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Feline is world’s most expensive motorcycle

Feline One wrld's most expensive motorcycle

Swiss motorcycle company Feline Motorcycles claims their luxury Feline One is the most expensive in the world.Feline One wrld's most expensive motorcycle

The asking price is a cool $US280,000 ($A360,000) and they will be producing only 50 numbered models. The only new motorcycle costing more is the one-off gold-plated, diamond-encrusted “Goldfinger” Lauge Jensen which sold for $850,0000. It’s more than even the titanium-laden Ecosse Titanium RR at $320,000.

So, what do you get for the self-proclaimed “world’s most luxurious and expensive motorcycle”?

Yacouba , designer of the Feline One wrld's most expensive motorcycle

The bike certainly is stunning to look at. It was designed by a guy simply called Yacouba who has raced motorcycles at Le Mans and designed several concept bikes.

One of the most notable features of the Feline One is that it has no visible means of fastening. So, no nasty bolts and welds.

Another feature is the massive girder-style, leading-link, anti-dive forks, something it shares with the expensive return of the renowned UK brand, Matchless.

The Feline One is made from high quality materials such as carbon, titanium, aerospace aluminium and fine leathers.

It weighs just 155kg and is powered by a 126kW three-cylinder engine of unknown origin.

Agnes Galle of Feline Motorcycles says the engine “will be a highly reputed brand, with a specific preparation”, but won’t reveal the source.”

The company promises it hi-tech innovations, but Agnes won’t say what they are.

“For other technological aspects, we do not want to reveal everything at this stage of the project. ABS will be available. All usual devices will be available plus some new ones.”

The first Feline models are planned for early 2016.Feline One wrld's most expensive motorcycle

Feline One

  • Price: $US280,000
  • Engine: 801cc 3-cylinder, 4-stroke
  • Power: 126kW
  • Transmission: 6-speed gearbox
  • Exhaust: Titanium
  • Frame: Titanium, carbon fibre and aerospace aluminum
  • Fork: Dual carbon swingarms, 2-dampers with fibre springFeline One wrld's most expensive motorcycle
  • Swingarm: Carbon fibre, mono damper with fibre spring
  • Rims: Carbon fibre
  • Brakes: 4 x 230mm discs, with 4-pistons calipers (front); 220mm disc (rear)
  • Tyres: 120/70 – ZR 17: 200/50 – ZR 17
  • Fairing: Carbon fibre
  • Wheelbase: 1400mm
  • Seat: 808mm
  • Dry weight: 155kg

Feline One wrld's most expensive motorcycle

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Mick Doohan preaches sixth sense

Five-time world motorcycle champion Mick Doohan features in a series of Queensland Government videos teaching riders to recognise and exercise their sixth sense when riding.

Controversially, he doesn’t recommend advanced rider training with professionals but suggests riders already have an innate sixth sense; “that unique instinct all riders share that helps us read the road, the conditions, the potential hazards and stay focused and in control”.

He refers to the sixth sense as perceiving the correct speed for corners, being aware of erratic movements of other vehicles and knowing when peer pressure puts you out of your comfort zone and skill level.

“The more you develop and hone your (sixth sense), the better your chances are of surviving to ride another day,” he says.

The videos are included on a government website called ”Join the drive”.

After his intro video explaining his sixth sense theory, there are four more videos:

In “Cornering”, he says if you “start looking short or fixating on that gum tree at the side of the road the chances are you’re gonna be shaking the koalas out of it real soon”.

In “Group Riding”, Mick says it’s “always a good idea to swap over at rest breaks to share the load”.

In “Returned Riders” he recommends buying a new bike rather than “dusting off the old one” because they are “safer, more rideable and more reliable than ever”.

In “Road Craft”, he suggests you give yourself more time in the wet. “Set off earlier and take it easier on the ride. Or choose not to hit the road at all, that works every time.”

The road safety campaign comes as Mick has been announced as one of the prime hosts of the upcoming Bike Torque TV series along with Charley Boorman and an as-yet unnamed American motorcycle celebrity.

Mick has featured in several rider safety advertising campaigns before, including one in 2014 with the RACQ and Motorbike Writer.

He has some interesting and thought-provoking theories in these videos.

A few may actually surprise some riders: invest in a helmet intercom; ride in staggered formation in groups and do not trail brake through a corner.

“Try to stay off the brakes as much as you can, it sounds wrong if you’ve got your turning-in point and your approach speed right you’ll be in control and the bike should handle the corner no worries,” he says.

Mick isn’t featured in the riding sequences which are performed on some of the most scenic and challenging roads in South East Queensland.

They have chosen a mix of riders and bikes from Morgan & Wacker for these scenes: Ducati Monster, BMW R nineT, BMW S 1000 RR and a Harley-Davidson Fat Boy.

  1. Looking at the incredibly low mileage on most bikes
    on american ebay I think I might argue on the point
    of miles travelled by american riders Harsh winters keep
    many off the road completely for parts of the year

  2. Not one mention of using your sense of smell.
    Often you’ll smell a diesel or other spill long before you see it.
    Never panic! If you panic you can turn a scary moment into a deadly one.

  3. The one stat that is always left out, is the actual miles travelled. It is always ‘accidents per registered vehicles’. Which on its own is meaningless. Eg. In the US, vehicles travel vastly more miles on their Interstate systems than we do, which makes our true road toll much worse than theirs. In other words the current accident statistics based on registered vehicles as a base, are fatally flawed.

    We often hear that rural roads have a worse record than city. Well, lo, could that be because cars travel much greater distances in the country? The authorities’ holier-than-thou attitude needs to change for a complete re-think. Otherwise we will never rise above the inane failed speed limit method.

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engineered for the urban active

The original all-terrain buggy, urban jungle is a versatile all rounder that is perfect for adventures in the city or off the beaten track – the ideal, comfortable sized buggy for parents who desire flexibility.

the age of revolution

At Mountain Buggy, it’s not just about launching new products, it’s also about improving what we already offer in our range. We’ve answered your call for new features, new accessories and refined styling, whilst staying true to Mountain Buggy’s trusted all terrain DNA - simplicity, durability, manoeuvrability, adaptability.

winning features

shock absorbing suspension

handlebar brake

10kg gear tray with pockets

more fashionable appeal and refined aesthetics

one hand fast fold

a new, extremely easy one hand fold offering simplicity and convenience

superior manoeuvrability

Compared with other brands, Mountain Buggies require less force to ‘pop’ up the front wheel around obstacles and kerbs thanks to perfect weight distribution for optimised performance. Glide effortlessly over all terrain, with the 12” air-filled tyres, improved rear wheel suspension and a lock back or swivel front wheel.

newborn perfect with Carrycot Plus

one base, two fabric sets, three parent facing solutions
innovation at its best, incredibly adaptable and designed with your baby’s comfort in mind, carrycot plus easily adjusts from lie-flat mode to incline mode, offering a perfect angle for babies who suffer from reflux. From here, when your child is older, switch the fabrics to turn your carrycot plus to a parent facing seat.

car seat compatible

urban jungle is available as an all terrain travel system with Mountain Buggy protect infant car seat - an ultra safe and light car seat with base installation options.

click here  to learn more about protect infant car seat

Alternatively, our range of urban jungle car seat adaptors allows you to attach most leading car seats to your buggy for ease of transporting baby.
click here  to see our matrix of adaptors

options for a second child

Connect to urban jungle’s rear axle to accommodate a 2nd child. freerider transforms to a kids scooter, offering dual functionality for free-wheeling scooter fun!

click here  to learn more about freerider strollerboard

hide and seek

Year of the Rooster, Special Edition 2017

Celebrating the Year of the Rooster 2017 - the tenth of twelve animals in the Chinese Zodiac; Mountain Buggy introduces their second special edition print, ‘hide and seek’.

Hide and seek successfully encapsulates the beauty and essence of the rooster, exuding some of its powerful traits such as charm, confidence and style. With the rooster playfully hiding behind metallic gold gladiolus(the lucky flower for 2017), this design brings a charismatic feel that allows you to stand out from the crowd.

urban jungle in the YOR print

NEW bundle options available!

looking for a double?

Do you love the urban jungle but are in need of a second seat? Check out the +one, which is essentially the urban one!

click here  to learn more about +one!

mountain buggy +one double al terrain stroller with happy toddlers protected by storm cover


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Ludlow Massacre

The Ludlow Massacre in 1914 was an important event in American history. A major tragedy, it fueled the growing worker’s rights movement and helped result in the 8 hour work day we enjoy today.

We have included several images as well as an assignment requiring students to retell the story in their own words.

For more on this era check out our:

US History PowerPoints

Classroom History Games

Newly released photos of JFK

The International Center of Photography in New York has an exhibit right now highlighting the day President John F. Kennedy was assassinated.

The photographs include never before seen amateur shots, as well as some that were published at the time.

We have compiled some of the shots to be ready for your classroom use.

For more resources on this era check out our:

US History PowerPoints

Classroom History games

Ancestry map, 2000 Census

Ancestry map Census

The amount of information contained in census maps is staggering and a major score for Social Studies teachers.

This week we have created questions and answers on groups by ancestry in counties.

For more map activities check out our US History Map Set.

WWII Dr. Seuss cartoon

Dr Seuss blk wht labor

Dr. Seuss was a true American treasure. As teachers we are very lucky that most students are familiar with his work, because it gives them a higher level of comfort when examining his political cartoons.

We have included this cartoon which is a commentary on segregation in war industries at the beginning of the war.

Here are questions and answers ready for your classroom use.

For more WWII resources check out our:

World History PowerPoints

US History PowerPoints

Classroom history games

Image Libraries

Film Library

Historic Film Collection, Part 3

Statue of Liberty

Built in 1883 by Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, it is said that he used his mother as the model for her face. The design was based on the Roman goddess of Liberty and has become one of the most iconic landmarks in the United States.

It was transported in pieces, assembled and unveiled between 1883 and 1886.

In 1984 the torch was repaired and plated with 24 carat gold.

We have compiled 11 pictures that show the process in the 1800s and 1980s that are ready for your classroom use.

Fear of weapons: 1913

Prior to WWI, American military scientists projected ideas of what weapons would be used in the upcoming conflict.
Since battles would be fought on land, in the sea and up in the air, there were many ideas about what new technologies would emerge and be used in the fight to dominate other nations.
Scientific American published these images originally in 1913 and again last week.
We have compiled these images into a PDF ready for your classroom use.

For more information on teaching this era check out our:

World History PowerPoints

US History PowerPoint

Classroom History Games

Image Libraries

Film Collection

The Ellis Island tourists don’t get to see: Inside the infectious disease wards, morgue and giant furnace where the dreams of thousands of immigrants hoping for a new life in America came to a terrible end

article-2362465-1ACAC7F7000005DC-780_634x357The 22-building hospital was one of the largest public health institutions in the U.S, according to the New York Times. In 1914, its staff treated 10,000 people from 75 countries.
After it closed in 1954 the 750-bed hospital and morgue were left abandoned. They have remained out of bounds to the more than three million tourists who flock to the island each year.

Vilseskogen, the New Jersey photographer who took the photos in 2008, said: ‘We walked through old mental wards, infectious disease wards, saw the morgue, and the giant furnace room. It was an amazing experience and you could really feel the history alive, right here and now.’

We have included several pictures for your use. To find them look at the bottom of the page under “Historic Photos”.

For more resources on teaching this era, check out our:

US History PowerPoints:

*Immigration and Urbanization:
*Progressive Era

Classroom History games:

Covers the three waves of immigration to the United States from Europe. Student teams choose one of seven ports to place their immigrant-laden ships, learning about patterns of immigration to the U.S.

Civil War photographs

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has an exhibit thru September 2, 2013 that contains some amazing photographs taken during the Civil War.

We have compiled some images along with their information to be ready for your classroom use.

For more Civil War era resources check out our PowerPoints:

Check out our classroom history games:

History and Functions of the Presidency

History and Functions of the Presidency_000090

Click here to check out this educational film on the Presidency. Not super exciting, but it gets to the point.

For more resources on teaching American Government, check out our PowerPoints:

Sojourner Truth’s “Ain’t I a Woman” speech

Sojourner Truth was an amazing woman who lived an extraordinary life.

Her famous speech given in Ohio in 1851 is a simple yet eloquent argument on the equality of the sexes.

There is a bit of controversy, however, as two versions have been recorded, one during the convention, a second a few years later.

The second version is the widely known speech. It is notable though that the second version is in a southern-style dialect which is not how the native New Yorker who only spoke Dutch for her early years talked.

We have included both and encourage adding questions to the assignment we have included for your classroom use.


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Business Details

Clan Shuttle has 20 years of transportation experience and provides shuttle service for in and out of town. Our service is available 24 hours a day and can be pre-booked. If you need to be somewhere specific for an appointment, you can call ahead and book a pick up time.

Our vehicle is large and can accommodate people with walkers or a lot of baggage. We provide transportation to the grocery store, doctor's appointments, airport pickup/drop off and pretty much anything else. We will make sure you get to where you're going on time.

Please login to add a recommendation.


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Natural Living Des Moines

Helping Kids Be Green by sarahtar
May 28, 2008, 9:11 pm
Filed under: Parenting

A while back, I was interviewed for an article in Des Moines Moms about how we can help children to make Green lifestyle choices and care about the environment. Apparently, the article came out this week. I haven’t had a chance to read it yet, but I wrote this post shortly after the interview and feel that I can now share it with you. It contains the gist of my entire conversation with the reporter.

First and foremost, I think kids learn by example. We can talk about taking care of the environment and our bodies all we want, but what will make the most impact is if we walk what we talk. Talking about exercise being important for our bodies doesn’t make much impact on our children if they never see us getting off our lazy butts, you know? Wally learns what is important to our family by living here. He sees us recycle, he hears us talk about waste and sees us trying to reduce it, he knows where we get our food and what we eat, he camps with us and hikes with us, he picks up trash with us. We talk about the things we do, but – at four – we don’t hit him over the head with it. If he were older, we’d incorporate more in-depth discussions about why we do what we do, but we keep things age-appropriate.

Second, though I can’t find the article to save my life, a back issue of Mothering cited a study that found that kids respond better to POSITIVE messages about the environment, rather than negative messages. Kids are so easily overwhelmed by the largeness of problems – particularly something like the environment. When I think about the messages I heard in school growing up…I honestly thought that the world was probably coming to an end. And that there was really nothing we could do about it.

The study cited found that kids who are hit over the head with the bad things – endangered species, shrinking rain forests, acid rain, global warming – tend to become more apathetic than kids who aren’t given those messages. They actually care about the environment less. Wow.

But what they found to be more effective is to first get kids engaged in the environment. Get them out in it. Get them caring about it. Adopt a Manatee (ok, showing my age?). Pick up trash. Go camping and hiking. Go on a nature walk. Learn about birds and trees and bugs. Garden. Once they are vested in the environment, they will naturally want to take steps to ensure that it stays safe.

In the end, there’s really nothing you can do to force your kids to be “green” or to care about the environment. Just like you can’t force your kid to enjoy playing the piano. But being green yourself and holding off on the scary doom-and-gloom messages seem to be great ways to encourage your (potentially) budding environmentalist.

1 Comment so far
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i just read this article yesterday!
small world🙂

Comment by *mindi*

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text:
Is Sex Before Marriage a Proof of Love?

One of the greatest headaches of many young
ladies in relationship is the issue of sex. While
they find themselves entangled in love, they also
would not want to offend Allah by fornicating.
Meanwhile, most young men of today are always
demanding sex before marriage as a proof of
If a lady denies her boyfriend (fiance) sex,he
tends to think she either does not love him or
she is seeing another guy. And this throws the
lady into so much confusion.
She genuinely loves the guy but wouldn’t want to
give in to sex. If she denies him, she may lose
him and if she gives in, she disobeys Allah. Sorry
to our ladies.
Gentleman, please know that it is absolutely a lie
from the pit of hell that if your fiancee does not
give you sex it shows she doesn’t love you.
How can you use sex as a LOVEOMETRE?
Have you never slept with ladies you didn’t truly
If you haven’t then let me tell you that many
people are having sex with people they never
love. And the men are themselves the worst
If sex is a proof of love then we have to
conclude that prostitutes love all the men they
sleep with. If sex is a proof of love then we have
to go about sleeping with our best friends and
even family members to show how deeply we
love them.
Even married couples, do not have sex to prove
their love. They rather have sex because sex is
part of marriage and it is meant for both
procreation and recreation – child birth and
enjoyment. Don’t you know that there are
married couples who are not genuinely in love
but they still have sex as a matter of duty or just
for cover-ups?
Surely, sex plays a major role in love affairs.
It’s said “For everything there is a season…” It is
never the right season to have sex in a
This is because sex is a blood covenant between
husband and wife not boyfriend and girlfriend.
It was said “Adam knew his wife”. It does not
say “Adam knew his girlfriend”.
Stop going that far with the lady. If you want to
know about a woman’s love for you, sex is never
the answer. Leave her alone to serve Allah right
for your own sake if you truly want to marry her.
The gazelle is a very swift animal. It runs at
least 96 km per hour. Romance is compared to
the gazelle.
If you start romance at the wrong time you may
crush because you will not be able to stop it
from running your life at top speed.
So until you are married, don’t AWAKEN
LOVE.Sex has been the main reason for most
broken hearts and disappointments.
Sex is called love-making because it involves the
body, soul and spirit. Do you want your soul and
spirit to be tied to somebody who is not married
to you? Can you stand the consequences,
“Sex before marriage can destroy you, even your
Religious life. The funny thing is that it is the
Brothers who are always worrying the Sisters for
You are a servant of Allah, so don’t waste your
energy on women. You should rather be teaching
her chastity and help her serve Allah well.
Take it easy man! When you get married, you will
be fed up with sex.
Your wife will be chasing you with it and you will
be running away, saying, “Oh I’m tired, why?”.
Take time okay, there is more sleep after
death.How many rounds do you want? Wait
patiently.It will soon be laid at your doorstep and
you will notice how stupid it is to chase sex
when you are not married.
If you want a woman to prove her love to
you,allow her some space to be herself. Do not
force your will on her or control her. Her love,by
nature, will push her to do things that will signal
to you that you are her top priority. She will be
ready to marry you, than just have fun with you.
She will not be interested in you showering
things on her but rather, she would want both of
you to set your life and future right. She will
support your dreams and visions and help you
build up your Religious life. Infact, she will
exhibit the spirit of humility and you will also
discover she is a precious jewel in a glass jar,
reserved for you alone.
So from today, even if she herself brings sex, tell
her…”Do not awaken love until it is time.” And if
you guys love each other, plan about marrying
and submit your plans to Allah.
Allah will bless it and put you two together as
It’s funny how we wanna Displease the Creator
and please his creations. Fear the day you will
finally meet your lord cuz no one can save you
from his punishment. Plz Share with all the
gents and ladies…who knows, you might just
stop someone from disobeying Allah, right now!
Jazakallahu khair for understanding .

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text:
Bible: 1 Thess 5:12-28

Final Instructions

5:12 Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, 1  to acknowledge those who labor among you and preside over you in the Lord and admonish you, 5:13 and to esteem them most highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. 5:14 And we urge you, brothers and sisters, 2  admonish the undisciplined, comfort the discouraged, help the weak, be patient toward all. 5:15 See that no one pays back evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good for one another and for all. 5:16 Always rejoice, 5:17 constantly pray, 5:18 in everything give thanks. For this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 5:19 Do not extinguish the Spirit. 5:20 Do not treat prophecies with contempt. 5:21 But examine all things; hold fast to what is good. 5:22 Stay away from every form of evil.

5:23 Now may the God of peace himself make you completely holy and may your spirit and soul and body be kept entirely blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 5:24 He who calls you is trustworthy, and he will in fact do this. 3  5:25 Brothers and sisters, 4  pray for us too. 5:26 Greet all the brothers and sisters 5  with a holy kiss. 5:27 I call on you solemnly in the Lord 6  to have this letter read to all the brothers and sisters. 7  5:28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. 8

NET Bible Study Environment


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NetGuide NZ - A-Z Parenting for Kiwi's

Warning: This story was published more than a year ago.

A-Z Parenting for Kiwi's

Everyone from expectant mothers to first time and experienced parents will appreciate this website offering comprehensive and practical parenting advice to New Zealanders.
The site provides parenting tips on "all ages and stages” from pregnancy through to tertiary education and helping your child find a job. Since the site is created by and for New Zealand parents, it not only covers general parenting queries, but also discusses many topics that may be unique to kiwi culture.
The site even offers cool features like a gift section with toy and book ideas categorized by age and a family notices section to share milestones with other readers.

Interested in this topic?
We can put you in touch with an expert.

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I want to help

Whitney Museum of American Art Continues SoundCheck Series with Arto Lindsay

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On Friday, October 15, the Whitney Museum's SoundCheck series presents downtown pioneer of avant-garde music Arto Lindsay on guitar. Lindsay, who grew up in Brazil, fuses rhythms, melodies, and verbal expressions from diverse cultures and musical genres. His provocative music transcends the limitations of free improvisation and noise works to embrace pop forms in his own unique synthesis of musical styles. A respected vocalist, musician, producer, and songwriter, Lindsay has collaborated with figures such as David Byrne, Brian Eno, Laurie Anderson, and John Zorn.

Friday, October 15, 2004, 7 PM

Whitney Museum of American Art
945 Madison Avenue at 75th Street

Pay-what-you-wish, includes admission to the entire museum

Visit Website

For interview requests or more information contact .

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All About Vince Guaraldi!

An exclusive opportunity for All About Jazz readers to participate in the celebration of a jazz legend.


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Sports Interaction Blog
Don't Miss

The Fix Is In: Clay Buchholz and the Spitball Issue

Take a close look at the glove arm of Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Clay Buchholz in the image accompanying this story. Does it look shiny? Does his sleeve look like it has a wet, greasy spot? That’s because it’s probably not perspiration. The TV cameras caught not only Buchholz’s arm but the furtive gestures he made with his pitching hand onto that arm during his start against the Blue Jays last Wednesday, a decisive 10-1 victory for Boston.

Blue Jays analyst Jack Morris, himself a former 20-game winner with a World Series ring, accused Buchholz of doctoring the ball. Another Blue Jays analyst, former catcher Geoff Zahn, said during the broadcast that because Jays manager John Gibbons did not get the umpires to check what Buchholz was doing on the mound, and because “there was no nail file flying out of a pocket,” his assertion was that “no one cares.”

Therefore, we must assume it’s totally OK to cheat as long as no one calls you on it. Being of good character doesn’t count as much as winning. In fact, getting away with something like this adds an edgy element to the proceedings. Buchholz said it: “That’s the way the world works.”

He ought to know: Buchholz was just named the American League Pitcher of the Month for April because of his 6-0 record. Was he aided by a slather of goop on his non-pitching arm? We don’t know and, according to observers like Zahn, we don’t really care. Results are all that matter.

After all, cheating is nothing new. We’ve gone through a series of incidents such as the Ben Johnson steroid scandal at the 1988 Seoul Olympics and the Lance Armstrong affair, among others, which tells us that evading and even breaking the rules is how competitors find an “edge” to get a desired outcome.

Spitballs and doctoring the ball in other ways — with an emery board, for instance — is as old as the game of baseball itself. That time-honored tradition could be a holdover from cricket, where to this day it’s allowed for the bowler to shine up the ball on his uniform and even spit on it if he wants. Baseball pitchers were also allowed to doctor the ball in any way they saw fit until 1919, when the spitball was outlawed in a two-stage process. Yet despite being banned, here it is again almost a century later as a talking point.

The lesson here? Don’t worry about it. Rules are only a minor inconvenience on the road to glory and riches. Don’t like it? Deal with it. After all, we are told, it’s the way of the world. But don’t be cynical about it, because that would be a bad thing.

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On perseverance

Novelist Marlon James has been awarded the prestigious Man Booker prize for his latest novel, A Brief History of Seven Killings (2014), a story about the attempted assassination of Bob Marley. What caught my eye in the media coverage, however, was not his current success, but rather repeated mentions that his first novel was rejected almost 80 times before a publisher finally picked it up. Matthew Weaver and Mark Brown report for The Guardian:

He recalled that his first novel, John Crow’s Devil, was rejected 78 times by publishers, before it was eventually published in 2005. “I had to sit down and add it up one day and I had no idea it was that much,” he said.

Despite the success of his latest novel, which the Man booker judges described as “an extraordinary book” after a unanimous decision, James said he thought the publishing industry had not changed that much since his first book was repeatedly turned down.

“There was a time I actually thought I was writing the kind of stories people didn’t want to read,” he told Today. Asked if he had considered giving up writing, the 44-year-old writer said: “I did give it up. I actually destroyed the manuscript, I even went on my friends computers and erased it.” He said he retrieved the text by searching in the email outbox of an old iMac computer.

Marlon James’s story is one of both perseverance and a bit of good fortune, the latter being how he was able to rescue his discarded book manuscript after he had given up after all of those rejections. Many of us would have thrown in the towel a lot earlier.

Is it possible to think about this decision making process more systematically? In The Dip: A Little Book that Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick) (2007), Seth Godin identifies three common stay vs. go scenarios regarding projects, jobs, and affiliations:

  • The Dip “is the long slog between starting and mastery” of something achievable and worthwhile. After an optimistic start, you encounter resistances, but they are surmountable, and the ends justify your perseverance.
  • The Cul-de-Sac is “a situation where you work and you work and you work and nothing much changes.” You invest tons of time, energy, intellect, and emotion into trying to change a status quo that is determined not to budge.
  • The Cliff is a thankfully rare, but addictive situation that can end badly, the work equivalent of taking drugs. Examples are folks who get caught up in Ponzi schemes and subprime housing deals.

Dips, says Godin, are worth fighting through. Cul-de-Sacs and Cliffs, however, call for escape.

But here’s a big challenge: It’s a lot easier to identify a Dip or a Cul-de-Sac after the fact. (Most Cliffs send out earlier warning signs.) But how do you tell the difference when you’re in the thick of things? There’s no easy answer to that!

If you’re encountering resistances toward something that really means a lot to you — a matter that goes to your core — maybe you simply keep trying. If your efforts are part of a broader cause, then you also may have to accept that the change you want to see will not occur in your lifetime.

Perhaps you hedge your bets, putting your project on the shelf for now, but staying ready for a more opportune moment. Then you seize an opening that either arrives or you created.

Or maybe you say enough is enough. This decision, for example, confronts talented athletes, performers, and creative people over and again. There’s nothing wrong about stepping away when you know the time has come.

Which brings us back to Marlon James and his first novel. At some point, he gave up, having concluded that becoming a published novelist was not meant to be. From a distance, at least, we might’ve regarded him as being unrealistically obsessive after even 15 or 33 or 50 rejections, much less the 78th one that caused him to destroy his manuscript. In considering his story, we may hear echoes of references to fine lines between genius and madness.

But then a window of opportunity opened, and he found a way to retrieve his discarded novel. Talent once rejected and abandoned is now being recognized in big venues. Hmm…..this is vexing stuff. When do we keep at it, and when do we let it go? James’s tale yields no answers.

Sometimes followed by bright sunlight ((photo: DY)

Sometimes followed by bright sunlight (photo: DY)

Related post

“Should I stay or should I go?” Career insights from Seth Godin and The Clash (2011)

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  1. Just left a Cul-de-Sac work experience that nearly destroyed my health – both mental and physical. Sometimes all the effort, diligence, resourcefulness and just plain hard work isn’t enough and it seems to be a bit of a Catch 22. You justify, this just has to get better with all the hard work I’m putting in here. However, if you are working for a bad manager or narcissist who does not recognize this or that the situation itself is untenable then you stay at your own peril. Start looking for another opportunity and move on if the job isn’t right for you.

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Braille Monitor                                                                                May 2004

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AIDB Board Votes to De-NAC

by J. Michael Jones

Michael Jones
Michael Jones

From the Editor: Michael Jones is president of the NFB of Alabama and for fourteen years was an employee of the Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind (AIDB). At AIDB he served as an instructor/counselor and as an administrator. He resigned in late 2002 to complete his doctorate in vocational rehabilitation and work as a graduate teaching assistant for Auburn University. He is currently writing his dissertation on employment outcomes for persons who are blind and have accessed the public vocational rehabilitation program. He reports in the following brief article about recent positive events at AIDB:

The National Accreditation Council for Agencies Serving People with Blindness or Visual Impairment (NAC) has been reviled for decades by people knowledgeable about the blindness field as an embarrassment to accreditation bodies in America. I had read the literature casting doubt on NAC's competence in evaluating agencies, but I was never able to appreciate fully the truth of this criticism of the NAC evaluation process until I experienced it firsthand as a participant in a program review by a NAC survey team.

The program areas that I was evaluated on while working as an administrator for the Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind (AIDB) were reviewed by a NAC team member who reported to me that he was a criminal psychologist who had briefly worked in the vision field some thirty years before. I repeatedly inquired if I should present documents to substantiate what I was reporting orally. I was assured by the NAC reviewer that documentation was not necessary. I spent the bulk of my program review answering questions about how the field of vision had changed over the last thirty years and not on evaluating AIDB's programs.

However, one need not draw on my observations alone to illustrate NAC's incompetence. Consider that in the same review year, 1998, while the NAC team was on the scene conducting its accreditation review, a worker at AIDB was using student records for illegal purposes. This is how the Associated Press recently reported the conclusion of that episode:

Alabama News
Woman Sentenced in Tax Scheme That Used IDs Stolen from Blind

The Associated Press
February 25, 2004

A woman convicted in a $700,000 tax scheme that used identification stolen from blind students at a Talladega school has been sentenced to one to two years in prison. Federal prosecutors said Wednesday that former Talladega resident Roshanda Johnson, thirty-three, now living in Plano, Texas, was sentenced on charges of conspiracy to submit false tax claims and identity fraud. U.S. District Judge Inge P. Johnson sentenced Johnson on Tuesday to one to two years, followed by three years of court supervision.

Convicted November 4, Johnson was accused of stealing the Social Security numbers, birthdates, and other information of children attending the Helen Keller School in Talladega and providing it to an income tax return preparer in a false dependent tax scheme. Johnson worked part-time at the school in 1997-98.

NAC might reasonably be asked, don't its teams evaluate for general safe records storage and retrieval processes as a part of the review of agencies? Fortunately the NAC review team that visited AIDB in 1998 will be the last one to extend its probe into Alabama. In 1998 the NFB of Alabama passed a resolution at its state convention urging that AIDB discontinue its affiliation with NAC. AIDB's NAC accreditation was to be up for review in 2003.

For decades the AIDB had continued to pay for NAC accreditation until its new president, Dr. Terry Graham, and its reorganized board of trustees, led by longtime NFB member Mrs. Melissa Williamson, listened to blind people and rejected any further affiliation with NAC accreditation. This move is symbolic and is a signal that services for the blind in Alabama may be moving to a more competent level.

Here is Dr. Graham's letter rejecting NAC accreditation in Alabama:

October 9, 2003

Mr. Steven K. Hegedeos,
Executive Director
National Accreditation Council
Lakewood, Ohio

Dear Mr. Hegedeos:

At the September 30 meeting of the Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind Board of Trustees, the Board voted to discontinue our relationship with the National Accreditation Council. AIDB is the nation's most comprehensive education and service program for children and adults who are deaf and blind, and our diverse array of services literally spans a lifetime from infants and toddlers to senior citizens. Regular examination and review of our programs will continue to be a priority for us, but we have chosen to pursue other options for accreditation at this time.

I thank you and your organization for past support of AIDB and for your efforts on behalf of persons who are blind and visually impaired. On behalf of our board of trustees I wish you and NAC the very best in future endeavors.

Terry Graham

That was Dr. Graham's letter to NAC. We of the NFB of Alabama are proud to announce that with this decision Alabama can now boast a NAC-free environment. We are also pleased, but not surprised, to report that with NAC accreditation a matter of history the AIDB board has taken other courageous and overdue actions in recent months.

On February 18, 2004, the Talladega Daily Home reported that following a recommendation by the AIDB president and after learning that the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation would no longer share in funding obsolete training programs, the AIDB board of trustees voted to end seven training programs at the E.H. Gentry Technical School. The programs have not shown good results in job placements for graduates seeking employment in these areas. Twelve faithful employees will lose their jobs, which is certainly regrettable, but AIDB now recognizes its greater responsibility to do what it can to help its consumers, students, and workers to work and earn competitively in the twenty-first century.

Also according to the Talladega Daily Home of February 19, the board voted unanimously to raise the hourly pay rate for Alabama Industries for the Blind production workers from $5.98 to $6.28 an hour, the first such actual pay increase in almost fifteen years. Within a few months incentive increases will also begin for workers whose hard work and productivity merit them. Cost-of-living increases have occasionally occurred through the years, but this straight-up pay hike marks a significant shift and was an important decision for the board of trustees to make. Perhaps two such difficult and courageous actions at this time are simply accidental, but I suspect that they are connected in some way with AIDB's decision to step away from NAC. Whatever the case may be, the NFB of Alabama is pleased to give credit to the institute and its board for positive decisions and courageous actions.

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Jan 31 @ 7pm! January Meeting: Magical Mirrors

Wed, January 31, 2007 at 7:00pm
Please note earlier starting time for meeting.

568 Broadway at Prince St, NE corner
Suite 404
New York, NY 10012
(lobby sign-in required)

  1. Daniel Michelis, a doctoral candidate at the Institute of Media and Communications Management at the University of St. Gallen, will present his Berlin-based interactive urban screen project, “Magical Mirrors“.


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Virginian Governor meets with Cuban Foreign Trade Minister

Cuban Foreign Trade and Investment Minister Rodrigo Malmierca received in Havana Terry McAuliffe, Governor of the State of Virginia, who is in an official visit to Cuba.

During the meeting, both leaders spoke of the need to boost the bilateral trade, limited by the over 50 years long US economic, financial and commercial blockade of Cuba, which both urged lifted.

Malmierca described some measures implemented by the Obama administration last year as positive, but they failed to re3move the main obstacle to normal relations, the blockade.

Governor McAuliffe confirmed his stance on the lifting of the blockade and announced he will continue to fight it.

Promoting the export of agricultural products from Virginia, closer links to Cuba in sea transportation, culture and higher education, are the main goals of the Governor´s visit to Cuba.

This is the first high level visit from an American politician in 2016, after three governors came to Cuba in 2015, as well as Secretaries of State, Commerce and Agriculture.

Governor McAuliffe and his delegation will visit tomorrow the Mariel Special Development Zone, outside Havana city.

(Cuban News Agency)

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Pinterest • The world’s catalogue of ideas

Child Support Application

Child BMI Calculator Android App - , Ever wondered if your children have the appropriate weight? With this simple Body Mass Index (BMI) calculator, you can figure out if your child is at an appropriate weight for his or her height and age according to the general reading table of the World Health Organization.The BMI is a measure of body fat based on weight and height. This calculator can be used for kids and adolescents from 2 to 20 years of age.Please note that as children…

Work Smart: WorkSmart is an Internet application designed to offer entry-level job seekers and workforce re-entrants “soft” skills and occupational information to assist them in obtaining employment.

A great visual way of illustrating to both younger and older clients the concept that you only have control of the things inside your inner circle...[site also provides other helpful visual support tools]

Preschool Staff Evaluations This 3 page review form covers 44 specific review criteria broken down under 6 main sections to help support staff in their professional growth and development as well as review the staff member's understanding and application of your program’s quality indicators.

Mood Meter, How do you FEEL?


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How to come play with us!

Categories: Open Mic

Hello all,

Children’s Village is a space where parents and children can play as well as be involved in Occupy Oakland.  It is run by volunteers.  These volunteers are NOT childcare providers – this means that parents cannot drop off their young ones and walk away!

Our goal is to position ourselves close enough to the activities in the plaza – so that parents can hear the discussions and workshops – accommodation can be made to allow parents to participate more directly if needed.  We also want to be far enough away so that young children are not directly troubled by the intensity of adults working through the issues of our Movement!

Right now, the village is only available on Sundays from noon – 5pm, so that parents can attend the 2pm GA meeting.

We would like to be open to support the other GAs and will do so when we have enough volunteers.  IF you would like to volunteer. please contact us by emailing :

please visit our facebook page:  Occupy Oakland Children’s Village

and join our Occupy Oakland Parents and Allies Committee Facebook group!

I look forward to playing with you!

Samsarah – Children’s Village Coordinator and Nana  🙂

Wish List:

healthy sugar free snacks

feel free to drop off donations at the village when it is open! or email us to arrange a pick up.

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Coming up short

It seemed like it was going to be the same song, fifth verse for the Oklahoma State offense Saturday at Boone Pickens Stadium.

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Consultation regarding business formation and incorporation, business acquisitions and sales, and financial performance improvement opportunities

Our team of CPAs and advisors specialize in helping clients structure their finances to minimize taxes and maximize after-tax income

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Behind the Union Symbol

Summer 2000

  • Life Is Like A Box Of Godiva Chocolates:
    You Always Know What You’re Gonna Get…Quality
  • Nantucket Nectars: Loyal To Quality And The OU
  • To Market, to Market – Engendering Product Loyalty Recognizing the value of the OU symbol
  • On the Road with the OU:
    Keeping it Kosher in Japan – An inside look at an RFR’s daily life
  • Tips on Getting Your LOC
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    A 2-Day Seminar to Simplify your Life Making equipment and systems kosher adaptable
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Why all roads don’t lead to Rome in foreign service

The following text about Irish diplomatic missions abroad was submitted to the Irish Times for consideration yesterday – as I haven’t heard anything I’m assuming it wound up in the bin.

In staring ourselves blind at the numbers, we are failing to see the value of diplomacy

Last week I spoke to an Irish government minister – a thoroughly decent man – who told me that “Ireland’s reputation abroad is improving“.

It pained me to tell him that I had just come from abroad, and it isn’t.

According to figures acquired under the Freedom of Information Act, the Irish government spent some €76 million on Ireland’s missions abroad.

At home there has been the usual furore about over-paid civil servants wasting taxpayer’s money.

From abroad, it looks slightly different.

I have lived in Sweden for over 12 years and worked with all the Scandinavian embassies to promote Irish business, culture and sport.

I have seen at first hand how Ireland’s embassies abroad work to improve our image and reputation, and bring valuable investment in trade in tourism to the country.

I have witnessed their tireless dedication as they struggle with the protocols of their office whilst trying to portray Ireland in the best possible light.

I have spoken to them on the phone in the middle of the night when an Irish person was ill or passed away abroad and needed to be brought home.

I have seen what they do for the Irish community abroad – much of it tedious, very little of it glamorous.

They co-ordinate everything from trade fairs to St Patrick’s Day parades to poetry readings, as well as having the envious task of trying to ensure that state bodies like Enterprise Ireland and Bord Bia all sing from the same hymn sheet.

In truth, far from being too much, the resources they receive are often far too little for the job of work that needs to be done.

In times of austerity there is always a tendency to insist that we all wear the hairshirt, and woe betide anyone not seen to be suffering.

In doing so, we ignore the fact that many diplomats spend their careers abroad, sacrificing friends and family ties in the process.

Is there waste in our foreign missions? Undoubtedly. Do certain missions cost too much for what they bring in? Again, the answer is yes. But for the most part we need them, if only to go around cleaning up the mess made in the international arena by our politicians.

The foreign service is not being singled out for criticism when it comes to spending either; every government department is now fair game.

In our unrelenting search for cuts to make so we can pay back unsecured bondholders, we are scrabbling down the back of everyone’s sofa for pennies – except, of course, those of our bondholders.

In doing so, we are risking a kind of sovereign anorexia; in our desperate attempts to look pretty for the troika and the markets, we are denying ourselves the basics of a functioning state – a welfare system, education, a health service, a well-resourced diplomatic corps.

And when the situation changes and there is an opportunity for economic growth, there is a danger that we will be so weakened that we are unable to fight back.

The thousands who have recently left the country will tell you the same story; even for our own people, Brand Ireland is damaged. But it can be repaired, and the Irish foreign missions are at the forefront of that repair work.

Already under-resourced and under pressure, this latest barrage of criticism does nothing to help them.

Maybe the minister is right- maybe Ireland’s image abroad is improving.

And if it is €76 million will be a cheap price to pay, given the scale of the self-inflicted damage we have done in recent times.

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Dr. JAMES CANTON and the Extreme Future

Dr. James Canton’s views are a good start for discussing the world’s next steps in a globalised environment. This is one of the main targets of the course I teach this semester in the frame of the Faculty of European Studies at the Babes-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca.

Just take a look!

Dr Canton’s Top 10 Trends of the Extreme Future

Build more green mega cities, says Future Guru.

 1.    Fueling the Future – The energy crisis, the post-oil future, and the future of energy alternatives like hydrogen. The critical role that energy will play in every aspect of our lives in the 21st century.

2.    The Innovation Economy – The transformation of the global economy based on the convergence of free trade, technology and democracy, driving new jobs, new markets, globalization, competition, peace and security. The Four Power Tools of the Innovation Economy are Nano-Bio-IT-Neuro.

3.    The Next Workforce – How the workforce of the U.S. is becoming more multicultural, more female and more Hispanic. Why the future workforce must embrace innovation to become globally competitive.

4.    Longevity Medicine – The key forces that will radically alter medicine such as nanotech, neurotech, and genomics, leading to longer and healthier lives.

5.    Weird Science – How science will transform every aspect of our lives, culture and economy—from teleportation to nanobiology to multiple universes.

6.    Securing the Future – The top threats to our freedom and our lives, from hackers to terrorists to mind control. Defining the risk landscape of the 21st century.

7.    The Future of Globalization – The new realities of global trade and competition; the rise of China and India; the clash of cultures and ideologies; and the cultural-economic battle for the future.

8.    The Future of Climate Change – How the environment is changing and how we need to prepare for increased global warming, pollution, and threats to biodiversity.

9.    The Future of the Individual – The risks and challenges from institutions, governments, and ideologies in the struggle for human rights and the freedom of the individual in the 21st century.

10.    The Future of America and China – How destiny of two great nations, from capitalism, to innovation, to democracy to  security will champion the world.

Contact: jcanton@futureguru.com

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  1. I think that the 2nd top trend of the extreme future is rather abstract and ambigous.It has been talked in the last decade about this „innovation economy”( mainly as a topic of the neo-conservative school) and many state actors and MNCs at least payed lip service to what this term involves.But I would say it is rather far-fetched to assume that an economic and relatively understood democratic development will implicitly lead to peace and security.

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Not a good look for your primary school classes.

I can honestly say – without reservation or pressure from outside parties – that I’m looking forward to cutting this off.

Ah, the mustache, that novelty collective of hair above the lip. The caterpillar, push broom, and soup-strainer below your nose that draws your (male) buddies’ attention, looks of approval, and various and assorted “nice”-es.

It’s cool. I got one, too.

A large handful of dudes my age have resorted to growing flamboyant hair in one form or another on their faces. Events such as Movember come to mind. It’s a thing, due almost explicitly to the fact that it’s not a thing. What was once fashionable has become sort of a joke, a mild statement of individuality in the company of individuals.

It’s okay if that makes no sense, but perhaps this’ll help? Check out the link.

The wider, bushier, scragglier, and more I-don’t-care-esque, the better, it seems, and, hey, if one is a decent human being, who’s to be told what they can have on the chin, cheeks, or below the nose? Your mug, your decision, so go get ’em, Grizzly Adams.

He wasn’t kidding.

Anyway, I’m sort of veering from the topic here, that being that I’ve only grown one kind of facial hair, twice. The ‘stache. The, perhaps, crappiest looking of them all. That’s a matter of opinion, but I’m just going to take a stab and say that it isn’t every man’s dream in this day and age to rock the perfect cookie duster. HOWEVER, we do know that that wasn’t always the case. Just take a quick look at these.

A disheveled Matthew McConaughey gets arrested in scenes for 'The Dallas Buyers Club' in New Orleans

Not gonna lie. I got bigger problems.

As far as I know, Richard Petty has donned a lady tickler since the early 70s (though he’s scaled it down since then), and Dallas Buyers Club takes place in the mid-80s. And well-known personalities like Jeff Foxworthy, Ned Flanders…um…Yanni, and the guy from the third picture sported lip luggage through the 90s. Of course, it goes back way further than that. One can spot famous upper lipholstery from several historical eras. Just look at this Scythian BAMF from 300 BC.

Mack daddy of the steppe.

And these other guys.

Eurasians had a right to be afraid.

Germany united under one ‘stache.

This is Joseph Stalin at 23.

Yeah, I know. Not what you’d expect.

Then, he grew up.

↑ Opposition-eliminating ‘stache.

However, correct me if I’m wrong, but, after the roaring 90s, the trend, unless one’s trying to be ironic, has all but faded away, and, for me, the evidence lies in my two attempts to rock one. Just about everyone has hated it. Aside from my best friend (and fellow AMERICAN!) in Kazan, almost nobody in my office has approved of this thing. I Skyped with my parents on Saturday, and upon seeing my face, my own father declared, “That has to be the worst mustache I’ve ever seen.” A friend of mine mindfully declared in her lovely British English, “Yes, do discard the moustache.” And perhaps the most depressing straw that’s broken the camel’s back came from my nephew of merely four years, in a video his mother made: “Do you love your Uncle John?”…“Yeah, but he needs to cut it off.” Thanks, Will.

Okay, people, I get it. I know when a bromerang isn’t wanted, but what happened? At what point in these thousands of years of human history did Westerners realize they didn’t dig the smoke filter anymore? The change seems rather sudden, does it not? I mean, c’mon. Many Arabs associate the mouth brow with power, and folks in the Middle East have even undergone ‘stache transplants. Would it be outlandish to say that the modern, secular world no longer has room for the nose neighbor? Is this a defining aspect of East-West tension? Its connection to Ron Burgundy and child molesters probably doesn’t help, either.

Eh, I’m really not sure about it all. At the end of the day, two truths have to be accepted. The first is that fashions come and go. For one reason or another, something’s trendy one day, and the next day it isn’t. The second is, well, who cares? If you want it, do it ’cause it’s who you are, not what people want you to be. The more pressing issue in my mind is what the future holds for the lip sweater. In twenty years, what will its status be? What do you think? Have we reached the point of no return?

As for me, this thing’s kind of annoying, and “maintaining” it (yes, I used quotes) is more of a burden than its worth. So to the mirror I go.

Oh, and I’ll leave you with this.

It’s okay. He’s wearing Hanes.

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Does That Make Me A Bad Person?

How many times have you heard this question? How many times have you asked this question? The inquiry seems, at least to me, to be nonchalantly thrown around like a flapjack, hoping for a certain result.

It came to mind recently. I don’t know why, perhaps because I felt it was asked quite a bit (Hell, maybe I was asking it to myself.), and if you look at evidence as simple as a Google search, you can see that it is.

This is a smattering of results on page 1 after Googling that very question:

“Does not voting make me a bad person?”

“Does watching porn on my Xbox 360 make me a bad person?”

“I dislike my grandmother. Does that make me a bad person?”

“Does playing GTA 5 make me a bad person?”

“I smoke. Does that make me a bad person?”

A slew of people express various insecurities, all followed up by the same query. What do you think of such a question? Why do we ask it? Are we unsure of what constitutes a “good person” or “bad person”?

Am I the only one who finds that mentality odd? Are you saying you’re unaware of what makes an individual “good” or “bad”, so much that you’ve got to rely on the input of a friend, relative, dude on the bus, or strangers on the Internet? Let’s take a hypothetical situation, shall we? I’ll be the trusted friend, and the guy with the problem…well…we’ll just call him ‘Bill’.

Hey, John. What’s up, Man? So, like, I’m really into this girl, right? Things are, like, going super good, but, you know, sometimes, like, I think about other chicks, you know? Like, I wonder, ‘What would it be like to get with her?’ or ,’Maybe she’s into me.’ Does that make me a bad person?

Okay, ‘Bill’, so you’ve taken me through your mental process, and you happen to ogle a lady or two and perhaps speculate about their unwarranted company. At the end of your spiel your didn’t ask me if this way of thinking was right or wrong. You just asked me if this makes you an all around crappy dude.

Well…crap. I don’t know what else you’re up to. For all I know, you might keep slaves in the closet and a meth lab in your basement. However, if your wondering eyes are your only flaw, then I guess you’re…um?

Jesse, we need to cook. Does that make us bad people?

Scenario #2:

John, my man (gives sweet high five), what’s happenin’? Dude, I was so burnt out on Friday afternoon, and I was supposed to get off at 4:00, right? Well, like, there was some sh*t goin’ down later on, you know what I mean (gives jovial elbow)? So, like, I peaced out at 3:55. What do you think, Man? Does that, like, make me a bad person?

I’m outraged. You come to tell me you bailed five minutes early? Does your boss know about this? You better hope he doesn’t find out, ’cause if he does, you’re on a one-way trip to Shamesville, or, better yet, Fired-sville…

No, dummy, I don’t think that makes you the end-all demon of the neighborhood, unless you killed a guy on your way to the “sh*t goin’ down”. Hell, I don’t know. Maybe stick it out five more minutes next time?

Scenario #3:

I get drunk alone. Does that make me a bad person?

Sad, possibly. Bad, not really.

Okay, these are facetious examples (I also need to find smarter friends.), but the point I’m making is that this stupid question is tacked on the end all kinds of ridiculous anecdotes. You think a warlord, after a hard day of ethnic cleansing, goes back to his tent in the evening and asks his comrade, “Hey, I slaughtered, like, five hundred innocent women and children today. Does that make me a bad person?”

Something tells me he’s not returning to the homestead with that on his mind (I know; it’s a hunch.), and I think the wheels should be turning in yours, too. Are they?

Okay, let’s – if it’s possible – try to separate the “bad” with the “good”. What makes a bad guy?

-Hates and wishes immense harm on everyone.

-Pushes old ladies in front of cars.

-Picks fights with homeless people.

-Sells drugs to third graders.

-Yells ethnic slurs at strangers on the metro.

Alrighty then. And a good guy?

-Well, um, he doesn’t do those things.

Ah, right. You angel, you. Someone deserves a pat on the back ’cause he’s made it this far without dishing crack cocaine out to nine-year-olds…Yes. Again, ridiculous example. But what’s the point? The point has to do with our inward desire for reassurance and justification, namely, the comfort of others. We get all uptight, and we just need our close friends to console us and tell us we’re okay.

Everybody does this. We live in a world where our self worth is based on outside sources. If we think we suck, we get someone to tell us we don’t suck. We let ourselves down, and look at greater failures for consolation. Let’s take an example from…Dun, dun, DUUUUN!…the Bible:

“The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.’” (Luke 18:11)

Now, there’s something to be proud of. You don’t steal, extract money from the poor, or cheat on your wife, and, yet, you’re kind of a dick. In fact, you and Jesus don’t exactly see eye to eye, do you?

And, gee, I wonder why. What do you think of a guy who boasts superiority over others, who claims such righteousness based on what he isn’t?

Let me just say something. If you live your life according to outside opinions, observations, and comparisons, you are a coward. You turn to everything besides yourself for reassurance, neglecting the most poignant judge who knows you better than everyone else.

How unique are you if you’re not an individual, if you can’t come home at the end of the day, look in the mirror, and respect what you see? The “good persons” of the world neglect to realize that there are millions of others just like them, who live, work, sleep, and don’t do much of anything else. It’s a bland existence in which one doesn’t give his own convictions nearly enough credit.

So do yourself a favor, and look inward. Be you. There is no greater contentment than that which lies beyond the often treacherous hurdle of self-honestly. It can be harder to swallow than the conventional opinions of our peers, but it’s worth the rewards.

But, of course, a little help from your friends is sometimes necessary. We all get that. Just don’t rely too much on it and second guess yourself. Enough “good people” do that already.

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Any Language But My Own

We all know the stereotype surrounding Americans, Brits, Aussies, and other Anglophones traveling the globe. It’s been around for ages: The stubborn imperialists, too lazy to look in a phrasebook or take a foreign language course, parading around, barking English like a bunch of heartless colonists. Grrrrrrrrrrr! It really fries those open-minded, well-traveled Westerners that look at such arrogance and want to frantically insist to the entire world that “We’re not all like that!”

So, which one are you? Okay, it doesn’t matter…

Yes, as one can assume, all stereotypes have exceptions, and the truth is that linguistically-dexterous Americans and others are scattered all over the globe, learning and enjoying various tongues and making plenty of friends. And anyone who’s had such an experience can say that, in the end, it’s hugely rewarding and worth all the frustration.

But, I mean, c’mon. Aren’t I just reiterating a trite sentiment on how great it is to speak a new language and integrate somewhere? We know that already, and if this entry were to just drive that idea home, you’d probably get to the end of it, twirl your index finger in the air, and give a Daria-esque “yippee”.

So I’m not going to do that. Instead, I want to look at the other side of the coin when it comes to being an English-speaker in any of a number of countries. First, you have to face the fact that English is the most widely studied foreign language on earth. I don’t have to look that up, and neither do you. That’s just the way it is, and you can travel to tiny villages all over the planet and find young children who will at least say an English word or two.

And, so, that brings me to my next point as to what it can be like for Westerners abroad. The first example is one that hits home with me and others I worked with in the Republic of Azerbaijan. Almost without question, if you were to travel to a new town or even walk through your own neighborhood, you would expect to hear a lovely, two-syllable greeting from random urchins on the street at some point: “HE-llo!” And that’s how they’d say it, stress on the first syllable, making it even more caustic to the ears. And the short-term visitor may look at such behavior and and find it sweet. Yes, it’s kind of cute the first time you hear it, but only the first time you hear it.

When I lived there, I found these catcalls both infuriating and fascinating. Infuriating for obvious reasons, but fascinating because I couldn’t figure out how these children, in every region of the country, literally from one end to the next, caught on to this habit of yelling that one word to foreigners. I want to find whoever gave them that memo and wring his neck…really, really hard.

This next example also ensued frequently in that mountainous South Caucasian country. I remember the first time it happened. I was in the village where I served, having dinner with with a couple older relatives of my host family. Upon meeting the man of the house and shaking his hand, his next question was: “По-русски знаешь?” (“Po-russkiy znaesh?”).

I’m sure you can tell that that’s Russian he was speaking. What you may not know is that the question he was asking is not proper Russian by any stretch of the imagination. It basically translates as: “Do you know in Russian?” However, one can assume he was asking if I speak that language, and this is how nearly all Azeri men ask the question. (And, yes, it was particularly prevalent among men, as opposed to women.)

Now, why they phrase the inquiry in such a way I really don’t know, but, regardless, countless Americans and I ran into this question over, and over, and over again. It didn’t really matter what language we felt comfortable speaking in with locals; the principle stayed the same: Azeri men, particularly those over forty, love to speak Russian. Now, when you view this scenario from the outside, doesn’t it seem a bit odd? You’re not Russian, and he’s not Russian, and you’re not in Russia. However, they pride themselves on being able to communicate through this medium, which does an American who learned the Azerbaijani language no good. I mean, good God, Man. Do you not care that I made the effort to learn your language? (And, yes, 96.6 percent of the population speaks Azerbaijani. Sorry, people of Baku. If you think most people in the country speak Russian as a first language, you are wrong.)

I digress from the point, though. These folks aren’t necessarily spouting Russkiy to annoy me. Really, they’re either: 1. Speaking a language I apparently know better (false) or 2. Simply showing that they know something other than their native tongue.

Whatever the reason, when I was fresh off the Caspian boat (and more naïve), I found this baffling. Wait, Dude. Your country’s free now. Why would you want to do anything that jars your memory of the dark days of communism? Surely, you want to get past that.

Well, not really. Turns out, every country has old people, and they long for the good old days. And in the case of these fellas, not without good reason. Showing off their Russian skills was oftentimes a way of remembering a time of greater order and security, when education was strong and products were cheap, and the lowliest of farm boys could learn a language that allowed them to communicate with comrades from Latvia to Kyrgyzstan. And if we look at the current situation in eastern Ukraine, we can see that this sentiment is perhaps more alive than we first thought.

And it doesn’t end there. Another language of fascination in the former Soviet Union is German. I was wondering around the Azerbaijani region of Neftchala one day when a young guy randomly started speaking to me in Deutsch. I think this was because he met an American earlier who knew it, and so now we all know it. A couple friends and I were trying to get a taxi in downtown Kazan, and one of the drivers assured us: “ein moment.” Um, okay. You know, we aren’t German. A lovely individual student of mine, when I asked her if she knew any English, admitted she didn’t, but insisted, “I can speak Deutsch.” Well, alright. That…um…doesn’t really help here, but let’s carry on.

An Australian colleague of mine admitted she ran into similar issues in China. Despite learning some Chinese, when she would go to the market and attempt to work through her imperfect Mandarin, the locals just wouldn’t have it, and they’d instead get some young guy to interpret in his imperfect English, which had to have ground her gears to no end.

And the story perpetuates itself again and again, no matter where you go. Of course, it doesn’t play out in any one way. Some people are patient and will communicate in Azeri, Russian, Chinese, or Swahili with pleasure. Others won’t. The point is that the brutish foreigner isn’t always tromping around hollering his English at unsuspecting, clueless locals. More often than you’d think, the opposite is true.

And so my message to people across the globe is this. There’s no need to be insecure. There’s no need to assume that an outsider wouldn’t bother to learn your language. You may just want to practice your English. I get it. But your attempt to switch the mode of communication mid-conversation is as disrespectful as if he never cared to try in the first place, and, in fact, it just makes him feel more awkward. Basically, what you’re saying to this visitor is: “You’re not from here.”

I don’t care where you are. Russia, the US, Japan, Brazil. Wherever. A lot of the time, the nicest thing you can do for a foreigner is treat him as an equal. I’ve learned through my experience that that can be surprisingly challenging. I’ve certainly given people a longer look than necessary or felt tempted to test out my language skills with Work and Travelers, but, really, that’s not why they’re there.

You’ll find a little patience and understanding goes a long way, and you might make a friend of two.

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Chinese Food

Everyone has their images of different foods. It doesn’t matter if you’ve tried ’em or not. The Mexicans have their tacos, nachos, and beans; the French have croissants, escargot, and wine; the Russians have borscht and vodka. The accuracy of such conceptions isn’t really the issue as much as the dishes we automatically associate with different countries.

In my 5+ years of living in the former Soviet Union, no nation has endured such cruel culinary stereotypes as the Chinese. These poor, hardworking folks, through no fault of their own, have somehow cast this image of a daily menu consisting of the creepiest, crawliest, snakiest dishes no self-respecting Azerbaijani or Russian – who delight in boiled cow’s feet and gelatinized meat pieces – would choke down. Where on earth these associations came from is beyond me, considering Chinese food’s delightful (and portable!) reputation in the US of A. And to top it off, there’s a freakin’ sushi restaurant on every corner in this town. I’m not kidding. They’re everywhere, serving up about a thousand roll variants, several of which I wouldn’t touch with a ten foot poll, particularly the dessert ones. Think about it. Dessert sushi.

Sushi in ten minutes, or my staff go to labor camps.

Alas, in the great city of Baku and Tatarstan’s capital, there are a couple Kitaiskiy restaurants to speak of. In fact, the “Great Wall” restaurant in Baku was one of our favorite places to sit, drink cold Efes, and indulge in sweet n’ sour pork. So, today, I was excited to head to Kazan’s “China-Town-Cafe” with a handful of friends and colleagues to experience Russia’s take on grub from The Middle Kingdom. Authenticity wasn’t as much on my mind as the simple fact that I like Chinese food, wherever it may be served, and I was interested to check out Mother Rossiya’s spin on the staple meals we non-Chinese-people-outside-of-China hold dear.

(As a side note, I wouldn’t know the first thing about real Chinese food.)

Unless you’re used to P.F. Chang’s (I don’t know anyone, besides Stan’s dad, who’s been to P.F. Chang’s.), the joint is much nicer than the Cantonese eateries one frequents stateside. Now, when I rock Chinese food, poshness isn’t on the list of priorities, but it was welcomed by the seven of us as we took our seats around a green marble Lazy Susan, next to a slew of empty tables. Yes, business was lacking today, but that’s not uncommon at a lot of restaurants here. In fact, I’ve noticed this running theme in more cities than one in this region. How these establishments stay open with such little clientele, I don’t know, and I don’t wanna know. But to be fair, a handful of random tables were filled, and for all I know, the place might be jumping in the evening.

For some reason, it looks a bit like a Pizza Hut to me.

Anyway, we opened the menus and got to check out the different items in Russian, Chinese, and English. How ’bout that?

Here’s a closer look:

We were relieved to find out that the place featured virtually every kind of snack: cold snack, meat snack, duck snack, chicken snack, and fish and sea snack. The only things missing were fruit snacks. It also sported fourteen kinds of garnish, fine aromatic chicken, and several meats on the live pan. Because I’m a coward, I didn’t order anything on the live pan.

Our mouths watering, we ordered, and when it came to my friend Paul’s turn, we found out something that took us aback somewhat. Wanting some rice-based dish, Paul learned that another member of our party had asked for a meal containing the last bit of rice in the restaurant.

Did you catch that? The Chinese restaurant was running out of rice. RICE! What kind of Chinese eatery runs out of the county’s #1 staple? That’s like McDonald’s running out of fries, or Taco Cabana running out of tortillas. It doesn’t just happen; something’s gotta be really wrong. That, or the staff just doesn’t feel like swinging by the corner store. Whatever.

Luckily, they had about the fifth thing Paul requested (Chicken on the live pan. Dude’s got balls.). We sat around, shot the breeze, and sipped on gassy water and fruit tea.

A piece of the Aggro Crag.

After a short wait – and two visits from some random village guy named Igor who was in town for some reason – we got our food which was, on the whole, pretty good. I got the wide rice noodles with pork and ordered them spicy. However, the dish was so mild it made me wonder what the mild variant tasted like. Regardless, I chopsticked it down in no time, and it was made easier by some material on the noodles that gave them a sort of…um…lubrication effect. Maybe that’s just the consistency of wide rice noodles. Nonetheless, not delving any further.

It isn’t rice noodles without freshly sliced tomato (or a square-shaped plate). Wait, where’s the dill?

China loves you. Um…dill?

Mooooooooooooo. Dill?

When all was said and consumed, everyone was satisfied, and despite any lack of edible grains, this place got the stamp of approval. I was also happy to see that a handful of Russians do, in fact, partake in Chinese fare, and no doubt they’re all the better and worldly for it. Oh, and it tastes good. Молодец.

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A gentleman and his lovely wife are upstanding citizens. They’re honest, work hard, and would do anything for their two kids. They never miss a Sunday at the Methodist church and help out at the soup kitchen on Saturday mornings. They’re healthy, happy members of their communities, rightfully loved and appreciated by their friends and families. One day, the man comes home and reveals to his spouse that he was let go from his software engineering position for a younger, less-experienced candidate who’s apparently gonna amp up the company with his youthful vitality, contrast collar shirt, and goatee. Meanwhile, the married couple has no idea what they’re going to do.

A twenty-five-year-old woman and her best friend are inseparable, the kind of pair that always knows what the other is up to. They finish each other’s sentences and know just what to say when one of them is having a hard time. An enormously edifying, loving relationship endures into adulthood. Then one day, during a typical coffee date, one of them reveals that she has acute leukemia. Six months later, that amazing, loyal friend, who never wished harm on anyone, passes away.

A young couple dresses up their six-year-old for another school day. They smile, and the husband puts his arm around his wife’s shoulder as their little girl trots off to the classroom. Pleased as can be with how their daughter’s growing up, exploring her small world, and coming into her childlike own, they consider themselves extremely lucky. Until later that morning, when a troubled young man breaks into the school with a Bushmaster XM15-E2S rifle.

Eesh. Brutal. Things change in an instant, don’t they? Gosh, and it’s never at a convenient time, either. At different moments in our lives, we’re all like Sisyphus, pushing and pushing to reach that apex, that goal, however grandiose or modest it may be, and then things crash down. Whatever you’ve worked for, the life you’ve envisioned, has been ruthlessly shut down by outside forces, and in the meantime, the boulder lands directly on your head and stomps you into the ground.

Upon hearing some sad news a while back, I sat in bed and thought about the emotions that manifest themselves when life’s been mercilessly unfair to us, and, of course, these occurrences touch every inch of the spectrum: My teacher gave me an ‘F’ because she hates me. My beloved grandfather had a heart attack. Our son was born with special needs. He dumped me because I’m unpopular. Though we may have different opinions as to the significance of these examples, the principle stays the same: We didn’t deserve it.

(Okay, in some cases, we may deserve an ‘F’, but still…)

And to me, the question that bears heaviest on our minds is why. You picture it being screamed at the top of a woman’s lungs in cinematic fashion, or whispered into the moist hands of a man slumped over in his chair. We ask the question without really expecting an answer, because, well, an answer doesn’t come, at least not during that initial gut reaction to tragedy. For me, that scene in Forrest Gump comes to mind, when Forrest is cradling Bubba “by that river in Viet-nam,” and Bubba, trembling in his best good friend’s arms, looks Forrest square in the eye and asks, “Why’d this happen?” Of course, Forrest, being the straight talker that he is, simply says, “You got shot.”

“I would of thought of something better to say.”

While one person in the exchange gives that concrete reason for his friend’s situation, we can only imagine that what’s going through the other’s head is: Why’d this happen to me. It’s not about that specific chain of events leading up to death, failure, and sadness; it’s us wondering why on earth we were singled out as victims. The thought may occur to us for a brief moment before the gunshot wound takes us, or it may sit on our minds for longer periods of time, leading us to believe that there truly are uncontrollable powers against us, in the form of people, environments, or even God. Diabolical entities that have conspired toward no other goal than our downfall. Goodness, it hurts, doesn’t it? In my mind, there’s nothing worse.

And from there, what path do our psyches take? For many of us, we get angry. We become immensely pissed off at the people around us, our circumstances, and the anything-but-fair ways of the world. We break out our index fingers and look for potential targets of blame, and we don’t have to search very hard. Hell, it could be anyone’s fault. But, then, what follows our outward, jaded view? Perhaps we look inward and analyze the many specific instances in which we did wrong. We begin to blame ourselves ’cause clearly we’re crappy people who deserve everything we get, right?

It’s funny how we see the universe sometimes, isn’t it? As if there’s a giant scale that has to constantly balance out our good deeds and bad. When we’ve sinned one time too many, we’re due for some kind of retaliation. Or we take a step back and wonder: “But I’m such a nice guy. Why would this happen to me?” As if being morally upright and good to others is supposed to make us immune to disaster.

“I’ve even kept kosher just to be on the safe side.”

Alas, we all know the world doesn’t work this way. We’re reasonable enough to recognize that there’s no kind of metaphorical demerit system in the air that justifies punitive action for a person who hasn’t been faithful enough. So then the question of why shifts to the nitty gritty. Okay, what really caused this? Was it lack of gun control? Harmful chemicals in our food? Sub-standard healthcare? Incompetent security officials? Badly-lit streets? Poor lifestyle choices?

These questions deserve answers, but do they really change how we feel at the present moment? “Oh, Uncle Jim didn’t exercise enough. That’s why he died of heart disease.” You don’t just shrug it off after that. It doesn’t matter if the cause is plain as day, or if we “saw it coming” for years and years. It still happened, and there’s going to be that empty space in our hearts that longs for what we don’t have.

If it appears I’m narrowing human suffering down to a convenient formula, I’m not, nor am I claiming, by any stretch of the imagination, to understand what each and every person goes through. Everyone’s different, and everyone copes with hard times in their own way. But how do we get past it all? I mean, throughout human history, people have persevered through countless, unimaginable hardships, and the stories we often hear are the inspirational ones. Dostoyevsky conceived the idea for Crime and Punishment after gambling away much of his fortune. Creed’s Scott Stapp wrote Torn after he was kicked out of Lee College, living in an apartment with almost nothing. You ever heard the testimony of a former addict? In 2007, I got to listen to two women – one with a constant stream of tears rolling down her face – from Magdalene House in Nashville speak of ruthless circumstances from an early age. Unprovoked and undeserved, these ladies suffered endless psychological and physical abuse, with nothing to turn to but drugs, alcohol, and prostitution. However, despite all that, they’re now sober and completely independent. If “Why me?” had been the only – and unanswerable – question these people asked, what would their situation be now?

The world isn’t fair, and the sooner we recognize that, the more constructive we can be. This is not to create the image of a bleak, merciless planet earth that dishes out dysentery to jungle children and lets rich jagoffs buy their second Hummers (I mean, he needed a blue one.). It’s to acknowledge the fact, however hard it may be, that these things occur. What has befallen you, whether it was in your control or not, happened. It went down at some point in time, there’s nothing you can do to change it, and if you let it define your emotions, actions, and lot in life, you’re effed.

What you can do is learn, and focus on today and the days ahead. It’s not a simple process, and no one can expect to feel better tomorrow, or the next day. Nonetheless, walking through the hurt, embracing the fellowship of family and friends, and laboring on in the face of such unfairness are well worth it, and say a hell of a lot about you. Give me a friend or colleague who’s jumped some hurdles over one who’s always had it easy any day.

And while I can’t provide a 12-step program on how to overcome all adversity, I can say that dwelling on the “Why?” isn’t going to take you very far.

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January 11th, 2014

Alarm goes off. You keep lying in bed. You don’t need more sleep, but you tell yourself you do. You remain horizontal because you can. After all, it’s Saturday, that deserved respite after a long week. No plans. No obligations. Just time to yourself.

For many of us, “me time” is much appreciated. No one to tell us what to do. No coworkers and strangers to keep up appearances with. We introverts feel we need it so badly, don’t we? We roll outta bed in our faded shirts and sweatpants, don’t look in the mirror, turn on the kettle, and get down to the business of binge-watching Modern Family and scrolling through photo albums of friends we barely know (and whose lives we – shockingly – don’t care about). “I needed this,” we say, and one thing is certainly true: rest is important, and we know that go-go-going all the time isn’t good for us.

What strikes me as I think about it is what we do to relax, and believe me, this guy can do some serious unwindin’. Being a teacher, I’m typically free on the weekends, and though this isn’t the unbending routine, I’ve found myself on more than one occasion on Sunday evening wondering what the hell I did with my two free days before work starts again. An empty bag of Doritos sits on the living room table, and my web browser abounds with YouTube documentaries I have no business watching. The weekend’s done, and when asked on Monday how it was, I shrug off the question with trite answers like: “You know, hung out around the house” or “nothing much.” (Ugh. “Nothing much”. That’s the worst response ever.)

And this has been you before.

Hey, no fingers pointed. We’ve all done it and not felt too good about it. Part of being human is letting yourself crawl into your safe space. It’s where we feel good. It’s that warm, snugly bed, the TV series we can watch for hours, the twelver of Bud Light, the box of Keebler Fudge Stripes on the shelf, and the mindless online game. These outlets are free of judgment or distraction, and it’s no wonder we retreat to them for long periods of time, especially when no one else is around.

It’s amazing what we feel we need, and what we let ourselves do. I experienced this yesterday as I sat on the couch in my shorts and wool socks until 3:30 in the afternoon. The most productive thing I’d done up to that point is boil water for instant coffee, and the longer I sat there, the harder it became for me to even think about what needed to be done. I paced and looked out the window: “Hmm. Look at that snow. I don’t wanna go all the way to gym, and I ain’t joggin’ in that.” Pacing continues, and useless streaming video carries on until, for whatever reason, I snap and throw on a long-sleeve shirt and nylon pants. If you’re like me, exercise kinna catapults you into a productive day (a day that starts at 3:30?), and I resigned myself to the fact that I wouldn’t feel any better if I didn’t sweat it out for a little while. I stretched and made my way down the ten dark floors of my Soviet-style building and crossed the slush and puddles of Meridiannaya Street to a little park with a snow-covered, semi-hidden path around its perimeter. You have to run with caution in winter, obviously (especially when you have ankles like mine. Is it true that as we get older, we just feel more and more broken?), but as I felt the wind and snow against my face and heard the countless squealing children tumbling down to the park’s frozen pond, I realized a lack of caution was just what the doctor ordered.

I think it’s safe to say that life is made up of these little leaps of faith that we either take or don’t, and, no, as my example illustrates, they don’t have to be anything extreme or outlandish, but they have to be something. Something that energizes. Something that makes you think. Something uncomfortable. The world has too many boring people in it, and if we refuse to live boldly from time to time, we stagnate. We sit around like a filthy pool of water, getting worse as time goes by. I’ve been there; you’ve been there; everyone’s been there. And we second guess ourselves, don’t we? Out of fear, we do nothing.

My grandmother used to say, “You’re only stuck if you think you’re stuck.” And for better or worse, it’s true. You’re your own worst enemy, the only one who’s really in control. When it comes down to getting your foot out the door, no one makes that decision but you.

It, of course, has many interpretations, and I’m not really talking about “turning your life around” or something equally cliché. However, if there’s something on your mind, it wouldn’t hurt to get the wheels turning. Who knows? You may put on the shirt and track pants, squint at the cold wind, march your sweaty, snow-crested self back into your apartment, and say, “I’m glad I did that.”

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