;

Products used:

Eyes:
loreal de crease eyeshadow base
NYX jumbo eyeshadow pencil in yellow
Urban Decay deluxe eyeshadow in honey
MAC eyeshadow in cork
MAC mineralize trio in danger zone (black)
Black liquid liner on lid, pencil liner on waterline
Black false lashes from Daiso

Lips:
Maybelline color sensational liptick in Born with it
NYX mega shine lipgloss in sweetheart

Belly dancers love their swords.  It’s always fun to see the impressed looks on the faces of an audience when a dancer balances her sword on her head or her hip or even her chin.  People always assume the blade is sharp, when in fact it’s so rounded that it couldn’t cut butter at room temperature.  Actually the grooves do tend to be a touch sharp, but it’s rarely an issue (you can see the grooves near the middle of the blade — this is the balance point of the sword, so the grooves both serve as a guideline, if you will, for where to place the sword, as well as creating grip, as it were, so the sword won’t slide around too much on the dancer’s hair).

Swords are a lot of fun to dance with.  They give the dance a fierce, dramatic aspect in some respects.  You’ll see swords more often in Tribal Fusion or Gothic Fusion belly dance, with the music slower and darker, the costumes less glitzy and predominantly black in color.  Sword dancing requires incredible control and subtlety of movement — a good belly dancer can spin around or bend back without letting the blade waver, let alone fall.

You know you’re a true belly dancer when you have a permanent dent in your skull from dancing with a sword balanced on your head.  I actually haven’t used my sword in over a year — life has unfortunately gotten in the way of dancing — and as I’m sitting here writing this I can still feel the dent there.

Photographed by Mike Ruiz. I did not guess who it was when I first saw it but can you? Leave a comment.

Answer, coming soon.

Answer, KIM KARDASHIAN.

Products used:

Eyes:
Loreal De crease eyeshadow base(primer)
NYX jumbo eyeshadow pencil in pots & pans (base)
MAC eyeshadow in electra (silver on lid)
MAC eyeshadow in knight divine(charcoal gray in crease)
MAC mineralize eyeshadow trio(Black in outer corner)
Black liquid liner on top lid
Black pencil liner on waterline
False lashes from Daiso

Lips:
MAC lipstick in plumful
MAC dazzleglass in money honey

Gravity Of Love by Enigma from their album The Screen Behind the Mirror.  I love Engima’s music — it blends easy listening, sexual rhythms, Gregorian chants, lounge remixes, Vedic chants, and electronic / dance beats.  The lyrics are a combination of English and French, with the occasional Latin thrown in, as in this song (it includes the fantastic O Fortuna, part of Carmina Burana).  Enigma is not a band but a music project created by Michael Cretu, and the music pretty much covers all bases: it’s upbeat, it’s mellow, it’s moving, it’s calming, and it’s incredibly sexy.  Depending on your mood, there’s probably an Enigma song to cover it.  Gravity of Love is one of my particular favorites, because it combines several of the elements — it has a very sensual rhythm alternated with an energetic beat, plus the powerful Latin chant.  Lots of fun to dance to, getting the sensual and darker, more dramatic movements involved.

[latin]
O fortuna, velut luna.
O fortuna, velut luna.

Turn around and smell what you don't see,
close your eyes, it's so clear.
Here's a mirror, behind there is a screen,
on both ways you can get in.
Don't think twice before you listen to your heart,
follow the trace for a new start.

What you mean and everything you feel,
is just a question of the deal.

In the eye of storm you'll see a lonely dove!
The experience of survival is the key,
to the gravity of love.

[latin]
O fortuna, velut luna.

The path of excess leads to the tower of wisdom...
The path of excess leads to the tower of wisdom...

Try to think about it,
that's the chance to live your life and discover,
what it is, what's the gravity of love.

[latin]
O fortuna, velut luna.

Look around just people, can you hear their voice?
Find the one who'll guide you,
to the limits of your choice.

But if you're in the eye of storm,
just think of the lonely dove,
the experience of survival is the key,
to the gravity of love.

[latin]
O fortuna, velut luna.

Shot at Colva Beach, Goa. This is one of the most famous beaches in Goa. Its known for water sports and dramatic sunsets.

The fiber optic cable, an invention that many technical innovations have also contributed to the aesthetics of the interior. The light is channeled and changed radically, to create breathtaking illuminated objects and illusions of light. Combine fiber optic fiber glass or plastic with a halogen or metal halide lamps remote source. Fiber optic facilities and low-power displays the ideal functionality. There is no electricity,Heat or UV light and is very wise to touch or even the use of water. The light source of a failure of optical cable under the stars, the introduction of this concept is a "starry sky". It may be in a wide range of innovative lighting solutions, as a backsplash for use beside a swimming pool. Since a single source of light to illuminate a number of different effects, it can make sense economically.

Another advantage is that the fiber and end fittings can be sealedbecause there is no need to change the light bulbs in your access. It is therefore a practical application of concrete floors, walls and risers. The fabric "Star is a heavy black fabric with a hint of burning of the optical fiber is incorporated, and a brilliant background for a space. Fine Crystal accessories adds luster and momentum, this original lighting system. Exotics This option can be used in room bedroom, bath and vanity mirror. decorative ornaments offer the possibility of fiber optic lighting, asthey can be lit from within to change the aesthetic equation in one space. Statues, figurines, model homes, and artificial trees radiate magic. Costs can vary from several hundred to several thousand depending on the complexity of the system. The creation of atmospheres of fiber optic lighting is the ultimate in flexibility. Since colors can affect mood exercised this option to change his mood lighting. Colors can be added to the bath and improve the thermal relaxationExperience.

Wash the wall in areas such as the backlight of the head in the rooms of interest under the furniture in the living room and add soft lighting and curtains. The gardens have become more attractive with the introduction of these lamps to ward off the sidewalk and streets. Finally, the carpet "star" that come alive in the flip of a switch with a sprinkling of star density, which provides countless hours of fascination. Used in specific fields of schools and hospitals, is beneficial for children with learning –Disability. The lighting designer has inspired some very creative decorations and develop services that magic can be manipulated only to add lighting. Gurgling waterfalls of different colors of colored lights, fiber optics offers an exquisite effect in indoor environments.

Today’s post is an old project from an undergraduate course in creative writing. Since I’m still working on several other pieces right now, I had to dig a little into my personal archives to get some content up.

Give me a Break is a one-act play (approx. 15 minutes, assuming 1 minute per page) written based on my professor’s guidelines for dramatic writing.  The first draft was written as a tragedy, but after some feedback I turned the ending around and made the final product a comedy. It’s a really light piece with a rather cheesy ending, but it was received well by the prof and I though I’d

GIVE ME A BREAK
By Brittany Sheehan

Cast of Characters

Juliette. 23. Pre-law student, Store Mart associate.
Victoria. 45. Juliette’s co-worker.
Mr. Hitch. 56. Store Mart manager.
Various Others. To be played by the actors portraying Victoria and Mr. Hitch. Costuming is extremely minimal due to time constraints (the occasional wig or pair of glasses), relying predominantly on the actors to bring out the character.

Time

Present Day. Autumn. Just before 12:45 p.m.

Place

Store Mart, a somewhat dilapidated department store.

AT RISE: A small, roll-away counter with a plaque which reads: “Store Mart Service Desk.” Juliette stands in front of the counter, placing magnetized tags on the sleeves of leather jackets on a tall silver rack to her left. Behind the desk are a few stray shopping carts and a barrage of signs on the back wall proclaiming “30% OFF ALL CLEARANCE MERCHANDISE.”

VICTORIA
Liz told Jill to tell Mick to tell me to tell you to break once you finish tagging those jackets.

JULIETTE
Well I am at the breaking point.

VICTORIA
“Breaking point?”

JULIETTE
There’s just been so much on my plate in the past couple of days. Remember that law firm guy I was telling you about who came to dinner at my parents’ house last Thursday? Mr. Boon? I got an e-mail from him this morning offering me a job. An internship, actually.

VICTORIA
No! The Boon & Morrow Mr. Boon?

JULIETTE
The very same. It’s law student Heaven, and I want in. Only problem is Boon’s two o’clock flight to Los Angeles today. If I don’t get a call in to his office by one, I lose everything.

VICTORIA
The whole kit-‘n-caboodle? Geez. Aside from a good portion of the world’s communicable disease, what’s in L.A. that could possibly be of such gigantic importance?

JULIETTE
Boon’s rich 18 year old nephew. The kid’s just barely out of high school and he’s willing to hand my dream internship over to this yahoo without a lick of doubt. I have got to make this call on my break or… well… no deal.

VICTORIA
Why don’t you just leave him a voice mail? This is the 21st century, you know.

JULIETTE
Victoria, please. This is an opportunity you have to take in real time, one on one. I want this internship more than… more than… Patrick Dempsey taped to Orlando Bloom taped to Brent Spiner. You can’t just leave that kind of heart and soul in a digital recording.

VICTORIA
Data from Star Trek?

JULIETTE
…What?

VICTORIA
Brent Spiner. That’s Data from Star Trek.

JULIETTE
(Nervously)
… I never said Brent Spiner. Look, you’re missing the point. I have 15 minutes. Plenty of time.

JULIETTE finishes tagging the last jacket and glances at her watch.

JULIETTE
12:45, right on schedule.

VICTORIA
Go get ‘em, tigress! …Oh, Juliette! Take off your nametag! You don’t want customers flagging you down asking where the God-knows-what is located.

JULIETTE
Victoria, helping people is my specialty, you know that. If I take off my nametag, some little old woman might spend ages in health and beauty and never find the Poli-grip. It’s all about living the just life, my friend. That’s what’s going to make me the freshest, most unique intern the world of law has ever seen.

The service desk is rolled away and VICTORIA pulls the rack of finished jackets with her as she leaves the stage. A shelf of cereals is moved in as JULIETTE proceeds forward on the stage. An ELDERLY WOMAN enters and raises a frail hand to flag her down. JULIETTE cheerfully obliges.

ELDERLY WOMAN
Excuse me, miss? Miss?

JULIETTE
(Merrily)
Hi there, welcome to Store Mart! What can I help you with today?

ELDERLY WOMAN
Could you be an angel and read this box for me? I went and left my glasses at home and I just need to know if that’s what I want. It’s purple, I know that much.

JULIETTE
Let’s see… “Total: Raisin Bran.” Is that what you were looking for?

ELDERLY WOMAN
Eh?

JULIETTE
(A bit louder)
Uh, raisin bran. Is raisin bran what you wanted?

ELDERLY WOMAN
(Somewhat distraught)
Ohhh… no, no, I wanted Total. Bud doesn’t eat raisin bran, it gives him the ulcers. Me, I like raisin bran, but you know those ulcer medications are just so pricey so I just—

JULIETTE
Oh ma’am, no… this is Total. It’s just the raisin bran kind of total.

ELDERLY WOMAN
Ah…

Long pause. JULIETTE checks her watch briefly, out of the corner of her eye.

JULIETTE
Did… you want this cereal, ma’am?

ELDERLY WOMAN
Oh, heavens no, I came for Total, not raisin bran.

From the other side of the stage, a hunched over ELDERLY MAN with a limp shuffles in.

ELDERLY MAN
Gloria? Did you find the raisin bran?

ELDERLY WOMAN
Budley! When did you get here?

ELDERLY MAN
Oh damn it, woman, we drove here together, remember? Got up early to start up the Buick in the freezing cold, smacked my damn leg on the ironing board in front of the dad-blamed door on the way out—we have a front closet to put that damn thing in—and she can’t remember how we got here, God bless ‘er. (Loudly and sarcastically)
Gloria! It’s me, Budley! We met in 1942 and knocked boots once in 1956 and never since, God help you… Did you find the raisin bran?

ELDERLY WOMAN
Raisin bran gives you ulcers. I’m buying Total.

ELDERLY MAN
Only reason I get ulcers from the raisin bran is you can’t find it in the damn grocery store without a search team and a floodlight!

JULIETTE
Sir, is there anything I can help you with, or…

ELDERLY MAN
No, no, no, no… I’ll take care of this. She just needs a swift kick in the pants to knock her brains back into place.

JULIETTE smiles politely, checks her watch, and continues forward on the stage. A new shelf is pushed on stage in front of the cereal shelf, with various items in stages of disarray. JULIETTE notices the chaos, and—after a few moments of visible internal struggle—chooses to straighten the items. During this, the actor portraying the ELDERLY MAN has shuffled to the edge of the stage and obviously broken out of character. He quickly throws on a pair of glasses and a nametag which had been concealed in his pocket, somewhat mocking the hectic pace of the play. Enter MR. HITCH.

MR. HITCH
Jules! You busy?

JULIETTE
Well, actually, Mr. Hitch…

MR. HITCH
Ahh, you can straighten shelves later. Walk with me a moment.

MR. HITCH begins a leisurely stroll to the other side of the stage while Juliette compulsively straightens a few last things. A shelf of movies and a cart full of yellow labels is pushed onto the side of the stage nearest MR. HITCH. Juliette jogs over to him.

JULIETTE
Sir, I really have to get to the back room. I have a very, very important phone call to make and technically I’m on my fifteen minute–

MR. HITCH
(Clearly not listening)
Okay, here’s the schlemiel. Barbara in loss prevention gave me the numbers for September this morning. Juliette, guess how much merchandise was unaccounted for in Big Men’s Apparel.

JULIETTE
I don’t know, Mr. Hitch. Really, this is great and I’m sure it’s very important and I respect that, but right now I have to—

MR. HITCH
Seventy eight dollars. Seventy eight dollars! In Big Men’s! Can you believe that? How does somebody even smuggle such a giant pair of pants out of the store? I mean, do they just sort of… ball them up? Are they wearing them out? Maybe we need more dressing room attendants. Or more of those little ball-shaped ceiling camera things. Jules, you can tell Cathy to call me about getting more ball-cameras when we’re done here, right?

JULIETTE
Uh…

MR. HITCH
Excellent. Okay. What I want you to do with all of these labels here is… are you ready for this? And don’t just say yes, because I mean ‘are you seriously ready?’ This is a big exciting deal and I don’t just let anyone have this kind of opportunity. I mean it’s going to make waves store-wide. Juliette? Are you ready to put store number 7812 on the map?

JULIETTE stares uncomfortably.

MR. HITCH
Juliette?

JULIETTE
Er, yes Mr. Hitch. I’m ready. I guess.

MR. HITCH
All right. What you’re going to do with these is—

Over the loudspeaker, a voice calls: “Mr. Hitch to the service desk for one-thousand, please, Mr. Hitch to the service desk for one-thousand.”

MR. HITCH
Ah, darn, that’s me. I’ll be back in a jiffy, Juliette, you stay right there.
(Jogging off stage past the disorderly shelf)
Don’t go anywhere now!

An extremely pained and desperate look comes across JULIETTE’s face, but it is quickly replaced with one of panic as a shrill scream issues from off stage. A girl runs on stage and picks frantically through the movies.

GIRL
Oh my god! You don’t have 800?!

JULIETTE
I.. uh.. I’m sorry, eight-hundred of what?

GIRL
No, you know, 800? The movie that single-handedly changed the genre of historical fiction?

JULIETTE
Oh, you mean the one about that Greek army that fought some other army?

GIRL
Ugh, it’s not just about any Greek army and some dumb old fight. It’s about honor! And glory! And victory! And… and… sexy mostly-naked beefcakes in bronze-belted leather jock straps!

JULIETTE
Oh… well. Look, miss, I’m very sorry we’re out of 500…

GIRL
800!

JULIETTE
Right, 800… anyway, I’m sure that All-mart or Farnes & Toble will have what you’re looking for. Unfortunately I’m in kind of a hurry. See, I’m supposed to be on my break and I have some important errands to attend to… you understand.

GIRL
What?! No! Please! You’ve got to understand! I want this movie more than Patrick Dempsey taped to Orlando Bloom taped to—

JULIETTE
Brent Spiner, I know.

GIRL
Who?

JULIETTE
What?

GIRL
Come on, what about the copy that’s playing on that plasma screen TV over there? Can’t you just do me a little favor and sneak a different DVD in there so I can have that copy? Please?!

JULIETTE
I’m sorry miss, I can’t. It just… wouldn’t be right.

GIRL
Who cares?!

JULIETTE
Well, I do. If I’m going to be a lawyer someday I can’t just be running around breaking the rules for people.

GIRL
Seriously, lawyers break the rules all the time. If you’re ever going to survive in court, you’re going to have to get used to it.

JULIETTE
Well, not this lawyer. I’m going to change the face of justice.

GIRL
But it’s 800! The most desirable film ever created!

JULIETTE
I’m sorry, miss. You really should check with the other department stores if it means that much to you.

GIRL
(Frustratedly)
Ugh. Okay. Fine. That’s great. Hey, thanks for your help anyway, even if you obviously don’t understand the depth or importance of this film.

Exit GIRL. Juliette checks her watch yet again and looks around a bit, anxiously, then decides to continue toward the back room, moving forward on the stage.

JULIETTE
I guess I really don’t understand the “depth” of the film. I don’t have much respect for movies that rely on things like spectacular fight scenes or cheap sight gags.
Suddenly, JULIETTE is cut off by MR. HITCH pulling a cart full of produce (a cheap sight gag).
MR. HITCH
Hey, there’s my girl! Listen, why don’t you go on back to straightening those shelves. I’ll catch up with you later about that cart of labels. Did you see the fruit came in? We’re clearing out a section of Sporting Goods to have an expanded Pantry! Oh, and we’re also adding a section of building supplies to Home and Garden, so watch out for the glass movers, will you Jules? Ciao!

JULIETTE
Glass movers—what?!

JULIETTE sighs, checks her watch yet again, and begins rushing toward the break room, moving slightly further forward on the stage.

JULIETTE
(Bitterly)
Oh, great. Awesome. Four minutes left. Nice work, Juliette. If I had just taken Victoria’s advice instead of being miss perfect employee, I wouldn’t be in this damn—

A man and woman move a large pane of glass across the stage directly in front of JULIETTE.

JULIETTE
(Sighing)
Of course.

VICTORIA runs on stage in a panic and grabs JULIETTE by the arm, dragging her all the way to the back of the stage where the service desk is rolled back in. All other shelves are subsequently rolled away.

VICTORIA
(Frantically)
Juliette, it’s a disaster!

JULIETTE
Victoria, calm down. Now I would love to help you figure this out, and I can if you’ll just give me two minutes to get to the back room and make a call…

VICTORIA
The register tape, Juliette! We’re out of register tape! Dan’s on two with about seven old ladies with about sixty cans of cat food…
A sudden look of stunned horror appears on VICTORIA’S face.
Juliette… do you have any idea what old ladies will do if they find out they can’t get a receipt? How will they know we scanned their coupons? What will they file away in the box at home?! Juliette, what if an old lady comes through with a purchase order on a 29 inch flat screen television and a—

JULIETTE grabs VICTORIA’s shoulders and shakes her violently.

JULIETTE
Victoria! Listen to me. We can figure this out. You hear me? We’re going to find you some register tape. Why?

JULIETTE climbs atop the service desk and stands.

JULIETTE
(Shouting)
Because it’s what we do! Are we All-mart employees?

There is no response. Pause.

JULIETTE
(Still shouting)
I said: are we All-mart employees?!

Still no response.

JULIETTE
(More quietly)
Victoria, we don’t work at All-mart, you’re supposed to say no.

VICTORIA
Oh. Uh, no!

JULIETTE
(Shouting with renewed vigor)
Are we Barget employees?!

VICTORIA climbs up onto the desk as well.

VICTORIA
(Shouting back)
No!

JULIETTE
Are we Farnes & Toble employees?!

BOTH
No!

JULIETTE
(Still shouting)
Did you look under register seven?!

VICTORIA
No!
Pause. VICTORIA brings her hands to her face in shock and triumph.
That’s it! There’s tape under seven!

VICTORIA jumps from the desk and runs to the edge of the stage before turning back to face JULIETTE.

VICTORIA
(Dramatically)
Juliette… thank you! You truly are the most helpful of Store Mart employees!

JULIETTE salutes VICTORIA proudly and watches as she trots off stage. Suddenly, she remembers her goal, checks her watch, and with renewed determination bounds off the top of the desk and “sprints” in an exaggerated slow motion. A song not unlike “Chariots of Fire” plays in the background. As she moves forward on the stage, the shelves are rolled in to create the illusion of moving through the store. Occasionally, characters we have met previously pop their heads out to watch her pass, moving in an equally exaggerated and slow fashion, changing their minimal costuming without leaving the stage. JULIETTE continues to jog for about 30 seconds after the customers disappear to allow the two other actors to change characters and prepare for their next entrance. As JULIETTE reaches the front portion of the stage, the music cuts out, the slow motion stops, and MR. HITCH steps in accompanied by a woman in a suit jacket and glasses.

MR. HITCH
Juliette, a moment please?

JULIETTE takes a deep breath and throws up her arms, annoyed.

JULIETTE
(Quickly and in as few breaths as possible)
Mr. Hitch, I’m sorry that I can’t stop to talk to you, but I have been on my fifteen minute break since 12:45 and everyone keeps interrupting me with their little problems and I just can’t seem to get to the back room where my cell phone is so I can call Mr. Boon from Boon & Morrow and say yes to the internship that will get me out of this one horse town and into the fast-paced world of American law that I’ve been dreaming of since I first tied my sister Joyce to a plastic Barbie chair and cross-examined her for ten hours until the babysitter got off the phone and made us clean the—

MR. HITCH
Er, Juliette…

JULIETTE
(Not listening)
…And the toilet was already clogged with doll heads so it took like six hours and I just kept shouting “objection! Objection!” and Joyce was crying buckets—

MR. HITCH
Juliette!

JULIETTE
(Snapping out of her tangent)
Mr. Hitch, I just don’t have time to do what you want right now. I have to make that call before one o’clock!

JULIETTE walks past MR. HITCH.

MR. HITCH
(Gently)
Jules… it’s 1:02.

JULIETTE
So I’ll talk to you after I…

JULIETTE stops and appears severely confused.

MR. HITCH
Your break was over two minutes ago. I’m sorry.

JULIETTE
What? But I… my internship…

JULIETTE plops down onto the floor to sit with her head in her hands.

JULIETTE
(Defeatedly)
I… lost my internship. My future is gone. Over.

MR. HITCH gets down on one knee.

MR. HITCH
Juliette, come on now. We both know your heart wasn’t really in that law firm.

JULIETTE
…What? Mr. Hitch, I’ve wanted to be a lawyer ever since… since…

MR. HITCH
Since you tied up and interrogated your sister like a lot of siblings do? You know as well as I do that doesn’t mean you were meant to be a lawyer. Everyone has childhood plans that fall through. I wanted to be a circus clown. Twenty years later I discovered I had a knack for management. I see that knack in you, Juliette.

JULIETTE
You really think so?

MR. HITCH
Sure, I’ve seen you with the customers. You’re warm, receptive, helpful. As an employee, you play by the rules and know what it takes to have a task done well. In fact, Miss Hedgeworth here was just saying how impressed she was with your leadership in Victoria’s little register tape fiasco.

The woman with the jacket waves politely to identify herself.

MISS HEDGEWORTH
Annabel Hedgeworth from Store Mart Headquarters. I have to say, I’m quite impressed with your initiative.

MR. HITCH
Miss Hedgeworth arrived this morning to have a look around at oversee the changes and additions to the store.

MISS HEDGEWORTH
Yes, but I’m also here to scout for management interns. If I may be frank, I think you’re exactly what I’m looking for.

JULIETTE
Miss Hedgeworth, I’m not sure what to say.

MR. HITCH
Say yes! What other opportunity will you have to learn the art of running a great store, fostering real progress, aiding customers in need and enforcing the rules?

JULIETTE
You mean… the just life?

MISS HEDGEWORTH
Well if you want to put it that way, I suppose so, yes. Juliette, will you join us?

JULIETTE looks back and forth between MR. HITCH and MISS HEDGEWORTH. After a few moments of deliberation, she jumps to her feet and shakes MISS HEDGEWORTH’s hand.

JULIETTE
Where do I sign up?

Blackout.

Image : http://www.flickr.com

If you saw the dramatic weight loss Medifast both Kristy Swanson (Buffy The Vampire Slayer) and Genie Francis (Laura enjoyed General Hospital), you are probably very impressed and fascinated. Finally, both women lost almost forty pounds, and Kristy Swanson is now a very slim size 4 after birth.

I know what you think, because I was thinking the same thing. It is likely that the results off of something, because these women are celebritiesDiscovering and are probably a principal and / or a coach who had a lot to do with their success.

Before starting Medifast, I researched how these women did. And yes, Genie Francis, who has a coach, but I think what? The genius is not really a sport, even with help. In an interview with Soap Opera Digest, reveals the genius who, with the insistence of his coach, is now twelve minutes per mile. Now I welcome these efforts. But I really do not think any moremotivated staff would need a coach to finally reach one miles twelve minutes. I'm not an athlete, either, and only recently started working out. I only go for power, while my daughter rides her bike next to me. There is nothing difficult. I think a twelve minutes miles would not be too much of a stretch for me, finally, celebrities, even without a coach.

I have not seen any documentation regarding the Kristy with a trainer. She often said that jogging with his son Max in a stroller. However, they were ratherAthletic on skating with celebrities, so you never know.

As a chef, I really do not need a Medifast because they are mainly just the assembly of pre-packaged meals. When you add the water, using a blender, or open a package that really are the skills you need. Yes, you have to do such a "lean and green" meal a day, but it is as simple as putting the lean meat on a grill and opening to the pool, a salad packed.

I am not denying that celebrities have many advantages.But in relation to this diet, I believe that if you eat food, and add a little exercise, you lose weight. I lost over 70 pounds and I can assure you I am nothing more than a normal 35-year-mother, old woman. I am living proof that you can do this, celebrities or not.

Our traditional view of leaders—as special people who set the direction, make key decisions, and energize the troops—is deeply rooted in an individualistic and nonsystematic worldview. Especially in the West, leaders are heroes—great men (and occasionally women) who rise to the fore in times of crisis. So long as such myths prevail, they reinforce a focus on short-term events and charismatic heroes rather than on systematic forces and collective learning.

Leadership in learning organizations centers on subtler and ultimately more important work. In a learning organization, leaders’ roles differ dramatically from that of the charismatic decision-maker. Leaders are designers, teachers, and stewards. These roles require new skills: the ability to build shared vision, to bring to the surface and challenge prevailing mental models, and to foster more systematic patterns of thinking. Leaders are responsible for building organizations where people are continually expanding their capabilities to shape their future—that is, leaders are responsible for learning.

My Consultancy–Asif J. Mir - Management Consultant–transforms organizations where people have the freedom to be creative, a place that brings out the best in everybody–an open, fair place where people have a sense that what they do matters. For details please visit www.asifjmir.com, and my Lectures.

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Okay, so. The boy troubles?

I guess they’re gone, although if anything else happens I’m sure I’ll be motivated to write about it. But, hey, if he can barely look at me, I think I can figure it out.

Maybe I’m being neurotic and fatalistic and dramatic. I probably am, in fact. I am just uncomfortable, since, after I explained myself, he said he needed time to think.

Okay, I’m cool with that. After all, I’d need to think about it, too. Even though
a.) I’m not too ugly
b.) I’m not too fat
c.) I’m decent to talk to if you get me going, and
d.) I really didn’t think I suck that much,
I’ll give him thinking time. I’m the kind of person, who, when faced with the possibility of change, likes to sit and weigh the posiitives and negatives of the situation. So I get it. I really get it.

But, seriously. If his first response is “just let me think about it,” maybe… maybe there’s something else. Someone else. Granted I pretty much sprang it on him. Christ, I’m dumb.

And then Sarah tells me there are other girls he’s been talking to. And not like just-talking girls, either. I’m talking about the kind of girls that do the talk that I’d been doing. Which is to say the “I like you” kind.

So, what is he, some kind of playa? How funny. But how annoying.

And crap! It’s not as if I don’t have a life, I do. I’m crazy-busy allllll the time. And I’m willing to sacrifice a slice of that crammed time for a boy I barely know who’s caught my attention. Do I want to date him? Nooo. Do I want to have my way with him?

That’s so outrageous, and probably the answer to that is no, too. But I should be able to add some frivolity to my life, shouldn’t I? A little fun.

And damn it, I just have to say that if– yet again– I am the second option, or third, or fourth, I am quitting. I’m not a quitter, and I never really have been. I’ll say it, spur-of-the-moment, and not be serious about it at all.

But here, I am. I’m thinking clearly and perfectly serious. If this doesn’t work out, and I’ve done everything wrong again, I’m just going to live out the rest of high school as a monk. Danse, mon moine, danse, because there’s nothing else to do but dance around in circles and circles like the spinning top that “moine” is also slang for. I’m always circling around, never stopping, never settling anywhere that wants me.

I just won’t involve myself with boys after this. They don’t like me anyway, I don’t know why I bother. And I’m not just beating myself up, here, because do you see any boys lining up for me? No, sir. You don’t.

So whatever. I have enough to do. If straightforwardness isn’t enough to accomplish what I want it to, then I’m finished here. And that’s how it’s gona go down.

One more in my series of short tones. This one sounds like a soap opera sound when something bad just happened. A strange cartoon soap opera, sure, but whatever.

Next week, original funkiness.

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Jorge

In 2006 I went on a tour of Cross River state in Nigeria. Well, the northern part of the state mostly. With a couple of my school mates, we visited one of Nigeria’s destinations.
Getting there was fun in an odd way. We actualy traveled by road which was bumpy for the most part. Anyway, the landscape changed dramaticaly as we got closer and closer. Though you might want to keep your camera on, so that you can take some good photos. There are no photos of the road trip itself here. But, there are a few photos of the ranch.

 When visiting, make sure to include warm clothing in your luggage (its quite cold). The ranch has a number of sights of its own, which include: the grotto, horses, lush vegetation, waterfalls, a golf-course (for golf  lovers) and certainly cow i.e. its a cattle ranch of course.  Guests can buy natural honey gotten from bees that are kept on the ranch itself. Also, fresh Yoghurt is available for your delight.  Regular burnfires may be organised on request.

At the bottom of the mountain (at the ranch) is a lovely swimming pool. And you know what, there’s no way you can resist it. its just too tempting. So, along with your warm clothing pack a swim-suit.

Coming to Obudu from outside Nigeria, you shuold complete the necessary travel requirements. You know like your passport and visa. Your flight should land either at Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, Abuja or Murtala Mohammed Airport, lagos. While here, you can get a flight to the Obudu airstrip by Aero Contractors (its an airline here) or simply go by road. 

Though its quite a distance from either Lagos or Abuja. Get a bus going to Enugu, Enugu state. Then from there to Abakaliki in Ebonyi state.  And then from there to Ogoja, Cross River State. From this point its easy. Just get a vehicle to Obudu ranch. Again you should be able to get a vehicle directly from Abakaliki to Obudu. Either way, please keep in mind that you might have to rest/logde. There journey by road may not be completed during the day, so I suggest  you sleep over at a good hotel.

Hey, I know it seems an endless journey, but its worth it when you arrive at the ranch. For those travelers who can afford private charter I’m sure you can get there much more easily. Anyway, Luminoustraveler advises that you prepare adequately for your trip. And endeavor to use the right sources in getting the right information. Nice and easy.