I´m proud to be Romanian! You can´t imagine how proud I am! All my country-fellow-men are very open-minded, are OK with gay people and other people of different religious views than their own!
Romanians are very proud of whom they are. That´s what I have observed at least. So are Americans (including Canadians). But there is some heterogeneity among them. Americans are proud of their country (you get the impression they don´t feel American if they`re not NUMBER ONE! And take my word for it, if you tell them they´re not, some of them take it as an insult), Canadians, on the other hand, are usually proud of their friends (you´ll hear a lot of “I´m so proud of you” in Canada).
Romanians are proud of … being Romanians! Yep, that´s it! And every achievement of any Romanian (even if only a distant relative of his/her was from Romania) they attribute it to themselves. The logic is as following (Assume Person X invented something which turned out to beGREAT! therefore X=GREAT! & if X=Romanian and YOU=ROMANIAN too! therefore YOU=GREAT! )) q.e.d!

So, you should expect to see compilations of the major Romanian “achievements” of this kind:

to be quite popular. And indeed, it is! You would imagine a ten min for a youtube video would not be enough to list major discoveries and achievements. Think again… 5:30 is enough to include “defending four Penalties in a Row!” … and to make the Achievements video last longer: Don´t forget to PUT a ten seconds count down at the beginning!

Why are Romanians so proud of themselves? Probably because they compare themselves to their lame brothers: MOLDOVANS!
(To draw a line of comparison, when Americans compare themselves to “da bortherz” they feel pity for them, NOT PROUD about themselves!)
But there is a problem… Romanians are not alone. TURKEY! Turks are just as proud to be Turks as Romanians do! But Turks do not compare themselves to Azerbaijani. (Or do they?) Turkish people are able to make empirical observations in Istambul: for them Romanian/Moldavian girls are perceived as prostitutes. It´s funny to see how suddenly a Turkish guy lightens up from they realize the girl they are talking to is from MOLDOVA!
(On the other hand, the Turkish people do not even expect that even for lame Moldovans “Are you Turkish?!” is not a question concerning your nationality… they use it in a derogatory way for “ARE YOU DUMB!?!”). Don´t rush to blame Moldova for hypocrisy before you find out that in Romania “We do NOT sell Turkish auto parts!” is used as an advertisement.
So what do Romanians and Turks have in common? Why are they so proud of themselves?
I see this type of “proudness” to be very connected to “wishful thinking”. (link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wishful_thinking)
Wishful thinking is a deviation from adjusting your expectations in a rational way.
I once had a chat with the Turkish vice minister of foreign affairs, and it´s no joke, he was thinking that European Union should join Turkey. Was impressing how he could back it up with facts. And ask a Romanian officer about Romania´s role in the NATO bloc to sustain world security! The answer is more impressing than the video “The World without Romania!” provided earlier
Basically they talk about a state of affairs they would like to be in, and all empirical facts are shamelessly ignored! Does it sound familiar to you? Does it ring a bell if I say “heaven”, “unicorns” and “the garden of eden”?
Wishful thinking is also quite present in people with short memory for past orthodoxies.
The overwhelming pressure, excess of optimism from people around you, unrealistic demands and unfavorable environments in early childhood development, early exposure to Hollywood happy-end movies can all cause syndromes of wishful thinking.
Both countries: Romania and Turkey are going through harsh times. And the degree of wishful thinking can be used as a good proxy fore religiousness.
In fact … if you look at the Eurobarometer of the European Union on Religious Demography both Turkey and Romania are in the top five most religious countries, with only 1% of Atheists. That make them also the most religious countries in the world!
It´s nice if u happen to be a muslim (Turkey) or a chirstian (Romania)… but one thing is certain: It SUCKS bad to be different!
That is NOT what the Turkish/Romanian people will tell you if you ask them: How is it to be an Atheist in your country?
And how did you expect?

http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_225_report_en.pdf

KBS Sharing Hope was aired on the 26th. From what I know, the actual recording was on the 23rd. Anyway, here are the performances.

2PM with ‘Heartbeat’

Performances under the cut include:
-MBLAQ with ‘Oh Yeah’
-Wheesung with ‘Trickling’
-SeeYa with ‘His Voice’
-Maya ft 빅죠 with ‘Proud’
-Rainbow with ‘Gossip Girl’
-M to M with ‘Salt Under Your Nose Tip’

MBLAQ with ‘Oh Yeah’

Wheesung with ‘Trickling’

SeeYa with ‘His Voice’

Maya ft 빅죠 with ‘Proud’

Rainbow with ‘Gossip Girl’

M to M with ‘Salt Under Your Nose Tip’

I can’t count the things I’m thankful for on both hands.

I smile wider then anyone I know.

Everyone and everything is important, at very least to me.

Happy Thanksgiving. Tell everyone you love them. Tell everyone your proud of them.

Love Marianne

Brit football player  Ashley Cole has revealed that he is very proud of his wife Cheryl’s success, and denies claims that he is jealous.

Cole, 28, spoke out after rumours started that their marriage has been crumbling ever since Cheryl’s solo career took off, and after she appeared twice on The X Factor without her wedding ring.

The footie ace revealed he is delighted his 26-year-old “beautiful” wife had hit the top spot with her debut solo song ‘Fight For This Love’.

“I am very proud of her,” the Daily Star quoted him as saying in an interview with OK! magazine.

“She worked hard to do it and she deserves all the goodness that comes to her. When she first thought about a solo career she was scared and nervous that she was going alone.

“We all get nerves in different ways but Cheryl has done brilliantly on The X Factor and she did a great performance of her single,” he said.

And he gave the raunchy outfit she wore that night the thumbs up.

“I like it. I think she looks beautiful. I was proud of her and very happy,” he added.

Source

I love quotes.

I simply can’t get enough of them.

Great quotes, funny quotes, inspirational quotes, sad quotes, happy quotes.

Well, it seems so too does the principal of my boys’ school for its hallways and rooms are adorned with them.

Last night, we were at the school for the annual PTSA Reflections awards ceremony that my middle son had entered a poem into.  The night had started off a little rough.  With the hubby working late as usual and Grandma still in Scotland, it was up to me to get all three boys plus myself there.  It was bed-time for the little one and true to his usual evening schedule he had a naughty half-hour . . . during the ceremony . . . before collapsing in my arms.

The ceremony came to a close and as we were leaving through the large, blue industrial-strength double doors, a quote painted above the door frame made me stop and smile.

What have you done today to make you feel proud? — Heather Small.

I hugged my sleeping toddler in tight and cast a knowing glance at my middle son.

I couldn’t have been prouder of him and I know he was too.  His mannerisms and the way he was holding himself suggested just that — his chest was puffed out a little more than usual and he was beaming!

His poem had just taken first place in the intermediate literature category and is now going on to represent his school in the county-wide competition.

My middle son is truly a beautiful poet.  The words he chooses are so sweet and descriptive, funny and full of life!

BEAUTY IS . . .

Beauty is . . .

Seeing a breathtaking countryside dotted with white sheep that look like clouds in a green sky.

Beauty is . . .

Tasting a delicious chocolate lava cake that melts in my mouth.

Beauty is . . .

Feeling the wind slipping through my hair and gliding along.

Beauty is

Catching the scent of freshly baked bread as I walk in to town.

Beauty is . . .

Hearing the sound of trickling water falling from above on to the pebbles in the stream below.

Beauty is . . .

In everything.

And, I am so very proud.

I love those moments where Nathaniel does something that makes me smile and/or makes me proud.  But at the same time, I often find myself fighting back tears because John wasn’t here to witness the moment and share it with me.

Today, I gave kiddo an assortment of cheerios, puffs, and  crunchies and a sippy cup of milk while I fed the horses.  It was raining and chilly, so, he sat in the Jeep while I fed.  Then afterward we went inside and I gave him some more cheerios.

I put them in a bowl and put it on the floor so he could sit and munch.  I notice that he’s moved the bowl of cheerios to the chair.  This happens to be perfect standing table height for him.

Then he disappears for a moment and comes back with his toy fork.  He proceeds to do his best to eat using his baby fork.  He lucks out and spears a few cheerios that then make it to his mouth!  My little boy is growing up!!!!  I smiled and fought back tears… it was a moment that John would have enjoyed more than I did.  I can just see how proud he’d be and how we’d look at each other and smile.  It made me want to cry that he wasn’t here.

Maybe John has the best seat in the house and gets to see all of Nathaniel’s special moments.  I don’t know.

But I do know… he’s not here to share them with me.  So, I bite my lip, think of John and smile to Nathaniel and clap and congratulate him.  I don’t know if they’ll ever not be those moments that intertwine happiness and sadness.

Miss you, John.  Love you always.  You’d be so proud of your son.

Ashley Cole has spoken out to tackle rumours that he is jealous of wife Cheryl’s TV and pop career. The footballer has hit out at recent reports which suggested that he has been upset since the X Factor judge launched her solo singing career.

Rumours began to circulate that their marriage “was on the rocks” after Cheryl appeared on The X Factor without her wedding ring.

But Ashley has told OK! magazine that he was “delighted” that Cheryl had scored a number one hit with her debut solo single `Fight For This Love’.

He said: “I am very proud of her.

“She worked hard to do it and she deserves all the goodness that comes to her.

“When she first thought about a solo career she was scared and nervous that she was going alone.

“We all get nerves in different ways but Cheryl has done brilliantly on The X Factor and she did a great performance of her single.”

Ashley added: “I was proud of her and very happy.”

Source

I have to confess, I’m a little bit of a sucker for Susan Boyle. There’s something about a story of someone who hid in the shadows, unnoticed by most, coming out in such a blaze that she commands to be noticed – in one way or another – by all. I think that story probably appeals to everyone on some level.

Reluctant to buy her entire album, I listened to a few songs on iTunes, and was suprised to find a song that really touched a cord with me, called Proud. On several levels, this could be theme song for me of sorts. She sings it in such a raw way, that I found myself identifying with every word.

All of my life
I have watched you climbing mountains, chasing dreams
All of my life
You gave me everything,
But you don’t have to give the world to me

Just say you love me as I -
say you want me as I am
Say I’m someone in your eyes
It’s all I wanted to be.
Oh, just let me go, I know one day if I’m allowed
If I’m allowed, one day I’ll make you proud

All of your life
You’ve taken chances, broke the rules time after time
All of your life
You’ve gone your own way
Give me this chance and I’ll go mine.

I’m trying to please you now, it’s all I seem to do
I’ve got to be me now, cause there’s already one of you
I’m on my knees, so help me please don’t shoot me down

Though you can’t see it now, someday I’ll make you proud.

“Lucy Harmer’s shamanic astrology book is truly amazing. I use it in my work every day as a therapist to help people understand their personality and find their pathway through life.”
–Jean-Francois Beltrami, counselor and kinesiologist

Welcome to Lucy Harmer’s Shamanic Astrology monthly forecast for the Northern Hemisphere! Each month Lucy shares inspiration and ideas for the coming weeks from her book Shamanic Astrology: Understanding Your Spirit Animal Sign.

Shamanic Astrology is based on the study of the movement of the sun and the moon during the different seasons of the year. There are twelve astrological ‘”signs” which are represented by twelve different spirit animals. To find out your own personal spirit animal sign (the sign you were born under), please check the table of spirit animals at the end of this article. Shamanic Astrology teaches us that inner power derives from knowing the properties, characteristics, and qualities of each spirit animal (known as their “medicine”), and applying this in our own lives.

Each month I will focus on the spirit animal for that month, and describe the “energy” of the month itself and also the influence of the moon. I will also indicate which other spirit animal signs will find this month to be particularly beneficial, and why.

November 22-December 21: OWL

Month of Hibernation and Long Nights

Spirit Animal Sign of the Month:
Owl is the spirit animal which corresponds to November 22 – December 21 (in the northern hemisphere). If you were born at this time, your spirit animal sign is Owl and you share Owl’s strengths of being fair, honest, wise, philosophical, idealistic, optimistic, and independent. You are someone who enjoys the good life! You may also share some of Owl’s weaknesses and can have a tendency to be restless, negligent, intolerant, proud, irresponsible, tactless, superficial and excessively optimistic.

Medicine: Owl’s medicine is the ability to seek out truth and justice in all
circumstances. This can be used in any ambiguous or unclear situation, to find the path to follow and to restore order.
Element: Fire
Stone: Obsidian
Color: Gold
Plant: Mistletoe

Energy of the season:
Owl’s month, which ends with the winter solstice, is that of hibernation and long nights. The sun is at its lowest in the sky and the nights are at their longest. This is a period for introspection, spiritual seeking, visions, plans and preparation for the future. Everything undertaken during this month will need a greater dose of enthusiasm, spontaneity, and optimism than at other times and will have to be on a sound ethical basis. Projects conceived now are often highly ambitious.

Energy of the moon:
Owl’s new moon started on Nov 16th and the full moon is on December 2nd 2009. The period from November 22nd until December 2nd is the ideal time for conceiving or launching projects. These will have a high rate of success, as long as they have a sound ethical foundation. After the full moon, from December 3rd until 15th December, time is best used for introspection and deep spiritual growth. This is a time for learning from the past and for setting new goals for the future. December 16th brings the new moon in Snow Goose; this is a time for putting new structures in place for the year to come, with much determination.

This month is particularly favorable for the following signs:

Owl:
If your sign is Owl the energy of this month is very favorable because it corresponds to the month and the moon of your birth. A new cycle is about to start in your life and this is the best time to start planting seeds. Use the sun’s energy to take stock and head off in a new direction.

Falcon/Salmon:
If your sign is Falcon or Salmon, this is a very lucky month for you, with lots of harmony because you are in your own fire element. A multitude of opportunities will open up for you in this period and this is the best time to give destiny a helping hand!

Raven/Otter:
For Raven and Otter people, this is a very dynamic month, full of energy which favors the conception and birth of new projects. You will feel new motivation and a renewal of your energy at this time.

Table of Spirit Animal Signs:

To find your spirit animal sign, just locate your birthday from the dates below, according to your place of birth. If you were born north of the equator (eg; USA, Canada, Europe), then look for your date of birth in the column headed “Northern Hemisphere.” If you were born south of the equator (eg; Australia, New Zealand, South Africa), then look for your date of birth in the column headed “Southern Hemisphere.”

© Copyright 2009 Lucy Harmer

Shamanic Astrology is available for purchase directly through NorthAtlanticBooks.com, as well as major book stores and online retailers.

CLICK HERE to learn more about courses, seminars and workshops offered by Lucy Harmer.

CLICK HERE to learn more about Shamanic Astrology.

CLICK HERE to learn more about Discovering Your Spirit Animal.

This has been a GREAT weekend.  We did… NOTHING!  I just love to stay home as a family, and just be home.  As busy as we all get the best thing ever is to actually have time, together.  Now this can be taken a bit to far like the fact that I stayed in my pj’s all day yesterday, and did not bother taking a shower.  Other than that it’s all good.

We spent today making Carson’s Navajo project for school.  It turned out pretty dang good.  We have a Hogan, fire, blanket, garden, animals and more.  It weighs about 10 pounds because he had to have extra sand.  So it looks as if I will be driving it to school tomorrow.  He has made it clear that it is not bus friendly!

BTW if you’re wondering why I do not have a picture of it.  My camera is still broke and until December 25th the odds of a new camera are slim, well none.  Just use your imagination.  As a matter of fact the slim part comes into play even on December 25th. LOL

Reagan had his friend Brandon over for the weekend,  We just love Brandon he is such a good kid.  There are few boys that we let come out and spend the whole entire weekend, but he just fits right in.  They are good friends.

Anthony had a dance or STOMP as he calls it.  I don’t know why it is called a stomp but whatever.  He said it was the best one ever!  He has learned how to do some pretty cool dances.  I am happy that he has the confidence to just go boogie it up when he feels like it.

I just realized I have nothing really cool to share about Lawrence and I.  That is just part of being parents I suppose.  Wait, come to think of it being a parent is pretty much the coolest thing on the planet!

This article has nothing to do with Gang Stalking, but I felt it was worth commenting on.

I came across this article the other day, and the wording of it surprised me. It was not vulgar, the language was not racist, yet it’s one one of the most hard hitting critiques of the American President I have come across.

I am at times not too bad with checking the temperature of the net, and this article surprised me. It was a recap of what the writer felt was an unforgivable action and that is the American President bowing to the Japanese Emperor and Empress.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/nov/17/

[quote]A little traveling, like a little learning, can be a dangerous thing. Barack Obama on the loose in a foreign land is enough to frighten protocol officers and embarrass the rest of us.[/quote]

I did notice that American’s were upset with his bowing before foreign royalty.

See I think Americans see the president in their own way as royalty. Sure the ties to monarchy on the outside have been removed, but inside American’s want to feel proud, they want to feel that the person that is representing them will do so well. They want to know that American views and values will be upheld.

I was surprised by some of the comments, but the general consensus on some of the forums is that the President should bow to no one.

I think in my personal opinion a bow of respect can be given, but it’s all about how it is delivered that makes the difference.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financetopics/g20-summit/

In the above file footage of his meeting with the King and Queen of England, he does bow, but it’s a moderate bow and it is respectfully returned in kind. Equals of sorts and I don’t recall hearing any recriminations about this bow.

I also suspect the country he was bowing to did play a role. I know many mentioned the War time dead of WWII and felt that it was disrespectful to them as well.

I believe with this President people very much wanted back the good old days. The days they felt proud, the days that they felt that they had their own royalty. The Kennedy years.

I think in part one of the reasons Obama was a shoe in for president is that he did remind many of the Kennedy days. Jackie was queen and it felt as if there was royalty. The Kennedy’s wore no crown, but many felt that they were royal in their own right.

Americans came off of feeling embarrassed at times by the last Administration, I recall many times where the last president did something goofy, or made and error, and the American people cringed with him. When the world hated his policies, they felt hated right along with him.

With this administration one of the things that was promised not overtly, but in it’s own way was good representation. People liked that fact that he had come from a good school, had a degree, and wanted to be represented well. Americans are known for being a proud and arrogant people. Most would deny it, but many in the world want to come to America and be American and that is part of the reason.

After the horrible stimulus package, where they felt that they were violated, but were not quite sure, (You were violated.) they wanted to feel secure again, proud, they don’t want more debt or wild spending being tacked on to themselves or their kids. I think that is in part why they are so cautious with this health care bill. The last previous eight years was a lot for many Americans to deal with.

With this Administration they wanted to put the wars behind, the some degree of shame they might of felt with some previous polices and actions, and I think that is why they are quick to react when they see signs of the previous admin shining forth.

The bow wounded the pride of some. Most Americans would not admit it, but they are a proud and somewhat arrogant people, which is not a bad thing. I think they just want that pride back, and this bow hurt that pride, for some.

Most people will read this article and view it as a bad thing but I don’t fully. It shows me that Americans are a loyal people, it shows me that they take their representative seriously, and it tells me that they want to feel proud and full of hope again.

It means that if the president fails to represent the American people’s well, they will be a disloyal, hurt and angry subject, but if the president represents the American people well, they have the capacity to be loyal, faithful, and to stand with him, and feel pride with him.

To me it shows that they want the president to do well, but were hurt, and again not everyone even cared about this, but some did, and those are people worth listening to. It’s struck me as one of the more strongly worded articles I had come across and I felt that it was worth noting.

Some more highlights.

[quote]This is not the way an American president impresses evildoers that he’s strong, tough and decisive, that America is not to be trifled with.[/quote]

Americans like their tough guy image. Most countries do. They want that don’t mess with our country.

It makes them feel safe, like someone will be capable of looking after their best interests.

[quote]His predecessors learned with no difficulty that the essence of America is that all men stand equal and are entitled to look even a king, maybe particularly a king, straight in the eye……

John F. Kennedy, on the eve of a trip to London, sharply warned Jackie not to curtsy to the queen.[/quote]

I take it that Jackie did not curtsy. Respecting all traditions is a fine line to walk. I know the number of times I have read that this president is narcissistic, yet a narcissist would not bow before another would they? I think sometimes it can be damned if you do, and damned if you don’t.

I would highlight more, but you will have to read the rest.

I believe Americans when represented well will let a lot go, I am not sure who handles protocols for these trips, I think it’s not a bad idea to have more than one opinion, or suggestion as to proper protocol.

Traditions can be a very limiting thing, and can hold a nation back from progress, but they can also be a beautiful thing, and everyone loves when their’s are respected and adhered to.

The Romanians assumed their support for restructuring the Romanian state

Today, it is the first time in the modern history of Romania, when the Romanian citizens responsable assumed the cost for restructuring the state in order to go for a better and wealthier state. I affirm this because the Romanians participated more than 50% to the referendum organised by the actual President and vote more than 70% for reducing the member of the Parliament from 471 to less than 300.

I am proud that I belong to this country and I hope to be able to support all the costs for a better life in a democrat state in Romania.

Thank you Romanian citizens.

من آدم مغروری هستم!
مگه غرور چه ایرادی داره؟
خیلی هم خوبه. چرا نباید به خودم ببالم؟ از خیلی هم سن و سال های خودم موفق تر هستم؛ اگرچه خیلی ها هم از من موفق تر هستن و میدونم که این و هیچوقت نباید فراموش کنم.
اما حتی به مغرور بودنم هم افتخار می کنم!! وقتی میبینم موفقیت هام بیشتر از شکست هاست؛ وقتی میبینم حتی از شکست ها هم استفاده مثبت می کنم…

‏=‏======
5شنبه به یه مشکل کاری برخوردم. کلی اعصابمو خط خطی کرد. تجربه ای شد که تو کار و تجارت، به هیچکس رحم نکنم و به خیلی ها هم اعتماد نکنم. احترام هر کس رو هم در حد خودش نگه دارم و به هیچکس بیشتر از حقش احترام نذارم.
البته این اتفاق یه نتیجه مثبت هم داشت، اینطوری سود بیشتری نصیبم میشه و حال یکی دو نفر رو هم محترمانه میگیرم!

پ.ن. نمایشگاه تلکام درحال برگزاریه و بعدش هم الکامپ شروع میشه… امیدوارم فردا بتونم برم تلکام.

پ.ن. تازه علاوه بر مغرور بودن، بدجنس هم هستم!

feels as though you were just 6 months…i must have blinked. you change so much everyday. it is so amazing to watch you discover and learn. you have quite the little personality…we feel so very lucky that you are a “cool” baby…very laid back and happy. this is what you are up to and into these days…

• you love to sit. and if you had to choose between your belly and your bum…you would choose your bum.
• you are becoming more adventurous and attempting to reach for things out further away while sitting…occasionally you catch yourself…other times you face plant. (so sad)
• you can be a little drama queen when you fall over or do not like something. we are not so crazy about this and can’t wait until you understand the phrase “your fine.” (because clearly you don’t think you are when you tip over.)
• in the morning when daddy and i have coffee you just sit there in the corner of the couch with your “basket o fun” and are content and happy. you pull out all of your toys and then when the basket is empty…you play with that…ahhh the simple things.
• you LOVE to pull mommy’s hair and daddy’s beard…we are not such big fans of this.
• you think “fake coughing” is the best thing in the world. (sometimes you do it too much.)  you especially love to fake cough at your doggies…could it be possible you are trying to bark?
• you make the funniest faces…lucky for me i have caught many of them with my camera.
• you are fascinated by “dunkin donuts” coffee cups and anything with a straw. this one is most definitely mommy and daddy’s fault.
• you love to watch nascar and football…this one is all daddy. (he is so proud)

as far as your eating and sleeping schedule…you eat 3 meals and 2-3 bottles. you literally eat everything i give you. you were not crazy about green things at first but you have grown to like them. i am proud that i have been making your food…it tastes sooo much better than the stuff from the store.  you love mum mums and puffs. we are still working on your feeding yourself the puffs…you can prob get 4 out of 10 in your mouth on your own…the damn things stick to you little hands. and if i even show you a mum mum wrapper you wiggle with delight and smile your big gummy smile ::loves::

you typically take 2 naps a day. when those naps occur you decide. i have turned into one of those moms i said i would never be. confession:  i try to plan our activities around your naps. sad. but when you fall asleep for 10 minutes in the car…for some reason you feel as though you had a nice 2 hour nap…and then you are junk and no fun for the rest of the day. never a good thing.

but the most important thing is that you make mommy and daddy’s hearts burst with joy everyday. there is no better feeling in the world. happy 7 months my sweet girl. xoxo.

Cohen Adair lays on the ice after a hard Hurricanes check. He would return to the game later.

A night after a 8-0 loss in Waterloo, the Guelph Hurricanes bounced back and posted a character win by beating  the slumping Stratford Cullitons 6-3.

“They showed a lot of character to come back after a tough loss last night. This club has a lot of heart and I am proud of them.” says Hurricanes Head Coach Jim MacEachern

The win moves Guelph’s record to 8-15-2 for 18pts., while the loss which was the 10th in a row for the Cullitons, moves Stratford’s record to 12-12-0 24pts..

Six Hurricanes players each collected 2 pts. (Luca Penzo, Dan Mohle, Martin Kudla, Mike McFarlane, Ken Rolph and Mike Iacocca) and Chris McDougall returned between the pipes to 28 of 31 shots.

• Although Chris McDougall’s rights were traded earlier this week from the Kitchener Rangers to the Peterborough Petes, he will remain playing with the Hurricanes for the time being.
• Also, I received word from the Hurricanes trainers that injured Kitchener Dutchmen defenceman Brant Nicolson was released from the hospital and is expected to make a full recovery. Last week he crashed into the boards and was carried off on a stretcher.

The Hurricanes next game is this coming Thursday as they seek revenge from the Waterloo Siskins at The Sleeman Centre. Please note the game time is 7:45pm.

I participated in a walk/run today. It was called a “Skedaddle 5k” and it was approximately 3.2 miles. We ran/walked on the USCA Cross Country course called “Pacer Path.” Here’s my number:

It equals 13, gasp! Funny story about that: I’m born on June 13th, my brother and I are thirteen months aparts and he’s born on July 13th, a friday on which he was birthed. Yeah, so that’s an important number for me.

There was a very large hill near the end. Almost killed me. Found a group to run with though so… go us! Haha I sprinted the last .2, crazy me. I finished in 44:31 minutes. Hoping to improve that but since this was my first race my two objectives were to a) finish b) not be last place and I accomplished both! ^_^

What have you guys and gals done that you can be proud of? Could be some small act of kindness or curing H1N1… one or the other. Your pick.

Once again, it’s been a long day. I am EXHAUSTED, and I didn’t even go to my night class tonight. But, I managed to kick myself in the butt and turn on my DVD player and change the input on my TV. Yes, I shredded tonight. And boy, was it a good shred.

I really have no idea what got into me, but I pushed and pushed and pushed myself. Iwas inspired, motivated, working out to the extremes. When I started to get tired and wanted to stop, I screamed and made my body work even harder. For many of the exercises, I placed myself in front of my vanity mirror. Watching myself work out makes me push myself even harder I think, because I see that my body is changing and I am ready for that change to be drastic.

I completed all of Level 2, most of the exercises still focusing on the beginner’s steps. I do push myself beyond the beginner’s steps on what I feel is “easier” to me. For one of the circuits’ cardio portion (I think it’s the third but can’t remember, oops!) I replace one or both of the cardio exercises with jumping jacks, butt kicks, or just running in place. This is just for my convenience, early on in Level 2.

I am proud of myself and plan on doing the shred tomorrow morning before class. I am almost half-way done with Level 2 already… that is crazy! I think on day 15 (or some other day on level 2) I will switch out Level 2 for Level 1. I miss Level 1, lol. I can’t wait ’til I complete the 30 days and can rotate all 3 levels on a daily basis! I think that will be more motivating to me.

I always place italicized prompts at the bottom of my posts… anyone ever going to answer? My NEW goal for the 30 Day Shred is to have atleast one person comment on one of my posts. Please!

Proud Paradox เรื่องที่ควรรู้เกี่ยวกับ พราว

พราว หรือ Proud, vector art of Sw Eden on Flickr

พราว (Proud) ได้รับมอบหมายให้ทำงานปฎิบัติมากกว่างานอ่าน และนั่นคือนิสัยของพราว ชีวิตช่วงที่เด่น ๆ ของพราวคือช่วงมัธยมปลายและปริญญาตรีตอนต้น เพื่อนของพราวคือ Daw พวกเขาเรียกงานที่ทำร่วมกันทั้งหมดว่า “ProuDaw” ซึ่งมีหลายงานด้วยกัน

Proud ถูกเลือกให้ได้รับตำแหน่ง “หลอน” ฝ่ายหญิง (ฝ่ายชายคือ ขุนพล) และ “Error” ฝ่ายหญิง (ฝ่าชายคือ พิชญ์แคว) ทั้งหมดถูกจัดทำขึ้นในปีสุดท้ายของมัธยมปลาย พราว ไม่ได้ไปรับรางวัลแรกด้วยตัวเอง คนที่รับแทนในวันงานคือ ดาว เพื่อนของเธอ ส่วน Error หญิง ฟังแล้วไม่ค่อยน่าภาคภูมิใจนัก แต่เพื่อน ๆ บอกว่า มันหมายถึงพวกใช้เวลากับ Computer มากกว่าคนอื่น และ พราว กับ พิชญ์แคว เหมือนกันในจุดนี้

พราวถ่ายภาพยนต์สั้นเรื่อง The Spooky Kids Live in MWIT โดยแสดงคู่กับ ดาว ทั้งสองช่วยกันเป็นตากล้อง พราวเป็นคนตัดต่อ และทำ Animation ทั้งหมดของเรื่องนี้ งานเรื่องนี้ไปได้สวยมาก เพราะพวกเขาสามารถเปลี่ยนมุมมองที่ผู้ชายมองผู้สาวได้ คือพวกเขาบ้าพอที่จะสนุกมากกว่าความสวยงาม

พราวกับดาว ProuDaw at Mahidol University

พราว ได้ชื่อว่าออกไปดูงานนอกสถานที่มากที่สุดในโรงเรียน และเธอเป็นที่รู้จักของอาจารย์หลาย ๆ คน เมื่อบางคนพูดถึง ดาว เขาก็ต่อท้ายด้วย ดาวเป็นเพื่อนของพราว ดาวดูเหมือนมีปัญหาเกี่ยวกับสมองในช่วงนั้น และเธอเคยหยุดเรียนเพื่อรักษามัน เธอยังมีปัญหาเกี่ยวกับขา ซึ่งเธอผ่าตัดไปแล้ว เธอประสพน์อุบัติเหตุจากการวิ่งไล่จับแมว ซึ่งเป็นสัตว์โปรดของ บาส เพื่อนสนิทในห้องเรียนของเธอ

พราว ยังเป็นที่รู้จักอีกด้านคือเธอชอบเพลงลูกทุ่ง และเพลง Rock เธอเคยชอบวง L’Arc~en~Ciel จาก นาฏลี, เมอน่า และ เมย์ เมื่อเธอย้ายโรงเรียนไปอยู่มัธยมปลาย คนส่วนใหญ่ไม่รู้จักวงนี้ พวกเขาหลายคนเรียน พราว ว่า “ฮิเดะ” จนกระทั้ง พราว ต้องศึกษาเกี่ยวกับคนคนนี้อย่างจริงจัง และเธอก็ชอบมัน วงของมันหลอกหลอนเธออยู่ในช่วงปีแรก และนั่นเป็นปีที่เลวร้ายที่สุด พราว ฟังเพลง Rock ที่มีความรุนแรงมากขึ้นเรื่อน ๆ ในช่วงนั้น และเพื่อนร่วมห้องของเธอ สุ หรือ ฮิตเบล้อ เปรียบเทียบ พราว กับ เพื่อนเก่าของเขาว่า พราวไม่มีทางเถื่อนได้เหมือนเพื่อนคนนั้นหรอก

ปีต่อมา โรงเรียนย้ายห้องทั้งหมด พราวมีชีวิตที่ดีขึ้นกับเพื่อนร่วมชั้นเรียนกลุ่มใหม่ เพราะพวกเขาค่อนข้าง “เพี้ยน” มากกว่าเพื่อนกลุ่มเก่าที่ดูจะ tradition and formal ห้องเรียนใหม่ มีความทะเยอทะยานที่จะโด่งดัง และเจ๋งที่สุดในระดับชั้น พวกผู้ชายส่วนใหญ่มาจากกลุ่ม “มีพลัง” ซึ่งขยายใหญ่ขึ้นเรื่อย ๆ หัวหน้าห้องห้องนี้คือ นายต้น เป็นแฟนกับ แอร์ ในปีสุดท้าย ต้น ยังถูกรู้จักจากคนนอกกลุ่มว่าเป็นหัวหน้า “กลุ่มมีพลัง” ทั้งห้องได้ไปเที่ยวเกาะสะเม็ด ก่อนที่ห้องเรียนอื่น ๆ จะไปกัน และห้แงเรียนนี้ จึงเป็นห้องเดียวที่ไม่ถูกทำโทษ

ครั้งแรกเมื่อพวกเขารู้จักกัน หลายคนไม่ชอบ พิชญ์แคว เพราะหลายคนบอกว่า เขาเห็นแก่ตัว แต่ในปีสุดท้าย ห้องเรียนนี้ได้ประกาศให้ทั้งโรงเรียนรู้ว่า เขาจะเชียร์เพื่อนร่วมห้อง และรักเพื่อนร่วมห้องของพวกเขาทุกคน

Proud on Sketch Book, Sw Eden on Flickr

พราว ซื้อเบสราคาแพงจากหลังกระทรวงกลาโหม และเธอไม่ชอบเมื่อคนอื่นพูดถึงมัน เธอเรียนมันอย่างรวดเร็ว และเธอสามารถสอบเข้าคณะดุริยางคศาสตร์ได้ แต่เธอสละสิทธิ์ในภายหลังเมื่อเธอตัดสินใจเปลี่ยนอนาคต

ทำไมถึงเป็น Proud Paradox?
Proud เป็นชื่อใน Visa และเป็นการเขียนภาษาอังกฤษของชื่อเธอมาตั้งแต่เธอเกิด แม่ของเธอเป็นคนตั้งให้
Paradox เป็นวงดนตรี ของประเทศไทย วงโปรดของทุกคนในห้องเรียนโปรดของเธอ และเพื่อน ๆ อิจฉาเธอมากเมื่อ เธอ ไปดูการแสดงของ Paradox จนเข้าเรียนวิชาชีววิทยาสายในเช้าวันต่อมา
เมื่อเธอมี e-mail เป็น ProudParadox และเธอติดต่อกับอาจารย์ของเธอ เขาบอกว่าเธอเป็นกวีที่เล่นคำได้สวยมาก

ในสมัยมัธยมปลาย พราว ยังสมัครร้องเพลงภาษาอังกฤษถึงสองครั้ง และเพื่อนของเธอหัวเราะเธอ เพราะมันแย่มาก พราวร้องเพลงของ X Japan แต่ข้าพเจ้าจำไม่ได้ว่ามันเป็นเพลงอะไร เธอถูกมอบหมายให้ทำประวัติวง X Japan เพื่อนแสดงในบอร์ดโรงเรียน และนั่นคือบอร์ดที่ไม่ใช่งานศิลปะ รุ่นพี่คนหนึ่ง ตัวใหญ่ และชื่อ ใหญ่ เป็นนักเปียโน เขาชอบ X Japan และเขาก็ไม่สนใจมันแล้วในเวลาต่อมา ปัจจุบัน ใหญ่ ได้สนใจการถ่ายภาพแนวศิลป์มาก และพราวอาจจะกลับไปเป็นเหมือนสมัยมัธยมต้น ที่เธอไม่ชอบอาจารย์สอนสังคมศึกษาในมัธยม 3 เอามาก ๆ เพราะอยู่คนละขั้วทางการเมือง

Proud Paradox Singing, Sw Eden on Flickr

พราว ยังเป็นมือเขียนภาพที่ทุกคนปฎิเสธไม่ได้ งาน Power Point ของเธอได้รับการยกย่องว่าสวยและน่าสนใจที่สุด ทำให้เธอไม่ชอบอ่านหนังสือ ตอง และ ดาว เพื่อนสนิทของเธอ เชื่อว่าเธอฉลาดมาก เพียงแต่ไม่ตั้งใจเรียน และชอบหลับในห้อง และยังไม่ชอบทำการบ้าน พราวเคยบอกตองว่า เธอชอบสัปดาห์สอบที่สุด เพราะมันไม่มีการบ้าน

เธอมีความสนใจเรื่อง Animation มาก สังเกตุได้จากความฝันในวัยเด็ก นาฏลีพูดกับพราวในขณะที่ดูการแสดงเพลงของโรงเรียน และเธอบอกว่า เธออยากทำ Tetsu L’Arc~en~Ciel เต้นจนจบเพลง Stay Away และสิ่งนั้นไม่มีแล้ว

เมื่อใคร ๆ อยากถามเรื่องเพลง Rock เขาวิ่งมาหาเธอ และเขาทำเช่นเดียวกันเมื่อต้องการเพลงลูกทุ่ง เธอเคยทำการ Presentation ที่เป็นสิ่งที่น่าอับอาย เพราะเธอนำวงที่เธอชอบมาเรียงบนสไลด์ แล้วถามคนในห้องว่ามันคืออะไร

และคุณจะหาพราวได้ที่ไหนในปัจจุบัน?
เธอจะไปดู Paradox ทุกครั้งที่เธอสามารถจะไปได้ และที่ที่นั่น คุณจะพบเธอ
เธอคือ Proud Paradox!!

Proud Paradox and Friend, Sw Eden on flickr

Good day yesterday!  Less good today. I haven’t been very productive at work, and from the moment I awoke, I’ve been on a pleasure-seeking mission.

I awoke to my wife wrapping herself around me and touching me and being appreciative of my body. Maybe I am imagining things, but I felt like she was being far more appreciative than she basically ever is (which leads me to wonder if it’s because I was asleep.. hm..). She was basically on her way out the door at the time so I waited for her to leave for work (way too damn early) and got out the egg vibrator.

Oh how easy it is for me to get turned on so early in the morning, and oh how satisfying a pleasure it is.

Then I got up, showered, got my shit together, etc. I really wanted to turn on the tv, but I resisted.  I’ve given up morning tv in an attempt to make me like my life better.  I think it has helped a little.  (Next step: having breakfast at the kitchen table, rather than on the couch)

For lunch I went to Whole Foods and bought meatballs and bread.  Over the course of the afternoon I ate all of it.  Probably an entire day’s worth of weight watchers points.  oops.  I topped it off with some cheese that I didn’t even really want.

I did get a start on some homework this afternoon, but by “start” I mean that I answered one question, out of a LOT of questions.

I guess the one thing I did today to make me feel proud was *finally* sending in my application for a new passport with my married name on it. It may sound simple, but it’s a lot of logistical stuff, and I’d been putting it off a long time.

Another proud moment: Yesterday I had my 4-year review at work.  They love me.  Nothing negative to say, actually.  That’s good… because 2010 is going to be a very complicated and uncertain year, and I may need some patience and tolerance from them (re: rearranging my schedule, potentially taking 6 weeks off, etc.)

…aaaand it’s qutting time.

Dance. 36"x48". Acylic. 2003

 If you can talk, you can sing. If you can walk, you can dance.

My homie Freddie just purchased this painting for only $100!!! All my art on my website painted before 2003 is on sale for the LOW LOW. Nothing adds more class to your home then original art. Get yours while they last. If you want to see which pieces I’m moving for killer prices contact me and I’ll email you jpegs. Paintings can be shipped to any address. This painting is 3ft x 4ft for $100, that’s crazy!!! All old paintings must go. DON”T MISS OUT!!!

Good looking Fred Dog!

By guest blogger Whitney Smith

In a society that thrives on becoming the best, the brightest and the most successful, people are told to build themselves up to stand out among their peers. Although self-confidence can help build reassurance for tasks that we are truly qualified for, arrogance can too often take the lead.

In the last days, men will be boasters and proud...

In 2 Timothy 3:2, the Bible describes a dangerous time when men will become boasters and proud. Instead of having humility and acknowledging God’s hand in their lives, men will look to themselves for answers from their own abilities without regard for others.

Evan Thomas’ column “The Politics of Arrogance” in Newsweek discusses how political candidates do not want to display any form of humility on the platform to avoid the chance of looking wimpy. These politicians, our leaders, are afraid to show humility. They often choose to boast about their strengths and personal accomplishments in order to gain a sense of respect from those they govern.

But God expects His people to be humble. God told Solomon, “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14). Many passages depict humility as a positive characteristic that God values and respects in people (Psalm 147:6; James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5).

Becoming more like what God desires and less of what we see displayed by our leaders, our athletes and our entertainers will allow us to avoid the qualities described in 2 Timothy 3. Having a humble attitude instead of becoming boastful and proud will allow us to truly give God the credit for His work within us now.

For more on the antidote to boastfulness and pride, see “Humility and Pride.”

To see the other articles in this series on signs of the perilous end times, see the “Signs of Perilous Times” category.

 
Kex Proud                                       Kex Le Blue

Nye lækre jeans fra Acne i butikken og på webshoppen nu. Kex Proud og Kex Le Blue begge til 1300,- er, som altid, skønne jeans i uovertruffen kvalitet og med perfekt pasform fra Acne.