Sometimes the best way to open a door to success is not about finding or making a key but breaking the door

This universe was not made for you.
You are unallocated in list of
Participators and only consume… and we’ve entirely forgotten about you.
You do nothing.
You deserve an even smaller potion of happiness than the
Everything you neglect,
A unit so close to zero, it can only be limited to
The lowest number you can squeeze out of
your tube.

Most of the doors are shut at your approach, and we’re
Glad to see your nose close, but far
From the other side of plexi.

If they destroy you, and when they will –
Nothing will happen; you’ve allowed the science
And majesty of prediction to take the place of
Sweet, unreasoned faith.

Die, fruitless laborer. Crumble into your dry skin and
Rot.
Snap your femur with the flat plate of head-bone
Before you go,
And limp… limp into the dark underworld you hardly deserve,
But where else can they put you?

!!!
The other day, I decided to use the restroom at Walgreens on Belmont and Broadway in Chicago. Walgreens is one chain that almost 100 percent of the time has a public restroom in Chicago. So that is definitely a good secret in case you have to take an urgent poop or pee. But you will also have to deal with the horrible maintenance of the bathrooms. In less than five minutes I could point out five disgusting things about the bathroom:

1. Soap on the floor and walls, DISGUSTING, crusty, and probably 3 month old handsoap.

2. Dried white “who knows what” on the mirror. Are people brushing there teeth in the bathroom and splashing on the mirror?

3. Spilled coffee, or something disgustingly brown on the floor.

4. Pee still sitting in toilet from person before.

5. Coffee cup ring on toilet paper dispenser…disgustING!

6. Foamy moldy stuff on bottom of toilet, accompanied by a piece of chewed gum.

7. Coffee stains on “unused” toilet seat covers.

Now, if Walgreens offers a public restroom, the appearance should state something about how clean the store is. This just convinced me that the store is a royal and moldy mess!

f2.8  1/40  ISO 400

I just love the doors of Old Delhi – unfortunately, I do not know their histories – so I will leave it to you to imagine their stories……

Central Florida Future – http://bit.ly/8KleHL

By Cassie Turner

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Published: Friday, November 20, 2009

Updated: Friday, November 20, 2009

Caitlin Bush

"Most Americans do not know slavery not only exists in the world today, it flourishes," said Ron Soodalter, co-author of The Slave Next Door, in his presentation in the Pegasus Ballroom Monday morning.

"Somewhere around 27 million people are in bondage in the world today. Now, that’s over twice the number as were trafficked in chains in the entire 350 years of the African slave trade."

Soodalter, an active abolitionist and historian, kicked off International Education Week at UCF as the keynote speaker for the Second Annual International Breakfast. The Slave Next Door presentation concluded the three-part series on "Slavery’s Resurgence" facilitated by the Office of the Special Assistant to the President for Global Perspectives and the International Services Center.

The series began with Somaly Mam, a Cambodian human rights activist, former slave and author of The Road of Lost Innocence: The True Story of a Cambodian Heroine, when she shared her experiences in September.

In October, Micheline Slattery, a human-rights activist and former restavek, or domestic child slave, in both Haiti and the United States, addressed about 300 attendees.

Modern-day slavery includes around 800,000 men, women and children trafficked each year around the world. According to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Web site, about 17,500 of them end up in the United States, with a high percentage received in Florida.

Soodalter suggests a simple Google search on human trafficking for astounding results.

In spite of major federal legislation and anti-trafficking laws passed in 43 states, 103 human-trafficking convictions have resulted, Soodalter said.

Trafficking remains hidden, is largely unreported and difficult to identify. According to the 2009 Trafficking in Persons, or TIP, report, published by the U.S. Department of State, forced labor/involuntary servitude represents the majority of human-trafficking cases in the world. The co-author of Soodalter’s book,  Kevin Bales, wrote the original 156-page TIP report, titled “Trafficking Persons in the United States — A Report to the National Institute of Justice.”

“The whole thing is disserving and extending,” said retired UCF foreign language professor David Gurney. “It contributes to the antagonism from people in underdeveloped countries to Western civilizations or Western countries.”

In the 1850s, purchasing a slave ran roughly $1,200, the equivalent of around $40,000 in today’s money. The reality is purchasing a slave today costs as little as $100, which makes them affordable and disposable, Soodalter said.

A trafficking victim lives in fear of violence or the threat of violence daily, he said.

Shawn Cox, victim witness coordinator and licensed clinical social worker with the United States Attorney’s Office, advocates that trafficking is a crime of absolute power over someone. According to the report Cox co-authored, “Victims of Human Trafficking and Trauma,” the psychological consequences of a victim are similar to the consequences of severe or chronic child abuse or experiencing acts of terrorism.

"In case you thought slavery doesn’t touch you, guess again," Soodalter said. "Chances are, the clothes you wear, the food you eat, has been touched by slavery."

The good news is there have been some inroads made recently in the area of agricultural servitude, Soodalter said. When Taco Bell refused to stop buying produce picked by enslaved workers in an effort known as the "Ban the Bell" campaign, it set a precedent that several other companies, including McDonalds, A&W, Long John Silver’s, Pizza Hut, Whole Foods, Chipotle and Burger King, have followed, Soodalter said.

"The message is clear," Soodalter said. "Slavery and worker abuse will not be tolerated. Not here, not now, not ever."

Mark Freeman, public affairs coordinator for the Global Perspectives Office, said they are hoping to continue the series next spring since response has been incredible. Because of the series last spring, students on campus were so spurred into action they formed the unofficial student group “Students Against Slavery @ UCF,” Freeman said. “Students Against Slavery @ UCF” has a Facebook page, and Harry Coverston serves as the faculty advisor for the group.

"Spreading the word is the most important thing," said Frank Hegedus, a senior political science and international relations major. "There is only right now."

http://www.centralfloridafuture.com/abolitionist-historian-wraps-up-global-perspectives-series-1.2093273

This mixtape has been out for a little while and I’m just a tad late on talking about how beautiful it sounds and thats due to me being lazy on my downloads. Now the SWAG is on point ranging from Amazing melodies to Compelling Lyrics. Micheal-FUCKING-Posner is definitely a BEAST that deserves a listen or two if you want this one grab it free on Itunes…Good Deal Right?

Stayyiin Flyy

-Viictoyy

With an increasing number of holiday festivities being held in the home this year, we’re all looking for creative and cost effective ways to spruce up our table settings and create a look that will impress our guests. When it comes to setting your Thanksgiving table, options for the adventurous host are limitless. What are the hottest trends for you to bring to your table this year? Here are a few ideas that will take your Thanksgiving table from ordinary to extraordinary:

Color, Texture and Mix – Match:

In table linens and accessories, this year we are seeing rich, saturated colours. We are also seeing a lot of texture and the mixing and matching of patterns with solids. There are a lot of options out there to do something warm and inviting.

Color Trends

Warm tones have always been popular for Fall and that continues with some of the biggest trends in colour combinations this year. Some of those include:
- Deep Spice and Aubergine with muted Gold accents – Dark Chocolate with Blues and Gray accents – Olive Green, Aubergine and softer greens as accents – Dark Chocolate, Taupe and Natural

Tabletop Decor

- Use things that you already have in your home – pull out your 3 or 4 of your favourite vases of different heights. Use complementary colors of fresh flowers for a simple and stunning arrangement. Fill three or four vases and/or glass bowls with different colors and sizes of ornaments, fruits, leaves – anything with color and texture that will create visual excitement.

- Your guests are all unique – why not celebrate their individuality? Use different patterns and/or colors of napkin rings that match their unique personalities. Are they simple or sophisticated? Fun or formal? Unpredictable or conservative? Show them you care with a little customization to complement your table linens.

- Candles are always a dramatic and cost effective way to make a statement – use votives at each place setting with a name card and emphasize beautiful table linens for a classy and simple look. Or go more dramatic and cluster your favourite candle sticks of varying heights and looks as a centerpiece. Use colors that complement or match your dishes, glasses and table linens.

- Nothing brings subtle sophistication to your table like a well-selected runner. Use one the length of the table plus 12 inches to hang over the edge (usually a 90″ or longer) as the perfect centerpiece. If you are using a solid tablecloth or placemats, make sure to jazz it up with a festive pattern. If you have a patterned look already, use a vibrant solid runner that picks up on one of the colors in your runner.

- Use 2 napkins instead of one with a napkin ring. With a solid napkin inside, and a more decorative napkin on the outside.

When setting your table, just remember: do what feels right for the mood. A casual gathering calls for a relaxed setting. A formal meal should feel that way at the table. Either way, it doesn’t take much to elevate your in-home dining experience. Replacing an old tablecloth with something fresh an exciting, and adding a few simple table accessories can go a long way to impressing your guests. It’s that time of year when family gatherings abound and everyone spends countless hours congregating around the dinner table. With the hours spent preparing the perfect meal, make sure you don’t forget to finish it off with the perfect setting.

The Most Beautiful Door
Originally uploaded by ourraisedranch

 ok…maybe not…but for us, for now, it is…

Like most raised ranch houses, ours has a 2-car garage underneath. I am not fond of them for several reasons — not energy efficient, risk of fumes in the house, and it’s a good waste of space.

We have a detached garage that has more than enough room, so in the grand scheme of things we are going to eventually recoup these garages into living space — ideally the kitchen and family room

In the meantime, we had no good access in the house. The “front” door is actually near the rear of the house, and the sliding door isn’t that practical, since you walk over ledge and it can’t be unlocked from the outside.

Of course the day I finally convince Mike to do it, and arrange for some help, it POURS! Mike, my step-dad Al, and step-brother Jamey were good sports about it though.

So, thank’s to a scratch-and-dent door, some lumber, and Tyvek — problem solved. It’s right off the driveway and a great entrance for the winter. We’ll be insulating the inside of these walls, shortly…but in the mean time I have my door.

If you close it they will come.

knock knock. anywun home? (ICHC video)

Picture by: dunno source Caption by: Fauxpaws via Advanced Lol Builder

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My latest drawing is all about mark making. This time it’s a combination of natural and man-made graffiti and features an old door at the farming property at Cheshunt which is partly open. But what does it reveal? You will have to wait and see!

This large drawing (60 x 80 cm) will take me some time to complete. The detail I need to include is quite mind boggling in places and it will require a good deal of patience. I’m not rushing this piece, but I would like to have it finished by the end of December.

The part of the door featured in today’s image has only one of several layers of detail at this point in time. My first task is to cover all of my pastel board in one layer of coloured pencil before building up the layers where required.

More updates later.

Tomorrow: Images from the art class that I conducted last Friday.

Richard

I can not get up this morning. Getting out of bed was bad enough, I don’t see how I’m getting myself out the front door. For now I’ll down large quantities of espresso and hope for the best. Slept pretty well last night, in little patches though. Phone call woke me up, but it was alright. I didn’t mind.

With any luck I’ll be able to get a haircut today. I’m feeling shaggy. It’s not that my hair is particularly long, I’m just used to it being much shorter. Also have a ton of errands to run, but those shouldn’t take too long.

Yesterday was a good day. Met up with a good friend of mine, had breakfast, went bowling (which I’m still good at, it turns out), and went roaming around the mall. It was a good day.

Two more cups of espresso later, I’m feeling like a human being. Time for me to be moving along. Later, internet.

My roommate and I get along great, which will continue, pending she never find this blog.

Shes nice, quiet, blah blah. No qualms what-so-ever. Great person.

I moved in her place in September, over a kijiji ad and some cuddles from her dog. It was full of awkward glances, timid laughs, and the handling of a 500$ cheque.

We get along well enough- I’m not home much. I keep my area clean and if I don’t, I keep the bedroom door closed. I rarely have friends over, you know, really. I’m not a bad housemate by any terms.

She has this way to make me very uncomfortable. Waking up in the morning and saying, “Oh, Good Morning… ” which she ignores me, banging around her clothing room. The nice but to the point letter about her missing forks..

I just feel uneasy. Yesterday, I was on the run to go grab Sushi @ 10:30am and had just locked the house, not deadlocked. I knew she was at work and I would return in 15 minutes. Unfortunately, I got called into work early and while racing there, I realized I would be outed. Whatever, I can claim accidental “Oh I thought I did..” and I’m pro @ the awkward laugh.

I get home @ 1130pm, shes already asleep. I go to unlock the deadbolt (as I know she has been home and used that door for her dogs) .. its unlocked?

I feel like shes trying to send me a message of, “Don’t fuck with me or my deadbolts, bitch!”

Or maybe I’m just paranoid and she used the backdoor.

I’m writing this post because so many well-meaning, conscious, spiritual people are missing some significant information and tools when it comes to Law of Attraction and being a conscious cocreator of your life with Spirit.

One of my wonderful Facebook friends recently wrote a post:

“If you examine your history, you cannot help but repeat it! Law of Attraction says it is so:

‘Whatever I am looking at, I am including in my vibration.’ — Abraham”

This sparked a controversy with 19 people weighing in, many fully agreeing and many others, myself included, objecting to this as an oversimplification and stating that, even though it is true that our focus does permeate our vibration and thus create, it is actually NECESSARY to understand and heal our past in order to learn what we need to from it and be able to truly free ourselves from its hold on us and move on into something even better.

We have to put our attention on our intention BUT if we are not aligned strongly and consistently enough with our intention, if we are trying really hard to make it happen but it’s just not working, that’s a sure sign we need to do some inner healing work before we do any more manifesting and attracting and creating. It’s inner, not, outer time, first.

I feel so strongly that so many New Age, metaphysical folks are so hyped up about positive thinking and “just focus on what you want,” they are missing something vital:

For most people, with most long-term issues, simply striving to be positive and focus on their intentions is NOT enough to bring about the desired results. We need to learn from our past, and use that wisdom to create our best future, while living in and enjoying the present.

So here I go on my soap box again.

The Abraham work and all the other good Law of Attraction stuff out there is not intended to be interpreted as “Ladeeda, we can just be positive 100% of the time and only good things will come to us. All that yucky stuff from the past – I’m done with that now and all I have to do is think good thoughts and I will attract all my desires. Abracadabra!”

So allow me to bust that myth and empower you with a much more in-depth and practical approach:

1- Our past is important. Just as our current emotions are indicators of the distance between where we are at and where we want to be, our past is one of our teachers as well. We can – and indeed need to – turn our wounds into wisdom. Some of our life experiences we may label “good” or “positive,” we feel we were successful and these we can apply to continue to utilize and build upon what worked for us, while the so-called “negative” experiences or failures are also useful in several ways.

For one thing, we can clarify more clearly what, exactly we DO want by contrasting it with what we do NOT want anymore. This applies equally well to health and lifestyle choices, work, home, community, as well as relationships.

Secondly, we can learn psychologically and spiritually: What was my lesson in this?

Thirdly,we can discover, with proper reflection, which may include prayer, meditation, journaling, counseling, or even insightful conversations, that there was truly a silver lining, a gift in every experience we have had. Sometimes we don’t see it at the time, it feels horrible, we may even be devastated that that relationship or career didn’t work out, that we had that disability or lost our house, but ultimately, when we see through the eyes of Spirit and Love, we will always find that everything happened for a reason and we can find something to be grateful for, even if it’s just the ability to make a different choice next time.

2- Until we learn our lessons from the past, we are going to UNCONSCIOUSLY repeat them. This is true of humanity when we look at larger societal choices as well as on the personal level. Ignoring our past and zapping it like it didn’t even happen is not the solution. In fact, ignoring our past and stuffing it over there, oh, that’s too messy, I don’t want to deal with that right now, does not free us from it, it actually dooms us to repeat it.

3- The Abraham work says that our DOMINANT thought is the one that runs the show, and I agree with this. The catch is: Our dominant thought is seldom a conscious thought, so we cannot expect to simply push a button and “There, I’m only going to think good thoughts, feel good feelings and make good choices from now on.”

We have to heal all those billions of subconscious beliefs that we are carrying around which arose out – what? Our past experiences and programming, of course.

I do agree that many people spend far too much time simply repeating their “story,” which actually keeps them stuck in it and keeps giving it energy. There is a big difference between looping an old version of a reality we no longer want, whining about it, being a drama king/queen, vs. actually being willing to visit the past (with support if necessary) with the intention of looking in the mirror, releasing what no longer serves, with forgiveness, finding the lesson and gift in it, and moving confidently forward into a better life we are creating for ourselves, from the inside out.

Do we need to look at our past? Absolutely.Do we need to keep telling it over and over? Absolutely not.

4- We need to process stuck emotions. Sometimes we need to move some rage. Shake off some old energy. Sometimes we need to express ourselves to someone, forgive, be forgiven, and it doesn’t matter if they’re alive or dead or whether their human self is willing to hear a word we are saying. We just talk to their Higher Self, soul to soul. We look in the mirror and show them a mirror as well. I have an extensive guided meditation and energy healing journey that I guide people through called the Healing Past Relationships Journey (soon to be available as a CD/MP3 audio) which facilitates this soul-to-soul communication, energy exchange, forgiveness and healing. Or you may be able to do it for yourself, perhaps by writing a letter or through ceremony. We need to visit our past just enough to learn from it and to heal it, not rehash it or keep talking about it for decades.

We also need to forgive ourselves. And forgive God!

The work I do as an energy healer, intuitive, hypnotherapist and life coach focuses on identifying the current condition of your Body, Mind, Heart and Soul and creating a complete, intuitively guided healing program that empowers you to remember who you really are, to love and heal yourself completely, and to clarify your vision and reawaken your passion, power and life purpose — to create the life and love of your dreams. I am a Law of Attraction coach, and people often begin working with me when they realize (see with Real Eyes) that they are working so dang hard on themselves, have been for years, yet something is still stuck. They are willing, finally, to do what it takes to really succeed, so we go places, often in the first session, that completely amazes them.

5- We need to heal core issues and heal on all levels.

For example, some of my recent clients have improved their relationships, found lasting love, launched their heart-centered business, created more harmony in their parenting or other family relationships…..In every case, we needed to do some deep CORE ISSUE healing at the level of the SOUL and the ENERGY FIELD, the kind of healing that is more difficult to do by one’s self when we are emotionally caught up in our “stuff,” scared, frustrated and depleted.

I do sometimes have clients who try to turn the sessions into talk therapy and keep going on and on about their problems. They are stuck in their story. So I ask them, “Do you want to talk about it or do you want to heal it?” If they keep wanting to talk about it, they are not ready for the kind of healing I do. If they want to heal it, I can help them heal themselves but we have to go much deeper than just talking. Deep omnidimensional energy healing at the soul level i.e. soul retrieval, regression, rebirthing, hypnotherapy/NLP, ceremony, forgiveness work, can be extremely helpful, especially if a person is unable to break free of an old belief/energy. We shift the energy & belief at the original cause and core. I channel empowering self-healing techniques they can do on their own to continue the healing and keep building the positive energy.

We don’t ever have to be 100% healed, nor is that even possible so long as we are human. But we need to be healed enough to be free to focus on what we do want, move forward and create from an aligned, clear, positive state of being and love.

6- ALIGN, ATTRACT, ACT.

People so caught up in the Law of Attraction who simply read a few books, go to a few workshops, watch a couple of movies, often fail to understand that trying to get into ACTION mode before you are ALIGNED does not work. Law of Attraction works – once we are aligned with our desires. If some part of our subconscious mind or energy field is still playing the tape of a limiting, negative belief, we are not going to be able to just attract what we want, no matter how many affirmations we say or vision boards we make!

7 – I want to make one more point about the past and this concept of time. We can only live in one time: the present. We need to heal and learn from our past and draw upon its power, we need to envision and align with our best future, and yet we can only live right here, right now. All times exist in this moment of choice: now.

I personally feel we need to spend MOST of our attention right here, where we live. In this body. On this planet. Enjoying this life to the fullest. Mindful. Heartful. Soulful. Bodyful. Beautiful! When we work with the concept of time as fluid and simultaneous and quantum rather than linear, we find that every moment is a portal home.

We can also change our past shamanically, redream it. This helps us create our best future as well. This can be done through shamanic trance healing and/or conscious dreaming.

We each have the power to facilitate miraculous healing and success beyond our wildest imagination. We don’t have to spend years healing the past. We can heal it in an instant, or it may take several months or longer, but if we go deep enough and work at the level of the soul, core beliefs and original causes, the quantum and cosmic fields and on all levels, if we do this work with a vibration of love for ourselves and all beings, we will grow into being who we came here to be.

I love the Abraham work but sometimes a phrase taken by itself does not present the complexities of the spiritual nature of the Universe. True healing and conscious creation of our lives will always involve navigating the territory of our past with loving kindness and forgivness, with an open mind and a willingness to learn and grow so we can create an even better future. And we can do this today.

If you would like more information about Omnidimensional Healing of Core Issues blended with intuitive life coaching, and a free Special Report on Law of Attraction Graduate School – Abundance Affirmations with Ooompf!, please visit my main website at:

www.LoveandSpirit.org.

Stanford University // Palo Alto, Calif.

From the California Beat photography collection, Bay Area Snapshots is an occassional glimpse at daily life in the San Francisco Bay Area.

As Time Goes By (IMG_6086-W1), originally uploaded by Nguyen K. Do.

Eltham, November 2009.
Nguyen K. Do © 2009

This Camera Club of Ottawa outing was on a foggy Sunday morning. The assignment was to shoot urban images in Black and White at 400 ISO within the boundaries of Wellington Street to Laurier Street and Bay Street to Elgin Street. We could submit 6 images in total. These were my shots. Click on the image to find it on my website and you find another link at the bottom of each image to view the colour equivalent. I had to convert from colour in photoshop since the Nikon D70 doesn’t have the capability to shoot B&W. I find it preferable to convert in photoshop anyway.

A look along the Memorial Arch which crosses Lyon Street in Ottawa, between the East and West Veterans Memorial Buildings.

Railing and leaves along a sidewalk between two major streets in downtown Ottawa.

Ottawa back alley and a loading bay entrance for a downtown merchant.

Back side of a high rise building in downtown Ottawa.

The stairs at L’Esplanade Laurier on Bank Street in Ottawa.

Tree against a tiled wall. A few remaining leaves and some yellow Christmas lights add a bit of colour to this late November image. Alterna Savings (formerly CS-Coop) building on Albert Street in Ottawa, Ontario

Web site: www.robhuntley.ca