In ancient black mythology, the Clash of the Titans represents the white eros' defeat of the black eros, the defeat of the white people's God over Black People's God. The mythology then follows the trail of white rulership, conquership and extermination of the black people across the earth.

At the root, the goal of the white philosophy that emerged was too wipe out all existing traces of blacks and their God.

Conceptually, until today, these two Gods haven't battled since that time.

The corporate American conservoliberal media is attempting to cloud truer issue here. And Obama can't say it aloud. But, Jeremiah Wright did. Jeremiah Wright said it: the God of the oppressor and the God of the oppressed aren't the same.

How do we know the God of the oppressed and the God of the oppressors aren't the same: because there is no charge by the oppressors for God to damn this country. For the oppressor to ask God to damn this country, is an admission of guilt of their corruption.

Was the God of the Israelites, whom God led from the land of Egypt, the same God of the Egyptians who oppressed them?

Most of all, here, in examing this characteristic about God, He appears to be the God of the underdog.

Hence, another problem arises for America's Christian oppressors: if God is the God of the underdog, then not only do they not possess the good they claim to possess, but - too, they are certain to be destroyed if the consciousness of their oppression is quickened to the reality that their God is not the same and they then call on their God for their rescue.

Reverend Jeremiah Wright's white mistress is non other than That Great Whore which did corrupt the earth with her fornication.

Jeremiah Wright's words unlocked the gates to this movement; and, the blacks we're hearing from are asking: why do we have to wait?

Hypospadias. 5-alpha-reductase deficiency syndrome. XY karyotype. Dihydrotestosterone. Gynecomastia. Male pseudohermaphrodite.

Incest. Anxiety. Fear. Rejection. Transition. War. Family. Life. Courage. Acceptance. Love. Death.

This is "Middlesex" by Jeffrey Eugenides. It is a novel that spans three generations. It is a novel told in the voice of Calliope/Cal Stephanides, destined to be one of the most engaging storytellers in literature. It is a novel that rather "normalizes" the things that the society deems abnormal. It is a novel that shouldn't be cracked open in the middle of the night lest you get bloodshot eyes.

I've never read anything that is medical, lyrical, cunning, and humorous all at the same time. What's so amazing about this novel is that you get an insight of a hermaphrodite's life without feeling that he/she is one at all. That people could actually sexually stare at them just by their mere presence. That their teenage infatuations and struggles are basically similar with anyone else's. That they are capable of doing and feeling anything anyone feels. That they are normal people who could actually lead normal lives.

It is so compelling that it had a temporary power to shift my unbreakable principles even for just a fleeting moment. For once, I didn't cringe at the thought of incest. Rather, I felt the longing to be loved against the contradictions of the society.

And the teenage years. Eugenides is so capable of capturing those feelings contained during those years. The fear, anguish, longing, and imagined love that fill those years are so palpable that you sometimes end up having your own palpitations caused by such memories.

Especially rejection. I am one of those people who never enjoyed my pubertal stage. It was a phase filled with raging hormones, pimples, angst, depression, sexual struggle, and other things with common denominators. During those years, I always felt displaced. When I was younger, I was revered for being the kid who was always on the top of his class. No one dared to lay a dirty finger on me. I was enjoying such power at school during those times.

And high school came.

I saw my position plummet down. I was quickly segregated away from the popular group. I was there at the lower rungs, consoling myself with other has-been's. This phase of my life sped by, barely noticed and recognized by people of my same age bracket. Just like Calliope. Just like a person in a limbo. Just like a person struggling with gender identity. Just like a hermaphrodite.

Hermaphrodite is synonymous with the word monster. I remember the days when I used to feel like one, thanks to this monster of a novel. "Middlesex" comes that close to reality.

More than $7,450 was pledged on WVTL radio during last weekʼs Amsterdam Free Library Radiothon, co-sponsored by the UPS Store on Route 30 and The Recorder.

The radiothon was heard on AM 1570 WVTL and online at www.1570WVTL.com from 6-10 a.m. Monday, April 21 through Friday, April 25.

Library board member Tom Cummings, pictured below answering the phone at WVTL, contributed $1,000 as a matching gift and answered pledge calls the first day of the drive. Cummings is a retired executive with Noteworthy Corporation.

Members of Amsterdam Rotary contributed $715. Mrs. Ann Vicinanzo donated $500 in memory of the late Vincent Vicinanzo, former library board president. People who receive WVTL radio host Bob Cudmoreʼs history and WVTL emails contributed $325. Other library board members also answered pledge calls and donated to the radiothon.

The library offers free computer use for young and old, plus literacy programs, childrenʼs programs, access to practically any book in print and community outreach such as Amsterdam Reads and other book discussion groups.

Open six days a week, the library depends on public support from the city and town of Amsterdam plus money from state government, grants from foundations and donations from the public.

Pledges to the radiothon and other donations may be sent to the library at 28 Church Street in Amsterdam. Pledge forms are available online at www.amsterdamfreelibrary.com

AM 1570 WVTL is part of the Roser Communications Network.
04-28-08

The Bob Cudmore Show, 6-9 a.m. weekdays
AM 1570, WVTL, Amsterdam, N.Y. www.1570wvtl.com

1.  The Zoo

Not only does the children enjoy being with the animals. They get to know different information about the origin of each. Here , they could learn how to appreciate animals and get to know how we can take part in taking care of them.  Zoo keepers has a big role in making the trip exciting.  Allowing kids to touch and feel certain animals would give them a one time experience  of this  opportunity they would never forget.  But of course, you have to make sure that they are well guided. That, there will be no kids left unattended.  Accidents do happen once in a while .

Check out the list of zoo around the world.

2.   Amusement parks

Kids love rides. They love popcorn, cotton candies, and a lot more goodies.
Children who are active wouldn't want a place that is quiet and boring.  This is a place for them. They may even get to watch magic shows and a lot more.

3.   Beach Resorts

There's nothing compared to a warm, cozy beach.  Building sand castles, a walk in the beach,  the late night bonfire gathering, play volleyball, sand bathing, etc. There's a lot of things you can do in the beach.  We only experience this once in a blue moon. So, why not go for it.  Bring your children to a place of wonders.

4.    A Day in the biggest Library

Children loves to read books. They crave for more knowledge.  This is a good place where they can get busy.  Reading all types of books just feels like you've already traveled around the world.  Kids will also join storytelling sessions.

5.   Get involve in Sports

May it be basketball,  golf, soccer, tennis, and a lot more.  Give a child something to be inspired of.  I remember bringing my child to a basketball tournament.  This has helped him be more sociable and start communicating with other kids.  He even asked me to buy him his own ball.

There are actually a lot more places for children to go to.  But, these are just the places I decided to post.  I've asked certain number of kids on what places they enjoy most or they prefer to go. That's why I came up with this examples.

Know-how: The 8 Skills that Separate People who Perform from Those who Don't by Ram Charan

本書主要是講一個 CEO 應具備什麼條件，並附上大量現實例子。雖然並未能即用，但

The Eight Know-Hows
1. Positioning & Repositioning: Finding a central idea business that meets customer demands and that makes money
2. Pinpointing External Changes: Detecting patterns in a complex world to put the business o the offensive
3. Leading the Social System: Getting the right people together with the right behaviors and the right info to make better, faster decisions and achieve business results
4. Judging Peoples: Calibrating people based on their actions, decisions and behaviors & matching them to the non-negotiable of the job
5. Molding a Team: Getting highly competent, high-ego leaders to coordinate seamlessly
6. Setting Goals: Determining the set of goals that balance what the business can become with what it can realistically achieve
7. Setting Laser-Sharp Priorities: Defining the path & aligning resources, actions & energy to accomplish the goals
8. Dealing with Forces beyond the Market: Anticipating & responding to societal pressures you don’t control but that can affect your business.

Personal traits that can help or interfere with the know-hows
Ambitions – to accomplish something noteworthy BUT NOT win at all costs
Drive & Tenacity – to search, persist & follow through’ BUT NOT hold on too long
Self-confidence – to overcome the fear of failure, fear of response, or the need to be liked and use power judiciously BUT NOT become arrogant and narcissistic
Psychological Openness – to be receptive to new an different ideas AND NOT shut other people down
Realism – to see what can actually be accomplished AND NOT gloss over problems or assume the worst
Appetite for Learning – to continue to grow and improve the know-hows AND NOT repeating the same mistakes.

Cognitive Traits that improve the know-hows
A Wide Range of Altitudes – to transition from the conceptual to the specific
A Broad Cognitive Bandwidth – to take in a broad range of input and see the big picture
Ability to Reframe – to see thins from different perspectives

Συγγραφέας: Δήμητρα Μπογιατζόγλου

Τίτλος: ΟΝΕΙΡΟΠΑΓΙΔΕΣ

Εκδόσεις: ΛΙΒΑΝΗΣ

Σχόλια: Νέα συγγραφέας. Το πρώτο της, αν δεν απατώμαι. Ένα καλοστημένο αστυνομικό θρίλλερ Read the rest of this entry »

Arun introduced me to this amazing book The Vision and The Vow  (The Vision and The Vow)

If you haven't read The Vision yet, read it here: the vision

and you can watch a video presentation here: vision media

I got pretty psyched about it so I have started reading the book (yes I read lots of books at the same time!). Here's some of the stuff it talks about.

Jesus invites us to:

Trust him as a Saviour

Know him as a Friend

Obey him as Lord

Jesus gave the disciples a simple invitation "Come follow me", and they did so without question. Not knowing where they were going, or much about Jesus at all, the disciples gave up their jobs, their family...all their comfort and security. Jesus didn't promise them an easy life. This readiness to give up everything is hard to get your head around, especially in the culture we live in where the aim is to get as much as you can, not lose it. We know a lot more about Jesus than they did, but still we cling to things that make us comfortable. When will we be prepared to give Jesus our everything? 

Even now this Galilean calls us by name to leave our nets, abandon small dreams of token empires, and follow him into the great unknown. His vision for our lives is a treasure worth everything we own - worth living for and dying for.

A Special Focus during the Poetry International Festival

Zimbabwe is a country of poets. Zimbabweans write poetry, speak it and sing it in Shona, Ndebele, Tonga, Shangaan and other minority languages; we have poetry in English, praise, performance, oratorical, and declamatory poetry. Perhaps as many as one in six people writes poetry or takes pleasure from trying to do so.

Poetry is important in Zimbabwe.

During the 39th Poetry International Festival, Poetry International -- in collaboration with and supported by Hivos-NCDO Culture Fund -- is paying special attention to one of the most talked-about domains on [Poetry International Web] PIW.

Despite the political and economic circumstances in the country, each publication in the online magazine, www.poetryinternational.org, is rich in wonderful poets and excellent translations, accompanied by essays and interviews.

In response to the question of how a troubled country like Zimbabwe is capable of presenting such a wealth of poetry, country editor Irene Staunton said: 'The world knows only one window on Zimbabwe: cruelty, violence and corruption. Poetry International Web allows us to open a different window, so the world can also see our culture, our wealth and our poetry.'

During the festival, Poetry International is zooming in on Zimbabwe with a varied programme full of poetry, interviews, performance, music and film, showing the wealth and possibilities of the international website, which reaches far beyond any political border.

We invite you to discover the poetry of Zimbabwe during the 39th Poetry International Festival, on Tuesday June 10th. The event will feature an interview with editor, Irene Staunton. This will be followed by poetry readings by a young poet whose work, according to Irene Staunton, represents 'a new and powerful voice in the canon of Zimbabwean poetry', Togara Muzanenhamo.

Samm Farai Monro, aka Comrade Fatso, will offer musical and slam-poetry intermezzos, accompanied by the guitarist of his band, Chabvondoka. He characterizes his poetry as 'Toyi Toyi poetry, urban street poetry that mixes Shona with English, mbira with hip hop, poetry with the struggle to survive.'

Apart from 'new' poetry, there will also be PIW exclusives of yet unpublished works by well-known poets, Charles Mungoshi and Julius Chingono, both guests at previous Poetry International Festivals.

During the festival there will be a screening of the low budget movie 'ZIMBABWE' by South African filmmaker Darrell James Roodt. The film is described as a painful and topical drama about illegal labour migration from Zimbabwe to South Africa; seen through the eyes of a 19-year-old orphan girl.

Prior to the festival you can find a taster of Zimbabwean poetry on www.poetryinternational.org. Here you'll find biographical information, essays and other articles about the poets mentioned above, and, of course, their poetry in its original language and in English translation. The Zimbabwe programme in the Rotterdam City Theatre will be broadcast live on PIW. You will receive regular festival updates via our newsletter.

39th Poetry International Festival Rotterdam, 7-13 June
Tuesday, June 10th, 21.15 hrs, Rotterdam City Theatre

Source of message: Poetry International Web.

          So I just completed two major chapters of the book tonight and I feel good about what God has done with them. It was almost bittersweet to save them to my first drafts folder on my desktop, knowing that the next time I really get to work on them is after a publishing house goes through and helps me edit them... That also kinda scares me haha!

          I recently created a myspace for the book, http://www.Myspace.com/thedayikilledjesus, and posted a tentative clip from chapter four on the blog there to see if anyone would check it out and comment... The blog was up for no time at all when I had a fundy acquaintanceof mine come on and criticise it and me. So I decided to post it on here... Gotta love the fundies! As I have said before, keep in mind that this is a very rough draft and will probably be revised or deleted... I just like the moment of stream-of-consciousness writing I had here. What do you guys think?

        "I’ve always wondered what love is. I think, maybe, love is like controlled chaos because when I think of love I see perfection, and I see the God that created everything that is, and treasures everything we could be. I think love is like a breeze. It comes by and wakes you up to the scenery around you, and it doesn’t ever let you take things for granted. Everyone has always told me that God is love, but I think that, that is backwards. I think love is God. Why else is it so hard to comprehend? Love is so much bigger than us, but it’s beautiful. Just as I can’t see the breeze, I can’t see love, but I know that both exist and both make me smile no matter where I am when they find me. Is it possible that wondering what love is might just be love, that the search for the current and for the breeze is the act of submission that God is looking for in us the most? Leaving the mysteries to God, but seeking them all the same may seem contradictory, but living to grow is art. And love is art. I one day dream to walk through a gallery of people, hungry for the breeze. Then maybe I will be able to know what love really is."

Title & Excerpt ©Timothy Kurek 2008

          So, if you haven't already, add the new myspace profile and check it out as you get some time. Most of the people on myspace will be my test readers throughout this process, so if you are interested, add me!

By Kamila Hyat, for the Gulf News (April 28, 2008) 

Lahore:  For years, book lovers in Lahore, a city reputed for its literary history as well as its architectural inheritance, have mourned the apparent loss of the love of reading.

Many book shops have gradually vanished and in others, magazines have taken the place of more substantial tomes.

Teachers and parents have lamented the fact that in an age of television, DVDs, computer games and numerous other forms of jazzy electronic entertainment, children had turned away from books.

But, a single experimental idea has proved much of this conjecture about the relationship between Lahoris and books to be false.

The large Readings bookstore, which stocks row after row of used books, encyclopaedias and other literary material from the US, has within the two years or so of its existence become one of the most popular spots in the city. Read the rest of this entry »