King Arthur Movie Tristan

- Angel (the vampire :)



I've never been able to believe, like Leibniz, that this is the "best of all possible worlds", and I instead agree with something once said by Angel to his son ... Nothing in the world is the way it ought to be. It's harsh, and cruel. But that's why there's us - champions. Doesn't matter where we come from, what we've done or suffered, or even if we make a difference. We live as though the world is as it should be, to show it what it can be.



I was reminded of that when I saw a video clip of philosopher Susan Neiman, Director of the Einstein Forum, on Kant and the difference between the way the world is and the way it should be. It began with this quote from Kant - Act as though the principle of your action were to become by your will a universal law of nature.

Six years ago today my cat Spot died. Still miss her. Spot and her mother, brother and sister became my best friends when I'd moved back here to live with my mom, my sister then living in Japan and me more and more shy with my eye problem. When Spot died, my vet sent me a card with this about the rainbow bridge within ....



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Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.



When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable. All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.



They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.



You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.



Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together…



– Author Unknown



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8 days until kickoff... The AFC East has always been an interesting division, especially with one of the best rivalries in football...

We are now 9 days away from kickoff... Now for my predictions for the AFC North

Here are three videos on Ignatius' concept of finding God in all things. Interesting how different everyone's views about it are ...

Finding God in All Things, or Allowing God to Find Me? from SLU Mission & Ministry on Vimeo.

I'm teaching the bluejays in the yard the word 'peanut' :)

Serena & Anna are hosting the Stephen King’s IT Read-a-Long.

The read-a-long will run from August through December, and we’ll be reading one part per month, plus the immediate interlude following each part.

In addition to participating in the read-a-long, I will be reviewing the book when I'm finished reading.



Here are my answers to their questions for the first discussion: The Shadow Before and Derry: The First Interlude.




1. Is this your first time reading Stephen King? If so, what have you enjoyed about the reading so far? How’s the writing? If this is not your first time, what’s brought you back to reading Stephen King?

Stephen King is a favorite author and I have read several of his books. I tend to collect them as well and have had IT sitting on my bookshelf for years unread.
When the Stephen King’s IT Read-a-Long came along, it was that little push I needed. This read-a-long plus with the Fall weather rolling in, has been perfect timing for me to pick IT up.





2. What are your first impressions of the characters you’ve been introduced to so far?

King has a way with making his characters seem like real people. He makes you as the reader be able to connect with the people in his stories. IT has been no different.
I like Bill Denbrough and was shocked at what happened in the first few pages when he was young. I also like the rest of the 'crew' so far. I feel bad for these children, they are all misfits in some way or another.

I also like poor Eddie Kaspbrak. I could just imagine him wheezing away, thinking he is very sickly all because his mother instilled that fear into him.

I really do like all the characters. King had me biting my nails during the scene where Beverly tells her husband she needs to go back to Derry. What ensues after that is classic King.








3. Pennywise the Clown lives in dark places like the sewer, do you think he’s real? Scary?

Yes, he is real. Scary? Of course!
Pennywise the Clown represents the pure evil that is in the world.
I found this clown scary from the start and actually had to force myself not to think of him when I went to my basement to do laundry after reading or when I laid down at night to sleep. The way he just seems to materialize and lure children in with those balloons....yikes!!






4. How do you feel about the use of an Interlude between the parts? what purpose do you think it serves?

I like the interludes. So far there has just been the one, but it did give more background to the story and the characters. I like this extra glimpse into the storyline.





Thank you to Serena and Anna for hosting this read-a-long. These were some great questions!







This has been a part of Stephen King’s IT Read-a-Long





*This is a scheduled post. I am still on forced hiatus from blogging due to a power outage after Hurricane Irene. See my previous post for details. I will respond to any comments and return blog visits when I can.*

Come to Carousel Collision (the parent company to the Underground Clown) to get your car fixed and shop while you wait. Gentleman saw the Brooklyn Barcode shirt in the showcase and noticed it matched his crispy Retro 5's so why not throw it on and rock it on the spot.



Thanks for the love. If you want to get this shirt plus more hit up www.theundergroundclown.com

It didn’t last long, only two years, and as inopportune as his death was I treasure those times we spent together in his studio in Little Havana.

I met the master shortly before his death and he became a mentor, a tutor and I in exchange brought him to my home on Sundays for dinner where my daughters regaled him with the love of adopted grandchildren…he truly loved them.

I had never taken art classes but could draw from the time I was five. I went to Havana with my mother and upon my return I drew a very detailed, even with perspective, a drawing of our capitol. My grandfather commented: “this child is talented; he is a natural born artist and will be heading for San Alejandro Fine Arts College”

I never got there because Castro came into power just as I finished high school and went into an unwanted exile with my parents. My art took a back seat to other endeavors like learning the English language. I did take drafting in high school and that was the extent or as close as I ever got to drawing again.

Out of college and married with two children, I took up painting as a hobby. My ex-wife was very critical of this endeavor even begrudging any money I would spend on canvass and paint. But then I met Franz at a funeral of all places…when I worked for a funeral home and we began to talk and he mentioned that he was a painter. I told him that it was my hobby and he invited me to come and visit.

That started a long and beautiful friendship that led me to having the privilege of being taught by the master. Amazingly enough, it was not landscapes he was teaching me…he was instructing me in the skills of portraiture…and to this day I still haven’t mastered it. But I did become very proficient at landscapes after I would see him paint some of the latter paintings of the Everglades that he did...perhaps these were his last.

I did pose for him a few times and I still have a portrait he did of me in pastels. (Shown here)

The man was a remarkable person…perhaps a bit cantankerous and eccentric but fascinating nevertheless. He had an uncanny resemblance to Ernest Hemingway and I wish I had a photograph of him but I did the best I could in finding one that resembled him. (Shown here)

Some of the master’s work:

I saw a post at First Thoughts which opined [I think wrongly] that religious vocations are down because people have lost the will to make commitments, and the writer references Thomas Aquinas on the subject ... St. Thomas implies that the mere experience of feeling called is an indicator that one is indeed called, not merely that one should consider whether they are being called.



I like the alternative method Jonah Lehrer mentions in one of his recent posts at Wired's The Frontal Cortex ....



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Love Is The Opposite Of Underwear

- by Jonah Lehrer



On Monday, I had the honor of delivering a convocation speech at Earlham College. I won’t clog up this blog with the full text of my talk, but I thought a few readers might be interested in the brief excerpt ......



[H]ow can we sort the useful long-term goals from the futile ones? How can we make sure that all of our struggle and practice and sacrifice will be worth it? Well, here’s my advice: ask yourself if the goal passes the underwear test.



Let me explain. One of the most deep seated features of the human mind is that it quickly takes things for granted, becoming numb to the predictable perceptions and pleasures of the world. Just think of your underwear. Do you feel it? Are you conscious of it? Of course not. That’s because you’ve adapted to the feel of underwear, habituated to the touch of cotton on your bum.



And this isn’t just about underwear. Psychological adaptation also explains why the first bite of chocolate cake is better than the second, and the second is better than the third. It explains why the first time you use that new iPhone you’re pretty excited, but before long it will just be another thing in your pocket. And then, a few weeks after that, you’ll start complaining that your phone (your phone!) can only hold 10,000 songs or that it downloads streaming videos from Netflix so slowly. The delight has vanished, replaced by the usual dissatisfaction. This is because our brain is designed to be ungrateful, every pleasure a fleeting thing.



What does this have to do with grit and long-term goals? Well, the only dreams worth pursuing are those that pass the underwear test. These are the pursuits that don’t bore us, even after we put in 10,000 hours of practice. They contain the kind of subtle thrills that don’t get old, that we don’t adapt to, that keep us motivated and interested for years and years at a time. Sure, there will be frustrations along the way, but these frustrations don’t feel permanent, which is what allows us to keep on working and learning and improving. Because that’s what it takes to succeed, to accomplish something interesting. Perhaps you want to invent the cure for malaria, or bake a perfect baguette, or create the next Facebook. Whatever – don’t apologize for your obsession. Just be grateful you are obsessed with something, that you’ve found a goal worth getting gritty over. Because if your goals ever feel tedious, if you find them as unnecessary as that last bite of chocolate cake, then you’re never going to put in the necessary work. Grit requires passion. Grit requires love. And love is just another name for what never gets old. Love is the opposite of underwear.



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This past Sunday morning I spoke too soon when I posted that Hurricane Irene left us untouched. We lost power shortly after that and are not scheduled to have power restored until next week :( I will be missing from blogland until then.
I am typing this from my moms computer since I have no internet access at home. I miss my computer and my blog!!! I hope to be back soon.

This is what I saw on my street Sunday afternoon. High winds brought several trees down, this one was completely uprooted. Thankfully no one was hurt, but this tree fell on a house and two cars.




I'll be back when I can! I am able to blog through my iTouch, but that is very limited. I do have a review due on Sept. 1st. And since I have computer access today I will be setting up a post for tomorrow. As far as blog hopping goes, I am very limited. I'll catch up next week I hope. xoxoxo

Just 10 days away from the regular season... Time to preview the NFC North, the home of the defending Super Bowl champs...

If you know anything about DJing it takes a lot of hard work to handle the set as well as keep the crowd rocking all nite long. Enter DJ Melissa Nikita. Based in New York she has a good working relationship with some of the hottest producers, DJ's and venues on the scene. Here style is techno and blends a lot of different sounds and beats to create an energy that you can't deny. She is well known all over the world hands down. Do your home work people. Gotta say she looks great in the Turn Me On tank top can anyone disagree?





As of October 2007, BIG Management has signed Melissa Nikita as a DJ, Producer and Lyricist. Melissa is currently working with DJ’s/Producers .



These are the places Melissa has ripped the roof off International Venues: "Lollipop 5 Techno Festival" in Quebec City, Canada; “I LOVE TECHNO” festival at club Sotano in Caracas Venezuela; “Karmasutra” in Medellin Columbia; "Technova" Festival in The Netherlands, Amsterdam; "Dragons Dream 3" Festival in Quebec City, Canada.



To keep up with DJ Melissa check her out at:

http://www.melissanikita.com/

http://soundcloud.com/dj-melissa-nikita

And if you need avenue to be energized Email her at @ DJMelissaNikita@aol.com



Grab your tanktop and other gear at www.theundergroundclown.com

It is not just their erroneous interpretation of the Scriptures

There is a lot more to it than that; this religion seeks to have total control over its followers insisting in their Sabbath being different than anybody else’s…that is not so bad in itself but their insistence in abstinence and stupidity about interpreting certain passages of the Scriptures and throwing out others that don’t suit their purpose is uncanny. It is also one of these religions that exact total dedication of all the spare time of its followers…if you belong to that faith you really have little time for anything else.

Yet, one of the things that I found and experienced was when my youngest daughter was born it convinced me that they were ruthless. I had gone in three months earlier and gave them all the paperwork on my insurance which would have covered all of the delivery and on top of that I had to put a $600.00 deposit.

My ex-wife had a very normal delivery, as a matter of fact, she only stayed in the hospital for two days and when the doctor released her I was ready to take her and the newborn home. I was told by the secretary of the maternity ward that I had to go first to the cashier and get the release.

When I approached the cashier’s window I encountered this middle age woman, very Anglo and very arrogant. I was with my mother in law and we were speaking Spanish and the woman said: “Speak English, you are in America” That was a revealing statement and I gathered right then and there she was xenophobic.

She proceeded to tell me that I had to sign an “ESTIMATE OF THE TOTAL BILL” or they would not release my wife and daughter. I told her that I would sign the actual total bill but not an estimate; she became indignant and raised her voice…then she said that those were hospital rules and I had to abide by them or there would be no release.

I told her that constituted false imprisonment and blackmail and she then asked the security guard to escort me out. As I went out, I noticed a Hialeah Police squad car by the emergency entrance and I approached the policeman and explained the situation. He agreed with me that they could not legally do that and offered to accompany me to the cashier. When we got to the window I said to the woman: “Now, repeat in front of this policeman what you said to me…that you would not release my wife and daughter unless I signed an estimate of a bill.”

The woman was stuttering, obviously flustered by this and could not even utter a word. So I said to her: “I am going upstairs with the policeman and I will retrieve my wife and daughter” So we went up and the secretary again was adamant because there was no signed release. I told her that she better bring in a wheelchair and bring the baby out from the nursery on the double. They did, and we took them home.

Following that, we received the final bill. According to my calculations I should have received over $300.00 back and then I went to the doctor and we looked over item by item all the charges. He informed me of quite a few they charged that were not administered. There were charges for a blood transfusion and some medicines he did not prescribe. I was able to reduce the bill by $400.00 more and told my insurance company not to pay the overcharged items.

The thing ended up in court as I participated in a class action suit that at first was thrown out of court by some judge who was in the pockets of the hospital, but upheld later by a higher court. The hospital was sold shortly afterward and it is now operated by another outfit…a secular one.

You see, when it comes to being ruthless and greedy these 7^th Day Adventists are just as un-Christian as the worst of them and they claim, with such hypocrisy that they are kind, compassionate and charitable.