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Polygamist Warren Jeffs In Critical Condition
Three weeks after a conviction for child sexual abuse, polygamist leader Warren Jeffs remains in critical but stable condition in a Texas hospital.
Jeffs, 55, was rushed from prison Sunday night to a hospital in Tyler, Tx. Officials there refuse to discuss Jeffs' condition but a spokeswoman for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) says Jeffs was hospitalized after a three-day fast.
"He is being treated for a number of medical conditions," says Michelle Lyons, the TDCJ director of public information. Lyons declined to provide more details citing federal medical privacy laws.
Jeffs has a history of fasts, a suicide attempt and hospitalizations, while jailed in Utah and Arizona. "When he fasts, he suffers dehydration and malnutrition," says Walter Bugden, a criminal defense attorney who represented Jeffs during a prosecution in Utah.
That record has another Jeffs defense attorney concerned about his client's care and supervision while serving a life sentence in Texas. Arizona attorney Michael Piccarreta says this sudden hospitalization following a fast suggests Texas corrections officials are not closely monitoring Jeffs.
"The state of Texas has a responsibility to maintain his health," Piccarreta says. "And if the state of Texas is unwilling or unable to provide proper medical care for Mr. Jeffs then they are going to be legally responsible for any adverse outcome."
Corrections spokeswoman Lyons says, "We take that responsibility seriously," while also noting that "fasting is one small component. He has other medical issues that are more serious."
Lyons would not describe the other serious medical problems but did say Jeffs did not try to take his own life.


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Cardinals beat Reds on bases-loaded HBP
ST. LOUIS – The St. Louis Cardinals are finding new ways to get walk-off wins.
Jon Jay was hit by a pitch from J.J. Hoover with the bases-loaded in the ninth inning, lifting the Cardinals to a 5-4 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday night.
The walk-off victory was the second in two nights for the Cardinals, who won for the fifth time in six games and remained 2 1/2 games behind Milwaukee in the NL Central.
Jhonny Peralta's RBI single in the 10th inning Monday provided St. Louis with a thrilling last-at-bat triumph.
Matt Holliday drew a leadoff walk to start Tuesday's winning rally. He advanced to third on Matt Adams' single. After Peter Bourjos ran for Holliday, Peralta walked to load the bases. Hoover (1-10) then plunked Jay to force in Bourjos with the winning run.
"It's not like you hope to get hit by a pitch every time," Jay said. "But I'll take it."
St. Louis got its sixth walk-off win of the season. The Cardinals also posted consecutive wins in such fashion July 7-8 against Pittsburgh.
The Reds lost in walk-off fashion for the third time in the last four games. They are a season-high 10 games out of first place.
"(Two walk-offs) in a row isn't fun," Cincinnati third baseman Todd Frazier said. "It's crazy, I've never been around something like that. I never want to see it again."
Jay scored the tying run in the eighth on pinch-hitter Daniel Descalso's RBI double off reliever Jumbo Diaz.
"Call it whatever you want to call it, but we're just playing better baseball right now," Descalso said. "We've got down the last couple nights and we've come back. That's always a good sign."
Reliever Pat Neshek (6-0) pitched a scoreless ninth inning.
Frazier put the Reds in front 2-1, with a two-run homer in the fourth. It was his 21st home run of the season, but first since July 20.
Cincinnati starter Alfredo Simon gave up three runs and eight hits over 5 1-3 innings. He struck out two and walked one.
St. Louis starter John Lackey gave up four runs, two earned, in six innings. He struck out seven and walked one.
Cincinnati scored twice in the sixth on a bases-loaded double by former Cardinals outfielder Ryan Ludwick. Errors by Holliday and Matt Carpenter and a walk set the stage for Ludwick's hit, which pushed the lead to 4-1.
But the Reds' taxed bullpen was unable to hold the lead.
"Short starts have bit us on the tail this road trip," Cincinnati manager Bryan Price said. "It blows up the bullpen."
Peralta homered in the sixth to cut the deficit to 4-2. It was Peralta's 17th home run of the season, setting the single-season mark for a St. Louis shortstop. Jay and Oscar Taveras followed with hits before pinch-hitter Shane Robinson singled off reliever Sam LeCure to bring the Cardinals to 4-3.
"I feel like the last two nights have felt like playoff games," Adams said.
St. Louis took a 1-0 lead on a run-scoring single by Holliday in the third.
Reds: Closer Aroldis Chapman was unavailable Tuesday for the second night in a row with what manager Bryan Price called an, "achy," shoulder. The reliever is listed as day-to-day by the Reds training staff. Chapman has 26 saves in 28 chances. He walked four successive batters on Sunday in Colorado.
Cardinals: INF Mark Ellis was put on the 15-day disabled list with a left oblique strain. Ellis, who is hitting .192 with 12 RBI, last played on Tuesday. INF Greg Garcia was recalled from Triple-A Memphis in time for Tuesday's contest. Garcia was hitting .273 with 40 RBI in 103 games for the Redbirds.
St. Louis OF Jon Jay extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a single in the second, the first of two hits. He is 15 for 31 during the run and reached base four times Tuesday.
Reds: RHP Johnny Cueto (15-6, 2.06) will start the final game of the three-game set. Cueto is 7-0 with a 2.24 ERA over his last eight starts. His seven-game winning streak is a career high.
Cardinals: RHP Lance Lynn (13-8, 2.91) will make his team-leading 26th start of the season. He is 5-1 lifetime against the Reds.

subset: commoncrawl


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This little gem of a horror movie scared me a bit the first time, but watching it again, I find it to be a worthwhile watch. Never having played the video games, I can appreciate the adaptation this game portrayed onscreen, and can understand if anyone was offended by this adaptation. But it really is up to those who see the film and have played the games to decide for themselves.
From what I gather from the films plot line, this is a story about a mother Rose De Silva (Radha Mitchell) searching for her adopted daughter, Sharon (Jodelle Ferland). She comes upon Silent Hill, the run down West Virginia coal town that has become a ghost town. While there, Rose comes upon some disturbing encounters that leads her to discovering the past behind her daughter. Along the way, Rose encounters undead coal miners, pyramid heads (popular cosplays, if I may add), and dead nurses. All of this leads to some comment on religion and you can decide what the end of this movie means to you.
I gotta say though, this movie did freak me out a bit the first time I watched it. The whole idea of the demonic children in Rose's first encounter was a bit ridiculous. And I do admit that I watched this at 2 in the morning, a poor choice if I ever made one. But this movie really delivers when it comes to the effects. It may be 5 years old, but this movie is a true testament to how special effects and a digitally graphic environment hasn't really changed all that much over the years. The guts and gore remain about the same in horror movies, if only the slightest bit more real. Otherwise I give this movie based on a video game (hint to where it gets its effects from) a rather solid grade when it comes to its effects.
And, from what I've heard from game players, the game experience itself is like a horror movie. Except its gameplay. And you can run away or *scoff* fight. In its similarity to Condemned, this game probably brings it pretty hard in the fright department. I will probably not be playing this game if it delivers the way that Condemned did. That was a fright and a half. Not to mention how, in the game world, you're experiencing these frights firsthand, with no musical cues. Forget that.
Acting. Not too bad. Radha Mitchell was quite decent in the film as Rose De Silva, Sharon's mother. I found it quite notable that she has had experience before
in the horror movie department and I think that lended to an overall great heroine/woman in distress hybrid performance. Sean Bean was a classic Dad on a Mission character as Rose's husband Christopher. Although he never entered Silent Hill, he provided the back story from beyond the white veil. Deborah Kara Unger was great and quite beautiful as Alessa's mother, and I think the only problem was attempting to hide her good looks under some sort of old witch outfit in this movie. Another more notable actress was Alice Krige, the South African actress who usually (so far as I know) brings a dramatic performance to her films. And you definitely hate her guts in this film, trust me.
The ending came as a bit of a surprise, so far as how the religion and "survivors" of Silent Hill ties in. But a decent cast and good effects ties together what makes a good, at least one time watch of this film. And then hey, you can go play the video games if the movie sparks your interest to have the poop scared out of you as you play. But who knows what this movie will do for you. I commend five time French director Christophe Gans on his work. It seems this film was right up his alley. So if you want to have a demonic experience (apparently a demonic experience that's being re-released? in 3-D) check this out. It's worth at least a cringe. 7.3 out of 10.


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Today a military judge will decide the fate of whistle-blower Bradley Manning. He's been locked up and tortured for the past 3 years..The ruling is predicted to have far-reaching impact on all sectors of society from journalists on down to folks who publish and post up information on-line.. All that needs to happen is some government official declaring what ever information you have as a threat to national security.
Now on the surface that may seem like common sense and in the age of us, the US being engaged in a long-lasting War on Terror, keeping things secret may be a price we all have to pay. The problem is that so much of our military and other institutions fighting these wars are privately owned companies who have a financial stake in the actions they take and not necessarily our collective freedom. This unprecedented partnership has led to severe abuses of power.
This shooting of Reuters news reporter Namir Noor-Elden and her driver Saeed Chmagh being shot at by the Apache a helicopter and a family with their kids is the type of info Manning brought to light..This is the type of atrocities being done in our name.. Not to mention we were in Iraq where this took place because of deliberate lies and misleading information, designed to make companies like Halliburton lots of money..
The information that Bradley gave to the public has been a catalyst for pro-democracy movements in the Arab world, exposed the unjust detainment of innocent people at Guantanamo Bay, shown us the true human cost of our wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and changed journalism forever.
There is no evidence that anyone died as a result of the leaked information, yet Bradley faces life in prison or possibly death. The greatest charge against him is that of "aiding the enemy," a capital offense. As the public who benefited from this information, does that make us the enemy? What price will future whistleblowers pay?


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The Paseo Arts District on Paseo road in Oklahoma City, OK.
Sean Osborn, research technician at William Hildebrand's laboratory at the University of Oklahoma's Health Science Center, examines DNA data to match leukemia patients with possible bone marrow donors. Hildebrand signed an exclusive license agreement with AbbVie Inc., a biopharmaceutical company.
Oklahoma County Treasurer Butch Freeman at the Oklahoma County assesor's Ofiice located at 320 Robert S Kerr Ave in Oklahoma City.
Oklahoma State Repersenitive Terry O'Donnell has a bill to increase the amount of prisoners get paroled.
Chad Knapp with the Federal Buraeu of Investigation's Oklahoma City Office spoke about global cyber security threats at the Oklahoma World Trade Conferance hosted by the Miender's School of Business at Oklahoma City University.
Richard Morris, owner of Advantage Controlls in Muskogee, OK, speaking at the Oklahoma World Trade Conferance hosted by the Miender's School of Business at Oklahoma City University.
Attorney Adam Childers, with Crow and Dunlevy in Oklahoma City, speaks about paid and unpaid leave at a conferance for human resource professionals in Norman, OK.
Shelly Newton, Mayor of Hinton, OK, explains the lawsuite filed against her city by Nextera Energy due to ordinaces
Megan McGuire with Member Relations at Oklahoma Bankers Association located at 643 NW 41st St. in Oklahoma City.
The Tower Theater located at 425 NW 23rd St in Oklahoma City.
Home Creations is building new homes at NW 182nd St. and Groveton Blvd in Oklahoma City.
Quail Springs Parkway located in northwest Oklahoma City.
Alicia Priest, Vice President of the Oklahoma Education Association in Oklahoma City, OK.
Troy Marshall, with the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, is preparing the new Census of Ag that is reported every five years.


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On June 24th and 25th of 2017 an interesting experimental electronic music fest descended upon the MidSouth with artists primarily from Memphis, Mississippi, and the southeast.
"I wanted to take electronic music back to its roots," said creator Robert Traxler. His inception for the fest came from the experimental spirit of the original electronic music artists like Delia Derbyshire, Karlheinz Stockhausen, John Cage, Pauline Oliveros, Suzanne Ciani, Pierre Schaeffer, and many, many more from the 1940s, 50s and 60s. But musique concrete is not all we found at this festival. Harsh noise, techno, ambient analog improv sets, and a live score of Forbidden Planet were a few of the performances found at Memphis Concrete.
Take a tour through the fest with Robert and some of the talented artists that participated in the Memphis Concrete Festival in the latest episode of Sonosphere.
Thanks to:
Robert Traxler
Dominic Van Horn (Aster, manualcontrol)
Luis Seixas
Ben Bauermeister
Kim Rueger (Belly Full of Stars)
Connor Brown (Cheap Spirits)
Kane Blanchard (Tatras)
Kole Oakes (Pas Moi)
The live Memphis Concrete sets heard here by Belly Full of Stars, Aster, Cheap Spirits, Pas Moi, Ben Bauermeister, Tatras, manualcontrol, and Robert Traxler were captured and edited by Robert Traxler.
Two other tracks used by participants in the fest are "#2" by NEPTR and "Viginti Quintuplet" by Ben Ricketts. Thanks to all the artists for sharing their time and work.


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Lampshade Lantern – S/3
The Lampshade Lantern is a great fit for any interior style. The lampshade is 100% handmade from rattan. No electricals included.
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All products are handcrafted from 100% natural and eco-friendly materials. They can slightly vary in size, shape and colour but are all 100% original.
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Reviewed by Cindy L. Rodriguez
10:00 a.m.
The principal of Opportunity, Alabama's high school finishes her speech, welcoming the entire student body to a new semester and encouraging them to excel and achieve.
10:02 a.m.
The students get up to leave the auditorium for their next class.
The auditorium doors won't open.
Someone starts shooting.
Told over the span of 54 harrowing minutes from four different perspectives, terror reigns as one student's calculated revenge turns into the ultimate game of survival.
MY TWO CENTS: As a parent and teacher, both at a middle school and community college, the possibility of an on-campus tragedy is my worst nightmare that proves to be a school's horrific reality on a too-regular basis. Author Marieke Nijkamp's debut novel chronicles a heart-wrenching 54 minutes of terror by dropout Tyler Browne, who returns to Opportunity High School the first day of a new semester to take revenge on the classmates he blames for his feelings of loss and abandonment. The story is told from four first-person perspectives: Claire, Tomás, Sylvia, and Autumn.
Claire, Tyler's ex-girlfriend, is outside the school when the shooting begins. She's a track star and JROTC member who runs for help with her best friend, Chris. Claire's brother, Matt, is inside the auditorium. Claire agonizes over what she could have done to stop Tyler. Did she see any signs? Did she know this would happen? She also feels helpless being on the outside and wants to do something, anything, to help.
Tomás and Sylvia are fraternal twins and unspecified Latin@s. Tomás and his friend, Fareed, who is Afghan, is inside the school but not among those trapped in the auditorium. Before today, they were most known for pranks and picking on Tyler, but now they call for help and plan a way to free those inside the auditorium, all the while worried about loved ones inside and whether their efforts will help or cause more harm.
Autumn is a ballerina, Tyler's sister, and Sylvia's girlfriend. Autumn and Sylvia are locked inside the auditorium and targeted by Tyler. Autumn's complex relationship with her brother and their abusive father in the wake of their mother's death is revealed trough flashbacks. Tyler blames his loneliness on Autumn's ambitious dance goals and her relationship with Sylvia.
The reader will get a fragmented picture of Tyler's good and bad sides: protective brother, comforting boyfriend, rapist, killer. When something like this happens, we often ask why and hope to get answers, but the reasons are never enough. Nijkamp explains in our Q&A that she made the decision to have this story not be about the shooter, but about the victims, which is why we never get his first-person point of view.
For me, not really knowing Tyler added to the story's intensity, leaving me feeling the kind of hurt, confusion, and uncertainty experienced by the fictional victims.
And since we're a site dedicated to Latin@ Literature, let's focus on Sylvia and Tomás for a moment. The two are loyal to friends, family, and each other, while having a typical sibling relationship that is sometimes loving, sometimes contentious. Sylvia is a Latin@ lesbian and a main character, which makes her one of the very few in the YA world. She is also accepted by her family when she comes out, as told in a flashback, which is refreshing because this counters the Latin@ families who reject a LGBTQIA+ member because of conservative religious or cultural beliefs. Coming out continues to be devastating for many LGBTQIA+ youth, unfortunately, but I appreciate that Nijkamp portrayed an accepting Latin@ family to show another possibility/reality.
This is Where it Ends, a gripping, heartbreaking thriller, released with Sourcebooks Fire on January 5, 2016. Click here for a discussion guide.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, check your local public library, your local bookstore or IndieBound. Also, check out Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Marieke Nijkamp was born and raised in the Netherlands. A lifelong student of stories, language, and ideas, she is more or less proficient in about a dozen languages and holds degrees in philosophy, history, and medieval studies. She is a storyteller, dreamer, globe-trotter, geek. Her debut young adult novel This Is Where It Ends, a contemporary story that follows four teens over the course of the fifty-four minutes of a school shooting, will be published by Sourcebooks Fire in January 2016. She is the founder of DiversifYA and a senior VP of We Need Diverse Books. Find her on Twitter.
Cindy L. Rodriguez is a former journalist turned public school teacher and fiction writer. She was born in Chicago; her father is from Puerto Rico and her mother is from Brazil. She has degrees from UConn and CCSU and has worked as a reporter at The Hartford Courant and researcher at The Boston Globe. She and her daughter live in Connecticut, where she teaches middle school reading and college-level composition. Her debut contemporary YA novel, When Reason Breaks, released with Bloomsbury Children's Books on 2/10/2015. She can also be found on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.


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route6d(8) [freebsd man page]
ROUTE6D(8) BSD System Manager's Manual ROUTE6D(8) NAME
route6d -- RIP6 Routing Daemon SYNOPSIS
route6d [-adDhlnqsS] [-R routelog] [-A prefix/preflen,if1[,if2...]] [-L prefix/preflen,if1[,if2...]] [-N if1[,if2...]] [-O prefix/preflen,if1[,if2...]] [-P number] [-p pidfile] [-Q number] [-T if1[,if2...]] [-t tag] DESCRIPTION
The route6d utility is a routing daemon which supports RIP over IPv6. Options are: -a Enables aging of the statically defined routes. With this option, any statically defined routes will be removed unless corresponding updates arrive as if the routes are received at the startup of route6d. -R routelog This option makes the route6d to log the route change (add/delete) to the file routelog. -A prefix/preflen,if1[,if2...] This option is used for aggregating routes. prefix/preflen specifies the prefix and the prefix length of the aggregated route. When advertising routes, route6d filters specific routes covered by the aggregate, and advertises the aggregated route prefix/preflen, to the interfaces specified in the comma-separated interface list, if1[,if2...]. The characters "*", "?", and "[" in the interface list will be interpreted as shell-style pattern. The route6d utility creates a static route to prefix/preflen with RTF_REJECT flag, into the kernel routing table. -d Enables output of debugging message. This option also instructs route6d to run in foreground mode (does not become daemon). -D Enables extensive output of debugging message. This option also instructs route6d to run in foreground mode (does not become dae- mon). -h Disables the split horizon processing. -l By default, route6d will not exchange site local routes for safety reasons. This is because semantics of site local address space is rather vague (specification is still in being worked), and there is no good way to define site local boundary. With -l option, route6d will exchange site local routes as well. It must not be used on site boundary routers, since -l option assumes that all interfaces are in the same site. -L prefix/preflen,if1[,if2...] Filter incoming routes from interfaces if1,[if2...]. The route6d utility will accept incoming routes that are in prefix/preflen. If multiple -L options are specified, any routes that match one of the options is accepted. ::/0 is treated specially as default route, not ``any route that has longer prefix length than, or equal to 0''. If you would like to accept any route, specify no -L option. For example, with ``-L 2001:db8::/16,if1 -L ::/0,if1'' route6d will accept default route and routes in 6bone test address, but no others. -n Do not update the kernel routing table. -N if1[,if2...] Do not listen to, or advertise, route from/to interfaces specified by if1,[if2...]. -O prefix/preflen,if1[,if2...] Restrict route advertisement toward interfaces specified by if1,[if2...]. With this option route6d will only advertise routes that matches prefix/preflen. -P number Specifies routes to be ignored in calculation of expiration timer. The number must be 1, 2, or 3 and it means route flags of RTF_PROTO1, RTF_PROTO2, or RTF_PROTO3. When 1 is specified, routes with RTF_PROTO1 will never expire. -p pidfile Specifies an alternative file in which to store the process ID. The default is /var/run/route6d.pid. -Q number Specifies flag which will be used for routes added by RIP protocol. The default is 2 (RTF_PROTO2). -q Makes route6d in listen-only mode. No advertisement is sent. -s Makes route6d to advertise the statically defined routes which exist in the kernel routing table when route6d invoked. Announcements obey the regular split horizon rule. -S This option is the same as -s option except that no split horizon rule does apply. -T if1[,if2...] Advertise only default route, toward if1,[if2...]. -t tag Attach route tag tag to originated route entries. tag can be decimal, octal prefixed by 0, or hexadecimal prefixed by 0x. Upon receipt of signal SIGINT or SIGUSR1, route6d will dump the current internal state into /var/run/route6d_dump. FILES
/var/run/route6d_dump dumps internal state on SIGINT or SIGUSR1 SEE ALSO
G. Malkin and R. Minnear, RIPng for IPv6, RFC2080, January 1997. NOTE
The route6d utility uses IPv6 advanced API, defined in RFC2292, for communicating with peers using link-local addresses. Internally route6d embeds interface identifier into bit 32 to 63 of link-local addresses (fe80::xx and ff02::xx) so they will be visible on internal state dump file (/var/run/route6d_dump). Routing table manipulation differs from IPv6 implementation to implementation. Currently route6d obeys WIDE Hydrangea/KAME IPv6 kernel, and will not be able to run on other platforms. Current route6d does not reduce the rate of the triggered updates when consecutive updates arrive. BSD
November 18, 2012 BSD


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The time has finally come. We're officially going to stop using the WordPress site as of today. We've set up a new subscribing/newsletter button over on the new site so you don't have to miss out on getting our writing straight to your inbox. Head over to our flashy new Annexe site and on every page under the magazine tab, there's a little form on the right for you to put in your email.
We've upgraded our output too, so instead of getting all the articles as and when they are posted, we'll be sending out a properly drafted newsletter every fortnight with the latest articles linked and a few extra bits that we think you'd like to hear about.
A massive thank you to everyone who has been reading since the beginning, you've helped make Annexe what it is. Now come with us to the next step and enjoy our site in all it's swanky glory.
– Nick & the Annexe Team


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Hey, perfect timing Daily Post. I think this post fits the challenge.
With the 4th of July falling on a Monday this year, the fireworks displays were stretched out over three days in Las Vegas. Last year I was able to watch two displays from my vantage point, with those from the Stratosphere being further away. I remember there were some interesting patterns to that display, but were intended for a different viewing angle. I didn't attend any fireworks on Saturday, but I did make it to the Stratosphere for Sunday night's show. Although it was nice being that close, it wasn't as good as I was hoping for from a photography standpoint, with many images being similar.
That left Monday night, and a return to last year's vantage point. After the Stratosphere letdown, I wanted to make sure I got some images that were different from the previous year, and unique overall. The 'tails' were prominent again this year, so I spent a lot of time trying to avoid those, and just getting the burst of the explosions. No easy task. All my exposures were on Bulb setting using a cable release. The display seemed to start a little earlier this year, and the lingering daylight made for some nice shots.
I never thought of shooting fireworks purely as artwork before, but think I succeeded with the top image (looking like a flower), and this one.
Although I did get some similar shots to the previous year, I was very happy with my results this year.
The grand finale was no letdown, and this was my last shot of the night. Even though I was on Bulb setting, this was less than a 1 second exposure. That's a lot going on for 1 second.


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Sometimes we find ourselves in a situation that is beyond our control and have to terminate a rental lease agreement early. In the present economic climate there will probably be an increasing number of renters needing to end their lease/ tenancy agreement early. It could be that laid off or underemployed renters will be seeking less expensive accommodation to survive the downturn in the economy. Some tenants may have found more suitable accommodations and others may be faced with the prospect of becoming homeless due to the economic downturn. Tenants may have to relocate for a new job. It may be that they want to move because of NOISY TENANTS or 'harassment by a tenant' and the fact that the landlord is not taking their complaints seriously. Check Municipal Licensing & Standards (Chapter 591 Noise Bylaw) for more detailed information on noise violation.
A tenant may also be concerned about safety and security in their building if they have been a victim of robbery, burglary or break-in and the landlord has not responded adequately. Or there may be existing tensions or conflicts due to other violations of the RESIDENTIAL TENANCIES ACT such as malfunctioning utilities and outstanding major repairs, or Cockroach and bed bug infestation that the landlord ignores. There violations can make your unit uninhabitable. Naturally tenants would want out of their lease/tenancy agreement as soon as possible. There could also be any number of personal (more…)


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These hands once strong and busy
Now seem so inhumane,
Compared to changing bandages
Or helping one in pain.
To wipe emerging newborns
Who are screaming their first breath,
To hold worn, fading hands
Of those embracing death.
Nursing felt so worthwhile
With its many healing arts,
My hands touched many bodies
As well as aching hearts.
Some days I feel the burden,
Of your pain and my own.
Its descending heaviness
Like lead within my bone.
Were I God Almighty
So many things I'd change,
Beginning with your life and mine,
So much I'd rearrange.
I'd start with all the injured
From war and accidents,
All the fine young men and women
Dealt life's cruelest incidents.
Courage has new meaning
When I witness what they do
Returning into battle, wounded,
Much like me and you.
We slog along each day
Heels off the ground we tread
Each step is filled with pain,
As we steadfastly tramp ahead.
There's no way to stop this train
Though we long to disembark
The journey, it continues,
As we wobble in the dark.
When our lives become too small
Isolation tugs the heart;
Our courage a mirage,
Oops, there goes the apple cart.
When splayed out on our backs
We stare up at the sky,
The universe whispers
"Simplify, while you comply."
My hands, no longer worthless
If they reach out to you
Together we have courage
As together we pursue;
A life with deeper meaning
With purpose and a goal
Although we're deeply altered
We can still be made heart whole.
It's not about the distance
It's not about the pain
As long as we hold hands
We have so much to gain;
Strangers once, no longer,
We're united in the soul
Gathering our scattered lives
We make each other whole.
When you and I clasp hands
Albeit cyber space,
We find comfort and affection
And our world's a better place.


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Victoria Azarenka vs Li Na in final in Australia
MELBOURNE, Australia - Victoria Azarenka will have 48 hours to calm her nerves, rest her body and move past a center-court controversy before she returns to defend her Australian Open title.
Her opponent is an emotionally and physically fresher Li Na, the 2011 French Open champion.
Both women used the word "hungry" to describe how much they want to win their second Grand Slam title. Both say their goal is to keep cool and not let their emotions get the best of them on the big day.
In that respect, the sixth-seeded Li enters the final with an advantage.
The 30-year-old Li is in top physical form and making a Grand Slam comeback. After becoming the first Chinese tennis player to win at a major in 2011, she hit a slump. But she hired Justine Henin's former coach six months ago and the partnership has produced rapid results.
Li charged into the semifinals at the Australian Open without dropping a set. As a result, she will return to the top five after beating No. 4-ranked Agnieszka Radwanska in the quarterfinals.
She needed just 93 minutes on Thursday to power past No. 2 Maria Sharapova 6-2, 6-2. She then charmed an adoring crowd by cracking jokes during an on-court interview. She kidded about her husband's snoring, her attempts to lose weight and the tough training by coach Carlos Rodriguez - before turning to the stands to thank him.
"You don't need to push me anymore. I will push myself," she told Rodriguez, who helped Henin win seven majors and seems to have a knack for guiding players past their nerves.
"I don't know what happened today," Li said later. "I just came to the court feeling like, 'OK, just do it!"
A similar slogan carried over into Azarenka's semifinal, where her rap star friend Redfoo sat in the stands cheering her on in a T-shirt that read: "Let's Do It."
The confident and big-hitting Azarenka also advanced in straight sets, beating American teenager Sloane Stephens 6-1, 6-4. But the victory was packed with drama and ended with the top-ranked player defending herself against accusations of gamesmanship by leaving the court for a medical timeout.
Serving for the match at 5-3, the 23-year-old Azarenka wasted five match points, lost her serve - then called a timeout. She sat with a trainer and left the court during a nine-minute medical break. She returned to close out the match by breaking Stephens' serve.
But she raised suspicion during her interview on center court.
"Well, I almost did the choke of the year," a relieved Azarenka said to the crowd. "I just felt a little bit overwhelmed. I realized I'm one step away from the final and nerves got into me for sure.
"I love to play here and I just couldn't lose, that's why I was so upset."
Azarenka, who has a history of on-court tantrums, didn't help herself in a television interview after the match.
"I couldn't breathe. I had chest pains," she said, when asked why she left the court. "It was like I was getting a heart attack."
After surviving her semifinal, Azarenka had a post-match news conference where she said she was dealing with a rib injury that made it hard to breathe. She said her earlier comments were a misunderstanding.
Australian Open officials said the tournament doctor reported that Azarenka had left knee and rib injuries.
"Right now, I just need to calm down with the whole situation (and) make sure that my body's right," Azarenka said.
If the reaction at Rod Laver Arena on Thursday was any indication, the crowd favorite for the final is Li - who won over a lot of fans in her match and perhaps even more as a result of Azarenka's situation.
Australian crowds love their defending champions but dislike any whiff of bad sportsmanship. Accusations against Azarenka immediately surged through social media platforms.
By reaching the final, Azarenka retains her No. 1 ranking, but has said that's not her focus.
"I'm really hungry to defend my title," she said. "That is my first goal... to win the tournament."
If she masters her jitters and comes into the final focused, Li will have a tough fight.
Azarenka leads 5-4 in career matches, including the last four times they've played. However, Li has a better record at Grand Slams, having beaten Azarenka at the 2011 Australian Open before reaching the final that year. Li also beat the Belarussian later that year at the French Open before winning the title.
"What should I worry about?" Li said when asked if she was nervous for the match. "I was working so hard in winter training. I think now everything is coming back to me."
On the day of the final, here's her plan: "I come to the court, take my racket and enjoy the tennis."


text:
Wordless Wednesday Linky Party: Meet the Bum Behind the Blog
Welcome Friends! I can't wait to see what you've come up with this week. Let's get this party started. Shall we? Add your link below and then head over to some of my other bloggy friends... Kristi at Live and Love Out Loud, Angie at seven clown circus, and Susan & Janice at 5 minutes for mom.
I had planned to change over to the thumbnail linky, but it appears some of you really prefer the old method, so I am providing both. You pick.
105 comments
And she's a beautiful bum indeed ;)ReplyDelete
What a beautiful picture.. You are very pretty! :)ReplyDelete
Holy crap...that is one AWESOME picture. Wowza! :)ReplyDelete
That's a fantastic picture of you, Alicia! I took a mini-poll on my site and the old-style linky won out...for now.ReplyDelete
It that's the bum behind the blog...Amazing! :) This really is an amazing shot!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousTuesday, 27 July, 2010
Wow...is this a self-portrait or did someone take the photograph?ReplyDelete
you are gorgeous.ReplyDelete
What a great picture - Happy WednesdayReplyDelete
What a beautiful picture! I just love the lighting and layout.ReplyDelete
a very elegant and sensual portrait!ReplyDelete
Absolutely beautiful photo!! Love it!ReplyDelete
Wow Lish, if you are a bum then I shudder to think what I would be!! Beautiful bum, you are!ReplyDelete
the blog should be titled "a beautiful woman" instead of "a beautiful mess" :)ReplyDelete
Holy Moly!! You are super hot in that pic!ReplyDelete
That's a beautiful picture!!! Was that a self portrait or did someone take it for you?ReplyDelete
Lovely shot!ReplyDelete
And what a beautifully stunning "bum" it is!! Happy WW! :-DReplyDelete
You are absolutely drop dead gorgeous!!!! Woah hot mama!!!ReplyDelete
wow, great picture of you! Did you husband take this picture? so beautiful!ReplyDelete
You are so gorgeous! You look so serene too....very nice pic!ReplyDelete
Thank you for sharing your picture -- you are definitely more "beautiful" than "mess"!ReplyDelete
Great picture, love the black and white shots! Your very pretty!ReplyDelete
I'd would love to have have half of your beauty my sweets! inside & out! have a great week!ReplyDelete
Stunning lady, you are. ♥ReplyDelete
have a happy Wednesday!
What a great picture! You look beautiful. It isn't often that the photographer get to have their picture taken, it is good that you are getting some good shots of yourself too!ReplyDelete
Thanks for the linky! You take such amazing pictures. That's a great one of you!ReplyDelete
AMAZING picture!!!! <3 it!ReplyDelete
For real? You take amazing photos AND you're gorgeous? Why do some women get the lion's share? LOLReplyDelete
My humble thanks for stopping by my WW (giggle). Can't wait to see how you do your DD's bday!
~Mimi @ Woven by Words
Wow...what a pretty picture. I'm not posting mine today...that's for sure! Who took this?ReplyDelete
Wow! lovely photo you look amazing, made my day happy WW!ReplyDelete
Wow! You should have been nominated for the hot blogger contest. Very pretty!ReplyDelete
You're beautiful. :)ReplyDelete
Gorgeous photo...luv the bare feetReplyDelete
Wow, you're gorgeous!ReplyDelete
That's a great photo. You look fabulous.ReplyDelete
My, you are gorgeous!ReplyDelete
Happy WW.
You are just beautiful! Amazing photo!ReplyDelete
Omgosh you are lovely!ReplyDelete
And what a beautiful bum you are!!!ReplyDelete
Gorgeous portrait! :)ReplyDelete
You're absolutely gorgeous.ReplyDelete
You are a beauty..inside and out!!ReplyDelete
That is a really nice photo! Self-portrait, or did someone else take it?ReplyDelete
Oh, gorgeous! Both the photo itself and you are beautiful! :)ReplyDelete
That is a gorgeous picture. Happy WW.ReplyDelete
Thanks for sharing the person behind the camera...nice to meet you.ReplyDelete
You're one hot momma. This is a fantastic photo.ReplyDelete
beautiful picture.ReplyDelete
She's certainly a lovely lady! XO!ReplyDelete
Beautiful picture!!ReplyDelete
You don't look like a bum at all. Unless you live in LA. And then, perhaps. I used to see some of the most attractive little bums on the street when I was living there. Matter of fact, I think I dated a couple!ReplyDelete
Oh, you are gorgeous!ReplyDelete
Happy WW!
You are a beautiful bum! I love seeing photographers in front of the camera rather than behind it. Lord knows there aren't many pictures of me since I'm always the one with the camera.ReplyDelete
Great shot! I reiterate the above comments - beautiful bum! :D THank you for hosting!ReplyDelete
Beautiful photo and beautiful bum.ReplyDelete
You're so pretty!ReplyDelete
If I looked that good you'd see me on the other end of the lens more often.ReplyDelete
A classy shot - timeless.
Fabulous picture!!! Love it -- you are lovely. :)ReplyDelete
Have an amazing Wednesday.
Great shot! Nice to meet you.ReplyDelete
You're lovely :) Thanks for hosting and happy WW!ReplyDelete
your so pretty..please visit my WW hereReplyDelete
you are hardly a bum! beautiful mama!ReplyDelete
Very nice photography work.ReplyDelete
The Bum behind the camera...sitting on her bum. :) Did your son take that?ReplyDelete
more like the beauty behind the blog :)ReplyDelete
You are beautiful, Lish! Hard to believe you have two youngens ;) Gotta spill some of your beauty secrets here too :DReplyDelete
What a lovely picture.ReplyDelete
Beautiful Pict!! Happy WW!ReplyDelete
Beautiful picture. May I also say that though I am pretty sure you have read my rants about music on blogs I LOVE the music on yours. Always relaxes me while I read your blog. Great break on busy days.ReplyDelete
What a great photo!! Very flattering!ReplyDelete
What a beautiful bum!ReplyDelete
Are you going to BlogHer? I'll be there Saturday.
Dagmar's momsense
Alicia: love love LOVE your blog - I love momblogs where the photos are technically inspiring to me... So glad you left a linky at myorganizedchaos, and I found it! Just blew through my twins' morning nap reading back through a few months of posts. A total find...ReplyDelete
Kym @ Twinsideout
You're gorgeous! It always nice to see the face behind the blog :)ReplyDelete
I'm not doing WW this week but I hope you will stop by and visit. I'm participating in Blogtrotting today!
Gorgeous photo! Thanks for hosting :)ReplyDelete
Bum my BUTT! Your Gorgeous Alicia!!! Happy Wednesday!ReplyDelete
What a beautiful picture of such a beautiful blogger/photographer/Woman! Happy WW! ♥Mrs. Hart♥ReplyDelete
Beautiful picture of you!!ReplyDelete
Gorgeous, as always and what a fabulous shot. But inquiring minds want to know...ReplyDelete
How in the world did you fit your little bum on whatever it is that you're sitting on? lol Seriously, my bum would've spilleth over! lol
Thanks for stopping by and linking up. Have a great day!
Kristi, Live and Love...Out Loud
Great picture. I need to get some new photos of my self...ReplyDelete
Beautiful.... love it!ReplyDelete
Lovely picture!!!!ReplyDelete
Love the photo! I love black and white.ReplyDelete
Thanks for stopping by my blog this morning. I'm following you.
What a gorgeous bum! Your kids favor you.ReplyDelete
Okay...just where exactly is the bum?ReplyDelete
You're gorgeous!ReplyDelete
WHAT A BEAUTIFUL PORTRAIT OF YOU!!!ReplyDelete
Wow. You're beautiful and the photo is amazing!ReplyDelete
Such an adorable picture of you! Hubs should have that one framed ; )!ReplyDelete
What a great picture of you! You are such a beautiful woman!ReplyDelete
Have a happy wednesday!
PS: I love your blog!
Hm, I did not realize how gorgeous my sweet online friend is, :)ReplyDelete
I love how you describe yourself as a bum. ;) What a lovely picture! Thanks for sharing yourself.ReplyDelete
Such a beauty. Happy WW!ReplyDelete
Thanks so much for your comment! I love your website! I plan to visit often =)ReplyDelete
It's always nice to meet the inspiration behind the words :)ReplyDelete
it has been said in comment after comment...but you are beautiful! Captured in all your glory!ReplyDelete
Well at least you're a pretty bum!ReplyDelete
Thanks for the linky! Happy WW!
Ditto what everyone else said! Beautiful photo!ReplyDelete
you are beautiful and I love that picture.ReplyDelete
you should seriously model. But I've told you that every time I see a picture of you. Hardly a bum!!!ReplyDelete
I like the "bum" look. Very "California"... When will you come? =)ReplyDelete
you are by far one of the most beautiful bums I have ever seen. You are one of those that I look at and say, "she's had kids. she looks fabulous. I can too." Plus you have great words and pictures and I just love to come visit your blog :)ReplyDelete
HOW SWEET!! Oh, my baby is going to be nine in November - the time has gone by SO fast! This is such a challenging age, so much more complicated than the terrible twos yet at the same time there are those awesome times where we connect at a whole new level and that is awesome.ReplyDelete
really, really Beautiful!ReplyDelete


text:
Weed man arrested for assault, vandalism
YREKA – A Weed man was apprehended Tuesday afternoon after he allegedly blocked the road to Pluto's Cave outside of Big Springs with his vehicle and then intentionally accelerated and collided with another vehicle, stated Nick Black, California Highway Patrol (CHP) spokesperson. No injuries were reported.
John Edward Buchert, 43, was charged with assault with a deadly weapon and vandalism resulting in $400 or more in damages. He is being held in the Siskiyou County Jail on $25,000 bail. According to Black, Buchert contacted dispatch and reported that he had been the victim of a hit and run.
Shortly thereafter, the party that Buchert reported called dispatch to report that in fact, Buchert was the one who propelled his vehicle into his car.
Black said the alleged victim reported that Buchert was "behaving in a bizarre manner" and blocked the road to Pluto's Cave from Highway A-12. When the alleged victim stopped his car, Buchert reportedly backed up and rammed his vehicle.
The alleged victim fled at that time, and he reportedly called 9-1-1 when he reached a safe distance from Buchert.
An additional witness told CHP officers that Buchert was (allegedly) behaving in an unusual manner, and Black said the physical evidence supported the alleged victim's statement.
Buchert was arrested and booked into the Siskiyou County Jail.


text:
Roundtable Discussion with Mission Priests
In a recent virtual conversation, Antiochian.org asked several Antiochian mission priests to talk about their experiences in mission building. Responding are:
- Fr. John Oliver, St. Elizabeth Mission, Murfreesboro, Tennessee
- Fr. Ignatius Valentine, St. Raphael of Brooklyn Mission, Iowa City, Iowa
- Fr. Boniface Black, St. Andrew the Apostle Mission, Lewes, Delaware
- Fr. John Atchison, St. Nicholas Mission, Springdale, Arkansas
- Fr. Gregory Horton, Holy Myrrh-Bearing Women Mission, Bonners Ferry, Idaho
- Fr. Christopher Rigdan-Briscall, Christ the Savior Mission, Waterloo, Ontario.
1. In your experience, what types of outreach have been the most effective in bringing people to the mission so as to grow (i.e. newspaper advertising, website, word-of-mouth, scheduled seminars, radio/TV, etc.)?
Fr. Gregory: By far it has been word of mouth. People who are excited about the Faith and bring other people to the church services and activities are the greatest single evangelical asset available to the parishes today. We have had some limited success in identifying newspaper, yellow pages and website contacts (especially first contacts) with potentially interested persons, but the effectiveness has proven somewhat limited. Newspaper ads, for instance are GREAT when highlighting specific events but lose their punch when repeated for many weeks and months in a row. Websites can be used in a variety of ways and I know this medium to be effective for "general community interest" in the Orthodox Church when people that meet us might be curious as to who we are. But, let me stress again, there is NOTHING that beats personal contact and enthusiasm...word of mouth...that is the gauge for how excited parish members are about their church home.
Fr. Boniface:
- Word of mouth
- Internet
- Yellow pages
- Newspapers: "free" news releases. Some paid ads.
- "Open House" on Sun. afternoons, likewise Choir Concerts, Church Tours, Icon Festival, Seminars, etc.
Fr. John O.: Two, in particular: word-of-mouth and website. In our experience, the primary purpose of advertising has been to heighten the profile of the mission in the area, and not to convince or persuade persons to consider Orthodoxy through the advertising itself. Advertising is not, in our experience, persuasive to get folks through the door. Instead, advertising serves simply to let the community know we're here, and then those persons who had been waiting for something like an Orthodox parish to emerge usually find their way to us. So, when we were established, they had been, in a sense, looking for us all along.
When they come looking for us, they typically access our website first. We've placed some "inquirer-friendly" content there - what to expect when visiting St Elizabeth's, what Orthodox Christians believe about topics of interest to inquirers, the importance of a liturgical style of worship, etc. We've never received a single inquiry from our phone book or newspaper advertising, and a few newspaper and television stories on St Elizabeth's social outreach has yielded no inquiries. So, we believe our advertising outreach has been primarily to heighten our profile in the area, and to make us easily findable when people feel moved to come calling.
Something that's worked recently: we printed a small flyer to distribute to a few of our neighbors inviting them to some quiet time at the church for Sixth Hour Prayers (which we offer on Tuesdays and Thursdays during the four fasts of the year). From that advertising, we've had a neighbor join us.
Fr. Ignatius: There is no doubt that word of mouth has been the most effective way that people have been brought into our mission. We have advertised in the newspaper and we have hosted speaking events in the community. Those methods may have their place as far as outreach goes, but we have seen few if any resulting new members from them. We believe our website is important to advertise our mission, but even the best website does not compare to good ol' word of mouth. Usually, when a new person comes, it is because one of our members brought them. This shouldn't surprise us. The beckoning call to "Come and see (John 1:46) has worked well for church growth for 2,000 years.
Fr. John C: Word of mouth has been probably our most successful tool of evangelism. Others have seen our web site, while many have been researching ancient Christianity and sought us out.
Fr. Christopher: I have found in my experience (both here in Waterloo and during my time in Vancouver as well as my years as a deacon) that this question implies two separate yet inter-related parts. The first is what is most effective in getting people to come into the mission. The second part is how we grow numerically, in maturity and unity.
For the first part (getting them in the door) we have used a multifaceted approach. This has included the following:
- Signage—currently we have a sign on Main Street (two blocks away) and a sign in front of the Church
- Website—this is updated almost weekly and all attempts are made to keep it current. We are also listed on Get to Know the Original website
- Posters & flyers—this is particularly used for special events
- Newspaper ads—we generally only use this approach for Pascha and Nativity
- Articles in the newspaper—this is by far more effective then ads and it's free. We have sought to foster a good relationship with the Religion writer at the local paper. The last article that featured our parish was about St. Nicholas and our celebration of his feast. The article was picked up across Canada!
- Yellow pages and yellow pages on-line—just need to be there. We have only had feedback from the on-line version though. However, I believe we only pay for the on-line ad and the traditional ad is free with the on-line version.
- Workshops/Guest Speakers—we have held two each year for the last 3 years on Family Life, Iconography, and two with Fr. Peter Gillquist.
- Non-liturgical and non-academic events—this includes back yard barbeque, bowling, street hockey, dinners, free babysitting night, movies, and more. All of these are offered as opportunities for the faithful to invite friends but they've also proven to be the place where the people on the fringe become more connected and involved with the community.
- Helping the poor—involvement with other Christian groups who are feeding the hungry, visiting the prisoner, clothing the naked and so on. Basically doing what Christians are supposed to be doing.
- OCF—being present on campus has brought numerous students, Orthodox and non-Orthodox alike.
- Fostering relationships with Professors and other non-Orthodox Christian leaders—this has resulted in numerous students attending services as well as some people being encouraged to attend an Orthodox Church by their own pastors (who are themselves interested in Orthodoxy). One way I have fostered these relationships is by join Ecumenical Ministerial groups, the University Chaplaincy groups and some serious book clubs.
- Extensive e-mail list—this is sent at least once a month and prior to major Feasts and special events. If we get your email you're on the list unless you ask to be taken off.
- Phoning—we have had for a number of years a couple who would phone people frequently to encourage them to come out to regular services as well special events and feasts. About a six months ago they stopped being able to do this and we have seen an impact. The uninvolved Orthodox don't come as frequently though we still have a steady stream of guests. Our parish council has agreed that we must begin this effort again and so we are in the process of equipping and training three people to take this on.
- Word-of-mouth—bring a friend Sunday has not yet been organized though we have spoken of doing this and I have seen this be an effective tool. Certainly some members of the parish just simply do this all of the time while others are intimidated or afraid. This is a topic that requires ongoing teaching and encouragement.
For the second part (growing numerically, in maturity and unity) we have also used a multifaceted approach. This has included the following: continuously offering a broad spectrum of services, studies, talks, opportunities to reach out (prison, food for the hungry etc) and social events; much of which has been listed above. All of this is accomplished while we do our utmost to ensure that the particular needs of children, youth, young adults, adults, elderly, married, single, widowed, divorced, or those with special needs, are being met or at least being sought to be met as we follow the Church's Calendar. These events and ministries highlight the various Feasts and Fasts and offer both a rhythm to the communal life of the parish as well as opportunities for newcomers to feel welcome as they enter into our activities at a point of comfort for them personally. For example someone may feel uncomfortable at a Sunday morning service but comfortable at Vespers or a Bible Study while others may only feel comfortable meeting people in a back yard or at a sports event.
We also ensure that our guests are always spoken to immediately upon their arrival at a service, given information and a brief explanation of the particular service and invited to our time of fellowship (always a meal together on Sundaymornings) or to speak with the priest after the service. The growth in numbers mean little or nothing if there is not growth in the maturity of the parish personally and collectively as well in the sense of unity that exists within the parish. Everything listed above from Sunday School to Bible Study to a speaker on the topic of marriage to Holy Week services, have at the heart of the their planning and implementation this end—that we might all grow into the fullness and stature of Christ and that our parish might truly be an incarnation of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.
2. What resources are not currently available to missions that would be most useful?
Fr. Ignatius: Perhaps an initial $500 budget funded from the Archdiocese or elsewhere that would be for the purchase of the beginnings of a mission bookstore. If there is such a thing, I am not aware of it.
Fr. Christopher: We have been blessed by the financial support of our God-protected Archdiocese. However, the assignment of a fulltime priest has been made possible because of one or two wealthy families tithing faithfully to this parish. Further financial support would be a great benefit to many Missions, especially for those that have worker priests who cannot give all of their attention to the establishment and building up of the Mission. I truly believe that the fact this parish had to wait for a fulltime priest was a great benefit to its establishment. Beyond this I would need to reflect further because in our circumstance Fr Iskander sought to make sure that the Mission had everything before I arrived!
Fr. John C: Information on effective use of finances. Information on training of Parish Council members to most effectively use their talents. Someone needs to write a book "Orthodoxy for Dummies". We need a good source of icons that do not cost a fortune.
Fr. Boniface: It would be useful to have some prepared news release materials for missions to customize and use when local papers will print this sort of thing for free. Secondly, sharing of liturgical items when established parishes are upgrading, and third, a listing of speakers willing to come and participate in an outreach event.
Fr. Gregory: Funding is always an issue but perhaps the funding could take the form of specific needs. For instance, I would be willing to submit our "needs list" to the Archdiocese for general dissemination or to be processed through a clearinghouse of sorts. There are all sorts of people willing to donate for specific needs (liturgical items, copying music books, specific elements of the building, speaking events, etc...)...why not match these folks with these needs and form long distance relationships between sponsors and missions? Many people that cannot themselves move to become part of a new mission effort are more than willing to help sustain and grow that church with material support. By making the needs and the gifts more specific, it forces the mission to speak out about how things are going and to keep donors abreast of new developments, needs and growth.
Fr. John O: Here's an atypical response: materials on effective conflict resolution. In my experience, adding new members to the mission is best accomplished by keeping current members healthy. I think our mission has come to believe that ultimately it is God who plants new seeds in our mission, and that our responsibility is to provide good soil. We can get the word out there, we can advertise and announce our presence, but, generally, the folks who have found their way to us are those who had been looking all along - looking for an expression of Christian faith dissimilar to popular culture, with lasting and time-tested beliefs and practices. Getting folks through the door has largely been outside our influence; greatly within our influence, however, is what they find when they arrive.
Conflict within a mission can be devastating, for two reasons: first, many people are deeply emotionally invested in the mission's success, so conflict often has a much bigger effect than it needs to; second, the same rock thrown into a small pond creates more upheaval than when thrown into the ocean. A problem will often feel more serious in a small mission than in a large established parish, and a mission doesn't have years of "conflict-resolution" that can help it settle down during times of conflict. Sometimes, when conflict arises, it can feel as if the mission is falling apart. Handled rightly, though, conflict can be understood as evidence that the group is maturing.
Often, inquirers come to our door through means we did not devise: maybe a priest or members of another parish will refer someone to us. What that inquirer finds when he comes to our door, in our experience, influences his decision to continue with us. So, striving to become a loving community has been important. We believe that the kind of growth that we can manipulate is probably not the kind of growth we want - those folks may not last for long. Instead, we emphasize striving for genuine community, and that seems to be attractive to inquirers. Helping converts adjust to the reality of Orthodox life - one where the glow wears off eventually and that necessarily involves struggle - has become important. Materials on effective conflict resolution can keep a mission on track.
3. Approximately how long from inception did it take before the mission grew to a size of 15 families? 25 families?
Fr. John C: Maybe a couple of years to grow to 15 supporting families, 5 years to 25.
Fr. Ignatius: 15 families took us 3 years, and 25 families took 7 years.
Fr. Christopher: Inception was with 5 households and Fr Peter Gillquist was invited to come and speak. From this event a list of numerous people who were interested and another 5 families committed to the enterprise. Divine Liturgy Services began with Fr Iskander Younes two Saturdays each month in a rented Orthodox Church. Within one year 15 households were committed. By end of 2-½ years 20 households were committed and a building was purchased and renovated. By the end of 3 ½ years the Bishop agreed to the assignment of a priest as 25 households expressed their commitment. It was at this time that I came (in June of 2008) and the full cycle of services began. We currently have 40 households who attend regularly; another 10 come with some consistency.
Fr. John O: Let's see... our first Divine Liturgy was in March 2005, and it took us two years to reach 15 families and four years to reach 25.
Fr. Boniface: Saint Andrew was a mission station for more than five years. At first, it held an evening service once a month, then twice a month; then a Sunday Liturgy every other week. That led to a pretty good core of about 12 - 15 families. Since March 2009 when we began every Sunday Liturgy and had a full Holy Week our progress has been amazing. We had 84 at Pascha, and are meeting new people all the time. Right now we are just about able to declare that we've reached the twenty-five unit number. Saint Andrew is settling on a building lot at the end of this month, Jan. 2010 for $185,000., with public sewer and a nice flat lot. We will now start to renew the building fund in order to put up a building in next couple of years, God willing. As of now, we are "set up - take down."
Fr. Gregory: I can't remember the actual amount of time at St. John's in Post Falls...I do remember that we started with about 10 to 20 people (not families). In 8 years we had grown to 200 or so and were able to split the parish in half and begin a new mission (Christ the Savior) in Spokane Valley, Washington! As for my present mission (Holy Myrrhbearers in Bonners Ferry, Idaho), the growth has been slower because it is a rural area and much smaller in terms of population. The best I can figure, we hit 15 families at about 6 months and 25 families after about one year. We are now moving through the 30s but growth is steady, if a little slower in pace.
4. Approximately what percentage of your parishioners are converts to Orthodoxy?
Fr. John O: Approximately 90% are converts to Orthodoxy. But this percentage applies to adults and not to children who have been born and baptized into our mission since its inception.
Fr. Boniface: We're about 30% convert. This is a vacation area. We welcome many visitors, some who are second homeowners here, and also retired people. Many local Orthodox who've retired haven't been active in a parish since they left former homes and moved to the area.
Fr. Ignatius: 50 percent.
Fr. Gregory: 75 percent.
Fr. John C: We are probably 80% convert
Fr. Christopher: We currently have 49 converts from the total 94 faithful communicants (54%). This includes children and adults.


text:
An hour outside of Kisii, Kenya
I arrived to a tiny, dusty roadside stand with three wooden stalls and a few locals hanging around. This was Matutu, a small village in Western Kenya. I hoped this Matutu anyway. There were no signs, and it isn't on Google maps. A boda boda driver took me to my meeting point. A school somewhere nearby.
As we drove down the dusty, dirt roads, I was mesmerized by the scenery of lush, green, rolling hills. And the locals were equally enamored with me. Group after group of children running behind the motobike, yelling "Mzungu! Mzungu!" Most of them waving and smiling; a few looking too shocked or timid to react. Even some of the adults seemed genuinely tickled to see a white person in their village.
I would be meeting a dozen Kiva borrowers on my trip to Matutu, but I would spend the majority of the day with Martha, Joyce and Susan as they showed me their village and introduced me to other borrowers. It was the first time a Kiva representative had visited their small community, and they were eager to share their stories.
After a group meeting at Martha's house, where we had Kenyan milk tea and bananas, we began a walking tour of the village, visiting the borrower's farms and shops. It reminded me of rural Midwest communities. Not much more than farms and homesteads spread out, connected only by rough roads. We walked down the dirt road from home to home, covering a lot of distance, and sometimes picking up friends along the way. Me and my Kenyan mamas.
While the stories varied borrower to borrower, a common theme was gratitude for Kiva for enabling them to boost their businesses and better provide for their families. Some are not only caring for their own children, but also orphaned relatives. Most of the women I met were the primary breadwinners in their household, either because they are widowed or because their husbands aren't working. These are strong, capable women (and men), and I feel blessed for having an opportunity to meet them.
As we walked along the road, we chatted. Me asking questions about Kenya and their area. Them asking me questions about America. Were all the things they had heard true? Is everyone in America happy? Are there really medicines that cure cancer and HIV? Is everyone in America skinny like the ones they occasionally see in their area? (I didn't see that one coming.) We talked about the importance of education to their community. How it unlocks so many opportunities.
For these borrowers, one of the greatest benefits of a Kiva Zip loan is that the increased business revenue enables them to pay for school fees and uniforms. This is a top priority for the families I met. It may be something that we take for granted in more developed countries, even though we recognize the importance of a good education. I certainly realize what a difference education made in my life, the first in my family to go to university. But it's hard for me to imagine children being pulled out of primary or even high school because their school fees aren't current. It's difficult for me to imagine how these children ever catch up, when they are missing such critical periods of learning.
As I was about to leave, they asked me about Americans being strict with time, and I laughed, admitting it was true. We have had many conversations in the office about meetings never starting on time. But today I enjoyed being on Kenyan time with a break from schedules and meetings, idly walking around the countryside, chatting with locals, partaking in life. I left Matutu with a huge smile on my face. And a new nickname. Mzungu.


text:
Feb. 26, 2007 — -- A record number of Americans disapprove of the war in Iraq, and a clear majority now favors the eventual withdrawal of U.S. forces, even if civil order has not been restored there -- potentially a tipping point in public attitudes on the war.
While solutions remain vexing, for the first time ABC News/Washington Post polls show a narrow majority of Americans support setting a deadline for the withdrawal of U.S. forces. Two-thirds oppose George W. Bush's troop surge; most oppose it strongly.
It all makes for a continued hard slog for the president: Just 36 percent approve of his job performance overall, very near his career low of 33 percent last month. Bush hasn't seen majority approval in more than two years -- the longest run without majority support for any president since Harry Truman from 1950-53.
While rooted in Iraq, Bush's problems with credibility and confidence reach beyond it. Sixty-three percent of Americans don't trust the administration to convey intelligence reports on potential threats from other countries honestly and accurately. And 58 percent lack confidence, specifically, in its ability to handle current tensions with Iran.
Iraq Weighs on President's Popularity
Bush is paying the continued price of an unpopular war. Sixty-four percent now say the war in Iraq was not worth fighting, up six points from last month to a new numerical high. (It was 63 percent in October.) A majority hasn't said the war was worth fighting since April 2004, and it's been even longer since a majority has approved of how Bush is handling it. Sixty-seven percent now disapprove; 55 percent disapprove strongly.
In a fundamental change, 56 percent now say U.S. forces should be withdrawn at some point even if civil order has not been restored in Iraq. That represents a continued, gradual departure from the "you break it, you've bought it" sentiment that until now has mitigated in favor of continued U.S. involvement until some stability is attained.
Another part of this change has been a shift in views on setting a withdrawal date. Given pro and con positions (avoiding casualties vs. encouraging insurgents), support for a deadline has risen from 39 percent in late 2005 to 47 percent last summer and 53 percent now. That's a majority, but not a large one; 46 percent still oppose a deadline, underscoring the difficulty of finding consensus on how to get out of Iraq.
Among those who do support a deadline, 85 percent said it should be within the next year (including 46 percent who said it should be within the next six months), essentially unchanged from previous polls. (Questions on troop withdrawal deadlines depend on the options offered.)
The Blame Game: Advantage Democrats
Views on Iraq are accompanied by a broad sense that the main blame for failing to control the violence in Iraq rests with its own government (70 percent say so), not the United States (18 percent).
Indeed, two-thirds favor reducing U.S. military and financial support if the Iraqis fail to make progress restoring order -- one of the popular steps proposed by the Iraq Study Group in December, but not taken up by Bush. (Another is the group's proposal for a shift to a military training mission, with most U.S. combat forces withdrawn by early 2008; at the time of the proposal, 69 percent supported it.)
The Democrats in Congress continue to hold the upper hand on Iraq (as well as more generally), but slightly less so than last month. Then 60 percent of Americans trusted the Democrats over Bush to handle the war; today, it's 54 percent.
The current political wrangling over Iraq may be a cause, as well as an almost inevitable comedown from the Democrats' election victory in November.
While 50 percent still approve of Nancy Pelosi's work as House speaker, her disapproval is up by six points, to 31 percent. (Comparing powerful Washington women, she's bettered by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, with 58 percent approval. Both vastly outshine Bush.)
One Democratic proposal on Iraq -- to block Bush's surge by changing troop rotation rules -- wins 58 percent support. But another -- restricting funding for the war in an effort to block the surge -- is more divisive, with 46 percent in favor and a slim majority, 51 percent, opposed. Military funding is sensitive with troops in the field.
The Democrats continue to lead Bush in other areas as well, including a 52-39 percent advantage in trust to handle terrorism (once Bush's cornerstone issue, a majority has disapproved of his work on terrorism steadily since October). The Democrats lead by wider margins in trust to handle the economy, despite its relatively good condition; the federal budget; and health care, with no gain for Bush from his State of the Union proposal to move health insurance tax breaks from corporations to individuals.
Iran's Role
The public divides about evenly on whether or not the administration has solid evidence that Iran is supporting insurgent attacks on U.S. forces.
As noted, though, more broadly, 63 percent don't trust the administration to report intelligence on threats from foreign nations honestly and accurately. That lack of trust can make it very hard to marshal public support when needed.
Nearly six in 10 also say they're not confident the administration will do a good job of handling the tensions with Iran. Just 11 percent are very confident it will handle this issue well; three times as many, 34 percent, are not confident at all.
Underscoring his problems, even among Republicans, just 28 percent are very confident in Bush's ability to deal with Iran, while among Democrats, 55 percent have no confidence whatsoever.
The Fight for Afghanistan
Views on the war in Afghanistan stand in contrast to those on Iraq.
A majority of Americans, 56 percent, say the war in Afghanistan was worth fighting, 22 points more than say that about the Iraq War.
But given broader, negative sentiment, there's hardly robust support for expanded U.S. commitment in Afghanistan: Six in 10 say the United States is "doing enough" to help rebuild that county.
If there's a strong case for expanded U.S. support for Afghanistan, as the administration has proposed, most Americans haven't been persuaded.
Longest Streak Since Truman
As noted, Bush hasn't received majority approval in any ABC/Post poll in the last two years -- specifically in 25 months, since Jan. 16, 2005.
Compared with ABC/Post polls since the Reagan presidency, and Gallup polls before them, that's the longest run with less than majority approval for any president since Truman.
It's worth noting not just the length and breadth but also the continued depth of Bush's unpopularity. Barely two in 10 Americans (19 percent) strongly approve of his job performance, while 49 percent strongly disapprove.
As noted, 55 percent strongly disapprove of his work on Iraq, while just 17 percent strongly approve. And in a more personal measure, 29 percent are "angry" about the administration's work in Iraq, while just 7 percent are pleased.
And beyond customary partisanship, there are other sharp differences between groups, though partisanship fuels some of them.
Among blacks, for example, just 9 percent approve of Bush's job performance, and just 11 percent say that, given its costs versus benefits, the war was worth fighting.
This is largely (but not exclusively) because blacks overwhelmingly are Democrats. (Among Democrats, 8 percent approve of Bush, and the same number call the war worth fighting.)
In addition to blacks, sentiment against the war peaks among women and young adults. Sixty-three percent of women and 67 percent of people under 30 favor withdrawing U.S. forces even if civil order is not restored. Many fewer men (48 percent) or older adults (53 percent) agree.
This ABC News/Washington Post poll was conducted by telephone Feb. 22-25, 2007, among a random national sample of 1,082 adults, including an oversample of black respondents. The results have a three-point error margin. Sampling, data collection and tabulation by TNS of Horsham, PA.
ABC News polls can be found on ABCNEWS.com at http://abcnews.com/pollvault.html.


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While I was watching this fine old fire truck in Parkin, Arkansas, I was being watched. My being watched, however was benign and not on account of suspected nefarious activities. I was peering in the passenger side window of the truck when a member of the fire department pulled up behind me. We had a short conversation and he opened the unlocked door to improve my inspection of the unit. Before this tale goes much further, you can see two more pictures of the truck and get in on the start of the story on the Photo of the Week page at Corndancer dot com, a very cool thing to do. Click here, to go there.
It seemed that this was my trip to be watched. It (being watched) had started the day before. While venturing up Arkansas Highway 365 (known locally as the "old road to Little Rock"), I went down a side road, saw something interesting and got a shot from the road. While I was turning around, I noticed a jeep coming toward me. "Good," I thought, " … maybe this guy can tell me what this was."
When he pulled beside me I asked if this was his home territory. He allowed as how it was. I told him what I do, as in shooting and writing about what I shoot. He was quick to tell me that on this road (one way in and one way out) strange vehicles were viewed with no small amount of suspicion. I had driven past his home on the way in.
It appeared the conversation was headed south but eventually we mutually assured each other that everything was OK. As a result, he told me what I had shot was an old airplane hangar from the days when his father-in-law owned and operated an "Aeronca Champ" from the now grown over grass strip next to the old hangar. Then invited me to shoot the old building. We parted friends.
After I left Parkin, I went to Marked Tree, Arkansas and took a good looksee for stuff to shoot. After meandering around town for a while and finding nothing that blew my dress up, I was leaving when I noticed a local police car behind me. I thought to myself, it's a guy doing his job, or a coincidence. I was on the road again, headed to Tyronza, Arkansas.
In Tyronza, after some brief reconnoitering, I found an old Lion Oil "fillin," station which been converted to the "Southern Tenant Farmers Museum." It begged to be shot.
After finishing the shoot, I packed up and as I was leaving town, a local police car pulled in behind me and followed me out of town. Not having a guilty conscience (any more), I felt no threat or trepidation to this latest incidence of law enforcement attention, but I did rule coincidence out. All is well as long as you don's see the blue lights and hear the dreaded words, " … you in a heapa trubbel boy … ." I experienced neither of these less than desirable conditions and felt some comfort that if they would follow a harmless photographer around, they would follow anyone around.
After shooting the old hangar the day before, I wound up in downtown Little Rock during a thunderstorm. Rained cats and dogs for about five to ten minutes. The rain left as fast as it came in and in cloud-free aftermath, the late afternoon sun blasted through and cast some great illumination on Little Rocks two tallest structures. Nice light.
I finally decided that being watched is not a bad thing. I met a couple of new people who were very nice. And like it or not, had a couple of police escorts. What could be safer?
Each week we post all pictures from our current shoot(s) in a gallery of larger, cleaner, high resolution images. We include in this gallery the pictures we did not post on either of our sites. The pictures are in black and white AND color.
Click here to see these images. You will see another downtown shot and a country shot not posted anywhere else. You will be glad you looked.
Thanks for dropping by,
Joe Dempsey,
Weekly Grist for the Eyes and Mind
Filed under: Behind the Scenes, but wait, there's more | Tagged: 1947 International Harvester KB6 Fire Truck, 1947 International KB6, 47 KB6, International Fire Truck, International KB6, Parkin AR, Parkin AR police, Southern Tenant Farmers Museum, Tyronza AR, Tyronza AR police | 1 Comment »


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I wrapped up 2012 with a few posts on some photos I'd taken through the year related to swimming. About the time I writing those posts, I embarked on what is known as a 365 Project, taking a photograph (often many more) every day for a year, which I completed this week. (I started it thanks to Sandycove swimmer Riana Parsons and those 365 photographs can be seen on my Blipfoto account.
Portraiture is a difficult aspect of photography for some, including me, as it requires either a willingness to demand co-operation from subjects or a constant almost covert imposition of a camera. I'm not comfortable with either, but I have been learning to pursue the form. The number of portrait photographs from the year is still low and time goes by when I completely forget to take any.
So here are a few of my preferred shots of swimming people from the year. Once again, i chose mainly based on photographic merit rather than any personal relationships, but the range illustrates, I think, what attracts us about this sport, the people we met, the friends we make.
My swimming Dad: David Frantzeskou, along with Evelyn, the owner of Varne Ridge Caravan Park outside Dover, one of my favourite places and amongst my favourite people, with so many different and enduring memories. It took some convincing of both David & Evelyn that this was a shot that I was proud of, displaying that slightly perplexed look we know so well on David's face.
I was fortunate to be part of another World Record English Channel swim crew for the second year in a row, this time with my friend Sylvain Estadieu. While images of Sylvain butterflying away from the White Cliffs or standing triumphant with the French tricoloeur are popular, this one is my favourite, the moments before the swim, a glimpse into Sylvain.
On a grey day in summer we took to a few laps of Sandycove to wish our 2013 Manhattan Island Sandycove swimmers, Liam, Carol & Lisa the best. One of my shortlived waterproof cameras from this year (three!) caught a typical Liam Maher pose, English channel swimmer in front of Sandycove's famous Red House (now beige). The Red House is used to mark final 400 metre sprints, the best line for the slipway and for the marathon swimmers of the club, could be seen from about two kilometres out for those who have braved the Speckled Door to Sandycove swim. The laugh on Liam's face is entirely typical.
After the Global Swim Conference visitors had all left the island, there were a few local Sandycovers hanging around chatting. Probably eating cake. Left is Eoin O'Riordan, middle is Carol Cashell and right is Maeve Moran. Eoin joined Carol in an English Channel two-way relay team as a substitute and did some great training, and the team went on to set a new two-way six person national English Channel record, after Carol had returned from getting second placed lady in the Manhattan Island Marathon swim. Maeve is another Sandycove regular and perennial and invaluable volunteer who will be swimming an English Channel relay next year.
Nick Adams, President of the CS&PF and multiple English Channel soloist and other swims, celebrates being inducted into the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame as the Global Open Water Conference in Cork. With him is English Channel solo and many other swims, Dr. Sakura Hingley. Nick and Sakura had been married only recently, on August 25th, the anniversary of Captain Matthew Webb's first English Channel solo. Both have been promising me articles for this blog for over two years. I am starting to lose hope.
My very good friend Lisa Cummins, now living down-under and getting a free summer, well-known to all as one of the legendary two-way English channel swimmers. Lisa and I were once again on a few adventures this year, and therefore she had to put up with many attempts at portrait shots by me before I finally found one I was pleased with, in Sandycove of course.
Ray is a member of the Newtown and Guillamenes swimming club, my other (non-racing) club. Every day of the summer, from May until the end of September, Ray empties the bins, picks up rubbish and litter, keeps the coves and lawns of Newtown and Guillamenes pristine, and even cleans the public toilets for the tourists, after the town council refused to so do. Ray is one the quiet heroic volunteers without whom no club in the world could survive and I have enormous respect for him.
Left to right, Ciáran Byrne, Eddie Irwin, Craig Morrison, , me being manhandled, Finbarr Hedderman in back and Liam Maher, after a spring swim in Sandycove. Channel Soloists all. I didn't take this shot, but handed the camera to Maura (Hynzie) Morrison. When you are being manhandled by Finbarr (6'4″) & Liam (6'8″) it's like being caught in a landslide, there's no fighting it. It's good to have such friends.
Billy Kehoe, President of the Newtown and Guillamenes swimming club, 85 years old, and swimming at the Guillamenes for 75 years. I don't think a single occasion has passed over the years that Billy hasn't used the same joke with me, that I am not to swim past the Saltees (Islands), despite my offering to write him some new material. Billy is currently working on a history of the Newtown and Guillamenes swimming club that hopefully is almost near completion and to which I am really looking forward and will hopefuly publish her and on the club website, which I have completely neglected .
Channel Swimming & Piloting Federation pilot and gentleman, Paul Foreman. Formerly of Pace Arrow, now of the Channel fleet's best boat, Optimist, pilot for Gábor Molnar and Jen Hurley and our tragically lost friend Páraic Casey, Paul holds a special place of affection for many Sandycove swimmers who know him and were friends of Páraic.
If you were to come up with any list of the ten most important people in the history of Channel swimming, Freda Streeter would be on that list. Mother of Alison, the Queen of the Channel and CS&PF Channel pilot Neil, Freda has trained hundreds of Channel swimmers and was instrumental in the formation of the CS&PF. For thirty years every weekend from May until September, with Barrie and Irene Wakeham and many others who assist, Freda runs a free Channel training camp for all comers.
I finally met cheeky chappie and South African Channel soloist Roger Finch in Varne Ridge, where all Channel swimmers eventually meet and then one day on Dover beach. He was training with Otto Thaining, whom I briefly met later. Otto was training to be the oldest Channel Soloist. Roger and I knew many people in common. Unfortunately Otto got weathered out, but my money is on him both returning and being successful next year. With the ebullient Roger in his crew he's all set.
My young friend Owen, the Fermoy Fish and I voyaged together again this year, most notably on his pioneering Blackwater swim. After Trent Grimsey's swim last year, I'd come to the conclusion I may have taken my best ever photo of a swimmer. I guess my development as a photographer now leads to me realise that was a laughable conceit. Reviewing my pics of the year, I'm currently of the belief this is the current best photo of a swimmer I've taken, getting past the stroke, the conditions, and inside Owen, as close metaphorically as I can get into another swimmer's mind.
During Sandycove Distance Week, about 20 of the less lazy of the swimmers came over for a swim with me on the Copper Coast. It was one of the best days of the bet summer in a generation. There were complaints about the water being too warm! granted, this photo wasn't chosen for its photographic merit, but for the sheer pleasure I derived from so many visitors.
Constrained as I am from publishing a photo of her, here's my silent partner in most adventures and supporter in others.
I look to meeting you all and capturing your images in 2014.
Related articles
- Sylvain Estadieu's English Channel Butterfly – Part 5 (loneswimmer.com)
- An introduction to swimming at Sandycove – Part 1 (loneswimmer.com)
- Current status of the loneswimmer autograph book (loneswimmer.com)


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BROOKLYN-RESIDENT PATRICK PHILLIPS, who teaches at Drew University, is also a working poet with several titles published. The most recent, Elegy for a Broken Machine, is just out from Knopf and in bookstores now ($20) or in a Kindle edition from Amazon ($12). He is reading tonight (April 2, 2015) at Drew University (with Tiphanie Yanick) and later this month at a Poetry Society gig in the Fulton Street Subway Station. Keep up with his readings schedule at www.patrickthemighty.com. (The following poem is reprinted with the poet's permission.)
Sunset Park
The Chinese truck driver
throws the rope
like a lasso, with a practiced flick,
over the load:
where it hovers an instant,
then arcs like a willow
into the waiting,
gloved hand
of his brother.
What does it matter
that, sitting in traffic,
I glanced out the window
and found them that way?
So lean and sleek-muscled
in their sweat-stiffened t-shirts:
offloading the pallets
just so they can load up
again in the morning,
and so on,
and so forth
forever like that—
like Sisyphus
I might tell them
if I spoke Mandarin,
or had a Marlboro to offer,
or thought for a minute
they'd believe it
when I say that I know
how it feels
to break your own
back for a living.
Then again,
what's the difference?
When every light
for a mile turns
green all at once,
no matter how much
I might like
to keep watching
the older one squint
and blow smoke
through his nose?
Something like sadness,
like joy, like a sudden
love for my life,
and for the body
in which I have lived it,
overtaking me all at once,
as a bus driver honks
and the setting
sun glints, so bright
off a windshield
I wince and look back
and it's gone.


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