Friday, December 29, 2006

Celebrate New Year's Every Month of the Year!

"Why celebrate New Year's only once a year? It’s possible to celebrate New Year's every month of the year (101 New Year's Days each year!). Celebrate Sekhmet in January, Chinese New Year in January or February, Noruz in March, Baisakhi in April, Buddhist New Year in May, Runic New Year in June, Armenian New Year in July, Shenshai New Year in August, Rosh Hashanah in September, Samhain in October, Dipavali in November, and Papal States New Year in December. Please note that the New Year's listed below are for 2002. Many New Year's Days, especially religious ones such as the Chinese, Jewish, and Muslim, change from year to year. We have tried to be as accurate as possible. If you find any discrepancies, please email the International Special Events Registry.

Nothing requires we celebrate New Year's only once a year. Indeed, before 1752, Americans celebrated New Year's Day on March 25th (Lady Day according to the old Celtic religion and the Feast of the Annunciation according to the Christian religion). Great Britain and its colonies changed their New Year's celebrations to January 1st when they changed from the old Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar in 1751."
Celebrate Today

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Code Amber USB Flash drive Child ID

Code Amber now endorses, and is your source for, the Amber stick, the first and only fully portable Child Identification system.

The Amber stick (tm) is the next generation of Child Id software. It is
fully contained on a USB Flash drive so there is no software to download
and install.

The software on the USB drive is password protected and the data is
completely encrypted to ensure your privacy. If the USB device is lost
the data is unreadable without the password which you set when you
first use the software (the password can be changed at anytime).

Simply plug the USB drive into your computer (all computers made in
the last 10 years have at least one USB port) and the software automatically
starts and prompts for the password. Enter your data and up to three
photographs of each child, pet or person you want to protect and done.
The Amber stick will hold information on up to 100 individuals.

If a child or person goes missing you simply hand the USB device to
the police officer and give them the password to the software. Almost
all police cars now have an onboard laptop computer which is connected
to the police station over a wireless network so the critical information
is available to the entire department within minutes. No more searching
for a photograph to scan or the need for the officer to take critical
descriptive information by hand.

Missing persons and Missing pets flyers can be printed at the click of
the mouse as well.

For more information on the Amber stick (tm), and to order through Code
Amber, please visit Code Amber

All sales help to fund the daily operation of Code Amber.

Volume discounts are available. Please contact us for details at
admin@codeamber.org

Sunday, November 05, 2006

Thanks! From Around the World!

Tis November! Images of Turkeys drum in our heads, tickle tempting our noses, as we loosen our belts one more notch in preparation for the Feathery Fulfilling Holiday! Meanwhile; across this vast world, numerous individuals consider Thanksgiving to be specifically an American Holiday, as images of Pilgrims and Indians bonding Friendships, emerge in their thoughts. For other world regions, Thanksgiving is essentially a Harvest related Festival, celebrated on a range of dates with an assortment of special names:

Canada celebrates Thanksgiving on the second Monday in the month of October.

Different sections of India , such as Baisakhi, Lohri, Onam, Pongal etc., have Harvest Festivals.

Asian Countries such as China, Malaysia, and Korea also celebrate their Harvest Festival on different dates. Each of their Harvest Festival has a folklore attached to it:

Chu Suk (Bountiful Abundance) is a popular Korean Festival during the Harvest season.

Kadazan Harvest Festival of Malaysia is locally known as " Tadau ka'amatan " (padi harvesting festival).

Africa Harvert Festivals include the Festival of Yams and Homowo (meaning hooting at hunger).

Australia Apple and Grape Harvest Festival

United Kingdom Harvest Festival is one of the oldest known festivals.

There are many more areas that celebrate a version of the American Thanksgiving. And all the Celebrations pertaining to Thanksgiving or Harvesting contain ‘One’ central Theme of commonality, giving Thanks or being Thankful.

So rather you are making another notch in your belt, cheering on your Football team, etc., may you be ever so ‘Thankful’.

And for those amongst different chaotic chaoses, personal challenges, for those without a belt to loosen, or enough food to fend the belly; One I include you in my Prayers. Two, if you do not believe in God, I still include yous in my Prayers. For God is not to Blame for earthly pain. Thus, I encourage you to please read an earlier post of mine, Is God To Blame Three, may you begin by counting the small things you do have. Cause it is in counting even the smallest that things begin to add up to an abundance of blessings, good fortune, luck, etc., people never realized they had.

For they whom do not stop to count their crops, can never know the true rewards of their suffering.

Monday, October 30, 2006

All Hallows' Eve

Tis to be the Eve of Halloween! The Witches are already brewing their cider in black cast iron vats, made from the cavity fillers of the dead. Oh so many rotten teeth of those who once enjoyed many a Halloween treat. So go on, drink, drink! The cider is good, uh? Such is made from the finest red apples, grown in Salem and fertilized from the ashes of our wrongly burnt Conventionists. Phew you say, the reminiscent of burning Withes never existed. Bite you tongue and eat your words, for here are some court documents on the very trials of my Witch ancestors. Here, drink some cider to wash the blood from your very own bitten tongue. Oh yes, and it is the worms that give each cup that tingly tang! So til Midnight, I bid you all a Happy Halloween! Bytheway, the bats have now abstained for days, as they hang anxiously about waiting to feast upon the bare necks of the living, on this eerie night.

Sunday, October 22, 2006

Clemson defensive back Ray Ray McElrathbey - Please Help

Clemson defensive back Ray Ray McElrathbey appeared in a segment of the Oprah Winfrey Show on Friday, Oct. 20.

I have been following this story for awhile now and would like to share it with you. This is a real life story about Ray Ray still struggling to help his Family get out of the ghetto life of hardship, drugs, etc.. The below article is long, however; the story will touch your hearts and hopefully some wallets. Thank you for reading.

From my Local Newspaper: The Post and Courier, Charleston SC Charleston.net


Ray Ray's worries, pain far from over

Mother, rest of family still facing hardships
Friday, October 20, 2006




ALAN HAWES/STAFF

Tonya McElrathbey, mother of Clemson football player Ray Ray McElrathbey, recalls patting down Ray Ray for money when he was 8 years old, because she wanted cash to buy drugs.





BY LARRY WILLIAMS


ATLANTA


Cornelius McElrathbey picked up the phone, paused for a moment, and started dialing his older brother's cell number.


The weekly rent of $176 was due, and the hotel was hours away from evicting him, his sister and their mother. Ray Ray already had swooped to their rescue a few weeks earlier, and mom was too embarrassed to plead for his help again on this weekday morning in mid-September.


So Cornelius, 16, reluctantly made the call that would ultimately extend the family's stay in what 13-year-old Brittany called "the worst hotel in Atlanta."


"It kind of felt sad," Cornelius recalled. "It was hard to ask him. But if he said no, we'd have been in the streets."


The television features, the newspaper articles and the adoration from strangers paint something of a fairy-tale picture of Ray Ray, a 20-year-old Clemson football player who is raising his 11-year-old brother Fahmarr because of their mother's drug addiction and father's gambling problem.


The courageous story is so heartwarming that the NCAA relaxed its stringent rules against extra benefits, allowing outsiders to provide Ray Ray with support - financial and otherwise - as he juggles football, school and surrogate fatherhood.


But beyond the feel-good vibes and the nice, tidy endings that have been applied, Ray Ray remains afflicted with worry and grief. Because he still has siblings who are stuck in the same unpredictable hell that he and Fahmarr managed to escape.


A few days ago, mother Tonya and the two kids were scraping by in Atlanta. Today, mom is in a rehabilitation facility and the children are with an older sister in North Carolina.


What's next? Ray Ray wishes he knew.


"There's not a happy ending to this, because they're going through the same thing I went through," he said. "People don't realize that it's not over for me."


 


'It's all around us'


Despair was the prevailing emotion last week at Sunset Lodge, a four-story hotel that overlooks the bustle of I-20 about nine miles southeast of downtown.


In August, Tonya made the decision to bring the family back to Atlanta after a failed attempt to reconnect with her husband in Las Vegas. The hotel stay was intended to be temporary, but Tonya lost her job at a warehouse after three weeks and had tried unsuccessfully to find employment elsewhere.


She has been cycled off welfare rolls, and the only steady support has been food stamps and a monthly disability check the government provides Cornelius, who has a mental disability. Tonya said her husband remains in Las Vegas and is essentially out of the picture.


Brittany attended a nearby middle school, and Cornelius took the city bus to Southwest Dekalb High. There was no desk for them to use as they completed homework, no table for Tonya to serve canned dinners that were heated by a small microwave.


Brittany and her mother slept in one bed, Cornelius in the other. There were no family pictures on the walls or the night stand - nothing around to remind them of better times and better places.


Outside, the sight of drugs changing hands did not raise eyebrows.


"The environment, the drinking and drugs and stuff, is so close," Cornelius said. "It's all around us."


Ray Ray and Fahmarr went home last weekend, visiting the ramshackle hotel for the first time. Ray Ray didn't like what he saw.


Brittany's big brown eyes, bright smile and bubbly persona lit up the drab and depressing surroundings. But her expression changed when she was asked about the 300 square feet that served as home.


"You can see when you drive up that it's nasty and it's not a place for a child," she said. "You wouldn't want to be here, would you?"


 


Hoping for change


From that same hotel room, Tonya, 40, began sobbing as she recalled her most haunting image from Ray Ray's childhood. Deep in the throes of her addiction to crack cocaine, she'd frantically rummage through his clothes searching for money.


One of eight siblings ages 7 to 23, Ray Ray spent most of his formative years bouncing around foster homes and living with coaches. His mother's problems began when he was 7.


That's about when she took Ray Ray to a crack house and left him in an adjacent room while she went to get high. She said she was stunned to read that revelation in a recent newspaper article.


Ray Ray and his siblings took turns standing watch at night so Tonya wouldn't try to sell the television. They also guarded the food so she wouldn't take that. When mom rifled through their pockets looking for cash, the money was hidden in their underwear.


"I think about that now and I'm like, Oh my God. What was I thinking?" she said. "Ray Ray would say, 'I don't have any money, Mama.' "


Tonya said she began to confront her addiction more seriously after her problems were broadcast to the world. She said pieces by ESPN, ABC, and other national outlets, following the initial Aug. 19 article in The Post and Courier, have made her "the most famous drug addict on TV."


Ray Ray has used the visibility of his story to find people who are willing to help. Last week, a day after she partied for most the night, Tonya agreed to commit herself to an inpatient facility in Atlanta.


Cornelius and Brittany are moving to Elizabeth City, N.C., where their 21-year-old sister, Sabra, lives with her 2-year-old son.


Tonya's problems began in the early 1990s when she started drinking with friends after her husband lost his job. That led to a few snorts of cocaine every now and then, but recreational fun quickly became a raging and relentless addiction.


Before long, she moved to crack. She said the only respite in the past decade came four years ago, when she joined a treatment program and discovered she was just the latest person on her mother's side of the family to suffer from depression and chemical dependency.


She said she stayed clean for two years before relapsing. In September 2005, she cleaned up enough to regain custody of Cornelius, Brittany and Fahmarr before she took them to Las Vegas.


Now, Ray Ray's fame and the reasons behind it have inspired her to try again.


"It makes me want to change," she said. "I want to get the family back together as much as possible. I want it where everybody can come back to our house or apartment to visit. And maybe barbecues in the backyard, dinners. You know, stuff that families do."


 


'What about us?'


The setting on the second floor of the hotel stood in stark contrast to the environment Ray Ray and Fahmarr enjoy at Clemson.


Ray Ray, a redshirt freshman defensive back who gained temporary custody of Fahmarr in July with Tonya's consent, uses an off-campus living stipend to rent a two-bedroom town home about five miles from campus.


After the NCAA relaxed its rules, Clemson set up a trust fund to help Ray Ray support Fahmarr. The most recent estimates have shown more than $60,000 in contributions in little more than a month. The money will eventually be put into a college fund for Fahmarr, and he will incrementally receive whatever is left as an adult.


Susan Spence, wife of Clemson offensive coordinator Rob Spence, has played a large role in taking care of Fahmarr. She gives him rides to and from school with her two daughters, and on Monday nights Fahmarr sleeps over because Ray Ray doesn't return from practice until late.


Ray Ray and Fahmarr have become virtual celebrities at Clemson as their story has grown. Meanwhile, Cornelius and Brittany watched it all unfold from the hotel with conflicting emotions.


"When they saw Fahmarr on TV, they said 'Oh my God, he is so lucky,' " Tonya said. "I try to promise them they're going to be OK. But they're like, 'What about us?' "


Cornelius and Fahmarr share a tight bond from years spent together in foster care. Cornelius said he experiences pride and relief knowing Fahmarr is in a better place, and he pledges to live by the example set by Ray Ray.


But when the credits roll on the glossy television shows, Cornelius and Brittany look around and wonder what their future holds.


"It kind of makes me wish I was there too," Cornelius said. "I wish I would have went with Fahmarr, but I know it would be too much for Ray Ray."


 


Hidden pain


Expressive and gregarious, Ray Ray rarely reveals his deeper emotions publicly. He admits to being tormented by the despair back home.


"I just keep it to myself for the most part," he said.


His oldest sister, 23-year-old Tanea, has no job and no home in Atlanta. She is trying to regain custody of her three children after two years without them. His two youngest siblings, 9-year-old Tatiana and 7-year-old Alanta, live with a grandparent in Decatur. Ray Ray feels as though he barely knows them.


"He doesn't show you he's worried or feeling pressure," Cornelius said. "But if you've been around him long enough, you can tell when he's keeping it in."


A little more than a month ago, Ray Ray had every reason to feel as if he was on top of the world. ABC News and World Report, which named him its "Person of the Week," was following him around with cameras. Two days later, ESPN would profile his story to the nation on College GameDay.


But after receiving the phone call from Cornelius that morning, Ray Ray was finding it impossible to be happy. He wired the $176 to his mother to stave off eviction for another week, and then the folks from ABC wanted him to be engaging and entertaining and enlightening.


He tried his best and managed to pull off the act. But deep down he hurt, because he knew his happy ending wasn't even close to the end of the story.


"When I think about it, I really don't know how I cope with it," he said. "I just take it how it goes."


 


On Oprah today


Ray Ray McElrathbey and his brother Fahmarr will appear on 'The Oprah Winfrey Show' as part of Oprah's 'Childhood Interrupted' story.


When: 4 p.m. today


Channel: WCBD (NBC)


 


To contribute


All checks to the trust fund should be made payable to First Citizen F/B/O Fahmarr McElrathbey.
They can be mailed to: Fahmarr McElrathbey Trust, C/O First Citizens and Olson Smith Jordan and Cox Attorneys at Law, P.O. Box 1627, Clemson, SC 29633.


 


Reach Larry Williams at lwilliams@postandcourier.com.

Sunday, October 08, 2006

October Festival




$It is October ! Fall is in the air!

The First Day of Fall in the Northern Hemisphere is September 23rd, 2006
The First Day of Fall in the Southern Hemisphere is March 20th, 2006

Autumn is the season during which most crops are harvested, and deciduous trees lose their leaves. It is also the season where days rapidly get shorter and cooler, the nights rapidly get longer, and of gradually increasing precipitation in some parts of the world.

A whimsical month jam-packed with festivities!

Yom Kippur sunset, October 1 – nightfall, October 2

Yom Kippur is the "Jewish day of repentance, considered to be the holiest and most solemn day of the year. Its central theme is atonement and reconciliation." Wikipedia

On October 6 the Mid-Autumn Festival (Traditional Chinese), Moon Festival, Mooncake Festival, or the August Moon Festival will occur.

Armed Forces Day (Egypt) October 6

October 7th Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles) Begins

Columbus Day Second Monday of October

Thanksgiving (Canada) Second Monday of October; November 23 (USA) fourth Thursday in November

Filipino American History Month (in United States)

Dartmouth Outing Club vertical Challenge

Halloween October 31

Don't Forget to Turn Your Clocks BACK ONE HOUR on Sunday October 29th, 2006

Most importantly, October is considered Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October symbols include bobbing for apples, pumpkins, witches, werewolves, the moon, etc. So for our October entertainment here are some moon words. May these words tickle your memories of joyous days:

In remembrance of New Orleans, I will start with:

Moon Song.

Once I tried to capture the rapture of the night,
Silly dreams I knew would disappear,
But it seems they left a souvenir,
One refrain eternally will haunt me, taunt me.
It came from nowhere the night that we met,
T'was like a melodious plea, wee moon song that wasn't meant for me.
Why is it always reminding me of a love dream that never could be.
Wee moon song that wasn't meant for me.
It came gliding into my heart, riding on a moonbeam from above.
Sorrow and this and the whole world blended in a rhapsody of love.
There I heard her singing to somebody else,
What I thought was my melody,
Wee moon song that wasn't meant for me.


Paper Moon(Paper Moon film)

Proof that Moon is made of cheese (Zoom in to maximum magnification! Move center button marked - up to max)

I love you to the moon and back (From a book about father rabbit and a child rabbit trying to prove their love for one another by expressing it with grandiose gestures and words. Each page, the characters try to one-up the other one with their declarations of love. At the very end the father rabbit says to the sleeping boy rabbit: I love you right up to the moon and back. Copyright © 2006 ALambAuthor.com )

Blue moon (“There are in fact two definitions for a blue moon. According to the more recent definition, a blue moon is the second full moon in a calendar month. For a blue moon to occur, the first of the full moons must appear at or near the beginning of the month so that the second will fall within the same month (the average span between two moons is 29.5 days). June 2007 will have two full moons: the first on June 1, the second on June 30—that second full moon is called the blue moon” -infoplease) Hence, Once in a Blue Moon.

Shoot for the moon
Artist: Norah Jones Lyrics

You've got nothing to lose
When you've lost it all
And that's a good time to choose
If you're gonna stand or fall

I've got a feeling
Things'll get better soon
Dreams are for dreaming
Dreams are for coming true

Shoot for the moon
Aim high
There's a billion stars
In an endless sky
And one is yours
And one is mine
Shoot for the moon
Aim high

You've got everything you need
If you've got a friend
Somebody that'll whoop your mule
Push you to try again

Pull back your arrow
Stand with your chin up high
Feel firmly planted
Sight with a single eye and

Shoot for the moon
Aim high
There's a billion stars
In an endless sky
And one is yours
And one is mine
Shoot for the moon
Aim high


Moon river (a song composed by Johnny Mercer and Henry Mancini in 1961. It was sung in the movie Breakfast at Tiffany's by Audrey Hepburn)

Man in the moon (the Chinese Man in the Moon is called “Yue-lao”.}

My Dear Readers, consider yourselves ‘mooned' J, the Binding Ink way!

Monday, September 18, 2006

Come, Read With Me!

"Books"

By Eleanor Farjeon

What worlds of wonder are our books!
As one opens them and looks,
New ideas and people rise
In our fancies and our eyes.

The room we sit in melts away,
And we find ourselves at play
With some one who, before the end,
May become our chosen friend.

Or we sail along the page
To some other land or age.
Here's our body in the chair,
But our mind is over there.

Each book is a magic box
Which with a touch a child unlocks.
In between their outside covers
Books hold all things for their lovers.


Come Meet my new Friend, Eleanor Farjeon!:

“ELEANOR FARJEON (1881-1965) grew up in England in a house filled with books, and she and her brothers enjoyed reading stories to one another and writing their own. In America, Farjeon’s best-known work may be the hymn "Morning Has Broken," later recorded by Cat Stevens. Farjeon was pleased when The Little Bookroom won the prestigious Hans Christian Andersen Award and the Carnegie Medal, but she turned down another honor—Dame of the British Empire—explaining that she "did not wish to become different from the milkman." At her death, the Children’s Book Circle established the Eleanor Farjeon Award in her honor.” ~Amazon.com Editorial Reviews/About the Author

Morning Has Broken
As sung by Cat Stevens
lyrics by Eleanor Farjeon

Morning has broken, like the first morning
Blackbird has spoken, like the first bird
Praise for the singing, praise for the morning
Praise for the springing fresh from the world

Sweet the rain's new fall, sunlit from heaven
Like the first dewfall, on the first grass
Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden
Sprung in completeness where his feet pass

Mine is the sunlight, mine is the morning
Born of the one light, Eden saw play
Praise with elation, praise every morning
God's recreation of the new day


Eleanor Farjeon is described as been small, shy and quiet, and she wore glasses from the age of eight. Her parents contributed much to her career as a writer and poet. She had a vigorous imaginary life, especially with her older brother Harry (who became a composer). Though very shy and emotionally immature into her thirties, she was well acquainted with a circle of talented artists, writers and musicians. Eleanor Farjeon was a writer and poet and playwright.©

Here, let me introduce you to Eleanor Farjeon’s Family:

Her father, Benjamin Leopold Farjeon was a successful writer and novelist©

Maggie (Jefferson) Farjeon, her mother, was the daughter of a well known American actor (his father and grandfather were also actors)©

She had three brothers: Harry Farjeon (who became a composer), Joseph Farjeon and Herbert Farjeon (who were writers); she was 2nd in rank in the family.©

And these are some of Eleanor Farjeon’s Friends, (She was a friend of many poets, etc.):

D.H. Lawrence, Walter de la Mare, Robert Frost, and his close friend Edward Thomas©

Eleanor Farjeon’s Bragging Rights:

©Awards Received:
Library Association Carnegie Medal of Great Britain, 1956
Hans Christian Anderson International Medal, 1956
Catholic Library Regina Medal of America, 1959
Children's Book Circle created the Eleanor Farjeon Award in her memory.
Piddock Day in NYC - a celebration based on one of her stories.


All About Eleanor Farjeon’s Work:

The stories and other writings of Eleanor Farjeon include for children: 30 works of fiction, most were collections of stories; three plays based on fairy tales, 33 publications of verse, and eight other books. Writings for adults included 11 novels, as well as plays, verse, and biography. Most are probably hard to find, though a number of her collections of stories were reprinted in the 1950's.©

(Please note the above text, marked © (about this wonderfully, delightful Author) were copied from Barry McWilliams - Eleanor Farjeon: A Story Writer. There you will find fantastic illustrations, many excellent links, especially links about Eleanor Farjeon’s Family and Friends.

The Reunion:

In 1955, The Little Bookroom by Eleanor Farjeon was originally published. In 2003, the New York Review of Books (New York Review Books ) reprinted this book. “In The Little Bookroom, Eleanor Farjeon mischievously tilts our workaday world to reveal its wonders and follies. Her selection of her favorite stories describes powerful—and sometimes exceedingly silly—monarchs, and commoners who are every bit their match; musicians and dancers who live for aft rather than earthly reward; and a goldfish who wishes to "marry the Moon, surpass the Sun, and possess the World." -Book Description

One of the many places The Little Bookroom can be purchased is at Powell’s Books, where ‘Your’ comments on Eleanor Farjeon’s book or many other books could give you a chance to win books from Powell’s Books.

Thanks for coming by ‘binding ink’ to read with me and making the acquaintance of our new Friend, Eleanor Farjeon.

Here's to the Kid in us All!

Saturday, September 16, 2006

An Appeal to Save Life on Earth

(In the LowCountry, SC) I was listening to the radio station; WJWJ-FM: 89.9, ETV Radio in partnership with Classical NPR News Station. “NPR (National Public Radio) is an internationally acclaimed producer and distributor of noncommercial news, talk, and entertainment programming.” NPR includes News, Politics & Society, Business, People & Places, Health & Science, Books, Music, Arts & Culture, Diversions, and Opinion. 'NPR.org provides years of archived show information', including many popular public radio programs; for instance Morning Edition, Talk of the Nation, Weekend Edition Saturday, World Café, etc. and numerous other Programs. NPR also incorporates streaming Audio, Podcasting , and RSS News Feeds .

There is a simple form on NPRs’ website to find your local Radio Station or you can read the pdf version for a list of NPR Radio Stations in your area.

On September 8, 2006 I was listening to NPR radio broadcast, Talk of the Nation. Publicized as, “Biologist and Writer Edward O. Wilson talks about his new book The Creation. Wilson's appeal to preserve biodiversity is written in the form of letters to a Southern Baptist minister.”

NPR Transcripts Sample IRA FLATOW :

“IRA FLATOW, host: For the rest of the hour: science, religion and finding common ground. Is caring for the environment a matter of being a Democrat or a Republican, a liberal or a conservative, a Christian or a non believer? Can preserving biodiversity or finding global warming be something that all of us can work toward together?

My next guest thinks so – he certainly does, or more accurately he says we must work together. While admitting that he is a non believer,..”

(Some transcription by me from the actual broadcast):

Flatow: You seem to believe, based on what you write in your book, Everyone needs to spend time with nature. You write, Many people seem content to live entirely in this synthetic ecosystems. This in my mind is a conversion; it’s not in the human nature to be cattled and glorified in feed lines.

Wilson: Animals we raise in feed lots and take note that they seem to be contented, their not complaining very much. The animals raised in feed lots are very far from the full animal. They are not behaving; they are not working out their life cycle in the matters programmed into their brains and into the course of their developing physiology. ...Their is enough evidence that Human beings need nature, they need wild environments, they need at least pastoral environments, duplicating the early habitats of human beings in order to develop fully.

Here is the link to the complete audio boardcast or you can go to the NPR website.

From my research, I've learned; “Edward O. Wilson is a Professor and Curator of Entomology at the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University. He has conducted field research throughout the world and written more than twenty books…” The New York Public Library

E. O. Wilson’s latest book is titled, “The Creation: An Appeal to Save Life on Earth’. Ira Flatow’s name for the broadcast is, “Bridging Science and Religion”. However; the ultimate question already asked by NYPL is, “ Can we come together with our differing religious and scientific viewpoints to ensure our continued survival as a planet”?

What is your answer?

Monday, September 11, 2006

September 11, A Moment of Silence For This Day

Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence.--- Max Ehrmann, 1927 from the poem Desiderata:

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.

Saturday, September 09, 2006

Blogger in Beta - Beware!

Mystery solved! Thanks to Rhubard!

The foreign language I thought was in my Blog Post edit isn't bad! From Rhubard:

It's just standard "dummy text." Filler, if you will. See
Lipsum for more information.

Rhubard

Hey Readers, Rhubarb's sight has lots of "HELPFUL PICASA LINKS".


October 1, 2006

What the tee-total heck! I went into my layout - Add and Arrange Page Elements. Under Blog Post edit the post body has this:

Post Body
Lorem ipsum vim ut utroque mandamus intellegebat, ut eam omittam ancillae sadipscing, per et eius soluta veritus.

I hope that foreign language isn't saying anything bad or full of curse words! Does anyone know what it says? Or why it is in a foreign language?

Does anyone elses Blog Post edit say this?

September 27, 2006
The 404 errors continued sporadically, especially linking to individual posts. On Sun, 24 Sep 2006, I again went to Talk To Us and filled out the form. Although the problem was again resolved immediately; today-three days later, The Blogger Team was at least nice to e-mail me the following:

Thanks for letting us know about this bug with Blogger in beta. We'll look into it and hope to have it fixed as soon as possible. In the meantime, we appreciate your patience and apologize for any inconvenience.

Also today, the test Comment I posted on my Blog, Saturday, September 23, 2006 finally arrived in my e-mail for my moderation. Well, at least we know that the ‘Blogger Team’ is working vigilantly on the glitches involved with the Blogger in Beta, while being courteous enough to acknowledge us Guinea Pigs.

No sooner then I posted this and went to view my blog, guess what! Yes:

The page cannot be found
The page you are looking for might have been removed, had its name changed, or is temporarily unavailable.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Please try the following:

If you typed the page address in the Address bar, make sure that it is spelled correctly.

Open the bindingink.blogspot.com home page, and then look for links to the information you want.
Click the Back button to try another link.
Click Search to look for information on the Internet.



HTTP 404 - File not found
Internet Explorer
--------------------------------------------------------------------
BBB!

September 22, 2006 Blogger in beta Beware update:

Glitches continue as several 404 Errors are displayed. Have you gone to your Blog site only to find the 404 message? What are our Readers to think, we've abandoned them! When will Google ever resolve this!

Every time I see the 404 Error, I immediately go to Talk To Us and fill out the form. The problem is resolved within minutes. Only for the exact same issue to occur again and again!

Original Post (September 09, 2006):

We know wwww. However; are you familiar with the three b's? Well; after reading my below post, you'll understand why I call this new version, BBB (Blogger in Beta Beware):

Wow, what a stressful week! Some people under similar circumstances have said, if one more thing happens, I’m going to totally loose it. Unsure what that means; without a doubt, I was about to find out. For the straw that broke the camels’ back came at me from a bundle of hay spun in cow manure and left out in the pastures to bake in the hot sunlight for weeks. The straw pierced my last fragile nerve, however; guess what! I didn’t loose it! Someway instinctively, as if a matter of survival; I knew to just hang on. Because realistically, my familiar world wasn’t in fact ending; it just felt that way. Kinda like the kids’ poem Lion Hunt or various other versions Bear Hunt…:

“…Can't go under it
Can't go around it
Have to go through it…”

So what happened? The worse case scenario, an alert for all Readers, especially us Blog inkers. Blogger has a new version in the makings, currently available as Blogger in beta, combining all your Google accounts, e-mail, groups, Blog, etc. into one Google grasp. I read the information; basically all Blogger accounts will sooner or later, be switched over to the new version. In view of that, I decided to enroll now. Then out of the blue, I forgot my Password! I could not log in to my Blog! No, I didn’t have my password written down somewhere. How many of us really do that any how. Plus, if the password were written down, I without doubt would just as likely have problems remembering where I put that piece of paper. Besides, with the original Blogger, this had never been a problem. So I requested assistance from Blogger, only to receive this in my e-mail, “This account has already been switched to the new version of Blogger in beta. Please remember, to access your dashboard you will need to use your Google Account and password to sign in. If you need help with your Google Account password, please click on the following link: http://beta.blogger.com/forgot.g. Sincerely, The Blogger Team”.

Yikes! That didn’t sound good and sure enough, it wasn’t. According to Google password recovery procedures, “We've sent instructions to the secondary email address you provided during signup. If you don't have a secondary email address, or if you no longer have access to that account, please try the 'Forgot your password?' link again after five days. At that point, you'll be able to reset your password by answering the security question you provided when you created your account. To prevent someone from trying to break into an account you're actively using, the security question is only used for account recovery after an account has been idle for five days. The Gmail team cannot waive the five day requirement or access your password under any circumstances. If you're unable to answer your security question or access your secondary email account, we regret that the Gmail team cannot provide further assistance.”

What! I never provided a secondary e-mail address when I signed up for Gmail. In addition, what if that was my only e-mail account, why would I have a secondary e-mail address? Five day waiting period! Furthermore; I can’t remember my password and they want me to remember the answer to my Security question! The Gmail team regrets that they cannot provide further assistance, how about my regrets. My Blog gone forever! Death via absent mindedness, how devastating.

Preparing for the ultimate demise, I asked my Roommate to suggest a name for my new Blog. Answer, unbinding ink. Not funny. However; before retiring for the night I prayed, God please help me remember my password. I usually don't get small Prayers answered. Or as the saying goes, God answers all Prayers, if it seems like a Prayer wasn’t answered, then the reply was most likely, no. Well I at least asked. And I kid you not, right before waking up, I saw a vision of the last time I logged onto my Blog, Sept. 4. I knew my password! I got up - wrote it down, turned on the computer. I almost was like, well this isn't going to be the password either, who am I kidding. Oh us Doubting Toms, Pessimists. This was indeed my password! Could I take this as a sign that God means for me to write, or is at least supportive of my writing? Oh, good old serendipity! I’ll leave that for another posting. Meanwhile; I highly suggest, do have and always provide a secondary e-mail address! Do write your passwords down, some place secure and where you can find them quickly. After all, God is busy!

Wow, what a stressful week! Please, could a Reader pass me the ice cream! Thanks!

Known Issues for Blogger in Beta

The latest on what's still a problem, what's getting fixed, and what's been taken care of, direct from the Blogger team.

Monday, September 04, 2006

Oppodeldocho,Goosetherumfoodle... Who is this Famous Author?!?

Oppodeldoc,'Snob,'Rowdy-Dow,'the 'Lollipop,'the 'Goosetherumfoodle',Mr. Crab,Mr. Slyass,Mumblethumb,Fatquack,Mrs. Fibalittle,the "Owl,"the "Toad" and the "Mole". Which American legendary Author compiled these names?

“'Oppodeldoc,'–thus desecrating the greatness of the illustrious Roman emperor so named and 'Snob' is the nom de plume of Mr. Thingum Bob.” All originating in the Literary Life of Thingum Bob, Esq. (1850) by Edgar Allan Poe, of course.

Conceivably, many may better recognize this renowned Author via these lines:

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
" 'Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door;
Only this, and nothing more."

With that example; combined with the following, could Poe himself – not his works, be best described as macabre?


A Predicament
by Edgar Allan Poe
(1809-1849)

“My eyes, from the cruel pressure of the machine, were absolutely starting from their sockets. While I was thinking how I should possibly manage without them, one actually tumbled out of my head, and, rolling down the steep side of the steeple, lodged in the rain gutter which ran along the eaves of the main building. The loss of the eye was not so much as the insolent air of independence and contempt with which it regarded me after it was out. There it lay in the gutter just under my nose, and the airs it gave itself would have been ridiculous had they not been disgusting. Such a winking and blinking were never before seen. This behavior on the part of my eye in the gutter was not only irritating on account of its manifest insolence and shameful ingratitude, but was also exceedingly inconvenient on account of the sympathy which always exists between two eyes of the same head, however far apart. I was forced, in a manner, to wink and to blink, whether I would or not, in exact concert with the scoundrelly thing that lay just under my nose. I was presently relieved, however, by the dropping out of the other eye. In falling it took the same direction (possibly a concerted plot) as its fellow. Both rolled out of the gutter together, and in truth I was very glad to get rid of them.”

Macabre is "a term applied to a type of artistic or literary works, characterized by a grim or ghastly atmosphere. In these works, there is an emphasis on the details and symbols of death.” I might tend to agree with this description for Poe, except as a Writer, many of us can relate to the manuscript chaptered symbolic synonyms, the poetic dance by means of the pen betweenst romance and death. As well as an Artist with brush and canvas."~Wikipedia

Then how about describing Edgar Allan Poe as a Scientist?

Well, there is a website called Poe Decoder. “The Poe Decoder is a project started by a small group of Poe enthusiasts to make criticism and information on Poe and his work available on the Internet. The growing collection of essays in the Poe Decoder is written by qualified people with a great interest in Edgar Allan Poe. We want to provide you with accurate facts on one of the greatest American writers ever, and once and for all put an end to all the lies and rumors that surround his person.”

At Poe Decoder, is Juan Lartigue G.’s, Edgar Allan Poe and Science: A Cosmic Poet.
“The literary talent of Edgar Allan Poe is beyond dispute, but his activity in the scientific area (condensed in Eureka) has been sadly neglected or ignored. Only recently have some researchers undertaken the labor of re-evaluating it. This recent re-evaluation is long overdue, especially, those propositions related to Cosmology. This paper purposes extensions of those propositions, as well as additional commentary, relating, in particular, to Chemistry.”

In Eureka, Poe writes: "I design to speak of the Physical, Metaphysical and Mathematical—of the Material and Spiritual Universe: - of its Essence, its Origin, its Creation, its Present Condition and its Destiny" (Poe 1).

The publication by Juan Lartigue G. covers:

Decoding Eureka: Propositions previously discussed
1) On the Origin of the Universe
2) The Big Bang, the Expanding Universe and the Mind of God
3) Poe Anticipates Relativity
4) Poe Contemplates Other Universes
5) Poe Foresees Modern Cosmologists’ Black Holes and The Big Crunch
6) Successive Universes

Decoding Eureka: "New" Propositions
7) Extra-Solar Planets
8) The Non-Existence of the Material Ether
9) Chemical Affinity
10) Molecular Structure
11) Planetary Model of the Atom
12) A Strange Comparison


On my rummaging around to find one word to portray such an extraordinarily talented Author, I’ve also taken into consideration the mystery of his death. Did Poe die from drugs, alcohol, rabies???

According to a 1996 Releases - University of Maryland Medical News

“In an analysis almost 147 years after his death, doctors at the University of Maryland Medical Center believe that writer Edgar Allan Poe may have died as a result of rabies, not from complications of alcoholism. Poe's medical case was reviewed by R. Michael Benitez, M.D., a cardiologist at the University of Maryland Medical Center. His review is published in the September 1996 issue of Maryland Medical Journal.”

"No one can say conclusively that Poe died of rabies, since there was no autopsy after his death," says Dr. Benitez, who is also an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. "But the historical accounts of Poe's condition in the hospital a few days before his death point to a strong possibility that he had rabies."

Regardless of the ‘how’, isn’t it bizarre that Poe died as mad as he depicted himself to be in his writing? Still his legendary self lives on, even in music.


For example, Joan by Baez, Joan

Whence a Reviewer: Lawyeraau wrote:

“Edgar Allen Poe's poem "Annabel Lee", a lamentation about the death of a young woman, put to music and sung by Ms. Baez, is absolutely haunting and one of the best tracks on this cd. Her sweet, true soprano makes its poetic beauty soar and come to
life. It is an absolutely beautiful track and part of her early concert repertory. "North", a haunting poem about a search for a lost love, put to music and sung by Ms. Baez, is memorable.”

Several places on the net suggest Judy Collin also sung the song Annabel Lee.. However; I never found any supporting documents. Should anyone know a link to the CD, please let us know ~Thanks! Meanwhile; I did find some fantastic children’s’ songs and lullabies by Judy Collin! Baby’s Bedtime, 27 enchanting lullabies and Baby’s Morningtime, songs and poems sung by Judy Collin including The Pancake, The Violet, Twinkle Toes…

In conclusion, maybe there isn’t one word to depict Edgar Allan Poe. Perhaps the finest description is by Wikipedia:

“Edgar Allan Poe (January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American poet, short story writer, editor, critic and one of the leaders of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of the macabre, Poe was one of the early American practitioners of the short story and a progenitor of detective fiction and crime fiction. He is also credited with contributing to narrative forms of the emergent science fiction genre.”

Friday, August 18, 2006

Astonishingly in August, the Easter Bunny!?!

From a Friend, I received one of many e-mails. You know the type, down a long list of forwarded names, there is a quote or joke that someone found somewhere on the internet. Therefore; I don’t know whom to give credit for the following, “It’s so hot”. However; here are a few excerpts:

It’s so hot:

The birds have to use potholders to pull worms out of the ground,

You discover that in August it only takes 2 fingers to steer your car,

Your biggest bicycle wreck fear is, "What if I get knocked out and end up lying on the pavement and cook to death?”,

Farmers are feeding their chickens crushed ice to keep them from laying boiled eggs.


Apart from a good laugh, I didn’t contemplate significantly on the subject. Meanwhile; early August, I had another poke, prod, and pry Ob-Gyn appointment. Whilst wasting time, I enjoyed the usual Waiting Rooms decor of outdated magazines. Eureka, an article from the magazine FamilyFun about tie-dyeing Easter eggs! Since, as of August 11-my own eggs have now been officially fried, genetically altered, or however cauterization is categorized. Afterwards; during my recoup weekend, I caught a scene from the movie “The Tooth Fairy”. So happen she was scolding the Easter Bunny for getting kids hooked on candy! And the first two weeks of August, my e-mail subscription to Cute Overload has included several adorable bunnies. My favorite, “Fabuloso photographer Tanja Askani strikes again with her 'Bambi and Thumper' series. Two canoodling wildlife sweethearts, snorgling away”:

Fabuloso photographer Tanja Askani strikes again with her 'Bambi and Thumper' seriesAug 12, 2006


Even then, I remained oblivious to any possible emergence in respect to connotation. Subsequently, a Dear Friend sent me a link for an awesome game Easter Island (strange the link to this game worked the first time, now I can't get it to, if you have any better luck let me know~thanks! ). “Save the people of Easter Island by returning a sacred stolen statue to the volcano god's altar before the volcano erupts”. Of course, the idol was a Cow! As ‘You’ Readers may already know, the cow for me, is recognizing each other for ‘Carrying on Womanhood’. However; for the name of the game to be Easter Island, that floored me! So many eggs, so many bunnies, so much Easter in one still short hot month. Everything was starting to become to eggronic (ironic). I was just about to sloth this off as just another redundancy when a Family member sent some fabulous pix of a bunny! In the e-mail, he wrote:

“From the Rabbit's Hole, Stories are Created and Told ~

Best viewed as a slide show and through children's eyes.

Dedicated to Jeane and the Rainbow Egg Factory as seen through children's eyes in the basement drain of Mead Street.
Also dedicated to Stephen and Ron as Rabbit Shots [(Stephen - photography) (Ron - hunting)].
And to the rest of the Family who still believe in the Easter Bunny, Braer Rabbit, Peter Rabbit (Flopsy, Mopsy and Cottontail), the March Hare (Alice's Adventure in Wonderland), Bugs...”



Stephen - bunny photographyby Family Member Stephen - bunny photography


Yes, various Family members also have creative talent with words and wit, something that emerges deep betweenst all my Siblings, apparently derived from one Family Member. Aka former Newspaper Editor for High School days. There is a rumor amidst our Family that there are some secretively written poems… If true, I must give this person credit, for even the Easter Bunny can’t hind eggs this good. But, like all eggs are eventually found, I will one day find the basket full of goodies and divulge their talent for all its’ zesty sweetness!

So this be August. If some people can have Christmas in July without concern for the snow melting, disregarding all concern for poor ‘Frost The Snowman’, then why not Easter in August without the horror from rancid eggs! Sure rotten eggs are foul, but what can anyone expect when eggs do come from fowl chickens.

It’s so hot, all we need to do is place the eggs in a pot of water outside and let nature do the boiling. Where’s that tie-dye egg formula! Let the candy melt in our hands from the sweltering sun rays of August! I’ll follow the Easter Bunny around with a water hose to extinguish any hairy incidents of heat exhaustions. Just give me Easter in August! Give me Easter or give me MacBeth ! That is according to Lewis Carroll - Sylvie and Bruno - THE FROGS' BIRTHDAY-TREAT, MacBeth! For as Frogs hop, so bunnies also hop, hop, hop….down the Bunny Trail!

Hop here, there, everywhere – even among buds. For though there are flowers in August, I honestly have no idea why this month is filled with ‘BEE’s (Bunnies, Eggs, Easter). Even now as I write this, the Mailperson has delivered an index invitation to subscribe to “Annie’s Favorite Crochet”. On the front of the index card is a picture of the April issue, with an Easter Bunny Basket full of jelly beans! And just yesterday, at a Gas Station there was one very old dusty variety package of jelly beans, sitting all by its’ lonesome at the cash register!

Yes, these ‘BEE’s have been particularly plentiful to just cast this all off as coincidence. I for one believe in serendipity. So if I ever figure out what the Universe is trying to tell me, I’ll be sure to let you know!

Meanwhile; we invite all to share any of ‘your’ serendipities with us via destinies’ designation: comments!

And be sure to stay tuned for future ‘BEE’ sightings at your local Nom de plume the ‘Poetress’ Blog, bindingink!

P.S. If anyone sees the Easter Bunny before I, please say hi for me. Hi from the one who knows truly that the Easter Bunny and Family all live in the basement drain on Mead Street.

Friday, August 04, 2006

Menopause

As a Writer, there are times we must assume all roles, be it male or female. So Guys, this subject may not be for you, despite the fact that ‘men’ is included in the word. All the same, many may have read the story about “The Boy Who Cried Wolf”. “Chicken Little” the sky is falling, the sky is falling. Or heard the expression, “Liar, liar pants on fire”. And so it was with my two hen layers. They had become pathological liars. Oh yea, we’ll start on the first. Oh, we meant we would start on the first and the 20th. Or the 25th through the 10th. Oh, or we forgot! Did we startle you! Hence began the pathological passageway of scrutinizing the false alarmists. Talk about being hen pecked! One Doctor would poke here. Another Doctor would probe there. Here a henny penny, there a hen penny, everywhere a penny, until nothing made sense. Picture this, the only thing that did develop - was my two new friends, negatives and false positives. Meanwhile, I had become more cantankerous. Can’t take this, can’t take that – tetchy, touchy, tetchy. So I was given a daily dose of Artificial Happiness. Smile damn you, smile! Indeed, a hard pill to swallow. Once absorbed, I could almost hear the medication screaming, you want me to do what! This isn’t a chicken coop, it’s a pigs sty! Mother Nature had taken her path, a logical course. She had gone in like a thief in the night. Made a mess of everything, then at age 44 she robbed me of my womanhood. All that remained were unpredictable periods of rain, showers, storms, droughts…. Mostly showers. ‘Sew’ a Doctor suggested cauterization. What! Cauterized sounded like a word that belonged with neutered, spayed. Apparently, I had been acting like an animal, but cauterization! Um, yes solder the lining of your uterus. Then move the play pin - give everything a good dusting and cleaning. Sure why not! And while you’re there, give me a tubal ligation so my ovaries can be as tongue tied as I am speechless! That won’t be necessary, Ma'am’. This procedure however; will replace the hen layers with a Rooster featured weather vane to point more accurately. Well, poke me with a fork and call me done. Out with the old and in with the new, let the remodeling commence! And so, ‘Once upon a time’ youth prevailed. Now I must trade what is left of my youth for health, in hopes of living a ‘happy ever after.’ ~The End

Wednesday, July 26, 2006

Rate PG - Horoscopes

Yes, Rate PG-Adult Comics; that’s how I dub horoscopes. Linguistic textual communication, prearranged to encompass a massive realm of possible results. Nonetheless; some astrologicalscopes are amusing. Others admittedly inspire me. For example; Free Will Astrology by Rob Brezsny :

“Kathleen Raine (1908-2003) was a brilliant Cambridge-educated scholar and poet who won numerous awards for her poetry in the U.K. and France. Many of her colleagues were towering intellectuals, but she herself wanted "to get away from the Sherlock Holmes misconception that everything has a rational explanation." She gravitated instead toward "the sacred springs of life, which are the imagination and the heart." She's your role model right now, Gemini. I hope she'll inspire you to apply all of your high-powered ingenuity to an exploration of soul-awakening mysteries that can't be encapsulated with neat analyses. It's a perfect moment for you to celebrate the indescribable bounty of fertile chaos.”

Needless to say; with search engines wordily fueled, out amidst the open www - commenced the exploration for this renowned Lady!

“Kathleen Raine was born in London in 1908. Began to seriously write toward her late twenties, and by 1943 she had published her first collection of poetry Stone and Flower, which was illustrated by Barbara Hepworth. Her autobiography was out in 1977. Four years later Raine had founded her own magazine, called Temenos, to help articulate her views. Raine went on to win several awards, including the Harriet Monroe Prize, Edna St. Vincent Millay Prize from the American Poetry Society, and the Queens Gold Medal for Poetry in 1992. In 2000, she was made a Commander of the British Empire. ..” ~ PoemHunter.com


“Kathleen Raine (1908-2003) was the author of twelve books of poetry, four of autobiography, and much scholarly work, particularly on Blake and Yeats, which prove her transcendent understanding of the art of poetry, and the art of living.” ~ The Poetry Archive

The following poem is from famouspoetsandpoems

Worry About Money by Kathleen Raine

Wearing worry about money like a hair shirt
I lie down in my bed and wrestle with my angel.

My bank-manager could not sanction my continuance for another day
But life itself wakes me each morning, and love

Urges me to give although I have no money
In the bank at this moment, and ought properly

To cease to exist in a world where poverty
Is a shameful and ridiculous offence.

Having no one to advise me, I open the Bible
And shut my eyes and put my finger on a text

And read that the widow with the young son
Must give first to the prophetic genius
From the little there is in the bin of flour and the cruse of oil.

Obituary of Kathleen Raine by Janet Watts:

“When asked how she wished people to remember her, Kathleen Raine said she would rather they didn't. Or that Blake's words be said of her: "That in time of trouble, I kept the divine vision". Better to be a sprat in that "true ocean", she believed, than a big fish in a literary rock pool.”

Meanwhile, my current adult comic strip from Free Will Astrology states:

“In their article "Most Popular Myths in Science", editors at LiveScience.com analyzed ideas that are dear to conventional wisdom. They debunked the notions that lightning never strikes twice in the same place, that humans only use ten percent of their brains, and that it's safe to eat food that has been on the floor for less than five seconds. But they affirmed certain other "myths." A falling cat does pretty much always land on its feet, they found. Yawning is indeed contagious. Eating two poppy seed bagels can produce a positive result for opiates on a drug test. I bring this up, Gemini, as a prod to get you to take inventory of your own opinions, assumptions, and storylines. This is a perfect moment to not just question your beliefs, but to give them the third degree.”

Therefore, despite curiosity peaked; I should further explore - in general - her scholarly work, before I form or declare any opinions. Her other writings such as ALL ROADS LEAD TO INDIA . However; if any Reader is familiar with the Author - Kathleen Raine, we gladly welcome 'your' comments!

Sunday, July 23, 2006

Poetry From My Friends’ Soul

Another awe I have for D. G. is his talented poetic penmanship! With permission, I proudly share two of his poems:

Sinner

Sad is the sinner
that walks on bare feet
Empty stomach and
nothing to eat.

Heart of hate that
use to be free
One bad move, it could have been
you or me!

No more trust
or a hand of a friend
More crooked roads
just around the bend.

Nothing again will ever
be as right,
As that of a sinner
alone in the night.

So think again before
you stray too far left or right
You may become one who walks
alone in the night.

~D. G.

A Story of Life

With a floursack for a coat
and newspapers in his shoes,
the drunk left the old house
in search for some booze.

There was a cold wind cutting
down the alley like a knife
A man alone, without a friend,
without a wife.

Would this be the night
his life would come to end?
Would he die alone in the alleyway
without a friend?

The pains grew and his body cried out
in the freezing cold
for a bottle of cheap wine,
he would surely sell his soul.

There was nothing but a cold air
pushed by the bitter wind
He wanted a warm place to sit
and a stiff drink of gin.

The Devil came to take him
away at the dawn,
only to find an angel had come
and both were long gone!

~D. G.

Saturday, July 22, 2006

Friendship

To date, this Blog has presented imaginative control, added some humor to every day chores, and punned around with words on subjects from the Blues to Toast. This is because many musical compositions, songs, poems… have various articulated sentiments. Therefore; today I would like to talk about admiration. For everybody, undoubtedly there is someone to admire; rather this person be an Athlete, a Singer, an Author, or yourself. Likewise; you are tremendously Blessed - if the individual you have a high regard for, is also a Friend. For:

It can never be bought or borrowed or sold
A gift to be cherished,
True friendship is a treasure beyond compare
~author unknown


I am grateful to have this in my life. His name is D. G. Age to date, 75. Children: None. Race – irrelevant. His humor - a bonus! For example, he would take a ‘Beware of DOG’ sign and cross out the O. Yea, Beware of D. G.; Mister Lamb who would generously give anyone the wool from his last sweater.

In addition to Admiration, Friendship – if we are fortunate; into most hearts, there happens a ‘Once Upon a Time’, one True Love. And so it was for D. G. Him of youth, whence his hair glistened with color. The luck lady, bursting with youthful potentials. Though sadly; before womanhood could fully blossom or age naturally dye the hair, she died in a car crash. Understandably; D. G. would never love another, as he loved her. Later, various relationships came – went for him. Once a Girlfriend gave D. G. an alternative, ‘either your dogs go or I’. To date; D. G. remains a happily devoted Bachelor, always seen with a dog. The animal type that is, mutty and raggedy as himself. For many a day, D. G. will not a shave or bathe. His age now has turned those days into weeks.

As his Friend, I use to try and at least help keep his place clean. That was until, the fleas and roaches won. D. G. would bomb, spray… still the creepy crawlers sustained. Having either became insecticide resistant or fervent. Might this be from the steady crumbs, left out food, unkempt- unwashed pets…? D. G. consistently, would not clean up! Hello, even Bachelors can utilize a broom and soap.

Over the years; I naturally worried about his frail, slowly aging self. It had been nearly 25 years since he last agreed to visit a Doctor. For that reason; betweenst our phone calls, I periodically stopped by to check on D. G. There he was – characteristically unshaven, grubby. The usual odor from his residence reeked with extreme fetid smells. This day he sat, flicking some cockroaches inside an encrusted soup can. Had these infectious insects become his Friends? Ultimately I realized, D. G. was beyond help. For, “One can not help those whom do not want help”. ‘One can’t help those whom won’t help themselves first’. Nonetheless, my concern for him consumed my imagination. Fear, learning he died alone, roaches feasting on his remains. Like the horror story we hear about the Old Lady with numerous cats. She died alone, her carcass a banquet for the felines.

Over the years, no one could convince D. G. to improve himself or his residential conditions. Now he is greatly older and often I want to call the ‘Elderly Abuse line. Report him for ill-treatment of self. By chance, this year the health department intervened. D. G. was evicted from the rented dwelling. Sadly, he chose to move into a run–down, moreover crime ridden neighborhood. (Whose population will certainly intensify for lack of roach motels). Of course his dog resides with him! In fact, I spoke to D. G. the other day; asked why he didn’t enter an ‘Assisted Living’ place as we discussed. His answer, “I may be old, but I’m not stupid”. His new Neighbors are caring. However they as well; can not talk, hard-headed D. G. into going to a Doctor. Soon to be 76, trouble walking, blind in one eye, a hack- cough, D. G. has the nerve to tell me he is having trouble holding his urine.

Nevertheless; he is a person to be admired. Aside from his humor, despite his unhygienic ethics, there is a man with compelling principles. Values he nonchalantly, taught me. Standards that continue to guide me, like a Lighthouse in the dark. A constant compass point in my life. Many of us have at least one regret, we wish we could back and change. For D. G., his remorse came during his teenage time. At the beach - underneath a viaduct he strolled. Where two youngsters were raping a 16 year old, wheel chaired girl from his school. D. G. said he went initially to help her. Instead, in the process he got excited. End of story. Kids will be kids, has never been his slogan or excuse. The essential factor prevails; D. G. is genuinely remorseful for his involvement. While on the subject, some reason or the other; I asked D. G. his opinion concerning molestation. To this day, I clearly recall what he said; “Child molesters steal fruit before ripeness, stripping more than the flesh, they forever shred their victims childhood.”


The finest lesson I gather from D. G. is ‘the moment of truth’. He told how during his early years of bar hopping, while sitting on a bar stool - a voice inside him spoke, “You can either sit here until you become an alcoholic or you can get up, do something with your life”. D. G. has not been in a bar since. Most people see pink elephants, D. G. heard a voice. This voice he says is the moment of truth that speaks to everyone sometime in their life. You can listen to the voice or do nothing.

Yes, most people admire someone. However; if that person is additionally your Friend, wow! What a gem, what a treasure. For me, that person is D. G. ‘Warts and all’; nevertheless to me, he is a person to be admired, he is a Friend. And yes, I am Blessed to know him.

*Remember, you can comment anonymously; after all I go by the name Nom de plume ‘The Poetress’. Sure we ask for that crazy verification to be typed in, but that’s just to keep the ‘tin man’ away. So:

Whom do you admire? Is that person a Friend? What is your worst regret?

Monday, July 17, 2006

Now We’re Jammin’!

Musicians jam, Writers’ pen ideas read, Composers arrange compositions, Choreographers choreograph, Singers sing … Altogether; they creatively capture the far-reaching essences of life. As if their authentic intent and purposes were for each person’s, individual delight. Moreover; variety appears to be the relish for each ensemble. Hence, Artists are no different. Akin to some books, lyrics… art has additionally become fairly contentious over the years. There’s the art dung stink. News was a ‘buzz’ about Hillary Clinton being knee high in that rubbish. Fortunately, we can frequently rely on the artsy bungalows made from dozens of labeled, tinnish metallic silver. Shucks, likewise; there’s the Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota. “Thousands of bushels of corn, grain, grasses, wild oats, brome grass, blue grass, rye, straw and wheat” are harvested yearly for this event! World’s Only Corn Palace

Thence today; a Family member sent me a link that takes the cake. Well, at least the flour from the cake. Whom does this Cake Walk honor go to? Several ‘crummy’ Artists who know how to make the dough. Therefore, let’s offer them a toast! However; nothing too buttery, cause they can jellify the heel from a loaf of bread. In fact, a few may call these Artistes half baked, nonetheless; they rather we refer to them as toasted. I agree, given that these crusty people are known for their Toast Art! Take for example the unveiling in Melbourne 2002; of the famous housewife, Dame Edna Everage. This toast portrait “uses the most pieces of bread ever used in an artwork, placing it in contention for the Guinness Book of Records”. And ‘believe it or not’, another Artist was commissioned by Ripley's. Toast Art, its jammin’- so spread the word about The ToastMan .

Sunday, July 16, 2006

Shucks, We’re Talkin’ Corn!

I hear you; you’re all ears on this corny subject. Sounds cornish; just give me a hen and a slice of cornbread, why don’t you. Well, who unsanitarily saturated your Corn Flakes? I’m not going to bore you with a maze of corn poppin’, tidbit kernels of puns. Instead, I want to share the following stanza from the poem Verse, by Nizar Qabbani. (We encourage our Readers to post their opinion on why the Author refers to Arab children as “Corn ears”.)

"Arab children,
Corn ears of the future,
You will break our chains,
Kill the opium in our heads,
Kill the illusions.
Arab children,
Don't read about our suffocated generation,
We are a hopeless case.
We are as worthless as a water-melon rind.
Dont read about us,
Dont ape us,
Dont accept us,
Dont accept our ideas,
We are a nation of crooks and jugglers.
Arab children,
Spring rain,
Corn ears of the future,
You are the generation
That will overcome defeat."

The full poem can be read at Oldpoetry.

About the Author:

“Qabbani was a committed Arab nationalist and in recent years his poetry and other writings, including essays and journalism, had become more political. His writing also often fused themes of romantic and political despair. Qabbani's later poems included a strong strain of anti-authoritarianism. One couplet in particular -- "O Sultan, my master, if my clothes are ripped and torn it is because your dogs with claws are allowed to tear me" -- is sometimes quoted by Arabs as a kind of wry shorthand for their frustration with life under dictatorship.” PoemHunter.com

"Through a lifetime of writing, Qabbani made women his main theme and inspiration. He earned a reputation for daring with the publication in 1954 of his first volume of verse, "Childhood of a Breast," which broke with the conservative traditions of Arabic literature. But it was not until he resigned from the Syrian diplomatic service in 1966 that Qabbani reached full flower. After the Arab defeat in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, he founded the Nizar Qabbani publishing house in London, and his became a powerful and eloquent voice of lament for Arab causes." Cornell University Library

Final Thought:

It is unfortunate; that as of April 30, 1998 – society lost such a politically talented Poetic, Writer.

Best links about Nizar Qabbani:
Wikipedia®

Nizar Qabbani

Saturday, July 15, 2006

Enough about ‘washing away the blues, let’s bring it up a beat and blog about R & B!

Now we’re talking my language! Unfortunately, a language several people don’t understand. Maybe because I’m an old Bluer. For instance, has any Reader ever heard of J. Blackfoot? I’ve only found one album by him. The best song I like of his is Storyteller from the CD Reality. “Cupid shot his arrow in the sky, hit my friend and not I…don’t make me a storyteller…”

However; if you want a fantastic education on the Blues - N'awlins Style - checkout the CD “Goin’ Back To New Orleans” by Dr. John. Inside the CD cover insert, Dr. John renders some excellent historical details, for each song from the GNO (Greater New Orleans) era. The total CD insert is a Lagniappe!

Listen to a few songs from this CD at Amazon.

My favorite is Cabbage Head!:

The first night that I come home
So drunk I could not see
Found a horse in my stable
Where my horse oughta be
Come here my little wifey
Explain this thing to me
How come a horse in the stable
Where my horse oughta be?
You blind fool, you crazy fool
Can't you never see?
It's only a milkcow
You're granny sent to me
I've traveled this world over
Ten thousand miles or more
But a saddle upon a milkcow's back
I never did see before…

*Rumor has it that Dr. John’s Official Website can be found here!


Now who says the blues are bad! Not when you’ve got R&B! So kick your heals and get those shoes a tappin’!

Then, when you're done chillaxin’, hook us up if you found any good old blue songs,!

Thanks!

Wednesday, July 12, 2006

Total Control - Yea or Nah?

How would you like to create your own Nation? Kinda like the game Risk, except the object is neither to ‘conquer’ the world nor to ‘win’. So where’s the fun then? Being in total control! Name your own Nation anything you want. Be any kind of Government you want from masochistic to docile! Vote on Legislative issues the way you want… Join the United Nations, the world's major governing body. Well, guess what!?! You can actually do this - on the web - for free! Check out NationStates

“NationStates is a free nation simulation game. Build a nation and run it according to your own warped political ideals. Create a Utopian paradise for society's less fortunate or a totalitarian corporate police state. Care for your people or deliberately oppress them. Join the United Nations or remain a rogue state. It's really up to you.”

"NationStates is a nation simulation game created by Max Barry and based loosely on his novel "


I made up a Nation for the 'Female Members' of my Family. Our National Motto is ‘COW’ (Mothers and Daughters Carrying On Womanhood). Our Nation is here MilkaWay . After filling out a series of fun - political mumbo jumbo - questions, a humorous introductorily page was generated. Ironically, this sentence was included: “A small private sector is dominated by the Book Publishing industry.”


Let me know, Total control – yea or nah?

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