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The following article is the (edited) transcript of a talk Robert Hand gave at the Astrological Conference 2005 of the British Astrological Association in York, UK, as posted on www.astro.com.
What is post-modern?
First of all I should define the term "post-modern". Post-modernism as the term is usually used refers to a set of philosophical movements largely arising out of contemporary French philosophy featuring in particular the work of Jacques Derrida, post-structuralism and the philosopher and historian Michel Foucault.
This is not what I refer to, because something else has been going on in astrology. Astrology has never been part of the modern world and cannot have in the same way a post-modern period. I would actually suggest that astrology is ideally suited to be both pre-modern and post-modern in the French philosophical sense.
"Then, in the 18th century we had a very long break. Conventional historians refer to this as the Enlightenment. I prefer the term "Endarkenment," based on what happened in astrology
– it almost died."
But what I refer to instead is a very real historical phenomenon in astrology, which is this: we have astrology up until about 1700, which had certain consistent patterns, ideas and principles and which had a more or less a continuous tradition from something like – this date is extremely flexible – the fifth century B.C.E. Then, in the 18th century we had a very long break. Conventional historians refer to this as the Enlightenment. I prefer the term "Endarkenment," based on what happened in astrology – it almost died. And then in the 19th century a revival began, which for most of the 19th century was a revival of a portion of the tradition that had nearly died in 1700.
But then with Alan Leo, and more recently people like Dane Rudhyar, and on another level people like the Hamburg School and Cosmobiology of Ebertin, a rather new kind of astrology began coming into existence, which it might be appropriate simply to call 20th century astrology, but I would like to call modern astrology. So what I am really going to be talking about is the question, what next?
The beginning of what I will call – for lack of a better term – post-modern astrology actually happened quite a few years ago now. Two people are largely responsible for this new beginning. They are in the United States: Robert Zoller, who began studying medieval astrology in the original Latin in the 1970's, closely followed in this country [Great Britain] by the late Olivia Barclay, who began teaching her students horary directly from William Lilly's text. In both cases what was being taught was a reborn pre-1700 or pre-modern astrology. They had tremendous impact. In the States this led to the movement of which I was a part – or am a part, but am no longer associated with the name – the project called Project Hindsight, of which I and Robert Zoller along with Robert Schmidt were founders. Subsequently Robert Zoller has gone his own way, and I have gone my own way, but the movement continues. There is also of course an extremely meaningful translation movement in Spain, and also one in Italy.
So the pre-1700, pre-modern type of astrology is coming back fairly rapidly. The influence these movements have had is not quite what you might expect. Yes, there are people – and I think I can say this without offering any insult – such as Robert Zoller, who are really trying to revive completely an intact pre-modern astrology, otherwise known as traditional astrology. However, since some people regard Alan Leo's astrology as traditional astrology, pre-modern may be a clearer term for pre-1700 styles of astrology. My favorite image of Robert Zoller – and believe me, I don't think he would object in my characterizing him this way – is that he would smile, sublimely rub his hands together and say: "The old ways are the good ways!"
Yet, what appears to be happening, and what I certainly align myself with, is not really a revival of traditional astrology. Rather it's a healing of the break that occurred in the 18th century. We are not trying to do astrology exactly as it was done, rather we're trying to recreate astrology as it would have been if it had never stopped being an active tradition. Understanding this point is very important, because it is often stated and believed that traditional astrology must not have been all that effective because it died out – almost. Surely, it is said by some, traditional astrology must have been terribly lacking, and therefore modern astrology represents an evolutionary improvement from it.
This is not the case. Traditional astrology died out for reasons that are much better described as socio-political than scientific. If you want an example of what I mean I refer you to Patrick Curry's excellent work Prophecy and Power, where he describes the process of astrology's near death in Britain. But I assure you, that process was not limited to Britain. So, we are not doing traditional astrology, we are healing the break that occurred in the 18th century.
Traditional Astrology
First of all: What is traditional astrology? Unfortunally, about the only general characterization I can make is that of defining it as astrology pre-1700. In this respect it is like most of the rest of History. I think if you do a quick calculation you will realize that most history happened before 1700 – billions and billions of years in fact. But, other than that it's difficult to characterize. And we have to ask, "which traditional astrology?" Hellenistic/classical? Jyotish? Jyotish is a term I vastly prefer to vedic, first of all because it is the actual Indian term, and secondly because (I know I am going to get some arguments about this later) there is not all that much horoscopic astrology in the Vedas. Are we talking about Arabic astrology, or – as I prefer to call it – Persian-Arabic astrology, because it's actually much more Persian than it is Arabic? Are we talking about Latin language medieval astrology, which is basically the same as Persian-Arabic? Or are we talking about early modern astrology – and I don't mean Alan Leo? Early modern astrology actually consists of persons like Placidus, Morinus, Kepler, all of whom looked at the traditional astrology as they received it, and believed that reform was needed.
"We have not fully digested traditional astrologies – to use the proper term – we have not mastered the techniques."
So which one are we talking about? I have bad news: all of them! We have not fully digested traditional astrologies – to use the proper term – we have not mastered the techniques. For example, the predictive techniques of hellenistic astrology, and even some of the predictive techniques of medieval astrology are still not widely used or experimented with. They may turn out to be not too useful; they may also turn out to be a major break-through. I do not really know, but until we have actually systematically examined them we don't know.
Astrology in the 20th century
But this infusion of elements from the various traditions into the modern astrological tradition represents the essence of the change from modern to post-modern astrology. Some of us have been calling this traditional astrology neo-traditional, but that is really putting the emphasis in the wrong place. It is in the ordinary language sense of the term a post-modern astrology.
Okay! What do we do with the 20th century? This is where I will demonstrate conclusively that I am not a traditionalist: we keep it! We keep its best features. The single most important advance in 20th century astrology was the recognition that astrology actually could be used as a tool for human potential and self-actualization. There may be some of this in Jyotish, but there certainly is not any of it in Hellenistic, Arabic or Latin medieval. All three of those traditions were completely oriented towards dealing with everyday, mundane situations. But Dane Rudhyar in particular introduced a radically new way of thinking about astrology. Closely related to his astrology is the idea of psychological astrology. I do not share the contempt that many traditionalists feel for psychological astrology. I think it is extraordinarily important. My only criticism of it is that in the hands of some of it's less competent practitioners it has been an extremely mushy sort of astrology where anything can be made to mean anything, depending on the emotional frame of mind of the client and the astrologer. The language of 20th century astrology as a language tends to be imprecise, vague, inarticulate and unclear. But the goals of 20th century astrology are absolutely commendable.
Why did the tradition – at least the branches of it I have mentioned – not deal with the issue of self-actualization. They did have the tools if they had had the philosophical reasons for doing it. The reason is very simple: In both the Islamic world and the Christian world there was something else that governed that process, namely religion, from which astrology was largely disconnected. Both Islamic and Christian astrologers had to constantly explain why astrology did not interfere with religion, did not impinge on the same issues, nor did it contradict religion; therefore it was okay. There is in fact in Western astrology an underground tradition of mitigation much as there is in Indian astrology, but it has always been an underground tradition. It is called magic. But we have had to pretend that we, as astrologers, are not connected to it in order to survive in what has been until recently a Christian world – or Islamic.
"Twentieth century astrology should be kept in so far as it works, makes sense and is clear enough to tell if it is working."
So, 20th century astrology we keep, in so far as it speaks to the needs of modern humanity. Every astrology deals with the culture in which it lives, and if it doesn't it's irrelevant. Twentieth century astrology should be kept in so far as it works, makes sense and is clear enough to tell if it is working. To illustrate what I mean by "clear enough" (or rather not clear enough) here is a style of prediction (admittedly an absurd one) that illustrates the problem: "In the next year, events will happen." Now you may laugh, but I have heard astrological predictions made that were just about that "clear."
I also think there are some other tools from 20th century astrology that are well worth keeping, such as the use of mid-points, the 90-degree dial, and there are a number of schools that have contributed extremely valuable ideas too numerous to mention. Twentieth century astrology is not to be thrown out, but here is what it does need:
First of all, the question often arises: is traditional astrology – in any form – better than modern astrology? And of course the traditionalists immediately say: "Why, of course!" They say that it is more effective. This is probably true, but not for the reasons you may think. Hindu astrology, arabic astrology and medieval astrology, and for that matter hellenistic astrology, all have a much more elaborate language than 20th century astrology. Simply put: these languages, as languages, are more articulate; these early astrologies can say things clearly, and insofar as they can say things clearly you can tell whether what they say is true or not.
"One of the strangely backhanded compliments I used to
pay to the Cosmobiology of the Ebertin system was that I liked it because it is one of the few systems of astrology where I
could tell when it was not working."
One of the strangely backhanded compliments I used to pay to the Cosmobiology of the Ebertin system was that I liked it because it is one of the few systems of astrology where I could tell when it was not working. I am going to make what some may think a rather outrageous statement which has been contradicted by others a number of times during this Conference: I have not ever cast a chart that was wrong that worked better than the one that was right. I am not saying it cannot happen, but it has never happened to me. And the reason is that I have always placed great stress on the articulation of the astrological language, so that I could tell if the statement I was making was right or wrong. I remember a lecture by Geoffrey Dean in which he was lecturing on a chart that was supposed to be the chart of Petula Clark, – Geoffrey does not remember this incident but I do – with a very close conjunction of Mars and Neptune. Geoffrey spouted modernistic astrological garbage about the unselfish, altruistic nature of this person and so on. I said to myself, "This is crazy, this chart can't possibly be right." And then after he had the entire audience convinced, he announced that it was the chart of Charles Manson. By way of a side-note, the astro-carto-graphic map of Charles Manson had the line of that Mars-Neptune-conjunction passing through the deserts just to the east of Los Angeles. So when he finally admitted that it was Charles Manson I said to myself, "I knew it couldn't be Petula Clark!" They were born a year apart on the same date. So that is why he was able to suck everybody in. But the problem was that he was taking advantage of the inarticulate nature of much modern 20th century astrological language. This must change! The object of self-actualization, psychological exploration, or even enlightenment, through astrology is a perfectly noble goal, a noble task. But it must be done in a clear language, or it will of no use at all, except as entertainment, which I suppose some will believe is perfectly fine.
Modern astrology has had one really tragic flaw in addition to its inarticulate language: its complete lack of a philosophical foundation rooted in any coherent philosophical or spiritual tradition of the world, except in the case of Jyotish. Jyotish does have a coherent philosophical and spiritual background derived from the religions of India. For those of you that are not aware of it, Western astrology (by which I really mean Middle Eastern astrology, we just happen to be practising the Western branch of it) also has a firm foundation in philosophy derived from persons with names such as Plato, Pythagoras, Aristotle, Plotinus and has roots in other philosophies that we cannot attribute to any actual person, such as the philosophies of Hermes. We have to go back to these philosophies (as I will hope to demonstrate in part tomorrow) because all modern Western philosophy – with the possible and likely exception of phenomenology – is born out of an idea-set that occurs after the West made a fork on the road of philosophy which rendered astrology inherently impossible.
"Modern astrology has had one really tragic
flaw in addition to its inarticulate language: its complete lack of aphilosophical foundation rooted in any coherent philosophical or spiritual tradition of the world."
So we have to go back to the philosophies in which astrology is not inherently impossible, reestablish the roots, modernize our understanding of those philosophies, and bring them forward into the 20th century or 21st century. We have a brilliant example of this in the work of late John Addey whose astrology was rooted firmly in Neoplatonism but pointed toward a radical new kind of astrology. But we do not want to use 19th century mystical "philosophies" such as those of Mme. Blavatsky, Alice Bailey and so forth, in part because they are not in fact foundational philosophies. What they taught was a modernized and obscured form of Neoplatonism. I am not saying their works are of no value, but for philosophy let us go back to the real thing.
Alfred North Whitehead may also be a philosopher who has something to say to us, but until I can get him to say something to me that I truly understand – those of you that have tried to read Whitehead will know what I mean – I cannot tell what he may have to offer.
Astrology lacks a theoretical foundation
The reason for having proper philosophical foundations is that it actually leads to the creation of, in some form, what scientists keep telling us astrology lacks: a theoretical foundation. Now you have to understand that a theoretical foundation does not necessarily need to be correct at the outset. It needs to be correctable. Astrological theory, even based on a reconnection with ancient philosophy, will not be a theory that science will recognize as theory, but it will in fact function as a scientific theory. It just will not function according to the scientific paradigm – any scientific paradigm, at least any paradigm constituted according to the larger meta-paradigm of modern science.
And let me explain why: The contemporary scientific paradigm, with exception of a few areas of quantum physics, largely ignores the role of consciousness in the Universe. Putting it in its boldest form: Life and consciousness, according to the prevailing version of the modern scientific paradigm are epiphenomena of the laws of inanimate nature. An epiphenomenon is a superficial, second level prenomenon, not central to the whole system. In other words, we are trivial and unimportant, the world is essentially meaningless, and it is just grinding off to a stupid, meaningless, pointless end.
Of course, you have to ask the question: "Meaningless" to whom? You can't have meaninglessness until there is somebody to whom something is meaningless. Unfortunately, when the 19th century threw God out of science, they made the whole meaningful/meaningless issue undefineable, irrelevant and academic. We are, according to one modern "scientific" writer, like bacteria living on a dust particle in a sneeze. That was someone's description of life in the Big Bang. We are said to live on a planet that goes around a minor star in a minor galaxy in an infinitely huge Universe. To whom are we minor? If there is no aliveness in the Universe, to whom are we unimportant, and since when was sheer magnitude the criterion of excellence? Billions and billions of stars, the late Carl Sagan used to say, as if putting zeroes after a one made things more significant and more meaningful.
"In my humble opinion astrology makes no sense unless we postulate that life, mind and consciousness are central to the functioning of the Universe, and precede, in some
meaningfull way, matter and energy, or at least are coeval
with, that is to say, coeternal with them."
In my humble opinion (which means: "arrogant statement follows") astrology makes no sense unless we postulate that life, mind and consciousness are central to the functioning of the Universe, and precede, in some meaningfull way, matter and energy, or at least are coeval with, that is to say, coeternal with them. Something is talking to us, and things that talk must be alive and conscious. The idea that life and consciousness are epiphenomenal is the exact reverse of the astrological world view. This is why we are heretics. And by all means, let us remain so!
But I think many astrologers do not draw out the logical implications of what they do. They are astrologers when they are in the counselling room, and they are 21st-century-ordinary-every-day-mechanist-materialists when they do anything else – I find that this true less and less as time goes on, which is most gratifying. But we have to recognize, yes indeed, that astrology, and the metaphysics of science – also known as scientism – are indeed incompatible. Thank God!
Now another aspect of the new kind of astrology: I totally, absolutely and overwhelmingly reject any form of astro-fundamentalism. We can leave that for certain insane fanatics in the Jewish, Islamic and Christian religious comunities. There is no ancient astrology that must be completely recovered because it, alone, is completely, absolutely and positively true for all time. We recover them to the best of our ability, so we can learn from them, but they are not necessarily "truer" than what we do. Our ancestors were human beings, just like us. Do I think that astrology came as the result of a divine revelation in the biblical sense? Maybe in some other sense yes, but not in that narrow biblical sense. It was not revealed whole, entire, perfect and complete to anyone at any time. It may be complete and perfect eventually, but only because we have done the work of uncovering the revelation. But it is probably never going to happen quite that way. I just do not want to exclude the possibility.
Balancing modernist and traditionalist attitudes
So we need to strike a balance between the modernist's attitude and the traditionalist's attitude. By the way, I just want to make one thing clear: If I seem to be taking a slam at the only at certain members of the Jyotish/Vedic community in talking about astrological fundamentalism, believe me, I am not. There are also Lilly fundamentalists, Hellenistic fundamentalists, Arabic fundamentalists… You take any system, as long as it isn't modern, and you will find somebody who believes in it as a fundamentalist, or – to use a term more fashionable in religious circles – a literalist, one who believes that the books are literally and completely true.
The modernist attitude believes that only the most recent work is any good, and the traditionalist attitude thinks that anything modern is hopelessly flawed and corrupt. Without qualification – these positions are both wrong. And if you disagree with me, fine. But that is my position, take it or leave it! (I have a Scorpio Moon).
Post-modern astrology must recognize that astrology is a learned art. Not a learned art with one syllable, but a learned art, with 'learned' in two-syllables. And while we invite the enthusiast and the amateur to participate, it also has to be recognized the amateur astrologer will have a role similar to amateur scientists – far from irrelevant, but working in a limited way. Astrology is no more entertainment than psychology. Which is to say that both can create entertaining diversions, but that is neither their purpose nor their value.
To that end, as I am sure many are quite aware, there has begun a movement towards the creation of academic institutions within astrology. One of these is Kepler College. It teaches within a genuine liberal arts program that happens to be – this is the unofficial motto of the school – filtered "through the lens of astrology," but it is a liberal arts degree nonetheless. What do I teach there? I teach ancient history, medieval history and Latin. But of course, the Latin is not all Cicero. We read John of Seville in the course, and people like him. (We do not read Manilius, because nobody can read Manilius.) Here in Britain there is of course the Bath Spa curriculum, the Southampton program, the University of Canterbury program, and there are probably others that I am not aware of.
But this is a thrilling development, because we have got to the point where the next level of astrology must be carried on in environments similar to that of universities, where there are conferences held among professionals in the field, who report work that is very important, but which is too technical or esoteric (in the original meaning of the word) for a general astrological conference. For example, we have the varied styles of medieval primary directions, their origin, significance, application and so forth, definitely a subject of interest only to specialists.
Just to give you one idea of something I have noticed, I am convinced that Masha Allah or the work attributed to him is of two people, because there are two different kinds of astrology going on, but I have not figured out how to rigorously document this yet. This is not the sort of topic that I think would draw a very large crowd at even an AA conference, and the AA conferences are a good deal more sophisticated than many other conferences.
"The "Astrology and Your Pet" aspect of astrology has been going on for quite a long time, and I do not suggest that it should cease."
The alternative? At Astrolabe, the company that I used to work with, we had a cartoon on the wall which showed a rather generously endowed, portly woman standing behind a lectern with a very stern and severe expression on her face, saying: "We will not rest until astrology has found it's proper place in Academia", and on the wall behind her is a sign that says: "Next Week: Astrology and Your Pet".
Now, there is nothing wrong with that, but these are two different aspects of astrology. The "Astrology and Your Pet" aspect of astrology has been going on for quite a long time, and I do not suggest that it should cease. I am now in my fourth year of graduate school, so I am beginning to get a sense of what goes on in Academia that is good and useful to the further evolution of astrology. For the most part we do not yet have that, but we are getting it. So this academization, if I can make a word, the making of astrology more academic, is an extremely important step.
At this point I have to make a very important statement about this process. We are not trying to make astrology respectable. We are trying to force astrology to get its internal act together. That is not the same thing. We will not convince academics that we belong in academia because we say so; it is not even clear that we will ever be integrated with academia. It does not matter. It is for ourselves, not for our respectability, but for the efficacy of our art. We will be more effective if we do these things. We need international libraries of astrology texts, either in book form or online. We need to find all those old astrological journals rotting away on our shelves, scan them and make them available to researchers.
"We are not trying to make astrology respectable. We are
trying to force astrology to get its internal act together.
That is not the same thing."
I do not know how many of you are aware of this, but on the internet there is something called "Early English Books Online". Every book printed in England before 1700 that has survived is in that data base. You can read them or download them, as you choose. We need that exact same thing in astrology. We need all these journals, all the old texts, everything to be accessible to researchers. At the moment a great deal of astrology is on the verge to disappearing for all time. We need modern researchers documenting what happened in the 20th century, who said what, what they meant, explicating their ideas, talking about their lives, we need to preserve all of this. Ironically, the most endangered single part of the history of astrology is the history of 20th century astrology. It is right on the verge of being forgotten already. So this is why this increasing movement toward academia is required, not so that we can be respectable, but for our own use.
Here is the key point: we will have succeeded in creating post-modern astrology to the degree that our astrology is completely continuous, historically, with all the astrologies of the past. It does not mean we use all their techniques, does not mean we use all their elements, but that we can at some point refer to our tradition as a completely restored and continuous tradition. Post-modern astrology will not simply be going back to William Lilly, or to Bonatti, or to Vettius Valens, Vahara Mihira, or any one you can chose. But they will be in there, their works will be known, evaluated and employed where appropriate. And appropriateness will be determined in terms of our modern needs – excuse me – post-modern needs.
Now I could make a long list of things I think might like to change technically-speaking in astrology, but I have to agree with Geoffrey Cornelius in his talk yesterday that improved technique in the way it is usually understood is not what we are trying to do here. In chemistry, for example, if you use the wrong technique in analysing an unknown substance, you will not find out what the substance is. Technique in chemistry is an absolutely necessary set of procedures designed to achieve a particular result. But technique in astrology is actually the articulation of language not merely a set or proper procedures.
Let me give you a concrete example. If you pick up any traditional astrology book that is at all influenced by Ptolemy, you will find that it poses a collection of questions to be answered. Is the nativity viable? That is to say, is the entity born in this nativity going to live? What is the wealth and rank of the parents? What about brothers and sisters? What about money, career, children? All of these constitute a standard set of what I refer to as the Ptolemaic questions.
These Ptolemaic questions use very definite techniques for answering the questions. But the issue here is not whether these techniques are "correct," the issue is whether these techniques are clearly articulated. Some of these questions we will not choose to ask, for example, we will probably continue not to say too much about the nature and manner of one's death. We might, however, become a bit more articulate about saying: these are the areas of our life you will have to watch out for, that are dangerous and maybe in these times you will have to watch out for them. But I have demonstrated to my satisfaction one thing about this and similar things in astrology. They are, to use the philosophical term, contingent. The moment of your death has not yet been written unless it is to occur very soon due to circumstances that are not any longer changeable. All of us could have a number of times in which we might die. But in the ancient world things that can be prevented now could not be prevented then. So we will look times that may be dangerous, not times of death, or whatever. But the issue here is, what do we do to answer a question, and is an answer to the question clear enough so that we can tell if it is right or wrong?
Fate versus free will
There is the wonderful problem of fate versus free will. I actually have arrived at an answer to this, which I will briefly outline. I found the answer in one of the Stobaeus fragments of the Corpus Hermeticum, in which Hermes is talking to his disciple Tat, as the name is usually transliterated. Tat asks: "Tell me again about fate, providence and necessity". And Hermes after much intermediate material ends up with the statement along the lines of, "Fate concerns the body, necessity concerns that part of the mind that works only with the body, and providence is concerned with the mind that is fully conscious."
What they made clear in this statement is there is no one such thing as fate. There is a fate that is due to our being material beings of a certain species. No matter how hard you try, no amount of free will will ever convert you to a dog or a cat in this life time. You cannot fly without a plane – unless (perhaps) you are a certain kind of meditator – you cannot walk through walls without a door, you cannot see through walls without a window, you are limited by natural law. That is the fundamental meaning of fate in ancient Greek philosophy. It is physical law.
Then there is the really big part of fate; there is the fate due to ignorance, called necessity. We get ourselves caught up in situations where we simply cannot conceive of an alternative, because we have all these considerations about what must be so and what must not be so, and we are determined by the consequences of past decisions and current stupidities. That is most of what our fate consists of. It has nothing to do with the planets!
"Post-modern astrology will not be a fatalistic fortune-telling astrology, it will be an astrology of enlightenment,
self-realization, self-actualization and consciousness,
that just happens to include all of the rest of astrology."
And then finally there is the other fate that is absolutely irrevocable, called providence. You have no choice but to be who you are. Your choice is to be who you are at the highest possible level or not. And I would go so far as to say that who you really are preexists who you are at the present moment, and it is pulling you forward to itself, and that pull is inevitable. Your getting all the way there, becoming a fully realized being, is not inevitable. Circumstances, accidents and of course the ever-present stupidity, or unconsciousness – whatever you want to call it – will all in varying degrees prevent us from getting to that perfect self-realization. But it is not written in the stars whether we will, or will not, ever be fully realized. What is written in the stars is how to do it – if we could but read the chart from that point of view.
This is one of the things the 20th century has taught us, but the 20th century has been a little weak on how to do it. Whereas, I have found techniques in Greek and Medieval astrology that actually suggest how it can be done, how it can be read in the chart. Post-modern astrology will not be a fatalistic fortune-telling astrology, it will be an astrology of enlightenment, self-realization, self-actualization and consciousness, that just happens to include all of the rest of astrology.
We evaluate, we judge, and we integrate. That is what I see coming.
Thank you very much.
Copyright by Robert Hand 2006


text: A Prophet and His Talking Donkey Posted on June 20, 2013 | by Nechama Tamler The Torah parasha this week is named after a non-Israelite king, Balak, who decides that the Israelite tribes are a threat to his people, the Moabites. So King Balak hires Balaam ben Be'or, a soothsayer and prophet, to go and deliver a curse on the Israelites (Numbers 22: 5-7). Balaam accepts the gig; he and his talking donkey become two of the most comical or mysterious characters in the whole Torah. The G-dcast storyteller this week, Rabbi Andrew Shapiro Katz, formerly of San Francisco and now residing with his wife and growing family in Be'er Sheva, Israel, has given us a shorter-than-usual and very provocative commentary on this parasha. Makes sense, doesn't it? That the only way to "explain" a talking donkey is to imagine that Balaam projects a piece of himself, some intuition coming from his "gut," right into the mouth of his donkey. It gets even better… Balaam ends up having a conversation with his donkey, almost the way you sometimes get two parts of yourself arguing with each other (on the one hand….but on the other hand…). There is also some medical evidence that the very same cells that formed our brains when we were in our embryonic and then fetal state also formed the organs associated with our gut, such as our intestines. For more on brain gut, you can read this. The donkey stops because he sees God's messenger in the path in front of him, forbidding him to continue onward. And Balaam just beats him for that — witness their absurd interaction in chapter 22 verses 28-30. When Balaam himself finally hears the voice of God's messenger, he changes direction, both metaphorically and physically. The King and his for-hire prophet end up discussing the parameters of the instructions to curse Israel. The prophet realizes, after several encounters with the Holy One of Israel, that he cannot go against the powerful Lord of the Hebrew tribes. He knows he is going against his contract, but he ends up actually blessing the Israelites with the words… "How goodly are your tents oh Jacob, your dwellings oh Israel!" Mah tovu Ohalekha Ya'akov; mish'k'notekha, Yisra'el! — Numbers 24:5 …which appear in a lengthy poem of praise to the Israelites. This phrase has entered our liturgy, part of the opening morning prayers, every day…. Amazing, huh? To recap: religiously observant Jews in the 21st century recite a line of poetry, now part of the daily prayers, ascribed to a pagan prophet whose story was captured in the Bible, dating back to perhaps the 8th century before the common era (BCE). The story ends with King Balak being very angry. More poetry is exchanged, and, in the end, the prophet Balaam goes home and the King goes back to his despair and his wrath, never having achieved his goals of cursing the Israelites. Chapter 25 has one more story: how the Israelites, who had just been blessed and praised by a foreign prophet, have resumed their naughty behaviors, in imitation of their pagan neighbors. And what is the crime? They go "whoring with the daughters of Moab." They begin to engage in the cultic and sexual activities related to the worship of Baal Pe'or. Of course this behavior is not acceptable to God, and so Moshe/Moses tells his chiefs to impale the wrong-doers so that the people can be saved from idolatry. One of these leaders, a member of the priestly tribe and the grandson of Aaron, is Pinchas/Phineas, a hyper-energized zealot who takes a spear in his hand and stabs an Israelite man, Zimri, son of Salu, chieftain of the Simeonite tribe. Zimri is caught in flagrante delicto (Latin for "in blazing offense," sometimes used colloquially as a euphemism for someone caught red-handed in sexual activity) while engaged in sexual intercourse with Cozbi, daughter of Zur, a Midianite chief. She is a princess and he is the son of a chief of one of the Tribes of Israel; these are not your average schleppers, and the fact that their lineage is mentioned means that they are prominent and well regarded, until now. Seems that God wanted to make an example of God's utter intolerance of the alliances and intermarriages between the Midianites and the Israelites, despite the fact that in a previous generation, Moshe/Moses married Tzipporah, a Midianite, daughter of Yitro/Jethro, the beloved priest of Midian. The attitudes of the Israelites towards assimilation and interchanges with their neighbors vacillate and change with the times… In some generations intimacy seems to have been more or less OK, and at other times completely forbidden. Do you think that vacillation exists today as well? How have attitudes towards intermarriages between races and religions changed over the past several generations? Let's end with an 18th century poem by Robert Burns, who sees a glorious exit to this world in the example of Zimri and Cozbi: I murder hate by flood or field, Tho' glory's name may screen us; In wars at home I'll spend my blood – Life-giving wars of Venus. The deities that I adore Are social Peace and Plenty; I'm better pleased to make one more, Than be the death of twenty. I would not die like Socrates, For all the fuss of Plato; Nor would i with Leonidas, Nor yet would i with Cato: The zealots of the church and state Shall ne'er my mortal foe be; But let me have bold Zimri's fate, Within the arms of Cozbi! About Nechama Tamler View all posts by Nechama Tamler →

subset: commoncrawl


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They are MINE! ALLLLL MINE!
Click here to see what we have THIS WEEK ON EBAYClick here for info about our shipping rates.Email Louie with your requests and questions about American Roots Music.
Signed copies available exclusively on the net here at Louie's Juke Joint, just click this link to order!
"Louis Maistros has written a lyrical, complex, and brave novel that takes enormous risks and pulls them all off. He is a writer to watch and keep reading, a writer to cherish." – Peter Straub
"The Society of North American Magic Realists welcomes its newest, most dazzling member, Louis Maistros. His debut novel is a thing of wonder, unlike anything in our literature. It startles. It stuns. It stupefies. No novel since CONFEDERACY OF DUNCES has done such justice to New Orleans. If Franz Kafka had been able to write like Peter Straub, this might have been the result." – Donald Harington, Winner of the Robert Penn Warren Award and the Oxford-American Lifetime Achievement Award.
"The Sound of Building Coffins is easily one of the finest and truest pieces of New Orleans fiction I've ever read."- Poppy Z. Brite
"One has to write with considerable authenticity to pull off a story steeped in magic and swamp water that examines race and class, death and rebirth, Haitian voodoo, and the beginnings of jazz in 1891 New Orleans...The plot is complex and magical, grounded in the history of the city, without being overly sentimental. There is a comfort with death as a part of life in this work that reveals deep feeling for the city and its past....Highly recommended for all fiction collections, especially where there is an interest in jazz."- Library Journal
Signed copies available exclusively on the net here at Louie's Juke Joint, just click this link to order! This website and all it contents Copyright 1997-2012Louie and Elly Maistros


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How to Mirror Great Golf Swings
You watch golf pros make amazing swings every weekend, and you want to swing like they do. But can you? Yes! If you study another person's swing long enough and then practice what you observe, you, too, can swing like the pros.
Sports science even supports this approach. Research suggests that watching someone perform an action can be almost as helpful as doing it yourself. It activates "mirror neurons" in the brain that can help you imitate the action. When he was a toddler, Tiger Woods spent many hours watching his father hit golf balls — and when Tiger took his first whacks with a cut-down club, he already had a pretty good swing.
Phil Mickelson may be an even better example. A natural right-hander who was 18 months old when he began imitating his father, Phil literally mirrored what he saw — by swinging lefty!
No matter what your skill level, you can improve by observing good players. Check out these tips:
Start by identifying your goals. Do you want to emulate the game's big bombers, guys like Davis Love III, Bubba Watson, and Dustin Johnson, who regularly blast drives beyond 300 and even 350 yards? Or do you want to follow the short-game experts, such as all-time great Walter Hagen and tour veteran Brad Faxon? Phil Mickelson is long off the tee and has a great lob wedge. Tiger Woods, at his best, does everything well.
Pay attention to players with some of the same characteristics that you have. Look for similarities in body size, pace, and shape of swing.
Copy someone whose swing speed is similar to yours. Maybe swing speed is your demon. Don't copy someone just because you admire them. The pace you use should be as natural for you as tour golfers' swings are for them. Copy a pro who swings at about the same speed you do.
Down through the years, Ben Crenshaw, Nancy Lopez, and Jay Haas have displayed slow-paced swings. Ernie Els has a syrup-smooth motion that builds great power at impact. Jack Nicklaus, Sam Snead, and Annika Sorenstam all won with medium-paced swings. Ben Hogan, Lanny Wadkins, and Tom Watson swung fast.Credit: Photo © iStockphoto.com/Bob Thomas
Notice how the attitudes of famous players affect not only how they play but also how much they enjoy the game. Arnold Palmer was a master of special shots and a bold golfer. Other daring players include Mickelson and Ireland's Rory McIlroy. Fred Funk is a Champions Tour fan favorite whose love for the game is infectious.
On the other end of the attitude spectrum, you find Ben Hogan, a perfectionist who surrendered not to any other player but only to the yips. Other perfectionists include Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, Annika Sorenstam, and many of the Asian players doing so well on today's LPGA tour — hard workers like Jiyai Shin and Song-Hee Kim of South Korea, and Japan's Ai Miyazato.
Learn from the mistakes others make under pressure. Just don't mirror those!
Whomever you choose to emulate, keep in mind that golf is an individualist's game. You can mix and match facets of great players' styles, or develop your own — whatever works for you.


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Takeaways: Obama economy speech
President Barack Obama on Wednesday said America had "fought its way back" from the greatest economic collapse since the Great Depression and warned Republicans not to create another budget "fiasco" this fall that could knock the country off course yet again.
In sharper and more traditionally partisan terms than many expected, Obama took credit for helping to shepherd the economy back from the brink while attacking Republicans, particularly in the House of Representatives, for engaging in an "endless parade of distractions, political posturing and phony scandals."
Story Continued Below
"Washington has taken its eye off the ball," Obama said in what was billed as a major economic address at Knox College in Galesburg, Ill. "And I am here to say this needs to stop."
Democratic partisans ate up the lengthy speech, which included a laundry list of old and new proposals, many of which will never become law. And they did not appear to care that the address sounded as much like a workmanlike State of the Union as a sweeping vision of a new economy.
( VIDEO and TEXT: Obama's full speech at Knox College)
Republicans dismissed the address as familiar, empty rhetoric unhelpful to immediate problems like reaching an agreement in Washington on funding the government and raising the debt ceiling. House Speaker John Boehner called the speech a "hollow shell" and an "Easter egg with no candy in it."
Here are POLITICO's five answers to its earlier questions about the speech.
1. How hard will he go after Republicans on the debt ceiling and government funding?
Pretty hard, as it turns out.
Obama was careful to praise a "growing number of Republican senators" who are "trying to get things done" on immigration and other issues. But he ripped into "a faction of Republicans in the House" who he said would not give the Senate immigration bill a vote and "gutted a farm bill that America's farmers and most vulnerable children depend on."
And he went straight at the House Republicans over raising the debt ceiling and funding the government — two issues that will dominate Washington debate this fall.
( WATCH: Obama will use 'every minute of the 1,276 days remaining')
"We've seen a sizable group of Republican lawmakers suggest they wouldn't vote to pay the very bills that Congress rang up — a fiasco that harmed a fragile recovery in 2011, and one we can't afford to repeat," Obama said.
The risk to this approach, which Obama has embraced repeatedly in the past to limited effect, is that it drives House Republicans crazy and makes it harder to seal deals on issues like the debt ceiling and funding the government.
Republicans on Wednesday showed no signs of warming up to the president's positions. And they were clearly angered by his dismissive tone. "The IRS's targeting of Americans because of their political beliefs is not a 'phony' scandal," House Majority Leader Eric Cantor tweeted during the speech.
Some Democratic officials suggested prior to the address that Obama would try to aim high and avoid Washington-speak like "sequester." But he specifically invoked the sequester spending cuts and accused Republicans of taking a "meat cleaver" to the budget rather than using a scalpel.
To some observers, it seemed more like partisan raw meat than soaring economic vision. "It's hard to rise above partisanship with a speech that is anticipating a partisan showdown," said Sean West, top U.S. analyst at investment firm Eurasia Group.
But West added that the speech would probably succeed in "putting Obama out front on the economy at a moment when Republicans have no standard-bearer and Congress is gearing up for recess."
2. How bullish will he be on the economy?
Moderately so.
One of the risks going into the speech was that Obama would appear to be cheerleading a recovery that most average Americans are barely feeling as wages stagnate, good jobs remain elusive and many workers have simply given up looking.
Obama, as expected, did take some credit for "rescuing" the auto industry — even as the city of Detroit has filed for bankruptcy — and turning massive jobs losses into steady job gains.
"Add it all up, and over the past 40 months, our businesses have created 7.2 million new jobs. This year, we are off to our strongest private-sector job growth since 1999," Obama said. "As a country, we've recovered faster and gone further than most other advanced nations in the world."
But Obama quickly pivoted to acknowledge that almost every economic indicator, from wages to unemployment, are still much worse than when he spoke at Knox College in 2005. "I'm here today to tell you what you already know — we're not there yet," Obama said.
And as expected, Obama spent a significant portion of the speech talking about how wages have grown for top earners but not the middle class, and rising stock prices don't translate to widely shared prosperity.
Obama clearly learned from earlier missteps when the administration declared victory on the recovery prematurely. He focused his address not on celebrating a modest recovery but trying to argue for why his policies on spending, health care, immigration and even raising the minimum wage would help drive a more broadly shared recovery.


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G.I. Joe: Retaliation: movie review
Time Out says
The G.I. Joes, those patriotic men (and women) of military might, only think they've defeated Team Cobra. Unfortunately, our commander-in-chief (Jonathan Pryce) has been replaced by one of the nefarious villains' top operatives, and he's set a plan in motion to drop nukes on several bustling metropolises. Only Roadblock (Dwayne Johnson) and his ragtag team of rogue Joes—which includes the heroic organization's forcibly retired founding member (Bruce Willis)—can prevent global destruction. This bombastic, post-converted 3-D sequel to G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009) plays like a tiresomely extended evening of channel surfing. Only an impressive action set-piece on a mountainside, as well as some WTF cameos by the RZA and James Carville, possesses anything close to the wit and energy director Jon M. Chu brought to his two Step Up movies.
Follow Keith Uhlich on Twitter: @keithuhlich
Release details
Cast and crew
Ray Stevenson
Dwayne Johnson


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NEW YORK - January 18, 2012 - Everyone imagines, but some people imagine greater.
Syfy today unveiled to the advertising community provocative and groundbreaking insights into the role highly imaginative people - called Igniters - play in driving consumer behavior for new products and brands by sharing it instantly through social media and portable, everywhere access.
Through a custom study conducted in partnership with PSFK, Syfy demonstrates how and why this consumer is more powerful today than ever, creating a new marketplace - the Imagination Economy. Igniters' power and influence on the success of brands is actually growing in a modern world saturated with social media and portable, everywhere access. Today these highly imaginative consumers live in a world where they can find anything they want at a moment's notice and share it with hundreds of thousands of people - instantly.
Syfy, PSFK and Simmons show that Igniters are overactive in three key consumer behaviors:
· FIND THE NEW: Insatiable need to constantly be in-the-know about the latest and greatest everything, from nutrition and diet to electronics
· DO THE NEXT: Must-have mentality drives them to try, do and buy the next big thing such as new stores, styles, drinks and food
· SHOW THE REST: Vocal in telling everyone about their latest finds. Because they're at the forefront, people listen to what they have to say, whether it's financial matters to car buying
Evidence proving this behavior is drawn from Simmons' most recent two year study measuring the behavior of people who view themselves as Creative, Inventive, Imaginative and Artistic. Syfy ranks #1 among all measured cable networks in delivering this audience with a 112 index among Adults 18-49.
Simmons, now owned by Experian, is an established syndicated research provider supplying leading advertisers, agencies and media companies with timely, single-source consumer insights. They survey over 30,000 consumers annually, continuously measuring and updating consumer attitudes, product and brand preferences, media consumption habits and demographic and lifestyle characteristics. In the Self-Concepts section, respondents are asked how they see themselves. Four adjectives are grouped together in different statements. Respondents are asked the degree to which they agree or disagree (on a five point scale) with each individual statement as a description of themselves. Top two box data for the statement including Creative, Inventive, Imaginative and Artistic was used.
In making the announcement, Dave Howe, President, Syfy, said: "As the brand which celebrates, encourages and stimulates imagination, Syfy creates entertainment with this group in mind. We spark their imagination with shows like Face Off, open their minds to what's possible with Alphas and Warehouse 13, and show them a new way of looking at the world with programs such as Ghost Hunters and Being Human. This group who imagines greater is the audience Syfy speaks to and delivers to advertisers more than any other cable network."
Syfy and PSFK announced this study during an executive breakfast at CES/Las Vegas - in partnership with VivaKi (Starcom/Mediavest, Zenith Optimedia, Razorfish, Digitas) - to more than 200 of their most senior marketing clients and company executives.
Syfy will also launch a major outreach campaign to the advertising community, including:
· Executive breakfasts in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit and Boston
· Presentations in and around the ad community
· National ad campaign including outdoor presence in New York, Chicago, Detroit, and Los Angeles; cover wraps in major trade magazines, and agency promotion
· Launch of the website SyfyIgniters.com
PSFK is a go-to source for new ideas, inspiration and innovation for some of the most respected brands in the world, such as Apple, American Express, BMW, Gap, Levi's, MTV, Nestle, Nike, Pepsi and Samsung. PSFK provides its consultancy clients with a global view of cultural and market trends, insights into future consumer behavior and inspiration for potential products, communications and business ideas.
Syfy is a media destination for imagination-based entertainment. With year round acclaimed original series, events, blockbuster movies, classic science fiction and fantasy programming, a dynamic Web site (www.Syfy.com), and a portfolio of adjacent business (Syfy Ventures), Syfy is a passport to limitless possibilities. Originally launched in 1992 as SCI FI Channel, and currently in more than 98 million homes, Syfy is a network of NBCUniversal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies. (Syfy. Imagine greater.)


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Summer 2013 Root Beer Project, Post 17
Taylor's makes a line of Mate based soft-drinks, but about 6 months ago they opened a retail space specializing in Candy and Fizzy Lifting Drinks.
AKA Gaseosas y Dulces.
And a fine selection of Root Beers, do they have. I scored Root Beers from Goose Island, Jackson Hole Soda, Kutztown, and, last but not least, 3 Dachshunds. Expect reviews of those in the next week, and more Root Beer from the Fizzary to follow.
The Fizzary, An Urban Menagerie of Soda
"Join our campaign to create a hands-on botanical brewery & soda wonderland in San Francisco, CA Plans are to expand our retail showroom and introduce a beverage museum. We also plan to create an unparalleled craft beverage incubator for the budding brewmaster and a delicious stop over for the parched adventurer! To receive campaign and contribution updates, as well as sneak peeks of the premiums you will be awared, simply drop us an email and you'll receive an auto-reply with more information. We look forward to you joining our fizzy collective…Cheers!"
We're OPEN! Tuesday-Sunday 11:45 am – 7:00 PM
ph: 1-877-368-4608


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Canada's Local Histories Online
December 31, 2008 by © Joan Miller - Luxegen Genealogy.
Filed under Canada, Family History, genealogy
A useful resource for the Canadian family historian is Our Roots, a website sponsored by the University of Calgary, Laval University and the Government of Canada. Our Roots is a library, archive, museum and school all in one. The collection features scanned versions of Canadian local histories in French and English. There are also Educational [...]


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Latest News
As Alaska stimulus showdown nears, Palin to leave town
JUNEAU -- With just one week left before the Alaska Legislature adjourns for the year, the conflict between Gov. Sarah Palin and lawmakers over taking federal economic stimulus money is the dominant issue left.
In fact, legislative leaders don't seem intent on doing a whole lot else this year.
Just nine of the 419 bills introduced have passed through the full Legislature so far, and while many more will pass in the frenzied final week, there is little desire to make major state policy changes in what Senate President Gary Stevens conceded is basically a session of preserving the status quo.
There's still a chance that bills will pass increasing the state minimum wage, requiring parental notification when a teenager gets an abortion, expanding Alaska children's health insurance for lower-income families and stopping the state, including the Permanent Fund, from investing in companies doing business in Sudan, the African country whose government has been blamed for genocidal killing in the Darfur region.
Legislators will also vote Thursday on approving the governor's appointees, including attorney general Wayne Anthony Ross, who has proven controversial but is still likely to be confirmed.
Palin herself will be leaving Alaska this week to attend the Vanderburgh County Right to Life dinner in Evansville, Ind. on Thursday, as well as an event for special-needs children. Fairbanks Republican Rep. Jay Ramras questioned her leaving town right at the end of the session, when critical decisions are being made.
"There are some concerns (in the Capitol) about the focus of our chief executive because she's taken a speaking engagement in Indiana for a 36-hour period with only 72 hours left in the legislative session," Ramras said.
Palin, who has barely left Alaska during the legislative session, is clearly irritated.
"I'll be gone for one day. I already have been on record with lawmakers on this. I told lawmakers, you know what, 'Please, don't make me feel that I have to ask you permission, lawmakers, to leave the capital city,' " Palin said.
Legislators say the biggest question left is what happens with the $930.7 million in federal economic stimulus money that Alaska state government is eligible to get. Both the House and Senate want to accept every penny of the money. But Palin, who will have the final say through vetoes, has balked at taking one-third of it, including money for schools, energy assistance and social services.
Palin now says she'll accept the federal money if the Legislature agrees to use some of it to replace state spending. For example, she wants to cut 93 million state dollars that would go to schools -- and then award the schools that same amount in federal stimulus money to make up the difference.
That could be a tough sell with legislators. School districts are pushing hard to get the stimulus money on top of what they'd otherwise get from the state -- not instead of. There are questions about whether Palin's plan is legal under the federal stimulus law as well. Anchorage Democratic Rep. Mike Doogan said using the dollars just to replace state spending goes against the purpose of Congress.
Read the full story at adn.com


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The Pentagon and Lockheed Martin are still negotiating the price of the next batch of F-35s, but Vice Adm. Mat Winter, who runs the F-35 Joint Program Office, said he isn't happy with Lockheed's effort so far. "They could be much more cooperative and more collaborative, and we could seal this deal faster. We could. They choose not to, and that's a negotiating tactic," Winter said earlier this week.
The price of the Joint Strike Fighter has been dropping with each round of orders. The previous order, known as lot 10, included 66 F-35A jets, with an average price of $94.3 million per plane. The new lot 11 order that's currently being negotiated is for 130 jets, and the Pentagon expects the price to come down further. But there's no agreement yet.
Winter made his displeasure clear: "I am not satisfied in the following areas: the price is coming down, but it's not coming down fast enough; we don't know, to the level of granularity that I want to know, what it actually costs to produce an aircraft, and the number of quality escapes and what we call production line defects needs to get better," he said.
The lot 11 contract agreement is now months overdue. Orlando Carvalho, who runs Lockheed's aeronautics business, said, "We still have a bit of work ahead of us."


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I'm going to let you in on an Italian secret: while gelato is delicious, most of us don't eat it every night! Our sweet treat after dinner is usually just fresh fruit, especially if the main courses are rich.
When we have guests we often serve Macedonia, a simple salad made with a variety of fruit cut into small pieces, so that when you put a spoonful into your mouth you can taste a combination of different flavors. Macedonia is dressed very simply with fresh sugar and lemon juice – or Prosecco if no children are present! This is just a sample recipe, but the possibilities are endless – just pick your favorite fruit! Make sure you sprinkle with fresh lemon juice right after slicing, or bananas and pears will oxidize quickly.
I prefer not to use apples, because their texture is much crunchier than most other fruit.
- 1 1/2 bananas
- 1 yellow peach
- 1 pear
- 1 or 2 slices pineapple
- 1/2 basket raspberries
- 1/2 basket strawberries
- 1 kiwi
- 1 orange (peel and cut each slice)
- 1 Tbsp. golden raisins, plumped up in warm water (optional)
- 2 Tbsp. lemon juice, or to taste
- 2 Tbsp. sugar, or to taste (you can use a low-calorie sweetener if you need to follow a strict diet)
Serves 4-6
Cut all the fruit into small pieces (the smaller, the better!) and mix well with the lemon (and raisins, if liked).
Add the sugar and mix in. Refrigerate before serving.
* This is just an example, you can use any fruit you like!


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In April 2013 I told about my first year of "Sexy Unicorn" using 16 photos. The post ended with my finishing the half marathon (just barely I had an incredibly high fever that sucked the life force out of me, but I did it). My story didn't end there and so much of it is no longer focused around weight loss but on taking risks, exploring, nurturing my strengths, and accepting (but always challenging) my short comings. I keep saying it and I mean it: Comfort Zones aren't set for life. Challenge them.
Strength. For a while this past year I worked with personal trainer Kevin Purvis. I loved working with the ropes and reminding myself just how strong I am. Also, Kevin let me throw heavy objects around... Always a favorite activity of mine. No matter what happens I cannot let myself ever forget again just how physically and mentally strong I am.
I was terrified to perform with one of my favorite guys Greg Shapiro. I used to work at a comedy club he performed at (Boom Chicago) and would watch from the balcony too scared to even try and perform myself. However, when asked to do the show I sucked it up and agreed to do it. I have no regrets about it and have to remind myself to play it cool whenever I get recognized from it. And the only person who thought I shouldn't be allowed to perform in the same show as someone I respect was me. I can perform with anybody.
I helped plant the Andersonville location for Urban Village Church, and used to be a name tag dictator by heading up hospitality and greeting. On Memorial Day weekend I got to serve my church in a way I had long desired to, I co-preached with my dear friend Matt Richards. Now my church knows all about my youth spent going on architecture tours, my vulnerabilities, and my take on the Christian life. Also, I will end a sermon by playing the music of Swedish pop star Robyn.
Hula Hooping!!! I have always wanted to do it, but never seemed to have the body for it. What a blast to be able to hula hoop around my newly found hips.
Yes, I woke up at 3am and realized I wasn't going to be able to go back to sleep. So, what else could I do but bike to Indiana to see the sunrise and still make it back for work at 9:30? So, that's what I did.
I kinda zone out on my bike and on one day when I was meaning to have a quick ride, it turned into 140 mile adventure. I only realized I had gone long past my original goal when I saw signs for Kenosha and thought, "yes, but Kenosha is in Wisconsin.... Oh..."
Trying to blend being a fabulously grown up woman with my inherent Tom Boyness sometimes is awkward. However, it's 100% me.
Biking from Urbana Illinois back up to Chicago with Lily (the girl who sold me my the bike that would change my life) was quite the adventure. Ending up in the middle of no where in a real biker bar hang out and being unconditionally welcomed. Reminder that even if on sight you don't belong it doesn't mean people won't welcome you in with open arms.
The extender belt. I stole this from an airplane 10 years ago on a flight to London. In September I had my first flight since losing over 100 lbs. I was a bit panicked... What if I still don't fit in the seats?!!!! I went back and forth about whether to take my security blanket of an extender belt and last minute opted to leave it. I was fine. I fit! Sometimes I look in the mirror and think I look the same, nothing has really changed and than I sat in an airplane seat with some extra left over on my seat belt and I knew things had changed.
I ran a marathon! No that's not right. I RAN A MARATHON!!!! That's better. I finished it too. A month before hand I pulled my glute and could barely stand or walk. I ended up doing my last month of training all by bicycle and yoga. And some how I pulled it off. I finished a marathon and it was wonderful, so much love from the city I love. Accomplishing the goal that had set all my life changes in motion.
Yes, confident enough in myself to perform in a gold skin tight jump suit.
Random decision to attend a Computrainer race (specifically because I was promised free beer) with Lily has now lead to me joining a new cycling team BFF Racing. I am so excited to have teammates and competition again.
Posted this photo as a joke because this dress always emphasizes my "line backer shoulders" Then I really looked at the photo and thought for the 1st time: ya know Carol I wouldn't automatically see a "big girl" or a "fat chick" if I saw you. So, why do you still automatically assume that's what others see?
Really time to start looking in the mirror differently.
I have had an on and off again relationship with yoga. When I first attempted it my stomach was so big I couldn't even do resting poses. My body hurt and ached all the time but I did nothing to fix it because doing something would remind me how far I had to go. I still have a long way to go with all my goals, but now when I focus on my body and health it is also a nice reminder of just how far I have come.


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Aluminum Print - Squid 2
Aluminum Print - Squid 2
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To understand this story please read the first part...
Dream Run795610298
- by _alyssa__17
- Rating:
- Published: 20 Sep 2012
- Updated: 8 Jul 2014
- Status: In Progress
**well that's my first story and I hope you enjoy it xxx** That story is about a 17 year old girl called Lizz :) Her mother died in a car accident when she was 11. Now she lives with her father Bob. She had a brother aswell but he moved to San Franciso because he didn't really wanted to stay in london with her and theire father. You can't really say that Bob was a good man he punched Lizz everytime she did something wrong. Lizz wanted to run away and planed that night a whole month but her father saw her and I think that you can expect that he didn't like that. Go ahead if you want know how she meets the boy of her dreams while she's running for her live ;) AN: I am sorry I know I am not a good english writer because I'm from germany xxx
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Partnership Opportunities
Sponsorship is the fastest growing marketing medium across the globe. It offers a multi-dimensional marketing solution with many touchpoints for you and your customer.
Marketing through a sponsorship with our events will strike a level of passion and engagement with your customers that is the foundation for growing your brand culture and social experience. It will help you;
- Shape consumer attitudes to your product
- Drive Sales
- Grow the visibility of your brand
IRONMAN owns and operates some of the largest mass participation sporting events in the world including Triathlon and Multisport, Marathon Running, Mountain Biking and Road Cycling. Our brands are typically the market leaders on a global scale and are renowned for excellence. Our customer database globally reaches close to 1 million participating athletes, each with a highly engaged peer network following their amazing personal achievements. IRONMAN partners with the world's biggest brands and they see great value as we reach well beyond the "signs on the sideline". Our partners products and services are actively integrated and used in the day to day lives of our participants and their supporters.
There is nothing more powerful than getting behind the spirit of human achievement!
In the Oceania region, IRONMAN operates 23 major events with a national footprint. Key sponsorship opportunities exist in the following areas across our event portfolio;
- Naming and Presenting Rights opportunities
- Series Partnerships for key product categories eg banking and financial, legal, insurance and more
- Customised digital marketing program's for event, training and lifestyle
- Expo and Village partnership
- KIDS Tri Sponsorship
- Club Championship Series sponsorship
- Charity and Cause partnerships
If you would like to speak to the team and learn more about the opportunities with IRONMAN, our team will be excited to speak with you. Contact:
Miles Rose
Head of Partnerships Oceania
Phone: +61 447 516 783 or 03 9249 7854
Email: [email protected]


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Plants vs. Zombies Cheats :
This page contains Plants vs. Zombies cheats list for Playstation 3 version. Now we have 3 cheats in our list, which includes 1 password, 2 unlockables. We hope information that you'll find at this page help you in playing Plants vs. Zombies on Playstation 3 platform. If you didn't find needed cheats put request or ask question about this at special section of the game. Also you can subscribe on all new cheats that we'll find for you in the future!
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Chipotle turns 20, and Gov. Hickenlooper wishes the company happy birthday on video
Chipotle turned 20 this year, and the land of the brick-hefted burrito has been celebrating. Among other things, the Denver company is getting people, like Willie Nelson, to mark the milestone with videotaped happy birthday videos.
Unsurprisingly, our Restaurateur-Brewer-Entrepreneur governor appreciates all that Chipotle has accomplished in two decades – it takes a lot of hard work, creativity, drive, chutzpah and chance-taking to turn a small burrito shop in South Denver to an international chain of more than 1,450 restaurants. Meanwhile, Chipotle isn't just growing its business on the cheap; among other things, the company has toiled to find ways to incorporate more sustainable, local farming into its mission, as well as the humane treatment of animals. Chipotle has a long way to go on these fronts, but for those who care about these difficult issues, the company's efforts should be noted, if not trumpeted.
Interested in Gov. Hickenlooper's birthday hymn to the burrito empire? Here we go.


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Tampa Bay to Florida Keys
Tampa Bay to Florida Keys
A watercolor painting of the Tampa Bay area down to the Florida Keys, reproduced on high quality artist canvas and framed in a casual coastal style.
I referenced nautical charts and maps when creating the original watercolor painting, so while these are certainly not navigable charts, they are fairly accurate. The optional framing, with its vintage-inspired wooden stretcher bars and antique bronze ring for easy hanging, is a nod to nautical styling.
Choose a canvas print to frame to yourself, or canvas hung on a custom wooden frame.
• Small map measures 16x26 inches. Framed, it is securely fastened between 1.5 inch wooden stretcher bars with antique bronze hardware for easy hanging. Also sold unframed.
• Large map measures 24x36 inches and is sold unframed.
Please allow 1-2 weeks for printing and/or framing of your map in addition to shipping times. Maps are printed and framed to order. All maps are carefully packaged in a soft muslin bag and shipped rolled in a hard tube. Any wrinkles that appear in the canvas upon arrival will quickly disappear once your map is allowed to unroll and lie or hang flat.


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What's My Tune? is a free, iAd supported version of Name My Tune! (iOS 4.0 only)
It has all the same great features *and* you get to view iAds too! Download it now and be sure to click on each new iAd while you're playing the game so that you can immerse yourself in the cool new iAd experience. (Oh, and you might make us a little more money too!)
(Apologies to our {substantial} non-US based customers - someday you'll be able to be bombarded with lots {more} American advertisements too ;) )


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Glee creator Ryan Murphy considered killing off Cory Monteith's character on the hit TV show in the same way the actor died – by an accidental drugs overdose.
Monteith was found dead in his Canada hotel room last month after ingesting a fatal cocktail of alcohol and heroin, and Murphy has been struggling to decide on how to end the storyline of his character, jock Finn Hudson.
Murphy toyed with the idea of modelling Hudson's departure on the shocking real-life tragedy for the planned memorial episode, but ultimately decided against it and has instead chosen to leave fans in suspense.
He tells Deadline.com, "The hard part for all of us is that the past week we've been holed up writing the memorial episode. There were a lot of things that we had to decide – how are we going to deal with his death? At one point, we were going to have his character die after an accidental drug overdose – that was something we had considered. But we have decided that we're not going to have him pass from that.
"Basically, what we're doing in the episode is we are not telling you yet, or maybe not at all, how that character died. The idea being, how somebody died is interesting and maybe morbid, but we say very early on in the episode, 'This episode is about a celebration of that character's life.' That might be weird for some people, but it felt really exploitative to do it any other way."
The cast and crew of Glee returned to work earlier this month after supporting one another through the mourning period, but Murphy insists the toughest part is yet to come as they begin shooting the memorial episode.
He adds, "There's been tears on set. It's been hard for a lot of people. But the really difficult thing is coming. We start shooting the memorial episode this week."
Glee creator Ryan Murphy considered killing off Cory Monteith's character on the hit TV show in the same way the actor died – by an accidental drugs overdose.