For one second, even if we concede that “it’s a man’s world,” then by that sheer logic, “International Women’s Day” is a day of grave importance to a man. But is it really a man’s world? Take my life for instance. The driving force of my life is indeed my Wife. She drives me to drive, she drives me to shop, she drives me to clean, and she drives me to take the dog out for a walk. And all this while she is steering me to do stuff, I can see the lost sheen on her face. Her worry-laden face that screams to say enough is enough. Frankly, I don’t really blame her for those thoughts. I respect and secretly envy her multi-tasking skills. The lazy Joe that I am, I cannot match to her achievements and capabilities.
However, it’s time to redeem myself. Indeed, enough is enough. So, as a man who promised to stand by you through thick & thin, I pledge thee the following vows that will showcase a man that you want to be with.
I would Ignore My Phone around You!
I swear! No more shall I give precedence to my phone over you. No more shall I spend Sunday afternoon’s lurking over my phone. I shall pay more heed to your words, rather than play games on my phone. Like you said, I am not 17 anymore.
I also promise to be more like your great grand uncle who imported loose diamonds from Africa back in the days to present his beloved wife a pair of beautiful diamond earrings. I can’t reach the shores of Africa to get you lose diamonds, but I can certainly pick them up from CaratLane.com.
Remote is your Property!
Yes, Honey! I have been thinking for a while. Why should a small oddly shaped thing come in between our love? I rather let you watch your favourite shows than hijacking the remote to watch a cricket match or catch the latest episode of Game of Thrones. I’ll rather wait till the latest season is released on Netflix and I will be more than satisfied watching the cricket highlight than catching the match Live. Even better, we’d rather cozy up in the decadent corner of the house to catch up the episode together but only after I have done assisting you with the household chores.
Never again will I act like a self-entitled obnoxious creature when on a shopping trip with you. Whether you are browsing online to shop for jewellery or Window-shopping at Zara, I shall stand by you like a rock.
I will also give you my honest feedback on the clothes you buy. For instance, I will have prompt answers to your questions like- whether you should buy nude pumps with the salmon pink dress or the white ones? Just for record! Nude pumps are every green.
Movies every Weekend!
I make a pucca promise to take you on a movie date every weekend. And of course, the movie will be of your choice (that goes without saying). No Ironman, Transformer or Batman. A movie followed by a sumptuous meal is what our weekend itinerary will be. And just in case (subject to disclaimer), you are in a happy mood and decide to watch a superhero or an action flick. I shall be more than glad to oblige.
Would say Love you at least 20 times a day
See I have already started. I know that you know that I love you. But should that stop me from telling you “that I love you”? Definitely not! I love you, and I will not hesitate, miss or shy away from telling that to you. Just like Mr. Darcy your favourite character from the book Pride and Prejudice, I shall pledge to say ‘I Love you’ most ardently.
Menfolk, the secret to the happiness of a man are linked to that of his wife’s happiness. Hold that thought to your heart and be a man of not empty words.


Sun, 22 July 2007
JUNG PODCAST #16 - FAIRY TALES 3
In this episode we continue with a Jungian approach to fairy tale interpretation. I introduce the "Moreau Guidelines", a concise overview of how one may interpret a fairy tale. The Moreau Guidelines are covered in detail. The first step of an interpretation, using these guidelines is explained, with examples from Grimm's (Rapunzel, The Devil's Sooty Brother, The Raven). Four core ideas are presented : all elements of the fairy tale are elements of a single psyche; all the characters in the fairy tale represent structures of the same psyche; we have to take an interpretive stance for the fairy tale based on whether we feel the tale represents a masculine or a feminine psyche; all the elements of the tale are symbolic.
Mon, 2 July 2007
Jung Podcast #2 - Jung's Model of the Psyche
In this episode I cover the fundamental aspects of the psyche and review the core structures associated with each such aspect. To assist in our model development, I have used Jung’s topographical model of the psyche. We begin with seeing the psyche as comprising four aspects – consciousness, the personal unconscious, the collective unconscious and the body. The structures within the first three aspects are the ego, complexes and archetypes respectively. The five functions of the ego are reviewed. The contents of the personal unconscious, in the form of complexes, are dealt with in depth to assist in gaining an understanding of how, when our complexes are constellated, they imp[act certain of the ego’s functions. Archetypes are simply defined as symbol-producing structures of the collective unconscious. A link between the three strata of the psyche (conscious, personal unconscious, collective unconscious) is made with the body. THIS IS A RE-RECORDING OF THE SAME EPISODE IN AN ATTEMPT TO IMPROVE THE AUDIO QUALITY


When somebody hurts us, we have two ways to move on: we can forgive, or we can forget. These are not the same thing. When we forget something, we have not really dealt with the issue, we have just blotted it out. If we happen to remember the incident again, then the pain and anger will resurface. Forgiveness takes more courage than forgetfulness. To forgive, we must accept what the person has done. We accept it, try to understand it, and only then can we move on. When we forgive, we use the incident as a way to increase our understanding and compassion, and a way to release our own ego. When we forget, we simply pretend the incident never happened at all.
It is easy to go through life without ever forgiving. People do things, we get angry, and then eventually we forget about it. Forgetting about it helps ensure that we do not just stay angry forever, but it does not guarantee that future incidents will not make us angry and upset all over again. By contrast, forgiveness has longer lasting benefits. When we learn to forgive, it is not only the pain of the present that is relieved. By enhancing our compassion and understanding, we are better equipped to deal with any pain that the future may bring.


By: Jim & Jamie Dutcher
I had to force myself to come back to this page today.
The journey through Grief continues. I was curious to know how many days it’s been. Twenty-one. I have stumbled, fallen, and coerced myself to deliberately reach for a higher feeling thought, just a small improvement, more than twenty-one times. I consciously work not to succumb to lower level emotional vibration. The pain of Rudy’s absence, once searing, has lessened bit by bit, day by day. The disappearance of his life-force is a pragmatic reality that now sits in a medium-sized white box with wonderful and happy dog paws imprinted randomly over the surface. You’d expect the box to be filled with doggie treats not Rudy’s ashes. They arrived yesterday, hand-delivered by our compassionate and extraordinary Vet, Ronit. She adored Rudy and cried with us the day he died.
My life is sustained by books. Real books. Ancient books made of paper and cardboard and binding. They are everywhere in our bungalow. From the time I was a little child, when feeling frightened, sad or lost, books were my “safe-place.” I would find exactly the right book and run outside to my beloved Tree Fort built high in the branches of our huge Bay tree. Like a transfusion, I could feel the energy of the wise tree vibrate through my body. I would breathe-deep of the unique and delicious scent. I would kiss the bark and thank my tree for its protection. Then, I would snuggle into my sleeping bag, open the book and travel wherever it offered to take me. It felt wonderful! I was on a Magic Carpet ride, flying through the air. Time and Space did not exist. Now, I realize it was my first experience with Quantum Physics and the Law of Attraction.
The Little Engine That Could was my favorite story for it made me believe anything was possible, “I think I can. I think I can. I think I can.” The message filled every fiber of my being with wonder, courage, strength and optimism. “I think I can. I think I can. I think I can.” Without exception, this mantra has served me through every milestone and saved me from drowning when I found myself furiously paddling upstream, against the raging currents of painful emotion.
Only yesterday, I smiled at myself when I realized these words were streaming through my mind as a coping mechanism, I think I can find my way through missing Rudy. I think I can erase the horrible images of his tumors and feeling profoundly inadequate as a person dedicated to healing. I think I can focus on all the wonderful moments and memories Rudy gave me. I think I can let him go with love and light. I think I can deeply love another dog that, I know, will come into our lives. I think I can survive the future death of all my beloveds. “I think I can” is in the process of becoming “I know I can.”
Then it happened. SynchroDestiny took my hand. Created and defined by renowned mind-body authority, Dr. Deepak Chopra, SynchroDestiny describes an extraordinary conspiracy of improbabilities in which seemingly unrelated circumstances and conditions weave together to form an unforeseen event. SynchroDestiny explores the universal patterns that shape our lives and expand our potentiality as it relates to intention, consciousness, karma and coincidence.
A respected colleague and friend, Jane Bay, describes it this way: “SynchroDestiny has the ability to transform our lives once we understand what is happening, enabling us to experience miracles and feelings of joy, and consciously participate in our own evolution with a better understanding of our meaning and purpose in life. The ultimate goal…is to expand consciousness and open a doorway to enlightenment – a rebirthing or awakening.”
How does this apply to Grief? Here’s my answer: I had forgotten about three books I bought last fall. They have been sitting on a shelf, crisp and new, unopened. Herein lies the power of our subconscious minds and the magnetic forces in our Universe – I absently, without conscious intention, walked to this particular shelf. Words streamed through my head, I think I can. I know I can. I think I can. Oh, Rudy, I miss you so! But I know I can process this Grief. I know I can!
This particular bookshelf is high on the wall and as I reached up, I knocked off one book. It fell to the ground, bounced once, and landed on the tiles. The crash-landing impact caused it to open with pages facing the floor. I picked it up. And, I kid you not, the page read, “Example 32: My Dog Died and I Feel Grief.” Holy Bow-Wows! Talk about an instantaneous shift in energy. It actually took me a few seconds to process the profoundness of what just happened. I was being offered the opportunity to expand my potentiality as it relates to intention, consciousness, karma and coincidence.
If you scroll down to the next post, I share passages from Esther and Jerry Hicks book, The Astonishing Power of Emotions – Let Your Feelings Be your Guide in hopes it offers you some measure of comfort and opens a doorway to understanding and processing the tumultuous emotion we call Grief.


Sputum matrix metalloproteinase-9 is associated with the degree of emphysema on computed tomography in COPD
1 Immunology, Institute of Infection, Immunity & Inflammation, University of Glasgow and Gartnavel General Hospital, Glasgow, Scotland G12 OYN, UK
2 Pfizer Research/Translational Medicine Research Collaboration, Dundee, UK
3 Pfizer Research/Translational Medicine Research Collaboration, Cambridge, MA, USA
4 Pfizer Research/Translational Medicine Research Collaboration, Collegeville, PA, USA
5 Robertson Centre for Biostatistics, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
6 MRC Centre for Inflammation Research, Medical Physics and Clinical Radiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
7 Radiology Department, Gartnavel General Hospital, Glasgow, UK
8 Ear Nose and Throat Department, Gartnavel General Hospital, Glasgow, UK
Translational Respiratory Medicine 2013, 1:11 doi:10.1186/2213-0802-1-11Published: 6 June 2013
Matrix-metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 has been implicated in the pathogenesis of COPD, although its link to disease severity is unclear. The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between disease severity assessed by lung function and computed tomography (CT) and sputum MMP-9 expression, concentration and activity in patients with COPD.
In 53 COPD subjects, smokers and ex-smokers; 46 healthy controls, smokers and never smokers, we measured sputum MMP-9 concentrations (ELISA) and enzyme activity (FRET), sputum MMP-9 mRNA expression, spirometry, diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (DLco) and CT assessment of emphysema (% low attenuation areas below-950 Hounsfield units).
Sputum MMP-9 concentrations and mRNA expression in COPD subjects were significantly greater than in healthy never-smokers (p = 0.007 and p = 0.001 respectively) and similar to those in healthy smokers. Disease severity when assessed by the extent of emphysema measured by CT, but not by spirometry or DLco values, was directly associated with sputum MMP-9 concentrations [r = 0.442 (0.171, 0.634), p = 0.020], and MMP-9 activity [r = 0.447 (0.219, 0.643), p = 0.010]. In moderate to severe COPD, increased MMP-9 mRNA expression levels were associated with reduced post-bronchodilator FEV1 [r = −0.530 (−0.686, -0.327), p < 0.001], FEV1/FVC ratio [r = −0.551 (−0.701, -0.354), p < 0.001] and reduced DLco [r = −0.399 (−539, -0.102), p = 0.048].
Sputum MMP-9 concentrations in COPD are directly associated with the extent of emphysema measured by CT and MMP-9 expression levels are inversely associated with DLco. These findings support a role for MMP-9 in the pathogenesis of COPD.


ALPHABETICAL BRAIN™ VOCABULARY
HUMANIST GALAXY OF
SECULAR BRAIN SCIENCE STARS
September 25, 2019
David Eagleman has written two important books about the new brain science, which should be read and discussed throughout the Humanist Galaxy.
The first book is:
 THE BRAIN: The Story of You published by Pantheon Books, 2015 (218 pages) is the companion book to the six-part PBS TV series, THE BRAIN, that aired in the fall of 2015.
This book is outlined at the link at the bottom.
The second book is:
 INCOGNITO: The Secret Lives of the Brain published by Vintage, 2012 (304 pages). It will be outlined and reviewed soon.
Click or Tap Link for Outline and Reviews:
The Story of You


Prayer for Lord Vishnu
vande vishnum bhava-bhaya-haram
who is the embodiment of peace,
who lies on the Shesha serpent,
whose navel is the source of the Lotus,
whose complexion is swarthy like the clouds,
whose body shines with heavenly beauty,
who is the beloved of Goddess Lakshmi,
whose eyes are like Lotus,
who is meditated upon by the yogis,
who is the remover of the fear of the world-process.
He who has the peaceful (shaanta-)
demeanor and visage (-kaaram).
He who sleeps and reposes (-shayanam)
on the serpents (bhujaga-).
He who has a lotus shaped (padma-) navel (-naabham).
He who is the master and lord
of all the gods (suresham).
I pray to the Lord Vishnu.
He who holds (-dhaaram) the
universe (vishwaa-) in his hands.
He whose vision (-sadrasham) exceeds
beyond all the skies (gagana-).
He whose color and visage (-varanam) is
changeable like the clouds (megha-).
And he who is filled with goodness (shubh-)
in every part (-aangam) of his body.
I sing praise to the Lord Vishnu.
He who is the husband (-kaantam)
of the goddess of wealth (-lakshmi).
He whose eyes (-nayanam) are surreal
like a lotus flower (kamala-).
And he who yogis yearn to reach (-agamyam)
through meditation (-dhyaana).
I sing praises (vande-) to the Lord Vishnu (-vishnum).
He who removes (-haram) all our fears (-bhaya)
due to our inborn nature (-bhava).
And he who is the master (-naatham) of the
entire (-sarva) universe and creation (-lokaika).


We are pleased to announce publication of The Variorum Gilbert & Sullivan, Volume I, the essential textual reference to the first four operas by W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan: Thespis, Trial by Jury, The Sorcerer, and H.M.S. Pinafore.
So…what's a Variorum? The term, Latin for of various people, refers to an edition that presents the variant states of a text, with editorial commentary. This is the first of a five-volume variorum of the Gilbert & Sullivan libretti, documenting their evolution from pre-production drafts and the early productions, through revivals, twentieth-century D'Oyly Carte amendments, and the contributions of later editors and editions.
The book is 781 pages, of which the first 169 are a general introduction that discusses the partners' working methods, a survey of the sources and the textual problems they present, and the editorial process. Each opera also has a separate detailed introduction that discusses its textual history, sources, and issues. These introductions are substantial resources in and of themselves: that of Pinafore runs to over 100 pages.
We have researched hundreds of manuscripts, libretti and scores, including many prompt books and early drafts never before published, such two early plot sketches of Thespis, and Gilbert's first draft plot of Gilbert & Sullivan's first international hit, H.M.S. Pinafore. (We don't want anyone to be misled: the two Thespis plot sketches are a total of five pages, the Pinafore plot draft seven pages. We think you'll enjoy reading them, but the book isn't worth it for those items alone.)
Also included are deleted passages (cancelled lyrics and songs) and supplemental material, such as "An Elixir of Love," the short story that inspired The Sorcerer, presented with the original Gilbert drawings as it appeared in Christmas 1876 issue The Graphic, with variants noted from its re-publication in Gilbert's 1890 compilation of short stories, Foggerty's Fairy and Other Tales.
There are, of course, many collected anthologies of Gilbert's libretti. Most offer the texts with no analysis at all, or with mainly non-textual commentary (e.g., production practice; definitions of obscure words and phrases). Reginald Allen edited what he took to be the first-night libretti in The First Night Gilbert and Sullivan; Ian Bradley quoted many of the pre-production drafts and variant readings in The Complete Annotated Gilbert and Sullivan. But neither explored the full textual history of Gilbert's libretti systematically.
Textual criticism isn't an exact science: other editors would reach different conclusions. But as this is a variorum, variant readings that have any reasonable claim to authority share the page with the libretto text, so that readers can judge for themselves the basis of our decisions. We also consider all of the surviving drafts, discarded versions, and other historically important sources—even if the latter did not have the authors' approval or willfully contravened it. Those who have wondered about the provenance of a variant passage will now have its textual history.
Beyond the value of establishing a text, a variorum serves other purposes. Performers may choose to restore material that the authors had rewritten or cut. Alternative readings shed light on the history of a work's creation and reception. From the evolution of the texts, we learn more about the thought processes of the men who created them and the cultural climate in which they worked. Even their rejects make compelling reading. Their discarded drafts are the residue of a creative process that was often more complex, and less linear, than would be apparent from the familiar biographies.
At one time, we thought we could accomplish all of this, for the whole canon, in one book. We now find that we have enough material for five volumes. The second volume (with Pirates, Patience, and Iolanthe) will follow eventually, and so on to the end. Some readers may be aware that we have been working on this for a long time: 35 years, believe it or not: there's decades of work invested in this first volume of four operas.
The Variorum Gilbert & Sullivan, Volume I, is published in hardcover with a dust jacket, and is available from Lulu.com for $40 plus shipping.
Marc Shepherd & Michael Walters


I can’t wait to share my passion about the topic of Digital Leadership with the world in the form of my upcoming book, Social LEADia. In anticipation of its release I will be sharing excerpts from it… until which time I can actually hold the book in my hands!
This is one of the stories which I share in the book which reaffirmed for me the need for adults to be in social media spaces together with our students and children.
In the Spring of 2016, I tweeted out the link to a hashtag that kids had created for the Ontario Secondary School Literacy test. #osslt2016 My daughter and I got a real kick out of the very clever posts by students who had just written the test. Even EQAO (the governing body overseeing the test) responded light-heartedly:
— EQAO (@eqao) March 31, 2016
Then a friend of mine pointed out that there was an extremely inappropriate post in the feed. When I looked, I was mortified. Instinctively, I deleted my tweet and reported the tweet as offensive. This student basically likened writing the test to wanting to be a suicide bomber and included a photo!
Then I took a closer look. This was just a grade 10 kid trying to be funny and not really understanding the impact. I looked at his Facebook page (easy enough to find) and realized from the very innocent profile and posts that he had just made a vast error in judgement.
I instinctively contacted him via Twitter. It could have gone one of two ways: he could have responded maliciously, or he could have realized his error. Here is how the exchange went:
Me: This is never ever appropriate. Nor is it funny. And this tweet can come back to haunt you in the future.
Student: (Liked, Retweeted) Thx
Me: You are welcome. Delete it and hopefully no one will see it for now. Good luck!
Student: Kk (Deleted the tweet)
If I wasn’t in this space, I would not have been able to help this student.
This experience has reaffirmed my conviction that we need to spend more time focusing on using social media in positive ways. When we talk about social media, we can't always use the fear narrative; and we need to be in these spaces to help students navigate the tricky waters! Click To Tweet


Hello! Welcome to my blog. I am very excited to share my first blog post with you. It has been a long time coming. Creating my own personal blog had been just a thought that floated in my mind for several years, but I’ve finally decided to go through with it!
Well to start off, a little bit about me: I graduated from the University of Guelph-Humber from the social services program back in 2017. I was lucky enough to experience a number of different jobs within the field early on (because I could not see myself settling in any one position for too long), which ultimately gave me a general idea of what to expect. Although this field of work is very valuable (and it takes a very special type of person to do it), I have come to realize that it is not the direction that I would like to pursue at this point in time. Regardless though, it most definitely was NOT a waste of my time, as I’ve had the honour of meeting and working with such beautiful souls along the journey who have truly made me the person I am today. As all things must come to end, I believe my time in social services has reached its end point. However, this decision has only further ignited the fire within me to pursue my dreams and goals of making a difference in society; no matter how small.
Why blogging you ask? Well simply because in my last few years of university I had come to realize how much I love to write, not the essay assignments which darkened my eye bags and made me lose many hours of sleep per se, but in general. I love the idea of putting my thoughts, feelings and experiences in writing and having it spark similar feelings in another person. I intend to write about anything and everything from personal experiences/thoughts to mental health to wellness to Oneness. Whatever else comes to my mind, you and I both will have to wait and see. Sometimes all it takes is a random conversation with a stranger to generate new ideas.
Essentially I will be discussing matters that have always been close to my heart, and then anything else that resonates with me along the way, which I feel others should know and learn about. The theme will vary from formal to informal because INCLUSIVITY hello!?! The intention is to reach out to as many people as possible, regardless of age or gender, and hopefully to help spark something within them in one way or another.


The prevalence of bookselling scams is causing many self-published American authors to suffer significant financial losses. This is due in part to the fact that many self-publishing companies use high-pressure sales tactics and promise quick and easy success, while failing to deliver on their promises. Self-published authors may fall victim to scams perpetrated by individuals posing as literary agents or publishing professionals. These scammers may offer to represent the author or offer to publish their work, but require the author to pay upfront fees or sign contracts that are unfavorable to the author. Despite the efforts of trustworthy online marketplaces like Amazon, Google, and eBay to tackle this issue, the process is complex and may take several years for affected writers to recover their earnings. It remains unclear whether scammers or the publishing sector are primarily responsible for these scams and what measures authors can take to safeguard themselves.
Navigating the Tough Terrain of Self-Publishing
While self-publishing can offer authors greater creative control and independence, it also exposes them to the risk of falling victim to book sale scams. This is due in part to the fact that individual authors often lack the necessary tools to adequately monitor their online book sales operations and might not possess the legal knowledge essential to find and prosecute scammers who exploit their work. As a result, writers who choose to self-publish must navigate a complex and often treacherous landscape of online book sales, where fraudulent entities are all too common.
In the publishing industry, vanity presses and scammers frequently employ a range of tactics in order to defraud aspiring authors. It is essential for writers to be aware of these tactics and to exercise caution when considering any publishing opportunity.
The Re-publishing Scam
Authors should be wary of a prevalent fraudulent practice where scammers target published writers by offering them false assurances of improved quality, enhanced credibility, or connections with traditional publishers. This tactic is aimed at enticing writers to republish their books, which can then be used to pitch to film studios or traditional publishers. As such, authors need to exercise caution and stay vigilant against such deceptive schemes.
The Playacting Scheme
Even though publishing press releases can be done for free, scammers take advantage of this tactic by charging hundreds of dollars for it. They frequently use the names and logos of reputable publishing specialists and organizations to mislead their clients, and they don’t hesitate to use dishonest tactics to sell their services.
If you are not watchful, you could easily fall for their trick. As a result, you should carefully check the legitimacy of anyone or any organization that makes a claim to be affiliated with a renowned publishing house or professional.
The prevalence and complexity of bookselling scams are staggering, and they represent a significant threat to the work and livelihood of authors. While self-publishing has given authors more freedom and control, it has also exposed them to fraudulent activities, with single authors lacking the resources to monitor their sales activities online and protect their intellectual property.
To make matters worse, scammers have become more sophisticated in their approach, using fraudulent techniques to market their services and prey on unsuspecting authors. They often use the logos and names of reputable publishing professionals and firms, making it challenging to detect their deceit.
In conclusion, it is crucial for authors to be vigilant and proactive in safeguarding their work from bookselling scams. They should always verify the authenticity of anyone or any company claiming to be associated with a reputable publishing professional or firm. By staying informed and taking preventive measures, authors can better protect themselves from these fraudulent activities and continue to thrive in their craft.


eBooks and Audiobooks Bentley Library’s eBooks and audiobooks may be found by searching the library’s catalog. Most eBooks are formatted to read online or in PDF format, but some may be downloaded to transfer to another device, such as an iPod or Kindle. OverDrive audiobooks may be enjoyed in the mobile app or on your computer. The library also has a collection of audiobooks on CD located in the Popular Reading section. In addition, depending on the desired format and device, additional software may need to be downloaded. Check the individual eBook collection for more information. Audiobooks What’s included? The Library’s collection of audiobooks is available on CD and also downloadable through OverDrive. Find a list of the library's audiobooks here. OverDrive Downloadable eBooks & Audiobooks What’s included? eBooks and audiobooks with an emphasis on popular fiction and nonfiction, but including some research materials. New materials are added on an ongoing basis; suggestions for new materials are welcome at our Suggest a Purchase page. View our Overdrive Downloadable Books page for more details. Books 24x7 (Skillport) What's included? Books on business, finance, information technology, health and wellness, and productivity. Also included: study guides for exams such as the CFA, and software manuals for business and statistics applications such as SAS and SPSS. Ebook Central (ProQuest) What’s included? Ebook Central (ProQuest) contains the Academic Complete collection: downloadable ebooks that encompass areas of the humanities, social sciences, and sciences. Academic books, software manuals, and more are included. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost) What's included? EBSCO eBooks offers general-interest and curriculum-focused titles curated by Bentley librarians. New materials are added on an ongoing basis; suggestions for new materials are welcome at our Suggest a Purchase page. Gale Virtual Reference Library What’s included? The Gale Virtual Library Reference Center provides full-text access to more than 50 reference e-books including titles in the arts, business, the environment, history, literature, medicine, multicultural studies, geography, and science. JSTOR What's included? JSTOR provides unlimited access to downloadable selected scholarly books from academic publishers. Project MUSE What's included? Project MUSE offers downloadable full-text versions of scholarly books from many of the world's leading university presses and scholarly societies. Safari Books Online Safari Books Online offers books and audio recordings on in-demand technology and business topics, including study guides, programmer and technical manuals, and more. Free Ebook Content Freely available books and other electronic media that are searchable by keyword. Google Books Search and read the full text of millions of books. Internet Archive A digital library of Internet sites and other cultural artifacts in digital form. It provides free access to researchers, historians, scholars, and the general public. LibriVox Free, public domain audiobooks searchable by author, title and subject. Online Books Page A website that facilitates access to books that are freely readable over the Internet. Project Gutenberg First and largest single collection of free electronic books, or eBooks.


Novice essayist Keithan Thao is a 9th Grader of Osseo High School in Osseo, MN. His fascination for literature has progressed immensely since his grade school days. Probing with the task to write an essay about who is to be blamed for Romeo and Juliet’s Death in William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, here is going into the mind of a 9th grader. Read on as he dissects this tragic love story to ascertain who the real offender is that had become the catalyst to their death.
A typical story portrays a valiant protagonist earning accolades through perseverance and adversities from the twists and turns of an allegorical plot with a climatic end to find the protagonist heroic from all odds while intact, safe, and winning the hearts of the readers. With a macabre imagination in William Shakespeare’s story telling in Romeo and Juliet where this innovative dramatist ends with both main characters dying in their endeavor to find love; love that had become an entrapment for their death. Their love, their enigmatic end! Who is to blame? To point the finger is to find the root cause of the issue. If I can rewind back to the very beginning I can tell you who I would choose as the sole perpetrator. In William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Romeo is to blame for his own along with Juliet’s death because he initially pursued Juliet knowing she was a Capulet, he had too much trust in his confidence in Friar Lawrence, and lastly, had relied heavily in his naivety.
Everyone and everything has a beginning. A tree doesn’t grow without its roots. Romeo is to blame for his own along with Juliet’s death because the root cause of this incident began with his decision to pursue a relationship with a Capulet household member, which was forbidden. Romeo understood the possible consequences to initiate a courtship with lying with an enemy. He already knew that both households Capulet and Montague were sworn enemies from generations before them. Unbeknownst to them, fated to become an inescapable tragedy that would ensue to their demise. If Romeo didn’t attend the Capulet party, he would never have met Juliet, unfortunately he did. His first sight of her beauty seems a little cliche but warranted the conundrum of the idiom of love at first sight which paved way to giving him the butterfly tingles in his stomach to continue his pursuit. “Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight! For I ne’er saw true beauty till this night” (1.5. 54-55). He secretly followed her to her chambers, climbed up to her window from outside to meet her, and this was the beginning to what we know now as the ending to this holy matrimony.
Romeo had too much trust in Friar Lawrence, a forerunner to his downfall. Although Friar Lawrence had good intentions to help keep Romeo and Juliet’s relationship a secret, this later led him down the path believing Juliet’s death was real. Although Friar Lawrence seems to see this love as a skeptical one, he says: “Young men’s love then lies not truly with their hearts, but in their eyes” (2.3. 67-68). Friar Lawrence agrees to marry the two in hopes to end their families’ feud. “But come, young waverer, come, go with me. In one respect I’ll thy assistant be, for this alliance may so happy prove to turn your households’ rancor to pure love” (2.3. 96-97). Juliet confides in the friar who gives her his advice of a possible way for Juliet to get out of the arranged marriage. Friar Lawrence’s proposal to Juliet was to agree to marry Paris; then on the night before the wedding to drink a sleeping potion that will make her seem that she is dead; while Friar Lawrence will send a letter to Romeo to be at her side when she wakes up. The friar’s letter to Romeo did not get to him before this turned for the worst. Romeo’s trust in Friar Lawrence was Romeo’s fate to die.
Lastly, he relied heavily on his naivety. From the inception, he’s the one who gave birth to the seed that has grown to flourish into roots that would sprout to influencing the bitter sweet love tragedy that has us pointing fingers. Romeo’s naivety in his decisions from pursuing Juliet was his first mistake. Then to having too much confidence in Friar Lawrence in relying too much in his advices. Subsequently, with Friar Lawrence coming to Juliet’s aid in a final plan of a fake a death to deceive her family while sending word to Romeo about the plan, so they can be together at last. Love always triumph over hate. Without receiving the letter from the friar, he made a final impulsive decision to accept death if he cannot be with his love Juliet for his death would mean he can be with her. After seeing his beautiful Juliet in a lifeless slumber, he said: “Here, here will I remain with worms that are thy chamber maids. O, here will i set up my everlasting rest. And shake the yoke of inauspicious stars from this world-wearied flesh! Eyes, look your last. Arms, take your last embrace. And, lips, O, you the doors of breath, seal with a righteous kiss a dateless bargain engrossing death” (5.3. 107-114). He kisses Juliet and gives a final monologue, “Come bitter conduct, come unsavoury guide! Thou desperate pilot, now at once run on the dashing rocks thy seasick weary bark! Here’s to my love! Drinking. O true apothecary, thy drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I die” (5.3 115-120). A young, simple-minded virgin without wisdom of age, reckless with youth, innocent in a young love that may have been the disease of infatuation to become susceptible to gullibility in killing oneself for love.
In the case of who killed Romeo and Juliet, Romeo is to blame. I have concluded three facts and reasons on why he is the perpetrator. I have shown you that Romeo pursued Juliet knowing she was a Capulet, a sworn enemy of the house of Montague; which should have been an impasse. Then he gave reliance to a man named Friar Lawrence who eventually gave advice to Juliet to fake her death without confiding in him first. Lastly, his naivety with young wisdom and young love of infatuation had him recklessly killing himself believing that it would unite him with her in death. Consequently, Juliet waking up from her slumber, seeing that her one true love had slain himself for her. Their love, forsaken by their parents’ approval, she would go through the same distance as he had done, to kill herself to be with him. “Yea, noise? Then I’ll be brief. O happy dagger! This is thy sheath; there rust, and let me die” (5.3. 168-169). Their love; their tragic end!


One of the more frequent questions I get from my executive clients is “What should I read?”
The answer may not be what you expect - because it certainly isn’t business books.
The best executives with whom I’ve worked rarely read business books. Even I don’t read them very often - and I’ve written them.
There are a couple of reasons for that.
The first is that too many of the books aren’t implementable. They tell stories about companies that have done this or that - but rarely give you enough of the process to be able to replicate. As a result, they’re like the “Executive Missions” that were (and still are) so popular.
Here’s how it works:
You get jealous.
You decide that you’re going to make your company do that [it doesn’t really matter what the “that” is], too.
You go home.
You tell your executive team that you saw the most amazing thing and that you know that “we can do it, too.”
The reason you fail - whether executive mission or business book (remember “In Search of Excellence” and “Good to Great”?) is because you’ve seen the outcome. You’ve not learned the process that the companies went through - most importantly, all the good and bad of it.
The books can tell you a story. They can’t solve your problems.
Even truly excellent books like last year’s “Measure What Matters” by John Doerr ultimately don’t work without additional support. That’s why there’s such extensive follow-on for readers that sign up for the ongoing support. It doesn’t cost anything - and it helps - but it’s still a high risk maneuver without more in-depth, real-time guidance.
Which leads me to why the majority of business books really, really don’t work: It’s because all they’re there for is to increase the visibility and market for the consultant who wrote it. Yes, it’s another consultant ploy.
So what do executives read?
History. Mystery. Science Fiction. Physics. Spirituality. Medical Science.
You name it. They read it.
And, for their business reading, they read Biography - including biographies of businesses (like “How Google Works”) and industries (like pretty much every one of Michael Lewis’ books). They also read Executive Autobiographies - with a couple of the favorites being Andy Grove’s “High Output Management” and Ben Horowitz’ “The Hard Thing About Hard Things.”
(Can you tell I don’t bother with getting a fee for my recommendations? You have to find the books yourself if you’re interested enough!)
The important thing isn’t even what you read. It’s that you read.
If you’re interested in travel, read about it. If you want to know what happened in the Spanish Civil War, read about it. If music fascinates you and you think that one day you’d like to compose, read, read and read more. (Then go compose.)
The whole purpose of reading is to broaden your horizons and open you up to new worlds. To be exposed to different thinking than your own. To see the world through someone else’s eyes.
Because the most amazing thing about reading is that you’ll find yourself incorporating those expansive, mind-expanding, sometimes mind-bending experiences into your day-to-day thinking - which will make you better at what you do. And that will make you more likely to get to where you want to go.
Which is really the point, don’t you think? And this way, you’ll enjoy yourself all along the way.


On Friday, October 25th, a sold-out crowd came to support Peacock Family Services and explore with Dr. Déana Scipio how children’s books can and should demonstrate equity, diversity, and inclusion. Whether this was their first or fifth Peacocktail Party, the community was clearly interested in this subject.
For our 5th annual Peacocktail Party, we once again brought together a community of voices in support of developmental strategies for working with children of all ages. WEAVE Presents hosted the venue, which held the conversation and presentations wonderfully. Fig & Spice catered the sumptuous appetizers and evening treats to the delight of all in attendance. And Eagle Harbor Book Co brought a selection of books for the participants to peruse and purchase.
Peacock’s Executive Director, Kathy Haskin, welcomed the packed room filled with teachers, parents, school librarians and administers, local council candidates and committee members, as well as other curious colleagues in the field. “Tonight we are here to open our eyes, then talk about what we see.”
Currently the Director of Campus Education Programs at IslandWood, Dr. Déana Scipio delivered an informative and insightful presentation. She brought her love of children’s picture books, her focus on broadening participation, and equity-oriented approaches in teaching and learning to the talk. Quoting children’s book author Grace Lin, Dr. Scipio explained how “Your children’s bookshelves should have mirrors and windows.” Books can be windows to the rest of the world, as well as mirrors allowing them to see themselves in the stories.
Our exploration into the subject continued with a view of diversity represented in current children’s books. For example, we looked at the percentage of books depicting characters from diverse backgrounds based on publishing statistics compiled by the Cooperative Children’s Book Center, at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s School of Education. The percentage of representation in 2018 was as follows:
- 1% of books published had American Indian/First Nations characters,
- 5% were Latinx,
- 7% were Asian Pacific/Asian Pacific Islanders,
- 10% were African American,
- 27% of the characters were animals, and
- 50% were White.
Dr. Scipio went on to question and explain what children may be seeing, or not seeing, in the stories we share with them. Do children see a character or image they can relate to? Are there stories that are missing? All children deserve to see themselves in their heroes.
This was an eye-opening event for many people in the room. The presentation looked into the non-dominant communities. Are books reflecting the way all people live their lives, not to mention how each of us view history? As one participant reflected afterward, “I thought this was going to be about making the girls the hero more often. This was about gender, but it is also about representing race, LGBTQ, ableness and abilities, communities and cultures. It was so much more than I thought it would be!”
The Peacocktail Party discussions then continued into the evening, straight through dessert. We hope that these conversations will now endure throughout the community in the coming months, through emails, over coffee, in classrooms and meeting rooms. To that end, Dr. Scipio offers her Suggested Book List, which includes blogs and TED Talks from other thinkers.
If you are curious to learn more about this evening, and the recent work of Peacock Family Services in the community, let’s get together. Your participation and continuing support is very much appreciated, because John Dewey was right when he said, “what the best and wisest parent wants for his own child, that must the community want for all its children.”
Peacock Family Services is grateful for the support of individuals, business partners, foundations, government agencies, and special events, which we rely on to sustain our programs and services throughout the year.


by Michele Linder
I watch her from where I am. I see her smile while she is watching others, watching and waiting for someone to take the time to come and talk to her on her terms — one-on-one.
I see the light in her eyes when she speaks and listens to what they have to say, and in a little while they are gone.
She’s still smiling. I go to her and tease her. I tickle her neck, I whisper in her deaf ears knowing she can’t hear me, but also knowing she loves my taunts and teasing. She loves me like no other.
I speak to her. If she can’t ‘get’ what I’m saying, I finger-spell (she taught me) the sentence until she understands. I am patient and attentive… until I see a cousin or sister run by, and then I have to go. Child’s play is so alluring.
I’m still watching her. When no one takes the time, I see her focus on her hands. She turns them over, examining every crease, every line, every scar, and she feels the softness and roughness with her fingers.
I always wondered why she was so interested in her own hands? What made them so mesmerizing? What about them demanded such attention? Her smile is gone, she has more of a contemplative look on her lips. I can see her thinking.
What is she thinking? I used to wonder, but now I know. When no one takes the time, you begin to feel the world shrink away, you need a diversion to keep the sadness at bay and to steer your mind away from how truly isolated you feel.
Now that I’m deaf, I find myself mesmerized by my own hands.


How do we cultivate a sweet, personal, devotional relationship with God?
One key, for me, was to realize and accept that God wants our love and needs our love.
“God yearns for our love … what is God longing for? Our love. Our attention. He has made it very difficult for Himself, because He gave man free will to seek Him or reject Him. He says, ‘I am pursuing every heart, waiting for My children to spurn My creation and turn toward Me.’ … unless we choose to go to Him willingly He cannot free us or Himself from suffering.” —Paramhansa Yogananda
Feeling or imagining God’s need has been a crucial part of my own devotional practice.
When I first started taking daily devotional walks several years ago, I first focused exclusively on giving love to God and feeling God’s pain at my lack of appreciation for Him and His joy and delight for the efforts I was now making.
The relationship we have with God as His children, is reflected in the relationship we have as parents with our own children. How does it feel when our children ignore us? We don’t stop loving them, but our hearts are pained. How joyful and how much gratitude do we feel when our children show us some love and appreciation. God feels the same with us.
Since starting the devotional walks, there have been times, months, even year(s) when I’ve not focused on God’s need and just practiced sharing love with God while feeling God as an impersonal Spirit. This was definitely helpful, but not as sweet as when I felt God needing my love.
Many great Saints have focused on the suffering of Christ as a doorway into deep devotion.
“I used to find myself most at home in the prayer in the Garden, whither I went in His company. I thought of the bloody sweat, and of the affliction He endured there; I wished, if it had been possible, to wipe away that painful sweat from His face.” —Saint Teresa of Avila
Christmas Nativity scenes can be deeply moving, because they awaken a divinely nurturing spirit in us. A love and nurturing for God as the baby Jesus.
By practicing loving God, we help God.
Lately, rather than focusing on God’s need and pain, I’ve been practicing feeling God’s gratitude to me for efforts made, no matter how small, to love Him.
When taking walks or sitting in contemplation, I feel God & I are making love at the top of every breath, while also feeling the deep mutual gratitude we have for each other. This helps open up a wonderfully sweet, personal communion.
Sitting at my computer now, it is hard to write this. Feelings of unworthiness come up.
How can I be deserving of God’s gratitude?
Even looking at the picture of Master on my wall right now is hard, feeling unworthy, feeling I’m being pretentious.
But God and Master coax me …
“look at Me … it’s OK to accept God’s gratitude.”


Exciting update on book project.
I am so happy to tell you that the first draft of the book on defending accusations of sexual abuse has been finished. I have sent portions to a publisher who seems to be very interested in the book. The committee is going to consider it in September with a view to hopefully publishing it in the near future. I very much hope that this book will be available to those of you who defend sex cases because I think it will be very helpful for you to have as a reference in addition to doing consultations with you directly.
Hope you and all those you care about are all well and healthy in this very difficult time.


Welcome to the St. Joseph Writers Guild website. We are a group of individuals who love words and books of all kinds. There is a variety of artists, writers, editors, and readers in our group. The goal of our group is to encourage writers to have confidence in themselves and their writing abilities. We wish to promote in them the desire to further develop their skills. It is our task to promote respect and enthusiasm for the written word.
We meet at 1 p.m. the third Saturday of the month at Rolling Hills Library. During the meeting, we have either a guest speaker or hold workshops on a variety of topics. Please join us for a meeting and see if our guild is right for you. Our dues are only $20 a year.
To find out more, check out our Calendar of Events page or email us at email@example.com.


I WANDERED LONELY AS A CLOUD
I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o’er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
in such a jocund company:
I gazed – and gazed – but little thought
what wealth the show to me had brought:
For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.
“I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” (erroneously known as “The Daffodils”) is an 1804 poem by William Wordsworth. It was inspired by an April 15, 1802 event in which Woirdsworth and his sister, Dorothy, came across a “long belt” of daffodils. It was first published in 1807, and a revised version was released in 1815.
The poem is written in iambic tetrameter.


The time of year has come once again for National Novel Writing Month, and this community would like to work alongside those of you who are participating.
As such, the daily posts during the month of November will change from what you're normally used to seeing here (unless by some miracle anyone requests that the daily prompts or challenges continue as well!).
Instead, there will be posts with open comments which will include discussion on your work, excerpts from that day's work, your word count hit, and anything else to do with NaNo. Members will also be encouraged to post to the community directly and the posting restrictions will be lifted a little.
For now, we will start with this thread: let's have a check in to see who's writing what.
Go on, give us an introduction to your work and, if you're new here, to yourself as well.
Comments are open to encourage creativity :)
Coffee & Corks
The Writer's Coffeeshop
- Mod Post: Nanowrimo 2013


About The Show
Siya Ke Ram is a retelling of the Hindu epic Ramayan from the perspective of Sita. Giving a completely new point of view to a narrative that every Indian is well versed with, Siya Ke Ram is an exciting merger of the known and the new. As one of the central characters of Ramayan, Sita’s contribution has been underplayed in most renditions of the Ramayan. Siya Ke Ram changes that and brings her to the fore while also assuring visual delight for the audience.


I frequently find analogies between my running and my religion. After all, for a runner, running becomes a type of religious act in and of itself. And if a finish line is heaven for the runner, and the miles and miles of training are the daily grind that the faithful must endure, then sprints, hills, and speed work represent for the runner what confession and penance represents for the believer.
When we grow lazy and complacent in our faith we risk falling into old habits and build up a barrier between us and our ultimate reward. For the faithful, the way to break that barrier and crack out of the old habits is the physical act of confession and penance, however your particular tradition builds those activities. For the runner, breaking out of the tired old repetition of the long distance grinds means you must head to the track and rip off the calluses that have formed and break yourself down to the principal components that make a runner a runner. A runner must shred those long, slow, endurance fibers that allow him to run for miles and miles at a stretch and reawaken those short, quick sprint fibers than propel him down a track even though his lungs are screaming for air and everything is numb. A runner must go into that realm of complete oxygen deprivation and muscle fatigue. A runner must, in effect, break his own will and conform it once again to that of the task at hand, which is to run with abandon and complete lack of desire for self. You must, in effect, die to distance and be reborn to speed. The runner must remember what it is like to be near that point of complete collapse, and at times even beyond that point, and still find the will to stand up and do it all over again. To allow the body to work even after the mind has checked out.
Only then, after the miles of trials, can the distance runner return, once again, to the daily trial of miles.


Do Min Joon first arrived on earth in 1609, but in order to protect a girl he met, he missed his chance to return to his home planet. Four centuries later, he is still living in Korea and working as a professor, the latest of many identities he's taken on through the years. Understanding that he doesn't belong to this world, the exceedingly rational Do Min Joon maintains distance from everyone save for one friend Jang Young Mok who knows his secret. All is quiet and well for him until top actress Chun Song Yi moves in next door and comes barging into his cloistered life.
Loud, proud and bumbling yet irrepressibly lovable, Song Yi throws Do Min Joon off guard, and he can't help but protect her when her career takes a stumble. The two begin to fall in love despite themselves but Do Min Joon's days on earth are numbered.