text:
It was never in my life's plans to be an alcoholic. My first days in the AA program were filled with so much gratitude that being an alcoholic didn't bother me. I was so happy to finally have hope for recovery.
But later on, the thought of going to meetings for the rest of my life and constantly struggling with alcoholism frightened me. It especially scared me when AA long-timers would crawl into discussion meetings to complain about how horrible their lives are in sobriety. I didn't want that for myself. If that was all I had to look forward to in sobriety, then why not keep drinking?
I didn't want to be an alcoholic. I didn't want what they had. I wanted that sense of ease and comfort that alcohol at one time provided. And after these thoughts consumed my thinking during March and April, I ventured back into the bottle in search of that ease and comfort. I regained consciousness to find my arms slashed and a knife by my side. Obviously, no sense of ease or comfort was found in that bottle.
Alcohol had stopped providing me with ease and comfort a very long time ago. It now offers incomprehensible demoralization with the false promise of ease and comfort.
However, I have recently found that I can experience that evasive sense of ease and comfort when I find the sincere willingness to live without it.
I experience ease and comfort when:
- I am willing to do what God wants me to do, rather than what I want to do.
- I am willing to accept reality as it is, without attempting to control it.
- I am willing to pray.
- I am willing to ask for help.
- I am willing to follow the advice and instruction of a sponsor.
- I am willing to let go of previously held concepts and ideas (i.e.: "Hey, but I already finished that step!")
- I am willing to live by spiritual principles.
- I am willing to find gratitude in unpleasant situations.
- I am willing to call someone every day, even when I don't want to.
- I am willing to go to a meeting every day, whether I "need" one or not. (Meetings don't exist for me! Whenever I think, "I don't need a meeting", that means I have the responsibility of attending a meeting anyway -- for everyone else who does need a meeting. Imagine desperately needing a meeting but nobody being there.)
- I am willing to grow.
- I am willing to feel discomfort.
- I am willing to be afraid.
- I am willing to be wrong.
- I am willing to help.
- I am willing to listen.
- I am willing to care.
- I am willing to get hurt.
- I am willing to make amends to everyone I have hurt.
- I am willing to live the life of a sober recovering alcoholic.
And when I find willingness to do these things -- and actually DO them -- I experience the same sense of ease and comfort that I once felt alcohol had robbed from me.
The "Serenity Prayer" is very popular over here:
"Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."
The prayer seems to suggest that serenity is a requirement for acceptance ("Grant me the serenity to accept ...").
But to me, I think the prayer has it backwards. Serenity does not generate acceptance, but acceptance generates serenity. Willingness is the beginning of that process. When I become willing to experience the things I want to avoid, THEN I can accept the things I cannot change. Serenity is an effect or byproduct produced by that process.
As long as I seek to control or avoid an outcome, I will never experience serenity.


text:
HTC Vows to Step Up Innovation
The head of HTC Corp. said the beleaguered Taiwanese smartphone maker didn't market their products aggressively enough last year, but vowed to win consumers back by developing more innovative products.
HTC had one of its worst years in 2012, as Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. ate into its market share and profitability. Earnings in the third quarter dropped to the lowest level in about six years. The company's share price is now down as much as 80 percent from its record high back in 2010 when HTC was the top Android-based smartphone seller in the U.S. Now, some analysts say the company will slip into the red in 2013, a scenario unthinkable just a year ago.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
|enter here to see pics of these hot busty babes
|patty is an older babe but she definitely has a huge rack that's as perky as an 18 year olds. she's a redhead which makes her all the sweeter and she has perfect little nipples. not only does she have big tits but a bald pussy as well, nice and smooth. if these pics aren't enough you need to see her videos. they are fucking awesome and she really gets nasty, you will fucking love it.
click here to see the videos of patty's big titties


text:
این ملک
بیشتر از این موجود نیست
For Inquiries and viewing arrangements, call our Leasing Department at
به ما تلفن کنید / به ما تلفن کنید
Company name: Cluttons ME
Address: 2701-C Al Marzouqi Towers, King Faisal Street, Sharjah, UAE P.O.Box 3616
Email: به ما ایمیل بفرستید
Website: www.cluttons.me
Cluttons Middle East has over 40 years of experience in the UAE and is part of the Savills Group. Cluttons ME operates in both the residential and commercial property markets with services including residential sales and lettings, commercial leasing and investment, consultancy, property management and valuation. Whether managing a large portfolio for a corporate client, or helping a family find the perfect home, we are here to offer advice and deliver proactive solutions.


text:
William Moore, 1839-1920, son of Enoch and Nancy Stivers Moore
Elizabeth Gardner Moore, 1843-1924, daughter of Meacom and Nancy Kirgan Gardner
Contributed on 6/10/06 by buckbre
Email This Contributor
Record #: 652
On this site you can upload gravestone photos, locate ancestors and perform genealogy research. If you have a relative buried in Ohio, we encourage you to upload a digital image using our Submit a Photo page. Contributing to this genealogy archive helps family historians and genealogy researchers locate their relatives and complete their family tree.
Submitted: 6/10/06 • Approved: 6/24/06 • Last Updated: 8/13/15 • R652-G652-S3


text: This is Sheyla, a 32-year-old woman who claims she is addicted to her own boobs. Featured on last night's episode of My Strange Addiction, Sheyla has spent $250,000 on 22 surgeries—one of which involved removing some ribs—to achieve her current bra size of 38KKK. She wants to increase her bra size to a less racist-sounding 38MMM. Right now, her 14-lb breasts keep her from doing a lot of routine tasks, like rapid movements, tying her shoes, or hugging her young daughter. She and her husband will probably get a divorce, since he threatened to leave if she went for another augmentation and she seems cool with that, saying, "My breasts is like my babies. I love them like they're my kid."


text:
Hi there,
Being away for a long time from NBA gaming society, i can't forget my most-beloved game, NBA LIVE 2003, that i had been playing on my ancient P4 PC
Now, i'm seeking to find 2 answers to my questions.
1) As i have a Windows 7 64-bit notebook with Geforce GTX460M, using 1080p display (15.6"), is there a mod/tweak or patch for newer systems to run this game fine with 1080p resolution under 64-nit Windows 7 combination? Possible?
2) Is there a 2015-2016 player + team + roster update? I looked down corresponding downloads are but couldn't seem to find updates newer than 2013-2014?
This game is the most exhilarating and smooth NBA game i've played ever, and since EA decided to kill LIVE series on PC
Thanks in advance!


text:
Lines of voters snaked around a school in Harare, where polling booths opened just after the scheduled time of 7 a.m. Wednesday. Many were dressed in heavy coats, scarves and woolen headgear to ward off the winter chill. Some had flasks of hot drinks.
"It is moving slowly, but I am here for as long as it takes. We have got to get this done," said voter Isaac Rufaro, who joined the line before dawn.
Mugabe has denied allegations of vote-rigging and dismissed concerns about the credibility of the polls. Even so, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Tuesday that Washington is troubled by "the lack of transparency in electoral preparations, by the continued partisan behavior of state security institutions and by the technical and logistical issues hampering the administration of a credible and transparent election."
The contest pits Mugabe, 89, against Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, 61, the former opposition leader who teamed up with the president's party in an uneasy coalition. The power-sharing deal was forged by regional leaders after Zimbabwe's last disputed and violent election in 2008.
Mugabe has promised that if he loses he will hand power over to Tsvangirai. However, Tsvangirai's party has alleged that Mugabe supporters have engaged in vote-rigging in a desperate attempt to stay in power.
The official state election body has admitted that administrative, logistical and funding problems have hindered voting arrangements, but said they had been resolved and voting was ready to go ahead at more than 9,000 polling stations across the country.
There are 6.4 million voters in the nation, which is slightly larger than Germany. Zimbabwe has 12.9 million people.
Voting officials at one suburban Harare shopping center said their line of at least 1,000 people was expected to move more quickly as staff became more proficient in finding names on pages and pages of lists of voters, and verifying identity documents.
Previous elections in 2002 and 2008 were marred by allegations of vote rigging and political violence. Rights groups say there has been little overt violence this time around but noted deep concerns remain over shambolic voters' lists, the role of Mugabe's loyalist police and military in the voting process and bias in the dominant state media and the sole national broadcaster controlled by Mugabe loyalists.
The International Crisis Group, a research organization, said it fears a return to "a protracted political crisis, and possibly extensive violence" if the Zimbabwe poll is inconclusive and disputed, and especially if election observers of the regional Southern African Development Community, or SADC, and the continent-wide African Union fail to identify flaws in the hastily arranged elections.
Mugabe has refused to allow Western observer missions, including one from the Jimmy Carter Center, to monitor voting but main Western embassies in Zimbabwe have been permitted to deploy a limited number of Harare-based diplomats to key voting districts.
Zimbabwe's shaky coalition government is effectively dissolved Wednesday.
Both Mugabe and Tsvangirai have predicted outright victory for their parties that would avoid the formation of another coalition.
Voting is scheduled to close at 7 p.m. (1700GMT) but may be extended to a second day Thursday, according to election officials.
– Sapa


text:
Looking for an ambitious and energetic way to get outdoors with the family?
A brand-new obstacle course in the trees will do the trick.
The Adventure Park at the Discovery Museum in Bridgeport just opened in July and gives visitors the opportunity to go platform to platform while negotiating various hurdles. Eight different courses of varying levels wind through five acres of Veterans Memorial Park.
"We invite people to come discover their inner squirrel," laughs Anthony Wellman, Director of Communications and Sales. Take a look at the tight ropes, zip lines and swinging steps on this DayTrippers video.
Check out The Adventure Park's web site for information about admission and hours.


text:
Tannenbaum told listeners that his hope "... isn't blind faith or crazy talk" and that it was based on what he'd already seen so far this season.
When asked about what's to come, Tannenbaum stated that the Jets "absolutely" still have a shot at the playoffs saying that the coaching staff spent the down time to diagnose and address "very specific" points of concern for the Jets and that had those gotten tuned up in the first part of the season then "our record would look dramatically different" and clarifying those comments by saying that the team could have been 5-3 or 4-4.
Yes, but the fact is that they are not and they are about to walk into a buzzsaw in Seattle. Marshawn Lynch has played out of his gourd this year, Russell Wilson is helping the team win at home and the defense has been one of the best in the league so far. While the Seahawks let up a number of yards to Adrian Peterson and Frank Gore, the 'Hawks aren't exactly facing the same level of running competition this coming week.
If the team has made the adjustments that Tannenbaum says they have, then maybe they contest this game against a hot Seahawks team. If the Jets are the team that the coaches, the GM and the players keep telling the world that they are, then there's no better game to go out and prove than against the Seahawks on their home turf this weekend.


text:
Kyle Murphy necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 179 diseños de 40 diseñadores freelance.
NetFinance Solutions
Our positioning statement is "Technology for the bottom line". We want to be THE technology provider to finance companies. Our competitors technology is old and they are not focused on it but rather added services. We're focusing on bring the best technology to market because that improves operations and profitability.
The mission of NetFinance is to provide a comprehensive loan origination and servicing technologies that levels the playing field for small and mid-tier independent lenders with the big guys.
The NetFinance executive team selected industry leading product and service solutions to create an unbeatable value proposition for their customers. These software and service providers offer leading edge technology along with a proven track record for customer satisfaction. Independently, these technologies offer an excellent value proposition and outstanding customer satisfaction. Combined, they offer a complete technology solution that cannot be matched by any other solution in the lending industry today.
Executives and managers of mid and small-sized finance companies (companies that make loans; may or may not be a bank). Generally they are finance and business focused not technology experts, but they appreciate the power of technology in their operations and want proven, secure solutions that are easy to use.
We're open to ideas, surprise and wow us! The word "NetFinance" should be equal or more dominant than the word "Solutions". Orientation is open. Color is open. Our focus is business and professionals, so it should not be overly consumeristic/flashy. We like logos that cary strong symbology. Adobe Illustrator/vector file with fonts identified required from winner.
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


text:
amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research
February 2007—One of the greatest challenges to slowing the spread of HIV/AIDS among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Asia lies in the rich complexity of MSM communities across the region—and the necessity of tailoring prevention and education messages for each community. Recently, four young MSM from Southeast Asia—AIDS prevention and education advocates—spoke with the TREAT Asia Report about the issues of identity, community, politics, and stigma that they all encounter in the course of their work.
TREAT Asia Report: There has been much discussion recently about the diversity within MSM communities. Could each of you tell us a bit about the groups you work with?
Sovannara (Thaiy) Kha (Cambodia): There are many kinds of MSM in Cambodia. In the Khmer language we call them kteuy, like katoey in Thai, but in English we call them MSM Long Hair and MSM Short Hair, which is what Cambodian MSM call themselves. MSM Long Hair can be transgender or transsexual, or neither.
When we say MSM, it doesn't matter whether in your heart you prefer men or not. If you sleep with men, we say that you are MSM. But MSM Short Hair do not want to sleep with MSM Long Hair, although if Long Hair pay money, maybe they will go with them. If someone is really gay—not just MSM but preferring men from the heart—most of them will not sleep with MSM Long Hair. I've asked and they say, "If I sleep with MSM Long Hair, why wouldn't I sleep with girls?" In Cambodia, most MSM Short Hair are married and they do not disclose their status.
Jack Arayawongchai (Thailand): That's similar to our situation in Thailand. I have a friend who is identified as Long Hair MSM and she has complained to me many times, "Oh, I don't have a boyfriend." And I asked, "Why don't you go find one? There are all those gay men out there." But she said, "No, I am not attracted to gay men, I'm only attracted to straight men."
Addy Chen (Myanmar): It is complicated. Jack, how do you identify yourself? You would be considered a Long Hair MSM, right?
Jack: Well, I would identify myself as one of the Short Hair. In Thailand, there are MSM who look totally straight and MSM who look "out" a little bit but they still consider themselves Short Hair.
Addy: That's why in Myanmar we end up having six categories of MSM, and with all these groups we need different outreach and education approaches.
One group we call Apone, which is someone who has sex with men and is not very effeminate—someone like me, okay? Similar to gay men in the West. And we have Achouk, who are totally MSM, and it's obvious when you see them. Achouk are very effeminate in behavior, dress up like women, wear make up—they behave totally like women. Then we also have Apwint, which is slightly between Apone and Achouk. Apwint means that a man dresses like a man but is a little bit effeminate—for example, when they're talking they have certain kinds of gestures and maybe sometimes they like to cross-dress when there is a special party or something. But mostly at work and in the family, Apwint are not open about their status—they may be open only with their peers.
We also have Offer, which is a male sex worker. Whether they prefer it or not, they have sex with men because they're working for money. And we have Tha-nge, the husband of Apwint, Apone, or Achouk. They don't identify as straight men but they don't accept themselves as MSM or gay because they are mostly taking the penetrator role.
We also have Inglan. Inga is a sexual reproductive organ and lan means reverse. So what it means is that when Tha-nge meets Apone, Apwint, or Achouk, they are supposed to penetrate, but sometimes they want to be penetrated. That kind of Tha-nge we call Inglan. It means that when they're supposed to use their organ in one way, they use it the reverse way.
Nguyen Van Trung (Viet Nam): Viet Nam is very open and the gay community is fairly close knit. Short Hairs and Long Hairs go to the same places. Many of my friends use the Internet and gay web sites to connect with each other. If you're a Long Hair and you want to become a Lady Boy—a Long Hair who has had an operation to get big breasts—you have to go to Thailand, but you can get a lot of help from the gay community in Saigon. If you need money, you can get maybe half from other MSM.
For example, on Sunday mornings we have a coffee shop and about 400 people go there. We transfer news very easily. So if I say, I have a friend who wants to go to Thailand to become a Lady Boy, my friends will put in a donation, and so will the friends of my friends. Last Friday a close friend died and his family was very poor so gay people in Saigon gave his family about US$1,500 for his funeral. That's a very good part of life in Viet Nam.
Addy: I don't know about in other countries, but in Myanmar the gender imbalance within the gay community is still very high. For example, in most MSM couples, the breadwinner is the Long Hair. Long Hairs have to treat their husbands like princes or kings, they have to buy everything, and they may even put up with being hit by their husbands.
Thaiy: It's hard in Cambodia, too. The Long Hairs try to earn money and then they give it to the Short Hairs they love. And then the Short Hairs sometimes spend that money to buy a girl or to buy another Short Hair.
TA Report: What do you find to be some of the greatest challenges as educators in your countries and among the MSM with whom you work?
Addy: In Myanmar, in the general population as well as among MSM, people don't know much about STIs [sexually transmitted infections], much less HIV. People working on AIDS who are not MSM don't know about the diversity of MSM communities or much about their sexuality—they don't understand how vulnerable MSM are to AIDS and how high their risk is. Among MSM themselves, awareness about health issues is still very low. MSM who are more educated and informed often don't want to disclose their status because they will face stigma and discrimination, so there are very few educated people who can lead the community. Also because of the situation here in Myanmar, we cannot form MSM-specific self-help groups.
Doing peer outreach, it's best to work through informal MSM groups or networks that already exist. A lot of the beauticians in Myanmar are MSM, and some are transgender. They have a group of young MSM followers and they have a big influence on them. If there's a famous beautician in a township, his or her followers will gather at their salon. So that is one channel we go through for outreach and education. Peer outreach workers go to the beauty salons and provide boxes of condoms that they can sell or give away. Whenever they visit the salons, they provide an education session about condom use because there are always five to ten or twenty MSM gathered there.
Another way we can reach MSM is through certain transgenders called Nat-Gadaw who act as interpreters of the spirit. Lots of people in Myanmar have a spiritual belief in those sorts of things, especially in rural areas. These men are quite influential, not only among MSM but even in the larger community or in villages, and they can take a leading role in spreading information. So when we do outreach work we go to the beauticians first and also to the Nat-Gadaw.
There are also drop-in centers for MSM, which provide voluntary counseling, treatment for STIs, and testing. At the moment in Yangon, we have two MSM drop-in centers. There they have monthly gatherings of around 400 people. Recently, because there were too many people and the place was small, they split the gatherings up and now every Wednesday they have a so-called tea party where MSM can also get information and entertainment. MSM come together for these kinds of entertainment activities and during these activities they have a session on education. It is quite famous within the MSM community, so most of the MSM from Yangon know where to go to seek services.
What has also happened is that a lot of male sex workers who don't identify as either MSM or gay have come to these gatherings. At first they might have been looking for clients or whatever, but they got services also and they enjoyed it. And so now they come and bring some of their friends who don't identify themselves as MSM but who have sex with men. So it has been snowballing.
Thaiy: In the Cambodian organization I volunteer for we have two projects—one is with MSM Short Hair and one is with MSM Long Hair. It's the same project but we have to have two offices because if MSM Short Hairs see Long Hairs, they will not come.
Most MSM Short Hairs don't want to be involved with peer outreach because they don't want the public to know or to recognize that they are MSM. But overall, MSM now seem to be more accepted in Cambodia. Even the father of the Cambodian king has started to give our programs money.
TA Report: How do you reach MSM Short Hairs, then?
Thaiy: We do it through a hidden network—the hidden reaching out to the hidden. I work with MSM Long Hairs, which is easy because they're so open. But sometimes we have had problems when we're doing trainings, because the authorities disapprove or because of stigma in the communities. In September 1998 we were training MSM in Batambang province [in western Cambodia] and we were arrested and held by the police for two nights. They warned us that we were introducing improper things into Cambodian culture by mobilizing for gay and lesbian solidarity and training people about HIV/AIDS. But this was an illegal detention and they let us go.
Now, before we arrange meetings, we set up a support network first and we go through the police leader in the district or the provincial government. We invite the authorities to join the meeting so they can see what we are doing, and after that they give us the phone number of the police so if the police beat MSM Long Hairs we can call them. And the authorities are also donating money to the support networks. It's much better than before.Trung: In the future, I think that Cambodia will be similar to Viet Nam. I've been working in HIV prevention for MSM for about seven years and at the beginning Viet Nam was the same as Cambodia. Sometimes we couldn't work together with different groups of MSM, we had to keep them separate. But now it's much easier.
In Viet Nam, a lot of men move to the big cities like Saigon because they're very open for gays—we have a sauna, we have a swimming pool, we have gay massage, we have a disco, we have a cruising area. But we have only one MSM workshop, which is controlled by the government.
It is a very good workshop, with a clinic, a library, videos, and counseling for men who want advice. The workshop has meetings two days a week and they have a big show, maybe a fashion show including a cabaret. They're very good shows, and they can offer lessons about safe sex, prevention, and medical treatment. And when people come to hear karaoke every Friday night they can also receive information about safe sex and STDs.
The government workshop has many volunteers. They go out at night to meet with gay men in Saigon in bars or discos, but they don't go everywhere. So about 15 or 20 of my friends founded our organization and we go to places where government volunteers don't want to go, like brothels or the countryside, and we provide information, education, and condoms. Then we refer them to the government workshop to learn more because in Viet Nam, the law says that we cannot have discussion groups like this one. You can only have less than five people.Addy: It's the same way in Myanmar. Let me ask you, when you say your groups go to brothels, are those male-specific brothels?
Trung: Yes. When we go we talk to the mama-san who controls the boys. We train them about safe sex, how to use condoms, and we refer them to the workshop.
TA Report: What are each of you seeing in regard to stigma and discrimination in your countries?
Trung: In the big cities in Viet Nam things are much better than they once were. Still, we have 64 cities and provinces, and only five of the biggest have MSM workshops. In Saigon, seven years ago, a man might go to the doctor and say "I am gay, I just had sex with a man last night," and the doctor would just send him away. I've worked with government places like hospitals and prisons and explained to them what it means for men to be gay or MSM, and now they understand, so it's much easier for gay people in Saigon to go to the doctor and talk honestly. But in the provinces, things are like they used to be in Saigon.
Thaiy: In Cambodia things are better, too—stigma and discrimination from doctors or health providers, people in the clinic, for example, are less of a problem. The difficulty we face now is that MSM Short Hair are very secretive, so when they go to the clinic they conceal the fact that they have sex with men. They might have a problem but the doctor won't check the right place. If the patient tells him that the problem is behind, the doctor will ask why? How come there? So now we're trying to develop a sensitivity to MSM among health-care providers so that when men come in for checkups they don't have to explain what they need and they can get treated.
Addy: Do you still find any type of stereotyping? People calling you names or being violent towards you?
Trung: There is not much violence against MSM in Viet Nam, but sometimes in the countryside when people see Lady Boys or gay people they call them pédé or other bad words. Pédé is French and what it means is not very polite. Gay people in Saigon really do not like it. If you say they are gay, or say they are bong, they are very happy, but they never like pédé.
Addy: Well, I have some friends who have experienced sexual violence. Those kinds of things happened a lot in the past and they still do in some provinces where stigma is very high.
Jack: In Thailand, stigma and discrimination still exist but at different levels. It used to be quite bad years ago, but as the MSM population has grown and more people have come out, we have became more normal and accepted in the eyes of others. There is still violence against MSM, but less so. Even upcountry in northeastern Thailand, I have friends from a small town where the public presence of MSM is limited, and some of them have told their families that they are gay and have been accepted. Many places upcountry are open to it now. That's a sign that things are getting a lot better.
Addy Chen of Myanmar works with the International HIV/AIDS Alliance. Jack Arayawongchai of Thailand is the coordinator of the Greater Mekong MSM support network Purple Sky. Sovannara (Thaiy) Kha is a local independent MSM consultant and HIV/AIDS activist in Cambodia who works for Kanhnha CBO as a volunteer. Viet Nam's Nguyen Van Trung works with the Nguyen Friendship Society. Thaiy, Addy, and Trung are all members of TREAT Asia's Asian Community for AIDS Treatment and Advocacy, and Jack works for TREAT Asia in Bangkok.
© 2019 amfAR All Rights Reserved || amfAR's mission is to end the global AIDS epidemic through innovative research


text:
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The challenge was laid down. All that's keeping Royals outfielder Jarrod Dyson and Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles from deciding the fastest man in Kansas City sports is about 300 yards of parking lot between Kauffman Stadium and Arrowhead Stadium.
Probably the folks in charge of their teams, too.
The idea of a match race came up when Dyson and a bunch of other Royals dropped in to watch part of a Chiefs practice last week. In his typical bravado, Dyson proclaimed that he could beat any of them in a foot race -- including Charles, their Pro Ball running back.
"I'm not afraid to race nobody," said Dyson, who had swiped 25 bases in 60 games heading into the Royals' game Tuesday night in Minnesota. "I'll tell you that straight up."
The race is unlikely to ever happen in the city that produced former 100-meter world-record holder Maurice Green. There's too much injury risk to line them up just for fun.
Sure is a compelling conversation piece, though.
Dyson is the fleet-footed base-stealer best over shorter distances - say, the 90 feet that separates bags on a big league infield. Charles is the speedy back who excels with a nice runway to get going - say, the 100 yards from one end zone to the other.
"If he puts a show on, I'm never going to back down," Charles told The Associated Press after Tuesday afternoon's practice, when asked of Dyson's challenge. "Track's my first love."
If both of them are up for it, might as well try to assess the most intriguing match race in these parts since Seabiscuit took on War Admiral.
Dyson says he doesn't put much stock in 40-yard dashes, but the 5-foot-9, 160-pound sparkplug thinks he could run it in 4.3 seconds. Charles, at 5-11 and nearly 200 pounds, turned a 4.38 when he was clocked at the NFL combine in 2008, following his senior year with the Longhorns.
Dyson isn't as polished a sprinter as Charles, but he certainly has speed to burn.
The big league average for a player running from home to first base is 4.2 seconds for left-handed hitters. Dyson covers the distance nearly a half-second faster. The average time for a good base stealer taking second is about 3.2 seconds. Dyson can do it in about 2.6.
Royals manager Ned Yost said he's "definitely the fastest" player in the big leagues, and Yost has seen some quick ones. He broke into the big leagues as a player in 1980, and as a coach watched the likes of Otis Nixon and Kenny Lofton -- No. 15 and No. 16 on the career stolen bases list, respectively -- when he was an assistant coach with the Atlanta Braves.
Even the Twitter handle that Dyson uses sounds fast: @mrzoombiya.
Don't get it? Say it out loud.
"I don't care if you're a sprinter or whatever," Dyson said, "you're not getting past Mr. Zoombiya. You're going to have to come at me over some distance."
Turns out that's precisely where Charles has an advantage.
He was a bronze medalist in the 400-meter hurdles at the 2003 world youth championships, and won state titles in the 110- and 300-meter hurdles at Memorial High School in Port Arthur, Texas.
Charles took his speed to Austin, where he was an All-American multiple times over for the Longhorns. The former junior Olympian was fourth in the 60 meters at the NCAA indoors in 2006, and fifth in the 100 at the outdoors later that summer. Among those who edged Charles in the 100 was Walter Dix, a two-time world silver medalist and two-time Olympic bronze medalist.
Even now, Charles lights up when he's asked about his "pretty elite" track career. He openly thought about returning to it during the NFL lockout a couple years ago.
"Not pretty elite. I was junior worlds," Charles clarified. "It's not that I'm fast. I have track history. Track is my first love. I'm not going to back down from a race."
Not against Dyson. Not against anyone.
"It's maintaining your sprint all the way through. It's not how fast you are, it's your strength and how conditioned you are," Charles explained. "You can be fast, but if you don't have the strength to maintain the speed, you'd better hold on."
Chiefs general manager John Dorsey laughed when asked who he'd put his money on in a race between Dyson and Charles. He wouldn't give an answer on the record, but with a bias that's only natural, Dorsey did say, "I'm going to stand by my guy."
So, the lines have been drawn in a race to determine the fastest man in Kansas City sports.
All that's left is to bring the rivals together.


text:
This SAMSON V.5 configuration includes:
(3) 45" wide x 18" deep solid, air-dried maple shelves finished with clear satin lacquer; one 4" and two 2" thick shelves.
(5) 36" H. black solid-steel uprights
(5) brasss top caps, (25) brass shelf nuts, and (5) brass footers. Choose footers from the pull-down menu based on floor type. Ordering Tips For best performance on uncarpeted floors, choose our standard footer option. Upgrade to Megafeet for ultimate performance. To avoid leaving dings on expensive hardwood floors, use our radiused footer options. On carpet, it is essential for the points of the SAMSON's footers to penetrate the rug and contact the solid floor underneath. For high pile carpet with padding (more than 1/2" deep), you need thick carpet footers to penetrate to the floor. For thin commercial wall-to-wall carpet (less than 1/2"), thin carpet footers will sound slightly better than the thick carpet version. Additional Info To hear the full potential of the SAMSON, we strongly encourage mounting each component to its shelf with our brass footers. Using Micropoint Heavyfeet or Triplepoints to couple your components to the maple will nearly double the sonic improvement you get with the SAMSON. Audiophiles seeking the ultimate in performance may want to consider adding a 2" or 4" thick Finished Maple Platform on Isoblocks under key components. Add-on platforms with Isoblocks help isolate each component from vibrations generated by gear on the other shelves. The sonic improvement is especially remarkable under turntables and tubed equipment. Users with turntables may want to consider ordering the 4" option for the top shelf; the improvement over the 2" shelf is highly audible (ditto with first rate CD players). On the other hand, adding a 4" maple platform with IsoBlocks onto a 2" shelf sounds even better than a 4" shelf alone--but it costs you an extra 4" in height. Those seeking the absolute ultimate in sound quality will want to order the SAMSON with all 4" shelves plus a 4" maple platform on every shelf. This is simply the best-sounding equipment rack in the world, bar none. We have a sizable number of customers who have ordered this no-hold-barred configuration--and who report that installing the second layer of maple platforms onto the 4" shelves turned an already superb sounding rack into a breathtaking one. Every SAMSON shelf is hand-planed from rough-cut 2-1/2" and 4-1/2" maple to remove saw marks and surface imperfections. We aim for a true 2" or 4" thickness--as opposed to the commercial lumber practice of undersizing. But, because of variations in the rough-cut timber, the exact thickness may vary by up to 3/16". Design & Performance In order to make better sounding CDs, we have been experimenting for 15 years with better ways of mounting audio equipment. Our experiments have shown: Most crucial is to provide an absolutely rigid, resonance free path for vibrational energy to flow out of the equipment into the shelf and down through the supporting uprights into floor. Any plastic, rubber or other damping material introduced for "isolation" into the path from the shelf to the floor induces muddy bass with smeared mids and highs. Wood shelves sound much better than metal, granite or glass. They also sound better than Corian, graphite/carbon fiber composite or damped plastic composites. Among the wood alternatives, the worst is particleboard, then MDF and plywood. The best of the available woods is maple. Air-dried maple is audibly better than kiln-dried (all lumber yard and butcher block maple is kiln-dried). The normal audio rack shelf thickness of ¾" to 1" is inadequately rigid. Uprights for supporting shelves must be solid, not hollow. Damping the very audible resonances of hollow metal supports with sand or lead fill introduces new problems: notably both dynamics and ambience are deadened and sustained notes are truncated. Uprights must be much more rigid than needed for load-bearing alone. To transfer vibrational energy cleanly into the floor, uprights must be terminated with massive conepoints, preferably brass. The overall rack structure must be unshakably rigid and stiff. Most importantly, there must be absolutely no side-sway (nor fore-and-aft sway). This is a weak point for most audio racks. The SAMSON addresses these crucial design issues quite simply: Shelves are 2" air-dried maple (4" is available as an option). Two inch is approximately 15 times as stiff as the ¾" veneered MDF standard on most audiophile racks. Uprights are 1-1/4" solid steel, 8 times as stiff as the typical rack's 5/8" rod or 1" hollow square tubing. Shelves are locked to the steel uprights by being captured with crushing force between two massive threaded brass cylinders at each corner. This yields a totally rigid vibration path and zero measurable side sway. Specifications Solid 2" thick air-dried maple shelves finished with in clear lacquer. 2" shelves will support 300+ pounds; 4" will support over 900 pounds. Shelf dimensions are 45" wide x 18" deep; 40" width between front uprights.
Fully assembled height is 36"-37" from the floor to the upper surface of the top shelf, depending upon footer type. 1-1/4" diameter, solid steel vertical supports, fully threaded for infinite adjustability; available with matte black or nickel-zinc plating. When shelves are equally spaced, the height between shelves is about 13".


text:
Friday, January 8, 2010
Is spirituality not democratic after all?
Ah!!! I am actually getting tired of responding to AoLers writing to this blog, even those who fake they are not. What the heck! I left their organization to, years later, engage with them online? OK, a risk I took the minute I started this blog, but geez, they don't even have such good reading comprehension skills because they are so emotional when reading they immediately jump to conclusions and/or are too anxious to make a point, ready to militate for Ravi any minute. Geez! With all due respect, reacting like men who were just told they have small tiny weenie penises! Excuse me. I did not say anything about anyone's penis so please chill! And anyway, let's respect each other's size, shape and preferences! Is spirituality after all not democratic?! Do we all need to believe AoL is the biggest most amazing NGO in the world? (It is not! Check statistics. The AoL cannot even detail how many active teachers it has and how many teachers it has made! AoL cannot even give specific numbers of how many people did the course in each city, country and year! I was one of you when we tried to collect this data and we were not able to because we were lousy and disorganized as an institution, and because, unfortunately, that is the price for working with volunteers, some less prepared than others, and many, without any real professional experience). Do we all need to believe Ravi is the greatest man on earth, holy, the one and only, and the best? Do we all need to believe everything the AoL and SSRS claim as true? If thinking differently to you makes us stupid, then let us be! At least, stupid, free and happy. Let spirituality be democratic! The soul is, after all, FREE!
Neither AoL nor SSRS nor his devotees should feel threatened, shaken or offended by different opinions – I call them "different", they call them "negative" … interesting. Good education is based on diversified information, not on unilateral, manipulated, censored information. One should decide if something is good based on all reviews: good and bad. Something is not necessarily good if it only has good reviews. On the contrary, it gives room to suspicion. In a world governed by minds like those of fanatic AoL followers and SSRS the system would be non-democratic, totalitarian, despot. If that makes you feel more comfortable, please practice it within your divine community but don't push it on others. I and many others, greatly appreciate democracy, freedom of speech, freedom for religious beliefs, transparency, wholesome education. For the love of these, I chose to leave.
I also don't understand, when I was a devotee – truly devoted, by the way – I never ever thought of reading anything "negative" about "my guru" or "the best organization in the world". First of all, I never thought anyone doubted we were the best. In fact, I was shocked to find out, years after I left, there were people and sources out there with "negative" observations and experiences! Second, I did not consider other opinions valid. My family, friends, etc. thought I had lost it. I was even told straight in my face I was in a cult yet I stood strong to my convictions. Needless to mention, I never thought of attacking someone who felt differently or tried to convince them they were wrong, belittle or dare them. I only kept bringing people to the course. Even then, I believed everyone is entitled to his/her own opinion. How are you then practicing the knowledge "don't make the mistake of going against the mistake" (Ashtavakra Gita)? Cause I am out, you are in, shouldn't you be "in the knowledge"?
SSRS speaks about the joining of all religions, breaking differences, but actions such as these of his devotees writing to the blog (and to many other links that present different opinions) or himself assigning people to check on "negative press" only reflect the contrary, and are a sign of little or no true spirituality, hidden insecurities, cry babies, and overboard narcissism. Should those who think differently, those who may appear to think "against them" (I prefer, "not in favor of", or "not similarly") be attacked, questioned, "dared", threatened … eliminated? (a common AoL in-house practice after all).
Fortunately, I had many many years of training under this kind of despotic rule and tyrant thinking, and, unfortunately, I am not unfamiliar with the AoL kind of hostility towards difference in opinion. For heaven's sake, keep conquering the world but let people enjoy democratic spirituality!!!
Is spirituality not democratic after all?
26 comments:
- Prairie Princess said...
Maybe you identified one of the problems with AoL--tiny weenies. When you are told that to teach meditation and fancy breathing you must eat certain ways, act certain ways, and think certain ways, you are captured by a cult and not on the path of liberation. If you want to experience liberation, leave the organization behind.
In my brief stint in AoL I was shocked by the lack of organization but more shocked that the lack of organization was a point of pride (the mark of the Sat Guru). One would think the "sat guru" would be an organizing force. I was also shocked by the
in-fighting in some satsangs ..infighting about nothing important. Keep up the good work with this blog and don't let the cockroaches from AoL get you down. They are sooo sad and totally delusional.
- January 8, 2010 at 9:44 AM
- KLIM said...
Princess, you are so right! I am laughing here remembering that Part 2 video tape in which he says how a Guru's job is done when he puts organized people in chaos, and chaotic people in discipline, followed by "hahahaa". Hahahahaaa? And thereafter we used that as a reference to measure his enlightenment! (except there was only chaos in AoL). We were so stupidly brainwashed and he is such a smart manipulator! Sadly hilarious.
- January 8, 2010 at 9:53 AM
When things are disorganised and go wrong, the standard reply is, Guruji says that there should not be any structure or organisation in AOL - he creates havoc and mess when things run smoothly - its the Gurus masti - and it is a lesson on tolerance and acceptance.
- January 8, 2010 at 10:04 AM
You nailed it. This is precisely what I tell to all AOL volunteers/teachers when they try to push me into doing courses/seva. If they believe, let them continue doing courses. I dont even mind if they do some advertising to reach people in need. But keep pusing on me even after I tell that I'm not interested, making me feel that keep doing AOL courses are thee thing in life to do is a bit too much. I have always felt (by tone, by example stories told) the push coming by force, rather than sincere concern for me...as if they desperately need to enroll as many people. In the process a very few are benefitted, but most are offended.
I ask, if somebody is really in need to AOL/other courses, they will find their way. What is the need to suffocate everyone to be a part of AOL.
Oh not only they try to grip in people, but also monopolize ayurveda and other products. AOL pushes several renowned ayurvedic doctors in India to sell their products with AOL label. Insane??
- January 8, 2010 at 1:01 PM
- Gopal Krishna said...
Do you know: Sri Sri actually travels in business class than in economy class (my uncle who is a CEO travels by economy class). Wouldn't it be saving of money if he travels by economic class?
See the answer of Bawa, an AOL teacher on this question - http://shambho-bunny.blogspot.com/2009/12/straight-from-bawas-heart-some-tough.html.
Read Bawa's site - http://wisdomfromsrisri.blogspot.com/ - and decide for yourself whether he is faking till he made it or genuinely seems to be a nice guy.
And plz read - http://wisdomfromsrisri.blogspot.com/ - to find out whether Sri Sri was doing psycho-babble or giving some insights.
These are some different perspectives which free-loving people should also read.
- January 8, 2010 at 6:11 PM
I read the answers given by Bawa in a yahoo group. I found them too general replies, hence given my opinion to give more specific reply. My comments were not even posted in the group messages, forget the reply.
- January 9, 2010 at 12:24 AM
Thanks for creating awareness. I took the basic course and used to go for weekly long kriyas. After an hour of kriya, our teacher used to read a passage from a book and give everyone that fake cookie cutter smile. Then he used to slip the bait for some course or the other. This went on every single week, eventually I couldnt take it anymore and stopped going there. Now I read about ill-effects of doing kriya on some people and thank god for saving me from this mess. After similar experiences from other groups that eventually turned out to be cults, I'm close to becoming an atheist. Enough of spirituality!
- January 9, 2010 at 1:37 AM
- Art of Leaving said...
I was one of the casualities of Shankar's global jetsetting adventures. I would have been far better off had he never wasted all that money getting onto a plane to come to my country in the first place, let alone doing it in business style.
As for Bawa's defense of Ravi Shankar's business-class preferences: "He has a physical body, which for our own sake needs to be protected and taken care of as much as possible. ... I defy you or anyone else to move the way He does and work at the pace He has set for Himself. 40 flights in 30 days, many of them long haul takes their toll on the body. Saving money like this [i.e. by travelling in economy class] is no savings at all."
Well, I am really all for Ravi Shankar protecting his body, mind and spirit. And there are much better ways of doing it than idling your time away in business-class. Please let him stay home, scale everything down to one tiny ashram (ten or fifteen people), donate the proceeds of all his properties to some honest development NGOs, do some serious introspection about his failings and all those he has damaged, and try to make up for it by helping a few people properly in as honest and humble a way as possible.
Also, let him spend time familiarising himself with critical and progressive trends in the social sciences. I know he's only into newspapers and CNN, and by his own admission doesn't read books. But perhaps the time has come for some academic "enlightenment".
To the question why AOL has a predominantly Hindu culture, Bawa replies: "Guruji supports the best practices not only of Hindutva, but of all traditions and religions. And ruthlessly He lashes out at the irrational aspects of the same."
Um... I beg to disagree. Shankar is unashamedly aligned with Hindutva proponents to the extent of having helped with the BJP election campaign. He has not lashed out at the "irrational aspects" that caused the demolition of the Babri Mosque. In fact, he has defended the emotional need of Hindus to have a Hindu temple at that spot. He made an apology by Hindu leaders about the Hindu riots conditional on a handover of the site by Muslims to Hindus. He is often onstage with Advani who is indicted in the Liberhan Commission report as one of those ideologically responsible for the riots.
Many non-Indians don't know of Ravi Shankar's rightwing connections in India and would be alarmed if they got to find out about it. But Shankar is very clever in marketing himself in foreign countries. He builds up a diverse and wealthy following overseas and is careful to say all the right things. Then he can make use of their money for Hindutva causes back home. Gradually the foreign devotees are drawn into the Hindutva agenda.
I am not anti-Indian at all. I find certain aspects of Indian culture very beautiful and it resonates deeply with me, but I am now able to see more clearly where Shankar had been subtly pushing a Hindutva agenda in his talks.
Personally I would never have fallen for Shankar had I kept my wits about me and first done some careful background research on him. Unfortunately, I was so enamoured of his charm and the idea of having a Yoga Master, that I dropped all my academic training and critical thinking skills. At the time I thought Yoga must be way superior to science, academia and European philosophy. I have since come to a more balanced view.
Interesting how towards the end of his post Bawa refers to honest straightforward enquiries as "nasty questions" – there he really shows his true colours.
Here is an interesting article by Meera Nanda on "Hindu Triumphalism and the Clash of Civilisations":
In it Ravi Shankar's biographer Francois Gautier is mentioned as a mouthpiece of the French New Right and an associate of the Hindu right.
I think Nanda might be a bit too alarmist and extreme in some of her views, but she raises interesting questions. I would very much like to hear the opinions of readers of this blog about her concerns, especially those in India.
- January 9, 2010 at 6:39 AM
- KLIM said...
Dear Gopal, It because "free-loving people" have read and EXPERIENCED different perspectives that they chose to leave or not to join, not because they simply chose to dislike AoL. Some of them have even spoken the very same words of teachers like Bawa, some were teachers like Bawa and some even hang out with Bawa outside of a course context. It is really OK if not everyone thinks your Guruji is the best and finds flaws in the AoL. Really. But you see, the way many AoLers write to this blog angry or bullying, or refreshing our memory of how we manipulated so much with words, twisting it here and there, with a background smile followed by jokes, only further convince us we did the right thing of leaving. Not only does SSRS travel in first class and stays in the best hotels, he only cares about his teachers bodies. I don't know about in India but I know in the West a lot of teachers worked and lived in awful conditions. Teachers brought in the dough, stayed in dumpsters and begged for food while he stayed in upper class style. Even when the doctor has advised to take rest he has made them keep going, "there is no time, keep going." I know of many cases, including that of my own.
- January 9, 2010 at 7:12 AM
looking at the comments above, its interesting that bawa's name comes to mind - he was the same teacher I went through the DSN indoctrination and he's the one who came up with the ideals mentioned in a previous posting and dinesh (in the photo next to him) was the one who gave rat poison to his mom in defiance..
Its a small world
- January 9, 2010 at 7:04 PM
KLIM your claim that Teachers brought in the dough, stayed in dumpsters and begged for food while he stayed in upper class style. Even when the doctor has advised to take rest he has made them keep going, "there is no time, keep going." I know of many cases, including that of my own.
seems to be an exaggeration
I know a full tome teacher who is completely exhaysted but he never had to beg for food or live in dumpsters. They woek too hard and go withour food. SSRS slogs and he expects others to slog foe social cause. Do you really mind that?
- January 9, 2010 at 9:05 PM
To Art of Leaving
Its very nice for you to sit in your cozty aprments drive your plush cars and enjoy life and write about Hindutva in the luxuries of your home. Self sufficient Indian culture is been totally finished by Britishers. They started Hindu Muslim divide. apartheid in South Africa was due to Bristish Rule! Now missioneries are trying to convert poor people by giving them few days food any leave them in lurch after conversion. What religion has got to do with poverty? Come and live in rulral india for at leat one year see things for yourself and then talk about Hindu or Hindutva. Reading some articles on internet doen't make you a masster of the subject!
SSRS is not a Yoga Master! From your lengthy article I could not really make out anything. What are you looking for?- a personal trainer? If you think you are a spiritual seeker then i think you read a book called Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramhamsa Yoganand. read it again and again if needed then some of your concepts about 'Master' 'Yoga' 'Hindu' 'Indian Spirituality', 'Seeking' 'Guru' etc. will be clear!
Just for your kind info I do not belong to AoL or Paramhamsa Yogananda! Best wishes and no hard feelings.
- January 9, 2010 at 9:29 PM
Prairie Princess
Before calling AoL a cult for asking you to be veggie please read this carefully.
off course you are entitle to your opinion but what is a good practice is good practice. CAlling AoL a cult need not change other facts!
- January 9, 2010 at 9:34 PM
- Gopal Krishna said...
You have every right to create this blog and express your feelings and opinions. If AOL members are really mature, they should not react - after all, is this not what spirituality teaches us. But, unlike AOL people, you should continue allowing even AOL-supporters (and neutral people like me) express their thoughts on the blog and of course, give your counter-points. And I am convinced you are already doing that.
Personally, I am all for democratic spirituality. Guru is a great friend for us, but no real Guru worth being a Guru will ask us to suspend our critical faculty of rational, free-minded thinking. This is how Sri Ramana Maharshi, Ramakrishna Paramahansa, Sri Yogananda and all true masters throughout the ages did. Real faith comes only after going through all types of questioning and a real Guru supports that as we can find in the life-story of Swami Vivekananda. How much he questioned Ramakrishna Paramahansa in the beginning phase and how lovingly Paramahansa Ji accepted his questioning attitude. That is what a real master does.
Best wishes and peace.
- January 9, 2010 at 9:54 PM
- KLIM said...
"I know a full tome teacher who is completely exhaysted but he never had to beg for food or live in dumpsters."
You know only ONE full time teacher who did not live in dumpsters? Lucky you. Cause I met many who did.
- January 9, 2010 at 11:20 PM
I just want to know when Bawa and Dinesh are coming out of the closet.
- January 9, 2010 at 11:23 PM
Man, these people are crazy and they don't even know it. They think they are being highly spiritual working for a good cause. If they could realize how aggressive they are, how upset, how eager to crush anyone who does not agree their guru is not so good. It only shows the poor education they are getting, how deluded they are and what a cult they are turning to be. If I was Shankar I would be simply embarrassed to know my disciples are coming out this way in my name. It gives very bad name to his teachings cuz noone seems to be getting it nor living it, but only going hip hip ray for it, "we are the best", like little children: my toys are better. Pathetic. I feel sorry for the guy. He started loosing his good teachers and faithful devotees because of this madness within the organization. People of quality, of true loyalty and virtues. He "traded" them for numbers and fame. The good ones are not willing to go unethical just to fulfill results in the name of spirituality. Ethics please. Ethics even in spirituality. Obviously, all he has left over is obviously more and more immature, unstable, nutty people. Quality vs. quantity - high price just for fame. Was it worth it? I feel sad for these pathetic losers and for this pathetic ambitious man, who is every year more stressed. If he would have really stuck to his original idea, to how he was in the early days. This is what these new fanatics don't understand. This guy was not like this many many years ago. But then, maybe many many years ago, these guys would have never sought out for him. In fact, they did not. He is now selling because he is "famous". Cruelties of consumption world. He fooled many, keeps fooling many but mainly, he's fooled himself.
- January 9, 2010 at 11:46 PM
It all was teachers' choice that they chose to live in dumpsters and serve humanity. It was not imposed on them. That is why AoL is a volunteer based organization. AoL doesnt know how much they are going to make or save so how can they promise anything to the volunteers? its selfish and hypocratical to criticize because they dont give anything to tachers, then criticize because they beg for donations and then criticize because its not a formalized organization! All from one mouth!Do you have a concrete plan to suggest to improve working? Look at Mr.John Knapp he is of some real use to the society. He is actually offerring useful advice to former and to be cult members. It was of help to me.
If you want to criticize AoL and advise youngsters / gullible devotees you could say that being full time into seva and being a teacher means this this and this. People could be disillusioned like us and they may feel cheated so consider they should consider following and then decide to go into AoL full time. Then say such and such are my experiences and obsevations /opinoins. This would be your constructive seva to the society.
All you are doing is trashing sudarshan kriya sadhana and SSRS. If its not personal revenge then what is it?
- January 9, 2010 at 11:48 PM
I am confused, whenever I see Sri Sri Ravishankar I cannot imagine him being rude, self centred or egoistic, he always potray such calmness and love. When I read all the comments on this blog I dont know what to think. Is he really a Jekyll and Hyde personality?
I am a regular visitor to the Bangalore Ashram for the Sunday satsang from 1999, I have noticed a few high profile ladies always with Guruji - amongst them was Nandini Sen, a well known model.One would not see Guruji without Ms Sen, she was always with him but these days she seems to be missing. On enquiry I was told that she has left the organisation and has vowed not to step foot into the Ashram - and she has kept her stand - apparently she did not even attend her sons wedding at the Ashram.
KLIM, is this true? Would you know why she left the organisation? I find it strange as she was one of the leading teachers and persons in the Ashram.
Your blog and all the information that I have got recently has made me think twice about AOL and I have not visited the Ashram for the last couple of weeks.
- January 10, 2010 at 6:15 AM
- Art of Leaving said...
Dear Anonymous,
Thank you for bothering to read my lengthy comment and giving your perspective.
1. I never pretended to be a "master" on the subject of Hindutva. That is why I actually asked for people in India to give some firsthand perspectives. Anyway, the article I referred to was written by an Indian who grew up as an observant Hindu.
2. I don't deny the harm that imperialism and missionary activities have done, and may still be doing in India. My issue is with the danger of any form of religious or cultural nationalism. In South Africa it was not just the divide and rule policy of the British that was responsible for apartheid. There was also something like Afrikaner Nationalism which was supported by Afrikaner churches, of which I happen to have had firsthand experience. By the way, one of the justifications given for apartheid was the need to uplift poor Afrikaners (rather than all poor South Africans). I have seen how subtle, insidious, self-justifying, repressive and cruel such an ideology can be. That is why I am wary of Hindutva and of spiritual leaders who associate themselves with it.
3. Thank you for pointing out that Ravi Shankar is not a Yoga Master. I didn't have your intelligence and so I had to find that out the hard way.
4. Paramahamsa Yogananda's "Autobiography of a Yogi" was one of the books responsible for creating a mindset in me that made me vulnerable to someone like Shankar. I actually now think that Yogananda was not of a much higher calibre than Shankar. The same trends for name and fame, big institutions and masses of followers can be seen in his movement, the same one-size-fits-all spiritual techniques. Yogananda's own Master was perhaps a bit better.
5. I also happen to have read Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Vivekananda, Ramana Maharishi and a number of other Indian Gurus. With each and every one of them I can now see trends which make me feel uneasy. I have learnt to be more critical and selective in what I take from any Master.
Also no hard feelings. Keep well.
- January 10, 2010 at 9:59 AM
art of leaving
you are right. nice that you have read the masters. i read a tibetan proverb 'when student is ready the teacher appears!' we can only keep preparing. so long as we dont meet our own master disenchantment and quest continues.
personally i do not like blaming any master. they have been entrusted duties by their higher masters and they struggle just like us. our suffering is our karma and our quest. what we can take from masters we should take and move on! i know a few small persons (in india) who appear to be like any other ordinary person but are way ahead on path of enlightenment. they are entrusted duties by higher masters. they dont appear to be as flamboyant like some gurus. in fact they are usually very quiet. they operate alone and help people.
SSRS is right there is a lot of work to be done.
best wishes.
- January 10, 2010 at 10:30 PM
AOL has supported to many BJP candidates in recent elections. But, it was done at Rishi-Swami level, not at Guruji level (officially). The same was done in closed door meeting of volunteers.
One Swami Mahesh Giri was clearly doing election campaign for BJP through his programs styled as Satsangs. For which Election Commission warned Mahesh Giri not repeat this again.
I have no problem with BJP, no problem with AOL supporting BJP. They are supproting it because of Hindutva. But, officially, they can not declare this, because of their presence in US and other religion majority countries.
I would be more happy if they were supported the Hindutva openly. But, then chances of winning Nobel prize are diminished and donations from western countries have to be lost.
No businessman can do it.
Ravi Shankar is great busienessman.
- January 10, 2010 at 11:42 PM
AOL is a cult of mostly people with low self esteem, personality disorders and escapists. after having seen and studying many AOL teachers psychology I am happy to comment that all the contents of this blog are pure 100% truth. whenever i get the time i shall post the individual issues in detail especially from a psychoanalysis viewpiont. lets save this innocent world from this virus.
- January 21, 2010 at 4:54 AM
- KLIM & CO. said...
Anon January 21, 2010 4:54 AM
We are eagerly waiting for your text!
- January 22, 2010 at 7:13 PM
AOL targets professionals and highly educated to increase their credibility. they also act as brand ambassador. over the years they lose their professional sharpness and competency to become glazed eyed robots with total submission to ssrs. i have seen many doctors, IITians dragged into this. enlightenment what they believe is in fact their deterioration. any tom dick and harry can become an AOL teacher or follower but it takes years of hard work to become a professional.all professionals being 'used' should sit, analyze and understand that they are more useful for the society as professionals rather than a cult propagator. please understand that if you lose your power of reasoning and critical thinking, you are losing your soul. lets save this innocent world from AOL virus.
- January 24, 2010 at 4:36 PM
Deception is main tool to recruit newcomers. innocent people willing to explore new thing in the name of personality development, increased concentration, increased disease resistance, self confidence and what not...are lured by a planned drive. once into their clutches there begins a gradual and subtle process of mind control. most of people don't know of anything like mind control or by the time they know of it they travel too far into it to return back.spiritual movement all over the world use remarkably similar mind control tools.AOL is no different.with higher courses your mind becomes more and more controlled, intellectual autonomy decreases. chanting, controlled music, hyperventilation, character assassination,peer pressure to name the few can change thought process and belief of any normal person what to talk of vulnerable ones.ultimately what one thinks of is personal enhancement is in fact moral slavery which is totally unnecessary for a normal citizen. it may be like a B complex pill which you never required produces side effects/harm. yoga and meditation are user as catalyst for larger process of mind control and many time wrongly presented as solution for all problems.lets save the innocent and unwary world from this virus.
- January 25, 2010 at 2:01 PM


text:
Betty Lou Malesky at Green Valley News reports that the legislatures of both Pennsylvania and Virginia are considering easing their restrictions on vital record access. I've written before about how difficult it is for researchers to obtain vital records in Pennsylvania, and discussed to efforts of People for Better Pennsylvania Historical Records Access (PaHR-Access) to allow researchers to obtain vital records in a reasonable manner, while keeping any privacy concerns in mind.
This is very exciting news for Pennsylvania and Virginia researchers. In Virginia, some would like to restrict access even further - closing birth records for 125 years and marriages and deaths for 75. Currently, they are closed for 100 and 50 years, respectively, and can only be accessed by immediate family members if that time period has not yet passed. The Virginia Genealogical Society has urged the Virginia Legislature to reconsider these restrictions, and according to the above article there are currently 8 proposed options for doing so. Although it is unfortunate to see that longer waiting periods have been proposed, this serious discussion about the needs of genealogical researchers does inspire hope. If you have an interest in Virginia research, you are urged to contact the Virginia Joint Commission on Health Care by October 6th. Please see Ms. Malesky's article above for details.
In Pennsylvania, Vital Records Bill SB-361 has been unanimously passed by the State Senate and will now go to the State House of Representatives for consideration. If this bill passes, death certificates over 50 years old and birth certificates over 105 years old would become open records, and would then be transferred to the Pennsylvania State Archives. Pennsylvania researchers interested in seeing this bill passed should contact the House Health Committee members as soon and as often as possible. Thanks to PaHR-Access for tracking the progress of this legislation, and posting a list of House Health Committee members to contact here.
I share my experiences in genealogy education, including taking classes at the National Institute for Genealogical Studies and preparing my BCG portfolio. I also post updates to my personal research and general genealogy news.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Good News for Pennsylvania and Virginia Researchers: Legislatures Reconsidering Restrictions on Vital Record Access
Posted by Sarah Davies at 8:45 AM
Labels: Genealogy News, Pennsylvania Research
1 comment:
Great news! We have been on the 'trying to get our ancestors' info. It's very frustrating. You spent the time and effort and sent the checks and get negative responses.You feel like you're a criminal! Why? I can't get records of my Aunt's untimely death because my Dad is deceased. (we were told various stories about her death). I just want to know the truth! She's been gone for 66 years.ReplyDelete
Hope this goes through. PA is so "tight'!!!
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Golly, haven't updated this in a while...well lets get started, shall we? I had these drawn and inked for a while now but I just bought the Where the Wild Things Are DVD so it motivated me to color em... I plan on drawing every wild thing, they are even some featured in the book that weren't shown in the movie. But for now here's the first set.
Maurice Sendak had based all the wild things after his aunts and uncles, so they were all named after them, but the filmmakers decided to change their names. I don't really understand that. My buddy Mike said it might have been because they didn't want them to have overly Jewish names. I don't know. Moishe IS a very Jewish name, haha.
Sendak name: Moishe
Movie name: Carol
The most recognizable wild thing. I love how in the film each wild thing kind of represents a part of Max's personality. Carol was definitely his childish "wild" side that Max connects with the best. He just wants to have fun but gets mad when he doesn't understand too many "grown up" things.
Sendak name: Bernard
Movie name: The Bull
Even though he's also one of the most recognizable wild things (and on the cover of the damn book), they made him the least acknowledged one in the film, they don't even say his name. He does have one line at then end of the movie but I'm still not sure why they made this one like that. It could be that he represents Max's new hope that he discovers towards the end of the film as he asks Max "Will you say good things about us?", which was laying dormant earlier hence The Bull being silent and ignored.
Sendak name: Emil
Movie name: Douglas
I loved how there was just a giant chicken among the wild things bunch. Gave it some variety, haha. Douglas must be Max's reasonable side.
Sendak name: Tzippy
Movie name: KW
This one would not be as interesting as she was if she didn't have the duck feet. KW kind of represented the side of Max that ran away, but also she represents what his Mother taught him or maybe even his Mother herself.
Sendak name: Bruno
Movie name: Cy (cut from movie)
This guy was considered to be put into the movie but replaced with Ira, I think. They look kind of similar even though Bruno is in more pages of the book. He's also in a bunch of wild things merchandise for the book. He's kinda nasty lookin, who knows what side of Max he would of represented.
And lastly is a tiny water color dribble of Carol/Moishe.
Also all the above drawings were done with prisma color markers and colored pencil on fancy brown textured recycled paper.
I plan on drawing more wild things but I need a new brown paper sketch book first. Until then...BE STILL!
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Let the Rumpus Continue...
Golly, haven't updated this in a while...well lets get started, shall we? I had these drawn and inked for a while now but I just bought the Where the Wild Things Are DVD so it motivated me to color em... I plan on drawing every wild thing, they are even some featured in the book that weren't shown in the movie. But for now here's the first set.
Posted by Zach Bellissimo at 11:54 PM 7 comments
Labels: maurice sendak, spike jonze, where the wild things are
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Hey, Sloppy Milkshakes!
Yea, you already know what time it is.
My entry for the Autumn Society's Adventure Time Tribute!
I missed the deadline for this to be put into the special Adventure Time gallery but they are planning on either making posters or putting all the entries in a tribute book. Ain't that cool?!
Cartoon Network made a very wise chose picking up this toon. If the pilot alone can blow you away, then that pilot deserves a show, and thats the case with Adventure Time.
I can't wait for the show. It comes out around my birthday!!!!
Now, I think we're ok to just...talk about our feelings...
PS: See if you can spot Abe Lincoln :]
Also I know I haven't been posting anything lately, I've been way busy with school work. I'm lucky I banged this out in such a short amount of time. But don't expect any posts in the next week. Tara's coming to visit for spring break.
Ta ta!
Posted by Zach Bellissimo at 5:40 PM 4 comments
Labels: adventure time, autumn society, cartoon network


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Thursday, September 20, 2012
Liberals move ahead in Nova Scotia
since then the Nova Scotia Liberals picked up eight points to lead with 41% support, well ahead of the New Democrats. They were down four points to 31%.
The Progressive Conservatives, at 22%, slipped six points and the Greens were up one point to 5%.
That is a big change in Nova Scotia, as Darrell Dexter's New Democrats have been leading since early 2011. Now is certainly not the time for the NDP to fall behind with an election around the corner.
The New Democrats' drop is within the margin of error, however. The increases and decreases of the Liberals and Tories are not, suggesting that Stephen McNeil is picking the pockets of Jamie Baillie in particular.
McNeil is, by far, the leader seen by Nova Scotians as the best person to be premier. He has 35% support on that score, a gain of eight points. Dexter is unchanged at 23% while Baillie is down four points to 17%. If we just look at the Best Premier numbers as a share of the total (removing the undecideds and "none of the aboves"), we see McNeil at 45%, Dexter at 29%, and Baillie at 22%. In other words, McNeil is a net positive for his party while Dexter is not.
Satisfaction with the New Democratic government is down four points to 37%, with the number of people saying they are "mostly satisfied" decreasing. Dissatisfaction is up two points to 54%, but more importantly it is the number of people who are "completely dissatisfied" that increased, rather than those who are just mostly dissatisfied.
The Liberals win seats in every part of the province, taking 10 in the Halifax Regional Municipality, eight in the Annapolis Valley and on the South Shore, five in Cape Breton, and three around the Bay of Fundy and in central Nova Scotia. The New Democrats win eight in Halifax, seven in Fundy/Central, four in the Valley and the South Shore, and two in Cape Breton.
The Tories are shut out of the HRM, but win two in Cape Breton, two in the Valley and the South Shore, and one in the Fundy/Central region.
This is a close enough result that the Liberals could easily win an outright majority, especially with Stephen McNeil's personal numbers besting Dexter's by such a considerable amount. But it is still a very close race, at least in terms of seats. The current map appears to give the New Democrats more resilience than they might deserve considering they trail the Liberals by ten points. It will be interesting to see how the new map changes things, if it all.
25 comments:
Interesting point to make about NS politics: In Cape Breton, incumbency reigns supreme:ReplyDelete
2006 vote %'s : PC 42.6, Lib 29.8, NDP 25.6
2009 vote %'s : PC 28.3, Lib 29.6, NDP 40.2
Not a seat changed hands. 4 PC, 3 Lib, 2 NDP.
In the last 3 elections, exactly 1 seat has changed hands in CB when the incumbent was running under a party banner.
I've seen the new map's numbers and run them through - they give Dexter and the NDP a better base. More seats in the Halifax region.ReplyDelete
However, with this poll and the proposed boundaries, I have 27 Lib, 19 NDP, and 5 PC. Might just be my projection, but that 10-point gap is a big one to overcome.Replies
It is my understanding that the NS map has not been finalized yet.Delete
Isn't there a big fight over whether or not to keep special ridings for Black communities and Acadian communities? I wonder who benefits in terms of seats from this fight.Delete
Its only the proposed boundaries that came out of the report in July (that link here: http://nselectoralboundaries.ca/publications/Rev-Elect-Boundaries-EN.pdf) this guy tranposed all the results. Maybe not finalized but this is what they were working off of.
Eric is correct. There is a tentative map out, but a final report is still forthcoming.ReplyDelete
This comment has been removed by the author.ReplyDelete
- Anonymous20 September, 2012 14:09
I was wondering if you are going to look at the new federal boundaries for NS as you did some of the other provinces?ReplyDeleteReplies
No, the transposition of the proposed boundaries has been completed elsewhere so there was no reason to continue the province-by-province analysis.Delete
- Anonymous20 September, 2012 21:27
Do you have the link where I could find that?Delete
Eric, What would be the riding liberals be getting in Cape Breton in your projections? I know they are safe in Glace Bay, Cape Breton south and Richmond.ReplyDelete
Dexter is attempting to prove (as if we need further proof, following the Bob Rae fiasco of 1990-1995) that when an NDP government behaves like a Liberal or Conservative one, they are doomed.ReplyDeleteReplies
What's interesting is that that hasn't been the case in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. I agree with you though... the NDP gets trapped between governing badly and pissing off their base pretty often it seems...Delete
The Saskatchewan NDP was a progressive option (under Tommy Douglas) that devolved into a dynastic party... but I think their adoption of mainstream corporatist (i.e. centrist) policies (à la Tony Blair's 'Third Way') under Romanow and Calvert also contributed to their demise. I have no explanation for Manitoba... a weird fish, indeed. The continued popularity of the NDP in Manitoba can only be explained, I think, by concluding that the NDP has been an establishment party (equivalent to a Liberal Party, say) for some time. In both Saskatchewan and Manitoba, the NDP is NDP in name only, at this point, and no one expects anything better from them than they would from a Liberal Party (or similar).Delete
You're probably right. Neither of those parties are running on change in the same way. And Tommy Douglas did in fact live up to expectations.Delete
I wonder if part of the prairie NDP's suspect might be the strength of their rural-agricultural wing. Farmers are also business people, and I suspect having a strong contingent of businesspeople in their ranks probably helps both manage expectations and govern in a more economically responsible way. And like you said, once you become the status quo, no one expects change from you.
- Anonymous20 September, 2012 19:49
This is based on one poll, a year out before the election. It does not take into account ground game, candidates etc. This is the same site that predicted during the last Federal election Peter MacKay would lose Central Nova by double digits. He went on to win with over 56% of the vote with the NDP gaining only 27%. I for one will not listen to folks in Ontario tell me what is taking place in Nova Scotia.ReplyDelete
Music to my ears! This province has been without the steady hand of a Liberal government for FAR too long. (Well, 1 second is too long)ReplyDelete
- Anonymous21 September, 2012 16:10
I think as a Northern Nova Scotian. Anitgonish will turf the NDP out going back to an old habit the Liberals. Pictou Centre the NDP will lose because of the sitting MLA stonewalling of Maritime Steel Workers in regards to affording the new ownership a credit line. The margin of victory for pictou centre was only about 100 votes and there is a 1000 name petition of mad Unionized people demanding financing for the plant with work orders. The Tories will return if the Liberals run a creditable candidate again. Jamie Bailie opposed a new provincial jail in the riding shooting himself in the foot for the three Pictou county riding. Pictou East will go back to the Tories from the NDP as the sitting MLA has had terrible office staff representing him . Pictou West will remain in Charlie Parkers hands as he has generally been a great MLA. Word on the street is get rid of the NDP government entirely so people in NS will vote for that purpose for the party they believe will turf the dippers out.ReplyDelete
- Anonymous22 September, 2012 16:37
How can you use that one poll to predict how many seats each party will get in a particular region? They didn't sample by region.ReplyDelete
- Anonymous22 September, 2012 21:19
Let this be a reminder of what the federal NDP will become if they form government. Canadians will have to choose very wisely in the next election. The NDP is tempting now, but what will become of them in a couple of years?ReplyDelete
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"On the whole the results are pleasing. The average child studies with 'delight.' We do not say he will remember all he knows, but, to use a phrase of Jane Austen's, he will have his 'imagination warmed' in many regions of knowledge." School Education, page 243
"The boy learns up his text, listens to lectures, makes diagrams, watches demonstrations. Behold! he has learned science and is able to produce facts and figures for a time anyway, in connection with some one class of natural phenomena; but of tender intimacy with Nature herself, he has acquired none." Pg 76
"[A young child's] parents know that the first step in intimacy is recognition; and they will measure his education, not solely by his progress in 'the three Rs' but by the number of living and growing things he knows by look, name and habitat . . . He will note with eager interest the order of time in which the trees put on their leaves; will tell you whether to look in hedge, or meadow, or copse, for eyebright, wood-sorrel, ground-ivy; will not think that flowers were made to be plucked for
'Its (his) faith that every flower –
Enjoys the air it breathes' -
"He begins to notice that there are resemblances between wild-rose and apple blossom, between buttercup and wood-anemone, between rhododendron blossom and the tiny heath floret. A suggestion will make him find out accurately what these resemblances are, and he gets the new and delightful idea of families of plants. His little bit of knowledge is real science, because he gets it at first-hand; in his small way he is another Linnaeus." Pages 76 and 77


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Allan Kosup, I-5 corridor director for Caltrans, gave a slideshow presentation on the Mid-Coast Corridor Transit Project, which will add eight new trolley stations from Old Town in an 11-mile stretch north. New trolley stops are to include Nobel Drive, UCSD East and West campuses, Executive Drive and the UTC Transit Center in University City.
Kosup said the challenge with the Mid-Coast project has been to do the trolley extension "holistically."
"There are lots of tools in the toolbox to solve the transportation problem," he said. "But it's not just about building things. It's also about demand management, reducing demand for solo-vehicle transportation while educating people about transportation alternatives — car and vanpools, flex times, etc."
Kosup said standards are being set high for the Mid-Coast project.
"The bar for us is to demonstrate a net benefit to the coastal resource," he said.
Coastal rail improvements costing about $6.5 billion will be done in segments over the next 40 years along the 26-mile I-5 corridor from downtown San Diego north. Kosup said the project segment in La Jolla's Golden Triangle will upgrade I-5 interchanges in the area making them "more aesthetically sensitive."
A case in point is the I-5 Genesee Interchange Project, which will remove and replace the Genesee overcrossing.
"There will be about two years of construction on that," Kosup said.
The I-5/Genesee Avenue Interchange Project will expand, from five to 10, the number of Genesee Avenue overpass lanes to accommodate greater future traffic demand. The project will improve traffic flow and reduce congestion on Genesee Avenue, including widening freeway access ramps and adding auxiliary lanes, as well as adding a bicycle and pedestrian facility linking to transportation, employment centers hospitals and UCSD.
For more information, visit www.keepsandiegomoving.com/ncc.
Fred Sweet, producer of the La Jolla Fashion Film Festival (LJFFF), visited the Town Council to discuss the upcoming two-day festival at the Museum of Contemporary Art.
"It is a true international festival," Sweet said, adding the festival will likely sell out again this year.
The LJFFF is the world's largest gathering of fashion film professionals with hundreds of attendees screening the top 1 percent of fashion films worldwide, as well as networking and attending seminars, panels and press receptions.
Town Council trustee Mary Soriano said she's attended the fashion festival and she praised the work of filmmakers involved as being "subtle and passionate."
Town Council trustee Egon Kafka agreed.
"These films are the most creative stuff out there," Kafka said. "It's unbelievable how Fred (Sweet) makes this happen year after year. It's amazing."


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2013 OTL Applications Available
Becoming an Orientation Team Leader, or OTL, is a great way to gain leadership experience, gain confidence, meet great people and show your BULL PRIDE!
If you had fun at Orientation, you should definitely check it out!
Want to learn more? Come to one of our Information Sessions.
Applications are now available at www.usf.edu/OTL. If you have questions, you can email email@example.com or ask any Orientation Team Leader.
Deadline to apply is Friday, Oct. 19 at 5:00 pm.


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Celebrating illustration, design, cartoon and comic art of the mid-20th century.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
An Al Parker Step-by-Step
"Al Parker is a great popular illustrator who deserves his success. He is one of a very small and elect company -- those who are applauded by both the huge American magazine audience and their fellow artists."
"The illustrations reproduced on the following pages show variations on a detail of a picture for Good Housekeeping magazine. They record the kind of orderly thinking and working which underlies all of Parker's illustrations."
"The halftones (below) do not represent actual painting procedures. They were made as a part of a demonstration for his students."
"Importance of silhouette is suggested in the first step. Even in Parker's most complicated pictures we can see how the figures and props have been designed so as to form a dramatic and pleasing silhouette pattern."
"The second step demonstrates the basic lighting treatment in simple flat areas that assure maximum form legibility. Naturally, these flat forms are broken up somewhat in the finished work by variations of color and the accidental play of light, but not sufficiently so as to impair the easy "reading" of the forms."
"In the third step we note yet another simple statement of texture analysis which, of course, has to be integrated with the light and shade aspect of the rendering."
"It will be noted, in studying the other procedure steps, how this analysis of form representation is applied in actual rendering with the brush and - in the final drawing - how the interpretative studies of silhouette, light and shadow, and texture have contributed to the realization of a unified and legible expression."
Continued tomorrow...
* the Modern Graphic History Library at Washington University in St. Louis is currently hosting an Al Parker exhibit, Double Exposure: Al Parker's Illustrations, from Model to Magazine. which "explores the art-making process of magazine illustrator Al Parker. The display features original artwork and tear sheets from popular magazines published in the 1940s, 50s, and 60s. The illustrations are presented alongside photographic studies taken by Parker, depicting women, men, and children from various viewpoints and poses. Through the juxtaposition of these images, we catch a glimpse of Parker's creative process, from his compositions captured in photos to his interpretations realized in print."
The exhibit runs from July 6th to September 29th, 2009 at the Olin Library, Washington University in St. Louis
* My Al Parker Flickr set.
9 comments:
Oh, I would love to see this exhibition! Gotta see if I can swing the time! Great post, Leif!ReplyDelete
Its my pleasure, Joe - you can't imagine how much I'd love to see this show as well... if you can get there, please let me know what it was like.ReplyDelete
Great post...I like what he said about getting the overall silhouetteReplyDelete
In 1959, I had the honor and pleasure of chatting with Al Parker for 4 hours in his Carmel, CA studio.. while on my honeymoon! ;-) Fortunately, my wife was very understanding. Parker was very hospitable, showed me around his studio, and commented on his working methods. At the time, I was a young illustration student at the Academy of Art in S.F., and had just become familiar with who Al Parker was. Since then, I have grown to understand the historical importance and magnitude Parker had on illustration. But, as art students, we knew he was something special, and studied his magazine reproductions each month, with our mouth open in awe and a dose of envy. In art school, Rockwell was scorned and ignored, while Parker was praised and idolized.. even by most of the faculty! I suspect that Al Parker understood and admired Rockwell's work, even though they had different approaches and illustrated for different markets. In my opinion, they were both class acts, in their talent and as individuals.ReplyDelete
Tom Watson
- Charlie Allen11:05 PM
Thanks, Tom.....interesting the story visiting Parker in Carmel Valley. Never understood that....he 'dug in' in retirement...to one of the most remote locations on the coast in Calif. Away from the frenetic East, even the ad centers in Calif.....ended almost in obscurity. I think he'd 'had it' with illustration, the pressures, etc. On the Rockwell/Parker comparisons.....there ain't any! Hey....which is the better horse? A huge, gorgeous Percheron work horse....or a gorgeous, streamlined, thoroughbred? After all, they're both horses. But there is no comparison....both are great for what they do!ReplyDelete
Wonderful post, I really admire Al Parker's clarity in his working method.ReplyDelete
Quick question, is the '52 American Artist magazine article available in PDF, or can it be made available? It'd be great to see this article as it was originally presented too.
Thanks for all the great posts!
Brian; thanks - glad you've enjoyed this.ReplyDelete
Regarding your question: No, I won't be providing PDFs of this or any other AA articles. As far as I understand, excerpting small amounts of copyrighted material for research, review or educational purposes constitutes "fair use" -- distributing entire chunks in PDF format does not.
But you can probably find your own copy of that issue on ebay or elsewhere. The NYPL has bound volumes, for instance... other libraries probably do as well.
- Anonymous11:33 AM
Loving this article, I am sure I will be back to read this again in the future. watercolour_blogReplyDelete


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Update 12/6/2010: This offer is now expired!
Try Neutrogena's new Mineral Sheer Blush. This product is a great one to use if you like a natural, healthy glow – a perfect look for summer. You can choose between four shades: Natural Apricot, Silky Sable, Precious Pink and Pure Plum. The blush comes in a dispenser that ensures you have just the right amount of product on the attached blush brush. The blush contains antioxidants and conditions your skin as you use it!


text: When other planets do storms, they do 'em right. The Cassini spacecraft snapped photos of this monster thunderstorm on Saturn that's been raging for five months now, each lightning bolt packing 10,000 times more juice than it's Earthly counterparts. Jupiter's still got the illest storm in the solar system with it's almost four-century old Great Red Spot, but Saturn's storm's not too shabby — it's that blotch down in the lower right-hand part of the planet. That bright spot just below the rings? That's Saturn's moon Tethys looking way bigger than it should because it's in the foreground, just to give you a rough sense of scale. (from NASA)


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Clinton Freeman (Jonesborough, Tenn.) and Jimmy Nesselt (Plantation, Fla.) combined to shutout the Blue Team, 5-0, in game two of the Blue/Gold World Series on Saturday afternoon from Thomas Stadium.
Freeman surrendered just two hits in four innings, while Nesselt went three innings and retired all nine batters he faced, striking out four.
The Gold team struck in the first inning when Derek Niesman (Wellington, Fla.) led off with a single and Alex Reynolds (Johnson City) sacrificed him into scoring position. Freeman scored Reynolds, putting Gold up 1-0 on his RBI groundout.
In the top of the fourth, Mason Hershey (Altoona, Pa.) singled and Dylan Powers (Blue Ridge, Va.) continued his hot streak by driving in Hershey with a double off the wall in left-center. Meanwhile, two batters later, Niesman extended Gold's lead to 4-0 with a two-run homer deep to left.
The Gold Team added an insurance run in the fifth when Dylan Tritsch (Boca Raton, Fla.) singled in Jordan Sanford (Powell, Tenn.), who had singled and stole second base.
Overall, Gold was led by Niesman - 2-for-4 with two RBI - while Tritsch posted a pair of hits and two stolen bases. Powers also went 2-for-3 with an RBI.
The Blue team was led by Trey York (Knox, Tenn.) as he recorded the team's only hits of the afternoon.
The rubber match will be decided today with first pitch at slated for noon. Griffen Krieg (Nashville, Tenn.) and Kevin Marnon (Shelby Township, Mich.) will square off on the mound.
For more information on ETSU baseball, please visit ETSUBucs.com and click on the baseball links.


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Find hotels in San Pablo using the list and search tools below. Search for the cheapest discounted hotel and motel rates in or near San Pablo, CA for your business or personal leisure travel. We list the best San Pablo California hotel rooms. Review the San Pablo hotel list below to find the perfect lodging. We also have a map of the San Pablo hotels. Booking 5+ Rooms? Find San Pablo Group Hotel Discounts
The San Pablo center point is around 2 miles north of Downtown Richmond and 2 miles north of Richmond Amtrak Station.
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Welcome to ArmaDojo, the weekly celebration of the Armando format popularized around the country. At this show, top improvisers from DC will perform scenes inspired by a single storyteller or "monologist", who will base their shared stories off of an audience suggestion. Prepare for fun and funny, lock in for laughs, and get ready for a good time!
This show is free, seating is first come, first seated, see you there!


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Browsing M.A. English by Subject "Literature and society"
Now showing items 1-1 of 1
Will the "fight" ever end? : a critical reading of the metaphors and discourses that construct HIV/AIDS in an African context (Brock University, 2009-06-01)In this thesis, I critically examine the discourses that inform how we conceptualise HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa as they are produced in a sample of Canadian news articles, two nonfiction texts - Stephanie Nolen's 28 ...