jeffromero1955 5th Marzo 2010

When the old burying grounds in Boston and Cambridge starting closing due to overcrowding, an alternative site for burying the dead was sought and found on what was then the rural outskirts of Cambridge. The tastes of the day called for something more special, however, than a typical burying ground, and as a result, the concept of the “garden cemetery” was born. Opened in 1831, Mt. Auburn Cemetery quickly became the place of choice of the elite of Massachusetts to be interred. Ten of them are described below.

Edwin Booth (November 13, 1833 - June 7, 1893) Widely considered to be the greatest American actor of the 19th Century, Edwin Booth, is perhaps better known for being the older brother of the actor turned assassin, John Wilkes Booth, who shot President Abraham Lincoln to death. Ironically, Edwin Booth would go on to save the life of the President's son, when Robert Lincoln had fallen onto a train platform as the train was pulling into the station. Booth's grave at Mt Auburn is probably the most visited; there is always a large collection of fresh flowers and other mementos left behind, presumably by actors and acting students.

Charles Bulfinch (August 8, 1763 - April 15, 1844) One of America's major talents in the areas of architecture and urban planning, Charles Bulfinch is known as the “Man Who Built Boston.” The aftermath of the American Revolution left Boston in ruins, and Bulfinch was there to effectively oversee not so much the rebuilding of Boston, but the creation of a dramatically new town. He built the new Massachusetts State House, he was the creative force behind creation of the Beacon Hill neighborhood, as well as a new neighborhood between the West and North Ends. He built new wharf buildings down on the docks and created new public squares in the old South End (subsequently all lost in the Great Fire of 1872). Later in his career, Bulfinch was recruited to work in Washington D.C. on the U.S. Capitol building.

Mary Baker Eddy (July 16 1821 - December 3, 1910) A very controversial and misunderstood person to this day, Mary Baker Eddy is the founder of the Christian Science Church, and her book Science and Health with a Key to the Scriptures is the faith's primary guidebook. As a young woman, Eddy suffered from chronic illnesses, and as a result she was exposed to just about every form of healthcare available in America in the day, from traditional medicine to homeopathy. As the daughter of a Congregationalist minister, Eddy's familiarity with the Bible led her to examine the methods of healing in the Bible. And after a particularly nasty accident in which she suffered significant spinal cord injuries, Eddy decided to turn to her knowledge of Biblical healing, and when she recovered, she was convinced that she had discovered an important method of understanding God. Her Church of Christ, Scientist is headquartered in Boston and publishes the well respected Christian Science Monitor newspaper.

Felix Frankfurter (November 15, 1882 - February 22, 1965) Born in Vienna, Austria, Frankfurter came to America as a child of eleven with his family and would eventually go on to become one of the most respected U.S. Supreme Court Justices in American history. After having grown up in New York, Frankfurter went to Harvard Law School where he excelled. His professional ascent was fast, as he held numerous positions in and out of government, including being one of the founders of the American Civil Liberties Union. In 1939, he was nominated to the Supreme Court by President Franklin Roosevelt. Despite a long track record of being a political liberal, Frankfurter would go on to surprise court watchers with his conservative rulings. After his retirement from the court, Frankfurter was awarded the Presidential Medal of Honor.

Isabella Stewart Gardner (April 14, 1840 - July 14, 1924) Famous in her day as being one of Boston's great eccentrics, Isabella Stewart Gardner, is today best known as the creator of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. In the 1890s, Gardner spent most of her time traveling Europe and meeting with artists and collecting artwork. Within ten years, she had collected enough to build her own museum, which would be based upon a Venetian villa. But what makes this museum different is that it doubled as her personal residence. Also, she had complete curatorial control. To this day, each piece of art is exactly where she placed it years ago. And some of her placements are quite curious. For example, having one wall completely bare except for a small painting which is hung in the corner.

Curt Gowdy (July 31, 1919 - February 20, 2006) Before becoming one of the first nationally known sportscasters, Gowdy was the voice of the Boston Red Sox for fifteen years in the 1950s and 60s. Gowdy would go on to announce thirteen World Series, nine Super Bowls, fourteen Rose Bowls, eight Olympic Games, and twenty-four NCAA basketball Final Fours. Gowdy is somewhat famous for getting fired after the 1975 World Series in which his beloved Boston Red Sox lost to the Cincinnati Reds. After a controversial call made by home plate umpire Larry Barnett, Gowdy proceeded to castigate Barnett on the air despite instructions from his director to stop. Barnett, supposedly as a result of Gowdy's verbal barrage, subsequently received death threats.

Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. (August 29 - October 7, 1894) A doctor by training, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. would abandon medicine and become one of the 19th Century's most popular poets. After graduating from Harvard, Holmes went to Paris to study medicine and upon his return, he would become a leading proponent of the French medical methods he had learned there. He would go on to publish articles about how disease spreads and argued that all healthcare workers should regularly wash their hands. At the time, this idea was considered extreme and was generally ignored. Holmes regularly submitted to the Atlantic Monthly and his most famous work is The Autocrat of the Breakfast Table. He also wrote a poem called Old Ironsides which is credited in part for the saving of the famous warship U.S.S. Constitution from being destroyed. The ship is presently docked in Boston and is open to the public.

Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr. (July 5, 1902 - February 27, 1985) Born into a prestigious Massachusetts family and educated at Harvard, Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr. was a distinguished politician and diplomat. First elected to Congress in 1931, Lodge would become a Senator in 1936, a seat that he would relinquish in order to serve in the Army during WWII. He would return to the Senate after the war, but in 1952, he was defeated in a re-election run by John F. Kennedy. President Eisenhower then named Lodge U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. In 1960, Lodge was Richard Nixon's Vice-Presidential running mate. President Kennedy would later name Lodge U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Vietnam, where Lodge served during the fall of the Ngo Dinh Diem regime. Lodge considered running for the Presidency in 1964, but ultimately declined despite strong polling numbers. President Johnson named Lodge Ambassador to West Germany, and President Nixon named him Special Envoy to the Vatican.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (February 27, 1807 - March 24, 1882) Descended from Mayflower passengers, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was one of the most popular poets of the 19th century and remains today one of America's favorite writers. Born in Maine, Longfellow came to Cambridge, Massachusetts to teach at Harvard. He would then marry into one of the most wealthy families in Boston, the Appleton family. He would subsequently devote his life to his writing and produce such works as Paul Revere's Ride, The Song of Hiawatha and Evangeline. His home, located not very far from Mt. Auburn Cemetery, dates to the colonial era and is today a frequently visited house museum.

Charles Sumner (January 6, 1811 - March 11, 1874) Born in Boston, educated at Boston Latin and Harvard, Charles Sumner would go on to distinguish himself in the U.S. Senate as a vociferous anti-slavery Senator. His first cause after joining the Senate in 1851 was the repeal of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850; this earned him many enemies in the Senate. In 1856, Sumner denounced the Kansas-Nebraska Act which he quite accurately perceived to be a back-handed attempt to expand slavery into the Western Territories. For his efforts, on May 22, 1856, Congressman Preston Brooks from South Carolina entered Sumner's office and proceeded to nearly beat him to death with a cane while an accomplice held off people looking to assist Sumner with a pistol. The beating only ended when Brooks' cane broke in two. Sumner's recovery would take three years, but he was re-elected to the Senate during his convalescence and would remain in the Senate for nearly twenty more years.

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jeffromero1955 26th Febbraio 2010

Please Don't Make Us Sing This Song, is part of a fifteen-year brainstorm of pastor and author, Chris Seay. Seay has set forth on a quest to reignite the beauty and artistry of the Bible, through working with an integrated team of authors, scholars, artists, musicians, and the like in order to rediscover the story of the Bible. This album is part of that collaboration and stands as a testament to the creativity, heart, and faithfulness of all involved.

Owing much to the Enter the Worship Circle gatherings popularized by Don and Lori Chaffer of Waterdeep fame–who are also involved here–the album draws talent from a plethora of artists. Featuring lyrics taken from the translation of the Psalms in The Voice, this collection of individuals comes together to form a beautiful blend of Americana-styled worship.

Sandra McCracken opens the album with one of the project's highlights, “Call Him Good,” followed by Christian industry favorite Sara Groves, who shares a pop-flavored rendition of, “As If That Were Not Enough.” Derek Webb offers, “Let the Name of God Be High,” the Robbie Seay Band instructs us to “Go Outside,” and Christena Graves reminds listeners that “He Will Not Rest.” Highlights on the recording include Jami Smith's take on “Remarkable Things,” Lori Chaffer's take on the title track, and Seth Woods contribution and overly long titled, “O The Deaths We Would Have Known If You Had Not Been With Us.” On this upbeat track inspired by Psalm 124, Woods sings:

If You had not been with us
They would have swallowed us alive
The waters tried to engulf us
Their fury broke against us
We were overwhelmed
And we surely would have drowned
Blessed be the Lord
Who did not leave us torn by their fangs

Perhaps the most compelling track on the album is, “Those Who Walk the Fields to Sow.” Featuring all of the artists, this track plays much like a hymn as the assorted players pray:

Across the hills
Over the oceans wide
Your goodness would not hide
We shook our heads
All of us were stunned
To see what You had done

Such is the case with this album. While these tracks might not make it into your local congregation's worship set, these are songs worth engaging for their artistry, intent, and heart. Allow the beauty of the Scripture's narrative to wash over you and give this one a shot.

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jeffromero1955 24th Febbraio 2010

Tormented by spirits, thousands seek respite in broomstick beatings and banyan trees at the annual “Ghost Fair” (Bhooton ka Mela) in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.

Bhooton ka Mela (literally translated: 'Fair of the Ghosts') is a 250+ year-old tradition held each year in Malajpur, a small, impoverished village nestled in the Central Indian hills of Satpura. Malajpur is so small it can not be found on most maps, and yet thousands of pilgrims make their way here each January to participate in an elaborate exorcism ceremony.

The ceremony is unusual by any standards: a priest beats the possessed person over the head and back with a broom until the foreign spirit leaves its host and enters a nearby tree.

Although attracting skepticism from big-city Indian press, there are many who believe in the ritual and its ability to cure the mysterious symptoms often associated with mental illness in the West: disruptive behavior, auditory hallucinations and nonsensical speech.

The Possessed

Bhooton ka Mela lasts three weeks, during which 'thousands' of individual exorcisms are performed. Statistics on the number of attendees, their backgrounds and the cure rate are, not surprisingly, non existent. The only information available on the event is culled from a number of first-hand accounts and interviews with a handful of attendees.

Who are the individuals that travel to this remote village to be beaten by brooms? While exact figures are not available, most sources say that a 'majority' of the possessed are rural women, although men do seek treatment as well. Many of these pilgrims are believed to come from villages in Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra.

The exact number of attendees is also unknown. If local reports are to be believed, 'thousands' of individual exorcisms are performed during Bhooton ka Mela. Some accounts say that as many as ten thousand pilgrims will attend Bhooton ka Mela in any given year, although how this figure was reached is unclear.

The one thing that seems certain is that the participants believe they are tormented by ghosts: souls of the deceased that refuse re-birth and possess the living as a way of taking care of unfinished business. Belief in ghosts is common in India, a fact that can be attributed at least partly to religious tradition. Hindus believe a soul must live through 8,400,000 reincarnations before attaining moksha, or salvation. Some believe that the spirit must spend at least one of his 8m+ lives as a ghost.

Many of the possessed that come to Bhooton ka Mela each year exhibit similar symptoms. Possessed persons may speak in strange languages, shout, faint, weep uncontrollably and exhibit 'supernatural energy.' They may also have difficulty recognizing family members and reference events that occurred before their birth.

The possessed come to Bhooton ka Mela with their families for relief from their symptoms. Many say they are unable to function in their day-to-day lives and see the ritual as a last resort.

The Exorcist

The origins of the ceremony are as much a mystery as the afflictions it purports to treat. Bhooton ka Mela can be traced back to 18th century Hindu holy man Guru Maharaj Deoji, a miracle worker capable of curing blindness, turning water into ghee (a clarified butter used in cooking) and making candy out of dust.

Guru Deoji is best known, however, for his work as an exorcist. He is credited with creating a mantra capable of expelling ghosts. It is not clear, however, if he used beatings as part of his exorcism ritual.

Before he died, the Guru selected four 'soldiers' to continue his work and taught them the art of exorcism. The estimated 200 priests that work at the temple today are believed to be the descendants of Guru Deoji's original 'soldiers.'

Broomstick Beatings and Banyan Trees

These exorcisms are always performed in the temple of Guru Deoji: a modest, raised marble platform and shrine flanked by a large banyan tree.

The exorcism ritual begins with a procession: the possessed circle the temple in one direction, while spectators walk around the platform going the opposite way. Once the possessed have circled the platform, they are called up one by one to meet the priest, while spectators chant and cheer as they follow the proceedings.

Before administering the beating, the priest will first address the ghost inside the afflicted person. The priest will ask the spirit's name, and place and year of birth. Often, the ghost is unable or unwilling to provide any information. At this time, the possessed may begin exhibiting strange or violent behavior, like speaking in tongues or lashing out at the priest and the crowd. The priest will then demand that the ghost leave the body of the living, and he will begin to beat the possessed person with a broom while chanting mantras and sprinkling the possessed with holy water.

In India, the humble broom carries centuries-old associations of un-cleanliness and low caste. Under the caste system, the job of sweeping the street is performed by a person of low caste (or 'untouchable') status. Traditionally, low caste members were also expected to drag a broom behind them as they walked to erase their pollution-causing footprints from the earth.

In theory, a beating with a broom is a humiliation that most ghosts can not bear. The priest hopes this humiliation is powerful enough to drive the ghost out of the living body and into a banyan tree located a few hundred meters from the platform. Many believe this tree to house thousands of spirits that have been exorcised over the years.

The length of the beatings varies from person to person, depending on the severity of the possession. Some participants may be possessed by two or more spirits, requiring a lengthier treatment. The priest will continue the beating until he is satisfied that that the foreign spirit has left its host.

The ritual ends as it begins: with a procession. Before leaving, the now-cured patient circles the temple in the opposite direction than he did when he first came in. The priests do not charge for the exorcism, although people make donations according to their ability. Many simply donate jaggery, an unrefined brown sugar made from palm sap - perhaps an allusion to the miracle performed by Guru Deoji in which he turned dust into sweets.

The festival is held every year during the Hindu month of Magh, which usually falls in January. This year, the festival runs from January 10 - 30.

Sources:

Hindustan Times - “Ever Heard of a Ghost Fair? It's here in MP” http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?sectionName=IndiaSectionPage&id=d775d1fd-c71c-4577-827f-99ac2473a386&&Headline=Ever+heard+of+a+ghost+fair%3f+It's+here+in+MP

BBC - “India's ghost fair draws thousands” http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4294249.stm

Encyclopedia Britannica - Mahar http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/357931/Mahar

Wikipedia - “Reincarnation and Hinduism” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reincarnation_and_Hinduism

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jeffromero1955 15th Febbraio 2010

Week 15 TE Rankings - Start & Sit Advice. Week 15 TE Rankings are based on the best matchups and highest potential fantasy football point outcomes among all TE in Week 15. Use these Week 15 TE Rankings to help you decide which TE to start this week. If you have any comments or questions, you can post in the comment box below the rankings.

Week 15 - TE Rankings

1. Vernon Davis - SF = @Phi
Not too many exciting matchups for TEs this week, but Davis leads the pack as he gets a matchup against an Eagles defense that has struggled to cover tight ends all season. 50-100 receiving yards, 1 touchdown.

2. Antonio Gates - SD = Cin
Gates has been one of the most steady TEs all season, and particularly good over the last three weeks. If we could count on Dallas Clark playing a lot this week, then he would get this ranking, but right now it looks like the Colts will rest many of their starters in this game. 50-75 receiving yards, and 1 touchdown possible.

3. Tony Gonzalez - Atl = @NYJ
With Atlanta's playoff hopes crashing, a Falcons win this week is a must if they wish to even have a chance at contending for the final wildcard spot in the NFC. With Roddy White likely to get blanketed by shutdown corner Darrell Revis in this game, Gonzalez will be the favorite target for whoever the Falcons QB is this week. 5-10 receptions is likely, as well as 50-75 receiving yards and possibly a touchdown as well. In PPR scoring leagues, I'd rank Gonzalez above Gates at the #2 spot.

4. Dallas Clark - Ind = @Jac
Coming off a 3 TD performance last week, ranking Clark this low seems absurd. However with the Colts likely to rest several of their starters in this game, it only seems reasonable to expect just 2 quarters of playing time out of Clark in this game. 50 receiving yards and 1 touchdown is possible if Clark can manage to score early.

5. Jason Witten - Dal = @NO
A safer play than Dallas Clark, because we know for sure that the Cowboys will be playing full out in this game to stay in contention for the division title and a playoff spot. 50-75 receiving yards, and a touchdown is possible as well.

To continue Week 15 TE Rankings —— click on PAGE 2 or NEXT

6. Brent Celek - Phi = SF
7. Kellen Winslow - TB = @Sea
8. Heath Miller - Pit = GB
9. Kevin Boss - NYG = @Was
10. Jeremy Shockey - NO = Dal

11. Greg Olsen - Chi = @Bal
12. Dustin Keller - NYJ = Atl
13. Fred Davis - Was = NYG
14. Jermichael Finley - GB = @Pit
15. John Carlson - Sea = TB / SLEEPER
16. Ben Watson - NE = @Buf / SLEEPER
17. Visanthe Shiancoe - Min = @Car
18. Zach Miller - Oak = @Den
19. Bo Scaife - Ten = Mia
20. Tony Scheffler - Den = Oak

21. Todd Heap - Bal = Chi
22. Marcedes Lewis - Jac = Ind
23. David Thomas - NO = Dal
24. Daniel Fells - StL = Hou / DEEP SLEEPER
25. James Casey - Hou = @StL
26. Shawn Nelson - Buf = NE
27. Anthony Fasano - Mia = @Ten
28. Donald Lee - GB = @Pit
29. Justin Peelle - Atl = @NYJ
30. Randy McMichael - StL = Hou

31. Joey Haynos - Mia = @Ten
32. Gary Barnidge - Car = Min
33. Alge Crumpler - Ten = Mia
34. Joel Dreessen - Hou = @StL
35. Dante Rosario - Car = Min
36. Daniel Graham - Den = Oak
37. Martellus Bennett - Dal = @NO
38. Desmond Clark - Chi = @Bal
39. Sean Ryan - KC = Cle
40. Jeff King - Car = Min

41. Derek Fine - Buf = NE
42. Jared Cook - Ten = Mia
43. Robert Royal - Cle = @KC
44. Travis Beckum - NYG = @Was
45. Jerramy Stevens - TB = @Sea
46. Brad Cottam - KC = Cle
47. LJ Smith - Bal = Chi
48. Chase Coffman - Cin = @SD
49. Richard Quinn - Den = Oak
50. Alex Smith - Phi = SF

OUT or UNLIKELY TO PLAY:

IR = Brandon Pettigrew - Det
IR = Chris Cooley - Was
IR = Owen Daniels - Hou

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jeffromero1955 14th Febbraio 2010

Reality meets fiction as four threads repeatedly intersect, pass by, diverge, come back together and intersect again in Robert Altman's and Garrison Keillor's newest hit from the Midwest, A Prairie Home Companion, named lovingly after the radio show it immortalizes and in some measure documents. 

If you are one of those who have never tuned in, accidentally or intentionally (I, myself, have caught it by accident a handful of times), to National Public Radio's broadcast of “A Prairie Home Companion,” you may have less chance of understanding the subtle humor and shades of meaning underlying the more apparent story, plot devises and jokes. But even someone wholly unfamiliar with Garrison Keillor's abundantly popular radio show is easily engrossed and caught up with events and characters as the plot lines twine around each other like a double helix in bloom. 
     
The movie opens with the backstage bustle of a live-audience show approaching “curtain up,” and some of the talent is missing. But not to fear, the missing ones come strolling in amidst cheerful hello's to all and recognition of tunes played on the piano. This is how Meryl Streep, Lily Tomlin and Lindsey Lohan make their entrances, and a grand way it is to enter, too. Perfectly staged, perfectly written, perfectly filmed; this is a stars' entrance. Meryl Streep here delivers the first line that lets us into the internal situation of these people we will now get to know. The line concerns a song sung by the Carter Family, “You know, like us…only famous….” 

The film is set up by alternately spending time in three theater locations. First, the camera sits in the ladies dressing room with Yolanda (Streep) and Rhonda (Tomlin), sisters, as they reminisce, grouse and cry a little about times and loves past on this, the night after which the radio show will go to join other things of times past. Lola (Lohan), Yolanda's daughter - named after the sisters' mother Lola - writes poetry, listens to the stories and decides how to react to maybe getting her chance to sing for the show. 

Then, the camera stands in the men's dressing room where GK (Garrison Keillor), Dusty and Lefty (Woody Harrelson, John C. Reilly), and others casually groom and prepare for the live radio broadcast while listening to GK's rambling, ambling story about how he got started in radio (Version A). 

The camera then moves upstairs to the comic relief to watch (watch over) theater detective and security officer a la 1930's, Guy Noir (Kevin Klein) as he elegantly catches his fingers in drawers, burns cigarettes (instead of lighting them) and misses significant events that occur right in front of him - but he does it all with such savior fare. Enter the fourth thread to the plot - a mysterious lady (Virginia Madsen) in white - a white trench coat that is. Who is she, what does she want, and what has she got to do with the deeper meaning of the film?? 

These are just some of the questions that the film answers as the night progresses, a night that will be the show's last because the theater is being torn down, and the radio station is closing after being bought out by a corporate entity, a representative of which is expected to pay a visit during the course of the show. All this transpires while Molly (Maya Rudolf), the stage manager, babysits the talent, labors to keep her cool, ushers the right people to the right spots at the right times and plays the perfect “straight” character to a collection of unintentional comics. 

Was there anything wrong with this movie? Very little that I could see…well, just one thing, and I truly hate to say it. First, though, let me say that this film reminds me of why the world loves and admires both Meryl Streep and Lily Tomlin and showers them with laurels at every possible opportunity. Meryl Streep once again hands in an exquisite performance, creating a truly memorable character…but…. It seems to be that perhaps in this film we see the inner edge of the limit of Merly Streep's talent. 

There were a few isolated spots - once going down the stairs and twice on stage - when the character showed the actress underneath working very consciously for a particular effect. Just three little glimpses, an accent a tad overdone, a bit delivered more like a drunken woman than a grieving woman and a hard part of a song that she knew she could do right because she'd worked so diligently on it. And was Lily Tomlin maybe just a little too abrasive here and there?

The production design (Dina Goldman), lighting and cinematography (Edward Lachman, S1mOne), and editing (Jacob Craycroft) were seemingly flawless (except one wonders what happened to the cowboys in the last scene). The sepia tones in the lighting blend well with the portion of the theme dealing with things that come to an end along with the end of an era. The live performance and backstage activity showed chaos and order reigning simultaneously, and the order among characters was mostly due to the intrepid Molly. Director Robert Altman (The Company, Gosford Park) pulled all the right strings at all the right times; he is more like a master marionetteer than anything else in the way he finesses the many lines and players of this excellent film. 

Garrison Keillor seems to be a consummate talent, because he can not only put on one fine radio show, his acting in A Prairie Home Companion is first-rate, as was true all round. This was particularly well shown in his scenes with the mysterious Dangerous Lady (who is very important to the meaning of this film) and later with Lola (a splendid achievement for Lohan). The story and screenplay were both of Keillor's production, and I find them to be interesting, multidimensional, well-crafted and entertaining. 

Which leads to contemplation of the meaning behind A Prairie Home Companion. It certainly addresses the end of an era and the idea that all things must go in time and that going, when it is in the “fulfillment of time,” is “not a tragedy.” But there is definitely also a discussion of the ideas of true justice and true mercy; there is a comparison in the film between those who receive it and those who don't; and a comment on those who withhold it. This film is a hit. Five Stars (we forgive the tiny flaws).

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jeffromero1955 12th Febbraio 2010

What does the average woman visualize when she thinks of the sexiest man alive? Brad Pitt? Tom Cruise? Antonio Banderas? Not really. What the average harried, overstressed woman really finds attractive is a man who will help her with the housework. This means that whether or not a man helps his significant other with the housework can impact his sex life. The truth is that we live in a different world now, one far removed from the conservative and very ideological 1950's era where the woman's place was considered to be in the home. The majority of women, and quite a few of them mothers, work outside the home to help support themselves and their families.

For many women household duties have changed from the 1950's norm due to better appliances and a society more catered to convenience as well as some help from the males in their lives. Relationship dynamics between men and women have also changed. I must give credit where credit is due and state that many men have changed and now help with the cooking, cleaning, and child rearing. This gives their wives and girlfriends much needed and deserved assistance. This promotes harmony in a relationship. Unfortunately in most cases this added assistance is either not enough to offset the increased working hours that many women have, or the assistance is entirely absent. This strains a relationship and at best can lead to discord and at worst can lead to separation or divorce.

A couple is first and foremost a partnership which is a small team. With any team when one member doesn't do their share it creates more work for the rest of the team. In partnerships the effect of this increased workload is exacerbated by their being only one other team member that has to bear the burden of unfinished tasks. It may not seem like a big deal to a male, when he blows off his wife or girlfriend's request for help around the house but that is not how women see it. Many women are stretched dangerously thin and under tremendous stress trying to balance both work and family and the unfairness of having a constantly increased workload due to their mates phobia of household tasks leads to bitterness and anger and often to feelings that their mate does not love or respect them. Otherwise why would the woman's mate routinely add to her stress and workload by not doing his fair share? Outdated ideals about who is supposed to do what do nothing to counter what women feel when they are routinely and unfairly overburdened.

Of course this isn't the case in all relationships. Part of the problem is caused by the fact that many men just do not understand how much work goes in to managing a house, and taking care of children. They perceive themselves as doing their part, think they are in the percentage of men that does their part, and consider their wife's objections to these notions as simple nagging. A good way to settle the question and demonstrate wether or not a couple is sharing responsibilities effectively is to make a chart, and the only materials required are a pen and a sheet of paper. Use the pen to divide the sheet of paper in to his and hers columns. Beginning with one person write down everything that they are responsible for during a week and the time it takes to complete the tasks. Include everything: work, school, cleaning, commuting, child care, and any other applicable task. Repeat with other couple member. Then tally the results, if the hours are uneven then the responsibilities of the relationship are not fairly distributed.

I have suggested this method to several friends and was shocked to find that three out of the four of them had grossly unfair distributions of labor in their relationships. Their total was over twice that of their husbands! The method worked very well, because once their husbands were presented the cold facts in black and white they could not write their wives' complaints off as simple nagging anymore. They subsequently began helping more around the house. It is important to sit down together and figure out who is doing what and then decide fairly who should be doing what. Communication and teamwork helps a lot with household management. Many people have a chore that they detest: some people hate the messy experience of washing dishes while others dread the tediousness of dusting. When a couple works together they can minimize the amount of personally unpleasant tasks each person has to undertake, making it easier on everyone.

I believe that men will find that in addition to being the fair thing to do helping around the house has its advantages. Studies have found that women whose significant others help them with the housework report being less stressed and say that they find their partners more sexually attractive. That result makes sense. When a woman feels less stressed because she has help, and has good feelings toward her significant other because he is doing his fair share its only natural that she'd find him more sexually attractive. Also, because she is not unfairly overwhelmed with extra tasks she has more energy for sexual encounters. Many men end up with an exhausted, overwhelmed wife that is angry at them for not taking out the trash or walking the dog (who subsequently urinated on the floor - and you can guess who had to clean that up). And sex is the furthest thing from her mind. For most men the key to improving their sex life and their relationship with their significant other does not lie in couple counseling, the purchase of lingerie or even setting the mood, but in the simple act of washing the dishes.

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jeffromero1955 10th Febbraio 2010

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jeffromero1955 9th Febbraio 2010

How to send someone money without buying a horse
Sometimes you want to send someone money for something other than a horse. This is easy. Keep one or two horses in your account that are worthless. I look up horses for sale and just buy the cheapest horse there. It does not matter what kind of horse it is. You will only be using it to move money around. Sometimes you can even get a horse for free. Change the name of the horse to “Money Horse.” You can even change the picture to a picture of money.

Put the money horse up for sale for “bid only.” When someone wants to give you some money, they just bid on the money horse for the amount they want to give you. You accept the bid and they get the money horse. To get your money horse back, the other person will put the horse up for sale for “bid only.” Then you can bid $0 on him and the other person will accept your bid. You will get your money horse back. Sometimes the person doesn't give your money horse back. Don't get angry. That is why you bought the cheapest horse you could find. Just ask them to please give him back or buy another cheap horse to use as a money horse.

Giving your horse to someone
If you want to give someone a horse for free or just cheap, DO NOT put him up for sale for $0. Someone else will just take him before your friend can get to him and they will not give the horse back. To be safe, put the horse up for sale for “bid only.” Then your friend can bid $0 and you can accept their bid and they will get the horse for free. Do not write “Please only Anna can buy this horse!” because no one will read that or care. They will just take the horse anyway.

Slaughter Houses
Some people on Horseland are mean. They say that they are slaughterhouses and they will slaughter (kill) horses if you do not buy them. Just remember, NO ONE on Horseland can kill or slaughter a horse. It is not possible in this game. They are just trying to scare you so that you will buy the horse and give them money. Also remember that these are NOT real horses. They are just numbers in a computer. No real horses can ever get hurt in this game.

Passwords
When making your password, be sure to make it something difficult. If your password is easy to guess then it will be easy for someone to hack into your account. There are computer programs that are used for finding passwords. Do not use a real word for a password like “horse” or “unicorn.” Also, never make your password the same as your account name. Passwords should contain letters and numbers and can also contain symbols. Make sure your password is easy for you to remember. Don't use a password like 6$#@*er%. You won't ever remember it. Here are some good ideas for passwords:

your pet's name + the year you were born = mitten1998
your middle name + the day you were born = anne21
a word with one letter changed to symbols: anna = @nn@

Getting Photos for Your Horse
Where is everyone getting these great pictures for their horses? Well, some people make their own pictures. Other people buy pictures from other players. Most people just find a picture of a horse on the internet and use that. You can find some great photos of your own at this website: http://webshots.com Just click the link and then enter the type of horse you have in the search bar and click “search.” If you see a picture you like, save it to your own computer and then use it for your horse. If you have Photoshop or a similar program, you can make your own personalized pictures. This takes a lot of practice and can be very frustrating, but if you get good at it, you can sell personalized pictures to other players. You can also get some awesome free pictures at http://www.geocities.com/sweeetlittleamber.

Player Points
You get player points by entering your horse in shows. When your horses win, you receive points. Player points are used for shows that require lots of points to win. Before entering a show, click on the show name and click on one of the classes. A page should come up telling you that the show is good for beginner, average, or experienced riders. If you do not have many points, you are a beginner rider. If you have over a hundred thousand player points, you are an experienced rider. Average riders are right in the middle.

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jeffromero1955 7th Febbraio 2010

Five Considerations Before Your Next Project:

While teaching courses to high school graduates it became apparent that many of them weren't prepared to plan, to strategize, or to think in future tense. At first glance it comes off as an arrogant inconsiderate lack of will, that's what a person without the ability to formulate plans seems like, they are listless, without direction, in bygone terms we'd say, they lacked “spunk.” Listening to the students talk, describe where they were at, and what they considered to be important versus unimportant, it began to dawn on me that they had little future sense, a highly active present sense, and somewhat of an active examination of the past.

What happens in the rush to learn rudimentary matters of education is that some of the refining which used to be part of the system has been removed. As we emphasize not leaving any child behind, we rush forward a person who has no concept of what it means to put that information to use in planning a future. This is why my students had no sense of where they wanted to go, they were still trying to figure out where they were. It is, after all, a puzzling world, so full of information that it becomes overwhelming, so overwhelming that it becomes better to not participate. This writing is in response to them, to assist those who will take the moments to take it in, for it provides a synthesis of good project management thought.

Here are some boiled down considerations in projects:

1) Snapshot - Everyone knows what a picture can reveal, the cliché' is that a picture is worth a thousand words, but in this instance, that's true. The snapshot describes where you are at in terms of the project, as it stands right now. This means all the resources, or lack of resources, people or lack of people, place; places or lack of place or places, time to accomplish whatever aspect you are seeking to accomplish. In the snapshot is a description of what exists as it is, it's also good at this point to describe what you can of the “want to” or the why of the project.

2) Measures - One of the easiest and most logical of the planning beforehand is to know what must be measured. If it is a building what are the diameters, if it is liquid what is its container weight. If it is a painting, when will it be ready to purchase or archive or display? What matters here is that the measure is appropriate to the task, you don't want to try and measure water weight in a pong, just like you don't want to measure dry weight in a pond, you want to measure wet measurements in containers that specify what it is, dry measures in feet and inches. Completion of projects at a final point, or non final measures, in the process to specify how the completed project is proceeding, will show you what you want to know, and that is what the measures are for. If they will make it clear to you, there is a good chance they will make it clear to someone else.

3) Milestones - In a course that is a semester in length, weekly tests add up to a mid term grade with the test included. So that you have weekly milestones, that would be the passing of the tests, which lead up to mid term or half way tests, which show where you are at in terms of a half way point. These point to the successful completion of the overall course; they are important points of reflection.

4) Funding - Many times folks run shy of funds not because they don't work hard, but because they haven't seen the necessary aspect of having funds on hand. What will it take in monetary terms for you to complete what it is that you are undertaking. Honestly evaluating this at the outset of the task will provide insight into how hard you have to work at this, and if you should seek alternative paths to the funds needed. It is not that funds might be available, such is certain, but it is that funds are on hand, which is different. What is present to be worked with is all that can be counted, if it is enough, that is adequate, if there is a bit of surplus that is sometimes prudent, as additional expenses can crop up, but it is never wise to begin a task without adequate funding.

5) Documentation - It is the rare person who keeps and maintains a journal. The absolute necessity of documentation isn't emphasized as it ought to be; as a result we have a lack of analysis on what makes for perfect project planning. The community at large; where learners and seekers, of the knowledge of how to plan, have to rely on the strategies of those who claim they will work. Unfortunately this is often without guides in the forms of strategic action plans, or standard operating procedures. Documentation is vital for the collective verification of accuracy when it comes to looking into what project planning is all about.

These five points are just to wet your appetite, and also to act as a skeleton of sorts, one of the wonderful parts about project management is that there are so many resources available today that are modern and up to date. This brief is to introduce you to the very basic concepts, and, should you find those useful and want to contact us, you will now have a resource which you realize does verify through the actions suggested.

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jeffromero1955 7th Febbraio 2010

All it took was a comparison challenge on TV. Texas, Kansas City, Memphis and North Carolina, who's style sauce was better. It didn't matter to me, it all looked delicious and from that moment on I wanted some RIBS.

I pulled a frozen block of pork bone in ribs out of the freezer, going to the refrigerator I found an open bottle of Baumann's KC Style Barbeque sauce sitting on the shelf. That seals it, Kansas City Style it is.

Nothing beats slow cooking to make meat tender and juicy. I fired up the gas grill and placed that whole frozen block of ribs on the upper level, or warming rack. I set the burner at medium low and left it to thaw out.

In about 10 minutes I was able to pry the ribs apart so I lowered the temp to low, gave them their first basting of sauce and went back to watching TV.

Baumann's KS Style Sauce is a Save-a-Lot store brand product. In fact it's about the only brand of BBQ sauce on their shelves. The look and taste is a close match to KC Masterpiece, a molasses based sauce with a sweet tang to it. It works good both as a basting sauce and a dipping sauce once the meat is cooked.

Turning the ribs about every 15 minutes and re-coating the top surface with Baumann's KS Style Sauce was doing it's job. The ribs remained juicy and tender. After about an hour and 15 minutes they were looking mighty good. As my wife doesn't eat pork, I split a Turkey Kielbasa, coated it with sauce and put it on the grill for her. As I intentionally cooked the ribs low and slow, it took about an hour and a half to finish up.

So after patiently tending my grill load of pork ribs, how did they come out? Just look at the picture to the left of this article and judge for yourself. Lip smacking good are words that come to mind. The ribs were still nice and juicy, tender and very tasty. The meat was penetrated by the smoke and sauce creating a very tasty bark over the entire surface. Even the Turkey Kielbasa had the added flavor of the Kansas Style Sauce.

The whole process was very simple, just remember low and slow. Cooking the ribs on the warming rack keeps the flame that much further away from the meat. With a covered grill, the heat stays inside and your food is cooked more like it would be in an oven. Only there is one heck of a lot more flavor. I like Pork Ribs first because they taste great. Secondly they're the most economical meat you can get for cooking on the grill.

The next time you go to the supermarket, get a big family pack of pork ribs. Make some finger licking good Kansas Style Pork Ribs real soon. I'm already looking forward to left overs for lunch tomorrow.

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