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Sunday, March 29, 2009
Who Knew?
Someone searched for "Auntie Mame ringback tone." She's my heroine. If I'd have known she had one, it would already be on my cell phone. (Perhaps "Mame," the theme from the musical version of the play/movie?)
"Nite-nite bear with womb sounds" – I've heard of teddy bears that replicate mom's heartbeat, but the idea of an auditory trip back to the womb? I want one! Especially on those days when I wish I could crawl not just back under the covers, but back into my mom for cover.
"Santa's got the aids ringtone." I cannot imagine what that ringtone would sound like— even hard to conjure my sense of humor about it. Blue Christmas?
"Joyce Mason Trek died age" cued me into the fact that one of my namesakes is no longer among us. I mentioned her in my last post. Joyce headed the William Shatner fan club and hosted a Star Trek fan radio show for years. She also was a major part of my Google Yourself experiment, may she rest in peace. If you have a name that's at all common, Google yourself to find out who else shares it.
It blew my mind to find out that most of the other Joyce Masons seem to do the same or similar things as I do. There is something in a name! Star Trek Joyce was my star link since I am an astrologer, each of us loving space and space characters in our own way. Another JM is a writer/publisher, too. Her business is called Joyce Mason Ink, a name I considered myself. Yet another who lives in my own metro area is a green building realtor, an affinity with my long government career on recycling issues. I suspect she is probably the other JM that my eco-oriented cleaners is always attempting to differentiate from me, to be sure I get out the same dry cleaning that I put in. There is a JM Canadian moviemaker and a JM gospel singer. At one point, I planned to get a master's degree in script writing, and one of the biggest joys of my life was singing in a church choir.
I was definitely laughing out loud when I read "lack of sexual desire Blogspot." I had no idea that my sometimes sagging libido has something to do with the fact that I blog on Google's Blogger—you know, us guys 'n' gals with "blogspot" in our blog addresses. Note to Google: This is not a selling point. If this continues, I'll have to change platforms or Google the female counterpart for Viagra.
While we're on health concerns, sexual or otherwise, I'm still scratching my head over "lethargy no moon." I'd be lethargic if I lost my moon, too. This person is definitely spaced or comes from another planet, because Earth has one. Note to Googler: When the Moon is new, you just can't see it for a few days. No need to Google or call Missing Persons to see if they can find the missing (celestial) body. However, if this refers to no moon as in a skipped menstrual cycle, if you're lethargic and skipped your period, consider you might be pregnant.
"Sex hot lulu garb very hot." I want some of that lulu garb. It's obviously the antidote to "lack of sexual desire Blogspot."
"Spaghetti agli e oglio toddler recipe." By all means, if you're going to eat little children, you should sauté them into garlic spaghetti. (If the person who Googled this is reading my blog, please get help immediately!)
I don't know if you're having fun yet, but if you have a blog yourself and haven't discovered this giggly Googley pastime, please check it out and share your best key word combos with us. Or share the best word strings you have Googled yourself …
… or at least those you're willing to admit!
Dragnet Theme Music: The Google stories you just heard are true. Since statistics are anonymous, there are are no names to change to protect the innocent.
Comment Credit! Don't forget our Spring Comment Caper and the chance to win a free book in a drawing on April 23.
Photo credit: CROSS EYED FUNNY FACE WOMAN © Creativest... Dreamstime.com
Monday, March 23, 2009
Identity Crisis
I love the name of this blog, Hot Flashbacks, Cool Insights. That's also the title of my memoir I hope to have out later this year. But it wasn't always the name of my book.
The original title was Hot Flashes of Insight! In some ways, I liked it better for its connection between female hormones and hypersensitive perceptions. That link has been true and dramatic for me, especially around the time surgically induced hot flashes threw me into hot flashbacks. The flashbacks were memories and figurative light bulbs that haven't stopped flashing since (1992).
With time, I came to realize that the accent was on the wrong sylLABle by using a title that centered on the words hot flashes. My memoir is not about menopause—nor is this blog. Menopause did play a role. The instant estrogen dip and its symptoms, raging out of control, ignited what I already had a lot of—rampant intuition. Even more so, hot flashes ignited instant memory videos of incidents that somehow tied together the themes and learning trajectories of my life. This continued long past menopause, which happened for me early at age 45, due to an illness that required the surgery. The flashbacks, not the flashes, were the gift; so, it made no sense to me to accent hot flashes, even if they were the catalyst. Besides, I'd just as soon forget that miserable era of my life when I was thrown into "the change" instantly and could not do hormone replacement for medical reasons. I was a weepy wreck!
Because of my blog and book name, "hotflashbacks" became my handle on a number of social networking sites, one of my main e-mail addresses, and a way people have come to know me. I don't mind that. From the Fast Lane to Social Security, it's fun to flash back on what we've learned in order to figure out where we're going to go next and how to make it groovy.
It's Really about the Cool Insights
I've been musing for some time now about how the more important part of the title is "cool insights." If we can't make sense and grow from our experiences, it's all just an old movie. Maybe it's a comedy, maybe a drama; maybe a bit of both. But the movie critic in me wants to know "What's It All About, Alfie?" I want to learn from my mistakes and make new ones!
Identity Crisis: A Way of Life
Naming is powerful. One of the songs sung at the christening ritual at my church goes, "Praise to the One who called and named you, up from the waters into life." It implies that a child's name is divinely given, channeled from Above, and written in the Book of Life, long before a baby incarnates on Earth. Even in fiction, every character I name is with great purpose and meaning. In keeping with our ongoing discussions about affirmations, one's name is their most personal affirmation, something that is reaffirmed constantly over a lifetime. My husband likes that I have "joy" in my name. Me, too. But on the darker side, how can we be surprised that Bernie Madoff "made off" with so much of other people's money?
As an adopted person, I never knew my original name until I sleuthed it out when searching for my birth mom. I consider it my secret, spiritual name that I only share with close intimates. It's a beautiful name in its own right, but it's "not me." That makes sense, too. When my birth mom made the difficult decision to give me up out of love and a promise for a better life with two parents present and participating, she named me as she saw me then. My name was her vision of who I would have been, had she been able to raise me herself. That was not my path; therefore, my original name is not my "real" name.
Joyce Mason is my name by adoption. I have had this name since I was three weeks old. For reasons I'll explore in another post later this year, I have steadfastly refused to give it up for marriage or any other reason. I love that in numerology, it has a 22 vibration that parallels my birthday on the 22nd of the month. Twenty-two is a master number—in fact, it is known as The Master Builder. It reflects someone who builds on solid rock with a purpose greater than herself. My "brick layer" surname, Mason, says the same. Builds on solid structures. One of the many business identities I have tried on and used periodically for writing services, such as résumés, is Wordmason—my slogan, Words built to last. Then there is the Fraternal Order of Masons, a rather mystical organization. I have a huge dose of the mystic in me—yet another reason to love my name. All 'round, it's "my vibe."
Identity Crisis du Jour
On Twitter, I can only have one screen name with a maximum of 15 characters. There, I've been known as "hotflashbacks," but now I have two blogs and two unique identities—baby boomer and astrologer. I have actually had the astrologer identity much longer, since the late 1980s. It didn't seem right to continue to be "hotflashbacks" when I now have at least one other hat or mask to wear.
I struggled between "coolinsights" or "coolinsighter" and simply using my name, "joycemason." Whatever I write, cool insights are the motivation. They're the juicy core of the Tootsie Pop. The subject or flavor doesn't matter. Even my short stories and mystery novel are insight-laden. I was tempted to use "coolinsights" to keep half of the Hot Flashbacks, Cool Insights brand front 'n' center.
In the end, I decided that I am the true common denominator in everything I write. My Radical Virgo blog advocates the importance of being who we are, especially our optimal selves, because who we are is our unique gift. One of my favorite sayings that says it all: It's not what we do; it's who we are. When we become our unique selves, we do what comes out of fulfilling our Self. That's why it's called fulfillment. The Radical Virgo advocates a psycho-spiritual approach to evolutionary astrology, where we rise to be the best of our unique pattern. It's our imprint for the personal evolution of our body, mind, and spirit.
Even though I am less comfortable in the limelight than it looks, life has always demanded that I take the stage. Being "out there" may be a stretch, but if growth is what I'm about, I have to come all the way out of the closet. Whose cool insights are they, anyway? If my way of seeing the world is my gift to give, why call it anything else but what it is—mine? If Erma Bombeck were alive today, her Twitter handle wouldn't be funnylady; it'd be ermabombeck. Oprah isn't talkshowhost; she uses several variations of oprah.
So, joycemason is it. I doubt you'll forget I'm the one with the Hot Flashbacks, Cool Insights. Hopefully, what I write will be as memorable as who I am—intertwined and indistinguishable.
What's in your name? If numerology fascinates you, here's a starter website,
Photo credit: BUSINESS IDENTITY © Khz Dreamstime.com
Saturday, March 21, 2009
COOL SAGING CONVERSATIONS: Keep Boomer Bucks in Flux; Find the Soul in Your Money
Cool Saging Conversations has been moved from the sidebar to a regular post. It will appear on Saturdays.
This week's Cool Saging Conversation is a response to Pop Art Diva's Saturday Soapbox. Her topic is "Today's Economy – What's It Doing to Retiring Boomers?"
The impacts have been widely published. For many of us, it means putting off retirement or full retirement. At my house, the plan to draw from my husband's 401k until I can collect Social Security is no longer a viable gap-financing plan. Since most of his retirement fund is in stocks, cashing in at a fraction of the face value does not make sense. We'll hold till the market recovers. That means I'm back to work part-time as a retired annuitant. I am grateful to have work among friends, helping the worthy cause of environmental education. I work at my outside job less than two days a week; one at home. In a perfect world, I'd be writing full-time, but in today's reality, I feel completely blessed for this "bridge work."
Last night, I had dinner with several friends. An attorney I know, a woman I admire for her wise investments, considerable net worth, and keen planning skills, is completely reworking her life. She envisioned living on her beachfront property on the California coast by now. Instead, she's selling it. As she sees it, she'll be working another 6-7 years, newly self-employed. She enjoyed semi-retirement, as I did. But for now, it's back to work!
I'm not so sure that going back to work is terrible for most boomers. We are not the "retiring" type, either in the literal or figurative sense. We have been forced to keep our boomer brains active learning cyber tools and ways to keep up in an ever-changing world. We are not exactly the "old" dogs of yesteryear that can't learn new tricks.
I love Pop Art's idea that all boomers should flex our collective cash flow power by going out and spending $50 on something we were too afraid to buy. I believe surviving this deep valley in global finances requires a balance between hording and spending foolishly.
Since I like to view life from the vast lane, I am more concerned about how our collective mental and emotional attitudes impact this crisis. Another friend of mine who was at dinner last night just came back from a workshop in New Mexico on "fund raising from the heart" with Lynne Twist, a woman from Marin County, CA who has raised over $100 million to stave off world hunger. One of her points? Money does no good unless it's circulating. We need to keep money flowing without blowing it.
This is a time to reassess whether our spending aligns with our values. Lynne Twist's book, The Soul of Money: Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Life, would make a great read for anyone who wants to use this economic free-fall to his or her optimal advantage. What if we all spent money in integrity on what we value most? I want to live long in that world!
More importantly, our dinner conversation came back to yet another profound concept. Parts of our current economic system are dying a natural death, and they need to be helped through this process in the same way we'd give compassionate hospice care to dying relatives. Fierce competition and planned obsolescence cannot work in a global economy. If there is any lesson flashing in neon lights, it's that we are all interconnected now—not just a hippy dippy metaphysical idea, but in fact. What happens to the One happens to the All. Let's give the bits of our economic system that no longer serve us a dignified death while we find ways to wrap our money in our highest purpose. This is more than "back to work." The real work is the reworking/rehaul of our economic system.
Like the phoenix that rises from the ashes, I believe our economy will come back stronger, fairer, and pave the way to a better world. Overnight? Probably not. Hold the vision—and don't hold back all your cash!
Go spend 50 bucks on something that really matters to you.
Read these past Cool Saging Conversations:
Necessity is the Mother of Invention
Don't Be A Dinosaur
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Spring Comment Caper!
Visits to Hot Flashbacks, Cool Insights have been up 40 percent in the past month!
Thank you, readers, both tried-and-true as well as newcomers. To my new readers, welcome! I love reading the blog stats each night and finding out the many cities, states, and countries that make up our eclectic audience of Cool Insighters.
While visits are up, comments are down. I love an interactive blog, so I'm hosting a spring drawing to encourage more of you to "talk amongst yourselves." Each time you do, I'll put your name into a hat. The more you comment, the better chance you have to win!
The drawing period will run from Spring Equinox (March 20) through Earth Day (April 22). On the April 23, I'll draw the lucky name. You'll receive an autographed copy of the mystery short-story collection written by the authors in my local Sisters in Crime Chapter. It's called Capital Crimes: 15 Tales by Sacramento Area Authors. My story, "Digital," provides the comic relief. Questions? E-mail me at email@example.com. Meanwhile, let's spring back with more Hot/Cool conversations!
Monday, March 16, 2009
Spring: New Beginnings, New Blog!
Spring is the "natural new year," the time to plant the figurative seeds for what we want to grow more of in our lives between March 20, 2009 and March 19, 2010. The dormant season of winter is over. It's time to sow our creations, whether they involve love, health, wealth, a new project, or a new point of view.
Nature doesn't run on the Gregorian calendar. As I've said before in other posts, we have been off-cycle with the seasons in our January-December way of marking time for 500 years. None of us knows how many new years we have left, whether we're 18 or 80. So, let's make the most out of the powerful planting season spring represents and do a Cool Insights Exercise on what we want to manifest for the Natural New Year.
Exercise: Planting Your Seeds of Growth
In this activity, you're going to create a seed packet. I like to use colored envelopes the size that fit a standard greeting card. Even if you've got some "plain vanilla" leftover envelopes from cards you've received, that's OK, because our next step is redecorating!
Draw, paint, or collage onto your envelope whatever inspires you. You can name your seed packet for a project or something high on your list of things you want to manifest: Love Seeds, Prosperity Seeds, or in my case, the name of my new blog, The Radical Virgo. (More on that below.)
Now, find yourself some slips of paper—whatever appeals to you. My friends and I have used colorful ones, round ones, plain ones. On these, you'll write your metaphorical seeds for growth. Take some serious, quiet, and contemplative time to do this exercise. It's the reverse of the winter "burning bowl." Instead of burning what you want to get rid of, these pieces of paper will contain the fiery seeds of your new beginnings.
Place your packet in a special place—your altar, nightstand, near your computer—wherever you'll see it often enough to remind you of what you've planted—what you want to grow and expand this year. I take my seeds out often and look at them thoughtfully to see how they're growing. You can also "plant" them--put them in a special box or a pot. Whatever makes the metaphor real for you.
A few tips:
~~ Seeds are simple. Keep to a few words or small phrases.
~~ If you are tempted to plant many seeds, as they germinate, you will "thin them out," so that the most robust ones have the opportunity to grow to the fullest. Few of us can do in one year all the things we "plant" in spring, and it's OK to set aside seeds that naturally seem to need more time to germinate.
~~At Summer Solstice, we will look at the seeds again, and I'll talk about them in a post. The idea is to see how they bloom; then at autumn equinox, we can see what's ready for harvest.
To give you an idea how the planting and culling process works: I just checked my seed packet from 2008. Of my eight seeds, one has grown into a plant—my completed book—and I'm making major progress on four others. Two need to germinate longer, and I have let one go, recognizing it isn't important at this time.
Making Seasonal Sense
In my Calendar New Year post, Things to Bear in Mind as We Round 2009, I talked about how we need to slow down, even hibernate like a bear in winter. If you did not take that rest, don't be surprised if your energy doesn't rise with the tree sap as quickly as you'd like. It's not too late to reverse it! Put on some eye shades and block out the growing light while you make up for lost winter nap time. You'll be happy you did when your energy level bounces back for the effort. A little down time in late winter/early spring means a lot more bounce between now and the Summer Solstice in the third week of June. You'll have high energy!
If, like me, you resemble Sneezy the Dwarf this time of year, it's time to have a summit conference with your sensitivities, the flowers and trees—and your medicine cabinet. I hope you won't make my perennial mistake of allowing myself to be miserable rather than to take some medication, natural or prescribed. I have missed some of the best of the spring season by being unwilling to put on my big girl pants and take my medicine. Allergies sap your energy. A head that feels like it's about to explode will not be able to focus on gathering seed energy for a creative burst. Congestion is not conducive to springing forward into the new.
Joyce's New Astrology Blog
Speaking of new: For those interested in or curious about astrology, please visit my new blog, The Radical Virgo. It launches with its first full post on March 21 to catch the spirit of the Equinox seed energy. Until then, there are a couple of short posts and a link to an article I wrote for Inner Sanctuary blog, "Your Cosmic Tractor Beam." It explains how and why like-minded people are drawn together.
I am very excited that I have been guided back to writing about astrology, guidance which has been coming slowly into my consciousness over the past six months. While I am unlikely to do individual astrology readings in the future (I have been retired from that work since 2003), astrology will always remain a tool that has brought me closer to the Divine and to understanding the magnificent workings of the universe—everyone and everything that's a part of it. I love writing about it and the lively exchanges among my fellow star trekkers. (Ironically, the woman who used to do a Star Trek radio show and headed the William Shatner fan club was also named Joyce Mason.)
In the near future, I'll be posting an article in the SkyHints Sidebar for people whose experience of astrology is primarily reading their horoscope in the newspaper. Newspaper horoscopes are a very limited version of what astrology has to offer, so for those who have an inkling that "there's more out there," I hope to give you a taste of how most modern astrologers use their knowledge of the sky as positive a psycho-spiritual tool. Psychiatrist Carl Jung used astrology extensively in his practice.
Meanwhile, I hope blogging in two "solar systems" here on Hot Flashbacks and The Radical Virgo just continues to make me a better writer and blogger and doubles the benefits to my readers. This is one of the spring seeds I'm planting. Let's share how both yours and mine bloom in summer, then reap their fruits at the autumn harvest. Hope to hear a lot of "seedy" comments, now and in the future!
Happy Natural New Year! Hoe-hoe-hoe!
For those who also want to plant the real thing this spring, here are a few seedlinks: Burpee (largest and oldest), Seeds of Change (organic), and Victory Seed Company (heirloom).
Monday, March 9, 2009
Auntie Mame: A Tale for Today, Tomorrow, and Always!
"Life's a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death.' –Auntie Mame
Who's Auntie Mame?
She's my heroine and mentor, a larger-than-life character. The movies, Broadway plays and musicals that tell her madcap story are based on the novel by Patrick Dennis, a book inspired by his real-life aunt. However, it was Rosalind Russell who brought Mame to life most in her 1957 stage performance and the 1958 movie, "Auntie Mame." Her message? "Live, live, live!" She was an adventurer who advocated opening new windows and doors every day.
The Basic Story
1928: Mame's conservative stockbroker brother has just written his will. To his dismay, he is forced to leave his only son, Patrick, to Mame, his crazy sister and only living relative. He knows it's just a formality, because he's in perfect health. But just in case, out of concern for her influence on the boy, Mame's brother names a conservative banker, Dwight Babcock from the Knickerbocker Bank to be Patrick's trustee and to handle all the money.
As fate would have it, Mame's brother drops dead at his health club the next day before the ink is dry on the will. Soon Patrick and his dad's loyal Irish housekeeper, Nora Muldoon, arrive at the door of Mame's apartment on Beacon Place in New York City. Their first encounter sets the stage for the rest of the story.
Mame is hosting a wild party with all kinds of bohemians and foreign dignitaries. Her close friend, flapper, and actress, Vera Charles, is suffering the latest effects of Mame's free-flowing bootlegged booze. Being "hung" after one of Mame's nightly parties and sleeping the next day past noon is par for the course at Beacon Place.
Patrick's companion and former housekeeper, Nora, thinks she has brought the boy to a den of iniquity. Mame, though, wins him over immediately, and her bond with Patrick is instantaneous. "Come to me, my little love. I'm your Auntie Mame!"
But it's not all fun and games. Mame's worst hour is when she is caught defying Babcock's edict to send Patrick to a stuffy, snooty boys' school. Babcock discovers Patrick has never shown up at the school of his choice. Rather, the boy has been romping naked at an "experimental" school in the Village run by one Mame's bohemian friends. Babcock arrives just as the kids and staff are acting out the way fish spawn. Not impressed by the spirit-freeing practice of nudism or such hands-on biology lessons, Babcock sends Patrick to a far-off boarding school. It breaks Mame's heart.
Feast before Famine, a Tale for Tough Times
Soon, Mame's heart was not the only thing broken. By now, it's 1929—and you guessed it—Mame and all her wealthy friends are broke with the stock market crash. (Sound familiar?) How does Mame's philosophy of "live-live-live!" cut it during the Depression? What does this heartwarming story tell us about living through tough times and flourishing in life all the way to the finish line?
For starters, Mame is not too proud to go back to work and open her mind to new ways of making a living. She tries three things—all disasters. When Mame goes back to acting and turns a Shakespearean style play into an episode of "I Love Lucy," the star, her friend Vera Charles, is not amused. It just intensifies their ongoing rivalry since they acted together in days gone by.
But as they say, the third time's a charm. The final job was still disastrous—an attempt at being a clerk at Macy's during the holiday season. Mame couldn't get the hang of writing anything but a COD order, or of how to keep her carbon paper from trailing out of her sales book. But here's where the charm comes in. Mame nearly botches a sale with a rich, handsome Southern gentleman named Beauregard Jackson Picket Burnside. They fall in love and marry. Happy and prosperous days are here again!
Unfortunately, Mame's bliss with Beau was short-lived. A shutterbug, during one of their trips around the world, Beau falls off an Alp stepping backwards for better perspective while taking Mame's picture. After a lengthy gig as a melodramatic widow, Mame finally takes heart in writing her memoir, "Live, Live, Live!" This new project brings more amazing adventures to Mame, nephew Patrick, and their family of friends.
Mame's Message for All Seasons
Whether life was up or down, Mame believed we should always, "open a new window, open a new door," those juicy lyrics from the musical version, "Mame." (Mame was played on Broadway in the musical version by Angela Lansbury and the movie musical by Lucille Ball.) Mame was rich in friends, an exchange that never crashed. Her loyal staff paid her bills with their savings when Mame was penniless. While we can't all marry a rich Southern gentleman, Mame oozed integrity. She married Beau because she was in love with him, when her easy out, earlier, would have been to marry "dear Lindsay," her prosperous beau before Beau. Mame refused to do in hard times what she hesitated to do during good times.
When the going got tough, Mame got creative. She wasn't too proud to pawn her belongings. When her spirits needed lifting, she insisted that her little family celebrate Christmas early, because, "We need a little Christmas, right this very minute!"
Mame's spirit was indomitable, her mind and heart both as open as the great outdoors, she had principles and a lust for life rarely matched. These are just some of the reasons why she's my role model, but add one more. As a person not blessed with children of my own, auntie has been one of my most beloved roles in life. My nieces and nephews, no doubt, see me as their "unusual" Auntie Joyce, too.
Finally, like the baby boomers who read this blog, Mame just got cooler as her hair was touched by gray and she had a great-nephew to "open new worlds" for.
Mame Is Eternal
Recently on Facebook, I was asked to answer "44 Odd Things about Me." Since I believe life doesn't end with physical death, it was easy for me to answer the question, what song would you like played at your funeral?"
Open a New Window, Open a New Door …"
If Mame's story inspires you, why not rent the DVD today? If you're on Netflix, it's available as a download right to your computer screen. Don't underestimate the power of a funny movie with a fabulous message to uplift you during trying times or anytime.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Affirmations: Part 2, Column 2
My last post, Wall-to-Wall Inspiration, covered the topic of inspirational words, especially affirmations. There is a powerful second step to making affirmations work. It seems to have gotten lost in the shuffle in the smiley-faced enthusiasm of some of our more eager metaphysical go-getters. I'm making fun of myself, because I used to border on being one of them.
The Complications of Over-Simplifying
While I'm on the subject, there is a real danger in our culture of oversimplifying things to the point that they—or we—become caricatures. This is exacerbated by a culture that relies heavily on video as a medium for information and entertainment—always entertainment—even on the most serious topics. Everything is reduced to video clips and sound bytes, and the more we live media-driven lives—we micro-blog on Facebook and Twitter in a sentence or two—the more we are apt to lose the core nugget of truth for brevity.
For example, there is fabulous information in the movie, The Secret, which claims to reveal the most powerful law in the universe; however, if you don't listen to it with a discerning ear, it comes off sounding like a very materialistic form of magic, one without heart and soul. As I say often, it's not the tool; it's how you use it. Knives are instruments of nurture to a cook, and in the hands of a skilled surgeon, a lifesaver. In the hands of a serial murder—not.
I don't want to get into the controversy that has sometimes surrounded The Secret; it has its pluses and minuses like all people and things. But I do want to say this: affirmations are another one of those things that will either not work, backfire, or sound really stupid to seriously grounded realists if you don't know the second step. The reason the smiley-faced metafoofoo types never seem to have gotten it? It has to do with negatives. They don't like them. (I didn't invent the expression metafoofoo for airy metaphysical types, but I do claim to have added the smiley-face! :) I think the perennial positive thinkers haven't yet found the positives in negatives.
The Positive of Negatives
Here's the second step. You must spend time writing down the negative mind-chatter that pops in as you affirm your new way of thinking, your positive statement. If you do not get it out in the open on a piece of paper where you can face it squarely, it will sabotage you.
This takes some emotionally painful and rather time-consuming work. My spiritual teachers taught me that it takes writing the new affirmation and coughing up the negative self-talk 77 times before the new idea "sets." Hopefully, it sets firmer than squiggly Jell-O and takes root in your mind like an oak tree. Remember, mighty oaks from tiny acorns grow. These little seeds of self-discovery will yield big.
I was taught to do this exercise by folding a standard piece of notebook or other 8.5 x 11 lined paper lengthwise. You set up two columns. You can call them whatever works for you. I usually marked them, simply, with the plus (+) and minus (-) symbols.
You need 77 lines, so use as many pieces of paper as necessary. Maybe it's not a magic number, but it's enough writing to do the job. You don't have to write all 77 affirmations and your inner responses to them in one session, but if you can make the time, that's ideal.
Here's an example. I wanted to work with the affirmation: I am lean, fit, centered—energetic. For starters, I realized it's a four-in-one, and I'd have to do those declarations one at a time, starting with "I am lean." Here is some of what popped out in my process, with the Column 2 Minuses in parentheses:
1. I am Lean. (That's a laugh. Just look at you!)
2. I am Lean. (You lean over cuz you're so fat! That's your "lean.")
3. I am Lean. (Well, maybe under several inches of pudge.)
4. I am Lean. (But you had a fat mother; her mom and sister were fat. You come from a fat family!)
I don't want to bore you with my obnoxious, personal demons, but I do want to report that at some point the talk in Column 2 will begin to change. It happens quite naturally:
18. I am Lean. (Maybe deep within)
19. I am Lean. (Hmm, well, OK, I think that's probably who I really am.)
20. I am Lean. (Your uncle is fit and in control of his eating. He's 82 and still traveling and having fun!)
By the end of this exercise, you will have actually downloaded the barriers to your beliefs and put them out in front of you where you can deal with them. I have lost 9 lbs. since affirming "I am lean" and dumping out my negative mind chatter for examination. I'm sure affirmations aren't the only reason—I was using multiple tools—but I can't deny they factored into it.) For some more excellent examples, especially about blocks to prosperity and manifesting money, read Using Affirmations to Uncover and Transform Negative Beliefs and Attitudes by Douglas Bloch, a profound self-help author who speaks from having walked the path from pain to wholeness. Also, here's another similar spin on how to do affirmations with some additional and delightful twists, including singing them: Motivation Tips by Carla Valencia.
Accentuate the Positive, Eliminate the Negative
That peppy old tune by Johnny Mercer, Accentuate the Positive, sung by Perry Como, tells us not to mess with "Mr. In-Between." In order to eliminate the negative, we have to find it! Rout it out like the rat infestation in my garage and turn the whole mess over to Mr. Clark, the namesake of our pest-control service. When we affirm without finding and eliminating the negatives, we haven't finished the job—or the paper work. We are, indeed, messing with Mr. In-Between. We can't get anywhere, because we are laying a foundation on faulty ground, one with potholes, sinkholes, and a host of hidden pitfalls and pratfalls.
Try this process, and please share your success stories with our Cool Insights family. It's profound and practical!
Photo Credit: TORN BLUE PAPER FROM NOTEBOOK © Loraliu Dreamstime.com
NEW FEATURE: Cool Saging Conversations
Check out the new feature and sidebar on Hot Flashbacks, Cool Insights! I'm participating in a meme on Pop Art Diva's Saturday Soapbox on various issues near and dear to baby boomers. Memes (pronounced meem, long e like beam), are a way of propagating culture, analogous to the biological transmission of genes. Anytime we communicate by whatever means about culture, these conversations propagate cultural evolution from one mind to another. In other words, if we talk about our culture, we change it! I will post Cool Saging Conversations beside my regular posts, not just in response to the Saturday Soapbox, but on all kinds of cool saging topics. Today's inaugural post is response to the Pop Art Diva's Saturday Soapbox on March 1, "Are We Wasting the Resources of Our Elders?"


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I am hoping the saga of the defective Amana refrigerator has come to a close. The repairer arrived on Thursday with a replacement component (a plug-in circuit board) and installed it. So far, so good. I won't be believe it's completely fixed until a week goes by without the freezer freezing up solid. I am urging people NOT to buy Amana/Whirlpool/Maytag/Kenmore refrigerators. Samsung, LG and GE are fine as they have nothing to do with Whirlpool et al.
I finished the 16th square on Thursday and cast on #17. I wanted to do one of the sweater patterns from the wonderful Alice Starmore "Fishermen's Sweaters" book. It is the Inishmaan pattern. I knit about 5" and didn't like the look of it. I had jammed all the patterns together and it really needed a couple of stitches of reverse stockinette between each stitch pattern.
Last night I ripped it all out and redesigned it using 5 of the stitch patterns with the stocking stitch separating them and it looks much better. Also, since I cast on during the Olympics, it now qualifies as an Olympic knitting item.
Butterfly Epsilon flew away on Thursday or Friday so now Zeta has pupated and we expect Eta to follow suit soon. Theta is still chowing down on milkweed.
We have had a busy and enjoyable weekend. Friday night we went for dinner with several of Skip's golfing buddies and then went to see Mamma Mia! I enjoyed it as much the second time - hey, I love singing and dancing. Yesterday we went to Lorna's for lunch and to visit her, John who is up from Florida and Megan who is home from Ecuador. Today we headed to Taste of the Danforth to meet Skip's cousin, Rosanne and her husband, Chris. It has become an annual tradition for us. There were many things I would have loved to have had but I restrained myself by having one spanakopita (spinach and cheese pie), one chicken souvlaki skewer and a fruit drink. We also went to one of our favourite cheese stores on the Danforth and bought some Lappi, a mild Finnish cheese, and some lower fat Jarlsberg.
In between all of these activities we've been watching the Olympics in French and English on CBC and also on NBC. Whenever there's a commercial we just flip to another one of the stations. If I stay up late enough, I can see a lot of live coverage of morning events.

subset: commoncrawl


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If you are poor and black and happen to be on a sidewalk in downtown Joburg, there is a strong chance that you may have been arrested for loitering. In the past 2 months, the police have intensified their enforcement and have exclusively targeted poor black people, mainly street vendors and trolley pushers.
By virtue of its definition, loitering means standing around without intent. The people who are being arrested are entrepreneurial. People are being arrested for standing, walking, talking, sitting, selling, waiting...for being poor and black.
A feature of the enforcement campaign has been excessive bribery and corruption by the police officers. The price to be released on the street is R100. Recently both Hansa Monsaka and Keith Busani were arrested for loitering. Hansa was left handcuffed against a fence for most of the day as police waited to extract a bribe from him.
Much of the police activity has intensified with the onset of the BRT construction work downtown. There seems to be a coordinated effort by the city, to upgrade the road infrastructure as well as 'clean' the sidewalks of undesirable people - People who are not considered part of the vision for the regenerated city.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Loitering crap
Posted by Ismail Farouk at 9:25 AM
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Jim Gabler's – America's Dream Loft
America's Dream Loft has been committed to providing the finest racing pigeons to fanciers for over two decades.
Our friendships with the world's best fanciers have allowed America's Dream Loft (ADL) to acquire the crème de a crème of their bloodlines. ADL's relationships with Europe's best lofts pre-date my close relationship with Campbell Strange, founder of Oak Haven Farms. Many people remember when ADL acquired many of Campbell's key breeders during his retirement auction in 1999. What an opportunity that was! Some of the greatest birds of all time moved to my breeding loft including, "Hekkenklak", "Mr. Aristona", "De Verona", "Avenger", and of course the world renowned "Super 73" family. Many more of Campbell's Dynasty was purchased later to enhance my breeding program and from these, the foundation was laid for America's Dream Loft to take its place among the greats.
ADL has either won or breed the pigeons for others to win nearly every major futurity, National Award, Hall of Fame and Ace Pigeon position in the US and has gone on to win in South Africa, China and Japan. Very few lofts anywhere in the world can make the same claim.
My devotion to seeking out and acquiring only the best has never wavered, as is evidenced by my latest additions ADL's world class families. It is my pleasure to reintroduce to the sport the backbone of my success, the "Super 73" family of birds, and to introduce the most sought after families of birds in the world today from Ulrich Lemmens and Jan Hooymans. ADL acquired their best bloodlines, proven racers, and when possible, their key breeding birds.
Our sport has been good to me over the last 50 years. It has afforded me the honor of serving 3 years as president of our National Pigeon Museum in Oklahoma, helped me raise funds for numerous clubs around the country, and provided a way for Jim and ADL to raise money to help children in China. All of these opportunities were only achievable through my commitment to helping grow our sport.
ADL look forward to having the opportunity to help you join the winner's circle.


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Designer Missy Steffens makes over a traditional library with period antiques.
Designer Missy Steffens makes over a traditional library with period antiques.
The holiday season is upon us, table decorations are once again playing a big role in event planning for all the parties to come. The December issue Elle Decoration UK gets it right with she's antique table settings.
A chess set collection is on display in the October issue of Elle Decoration UK.
A nordic restaurant combines antiques and cuisine in a 19th century Berlin townhouse.
View our entire inventory at leestanton.com
Over the weekend while spending time with friends, I came across a video displaying a local artist of Laguna Beach, Andrew Myers. The film showcased his creativity and innovated forms of medium. From screws and paint to bronzed sculptures, as well as the more classic oil on canvas. Andrew reveals his versatility as an artist with the multitude of surfaces used for his pieces.
Myers blends modern material with classical figurative technique featuring a universal subject matter that is prevalent throughout his work. It is his unification of these three characteristics that results in the innovative and modern artwork that captivates viewers and has been so highly acclaimed nationwide.
Andrew starts with a base, plywood panel, and then places pages of a phone book on top. (Cool fact: He'll use pages from his subjects' local area.) He then draws out a face and pre-drills 8,000 to 10,000 holes, by hand. As he drills in the screws, Myers doesn't rely on any computer software to guide him, he figures it out as he goes along.
"Most people are drawn to the portraits because they have something different about them (from a distance especially). Seeing them in person is a whole different feel than seeing the photograph. They have a sense of depth that the photo can't capture." – Andrew Myers
You can view more of Andrew's art on his website andrewmyersart.com


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About Us
Indochinatour.vn welcome!
Company organize integral Vietnam tours, Indochina tours, These bring to you real experiences throught your discovery in the area.
Tourists: Including Vietnamese, International visitors and Overseas Vietnamese (unlimited ages)
Common Tours:
- Classic tours in Vietnam
- Classic tours in indochina
- Design tours for your request
Manager: Mr. Le Ba Toan (English name: Tony). He had over twenty experiences about Tourism.
Staffs, agency and partner allways support to complete Tours.


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A long and distinguished list of former KU basketball players will descend on Lawrence this week for the Fourth Annual Rock Chalk Roundball Classic at 7 p.m. Thursday at Free State High School.
The event, a benefit for three local families fighting cancer, includes a pregame concert at 5:30 p.m. and a post-game autograph session.
For now, the list of former Jayhawks scheduled to attend includes: Darnell Valentine, Wayne Simien, Russell Robinson, Keith Langford, Aaron Miles, Ron Kellogg, Christian Moody, Brady Morningstar, Ryan Robertson, Julian Wright, Xavier Henry, Tyrel Reed and Conner Teahan.
In addition, former KU standouts Bud Stallworth, Scot Pollard and Patrick Richey will serve as coaches, while KU football coach Charlie Weis will serve as an honorary coach.
Neil Everett, an anchor on ESPN's SportsCenter, will also be in town to emcee the festivities.
Ticket information: $7; can be purchased before game day in Lawrence at the 23rd St. Brewery, 3512 Clinton Parkway, and the Great Plains Media studios, 3125 W. 6th St.


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Plot Summary
"Dead girl walking," the boys say in the halls.
"Tell us your secret," the girls whisper, one toilet to another.
I am that girl.
I am the space between my thighs, daylight shining through.
I am the bones they want, wired on a porcelain frame.
Lia and Cassie were best friends, wintergirls frozen in matchstick bodies. But now Cassie is dead. Lia's mother is busy saving other people's lives. Her father is away on business. Her step-mother is clueless. And the voice inside Lia's head keeps telling her to remain in control, stay strong, lose more, weigh less. If she keeps on going this way—thin, thinner, thinnest—maybe she'll disappear altogether.
Critical Evaluation
I have been wanting to read this book for quite some time now and I am glad I read it. Eating disorders have always interested me because it is so far removed from my life experience. It is difficult to understand why someone would chose to keep losing weight when it was dangerous for their bodies and painful for them. I would hate to be hungry all the time. Two points that I found interesting were 1- Lia was unable to do anything else in her life. Because she was starving herself, her body was not able to do anything. She could not focus in school, she could barely drive, she could not maintain relationships. Her only friend died and so she was friendless. She did not date or hold down a job. Nothing. Her body was in survival mode and she was not really living. 2- It seemed that her eating was not just about being thin but about being in control. She felt out of control in her own life and felt that she had no influence on the relationships around her. Her controlling her body and her calorie intake gave her some measure of control. Or so she thought.
I was also surprised that I was occasionally out of patience with Lia. I feel that I am usually fairly compassionate toward other people. I believe that people are good and are doing the best they can. But sometimes Lia's behavior was so self-destructive and she was so out of touch with reality, that I would feel impatient with her.
Reader's Annotation
Lia keeps trying to get thinner, thinner, thinner.
Information about the author
Laurie Halse Anderson is the New York Times bestselling author who writes for kids of all ages. Known for tackling tough subjects with humor and sensitivity, her work has earned numerous ALA and state awards. Two of her books, SPEAK and CHAINS, were National Book Award finalists. Mother of four and wife of one, Laurie lives in Northern New York, where she likes to watch the snow fall as she writes.
realistic fiction
Curriculum Ties
physical health. psychology.
Booktalking Ideas
*Talk about all the things that happen to the human body when it starves.
Reading Level
age 12 and up
Challenge Issues
The subject matter of anorexia can be quite disturbing. So there is a possibility a parent may object to this book.
It is best to be prepared for a book challenge before it is challenged. It is important to read the book all the way through and to have read both positive and negative reviews of the book from professionals and teens as well. Be aware of the library's collection policy. Also check for any awards the book may have won. It would be beneficial to see how other library's may have handled challenges for this particular book in the past.This book has won quite a few awards. An ALA/YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers (2010),Cybils Award Nominee for Young Adult Fiction (2009), TAYSHAS High School Reading List (2010), Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Young Adult Fiction (2009), ALA Teens' Top Ten (2010)ALA Teens' Top Ten (2010), Milwaukee County Teen Book Award (2010), Michigan Library Association Thumbs Up! Award Nominee (2010), Iowa High School Book Award Nominee (2011), RT Reviewers' Choice Award Nominee for Best Young Adult Novel (2009)
Why Included?
I wanted a realistic fiction book about mental health/body image problem. This book is a great fit.


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I would like to thank the community of Drayton Valley that supported our 3rd Annual Christmas Turkey Sales!! The turkeys cost 20.00 to buy and Century 21 Hi Point donated 10.00 per turkey to Easter Seals! So we are very happy that our team sold 172 turkeys this year, which meant Century 21 Hi Point Realty will be giving Easter Seals $1720.00, thats FANTASTIC! Thanks again to everyone for ...


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American Society of Endocrine Physician Assistants
This committee is responsible for working for working with the ADA, AAPA, ACCE and other groups concerning the development of continuing medical education conferences related to endocrine topics.
It is responsible for arranging discounts, if possible, for ASEPA members to CME conferences.
Current members include:
Stephen Bast PA-C
Elizabeth Claassen PA-C
William Hardy MS, PA-C
Robert Harris PA-C
Martin Kubien PA-C
Timothy Lavoy MS, PA-C
Jan McCaleb PA-C
Boris Suarez PA-C


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It was a Friday when we landed in Kanyakumari. After experiencing the beautiful sunrise at the confluence of three oceans, we bathed at TRIVENI SANGAMAM. Next on our itinerary was the abode of Thanumalayan temple at Suseendram which is about 14 KM from Kanyakumari.
This is the only shrine dedicated to TRINITY and also an imposing figure of ANJANEYA which is carved out of single block of granite. While there are many beautiful things to describe about this temple, today I am limiting myself to these to two deities only because I want to share a different experience with you all here.
We reached the temple around 10:00 a.m and there was not much crowd. As we entered the main entrance, two pandits standing there started explaining the history of the temple and the importance of the deities there. They went on to say that placing a 'tulsi mala' to the main deity and a 'Paan ka patta' mala to Anjaneya would be very auspicious for our family. We felt very nice as we thought we were getting to know about the temple practices from the most authentic sources and also discussed amongst ourselves as to why important temples in other places dont follow this. So we bought both the malas (which was sold by those two pandits there itself) and moved ahead. Initially we were mildly surprised to see the attention being given to us by successive pandits for as we walked forward, we were coaxed into buying a 'deepak thali' for the Navagrahas (here you will find the Navagrahas on the roof and not down below like in other places).
We still had the paan ka patta mala to offer to the giant Anjaneya. So we moved closer to him, but yet another pandit popped out from a corner saying NO, you simply cannot offer the mala to the God without 'panneer kudam' (kewra water) and butter!!! Even before we could understand what was happening, the 'panneer kudam' was in our hand with the butter sitting pretty on the kudam (pot) and of course, everything came with a price! By this time all our enthusiasm and devotion was over and we wanted to get away as soon as possible without creating any scene. So, we quickly paid the amount and were about to join the queue. Alas! there is a separate entry for those with kudum in hand and a special charge to be paid for that!!!
By then my father had lost all his patience (we had been trying to pacify him to be quiet, not wanting to create a scene) and confronted those people. On seeing him so furious, the person who was charging for the kudum vanished from the scene and another pandit quickly took the panneer kudum and butter to offer to the God.The panneer kudum which is suppose to be filled with kewra water was just plain water and that too went back to the seller without being used, to be sold to another unsuspecting devotee - RIGHT IN FRONT OF OUR EYES! The whole thing happened in a jiffy, that we did not even get a chance to say no to anything.
By the time we came out of this ordeal, we forgot about the devotion and beauty of that place. We simply felt as if we have escaped from some robbers, PHEW!!! What a relief it was to be out of there!


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Ask us for help to realise what you need.
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Tickets for this year's show are on sale.buy online now
Join us here at the Glendale Agricultural Societyfind out more
The annual quiz is on Tuesday 26th February at the Tankerville Arms in Wooler. It's a 7.00 pm start and is £8.00 pe… https://t.co/8iE34LdtjD
Glendale Seeking Rural Heroine
The Glendale Agricultural Society (GAS) and Rural Marketing and PR Agency, Glendale PR and Marketing, are looking for a Rural Heroine of Glendale.
Both organisations recognise the vital contribution women make to farming, rural life, countryside businesses and agriculture. Glendale has a host of female farmers, business owners, entrepreneurs, ambassadors and volunteers, and the aim of the 2016 Rural Heroine of the Year award is to recognise this. The contest is open to women of all ages living in the Glendale area who have made their mark on this rural community.
All nominations will be reviewed by a team of judges including award sponsor. The judges will be looking for entrepreneurship, inspiration, innovation or community involvement. They will take into account what makes this individual remarkable and the impact that they have had in terms of their business or community. The winner will be announced at the Glendale Show and will receive the Rural Heroine Trophy.
Giving further background to the award Barbara Huddart Managing Director of Glendale PR said: The Oxford Dictionary definition of a Heroine is a woman admired for her courage, outstanding achievements or noble qualities. This is exactly what we are looking for and I know that Glendale has many, so I do hope that will receive the nominations to reflect this.
Ladies can either be nominated, or nominate themselves, and entry forms are available from www.glendaleshow.com or at The Glendale Show Office. Final nominations must be made by Friday 19th August and can be either emailed to firstname.lastname@example.com or posted to The Glendale Show Office, The Cheviot Centre, Padgepool Place, Wooler, Northumberland NE71 6BL.
Other initiatives as part of the Year of the Lady Theme are:
· Ensemble of lady judges at the show.
· Sheep Tales Wool Display.
· Artist Anna Turnbull weaving a life size horse.
· Sheep Dog demonstration from Katie Cropper (the first woman to win One Man and His Dog) and her daughter Henrietta.
· Best Dressed Lady Competition sponsored by Wooler based Stephanie Louise Designs.
· GAS Ladies Choir Performance.
Rachael Tait, who heads the female team that organises the Glendale Show, said: I would like to thank Glendale PR and Marketing for supporting this award. Women have always played a crucial role in our community in Glendale; this award gives us an opportunity to highlight this.
For further details about the Glendale Show or how to join as a member please contact the Glendale Agricultural Society on 01668 283 868 or email firstname.lastname@example.com. Further information can be found on – www.glendaleshow.com.
Media Contact: Glendale PR & Marketing, T: 01668 283 044 E: email@example.com


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How to Grow Peppers
Paprika is similar vegetables with chilli, but the peppers do not have a spicy taste like chili. So far peppers is still regarded as one of the vegetable consumption for the middle and upper. This is because the use of paprika is still quite limited in some European-style dishes, such as pizza, spaghetti, salad, and others. However, with the rapidly growing popularity of European-style foods in Indonesia society today makes peppers growing demand.
Ideal land for cultivation Paprika
Land ideal for growing peppers is in upland areas that have low air humidity levels. Cold temperatures between 15 degrees to 25 degrees Celsius is known is ideal for developing this subtropical plants. It is actually intended to avoid pest and disease attacks the pepper tree, because the intensity of pests and diseases will be increasing if the pepper plants grown in the lowlands with high temperatures. The location at an altitude of about 750 meters above sea level is believed to be a very fitting.
Land preparation
After finding land in the right location, then it is time we start working on the land in order to be ready for planting. If it is feared will happen rain, it is highly recommended planting peppers plants using hydroponics green house and a system that yields maximum. Cultivation techniques like this are known to be efficient because the trunk and the fruits are very sensitive to nature, so that when they are exposed to rain water will easily rot.
Making green house is required greater cost when compared to cultivate land land directly, but if it yields to the maximum then the profits will increase as well. Making green house can you try with minimal funds that use ultra violet plastic material. Furthermore, the media used to grow namely husk.
How to Grow Peppers on Top Charcoal Husk
How to grow this plant is divided into several stages. The first is to grow the seeds in a tray so that the germination. Usually seeds will grow into sprouts without leaves within one week, then we put them into a small polybag polybag-up to grow the leaves, at least two or three strands. This process will usually take for approximately two weeks.
Then we can move the plant peppers into the actual container, namely poly-sized big polybag approximately 30 cm x 35 cm. The important thing to note about this planting method is that we must be very careful when moving the seeds of the peppers so that the leaves and roots are not damaged. Furthermore, we also need to maintain good plant peppers.
Maintenance process
In order to flourish, paprika plants need to be watered with water and fertilizer on a regular basis. Fertilizer used is dilute liquid fertilizer or manure. Furthermore, after the flowering plants, we need to select by eliminating some of the flowers that grow up to leave one's best interest in every single tree peppers. Once the fruits are old enough then we can harvest.


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Posted in Other 30+ days ago.
This job brought to you by America's Job Exchange
Type: Full Time
Location: Farmington Hills, Michigan
Are you looking for a successful career? Come and be a part of our 95 year history in the making as a DRIVELINE SALES ENGINEER! NTN Bearing Corporation (NBCA) is a major division of a multinational manufacturing company providing highly engineered and quality precision components to the automotive and industrial industries. We enjoy the prestige of being a major supplier of constant velocity joints and wheel bearings to both domestic and foreign auto manufacturers. NTN has an outstanding job opportunity for a Driveline Sales Engineer at our Farmington Hills, MI location.
* Pursue and secure new tier one business opportunities. Responds promptly to inquiries, and seeks out and calls upon potential and existing customers to identify needs. Pursue all avenues of technical requirements for new product development.
* Oversee the management of new program launches. Direct communications with all internal and external customers on timing, program needs, concerns, and requirements.
* Take a lead role for APQP meetings and be knowledgeable for all program aspects. Negotiate sample delivery, timing, and cost.
* Manage current business for assigned accounts. Ensure product meets customer requirements, is shipped on time and that NTN meets specific customer performance standards.
* Communicate in timely manner all significant customer issues to appropriate personnel. Maintain timely and accurate records on customer calls and meetings.
* Provide management with verbal briefs and written reports of customer needs, problems, interests, market situations, competitive activities, new articles and any potential for new business and services.
* 4 year undergraduate engineering or business degree (BSME, IE or Applied Engineering Sciences/ multi-discipline degree preferred).
* Minimum of 3 years of experience in automotive sales.
* Technical skills must include: A fundamental understanding of automotive Powertrain or Drivetrain systems and knowledge and application of appropriate industry standards.
* Leadership capabilities - Ability to function and lead in a team environment.
* Understands how Development Engineering fits in the manufacturing business (Quality, Manufacturing, Purchasing, Sales, Marketing)
* Creativity & Independent thinking, Project Management Skills and Experience
* Knowledge of basis APQP concepts and QS/TS16949 requirements.
* Proficient in MS Office applications.
NTN Bearing Corporation offers a full range of comprehensive benefits, including choice of medical plans, dental, vision, life and disability insurance, a cash matching 401(k) Plan, separate company contribution to your 401(k) retirement account, paid vacation, additional paid time off during the major holiday season, and eligibility for tuition reimbursement. NTN Bearing Corporation is an equal opportunity employer that strongly supports diversity in the work place.
If you are interested in this employment opportunity, please go to our website WWW.NTNAMERICAS.COM, click careers and apply.
NTN Values a diverse workforce and is an EOE..


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How Charlottesville is already changing journalism
August 18, 2017 01:30
By the latest count, four journalists were attacked August 11-12 while covering protests in Charlottesville, Virginia, involving white supremacists, white nationalists, neo-Nazis, and groups that oppose their racist views. At least one cable news host who was critical of President Trump's controversial response to the protests is now facing threats.
As inexcusable and unfortunate as that is, the reporters' and photojournalist's injuries will heal. The cable news host, God willing, will be okay. In the aftermath of Charlottesville, however, deeper and more cure-resistant wounds have been ripped wide open.
That is already prompting changes in the way journalists cover race and civil unrest in the United States, and has led to a new level of navel gazing about whether journalists should even seek both sides of a story when one of the sides is widely accepted as disreputable or despicable.
On Wednesday, for example, Washington Post media columnist Margaret Sullivan advocated putting "the nail in the coffin for 'both sides' journalism." She referenced a Harvard post-election study that claimed, essentially, that the news media were complicit in President Trump's victory because, by seeking both sides to every claim made during the campaign, reporters created the same kind of false equivalencies that the president himself is now accused of making after Charlottesville.
On another front, the Associated Press has decided to restrict the use of the term "alt-right," which has become a catch-all to describe, as the Anti-Defamation League defines them, "a range of people on the extreme right who reject mainstream conservatism in favor of forms of conservatism that embrace implicit or explicit racism or white supremacy."
Instead of "alt-right," AP correspondents and writers are now encouraged to use their reportorial skills to determine whether someone mentioned in a story is a "white supremacist," a "white nationalist," or a "neo-Nazi," and to use one or more of those appropriate monikers when needed.
Also in the days since Charlottesville, news media observer Ken Doctor, writing for NiemanLab, praised journalists covering race relations for "developing a spine" to keep raising questions about the president's rhetoric on race relations. His column also offered several other thoughtful "lessons for the news media."
All of this introspection about reporting and race – and the parallel, more far-reaching debate about issues of race in general – are the direct result of responsible journalism. If journalists had not risked their safety to report, in striking detail, just what happened in Charlottesville on August 11 and August 12, the world would not know just how deadly and horrific (yes, that's the right word) the events of those two days were.
There were innumerable flagrant acts of responsible journalism in Charlottesville, but perhaps the most compelling account came from "VICE News Tonight" correspondent Elle Reeve, who gained an amazing degree of access both to the protestors and counter-protestors there. Her report is a must-see, even if, or maybe precisely because, it's difficult to watch.
Watching Reeve's stark, riveting, and hard-to-stomach antonymic-Leni Riefenstahl report, one can't help but wonder how she didn't become the fifth journalist attacked during the unrest.
Which brings us to another, much more basic way journalism must change after Charlottesville. Reporters and photojournalists must pay more attention both to their own safety while covering protests, and to the ethical implications involved.
Prior to the events in Virginia, journalists across America had been subjected to increasing levels of obstruction, threats, harassment, arrests, and assaults merely for trying to do their jobs by serving the public. Earlier this year, RTDNA formed its Voice of the First Amendment Task Force to defend against such threats to press freedom, and to help the public better understand why journalism is essential to their daily lives.
The fear, of course, is that there will be more Charlottesvilles to come. If or when they do, responsible journalists will be there to expose the truth and serve as catalysts for the continuation of a discussion of a vital issue that has corroded, and continues to corrode, the fabric of our society for millennia.


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National Border Patrol Council "Protecting our own"
The benefits of being an illegal alien in the United States continue to grow. The U.S. Supreme Court believes it unconscionable to detain an illegal alien sex offender if there is no foreseeable removal date. Using this logic, Mexico could refuse to take back their citizens convicted of a crime in the U.S. As a result, we would be stuck with millions of illegal alien criminals walking our streets and we could do nothing about it. Wait…what would change?Read more
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In this parasha, Moses tells the people that when they come into the "land of milk and honey" ("Ki Tavo" means "when you enter") and have settled there, each of them is to bring a basket containing the first fruits of their harvest to the place that God will designate. After placing the basket on the altar, each pilgrim is to recite a prayer of thanksgiving - a prayer that summarizes the history of the people: Abraham and Jacob's wanderings, slavery in Egypt, liberation, and the entry into the Promised Land. In addition, in every third year they are to set aside one-tenth of their crop for the Levite, stranger, orphan and widow and recite another prayer, declaring that this commandment had been obeyed and asking for blessing.
Moses and the elders then instruct the people to observe a unique ceremony once they have crossed the Jordan. They are to set up two large stones, coat them with plaster, and write the words of the Law on them. These stones will be set on Mount Ebal. In addition, they are to erect a stone altar and offer sacrifices there. Six of the tribes - those descended from Jacob's wives Leah and Rachel - are to stand on Mount Gerizim, which is green and fertile; and the remaining six tribes - those descended from Jacob's concubines Bilhah and Zilpah - are to stand on Mount Ebal, which is barren. For their part, the Levites will stand in the valley between the two mountains and proclaim the blessings that will accrue to those who obey God's commandments, and the curses that will befall those who disobey them. Chapter 28 begins by describing six blessings which include prosperity, physical safety, control over enemies, fertility, and knowledge of being a holy people. Verse 15 then begins a general description of the dire consequences if we don't keep the mitzvot: disease, pestilence, heat, drought, sterility, defeat, death, blindness, madness, and dismay. Verse 30 begins to describe these punishments in even more horrible detail, and the descriptions continue to the end of the chapter. On account of these curses, this chapter is called the Tochacha or the "Warning." (In some traditional congregations, the "Tochacha" is read in hushed tones, without the usual chanting.) The parasha ends with Moses' reminding the people of the miracles that God has done for them during their wanderings for forty years in the desert - their clothes and sandals did not wear out, and all that they ate was provided for them by God.
Our medieval commentators have disagreed on the exact meaning of the words "Arami oved avi." Rashi understood them to mean "destroyer," and he thought that the "Aramean" referred to Laban who sought to destroy his nephew Jacob. Rashbam thought that the "Aramean" referred to Abraham, who was born and raised in Aram. For his part, Ibn Ezra thought that it was Jacob, who went down to Egypt.
According to Rabbi Gunther Plaut, the twelve curses in Deuteronomy 27 all relate to things that people do when they think they are alone and unobserved. And since they are acts committed in secret, they are "unpunishable by human courts." He cites a story about what Rabbi Yohanan Ben Zakkai said to his disciples when they asked him for a blessing before he died. "May you fear God as much as you fear other people," he told them. "Only that much?" his disciples asked, clearly disappointed by his response. "You fear the disapproval of other people so much that you refrain from doing in public that which you readily do in private," the great Rabbi answered. (Adapted from Berakhot 28b)
Some Thoughts and Questions
Think of Rabbi Yohanan's answer to his disciples. How do you behave in public and how do you behave in private. What influences your public behavior? What other things impact your private behavior? What part does fear play in your public and private lives?
Ki Tavo describes the Promised Land as flowing with milk and honey. What do you think this means? Where is the "land of milk and honey" today? In what ways is it a place of miracles? What first fruits and blessings do you offer in this place?
Deuteronomy 27:18 curses one who "misdirects a blind person on his way." In the same vein, Leviticus 19:14 commands us not to "place a stumbling block before the blind." On the surface level, both of these passages instruct us in how to behave towards people whose sight is impaired. Can you think of what else this may teach us about treating other people - whether or not they have a visual handicap?
The rituals of bringing the first fruits to God in thanksgiving and for setting aside the poor tithe specify the only "fixed" prayer words recorded in the written Torah. What is the difference between fixed words (such as the typical response to the question "How are you?") and words that are spontaneous? Are you more comfortable with unstructured personal prayer, or do you prefer the structure of the siddur service? When do you offer prayers in your own words? Is there a difference in your prayers when the words are your own or the words are from the prayer book? What are the best aspects of fixed and spontaneous prayer?
The "fixed words" referred to in question 4 above, include the text "My father was a fugitive Aramean ." (Deuteronomy 26:5-8). They are also found in the Passover Haggadah read each year at the seder. Compare these original verses in the parasha to the version in the Haggadah. (You'll find it after the section on the Four Sons.) Are the versions the same? What are the differences? Discuss how and why you think the changes occurred.
Why do you think the Haggadah uses Deuteronomy 26:5-8 as its primary text instead of recounting the Exodus? (Hint: In a speech delivered before The Daughters of the American Revolution on April 21, 1938 President Franklin Roosevelt urged them to "remember, remember always that all of us, and you and I especially, are descended from immigrants and revolutionists.")
Read Deuteronomy 28:15-68. What images are the most horrible? Where do they appear in the description? Which of the curses would have an effect on the physical life of the people? . which are more psychological in nature? Which curse would be worst for an individual? . for the people as a whole?
Whether or not you tithe - that is give away 10% of your income - how do you participate in the mitzvah of tzedaka? What motivates you to give tzedaka? What deters you? In what ways does the giving of tzedaka reconnect you to Jewish life, tradition, and history?
Near the end of Ki Tavo, Moses speaks to the people telling them that even with all the signs and wonders " . Adonai has not given you a mind to understand, or eyes to see, or ears to hear." Given what you know about the book of Deuteronomy, what does this mean? What role has memory played in your life? What does the phrase "I have not forgotten" mean to you? In what ways have you chosen "not to forget?" Our tradition constantly reminds us that we are to pay attention when we perform a mitzvah. Think of some times when you have carried out an activity without paying attention. What do you think you missed by not paying attention? How did it (or does it) affect your life or the lives of those around you? Why should we pay attention when performing amitzvah? Does it make the mitzvah of any less significance if one does not pay attention while doing it?


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This year we are celebrating the 100th anniversary of GRH's Freeport Campus providing care to the residents of Kitchener Waterloo. And we're inviting you to take part.
We're planning to celebrate throughout the year, with a highlight being a garden party in late June. For that, we're asking for you to provide memorabilia and patient and staff stories from the past.
If you have an idea, please contact Susan Young at 749-4300 extension 7328 or firstname.lastname@example.com and we'll follow up with you.
Then and now…
In 1911 The Berlin Sanatorium Association purchased a 15-acre property from Benjamin Shantz, near Freeport on the Grand River. In 1916 instead of opening as a civilian sanatorium it was turned over to the Dominion of Canada Military Hospitals and Convalescent Homes Commission. The first patients were 30 tubercular soldiers.
In 1920 the sanatorium was returned to civilian use and was operated by the Waterloo County Health Association In 1929-30 in response to an acute bed shortage experienced throughout Canada, the Waterloo County Health Association built the first half of the three-story main treatment building. In 1932 the main treatment building accommodated 103 patients. In 1937-38 a new wing was added to the main treatment building. In 1957 with declining admissions, Freeport Sanatorium became the first sanatorium in Ontario to initiate chronic-rehabilitative care for non-tubercular patients. In 1970 the tuberculosis division was closed.
Today, GRH's Freeport Campus houses inpatient rehabilitation beds for stroke, general rehab, complex medical, palliative, long term ventilation, restorative care, neuro- rehabilitative, geriatric assessment and specialized mental health. There are outpatient clinics serving rehabilitative care, memory assessment, pulmonary care and specialized geriatric patients. There is a satellite dialysis unit and the Waterloo Wellington Breast Centre.


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Choice OS: A Self Programming Course for Humans. Joshua Tree National Park, California, March 2018
- TierraMitica - Ayahuasca Healing Center
- Joshua Tree National Park
- Mar 22 - Apr 2, 2018 (12 days)
- $2,990.00 - Program Price
About us
CHOICE OS: A self programming course for humans:
Choose who you want to be and transform yourself in a clear, doable, intuitive way! Be your own software programmer!
Following the successful Choice OS of March 2017, the workshop returns to the enchanting desert scenery of Joshua Tree National Park just 150 miles from Los Angeles in sunny California, from March 22nd to April 2nd, 2018! The entire secluded Witts Oasis Desert Complex is reserved for the 12 day Choice OS workshop, there are hot tubs, a swimming pool, fire pits, rooms with mountain or desert views and much more! You can check it out at joshuadesertretreats.com.
A revolutionary new workshop for true life transformation through something clear, precise and tested, not just hype, promises and platitudes. The first ever workshop for human beings who want to learn how to be able to choose and fully control how they feel, think and react. A heavy duty intensive workshop dedicated to show people how to become the architects of their own software, how to determine who they are, instead of being defined by their genetics, upbringing, religion, parents and social environment. A workshop about how to become totally free not only of our provenance but also our life experiences, our traumas and our previous choices; an opportunity to be able to reinvent ourselves with a clean slate and every possible choice, including the hereto unimaginable ones. Our automatic thoughts, emotions, perceptions and reactions are defined by our beliefs. Every thought and feeling that enters our consciousness is filtered by our subconscious according to our beliefs, and these beliefs form automatic instructions for our bodies, same as lines of computer code define how a computer, an automated machine or a robot will act and react. Everything runs with an operating system that determines its functionality, and so do living beings: instinct, pre wired reactions, taught and mimicked reactions from progenitors, life experiences and the environment define every living being's life experience. What makes every being run, are sets of engraved beliefs about what serves the purposes of survival and wellbeing best. Human belief systems are transmitted and engraved primarily by receiving the belief systems of our parents and our environment and to a lesser degree through instinct and biology.
However, these inherited belief systems cause endless internal contradictions and distress; issues such as shame, guilt, duty, obligation, morality, judgment, evaluation of self-worth, sexual identity etc. depend on things beyond our control: other people's beliefs. There was a time when everybody believed that the earth is flat, that women, animals and indigenous people had no souls, that a woman that has sex before marriage or actually enjoys it afterwards is a slut and a whore, and millions suffered through these realities much as billions are suffering from today's belief systems, making depression and mental disorders the galloping illness of our era, soon to overcome heart disease as the number one killer and destroyer of wellbeing in the world according to World Health Organization figures. It is time for the first Open Source, fully customizable Operating system for human beings, giving us the possibility to be our own programmers; to actively and freely choose who we want to be! An end to suffering, an open door to every choice!
The Choice OS workshop is a direct evolution of the incredible results of the Mythic Voyage, the world's most effective heavy duty intensive life transformation Ayahuasca workshop, supported by a multitude of enthusiastic reviews and extraordinary transformation stories. After years of research, the energy and gifts of Ayahuasca can be fully transmitted without the potion, proven by the amazing success of the Choice OS Workshop in California, March 2017 and in TierraMitica, July 2017. The Choice OS workshop cannot only help with depression, bipolarity, PTSD, lack of direction and inspiration, addictions, emotional numbness, anxiety, relationship problems, trauma etc. but it can transcend everything and fly much higher, allowing you to completely rewrite your internal software. Leaving behind its roots as the Mythic Voyage, it takes all the techniques and leaps to the future as a new workshop next March 22- April 2, 2018, again in the enchanting desert scenery of The Joshua Tree National Park just 150 miles from Los Angeles in sunny California!
Info: The program cost is $2990 USD, including everything from the moment you arrive plus our personal brand of loving care, excellent accommodation and gourmet meals the TierraMitica way. Full info, reviews and testimonials at www.tierramitica.com
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Re: Pomeroy Campbell Albury
In reply to:
Pomeroy Campbell Albury
I have a copy of a page from Henry Clay Albury and Sarah Ann Robert's bible.
Their children are listed as: Cambell, Thomas, Julia** Mary, Ruby , Sarah Ella, Edith Agusta.
Henry's father is later written is as Benjamin Albury and his mother written as Mary Demeritt
** Julia was married near Clearwater FL in 1883-1886


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Lodha reforms: Supreme Court dismisses review petition, BCCI suffers setback
The Supreme Court dismissed the BCCI's review petition to recall the July 18 judgement approving the Lodha panel's recommendations to make the Board's functioning more transparentcricket Updated: Dec 13, 2016 20:39 IST
The Supreme Court dismissed the BCCI's review petition to recall the July 18 judgement approving the Lodha panel's recommendations to make the Board's functioning more transparent.
The BCCI's plea for recusal of Chief Justice TS Thakur from hearing the review petition was also dismissed.
"We have examined the grounds urged in support of the prayer for review. We find no error apparent on the face of the record to warrant recall of our order dated 18th July, 2016. The review petitions are, accordingly, dismissed. Applications for hearing in open court are rejected," read the order signed by CJI Thakur and Justice SA Bobde.
Though the decision was taken on November 10, the order was uploaded on the SC website on Tuesday. Review petitions are heard in chambers until the request for an open hearing is entertained. With the dismissal of its review plea, the BCCI's last legal remedy is to file a curative petition.
CJI Thakur's bench will on Thursday hear the Lodha panel's request to appoint former Union home secretary GK Pillai as the BCCI's administrator as the Board continues to be defiant. The CJI is to demit office on January 3.
Along with the review petition, the BCCI had filed an application seeking Justice Thakur's recusal on the ground that he was biased and cited his remarks that the Board had appointed a "demented person" like Jagmohan Dalmiya to head the organisation.
The BCCI also objected to his comments that cricket had grown despite BCCI. This observation was made when his bench was hearing a matter pertaining to the cleansing of the All India Football Federation.
"The said statement paints the petitioner which is otherwise an organisation of repute as if it were an organisation that had undergone some kind of 'treatment' to rid it of some vice and notoriety that it was otherwise deeply associated with.
"It is respectfully submitted that the said statement holds out that the judicial legislation of which review is being sought for is some kind of 'treatment' that this Hon'ble Court would impose on 'corrupt organisations'," the BCCI review petition filed through counsel Abhinav Mukherjee had stated.
First Published: Dec 13, 2016 20:28 IST


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Situated at 386, boul Arthur-Sauvé near you, Videoself Arthur Sauvé is an enterprise part of the video tapes - adult - rental & sales section of Canpages.ca online directory.
Please call 450-491-7391 to contact Videoself Arthur Sauvé that is close to your area.
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Okay, tell me is it only in Ireland or is the world just weird, I was listening to the news this morning and the ruling party in the FF government of Ireland are having a "secret" ballot tonight in a motion of confidence for the current Taoiseach (that's Irish for Prime Minister). However, the Minister of Finance has publicly declared that he will support the Taoiseach along with other members of the cabinet ... HELLO! That doesn't sound like a secret to me, so why the hell are you having a SECRET ballot then, or do you just LIE to the public about your support and then stab him in the back in the secret ballot??? Something doesn't make sense, but I am sure some Irish person will be kind enough to explain it to me.
Then there is something else that just p*sses me off totally, the fact that criminals get "FREE LEGAL AID" according to the media, I wish they would stop using the term free legal aid and change it to "Legail aid paid for with tax payers money" because that is exactly what it is, just like anything FREE in this country someone pays for it and it is normally the tax payer, not so ..... so please stop using the word FREE so FREELY!
Okay I was going to complain about old news, Radio Nova reported on a couple who updated their Relationship status on Facebook right after they took their vows, today but this story is months old, so get with the program and tell us the New NEWS, not old NEWS.
It's not that I am grumpy but just a few things that I don't fully understand.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Weird World
Posted by Rozi from Jozi at Tuesday, January 18, 2011
1 comment:
In relation to screat ballot. Brian Lenihan has been saying the Taoiseach was not up to the job. He then comes out and says he will back him. So what will he do when he casts his vote ?
It is the Irish way to smile and tell you what a decent person you are while stabbing you in the back.
It is considered impolilte to be horrid to somebodies face. But two faced is fine
- January 19, 2011 at 4:35 PM
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What You Say Matters – Person of Truth or Hypocrite?
Two men named Titus. One the world took note of. The other has impacted the world in a remarkable manner. Join us tonight and in the weeks ahead as we study about the better of two men named Titus!
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I was raised as a Catholic. It didn't work out. The parts I agree with are common sense about being a half-decent person, and the parts I don't I really don't. One can't easily avoid Catholicism in Ireland though. Today, for example, is Ash Wednesday. And one minor thing I take issue with is the instruction to
Remember that you are dust, and unto dust you shall return.I believe this is meant as an instruction in humility - don't go thinking you're so great, you will wither and die and vanish. This is certainly true regardless of whether you're religious or not. But what does that have to do with anything? The fine details don't matter - meat and chemicals and a calcium-based frame are a little more complicated than 'dust', but it's still just stuff, so no big deal.
Whether I care about this or not depends really on whether "You" addresses the individual or all members of the race. I will live for about sixty more years, then I will die and in a hundred years few people will know my name. Less, if I don't have children. If it's the race, though, that's just silly. These bundles of stuff can think and feel and know. They can fall in love and burn with hatred and get their hearts broken. They can create purpose and meaning and gods. They can care and they can pretend it matters and they can try and try and try. And I don't understand how that is cheapened by the fact that we're stuff. I really and truly don't. I think that's quite an achievement for dust or chemicals or whatever you attribute life to. I mightn't be much as an individual, but as a phenomenon, I'm pretty fantastic.
Darwin put it much more aptly and more achingly beautifully than I could:
There is a grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having originally been breathed into a few forms or into one; and that, whilst this planet has gone on cycling according to the fixed law of gravity, endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being, evolved.
Physics happens and geochemical processes happen and life happens. Just how it goes. Being everyday doesn't make any of them any less beautiful.


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John E. Ehrmantraut, Ed.D.
Dr John Ehrmantraut
has been working with adults, adolescents, children and families in the Richmond area for over 25 years. His specialties are treating adults and young adults with anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties and stress. He also specializes in life transitions such as entering adulthood, changing careers, aging and illness, and loss and grief.
Additionally, he has extensive experience and interest in working with children, adolescents and their families.
Dr. Ehrmantraut accepts many insurance plans.
- Specialties:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Relationship difficulties
- Stress
- Life transitions
- EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing)
- Work with children, adolescents and their families
- Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Ed.D. University of Northern Colorado
- Presented several workshops on treating depressed adolescents, 2010-2011
- Combines traditional therapies with holistic wellness, strength building and focused problem solving approaches.
Location, Contact & Hours Southside:
- Southside Office:
1241 Mall Dr.
Richmond, VA 23235
(map it)
- Contact Phone (Southside):
(804) 794-5928
- Office Hours/Southside:
Wednesday: 3 pm to 8 pm
Location, Contact & Hours Northside:
- Northside/West End Office:
5821 Staples Mill Road
Richmond, VA 23228-5427 (map it)
- Contact Phone (Northside):
(804) 264-0966
- Office Hours/Northside:
Monday 9 am to 6 pm
Tuesday 11 am to 5 pm
Thursday 9 am to 7 pm
- Email: drjohne@ thewestwoodgroup.org


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French Food's Evolution
UNESCO lists French cuisine to the list of cultural objects that are considered part of the world's 'intangible cultural heritage.' This honor recognizes the tremendous impact French food has. But where did French cuisine begin, and how did it come to dominate the culinary world?
Talking about French cuisine as if it were a singular entity oversimplifies and distorts the story. Much of the "French food" we enjoy has its origins in diverse regions of France and even areas outside of the modern geographic borders of the country. For example, Burgundy is the home of coq au vin whereas, Chicken Basque originated in the Basque region.
The Beginning
We need to time travel all the way back to the Middle Ages to pinpoint exactly when this diverse "French fare" became differentiated from other regional cuisine. While techniques changed over the years, the inclusion of only the most fresh and finest ingredients has not. And, much like today, the presentation of food is equal to its taste.
The Italian Influence
Catherine de Medici's arrival from Italy in 1540 changed the culinary world not just in France but also throughout the continent. Color became key, and tableware and wine glasses came into extensive use. Tomatoes from the Mediterranean and green beans from outer regions were also introduced to the menu.
Courses Fit For A King
During the reign of King Louis XIV, dishes were served one at a time, rather than all at once (or "family style"). During this period, the use of silverware became commonplace. Voila! The meal was enjoyed and savored at leisure, as was the company of guests and the table conversations.
French Dining Near Your Neighborhood!
La PanotiQ Bakery Café is a family-owned bakery cafe dedicated to providing you with finest French fare coupled with an exceptional, relaxing environment. You'll taste a little bit of history in the fresh and French foods, bread, and French desserts we serve, and our pastries are considered among the best in the area. We invite you to dine in one of our San Francisco/Bay Area locations for breakfast or lunch, or stop in for coffee and a some of the best pastries!