I have to say, these last three months have not been easy. I had to drink water, milk and other stuff besides my beloved soft drinks. What a serious “first world” problem. Right? And until I started writing this post, I was really proud of myself for giving up the soft drinks for three whole […]
By: yesisedit,
on 2/26/2012
One of the, if not The, deepest questions of the universe.
You have to start with what you believe is the force that is the creator of this life I believe.
Some think of GOD as a human type creature in who’s image we are created, with long flowing hair, robes to make him modest though he needs to hide nothing from his creations as I see it, and a celestial kingdom where he, or she in some cases, sits reining judgement down upon the works he designed and gave free will to.
I can not see that which created me in such limited form. I can not even envelope the concept of never ending or forever just because I am temporary in this form at least. I do however believe I was created from and by the “GOD” that has no limits and this is exactly why I think I am made in it’s likeness, BUT not in it’s totality, there are things missing if I am separate FROM God, God did not make me GOD, God, or even god, GOD made me human, GOD made everything else what it is too I believe but I think, like one atom in my body or even smaller than that, to infinity small, that part is still a part of GOD though never “GOD”, only a part, that the smallest part of me is still me, I am made in the likeness of and from GOD, I am alive, that smallest part of me is alive, GOD must also be alive if we are all part of everlasting life.
Conclusion; Life never begins, it is never ended, It IS!
Consciousness in itself does not prove to me that I am not alive.
The fact that when sperm and egg combine and the DNA messages combine to spark cell multiplication (The spark of life if you will) and a plan is put into affect to form a body which will make a human or any other living thing would seem to be life to me.
BUT it was life even before that! The EGG and the SPERM were also alive, donated by the life forms of at least two separate beings, who were made in the image of GOD, who is also alive.
GOD talks to all of us in GOD’s own way. Some hear “Him” like “He” was talking in their language and sitting having tea I suppose. Others see the “Great Spirit” manifest as all that surrounds us and all that can not be seen or even heard but that still is. I am more from that camp I suppose but still believe all is possible.
The right to life for me is hard to conceive when I believe that life is never ending. The right to life is not for me to tell you, you may or may not have though if you threaten my life I will not hesitate to use what ever is at my disposal to protect mine and stop yours!
The question to me is more the quality of the life you give rather than just letting all life happen. If all in creation is from GOD then even the worst of it is sacred and the Jaines may be correct and may have more in line with current Christian values than most think. But if we do not take into account what we offer, if a human is brought into this world through violent action that threatens the life that brings it who is the killer here? The mother who was raped or is too young and will surely die from the birth or the entity being born who would kill it’s mother, most assuredly it would be the rapist but can we take his life either? I would say it is not my place to judge any of these unless they are me. I WILL FIGHT FOR MY LIFE! But a Mother must make the call of giving herself for another in my view. It may seem selfish or unjust but it must be hers with as much help and support from all sides as she can get. Advise and support but not Judgement and in the end her decision as final carrier of that which will always be alive to enter into this world.
If you believe in eternal life you will not be sad for the soul who returns to it’s maker but wish it return another time
By: Anne Spollen,
on 10/4/2010
By: Beth,
on 11/22/2009
Abby’s Road is a podcast in which high school senior, Abby Laporte, talks with peers and adults about a variety of topics of interest to teens and the adults who live and work with them. Over the life of the podcast Abby and her guests have covered topics including visiting colleges, sexual orientation, abuse, and, most recently, technology. (You can listen to the most recent podcast.) Listen
When listening to the latest podcast in the series, I was once again reminded of the value adults need to place on teen abilities to think critically. Throughout the podcast, Abby and the teens she talked with, demonstrated that they are all aware of the need to think about the actions that they take online. They also know that sometimes the actions they choose aren’t necessarily the best. But, they do know that. These teens are thinking human beings and not just walking mindless creatures.
How did these teens get to be thinking human beings and know how to make choices? As I listened it seemed pretty clear that, to at least some degree, their critical thinking skills came from the adults in their lives. At one point Abby asked her guests whether or not access to social networking should be blocked by parents of young children and teens. The answers from her guests mostly focused on the idea that the best thing parents can do for their children is be aware of what is going on in their children’s lives and talk with their children about appropriate and inappropriate use of technology.
The teens discussing the topic seemed to have had experience with parents who were willing to converse about various aspects of their lives and technology use. These teens had good modeling from their parents, and perhaps other adults in their lives, and as a result were smart users of technology.
I think about the need to talk with teens about smart choices and safe use of technology every time I hear about a school or public library blocking access to many of the sites that teens like to use. If your school or public library is in the blocking frame of mind, consider promoting listening to Abby’s Road to parents, teachers, colleagues, and administrators. Consider facilitating a discussion among members of your community about teen perspectives on technology use and how, through open conversation with teens in the community, adults can learn what’s really going on in that use, and also help teens to be safe when it comes to their technology lives.
Talking with teens can be risky. But if the adults who live and work with teens don’t have those risky conversations who will? And, if the adults who live and work with teens don’t have the conversations, how can teens be expected to critically think about their options in order to make good decisions about their lives?
Adults need to realize that teens can think for themselves and at the same time they have to help teens gain the skills to successfully do that. Critical thinking comes with discussion and practice. Adults can’t be afraid to talk, on a wide variety of topics, with teens about decision making and they can’t be afraid to give teens the chance to practice that decision making. It’s really the only way adults can help teens grow up to successfully live in a world where making choices is something they need to do every day.
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By: Cindy R. Williams,
on 10/11/2009
Forgive me football haters.
It’s all about choices. There’s this football movie where Al Pacino, the coach, is giving his team the big motivation Talk before the game. He talks about his own wreck of a life and then he talks about how the game, like life, is decided by inches, by an inch. You move a little too slow or a little too fast, you arrive a second too soon or a second too late, and you fail. You do it all right and you have the chance for success.
Truman Capote said, “The difference between good and great is subtle but savage.” I’d say the difference between good and almost-good is the same. It’s hard to write a good story or novel. It’s very, very hard. It’s hard to see when you don’t write well. Once you learn the basics-- you know grammar, you understand character and plot and setting and you have a feel for language-- it’s all a matter of subtle choices. You make the right ones and at the end of the day (year) you have a book. You make the wrong ones and at the end of the day(year) you have a manuscript that doesn’t work. Sometimes it almost works. It’s very close. That’s a bit of a heart breaker, the almost good manuscript.
So how do you make the right choices? That’s the big question. That’s the one that has no single answer because every manuscript is different.
I do think one thing you can do to help yourself make the right choices is to struggle to be in the scene, to BE THERE and not allow yourself to force your characters to do things from the outside. Try to find that place that allows you to experience the scene with the character. That closeness will help you find your way.
Or so I think today.
By: Jennie,
on 4/26/2009
After the blow up about cool blogs and loser blogs and how the literary blogosphere is like high school, we're now all mumbly and slightly whiny about ARCs. Who gets them, who doesn't it and wasn't the blogosphere so much better before them? (Which baffles me, I've been book blogging for 4.5 years now. There have always been ARCs, but maybe because most of the blogs I started reading were by librarians who were getting the ARCs through other venues and then blogging about them as well.)
I don't want to get into it. Y'all know that when I read an ARC, I mention it in the review. If you actually want to know more, ask me.
Can we stop talking about ourselves and blogging in general and get back to talking about actual books?!
If you want to be introspective, here's what I want to know--how do you discover books to read? What made you pick up the last few books you read?
Here are the books I read so far this month and why I picked them up (you'll notice most come from the library. I work there. It's an occupational hazard):
Wild Orchid Cameron Dokey-- this is the latest installment of the Once Upon a Time series, which I love, so I put a hold on it at the library as soon as it showed up in the catalog, which is when the order was placed.
Being Nikki Meg Cabot-- this is an ARC that I requested when Cabot mentioned on her blog that the she had some for blog reviewers. I saw Airhead at the library last summer and it looked good and I like Cabot so I read it. I really liked it and have been looking forward to the sequel for awhile, so I jumped on the chance to get it a little early. I will review this in a few weeks, closer to the release date. I will tell you right now that it's better than Airhead.
The Corpse Walker Liao Yiwu-- books about China always catch my eye. I frequently check out the history section of the new bookshelf over in the adult section at the library. That's where I got this, but I might have read some buzz about it on the China blogs I follow.
Best Friends and Drama Queens Meg Cabot-- I got this when it came in at the library. I have read and enjoyed the earlier Allie Finkle books, so grabbed this right away.
Tales of Famous Americans Peter and Connie Roop-- I know Connie Roop personally. She once almost gave me detention! She was my homeroom and science teacher in junior high. When I found out she and her husband had a new one out, I scooped it up. I ILL'ed from another library.
The Secret in the Old Attic Carolyn Keene-- my friend Dana collects original editions of Nancy Drew, Bobbsey Twins, Dana Girls, Judy Bolton and other old-skool mystery series. She loaned me a few and so I read the original side-by-side with the current edition to see how they compare. The current edition was checked out from the library.
No Choirboy: Murder, Violence, and Teenagers on Death Row Susan Kuklin-- this is one of the titles on the reading list for our upcoming Teen Notables book discussion at work. I got it from the library.
Socialism is Great Lijia Zhang-- I read about this book, including an interview with Zhang on a few different China blogs. So when I saw it on the shelf at the library, I checked it out.
Lady Grace Mysteries: Gold Lady Grace Cavendish-- I really enjoy this series, but they stopped publishing them in the US after the 6th volume. When I was on vacation in England I saw that there were 5 more volumes available. So I bought them.
We Have Always Lived in the Castle Shirley Jackson-- I bought this last spring. I liked the cover and had been meaning to read some Jackson because she seems to be a favorite among some bloggers I really like.
Sisters Grimm: Everafter Wars Michael Buckley-- I love the Sisters Grimm series and had pre-ordered this on Amazon months and months ago. I started reading as soon as I opened the box.
I Want Candy Kim Wong Keltner-- I enjoyed Keltner's other books as fun chicklit so when I saw this on the new book shelf at work, I picked it up. It was very very different than her other work.
Racketty-Packetty House and Other Stories Frances Hodgson Burnett-- Burnett is a childhood favorite of mine. When I saw this at the library, how could I resist? I COULDN'T!
Fade Lisa McMann-- I loved Wake, which I had to read for the Teen Notables discussion, so I put a hold on the sequel right away at the library.
Moon Opera Bi Feiyu-- I saw this on the new bookshelf at work and it was about Chinese Opera! And really short. And was an author I wasn't familiar with.
Bog Child Siobhan Dowd-- Lots of people in blogland loved this book. So when I was trolling the shelves at work, I thought I'd pick it up.
Dead is a State of Mind Marlene Perez-- much like with Fade, I had to read the first in this series for the Teen Notable book discussion and loved it, so I snatched up the sequel as soon as it was available.
Lost and Found (Bluford High) Anne Schraff-- I'm doing a presentation at the Maryland Library Association conference next month about what's popular in YA. This series is super-hot at my library-- I was surprised to find a copy on the shelf!
Got Fangs Katie Maxell--So, for the above presentation, I need to read some more vampire books that are so popular thanks to Twilight. I got it at the library.
Beacon Street Girls: Worst Enemies/Best Friends Annie Bryant-- I thought I could use this for my presentation, so I checked it out of the library.
Jellicoe Road Melina Marchetta-- While this got good blogbuzz, I really picked this one up because it won the Printz. I checked it out from the library.
Repossessed AM Jenkins-- checked out from the library for use in my presentation. I knew about it because it was a Printz honor (last year? year before?)
Oh.My.Gods Tera Lyyn Childs--checked out from the library for use in my presentation. I originally heard about in from blogland, and it's been on display at the library, so I haven't forgotten about it.
The Celebutantes: On the Avenue Antonio Pagliano-- this was on my radar due to blogbuzz, but when I wanted more titles for "Gossip Girl with a twist" for my presentation, this one was one of the recommended titles. Checked it out from the library.
Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation: Kingdom oo the Waves MT Anderson-- This is the book I'm currently reading thanks to a huge confluence of events. A friend picked up the ARC for me at ALA a while back, but sadly, I haven't been able to get to it until now. (She had it autographed for me too, and apparently Anderson and Mo Willems MOCKED ME for not being there! This makes me sad and happy all at once.) Anyway, I'm reading all the Printz books this year for this presentation AND the Octavian books are what my book club is discussing next week.
You'll notice most come from the new book shelves at work. Before you accuse me of being a mean-new-book-hogging-librarian I will point out a few things in my defense:
1. As soon as I can place a hold, members of the public can as well. In fact for a few of the "placed on hold before it came in" books, I actually placed the hold at home via the public catalog.
2. Books are on the new bookshelf for 6months to a year. Several of these, while still new, had been checked out a few times before me.
3. Yeah, I might be a new book hog. It's what happens when you're the one putting the new books on the shelf. I do try to get them read and back into circulation fairly quickly.
What about you? How do you choose books?
By: Gina MarySol Ruiz,
on 6/12/2007
Korgi
Author: Christian Slade
Publisher Top Shelf Productions
ISBN-10: 1891830902
ISBN-13: 978-1891830907
Be prepared for something wonderfully different when you open Korgi. The lushly illustrated graphic novel is entirely silent but for the few words at the beginning. Each page is so rich and expressive that words aren’t needed. Slade, a former Disney animator knows how to tell an evocative story that doesn’t need words. This could be animated and work very well.
The story is about Ivy, a young Molly and her Korgi, a fox/dog like creature named Sprout. Ivy and Sprout venture out of their happy world and encounter dangers and adventures of all sorts. There’s a huge troll, scary spiders who capture Ivy and Sprout in their webs and various ghoulish creatures. What shines through each page is Ivy and Sprout’s complete devotion to each other. Through their adventure, they find abilities they didn’t know they had as well as a deeper appreciation for home.
The illustrations are so gorgeous that I can’t say enough about them. Each page works as a silent portion of a storyboard and each is filled with so much emotion and expression that they seem to come to life. Korgi is intricate, simple and completely wonderful. This is the first in an upcoming series and sure to be a raging success. I wonder how long it will take this one to get animated. It seems a natural for the medium. I’d certainly go see it. Korgi is highly recommended for any age. Lovers of animation and art should definitely snap this one up
Book Description from the publisher:
Christian Slade, a former Disney animator and currently full-time freelance illustrator, has brought to Top Shelf a gorgeously illustrated woodland fantasy about a young girl named Ivy, her dog Sprout and their amazing adventures in Korgi Hollow. This amazing combination of adventure and fantasy will appeal to anyone who loves Andy Runton's Owly and Jeff Smith's Bone. Get ready for the launch of something very daring and very new!
Great goal! Right now, I’m pretty much committed to care-giving, but I *will* spread the word–and the blog. Don’t you just love how putting black marks down on paper lets us see our thoughts and know them, sometimes for the very first time? Yeah.
Donna, I DO understand. I recently did the same thing with drinks. I trought the artificial sugar was impeding my diet. I thought it wasn’t good for my kidneys. I thought the caffeine wasn’t Healthy. So I started drinking club soda and when I went back to have a diet Dr Pepper, it just didn’t taste as good. I’m so glad that I switched.
Digging wells for water sounds like a great idea. Please keep me posted on this project.
Joy
Sent from my iPad
Donna,
What a great cause! Fresh well water–what a precious gift. What a great mission. Go for it!
Glad to know we’re in this together!
I’ll keep you updated on the 5K!
Thank you, Linda, for the encouragement!!
Thank you for sharing this on FB and with your friends. You are in my thoughts, my friend. And I appreciate your encouragement and spreading the word!!
Hi, Donna!
Nice to see you again at the SCBWI conference this year!
What a great challenge for yourself. If I lived closer, I would definitely participate in the 5k as a runner. Will this be the first year ever for the racing event? Have you read the true story in a pb about Ryan from Canada who raised enough money to build a well in Africa? It’s awesome. My son, who is 9, is so impressed by Ryan’s actions and motivations.
Would you be willing and able to answer a few interview questions for my blog feature, High Five? I’d need the answers by Friday the 4th around 8pm at the latest. I can e-mail the questions to you in a Word.docx attachment. Just let me know.
Also, how do you go about becoming a speaker for a breakout session at SCBWI? I’m interested in doing that for probably 2015 (*maybe* 2014). You can e-mail me at wildbike @ netzero . com. Thanks!!!
Dear Donna,
Walking to help others, also helps you get fit. Celebrate you and your sense of humor and your compassion for others.
I am so proud of you, Donna! Definitely let us know the details of your 5k run/walk when you get it planned. I would love to participate in some capacity!