W.W.D.D.?

I have always admired the Buddhist way of respecting all life.  I must admit that I have killed an exceptionally scary looking spider or two in my day, but generally speaking I try not to harm any living creature.  I’ve moved far more spiders from inside of my home to the great outdoors than I have executed. 

Most recently, after getting our 25 baby chicks and watching them grow, naming them, having them peck feed out of my hand, gently picking them up and rescuing them when they fly “over the border” of their little area, I made the decision to go ahead and be a full-fledged vegetarian.  We were darn close anyway. 

Unlike most people who lean into vegetarianism, I stopped eating fish first.   I was concerned about the way we are decimating the life of our oceans.  I’m really not sure that people who live in land-locked Tennessee are really meant to eat sushi-grade tuna.  It’s not exactly environmentally-friendly locally-grown fare.   But, chicken and beef?  Why, you could get those from right here in Tennessee, and they were in no danger of extinction. 

But, then we got the chickens.  And then we had Buffalo wings when Triston came over.  And then I almost wretched up what used to be one of my favorite dinners.  How could I look my precious chicks in the eye at 9:00 when I was smacking my lips over her cousin at 6:00?  It wasn’t a huge leap to also apply this feeling to the beautiful brown-eyed bovines I passed every day on my way to class.  So that was it.  No animal was going to have to die for my consumption again, I determined.   Buddha would be proud.

In a related story, Susie called me in a panic as I was about to turn into the driveway this evening.   There was an injured deer in the woods just adjacent to the big dogs’ fenced-in area.   The dogs were going nuts, and the deer was on the ground and in shock.  We believe it had a broken leg. 

After placing several calls, the best answer we could get was that we should call the sheriff’s office.  Now, in the world of animal rescue, “call the sheriff” is code for “there’s nothing we can do” which is code for “this animal needs to be put out if its misery.”  In fact, the one wildlife rehabilitator we called said that he would lose his license if he rehabilitated a white tail deer because they were already so prolific and they really needed hunters to keep the population down.  “Besides,” he drawled, “you can’t rehabilitate a deer with a broken leg.  The most humane thing you can do is shoot it.”

We called the sheriff.  As we waited for a patrol car to show up, I stood out on the front porch wondering what the Buddha would do in this situation.  Was that “respect all life” thing such an absolute that helping to ease suffering was also off limits?   Would the Buddha have simply given the deer food and water and let nature take its course, even if nature would seem to have an inhumane lack of compassion?

In the end, I did what I always do.  I checked my own spirit and tested my own actions and behaviors against my own consciousness.   When the sheriff’s deputy arrived, I showed him the way to the deer.  Then I left him alone with it.  I went back to the house and waited.  Pretty soon, two shots were fired about 10 seconds apart.  They almost seemed to rip through my chest.   Then I felt release.  The deer was gone.  So was the pain. 

What would Buddha do?  I care about as much for the answer to that question as I do for the similar question about Jesus, or Muhammed, or Shiva, or Billy Graham.  Consciousness, spirituality, whatever you want to call it, is an art and not a science.  We can’t achieve enlightenment by following the rules or path of another.   We can only achieve it by artfully wending our way along the path that is ours alone.    So, on my path this evening I helped end the suffering of another being on this planet.   For me, it was the right thing to do. 

But it still wasn’t easy.

Marketing During Recession: Millward Brown's POV

Marketing During Recession: To Spend or Not to Spend?

It’s been proven that an increase in marketing spend during a recession can gain a long-term advantage for a brand. But many marketers, constrained by budgets and circumstances, won’t be able to use this strategy. Will this leave their brands in peril? Or should decisions on how much to spend be taken in light of the overall prospects for the brand and category?

Everyone is talking about recession. The talk alone may be enough to trigger one, whether the underlying economics dictate it or not. From observations of recessions past, we know that consumers are quick to rein in spending when hard times are predicted. Many business leaders behave the same way. Anticipating reduced sales, they are inclined to cut back on variable costs, including marketing, in order to deliver on the expectations of the financial market.

However, a great deal of evidence suggests that it’s not a good idea to reduce marketing spend during recession in order to hit financial targets. Doing so may leave your brand in a less competitive position when the economy recovers. Over the years, research studies have confirmed that the best strategy in terms of long-term ROI is to increase marketing expenditure during an economic slowdown. An analysis of the Profit Impact of Marketing Strategies (PIMS) database, presented at a March 2008 IPA conference, provides the latest evidence. This analysis compared the results achieved by companies that increased, maintained, and reduced marketing spend during recession. Metrics used were Return on Capital Employed (ROCA) during the recession, ROCA during the first two years of recovery, and market share change during the same period of recovery. While companies that cut marketing spend enjoyed superior ROCA during the recession, they achieved inferior results after the recession ended. During the recovery, the “spenders” achieved significantly higher return on capital employed and gained an additional 1.3 percentage points of market share.

These findings, which may seem counterintuitive, can be explained by three basic factors.

1. The relationship between share of market and share of voice

The connection between share of market (SOM) and share of voice (SOV) has been proven. The higher your share of voice compared to your actual market share, the more likely your brand is to grow its market share in the subsequent year. So, if you increase your marketing investment at a time when competitors are reducing theirs, you should substantially increase the saliency of your brand. This could help you establish an advantage that could be maintained for many years.

2. The relationship between brand size and profit margins

Because they enjoy advantages of scale, big brands enjoy an advantage over smaller ones in terms of attracting repeat purchase and recouping their marketing investments. Therefore, a brand that increases share during a recession stands to benefit from this multiplier once the economy rebounds.

3. Reduced “noise” during recession provides opportunities

A new product launch may actually have greater impact during a recession than at other times, for several reasons. A product that is unique or demonstrably better than others should be able to command a higher price, even among price conscious shoppers. Competitors who are running scared may be late in countering a new product with their “me-too” offerings. And, because media costs are likely to be lower, advertisers should get more bang for their buck. These savings may be compounded by the relative ease of cutting through in a less cluttered atmosphere.

Overall, competing in a recession is like running a marathon. A smart frontrunner will seize the lead and work to increase it while others are flagging. If the other runners allow the gap to widen, it will be really tough for them to regain the lost ground when the pace picks up again.

Recession Proof your Income (Internet Network Marketing)

A few thoughts on reading Shantaram, by Gregory David Roberts

It had been recommended to me by many in my friends circle, that this is a good book. I’d rather differ a bit; it’s a great book and makes it to one of my favorites. The book is a story of an Australian convict, who escapes from the jail and finds himself in Mumbai, via New Zealand. In Mumbai he lives in the slums, joins the mafia, gets addicted to heroin and gets off it, travels to Afghanistan to fight with the mujaheddin, acts in bollywood movies and so on. As many of you who have read the bestseller would know that this is autobiographical of the authors’ life.

The good part of this novel is the way in which the protagonist explains what he learns from life, about love and happiness in addition to others, and the author has kept it short rather not getting into a fable like writing. One of the many aspects I would remember of this book is a statement made by Abdel Khader Khan, a mafia don in the book, who justifies doing wrong things for the right reasons, or the philosophy about life that it tends towards complexity.

Memories of Christmas Recital

This past Christmas recital was an extra special event for the Schupbach Piano Studio. We all knew it was the last event that we would have together, as I was moving to Colorado, leaving my wonderful students behind in Virginia. Excitement rose as we prepared our pieces that would be played on Warrenton’s best piano, a 9 foot Bosendorfer Grand. This would be the first recital for Miles, Arielle and Jennifer, and they were serious about getting their pieces ready. I was serious about helping them be emotionally prepared, so that they would finish strong, without fear. Daniel surprised me by having his piece ready the first week in December, while Annalise struggled and then conquered a piece that was a bit above her level. In the ranks of my intermediate students, it was all about style, as I taught Joshua the difference between baroque, classical and romantic in his crowd pleasing arrangement of We Wish you a Merry Christmas.  Carter had chosen one of my favorites, O Holy Night, and we had long talks about how to get the emotion of the words into the music itself…”A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices, for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn! Fall on you knees…” Every time I heard that, a chill would go up my spine. A discouraged world dares to believe the truth that a baby, God’s son, could change everything.

Finally the day arrived. It was cold. It was rainy. However, the Christmas lights were reflected in the raindrops, and old town Warrenton was tastefully decked in its holiday finery. Just before recital started I took all my participating students to a room just off the foyer. We prayed together, reminded ourselves where the right and left sides of the bench were located, and lined up in order. Looking at their eager, nervous faces, I thought about all that we had learned together. Each one was so unique, so special, and I knew right then that I would miss each of them dreadfully. The 26 of us filed in, and a hush fell over the audience.  After a short welcome and prayer my bravest student, Miles, played the first notes. Student after student played, each finished strong. Some students surprised me by playing from memory. (Memory is not a requirement for this recital.) No one played perfectly, but they all played with heart, talent, and confidence, which is in my opinion far more important. As the last notes of my Chopin Nocturne died away, and I rose to face the audience, my heart overflowed with gratitude for the successful recital, but even more for the opportunity of knowing such a wonderful group of people.

Julia's student recital 121308

Collateral Damage

My personal experience is that our current crop of public teachers are awful. I would be willing to support a base $100,000 salary for public school teachers with the hope that we can entice those (primarily) professional women who once populated  the teacher ranks when they were limited in other job opportunities.

 

The high IQ women have gravitated to engineering, computer science, law, medicine, corporate management – whereas they once were limited to teaching, nursing and secretarial work. That has left the teaching profession with moderate IQ in our classroom.

 

(And, yes, I am speaking generally – there are many excellent teachers. But we have hundreds of thousands of teachers, and their median IQ has been visibly reduced because of the other opportunities now available to them.)

 

All of us are victims of our personal experience. This analysis is the result of MY personal experience. Obviously, others may have had a different experience – but many of today’s public school teachers in North San Diego County sat in my classroom during their undergraduate and graduate years.

 

I was not impressed with them as students. We need to do something to lure back the best and fire the rest. And, yes, we will have to overpay the rest, until we can get the best – and that bothers me but not nearly so much as continuing down this road.

 

I am not looking to blame anyone. We are the victims of a cultural shift that needed to happen but teaching and nursing in particular were collateral damage.

 

Although I did not address them, the nursing profession is also hurting as highly qualified women entered other newly available professions open to them.

 

I have some personal experience with nursing homes. Highly qualified nurses of very high IQ are in great demand but they are few and far between.  They are limited to ER and ICU departments, or the eye, plastic surgery etc. specialties who can afford to hire the best.

 

(My nurse in ICU said she was being paid $1,000 a SHIFT! She was worth it!)

 

But nursing homes, even the best, pay poorly and the nurses I had for my friend were caring, dedicated people but they were tired. Many were single moms, speaking less than perfect English, and working in two centers to make ends meet. They were TIRED!

 

The cultural shift that set women free was long overdue but it will take many decades to mend the damaging results.

 

No one’s fault except for not seeing and solving the problem. No one has.

Something, Something

Chasing the setting sun,

A battle finally losing.

And one day you’d find someone,

But wonder if it was all worth it.

Cause there was always a danger.

A danger of falling,

Beneath The cliffs,

And into the folds.

Before you finally realize,

you should’ve taken a step back.

Started reading the signs.

Move closer to the fire alarm,

A little safer along the ledge.

Should’ve been the one to have started something.

I wanna be startin’ somethin’.

Maybe by now you’re already stumbling.

Plummet a thousand miles underground.

Go sailing without a parachute,

And have the time of your life.

Cause by tomorrow it would all be changing.

An inch by a centimeter.

Sway me gently in the breeze.

Tonight we forget the fire.

Dance till the well runs dry.

And perchance we remember tomorrow.

Tomorrow will fade away.

yume no tsubasa

Creation,Abortion:America's Future.

My  Dear Christian Folk:  Whereas the six day creation was a prodigious  accomplishment by Creator God ;certainly deserving of a day of rest;is it reasonable to believe that having

created the heavens and the  Earth He would retire His hammer and chisel:Would  He lay down the paint brush and simply   cease all future creative endeavors? 

Would any artist of any age after creating a masterpiece simply rest on his laurels and make no further contribution to the art world?

No one who has witnessed the night sky, free and clear of human contamination, can argue  or deny  the  creative powers of The Almighty : and the majestic brilliance of His pallet of color and  design.

 As far as it is given for man to know the human race is  His masterpiece inhabiting the present world.

And if  Genesis chap.1&2 can be used we clearly see that He

installed His progeny in a garden of perfection to live in joy and harmony  :and commissioned   these  first two humans to supervise

this garden paradise and to act as majordomos :The only commandment  they needed to concern themselves with was  to heed the prohibition against picking and eating certain forbidden fruit.

 We all know what happened hence.  You can almost  hear  the HSSSSSSS can’t you….

If you close your eyes and cover your ears from all other sounds you can still hear the HSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!

But more  importantly ;what happened to  Adam after the expulsion from the garden of bliss?

Was he de-commissioned  by the  Almighty from his position as majordomo first-class, in charge of God’s creation?

  

The scriptures do not indicate this to be the case.

Therefore are we to understand that   as descendants of Adam we

continue to be the weed pullers and tree pruners of Gods natural creation?

If not us then who?

Who are we to debate how the Almighty chooses to continue His creative work in the world and throughout his universe?

 This act of co-creation ,whereby man using his reasoning powers and his intellect advances the glory of  God among the peoples of the earth.

Was man created to pull the plow ,to compete with other mammals for his food?

By using his mind  ,man elevated his position in the natural world and in the process created the culture and civilization by which and through which God’s name may be glorified on the earth.

My Christian folk: The subject of  universal access to the abortion

medical procedure is being used to deliberately confuse you and

to frighten you away from your God Given responsibility to care and improve the imperfections that exist within humankind.

While Roe v.Wade is in need of reform since it allows for the destruction of human life ; this alone  cannot be used to ban all abortions.

We owe to future generations people who will bring dignity and  honor to God’s creative genius.

Are we not allowing the young and physically fit to be slaughtered  on the battlefields in two wars,while the incapacitated and the unfit are protected and shielded and even are allowed to inundate society?

Man Bites God's Music Video Competition

NEPAL COURT RECORDS DISAPROVE PAKISTANI LAWYER'S CLAIM ON KASAB

19 Dec 2008, 0927 hrs IST, IANS

KATHMANDU: Records at Nepal’s apex court have proved as false Pakistani lawyer Chaudhary Muhammad Farooq’s claim that Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, the lone

surviving Mumbai attacker, was arrested in Nepal two years ago. The incident has raised questions about the lawyer’s actual identity and intent.

According to Nepal’s Supreme Court, Farooq, who described himself as a high court lawyer, filed a habeas corpus writ on Feb 24, asking the police to produce in court two Pakistanis who had been arrested from a hotel in the capital two years ago.

In his petition, Farooq gave the two men’s names as Asif Ali, a 22-year-old from Islamabad, and Walid Sajjid, a 23-year-old from Faisalabad.

The two judges hearing the petition, Min Bahadur Rayamajhi and Rajendra Prasad Koirala, asked Nepal’s police to furnish an explanation.

Nepal’s police did so, saying that Farooq’s contention that the two men were being held illegally was not true. After that, Farooq never turned up at the court to pursue the case further.

Consequently, on March 14, the judges dismissed the petition in accordance with Nepal’s laws as the petitioner was absconding.

Nine months after the dismissal, Farooq resurfaced in Pakistan. He told the country’s media that Kasab had been unlawfully arrested in Nepal and he had filed a petition to free the young man after being approached by Kasab’s parents.

Farooq also said that the two Pakistanis who had been arrested in Nepal had come with bona fide travel documents.

If the documents were genuine, then Asif Ali and Walid Sajjad could not have been Kasab, who was arrested by Indian security forces last month during the Mumbai terror attacks and says he is from Faridkot.

Also, while the Pakistani lawyer claimed that he had named the Indian high commission as a respondent in his petition, it was only against Nepal’s government and the Nepali home ministry.

Finally, there is the mystery about Farooq’s disappearance from Nepal without following up on the petition.

Nepali lawyers still remember the noise made by Farooq who strutted from court to human rights organisations and vowed to leave no stone unturned for the release of the two men in Pakistan.

Why did Farooq remain out of sight till the Mumbai attacks?

He had appointed two Nepali lawyers to help him with the case. However, neither received any further instruction from him.

In his interview to the Pakistani media this week, Farooq had claimed that the case was still going on and that he would arrive in Kathmandu this month to attend the hearing.

Be Careful What You Ask For...

…you could get dragged right out of your comfort zone.

My season as song leader, in our little (but growing) church, recently ended. There is a little sadness, because I’ve really enjoyed doing the job, but I’ve always said when someone more qualified came along (It wouldn’t take much.) I would step down gracefully. That someone came along in the form of our Pastor’s son, who just graduated Bible College. He’s a wonderful young man, and we’re lucky to have him. We’ve grown so much that he will also be leading our new Children’s Service!

Do I get to sit back, rest, and enjoy warming a pew for a while? Of course not. J, who will be leading Children’s church, is getting married in five months, which means he will not have a wife to help him, for a while yet. That’s important, because there will be a number of young ladies attending. J’s mother is already busy in the nursery, so guess who was asked to help. It is short-term service, but since I’ll be helping to build the ministry his fiancée will be dropped into in a few months, it needs to be done properly and well. Fortunately, I do have the experience which J lacks.

We’ve also started a new thing on Wednesday nights, with the corny but apt name “Come and dine in 09″. The Pastor and his wife, Doug and I, and anyone else who would like to help, put together an meal each week. (It’s nothing expensive or fancy. This week we made soups.) We have a prayer meeting, and then eat together. It’s been wildly popular, and last week we actually had more on Wednesday night than we did on Sunday morning!

Sadly the food pantry is also very popular. The downward moving economy had been devastating in this area, and people are hurting for the basic necessities of life. Keeping the pantry well stocked, clean and organized has become almost a second job. Right now I’m also trying to find warm coats for a few of the children, and two car seats for the church van. The coats I can just buy, but car seats are expensive. Send up a prayer if you would.

Looks like I should be too busy to be upset. Doesn’t it? Be very careful when you ask God to put His hand on your life. It’s a very powerful hand!

SixShot TV Week 53 with Bari the Beautiful: Our President...

"You'd be so pretty if you weren't fat"

Believe it or not, I have heard those words on more than one occassion. And yes, before you ask, they were directed specifically toward me. I was shopping with my mum, yeah yeah lame whatever, for some sweaters and stuff to update my wardrobe because as usual this winter I was without decent sweaters and long sleeve shirts; anyway I was walking into the dressing room, sweaters in hand, and just as I enter the little room I hear this woman telling  me that I have chosen some nice shirts. When I turn to thank her she said something else, and I wanted to smack the hell out of her. She looks me dead in the face and says “You know, sweetie, you’d be really pretty if you weren’t fat.” My jaw drops, and I bite back a stream of cuss words, which was a feat in its self; just about the time I come up with something coherent that isn’t full of cuss words and is just sarcasm and snark her skinny daughter comes out of the dressing room with a stack of jeans and shirts and the two vanished. Dumbfounded and irritated, I entered the dressing room and tried on my sweaters. This was not the first time someone has told me I’d be pretty if I weren’t fat. In fact, I’m used to it, though it still irritates me. I’ve heard those words from a variety of people, and, while it does still hit me hard at times, I’ve gotten to the point where I just want to look at them and say “Thank you Captain Obvious. I realize that if I were slimmer and more fit I’d be more attractive. I realize that my fat stomach is not pleasing to the eye. I get it, so I’m working on it. By the way, I’m well aware of the fact that I am not skinny, but that doesn’t make me ugly. Worry about your own body, thanks.”

Granted, I do need to lose weight. That is one thing I knew long ago, but with stress and mock and classs I’ve been so busy and so fried that I just couldn’t focus on working out and eating right. But I’ve come to the realization that I have to do it, I have to lose the weight and get in shape. Otherwise I’m just going to continue being huge and out of shape and unhealthy, and I just can’t deal with that. I’m tired of knowing that I am fat, regardless of what Wash, Spoony, D –, and everyone else has told me. I’m tired of not being able to wear what I want to wear, and I’m tired of feeling like a blimp next to my friends. I’ve been the fat friend for far too long, and I’m done with it. I know that I can be attractive, there are days when I feel absolutely fantastic about my appearance, except for my weight. Last night I took my measurements, so I could set myself some goals, and I was appalled. Needless to say I will not be posting them here, ever, but I have sert some goals and made a plan, and I’m going to reach them.

Today I’m a bit sore, and I’m glad. It means that I am working my muscles and burning fat. Every night I go at least a mile on the treadmill, which is really boring but effective, and I use the ab lounge, which I have affectionately named the Rack. I’m also weight training because muscle burn fat and I need to build up my muscle any way. That reminds me that I need to buy some wristbraces so I don’t destroy my wrists, especially my right one that I broke and never healed properly, doing curls and bench presses. I impressed myself last night when I was doing my lower body work out; I did 50 lbs on my legs, and, though I’m pretty sore, it feels pretty awesome. Also I’m pleased to report that my Slimfast shakes are actually fairly awesome; they don’t taste bad, and I think they are working. I wasn’t as hungry as I normally am, and I had a lot more energy. I’m already feeling better, and it makes me excited.

Quote of the Day: “Don’t you know you’re beautiful?

Don’t you know you’re beautiful?

Don’t you know you’re beautiful?

Just the way you are!”- Kellie Pickler, “Don’t You Know You’re Beautiful”

shoegazers

set in a painting, swept in brilliance and ready to peel, they fade softly in a moonlit apartment. warm blankets of dust and light fall on his shoulders while he writes–finding his meaning under piles of the past, searching and scratching and scrubbing it down.

she watches, moved but not moving. she wonders what the next three months will mean, and who will occupy his table when they have turned to ghosts. she communicates with fingers and eyes that he doesn’t quite catch, even when he tries.

even when he cries, he loves her, wants to make it last in final days and across breakdowns and continents. he  eats his dinner on a couch they’ve shared before. a record spins familiar. it’s possible that he feels her uncertainty but some things, like heavy weights we can’t explain, go unmentioned on nights like these. with the songs of our youth and piles of the past to crawl through, with dinner to eat, with fingers to study.

there’s another one that’s wandering somehow in headphones and soft skin and the smell of new shampoo. she admires his taste but is weary of his self-awareness.

she’s weary of most things these nights, and thinks of europe and things more certain like the stories we wrote in our innocence. i try to remind her of the things we have gathered, i show her images of triumphs, and florida boys we’ve married in our minds, we talk of how we used to  talk and how unbreakable we were, right after we broke. but it’s not easy to rid our bones of it all. heroin heatwaves and hospital beds. of the pictures that have stained our skin as they melted away.

across city lines we hold onto each other as we shake it off. we teach ourselves back to life with songs that crash and boil in our blood, and we stitch one another back together in unheard laughter. there are new landscapes to hold us.

we can’t stop the ocean of sun that drains the colors from the living room, but maybe that preservation is not as important as we once believed. she holds him as she falls asleep aware of their slow disappearance. but she isn’t afraid of vacant walls; she looks for herself in empty spaces.