken Wraps

1 Rotisserie Chicken, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
1/4 cup green onions,
1.5 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/3 - 1/2 cup mayo
2 tbsp sour cream
2 tsp hot sauce, I used sriracha (they won't be spicy, the hot sauce just gives them a great flavour)
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese, use your favourite kind

Mix this together and spread the chicken down the middle of the flour tortillas. Fold each side over the chicken, but don't fold the ends in. Spray your pan with cooking spray or add a little oil. Arrange two wraps, seam side down in a medium pan and cook over medium heat until golden, flip and do the same again. Serve with a salad and you have an easy weeknight  meal!

Hope you enjoy!

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Saturday, January 28, 2012

Well, it's finished.

As expected, the beads take me sometimes, and sometimes not. There are parts of the piece with conscious meaning to me, and others I was trying a technique or color combo or just keeping going!

The size is 2.5" by 2" (63.5mm x 50mm) approx. For much of the time I worked on this, I shut off TV, computers, printers, monitors, etc to get the room as quiet as possible. Working in a pharmacy there is a constant noise of printers, computers, monitors, faxes, lights...and it makes such a difference to turn them off. Of course, then I can get no work done!

Here at my bench, though, the quiet is nice, and only the Ott Light (desktop-folddown type) is on. I even took the batteries out of my mouse to eliminate the red light! That reminds me, I unplugged something to plug in the Ott Lite and did not reverse the process. Everything I want to work is working though, so maybe it's the old useless printer up on the shelf...

There is never complete silence because I have a lifelong case of earworm. Today, on my own, I came up with the intro to the old Bugs Bunny cartoons (Overture, hit the lights...sorry :-) Then my husband is belting out Copacabana in the shower. Could be worse. It went on for hours (in my head) until I had remembered almost all the lyrics I had forgotten over the past 30 years of not listening to much Manilow. Of course, Dave does not know the lyrics and poor Tony is shot dead in all 3 verses, sad to say.

I have no current inspiration for February. It's cold. Not Arctic cold but cold for Anchorage (low -20F : high -5F). Yeah, minus. No wind though, and sunny like it usually is when it's this cold. I have gloves on with the fingers cut off. Earlier I had a qiviut headband on. There not much on the planet that is warmer for the weight.

I designated this day a "no website work, no housework, nothing but doing what I would do if I could play with beads whenever I wanted" day. Most of last night, too. I wanted to prove to myself that I could at least get one month of BJP completed! Oh it's also a "not wasting hours surfing mindlessly on the Internet and spending money on things I don't need" day. But the day is not over and the computer is back on...

Good night :-)

Ooops! I thought I was writing this on my own blog. I am going to try to move it. Success! But sorry if it shows up in both places. So I will also sign in case it does.

Cindy A.

Robin said...

Your piece is exciting and fun at the same time. My first impression was borealis, but looking at it more, I'm not sure about that. Anyway, I find it very compelling.

I don't think it works very well to try to force the journaling aspect of this. What does seem to happen, at least for me, is that when I allow the beads to take me wherever they want, most of the time, there is something personal about the results, a honesty, and sometimes a revelation.

I guess, just allowing the beads to guide me takes me out of the head space and puts me into some sort of heart space or spirit space... I don't know, but whatever space it is, I like it there! It seems you do too!

PS I made a comment on the BJP blog about how to remove a post.

Carol- Beads and Birds said...

I haven't been very active in the BJP in the past couple of years, though I was behind the scenes.

What I have found in the past, was exactly what Robin commented. The beads somehow do bring forth thoughts that you might not have been aware of until you are done and think back what was on your mind while beading. My best pieces were in my first year when I allowed that to happen. In later years I didn't follow through very well. I think because I was looking for and trying to adhere to a theme.

Just bead and let the beads take you where they want to. You'll probably find that you complete pieces that are journaling at its best.

char said...

Hi Cindy,Robin and Carol pretty much said it all...let the beads lead you. I was starting to stress about what I was going to bead for this month and then......I saw the rabbit in the tree. (Well, I do live in the Cosmic Hamlet By the Sea..:)Homer. Oh dear, I rhymed again..must be something in the air tonight. Anyway, you're doing a beautiful job..keep going. Happy Beading


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30 May 2011

Review: "Old Friends and New Fancies"

It is a truth universally acknowledged that when in need of a trusty comfort read of good quality, one should always go for Jane Austen. There is nothing like a trip to Austen-land when you need to let yourself escape into a good book. Which is why I went through the Austen section of my shelves a few days ago when I had to go to the hospital for a small operation. And today - with my leg still looking like it has been beat up bad and my head being completely untrustworthy from morphine - I finished "Old Friends and New Fancies" by Sybil G. Brinton.
This book is branded as the first ever Jane Austen sequel as it was written in 1913 and of all of the many (!) sequels I have read, this one is one of my favourites. It is not a sequel to a specific book but to all of the popular Jane Austen books. Most of it takes place on the grounds of Pemberley but Elinor Ferrars née Dashwood from "Sense and Sensibility" is now a close friend of Elizabeth Darcy as is Anne Wentworth. On a visit to Bath, Mrs. Darcy also makes friends with miss Mary Crawford who soon attracts the attention of Colonel Fitzwilliam and then it all starts taking off. Romantic entanglements, a furious Lady Catherine, a silly Kitty Bennett and a thoughtful Georgiana Darcy meet and mingle with Tom Bertram, William Price and Mrs. Jennings and true to the Jane Austen style, there is of course a happy ending. Beautifuly written, this is the tale of what happened with all the unmarried characters that were left single at the end of the Austen's most beloved novels and I found it a joy to re-read.

Read it if you like: "Pride and Prejudice", "Sense and Sensibility" and the other Austen novels and don't mind that someone other than Austen have guessed at what happened next...

24 May 2011

Top Ten Tuesday: Little White Lies

If you haven't visited The Broke and Bookish - www.brokeandbookish.blogspot.com - hosts of this fun meme, then you absolutely need to do so as it is a really great blog.

Today's Top Ten subject is telling lies about books and reading...

Now being honest ;-) I don't think I can think of ten separate lies that I've told in relation to reading, though I am sure that I have plenty. Just can't remember them. It must be something about forgetting the things that I would rather not remember, I think. But let's give it a go anyway:

1) Lying about liking a book to please somebody - this would usually be because the book was a present from this somebody or maybe their favourite book. I hate hurting peoples feelings so sometimes a little white lie goes a long way

2) Lying about choosing a book NOT just because of the cover... because it sounds like such a ditzy thing to do... but I do sometimes do it...

3) Lying about having read a classic that I haven't read. I swear it doesn't happen often but it has happened a couple of times out of sheer embarrassment.

4) Lying about liking a perceived classic that I really didn't like/see the point of... I know you know what I mean :-)

5) Pretending that it is not a new book but really one that I have had for quite a while to stop my boyfriend from accusing me of being a compulsive book-buyer (I really am not babe!)

What I never lie about is books that I like. If I have genuinely liked a book, I will stand by it. I have made that promise to myself and it is one that I intend to keep. I will even admit to liking Twilight because even though it has soooo many flaws, it makes for wonderful entertainment. So I stand by my books.

What about you - what do you lie about?

23 May 2011

Don't forget to join the give-away for "A Gate at the Stairs"

Just scroll down a little bit and you are there :-)

Review: The Private Lives of Pippa Lee

Have you watched the film "The Private Lives of Pippa Lee"? Otherwise please please please don't watch it until you have read the book "The Private Lives of Pippa Lee" by Rebecca Miller" because as so it is so often the case, the book is much better than the film. Which is intriguing in this case because the film actually follows the book to the letter but somehow the film doesn't have the same soul as the book even though the visuals are great and it is somehow very pretty. But the emotions and the pain of the book has not translated well into film - at least I don't think so.

Pippa Lee is the perfect wife. She has devoted her life, her entire being to the role as best supporting act in the life of her much older husband Herb. She cooks, she decorates, she looks stunning at the age of 50 and she has raised two successful children. But now that Herb has turned 80, they have moved to Marigold Village, a last stop for the elderly and retired where Pippa is among the youngest. And maybe that is why she is so restless and why she finds herself thinking about her past lives. Not in a reincarnation sense but in the sense that Pippa is a woman who has led many different lives in her lifetime. Pastor's daughter and adored child, bohemian artist-groupie in New York and the other woman... She carries with her a sense of guilt for her past and it seems to fill the present.
This book is beautiful. The language is simple, in no way cluttered or dramatic but it captures everything so well. I liked the movie but I fell in love with the book. It made me think a lot about growing up and growing older and about the choices we make in life.
A stunning tale about living life to the fullest or paying the prize of wasting a precious gift.

Read it if: You are tired of the cliches and lack of food for thought in chick lit.

22 May 2011

GIVEAWAY: A Gate At the Stairs by Lorrie Moore

I am cleaning out my bookshelves and therefore giving away my copies of some of the books that I have read over the last few years. So if you would like my once-read copy of "A Gate at the Stairs" by Lorrie Moore, please leave a comment with a recommendation of one of your favourite books. Genre and topic doesn't matter as long as it is a book that you love :-)
I will pick a winner of the give-away at random on Tuesday May 24th.

Here is a description of the book from amazon.com:
Tassie Keltjin, 20, a smalltown girl weathering a clumsy college year in the Athens of the Midwest, is taken on as prospective nanny by brittle Sarah Brink, the proprietor of a pricey restaurant who is desperate to adopt a baby despite her dodgy past. Subsequent adventures in prospective motherhood involve a pregnant girl with scarcely a tooth in her head and a white birth mother abandoned by her African-American boyfriend—both encounters expose class and racial prejudice to an increasingly less naïve Tassie. In a parallel tale, Tassie lands a lover, enigmatic Reynaldo, who tries to keep certain parts of his life a secret from Tassie. Moore's graceful prose considers serious emotional and political issues with low-key clarity and poignancy, while generous flashes of wit—Tessie the sexual innocent using her roommate's vibrator to stir her chocolate milk—endow this stellar novel with great heart.

Penguins in my bag

I love the Penguin books for their classic, graphical style where all the focus is on the title and the author's name - lit up by bright colours. And now you can enjoy this great design on-the-go with these cute accessories in the classic Penguin style. The perfect present for a book lover! I saw the thermos when I was shopping in central Copenhagen with my sister yesterday and I just found that and other great little thins on Gifted Penguin - http://www.giftedpenguin.co.uk/
I have a bit of a crush on the Pride and Prejudice notebook. Normally I use Moleskine notebooks for my diaries but I think that I will try this one next time!

21 May 2011

Willa wants to Read... Great American Literature!

I am sure you know the feeling that there are books that we really should have read but that we haven't managed to read yet. Those ones that are on the top of the TBR... My TBR seems to have quite a lot of those Great American Novels on it. Not sure why but they seem to pile up on the TBR without ever getting read by me... So here is a little list to remind myself that I need to set time aside to read them.
If you have read any of them and can recommend them, please leave a comment and tell me what you think of the book in question.

"A Farewell to Arms" by Ernest Hemingway
From amazon.com: In 1918 Ernest Hemingway went to war, to the 'war to end all wars'. He volunteered for ambulance service in Italy, was wounded and twice decorated. Out of his experiences came A Farewell to Arms. In an unforgettable depiction of war, Hemingway recreates the fear, the comradeship, the courage of his young American volunteers and the men and women he encounters along the way with conviction and brutal honesty. A love story of immense drama and uncompromising passion, A Farewell to Arms is a testament to Hemingway's unique and unflinching view of the world and the people around him.

"To The Lighthouse" by Virginia Woolf
From Wikipedia: A landmark novel of high modernism, the text, centring on the Ramsay family and their visits to the Isle of Skye in Scotland between 1910 and 1920, skilfully manipulates temporality and psychological exploration.

"Revolutionary Road" by Richard Yates
From amazon.com: Frank is mired in a well-paying but boring office job and April is a housewife still mourning the demise of her hoped-for acting career. Determined to identify themselves as superior to the mediocre sprawl of suburbanites who surround them, they decide to move to France where they will be better able to develop their true artistic sensibilities, free of the consumerist demands of capitalist America. As their relationship deteriorates into an endless cycle of squabbling, jealousy and recriminations, their trip and their dreams of self-fulfillment are thrown into jeopardy.

17 May 2011

Review: "The Monster of Florence"

Another book with a lame title... Sorry to authors Douglas Preston and Mario Spezi but this title (even though it is very describing and fits the subject well) is just not good... It hints at something sordid, it is a tabloid title. The headline of one of those newspapers that you'd never read in the bus for fear of being seen with it... You know what I mean?

This book, "The Monster of Florence", deserves a better title because it is very far from the tabloid style. In order to explain, let me first give you a quick summary of the plot of this non-fiction tale where truth is so strange that it has inspired the novel (and movie) Hannibal by Thomas Harris.
The case of the monster of Florence takes its beginning in Florence (obviously...) in the 1970's and 1980's where a serial killer targets young couples making love in cars in the hills around the beautiful renaissance city. The crimes are ruthless and barbaric, the victims young and the motives unclear. And the murderer turns out to hide his tracks very very well.
Mario Spezi is the journalist who becomes known as the monstrologer, the man who follows the case and investigation closely and who knows as much if not more about the case than the police. In 2000 the case is still unsolved as thriller author Douglas Preston moves to Florence to write a novel about something completely different but ends up becoming fascinated with the monster and friends with Mario Spezi.

As the police struggles to explain the unsolved case and as the possible theories become more and more impossible and unreal, Preston and Spezi get dragged further and further into the investigation until one day, they are under suspiscion.

You shouldn't read this book if you main interest is the gory details of the murder because that is not what this book is about. This is a book about the importance of the freedom of the press and about the power of false accusations. As the people of Florence become more and more scared, they also begin to suspect each other of being the monster and innocent lives are ruined by false accusations. The authors cling to the importance of the principle of innocent until proven guilty and sometimes they seem to be the only sane persons in the entire city...
The most scary part of this book is not the murders though they are gruesome, it is the fact that the police are seemingly willing to ignore all facts if they can get someone, anyone, convicted as the monster of Florence.

Read this if: you liked "The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher" by Kate Summerscale

15 May 2011

Review: "Dead Reckoning"

Welcome back Sookie! OMG I have been waiting for this book forever - or at least since I finished "Dead in the Family". And then the other day, poof it was there in my mailbox, making me so incredibly happy. So after finishing re-reading "Dead in the Family" so that I would be up to speed on all the details, I literally set yesterday aside to read "Dead Reckoning". I started in the gym, reading for an hour while working out. An hour that sped by as I was in such good company!! Then read through breakfast, went into town for a stroll with the boyfriend, came home and settled in to an afternoon and evening of reading.
Today, I will try to review Charlaine Harris's latest Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire book in as SPOILER-FREE a manner as I possibly can.

After the Fairy Wars, Sookie is slowly getting back on her feet and getting her molested body back into shape - with the help of one very very hunky, gorgeous viking vampire. Eric Northman - my new paranormal crush. That vampire is so hot that the pages are almost steaming whenever his name appears. Then in "Dead in the Family", Eric's maker turn up to make trouble in Bon Temps and now that Eric is free of him, Sookie is looking forward to relaxing a bit. As if that would ever happen...
Sookie has new housemates, sharing the old Stackhouse farmhouse with Cousin Claude and Great-uncle Dermot, two ancient fae relatives and keeping vampire-boyfriend from feeding on fairy-housemates is like an extra job next to her job as a waitress at Merlotte's. At Merlotte's things are difficult, since the shifters and weres have come out, Sam is losing customers and Sookie has to worry about her job, her cousin Hunter, who is also a telepath, and about the range of enemies she has and who would all prefer her dead. As in really dead, not vampire-dead.
Meanwhile Eric is acting stranger and stranger and Pam seems to be plotting with him behind Sookie's back. Throw into the mix: 1) Bill Compton 2) Sandra Pelt 3) Vampire Victor and Sookie's fae relatives, there is no such thing as a calm moment for our heroine.

Read this book if: You have read the other True Blood books and - like me - is mad in love with Sookie (and in lust with Eric...)

11 May 2011

Review: "Mrs Simpson: Secret Lives of the Duchess of Windsor "

Just the title.... "Secret Lives of the Duchess of Windsor"... it sounds like a really bad documentary, doesn't it? However, I managed to ignore the lame title and pick up the book "Mrs Simpson" by Charles Higham. Having seen "The King's Speech", I had become very interested in Wallis Simpson, the woman whom Edward VIII loved so much that he abdicated to marry her. And that was about all I knew about Mrs. Simpson before I started the book.

The first part of the book focuses on Wallis's early life in Baltimore, her first and second marriage, her time in China and I struggled to get through every single page. I can't say exactly why but this first third of the book was dull! Like, really dull!
However, then the Prince of Wales enters the scene and everything becomes a bit more interesting. What fascinated me mostly was this early part of the relationship between the king-to-be and divorced-then-married-again American who according to the author was not even attracted to the prince but instead carried on with other men behind his back.
As the story evolves and as it is told by the author, this was a relationship where one part was more in love than the other... And where an unlikely princess became a duchess and a king became a duke. If it was because a lot of this book is substantiated by quotes from good sources and seems to be rather thoroughly researched, I would have thought that it was mostly made up.

I can't recommend this book as such though because I have to say that I found it a tad bit difficult to read. The author didn't seem to be able to separate interesting anecdotes from tedious facts and it was something that I found hindered the reading. So unless you really really want to know about Wallis Simpson, this is not a book for you.

Books for a better world

Every weekend I read this great Danish weekend paper Weekendavisen because it is the only Danish paper to have an entire section dedicated to... books! And this weekend it featured an article about a Danish bookshop in Kathmandu, run by Lars Braaten, a Dane who fell in love with Nepal.
Now this is not just any old bookshop - this is a bookshop with a purpose because the proceeds from the bookshop goes towards funding Nepal Bal Ghar, a children's house where poor children with nowhere to go can get a roof over their heads and warm meals. Nepal Bal Ghar has existed since 1997 and you can read more about it here: http://www.nepalbalghar.dk/english.shtml

70% of all children in Nepal are illiterate so supporting a charity that helps them get life's necessities so that they can focus on going to school and learning to read and write.

Here is a quote from their mission statement:
Nepal Bal Ghar - Something Right Children's Home was started April 1st in 1997 in Sanepa, Kathmandu, Nepal. I - Lars M. Braaten - am the person in charge, responsible for the Children's Home, Lars M. Braaten.

People often ask me:

Why do you do it? and How did you come upon that idea?

and everytime I reply:

Because I have that option! I am in good health, financially OK and because my heart burns for Nepal. In fact, it is quite 'easy', when you relate to and think about the huge need for education here in Nepal.

I really admire this man for doing something, for bettering the life for almost fifty children. Next time I have a book clear-out (soon as we will soon be moving apartments), I will be sending the books I no longer want to Nepal so that they can do some good.

8 May 2011

Top Ten Tuesday: Jerks, asshats...

This tuesday the top ten list is counting down a list of the top ten jerks and asshats that we have met while reading. Not in real life obviously but on the pages.For more info on Top TenTuesday and to read a really great blog, go to The Broke and The Bookish (who started this fantastic meme) at http://www.brokeandbookish.blogspot.com/

Here comes my top ten - some of them worse than others:

10) Keir from "Inexcusable" by Chris Lynch. What is really interesting about Keir is that he is the main character and narrator as well as being a real jerk who has a problem with understanding that a no is a no.

9) Edward and Jacob from "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer. Both are pretty controlling and both seem to think that being in love is an excuse to treat a girl rather badly. Still, the books would be rather boring without them :-)

8) Mr. Collins from "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen. One of my favourite minor characters ever - he is an eternal source of laughs and I never tire of reading the proposal scene over and over again.

7) Greg Fuller from "The Book, The Film, The T-shirt" by Matt Beaumont. Easily swayed by a skirt and constantly nursing a hangover/migraine due to some problem that he himself has created - and always counting on his wife and PA to bail him out. Such a jerk.

6) Professor Sturrock from "All in the Mind" by Alastair Campbell. Will not say why because of spoilers but if you've read it, you know what I mean...

5) Kevin from "We Need to Talk about Kevin" by Lionel Shriver. Why Kevin is a jerk is the question that this book revolves around and if you haven't read it, I highly recommend that you do - it is great!

4) Mr. Vuoso from "Towelhead" by Alicia Erian. Such a creep, a real asshat. Gave me chills down my spine when I read it because he repulsed me so.

3) Cardinal Richelieu in "The Three Musketeers" by Alexandre Dumas. Oooh he is a really nasty one, always has a trick up his sleeve to try to get his way. A bit of a perfect literary villain.

2) William Rackham from "The Crimson Petal and the White" by Michel Faber. I will not give any reasons as I am afraid to reveal spoilers

1) William Hamleigh from "Pillars of the Earth" by Ken Follett. Not even just a jerk but a real nasty piece of work. I hate this guy, really absolutely hate him.

Which jerks have you met on the pages of books?

7 May 2011

"One Book, Two Book, Three Book, Four... and Five..."

My favourite blogger, the wonderful Simon over at Stuck in a Book - http://www.stuck-in-a-book.blogspot.com - has done a fun little post that I will copy here :-) If you do the same, post a comment and I will visit your blog. Love reading about all your reading experiences.

1.) The book I'm currently reading:
Currently I am reading "The Russian Debutante's Handbook" by Gary Shteyngart. I started it while on vacation but is still only half-way. The main character Vladimir is such an anti-hero that I sometimes have to take little breaks from him... I am also reading the non-fiction book "Descarte's Errror" by Antonio Damasio about neuropsychology.

2.) The last book I finished:

"Mrs. Simpson: The Secret Life of the Duchess of Windsor" by Charles Higham. After having seen the amazing movie "The King's Speech", I found myself being really interested in the life of Wallis Simpson, the cause for the abdication of Edward VIII. I just finished the biography today and it was quite a read - I will try to review it tomorrow.

3.) The next book I want to read:
That is always a really difficult question... One that has me standing in front of my book shelves trying to decide which one to start next. However, my next non-fiction work will be "Havana Real" by the courageous blogger Yoani Sanchez and my next fiction read will probably be "The Passage" by Justin Cronin or "Dead Reckoning" by Charlaine Harris. Or maybe something else...

4.) The last book I bought:
"Cousin Kate" by Georgette Heyer I will be having an operation later this month and "Cousin Kate" will be one of my comfort reads to get me through some days in bed.

5.) The last book I was given:
I was given a few books for Christmas, among them "Prince Faisal's Ring" by Danish author Bjarne Reuter. Looking forward to reading it as Reuter's books have been favourites of mine for years.

Review: "Changeless"

I was really entertained by my first steampunk read "Soulless" by Gail Carriger and so I looked forward to biting into the sequel "Changeless". Alexia Tarrabotti is now Lady Maccon after having married Lord Maccon, the formidable werewolf with a temper that is matched only by his wife's... Their marriage is a happy one and Alexia is loving the life as lady of the manor. However, suddenly her husband goes missing and a strange phenomenon is causing supernaturals to lose their abilities and turn into normal people. Something has to be done and Lord Maccon (forgetting to tell his wife... bad idea) goes to Scotland to his old pack as he feels certain that they are somehow involved.

Of course Lady Maccon does not want to be left at home in London, so she instantly books a dirigible float to Scotland. However, before she has time to throw a tantrum a veritable court of people have decided to go with her and Alexia has enough to do with keeping Ivy from falling in love, keeping her sister from teasing Ivy and keeping an eye on a suspicious French inventor who wears gentleman's attire... The scene is set for an adventure and a mystery!

However, here something goes wrong. Somehow Carriger doesn't manage to do anything with all this build-up energy and the ending was really disappointing for me... Unfortunately because I loved the first half of the book but then it just all seemed to come apart and the excitement just petered out. Too bad, it was so promising. Not sure I will read the third installment in the series "Blameless". Have any of you read it? Can you recommend it?

6 May 2011

Review: "The Last Samurai"

This is one of those books that have been on my TBR list literally forever. Or at least since it came out about ten years ago.... I think we can agree than ten years is a looooong time on a TBR list? :-) However, this one was worth the wait! Actually I am glad I didn't read it ten years ago - would probably not have gotten as much out of it as I did now.
"The Last Samurai" by Helen Dewitt is a really different book but different in a good way, a fantastic way. It must have taken forever to write it but it is a modern stunner.
The book has two narrators and two main persons, Ludo the child wonder and his mother Sibylla. Sibylla comes from a family of academic disappointments. Intellektual, intelligent people who never managed to use their intellects as they dreamt of. Sibylla is a language-nerd who will swallow page after page about cultures and languages - the more obscure the better - and she makes a living typing odd magazines into an internet database. Ludo is her son - he has a father but Sibylla doesn't want him to know about his father...
Ludo is a child prodigy. A wonder boy who learns Hebrew and Arabic by himself while other kids of his age watch Sesame Street... He is nothing like an average child but somewhat like a Mozart maybe... And poor Sibylla has to try to keep him occupied and raise him while debating with herself if satisfying his constant need for more knowledge will hurt him. How do you as a mother tackle a child that is unable to play with other kids or go to school? Who teaches himself japanese and dreams about the perfect father?
Sibylla, forever without money, takes him on the Circle Line, the metro ring in London, so that at least he can keep warm while reading and studying and makes him watch "The Seven Samurais" over and over to give him male role models.

I loved the plot and the two characters. The hapless Sibylla who can hardly take care of herself not to mention a small wonder boy and who values books over anything else including food, is endearing! And Ludo, the clever little fellow who really really wants a father figure to look up to, is cute. The isolation that his intellect leads to is difficult to read about even though he doesn't completely understands it himself and his hunt for a dad is an emotional journey both for Ludo and for the reader.

If you like books with depth that encourages intellectual mind games and features great charaters, then you should definitely try "The Last Samurai".

Follow Friday - follow me please :-)

Happy Friday people! ooh I love Friday and this week has been really really long so it is fantastic to know that two days of weekend is coming up. So I am going to celebrate by participating in Follow My Book Blog Friday and visit a lot of you wonderful people!

It is hosted by parajunkee - visit at www.parajunkee.com

What character in a book would you most like to be? What character in a book would you most like to date?

I'm sorry for being boring but I am going to be honest here and go for Elisabeth Bennett and Fitzwilliam Darcy. I mean, they are the most romantic couple ever. She is so intelligent, clever, smart, witty, caring, loving and a real lady who does not care for Mr. Darcy's pride and wealth. And Mr. Darcy. Mr. Darcy....
I know, I know - I am not inventive but who wouldn't want to be part of this love story?

And now I am going to go visit all your blogs - Happy Friday!

3 May 2011

Top Ten Tuesday: Thanks for your recommendation!

The best way to learn about great books is through recommendations from people who share your taste in literature and books. I love getting books recommended to me and I love recommending books. So this week's Top Ten Tuesday topic is great for me: Books that came recommended!
Remember to pop by The Broke and the Bookish - www.brokeandbookish.blogspot.com - to see the linky for this meme and also to visit their amazing blog!

10)Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery. Came recommended from my best friend's sister and I begged my parents for it and finally got it on a vacation when I was ten years old.

9)Seacrow Island by Astrid Lindgren (better known as the author behind Pippi Longstocking) and was recommended by the librarian at my school. Loved the book and read it so often that when it was worn almost out the librabrian gave it to me.

8)The Twilight saga. Came recommended by my sister who told me that I had to read them because there really was something about these books. So I did. Several times. Just as Jamie from The Broke and The Bookish writes, this book was my gateway to many great YA experiences and I am thankful for that even if the series itself has its faults.

7)Liar's Poker by Michael Lewis came recommended by my boyfriend and is the proof that real life - and the people in it - is sometimes way stranger than fiction. Especially in banking.

6)The Mapp and Lucia series by E.F. Benson came recommended by Simon from www.stuckinabook.com and is amazing! Very funny, very entertaining and a very true picture of a certain type of Hyacinth Bucket type of person. Read it and laugh.

5)The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins came recommended by many of you my fellow bloggers. Normally would never have picked it up but I absolutely loved it!

4))Descarte's Error by Antonio Damasio. Was recommended by everyone from first-year students to lectures and ph.d. students when I studied psyholcogy. I am almost done reading it now and it is a better than amazing non-fiction book about the way emotions and brain neurology interact.

3)Special Topic in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl came recommended by my father and once I had started reading it, I just couldn't put it down again. Will need to re-read it soon.

2)The Closed Book by Jette Kaarsbol came recommended from my mother and I read it with tears in my eyes and a sense of wonder at the amazing prose and the gripping story. A Danish masterpiece!

1) Collected Works of John Betjeman. I can't remember who recommended John Betjeman's stunning poesy to me but I will always be grateful. John Betjeman's words are like a balm for my soul and I sometimes listen to his recordings of his poems when I need to be cheered up, they always speak to me of beauty.

2 May 2011

Review: "Tiger, Tiger"

In case you haven't noticed (and you probably have), "Tiger, Tiger" by Margaux Fragoso has been the centre of quite a bit of hype due to the peculiar (not sure that is the word) topic. It has been called a modern version of Nabokov's "Lolita", only told by Lolita and based on true events. So you see why there has been quite a bit of hype. Even though hype normally repels me, I have read some reviews that convinced me to give the book a chance.

The plot is disturbing to say the least. As a child Margaux lives with her tempremental, loving father and her mentally ill mother in an environment that would probably be traumatic in itself but when she is six-seven years old she meets Peter and then the real tragedy starts. Peter is 44 years older than Margaux and from the very beginning of their relationship he grooms her. He plays with her, lets her feel at home in his home and eventually introduces sex into the relationship. It is truly disturbing reading, it made me so sad and so enraged and really really frustrated because in the first part of the book, Margaux tells this story from the child's point-of-view, describing Peter as her friend and idol.
The fact that his intentions and actions are hardly questioned in this first part of the book made me so angry and disappointed in the author but then in the second half, the narrators reflections began to develop as she describes her teenage years. She reflects on the power the he has over her and the power that his memory of her 7-year-old self has over him and suddenly from a really wrong and depraved love story of starcrossed lovers in a forbidding society, this becomes a tragedy about a girl whose childhood and innocence is stolen and who is violated by someone claiming to protect her. The narrator's voice in this second half is so sad as she realizes the horror that has been inflicted on her.
For Margaux Fragoso it has been impossible to separate her own childhood from the literary attemps at telling the story - and by aiming for a story that is more than a "real-life-account", she puts herself in a difficult position. I found a quote on www.observer.com that I think sums up the issue very well:
"The cosmic profundity of what she has experienced—the book is invariably called "harrowing" in reviews and blurbs, and this characterization certainly applies to the underlying reality, if not exactly her representation of it—is inextricable from her gift as a narrator and contemplator of her own experience."

In the end I liked the book even though the story was horrific. I kept wishing that it was all fiction, all made up because it is such a tragedy. Also I would have liked Fragoso to reflect more on the topic. To be honest about the implications that this has had and to ensure that the book cannot be used as a defence for pedophiles. This brainwashed child robbed of something that she can never replace. Read it only if you are prepared to have it on your mind for days.

1 May 2011

Back again!

Wild monkeys playing

I'm back again :-) Having spent the last two weeks in Thailand enjoying the food, the culture, the weather and the company I am now back on the blog and ready to review the books that I have spent my days reading in the Hilton's hotel garden underneath palm trees and flowery trees with beautiful white blossoms.

The beach

I was quite ambitious about my reading and brought several books:

"Tiger, Tiger" by Margaux Fragoso
"The Master and Margarita" by Mikhail Bulgakov
"The Last Samurai" by Helen Dewitt
"A Game of Thrones" by George R. R. Martin
"The Russian Debutante's Handbook" by Gary Shteyngart

Bangkok seen from the river

However, I only made it through the first three and half way through Shteyngart's novel but then I also spent a lot of time listening to "The Pillars of the Earth" by Ken Follett. As you can tell from the list, it was quite an eclectic bunch of books I brought with me and I was quite surprised by some of what I read - more will follow in the reviews in the next couple of days. For now I will sign out and enjoy a lovely relaxed Sunday but first I will share a few holidays snaps with you. Have a great day :-)

Hilton garden - perfect from reading!


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Choosing the Right Furniture for Home and Office

The parameters for choosing the right furniture for home or office depend solely on the requirements of the buyer. However, there are certain aspects that need to be looked into if the right furniture is chosen. Since the variables for domestic and commercial furniture are totally different, it will be relevant to look into each of them individually.

Domestic Furniture – Aesthetics play a big role in deciding home furniture, especially living room furniture. An element of symmetry and form with the shape of the room is required, as is the colour of the upholstery to match the interiors of the room. Comfort is an overriding point when deciding on furniture for the home. Specially padded rocking chairs and couches are some examples of enhancing the comfort factor.

Bedroom furniture too should be purchased in line with the style and form of those in other rooms. However, you can choose to see all rooms in isolation. Have polished and gleaming wood furniture for your living room while opting for grandstand wrought iron bedposts and closets with full length mirrors.

Dining tables are usually the heavy stuff with large comfortable chairs to enjoy a meal at ease. Glass tops add a touch of elegance to the room and can also absorb the heat from cooking utensils. Other home furniture includes that in your study and the children’s rooms. You can either choose to buy from a brick and mortar or online store or have it especially customised for you.

Office furniture – Unlike residential furniture, that for offices is more of functionality than being relaxed. Aesthetics and beauty does matter of course but that is usually restricted to reception areas and offices of senior executives where there is a lot of client interaction. Other than that the focus is on furniture that is ergonomically designed so that staff can be relaxed even after sitting long hours at work stations

Office furniture also includes file cabinets, storage boxes and cabinets, security safes and for financial institutions, strongroom doors and vaults. The focus here is always on specific requirements, safety and security.

Choose furniture with care. It is not only a matter of how they look or to what extent it impresses others, rather it is what and how you feel when you flop down on it. Your comfort level is what matters in the final analysis.


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Saturday, 13 April 2013

A few of My Favourite Things
Where do l start!
Top of my list has to be the two men in my life, my boys l wouldnt know where l would be with out them.
I love getting new yarn to squish and look at along with a few ahhhs and a few oooos!
My Paddy who came to live with us last June, he follows me every where and l mean every where! he's a real mummy's boy and the light of my life. We love animals here at wiggles towers.
Meet my Girls, Dolly - white guinea piggy, Twiggy - browny guinea piggy and Sandy the darker one, you can only see Sandy's bum:)
 I love doing a spot of crochet now and again, infact its very addictive indeed. l taught myself to crochet three years ago when l was first diagnosed with cancer. Here's a blanket l made during one of my many stays in hospital.
As you can see these are a few of my favourite things that keep me happy in life

Toodles for now

wendy said...

Love your Paddy ☺ Nice to see you here wiggles!!
Keep up that wonderful spirit you have ♥

Jennifer said...

It's nice to see a new post from you. I agree, all of these things are very happy-making. I used to have a dog who looked very much like your Paddy and I miss him. I hope you're doing well.


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From eRepublik Official Wiki
Jump to: navigation, search

Icon-Ireland.png Ireland

Flag of the owner  Coat of Arms of Shannon
Map of the region
Capital Limerick
Language English, Irish
Last update '
Resource Icon - Grain.png

Shannon is an original region of Ireland.

Shannon is neighbored by following regions:

The Shannon Exercise

The region of Shannon played a vital part in the reorganization of the Irish Defence Forces (IDF).
During the June-July 2009 Nithraldur administration, there was a cry from Ireland that there was nothing happening. At the same time, across the border in the United Kingdom, there was a similar complaint. Nithraldur took part in secret dealings with the United Kingdom's prime minister (in-game president), Kumnaa. Together, the pair planned to orchestrate a mock-invasion of the UK into Ireland while treating it like a real war. Officials from multiple countries were informed in secret so that they would not send tanks or massive amounts of reinforcements. Likewise, several ministers and advisors in the UK and Ireland were informed.

To protect Ireland from being conquered by accident, a contract was drawn up. In it, Kumnaa and Nithraldur agreed that the UK would retreat from the battle in the closing hours. Additionally, if an accidental take over occurred, the Irish would start a battle and the UK would retreat immediately and rebuild any hospital or defense system that was destroyed.

Both presidents posted articles (12) to convince the general populace that war was upon them and on June 18th, 2009 at 12:00 eRepublik time, the UK attacked Shannon, Ireland from Northern Ireland.

A few people found the contract and exposed it before the battle was complete. This triggered outrage from many who had spent money on weapons, gifts and tickets (incidentally, spending money for such things was discouraged by the Department of Defense until real orders arrived). From others, it garnered a great amount of praise for demonstrating how unorganized the IDF truly was (pointing out that no one followed the Department of Defense's orders!). After the fact, many disputed the legality of this contract, but Kumnaa kept his word to Nithraldur none-the-less and retreated from the battle as agreed.

Had the UK actually been invading, it was shown that Ireland would have likely lost several regions (if not the whole country) very very quickly. The end result for Ireland was that in the following weeks (and months), the IDF would receive a massive overhaul and organization improved tenfold.

Additional articles on this: 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7.

Productivity and Buildings

Mayo has no buildings. The resources have changed during the past.

Today's resource First resource
Icon - Grain.png Grain Icon - Fruits.png Fruits


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River Out of Eden

From Iron Chariots Wiki
Revision as of 09:21, 5 June 2011 by Houseofcards (Talk | contribs)
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River Out of Eden is a 1995 book by biologist Richard Dawkins. The book primarily discusses evolution and summarizes the work of Dawkins' previous books The Selfish Gene, The Extended Phenotype and The Blind Watchmaker. The book is illustrated by Dawkins' wife Lalla Ward. The title is derived from passage 2:10 of Genesis: "And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads". It is Dawkins' shortest book.

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Saturday, August 6, 2011

Lughnassadh 2011

Lughnassadh Altar
So Lughnassadh did not go quite as expected. Just about everything that could go wrong, did. For starters, our location, Illinois Beach State Park, got shut down due to storm damage. So we quickly changed to Osterman Beach here in Chicago in hopes that it would be relatively quiet (it was) and hopefully cooler than inland (it wasn't.) Then due to yet another storm, Jack and Chris' basement flooded and they needed to do clean up and were unable to attend. We thought about canceling altogether but since this whole year has been messed about because of the weather, we decided to carry on and Colleen and I decided to go ahead and run the ritual ourselves (gulp!)

Our new web logo thing I made
We did scale down a bit though as we would be carrying everything for the rite on public transportation, so we dropped the potluck. I made the amazing Irishgasm cupcakes and prizes for the bake-off and small gold medallions for the take away (which you can just about see on the Altar in the pic above, in the lower right hand corner. We didn't get many pictures as we were too busy making sure we remembered everything else.) We didn't have the Grove altar things so we brought some of our own stuff, and used the tree behind as our Tree. For the rite itself we used Jack's Triple Triads, and the Lugh Invocation we have used in the past. I did take out the marriage part out though as I wasn't sure it fit which what we were doing and I am a bit iffy on the concept in general. This was however overwhelmingly accepted as a good idea by those attending the rite, so a good call I guess.

The bake- off was a bit of a wash as only three people showed up besides Colleen and me. I don't know if it was the heat or the venue change but we only had two things for the bake-off so I just gave Jennifer the gold medal for her very excellent banana bread, and Colleen the silver (for helping me with the rite plus she made an oath to bake her offering and offer it at Autumn Equinox) and we offered both offerings to Lugh.

The Grove Omen
Despite our nervousness the rite went pretty well, I did the Opening prayer, the meditation, the Gatekeeper invocation (Mannanan Mac Lir of course) and the Well, Tree and Fire, the Omen and return Blessing,  Colleen led the songs, did the Earth Mother invocation, Outsiders, and the Sacrifice, Jennifer did the Bardic invocation (to Brighid) and we divvied up the Kindreds and Lugh's Invocations among everyone. All went well until the sacrifice,  but it was accepted the third time around when we offered sufficient cupcakes (6) and sufficient banana bread (2 or 3 pieces I think?) some raisin bread was also offered, and fruit and ale. Ah well we usually get there in the end! The Grove Omen was good (I remembered to give offerings to the Kindreds this time!) and I asked for blessings from Lugh for us and we asked for blessings for those not present and then we shared the remaining cupcakes and banana bread and some lemonade.

After the rite the idea was to hang around the beach and play games and eat but with the potluck off and it being horribly hot and muggy (even on the lake front which should tell you something about how yucky it was) we all chatted for a bit but left soon after the ritual was over to go find some AC and a place to nap! (okay those were my goals anyway.) But we did get a new person interested in coming to Autumn Equinox (yay!) and Colleen and I survived running our first rite with only a few days notice so I think despite everything going pear shaped, the Onions prevailed once again!


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Official PayPal Seal Presents:
Paula DeAnda
we're wild about pop culture!
WW: Hey Paula, welcome to!
How are you?
PD: I’m great thanks for asking. I’ve been
traveling the world and doing mall tours, radio
shows, opening for headlining artist like Chris
Brown, Ne-Yo and others.

WW: Tell us about growing up in Texas. Did
music always play an important role in your life?
PD: I loved growing up in Texas, its really a
great place to live. Music has always been a
very important part in my life; I’ve been singing
as well as playing the piano since I can
remember. At the age of six I started piano
lessons but realized that my passion would be
singing and I capitalized on it.
WW: When did you know you wanted to become
a singer?
PD: At the age of six

WW: Who were your musical influences while
growing up?
PD: Selena, LeAnn Rhimes, Jaci Valaquez,
Alicia Keys, Mariah Carey and Aaliyah!

WW:  Before being signed to Arista, you recorded songs and opened up for such acts as  Nelly and Frankie J. How old were you when this was happening? Did you ever feel overwhelmed?
PD: I was 15 and yes it was overwhelming but very exciting.
WW: Once you began to create buzz across Texas, was attending high school and living a 'normal' life difficult?
PD:  Attending high school was very difficult I began to book a lot of gigs across the country and found myself forced to start online classes. I am still living the normal life though when I’m in Corpus Christi. I still can do all the things I used to do.
WW: You're song, "Doin' Too Much" featuring Baby Bash is really picking up heat nation-wide! Did you know this song would be a run-a-way hit?
PD: I hoped it would but its been more of a success then I  ever imagined.
WW: Tell us how you got signed by J Records.
PD: Let’s see here... I made a demo for my manger Ed Ocanas and we got some air  play with What Would It Take then Baby Bash, Angel Noa and I, wrote Doing Too Much to the beat of Happy Perez, which became an instant hit, it went up the charts and labels started calling then Wendy Goodman from J Records set up a meeting for me to sing for Steve Ferrara (A&R), Then I sang for Clive Davis, Richard Palmese, Michael Williams, Steve Ferrera and others .. then got signed. That’s the short version if I had ten pages I could get into complete details.

WW:  What can you tell us about your debut album?
PD: It’s been fun and amazing to work with all the artists, so far its a overall great album that I personally have co-wrote on.
WW: Will you use your bilingual skills to record any Spanish language music?
PD: Right now I am focusing on my English but I would love to sometime in the future.
WW: Who's one celebrity you just cant wait to meet at an industry party or event?
PD: I can’t wait to meet Alicia Keys!
Doin' Too Much
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Walk Away
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Saturday, May 6, 2017

Powers of Thought: Tips for Challenging Negative Thoughts & Lies

Everyone is troubled with negative thoughts or cognitive lies about themselves or situations or abilities at some point in their lives.

When the brain goes negative it can eat away positive, productive, creative, and general fulfillment in yourself and your life.

Negative thoughts are harmless unless you believe in them. In fact believing in negative thoughts grants the negative content more influence and power over how you act, feel, react and think.

Whether aware of it or not the average person thinks anywhere from 11,000 to 70,000 thoughts or more per day. Amazingly, 85 percent of people's thoughts are negative. Repetitious negative thinking trains the brain to focus more on the negative rather than positive thoughts. It is human nature to focus on the negative thoughts in order to fix them or make things right and take positive thoughts for granted. In order to be more positive and productive negative thinking, ruminations and cognitive lies have to be turned around by taking away their power and you accomplish this task through confronting or challenging them.

The key elements to turning around negative thoughts, ruminations, and cognitive lies into positive and productive thoughts are to 1) identifying and recognizing the negative core beliefs which are generating your thoughts, 2) challenge those negative beliefs by denouncing them, and 3) lastly replacing those negative beliefs (aka mind code errors) with positive beliefs which are more accurate and true beliefs. Shifting negative beliefs into positive ones end in a more positive inner voice also.

If negative thought, ruminating, and cognitive lies go unchecked then the result could be a thought addiction, stronger negative thoughts and influential cognitive lies that turn into fact and truth while causing false emotions, and inappropriate behaviors or acting out.

Distorted thoughts do not start at the thought level. If cognition is attempted to be corrected at the thought level then the mark has been missed. Thoughts are a byproduct of what is called negative core beliefs which are generated from one's mind code. Mind code is the accumulation of data accepted from life experiences and situations that turn into self-messages (aka core beliefs). If core beliefs are negative then one’s inner voice is negative.

Personal Philosophy Restructuring is coaching method based on the understanding that your mind code influences the creation of core beliefs or self-messages which feed content to your inner voice. Your inner voice then produces and governs the formation of thoughts which determines and manifests in emotions and behaviors.

To look at it a different way. Data gathered from life experiences and situations are accepted and stored in the subconscious mind (mind code, core beliefs, core values and core expectations). Subconscious data becomes conscious once the data passes into conscious awareness at the inner voice phase and thoughts are actually formed and generated through the inner voice statements. At this point, no one or the outside world can see or know what is occurring in your head. Thoughts influence and govern the production of behaviors, emotions, and reactions which everyone can see.
So, when you change your core beliefs to positive and productive which will drastically interrupt the sequence just described resulting in altering your thoughts and subsequently you act and react differently as well as feel differently.

Therefore if the data you absorb (aka mind code) from your life experiences are critical, hurtful, judging, lies, negative, or painful, your core beliefs will be self-critical, hurtful, self-judging, lies, negative, and full of pain and the end result will be that your behaviors tend to be inappropriate and not helpful in situations. Also, your emotions will be false based on distorted data.

What can be done?

Negative thoughts and self-lies are the results of formed negative beliefs. When you don’t have all of the knowledge of what is happening to you or why our thoughts are so distorted, skewed and negative, you have a tendency to believe them and they become your self-truths. Then your life becomes a burden and completely unfulfilling.

Empowering yourself with the first step of identifying and recognizing is essential. Here are tips to help you to empower yourself by challenging your core beliefs. To be empowered you have to face your negative thought and cognitive lies directly.

How to Challenge  Your Negative Thoughts and Cognitive Lies

Answering these questions will empower you in discovering the truth of your core beliefs which are generating negative thoughts & cognitive lies.

How do I know if my thoughts are based on accurate and truthful core beliefs?

What evidence or fact do I have to support this belief?

How can I do to test my belief to find out if it’s accurate?

Do I have a trusted friend, loved one or family member who knows me well enough that I can check out my beliefs with?

Is this belief helpful, positive or productive to my life?

Are there other ways that I can believe about life myself or situations?

Am I too critical, judging, negative or punitive toward myself?

From my history, who else or what situations contributed to me believing this way about myself?
Are my actions, feelings and thinking really in my control?

Am I over thinking my beliefs about myself or over expecting to the point of being disappointed in my performance?

What would I say to another I was emotionally attached to expressing the same beliefs about themselves in this situation?

Do I always view the best in others and the worst in myself?

Am I doubting who I believe I am or holding myself to unreasonable standards?

Are my beliefs (self-messages) I have about me - 1. true or false, 2. real or illusion, 3. productive or unproductive, or 4. healthy or unhealthy?

You can challenge your negative core belief and self-lies with the questions above by making a list of all the beliefs you have toward yourself. This can be hard, because some beliefs have become so distorted, so ingrained, and so deeply embedded in your subconscious mind that they have become your self-truths, therefore, you do not recognize them as a lie or you challenge their validity.

Take Away

When working on discovering your negative core beliefs and listing them try to have a positive mindset, be mindful, open and consider all possibilities. Simply doing this exercise can help you to understand why you act, feel think and react toward yourself and in situations the way you do.

Your listing of your beliefs can show you that your beliefs are not true, were made up judgments from others based on their illusions about you, not productive and are extremely mentally, emotionally and physically unhealthy. So you don’t have to own them anymore. Detach and discard the beliefs that don’t serve you and replace them with healthy beliefs which will empower you and enhance your life.

Visit website and click here to download free eBook for more information on this topic

                                     Coach Bill

  1. Thanks for sharing this kind of useful information can you play offers best emotional freedom techniques and how it works.
    For More Information. Click here

  2. Dear canyou play,

    Thank you very much for your comments. Challenge your negative thoughts and the resulting cognitive lies. I will check you out.


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The Beginner’s Guide to Entertainment

Manga: Offering Countless Hours of Entertainment

Anyone who is into comic books have likely heard about manga, the Japanese’s take on comic books and graphic novels. This style was developed in the 19th century and continues to gain popularity around the world. These manga comics are now being syndicated to various websites that are focused on providing entertainment through this Japanese-styled comic books.

The Japanese language is commonly used in most manga comics and to cater to a wide range of audiences, websites make it a point to translate these works. There are a handful of websites out there that translates these manga comics into their native language. If you are in Indonesia and you would want to baca komik Indonesia, you can always rely on the power of search engines to give you top sources. Baca is an Indonesian word that translates to “read.”

When it comes to translation services, Indonesian fans of these Japanese works can find comfort in baca komik Indonesia. As a source of entertainment, manga comics continue to cater to the needs of both adults and children. When it comes to its classifications, manga comics have numerous genre that ranges from comedy to adult entertainment. These comics offer its readers countless hours of entertainment that they’d likely forget about the time as they breeze through the pages of each novel.

There are also mobile applications that are maintained by providers of baca komik Indonesia in addition to the website they run. Through the apps that they maintain, they are able to give their readers their much-needed mobility so they can read their favorite series whenever and wherever they want to. While the majority of the contents is offered for free, there are those comic series that comes with a very small price tag should you download it.

Manga is different from the typical American comics that are usually intended to cater to the entertainment needs of kids and teens. With manga, every age group has content that caters to the unique needs of every reader. In fact, Japanese manga has contents that are solely for the entertainment of adults.

Before websites were created, manga comics were solely available in physical comic books that fans have to run to their comic shops to get their manga fix. The majority of the fans of these Japanese works no longer have to spend a lot of money on comic books as 90% of these manga contents have been made available for free on manga websites. Fans who want to read their comics in Bahasa can search for Bahasa-specific manga websites in major search engines using the keywords “baca komik Indonesia.”

Through the digital form of these manga comic books called e-comics, fans of these Japanese art works can now easily read the different stories each manga novel offers. Those who don’t speak Japanese can even enjoy these works as there are translation services offered by different websites that market these contents.


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You Here : Home > Windows

P7S Signer 4.0

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Publisher Old version

August 23 2011

P7S Signer 4.0

P7S Signer is a standards-based electronic signature solution. Signing electronic documents with P7S Signer will immediately reduce costs, increase security and help organizations comply with regulations. Electronic signatures are based on standard PKI technology, guaranteeing signer authenticity, data integrity and the non-repudiation of electronic documents.

Using P7S Signer you can quickly sign multiple files (any type of files) by selecting input and output directory. This is ideal for bulk signing of large number of corporate files.

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Saturday, May 29, 2010

Come Again by John Dowland (published 1597)

This Renaissance song was redone by Sting on his album "Songs from a Labyrinth":

Come again,
Sweet love doth now invite,
Thy graces that refrain
To do me due delight.
To see, to hear,
To touch, to kiss,
To die with thee again
In sweetest sympathy

Come again,
That I may cease to mourn
Through thy unkind disdain
For now left and forlorn.

I sit, I sigh,
I weep, I faint,
I die, in deadly pain
And endless misery

Gentle love,
Draw forth thy wounding dart:
Thou canst not pierce her heart;
For I that do approve.
By sighs and tears
More hot than are
Thy shafts, did tempt while she
For scanty tryumphs laughs.

Friday, May 28, 2010

Another Quote of the Day

"I have been astonished that men could die martyrs
for their religion--
I have shuddered at it,
I shudder no more.
I could be martyred for my religion.
Love is my religion
and I could die for that.
I could die for you."
John Keats

Quote of the Day

"We don't read and write poetry because it's cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for.

Dead Poet's Society"
John Keating

What I am Reading, or What Did I Get Myself Into?!

I am currently reading five books and have only a month before vacation to complete them! I am a glutton for punishment, I tell ya!
Here they are:
Vanity Fair by Thackeray---I am joining the discussion at the Victorians! group on Goodreads

Haunted by Chuck Palahniuk---against my better judgment ;) Thanks, Holly! I keep wanting to put it down, but don't for some reason. I even skipped the infamous short story, Guts!

Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell, for the Cranford Read Along

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, for the Pride and Prejudice Without Zombies Read-along

Master and Commander by Patrick O'Brian for the Jane Austen group on Goodreads

I did start Becoming Jane Austen, but quickly put it aside for better things. It's a pretty boring biography of Austen. I'll save this for our tundra-like winters...

I am hoping to fit in some writing too, in the midst of all this craziness. Stay tuned. I am working on something I am calling "Venice: A Reuniting" in preparation for our second journey to Venice....

Also, the topic for our writing group next week is Humor, so the first thing that comes to mind is Children's Lit! The best humor in my book! I'll be sharing The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame, The Tales of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter, and Solomon the Rusty Nail by William Steig. All three of these books are pretty pertinent to the title of this post: What did I get myself into!

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Another Jane Austen Read Along:

I will be joining Austenprose in a read-along:

‘Pride and Prejudice without Zombies’

June 15th – July 17th, 2010 at Austenprose

In honor of reclaiming Jane Austen’s classic novel

Pride and Prejudice back from the living dead

If you wish to join, check out for more info. The Event Preview begins on June 9th. You need to RSVP by June 14th.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

A Poem for Summer by Emily Dickinson

I just stumbled across this poem by Emily Dickinson. I thought it was perfect since summer has already begun! It is very beautiful too...

A something in a summer's Day

A something in a summer's Day
As slow her flambeaux burn away
Which solemnizes me.

A something in a summer's noon—
A depth—an Azure—a perfume—
Transcending ecstasy.

And still within a summer's night
A something so transporting bright
I clap my hands to see—

Then veil my too inspecting face
Lets such a subtle—shimmering grace
Flutter too far for me—

The wizard fingers never rest—
The purple brook within the breast
Still chafes it narrow bed—

Still rears the East her amber Flag—
Guides still the sun along the Crag
His Caravan of Red—

So looking on—the night—the morn
Conclude the wonder gay—
And I meet, coming thro' the dews
Another summer's Day!

Why I Write: A List

1. the first and most important reason why I both write and read is the search for that moment of complete transcendence, where nothing else matters, but a certain truth. It is that point in a piece of creative writing in which the reader gets past the words and letters, and forgets that he or she is reading.
2. because I love words. how they look, feel, sound, how they feel when read out loud, how they make me feel, how they react to the words around them. I love when a certain word sticks around, resonating with me as I go about my day.
3. because of the act of writing and how it feels to physically write, depending on the tool. I recently acquired a typewriter, given to me by a neighbor. I love how writing changes with the tool used: whether it is the very physical action of typing on the typewriter, the speed and effortlessness of a laptop (almost like the fingers are directly connected to the brain's current), the graceful, sweeping movement of a pen, or the more rustic, earthy feel of pencil to paper. Different emotions, mood, motions for each tool...Will the writing follow? I hope to try them all and see what develops.
4. because I love the blank page, whether in a fancy journal that will be around for a while or a scrap paper lying around in my purse. (look inside my purse and you will see such papers covered with jumbles of writing written at that "light bulb" moment)
5. because I have a definite need for an arena to explore my crazy, ever-changing emotions-getting my feelings down on paper in order to sort through them into a sort of coherence, and discard those that are irrelevant (probably the majority). I've found that a typewriter can be very helpful in this process. Its very physical, rough kind of motion allows for the tumultuous emotions to surge out of my mind into my hands.
6. because writing transcends all works of art. Nothing is required of it. Memory is the minimal means of recording. Also, a handy hand to be written upon, a scrap receipt and a loose crayon on the carpet, or the digital world and its never-ending means of dissemination. To me, its the most perfect art form because it requires only our thoughts and some necessary practice.
7. because after 41 years of searching, I have found that it is the one thing I have always done, the one thing I feel I am meant to do, and the one thing I am comfortable doing. I still need to find a way to summon up the self-confidence to let my writing go out into the world without regret.
8. because of the body's inevitable demise (this is for you, John!) and how we all wish we could stick around longer. You can leave behind your shoes and a worn out old chair, but in order for someone to truly remember you, who you are deep inside, you need to leave a piece of yourself behind-your thoughts, feelings, aggravations, triumphs, ideals, teachings, or just some ramblings jotted every once in while in a journal. I would love to make a stamp in the world while I am here, but it would be nice if I am remembered too, even if only by my loved ones.
9. because I want to record those moods or moments that are so very fleeting before they pass by and are gone. They seem memorable at the time, yet they are eventually forgotten if enough time goes by.
10. because i enjoy being a writer. It "fits" me. I have always been an observer, a reader of both words and people, someone on the sidelines. In our society, where extroversion and assertiveness are valued above everything, it is nice to know there are still vocations out there for people like us. I heard someone say once that one should only be a writer after trying everything else. Well, believe me, I have tried out many things, but writing seems to be the only thing that really works.
11. because I can write anywhere and the writing will always be with me anywhere I happen to find myself. It isn't that I am a nomad, but it is nice to know I am never tied down by my career.
12. because writing makes me proud. Not in a negative way, but in a "hold my head up with confidence " way. I think it must be because I feel I am doing the right thing for me. Writing is a noble profession with limitless rewards (if you don't mind the rewards not being monetary) and limitless aspirations.
13. because I love knowing that I am now part of the ongoing conversation, like I have finally been invited to that dream party with all the right people, people who I have everything in common with--this group of writers, alive or dead, who have found a way to express themselves through words.
14. because technology has now opened long-closed doors, enabling all of us solitary writers to be heard at last.
15. And, finally, almost as important a reason as my first, because I love people. I love their struggles, their facets, their shared humanity, and I love, and have faith, that no matter what happens, we will all be there for each other.

Monday, May 24, 2010

Lost: The Finale and What I Thought

Spoiler Alert!!: if you have not watched the finale yet, do not read on!

Let me say first off that I think the writers of LOST truly kept up the pace until the bitter end. They managed to maintain supreme quality writing from the first time we see Jack open his eye, until the very end, when his eye closes at his natural death. Secondly, an analysis of this 120 episode show can only really be accomplished by looking at it in a very general, universal way. If we try to arrange the details to fit like a puzzle, it just doesn't work. That said, I really don't think arranging the details is really necessary. The writers obviously kept the plot very open-ended, as all good writers do. Any great work of writing inevitably creates a conversation, and better yet, one without any closure whatsoever. It allows the piece to live on indefinitely, as LOST will. I think having a television show of this caliber with this wide of a scope should tell us a lot about where we are going as a society. Television isn't merely a form of mind-numbing pleasure anymore. Television has the same sort of capacity for change and transcendence as literature has always had. Technology is giving humanity new forms of communication and ways of relating, probably on a bigger scale than we have ever seen up until now.

So, now to try to decipher what this show has really meant, or at least my opinion of its meaning. I think the best place to start is with the characters. It seems that the most important, crucial characters have names that are symbolic of something:
First character that we see is Jack Shephard. He is the Everyman Jack (see second Footnote) trying to make his way in the world, but it is obvious he begins life with more than most of us have: wealth, intelligence, a father who is an MD and a brain surgeon, confidence, his own MD in brain surgery, and a God complex (which all or most doctors probably need to have in order to do what they do). So, in reality, he really isn't an Everyman Jack after all (on the other hand, see first Footnote). He is exceptional in many ways and, to add to this, he is also a born leader and takes the lead in every endeavor he attempts, not to mention always needing to be the one to "fix" things. This is where the name Shephard comes in, not spelled the same as the protector of sheep, but we get the picture. His father's name is even more perfect, Christian Shephard, which we see the meaning of why he has this name at the end. Christian is the first one through the doors to the light. Jack also spends his time either looking for his father or trying to find his father's lost body. Jack will eventually lead his own "flock" through those doors (they loyally wait for him to remember and join them), following his father, Christian, a play on the name of Christ who is the first to open the gates of heaven.

The next character of importance is John Locke. John and Jack clash over the question of faith vs. science and I think what is significant is that they are both leaders. They seem, as the series progresses, to each take one side over the other. John Locke believed that the island has a higher purpose, and Jack had trouble believing this. Jack desperately wanted to find every means for escape and try to get everyone to follow. In the end, John Locke is right, but Jack, ever since he returned to the island after having left it, has acquired this faith. At the same time, Locke begins to doubt his own faith due to lack of proof or signs. His doubt almost leads to his own suicide (if Ben hadn't interrupted and killed Locke himself). Jack tries life away from the island, but the island kept drawing him back with a very powerful unseen force. John Locke is named after the 18th century English philosopher who very curiously believed that all knowledge begins with what comes to the mind from the senses. Only then can people begin to organize this information through reason. His symbolic name echoes the reason why he kept waiting for the island to give him some kind of sign. At the time, he felt that the hatch was that sign. To Locke, the hatch represented the island and its higher purpose, and he wasn't exactly wrong about that, as we now know. It is pretty fitting that the smoke monster used Locke's body as his vehicle to influence people to follow him. Locke is not only a born-leader, but one whose sincerity and optimism wins over most people he comes across. He seems to look at you like he knows you and has complete trust and confidence in you. People are at ease and open with him, and this allows the smoke monster to win over many to his side. Locke, like Jack, has a troubled relationship with his own father, and we can contrast this struggle with Jack's attempt to deal with his own father's death.

Desmond Hume is the next most significant character. His name also means something. David Hume was an 18th century philosopher, and Scottish to boot. He wanted to bring philosophy to its senses, and he scoffed at the idea of human reason. He believed that what people knew of the world began with the senses. I find it ironic that the philosopher Hume did not believe in god or science, but Desmond Hume has so much faith. He pressed that darn button for how many years? Hume the philosopher did not put any faith in either science or religion because people can only have the ability to see these ideas from a limited perspective. Desmond is not limited at all in that he is a kind of all-experiencing character. He is able to withstand the power of the island and is able to travel over the alternate realities. He maintains multiple perspectives, to override Hume's insistence on "tunnel vision" in human reasoning. Desmond ultimately is the coordinator of this reunion at the church at the end. His faith is real in that he can prove it through his own experience.

And, let's not forget Hugo Hurley, the lovable guy who inherits the island after Jack's death. Hurley's favorite word is "dude", and one can't help but feel at ease around such a casual, fun-loving individual. Hugo is unique in that he was perpetually haunted by the six numbers he used to win the lottery back home. (I'd list them, but I don't want to jinx myself.) Everywhere he goes, the numbers pop up. And these numbers always cause bad things to happen. For instance, the numbers that Desmond had to enter into the hatch's computer so that it wouldn't implode were Hurley's numbers. The only time that Desmond neglected to enter them caused Oceanic Flight 815 to crash! I suppose it is possible that Hugo was named after Victor Hugo, the French writer who was the champion of those less fortunate and social injustice. Hugo himself is obese, and Sawyer creates new and more demeaning names early on in the series to comment on his appearance, an unfortunate casualty of his obsession with food. To me, Hugo is the sweetest , most down-to-earth, and accepting character of the bunch. It is perfect that he is chosen to nurture the island after it has been restored by Jack. And, it is even more perfect that he chooses a partner, Benjamin Linus, to help him. Hurley forgets Benjamin's faults and outsider status and welcomes him in with open arms.

Benjamin Linus is one truly damaged, "lost" character. When we first meet him, he is the leader of the Others. This fact is significant in that Benjamin never belongs anywhere,(he is always an "other"), whether this is due to his own fault is beside the point. He maintains this status as outsider because of his ambition. His self-esteem is seriously deficient, and he spends most of his time trying to restore it. It is quite possible that Benjamin's last name "Linus" is a play on the word "lie" in that this is what Benjamin does best. Unfortunately, he uses deceit and manipulation as his means, but if we examine him closely , we see the incredible scars he has had to live with and can somewhat forgive him for his actions. But because he kills John Locke, the only one who can offer him forgiveness is John himself, which of course he does. Benjamin chooses to remain in the alternate reality in the end, remaining the perpetual outsider, to work out his mistakes and selfish tendencies. At the end, he is a symbol of humility, which for him, is huge! He does not allow himself to join the group, even though he is invited by Hurley to do so. Benjamin was obviously a good second in command to Hurley, and this fact shows that he is headed in the right direction.

Sawyer is significant in that he is known by the name of his sworn enemy. He is the rebel of the group, and the guy who grows the most. Sawyer starts out as bitter, negative, and suspicious of others, and he learns to love and make friends by the end of the series. He opposes Jack in many ways. They both love Kate and Juliet at different points in the series, but Sawyer's true love is Juliet. Sawyer is as lovable as Hurley by the final episode, and he learns to live by integrity alone, instead of merely his desire for revenge.

I am not sure whether this is a good or bad thing, but it seems all the female characters are defined by their roles as mothers. Kate is crossed out from the list of candidates due to her becoming an adoptive mother to Aaron. Sun is disqualified after becoming a mother. Claire is the mother who goes insane and neglects her child. Juliet is a fertility expert, who is the mother of Jack's son in the alternate reality. And, it seems there are an awful lot of female characters who have died: Juliet, Charlotte, Libby, Shannon, the foster mother of Jacob and the Man in Black etc. I'm really not sure how to interpret this lack of female strength, but it is what it is. Any female who asserts herself in a too-masculine way, gets gunned down eventually. It is possible though that motherhood is considered to be of primary importance, even more important than the "source". Therefore, females would be considered the sole protectors of creation and so would be disqualified to be protectors of the island. And, let's not forget that it was Kate who ultimate killed the smoke monster in the end. She was helped out by Desmond, who shut off the source and made him immortal, but it was Kate who shot that last bullet. So, maybe after all, femininity is the ultimate power here in LOST world.

OK, so now let's get down to what I thought about what actually happened in this crazy TV series, what the ending tells us about what happens beforehand, and what we will take away with us now that it is ended. So, after seeing the finale, it is apparent that we were seeing this whole thing through Jack's perspective and experience. I found this surprising because most of the time, I had trouble relating to him. He is the kind of guy that you love to hate--hyper-successful, effortlessly rises to the top, who everyone appears to adore i.e. too proud in my book. These last episodes showed a Jack who is just as flawed, lost, and terrified of the future as the others. Jack is inevitably the glue that binds everyone together, not because of his perfection, but because of his own very human flaws and tendencies. He is the last to show up, the last to "let go and remember". He is true to himself until the end in that he is the last to let go of reason and embrace faith completely. Jack tries to love Kate, but he can't. He isn't allowed to love her like the other "lovers" in the series, but like he loves everyone else in the church---with a universal, binding love, full of compassion and togetherness, bound by human weaknesses and human potential. Jack saves the world and is the true hero, but he remains somewhat isolated within this heroism. Jack as a character is the embodiment of the lone hero, therefore he cannot truly bind to Kate completely. The ending of LOST serves to circumvent and "correct" this quite burdensome archetype of Jack's. The ending emphasizes that, in the words of Jack himself, "We can live together, or die alone." No one from "Jack's flock" dies alone in LOST. They are bound together by this togetherness that they have fostered throughout the six seasons of ups and downs. Let's face it. Most of these characters had gone through horrific circumstances, so why wouldn't their time together be the defining time of their life? Who can really top this? The ending was not corny, or overly simplified. Everyone seemed natural and accepting at the end. What we hope to all be.

So, let's get to all the complicated stuff that happened before Jack died. What is this source? Who are Jacob and the Man in Black? What about Eloise and all this talk of time travel, coordinates, the pendulum etc.? What about the Dharma initiative and their move to the island? Who is Charles Widmore? Is he bad or good? Well, I see it pretty simply. I am going to call it "anti-agnosticism". LOST is commenting on the point our world has come to: the advancement of science so far that the reason for our existence has been proven (or in the real world, quite possibly about to be proven). Within LOST, the human race has started to discover this "source". Charles Widmore merely represents to me a kind of scientific explorer, for good or evil depending on your perspective. He and his team have found proof of the source's existence and now wish to use it for human benefit. We can compare him to Christopher Columbus discovering the New World. I am sure the consequences would be similar if no one was protecting the island. The "source" would be raped and pillaged for all it has, like the Native Americans and their land was. Eloise symbolizes the opposite of this scientific discovery: intuition. She is able to sense things that go beyond reason, so combined with Widmore's powers, they are a formidable force. I found it very interesting that they were married in the alternate reality. Daniel Faraday (Widmore) was their tool (and it is quite fitting that he was their son in the flash sideways). He was the idealistic scientist searching for the ultimate truth. His goal was idealistic, as are all ideas when they are created. It is only when these ideas get into the wrong hands that they are twisted around and abused. The Dharma folks were others who wished to harness the power of the island, but in a more benevolent fashion. Linus breaks off from the Dharma because he was much more ambitious than them, and thirsted for power.

No child could be conceived on the island. So the mysterious original protector of the island (the unnamed woman) needed to steal Jacob and the Man in Black, so that she would have someone to take over when if she were ever killed. The water that these new protectors drink is symbolic for the source and its strength. If you drink the water handed to you by the previous protector, you become one with your predecessor and one with the source. This is reminiscent of the process of transubstantiation that we see in the Catholic sacrament of Holy Communion. The protectors have one goal: to protect the source and as we can see, not everything they do is pure and good for the sake of the island. The protectors are all humans, and humans are destined to be flawed in their humanity, as both Jacob and the Man in Black were.

So, at the end, we are really left with two things: the restoration of the source, and thus the salvation of the island, and the salvation of Jack and his "flock". As I said in the beginning, in order to understand LOST, you must simplify down to its essence and universality. Within LOST itself, the characters undergo this same purification process. They too let go of everything at the end, and they are brought down to just the essence of who they are and how they relate to the group. To me, this ending symbolizes the compassion required of all of us to achieve the ultimate spiritual transcendence. The source has been restored and the survivors of Flight 815 (and a few others) can move on. The island and its mysterious source are real, the survivors were alive until their individual deaths, and the alternate reality was just a purification process of remembering the joy, heartache, and compassion that they collectively experienced before they were able to leave this world.

The penultimate meeting at the church at the end was arranged by Desmond in order for their lives to be celebrated and remembered before they "move on", kind of like a funeral where only the dead are invited. LOST's final episode is a type of funeral within a funeral because LOST itself will no longer be with us and we will all move on with our lives. We will eventually find something else to fill our Tuesday evenings, but LOST's memory will live on in our hearts, and in our conversations, for a long, long time.

From Columbia Encyclopedia:
Everyman, late-15th-century English morality play. It is the counterpart of the Dutch play Elckerlijk; which of these anonymous plays is the original has been the subject of controversy. When Everyman is summoned by Death, he can persuade none of his friends-Beauty, Kindred, Worldly Goods-to go with him, except Good Deeds. This allegory has been used as the basis of plays by later writers and has remained popular in modern times.

From online dictionary:
every man jack
n. Informal Every single person of a group

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Cranford Read-along

Starting on June 1st, I'll be joining in on a Cranford Read Along. I have been wanting to start this novel, and this will give me the motivation I need! If you're interested, check out A Literary Odyssey Blog at for more info.

Friday, May 21, 2010

Book Review: Les Particules (The Elementary Particles) by Michel Houellebecq

This is a truly ugly book with little bits of beauty hidden within its hatred. The author is a French novelist who was highly acclaimed by reviewers when this novel was published in 2000, at the turn of the millennium. If I hadn't been so sure of the author's satirical commentary on modern society and its danger of decline, I would have been tempted to push myself down the stairs in a wheelchair, like one of his characters, after reading it! I would not recommend this book to those who are faint of heart, or in a fragile mental state. That said, I believe Houellebecq has a lot to say in this book, and, for those with an open-minded global understanding of the world since the turn of the millennium, this book is a must-read. I personally am not fond of post-modern literature because of its gloom and doom, but for some reason this book really resonated with me. Out of all its despair and hatred, I found that I emerged from the reading with an unexpected hope for mankind and its future. In the words of Chuck Palahniuk: "It's only after we've lost everything that we're free to do anything." . Engaging in this text allows the reader to start anew, after all of this dreadful post-modern angst has finally ceased.

Quote of the Day

"Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none."
William Shakespeare (All's Well That Ends Well)

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

What I am Pondering...

My thoughts have been trying to get wrapped around three books and/or philosophies lately:
Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead, which supposedly has been gaining popularity recently (unfortunately for our country I might add), Chuck Palahniuk's Fight Club, and D.H Lawrence's Women in Love. I've been trying to sort out their basic ideas and philosophies and will be bringing my thoughts to writing group tomorrow. All three works touch on many of the same things, but not all lead to a happy conclusion...more later.


text: Icepick is an animus IceWing. He is six years old, and his father is Hvitur. When he was one, he recieved a letter from the Talons of Peace, comfirming that Hvitur had been dead for at least a year. Icepick remembers most things he reads, and started picking apart his library as soon as he found out his father worked in the Talons of Peace, because the letter didn't say a name. His mother was so traumatized by the letter, she lost her speach, and comunicated with Icepick by writing him short letters. When he was three, his mother froze herself from the inside out. When Queen Glacier found out he was an animus, she made a deal with him, so now he fight's as an ally to her army. He has short temper that often goes off at the smallest things. He is afraid of drowning and terrible at telekinesis, but can easily bring statues to life. He built and enchanted a statue of his father, Hvitur, and put it to work digging out a tunnel to the oasis along the river between the Sand Kingdom and the Sky Kingdom. He is bitter, and believes that there is no such thing as a good dragon. There is nothing remarkable about his appearance.


text:
Your region

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Fan page project 3

Now Fan page project is running strongly. If you want to work with us please contact with us. Fan page project is a very easy work at all. And for this work you need to have much facebook frndss.

Mixed friend: minimum 30,000 friend

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Thursday, August 1, 2013

Nasir-almolk mosque

Considering lack of time, most of Shiraz visitors prefer to spend their time on Perspolis, Arg of Karim-khan , Eram garden, Shah cheragh mosque etc. but Shiraz has much more to offer. One of the unknown, extremely beautiful architecture masterpieces is Nasir-al-molk mosque located in Lotfali-khan street.
The mosque was built by Mohammad Hassan memar (Mohammad Hassan the architect) which took 12 years during Qajar era. Every corner is decorated by tiles with Islamic pattern tiles (Girih tiles), colorful glasses(Girih glasses), Muqarnas etc.
As is mentioned the mosque is located in Lotfali-khan street in Shiraz so it's like 10 minutes walking from Shah cheragh mosque and 15 minutes walking from Arg of Karim-khan. Winters are perfect for visiting and the best time is 9 AM because sun shines from better angle so light shines through windows and makes the floor and columns colorful.

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