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Monday, December 29, 2008
CCSD's Underutilized Schools: Why?
Not one of these schools is in an area of declining population. In fact, the opposite is true. Logic tells us that "something is rotten in the state of Denmark."
Can we cut to the chase? Hundreds of students in these attendance areas have been allowed to transfer to schools in other constituent districts, most recently under NCLB, but most for years under various cooked-up personal reasons. These are the mostly apartheid schools, resegregated through artifice with the full cooperation of the School Board. These facts explain why CCSD refuses to provide numbers to the public on students attending schools other than in their attendance area.
Faced with sanctions under NCLB for years of failing [read "loss of federal funds"], Superintendent Nancy McGinley and the Charleston County School Board coterie urge these closures. After all, how would NCLB sanctions look on McGinley's record when she interviews for her next position?
This analysis holds no water for Lincoln High School, which is not failing. McGinley must be really annoyed at how bad this small, community-supported school makes her ideas of mega-high-schools look. Could it be that smaller high schools can be more successful?
And what about the closings of Charlestown Academy in North Charleston and Charleston Progressive Academy downtown? Close down the schools that are succeeding so that scores will rise at other schools?
Under cover of a bad recession McGinley and Gregg Meyers mean to remake CCSD in their own image. That means mega-schools instead of neighborhood ones. That means using earthquake scares to tear down every building not built by Bill Lewis.
When they get through with the Charleston County School District, it will have no history or traditions, this in an area settled in 1670.
Friday, December 26, 2008
Charleston's NAACP Silent on School Closings
Then ask yourself: where is Dot Scott? How about Joe Darby? Developed laryngitis, have they? Has the NAACP taken a year-end vacation? Did it take the Ministerial Alliance with it?
Or have they sold out?
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Wilmot Fraser Calls CCSD Like It Is
Fraser puts the Charleston County School District's suggested District 20 closings in the proper perspective (something that both Superintendent McGinley and the reporter lacked):
". . . if we bother to understand them." There's nothing quite as valuable as boots on the ground.
"This meeting was clearly structured not to solicit public opinion regarding proposed school closings and restructuring but to sell the public the point of view that the current economic crisis demands that public schools as we know them be shuttered and deconstructed to achieve false economies. The public clearly rejected all of the administrative proposals. No one spoke in favor."
"I personally criticized the planned closing of Wilmot J. Fraser Elementary. Its closing would tearing apart the history and culture of the community it serves because schools are not just buildings but cultural legacies of how to teach and learn successfully that can serve us well long-term if we bother to understand them."
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Williams's Op-Ed Explains All for CCSD's Meyers
Just in case you ever wondered why Meyers has such good press from the P & C, the answer appears from perusal of Sunday's op-ed commentary, Charter Schools, Old and New, Still a District Sore Point. Williams carefully clarifies all of Meyers's objections to charter schools, especially his "concerns" over the Board's supervision of James Island Charter High School.
Please, butter wouldn't melt in his mouth.
Don't forget who's the real impetus behind restructuring and closing schools--and making life as hard as possible for the Charter School for Math and Science. If Meyers had not proposed to Superintendent McGinley that she come back to the Board with a plan, none of the nonsense we're dealing with right now would be happening.
Did it occur to Meyers that such proposals would make the idea of charter schools even more attractive in CCSD?
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Schools Sharing Space: Imagine That!
Problems? Yes, but possibilities galore for the Charleston County School District. If only someone would think "outside the box." [That's a pun, by the way.]
Friday, December 19, 2008
Brian, You Expect CCSD to Make Sense?
It just doesn't make sense to some folks on Johns Island.
Why would you completely rebuild a school and then, three years later, stick it on a list of possible facilities to close?
[See Close St. John's, Heart and Soul of Community?]
Who knows how much has been spent in the last three years on upgrading schools that CCSD now plans to close?
Wouldn't that data be interesting!
In Case You Don't Subscribe to the P & C: Rivers Campus
From Friday's Letters to the Editor:
Honor public's choice for Rivers siteFriday, December 19, 2008
All three of Dr. Nancy McGinley's School Redesign options for Rivers Middle School destroy this handsome 1938 building designed by Albert Simons and relocate the Charleston Charter School for Math & Science (CCSMS), a middle high school, to Archer Elementary School.
How well can the Archer building, designed for 283 little children, serve the needs of 480 teenagers? In addition to being too small in scale and capacity, Archer won't meet the many special needs of high school students — including science labs and a gym. Does Archer make sense for a middle high school?
Dr. McGinley's plan also raises other questions. What happened to the public's vote on Rivers last year and the school district's four year agreement with CCSMS to use Rivers Middle?
On May 22, 2007, about 250 people participated in an elaborate public engagement process concerning the Rivers Middle campus. After hearing and discussing the alternatives, they were asked to rank various alternatives through a formal voting process. CCSMS was the undisputed winner of the vote.
In keeping with the vote, on April 14, the Charleston County School Board approved a four-year agreement for CCSMS to use Rivers. Yet eight months later, all three redesign options banish CCSMS from Rivers Middle.
Do votes by the public and signed agreements mean nothing?
On Aug. 20, CCSMS opened on the Rivers Middle campus with the most diverse student body in Charleston County. Before its first year of operation, it built a waiting list and already has more applications than spaces for next year's 6th grade.
Bucking the tide of declining enrollments in peninsula schools, CCSMS, will grow from 188 today to 480 in 2012 if it is allowed to stick with its four-year plan and facility agreement.
One sure way to improve educational opportunities for all District 20 children is to respect the public's choice for the Rivers Middle School. That choice is that the Charleston Charter School for Math & Science — designed for that campus and doing very well — remain there.
CCSMS is currently accepting applications for 2009-2010 for grades 6-10. Applications are due by Jan. 14 and are available at: charlestonmathscience.org. Prospective students and their families are invited to an open house on Jan. 10 from 10 a.m.-noon.
Board of Directors
Charleston Charter School for Math & Science
King Street
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Option 4 for CCSD's District 20: An IED
District 20 needs its own IED (yes, Improvised Explosive Device) to give CCSD School Board members reasons to vote against the McGinley-Meyers-Green guided missiles. Improvised, of course, because 75 Calhoun has guaranteed that dissenters do not have the proper data concerning school capacities, school expenses, and potential student bodies. That means that they will respond (as McGinley has already) that District 20 residents simply do not understand the problem and are reacting emotionally to a "data-driven" inevitability. In fact, if you view Mr. Bobby's economic explanation to public audiences, he believes not only are you economically ignorant, you are also simple-minded.
Allow me to quote from Core Knowledge what one respected educator has observed about being "data driven":
Wow! Did he just describe CCSD or what? Trendy poor judgment and lack of sensible restraint.
"Gone are the days when educators dismissed data as having only a limited utility for improving schools and school systems. What's taken its place, argues Rick Hess, is 'The New Stupid' — where data-based decision making and research-based practice 'stand in for careful thought, serve as dressed-up rationales for the same old fads, or [are] used to justify incoherent proposals.'""The key is not to retreat from data, Hess counsels, 'but to truly embrace the data by asking hard questions, considering organizational realities, and contemplating unintended consequences. Absent sensible restraint, it is not difficult to envision a raft of poor judgments governing staffing, operations, and instruction—all in the name of 'data-driven decision making.'"
Start from the assumption that any suggestion deviating from CCSD's plans will be met with sniggering and belittling. McGinley et al fervently hope that any plan put forward will compromise enough schools that you will have signed on for your own punishment. Don't let that happen. Whatever plan you put forward must be outrageously bold and sensible; there is no way to propose dollar savings with no reliable information, so don't waste time trying.
What to do?
- Announce that most dollar savings must be found in Mt. Pleasant, James Island, and West Ashley.
- Immediately move to structure Charleston Progressive as a charter school. (Yes, I know they said they won't consider more charters; call their bluff).
- File a lawsuit in federal court claiming that the School Board is attempting to resegregate the schools;
- Call the bluff of the NAACP and Ministerial Alliance, both of whom have remained strangely silent on McGinley's proposals.
- Ask for what you really want and have wanted for decades; don't bend to seismic or economic threats.
- Forget the seismic upgrades and the costs associated with moving students around to do them;
- Combine all grade-level-performing students from Charleston Progressive and Buist into one magnet school that is K-8 (let's call it Courtenay Magnet, maybe);
- Put CSMS in the Rivers building and let its board decide about upgrades;
- Make all downtown elementary schools K-7, planning that in better times they will become Pre-K through 7;
- Make Burke High School grades 8 - 12, for reasons enumerated previously on this blog;
- Put the so-called Career Center / technical high school in Burke as a magnet;
- Redraw district lines to include nearby parts of Mt. Pleasant, West Ashley, and North Charleston to fill any remaining spaces and bring down per-pupil costs.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
CCSD's Sham Redesigns in District 20: Sue
The removal of Wilmot Fraser fils from Tuesday night's School Redesign meeting at Burke High School only proves the point. He wanted to change the preapproved agenda. How dare actual members of the community challenge the fly-by-night plans of outsiders (McGinley--Philadelphia; Meyers--New Orleans; Green--Germany & various army posts, etc.) telling them what's best for their community! [See 350 Jam Schools Meeting, Demand to Be Heard.] Fortunately, they didn't just fall off the turnip truck, as the School Redesigners seem to believe.
What McGinley and School Board members have received is the frustrated, pent-up anger of those who have been prevented from engaging in true dialogue for too long. True, these sham community imput meetings weren't started by McGinley, but she has been only too content to follow in her predecessors' footsteps.
Say, what ever happened to the OLD plans for downtown schools? You know, the ones gathering dust on some CCSD shelf, for which a facilitator was paid $70,000 not too long ago?
The proper derision met talk of "seismic upgrades"(TV coverage reported laughter and catcalls; the P & C quoted Sandra Perry, a supporter of Fraser, as saying, "'I've been there 50 years, and I haven't seen an earthquake knock down Fraser yet,' . . . in response to the district's position.") The community knows full well that these are an excuse to close some schools and destroy others.
Too much disinformation passed by CCSD and the media goes unchallenged. On Channel 5 Wednesday morning, viewers were blithely told that Charleston "lies on a major fault line."
Nobody is exactly sure what causes these earthquakes [in intraplate areas]. In many cases, the causative fault is deeply buried, and sometimes cannot even be found. Under these circumstances it is difficult to calculate the exact seismic hazard for a given city, especially if there was only one earthquake in historical times.So what's the big rush now? The bond issues for these upgrades haven't even been voted on yet, have they? If we've waited 50 years, why not a couple more?
We know the answer. Those in control of CCSD have seized the opportunity of weak school funding (brought on by our state legislature, I might add) combined with so-called necessary upgrades for earthquakes and a now reeling economy plus new School Board members who don't yet realize what's going on in the dog-and-pony show to ensure that no integrated school other than Buist exists downtown and to show the Feds next time they look at NCLB results that CCSD has no failing schools. They'll simply move the schools across the street, create sham mini-magnets, and give them new names, get rid of that pesky CPA magnet that keeps asking for a magnet's assets (that might take resources away from Buist) and squash CSMS in the embryo stage so that everyone can see that an integrated school downtown is impossible. Oh, yes, and sell off Fraser and Archer to developers.
Now that's Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) in a nutshell.
Apart from lobbying School Board members to, at the very least, postpone voting on these very complex proposals in January, and, at most, to vote against the whole package at any time it comes up, residents of District 20 need to band together, pool resources, and hire a lawyer. Sue in federal court. Point out that CCSD plans to resegregate the district.
We may not be able to stop them, but at least we can slow them down. And time is valuable.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
The Worm Turns on Johns Island
So it should be no seven-day-wonder that the residents of Wadmalaw and Johns Islands have banded together to propose their own more sensible plan to redesign schools on the islands. [See Islands' Residents Offer School Plan.] If only the School Board would take notice.
The residents of District 20 downtown, including those who support the Charter School for Math and Science, are facing their own armageddon Tuesday night as they band together to rebel against the most convoluted and self-serving proposal of all. Let's hope all will be heard, not merely listened to.
Monday, December 15, 2008
CCSD: Shaft District 20 and CSMS in One Blow
Even as you read this blog, CCSD is paying its lawyer to protest CSMS's right to reside on space owned by CCSD. And these so-called charter-loving folks have declared themselves above the law when it comes to considering future charters.
So it should hardly come as a surprise that all three options under the School Redesign proposals include putting CSMS into the Archer building, thus giving an elementary school building to what will become a 6-12 school. Furthermore, Archer will hold only 280 students; CSMS plans to enroll 480. That should be a good fit. The extra 200 can sit on the grass outside.
Let's face it: if the new Board members go along with the majority of the old (and so far they show no signs--other than Kandrac--of being other than cheerleaders for McGinley), they can ram this travesty through. They have the votes. All supporters of CSMS can do is make as much noise as possible and round up its own lawyers. What ever happened to the Office of Civil Rights, anyway?
It must be galling for McGinley and friends to see an integrated and successful downtown school arise after CCSD has managed to gut all previous ones.
Even beyond that travesty, after treating Charleston Progressive Academy, an erstwhile magnet school now in the Courtenay building, as the poor stepchild for years, McGinley et al will close it. That, my friends, is another piece of the pattern revealed in District 1 and District 4. CPA isn't McGinley's child, so why not jettison it willy-nilly, even though it is one of the most successful elementary schools downtown. As I stated previously, it's all about the numbers (and I don't mean financial ones).
"Seismic upgrade"for Courtenay, indeed. Does that make sense for new buildings? Yes. For the old ones? No. It's just another way to spend taxpayer dollars and keep cronies employed. Furthermore, let the Montessori school find space in Mt. Pleasant or West Ashley. Or how about on John's Island? I understand it has some excess capacity.
No, here's a better plan.
MERGE CPA with Buist!
- Any child now attending either school who is on grade level will remain; others will return to the schools in their attendance districts. Brilliant, isn't it?
- That way, CCSD will have kept its promise to CPA's parents when it designated it a magnet school.
- Kept its promise. Its promise.
- This merger should be much less expensive than the options proposed by CCSD.
- Include those parts of Mt. Pleasant and West Ashley that are closer to Burke than to Wando or West Ashley High Schools;
- Keep the eighth grade at Burke so that eighth-graders will make a smoother transition into high school; those prepared can take world languages and algebra at the high-school level;
- Add the technological and vocational classes to Burke that its parents so highly desire.
- Redraw lines where necessary to include students from Mt. Pleasant and West Ashley to keep buildings full;
- Keep Fraser and James Simons open; their space will be needed for the downtown students who will return once CCSD gets serious about improvement; otherwise, Bill Lewis will come hat in hand to ask for more millions to build schools before these students are out of high school.
Friday, December 12, 2008
The Old Shell Game in CCSD
CCSD has suggested so many changes and shifts in student bodies in this part of its redesign proposal that only one conclusion is possible: move those students around to the point that no one looking at test scores will be able to compare future results with present ones.
Isn't that what this is all about anyway?
Option 1:
- School A, now 6-8, will become 7-8 for one year, then switch to 3-5;
- School B, now 6-8, will close for one year, then open magnetized as 6-8;
- School C, now 6-8, will become 7-8 for one year, then magnetize as 6-8;
- School D, not on line, will become 6-7 for one year, then magnetize as 6-8;
- School E, now 9-12, will stay 9-12 for one year, then magnetize as 6-8.
As the article stated,
"The atmosphere was more subdued than in McClellanville on Wednesday night but the crowd ignited at the mention of Charlestowne Academy, the only area school that might be closed under the proposal. . . . The district's proposal calls for Charlestowne Academy, a K-12 magnet school, to close and for its building to be used by Clark Academy, a program for high school students at risk for dropping out."District 4's per-pupil expenditures are lower than the district overall. No purpose exists for shutting down Charlestowne Academy, considering that it stands out as a school that actually is meeting goals--rated Excellent, etc. Sound familiar? It should. The same exists for shutting down Lincoln High School. Yet if the achievers now at CTA are dispersed among the rest of North Charleston's schools, their overall scores will rise. Of course, McGinley hasn't considered that angle. Right.
Let's also consider the angle that Communities in Schools, run by Mayor Riley's sister, which is heavily involved in the development of Clark Academy, would be delighted to get its hands on the building now being used for Charlestown Academy. Disperse those higher-achieving students AND please the Mayor--how could McGinley et al resist?
Then there's the asininity of shutting down Brentwood once again and calling it something else. A rose by any other name. . . .
"Some questioned the district's spending, such as its administrative costs, and whether that has led to the district's predicament." McGinley answered with "We've done everything we can without touching the schools. . . . The (state) cuts have been so severe that we don't have anywhere else to find the dollars."
Here's a thought: how about McGinley's returning her windfall extra $300 per month in-district travel allowance now that the price of gasoline has fallen.
What? She really needs $1100 per month? What's she driving?
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Stand Up for McClellanville! Democracy at Work
Maybe Dylan Thomas wrote about dying in this villanelle, yet it gladdens the heart to see that residents of McClellanville have chosen not to file meekly away into classrooms to fill out yet one more form to be ignored by CCSD. Instead on Wednesday night they attempted to create the actual public discourse that CCSD, and Superintendent McGinley in particular, dread and avoid at all costs in public meetings, school board meetings, and the like. [See School Officials Get an Earful in Thursday's P & C.]
"People wondered aloud when they would be able to talk in an open forum about the proposals that would close their schools. They walked up to the front of the room and asked to be heard, and [the paid facilitator] Robertson relinquished the microphone.
"Some questioned how they could give feedback now when they still didn't know the results of a previous community forum on the criteria that would be used to rank schools for closure."
Open forum! Imagine that.
What did McGinley learn at the Broad Institute? Apparently not that small communities take pride in their schools and see them as centering their communities. It certainly had not occurred to her that the black community in McClellanville first gave up its black schools for integration and is now being asked to give them up again--this time to melt into the woodwork at Wando and Cario. Trade a close-knit community for a number in a warehouse. Maybe 150 is too small for complete high school offerings, but 3300 is about three times too large!
The most closely-guarded secrets of 75 Calhoun include the number of high school students who live in the McClellanville district (District 1) and attend public high school elsewhere in CCSD. Even more top secret would be the racial mix of students that CCSD's School Board has allowed to transfer out of the district for "convenience." It stinks.
Despite the rantings in the P & C article's comments section, Lincoln High School is not a failing school; in fact, this year it earned a Good rating overall and in improvement. Does anyone seriously believe these students will be better off if they go to Wando?
On the other hand, land in McClellanville has rapidly risen in value in the last few years. Why, only a couple of blocks away from this school are million-dollar homes for sale. Why not tear down the school and build more of them? Maybe McClellanville can attract some more millionaires from New York. That seems to be the CCSD mindset.
Let's be practical. If it's all about saving money, Option 3 should be Option 1, the only option. It is the only one that makes any sense from every point of view. Middle schools, such as McClellanville and Cario too, are sinkholes of academics, regardless of the best efforts of all concerned.
A high school with Grades 7 through 12 is not unreasonable; such structures exist everywhere, in most cases to the benefit of students. More advanced eighth graders are able to take their "high school" credits such as Algebra 1 in high school. Doesn't that make sense? And why not put sixth graders in elementary school?
This option leaves McClellanville Middle School vacant. Selling it would be short-sighted. That would assume that Charleston County is not expanding in its direction. Look at its picture above. This should be torn down? And then in a few years, probably before today's middle-schoolers have graduated from high school, Bill Lewis or his replacement will come to the taxpayers with a proposal to build another multi-million-dollar school.
Still left unaddressed is the overcrowding at Wando and Cario. Golly gee, what about redrawing district lines? Given the number of students who cross them every day, at this point they exist for purposes of segregation only.
I wonder how much money has been spent renovating these schools in McClellanville over the last decade. Plenty, I'll bet. Got to keep those cronies busy.
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
CCSD School Redesign's Ramifications
- If citizens' concerns raised during the first round of public meetings affected this redesign, its complexity hides the results;
- None of the information indicates what will happen to the buildings and land around the closed schools--it's a great time for a fire sale, isn't it, real estate values being so high and all;
- McGinley's blaming closures on the present economic crisis; however, the true culprits here are those in the state legislature who changed the way schools are funded;
- Weren't we happy last night to see "experienced educator" Jane Riley complimenting the district on its plans? Let's hear more of her ideas. We're all ears.
Sunday, December 07, 2008
Post-McKissick: Will Summerville Stop Importing Players?
Perhaps the local press awaits his retirement to investigate the illegal recruiting of players that fuels that success. Almost everyone I meet has a story, just not for publication. What does that say to our students about ethics? Cheating is okay if it's football?
Thursday, December 04, 2008
School Board Thinks It Supercedes SC Legislature
Meanwhile, the Charleston County School Board has decided to rewrite the rules for charter schools set down by the state legislature. Six members of CCSD's Board don't like the law, so they've decided to ignore it until someone forces them to pay attention. Fortunately, this time they're not dealing with those with no money or influence, so repercussions will be forthcoming. Prepare yourself for seeing more school budget money going to defend lawsuits. Sigh.
This law-breaking decision became entirely predictable when these four cheerleaders for 75 Calhoun were elected. Hold onto your hat. It's going to get worse.
They're so dense that they don't realize that every time they oppose charter schools they add more support for school vouchers.
Out of the frying pan, into the fire.
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
P & C Editorial Sense on Drayton Hall Charter
A pointed editorial in Wednesday's paper [see Back School Choice Options], indicates that
"The law includes a provision that allows a district to reject a charter conversion on financial grounds but requires more than a mere declaration that the loss of funding will have an adverse impact. Charter school regulations require that districts specifically demonstrate "a direct negative impact on students." A district also must show specific options it considered to counter that negative impact, but to no avail."
Well, Superintendent McGinley? Let's hear about those options you explored.
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
Mission Creep in Charleston County Schools
Much more interesting is the genesis of the fund at present supervised by Superintendent McGinley, a fund that contains $13,000. She said she "sometimes receives donations from community members, and the district receives rebates from vendors based on its volume purchasing."[boldface added]
Are we to assume that such money just started coming in to the school district? Does anyone else wonder what has been done with such monies in the past and by whom? People just habitually hand the superintendent money willy-nilly, no strings attached?
And "volume purchasing" of what? Has the district received "rebates" previously? Why aren't they returned to the original account from which those vendors are paid?
Thirteen thousand dollars to send flowers, buy bus tickets, outfit children--these fall under "unique, catastrophic or emergency situations," according to Chief Financial Officer Bobby.
Says Superintendent McGinley, "We have to be good human beings and take care of people in dire need . . . . When tragedy strikes, we'd like to offer some help. There's always a need to reach out and help people in need."
How about donating money to the local Red Cross?
How about focusing on education?
Monday, December 01, 2008
Do Students Cheat? How About Parents?
Of course, we all hope that our own children are in the minority who do not cheat, but ask yourself: if you could cheat on your income taxes and not get caught, would you do it? If you believe that "everyone else" gets ahead of you because they cheat, would you? If you did get caught and you could blame the tax preparer or the government or ignorance and get away with without serious consequences, would you cheat?
Students today don't even know the meaning of the word "Draconian" because they and those responsible for forming their ethics make too many excuses for bad behavior, whether it be cheating, stealing, or lying. Too many teachers suffer burnout from facing the hurdles (angry parents, administrators that want parents to go away, etc.) to enforcing a cheat-free classroom. How many parents will say, "Thank you for catching my child"? High school teachers of writing require more and more class time for drafting so that they know that the work is the student's own (and not his-or-her friend's or parent's or something found on the Web).
Don't forget--this financial crisis was largely brought about by mortgage brokers who were so greedy for commissions that they didn't care what consequences ensued, even encouraging applicants to lie on applications. And the applicants did. They weren't high schools students.


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Karlie Kloss
Haider Ackermann A/W '12
Look 23
I honestly don't think there is much of an explanation necessary as to why I have chosen this fantastic image. I literally stared at the screen for 10 minutes at the strength of Kloss' face, those high cheekbones and her svelte figure in those amazing glossy cropped trousers. It was one of the best looks from the collection and is such a great look for Kloss; it fits her like a glove. The boots are sky high, leather and uber sexy, the aesthetic polished, sophisticated and the model, stunning and one of best in her field.
Kloss it up Hackerman.
Kloss it up Hackerman.

subset: commoncrawl


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Congrats to the members of the second annual COBRA Magazine All-National Team. This issue celebrates 45 of the best women of color in NCAA volleyball. I'm chuckling because I said women of color.
When the previous issue of COBRA dropped, the All-Region Teams were announced. It was COBRA's most read issue to date, by the way. The email box at email@example.com received a few messages from SIDs informing the magazine that players honored from their institutions were not African American. Two players for example, Maline Vaitai of Maryland Eastern Shore and Ashley Eneliko of Oregon State, are Tongan and Samoan respectively. How can COBRA Magazine be a publication that exclusively features players of African descent but honor Tongans and Samoans? That's a great question and one that deserves to be answered.
I can only guess that a person of Tongan or Samoan heritage probably endures similar issues in college volleyball as black players. COBRA is a voice for athletes who are underrepresented. Yes the publication's number one priority is featuring black women in the sport but it reserves the right to honor, support and feature whomever it chooses.
Another issue was the fact that COBRA honors Puerto Rican players. In 2009 Natalie Rodriguez of Alabama A&M was named to the All-National Team. She and many people on the island of Puerto Rico were proud of the honor as it was printed on some Spanish speaking websites from her hometown of San Juan. This year Albany's Laurie Gonzalez and Florida International's Natalia Valentin were named to the All-National Team.
COBRA received an email about Valentin not being African American. I know the SID meant well and this is not an attack on her. The point is that a lot of people don't know the history of Puerto Rico. At one time Africans we a majority in Puerto Rico due to slavery and in result most Puerto Ricans have as much African ancestry as they do anything else.
COBRA is not lumping Puerto Ricans, African Americans, Samoans and Tongans in the same category. All groups have unique things about them but at the same time there are bonds that tie them all together when it comes to dealing with issues such as oppression from a system that is not designed with their best interests in mind.


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Latest gifts & ribbons:
Life is tough, it's even tougher if you're stupid (John Wayne)
If you're not angry, you are not paying attention (Ralph Nader)
9 Tanks (2-29G QT) ranging from 150G to 10G for my 1/2 moon Beta
Liters to Gallons conversion calculator
"Keeping fish for any period of time doesn't make you experienced if you're doing it wrong. What does, is acknowledging those mistakes and learning from them." ~Aeonflame
"your argument is invalid." ~Mommy1
Indian Reservation...
Current tanks:
37G FW - 3 Pearl Gourami, 4 Black Mollies, approximately 20+ Molly Fry, 5 Assassin Snails | 10G Planted FW - 14 Molly Fry, rocks, DW and an Anubias Nana - journal
"We come from the land of the ice and snow" | "I reject your reality and substitute my own" - Adam Savage | What part of "Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn" don't you understand?
How to cycle without fishies!
the shaft.....
Adventures in Aquaria - The KevinVA Story
When in doubt, ask yourself... W.W.L.S (What would Lee Say)?
Have a fish problem? Fill out and post this completed questionnaire in the General Aquarium Forum, when you start a new thread.
ask ?'s and change some water pair of JD's and loving it.
fishing line....
Forum Rules


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Self-help book lover? Then maybe, this book may be for you.
Eat Pray Love
This movie is based from the book of the same title by author Elizabeth Gilbert. I admit, this is one of the few books I've not read, and after watching this movie, I never will.
The story is about Liz Gilbert (the author is played by Julia Roberts) who finds herself falling out of love with her husband, Stephen (Billy Crudup). After a series of self- loathing events, she finds herself (and a new love) after traveling the world.
The Good
The countries visited. Yes, this is how much I liked this movie. I start the good with advertising Italy, India and Bali. Although I've only visited Italy, the landscape captured on all 3 countries is breathtaking.
Billy Crudup as Stephen. From the movie, you get the gist that this man, although seemingly immature, showed that he was a man that was broadsided with Liz's announcement of a separation. His attempt to win her back was pretty good. If there is a man out there willing to give everything up to change a relationship, giving the relationship one more chance should be a gimme in his case, in my opinion.
Javier Bardem as Felipe. Amazing actor for someone who definitely does not win any accolades for being the best-looking leading man. Felipe is a man who's not afraid to fall for Liz despite putting his love life on hold for his children and (maybe) hope for a reconciliation from his ex-wife. Watching him put everything on the line (albeit short on film) makes the movie almost palatable.
The Bad
Oh, where to start? The plot. I don't know if the intent of the book or the movie was to show a selfish or conceited side of Liz Gilbert. If it was, then the movie caught that rather well. I cannot sympathize with Liz's character. Really, grow up. Finding "yourself" by doing a lot of self-loathing is unflattering. Getting a lover when the divorce hasn't even been finalized shows a level of maturity that is questionable. Liz was whiny, making the character very unappealing.
The Ugly
I could not tell whether the movie was too long because the plot was just unpalatable or because the journey to find one's self was only slightly referenced. Self-indulgence on screen masked with a self-journey synopsis is just bad.
Stale Popcorn Rating: If you're a Julia Roberts fan, you may want to rent it. It's not a flattering role, but any die-hard fan of hers won't be so disappointed. Otherwise, it's a free rental/TV movie kind of affair. Up the ante by doing something while watching the movie. That way you won't feel like asking the wasted time back.


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East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service was called to reports of a shipping container alight in Hailsham last night (3rd September) at 20.35.
Firefighters from Hailsham were sent to the scene on Diplocks Way.
Rubbish outside the container was well alight and the fire had spread inside of the container.
Crews used a hose reel jet to put it out.


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History slide 3
The flashcards below were created by user
FreezingBlue Flashcards
Describe the different trade relations?
-Agrarian based economies-few cities
-Invaders threatening the Frankish lands:France, Germany & Belgium
-North-African Muslims in Spain 711-Access to the Mediterranean trade aggravated
-Scandinavian Vikings in Britain
-Magyars in Central Europe in the 800s
-The German defeated the Magyars 955
-German settlements in E-C-E spread 1000s
-Religious conversions-crusaders 1100s-
Describe the basic characteristics of Feudalism?
-Manorial systems, common in the Frankish lands 900s onward
: heritable lands/property
-The right to exploit were granted by a county based lord in return for a vassal knight's loyalty, military service, or security.
-Service and protection contracts, involving transfer of land to local royal officers and great land holders gave increased power
-The king gave private justice and immunity from royal interference
-In the bottom of the social ladder was serfom/ land rents paid in labour
Feudal relations:
THE KING (warrior)
Vassal Princes (Barons/Lords)
: Collecting revenues and serving at wars.
The peasant serf (agricultural labour)
Explain the spread of the feudal system?
-The hierarchic system of the church
: symbolic ceremonies-Obedience
-Land owned by monasteries, dignitaries or by the churches themselves= Feudal connections
: Church -state-Obedience
-From present day France-->Spain--> Italy--> Germany & England into E-C-E/Russia
-Fragmented sovereignty-constant wars between small kingdoms/city states
-Present all over Europe up to the 1400s
Describe Feudalism in economic thinking?
Karl Marx:
: Exploitation of peasants work
-But a necessary part of the historical development
: Slavery-->Feudalism-->Capitalism-->Socialsim-->Communism
North & Thomas
-Feudalism was a specific form of contract relations
-Work was exchanged for protective and jurisdiction.
-High land-labour ratio (much land available in relation to the size of labour)-->extensive farming.
-Insecure borders (lack of security)
-Changing land rents because of changing property values (population decrease) after the Plauge 1350s
-Labour dues in kind (obligations-non-monetary exchanges)
Why feudalism?
Why not slavery?
-Monitoring is costly
-Land was cheap
: Labour was available and labour service for the landlord (payment) was measured in days
Why not rent?
-Transaction costs in a non-monetary economy (easier to trade labour in an economy with low monetary exchanges)
-Risk sharing (many people carried the costs of a bad harvests) The manor lord always received his share.
Why not a commune?
-Gains from specialization in viloence
-High costs for military investment (the hierarchic system supplies horses, arms, fortifications)
-Peasant serfs exploited
: Manorialism= labour dues-fixed or adjusted-low market integration
What happend during 900s-1300s?
-Population growth (900s-1300s)
-Decreasing land-labour-ratio (less land/head=land hunger)
-Malthusian trap
: Stagnating productivity, less good nutrition
-Increasing populations= Declining wages/costs for labour
: Higher access to labour and increasing land rents
-Exposure to threats
: wars & deceases (the plauge 1350s-1400)
Explain what happened during the 14th century?
Began with overpopulation and trade expansion
- Famine and the plauge 1350s
→Population decline→Increased land labour ration→falling rents/husbandry increases=more/better food nutrients→Rising wages→General recovery→population growth 1450s on.
-Growth of certain cities, shipping, banking and financial services
-Signs of labour gaining rights, reduced feudal dues---Gradual decline of serfdom
What happend during the 15th & 16th century Europe?
-Population growth=Problems to feed all people when the land-labour-ratio decresed
-60-95% peasants:Manual labour
-Malthusian trap
-Falling wages →Rising rents→Landowners strengthened their positions
-Migration→Increasing trade and specialization
-Incentives for enclosure
: UK wool prices went up.
Describe the forces against feudalism?
-Expansion of towns, trade and monetary relations
-Concentration of power
-Centralization of political and military authority 1400s to 1600s= Powerful monarchs→taxation and bureaucracy = declining role for the church
-Improved communications
: Fewer isolated manors means more contacts and exchanges
-Shifting land-labour ratios:Population vs. available land resources
-Property rights-enclosure:Law making
-Gradual breakdown- France 1789, Germany 1848, Russia 1917, Eastern Europe late 19th century- 1920s
Card Set:
History slide 3
2013-05-11 13:51:22
slide 3, Medieval economy: Feudalism and agriculture
Show Answers:


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Been a bloody long since I last shared some cosplay pictures, nay?
Well here are some that I found recently. <^-^>v
You'll find:
- Fullmetal Alchemist (11 images)
- King of Fighters (7 images)
- BLEACH (6 images)
- Devil May Cry (8 images)
- Heart no Kuni no Alice (8 images)
- DMC and HnKnA images with the cosplayer's profile link attached
As usual, I don't claim any of these awesome pictures to be mine —
Just found them from here and there. <—ω—>
So alright, picture dumping starts now~ ↓
Fullmetal Alchemist
Edward Elric ↑
Alphonse Elric ↑
Alphonse and Edward ↑
Roy Mustang ↑
Edward and Mustang ↑
Risa Hawkeye ↑
Alex Armstrong ↑
Envy ↑
King of Fighters
Iori Yagami ↑
K' and Iori Yagami ↑
Kula Diamond ↑
Shiranui Mai ↑
Ichigo and Rukia ↑
Kusajishi Yachiru ↑
Shihouin Yoruichi ↑
Nell Tu ↑
Nnoitora ↑
Grimmjaw ↑
Devil May Cry
Lady ↑
Vergil ↑
Nero ↑
Heart no Kuni no Alice
MORE Devil May Cry!
Dante and Nero
LEON666 ← Click here to view more photos from this cosplayer.
MORE Heart no Kuni no Alice!
The following pictures are from Cosplayer's Cure, where Japanese display their cosplay photos. To view them, you need to sign up as a member. Don't worry, you can view the website in English.
After signing up, go search for whatever anime character you like. (Laughs)
For Heart no Kuni no Alice fans, you can find LOTS of cosplay photos there!
Julius, Blood, Elliot, Boris —- (Drools)
Julius=Monrey by: MIZUHARA KINOTO
Alice=Liddel and Julius=Monrey by: Akutabi
Elliot=March by: Yuuya
Uh…MORE, please?
Argh! Forgotten to add this ↓
Final Fantasy Crisis Core … Zack Fair!
Damn, who is this cosplayer? Anyone knows? <.__.>{?]
Tags: Cosplay


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Today marks the 47th anniversary of humanity's first manned landing on the Moon.
There is currently a growing movement, both within the American space advocacy community and internationally, to establish a manned lunar base as the next big project in space exploration.
Wednesday, July 20, 2016
Apollo 11
Posted by Gregory Anderson at 9:28 AM
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After Donald Trump's perceived immigration flip-flop, the Pew Research Center reviewed Trump supporters' views on immigration. Here are five major takeaways:
"1) Most Trump supporters view immigration as a 'very big problem' in the U.S. In a survey released last week, 66% of registered voters who support Trump in the general election call immigration a 'very big problem' in the country. Just 17% of Hillary Clinton backers say the same."
"2) Trump's proposed border wall gets overwhelming support from his backers… Fully 79% of Trump supporters favor building a wall along the entire U.S.-Mexico border; just 18% are opposed."
"3) Trump supporters have mixed views of undocumented immigrants. Just 35% of Trump supporters say undocumented immigrants take jobs U.S. citizens would like to have, and a third say that they are less hard-working and honest than citizens. However, a greater share of Trump supporters (50%) think undocumented immigrants in the U.S. 'are more likely than American citizens to commit serious crimes'; 43% say they are not."
"4) During the Republican primaries, most Trump supporters did not favor a national effort to deport all those in the U.S. illegally."
"5) Today, voters who back a Trump presidency are divided on priorities for U.S. immigration policy. Nearly half (48%) of Trump supporters say the priority for policy to deal with illegal immigration should be stronger law enforcement and better border security. Just 10% say the priority should be creating a way for undocumented immigrants to become citizens if they meet certain requirements. But about four-in-ten (41%) say both of these approaches should be given equal priority."Save to Favorites


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Our oh so cute baby!!!!
We had our doctor appointment yesterday (where i also got to see my cousin Arla!). I'll be in my 2nd trimester starting next week!!! I was hoping to get an ultra sound because I saw someones 10 week ultra sound and you could see that the baby finally looks like a baby. We went in and my doctor said Ultra sound or just hear the heart beat? We of course picked ultra sound!! We had to wait like an hour extra because someone else was in there but it was oh so worth it!! This shot is soooo cute!! The baby was waving to us!!! I'm always super nervous to go to the doctors so I'm always very quiet. I look forward to seeing the little heart beating! It makes me feel so much better to see it pumping away!! BJ was excited that it looks like a baby now. The doctor commented that the baby is really long. Maybe we'll have a tall kid?!
It finally has hit home that I'm pregnant! Yes I've known and yes I've seen it but now its a baby baby!!!! The umbilical cord is functioning. The baby is growing and developing! It makes me oh so happy! I've been so worried to make it to my 2nd trimester! I've kind of been waiting for that milestone to really believe I was having a baby and to stop worrying so much. Now that I've seen the baby and the doctor says everything is great I'm soo overly excited. I want to go buy something for the baby. I don't have anything! Its hard not knowing the gender but I'm pretty sure I'm going to buy something for the baby soon because I'm just so excited!! We are getting a baby bouncer thing and bath tub so thats something but I'm ready for the baby stuff to pile up! We will prolly wait til idaho to get stuff but i want it all now!! =]
Things are getting better too. I'm hungry again! Which is an amazing feeling! I never thought I'd be excited to be hungry! I'm not really eating bigger portions but I am wanting to eat more often now. I have to get back to eating healthy stuff again. I got to the point where certain things made me feel better ie roman noddles, salty chips, that I would eat those and not really eat that much at dinner. Now I need to focus on meals and not so much the nibbles to get me through the day. I have so much more engery now. Its amazing how all of a sudden I'm awake and want to do things. I can make it through work without getting sick if I don't over do it. I still get sick at night but it has started later like around 7:30-8ish instead of 4. I still want to be in bed by 9 every night but I can stay up later if I have too. Each day is different but so far I can see and feel and change which is what i've been waiting for. And thank goodness because this is going to be an action packed weekend! (Friday is a chili/trunk and treat with maybe a scare farm, Saturday is boating all day, Sunday is huge halloween dinner!)
Yesterday I had a really good day and had a very normal work day where I think I over did it too much so by the time I got home from the doctors I felt blaha and tired. We were watching our Friends disk and I didn't feel good at all. BJ was rubbing my tummy and asked how I felt. I made the comment that we should be able to take turns. I'd be ok if he got sick one day and me the other. He chuckeld and said " I feel like the number of kids we planned on having is slowly slipping away to a very small number." hahaha I said I'd be ok with lots of kids if he could take a turn or two! Everyone keeps asking how many we are shooting for. I just want to make it through this one first! In a few years we will talk about the next but i'm not throwing any kind of numbers out there. What ever happens happens but I'm just thinking of this kid for now!!!!
Oh and we found a name that we really like if its a boy! BJ made up his mind that he does not want to have a third! WOO HOO!!! He met a third and made fun of the guy for it and realized he would be doing that to his own son so he doesn't want to do that anymore. I was more then ok but then I got worried because I've never thought about boy names before. I have plently of girl names so if its a girl that wont be a problem at all. But a boy?!?! I started going through names and then a friend of mine made a comment and I fell in love with the idea. I'm not going to say what the idea is until we know for sure because its one of those things where I'll say it and everyone is going to give me crap for it. So until we know if its a boy or not I'm not saying what it is but If it is a boy I'm like 90% sure we will name it this because I love love love it!! I don't care what crap people will give me when they find out because it just too cute not to use! And if my kid hates me I'll just say well your dads name is BJ and I'm Krystal Balls so get over it! hahaha And to be honest no name I ever pick will make having the last name Balls any better! =]


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Two Dancers - Short Film (2013)
Sofia, a beautiful dancer, moves to London to audition for ballet companies and hide from her past. Hard up and desperate, she is forced to give lessons to make ends meet. Her first clients are Caroline and Daniel, seemingly the model to-be-weds. But as soon as Sofia starts teaching the unwilling Daniel, it becomes clear that all is not well. While Caroline is obsessed with the perfect wedding, her fiancée can't dance - or won't, for reasons that go much deeper than just two left feet. As the lessons progress, Daniel sees Sofia as a confidante, a temptation, and maybe more. Through the dance, both are forced to face up to their life choices, and decide what intimacy and partnership mean to them. Daniel has to choose whether to through with the wedding, and Sofia must choose whether dance is worth more to her than the love of others.
Director: James Gardner
Producers: James Gardner, Simon Lord
SoundNode: Production Sound, Sound Editing, Foley, SFX, Stereo Mix


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Saturday, November 12, 2016
An early birthday celebration
After learning that DD has plans and will be away next weekend, we decided to go out to a celebratory dinner last night. 3 of my 4 kids were able to attend; a casual affair, we simply went overe to a local diner. I had crab cakes, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, salad and treated myself to a slice of carrot cake, which they bake on the premises. Dd had a fried fish combo, French fries, salad a spinach/rice side dish; DS # 2 had a Moussaka filled omelette, home fried potatoes, Rye toast. Ds # 3 had Chicken francaise over penne, salad and an order of French fries. Food was good, reasonably priced. DS # 2 finished his plate while the rest of us took food home. I got 2 meals out of mine, as did DS, DD will get 3.
1 comment:
- Linda said...
With disparate tastes, going out satisfies everyone. I love to bring home another meal or two. Sometimes, that is the best part, getting food for the next day.
- Sunday, November 13, 2016
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Do you have a manuscript that needs a professional review before you hand it over to the
publisher? Even best-selling authors will hire other authors to read through their book and make
concrete suggestions to improve sections, chapters, dialogue, scenes and structure. Now you
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Joseph Chinnock
joseph chinnock "A Freelance Writer"
Sunday, 16 October 2011
Tibetan Medicine
Tibetan Medicine origin's date back to the 4th century when Dungi Thorchok codified the indigenous healing traditions into a coherent system incorporating pulse diagnosis, herbology, astrology, bodywork and spiritual healing through meditation, ritual and practice. Later he served as personal physician to the 28th Tibetan King Lhathothori who attempted to make medical care available to all Tibetans through a network of village practitioners. The tradition was passed on from father to son, monk to acolyte and sometimes mother to daughter. The first International Medical Conference was held at Samye during the reign of King Trisong Deutsen in the seventh century. Physicians from India, Persia, Greece and China debated, compared theories, diagnostics and methods. After the conference, some of the physicians married Tibetan wives and stayed in the capital, Lhasa, raising families setting up medical practices. The elder Yutok Yonten Gonpo, synthesized the essence of the various Asian medicals systems and rewrote the Four Tantras, known as the rGyud-bZhi (pronounced Goo- shee). He founded the first Tibetan medical school in Kongpo sMenlung, Tibet. In the 12th century, Yuthok Yonten Gonpo, the Younger, wrote eighteen supplementary works on the rGyud- bZhi, the teachings on which Tibetan Medicine has is based. In the 17th century Tibetan medicine underwent further development at the hands of Desi Sanggye Gyatso, an influential politician, scholar and renowned Tibetan physician. He founded the Chogpori Medical Center, in Lhasa, Tibet. In 1916, the 13th Dalai Lama established the Men-Tsee-Khang in Lhasa, Tibet. In 1961, His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama in exile re- established the Men-Tsee-Khang in Dharamsala, India. In Tibetan medical theory the cosmos is regarded as being composed of five elements - earth, water, fire, wind, and space whose interaction creates all physical phenomena including the body, the mind and psyche. The universe and the body are the interplay of these five elements which manifest themselves in the form of energy in three phenomenon: body, energy and mind, in the human body are reflected in the form of three humors or energies called Wind (rLung, pronunciation loong) the air element; Bile (mKhrispa, pronunciation Tripa) the fire element; and Phlegm (Badkan, pronunciation Beken), the water element. Health is a state of balance depending on the equilibrium of these humors. When in balance the three energies are present in each person according to their individual energy pattern. Tibetan medicine regards disease as an imbalance of these humors; rLung is essential for movement and motility; it is responsible for breathing and in a broader sense for psychic activity like intellect, speech, and the nervous systems. mKhrispa heats the body, which regulates the process of digestion, metabolism and body temperature. Badkan, controls the mucous membranes and the solid body components such as muscle and bone. The balance of wind, bile and phlegm as regulating systems, are subject to environmental conditions whose balance changes with the seasons of the year, lifestyle, diet and the age of the individual. Everybody has a predisposition that makes them more vulnerable to certain kinds of imbalances, afflictions and cures. Chagpori Medical School was destroyed by the Chinese when they invaded Tibet. Men –Tsee- Khang was re- established by His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala, India. Many Tibetan doctors have settled in the US and can provide Tibetan Medicine to interested parties. As a final note its said that Tibetan Medicine takes a long time to work but once it does the cure is permanent.
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Bella Doyle is 16 and she remembers her parents she...
If only they knew
- by Callee~Lynn Horan
- Rating:
- Published: 9 Mar 2013
- Updated: 18 Mar 2013
- Status: In Progress
You been living a double life for a couple years now and your friends are putting the pieces together. You try to think of a plan a plan to get all ofthis mess taken care of
Join MovellasFind out what all the buzz is about. Join now to start sharing your creativity and passion
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Month: January 2011
Jets Best Defense Will Be Their Offense
Rex Ryan has talked up the "Ground and Pound" since arriving in New York and we saw it in full force last week.
The primary reason the Jets beat the Indianapolis Colts last week was because their offensive line and running backs completed dominated the second half. Their running game set up manageable third downs, which the Jets routinely converted.
It can't be any different this week against the New England Patriots, who can be run on. Before you throw away 111 yards on 23 carries, LaDainian Tomlinson and Shonn Greene had in the 45-3 beatdown, remember 84 of those came in the first half when the game was still competititve. The two of them also combined for 128 yards in their week 2 match-up, with Tomlinson averaging 6.9 yards per carry.
The Jets must control the clock to keep Tom Brady off the field. It doesn't start and end with the running game either. Mark Sanchez must be accurate in the short passing game and find ways to convert third downs.
Look at the Jets third down situations in the second half against the Colts –
- 3rd and 2 – 5 yard by Shonn Greene. First Down.
- 3rd and 3 – 20 yard pass to Dustin Keller. First Down.
- 3rd and 7 – 9 yard pass to LaDainian Tomlinson. First Down.
- 3rd and 1 – 6 yard run by Mark Sanchez. First Down.
- 3rd and 1 – 1 yard run by LaDainian Tomlinson. Touchdown.
- 3rd and 5 – Incomplete pass to Santonio Holmes.
- 3rd and 5- Incomplete pass to Braylon Edwards.
As you can see the Jets were getting themselves in manageable situations through their running game. They finished 5/7 on third downs in the second half. Their only two misses were on a dropped pass by Santonio Holmes and an overthrow by Mark Sanchez to an open Braylon Edwards.
The Jets can't afford those mistakes this week. No dropped passes. No overthrowing open receivers. Most importantly though is control the clock and setting up third and short through the running game. LaDainian Tomlinson and ShonnGreene both looked fresh and healthy last week and they should be the same this week, as neither reached 20 carries against Indy.
The less time Tom Brady is on the field and the more Jets shorten this game, the more likely it will be a one possession game in the 4th quarter, where one play can swing the game.
Jets vs. Patriots: Story Stream
Thoughts On Divisional Round Lines
Betting on the NFL this week offers some intriguing options for gamblers.
In the first game of the weekend, Pittsburgh is currently a 3 point favorite over Baltimore. Both of their games this year were decided by 3 points, with the road team winning each game. The over/under is currently at 37, which could offer some value considering the point total in their two games was 31 and 23, respectively.
In the Saturday night game, Green Bay is only 2.5 point underdogs despite facing the NFC's number one seed in Atlanta. Many people are on the Packers bandwagon and it is showing in the spread.
Seattle remains heavy underdogs this weekend, as the Bears are favored by 10 points even though they lost at home earlier in the year to Seattle. It will be interesting to see if gamblers have gained any faith in the Seahawks after last week.
The Jets are also heavy underdogs to the New England Patriots, who are 9 point favorites. It will be interesting to see how they respond to losing 45-3 to the Patriots earlier in the year.
TOJ Power Rankings – Divisional Weekend
Some final thoughts on Wild-Card Weekend, a ranking of the remaining teams, and initial thoughts on the divisional round match-ups —
- If you would have told me I would pick 3 of the 4 games right for the past weekend and the one I got wrong would be Seattle/New Orleans, I would have never believed you. Who could have seen that coming? Seattle grabbed the momentum and took advantage of a terrific game by Matt Hassleback. The funny thing now is that Seattle has already won in Chicago this year and has a decent shot at doing it again this weekend. Could you imagine the Seahawks actually hosting the NFC Championship Game as a 9-9 team?
- It was a great weekend of games, outside of the complete dud laid by the Cheifs at home. Baltimore was the superior team but Kansas City could have put up more of a fight. How do you not target Dwayne Bowe once? It isn't like the Ravens have Darrelle Revis out there.
- The Packers are peeking at the right time, which is incredibly impressive considering all the injuries they sustained. It felt like Mike Vick was taking Philly in for a touchdown on that final drive but a few inches underthrown and a great play by Tramon Williams ended it.
Divisional Weekend Power Rankings
1. New England Patriots – They are the unquestioned favorite. Let's see if the Jets can make Belichick and Brady look human again, like they did way way back in week 2.
2. Atlanta Falcons – Would anybody be surprised if Green Bay went into Atlanta and won this weekend? The Falcons don't have the same clout as most number one seeds normally do.
3. Pittsburgh Steelers – Let's see how their offensive line holds up in round III vs. the Ravens.
4. Baltimore Ravens – You can't love football and not be beyond excited for Ravens/Steelers this weekend.
5. Green Bay Packers – The Packers have the feel of a team who is hot at the right time and with enough talent to win it all.
6. Chicago Bears – If Jay Cutler has his head on straight, the Bears should roll to the NFC Championship Game. However, I have a feeling Seahawks/Bears is going to be a tight one.
7. New York Jets – Nobody will give them a chance this weekend. Let's see if they can shock the world.
8. Seattle Seahawks – Well they shut us up last weekend.
Initial Thoughts on Divisional Weekend
Ravens at Steelers – Tape the knuckles up and get ready for old-school, smashmouth, defensive football between a couple of teams who couldn't know each other any better and couldn't hate each other more. Take the under and look forward to one hell of a football game.
Packers at Falcons – Their regular season game a few weeks back was terrific and this one should be even better. A couple of great young quarterbacks and high powered offenses at work in the prime-time game.
Seahawks at Bears – I can't help but have an early feeling Seattle is going to build off last week and take this game. This is coming from somebody who spent the entire year bashing the Seahawks as one of the five worst teams in the league. However, they did beat Chicago earlier in the year and I am not fully sold on the Bears yet. Remember the playoffs are about who is hot at the right time.
Jets at Patriots – Do I expect the Jets to win? No. Will I spend the whole week coming up with every possible way for them to win and talking myself into it happening? Yes.
Wild-Card Weekend Highlights
Top Five Ways For Jets To Upset Patriots
Grading Out Jets/Colts
The Show Goes On. Jets Win 17-16.
Jets vs. Colts – 12 Pack of Wild-Card Predictions
Is there anything better than a weekend of playoff football when your team is involved? The correct answer is absolutely not, so here is hoping that everybody beat the snow home and is ready for a great two days of football, without carrying on anymore here is a very special edition of the 12 pack for Jets/Colts, along with the rest of my weekend picks —
1. Mark Sanchez is going to throw for over 250 yards and a pair of touchdowns against an over-matched Colts secondary. More importantly, he will protect the football and won't have a single turnover.
2. Peyton Manning is going to throw for over 300 yards and a pair of touchdowns against the Jets secondary. He will find the match-ups that he wants because he always does. However, Manning will throw an interception Saturday night to Antonio Cromartie.
3. Shonn Greene will have at least 18 carries and at least 90 yards to lead the Jets ground attack. LaDanian Tomlinson will have 10-12 carries and 3-5 receptions. Joe McKnight won't be involved in the offensive game-plan.
4. The Colts won't have a running back who finishes with more than 50 yards on the ground. However, they will make big contributions catching the football out of the backfield.
5. Jacob Tamme is going to have a big day against the Jets secondary, with at least 65 receiving yards and a touchdown.
6. Santonio Holmes and Braylon Edwards will both have at least 70 yards receiving. One of them will get into the end-zone on a big play of 30 yards or longer.
7. Reggie Wayne will have less than 50 yards receiving and won't score a touchdown against Darrelle Revis. Pierre Garcon will beat Antonio Cromartie for one big play but beyond that will be relatively quiet.
8. Brad Smith is going to have one big kick return and break one big run on offense.
9. Robert Mathis will have a pair of sacks against Damien Woody as he struggles to return from his surgery.
10. Despite having a less reliable kicker, the Jets will outplay the Colts on special teams which will go a long to determining the outcome of this game.
11. The Jets will coach this game extremely aggressively, meaning they won't hesitate to go for 4th and 1's and potentially try a few trick plays. However, Rex Ryan being too aggressive on defense will burn them a few times for big plays.
12. The Jets are going win a close one that comes down to the final few minutes, 27-24.
NFL Wild-Card Weekend Picks
Jets (+3) vs. Indy
Saints (-11) vs. Seahawks – I don't want to hear about the long trip, the crowd noise, or the injuries to their running backs, the Saints are a much, much better team than the 7-9 Seahawks who don't belong anywhere near the playoffs.
Ravens (-4) vs. Chiefs – Kansas City will struggle to move the football and will have a difficult time stopping Ray Rice. The Ravens are simply a more experienced team, who is better prepared to win this type of game.
Packers (+3) vs. Eagles – I have been all about the Mike Vick show all year but I think he will struggle with Green Bay's blitzing and the Packers offense will run up a bunch of points on an inconsistent Philadelphia defense.
Super Bowl Odds Heading Into Wild Card Weekend
It doesn't take more than a few second of looking at ESPN to realize who the consensus favorite for the Super Bowl is: the New England Patriots. However, that doesn't mean certain NFC teams aren't receiving strong odds to win the Lombardi trophy.
When looking at Super Bowl Betting the defending champion New Orleans Saints are frequently the second highest favorite of odds-makers. Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons aren't too far behind. Interestingly enough, the Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles who are being picked by many to come out of the NFC, offer tremendous value as Super Bowl picks due to their low odds at many betting sites.
In the AFC, despite the Patriots recent dominance there are many teams capable of making it past them. The New York Jets have beat them earlier in the season. The Baltimore Ravens knocked them out of the playoffs last year and the Indianapolis Colts are always a threat with Peyton Manning behind center. Finally, don't forget about the Pittsburgh Steelers who have plenty of experience in big games.
If you are looking to be really risky, the Kansas City Chiefs and Seattle Seahawks are considered long-shot favorites to make it out of the first round, never mind make it to the Super Bowl.


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This is confirmation of something we already suspected. If trump and friends colluded? That is treason.
This is confirmation of something we already suspected. If trump and friends colluded? That is treason.
Exclusive: Putin-linked think tank drew up plan to sway 2016 U.S. election - documents
A Russian government think tank controlled by Vladimir Putin developed a plan to swing the 2016 U.S. presidential election to Donald Trump and undermine voters faith in the American electoral system, three current and four former U.S. officials told Reuters.
They described two confidential documents from the think tank as providing the framework and rationale for what U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded was an intensive effort by Russia to interfere with the Nov. 8 election. U.S. intelligence officials acquired the documents, which were prepared by the Moscow-based Russian Institute for Strategic Studies [en.riss.ru/], after the election.
Russia Today and Sputnik published anti-Clinton stories while pro-Kremlin bloggers prepared a Twitter campaign calling into question the fairness of an anticipated Clinton victory, according to a report by U.S. intelligence agencies on Russian interference in the election made public in January. [bit.ly/2kMiKSA]
Trump was doing the same, preparing for his loss by saying the election was rigged against him while offering no evidence.
Last edited by decedent; 04-19-2017 at 05:42 PM.
I have a big cook.
fake news
They drew up a plan? Was it implemented?
Bethere (04-19-2017)
This is not news to people who pay attention.
Alea iacta est
Check out the blog.
hanger4 (04-19-2017),MisterVeritis (04-20-2017)


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Don Don DON!!!
I bought the collar for the girls when I worked at the training center several years ago. Although I was not necessarily having a barking problem then, I knew I had young Shelties and that, some day, it may BECOME a problem. I thought I was also making out on another "steal". The collars that that time were retailing for about 95 bucks; I got mine at cost for about 60 or so. They now go for about half that (http://www.amazon.com/Premier-Spray-Sense-Anti-Collar/dp/B0002D31QU) .
For those of you unfamiliar with a spray collar, let me explain what they are. They are a small box that has a microphone on the back, which rests on the dogs throat. The top of the collar has two holes: one to put the spray into (from an aerosol can), and one that discharges the spray when the dog barks. It lets it go in a puff of spray, accompanied by a somewhat surprising hissing noise. The hope is that the surprise of the sudden burst of spray itself (which gets the dog a little wet), the smell of the citronella, and the hissing sound will deter the dog from barking. It is approved and endorsed by the Humane Society and the SPCA and is a great first step to try if you have an obsessively barking dog. A much nicer first try to curb the barking than using a shock collar, or performing a permanent, surgical devocalizing.
There are a few types of collars out there, but they all generally work the same. The success in it lies in the design of the collar (one design having a stick-like rod that protrudes from the back where the microphone is located), the sensitivity of it (I really do like the Premier products the best), the tightness of the collar around the neck (which should be just like the dogs regular collar-you should fit two fingers between the neck and the collar itself), and the dogs response. Usually what happens is the dog barks, gets sprayed, jumps in surprise, and then decides that they cant stand on that spot on the floor/ground anymore. A few more barks and the dog gets it: bark=spray. Sometimes, however, the dogs don't care about being sprayed at all. They bark, get sprayed, bark again, get sprayed again, etc. There's nothing wrong with the dog; the citronella collar just isn't the right tool to curb the barking.
Now I don't want to get too much into the bark ground and theories and ways to control barking. I explained my feelings in my post about Dog Laws at our other blog: http://rohanshelties.blogspot.com/2009/02/dog-law-every-dog-owner-should-be-aware.html
Although I bought it "just in case", I did have to end up using it, albeit briefly, when we lived in the townhouse in Dracut. Obviously our neighbors were pretty close, so we didn't want to be the people with the "annoying barking dogs" (those turned out to be our "new" neighbors, who moved in shortly before we decided to move out; they were one of the reasons for our move!) But, being brilliant Shelties, they learned what the collar meant. Indeed, they even learned the name for the collar. Even though neither dog has really worn it in the past couple of years, I can still "threaten" them with it when they get a little too vocal. All I have to say is "Citronella collar" and they usually button up pretty quickly.
Shelby is MUCH more sensitive to the threat of the collar; when she hears the dreaded words, she not only quiets down but immediately launches herself into my lap to make apologetic gestures: licking my face, ears back, soft whining. All the little behaviors that always make me think twice about actually using it. Heidi isn't as phased by the collar (and therefore the threat of using it) because her mane and "fluff-ruff" is SO big and full that the collar doesn't work properly. It either can't register her bark if it is sitting on top of her hair, or if I bury the collar in it, it can't spray her because it gets caught in the hair webbing now sitting on top of the collar!
Now my girls bark for different things, which also determines how often they get "threatened". Heidi barks a lot indoors; at quirky things (the blender, hair-dryer, vacuum, the shower turning on, keys being picked up, etc.) And although her barking at those random things gets annoying, she is very good about stopping when we tell her we've had enough. Shelby on the other hand is an outside barker. She barks at the cars that turn around in our driveway (we are the last house on a dead-end street, so we get a lot of them), the annoying kids who play at the end of our street (aka in our DRIVEWAY!!), and now at the birds (that no longer have to be goose-shaped; any bird will do!) as they fly over our house, which she considers our "air space". Shelbys barking, although less annoying to us than Heidi's, can get us into a bit more trouble since it is outside and the NEIGHBORS can hear it as well. (As a side note, if a complaint was ever lodged, I would point out with NO TROUBLE the dog who lives across the street that barks at all hours of the day as he is left UNATTENDED in a 10x6 run, and the kids whose shrieking easily reaches the point where only bats-and my dogs-can hear it. If someone says to me that I have to shut my dogs up, I'm going to tell them to shut theirs-kids and dogs-up first!!)
So although Shelby has really kept her little Sheltie mouth shut lately, it was a little harder for her today. It was the first real nice day in at least a week, so when I kept the door open to give them access to the deck and fenced yard, she went a little crazy. I'm not sure if more birds were out, also enjoying the nice weather, or she was able to see them better without the low-lying clouds that have blanketed our sky for so long, but she was definitely having to keep our air-space clean more today. So as her barking reached its peak, I had to get the collar. And I did it for her own good as much as anyone else's. When I went to get her (as you should NEVER call your dog to you when you are going to do something unpleasant to them) she was panting heavily; she is so focused on chasing the birds that she can't settle. I wanted to give my little one a break before she ran herself into the ground.
So I put the collar on her, just while I finished up ironing, and then took it off. The look on her face was priceless. It was as if I had both beaten her and told her there was no Santa Paws. Her face was just so sad; the indignant, disgusted looks I was getting was disconcerting. Then when Heidi (being as nosey as she is) went up to see what all the fuss was about, and smelled the collar on her poor sisters neck, she started with the ugly looks too!
I tried to explain to both of them it was only for a few minutes and it was for Shelbys own good, but they looked like they didn't believe a word I was saying. I quickly took the collar off a few minutes later and have been trying to get back on Shelby's good side all night. Although I don't think I am completely forgiven yet, I do have to say that the Yoghund ice cream helped. I'm just hoping I don't wake up with a Sheltie-Shaped pillow over my head trying to smother me tonight while I sleep! (Oh, and for the record, the collar lives EMPTY on my refrigerator when not in use. This is so Heidi doesn't find and DESTROY it. And as it has been so long since I've had to break it out, yes, I put it on Shelby EMPTY today too! Sssshhhh....dont tell her!)


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Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Um...So Your Fantasies Aren't Like This?
I'm a freak, I know it.
When I was in grade school, a conversation with my best friend led to the discovery that not every child makes up stories for at least thirty minutes every night in bed. I was honestly convinced I was normal until that conversation. But other kids, it seemed, did not make a point of going to bed at least a half hour before they needed to go to sleep, just for the purpose of fantasizing. Sometimes these stories lasted 45 minutes, an hour, and/or ran night after night like continuing soap operas.
As a busy adult I don't spend quite that much time fantasizing before I fall asleep. And often, this is the time I use for planning for the fiction I'm writing. But sometimes I still do as I did as a little kid and just make up stuff for fun. What kind of stuff? Are you sure you want to know?
Okay, at the risk of revealing what a total weirdo I am, here you go.
Lately I've been working on a really great 19th Century, Dickensian tale featuring my current fave celebrity crushes. In it, I'm a 16-year-old homeless orphan girl named Pip. I was living miserably on the streets until, cold and starving, I was found one night by a renowned hero of the "dodgy element" of London, a fellow called Mister House.
Think Fagin meets House M.D.
He has converted an old decrepit workhouse to a clothes making shop/dormitory for homeless kids like me. And instead of training us in pick pocketing like Fagin, Mister House operates the place as a legitimate business. The older kids sew simple clothes, the younger ones do mending jobs and make easy things like handkerchiefs. I happen to have learned from my deceased mom how to embroider, so they set me to work doing monograms.
Mister House is a stern, curmudgeonly taskmaster, but actually much more beneficent than his modern TV doctor equivalent. He uses the profits of the business not to get ahead, but to provide food and shelter to as many kids as he can. He may not show it, but we all know he loves us from his deeds. Naturally he's just as humorously belligerent as the TV version. And, of course, I'm sweet on him in my girlish way.
All goes well until one day on the streets I encounter a new fellow--or at least, he's new to me. Handsome, with dark, curly hair and a long black coat, this guy arouses my curiosity right away. He's a storyteller, and goes around the neighborhood telling tales, mostly to crowds of children. I'm intrigued, but before I can check him out more closely, Mister House intervenes. This stranger is no stranger to him; he's the Man in the Black Coat, and House's urchins are forbidden to go near him. Why? No explanation, just orders!
If you can't guess who plays the role of the Man in the Black Coat, you must be new here. :-)
Well, one day I'm out wistfully staring at a fairy tale book in a bookshop window, coveting it. Who should appear next to me but the Man in the Black Coat! Before I can escape, he engages me in a fascinating conversation about how I don't need the book, I have fairy stories, complete with pictures, in my head. I'm enthralled. But then he tells me he knows I belong to Mister House, and understands why I can't come hear him tell stories to kids in the street.
Which results, of course, in my sneaking out to hear him tell stories. And of course he's incredible at it and I'm head over heels. Still, I don't want to disobey Mister House and know there must be a good reason for his command. Oh the conflict! There's nothing like a fantasy with two charismatic protagonists at odds!
At this point in my fantasy, House M.D. character Dr. James Wilson insisted on joining the cast. Hey, no problem. He plays a wealthy, successful doctor from the upper crust, who also has a heart of gold and therefore provides free care to House's kids. The two of them are longtime, trusted friends.
So, after my surreptitious spying on the Man in the Black Coat telling stories, I end up lost, and he ends up finding me. You know where this is going...to his rooms, of course. Soon I'm fed, entertained with more tales, and bundled up in bed. Now the innocent Pip, so naïve and trusting, learns why the Man in the Black Coat has a bad rap with Mister House. But the thing is, I don't mind doing what the Man suggests, because I think he's super dreamy.
Meanwhile, back at House's place, my having gone missing has become an issue. But just then, Doctor Wilson arrives, having seen me with the Man and suspecting where I ended up. Mister House expresses his vehemence not to go anywhere near "that vile Gaiman fellow" and recruits Wilson to rescue me.
In the morning he arrives chez Man, and demands my release into his care. The Man in the Black Coat complies in a most genial manner. I'm confused as heck. But the doctor seems very kind. He takes me to his office to make sure I'm okay and talk to me about what's happened. With amazing candor for the 19th Century, we discuss the issue; I still don't understand what I may have done wrong and Doctor Wilson tries to enlighten me about the inappropriate nature of the Man's advances.
He takes me home. I get back to embroidering, musing all the while on my situation. Evening comes and with it our master, who has made an especially big profit on our wares and brought us a feast. Ham, bread, potatoes, carrots, etc. and even a lovely big almond cake--it's like Christmas. All us kids party it up, but all the while Mister House ignores me. I'm afraid he's really mad. At long last it's lights out, and we all curl up on our little pallets. It's only then that Mister House tells me to come to his study. What will he say? I'm so worried!
And there it is! Can't you see why I'm eager to go back to bed?
I told my husband about this fantasy and he just shook his head in disbelief. Needless to say, nothing like this goes on in his brain at night.
Now you might say, this is just how it is with writers, we just write stories in bed. But I still think it's all kind of weird. For example, here we are in London, and Mister House could legitimately speak with a British accent like Hugh Laurie actually does...but he's American. Why? I have no clue! Meanwhile, it's not so strange that the Man in the Black Coat has a British accent, on any count (all the years in Minnesota haven't put a dent in how Gaiman speaks). But it's really wack that Doctor Wilson is British too, not American.
And I really got excited about that almond cake. Why an almond cake? Who knows?
So truly I am not so deliberate with nocturnal fantasies as I am with story-writing. I would never, in a story, have a character that resembled Neil Gaiman in any way be possessed of a nefarious character like this guy; it's really sick and wrong. But in large part this whole thing is happening to me, you understand--I'm not totally in control.
Sorry this entry was so long. I caught you up on like a week of stuff here. But yeah, this is what it's like being me.
I'd shake my head too if I were you.
9 comments:
- CC said...
ROTFL! I would never get to sleep if I spun fantasies like that at bedtime! You'll have to let us all know how it turns out with Mr. House.
- Diana Laurence said...
CC, I'm glad someone managed to get through that entire saga! Here's an update from the past couple nights: Mister House coldly yelled at me for disobeying him and made me retreat to my bed in tears, thinking I've lost his trust forever. Then I came down with some sort of flu (inspired by a bout with asthma I had in real life last night) and Doctor Wilson had to take me to his house to nurse me back to health. (I love "nursing back to health" fantasies, as you know from my story "Between Earth and Sky" from Soulful Sex Vol. 1...LOL.)
I am a first time visitor. You had me at Charles Dickens...my favorite author. As a fledgling, yet unpublished writer, of erotica, I appreciate the way your mind works. You allow your characters to speak to you and lead you wherever they wish to go in order to tell their tale, not yours. Can't wait to see the finished product.
Just as a point of reference I would like you too know when I was a little girl I would go to bed with a yellow pad, pencil and a flashli8ght. When my n other turned off the lights I would turn on the flashlight and begin to write my stories. I am so glad I m not the only oddball...sic
- Diana Laurence said...
Anonymous, I'm delighted to make your acquaintance! And we do sound like kindred spirits all right. I'm loving the mental picture of you scribbling under the covers by the light of your flashlight. Wonderful!
- Miss Organizized said...
Aw MAN!! I wish you could really write this story!! I mean with edits of course, but still...I love it!! WRITE IT!!! :D
- Diana Laurence said...
Katesi, you're hilarious! I think this is the closest I will get to writing it, LOL...
- Miss Organizized said...
Boooo!!! :)
- Zoe Stead said...
When I was younger I think I was very much the same as you. The idea for my first book came to me in a dream and I'd actually look forward to going to bed (not sleep) as my mind would be free to think and place me as the heroine of any story I wanted.
Your story sounds really intersting, and I can see why you parelleled with some of my characters. I do have a thing for mysterious handsome gents turning up in my writings, and girls who need protecting but are far to curious for their own good :D
So in responce to your title of this blog...err yes...my fantasies are like this, but then the souls of writers are mysterious things.
All the best! Zoe from DA x
- Diana Laurence said...
Thanks so much for visiting, Zoe, that was so cool of you! I'm so glad to have met a kindred spirit. We seem drawn to the same archetypes all right.
I will be keeping an eye on your fabulous work! (Readers, you can see Zoe's stuff here: http://zoestead.deviantart.com/)


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Lukasz Teodorczyk's agent has opened up on reports linking the Anderlecht striker with a transfer to the Premier League this summer.
The Poland striker has won an army of admirers this season after notching 28 goals in all competitions and reports in Belgium have suggested Liverpool and West Ham are keen to sign him, amid claims he could be sold for £20million.
Teodorczyk initially joined the Belgian side on loan from Dynamo Kiev but the move became permanent in January.
But that has not stopped the Belgian press going into overdrive with claims the striker could be poached away, and responding to the speculation, his agent Marcin Kubacki, told Het Nieuwsblad: "Many clubs are still aware of him, you know. Let us wait and see how he finishes thepPlay-offs first.
"Anyway, it is not absolutely necessary for him to leave Anderlecht this summer."
The striker, 25, has four goals in 12 caps for his country, having made his debut back in 2013.


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A joy of learning:
This joy of learning develops a well adjusted person who has a purpose and direction in his or her life. Children who experience the joy of learning, are happy, confident, fulfilled children.
Love of order:
Montessori works in a methodical way. Each step in the process leads to the next level of learning. When a child plays, he or she is really learning concepts for later learning.
Hands on approach to learning:
Our teaching encourages children to develop their observation skills by doing many types of activities, which include use of the five senses, kinetic movement, spatial refinement, small and large moter skill coordination, and concrete knowledge that leads to later abstraction.
Self-teaching and self-correcting:
The children learn by doing and by experimentation. The school environment is specifically prepared for the children to allow them to interact with it freely and unfettered, everything is child sized, and safe for children to touch and use.


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"What should we do with this big sweeper?" I asked my husband. I had been cleaning out the garage, giving things to our grown kids and loading up pots and tools for the urban greenhouse project. "Sell it?" he suggested over the phone.
We bought the sweeper just after we moved into our house. Pulling it along behind our tractor mower has helped us gather up mountains of leaves and too-long grass over the years -- much easier than raking all of that stuff into the compost pile.
Now, I just wanted it gone. Once we made the decision to downsize, to move to a smaller place in the US so we could spend significantly more time in El Salvador, I was eager to begin the process. So, I wheeled the sweeper down to the bottom of the driveway. I tiptoed my dirty, garage-cleaning self into the house and grabbed a piece of scrap paper, a black sharpie and some blue painters' tape. I wrote a note:
We will gladly accept a donation for this sweeper to support ministry in El Salvador. If you would like to leave a gift, please leave it by the mailbox."
I taped the note to the sweeper, loaded some stuff into my car, and went inside to get cleaned up. As I backed down the driveway some time later, I noticed the sweeper was gone. "Wow, that was fast, " I thought. My note was folded up next to the mailbox. On it was a new message:
We took the sweeper. I didn't have any money with me, so we will bring some buy later. Signed, a neighbor.
Yesterday, I found an envelope stuck inside my screen door. Inside was a lovely little note from the neighbor, wishing us well and sharing her email address in case we wanted to send prayer requests or share a blog or something. And, inside the note, was $50. I never expected a generous gift of $50.
I hope our neighbor gets many more good years of use from that sweeper. I hope every time she sits on her tractor and pulls it along, she says a little "sweeper prayer" for the people of El Salvador. I will try to remember, whenever I am sweeping the dust from my future Salvadoran floor, to say a little "sweeper prayer" for the good neighbor at home and for all who have slipped little envelopes into our door or mailbox or the offering plate over the years in support of ministry work in El Salvador.
Friday, November 8, 2013
Sweeper Prayers
Labels: God at Work
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Published March 28th 2011 by Carolrhoda Books
Book Description:
Another day finished, gracias a Dios." Seventeen-year-old Marisa's mother has been saying this for as long as Marisa can remember. Her parents came to Houston from Mexico. They work hard, and they expect Marisa to help her familia. An ordinary life--marrying a neighborhood guy, working, having babies--ought to be good enough for her. Marisa hears something else from her calc teacher. She should study harder, ace the AP test, and get into engineering school in Austin. Some days, it all seems possible.
On others, she's not even sure what she wants. When her life at home becomes unbearable, Marisa seeks comfort elsewhere--and suddenly neither her best friend nor boyfriend can get through to her. Caught between the expectations of two different worlds, Marisa isn't sure what she wants--other than a life where she doesn't end each day thanking God it's over. But some things just can't wait...
My quick Review:
What Can't Wait was great realistic fiction story. With Marisa's parents wanting one thing and her heart wanting something entirely different, it's tough to keep everyone happy, for both yourself and your loved ones. Perez wrote about the love, hate, confusion and hope in Maris'a life...all of which I was able to keep up with and relate to by some degree.
The Characters were basic but they fit the story well enough to do the book justice. From her sister, Cecilia, to her best friend, Brenda...everyone had a part to make this book full of life.
As for the writing and dialogue...I think Perez did a very good job keeping the reader interested. There were times where I felt the book was lacking but I've been very picky these days so I wont say that anything was a ruin. In all, many of the events and situations that happened in What Can't Wait made it worth reading. I recommend this if you're in the mood.