text:
Life is a mental journey, in which I've often found myself lost, but God always seems to help me regain my sanity. He's allowed me to SEE areas that need to be altered within my personality in order for me to be of better service to Him. Over this past week...from last Friday until today, I've been doing some serious character assessment, not on purpose, but things just happened that way; I've learned so much more about my self.
We're constantly growing, learning, developing. What new peronality traits have you guys been introduced to over the last week. Have you learned anything new or accepted anything old about yourself.
I really don't need to list much of anything, since my post this week revealed so much, but I'll give the basics.
1.) I've ACCEPTED the fact that I MIGHT be somewhat of a pushy parent and I don't have all the answers. That might seem ordinary, but I've always thought otherwise.
I've LEARNED that I have a little more courage then I thought I had.
3.) I've LEARNED AND ACCEPTED my destiny...my purpose. The direction of my life has become more prevalent then ever before.
4.) I've LEARNED how to fall deeper in love with me...LOL.
5.) I'm a pretty forgiving person...with lots of love, I'm just cool like that, but I've LEARNED that I can forgive, without ACCEPTING what I don't want...I can love from a distance.
I just went back and changed the title of this, so that it's more accurate to what I was thinking and feeling. These are all things that have been made more aware of within the past week...and I seriously want you guys to look back to last Friday and see what God has revealed to you about YOU!
Friday, June 29, 2007
Weeks Reflection.
Posted by JustMeWriting at 6:41 AM 21 comments
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Another Test...
Here's another one...LOL! Sorry! These are my results.
|Your Values Profile
You value loyalty a fair amount.
You're loyal to your friends... to a point.
But if they cross you, you will reconsider your loyalties.
Staying true to others is important to you, but you also stay true to yourself.
You value honesty a fair amount.
You're honest when you can be, but you aren't a stickler for it.
If a little white lie will make a situation more comfortable, you'll go for it.
In the end, you mostly care about "situational integrity."
You value generosity a fair amount.
You are all about giving, as long as there's some give and take.
Supportive and kind, you don't mind helping out a friend in need.
But you know when you've given too much. You have no problem saying "no"!
You value humility highly.
You have the self-confidence to be happy with who you are.
And you don't need to seek praise to make yourself feel better.
You're very modest, and you're keep the drama factor low.
You value tolerance a fair amount.
You are open to new cultures, beliefs, and ideas.
You have very few prejudices that you're aware of.
And while you are tolerant, you do stand true to what you believe.
Posted by JustMeWriting at 12:21 PM 6 comments
What sign shouldn't you date?
I found this GREAT site after doing the Bathroom identity on Malieta's page...I'm posting the bathroom one, tomorrow, but check this out now. I guess if you'd like to comment on this post...just give the name of the sign it tells you to stay away from...instead of giving all the details...UNLESS YOU WANT TO. OH.... the info in the box is based on MY answers...so I'm to NEVER date a SCORPIO...NEVER.LOL.
|Never Date a Scorpio
Jealous, paranoid, and possessive - deep down, your Scorpio will never trust you.
And even if you are very trust worthy person, Scorpio's paranoia may drive you to act out.
Instead try dating: Aries, Gemini, Libra, or Sagittarius
Posted by JustMeWriting at 12:00 PM 13 comments
I read two interesting things in the paper yesterday:
First Article:
"Chris Benoit (40 year-old WWE Wrestler), strangled his wife (age 43), suffocated his 7-year-old son and placed a Bible next to their bodies before hanging himself with the pulley of a weight machine. Investigators found anabolic steroids in the house are trying to determine if he may have been 'unhinged' by the body building drugs, which can cause paranoia, depression and explosive outbursts known as "roid rage." The wife was killed on Friday, the son was killed on Saturday and Benoit probably killed himself Saturday night or Sunday morning!"
I really have no comment for this, other then...WHY does society always try to find a 'chemical' reason for a personS MADNESS... why couldn't dude have just been CRAZY! (We wrestle NOT against flesh and blood, but POWERS and PRINCIPALITIES)!
Second Article:
"In the past nine months, passengers have been kicked off airplanes or detained at airports for uncontrolled coughing, joking about hijacking, breast-feeding a baby, kissing and other amorous activities, cursing at flight attendants who denied them alcohol, failing to get a screaming child buckled in for takeoff and carring a sippy cup of water...it doesn't take much in the post-911 era to get in trouble on a plane. "
OVERKILL....we've created a state of mass hysteria....confusion and fear are the devils playgroud, but like I love to say; WELCOME TO CRAZY WORLD!!
In spite of ALL that foolishness...there's a praise party going on!!! Enjoy the message in the music.
Posted by JustMeWriting at 5:58 AM 16 comments
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Tongue Untied!!!
GHETTO, NIGGA, HOOD are all words I've struggled to get away from; the properness of my speech, the articulation of my tongue and even the erectness of my stance have served me well in my efforts, yet I am BLACK, still, apart...adjoined by divine order to that which I've attempted to seperate.
I am BLACK, and I love every minute of it. My walk is paced to prove the strength of character etched in my soul by my ancestors...I aim to refute every sterotype, every negative thoughts embedded in the minds of others, but what am I to do about those around me...those working against me...those BLACKS AGAINST BLACK!!!
When their public displays of foolishness amidst the eyes of those "others" whip at my flesh and leave crimson shades of humiliation...what do I do? Fear has tied my tongue as I found myself lacking the courage to speak up and right the wrongs against my people even by my people; Blacks vs Niggas:
"The problem of the twentieth century is the problem of the color line."
WEB DuBois
"The problem of the twenty-first century is the problem of the nigga line. Black people must draw that line."
Butch Slaughter
While riding home on the bus yesterday a bunch of teenage boys were cuttin up BIG TIME. I just couldn't stand the extra loud display of ignorance so I put my headphones on. The bus was super-crowded with ALL sorts of 'others' but those boys didn't seem to care. An older man got on and couldn't believe his ears; he somewhat discretely told them to be quiet...that just made thing worse...they laughed louder and made comments. I'd been turning around from time to time, but never said anything UNTIL I reminded myself of the crap I spilled on you guys in the first paragraph; I overcame the fear of being lashed out at. I allowed W.E.B.D, Sojourner Truth, Frederick Douglass and any other black Super Power who aligned themselves with the idological truthes of their thoughts...to untie my tongue.
I made eye contact with the apparent leader and spit in his face, not literally of course (LOL, nic that lil joke was for you...gotta do ONE), but guess what...he LISTENED and very attentively...then a chain reaction occured as the other 4 got quiet; I don't know if they heard me, or just wondered what was up, but they changed their behaviors, at lease for the remainder of my bus ride.
I wonder what would happen if our tongues were untied and we spoke to our people about their wrongs and the effect it's having on ALL of us...I wonder (fading into the visual)!
Posted by JustMeWriting at 5:41 AM 30 comments
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
A New (Knew) Day
I don't even have a title for this,and I'd actually posted something else for this morning, but as I read a comment left on yesterday's post...I did a lil switch. As many of you may know my oldest son is 15 (six feet and over 200 lbs)...he's going to be a Football player and a Judge...Civil Law, he'll probably have a bunch of Law, and History classes, so say's he.
Over the weekend we attended a workshop about college and college prep; it was CRAZY informative. I really learned a ton about schlorships and funding and alll sorts of info to aid the parents sending their babies off. This is a BIG deal for us as well them. My son doesn't talk much (maybe he's not my son...LOL), and he's a little TOO laid back, so I'm usually FORCING him into things. When we left the workshop we started walking toward the train, but I asked if he'd like to keep walking and just catch the bus; he'd mentioned how beautiful of a day it was like 10 times, so was all for that idea. We ended up walking through this lil park (Love Park - nic)lol (I'm giving my Philly homie a visual). Well this park has a nice fountain, so my boy asked if we could just sit a minute and talk (AMAZED ME).
We started talking about kids and parents and things; he asked, "why do parents force their children to do things they don't want to do?" He asked "Shouldn't it be more important that the child be happy...doing what they want?" "Don't children have rights?" Now, I'm not going to go into my response to all these questions, but I'll say they were answered with love and direction. I asked my son if he thought he was forced into things, and if he felt he had rights...he said, I'm not really talking about me...I'm just asking these questions! JUST ASKING! The whole point of this post is to show what happens when we parents take the time to talk with our children. We were in the warm breeze, with the sun beaming down on us...children were playing and the water of the fountain was flowing, while my son and I talked about life, love, learning, leading, growning and being. So much came out of those moments (over an hour we sat).
We are their guide into the world and up until now (age 15)things have gone at a pretty slow pace, but look out...because the speed is about to increase drasticly and our babies won't be babies anymore...they'll be in the world FORCED again to do things they might not want to do, but they need to know how to BE...how to grow and go. I learned so much about myself as a parent during our little talk...I accepted being a somewhat pushy parent...and a selfish one too (at times)ie. I FORCED them to attend a BBQ with me last weekend just because I wanted them there...and SO WHAT! lol
I was reading my Bible this morning and came across so many passages about children, but I'll only deal in 1 John 2:1 - My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the rigteous. The highlighted portion is the reason WHY we parent...why we FORCE... the unhighlighted portion is HOW we parent with love, leadership, forgiveness and advising...I love my boy(s), and I'm glad to have learned him a little more over this weekend.
Posted by JustMeWriting at 6:03 AM 21 comments
Monday, June 25, 2007
What Would You Do For A Klondike Bar...
Corporate American is made up of many forms, but for the purpose of this post, there'll only be TWO the High (Executive) Low (Assistant). Now, that's not to say that there's anything wrong with being an assistant (like me), but we're usually left to do the grunt work.
I was watching "The Devil Wears Prada" (at the request of a friend) and was asked how long I think I'd last in a job were I'm being yelled at, called by the wrong name, made to run around like a chicken with my head cut off, disrespected, and dogged. I then started to think about some of the people I've worked with, who allowed themselves to be subjected to that very treatment for a title and a check; they sell their pride and dignity for pennies, or six figures.
As an adult and a parent, I just can't see myself going home telling my sons right from wrong; teaching them value, then going off to a job where the boss comes in and throws his/her coat on my desk and says..."Why are you still sitting there...go hang up my Da#@ coat" and having my response be..."Oh, yes sir/mame, I'm very sorry." as I scurry over to the closet...I'd have KNOCKED their friggen head off and been fired, "but I've got bills to pay; and this is a dream job!"
Under the WORST possible working conditions...how long would you last? Does everybody have a price? And if so...what would be your's; What would You guys do for a klondike bar.
Posted by JustMeWriting at 8:16 AM 20 comments
Friday, June 22, 2007
ok...it's Friday and I'm bored (yeah, that's everyday, but whatever).
Today's random question is :
If you were a musical instrument what would you be and why?
Posted by JustMeWriting at 12:31 PM 22 comments
"Why Our Children Hate Us" (Final Excerpt)
Ok, since there are so many people wanting to get the book, I've decided to not wrap it up, or comment so we can do it TOGETHER...yippy. This is the LAST page I'll post (ms.b...lol). After my oldest son read this page I asked him what parts did he think pertained to he and I as a family...guess what he said NONE (thanks God for making me a pretty decent mother (father)) The one area that would apply is Trust, but he knows that's earned and can be re-earned. FYI- ALL the excerpts I've posted are from the FIRST 5 pages of the book (amazing)
Why Our Children Hate You!
You don't know them.
You don't speak to them.
You don't believe them.
You don't trust them.
You don't listen to them.
You don't warn them.
You don't protect them.
You don't worship them.
You don't claim them.
You don't guide them.
You don't love them.
You push them.
You deceive them.
You doubt them.
You use them.
You betray them.
You expose them.
You blame them.
You mock them.
You ignore them.
You fear them.
You hate them.
Yet, they are our children. They are us. and they are our only future, our only hope.
We are the ONLY species who have forgotten their importance. ("Why Our Children Hate Us")
I REALLY want to get into this bad y'all but Ima wait until those who will (GET THE BOOK)!
But for now, I'd like you guys to look at this list REAL hard...we've all been subjected to most or some of the above treatments by Black adults and even our parents and I'm sure, if we're honest we can remember subjecting a child to some of the same treatments. We're KILLING our children and we're making them hate us and in turn themselves. Can you guys tell me the ONE of those treatments/behaviors you're guilty of with your own child or any other black child. They always say "God bless the child that's got his own" but how much more blessed would that child be
Posted by JustMeWriting at 5:43 AM 15 comments
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Yeah I'm bored SO WHAT!!!
I love David E. Talbert and all his plays; here's a clip of one of my favorites..."He Say She Say, but What Does God Say" (I love Clifton Powell also...yeah, I've got a lot of love to give out...LOL)
Posted by JustMeWriting at 1:45 PM 9 comments
"Why Our Children Hate Us"/Part #3
This was the page that drew me in...
The Instincts of Geese ("Why Our Children Hate Us")
It was a beautiful, late spring day. A bold, yellow sun- the kind of sun children draw with fat crayons-balanced in a clear, blue sky above. The wind was calm and Philadelphia's murky, green Schuylkill River was a deceptive oasis. I pulled the van into a parking lot near the river, opened the door and my three-year-old daughter dashed toward the water. I chased. In milliseconds, she was within my over-protective grip, laughing and struggling to be free. I released her, allowing her the chance to run several yards up. Suddently she stopped near a patch of grass and bushes, stooping down and extending her hand. From behind the bushes, three baby geese-goslings-appeared. they ignored her innocent hand, moving to her side and continuing toward bread scraps in the grass. Slowly she followed them, unaware that nearly 30 adult geese were angrily approaching her small back.
I dashed to my child, lifting her from the ground just as three geese snapped at her legs. All three missed, but I kicked one in the stomach for good measure. The goose gawked, fluttered his wings and quickly got to its feet. "Damn geese!" i shouted, backing away with my daughter. The whole flock appeared to stare at me, gawking loudly, some flapping their wings and jumping. I put my child back in the van, still watching the birds watch me. "I wanna see the ducks! " my daughter cried. "I wanna see the ducks!" "Okay," I told her. "Wait just a minute."
The geese still stared. Two walked toward our van. "Goddamn, " I shispered under my breath. "These things are serious."
The three goslings were long gone, nowhere in sight. But the adult geese were still defending their territory. Still defendling their babies. There was no way of knowing which geese were the goslings "parents." All of them responded with the same rage. They came in a pack, a unit. All at once.
Instinct. Simple instinct. They weren't going to wait for something to happen to their babies; they were determined to prevent it from the very beginning. Instinct. No deliberation, No ambiguity, Instinct.
If those goslings had been Black children, Black adults would have handed them over-no questions asked. "Here. Take our children. Roast them. Eat them. Have them for dinner." If those goslings were Black children, most of the adults would have ignored the danger, refused to intercede. "That's not my child, " they would say. "That's not my business."
Geese fight harder than most Black people. That's why our children hate us.
Posted by JustMeWriting at 12:11 PM 17 comments
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Why Our Children Hate Us / Part 2
Here is more of this book for you to chew on.
"The tension between Black children and Black adults is beyond the proverbial "generation gap." This goes way beyond generational misunderstandings. This is an issue of enduring values. A matter of what's important. Does anyone think for a minute that if we worshiped our children, adored our children, our reality would look as it does? If collectively we loved more with our actions and less with our mouths, the Black world would certainly be a different place. "
"We don't even know who "we" are. This is not rhetorical. This is not abstract. We don't know who we are. We don't know how to identify "we." We like to talk about our differences, our diverse political affiliations. Our diverse religious and civic affiliations. We take every opportunity to brag about how diluted of "Blackness" we are. At every turn we seek to be different from ourselves. Ironically, no matter which masks we wear, our children do know who we are. They know how to identify us. They know what we do and don't do. As far as they're concerned, we're all the same: useless, weak, opportunistic liars."
These passages are so true...especially the opportunistic part; it makes me think about how the parents today sell their kids health for a social security check by allowing the schools to determine their child has A.D.D. but that's a WHOLE other blog.
Posted by JustMeWriting at 6:31 AM 15 comments
Monday, June 18, 2007
Why Our Childrden Hate Us (book study)
Hey guys...I hope everyone had an enjoyable Father's day weekend. You may remember me talking about this book, "Why Our Children Hate Us" (How Black Adults Betray Black Children) by Eric K Grimes and Butch Slaughter, well I FINALLY got my copy, and I'll be sharing portions of it with you all throughout this week.
A Letter To The Ancestors:
Can you see us...? This isn't what you had in mind is it? We're not where you thought we would be. We're not who you thought we would be. It's hard to recognize us, isn't is? Same skin color, same faces, same blood, but that's where it ends. We're changed, mutated, integrated, disintegrated.
We don't fight like you did. We march. We protest. We vote. You fought with you hands, with you life. You fought for you children. We bargain with ours. We leverage the lives of our young for cars, houses, clothes, contracts and jobs. You died for your children. We kill ours.
This isn't what you had in mind, is it? Bet you're a little disappointed. You thought we would have come home by now. Come inside to avoid the rain. You didn't know we could be so thoroughly turned out. You didn't know we could be so cowardly, so weak, so stupid. Well...
You're probably not impressed with our millionaire athletes, our millionaire entertainers, our millionaire entrepreneurs. You must have heard about what's happening to our families. About all our brothers unemployed, in jail, dead. About all of our sisters struggling to keep it together. About all our children abandoned. You thought we were like you. You thought we were going to stick together. Oh, no...we can't trust one another anymore. We just look out the ourselves. Let everybody do they own thing, you know?
I know. This isn't what you had in mind. I guess that's where we're different; you had minds. We don't. You had faith. We don't. You had determination. We don't. You had direction. We don't. You remembered. We forgot. These days we simply float without purpose-like lost spirits.
Oh, by the way, we're not Black anymore. We don't have to be. We can just be American or whatever. We can change our hair, our eyes. We've got that kind of freedom now. Free to be anything or nothing at all. And we don't need minds. We just do what we're told to do. We don't plan. We wait until something happens, and if we can't handle a problem in our lifetimes, we'll leave it for our children to deal with.
I know. This isn't what you had in mind. We're sorry...Really...sorry.
But thanks for everything.
Posted by JustMeWriting at 7:19 AM 28 comments
Friday, June 15, 2007
Ok, for all those who don't know, I, YES, I've ALWAYS wanted to be a member of the Black Panthers. There's no need to go into explaining anything, but that movement has a large chunk of my mind, body and soul...Oh, My People...and the Love I have for them to do good...be right and love each other. I'm not going to ramble MUCH, but I'll share something I wrote not too long ago (after the video)...my revolutionary side lol!
OUTKAST w Erykah Badu, Cee Lo and Big Rube "LIBERATION"
I'm a Christian-Black-Panther-Cat; my Jesus is black and the white man has no place in my heart. I go to church on Sunday and I'm protesting on Monday; against those devils who'd have me slain. There's nothing you can do for me white man, with your inequity stained smile. As you rush to help that which you've corrupted.
Your evil pains my Christ loving soul. You've turned my people against themselves and for that I owe you a payback; beware of this Black-Panther-Cat.
"Vengeance is Mine" says the Lord, but he gave me strong legs to pounce with jagged claws and a master plan delivering you to the Master's Hand; kill you to death with my intellect with my goals set on the liberation of mine people.
"Let my people go" cried Moses and the same cry I to you. But I'll only cry once with kindness and asking; turn the other cheek I won't do. You've had your warning long enough this Black-Panther-Cat's come to make you through.
Next time I see you with your hands on my people I'ma slice off one finger at a time. Next time I see you digging in their pockets, on your knees I'll make you repay every dime. Reparations my A@#, it's time to tithe; you owe us at least a tenth of you.
My generation and generations have been content and complacent with the nibbles you've forced us to share. Forget the 40 acres, and you can keep the mule; I'm coming after pieces of your first and last born. As you've dehumanized and robbed us of our minds; you've got my people talking crazy being lazy and committing crimes. You've got them beating black woman, doing drugs…having babies and going their way.
And what do you say? What do you have to say; with a grin soaked in sin.
Save your thoughts inside your head because I'm ripping out your tongue and rendering you speechless. You'll never spread another lie or talk down to my people again. I'm tearing you down with my sharpened claws and you'll surrender long before I win, and after you lose when you're tattered and torn scattered and scorned; I'll say a prayer for you since I'm a Christian too.
Posted by JustMeWriting at 5:55 AM 30 comments
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Posted by JustMeWriting at 10:06 AM 6 comments
Ok, as most of you may well know...I do much of nothing at work (it ain't my fault...shoot), so I'm FORCED (and I'm not happy about it either) to search endlessly, tirelessly AND aimlessly (all the lessly's you can think of) for new blogs to read and boy what a journey.
I've come to the conclusion that some people REALLY don't EVER want people to read their page, because I REFUSE to believe that there is MORE then ONE person out there who cares sooooooo much about unicycling to dedicate an entire blog about it...and WHO'D GO THERE... Seriously, I LOVE to hear the sound of my own fingers hitting the keys to transfer my thoughts into the blogsphere, but for the love of...unicycles (in this case) WHO ELSE CARES!!!
Well like they say..."one mans trash is another mans treasure," so I guess when I decide to throw that one useless wheel out for trash, someone's hoping and wishing and praying for it to just roll right on over to them so they can FINALLY build that unicycle ("I wan't to ride my unicycle, I want to ride my bike...I want to ride my unicycle...I want to ride it where I LIKEEEEE"...UNICYCLE...UNICYCLE) sorry...I got alllll caught up in the moment.
That made me realize that I DO care that at LEAST ONE person would be intrigued enough to read my words...but for sake of argument, if you started a blog page about something you just KNOW nobody else could/would or should care about but CHU... what would it be...seriously and I REALLY shouldn't be asking this question because I DARE not answer it myself...LOL, but you guys can go crazy on it. (I hope this post didn't come off mean...it's just jokes...lol)
Posted by JustMeWriting at 9:00 AM 89 comments
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
It Ain't All Right, But It's Ok!!!
This post in an open Thank You to God. I've been faced with so many challenges from times past and even today, but I'd have been lost without the Lords lead. When I didn't know better He taught me right from wrong and once I learned and still didn't listen, He reminded and forgave me.
I owe You me, because I can't give anything greater then my whole self...and that's the least I can do.
My gratitude is daily, my day starts thanking You and my night ends thinking of You, and how I can be of better service. I marvel at the fact that I've not been taught this way of life by my mother or father, yet, I know...and I know because YOU'VE caused me to know...before the world was formed, you knew me...you knew the mistakes I'd make OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN. You knew how many times I'd leave You, while knowing I'd return. I'm a slave to You and I never want to be anything else;while I adore You as my Lord, You love me as a child and friend. You amaze me,everytime I blink an eye you've done something wonderful within my life. Father, I can't say enough...I can't tell enough people. I love You because I've tried You...because You've spoken to me, comforted me, protected me, loved me, raised me, saved me, wanted me, blessed me, taught me, chastised me, talked to me and listened to me.
I can go on forever; I praise you in my mind...in my spirit...in my very breath. I'll stop now, but Father, I pray that every reader of this particular page finds a place for You in their heart. I pray You touch there ever need right this moment, I pray that as the Holy Spirit has prompted this post, that He also falls fresh on whosoever will let Him in and that those who don't know come into knowing:
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16).
Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." (Acts 2:38)
I continue through my day as You lead me Father and I pray you continue to remove everything in me that's not like You and replace it with Your good and perfect ways...in Jesus Name I pray...Amen!!!
Posted by JustMeWriting at 12:51 PM 21 comments
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Just a lil more B-man
Lo, got me all hyped up on the B-man even MORE...and since there seems to be so many who've not experienced the reality of him...I'ma give just a lil bit mo..."When Will You Call" (I'm not going to talk about these lyrics, but I've highlighted my favorite verse)
3 in the morn' tossing and turning it's late.
Just can't rest waiting for the phone to ring.
Will you call ring my phone girl
I hope you did not forget me
I can't sleep and I can't eat and I won't until I hear your
When will you call?
Three days ago rolled over to an empty bed
And I went to the bathroom and your toothbrush wasn't there.
Where's your clothes and where's your shoes
Got to start a new life without you
I can't sleep and I can't eat and I won't until I hear your
When will you call?
No notice no letter you just packed your shit and left girl
I deserve better
I treated you like no one else
How could you, you know I loved you and I thought this was true
now we're through
What I'm gonna do
Gotta start a new life without you.
Now we're through
What to do
Got to start a new life without you
When will you call...
Waiting for ya call
Waiting for ya call
Waiting for ya call, baby
Waiting for you to just sing a word in my ear and let me know
that your hear forever.
Call me! Call me! Call!
When will you call.
For I've been worried 'bout you all night for a long time.
(Call me...call me...CALL! When will you call?)
Get up and pick up the phone and let me know where your at.
Let me know what your doing. Now were through. And I'm without
(this is actually a bad video, but you can hear him singing the song)
OHHHH... HE LOOKS SOOOOOO UMMM WITH HIS LOCKS CUT OFF TOO...(LOL) man, I'm tempted to post the lyrics to me and lo's OTHER fave...'SOMETIMES'...WHOA, but Ima let you check him out for yourself.
Posted by JustMeWriting at 2:15 PM 11 comments
Lyrically Affected #2 (I LOVE IT)
I love this dude (he'll be here next week...I might have to sell something so I can go see him...LOL and not a part of me silly's) LOL! This is the way a King Loves a Queen....everything everything about it I loves it...
(i'm skipping the oohh-oohh stuff) and get right to verse 1:
When I look at you
What I see is my future wife-to-be
Only God Himself
More important in this life to me
-those are some of the most powerful words a King could utter to HIS Queen (if you talking to any other you just a slimmy dude...not a King) verse #2:
You've been there for me
Nurtured and cared for me
Never left my side
In you I can confide
-WOW... we all know how good it feels to hear someone acknowledge and appreciate your goodness...to be the best friend and confidant to your mate...I Love It!!! chorus:
Love it (I love it)
Love it, love it (Everything about you)
Love it (I love it)
Love it, love it (Hey, good and the bad)
You know I love it (I love it)
Love it (Can't imagine life without you)
Love it (Oh...)
Love it, love it
-THIS IS LOVE..."good and the bad" if you claim to love me...you're loving it all. "Can't imagine life without you" it may sound like an obsession, but those that know KNOW... it's just the fact of love; verse 3 & 4:
Give me peace of mind
Conversations be so soothing
disagree sometimes
But it only shows were human
Cause I'll take one for ya
like you would the president
The love I have for you
one couldn't even measure it
-I'm serious affected by these words people...they are something else. To be and love a person who's able to sooth your thoughts with there words and presence...is magic and to understand imperfectability and still 'take one for ya'...UMMM! last verse:
And your love make this life worth livin'
Give so much of yourself and you keep on givin'
Givin' me everything I need
Baby, what more can ask for
-I can't say anything about this verse that hasn't already been said about the birds singing softly in the trees or the orange splashes in the sky as the sun awakens. What I will say, or what I love most about this song is that he's not just in love with some women...and singing about her...he's in love with a Good woman a Queen and he describes every reason for his feelings...he's giving her what she deserves and I Love, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT!!!
Here's His Story
Posted by JustMeWriting at 9:17 AM 28 comments
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Bread For The Hungry
FYI, I'VE ADDED A NEW BLOG FEATURE AT THE BOTTOM...UPCOMING EVENTS!!! I get a lot of emails and I don't want you guys missing any good stuff...SO CHECK IT OUT!!!
Posted by JustMeWriting at 4:41 PM 39 comments
Friday, June 8, 2007
Black Men, PLEASSSSSEEEEEE get it RIGHT!!!
OK, this thought came about when I was on ms. behavin page, she there told of how this youngin tried to come at her in the WRONG way...I was so irked I decided to do a post about it. I'm going to do a lil Do/Don't step by step guide to approaching a WOMEN (based on what I like of course)
1) DON'T CALL HER SIS OR SHORTY/ DO observe your 'prey' (y'all know I'm silly, so don't be mad) and base your approach on how you preceive her to be...ie, if she's walking with a business suit on, you'd betta come in a very professional way, but PLEASE no over kill. (actually I think ALL women should be approached with the same respect, but bottom line, know the object you're desiring and base the approach on that.
2) DO know what you want...men (black men, since that's all I know) will stop and talk to ANY AND EVERY woman they see; that's soooooo unattractive. We KNOW we've not been in eye-shot long enough to have caught your attention...but the fact that I'm a female was enough (huh) and then those who wait till you pass, get a look at cha booty then decide to yell for you to give them a minute...PUNK, I'm giving you ONE second and it's already GONE...
3) DO be tactful...DON'T be tacky....(real simple) PLEASE PLEASE don't try to 'keep it real' because that's WRONG... you don't know me well enough and do you REALLY think you saying..."girl when I saw you, my (BEEEEEPPPP) shot to the roof...I'm just keepen it real; we're both adults!" is impressive... NO, apparently, there's only ONE adult present and boo-boo, it ain't chu.
4) DO be creative...it's ok guys, we KNOW you've got it in you. This initial stage of meeting is the most impressional...this is what determins IF and how we're going to take you...don't waste those precious moments being stupid, bland, and boring....tasteful humor USUALLY works on most women.
5) DON'T approach as if you're applying for a job...YES, you're trying to get our attention, but there's no need to come with this: "I've got a job, my own crib and no kids"...who decided that to be the criteria for the perfect man...NOBODY, YOU'VE BEEN DUPED, GO GET YOUR MONEY BACK.
6) DO act like I'm worth your time...don't rush this meeting if you don't have to. Take a good FIVE minutes AT LEAST to find out if YOU even want to be bothered with this women by asking the pertinant questions before hand...ie, "Are you single and would you be interested in exchanging numbers...I'd love to get to know you over dinner." OOOHHHH... I'm bout to date myself... (and I typed those words in a real sexy voice too yall) LOL.
7) DO ask to see me later that day...(real personal...I love that) plus I'm usually bored. lol, but I really do think that shows some serious interest, but PLEASE don't be pushy...which brings me to my next point...
8) DON'T be pushy...(lol) persistence is ONLY good with Job searching...LOL, seriously...I HATE IT... is't so desperate looking...don't settle. If you're getting attitude and the 'fast walk' bow out gracefully..."Ok, I'm sorry to bother you...have a good day" NOT... "WELL FLUG YOU DEN B@#$%"... that's just not nice.
9) Do try to be on the same well, level...sorry, but if they look like they've got at LEAST a job and you know you've NEVER had and don't want one...try to understand that we can see and pick up on that too...so recognize that you might be wasting your time (sorry!)
10) Do be considerate when approaching women with children...we might not want our kids seeing all that, so please be discrete about things.
OK... those are my majors...what do you guys think?
Posted by JustMeWriting at 10:06 AM 46 comments
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Man, I'm so broke I'm about to go spend the last $11 in my account...like...FRIG it... might as well get a meal.
Ok, random question...
If you were stranded on an island somewhere and found a delicious looking sandwich but there was reason to believe it may be poison (YOU DON'T NEED THE REASON) would you eat the sandwich to prevent yourself from starving?
yeah, I know this might be a dumb question but this is what happens in my office when it's well...Thursday.
Posted by JustMeWriting at 1:07 PM 18 comments
"Excuse Me Mr. West"
I really didn't have anything to post today, but what the heck...I'm addicted, so I make up topics...LOL.
Anyway, it wasn't long before my mind reached my soul and uncovered this longing...the longing for leadership. I usually assume the lead role, probably because I'm always running my mouth and since I'm SOOOOOOO funny (LOL) people usually get a kick outta hearing me talk, but I LONG to follow, to serve a GREAT leader, but I've been looking around for 32 years and THERE IS NONE, well one...I LOVE MR. WEST (Dr. Cornell West) ...he is everything I've ever missed. This first time I saw him speak was a couple of years ago, here in Philly and I was in awe...everything about that man is amazing...it was like a school-girl crush...and I was CRUSHED OUT!!! I was so emotional (and I'm NOT a very emotional person, just ask the men I've dated...lol) but I just couldn't contain myself...here's a little something I wrote while walking home after seeing him:
the first time I heard you I'm ashamed to say it wasn't long before it was. I sat on the edge of my seat in the bar with a window and about 40 people between us; captivated by your style of delivery my stomach swirled in anticipation of your next word; drowning the miscellaneous activity around me in the overflow of your intelligence, as you spoke the thoughts I dreamed of hearing… accentuating my blackness… bringing a lump to my throat as you stirred my soul. A reincarnation of things past in an era of dying futures… you awaken me… returning what I've known, but practiced being silent about; I was renewed by the words I heard from you the first time.
I've got an old soul...so I've been told; I'm my grandmother's mini-me, so I've always been held captive by the greats of our past...the "stronf" (anon...lol...can I borrow that...LOL) they exhibited...such power has been missed from our race for far too long...we are truely the lost generation...but I pray a change comes soon.
Posted by JustMeWriting at 5:46 AM 19 comments
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Who's a REAL threat to your relationship?
I saw this article on Yahoo yesterday and HAD to post it. I'll have my comments in red
The Co-Worker
In most work settings, your partner has maybe hundreds, probably dozens, or at least a few opportunities to develop good relationships with people who could be potential lovers. In most cases, those relationships are more innocent than baby lambs. Still, the average office has high potential for trouble, because it's where your partner will meet people who think alike, who battle crises side-by-side, who work in close quarters, and who have the opportunity to really get to know (and admire) each other. While it's crazy to obsess over every person your partner works with, chances are that if you have a gut feeling about a lurking somebody, there may be something to it.
Potential Threat Level: 4 stars (out of a possible 5)
- ok this is serious business...because I'm really close with a male co-worker who's married and at one point I think his wife was uneasy about things so I told him she needed to meet me to ease her mind, because women KNOW who's after their man (if she's paying attention) and if she's still not comfee...we can't be tight...bottom line.
The Drunk Stranger
Potential Threat Level: 1 star (unless...)
- this should NEVER be a problem, unless ya dude is a down-right out-and-out dirty dog...in which case...you need to be outta there ANYWAY.
The Ex
Tough one. Some of us want nothing more to do with our exes once we break up. And some of us keep have our exes as our desktop background for years after the split. Since we're very sensitive about the status of the ex (according to national surveys I did for Men, Love & Sex, 20 percent of us think that searching the Internet for an ex is cheating, for example), we all know the stakes. We know that our current partner used to find something attractive about the ex-so we're vulnerable to feeling as if we'll never live up to that prior history. While hooking back up with an ex is tempting, most of remember exactly why we broke up in the first place. Novelty is the greatest temptation toward cheating, and that's one thing an old flame can't offer: the lure of something new.
Potential Threat Level: 2 stars
- not a high level on this one, but I'd say watch and KNOW your mate on this one...how deep did they feel for that person...was he/she the 'one' that got away...who broke up with who and WHY... and are there still feeling involved???
The Opposite-Sex Friend
Drives you crazy, eh? He meets her for coffee every week. She IMs an old college buddy a few times a month. The opposite-sex friend lurks like a hungry wolf, ready to pounce at the next opportunity. While I'm convinced that men and women can both be very good at drawing the line between friendship and romance, the truth is that it's pretty darn easy for a long-lasting friendship to turn into a secretly burning romance. In the aforementioned surveys, one-fifth of men say they secretly love their platonic friend, with many more secretly lusting after them. That doesn't mean that your partner can't have opposite-sex friends, but it does mean that as the friendship grows, so do the odds of trouble.
Potential Threat Level: 5 stars
-DING-DING-DING...RING THE ALARM ON THIS ONE...OOOOHHHH... DANGER, DANGER, DANGER...LOL. (ok, so it should be evident how personal this is and LOOK AT THE LEVEL) All I'll say about this is, If you're mate has a 'friend' of the oppisite sex they BETTA become a friend of yours TOO and if NOT...they're OUTTA HERE. Seriously, I'm not saying you have to hang out with them, but they shouldn't wait in the car while she/he's in the house...what's wrong with them coming in and speaking to you?!?!?! HUM, the eyes are the window to the soul people...they reveal so much...you need to get yourself around that friend...watch how they interact with YOUR mate...bottom line again...PAY ATTENTION...(maybe I'll share my story regarding this ONE DAY) lol.
Posted by JustMeWriting at 6:34 AM 28 comments
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
I wanted to make sure you guys didn't miss this special blessing...special, because I typed the words Peace Be Still in the comment of another bloggers page and song flooded my mind, so I found the song...the Holy Spirit is all over this...and has fallen afresh on me. I've made this a daily feature on my page (Just To Inspire) which I've mentioned three times already, but so what...be blessed and enjoy.
Posted by JustMeWriting at 8:42 AM 16 comments
Morning Ramble
Ok... things are going to be real random this morning, because they're at least TWO pressing things I'd like to touch on.
1) WHY DON'T BLACK PEOPLE CARE???? I woke up to the news that we'd (Philly) reached it's 171st murder LAST night, ALL having took place near me. One man was killed in a Rite Aid parking lot over a PARKING SPACE. WHY PEOPLE...WHY DON'T PEOPLE CARE ABOUT LIFE. Bill Cosby came and spoke to the residence of West Philly (where Will Smith was born and raised...on the play ground...SORRY, got caught up). Mr Cosby walked 11 blocks talking through the streets, but I get the feeling people were just coming out because it was Bill Cosby and not to take in what was being said. THE MADNESS CONTINUES.
2) STILL WONDERING WHY BLACK PEOPLE DON'T SEEM TO CARE!!! I was on the bus this morning and this guy was sitting in the back ARGUING AT THE TOP OF HIS LUNGS WITH HIS GIRLFRIEND ON THE PHONEEEEEEEEEE (sorry for all the e's, but I was FURIOUSSSSSSSS...sorry). I mean this dude was off his rocker and didn't seem to want to get back on. DUDE...GET OFF THE BUS BECAUSE YOU'RE AN IDIOT AND YOUR EMBARRASSING THE FRIG OUTTA ME (since we share skin-color). -sidebar- I just noticed the word ASS in embarrassing (you guys be quiet...I'm not that smart ALL THE TIME) lol. I was wearing my headphone listening to Rashan Patterson's first cd (loves it) but I could STILL hear this dude acting like a NUT-JOB and he didn't even care.
Posted by JustMeWriting at 5:46 AM 31 comments
Monday, June 4, 2007
Ok, because I love the Clark Sisters and I've always loved this song...I think it's only right that I also post their version of the song "Endow Me"...enjoy it.
Posted by JustMeWriting at 12:14 PM 8 comments
Just to Inspire
I JUST checked her gospel cd out and it's off the hook (Coko from SWV) You know this imeem takes a long time to load, but IT'S SO WORTH THE WAIT... be blessed with it's hearing.
FYI, this is a remake of the old Clark Sisters classic of the same title...
Posted by JustMeWriting at 10:46 AM 9 comments
Don't Knock the Hustle #2 (Independent Promotion)
Ok, you guys may remember the last post of the same name and the hustles that were seen on the Subway, well we're riding that train again boys and girls...next stop... Independent Promotors.
I was riding the train minding my business when a young lady walked through the car, stopped in the middle and began her announcement..."Good evening everybody, my name is --- and I have a new R&B cd out...if you like neo-soul styles like, Jill Scott, Musiq, Lauren Hill and Common, then I'm sure you'll love my music...it's possitive and there's no cursing, so even the young people can enjoy it...I have copies here for only $5"
Now, I sat there annoyed as I am by most of the people selling stuff on the train, but I thought about this young lady as a talented artist; these train hustlers can be so unnerving you just drown them ALL out. But, then all these questions ran through my head; is she really doing herself a service with this form or marketing?...how serious will she be taken?...is this a serious and legitimate way to handle your business or just another fly by hustle?
I thought about the other artist seeking to get into the entertainment business...will they see this as a quick and easy mode of promotion and decide to follow suit. Now, I know there were different opinions on this subject before and I'm sure this post will be no different or will it? When it comes down to serious business should it be handled in a serious manner or is this hustle method serious enough?
Posted by JustMeWriting at 10:45 AM 20 comments
Friday, June 1, 2007
that I'm doing another post...well posting another, since I don't have the pleasure of taking credit for writing this, but I've had it for some years, I'm sure it's been seen before, but please do enjoy it again.
Lord, Lord,
Why did You make me Black?
Why did You make me someone
The world wants to hold back?
Black is the color of dirty clothes;
The color of grimy hands and feet.
Black is the color of darkness;
The color of tire-beaten streets.
Why did you give me thick lips,
A broad nose and kinky hair?
Why did You make me someone
Who receives the hatred stare?
Black is the color of a bruised eye
When somebody gets hurt.
Black is the color of darkness.
Black is the color of dirt.
How come my eyes are brown and not
the color of the day-Light sky?
Why do people think I'm useless?
How come I feel so used?
Why do some people see my skin and think I
should be abused?
Lord, I just don't understand;
What is it about my skin?
Why do some people want to hate me
And not know the person within?
Black is what people are "listed",
When others want to keep them away.
Black is the color of shadows cast.
Black is the end of the day.
Lord, You know, my own people mistreat me;
And I know this isn't right.
They don't like my hair or the way I look
They say I'm too dark or too darn light.
Lord, Don't You think it's time
For You to make a change?
Why don't You re-do creation
And make everyone the same?
God answered saying:)
Why did I make you black,
You have the audacity to ask?
I did not do it as a joke,
Or as some cruel task.
Get off your knees and look around.
Tell Me, what do you see?
I didn't make you in the image of darkness.
I made you in the Likeness of Me!
I made you the color of coal
From which beautiful diamonds are formed.
I made you the color of oil,
The Black gold that keeps people warm.
I made you from the rich, dark earth
That grows the food you need.
Your color's the same as the panther's
Known for (HER) beauty and speed.
Your color's the same as the Black stallion,
A majestic animal is he.
No! I didn't make you in the Image of darkness
I made you in the Likeness of Me!
All the colors of a Heavenly Rainbow
Can be found throughout every nation;
And when all those colors
were blended well,
You became my greatest creation.
Your hair is the texture of lamb's wool;
Such a humble, little creature is he.
I am the Shepherd who watches them.
I am the One who will watch over thee.
You are the color of midnight skies,
I put the stars' glitter in your eyes.
There's a smile hidden behind your pain,
That's the reason your cheeks are high.
You are the color of dark clouds
Formed during my strongest winters in December.
I made your lips full so
When you kiss the one you love...they'll
Your stare is strong; your bone structure,
Thick....to withstand the burdens of time.
The reflection you see in the mirror...
The Image looking back at you is MINE!
So in answer to all of your questions,
And to forgive you for all of your flack;
These are the reasons, I THE LORD
Made you SO BEAUTIFUL AND BLACK!!!
Posted by JustMeWriting at 11:56 AM 14 comments
I think this post is a good follow-up to yesterday's Dating Me...since it lays out a 12-step program to rid yourself of option #2 (the booty call). Now, this was prompted by a conversation with a friend in which I hoped outloud for at least 12 steps to ridding yourself (myself...whatever) of lust...here goes:
1) Admit you have a problem - if you consider it a problem you want to rid yourself of
2) Talk about it - tell people want your up to, knowing might help them help you.
3) Get rid of all the booty-call #'s (did that)
4) Birds of a feather flock together, so you might need to get with some new b's (birds
5) Be carful what you're taking in- Porn, suggestive readings, tv and even music could be a problem.
6) Dress the part (ladies), there's no sense in temptime men by showing them what they can't have.
7) Spiritual Cleasing - The Bible is the ONLY thing I know that will save your mind and keep you focused. Meditate on Philippians 4:8 and STAY PRAYED UP. Tell the Lord what you want to do...our minds are bodies are far to frail to accomplish this alone...Call Him into this situation and He'll never fail.
8) Stay busy...endulge in all your favorite things (NO MASTURBATING EITHER...SO NASTY); we all know what bordom will do...and idle hands do the devils works.
9) Cut out any substance abuse...don't really need to elaborate on that one.
10) Stop flirting so much, yeah, I know it's hard, but it can lead to other things, so watch your words.
11) Date sensibly, this is probably the biggest and easiest mistake to make. I know you don't want to confine yourself into the drab existence of social isolation, but do what you're going to do REALISTICLY, if you didn't enjoy sex you wouldn't have to go through all these steps...so don't put yourself in ANY situation that will test your will to its limits. Date and go home...none of that sitting in the house stuff.
I'm sure MOST of you guys will have laughed histerically at this, but I wasn't meant as a joke...so seriously (stop laughing...LOL) GET TO WORK.
p.s. this really isn't a debatable issue it's something I'M working on and decided to share with whosoever will.
Posted by JustMeWriting at 5:55 AM 17 comments


text:
Abigail Duhon Releases New Music Video For "Rebound" Featured On "God's Not Dead: A Light In Darkness" Soundtrack
Following the release of the official movie soundtrack God's Not Dead: A Light In Darkness - Songs From And Inspired By the Motion Picture on the DREAM label, Abigail Duhon is releasing a new music video for her song "Rebound." Directed by Spencer Kane, the movie features beautiful cinematic widespread shots mixed with Duhon's performance and clips from the film "God's Not Dead: A Light In Darkness."
Duhon was born and raised in New Orleans, La., and became a dancer when she was two years old. She discovered her passion for music at six years old right after Hurricane Katrina had destroyed the family's home. She started writing lyrics as a reflection of her sudden circumstances, which became the song "Beautiful" featured on one of her first studio recording projects.
In 2014, Duhon became one of the youngest teen artists to have a Christian song reach the Top 100 Billboard Singles chart. Touring nationally since 2013, she has opened for artists such as Newsboys and for King and Country, as well as been part of "The Millenial Tour."
Apart from Duhon's "Rebound," God's Not Dead: A Light In Darkness - Songs From And Inspired By the Motion Picture features unreleased music by several other artists on DREAM, including, Matthew Parker, We Are Leo, Landry Cantrell, Joel Vaughn, The Rock Music, New Hope Oahu, Mass Anthem, and Long Hollow Wave.
For more information about Abigail Duhon and her upcoming projects and tour dates, please visit her official website, and follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Full Track Listing For God's Not Dead: A Light In Darkness - Songs From And Inspired By the Motion Picture:
- Joel Vaughn - "Alive In Us"
- Mass Anthem - "Nothing To Lose"
- Abigail Duhon - "Rebound"
- Matthew Parker - "Miracles"
- Long Hollow Wave - "Light The Sky"
- We Are Leo - "Light Up My World (feat. David Josiah)"
- Landry Cantrell - "Collide"
- Matthew Parker - "Till The End Of Time"
- New Hope Oahu - "Yours Forever"
- The Rock Music - "Burn For You"
You can watch the new music video for Abigail Duhon's "Rebound" below:

subset: commoncrawl


text:
UK Young Artists seeks entries for showcase event this November/
This November UK Young Artists will present the best of the UK's young creative talent at a three day festival taking place in Leicester.
A call for submissions from artists aged between 18 and 30 and working across the following art forms will launch week commencing 26 May and run until Monday 30 June.
The art forms covered through UK Young Artists are:
Applied Art: craft, architecture, industrial and product design, ceramics, decorative arts, fashion, graphic design, digital art, game design and interactive art.
Literature: writing, poetry, storytelling and spoken word.
Moving Image: film, documentary, artist video and animation.
Music: sound art and all genres of music will be considered from individuals, bands and collaborations.
Performance: theatre, dance, live art, circus and site-specific performance.
Visual Art: fine art, photography, installation, illustration, site-specific work and sculpture.
Cross art form collaborations are also welcomed!
UK Young Artists' open call for submissions runs from week commencing 26 May until Monday 30 June.
From the submissions received artists will be selected to take part in the Leicester Festival by a panel comprising of representatives from the four founding universities; De Montfort, Derby, Loughborough and Nottingham Trent plus curators and programmers from our host venues.
In addition to a fully supported public festival of their work participating young artists will also have the opportunity to come together to take part in workshops, debates and symposia to encourage cross-discipline discussion and explore the potential of collaboration.
Established and high-profile artists, AKA the UK Young Artists Ambassadors, will select, from the work presented at the event, a number of young artists to take part in an international opportunity in 2015.
Submissions can only be accepted via the online application process at: www.ukyoungartists.co.uk
There is a non-refundable fee of £12 to submit work and selected artists will be expected to attend the whole three day festival, arriving on Thursday 6 November and leaving on Sunday 9 November. Accommodation will be provided.
The UK Young Artists Leicester Festival 2014 runs from Friday 7 – Sunday 9 November.


text:
Alan Manly, Entrepreneur, Company Director & Author.
Alan is one of those exceptional entrepreneurs you have never heard of – unheralded – uncelebrated – unlikely – quietly going about the task of creating a viable, thriving business out of thin air. He founded Group Colleges Australia – a group of five colleges offering courses to domestic and overseas students. The courses are business oriented ranging from Certificates and Diplomas in Accounting, Business, and Travel to, Degrees in Accounting, Business and a Masters in Business Administration that has an emphasis on entrepreneurship.
His start in life was anything but promising. Alan grew up on a small farm on the outskirts of Bacchus Marsh in the North West of Victoria. After dropping out in Year Nine, Alan worked as a postman before securing an apprenticeship as a television repairman. Unfortunately, his employer went broke, was convicted of fraud and committed suicide. But the great bureaucracy of the apprenticeship system swung into action and he gained employment in a Melbourne factory. Later, he was offered a much better job as a computer engineer with the Digital Equipment Corporation. They promoted him to sales and marketing and sent him to Boston for training which included a mini-MBA course at Harvard. After several years with Digital Alan became involved with a company which was developing its own software products and also operated a computer programming college.
It was during this period of his career that Alan became embroiled in the legal nightmare which is the subject of his book "When There are Too Many Lawyers…There is no Justice".
Feedback from the first book suggested that there was a second story in the book of an unlikely entrepreneur who succeeded against to odds. Alan second book "The Unlikely Entrepreneur" was launch in May 2017


text:
When did you last make a commitment? It could have been to yourself or others.
I witnessed a group of people make commitments about their leadership and was taken by their honesty and brevity in identifying exactly what their course of commitment entailed.
It will be interesting to observe these people fulfil their commitment as there are so many opportunities to stray away or be seduced with the unchangeable past!
Some people are in CHANGE November and I see some are participating in Movember – no matter what you commit to doing, it's not easy. If at all possible, keep the vision alive, focus, ask for support and reward yourself.
Making a Commitment will bring the leader out in you!


text:
200 hour teacher training
SOL Yoga Teacher Training
February 2020
Whether you dream of teaching yoga or simply hunger for a deeper knowledge of yoga, SOL Yoga's Teacher Training will educate you, challenge you and support you. Structured with the Yoga Sutras, The Eight Limbs of Yoga and human anatomy in mind, SOL's training will be unique, usable and insightful.
Sarah Goble will be your lead teacher with support from Allison Mahaffy. Under their tutelage you will spend five weekends as a cohort, building each weekend upon the previous. These weekends will demand all of you - plan to be fully immersed. Your time in between our weekends will contain realistic amounts of homework and lots of practice time! Journaling and meditation will be a constant throughout the training and we hope it becomes a life-long habit. Our curriculum is rich and exciting!
You will:
Dig into ancient texts to find applicable lessons for our modern world
Study anatomy and physiology as it applies to the asana practice
Identify and experience various styles of yoga and learn when they arrived in the yoga history timeline
Guide basic meditations
Explore several forms of Pranayama (breathwork)
Gain clarity and alignment with your purposeful life path, both on and off your mat
Learn the SOL Yoga "special sauce"
Create moving and energetically appropriate playlists
Feel the arc of a class from the perspective of the teacher
Teach all categories of poses safely and purposefully; standing poses, backbends, forward bends, twists, inversions, hip openers and more
Practice teach, practice teach and practice teach
Verbally que your students in an effective and succinct way
Learn hands-on assisting that impacts your students
Understand the art of sequencing
Teach with purpose
At 25+ hours from Friday-Sunday, the information will be thick. Consistencies will come in the form of opening every day together with an extended practice and ending each day together with a restorative or yin practice. In between those practice sessions will be interactive lectures, written lessons, discussions in both the large and small groups, asana and meditation workshops as well as practice teaching.
Dates coming soon*
Friday 2-7 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday 9-8 p.m.
Investment is $3000
Payment plans are available


text:
Please click anywhere to continue browsing our site.
At Lykins Tire & Auto Service, we use only the best alignment equipment in our shop, and that means Hunter Alignment equipment. We use Hunter Alignment equipment during every alignment procedure for precise adjustments and accurate measurements, ensuring you get a perfect alignment every time. With Hunter Alignment equipment, we can guarantee the best wheel alignment services available in our region. Trust us - you won't be disappointed.
The state-of-the-art technology of the The HawkEye Elite Alignment System allows for precise alignments fast. Our mechanics are able to locate alignment issues within a brief 90-second procedure:
Using the HawkEye Elite Alignment Machine, our mechanics are able to guarantee exact adjustments which means you get the best possible alignment. Why go anywhere else for your next alignment service?
The Revolution™ Tire Changer uses the same fully automatic process for all tire and wheel combinations, saving time on today's diverse assemblies. The fully automatic process also eliminates the need for a skilled operator and reduces the experience gap of tire-changing teams by turning all technicians into experts. The Revolution's intuitive touchscreen interface indicates the operator's current step and monitors progress throughout the procedure. The touchscreen also stores 15 helpful on-board videos. It features powered press arms for use when necessary for maximum control.
Roswell, NM


text:
The law of math is pretty simple: if you split the cost of a room with someone, then you save money. If that person is a family member or friend, it makes for a fun time! But what if that person is a stranger? USA Today has an article about a new service offering exactly that: Easynest. Basically, you make a profile, give them your travel plans, and they match you up with someone to share your room with.
I guess for some super budget travelers or the very adventurous this would be fun, but it sounds terrifying to me. At this point in my life, I don't even really like to share a room with someone that's not a family member! Too many years of having my own space, I guess.
Readers, what do you think? Would you ever take advantage of a service like this? What about in your (crazy?) past?
Download our free Business Trip Packing Checklist and never forget a thing!
Not sure what to pack for your business trip? No problem! Use our checklist to make sure you have everything you need for a successful trip.


text:
The MET(T)A Method and Protocol in the Keys To Recovery Newspaper
I had the opportunity to write about the work of EMDR and Mindfulness for Keys To Recovery Newspaper, a free newspaper that has a good circulation throughout the recovery community and at conferences. I am enjoying both reporting on what is happening at Refuge Recovery Centers and writing through what I see as happening next. Now that the book EMDR Therapy and Mindfulness for Trauma Focused Care is out, I feel more able to give context to the work we are doing to try to redefine therapy and redefine treatment.


text:
The blizzard came and brought with it lots of snow. And the end result was quiet. Even the high winds were quiet. The snow muffled everything. I live on a busy road that is usually a white noise of traffic, but not today. Today I lived in wilderness, in quiet. It was like going on a wilderness retreat, and taking your house along, so that you had actually gone somewhere new, but you were sitting on your own couch.
It was such a reminder of the healing power of quiet. Of giving your senses a break from the constant overstimulation of sound. Sitting in quiet this morning put me in the mood for taking in. For receiving rather than acting. The quiet made me want to rest, and not act (shoveling not withstanding) and I found myself enjoying the act of sitting in my house and not hearing anything at all. Maybe the heating system, or the occasional sound of something blowing on the porch, but the quiet, the silence, became, so famously sung by Simon and Garfunkel, a sound. And I found myself resting in it.
Quiet isn't my strong suit. As my second grade teacher wrote in my final report card, "That girl sure can talk." And I spend my days in conversation—that is my work, and I continue the conversations in my head and there is a constant buzz and chatter of one sort of the other. It's taken many years of practice, of learning to sit in moments of silence, in moments of quiet for me to tolerate it, let alone, as I did today, to feel it actually renew me, to feel it like some sort of nutrient that I was craving.
I once did a stint in Early Intervention with toddlers and there was a little 2 year old boy, Henry, who was brought to the early intervention toddler group in a van. I would get him out of his car seat and as I picked him up he became the heaviest child in the world. He wouldn't move or react or anything. Instinctively I held on to him and he rested his head and he and I would sit outside of the classroom—in silence, and he would just rest there. Unmoving, still, quiet. He would rest for about 20 minutes, give or take. It reminded me of those mats that people charge their cell phones on. He would lie on me and it was as if he was borrowing some sort of energy from me. He would stay there long enough and then slowly he would start to stir—like waking up after hibernation. There was some nutrient he was craving—connection, quiet, care, stillness. He was two and had very few words so I never knew exactly. But he knew what he needed and he got it.
There are so many shoulds, and so many suggestions of the right way to do things, or be healthy, or get well. Instead, there needs to be a greater emphasis on helping people hear the quiet voice inside themselves about what they need at that moment. There isn't one right way any more than there is one right shirt to wear every single day. Today the quiet felt nourishing to me. Certainly ten years ago it would have been too much for me and I likely would have missed it altogether by having music or sound on in the background. And even now, on a different day, I might have needed something else.
Henry was an incredible teacher for me. His ability to know what he needed and just do it. Because it was so tangible, so physical, it was easy to see and easy to do. But because it was wordless, I learned how much you have to listen to an inner voice about it: call it intuition, or feeling, or wisdom. And remember that it might be something that not everyone needs. Henry was the only 2 year old in the group who needed that kind of holding each day. But when he got it, he was ok. Learning to listen to this voice, even if it fell outside of the 'norm' helped me trust what I needed for my own healing and it helped me trust more with others when the needs were less tangible and I had to look or listen a little more to understand the need.
And you can start this process at any moment. Notice what is happening. Ask yourself what you need. Trust the answer.
©Gretchen L Schmelzer, PhD 2015


text:
Why Would Skipping Breakfast Increase Chronic Kidney Disease Patients' Risk Of Heart Attack?/
Chronic Kidney Disease patients should diligently eat their breakfast because people who regularly skipped breakfast had a 27% higher risk of having a heart attack than those who ate a morning meal, poses a Harvard study. These findings suggest that not eating breakfast contributes to people being hungry later and eating larger meals which forces the body to process a larger amount of calories in a short period of time. Kidneybuzz.com recommends eating smaller amounts of food over a longer period of time to avoid spikes in sugar levels and developing clogged arteries.
Recommended Reading: All Chronic Kidney Disease Patients Should Start Each And Every Day The Right Way
Generally, CKD patients who eat breakfast tend to eat a healthier renal based diet. Still, as many as 18% of adults in the United States skip breakfast on a consistent basis. The study was unable to clarify whether a fatty, sugary breakfast is better than no breakfast at all but it is likely that eating a well-balanced breakfast selection offers ideal outcomes for CKD patients. The message of this study is simple, breakfast is an important meal. You should, to the best of your ability, attempt to start every morning off (before or after dialysis treatment) by limiting sugars, protein (unless otherwise told by your dietician), phosphorus, potassium and sodium.
Recommended Reading: All Chronic Kidney Disease Patients Should Start Each And Every Day The Right Way
Typically, you should choose carbohydrates that are low in added sugars, contain some fiber and minimal potassium and phosphorous. Whole grain is a great source of fiber and nutrients so you may want to discuss with your dietician ways you can incorporate it into your diet while maintaining your mineral balance. Otherwise choose breads made from refined white flours such as English muffins, dry breakfast cereals, cream of wheat or grits. Milk is often limited to 4-oz servings because of the Calcium concentration and protein content. However, you can seldom go wrong with appropriate fruits in moderation such as blueberries, apples, cranberries, peaches, pears, grapes, blackberries or raspberries. Always work with your dietician before making any changes to your diet to ensure they meet your specific nutritional needs.
Like Us on our Facebook Page for more Daily News and Information about life with CKD and ESRD:https://www.facebook.com/pages/KidneyBuzz/347471888696381?ref=hl
Most Popular Stories:
"Skipping Breakfast May Increase Heart Attack Risk." USA Today.
"Renal Diabetic Diet for Breakfast." LIVESTRONG.COM.
"Fruits And Vegetables That Are Acceptable For Chronic Kidney Disease Patients." KidneyBuzz.com.


text:
U.S. Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission
Federal Agency's Full-Day Seminar to Take Place Sept. 19 in Tumon at the Pacific Star Resort
GUAM - The federal agency tasked with enforcing laws against employment discrimination, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), announced that it will be hosting a rare EEOC full-day seminar for both private and public employer representatives on Sept. 19 in Tumon, Guam.
The seminar will feature keynote presentations by EEOC Los Angeles District Director Rosa Viramontes; EEOC Los Angeles District Deputy Director Christine Park-Gonzalez; EEOC Supervisory Administrative Judge Diane Gross; EEOC Supervisory Trial Attorney Rumduol Vuong; and EEOC Honolulu Local Office Director Glory Gervacio Saure. Officials from the Guam Department of Labor, the U.S. Department of Justice, and the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division and Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs are also slated to present.
The seminar is geared toward attorneys, mediators, human resource, union officials and equal employment opportunity (EEO) professionals in the private and federal sectors, along with other interested parties. The comprehensive training sessions and workshops will provide updates and guidance on EEO law and how to approach EEO cases the way the EEOC experts do, with an emphasis on dealing with harassment in the workplace. There is also a federal sector track for EEO professionals and attorneys representing federal agencies, along with a selection of workshops to customize the learning experience. The last EEOC seminar held in Guam was in 2014.
"It is with great pleasure that we return to Guam to connect with local employer representatives," said Rosa Viramontes, district director for the EEOC's Los Angeles District, which includes Guam in its jurisdiction. "With so much change in the wind, our seminar is an opportunity to hear firsthand from EEOC officials who will provide updates and guidance on how to address and prevent discrimination, harassment and retaliation in the workplace."
Further details about the conference, including the agenda, pricing information and online registration are available at www.eeotraining.eeoc.gov. Registration information may also be obtained by calling (213) 810-0980 or via e-mail at email@example.com. The registration fee for the full-day seminar is $329. The seminar will take place at the Pacific Star Resort & Spa in Tumon.
The EEOC advances opportunity in the workplace by enforcing federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. More information is available at www.eeoc.gov. Stay connected with the latest EEOC news by subscribing to our email updates.


text:
Our hiring process
We convinced you to apply for a position at VIA Rail? Excellent, but before onboarding, please let us guide you through the next steps. Why you should come on board?
First, we encourage you to explore typical job offers we have within three main career tracks: customer service, train maintenance and operations and management and professional jobs.
When you find the job opportunity of your choice, please apply immediately. To do so, you will create a profile and use the online form corresponding to your chosen career track. You will then receive an email acknowledgement that we received your application.
If you don't readily find what you want, you can:
Don't forget to update your profile whenever you have significant information to share that can increase your chances of joining our organization.
We take the time to review all applications submitted to us electronically. Since we are an equal opportunity employer and receive a high volume of potential candidates, our human resources team only contacts the individuals who are selected.
The HR team then performs various steps depending on the vacant positions to fill, which are typically:
Candidates must successfully complete each step to move forward to the next phase of the process.
Once a contact has been established, you will be informed of the outcome by a member of the human resources team.
Facing a technical issue? Send an email to:
Spontaneous applications


text:
|www.BedandBreakfast-Directory.co.uk - The Bed and Breakfast Directory Website.
Home > England > London > Croydon
Croydon Park Hotel
Located in a quiet leafy road close to the centre of Croydon, the award-winning, 4-star Croydon Park Hotel is only a 3-minute walk from East Croydon Train Station and just a 15-minute train journey from London Victoria and Gatwick Airport.
7 Altyre Road
United Kingdom
|Visit our website for more details and online booking
Find Self Catering accommodation in LondonA Directory of hotels, inns, B&Bs and bed and breakfast accommodation in Croydon London England
Owners Logon - 20/09/2019 - AnyRoadUp21
© 2019 www.BedandBreakfast-Directory.co.uk The Bed and Breakfast Directory est 2001.


text:
Jerry was born into a musical household in Minnesota. He attended McPhail College of Music in Minneapolis, studying with saxophone master, Ruben Haugen, one of the most influential teaching artists in Minnesota music history. Jerry also studied saxophone with Booker Ervin in New York. In San Francisco, he studied flute with Charlie McCarthy, theory with Sy Perkoff and saxophone with Don Carol (San Francisco Symphony) and Noel Jewkes.
Since that time he has moved around the country including a period in New York soaking up some of the legendary masters such as Coltraine, Mulligan, Diz, Getz and Monk while working at the Village Gate as a waiter and maitre d'. He performed with Jerry Novak's band when they opened three nights for The Doors in New York and later for Blood, Sweat and Tears.


text:
We are also interested in recruiting interns, on a part time and full-time basis, to work on a variety of projects. This is often foreign undergraduate students on year abroad programs in China, but can also be students working remotely writing material, or local Chinese students.
We also have roles every summer for college students with a passion for extracurriculars such as debate, business, MUN and STEM to teach and mentor students at Sunrise enrichment programs across Asia. This position is open to anyone with experience in the relevant extracurricular activity and a passion for passing that knowledge onto students.


text:
She started me with a few quick tips:
* Play with, hold, and touch Charlie's feet often to get him used to being handled.
* Start trimming Charlie's nails while he is young.
* Take my time, even if it means only clipping one nail a day.
* Clip a small amount at a time to avoid the quick.
* If I have serious problems, or don't feel comfortable, let a professional do it.
She reminded me of all the dangers of long nails:
* They can easily catch on things and break or tear.
* Long nails are prone to infection and disfiguration.
* In extreme cases the joints in the toe, ankle, and elbow can be damaged.
She nail bedwent on to explain just how a nail trim works. The quick is the blood supply that runs under the nail. The goal is to clip right up against it being careful not to nick it. Traditional clippers give the nail a blunt edge but get the job done. A nail grinder (like a Dremel) can get a lot closer and round out the edge of the nail making it much smoother. She told me how Lucy's nails had gone too long without a nail trim so using a Dremel to get close and trimming her nails about every 2 weeks would help the quick recede back to its normal length.
After playing with Charlie and Lucy's feet regularly I can finally get a nail or two clipped a day. It's a slow but sure progress. And Charlie doesn't mind them at all. He looks forward to the belly rubs he gets during them. I still have them done when we go in for our grooming appointments at Central Bark in Seattle since it is part of their grooming process. Thanks Andrea, and Central Bark, for all your help and care!


text:
An Extra Life On… Harry Potter 7 Part 2 (part 2)
It's entirely appropriate that I should cover this film in two parts since it was made, as you're no doubt aware, in two parts. This, apparently, wasn't a ploy by Warner Bros to make even more money (because, y'know, 7 massively-grossing films wasn't lucrative enough) but because – I'm told by a geezer as he ferries us to the set – many hardcore fans had complained that the makers were cutting too much of the books out of the movies, so the studio eventually bowed to their requests.
(Hmm, maybe if I pester Disney enough they'll make future Pirates of the Caribbean films in zero parts…)
In fact, I'm informed that they were considering halving them from book 5 onwards, but Warner decided that by the time the finales hit cinemas, the fans would've hit puberty and grown out of it.
After the relative tedium of the first week, during which I spent much time deliberating whether I'd rather give it to Draco's Mum or Miss Bonham-Carter (Draco's Mum), us not-co-carefully selected supporting artistes switched locations to Leavesden Studios*. That's right, the only thing that gives the Watford area any credibility, and you've never heard of it. A former airfield that for the past near-decade has been the main base of the Potter films (everything gets abbreviated in Extras world, not just our lunch breaks), which – amongst sparse buildings – bears heap after tarpaulin-wrapped heap of wizarding memorabilia, like a huge al fresco attic. Bits of houses here, a purple triple-decker there…
At the far end of the runway-cum-carpark sat our 'trailer' for the next few months, a double marquee housing eatery, costumes and make-up. With most of the scenes outdoors, and winter closing in, we were regularly in at 06:00 to make the most of daylight hours. Once we'd suited up and swapped our payslips for disappointingly synthetic wands, we were shipped back down the tarmac, past Privet Drive with its backless, unfinished houses, and to the scene of battle: Hogwarts courtyard.
You have to hand it to set-builders, they can make a pile of polystyrene look surprisingly realistic, even from a few feet away. What seemed like a genuine stone quad with the odd section reduced to rubble was in fact from the same Blue Peter school of cardboard construction as the Robin Hood castle. The scene is completed by accessorising with some squashed giant spiders, a few toppled statues, the odd puff of smoke, and of course some world-class actors.
And they were all in this scene. (All except Alan Rickman, who was busy crying in a boat shed, I believe.) Which is the main reason we shot the initial scene, the prelude to the final battle, in about 3 million takes. Because everybody had to be snapped from a multitude of angles, good guys and bad guys, until the director had every possible permutation covered. This might sound inordinately dull, considering us Deatheaters – special or otherwise – were just standing around waiting for the signal. And yes, it would've been, had it not been for perpetuating fits of the giggles fed by lines from Voldemort, Malfoy and co. Apart from Mr Fiennes repeating "Neville Longbottom" in snigger-inducing fashion (which ultimately got cut), our funny bones were tickled by Draco's Dad trying in vain to persuade him to cross over to the dark side, with the immortal line "Don't…. be…. stupid!", so painfully drawn out that we incurred pains in our sides attempting to stop laughing. In fact so immortal was the line that… it too was chopped from the final edit. (Yet even in the cinema, knowing it'd been cut, we still couldn't stop ourselves from chuckling.)
Anyway, about three weeks after we started shooting, we concluded that primary scene (yes, three weeks! God knows how many random women Ralph had entertained in his trailer in that time,) during which basically Voldy says "Potter's dead, come be baddies with me" and Neville says "Let's fookin' av it!".
And then it all kicks off.
That's when we got to charge at children, wands out, and the fun started in earnest. Some of us were required to 'apparate' (disappear) while other braver souls joined battle. The A.D. asked us who was born on an odd day, and those people were told to vanish. Thereby losing a few days' work. Harsh, but that's the way it goes. Lucky me, I got to stay, and laid assault to those pesky schoolkids with as much passion as one can with a plastic wand in hand, leaping over fallen bodies and surging forward, like Aragorn through a throng of Orcs.
Well, that's how it played in my head. I'll never know, because that was cut too. In fact, the entire clash was disappointingly less colossal than I'd expected, and what we'd spent weeks (not to mention millions of pounds) creating was cut hugely. Perhaps they'd learnt a lesson from Attack of the Clones and gone easy on the full-on, brain-overload death-fest. It is somewhat disheartening, though, when you're told you're going to be a 'special' Deatheater and don't even get picked out for your fighting skills; when you're putting everything into your spellcasting, proper angry like Skywalker at the end of Jedi, and you notice the lame-o next to you is prodding at the air with their wand as if picking shoes out in a shop; when you work all hours of the day and night in cold and wet conditions, splashing in puddles and tripping over rocks, and about 75% of what's filmed – Expelliamus! – ends up in the bin.
However, there were many good points about working on Potter, and I have many fond memories of it – the laughter (or stifling thereof); the excellent food; sitting in the marquee playing Trivial Pursuit (mainly because I won); dropping stones into the depths of people's hoods then watching the subsequent attempt at retrieval; trying to concentrate on my moves while a stuntman ran past on fire; watching real-world females (especially hairdressers) go all gooey when you tell them you're a Deatheater; and Daniel Radcliffe's ever-present look of bewilderment, like he's never been on a film set before, wide-eyed and gnashing his teeth like an amphetamine addict.
But the highlight of the lot for me was the night I got to play dead. An on-set decision which meant I wasn't given thermals beforehand, and as I lay there, with combatants leaping around me (and occasionally on me), the temperature noticeably dropping by the hour, the damp seeping through my cape, I began to wonder what my life had come to. But then, at about 04:00, we finished for the night, and as the main actors left set, Miss Emma Watson walked past me and called 'Good night' to those around.
She may have said it to everyone, but I was nearest. So she said good night to me. Which is half a dream come true. The other half being I wake up next to her in the morning and she begs me to… [This has been cut – Ed.]
*The former Leavesden Studios is now the location of the Warner Bros "Harry Potter World" Studio Tour
Next time: Ridiculous hair-pieces and fainting on John Carter


text:
Meet the Speakers
This year, we are trying something new based on feedback we have received from our attendees, as well as our speakers, from our past events. As past attendees may know, an integral part of our event is our three interactive exhibits, available at our venue during the break sessions of our event. These exhibits, built and curated by our Experience Team and our partners, allow our audience to engage with the important ideas of the day, from 3D printing to yoga. This year, in addition to these interactive exhibits, our Strategy Team will be organizing a networking space. The vision is to make our speakers and performers more accessible to our attendees and further foster conversation on the ideas and stories shared from the stage. This will be a great opportunity for attendees to ask individualized questions about our presenters' talks, performances, or work in general. In addition, this also allows our attendees to get to know those who make up our community, discuss the sessions, and carry on the mission of spreading great ideas.
It is important that we break down the divide between speakers and attendees that is formed between the stage and the audience — our speakers are people as well, who not only want to take our event as an opportunity to inspire, encourage, and educate people by sharing their idea, but also to be part of the conversation to further their idea. In fact, there is so much more that attendees can learn from our speakers and performers, and vice versa, that transcends our presenters' 15 minutes on the Lisner stage. The Strategy Team is working hard on ensuring that everyone who wants to meet our speakers gets a chance to do so. This networking event is going to enrich our TEDx experience and we are excited to take our conference to the next level by providing that space for our attendees and presenters.
To make sure you are able to take part in this exciting, new opportunity, purchase your ticket today from our 2017 page and stay tuned for more information.


text:
Okay, I know that the title is super hypocritical of me considering that I am a Queen Bitch Master level initiate in the ways of self-deprecation. It's on my business card. Seriously.
So when I--the queen of kicking herself in the head to make you laugh--says you need to quit with the self-bashing, you might be inclined to make a pot/kettle reference. Believe me, I get it. As I write this I'm wondering when I'll make a joke at my own expense.
But seriously, something I've learned recently is too important for me not to share. Now, as I make my case I'll be addressing authors, but really this applies to everyone. Artists, singers, dancers, mothers, fathers, children of all ages...everyone.
I don't know how much you know about what happens between Book Contract and Publication Date. For the sake of brevity, I'm just going to say editing. Lots and lots of editing. And it might be different with other publishers, but my limited experience has seen me doing 5 rounds of editing since July 22, 2013.
Developmental edits (deep plot, structure, story changes) took a few weeks of work and multiple reads through the manuscript. Line edits (word choice, sentence flow etc) were another week or two and two more passes through the book-to-be. QA edits (quality assurance from the publisher), copy edits (proof-reading and continuity type stuff) and galley proofs (the final big proofread that also examines formatting) were all separate ventures of one (or two) passes within 2 or 3 days.
What that means is that I've read this book--at minimum--8 times since July 22. And keep in mind that the draft I submitted to my AGENT in 2011 was draft #9. The one we sent to publishers was #11. This puts me at approximately Draft #20 (I may have lost count somewhere or blacked out during an editing binge)...about half of the revisions taking place in a very condensed period of time.
Don't get me wrong. I love this book. It's fun, it's fabulous. I love the characters and cannot wait for that glorious November day when you can all read it. But right now, in October of 2013 when the book is 2 years old and on draft #20... I'm sick of hearing myself tell this story. I'm sick of my own voice. I'm so tired of listening to myself I would rather listen to Barry Manilow and William Shatner sing Les Miserables. (My husband says this isn't self-deprecation, it's self-flagellation. To-may-toe, to-mah-toe.)
While doing my galley proofs I was convinced that my publisher had been smoking something rockin' and that I would be shredded once they came to their senses. My feelings of inadequacy only deepened when I picked up the CARNIEPUNK anthology (finally!) and sunk my circus-loving eyeballs into it. Now...I won't go into any specifics, but I will say that there may or may not be multiple authors in this anthology who have graciously offered to blurb my book. Reading their work and knowing that they will be reading mine in return? My stomach is aquiver with a thousand carnivorous butterflies. Because they are truly talented--and because I'm annoyed with my own voice--their stories gleam and glisten like the sequins on a tightrope walker's belt.
And this--this, dear reader--is where I come to my point. Don't you dare kick yourself and compare yourself to other authors when you are in a vulnerable state. Don't compare your rough drafts to someone's highlight reel. Don't smack yourself around when you're weary of your stories simply because it's all you've read in months. Go home, author, you're drunk. You're drunk on self-loathing at this point. You've just spent months--perhaps years!--ripping apart your own work to make it the best it could be. You've been immersing yourself in the acidic brine of criticism and editing. You're on draft #20. OF COURSE YOU ONLY SEE FLAWS! OF COURSE EVERYONE ELSE LOOKS BETTER THAN YOU! (And they might be, but this isn't actually about them. It's about you and your perceptions.) You're wearing the world's worst set of beer goggles.
At times like this, do yourself a favor and stuff a ballgag in the mouth of your inner critic. Go read other books and do your damndest to enjoy them. Watch movies. Immerse yourself in other people's stories to cleanse your palate. Slough off the self-loathing and be content that you've finished a good story. A great story. A story people will love.
But, Jamie, you say, this is when other people are reading it and what if they hate it and omg *head asplodes*!
As I said, the book has started going out to other authors and soon review copies will hit the world. People I don't know will be reading this. And I'm scared and excited and terrified and bouncy and and and. Thing is, even those emotions can't be trusted. Because I'm coming from a place of annoyance, I'm somewhat convinced that my blurbers--gracious, beautiful, talented people they are--will hate me and my book. I've snowed my beta readers, my agent, several editors...but now surely they, these other professionals, will see me for the talentless hack I am.
Shut up, whiny head voice. You're full of shit.
It's true that Author McShinypants may not like my book. That's valid. You can't please everyone. But here's the thing. I know this story inside and out. I know all the twists, the turns and surprises like the back of my hand. I know the backstory. I know the future of the story. That affects my thinking. And it will yours, too. See, you know your story so intimately (or at least you should) that you forget what it's like to read it afresh, with virgin eyes. These authors, these editors...they get to see the show for the first time. Your book is a performer all dressed up in make-up and costume. The set pieces are finished and in place. The blocking is done and the orchestra has rehearsed. It's time for previews, baby. And your blurberators are in the front row. It all gets to play out for them for the first time. This is where you get to shine.
Basically what all this rambling comes down to is this: When you're down on yourself, step back. You're too close. Get out of the echo chamber that is your own head and regain your wonder.
And enjoy your work. Other people will not love your story if you don't first. It starts with you.
Edited to Add: As if to prove my point... as I was writing this blog post, my publicist emailed me her thoughts on some of the excerpts I sent her. She loves them. With exclamation points.


text:
Thanks to Adam for sending this picture of the "Megiddo" team touring the city of Acco. After one last day of sites, the plan was for them to be up bright and early to work on the Megiddo excavation this morning. As I get more updates, I'll pass them along.
Meanwhile, here in Jerusalem the remaining staff is up and back at it as we work to finish reports, phase plans and all of the other end-of-season paperwork supervisors need to submit. We're all looking forward to another productive day.


text:
Facebook CEO and founder Mark Zuckerberg made a cameo in The Simpsons this week on US TV, following in the footsteps of other tech gurus such as Steve Jobs and Bill Gates.
Zuckerberg's cameo in Matt Groening's long-running animated comedy series follows the recent launch of the 'Facebook movie' The Social Network, which paints a rather unflattering picture of Zuckerberg and the early days of Facebook.
The Simpsons featured Mark Zuckerberg in the "Loan-A-Lisa" episode, in which Nelson founds a successful bike shop and visits an "Entrepreneur Expo," where Lisa tries to convince him that he still needs to get a good education.
However, the episode ends up featuring Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates and Richard Branson, with Zuckerberg telling the crowd,"I'll get the best kind of degree, honorary".
Facebook's Zuckerberg told The New Yorker that he has no plans to go and see The Social Network, written by Aaron Sorkin and directed by David Fincher – which is already garnering rave reviews with critics.
David Kirkpatrick, author of book "The Facebook Effect," has said The Social Network is "compelling" but a "pastiche - an amalgam of fact and fiction".
Via TechCrunch


text:
Company Name: The Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc.
Interpublic Group is an advertising and marketing services company. Though subsidiaries, the company creates customized marketing programs for customers in a wide range of industries. These marketing programs are designed to increase brand awareness and sales. Examples of the company's areas of focus include:
- Communications planning
- Consumer advertising
- Digital marketing
- Media buying
- Public relations
- Specialty marketing
Ticker Symbol: IPG (New York Stock Exchange)
Company Website: www.interpublic.com
Social Media:
Interpublic Group of Companies Facebook
Interpublic Group of Companies LinkedIn
Interpublic Group of Companies Twitter
Headquarters: New York, NY


text:
Counterfeit: Money Works 1998-2001
Counterfeit: Money Works 1998-2001
This is a catalog of mixed media works by artist Ray Beldner. With Counterfeit, Beldner selected key artwork by famous artists and remade them out of sewn US currency. By remaking "signature" artworks by 20th century masters, Beldner broadens the discourse about art in general to include discussion of its social, historic and aesthetic values.
Essay by Maria Porges. published 2001
16 pages, paperback