A little over a year ago DJ K.O. burst onto the scene with his debut album Picture This… which featured some of hip-hop’s illest emcees and producers. The compilation paired up artists like Talib Kweli, Royce Da 5′9″, Phonte, eLZhi and more over beats from the likes of 9th Wonder, Black Milk & !llmind to name a few.

He’s now returned to the scene again with Living Out A State of Mind Vol. 1, the first installment of a year long series of EP’s that will be released on a monthly basis.

This EP is set to showcase the entire Elementality family: Analogic | DaveNotti | DJ K.O. | East | Laudz | M. Josephine | MadKem | Silent Knight.

Hit any of the links below for a download of the brand new EP!!

DOWNLOAD: DJ K.O. – Living Out A State of Mind Vol. 1 | Mediafire| Band Camp

We Build Solutions Inc.

With the new tax credit available for Canadians I thought I might have to jump on the band wagon. So far, 2 of my girlfriends have taken advantage of this credit and then I thought, well why shouldn’t I? They gave me a business card for We Build Solutions Inc. I spoke to one of the employees and he explained to me how they could help me. Basically, they would do everything for me as far as contacting contractors, finding resources and making sure that my vision comes to reality. I guess you could call them the middlemen or like a wedding planner’s role in helping to plan a wedding. However, this has to do with house renovations.

Well, I’m happy to say that they did a wonderful job with my bathroom reno. AMAZING!!! And I managed to stay on budget which is even more amazing.

Their office is based out of Vancouver. And I just wanted to rave about this company as they saved me time from googling random contractors from the internet.
Check out my before and after pics:

Before & After Washroom

My imagination is set on a voyage to the past.

 I can see the Athenian thinkers and artists mingling with their Indian counterparts, following the occupation of the Punjab by Alexander the Great. It was a rare coming together of the East and the West, on equal terms, because the Greek conqueror was a visionary, who appreciated nobility, without stamping any one as an enemy.

The following centuries saw an awakening, nowhere else witnessed in the history of the world. The two races produced a hybrid, as marriage between them was encouraged by the Emperor. The plains watered by the R. Sindhu (Indus) and its five tributaries, gained the name panch ab or PUNJAB which produces the food grains, enough to feed the whole of north India!

 What a pity, it is unlawfully divided along communal lines, by short sighted politicians.

He sat in the car and rested himself on the steering wheel.

Royal Exchange, City of London, EC3

Looking at all the other parked cars, he thought to himself they’re so much poorer than me.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

‘Shameful Flight’ relates the history of the final years of the British Raj in India, including the partition of India into both Pakistan (West and East) and India, and the early hostility of the two new nations destined for perpetual warfare in such regions as the Kashmir.The history of this era of political instability on the subcontinent includes all the main players from Great Britain, India and Pakistan.These main players include Winston Churchill, Viceroy Louis Mountbatten, Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Nehru and Quaid-i-Azam Jinnah. There is not a single figure in this history of India’s partition who comes out of it in a good light, though several seem to have had very well-intentioned aims and motivations. It is the true story of lost opportunity and the devastating consequences of human pride and selfishness that have reverberated down through the decades to the present day and remain visible in the continuing clashes between India and Pakistan, as well as in the extremism expressed in both the Islamic and Hindu communities throughout the sub-continent. It is a story of perpetual tragedy and human suffering with no end in sight.

This book is extremely easy to read, passes on a wealth of historical information and whets the appetite for further research on the India/Pakistan situation. It provides enlightenment, by bringing understanding to the current political instability in both India and Pakistan, by clearly revealing the root of the problem – the manner of the birth of both nations out of British imperialism and that nation’s final haphazard departure aptly described as a ‘Shameful Flight.’ This is a great book for understanding the sub-continent and the wounds it still carries to this day.

This book was provided to me for review by Oxford University Press – www.oup.com

Here are Ways #s 4 and 5 from the last post which promised you 5 Ways to Be More Great-full (Boost Your Gratitude Attitude)…

#4: FAMILY (or couple’s) GRATITUDE BOOK
We just spent a very pleasant hour doing this great art & writing interactive project. So simple and yet so meaningful and fun! Quality family time!

We do not watch television, nor do our children. We are dedicated to parenting consciously and strive to support a vibration of love in our household. Yet, given that my husband and I are both entrepreneurs, with seven businesses between the two of us, and given that our children are still quite young, we know how important and sometimes challenging it can be to come up ideas (not to mention time, energy and materials) for positive family experiences.

I myself am about the least craftsy person you will ever meet and can draw a stick figure on a good day! So believe me when I tell you: Yes, you CAN do this project, and probably with what’s already available in your home. It really ranks high on simple, high on fun, high on memorable, and low on expense. (I can NEVER do those Origami things, puuleeeeeazzze, can we talk?)

Thanksgiving weekend is the perfect time to do this Family Gratitude Book…but of course so is any day that ends in “y.” Monday, Tuesday…. Enjoy!

Materials:

All you need is:

Some blank paper (we used printer or copy paper, white)

Construction paper

Ribbon or brass brads to secure the book

Markers, pencils, hole punch and/or scissors

Optional: Stickers, stamps, other art supplies, scrapbook, photos

Definitely: A little bit of time and lots of love!

We started by making a brainstormed list of everything we are grateful for. You can do this any way you like; follow your own creative impulses & inspiration. We have four family members, so I decided to color code what we wrote on this collective page or you could just all write and draw without attributing who said/drew what, or make a chart, have sections of the page, etc. The things my 6-year-old called out first were written in yellow, my 10-year-old chose blue, I picked purple and my husband green. We made a color key on the page and wrote and drew various things we are thankful for: Our dog came first, followed by a lovely torrent such as family and friends, food, a good home, music, the Earth, music, health, God, life and so on.

Then I gave each family member a separate page on which to do whatever they like, the only requirement being that whatever is on the page relates to or represents what they are thankful for. We stuck in some more blank pages, so we can add more later as we are inspired.

The kids each got to pick a color for the front and back covers. The older did the words, the younger did the drawings. We punched holes, added brads, all signed the masterpiece and voila! A Family Gratitude Book.

Not only a wonderful way to spend part of our Thanksgiving Day, but a precious keepsake, and, I trust, a new family tradition as well. We will be sharing this book with family all weekend long and inviting them to add to it as well. And of course, it can be done any day! Every day bears its own gifts if we just open the package.

Today we focused mainly on what we are thankful for in our current lives (now), but we could also include wonderful memories (past) and gratitude for all the blessings on the way! (future)

Alternative for Couples: You can also do this as a Couple’s Gratitude Book or Journal, a beautiful way to show appreciation and deepen connection. So few marriages last or are happy, as we all know, and I am blessed to have a deliriously, deLIGHTfully ecstatic marriage, 12 years strong and better every day. One of the reasons is of course, the selection of the right mate; but in order to do so, we had to do the necessary self-healing and inner preparation to bring whole, healthy individuals to the relationship. Much of this work is presented in my book: The Radical Self-Love Workbook. But it is also essential to nurture even the best of relationships, and my husband and I do so daily in many creative ways such as this.

More tips on love and relationships are at

www.LoveandSpirit.org

and at my love blog: loveandspiritblog.wordpress.com.

Whether you do the Gratitude Book as a homemade book like we did today, like a scrapbook or journal, and whether you do it as a family activity or a couple’s relationship-enhancer, it will help you see your life through the eyes of love and gratitude, and bring you even closer with those you love. Enjoy! And I welcome you to send me a comment or email to share your experience.

#5: Honor the 4 Directions and 4 Sacred Elements:

Earth, Air, Fire, Water

You do not have to be Native American to appreciate one of their traditions, which is to honor the Medicine Wheel, facing each of the four directions, thanking each one for their gifts. This is also a tradition in all indigenous cultures including pre-Christian Europe (a.k.a. Wicca, Druidry, paganism, et al.), Africa, Australia, Hawaii and South America.

In fact, if you scratch the surface beneath contemporary religions on any part of the Earth, you will find an ancient shamanic tradition that honors all the directions and all of nature as sacred.

All things follow this cycle of birth, growth, fruition and quietude, whether we are looking at seasons, a lifespan, a day, or a garden. The beauty of Medicine Wheel ceremony and the paradigm itself is that it can be applied to our lives in so many ways.

So how do you honor the directions and elements, to give thanks for what they give to us so generously? Here are a few ideas:

* Altar: Create an altar to each direction or a Medicine Wheel altar encompassing all the directions/elements. This can be in your home or outside. My husband specializes in creating Medicine Wheels as a sacred practice on the land, and has helped others to do this as well.

* Cherokee Dance of Life – You would need to learn this in person from someone who has learned it, oral tradition. This is an incredible moving meditation to all 4 directions, peoples, and elements which also honors Mother Earth and Father Sky, balances their energies as sacred partners in our hearts, and helps us give away the gifts of Spirit that are our special medicine to share with the world through our right work and service. Occasionally my husband and I share this Dance with our community. If you live near Sacramento, and would like to experience this dance, let us know so we can invite you. Or perhaps Spirit will guide you to another teacher of this beautiful tradition.

* Drum, chant, play flute to each direction

* Give offerings such as cornmeal, tobacco or sage smoke to each direction

* Speak aloud from your heart to each direction and give thanks

* Sweat lodge

* Vision quest

If you do either sweat lodge or vision quest, please do so with the guidance of a Native elder to be sure you do it properly and safely.

* Journal or journey (shamanic meditation) to discover what power animals comprise your personal Medicine Wheel of your own energy field. I love to lead these meditations when I am called to do so. Honoring your own inner Medicine Wheel supports a strong aura and keeps you connected to your spirit guides, if this resonates for you.

Associations with Each Direction

Depending on which culture or even which tribe you consult, there are somewhat different associations with the directions, colors, elements and meanings, the medicine or power that direction helps us receive and embody. The one I am most familiar with follows but this is not dogma, merely a summary of what I have found to be the more universal associations. Follow your own heart and work with any spiritual practice in the way that resonates for your own heart and inner truth.

While I have a small amount of native blood, I was adopted and was not raised in that tradition. I discovered shamanism after my initiation and spiritual awakening 15 years ago. I do not claim to be a tribal elder or teacher of any one tradition. I am an interfaith minister, meditation teacher, hypnotherapist, energy healer and intuitive life coach. I have been on the path of Spirit, studying, practicing and sharing healing and wisdom teachings from many cultures for several decades, so I offer here a simplified summary as a starting point for your discovery journey. You would do well to study more in depth with a local teacher steeped in the particular tradition that calls to your spirit, and of course feel free to research further on the Web, in books, classes, and listen to your own inner guidance. I always say the best way to pray, do ceremony or ritual is the way that feels best to you, with harm to none, of course. But we do need to honor the specific traditions so they are not all diluted through multiculturalism.

From the East we have the yellow people (Asia) and the gift of Air, Brother Wind, clarity of vision, inspiration, the new day, new beginnings, establishment of purpose and intention, and springtime.

From South, we receive the wisdom of the black people (Africa), Fire. The tools, strength, perseverance and energy to follow through and manifest, midday/ noon, summer, also humor and passion, innocence and trust.

The West gives us the culture of the Red people (such as Native Americans), the setting sun, Water, emotions, the fall season, self-evaluation toward completion, looks-within time, peace, rest and healing.

And the North represents the White (European) people and all their cultural gift. The sacred mountain, winter, midnight, time to slow down, go within and be still to receive guidance for what comes next. Completion, what you keep from the past cycle and all that you have accomplished and learned. It is also associated with the Spirit and wisdom.

Note: You can also honor the other 3 directions: Earth (below), Sky (above) and Center (within).

I hope you enjoyed these five creative ways to give thanks and I wish you abundant blessings on your journey!

Finally, in the spirit of Sufi mystic poet Rumi, I invite you to kiss the ground. Blow kisses to the sky. Bow to everything. Everything is sacred.

With Love,

Sage

More resources for your path, including free special reports on abundance, love, transformational classes, soul and energy healing sessions, intuitive readings, matchmaking and more are at:

www.LoveandSpirit.org

Taylor@LoveandSpirit.org

“Let the beauty we love be what we do.

There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground.”

- Rumi

When: 28th & 29th November 2009

Where: Wrest Park, Bedfordshire

£: 5.20 for adults & 2.60 for children

What is it?

The state rooms of Wrest Park play host to a Christmas Craft & Design Show.  Pick up a special gift for your loved ones or simply treat yourself!

More info: Christmas Craft & Design Show

Very happy Sashimi added.

So yes, my long suffering fans… I have returned, perhaps 5 kilograms heavier than when I left, with an immeasurable desire for ostrich biltong, and a nice tan.

The holiday to South Africa rocked. We got to do some familial bonding time, and a fair amount of time got spent with the friends. Mr & Mrs B… many thanks for the awesome trip to Knysna and back… much obliged. Now come and visit us so we can return the favour. Wooz and SPF… it was great to be able to spend so much time with you guys… thanks for taking the leave and making it all possible. Chris and Lily and Megan… thanks for the accomodation and for letting us skank up your bathroom one week before your wedding.

So. This Blog has been built up by three weeks absence, and is bound to be a little longer than normal. As usual, if you want to skip the personal stuff, jump ahead to the line of asterisks at the end of this piece.

South Africa. Well well. It was an absolutely awesome trip. One of my favourite things to do in the whole world is to get a car that I like driving and then to take a long road trip. And the wife and I got to do just that with her family. The four of us piled into their car and drove off on what worked out to be an insanely expensive, but very enjoyable experience. And my god did we shop. Everything from Chutney to Cuckoo Clocks went into that car.

Let’s see, first stop was the Willows in Port Elizabeth. This was a classic little caravan/chalet place, and we got a two-bedroomed chalet for the four of us. Very comfortable, very clean and so close to the sea that even my youngest students could throw a stone into the water from the living room. We were there for two nights… and used the time soaking up some much-needed shopping. And thus began my fixation with finding the perfect pie on the holiday. See… the wife and I recently stopped being vegetarian and started eating seafood. Well… poultry has been added to the pile of edibles now… meaning that Chicken was back on the menu. (For the record, we still don’t eat mammals…. which means that yes, TURKEY is back on the menu for Christmas.) With chicken scratching at the doormat, I started in on Chicken Pies.

Woolworths to the rescue. AWESOME chicken and mushroom pie. Try it. Very good.

An aside – If it feels as if all the wife and I did on this holiday was sleep and eat, well… we feel that way too. It was a great holiday.

After PE, we drove on to Sedgefield…. chosen because it was nice and close to Knysna, which was where our friends Stompie and Jax were getting married. Yes… we did it all on this trip, weddings included. The place in Sedgefield was fantastic, the view was simply unbeatable.

Stompie and Jax threw themselves a Euro-funded Afro-ethnic wedding. And it was really a great evening. Good to be able to catch up with them again, as we hadn’t seen them since leaving Ireland. The wedding itself was out-standing and if their friends are anything to go by, they’ll be blessed in the future.

After the wedding it was a case of doing some family time in and around Knysna and George. We took in the sights of Hoekwil and Wilderness, the former very rustic, the latter full of sea spray.
Much seafood was eaten. Much chicken was eaten.

One of the highlights for the wife and I of the Sedgefield trip was a visit to the Wild Oats Farmer’s market… where local farmers sold their wares. (Mainly foodstuffs, but some raw produce too.) We got to soak up a little culture…

It was here that I found the undisputed BEST chicken pie in South Africa. The Steam Whistle Stop Pie company, operating out of god-knows where, but with a stand at the market.

After Sedgefield, there remained only the trip back to East London, which took much longer than expected. This is because of a little known family problem. Fact: If you place two women with disposable income in the back seat of a car, they will hatch plans to visit as many farm stalls as possible on the way back home. This is in a misguided effort to fill the car with very fattening farm foodstuffs and home produce. Thus, some 600 kilometres, 23 pieces of fudge, a half-dozen bottles of chutney, three full wheels of cheese, and 39 farm stalls later….. the entire Western Cape was denuded of produce, the car was groaning on its springs and we got home. To a huge dinner cooked by my sister in law.

The rest of the trip was spent with friends and family. I got to get in a fair amount of roleplaying with Wooz and the bunch, and even GMed a demo session for Jebb and his bunch. An obnoxiously large amount of time was spent virtually supine on Wooz’ patio drinking coffee… which is the perfect way to conduct oneself on holiday. Besides, the view from there isn’t half bad either.

Three weeks flew by with absolutely no regard for how much it cost us to get there, or indeed just how long 14 hours in economy class feels. (Particularly when you are bloated on fudge and chicken pies.)
There were tears, there were hugs and then we were gone.

To everyone who made the effort, thanks a hell of a lot guys, it was a vastly enjoyable experience.

************

And let’s get on with the jokes and stuff shall we?

The Truth About College:

SOCIOLOGY: For sheer lack of intelligibility, sociology is far and
away the number one subject. I sat through hundreds of hours of
sociology courses, and read gobs of sociology writing, and I never
once heard or read a coherent statement. This is because sociologists
want to be considered scientists, so they spend most of their time
translating simple, obvious observations into scientific-sounding code.
If you plan to major in sociology, you’ll have to learn to do the same
thing. For example, suppose you have observed that children cry when they
fall down. You should write: “Methodological observation of the
sociometrical behavior tendencies of prematurated isolates indicates that
a causal relationship exists between groundward tropism and lachrimatory
behavior forms.” If you can keep this up for 50 or 60 pages, you will get
a large government grant.

This weeks musical talent comes to you from the talented Ms. Nina Simone. This one is called Strange Fruit. And if it is depressing, well, it is meant to be. Give yourself a search for the lyrics. Sometimes, I am sad to be a human.

And that is that.. .. if there appears to be a lack of linkage in this blog, sorry… but 3 weeks without internet means that I didn’t find as many interesting things. Next time. K?

Ciao
Yeti out.

By Cara Sulieman

A WINDSWEPT Susan Boyle breezed back into Scotland yesterday (Wed) after making a flying visit to America to launch her debut album.

And with her first disc ‘I Dreamed A Dream’ already going down a storm in the charts, SuBo said the outlook had never looked sunnier.

Sheltering from rain and gales with her trademark hair protected by a hood, she wandered around her locals shops almost unnoticed at first back in her West Lothian hometown of Blackburn.

Sporting a bright red scarf – complete with a badge of her pet cat Pebbles – she was eventually stopped by overjoyed friends and school children keen to welcome the star back home.

“Brilliant”

But she admitted her new jet-set lifestyle had left her a little bleary eyed.

Smiling Susan, 48, said: “I got back from America this morning and am a little jet lagged. New York was absolutely brilliant.”

Asked how promoting the new album was going, she grinned broadly, and said: “I hope everyone likes it.”

The Britain’s Got Talent performer protected herself from the elements with a light cream waterproof jacket.

But there was no hiding her new found celebrity when she was spotted by school kids eager to take her picture on their phones.

Breaking records

Despite looking tired, the star still took her time to talk to the kids, before walking home in the rain.

SuBo sold more than 130,000 copies of her album in the first day when it was released on Monday.

The Britain’s Got Talent Star is also widely rumoured to be outstripping the rest of the week’s top five albums combined.

If she sells more than 363,735 copies by Sunday – she will go down in history as having the fastest selling debut album in UK history.

The record was previously set by the Arctic Monkeys’ when they released ‘Whatever People Say I Am’ in January 2006.

See more of our pictures at our Flickr site and videos at our dedicated channel,  Deadline TV.

For the NYC peeps up in WDC!  DJ Clark Kent is continuing his creative streak with these new high-top AF1’s.

DJ Clark Kent has created a fictitious basketball team for Nike sportswear called the EAST Warriors to be part of his own collection for the brand.  The EAST Warriors collection will be unveiled at Nike Sportswear at 21 Mercer this Wednesday the 25th of November, where DJ Clark Kent will be playing some tunes. There will also be a limited edition shoebox and NYC chenille patch inspired by the footwear and apparel from the collection. You can get you hands on the East Warriors from November 27th at most Nike stockists.

via Hypebeast.

I was talking to a guy friend whose  life is dependent on dessert, about my favourite Rum Ball, & he has no clue what a rum ball is! So I went around asking & to my amazement, there are people in my circle of friends who have never heard of rum ball. Isn’t the two words quite straight forward? Rum. Ball. If you know what’s a chocolate ball, you must know rum ball too,  no?

Rum balls are little gem-like confection, very much like truffles but flavoured with rum. They obviously taste like rum & are sweet. Imagine you’re a chef & how upsetting & wasteful it is to throw away deformed (here meaning not perfect) cakes & brownies. So, these bits & crumbs are mixed into the cookie dough & flavoured with rum. Can also sprinkle some chopped or ground nuts like walnuts, almonds or marzipan (my favourite) before rolling into bite-sized pleasure. Wiki says they are roughly the size of a golf ball but I rarely see this size in Singapore.

Best rum ball in town $1

Katong Shopping Centre L1

Got kick. I eat this when I’m happy, sad, hungry, need that extra boost for the day or have the extra dollar. Actually, almost everyday, any reason (: It’s a popular Christmas treat in New Zealand, Austria, Australia, Canada & Hungary but my craving for it never stops.

It’s moist, smooooth, richly layered & voluptuously decadent. I’m considering making Rummies for Christmas this year (: Friends, you’re in luck. 

The best rum ball I’ve eaten is from this small bakery run by old people. Nice ones. They don’t want to share their secret recipe though I believe I contribute a substantial part of their revenue . But they did tell me it takes them 3 days to make, so here’s a picture of the legend (featured last week on some food show on Channel U).

I went to Brighton for a day at the seaside on Sunday, damn was the weather rough.  As soon as I turned the corner onto the coast road I was pushed back by the wind and literally felt bruised by the rain.  The sea was crazy rough with the highest waves that I have ever seen in the UK.  In fact higher waves than I saw in California this summer.  Pretty intense.

Here’s a taster, obviously other cooler pictures will feature in an obligatory facebook album that shall appear at a later date.

Stand by for a real blog entry tomorrow.

By Cara Sulieman

A SCOTTISH teacher has said that school kids should be encouraged to use Wikipedia for school research, despite doubts over the accuracy of the information on the site.

Ollie Bray, deputy head teacher at Musselburgh Grammar, said that pupils should use it to learn how to evaluate the credibility of information.

But the online encyclopaedia has a reputation for being unreliable as anyone can edit the information it carries, and parent groups say it makes their kids “lazy”.

There have been a number of high profile mistakes on the site – just last week Thierry Henry’s entry had to be locked as angry users vandalised his profile after his handball during the France Ireland football game.

Discussion

But Ollie insists Wikipedia is a valuable teaching tool – and reckons it is better to teach pupils how to use it properly rather than ban it.

He said: “We, as teachers, should be looking at these disclaimers and working with young people to discuss why articles are disputed or contradict themselves.

“If we start with the belief that everything is subject to opinion, then we can work on how to validate it.”

He suggests teachers and pupils study the “discussion”, “source” and “history” tabs on the website.

The discussion tab will show the youngsters how much debate goes into reaching a compromise when changing disputed facts.

Better access

And he thinks that these skills should be taught alongside internet safety and responsible use, as biased information could also be seen as “inappropriate content”.

He said: “There is extreme content on the internet, but kids only find it because they go looking for it.”

And the teacher – who is currently working for Learning and Teaching Scotland as a national adviser for emerging technologies – also wants kids to have better access to sites such as YouTube, which is banned in some schools and allowed in others.

He said: “Why is it fair that children in East Lothian can get access to hundreds of hours on Channel 4, National Geographic or the Scottish Parliament, when other schools and teachers have not got access to these resources?

“It means that children don’t get to benefit from it, or the teacher or head has to spend time procuring resources which are available for free.”

IT savvy

But the internet site has been blamed for making Scottish schoolchildren lazy, with parents worried that their kids are relying on someone else to do all the hard work for them.

Eleanor Coner from the Scottish Parent Teacher Council said: “Children are very IT-savvy, but they are rubbish at researching.

“The sad fact is most children these days use libraries for computers, not the books. We accept that as a sign of the times, but schools must teach pupils not to believe everything they read.

“It’s dangerous when the internet is littered with opinion and inaccurate information which could be taken as fact.”

Although Wikipedia is edited by its users, the site monitors the changes and responds to inaccuracies when it can.

A disclaimer on the site says: “While Wikipedia articles generally attain a good standard after editing, it is important to note that fledgling, or less well monitored, articles may be susceptible to vandalism and insertion of false information.”

See more of our pictures at our Flickr site and videos at our dedicated channel,  Deadline TV.

today,

a butterfly came into my garden.

as she dances in unison to the arty balinese theme,

i watched her flutter-

her sweet nonchalance

permeates the air..

through shimmering light,

her beauty was eternal.

an aphrodite of everyones dream.

as she captivates my gaze,

then resting on my finger,

a camaraderie entered.

inside my envelope,

i too fluttered.

i became a butterfly she is!

what seems momentary

became a gamut of embrace,

of kisses,

of one.

what seems impossible

was en routed

because today,

in fantabulous effervescence,

a butterfly

came into my garden.

Poppy, who went missing outside the Dogs Trust in West Calder

 

By Cara Sulieman

A GREYHOUND has made a mad dash for freedom as she was being moved to a re-homing centre.

Poppy had been looked after by a local charity for the last three months and was on her way to the Dogs Trust re-homing centre in West Calder when she slipped out of her harness and ran away.

And now Lois Sinclair – who rescued the two-year-old pooch – is desperate to find her and help her get the happy home she deserves.

As the black greyhound is frightened of people, the charities are asking for people to call in any sightings of the pup rather than try and catch her themselves.

“Sweet but nervous”

Lois is so determined to find the ex-racing dog that she said she will go out any time of day or night to track her down.

She said: “Poppy is a very sweet little dog but nervous, especially with men.

“Although she’s nervous she trusts me and I think I am the only person she will answer to, which is why I will go out any time of day or night and try to find her if we get a sighting.”

The pooch escaped as she was being taken towards the reception of the Dogs Trust building in West Calder last Monday, and has been out in the howling winds and lashing rain ever since.

“Terrified”

Despite two sightings near Livingston and search parties going out every day, there is still no sign of the canine.

The pooch was brought to Lois after being a racing greyhound, but she doesn’t know what has caused the dog to be so nervous.

Lois said: “Poppy had been a racing greyhound she wasn’t racing anymore so she was brought to me three months ago.

“She is terrified of men so people shouldn’t approach her.

“You just don’t know what has happened to them before they come here. I don’t go choosing the dogs – I will take any dog and deal with any problems they have.

“Moving Poppy to the Dogs Trust was a chance to get some help with her behaviour to try and make her less nervous.”

“Keep eyes peeled”

Staff from the Dogs Trust have also been out searching for the dog, and are keen to find her so they can start helping Poppy with her behavioural problems.

Susan Tonner, manager at the West Calder re-homing centre, said: “Poppy is terrified of strangers, particularly men, so is likely to be hiding in a secluded spot without access to water or food.

“As she’s so scared of people we think she will stay away from built up areas, but we’re asking the public to keep their eyes peeled and check their outhouses and sheds for her.

“She is black but has white paws and a white ‘bib’ on her chest.”

Any sightings of Poppy should be reported to Dogs Trust on 01506 873459 or Lois Sinclair at Gracehounds on 07989 963556.

See more of our pictures at our Flickr site and videos at our dedicated channel,  Deadline TV.

After several nervous glances at his face she began to realise that, up close, he was not what she had been hoping for.

Dagenham & Redbridge FC, Victoria Road, Barking and Dagenham, RM10

In fact he was not even half of what she had been day-dreaming about.

I was able to catch up with Mr. Emilio Rojas and chop it up with him about his latest release “The Natural” presented by Dj Greenlantern– as always, it was an interesting convo to hear the insight on how the project came to be….werrrrdemup.

Interview with Emilio Rojas :: LISTEN HERE

These days, all are talking critical of Obama.
Forget he is the President of the USA.
He is a professor, visiting a land, home to the oldest civilisation in the world. The ingenuity of the Chinese is phenominal. They rejected the doctrinaire approach of the communist party leaders in Moscow, who concentrated on the working class movement in the coastal cities, which was crushed by Chiang Kaishek; instead, Mao realised that the PEASANTRY IN THE INTERIOR OF CHINA WAS CAPABLE OF BRINGING IN, A NEW SOCIETY THERE. He was a genius.
After the revolution, China became powerful, combining man power and technology. Today, it is the most powerful country in the world. The US IS ONLY A PAPER TIGER, as Mao was fond of saying, too old to run like the Chinese and burdened with the unenviable responsibility of reviving Capitalism, a dead horse!
Obama realised all this. If there is one nation, capable of saving the US, it is China.
We in India must realise this. It is no use feeling let down by history.
Women and children are always exploited by the mafia, in India.
Without the collusion of the police and the government officials, it is impossible for them to conduct their business.
Corruption is endemic in our system. All people concerned with the illegal activities, get regular pay packets, free from income tax. What else do they want?
(Sitting here in my room I can get pass port, visa, license for my gun, illegally brought from blacksmiths in UP, Engineering degree, if I spend enough money. I can get a girl of any age.)
China is progressing and we are stagnating.

The sun is rising in the East!

it’s not often that i get inspired to write about something right away, but when i’ve eaten at a venue three times, three days in a row… it becomes just cause to do it sooner than my usual glacial pace.

now, much has been written about the lot ten food court prior to its opening which, from my reading anyway, touched a lot more on the style and aesthetic aspects, rather than the substance. it is understandable seeing that it was written prior to the opening.

“It will feature 27 restaurants and kiosks against the backdrop charm of olden-day pushcarts and sedan chairs that are reminiscent of rustic lifestyles with modern alleyways.” – well, i didn’t count the restaurant or kiosks, the only pushcarts i saw were of the dimsum lady and the drinks man (stainless steel / aluminum) and this food court in no way makes me reminisce my childhood days (and i daresay that i hail from a rustic lifestyle sort of background). well maybe a little. the narrow secondary alleyways are dotted with numerous pillars adorned with mirrors… it reminded me of my fairground days and running in the hall of mirrors. but you get used to it by your second or third visit, and you might be inspired to play hide and seek with your friends.

thankfully the raison d’etre of hutong is it’s saving grace. it features, what i think, are the two most magical words in kl dining. non-halal another blog had heralded it’s opening, and it was through his recommendation that i had tried the famous hon kee congee. now, i really like congee as i do make it at home as well, and for my maiden visit i ordered the pork-ball variant with egg and you tiao. while i did find the price a little steep for a food court (just over RM9 with all the trimmings), it was thoroughly satisfying and flavourful. bursting with taste from the broth, the generous serving is sure to tide you through the rest of the day. my colleague ordered it on day two and couldn’t finish hers.

day two was also when i was famished and wanted to eat everything in sight. as the dimsum lady came, i ordered the siew mai, which was very good. dotted with crab roe, it went very well with the porky flavour at every bite. however, be warned, it’s not cheap. at RM7.20 i was rather shocked. i had to ask the dimsum lady three times to confirm the price, and yes, that was for one serving of three very standard sized pieces. so taken aback i was… i had forgotten to take a photo of it.

i had noticed that the wantan mee stall consistently had the longest queue during peak weekday lunch hour, and in the first two days i didn’t bother. on friday (day 3), i finally braved the 10 person queue, and thought, since weekend was around the corner and that i’d burn it off with cupious amounts of exercise, i’d order two portions (the other to be shared with a colleague). the first was the curry char siew wantan mee.

it was superb! now, i’m not a huge fan of wantan mee, but will give it a go if someone tells me of a great one. the ones sold from this stall really made me a convert. i will no doubt be eating this dish (alternating with the wantan mee) over and over again. with a generous smattering of the char siew and taufu bits, a curry broth that had a fine balance of spicyness and tinge of sweetness, and noodles so springy it could bounce, i ended up not sharing much of this at all. ditto for the wantan mee.

my colleague noticed that the stall owner poured a whitish broth over the dish just before serving… must be his secret thing… we both wondered what it was, for a brief moment before devouring three servings between the two of us. you can see a bit of that broth in the photo above.

other dishes sampled by my colleagues are shown below. the first is the yee mee, the second is black pepper sauce seafood with rice, and the third is the beef ball noodle (the first two come from “little wok”). i’m not so certain if the beef ball noodle is the same one found at tengkat tong shin, where quite a few people go on a late fri/sat night after an evening of drunken madness. i tried a bit of everything, and it was very tasty.

my experiences in hutong have been brilliant… it’s a great place to eat! on day three i did see farah khan walking with her staff through the food court, my guess is, she might be checking out the competition to her dome cafe. surprising figure to recognise in a “food court”. i also chanced upon what must have been “media day”, for the man francis yeoh himself was walking the press around… they were taking photos of the various owners at their best… but curiously this was the day their biggest seller (wantan mee) was closed. perhaps monday is their day off. a shame, but everyone deserves a day off.

it’s also a great place to just observe kl’s corporate types seeking their porcine fix for the week… and enjoying their meal with colleagues and/or friends. oh yes, i am also very happy that kluang station opened an outlet there. their iced cham (a mixed blend of coffee and tea) is a personal favourite. i only regret that they don’t have a full kitchen as i do enjoy their mee siam and nasi lemak on occasion.

if eating there during peak mealtimes, do remember to bring a cologne spritzer with you, as you might end up smelling like your favourite dish, as open air seating near the (sg wang facing entrance) escalators are limited.