what I'm reading - Cultural Creatives

I've been meaning to explore this book for some time...maybe i am, maybe i'm not ?

Tim

The Cultural Creatives: How 50 Million People Are Changing the World

"Cultural Creative is a term coined by Ray and Anderson to describe people whose values embrace a curiosity and concern for the world, its ecosystem, and its peoples; an awareness of and activism for peace and social justice; and an openness to self-actualization through spirituality, psychotherapy, and holistic practices. Cultural Creatives do not just take the money and run; they don't want to defund the National Endowment for the Arts; and they do want women to get a fairer shake--not only in the United States, but around the globe."

What I'm reading - Gunman's Rhapsody

Sort of a new twist on an old story. Wyatt Earp, Doc Hollyday, etc...written by Robert B. Parker, the guy who writes the Spenser stories.

I didn't like this as much as his "regular" writing. Not enough was new or different to make me wonder what was going to happen next. I already knew. Good quick read on the road but that's about it.

Do your part by not 'doing' anything

"From outer space, the privileged of this world must look like ants in an anthill that’s been stirred with a stick: everyone constantly rushing around in cars and planes for work and pleasure, for meetings, jobs, conferences, vacations, and more. This is bad for the planet, but it’s not so good for us either."

It's surprising to begin to read things that explain what I am feeling and thinking about more and more.

The sounds of silence

“Silence is like scouring sand,” he says. “When you are quiet, the silence blows against your mind and etches away everything that is soft and unimportant.” What is left is what is real—pure awareness, and the very hardest questions.

A good read if you have a minute

What I'm Reading - Walth Whitman, Leaves of Grass

not sure what to make of this yet. it seems that i only "get" poetry when it is read out loud and then discussed in a group. without context, it just seems like individual random thoughts and words to me. I hope to at least benefit from introducing new words and phrases into my own vocabulary. - TK

Leaves of Grass (1855) is a poetry collection by the American poet Walt Whitman. Among the poems in the collection are "Song of Myself," "I Sing the Body Electric," "Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking," and in later editions, Whitman's elegy to the assassinated President Abraham Lincoln, "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd." Whitman spent his entire life writing Leaves of Grass,[1] revising it in several editions until his death.

positioning

I just don't get why the media needs to position the fact that the DEMAND for oil being down is a bad thing ? I understand that it might mean that factories aren't chugging along as strongly, but what about the shift from the SUV to Hybrids and all of the efforts people are making to reduce the amount of gas/oil they use? Let's start applauding our efforts so that we realize that we can collectively make a big difference. Having demand for oil go down is a good thing in my mind.

Flowers tell the story

a unique gift idea...

Associated Content

Check out some of my past articles on this content publishing website. Thanks

Tim

what to do when you don't know what to do

Our life is frittered away by detail... simplify, simplify. Thoreau

phrases from the debate

Random takeaways from the debate last night:

Maverick
Fundamental
Dick Cheney is scary
Tina Fey is pretty smart
Most important election of our lifetime
Energy producing state
Joe six pack
9 month old babies shouldn't be at debates
Talibanee
Let me say it again

plunkin' time

We seem to be under attack again from the thousands of acorns in our oak trees this year. Every time the wind blows, our roof, driveway and vehicles are getting plunked with the quarter sized dollops. What it means is anyone's guess...you just got to remember to keep your head down and keep moving.

Happy Birthday Grampa

We all miss you very much. Thank you for all the laughs and life lessons...and for living the golden rule, family first. (and have fun along the way)

Tim

where's MY bailout ???!!!

How the heck did all this financial "crisis" happen (again!) I seem to remember a little thing called Sarbanes Oxley Act that was supposed to hold companies accountable for their financial statements. So, what happened ? How long have the numbers been tanking before the "bailout" is now needed ? We're pretty quick to help put a band aid on a problem and less enthusiastic about teaching or providing long term help.

Clearly these firms didn't have investments in the oil market

Yeah, we're cool..we know it !

What I'm reading - Leaves of Grass, Walt Whitman

I've read several pieces that reference this book as a "must read" for any aspiring observer/writer. I started it last night and I'm trying to get into the spirit of the verse. I don't know if I'll get there or not, but it will be good to try.


"Leaves of Grass (1855) is a poetry collection by the American poet Walt Whitman. Among the poems in the collection are "Song of Myself," "I Sing the Body Electric," "Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking," and in later editions, Whitman's elegy to the assassinated President Abraham Lincoln, "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd." Whitman spent his entire life writing Leaves of Grass,[1] revising it in several editions until his death."

I'm back !

For no particular reason, i took the summer off from posting. I've got the time and energy once again to post...and actually discovered that the act of Blogging is actually considered a "job skill" these days.

So here we go...back into my head, my eyes and my heart.

Sea - King

Ahoy....

Just a few more payments and this little baby is all mine.

Who's up for cocktails on the lido deck ?

TK

"The _______ Road "

So how does a road in Maine get "The" status ? Sometimes its the road itself, as in "the payne road" or "the hogan road" sometimes its a nickname as in "the golden road" and sometimes it comes from where the road goes as in "the howland road". What does a road have to do, or have to be in order to get "the" status ?

From now on, I'm going to start saying "the Sylvan road" to people who ask me where I live and see if it catches on.

It seems to me that each of these roads are the polar opposite of "The Road Less Traveled," and that has made all the difference.

TK

Hi Ho Alan....AWAY !

"Giddy Up Love Bug!"

what I'm reading - Copper River - A cork o'connor mystery

"From Publishers Weekly
On the run from anonymous contract killers, ex-sheriff Cork O'Connor goes to ground in a remote corner of Michigan's Upper Peninsula in Krueger's subdued sixth thriller."


Pretty good so far, we'll see where we end up...

Column - A dandy time of year

After all, dandelions are early blooming, hardy, bright yellow and tend to spread well on their own. What’s not to like? Yet we spend our hard-earned time and money trying to kill them, while yellow tulips are tenderly cultivated and yellow daffodils are celebrated with parades and rides atop pretty Easter bonnets. You would think a flower that is so revered by young children both in life and in death would maintain some emotional appeal for us adults. Certainly, every one of us at one point has pulled a handful of dandelion flowers from the lawn and proudly presented it to someone as a beautiful bouquet. While many of us also remember tickling the flower under our chins to see if we liked butter or not.

Latest Column - Where I'm Coming From

Now, if you’ve been a reader of my columns for a while now, you may think that I was raised out in the country somewhere. Perhaps on a farm with rolling hills and meadows of wildflowers nearby, lots of trees and a river or pond in the area too – my younger days being spent listening to gentle breezes, birds singing and crickets a-chirping.

The reality is, for the first six years of my life, this could not have been further from the truth....

What's your Sign ?

Latest Column - Seedlings Wo-Wo-Wo Seedlings

had some fun with this one. I wonder if the Scarborough Hannaford's is having a run on Lasagna Pans this week ?

Sláinte!

Happy St. Patrick's Day !


Written on the back of the Worry Stone envelope: "There are only two things to worry about: either you are well or you are sick. If you are well, then there is nothing to worry about: but if you are sick; there are two things for you to worry about: either you get well or you die. If you get well, then there is nothing to worry about. If you die then there are two things to worry about: either you go up or down. If you go up, then there is nothing to worry about, but if you go down you will be so busy shaking hands with old friends you won't have time to worry".

Lighten up

I recently made the decision to avoid the "Castanza Wallet"...I was by no means over stuffed, but i thought it was time to slim things down a bit. I might even try putting my new slimmed down version (no pictures, no superfluous membership cards) in my left pants pocket. I wonder if there is a term for the imprint that wallet wears into pants and jeans over time ?

Yeah, i know, i live on the edge.

Latest Newspaper Column - Plant it Again, Sam

For some reason, when I thought “flower show” I had images of little girls, sun dresses and tea parties all walking from table to table looking at bouquets and centerpieces. In other words, more foo-foo than poo-poo (oh, sorry I meant “composted manure”)

(click the Title to read the whole article) My editor loves to get comments on the site too!

Garrett and a unicycle

look at him go !!

Handlebars? He don't need no stinkin' handlebars!

Great article on what's really "Green"

"Consuming until you're squeaky green. It feels so good. It looks so good. It feels so good to look so good, which is why conspicuousness is key...It's done with the best of intentions, but all that replacing is problematic. That "bad" vinyl flooring? It was probably less destructive in your kitchens than in a landfill."

Monica Hesse - The Washington Post

Trees

Passed on from a coworker who thought I would enjoy. I do.

Joyce Kilmer. 1886–1918

Trees

I THINK that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the sweet earth's flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day, 5
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain. 10

Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.

Portland Flower Show

Still don't like the name, but i can't wait to see some stuff actually growing!! I've had more than enough of this snow and rain!!

Buddy Miles - Hendrix drummer (& California Raisins singer...who knew!!?? ) dead at 60

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -- Buddy Miles, a drummer who played with Jimi Hendrix and sang in the claymation commercials featuring the California Raisins in the 1980s, died Tuesday. He was 60.

Miles, who had been suffering from congestive heart failure, died in Austin, publicist Duane Lee said.

Miles was drummer on Hendrix's landmark "Electric Ladyland" album before officially joining Band of Gypsys a few months later. Miles is best known for "Them Change," a song he wrote and performed.

Sing

Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them. - Thoreau

Happy Birthday, Dad

USS Essex (CV-9) (also CVA-9 and CVS-9) was a United States Navy aircraft carrier, the lead ship of her class.

Essex was the prime recovery carrier for the Apollo 7 mission. She recovered the Apollo 7 crew on October 22, 1968 after a splashdown north of Puerto Rico.

Winter Lawn

Greener grass
Comes and goes.
One season it rests
One season it grows.

For some its never
Green enough.
For others, its perfect
No matter the month.

I'll take my grass
With it's weeds and such
Because I know it surrounds
The ones I love very much.

TK

Family Watchdog

this is kind of creepy...but i guess its better to be aware of what's in our neighborhoods. I also hope that if i were to dig a little deeper, i would find that the revenue for all the obnoxious banner ads are going to some charitable cause.
TK



When you visit this site you can enter your address and a map will pop up with a small icon of a house when you live.

Surrounding your house you will see red, blue, and green, dots covering your entire neighborhood.

When you click on one of these dots, a picture of a person will appear with an address and the description of the crime he or she has committed.

This site was developed by John Walsh from Americas Most Wanted

Guess that movie line -

"...the laddy fancies himself to be a poet!"

Latest Column - Birches on my mind

"Over the years, I’ve come to see most birch trees only as white accents against a predominately brown and green landscape of pines, oaks and maples. They seem to appear sometimes randomly as solitary beacons of contrast in the forest."

Read the whole article by clicking the link above.

TK

Good bunch of guys here

...at least they sound pretty cool.

TK

PS...now i know how "Slim Shady" feels

We shoot...we score !

Well it took more than 20 years, but it looks like Ronald Reagan's 'Star Wars' program finally actually did something, sort of.

What I'm Reading - Disappearances - Howard Frank Mosher

"Disappearances chronicles the efforts of Wild Bill Bonhomme and his larger-than-life father, Quebec Bill, to save the family farm. Desperate to raise money to preserve his endangered cattle herd at the end of a long winter, Quebec Bill resorts to the high-stakes world of whiskey smuggling, a traditional family occupation along the Vermont-Canada border in 1932. On an epic journey through the wilderness, the father and son encounter a cast of wild characters — and live out magical escapades as they carve their way into legend."

I still can't exactly tell if the towns in the story are made up or not...but all of his books have been great. They really put you in touch with a different way of life.

Where Eagle's Fish

when we were up at Cedar lake last weekend we saw an amazing site. Turns out, we must have a local bald eagle in the area. Early in the afternoon this huge bird starting flying back and forth about 15 feet of the surface of the lake (long since frozen). Turns out, it was waiting for the guys to move out of the way who were ice fishing in a few spots out there. As soon as they moved to a different hole in the ice, the bird would hop over to the hole...waiting for a fish to jump out perhaps ? Not sure if he ever got one, but it was pretty cool to think about how the bird learned to be that patient and comfortable with humans and develop a symbiotic relationship with the fisherman. I'm interested to see if it sticks around after the ice melts and fishing is dramatically easier for all of us. - TK

Feb Column - Hearth Health

"I’ve been in blue-collar living rooms and shirt and tie boardrooms where men have complemented and ridiculed each other about the condition of their woodpiles."

Counting the days until Spring

Brrrr...

Latest Column - Storms and Newborns

you wouldn't think they had a lot in common...and you'd be wrong.

Who's that Guitar Hero Babe ??!!