text:
Wednesday, 3 April 2013

Achieve Personal Success

Jared D Ingram

We all strive for success...  But what is this success? Success, when viewed with a positive mental attitude, is a process, a journey and not a destination.

Success for the husband and wife means making their marriage work with hope that they can celebrate their golden wedding anniversary. Success will mean keeping their family intact with communication lines open.

Success for a student means passing the courses in school and developing mind and talents to make a beneficial contribution to the human race.

Success for the surgeon means saving a life!

So what does success finally add up to? A diploma on the wall? A trophy in the case? Money in the bank? Professional honors? Yes, this is success, but more than this, success is being able to look at yourself in the mirror and be proud of the person you have become! Success is noblest when it leaves you with self respect that you have become a good steward of life, liberties, possibilities, and opportunities that God offered to you.

Achieving personal success gives you joy, real joy, when you look at yourself. As the cliche goes "Don't love the office you work for, instead love the work you do. Your office may betray you, your work wont."

The moment you fall in love with your work is the moment you can be sure of your success. Your life is in your hands, and so is success if only you try achieving it. Are we all successful in things that we do? What is keeping us from success? Why do we limit our own abilities?

The reason for failure is lack of self confidence. No matter how impossible the task may seem, self-confidence is the seed for success. Success is analyzing, recognizing, visualizing, mobilizing and energizing our possibilities and seeing them turn into realities.

The first step towards achieving your personal success is to frame a goal which is long term. Visualize yourself after 10 years. How and where do you want yourself to be? This clears your mind of any doubts you may have. The next step is to frame short term goals, goals that lead the way towards the main objective. Take a goal, make it your life. Dream of it, breathe it, live it... And don't fail to love it. "Be the change you want to see". Seek pleasures in small and beautiful things around you, yet don't get immersed. Stay focused on your vision.  If you do this, success is all yours. Dare to dream the impossible. Yet work to turn your dreams into reality. Dreamers who become doers operate emotionally and rationally with self confidence. When opportunity meets preparedness the outcome is called "luck", but don't rely on that all your life. Take a goal, make it your life, dream of it, and achieve personal success.

With these simple but powerful approaches you can bid goodbye to failures and hello to success.

  1. Thank you always for sharing

    1. Thank you for your kindness for sharing

  2. muy bien esas palabras siempre alientan a encontrar la felicidad y satisfacción interna y personal

  3. Excellent! Thanks very much!
    Jean C. Alvarez

  4. Short, direct and powerful. Thank you Graham!

  5. Great work. Thumb up. Keep the Fire Burning!!!

  6. Its the simplest way of defining success yet so powerful n 2 the point

  7. Very difficult subject but you , Mr. Graham Dragon , summed it up in the most honest and Artistic way . Its really an informative , inspiring and motivating article . I would like to share it with my 2,222 face book friends to get some appreciation for myself for sharing this highly valuable Article for them . of course with your kind permission .

  8. In a new age..knowledge based ecology..the civil world is defined by shares and cares to realize a real sense of prosperity is only possible when wealth of information is a collective source of diverse empowering in each personal experience if consummated resourced goodwill..the perspective Mr Ingram has shared with us all...that is how wealth and well being is achieved as this blog forum..manifests.
    Thanks a many to this blog forum..folks !


Content-Type: application/http; msgtype=response

WARC-Identified-Payload-Type: text/html

WARC-Type: response

text:
IWM serves industrial industries across the Northland in the Midwest

Projects Portfolio

Throughout the many decades of IWM’s mission of uncompromising quality, service, and competitive pricing, we have had the privilege to work with an eclectic mix of industries which exposed us to many great projects. Please checkout the links to the left to explore just a small sample of the many jobs we do here at IWM.

warcinfo:
robots: classic
hostname: ip-10-164-221-253.ec2.internal
software: Nutch 1.6 (CC)
isPartOf: CC-MAIN-2017-43
operator: Common Crawl Admin
description: Wide crawl of the web for October 2017
publisher: Common Crawl
format: WARC File Format 1.0
conformsTo: http://bibnum.bnf.fr/WARC/WARC_ISO_28500_version1_latestdraft.pdf


WARC-Identified-Payload-Type: application/xhtml+xml

WARC-Truncated: length

text:
Paramahansa yogananda healing affirmations

Paramahansa yogananda healing affirmations offer Holistic

I want to share with you, my journey, the ideas paramahansa yogananda healing affirmations I learned, the tricks that I am utilizing; basically, give this to you as a free resource, as a fellow yogi and fellow teacher. Urdhva Hastasana (Raised arms pose): Reach your arms out to the facet; lengthen until your palms are touching overhead while looking up past the thumbs. So told him it was high quality we may do yoga paramahansa yogananda healing affirmations other paramahansa yogananda healing affirmations. Our inventive vinyasa lessons are alignment-based and core-powered. Resulting from caste doctrine, Brahmins could solely follow Tantra in secret. The programming team at The Yoga Barn has created a mosaic of numerous applications of the best quality, taught with the deep knowledge and large hearts of the studio's established visiting school. These respiration workouts are simple to study. So it's a given self-observe, a instrument that can be utilized life-lengthy for one to develop into conscious of the Self, the body, mind and emotions. On the finish of the day, the one cause an individual can or cannot carry out certain poses is predicated on training and expertise, not weight. Shiva Rea: Yoga Shakti - This was my first yoga DVD ever. Sit on the mat with your legs stretched out in entrance. Get this DVD, you will not regret it. Search for a yoga video on this free web site by problem degree, class size, yoga model and teacher, then stream your selection. Have a look at the pink circle within the image here of Eugenia. Beyond the standard functions that Andy will instruct you on, he also covers, in some depth, color correction, layers, levels, Adobe Bridge, blending, masks, alpha channels, and much much more. I'm writing relating to Mike's Digital Video Production for Inexperienced persons. Swara Yoga is science which paramahansa yogananda healing affirmations a whole research, observations, management and manipulation of breath or Swara. Cross right foot over outside of left thigh; bend left knee. This one is pretty simple: You'll want to make sure a yoga mat covers your whole body when lying bikram yoga contra costa county. There is also no music or clapping at school as properly, though I've heard and skim many accounts now that the instructors are like drill sergeants, yelling at students to push more durable and go deeper into postures - even when they're not physically protected. This classic English town was the epicenter of the Tea cultivation by the British in India. Yoga has been round for hundreds of years, and was originally a type of spiritualism. Yoga pants paramahansa yogananda healing affirmations one of the best apparels hampden yoga baltimore yoga, as they're extremely comfy for not only working towards yoga but in addition for different actions just like the martial arts, Pilates, aerobic, or dance. Yoga corps a coeur montreal gradual, deep respiration and stretching, you can loosen up your physiology and bring the power of the physique again down which will assist your thoughts get centered and feel connected again. Our Yogaia dwell classes are where the magic occurs. When I came to paramahansa yogananda healing affirmations yoga studio, music was playing, and she was in ardha matsyendrasana, talking non-stop into a microphone to the group. A timed video of the poses, which lets you do them extra safely, and stimulate your bones properly, and end in 10-12 minutes, is out there for these within the study. Step three: Submit registration and obtain discount. Could it's for you. LIVEexercise uses and recommends the top of the range Fitness Gear Muscle Recovery Stick. YogaVibes' lessons vary from 10-minute tune-ups to 2-hour kundalini yoga warnings, and, like YogaGlo, allows searches by physique part. I feel like my understanding of the fundamentals round meditation are a lot clearer after taking this course and I look ahead to deepening my apply!. Finally, operating on the principle that all heretical sects are as good as the Catholic Church, and that the Holy Ghost approves of all heretical sects, Orientalium ecclesiarum calls for Catholics to share their churches with heretics and schismatics. Scientists on the Institute of HeartMath in California have proven that feeling love, gratitude, and appreciation in your coronary heart boosts your immune system; will increase vital chemical production; will increase physical vitality and vigor; reduces stress hormone ranges, high blood pressure, anxiety, guilt, and undergo exhaustion; and improves glucose regulation in diabetics. Thank you for taking the time to apply for a scholarship and committing to service yoga in your community. It may well make it easier to chill out and focus while gaining flexibility and strength. And if you usually place a towel on top of your mat, it won't budge on top of this one, so no need to worry about any slipping or sliding. Usually practising yoga offers a lower pulse fee. Their application is just not discovered on their site. Even a moment's company with saints is paramahansa yogananda healing affirmations sufficient to overhaul the old vicious Samskaras of the people. In an email from the Center for Students with Disabilities, staff wrote that while yoga is 'accessible and nice for students', there are 'cultural problems with implication concerned in the paramahansa yogananda healing affirmations, the Ottawa Sun reported. Unfortunately you may face some problems in maintaining the harmony in your home. With a yearly paramahansa yogananda healing affirmations that celebrates your achievements and highlights new opportunities for the approaching yr. Language is the source paramahansa yogananda healing affirmations communication. joining this course is a great way to experience the bottom of dynamic yoga. 95 a month. Certain, you might daydream about getting a yoga studio membership or trying out some poses at dwelling, however you won't have the ability to accomplish something till you truly take that leap and start practicing. I love the sequencing of your routines and your voice is soft and does not interrupt my spirit man…know what I mean…I fell like I am exercising with the Holy Spirit. When you have issues being in your hands and knees paramahansa yogananda healing affirmations seated postures hassle your knees and back, paramahansa yogananda healing affirmations on your again or use props. Warning ' content has not yet been rated. Ever finished yoga in a cemetery. Paramahansa yogananda healing affirmations with Pilates (and ballet), appropriate kind is vital. Experimenting.

15.03.2013 at 10:07 Tygolabar:
I consider, that the theme is rather interesting. I suggest you it to discuss here or in PM.


text:
Tuesday, March 1, 2016

* NOW WITH STAR RATINGS (ala Wrestling Observer Newsletter PPV reports) *

*****     All-Star Superman, We3
****      New X-Men (the early issues), Batman Inc., Batman & Robin, Dare, Arkham Asylum
***        Zenith, Seven Soldiers
**         Final Crisis, Flex Mentallo
*           Marvel Boy
DUD (or lower) Nameless, later New X-Men and any of his hippy-dippy, pseudo-mystical crap

1.-3. Worlds’ Finest #6-8 (DC, 2013) ***¼
Writers: Paul Levitz/Artists: Kevin Maguire (#6-7 Huntress sequence); George Perez & Sandra Hope (#6-7 Power Girl sequence); George Perez, Cafu, Cliff Richards (#8)
4.-6. Earth 2 #6-8 (DC, 2013) ***¼
Writer: James Robinson/Artists: Nicola Scott & Trevor Scott (#6); Yildiray Cinar & Trevor Scott (#7); Yildiray Cinar, Ryan Winn & Ruy Jose (#8)
7.-15. Batman Incorporated #6-13, Special #1 (DC, 2013) ***¾
Writer: Grant Morrison/Artists: Chris Burnham & friends
16.-19. O.M.A.C. #5-8 (DC, 2012) **¾
Writers: Dan DiDio & Jeff Lemire/Artists: Keith Giffen & Scott Koblish
20.-26. Catwoman #6-12 (DC, 2012) ***
Writer: Judd Winick/Artists: Guillem March (#6); Adriana Melo & friends (#7-12)
27.-36. Frankenstein, Agent Of S.H.A.D.E. #5-12, 0 (DC, 2012) ***¾
Writer: Jeff Lemire (#5-10); Matt Kindt (#11-12, 0)/Artists: Alberto Ponticelli & friends
37. Men Of War #8 (DC, 2012) ***
Writers: Jeff Lemire & Matt Kindt/Artist: Tom Derenick
38.-44. Animal Man #6-11, Annual #1 (DC, 2012) ****
Writer: Jeff Lemire/Artists; John Paul Leon, Travel Foreman & Jeff Huet (#6 interior); Steve Pugh, Travel Foreman & Jeff Huet (#7-8 interior); Steve Pugh (#9-10 interior); Alberto Ponticelli & Wayne Faucher (#11 interior); Timothy Green II & Joseph Silver (Annual #1 interior); Travel Foreman (#6-10, Annual #1 covers); Steve Pugh (#11 cover)
This is the prelude to the “RotWorld” storyline that ran through several titles, and it’s still damn creepy. Second-string superhero Buddy “Animal Man” Baker learns that his 4yo daughter Maxine is a powerful elemental, an “Avatar for the Red”. But the Avatar for the Rot – who’s revealed in the final panel of #11 as old Swamp Thing foe Arcane – wants to get his hands on Maxine. On the run from an army of rotting zombie animals, Buddy and his family go searching for the Avatar of the Green, Swamp Thing, so they can fight Arcane and restore balance to the world. Many hardships and personal tragedies ensue, not least of which is Buddy Baker’s death (don’t worry, he gets better).
The art teams change regularly but maintain a remarkable uniform style, but it’s Lemire’s terrific writing – building layers of dread and suspense – that make Animal Man far and away the best series in the New 52 line. Bring on the crossovers and mini-“event”.

A Load Of Rot
45.-63. Animal Man #12, Swamp Thing #12, Animal Man #13, Swamp Thing #13, Swamp Thing Annual #1, Frankenstein, Agent Of S.H.A.D.E. #13, Swamp Thing #14, Animal Man #14, Frankenstein, Agent Of S.H.A.D.E. #14, Animal Man #15, Swamp Thing #15, Frankenstein, Agent Of S.H.A.D.E. #15, Animal Man #16, Swamp Thing #16, Animal Man #17, Swamp Thing #17, Animal Man #18-19, Swamp Thing #18 (DC, 2012-13) **¾
Writers: Jeff Lemire, Matt Kindt & Scott Snyder/Artists: various
Basically, a piss-poor preview of the highly overrated and frustrating Future’s End maxiseries that ran a year later. A nightmare future, loads of weird groupings of superheroes with former villains, and former heroes with supervillains. A nonsensical Batman invention that saves the day (seemingly pulled from the writers’ collective arsehole), then the inevitable “we’ll send you back in time so you can stop this horrible future from ever happening” – and they do. The only thing that salvages this crossover is the downbeat, surprisingly human ending, particularly in Animal Man. Buddy Baker goes through hell to save his family and the planet, but still ultimately fails to save his son from death. If only the rest of “Rotworld” could have been that powerful.

64. Frankenstein, Agent Of S.H.A.D.E. #16 (DC, 2013) ***
Writer: Matt Kindt/Artist: Alberto Ponticelli

65.-76. The Shade #1-12 (DC, 2011-12) ***
Writer: James Robinson/Artists: Cully Hamner (interior #1-3), Darwyn Cooke & J. Bone (interior #4), Javier Pulido (interior #5-7), Jill Thompson (interior #8), Frazer Irving (interior #9-11), Gene Ha (interior #12); Tony Harris (covers)
The Shade was one of the most intriguing characters from Robinson’s run on Starman in the 1990s, so I was happy to buy this 12-issue maxiseries. It starts strongly with Shade surviving an assassination attempt by Deathstroke and setting out to find the man who hired him, which turns out to be one of his descendants. From there, we get a potted history of The Shade with individual stories and arcs that vary in quality. Artistically, the three-issue run by Irving looks fantastic. But the storyline lost my interest near the end and the conclusion (a brief origin story) felt oddly rushed...as if Robinson intended this series to be more than 12 issues, but got told to wrap it up early (due to poor sales, I presume). The final issue even has a heading that states its the first chapter in a longer arc, yet it’s all over 20 pages later. Odd.

77.-78. Deadpool & The Merc$ For Money #1/Spidey #1 (Marvel, 2016) ****
[Deadpool] Writer: Cullen Bunn/Artists: Salva Espin (interior); Declan Shalvey (cover)
[Spidey] Writer: Robbie Thompson/Artists: Nick Bradshaw
79. Guardians Team-Up #5 (Marvel, 2015) ***½
Writers: Andy Lanning & Andy Schmidt /Artists: Gustavo Duarte (interior); Humberto Ramos (cover)
80.-85. Guardians Team-Up Vol. 2: Unlikely Story (Marvel, 2016) ***¾
- originally published in Guardians Team-Up #6-10 & Deadpool Team-Up #883) (Marvel, 2011, 2015)
Writers/Artists: various

86. Sidekick (included in Comic Heroes #22) (Future, 2014) ***
Writers/artists: various
87.-89. Stratu’s Diary Comix Aug.-Oct. 2015 (self-published, 2015) ***
Writer/artist: Stratu
The mundane, the fascinating, the horrifying, the melancholy...it’s all here in Stu’s daily diary.
90.-95. Prez Vol. 1: Corndog-in-Chief (DC, 2016) ***¾
- originally published in Prez #1-6 (DC, 2015)
Writer: Mark Russell/Artists: Ben Caldwell & friends
A decidedly witty, subversive, non-DCish series that updates and smartens up the old 1970s Prez series. Lost its way a little in the middle, but overall a big thumbs up on this title.
96.-101. Spider-Man’s Tangled Web Vol. 1 (Marvel, 2001) ****
- originally published in Spider-Man’s Tangled Web #1-6 (Marvel, 2001)
Writers/Artists: various

No comments:


text:
Solid Industry Reputation

Quality Staff, Quality Equipment, Quality Results – Jackson Water Well Drilling is your full service water well drilling company

Texan Pride

Located in Bastrop, County, Jackson Water Well has been the solution for water well drilling, pump service and sales for many in Central Texas

Family Owned Business

Reputable Independently Owned Business. Jackson Water Well Drilling and Service is a hand shake type of company who does the job right.

One Stop Shop

Jackson Water Well is experienced in all areas of water well drilling, pump service, water treatment and a certified vendor of the best suppliers and manufactures of parts in the industry.

Well Drilling

  • Drill
  • Case and Screen
  • Geophysical Logging
  • Cap Wells
  • Pour Slabs
  • Chemical Analysis
  • Surface Casing
  • Pump Selection and setup
  • Well Plugging
  • Storage Tanks
  • Service work

Pump Sales & Service

  • Constant Pressure Systems
  • Motors
  • Pumps
  • Control Boxes
  • Booster Pumps
  • Pressure Tanks
  • Pipe both Steel and PVC
  • Other miscellaneous fittings required for water wells
  • Solar Pump Systems

Water Treatment

  • Site water analysis and inspection
  • Water conditioning systems
  • Environmental green solutions
  • Iron water
  • Oxidize & sterilize manganese
  • Iron bacteria removal
  • Stinky water


text:
Jaden Smith did something for one hour ago!!

13.12.11 saw you me on twitter and clicked on follow-button

There are only one human in the world as owns the key to my heart. And it's you.

I do things I as never dare to do, but I do them things for you.

I see you in another way as others not do, each time I close my eyes and I always see you before me. You glow in the dark, you guide me to a better way in the life.

I don't know why everybody hates me so much but maybe I do because now I hates me too

Happy Birthday, Mother!

RSS 2.0


text:
Get Hyperactive! in your Inbox :)

Tuesday, 9 July 2013

 photo andy_murray_1511718e_zps10d0e1ca.jpg

Photo // Wikipedia

Three weeks ago, we predicted that Novak Djokovic would have a cakewalk to the 2013 Wimbledon finals. We were right. Almost. We didn't see Juan Martin del Potro coming. We should've. After all, Delpo is the only player other than Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray to have won a Grand Slam title since 2006. In 2009, Delpo deposed of both the Fed and Rafa - the only man to have done so in the same tournament - en route to capturing the 2009 US Open crown.

Delpo was in fine form at Wimbledon, never once dropping a set on his way to the semifinals. There, a well-rested Djoko was waiting, and was likely expecting an easy victory. After all didn't Delpo slip badly during the fifth point of his quarterfinal match against David Ferrer? Didn't it aggravate an old injury and, by Delpo's own admission, almost push him to forfeit the match?

This was the beginning of the end for The Djoker.

World-class tennis players are warriors to the core. Tennis is a solitary sport that requires its players to be better than themselves, first and foremost. Apart from demanding superhuman speed, stamina, strength and agility, tennis also requires hard discipline and an unflappable sense that you can - you must, and you will - get the job done because nobody else will do it for you.

Ever wonder why some of the game's best players take forever to serve? They're giving themselves pep talks! This is all the more important in a sport that needs not only innate passion and skill, but also strategy, patience, maturity, will power, and an extraordinary tolerance for pain, in order to win. Otherwise, how else does one survive a match that can possibly stretch up to 11 hours and 5 minutes, over 3 days of play (the Isner-Mahut match at the 2010 Wimbledon Championshiops)?

Roger Federer is famous for his balletic elegance and clinical precision - Bolshoi Tennis, I like to call it. No other player has made tennis look easy, except Novak Djokovic. Djoker's gymnastic flexibility and unbelievable courage in converting impossible shots into winners has made him tennis' ultimate showman. His uncanny ability and chutzpah to impersonate the best players on the ATP - including the women - are legendary. Djoker makes tennis look easy and fun! Oh, before we forget, Djoker also happens to occupy the top spot on the ATP rankings.

You understand better, then, where Djoker's stunning cockiness comes from. He's at the top of the sport that creates the biggest celebrities out of individual athletes.

The 2013 Wimbledon title looked like a bird in The Djoker's hand, with the top half of the draw packed shoulder-to-shoulder with champions: The Fed, Rafa, Murray. Meanwhile, David Ferrer, fresh from a runner-up finish at Roland Garros, looked like the biggest threat on Djoker's side of the draw. But Delpo took care of Ferrer, who was defeated by Rafa at the French Open finals, anyway. And didn't Rafa just say bye-bye after a shocking first round loss to some guy called Steve Darcis? Victory for Djoker is in the bag, baby!

But Delpo's dominance over Ferrer should have raised red flags for Djoker. In a stunning display of mind-over-matter, Delpo shoved a crippling injury aside to book a semifinal against Djoker.

Not facing the sport's top players on his side of the draw exposed Djoker to a handicap he clearly hadn't counted on. The closer he got to the finals, the rustier he got. This was evident when Delpo wore him out in a five-set thriller, lasting 4 hours and 43 minutes. It now holds the record as the longest semifinal in Wimbledon history. Although Delpo lost, he exited the All England Club as a text book example of a true tennis warrior.

In all likelihood, Djoker was completely prepared to face Andy Murray in the finals. But going into it, Djoker couldn't have known just how shell-shocked he'd still be from Delpo's assualt. Or that his 11-7 head-to-head advantage over Murray wouldn't have much merit when Murray had non-quantifiables (home crowd support, momentum from having won the Aegon Championships at Queen's Club just weeks ago, the spirit of Fred Perry himself!) working to his advantage.

As easily as Djoker converted impossible shots into winners, his 2013 Wimbledon aces comically transformed into (what else?!) jokers.

Murray became the first British man in 77 years to claim the title at the All England Club.

"I still can't imagine a luxe sports wear brand called Andy Murray. Doesn't have the same nice ring to it that Fred Perry does," a friend of mine - an Englishman - sniffed.

"I guess he could go the enigmatic route," I mused, "and simply call his line Ostrich."

Doesn't really matter what name Andy's branded merchandise ends up with. At least, not anymore. He has ended the British drought, effectively securing his legacy in sports history.

Look who's laughing now.

No comments:


text:
Home | Global News | Israel Lights The Touchpaper At Al-Aqsa Again

Israel Lights The Touchpaper At Al-Aqsa Again

By Jonathan Cook

06 October, 2015

Nazareth: Since a boy named David slew the giant Goliath with a slingshot, the stone has served as an enduring symbol of how the weak can defeat an oppressor.

For the past month Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has tried to rewrite the Bible story by declaring war on what he terms Palestinian “terrorism by stones”.

There are echoes of Yitzhak Rabin’s response nearly 30 years ago when, as defence minister, he ordered soldiers to “break bones” to stop a Palestinian uprising, often referred to as the “intifada of stones”, against the Israeli occupation.

Terrified by the symbolism of women and children throwing stones at one of the world’s strongest armies, Rabin hoped broken arms would deprive Palestinians of the power to wield their lowly weapon.

Now the West Bank and Jerusalem are on fire again, as Palestinian youths clash with the same oppressors. Reports suggest soldiers killed one Palestinian youth and injured more than 100 others on Sunday alone. Talk of a third intifada grows louder by the day.

The touchpaper, as so often, is Israel’s transgressions at the al-Aqsa mosque compound, known as Haram al-Sharif, in Jerusalem’s Old City.

During the weeks of Israel’s high holidays, tensions have risen sharply. Israeli government ministers and ever larger numbers of Jewish ultra-nationalists, backed by paramilitary forces, have been ascending to the mosque area.

In parallel, Palestinian access has been restricted and settlers have stepped up seizures of Palestinian homes in occupied East Jerusalem to encircle al-Aqsa.

Palestinians believe Israel is asserting control over the site to change the long-standing “status quo” designed to keep Islamic authorities in charge.

Israel refers to the Haram as the Temple Mount, because the ruins of two ancient Jewish temples supposedly lie underneath. As Israel has swung to the right politically and religiously, government and settler circles have been swept by an aggressive Jewish messianism.

Palestinian efforts to resist have been limited. Israel has long barred Palestinian factions and organisations from any dealings in the city it calls its “eternal capital”.

The situation at al-Aqsa has come to symbolise in painful microcosm the Palestinian story of dispossession.

The mosque has also served as a red line, both because it is a powerful cause that unites all Palestinians, including Christians and the secular, and because it rallies the wider Arab and Muslim worlds to the Palestinians’ side.

But like Goliath, the Israeli prime minister appears to assume greater force will win.

First, he outlawed last month a group of Islamic guardians, many of them women, known as the Murabitoun, stationed at al-Aqsa. They had not even resorted to stones. Their crime was to try to deter Jewish extremists from praying at the site by crying “God is great”.

Then, Israeli police stormed the compound to evict youths who had barricaded themselves in. Severe restrictions on Palestinian access to al-Aqsa followed.

As youngsters took to the streets, Mr Netanyahu authorised live fire against stone-throwers in Jerusalem, and minimum four-year jail sentences for those arrested.

To ensure the judiciary complied, the police minister threatened the promotion of judges whose sentencing was not harsh enough.

Predictably, violence has not calmed but spiralled. On Saturday night a Palestinian youth stabbed to death two Jewish settlers near the Western Wall.

Israel has described such incidents as “lone-wolf attacks”. In truth, these unpredictable outbursts of violence are the inevitable result of the orphaned status of Palestinians in Jerusalem.

Israel responded with another unprecedented move. Palestinians were banned from the Old City for the following 48 hours unless they lived or worked there. Israel’s track record suggests this will soon become the new norm.

Mr Netanyahu also approved fast-track demolitions of Palestinian homes, more soldiers in Jerusalem and even tighter restrictions at al-Aqsa.

So where is this heading?

Doubtless Mr Netanyahu is in part proving his credentials to an ever-more religious and intolerant Israeli public. After Saturday’s deaths, Jewish mobs once again patrolled Jerusalem’s streets seeking vengeance.

But he is also cynically exploiting western fears to reinvent the David and Goliath story. He hopes the words “Islamic terrorism” – conjuring up Islamc State’s threats to religious freedom – will scotch western sympathy for Palestinian youths facing armed soldiers.

Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, warned in his speech to the United Nations last week that Israeli measures were “aimed at imposing a new reality and dividing Haram al-Sharif temporally”.

These are not idle fears. In 1994 Israel capitalised on a horrific massacre of Palestinians perpetrated by a Jewish settler, Baruch Goldstein, at the Ibrahimi mosque in Hebron to justify dividing it.

Today, Jews have prayer rights at the site, enforced by Israeli guns, and central Hebron has been turned into a ghost-town – much as Jerusalem’s Old City looks since the weekend ban on entry for Palestinians.

Most Palestinians fear an Israeli-engineered spiral of violence in Jerusalem will be used to impose a similar division at al-Aqsa.

There is little Abbas can do. His PA is barred from Jerusalem and committed to helping Israeli security elsewhere. Like the Muslim world, he watches helplessly from afar.

Which is why Palestinian youths will continue reaching for the humble stone, exerting what little power they have against a modern Goliath.

A version of this article first appeared in the National, Abu Dhabi.

Jonathan Cook won the Martha Gellhorn Special Prize for Journalism. His latest books are “Israel and the Clash of Civilisations: Iraq, Iran and the Plan to Remake the Middle East” (Pluto Press) and “Disappearing Palestine: Israel’s Experiments in Human Despair” (Zed Books). His website is www.jonathan-cook.net

Check Also

Muslims in Xinjiang, China, ordered to hand over all copies of The Qur’aan to authorities

Cii Radio| Ayesha Ismail| 29 September 2017| 08 Muharram 1439 Muslims have reportedly been targeted …

Violence in Myanmar shows the world needs to stop romanticising Buddhism

17 Sep, 2017 2:41pm  7 minutes to read Play Video The UN migration agency (IOM) …


text:
May 28, 2009

Father & Sons

Well yes Ben took gracie to father and sons - because really if he had to wait until he a son to go - it would be a really long wait - anyhow gracie loved it - it helps that all of her friends are boys so it was so cute watching friday afternoon as all the boys are out running around like crazy so excited and the dads are making trip after trip to the car and the moms just have this look of joy on their face because finally they will get a break! it made me laugh! but i was productive- while they were gone i stayed up all night and painted the kitchen yellow and then slept in- it was pure joy- anyhow ben said gracie just loved every second of it - they slept in cabins so she got to sleep on the top bunk next to her friend gabe - which was very exciting - in fact i don't really know if her and gabe did anything by themselves - when i was going through the pictures it was hard to find ones with just gracie in it!

May 19, 2009

Mud- it was a day of mud - it started out as a no dirt day- there is a place that the grass doesn't grow and so all the neighborhood kids dig and play in the dirt day - well the moms decided to have a no dirt day after many days of dirt being brought into the house - and so we got out the water- well dirt and water make mud - and once those kids realized that there was not a lot anyone could do about it - so it because a mud day and boy did these kids get dirty! Gracie loves the boys - uriah and gabe- gabe is the one hugging her and he always tells everyone he is going to marry gracie - and some days gracie agrees and some days she doesn't - it is pretty funny - but i do love that she has friends - it relieves some of the guilt i feel about not having a sibling for her to play with

It just made me laugh to see them dig a hole and then fill it up with water and they kept saying they were having a mud bath- which was basically correct - it was a mud bath- gracie was so dirty - before we went in the house i stripped her down and hosed her off - which lent itself to alot of hollering and running around the yard and me trying to chase with the hose and spray occassionally - and this was just a few days after my surgery so i wasn't very quick and so the boys dad came over and had to help me catch her and hold her down! well then i drug a naked sort of clean princess across the yard and up the stairs and she is sobbing for gabe and dumped her into the tub- luckily ben came home then because her hair was so caked with mud that it was going to take a lot of scrubbing and i couldn't bend over very long without hurting my incision and so ben got the fun job of scrubbing her down - which made for a lot more screaming - but since i wasn't involved really anymore i was laughing like crazy in the living room - trying to make myself stop because everytime i laughed it hurt me - anyhow it was a fun afternoon


text:
Saturday, February 12, 2011

A Recipe for "Just Okay"

Elementary band students from Parker, TX
In a Kansas City Star column on a failed school levy in Lee’s Summit, MO, Barbara Shelly wrote, “they’ll settle for larger class sizes, the loss of band and string music in elementary schools, cuts in the gifted program and fewer resources for clubs and athletics . . . it’s hard to argue that any of these impending changes spell doom.”
She’s right: the Lee’s Summit Public Schools will not be ruined over an 89-cent levy.
But note what they’re cutting:
·      Smaller classes (where students receive more individualized attention);
·      Elementary instrumental music (when it’s best to start in a subject that research links with math proficiency);
·      Gifted programs (challenging the brightest students to higher achievement);
·      Clubs and athletics (studies consistently link these with keeping at-risk students interested in school).
Students who are doing okay will continue to do okay.  Students at both ends of the bell curve will fall through the cracks.  This is not the way to nurture intellectual pioneers of tomorrow, or boost graduation rates among at-risk kids.
It’s how America ranks lower and lower in world proficiency ratings, compared with countries where “just okay” isn’t considered nearly good enough.
Elementary band photo is from the Texas Music Project website.


text:
Monday, June 20, 2011

Day 133-Sidewalk Paint & Swimming

The other day I found a tutorial on Pinterest for sidewalk paint which led me to this great blog.

All you do is mix cornstarch, food color, and water into a paste and you've got beautiful, inexpensive, sidewalk paint!

Today I decided to make some and let Morgan try it out.

It was a hit

Bailey enjoyed watching :)

After the sidewalk paint fun Morgan, who has the attention span of a goldfish, decided it was time to go swimming.

So that's what we did for the rest of the afternoon

Bailey wanted nothing to do with the cold water

This was as close as she'd get

An all around great day with my girls <3

No comments:

Post a Comment


text:
Friday, January 19, 2007

The Human Brain Must Forget the Mother Tongue When Learning a New Language

The process is named "first language attrition"
By: Stefan Anitei, Science Editor

After one year of scholarship in Spain, you surely master the language of the conquistadors like none around you, but why is everybody picking on you, saying you are boasting (believe me, I personally experienced something like this). In fact, people will be in the situation to find it hard to return to their native language.This phenomenon is named “first-language attrition” and puzzled researchers for a long time: how was it possible to forget, even momentarily, words you have used fluently all your life.

Psychologist Benjamin Levy and Dr. Michael Anderson at University of Oregon found that this forgetting is not a passive fact, due to the simple disuse of the mother tongue language,

but an active process inflicted by the brain itself that impedes us using words of the native language, which would make learning and speaking the new language harder. This forgetfulness is - in fact - an active adaptive strategy to better “catch” the second language.

The researchers used native English speakers who had made at least one year of college level Spanish to answer repeatedly the name of various objects in Spanish.

The more the students were using the Spanish words, the harder they found it to encounter the corresponding English labels for the objects.

In fact, using the foreign language inhibits the corresponding labels in the native language, and appears as “first language attrition”. Nevertheless, the more fluent bilingual students were, far less prone to experience the attrition they were. Thus, “first language attrition” is a key factor during the initial stages of second language learning.

When we begin to learn a new language, our brain starts to actively inhibit our easily accessible native language words while trying to imprint in our mind a new idiom.

When bilingualism advances, the attrition turns less necessary, so the subjects in the study were better in shifting between the two languages.

It may look paradoxical, but "first-language attrition provides a striking example of how it can be adaptive to (at least temporarily) forget things one has learned."
Post a Comment


text:
Friday, April 30, 2010

A Beautiful Winter's Morning in Sapporo

30th December, 2004 - It's a cold, but clear Sapporo winter morning. The penultimate day of the year. A light snow covers the cars, the garden is now well and truly in hibernation underneath it's protective shrouds which had been put on about two months earlier.

The world looks different than it had in Autumn when we were last here.

Yet today is a day of preparation... We've an important job to do. To prepare the Mayudama. Mayudama is a very old custom of attaching ball-like ornaments to branches for hanging at New Years time. Depending on who you believe, they represent either mochi (rice cakes) or silkworm cocoons. If the former they are called mochibana (which are larger). Either way they are meant to represent prosperity for the new year.

I'm not entirely sure what all the other items are supposed to signify however... overall, it feels a bit like decorating the Christmas Tree - but an "olden time" Christmas Tree. Actually these ones are a little strange. They come as two semi-spheres, and you glue them together (around a branch) by adding water to one surface which must soften/break down the chemical bonds allowing them to re-form once you bring the two halves together. It was fun, if a little odd.

Some of us however were less than impressed by the effort. Momo (T-chan's cat) was more concerned about soaking up the suns rays. What a life!

Posted by Picasa

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Off to Sapporo and Okonomiyaki

28th December, 2004 - It was cold again today (around -4degC - which isn't so bad considering), and the snow was coming down reasonably strong. T-chan and I decided to walk to the subway station to go into town for lunch. Here's the park where T-chan learnt to ski when she was a primary school student (there's a small hill that is ideal for practicing...). The subway station is about 15-20 mins away, so we're quite cold by the time we get into the warmth underground. I love the fact that you can buy hot coffee in a can from just about any vending machine in winter... that's been a common saviour in Sapporo.

Today's lunch is Okonomiyaki... which is like a cabbage/flour pancake filled with lots of yummy things... Generally speaking, okonomiyaki is prepared for you  (in the form of a batter) by one of the staff - and is cooked on a hot-plate in front of you. It's quite a lot like a thicker monjayaki. We often make this at home - it's pretty easy (just ask me for the recipe) - but it's still nice to have out.

In looking back at my photo's, I wonder if perhaps I have a limited number of ways of expressing my feelings towards food. It would appear I have an equal fondness for Mister Donuts (below). This is very Australian (in a cringe-worthy kinda way). Oh Happy Days.... ?;`)

Posted by Picasa

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Christmas Illumination - Sapporo

25th December, 2004 - Odori Kouen is a little different when there's no Yuki Matsuri - however, it doesn't lack colour and light. Each year, Sapporo has lights up to White Illumination, from late November to about the 3rd of January. It's not quite Christmas in nature, but the illumination adds a lot of life to an already thriving park. And if you look hard enough, you can see a little bit of Christmas even here in cold, cold Sapporo.

Actually there's a thriving trade in Japan for Santa Claus, or Santa-san - it's what you would call seasonal work.

The illumination may not be a good win for carbon-emissions, but there's something that's definitely uplifting to see a night-light display.

Even the trees compete for our attention.

 And succeed in outshining even Odori's brightly lit Sapporo Tower.

There's something at once both beautiful and disturbing about this Christmas illuminated maypole... it's a little like a Christmas-themed toy-shop.

Hopeful smiles whilst simultaneously being strangely melancholic.

It's a beautiful time to be in Sapporo if you can't make the Yuki Matsuri.

Come 10:30pm, the lights go out, and it's off to home we go... the boulevard lights remain on to light our way... thankfully, Odori Subway Station is near-by. It's cold, but it's been a great Christmas Day - at my second home, Sapporo.
 Posted by Picasa

Monday, April 26, 2010

Christmas Eve - Sapporo Style

24th December, 2004 - I arrived into Sapporo on Christmas Eve... actually the weather in Japan had been a bit of a nightmare in the days preceding, and there had been many days when New Chitose Airport had been closed. Thankfully, this was not one of those days. I was re-united with T-chan (after too many weeks), and also her wonderful family. My mood had lifted.

Many people ask, what is Christmas in Japan - and that's both an easy and difficult question to answer. In my opinion Christmas is great in Japan... for starters - I can experience a white Christmas (at least in Sapporo)... unlike the hot, dry days we get back in Adelaide.

It's a consumer occasion - and let's face it... some consumerism can be  YUMM-O! One tradition that's developed around Christmas in Japan is the Christmas Cake (kurisumasu ke-ki). It's generally a light sponge cake that's beautifully decorated with cream and edible delights (who can eat Father Christmas though?). I found that Japanese cakes whilst they look like they should be super-rich are generally refreshingly light flavoured. Unfortunately they're just too small for me! ?;-)

There are few if any religious over-tones to Christmas. It's a consumer time of year, most often celebrated as a romance occasion for young couples. However, more and more there is a cultural inclusion of Christmas in Japan - without the Christian core. New Years Day in Japan is much closer to Christmas in the West - with a focus on family gathering.

We certainly had the whole family gathered for tonight, and it was as much a re-union as it was Christmas. Nihon no ke-ki... hisashiburi desu ne! Ittadakimasu.

Posted by Picasa

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Third Time to Japan - An ANZAC Day Rememberance

23rd December, 2004 - International marriages can have many different characteristics than typical ones - not least the travel. One of the promises that I had made T-chan was that wherever possible, we would return to Japan once a year. An audacious (some might say fool-hardy) promise made with the vigor of youth; and the freedom of someone without a mortgage at the time. ?;`)

As 2004 came to a close, we set out on our third trip to Japan. Again T-chan had returned to Japan earlier; to spend some quality time with her parents - without having to worry about baby-sitting her new husband.

The flight from Adelaide to Sapporo has a number of different paths - and it used to be that you could fly in the morning or evening. The first leg of the journey is to Sydney via domestic airline (approx 1.5 hours), then a 9-9.5 hour flight to Tokyo (Narita airport - the International hub into Japan).

I am writing this on Anzac Day (25th April) - a day synonymous with reflection on Australia's war-history; commemorating as it does the ill-fated 1915 Gallipoli Landings in Turkey by the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC). For this reason, it is perhaps fitting to reflect on the events of more than 65 years ago looking out the airplane window...

As the plane leaves the Australian continent, my thoughts turn to Darwin - the Northern gateway to Australia. Darwin was the site of one of the few direct attacks (bombing raids) on mainland Australian soil by Japanese soldiers during WWII... The first such raid occurred on 19th February, 1942 - and whilst this was the most devastating (resulting in approximately 250 dead), there were more than 60 further air raids over the course of the war.

After Darwin, we fly over only one other major land-mass on our way to Japan... Papua New Guinea... Back in the 1940's this part of PNG was actually an Australian territory - and would be yet another battle ground between Australian and Japanese forces. Operations around PNG had commenced at the beginning of 1942, however the mainland engagement commenced in July as the Japanese had starting pushing south towards Port Moresby. In response, the mostly Australian forces undertook the historic Kokoda Trail campaign (over the Owen Stanley Ranges) to repel the Japanese advance - this was perhaps the first time that Imperial Japanese Army had suffered a defeat on land.  Below you can see the township of Lae, which was the location of a huge airbase once it was taken over by the Allied forces in 16 September, 1943.

As the morning turns towards evening, the plane flies almost silently across the Pacific - Guam passes below, hardly looking like a tropical paradise. In July-Aug, 1944 this remote island (some 50x15 km in size) was  the scene of some chilling battles between Japanese and Allied troops. Surrender was not something the Japanese allowed amongst their forces - yet, there are strange stories coming out of wars - such as the story of Sergeant Shoichi Yokoi who was discovered in 1972, after having hidden out in the jungle for approximately 27 years - by himself.

The storm clouds had settled all over the Pacific throughout WWII... how did the world come to this point? It's hard to believe that whilst we now travel backwards and forwards to Japan, not that long ago we were bitterest of enemies - and Pacific ocean was awash with the blood and tears of millions of mothers, fathers, sons and daughters. Lest we forget.

Evening draws in...

The rising moon above the rising sun...

The flight time to Japan leaves you plenty of time to ponder these things - but the world has luckily changed a lot for the better since then. Life moves on.

If you catch a day-time flight from Australia you arrive into Tokyo late in the evening - too late to catch a connecting flight to Sapporo. The connecting flight would inevitably be out of Haneda Airport - which means you need to catch the limousine bus  for the 1+ hour (3,000 yen) trip to Haneda Airport. It turns out if you catch the night-flight, you can generally schedule a flight directly to Sapporo from Narita in the morning. This trip I had to catch the bus to Haneda airport...

In the distance Fuji sits silently; one of the symbols of Japan. It reminds me that I'm in finally back in Japan, and that whilst somethings may change over the decades, thankfully other things remain almost timelessly constant.

Posted by Picasa

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Wedding Bells are Ringing in Adelaide. An International Marriage

March 2004 - Fast-forward to our Big Day which has arrived at last. T-chan's family and best friend had come to sunny Adelaide, to Carrick Hill, which is one of the old colonial estates in Adelaide that stands overlooking the city. We had planned for a fairly simple and small garden wedding - but even then it was a major effort to organise! We would have the first half as a traditional Western Wedding - with vows in both English and Japanese - and then we would have a Japanese ceremony at the end.

The day was a beautifully bright day in March (which can be a changeable month in Adelaide). As the harpist started playing the Ave Maria, I watched as T-chan and her father approached down the pear arbour. My heart melted...

The Wedding Ceremony itself went so fast - and we both managed to get through our vows alright. Whew!

The exchange of rings...I do, I do I DO!

Finally... now for the fun stuff...

A few moments to take some photos...

Our Sakura+Ema Wedding Wishes Trees...

After a short break for people to eat and relax, T-chan and I changed into our kimono. Not a trivial matter - especially for T-chan. Actually, strictly speaking it's a bit strange for T-chan to wear this kimono at her wedding ceremony - but it was going to be last chance for her to wear this kimono (as it's not appropriate for her to wear now that she's married... what a shame).

We then undertook the san-san-kudo Shinto ceremony (meaning 3-3-9 times), which is an elaborate tradition where the groom and bride take three "sips" each from three lacquered cups containing sake. Actually, you only drink the last time. Three is a sacred number, and here each cup represents heaven, earth and humankind. T-chan's mother and aunt conducted the ceremony.

We were now officially an International Marriage... is that different from any other sort of marriage? Well, yes and no. And perhaps I'll explain as I go in later posts.

After the wedding ceremony, T-chan and I returned home, stopping off in Himeji Gardens on Adelaide's South Terrace which is a very nice (though compact) Japanese garden.

Today was very much a bonding between Western and Japanese Wedding ceremonies... as well as the bonding between lovers. Husband and wife....otto to tsuma.

For love. Forever.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Shikotsuko - Onsen Fun

5th November, 2003 - T-chan's family had prepared something special for our last week in Sapporo. The whole family including T-chan's brother H-kun were going to go to Shikotsuko to visit one of the nice onsen that sits on the lakes edge, called Marukoma Onsen (sorry the website's only in Japanese)

This onsen had a great view out over the lake - which like Touyako was actually a caldera lake formed from the remaining crater from a former cataclysmic eruption. This area is great for touring around in a car, as you can drive around the whole lake, or go for a bush-walk during the day.

The onsen itself was more the traditional onsen with both inside and outside onsen. The room itself was a large one (easily fitting 5 adults) which actually looks quite open and sparsely decorated during the day. As eveing approaches they start to get the bedding ready. Futons (which are the mattresses) that are stored in the room wardrobes.

The sunset fades to a glorious twilight... the outside onsen is inviting in the clear Autumn night's crisp air. Unfortunately, it's bad form to take photos in the onsen (as you can imagine, people get a little upset when a camera comes out), so I don't have any photos of the inside or outside onsen. One question might be - so what do you do in an onsen? Mostly... nothing. After cleaning, generally it revolves around lying in the 40-44degC (104-111degF) baths... but it's relaxing once you get into the swing of it.

And Shikotsuko has a charm all of it's own. Like Touyako it's a deep lake, and there is definitely a calming presence about the place.

The evening meal! Ittadakimasu (let's dig in!). The clothes (a light yukata with a heavier haori) is provided for your relaxation... so no, we haven't joined the Green Jackets cult.... or have we?...

Ten things to remember when visiting onsen...
1.  Onsen and Sento (Sento are generally artificially heated baths) normally do not appreciate tattoos - and may in fact prohibit people with tattoos. Tattoos are associated with criminal elements (e.g. the Yakuza).
2. Don't forget to leave your shoes outside (usually in a locker) - indeed in hotels you'll often come to the onsen in yukata (see below)... Leave all clothes in the small wicker baskets provided. Some onsen offer wrist straps for keys for security.
3. Check that you're going into the correct bath - onsen are normally single-sex now and you can easily tell by the colour of the noren (curtain): blue = men, red = women (no prizes). Be careful however - it's common for the baths to swap depending on the time of day
4. Come into the onsen area essentially naked (bring along the small modesty towel... it seconds as funky hat). Shampoo/soap is supplied at the washing seats. Actually that's the badge of the ojisan (older man)... wearing his towel proudly on his head as he's sinking chin deep into water. Seriously - there's not many other places to put the towel as keeping it on the ground would be considered unclean.
5. Wash yourself at the seated shower area (easy to see)... and wash EVERYWHERE. Onsen are not baths for cleaning - you are expected to be clean already. Remove all the suds before you get in.
6. Don't stay too long in any one bath... temperature differential is good for circulation, so getting up and moving about (to different temperature baths for example) is good for your health
7. There's often a basin with cooler water - use the ladle to pour this over yourself (good for getting that cooling to stimulate the circulation).
8. Whilst you want change baths/temperature... don't jump in and out of the baths. Onsen is a soothing time for care-worn Japanese - take things slowly. I'm not sure if there's etiquette involved in where you sit in an onsen, but I know personal space shrinks in the hot, pungent water.
9. Don't forget to hydrate - sitting in a hot bath for long periods can be very de-hydrating. For some reason, a lot of onsen/sento have weighing scales that Japanese religiously use before and after (especially if using the Sauna). Onsen are synonymous with drinking alcohol - remember this is BAD for hydration (and drinks are typically banned from the onsen itself).
10. Try not to wash/shower after coming out of the onsen... this may seem strange if you're hot and sweaty... but the onsen water is thought to be very good for the skin... However - do what you feel comfortable with.

Check out here for a really good resource on the do's and don'ts of onsen etiquette.

After a late night of eating, drinking, and dancing (ok - that was perhaps mostly after the drinking), the morning light shines through strong. Before you know it, the bedding's been taken away, and it's time to head out to meet a new day. Unfortunately, the days have disappeared... and it's now time to come back to Australia.

This is the last post for our second trip to Japan together in 2003. We started the trip (months earlier when T-chan had to go back to Japan to apply for a fiance visa) not knowing if she would be approved for immigration to Australia. It was a stressful time, and quite unlike our first trip which was more about a crazy whirlwind tour of Japan. This time around we were living at home, our second home... and developing our own Japanese Ties.

Thank you T-chan's parents for looking after me so well - and thankyou for agreeing to let me marry your daughter. Arigatou otousan to okaasan!.
Posted by Picasa


text:
Contact Us MoreMenu

9304 HUNTMASTER RD, Gaithersburg, Maryland

$729,9004 Beds3+ BathsActive

9304 HUNTMASTER RD, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20882
- MLS® ID: MC10073135

Property Details

9304 HUNTMASTER RD, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20882 - Absolutely gorgeous brick front home on a beautiful private 2 acre lot! Beautifully updated kitchen w/granite counters & upgraded SS appliances. Gorgeous breakfast rm. w/soaring ceilings & walkout to tiered decks backing to secluded yard. Huge master suite w/cathedral ceilings. Remodeled baths & new FB in lower level. Large laundry rm. w/walls of storage. Central Vac. A 10+! Please remove shoes!

View Virtual Tour

  • Transaction TypeStandard
  • Zip20882
  • CountyMontgomery
  • SQFT4984
  • Bedrooms4
  • Full baths3
  • Half baths1
  • StatusActive
  • Purchase TypeActive
  • Property typeSingle Family
  • Zoning typeRE2
  • Elementary schoolLAYTONSVILLE
  • Junior highGAITHERSBURG
  • High schoolGAITHERSBURG
  • Year built1994
  • Lot size87120
  • HeatingFORCED AIR
  • CoolingCentral Air Conditioning
  • Tax amount$7,337.91
  • Tax year2017
  • MLS® IDMC10073135

Listing Courtesy of Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc.

Have Questions?

“Jason Martin knows DC real estate and he knows how to make things happen! Honestly, I could not have been happier with my experience purchasing a new home, than I was with Jason Martin and the services he provided.”

Call us


text:
Friday, December 28, 2007

Great Pianist, Not So Great Personality

Given the fact that his death was announced at mid-day on Christmas Eve and quickly overshadowed by news of the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, it's possible that Oscar Peterson didn't get the coverage that might otherwise have been his due. Here in Canada, the accolades went on for hours on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Again, hard to judge what might've been the case had it not been the day before Christmas. I was surprised to see that an obituary I wrote so many years ago that I don't even have a digital copy of it was given extensive play in one of our national newspapers. Again, luck of the draw when most people have already headed home for the holidays.

In the obit I alluded to Peterson's tetchy personality, and his demands to be treated like a celebrity. Ironically, a number of other tributes noted that Peterson was a gentle giant from Montreal who was reluctant to move onto the world stage when impresario Norman Granz came calling in the late '40s. If Oscar was humble then, he sure learned how to be a royal pain later in life. He was too much the gentleman -- and too much in control of his public persona -- to ever insult an entire nation, but I'm sure he could've taught Keith Jarrett a thing or two about being a prima donna.

The stories of Peterson's demands for the star treatment are legendary -- there are at least three instances concerning promotions here in Ottawa (one of which drove a local company into bankruptcy) so one can only assume that he left damage like that in other places, too. My own experience dates to my years as a board member with the Ottawa International Jazz Festival. In my time there we booked some big names, including Ornette Coleman, Wynton Marsalis and Sonny Rollins, but Peterson was the only one who demanded a limousine be put at his disposal for the entire time he was in town. We ran on a ridiculously small budget, so that put a major dent in our finances. The fact that the limo caught fire while ferrying Peterson the short distance between his hotel and the concert venue is one of those stories that keep those of us who were involved with the event laughing.

For an artist who was lauded loudly in the press through six decades, Peterson was curmudgeonly when it came to jazz journalists. The last time that the International Association of Jazz Education held its annual conference in Toronto Peterson excoriated critics -- who make up a sizeable portion of the conference's attendees -- during a keynote address. Nice guy!

I couldn't help but laugh when I saw the juxtaposition in my obituary between a typically sour quote by Miles Davis about Peterson's ability to improvise and a Peterson quote saying that he didn't take criticism to heart because it never came from a fellow musician. I wish I could remember if I set that up, or if an editor did that, but I like to think it's payback for that limo ride.

Sunday, December 16, 2007

Best Live Shows of '07

Since my concert calendar is clear for the remainder of 2007, I suppose it’s safe to select my top half-dozen live performances of the year (that’s barring the possibility that Sly Stone accepts my invitation to pop in and do a few songs at our New Year’s party).

Trio M: Guelph Jazz Festival – Three of my favourite musicians – Myra Melford, Mark Dresser and Matt Wilson – in a new band with a brand new book of compositions. What could go wrong? Well, you never know with a concert scheduled for mid-afternoon on a Saturday, but this one was stunning from the first to last notes. Her quicksilver phrasing and pointillistic technique make many people forget Melford’s background in stride piano and the blues, but this concert kept cycling back through language written in the ’20s and ‘30s, then springing forward to timeless improvisation. Wilson and Dresser are also masters of the signature statement: Wilson’s incredible cymbal dynamics, and Dresser’s unexpected ‘chords of doom.’ It’s a cliché now to use the metaphor of conversation for a jazz performance, but it was really apt for this show, with each musician possessing a distinctive accent yet sharing a familiar language. There was laughter and episodes of sustained tension; in short, a performance of the highest order.

Sten Sandell Trio with John Butcher: Vancouver International Jazz Festival – My notes for this show include a line that I decided was too cute by half to include in my DownBeat review: “You know a show is great when even the drum solo is memorable.” I write down all sorts of non-sequiturs when I’m reviewing a show, but my notes for this are pretty sparse; I was engrossed. This was the first time I’d seen Butcher live, and I was really floored by his technique, which is on a par with Evan Parker’s. He has the ability to sculpt phrases that shift from pure notes to micro-tonality. The show was one seamless piece, and for long periods drummer Paal Nilssen-Love was silent. At the end, he exploded into a solo that was one loud roar of noise. A perfect conclusion.

Kenny Wheeler All-Star Tribute: Art of Jazz, Toronto – The chemistry between Kenny Wheeler and bassist Dave Holland is always delightful, and with the piquant solo voice of Lee Konitz and vocalist Norma Winstone’s inventions added to that this was a sure-fire winner. The band pushed Wheeler to play outside his blurry, romantic comfort zone, and the program covered a wide range of his compositions.

John McLaughlin & the Fourth Dimension: Dominion-Chalmers United Church, Ottawa – I somehow missed the Mahavishnu Orchestra’s only appearance in Ottawa in 1972 and never thought I’d hear McLaughlin play with the volume and intensity that marked that band. Fronting an energetic trio that had chops to burn, McLaughlin was clearly enjoying himself, and playing with tremendous abandon.

The Bad Plus: Vancouver International Jazz Festival – An exceptionally clean sound mix in a big soft-seat theatre seems to be just what the trio needs to make every element of their sound pop out. A terrific version of Ornette Coleman’s “Song X.”

Carla Bley Orchestra: Art of Jazz, Toronto – A terrible outdoor venue, sound problems and a band that seldom plays together (albeit one stuffed with a lot of Toronto’s best players), and Bley’s book of compositions still sounds great.

Sunday, December 09, 2007

The Top 10s Flow

We've started posting members' top 10 lists at the Jazz Journalists Association site. It may be too early to detect a clear winner, but among the front runners at this early stage are: the Charles Mingus at Cornell concert with Eric Dolphy, Michael Brecker's Pilgrimage, Maria Schneider Sky Blue and the live recording by Hank Jones & Joe Lovano — one that somehow escaped my notice.

Only 14 lists posted so far, so many more to come. Keep an eye on it, especially if you have gift shopping to do.

Book Learning

About four years ago I started casting about for a university course or program that could fill in the (many) gaps in my knowledge about 20th-century music outside my roots in American blues and jazz. As the lines continue to blur between improvised music and contemporary classical music — especially as it relates to electronic music — I find myself wanting to know more about the evolution of these things outside the well-known "great men."

I never found a course within commuting distance or online, but with Alex Ross' new book, The Rest Is Noise: Listening To The Twentieth Century, I'm feeling that my search may be over. Ross is such an engaging writer, and his research so compelling, that I feel it could provide enough jumping-off points to recordings and other reading that it will keep me busy for years.

Ross' book also provides a great bedside companion to the just-released new book by my colleague and friend Howard Mandel, Miles, Ornette, Cecil: Jazz Beyond Jazz. The connection between those three giants of improvised music and Stravinsky, Debussy, Stockhausen and others is well known, but how did all these composer-performers help shape and reflect what we have come to know as the avant-garde?

Lots of great reading, thinking, and more listening to come.


text:
Thursday, May 31, 2007

same old stuff

P-doc came back from San Diego all excited about genes and brain imaging. Great, so in 10 years time psychiatry will be able to focus on specific little bits of brain and fix them. Nothing though that makes any difference to me, now. Coming up for the solid two year anniversary (minus 6 weeks and 4 days), and I don't have 10 years to wait. I don't think I even have one. The only thing that stops me from suicide is that I am to apathetic to even tidy up the house, never mind organise wills and animals. I'm too apathetic to even cut myself - if I could get energetic enough to do it, it might help. I'm doing a little bit of the Andy stuff, an even smaller amount of paying work. I regard my day as fully occupied if I have one 30 min appt.

On the meds, droping Nardil to 4 has cut the PH, but not the dizziness - I still have that, but not as much. Adding the Ritalin so far has done nothing, but that's only at 10mg so far. And something, don't know which is screwing with my short term memory a bit. Things like I will know that I did something two days ago, but I won't be able to remember what - comes after a while, but for an hour or two there's just a total blank. And sleep...taking meds at night in hope that full night will keep me awake during day, but doesn't work - still wake at night, still nap all day. Idiot.
At least the cats enjoy it.

Thursday, May 24, 2007

the big one hundred

- wish I could say it was a happy 100. For a change though, we're back to completely miserable, instead of just 99%. Don't know if it's the meds change or not, don't think so - was here already. But we've cut Nardil to 60mg, Tydamine to 25mg, added 5mg of Ritalin which will go to 10mg on Monday. Still can't walk 100 metres without having to stop and rest, but the PH is gone, and most of the other dizziness as well. Even with being back on the sleeping tabs, I still wake up 3 or 4 times a night. And can still nap all day. Only taking 1 tab at night, could go up to 2, but that is cutting into my suicide stash. And p-doc won't give me any until he thinks the stash is depleted. Beast.

Meantime, the rest of my life is just full of screw-ups - not mine - and things that leave me feeling totally rejected even though they are all minor things. The only thing I seem to do well at is driving a million km's a week to fetch birds and things that have been donated to the Andy-fund. That's about only thing that is working well, and thats because there are now other people involved to do the actual work. Half of the birds die on me. The rest are feral pigeons, and they are tough and smart enough to survive almost anything.

I wish there wasn't such a guilt thing attached to suicide. Even though voluntary euthanasia is legal in a few places, it still excludes depression and mental illness. I can understand being sad about people who die for some reason when they don't want to. But it would be so cool if it was accepted that sometimes people have just had enough, and would like to die. Even better if there were clean, painless methods available on request. I figure I have the reasonably painless method sorted out. What stops me is the guilt, knowing that my family could never understand my choice. If I had enough energy and motivation, I'd become a pro-voluntary-suicide activist. Then again, if I had any motivation maybe I could find another reason for living.

Thursday, May 17, 2007

funerals and baboons

busy, busy day for me. Saw p-doc this morning, BP is nicely in range for all the dizziness etc. Plus he suggests I eat at least twice a day. Not only do I not feel like eating most of the time, but as a fat person, there is a part of me that says 'yay' every time I ignore food, even when I know it doesn't help either diet, dizziness or apathy. So we're adding Ritalin again, and dropping the Nardil to 4, and anything else exciting has to wait till he comes back from San Diego's psych congress. He and I are both hoping there'll be some interesting info on DBS, cos after two full years with the best meds in town and no change, there's ECT and then the experimental stuff. And TMS just got turned down by the FDA.

Then it was off to play with a baby baboon for a bit, and give him his bottle. Too sweet, lies in your arms and holds it with both hands. And then it's play time. He needs this to socialise him, as he appears to have been a pet, but without much stimulation. So he'll spend a couple of weeks here learning to hang onto his bottle, and to do a couple of other baby things, and then he'll go up to the Northern Province to join other rehabbed baboons who are formed into troops and eventually released.

And then to a funeral, of one of my folks' oldest friends - he and my dad were at school together, and stayed friends forever. We all grew up with their kids, and calling them Aunt and Uncle. It was really sudden, and my folks are feeling awful, because they are in London, and couldn't be there. So my sister and I went. I'm not too bad at funerals, but this one, with a whole bunch of people I know or sort of know made me very uncomfortable. So I ended up afterwards standing on the outskirts looking like an idiot whether I tried to work out whether to go say hello to people or not. Total idiot.

Monday, May 14, 2007

I know I've done at least one thing everyday in the past week, apart from Sunday. But most of the time has been spent napping on the couch. Chicken or the egg. I sleep badly at night, yet deeply and comfortably during the day. If I don't sleep in the day, I still sleep badly at night. Having repetitive dreams of the kind where you dream you are awake, and panicking, and then you wake up and you aren't sure if you actually were awake before, or whether you've just woken up for the first time. And you never can decide.

On the good side, CJ, a fat, blond, 3-year-old, male Labrador came to live with us on Friday. Zac gets on well with him, and I will too once he has settled in and stopped barking all night. His family are emigrating. His worst habit is that he carries muddy, wet, slobbery tennis balls everywhere, and brings them to be thrown for him all day. This morning I was given one in the bathtub. And he doesn't give up - he keeps bringing them until you throw it for him - and then, he brings the damn thing straight back and gives it to you again! Very sweet-natured, though. Hopefully this will help with Zac's burgeoning paranoia...

Tuesday, May 8, 2007

days of sleep and silence

A blogless week! I saw psychologist, psychiatrist, numerologist. I slept, morning if possible, afternoons, and nights. Stuart-cat has decided that about 04h00 is a good time to attack mommy, and he doesn't give up. Not as if he wanted to get under the duvet or anything, just attacks for pleasure. I can ignore claws in the arm, although they do hurt. But a claw in the nose or the lip - sheer agony, and gets me upright and yowling! After which Stu disappears...if he wasn't such a sweet boy almost all the time I'd be tempted to hurl him from the room...

Most exciting thing for the week was that CLAW move really fast, and held the first clinic at Slovo on Friday. It took a while for people to actually believe that the vet was there for them, free. After that they started appearing with angry cats and many flea-ridden dogs. Don't think I've ever seen so many fleas in my life as each of the dogs was infested with. They were all deflea-ed though, as well as dewormed and vaccinated, and appointments were made for this Friday with a number of owners for spaying and neutering. Funniest sight for the day was Madiwors, Andy-cat's grandmother (seen above with Andy's sister), who used his crate to capture about 8 very indignant kitties, and was carrying it through the camp on her head. I am hoping to open the Andy-fund bank account tomorrow, after which we should start getting our small but regular donations. One of the rehab ladies has arranged a donation of free dewormer from the manufacturer, and boss-lady has filled 3 boxes with useful supplies. The vet who started all of this by refusing to treat Andy on Good Friday called me just now for a white pigeon. I was tempted to tell them the story, but thought it might not make me too popular, especially when I mentioned that it has travelled all over JHB.

Apart from that, meds are almost the same, with the addition of Gabaton, which p-doc is dispensing from his right-hand drawer (the left hand one is where all the much-loved collections of fatal stuff go before he flushes them), as it isn't available here, and dropping the Surmontil/Tydamine to 50mg. I am still weak, have to stop after walking 50 metres because of being dizzy, still having the postural hypotension - different from the dizziness, and really weird - feeling one set of waves in your head, and another travelling down your legs. Making a concerted effort to eat at least one meal or part thereof per day. And to eat something for breakfast, even if only a muffin. This is the first combo that's given me side-effects, so I'm kind of hoping I can get through them and that it will work after that. Fingers crossed - all of them.

Which reminds me - who all of you can cross your fingers- all 8 of them? I do it unconsciously, when I'm thinking - numerologist asked about it on Monday, couldn't believe that it was comfortable. It is though, and they just go there sometimes - inner ones over outer ones. Anyone else with strange fingers?

In return for Bronwen's (Children of Fire) time on Friday, I was tasked with taking one child for a singing lesson on Saturday, another to hospital yesterday morning, and having offered Bronwen a choice of an elegant dinner for herself or burgers with the kids, as a thank-you, I ended up taking 9 kids and 2 adults for dinner on Saturday night. They loved it, especially the jumping castle and trampoline. For those they probably would have skipped supper entirely. Thank you to the management of the Golden Creek Spur in Northcliff, on Beyers Naude, who, on seeing a group of badly burned children, approached me discreetly to find out what organisation we were from, and then gave us a 25% discount on the entire meal! Much appreciated, guys, and any future outings will definitely be to the Spur! Spur steakhouses

While I was being sociable, F the semi-sane cat lady and I went to what I think is the oldest, unchanged Chinese restaurant in JHB, the Chon Hing in Alexander Street. The area used to be the heart of 'Chinatown', but most restaurants and shops have moved to the suburbs - and become more upmarket. Not the Chon Hing - I remember going there about 40 years ago, when Yvonne ran it with an iron fist, and a collection of shady looking house-dresses. I was almost disappointed to see her on Monday in a skirt and shirt. She has had a hard life, basically running the restaurant single handed, while her husband reads the paper. She has outlived her daughter, raised her grand-daughter, and will probably raise her great-grand-son, who I saw on Monday for the first time. Meanwhile, nothing in the place has changed - walls covered in beautiful cups and bowls for sale, as well as a collection of really awful Buddhas. The Formica tables are, I swear, still the originals, along with the kitchen chairs. The last time I was there I decided never to go to the toilet again, as that means passing the kitchen. But the food is the best, and as F said, the prices don't seem to have changed much in 40 years either. Having braved the city centre at night (and consumed 2/3 of a bottle of wine), F then insisted we go across town to the scuzziest area of the CBD to see the building she lived in when she first came to JHB. The building next door was there, albeit with 2 security gates on the door, her building seems to have become a parking garage with shops at ground level. F was heart-broken, I was relieved that we left without being hijacked! I go to the CBD regularly to fetch birds and animals, but that is generally in daylight, when, although still filthy and rough-looking, the streets are at least filled with commuters as well as hijackers, whores and drunken bums.

Tuesday, May 1, 2007

what a waste

of a life. Today was a public holiday, so I slept until clawed by kitties at 08h00. Fed cats and birds, bathed for an hour, sort of reading. Out the bath, check mail, feed birds, more coffee, write down 5 jobs for the day. Start on first one by putting syringes in boiling water and detergent to soak. Have nap on couch as reward. Wake up, feed birds, sort out syringes (about 50) so that all are clean and working. Have nap as reward. Wake up, pick up 6 books and put in pile that need shelving. Move new TV cupboard into corner and unpack old one for Joyce to take. Put almost all contents into new places. Feed birds. Have nap cos I'm exhausted. Wake up when alarm goes, keep hitting snooze until kitty-begging becomes too vociferous to ignore. Feed cats, dog, birds. Rest on couch and consider another nap. Look at list and see I have done 2 easiest jobs and ignored all major ones. Rewrite list for tomorrow, knowing full well already that I won't do anything because I have to fetch birds at 10h00, deliver to new dad, see t-doc at will get home at about 15h00 - and nap on couch. How surprising. No reason for meds to be doing this to me, especially since we reduced the sedating ones and I stopped - voluntarily - taking the sleeping pills. So it must just be me, wanting to blur out as much as possible of both days and nights. Except that I really am physically exhausted by doing even small jobs. Walking up two flights of stairs means resting at the top for a minute or two while my legs consider collapsing, my head considers falling over, and my lungs try to remember normal breathing. Serious. Walking down two flights is almost as bad! Just shifting a cupboard that I slid on the wooden floor, no picking up, has left my arms sore two hours later. I don't think my mind has that much influence over my body. So maybe its me and the meds...a bad combo. Especially seeing as it is so not doing the happiness job.

What a waste. Of life, time, and everything else.


text:
Tuesday, June 14, 2011

A Truly Touching Response to Oracle Getting Her Legs Back

Jill Pantozzi has written a truly heartfelt article about her response to Oracle getting out of her wheelchair to become Batgirl once more.

While her reaction is genuine and I would encourage everyone to read the article for the arguments it brings up, I want to point out that no details have been released about whether Barbara Gordon will still be in a wheelchair or not once the DC September Re-Launch hits. There's a possibility she could still be disabled and find an advanced Batgirl suit that puts her on her feet much like the new revamped Venom series by Rick Remender. Or Jill's fears could be realized and they completely erase her history back to where she never got shot by the Joker. Only time will tell, but this is still worth a read:

Oracle IS Stronger Than Batgirl Will Ever Be

Who’s your symbol for strength in the DC universe? I’m sure a lot of you are thinking Superman or Batman right now. They’ve certainly got the physical strength and fortitude to make them the perfect candidates. While Batman is my all-time favorite character in comics, he’s not the first person I look to when I need to be reminded to keep fighting in this world. For that I look to Oracle. Read the rest at Newsarama.com!

No comments:

Post a Comment


text:
Wednesday, September 23, 2015

(in)visible veins: Rivers Merge - the cast (part 2)

Over 20 students from DeSales University are diving into this process of re-staging (in)visible veins: Rivers Merge. In no particular order and in their own words, I'd like to introduce them to you (continued from part 1):

"My name is Brittany Clark and I am a sophomore dance major at DeSales University. I have been dancing since I was three. Rivers Merge is my first professional performance and I am excited about it."

"Mariette Aungst is a Dance and Communications dual major at DeSales University. She has been dancing since she was 4, and has competed and performed extensively in musicals and showcases, including Dance the World in Disney World and Beat Addikts United. Since coming to DeSales, she has participated in a dance photography workshop and has also modeled for TV/Film magazines. She is thrilled to be able to have this opportunity."

"William Brazdzionis is a freshman dance major at DeSales University. William has performed in Giants Stadium with the East Stroudsburg North High School North Color Guard, and performed in many musical performances with The Shawnee Playhouse. William wishes to continue with his dance career and become a performer and educator for future dancers."

"Cailin Sweeney is a junior dance major at DeSales University. She has choreographed for the DeSales Informal Concert and the 48 Hour Screendance Film Challenge, where she won best film for "Colder Than Your Shoulder" in 2014. She has performed in DeSales Emerging Choreographer's Concert, Informal Dance Concert, and Dance Ensemble Concert. She is currently a principle dancer for "Lehigh Valley Dancers" a local screendance company."

"Krista Capra is from Lopatcong, NJ. She is a dance major at DeSales University. She loves dance and has been dancing for 15 years. She was so thankful to have the opportunity to dance in Rivers Merge, it is such a great experience to perform. Every chance Krista can get to perform, she will take. In the future Krista dreams of moving to New York City to teach dance and audition. She also hopes to dance in Disney and on a cruise line."

"Chiedu Mbonu is a sophomore dance major. He has previously been seen in Amplify and in DSU's Screendance Festival '14. I would like to thank Jessica for allowing us to be in my first professional performance, and allowing me to be one with nature. :-)"

"Lindsey Mitchell is currently a freshman dance major at DeSales University. She previously studied at the Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts where she also majored in dance. She is very excited to have this opportunity and is looking forward to a professional career serving the artistic community."

"Tara Swann. I am a freshman Dance and Business Administration double major at DeSales University. I hope to own my own dance studio and use it as an outreach program. I would like to help kids with learning disabilities or families who can't afford to put their children in dance classes."

I'm grateful to be working with such a diligent group of dancers. See you this weekend at Scott Park, Easton.

No comments:

Post a Comment


text:
Monday, August 15, 2016

Whether we can weather the weather

August is a scorcher!

The political atmosphere is heating up along with temperatures in Southeastern PA - record breaking. The sky is literally (and figuratively) falling in the south with the deluge of rain, rioting, and cries of revolution. Our environmental climate mirrors the current political climate. And people are getting hurt.

In rehearsal today, we reflected, again, on mattering. Who matters? How? Why?

As I listen to the onslaught of Trump's attacks, I am reminded that often, the people who are left behind are also denied some sort of access. There's an inequality and a power struggle, but the struggle is not about a critical exchange of ideas and resources. It's a struggle between those who have a lot and those who have nothing.

I wonder... how can American be great again if everyone doesn't have equal access to health care? education? job opportunities? housing? food?

No, we don't have a perfect system, but how can we without the ability to trust our leadership? Can we build from the bottom up without the ability to share resources or have access to the talents of each other?

I don't have any answers... just a lot of questions and a desire to create connections.

I believe we're all interconnected with our environment. I can't help but draw a metaphor between the angry weather patterns across the country and the storm we're in politically, racially, and economically. I'll keep looking for the rainbow...

  1. have spent many years examining implications you raise and many others in the struggle for fairness as we advance into the future. on the one hand we can argue that there has never been an equality wth resources and never will be. that doesn't work for me. but the political process guards status quo. it only gets worse in the out years. we are on the threshold of two revolutions that will augur for a step change in the human species, but only for those who can pay for it. a few years ago an "aging" scientist argued that the first people to live to multiple hundreds were in their fifties. we are already experimenting with direct computer synthesis with the human brain. ten years ago or more scientists at Carnegie Mellon taught rat braincells in a petrie dish to fly the microsoft flight simulator on a PC...I'm a pilot and I know how difficult the flight simulator is. imagine a subset of the human population that can live to several hundred years old and have computer enhanced brains...but only if they can pay for it...all our wonderful conservative and progressive heroes will be lined up for theirs...just another thought to very sorry I was just looking for problems and opportunities not how to go get them for everyone. if you have time to read entertaining stories, a couple scifi novels by John Scalzi (Old Man's War and Ghost Brigades) show off the advanced brain power and genetic applications in a military setting. at the time I was just working the computer links to the brain. we have been teaching pilots to fly with thought. both political parties have let us down struggling to maintain the status quo and their large pieces of the pie. a constitutional convention and term limits are in order.

    1. Michael, I've been digesting your thoughts for several days before responding and I always return to the question - do we as a society and a culture look externally for solutions that can only be solved by internal change and reflection? Computer enhanced brains are external, but how much of the human brain, currently completely internal, goes untapped or unimagined? What more could we do with our own potential? I studied non-Western religions as part of my graduate studies and the work revealed some powerful individuals who were not interested in money, wealth, or political negotiations, but ways to connect with nature, the spirit world, and other people. These individuals transcended known scientific principles through their own being.
      How much more could we accomplish if we stopped fighting an invisible timeline and listened to each other? Really listened? To our bodies, our stories, our dreams, our impact? Thank you for your suggested readings and your musings. Let's continue the conversation and find ways to enact positive, nonviolent, social change.


text: The Jefferies Land Conservation Trust ceased operations on 30th November 2013. Thanks go to the 52,000 people who supported the Save Coate campaign. We won many battles to protect the landscape of Coate and Badbury Wick but we lost the war. The area will soon be covered with a modern housing estate and business area. So much for the promise that the new hospital would be a "one off" and that if no land was used to build a university nearby, there would be no houses. Never trust politicians and their promises.


text:
Tuesday, May 23, 2017

Walkout by Lila Rose Blog Review

"The epitome of the alpha male."
Title: Walkout
Author: Lila Rose
Series: Hawks MC Caroline Springs Charter #4.5
Genre: MC Romance
Release Date: May 23, 2017

 Add to TBR

From her one visit to Melbourne and the Hawks MC compound, Melissa Evans knows Dallas is who she wants. There’re just a few problems with that: he’s a douche, a pain in the arse, and a stubborn, sexist pig. Still, it’s a whole heap of fun to tease her Viking man.

Relationship. Dallas Gan hates the word. As far as he’s concerned, women are nothing but a good time between the sheets. It’s only when the sassy Melissa shows up that he realises some women give as good as they get. Now she’s under his skin and he can’t seem to get her out.

Even with the warning from Dallas that once he claims her, he will come for her wherever she is, Melissa leaves. It’s now just a matter of time before he makes good on his promise.

Wading through lies and danger, Dallas has a decision to make. Is it easier to walkout on love and never look back, or will he give that dreaded word “relationship” a chance?

Ok so I have been in LOVE with this MC from the time I first started. This just enforced my love a little stronger!!
Dallas is a man that goes after what he wants. What he wants is the one woman that stands up to him, won't let him be the stubborn Alpha that he is. This time he has to be honest about what he wants, and admit why he is so determined to spend time with her.

Melissa is a woman that refuses to take crap from a man. She is determined to live her life on her terms, until she no longer can. When things hit the fan though, will she be able to fight for herself??

These two are not people that things are given to. They have to fight for what they want and need. The question becomes can they be honest about what they really want and need??

If you have read any of the other books in the series, you know who Dallas is. This is his story!

Books in the Caroline Springs Charter
The Secret's Out
Caroline Springs, #1

Available HERE for 99c!

Hiding Out
Caroline Springs, #2

Available HERE

Down and Out
Caroline Springs, #3

Available HERE

Living Without
Caroline Springs, #4
Available HERE

I was born in Brisbane Australia, my step-dad was in the army which caused us to move around a lot. We finally settled in country Victoria, Australia. I am the youngest of four children and I can say that I was spoilt a bit. I drove my mum crazy when I refused to eat meat at a young age.

Now I live with my husband and two children, and I find myself regretting all the troubles I put my parents through because my monsters are just as picky as I was.

I started writing in 2013 and self-published the first of the Hawks MC Club series Holding Out. The next to follow was something different, I wrote Senseless Attraction, a YA novel. Soon, I was back to the Hawks series with number two Climbing Out. I have more to write in the series, but there will be also be more novels in the humorous erotica genre, like Left to Chance.

1 comment:

  1. Did you know you can shorten your long links with Shortest and get $$$$ for every visitor to your short links.


text:
Sunday, March 12, 2017

Boy Update - March 2017

I am going to get back into writing updates on the boys here. I had so much fun reading old updates on the blog the other day, and some things I had already let slip my mind.

Little JCrew:
He is now five and a half. He is still bossy and has to be right. He gets upset when he is not. He also gets upset when he lets you down. He is currently in Kindergarten and doing really well. He picked up reading on his own right on his 5th birthday. He continues to love reading. We read stories every night at bedtime, and he and Mr. Brigglesworth then pick out more books to read on their own before falling asleep.

Little JCrew started piano lessons and is really enjoying them. He is a great big brother and loves to show love to his younger brothers. He will sit and talk with them and explain things. He will even read them books.

He loves to help and do things, but it doesn't give much opportunity for Mr. Brigglesworth to help, but Mr. Brigglesworth doesn't mind!

2016 on the left,                                        2015 on the right

Mr. Brigglesworth:
He is now four and a half. He likes to be creative in coming up with ways to help him avoid work. When I was changing out some outlets in the living room, I asked him to hold the flashlight for me. He did for a while, but then he started thinking of a way to not have to hold it. He found a toy that was the perfect height and he rested the flashlight on it. Smart!

Mr. Brigglesworth use to hate to dress up in nice clothes. He still does. Collared shirts and khakis are not his favorite, but he knows he has to wear them. He can get himself dressed, and he does a good job at putting outfits together. His outfits are usually very loud, but we have discovered that is his personality. He loves his blue plaid shoes.

I recognized it early on, but it becomes more evident every day that he has an artsy side to him. He loves to color and is a perfectionist. He is very good at building with Lego's. Little JCrew prefers following the instructions, and Mr. Brigglesworth throws the instructions away.
2016 on the left,                                                2015 on the right

Mr. Brigglesworth's love language is gifts. He is already talking about his birthday (in October) and I had to tell him we are not allowed to talk about birthday's right now. (Little JCrew spread this message to his teacher that we can't talk about birthday's). But when you give the smallest of things to Mr. Brigglesworth, his world is perfect. We found some Lego pieces at a consignment sale two weeks ago, and he was so tickled about this ONE PIECE in the new set that was one in his classroom and now he has it at home (it was a simple green long piece. Nothing extraordinary.)

He is now 10 months old with no teeth. But that doesn't stop him from eating. He LOVES food. I finally have a baby that loves macaroni as much as I do! He is also my happiest baby. He gives smiles so freely and laughs so hard. He has found his voice and loves to talk.

When his brothers are loud, so is he. He gets right in the middle of the action and doesn't realize he is so small.

He appears to be an animal lover like Little JCrew. He adores the puppies in the house.

Who is behind the camera?

Oh, it's Mom!

He started crawling early and caught on pretty fast. He pulls up on everything, but no walking yet. And he's not a great sleeper. He's about as bad as Little JCrew. By ten months, Little JCrew was sleeping through the night, but Pfitzer is not there yet.

Pfitzer is also a momma's boy; more so than Mr. Brigglesworth was. I cannot walk by without it upsetting him. If I am completely gone or out of sight, he is okay. But catching a glimpse of the momma, he melts until I hold him.

My sister came to visit the first weekend in February. Her son lives nearby and dropped in to see his mom.

The boys LOVE my sister, Kerry. She spoils them with her undivided attention. And Pfitzer loved my nephew!

Both boys love to take turns taking pictures with my camera. They do pretty good.

Hopefully this has caught us up on the boys. I love having all boys and would continue to have more boys. I am going to try to keep up with monthly updates. There are so many stories to tell on these kids!

  1. Oh the one of the three of them at the Lego table is so cute!! Hard to believe Fitz is 10 months old!!

    1. Thanks, Kelly. I love seeing all three play together. Ruby isn't far behind! She is growing up so quickly. And such a bubbly personality!

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
There was an error in this gadget
Pin It button on image hover