“Take my hand. It’s okay, don’t be scared.”

“Where are we going?”

“Somewhere they can’t hurt us.”

“But I’ll hurt us…”

“You won’t.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because i trust you. And maybe i know you a little better than you do.”

Take my hand. It’s okay, don’t be scared. We’re going somewhere they can’t hurt us. We’re going somewhere warm. I know you hate the cold. Another thing we have in common. We’re going somewhere we’ll be alone. I know you hate people. So do i. Funny how we have so many in common. Coincidence? Doubt it. There’s no such thing.

I always hurt. Myself, you, everyone. I don’t want to.  I keep doing the same things over and over again. It’s like something is in my head, and it’s making me forget. I’m always so impulsive. I got that from my dad. I got his temperament too. I wish i could be more like my mom…

Did i tell you how perfect i think you are for me? I think you are more than perfect for me.

Keep me safe while i sleep. And I’ll keep you safe while you sleep. You look so peaceful when you sleep. And innocent. Just like a child. I love watching you sleep and cradling you in my arms. “And I’m wondering what you’re dreaming/ Wondering if it’s me you’re seeing”.

I wish i could be your heroine, just like you are my hero.

「innocent」
清春

問えば、答えをくれた。
僕よりか当たってるよね、きっと
今日は笑顔だろうか
出来るなら朗らかでいていいよ

例えば、目の前は夢
だとしたら怖くないよね、もっと

星よ、あなたなら暖かな数秒で
僕を愛した人に、
あとひとつ時を分けられるだろう？この出逢いで

君は遠く遠く影だった
あの純粋のままで　美しき夢を見てた
君は遠く遠く手を振った
ただ純愛の世界で美しさだけを追ったまま

星よ、あなたなら暖かな数秒で
僕が愛した人に、
またひとつ時を分けられるだろう？この出逢いで

君は遠く遠く影だった
あの純粋の世界で　美しき夢を見てた
君は弱く弱く影だった
ただ純粋の瞳で　美しさだけを追った

君はずっとずっと空見ては
まだ純粋の中で　美しき夢を抱いたまま

~♦~

‘innocent’
by Kiyoharu

When I asked, you gave me the answer.
You’ve got it more correct than I, don’t you?
Do you have a smile on your face today?
If possible, I’d be happy if you could be cheerful

For example, even if what’s before your eyes is a dream
you still wouldn’t be scared, would you?

Oh stars, if it were you, in a few warm seconds
you could divide the one remaining hour with the person who loved me,
with this encounter

You were a distant, distant shadow
In that innocent state, you saw a beautiful dream
You waved your hand from far, far away
Merely chasing after beauty over all else in a world of pure love

Oh stars, if it were you, in a few warm seconds
you could once again divide this hour with the person I loved,
with this encounter

You were a distant, distant shadow
In that innocent state, you saw a beautiful dream
You waved your hand from far, far away
With pure eyes you chased after beauty over all else

You were always, always looking at the sky,
still amid innocence, embracing a beautiful dream

It is a cute custom to pardon a turkey each year. I hope that President Obama will now pardon one of the innocent babies due to be aborted. What is the use of looking after the poor turkey and killing the unborn?

Now I have a word for the Kennedy Family, not all of them,  but only those members of the Kennedy family, who are for abortion etc.  Your wealth, fame and power, won’t be any good to you when you come to judgement before God after your death, so don’t imagine that it will.

Day 8:  I went for a walk today with family in tow.  My son to my surprise gave me a bunch of Jacaranda flowers.  I am famous for teasing him, and said “How sweet, will you marry me?”  His reply was “I wish I could” ……………..the ahhhh moment.  I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face.  How sweet and innocent and kind to have your son wish he was able to marry you (not in a weird way).  So today I am grateful for my son’s unconditional love.

Day 8: Jacaranda Flowers

Letter from Umm Ibrahim, Wife of an Italian Terror Suspect

Source : Helptheprisoners.org

Date : 19th November 2009

Asalam alaykum. My name is umm ibrahim and I pray that this letter finds you in good health and imaan and high spirits. I am writing to you to tell you some problems that wives of accused muslims face.

My husband is in prison at the moment facing terrorism charges. From the moment they arrested him, everything changed for me and my family, and the kids as well. I always praise Allah(swt) still though for the favours he has given to me. I am your sister, wearing the niqab, and already this is a big problem in this country. Everyone looks at you with suspicion and prejudice. I didn’t mind too much before, but since my husband was arrested they start to shout at me and insult me, in front of my kids on the street or on the bus. The Italian authorities are trying to take my children away from me because their father is in prison. The landlord also wants to kick us out of the house, as soon as he heard my husband was arrested. We are also entitled to some state benefits, but they refuse to provide any help whatsoever.

In Italy, there is no organisation to help us, because anyone who does help is threatened by the government. We have four children, aged 10,7,6 and 4, 3 boys one girl. My husbands family in his country (Tunisia) suffer a lot of persecution from the Tunisian government. One of his brothers has been tortured and humiliated by the Tunisian security services. His whole family are under stress continuously.

My husband has the same nationality as me, Bosnian, but the Bosnian government took away his citizenship, so that they can deport him to Tunisia. In Tunisia he has already been sentenced to 50 years imprisonment in absentenia.

Every day is a hard day for me in this country (Italy). The neighbours, the state are all against me and my family in every way. It’s a lot of oppression against me and my family, and only for reason : that I am a muslim.

My brother I have many battles to fight in this country every day, may Allah(st) help me. I am just writing to you so that other muslims around the world may know my story, and if they can help in any way whatsoever. Imagine I had a court hearing with the government, they tried to take my children away from me because I was wearing the niqab! With my husband in prison it is so hard to fight this by myself.

May Allah(swt) give us all the patience to continue, ameen.

Wa Salamu Alaikum, may Allah(swt) give the good end, ameen.

Umm Ibrahim

p.s. If any of the sisters wish to write to Umm Ibrahim, please send an email to helptheprisoners@yahoo.co.uk

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Dream 2 of this week was scribbled down, this time in my regular messy writing, not all-caps but joined and very scruffy. I also drew a little drawing to try and remember an element of me dream. A beach. It had a statue on it which looked kind of like that American Rod thing in Washington DC, or like the black towers in Digimon. Was weird. Here we go with the badly structured, written and remembered notes.

“I have special powers (levitation) when A and his sisters take me to a beach (used to be Palestinian, Serbian?) – There is a statue and I close my eyes and can levitate – either no-one sees me or cares. (Dream, Weds 18/11/09)

Then L has powers takes ring pull of can removes from inside from the side and re-attaches. - Friend talks about living with father as does unknown, quite large South Asian guy?

I, in different kind of story pass through building (dome shape) land in chair seating area – only little girl notices – I make my way somewhere. Don’t remember.

At work and watching a movie from 2 producers - a woman (looks like Lindsay Lohan but is nice / friendly) is there – I keep taking oranges from reduction and putting back in place while B does opposite. This happens twice before he explains – comes to scene where woman is naked and with a man – she explains the movie is called terminator, but rather than it being a joke she looks upset – starts crying while she is comforted by me – I feel sorry - don’t know why.”

Right. It isn’t exactly a pornographic movie but it seems to be that this woman really didn’t like seeing the movie being played seemingly in a random place on a rubbish old television with video in a supermarket. On top of this was me not being able to understand either why this whole idea existed or why it was at my work and including people I’d never thought I’d dream about.

The way it started was very different, with the superpowers. It felt so cool. What I didn’t seem to write down but remember is that we took public transport after the first part on the beach to a bridge. That’s where the discussion about father came up and where I, from the free way, levitated towards a building with quite a bit of teeth gritting difficulty to land on the side of this building which was more harsh a curve than the millennium dome but very similar. I then, with more eye closing and teeth gritting passed through it to land on a chair standing upright, only to be noticed by a single person. A little girl.

At the beach part it seemed like I knew a lot about this almost mythical history, of some different culture that had been forgotten and where this scene with the statue, also right near a bridge – albeit a lot quieter with seemingly no nearby traffic, released dormant powers in chosen people. This was another cool dream I thought would be a good adaptation to a story. But it’s not complete, the picture is bare and it seems to make little sense to me why it’s so random, jumping from about 3 to 4 different scenes and changing faces of friends and people I know while inventing about 3 new people at the same time.

I wrote a note on my phone a little bit later on, like something hit me suddenly about the dream that I had to record…

“It was night time on the tiny beach. Moon and stars were out. It was beautiful.”

The Beach with the Statue

Iedere dag traint hij zes uur, maand in maand uit. En dat zijn slopende sessies van hardlopen, slaan tegen bokszakken, en natuurlijk de onvermijdelijke sparringpartijen in de ring. Al die inspanningen, gezweet en geploeter waren niet voor niets: als profbokser is hij al  twintig keer ongeslagen.  Maar de nodige mentale hardheid werd niet gevormd in de boksschool maar op straat.  Als voormalig illegale dakloze heeft bokser Innocent niet alleen zijn plaatsje veroverd op de ranglijsten maar ook in de maatschappij.
Er was niks! Géén stromend water, géén elektra, géén school noch een ziekenhuis. Wat er wel was? Honger! Voor een beter leven verliet hij Nigeria en vertrok naar het naburige Gabon, wat ook niet opschoot want dat was terechtkomen in de spreekwoordelijke drup. Als verstekeling op een schip liet Innocent Afrika achter zich.
‘Ik wist niet eens wat de bestemming van dat schip was’, begint hij zijn levensverhaal. ‘Zonder reispapieren of documenten kwam ik aan in  Amerika. Als illegaal bega je daar een misdrijf en ik werd voor een jaar opgesloten in de gevangenis’. Hoe raar ook maar achter de tralies ontdekte hij iets dat zijn latere leven ingrijpend zou veranderen. ‘In de gevangenis zag ik op de televisie bokswedstrijden van Mike Tyson. Dat had ik nooit gezien, prachtig man. Dat wilde ik ook. Om sterker te worden begon ik met opdrukken. De hele dag door’. Gespierder maar nog even berooid werd hij een jaar later op het vliegtuig gezet. Op Schiphol werd hij achtergelaten, en aan de genade van de autoriteiten overgeleverd. Na twee maanden opsluiting werd Innocent de straat op geschopt. Wat zijn huis was? De hele stad! Als dakloze, zonder één cent, moest hij het zien te rooien.
‘Ik moest letterlijk overleven. In de Bijlmer kon ik wel eens in een kerk slapen, maar dat hield ook niet over. Ik vroeg iedereen om werk. In Nigeria was ik automonteur. Als ik een gulden had was ik heel blij’. Van vijftig gulden, verdiend met een reparatieklusje, kon de latere champ twee maanden leven, want een beetje rijst, dat  hij iedere dag at, kost niet veel. En toen kwam het keerpunt in zijn leven. En waar dat plaatsvond? Op de Albert Cuijp! Want daar bevindt zich de boksschool van gelijke naam, toentertijd  geleid door Ruud van de Linde. Innocent, dakloos, illegaal, mét een lege knorrende maag, liep gewoon naar binnen en vertelde dat hij bokser wilde worden.
‘Als jij dat wilt’, antwoordde Martin Jansen, de trainer van dienst, ‘dan leer ik jou dat’. En dat was het begin van een unieke samenwerking. ‘Martin maakte voor mij een trainingsprogramma. We trainden keihard. Dat was wel een rare tijd. Na de training sliep ik gewoon op straat of in die kerk. Via Martin kreeg ik wat geld en kon een kamer huren’.  Martin Jansen, in zijn vrije tijd bokstrainer, maar van beroep advocaat, begon structuur in het leven van de Nigeriaanse dakloze te brengen. Niet alleen maatschappelijk ontfermde Jansen zich over de supervedergewicht. Ook in de jungle van het boksen waar  Jansen ieder paadje weet, gidst hij zijn poulain overal door heen. Mede daardoor heeft Innocent tot nu toe de ‘boel’ heel kunnen houden. En  dat laatste komt ook op rekening van  dagelijks zes uur keiharde trainingen.
‘Mijn conditie is letterlijk van levensbelang. Ik ben prof, vecht vijf partijen per jaar en geloof me, die zijn héél zwaar. Dat zijn gevechten over twaalf ronden van drie minuten elk. Wat voor trainer Martin is? Ik kan geen betere hebben.  ’s Morgens om zes uur begin ik met een duurloop. Ik ben dan niet alleen. Martin is er dan bij. Ik zie hem meer als mijn grote broer dan als trainer. Ik heb nooit iemand gezien die zo goed is. Ondanks zijn drukke advocatenkantoor staat hij altijd klaar. De man is heel betrouwbaar. Afspraak is bij hem afspraak.’ Sinds de samenwerking tussen trainer en bokser stijgt niet alleen de  sportieve maar ook de maatschappelijke curvelijn van de voorheen dakloze illegaal. Als professioneel is Innocent, 28 jaar, al twintig partijen ongeslagen, is kampioen van dit land maar ook van de Benelux, en staat op de Afrikaanse rankinlist als derde genoteerd. Maatschappelijk heeft de 1,64 meter grote  en 58 kilo wegende pugilist ook geen klagen.
‘Ik heb een vriendin, ben vader geworden en heb ook de Nederlandse nationaliteit verkregen. Ik ben een heel gelukkig mens.’ Zijn geluk en succes heeft de nu Amsterdamse vuistvechter niet alleen aan zijn trainer te danken. Er is volgens hem nog iemand die veel invloed op zijn leven heeft: God! Want zonder Hem zag het leven er iets anders uit. Innocent gaat uitleggen. ’Toen het minder ging vroeg ik mij altijd af of ik de enige was. Maar God had een plan met mij. Ik moest vol houden en dat heeft mij sterk gemaakt. Tussen de trainingen door studeer ik in de bijbel’.
In de bokswereld is Innocent een bekende verschijning. Tijdens de grote toernooien, zoals afgelopen maand in Carré, vormt hij de hoofdmoot. Alleen daarom al kent de gemiddelde Amsterdamse sportliefhebber hem. In de Bijlmer zal hij ongetwijfeld de grote held zijn, wat dus niet zo is. ‘Ik heb nooit contact met de Nigeriaanse gemeenschap gehad. Veel voormalige landgenoten kennen mij niet eens. Ik wil dolgraag dat ze naar mijn wedstrijden komen kijken.’
En als afsluiting nog even een paar stichtelijke woorden, want indachtig de woorden van Hem dat je je naaste lief moet hebben is Innocent een maatschappelijk project gestart. ‘Ik ben bezig met een stichting, _ be Innocent Foundation _ waar ik, naast het boksen, al mijn energie in stop. Want weet je wat nou dé rede was dat ik mijn land verliet? Waarom ik mijn leven op het spel zette?  Géén vers water, géén medische zorg en géén school! Deze drie basisvoorzieningen wil ik daarom realiseren in mijn geboortedorp. We hebben geografisch onderzoek gedaan en er is water waar je niet eens diep voor hoeft te boren. En als alles mee zit, komt dat  ziekenhuisje én dat schooltje er ook. Ik ben op zoek naar financiële steun. Iedere cent is welkom’.

Geplaatst: Mug, november 2009. Foto Bert Kops

Use them to street up your duck.

LES FORUMS…

Je vais y allez assez directement, l’autre jour je faisait une recherche, je ne me souviens plus trop quoi, et je suis tomber sur une jeune fille de environ 12 ans avec un body de fille de genre 16-17 ans, arranger avec PhotoShop naturellement   et ça avait même pas rapport à ce que je cherchait en passant et même avec PSP on peux le faire, je l’aie faite avec moi je vais vous le montrer, c’est vite faite, mais j’ai mise la face d’Annie Brocoli, mais avec mon corps, c’est assez Weird   t’checker ben!

Avec des retouches encore plus minutieuse, alors j’aurais pu faire en sorte qu’il y aie pas de noir autour de mon cou, ce sont mes cheveux, mais vous voyez comme c’est facile!!!

Je veux juste dire ne NE PAS METTRE DE PHOTOS SUR UN FORUM STIE de vos enfants, c’est trop facile pour les pédo calvaire, on dirait qu’il y à du monde qui comprennent pas ça encore me semble dommage pour elles / eux

Je vous dit ça, parce que quand je vais voir dans mon panneau d’administration alors je vois les recherches faite genre;

-Photos d’enfant nue

-Fesse d’enfant

-Fesse d’enfant nue…etc etc etc, c’est assez weird merci, esti d’pourrie sale.

Moi je vais dans un forum depuis 3 ans env et il y à une section “album photo” et il n’y à que les membres “actif” qui peuvent y allez avec un accès qu’on demande à l’administratrice, et encore la il faut avoir plus de 500 messages d’écrits et plus, alors c’est bien je trouve, mais encore la, je ne mettrait pas la photos de mes nièces et neveu, au cas ou!!!

Mais c’est pas mayoche qui va pensé à ça, je pense qu’elle ne pense pas pantoute celle-là

Anyway, faite ce que vous voulez, je m’en fou, moi je n’aie pas d’enfants, mais j’ai des nièces et neveu parzempe!!! et JAMAIS je ne mettrais leur photos nul part, ni sur un forum ni sur mon Blogue, anyway, je ne sais pas ce que pense le monde en mettant la photo de leurs enfants, et petits enfants, mais être dans leur peau, je ne le ferais pas, that’s it, mais je ne le suis pas…alors!!!

Bye

PS: C’est un pensez-y bien.

I`ll keep this first part brief since I don’t think many of you are wrestling fans but I went to see the WWE on Sunday and OMG!!!!!!! It was amazing!

My seats weren’t as good this time as I was stuck in the middle of a row and that meant I could shoot to the ringside as quick but nothing was coming between me and my wrestlers so with a bit of pushing I made it there!

C M Punk and Christian

Look how close I got! Ladies, are you starting to see why I like wrestling so much? 3 1/2 hours of hot muscley men, whats not to like?  

This is the one I REALLY wanted to see though: 

I have watched wrestling since I was little, I grew up watching this man on tv, he is my childhood idol and to actually see him in REAL life was a dream come true.

I was so close to him, he came over to the barrier where I was at as well,  at that point I think my heart stopped!

Anyhow it was a great night overall and I cant wait to go again sometime. Being there made me think about what I am missing out on in life, I`m missing out on having fun. Every day to me is just the same boring ritual and I can’t seem to bring myself to ever let go and have fun, I dont smile anymore, I dont have any interest in anything, I dont look forward to anything, overall I’ve lost the ability to enjoy life.

I feel like I am constantly stuck in the middle, stuck between two people, wanting one thing, feeling another. It’s like with my ed I am not recovered but I`m not desperately ill like I used to be, I can still exist and live a reasonable life as I am, I can work and I can function. Part of me wants to get better and be normal again but then part of me wants to get thinner and sicker. I took a  photo of myself at the wrestling and I just can’t look at it, all I do is look at my face and think my cheeks are to fat and I begin to remember how I had razor sharp cheekbones when I was thinner.

I want to meet someone and have that fairytale romance and fall madly in love and get married but then part of me gets scared at the thought of that, part of me is terrified of getting close to someone. I dont think I`d ever be able to let go and loosen up enough to let someone in, to just let go and have fun with someone, have a proper relationship, I feel so rigid and like an ice queen.

I want to enjoy life and have a job that I love and live in a country I love and do things I enjoy but then part of me worries about the practicalities of life, I need a job with job security so I should go to university and do the logical choice of being a Radiographer. Then I begin to worry even further, I dont want to go to uni, I`m terrified of the thought, of being all alone again with no friends because I just cant make friends, of not fearing I had made the wrong choice and was forever stuck in this career now. Fearing that I`ll be trapped and wont get to achieve me dreams of moving abroad.

Sometimes I think that maybe I think to much?

Sunday was a chaotic day with trying to get things ready for the week and trying to get ready for the show, so I didnt have much time and needed something quick for dinner. Much to my delight last week I stumbled upon some Veg Pots!!!!!!!! Only problem being the shop I got them in is ages away but anyhow I got to try a new flavour for me:

The Mexican Sweet Potato Chilli: This was a spicy veg pot with brown rice, jalapeno peppers, potato, sweet potato, a whole range of beans and lots of other stuff mixed in!

As usual Innocent Veg Pots never fail, this was just delicious! It was pretty spicy compared to their other ranges but then I`m not very good with spicy food so others might not think so. I love how each pot is just packed full with veggies and beans , the only down side is they are all pretty low in protein content so I had a grilled chicken breast with this as well to bump that up. It seems like such a simple recipe, I wish I could re create it because they really are so good!

Well I`m away now to watch some I`m a celeb and see some celebs get tortured in the jungle, night all!

Oletteko törmänneet ilmiöön nimeltä downshifting, joka tarkoittaa sitä, että elämäntahtia hiljennetään? Kunnianhimoinen uraohjus ilmoittaa yllättäen muuttavansa maalle viljelemään luomuperunoita tai jäävänsä sapattivapaalle pohtimaan elämäntarkoitusta. Näitä tarinoita on tullut enenevissä määrin vastaan taantuman aikana, kun ihmiset ovat yt-rumbassa joutuneet miettimään elämäänsä ja uraansa. Taantuma näyttääkin toimivan katalyyttina itsetutkiskelulle ja arvojen punnitsemiselle. Yritystä, jossa on saattanut työskennellä vuosikausia arvioidaan yhtäkkiä uusin silmin, eikä se välttämättä olekaan enää se yritys, jonne aikoinaan asteli into piukeana töihin tai sitten huomaa itse kasvaneensa toiseen suuntaan.

Ilmiö näkyy myös kulutuksen puolella. Tanskalainen futurologi Anne Lise Kjaer on puhunut jo pidemmän aikaa emotionaalisesta kuluttamisesta. Kestävä kehitys ja terveys ovat kuluttajille yhä tärkeämpiä ja niiden merkittävyys ostokriteereinä kasvaa jatkuvasti. Emotionaalisessa kuluttamisessa merkitys on materiaa tärkeämpää ja tulevien sukupolvien hyvinvoinnista kannetaan huolta. Vastuullisuuden nousun myötä emotionaalinen kuluttaminen on saavuttanut megatrendin aseman ja siitä kuulee käytettävän myös nimeä merkityksellinen kuluttaminen. Merkityksellisyys on hyväntekemistä ympäristölle tai itselle, mieluiten molemmille. Merkityksellisessä kuluttamisessa korostuu läpinäkyvyys, joka on oleellista tuotetta tai palvelua arvioitaessa. Mitä vain myyntiväittämiä ei niellä. Yritysten suuremmasta tarkoituksesta ja filosofiasta ollaan kiinnostuneita.

Myös Suomessa vaikuttavia LOHAS (lifestyle of health and sustainability)-kuluttajia ei kannata jättää huomiotta. Hill&Knowlton uutisoi toukokuussa, että Suomessa arvioidaan olevan yli 800 000 yli 15-vuotiasta LOHAS-kuluttajaa. Tämä tarkoittaa, että suomalaisesta aikuisväestöstä noin 15-20 % on LOHAS-kuluttajia. LOHAS-kuluttaja on kiinnostunut ja seuraa globaalisti taloutta, kulttuuria ja poliittisia päätöksiä. Tietoa peilataan oman maailmankuvan arvoihin.

Merkityksellisyys näkyy myös slow-liikkeessä, joka on syntynyt kiirettä vastaan. Liike syntyi alun perin edistämään slow-food-ajattelua, mutta on levinnyt sittemmin kattamaan myös muita alueita ja tänä päivänä siihen kuuluvat esimerkiksi slow cities, slow sex ja slow travel. Slow-liikkeessä on keskeistä löytää asioiden merkityksellisyys ja nauttia niistä hitaasti. Carl Honoré on kirjoittanut liikkeestä kirjan In the praise of slow.

Monet yritykset miettivät taantuman ikeessä strategioitaan uusiksi. Yksi tärkeä kysymys merkityksellisyyden trendi mielessä pitäen, joka kannattaa esittää itselleen on, mikä on olemassaolomme tarkoitus?

Tutustukaa innocentiin ja patagoniaan, niiden filosofia ja olemassaolon tarkoitus ei jää epäselväksi.

The police officer was driving 94mph with no lights or sirens, and was not headed towards a call when they smashed into two people making a left hand turn.  The police officer Jason Anderson has been charged with manslaughter and is currently on paid leave from the department.  How the fuck do you kill two civilians, and get paid leave?  Whats sad is most likely this story will be shuffled when the verdict comes in and this cop will get off lightly.  There are cops, and there are pigs.  Fucking oink.  [Full Story]

Author: Cisneros, Sandra

Title: The House on Mango Street

Genre: multicultural fiction

Publication Date: 1984

Geographical Setting: Chicago

Time Period: 1980s

Series: no

Plot Summary: Esperanza Cordero is an 11-year-old Mexican American girl growing up in a shabby apartment in the barrio of Chicago. She dreams of someday moving to an actual house with a yard – her version of the American dream. But first she must escape the oppressive environment around her, full of poverty, violence, fear, and disregard for women. She watches as a beloved aunt dies from illness, friends are married off before they reach eighth grade, and others stay trapped in their homes because they cannot speak English or they cannot go outside without their husband’s permission. Her only hope is to work hard in school and stay out of trouble. As a friend’s aunt reminds her, however, “When you leave, you must remember to come back for the others… you can’t erase what you know. You can’t forget who you are.”

The book is made up of short stories and lyrical prose that tell an overall story. Written in first person, the narration is childlike, telling the stories of Esperanza’s friends, family, and neighbors through her 11-year-old eyes. Cisneros writes thoughtful descriptions of Esperanza’s colorful neighborhood and the people who live in it. The stories are told like memories—not following a linear plot. Instead, readers get an inside look at what it is like to grow up poor and Hispanic in a big city. The mood is earnest, sad, yet hopeful, with an unresolved ending that you hope turns out well.

Appeal Terms: personal, nuanced, spare, simple, nonlinear, first person narration, moving, poetic, lyrical, vivid, innocent, coming of age story, character centered, intergenerational, descriptive, urban, unpretentious, colorful, serious, thoughtful, female empowerment in a male dominated culture, inspiring, Mexican American immigrant experience, violent, set in Chicago, unresolved ending

Subject Headings: Mexican American fiction – immigrant experience – home – memories – family and relationships – poverty – physical abuse – rape – short stories – adolescence – Latino neighborhoods of Chicago – female empowerment

Three Terms that Best Describe the Book: vivid imagery, coming-of-age story, immigrant experience

Three Nonfiction Titles:

Barrio: Photographs from Chicago’s Pilsen and Little Village by Paul D’Amato
- A collection of 90 images taken of life on the streets and in the homes of the Mexican American communities of Pilsen and Little Village.

Home: The Blueprint of Our Lives edited by John Edwards
- A collection of brief, evocative personal essays and photographs from 60 contributors—some famous, some not—about the houses they remember and family relationships.

The Latin Deli: Telling the Lives of Barrio Women by Judith Ortiz Cofer
- An autobiographical assortment of essays and poems

Three Fiction Titles:

How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez
- The story of four sisters who must adjust to life in America after having to flee from the Dominican Republic

Flight and Other Stories by Jose Skinner
- Realistic stories about Latinos living in the American Southwest

Migrations and Other Stories by Lisa Hernandez
- Short stories present the life, loves, and predicaments of very different Chicana women in America.

We did what we had to, our mission was over and done,

As we moved into the open, I took over as the team rear gun.

We reconned the village; no children were in sight,

This usually meant trouble; we could be in for a fight.

Two men at a time started through the vill’,

Not wanting to die, not wanting to kill.

We took our time, the way you had to in this dreaded war,

Was the enemy close, you never knew for sure.

I only saw it for a second, movement through a door,

I would recall this time for ever, ever more.

The barrel was silent, yet to crack its deadly sound,

My men were in danger, the enemy had been found.

I fired on reflex as I’ve done so many times before,

I would soon add another tragedy to this already ugly war.

My heart raced rapidly as I made it through the door,

I found a mother holding her child cuddled on the floor.

I stepped on a wooden stick, was this the sniper’s gun?

I then saw the blood and realized what I’d done.

I’ve seen this scene every night for all these many years,

Of the dead child and its mother’s many tears.

Michael D. Monfrooe

Mujahideen have been denying any involvement in bombing of civilian buildings, markets and bazaars but unfortunately, Pakistan’s secular media and pro-army highly paid experts are desperate to prove their loyalty to Kuffar of America.

Mujahideen have been denying any involvement in bombing of civilian buildings, markets and bazaars but unfortunately, Pakistan’s secular media and pro-army highly paid experts are desperate to prove their loyalty to Kuffar of America.

17 octobre dernier, Brooklyn. Un Américain de 19 ans est accusé de vol à main armée contre deux passants. Mais voilà, le jeune homme a déclaré avoir mis à jour son profil Facebook depuis l’ordinateur de son père à Harlem, quelques instants seulement avant l’agression. Un alibi électronique qui va le disculper aux yeux de la cour.

Les réseaux sociaux, une nouvelle arme juridique ?

Facebook serait-il en train de se substituer à toute enquête judiciaire ? En septembre dernier, un voleur avait été appréhendé grâce au réseau social le plus utilisé au monde. En effet, le malfrat avait alors mis à jour son statut depuis l’ordinateur de sa victime, en inscrivant alors « doing robbery » (en train de commettre un vol). Pas très futé, certes. Mais Facebook avait aussi permis à deux fillettes d’être sauvées alors qu’elles étaient coincées dans un collecteur d’eaux pluviales. Elles avaient updaté leur profil depuis leur téléphone portable, et leurs amis avaient alors alerté les autorités compétentes.

Et c’est aussi ce qui a sauvé Rodney Bradford, un jeune new-yorkais de 19 ans. Accusé d’avoir agressé deux passants à Brooklyn le 17 octobre, il avait clamé son innocence, avec comme seule preuve la mise à jour de son profil Facebook depuis l’ordinateur de son père, qui habite Harlem. L’accusation vérifie l’information auprès du réseau social : la connexion provenait bien de l’adresse IP du PC du père. Après douze jours d’incarcération, toutes les charges contre le jeune homme ont été abandonnées. Mais si son innocence ne faisait aucun doute, comment pouvait-on être sûr que c’était bien Rodney Bradford qui se trouvait derrière son ordinateur à ce moment-là ?

Cette affaire met directement en cause la confiance que peut attribuer la justice envers les preuves numériques. Car si le profil de Rodney avait effectivement été mis à jour quelques minutes avant l’agression, rien ne prouve qu’il est l’auteur de ce message. Avec un identifiant et un mot de passe, n’importe qui aurait pu se substituer à lui derrière le clavier. Pour son avocat, Robert Reuland, il s’agit néanmoins d’un « alibi solide », confirmé par le père et la belle-mère du suspect. Et c’est sans doute ce qui a conforté le jury dans sa décision de relaxer le présumé coupable au bout de deux mois. Comme quoi, demander à sa copine où elle a rangé les gâteaux peut vous éviter la prison. Merci Facebook.

Akyryn

1 Corinthians 11:1 AMP  Pattern yourselves after me [follow my example], as I imitate and follow Christ (the Messiah).

Paul spoke this sentence to the believers in Corinth.  Paul – the one who has been portrayed by many teachers and preachers through the years as proud and arrogant.  Paul – the one who has been made out to be a chauvinist.  Paul – who went after Christians in every way he could, even going so far as having them killed, attempting to stop the spread of the gospel prior to his dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus.  This same Paul has the audacity to say to believers to pattern themselves after him as he imitates and follows Christ.  How dare he say that?!  Would a humble Christian say that?!

Paul’s confidence appears to many to be self-confidence.  His boldness to declare in Acts 20:26, “I am innocent of the blood of all men,” looks like an outright lie to those who know his past.  That’s what stops most of us from telling others that we are innocent, or to follow us and imitate our example as we follow Christ.  We know the wrongs of our past, and we know others know them, too.  We would never consider ourselves good enough, pure enough, or righteous enough, so the last thing we’d want is for others to imitate us.  But is that what we are to consider?

Paul was not deceived, in denial, or suffering amnesia.  He practiced what he taught, and he taught what the Lord taught him – that we are to leave the past behind (even the positive) and press on toward the mark (Phil. 3:13-14).  He understood that when Jesus forgave His sins, they were no longer to be his focus, as they were truly washed away by His blood.  He needed but to go forward in the Lord, seeking to know Him more and to make Him known (Phil. 3:10) – not continually re-examining past sins, or receiving the judgments of others who wanted to do so.

When Paul called others to imitate him, there was no pride or self-confidence at all.  There was complete confidence in Who Jesus Christ is, knowing the power of the Holy Spirit alive in him, enabling him to follow Christ and lead others in the same way.  He knew the authority and the righteousness of Christ in him, and that God saw him as righteous because of Christ.  His focus was not on his sin, but on the completeness of Christ in him, Who is so much greater than all sin.  Jesus called Paul to follow Him and become His disciple, so he chose to do likewise.

As believers, we can have this same confidence in Christ – this same boldness to call others to follow our example.  It comes from focusing on our risen Savior, not on our old, fallen nature.  It also comes from believing the Word.  We have a new nature.  We are God’s righteousness, risen with Christ, seated with Him in heavenly realms.  It is not based on our feelings, but on His Word and what He has done.  He did it for Paul.  He’s done it for us.  Making disciples means giving them an example to follow.  So, like Paul, we can choose to say, “Follow me, as I follow Christ.”