Alexandra Magazine

So I got back from the Massachusetts Library Association conference on Friday. Monday I went to one of the little libraries I work with and installed Ubuntu on their donated PCs. They have two Windows machines and the new machines asked for a Windows product code key when you turned them on. Pretty annoying. I had been messing around with Ubuntu — a user-friendly Linux distribution — and was pleasantly surprised how well it worked on my new laptop. Previously I had messed around with Linux on old PCs and it had been a nightmare of drivers and missing fonts and me not really understanding enough to make it work right. That has changed.

So I installed Ubuntu and made a little movie of it. I’m working on my little movie skills as I’m sure everyone who reads this knows. Each time I try to learn one more new technique. This time it was the freeze-frames and I actually put myself in this one doing a small voice over spot. It took an hour or two to put the thing together, cheezy graphics and all, then I went to bed. Tuesday I got up and went to work, sent the video around to my friends as usual. I’m always happy when 30-40 people see them. YouTube has a lot of little statistics so you can see what people rate your movie, or who links to it.

So by Tuesday afternoon, I checked my movie page and instead of a few hundred views I had a few thousand. That was weird. I clicked around somewhat and discovered that my movie had been linked as the 802 Online VT Video of the day and Cathy Resmer had sent the link over to Boing Boing who also linked it. I got email. I always get a fair amount of email from random people thanks to working for MetaFilter and having the job that I do, but this was a whole new crowd. I got install advice & tips and just a lot of nice “you go girl” messages. The video makes installing Ubuntu look fun which has always been the sticking point for a lot of non-super-genius geeks like me, the unfunness.

So then I got home after some burgers with Stan (amusing recounting of this whole thing on his blog) and Ubuntu called. Actually it was a guy who does support and systems whatnot over at Canonical and we had a long rambly phone conversation about tech geekery. He said he’d send me a bunch of pressed professional looking Ubuntu CDs so I could hand them out to librarians everyplace. I said that was great since I go to library conferences all the time, and that my local conference was next week. I told my friends “Ubuntu called!” and their first question was oftn “How did they get your phone number?” but of course, my phone number has been on the internet since 1996 or so.

I watched my little video creep up the stat-o-meters over on YouTube for a while, replied to more email and IM well-wishes, took out the garbage and went to bed. I sort of feel like the continuous partial attention that the networked world gives us results in not just continuous partial friendship [as my friend David Weinberger calls it] but also continuous partial fame. When Boing Boing linked to me — calling me an “Internet folk hero” which I find gigglingly amusing — they linked to an old post they’d made about me from 2003 and I had a hazy memory of this sort of thing happening before. Meanwhile I had eight people at drop-in time yesterday, a new high for 2007, and I signed people up for PayPal, showed them how to “make a link,” helped them make flyers for their Mary Kay spring sale, explained gmail and helped them with resume templates. To a person they were all like “Boing WHAT?” which is always a good keeping it real moment for me. Parlaying the Internet Folk Hero karma into Local Hero greenstamps is pretty high on my “to do” list. This all may help.

“I’ve lost 25 lbs. since April, and I’m only about 15 lbs. away from my goal. Not only is NutriSystem.com the best and easiest diet plan I’ve ever been on, but the website is the friendliest, most useful and most welcoming site I’ve visited. I spend more time here than anywhere else on the internet, and I work on the Internet all day long! Thanks for all your help…you’ve changed my life!” - Brooke B.
“Kudos to NutriSystem.com for putting together such a balanced plan. We have everything at our fingertips to improve our health: a balanced meal plan, counseling, and support. All of this accessible to us 24 hours a day. I know I will be successful on your plan. Thanks.” - Sal L.

“I’ve been on the NutriSystem.com program only 5 days and have lost 4 pounds. I am thrilled with the rapid results and hope to continue to lose. I gained most of my weight while in nursing school, what with late night study sessions and those fat-packed bags of chips and sodas. I have 49 lbs. to go, and in the short time I have been on NutriSystem.com, I have noticed an increase in energy.” - Sherri H.

Remember the E-TEN Glofiish X800 cell phone which was showcased at CeBIT 2007? Yes, the same phone that boasts high speed HSDPA/WCDMA connectivity and runs Windows Mobile 6. Well, the FCC has blessed this feature-packed phone meaning it will now make its way into the hands of the consumers. The Glofiish phone can also access VoIP and video calling.

The Glofiish X800 packaging includes a stylus, battery, USB cable and AC adapter apart from the mandatory user guide and CD. The X800 has LED indicators for Bluetooth, WLAN and GPS so you can quickly see what’s turned on. It also features a speakerphone. For expanded memory, the X800 offers a microSD memory card slot. The phone comes with tons of bundled software including Internet Explorer, Windows Live Messenger, File Explorer and Windows Media Player.

There’s also a useful Transcriber function on the phone that lets you write anywhere on the screen using the stylus. Once you write your sentence, it will automatically change them into typed characters. The integrated GPS on the X800 is another convenient function. Combine this with the Location SMS function to immediately update chosen contacts with your current location.

No word on the pricing or availability yet.
FCC

Related entries:
Nokia LD-4W Bluetooth GPS Module Gets FCC Nod
E-ten M700?
E-TEN X500 glofiish smartphone

Mommybloggers: How did you get into blogging? Have you always been a writer?

Elizabeth: I started blogging in August of 2005 while on bedrest with my third pregnancy. I had started noticing that blogs were being mentioned online and in magazines, so I started reading them. My first blog was Dooce, then Fussy and Finslippy. I wanted to see how easy it was to get a blog, so I logged in to Blogger and created one. And that was how I got hooked. As for being a writer, I was an English Major in college, so I wrote hundreds of papers over four years. I had two professors in particular that were very hard on me, made me really think about the process of writing. I guess I have them to thank!

Mommybloggers: Now be honest, how many times a day do you think about blogging?

Elizabeth: Oh, this is embarassing. I think about blogging ALL THE TIME. There are days where I log in at 8:00 a.m. and spend literally the whole day writing, commenting, posting, replying to emails, building up my traffic, giving reciprocal links, and thinking about post topics. I think about blog topics while doing housework, while driving in the car, sometimes as I’m falling asleep at night. Seriously, it’s an addiction.

Mommybloggers: We have to ask – what do you think about the term “Mommyblogger?” Do you embrace it, or reject it?

Elizabeth: I’d like to answer this question by asking you to click this link. I wrote this post the day I got back from BlogHer ‘06, and it is all about how proud I am to be a Mommyblogger!

Mommybloggers: Tell us about your background. What kind of kid were you? Where did you grow up? When you looked into your future, what did you want to be?

Elizabeth: I grew up the youngest of three children. My Mother was an elementary school teacher, and my Father started out as a Junior High School teacher, and then spent the rest of his career working for the Michigan Education Association and the National Education Association. We moved around a lot as my Dad took different job positions, so I lived in Jackson, Grand Rapids, Bloomfield Hills, and Okemos, all in Michigan. I was a BOOKWORM. I read anything and everything I could get my hands on. I originally wanted to be a Librarian, and sometimes I feel like I missed my chance in college. I started out as a Sociology Major at my first college, but then I transferred to Michigan State, which has an excellent Library Science Major. I still wish I could be a Librarian, or work at Barnes and Noble.

Mommybloggers: Give us seven words that describe you:

Elizabeth: Impatient, Disorganized, Emotional, Loving, Friendly, Devoted, Enthusiastic.

Mommybloggers: Where do you think blogging is headed? What about internet celebrity? What impact can online writers expect to have on the world?

Elizabeth: I think blogging is becoming the way we communicate with the rest of the world. Not only does blogging give people a voice, but it lets them connect with people they would most likely never have a chance to meet otherwise. Blogging is how news, information and opinions are being shared and spread. As for internet celebrities, I honestly think that the reason there are “A-list” bloggers is because they have something special that sets them apart. I also think it’s important to remember that whether or not someone is an “internet celebrity”, they are still a person who deserves to be treated with respect. By the way, I LOVE the term “online writers” as opposed to “bloggers”. In my opinion, everyone who publishes original content is a writer. They have to think up a title, a beginning, a middle, and an end, and that is WRITING. Don’t sell yourself short-if you blog, you are making an impact on the future of communication!

Mommybloggers: What do you think of the blogging lists, awards and best of’s?

Elizabeth: This is an interesting question, because I just wrote another post you should read, http://table4five.net/2007/04/09/lists-are-dumb-when-youre-not-on-them/. After whining about how I was never given any awards by other bloggers, I half-jokingly said I was going to create the “Elizabeth thinks I ROCK” award to give to deserving bloggers of my own choosing. And then, I did! But honestly, I think it’s great that bloggers recognize each other for the work they put into their posts.

Mommybloggers: What is one thing about you that people don’t know that may shock or surprise us?

Elizabeth: I really couldn’t think of anything, so I asked my husband, and he said to tell you that despite my mild-mannered housewife exterior, I am actually quite raunchy during sex. Well, you asked! And, I curse like a sailor. Give me a few drinks and you’ll see what I mean.

Mommybloggers: Is there any topic that you are so passionate about that you would go to the mat on your blog for regardless of what other people think or say?

Elizabeth: The topic that comes to mind is the subject of unwanted pregnancy. I believe that no woman should have a child that they do not want or can not adequately care for. There are too many childless couples in this country who are desperate to be parents.

Mommybloggers: You’ve blogged that your son has ADHD. Do you feel the stigma of that label is wearing off or are you concerned about the label? What steps do you take to help him through this?

Elizabeth: I have no problem telling my son’s teachers and support staff that he has been diagnosed with ADHD. We are fortunate to have our kids in a school district that devotes considerable resources and staff to helping ADHD kids get what they need in the classroom. However, my son gets very upset whenever we mention it to him or in front of him. He does not want to be different from other kids, despite us telling him that there are other kids in his school with ADHD, he just doesn’t know about it. Besides seeing our Pediatrician for medication, we will also starting a daily study period for Nathan, to help him build good study habits now so that he is better prepared for later grades when so much more school work is done at home. I am anticipating having some battles over it.

Mommybloggers: Okay, if we dropped in for coffee is there a room that is off limits because it is too private/messy/not for guests?

Elizabeth: I would be MORTIFIED if someone just “dropped in”. My friends and family know better! But if you did, the living room, kitchen and bathroom are generally fit for public viewing. They aren’t CLEAN, but they are generally presentable.

Mommybloggers:And here are the questions we subject all of our featured bloggers to (With apologies to Bernard Pivot and Inside the Actors Studio):

1. What is your favorite parent related word? Mama

2. What is your least favorite parent related word? Blood.

3. What is your favorite creative censored curse word used around children? Um, I don’t censor myself. My kids have heard me say every curse word in the book.

4. What is your favorite hiding place within your home when you need to get away from it all? Our basement, where there is a rocking chair, computer stand, TV, and Xbox.

5. What hiding place have you been found in too often and can no longer use? My bedroom. Every time I try to lay on the bed and read a book, someone manages to get in anyway.

6. If Oprah exists, what would you like to hear her say when you arrive at the Oprah Winfrey show when she features the Mommybloggers? Elizabeth, “Clean Sweep” is coming to your house to completely reorganize every single room. While they are doing that, we are sending you to Oceanside, California for a week to lie on the beach.

Check back tomorrow as we turn Mommybloggers.com over to the raucous Elizabeth of Table4Five.

Here's a secret about me that few people know–I am addicted to magazines. I can't really give you a reason why, but I do like them alot. I get about 15 delivered to my house by subscription and pick up a lot more at the newsstand. Yes, I realize that it is a sickness but since it is hurting no one, I'll let it be.
 
There are signs that magazines are a dying art form. Circulation is down and several magazines have closed up shop. Today, I'd like to talk about two of them, Cracked and Premiere.
Now when I talk about Cracked, I'm not talking about the Mad alternative that looked like this:
 

Cracked

That one left our plane of existence several years ago. Personally, I always liked Cracked better than Mad. It had John Severin doing the art on it (he did the cover on the left) and Severin is one of the true masters in comic style art. There. I've said. No way I can take it back now. 
 
No, the name Cracked was bought out by a new owner and a new magazine was relaunched last year. Gone was the aspiration to be like Mad magazine. It was replaced by a new mission statement: To be a National Lampoon-style comedy mag for the Maxim generation.
 
That mission statement alone explains why the magazine was not long for this world. Let me break it down for you:
1. The  Maxim generation and witty, National Lampoon satire don't really mix all that well.
2. Maxim has it's fair share of comedy, so the Maxim generation would go there for their humor.
3. The new Cracked just wasn't all that funny.

Crackedtomcover

First off, each of the three issues of this revamp featured photoshopped covers like the one on the right. Those of you who know me know how I feel about photoshopped covers.
 
Second, the humor wasn't witty at all. It was mean and in bad taste. The editors thought this was enough. After all, you can be mean and in bad taste and be funny. But the three are not mutually exclusive. In other words, just being mean and in bad taste does not make it funny.
 
I bought each of the three issues of the revamp and didn't laugh at all. And I have a cheap and easy sense of humor.
 
The best part of the magazine were the interviews and articles about the comedic process. They actually spoke with people who were funny, like Trey Parker and Matt Stone, and tried to get inside their brain. But it was trying to be a comedic magazine and not a magazine about comedy, so it didn't give that much attention to what it was best at.
 
While I don't mourn Cracked V.2's passing, I do have to say that Premiere's going under hit me kind of hard. It was one of my favorite magazines that I fell out of steady reading of. I picked up the recent issue with Tobey McGuire on it and said to myself “I should really subscribe to this magazine.” Too late now.
 
 
 

Premiere 1099

I did have a subscription once. Back in the late 80's-early 90s. I really like they way they gave us a mix of behind the scenes Hollywood with your typical publicity machine writing. I guess I was in the minority.
 
If I think about it, I probably could trace my love of movie magazines back to my mother. She grew up in the era of Photoplay and all those magazines. Now, are there any movie magazines left?
 
So there you go. Two magazines–one long running, one short, leaving print form in the same week. Both will still continue in their online versions. Perhaps that's the wave of the future:no more print magazines, only online. I hope not. It's hard to curl up with a laptop to read before you go to sleep at night.
Bill  
 

Professional Digital Audio Production Suite.

From the homepage:
Precision, Stability, Ease, and Speed
The Sound Forge 9 professional digital audio production suite includes everything you need to quickly get from raw audio to finished master. Use this suite to create and edit stereo and multichannel audio files with speed and precision, efficiently analyze, record and edit audio, digitize and restore old recordings, model acoustic environments, design sound for multimedia, and master replication-ready CDs.

Includes Tools for Sound Design and Mastering
In addition to Sound Forge 9 software, this comprehensive audio production suite includes CD Architect 5 software for designing, mastering and burning Red Book audio CDs, Noise Reduction 2 plug-ins to fix common audio problems such as tape hiss, camera hum, clicks, and pops, and the Mastering Effects Bundle powered by iZotope™, a collection of four professional audio plug-ins.

Stereo and Multichannel Recording
Sound Forge 9 software has a complete set of tools for recording audio. Record straight into your sound card or use the Record Timer to begin and end a session at a specific time and date. Alternatively, you can start recording when a certain audio threshold is reached with Threshold Record Triggering. You can also now record and edit multichannel audio files as easily as stereo files.

Precise Audio Editing
Edit stereo and native multichannel audio files down to the sample level in real time. Use familiar Windows commands to cut, copy, paste, mix, and crossfade audio. Drag and drop to edit between channels, and work on one file while processing others in the background.

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Sound Forge software supports full resolution 24-bit and 32-bit/64-bit float 192 kHz files for the ultimate in audio fidelity. Capture the subtle overtones and nuances of instruments, vocals, and effect changes.

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Apply over 40 professional studio effects and processes including Normalize, EQ, Delay, Chorus, Volume, Dynamics, Noise Gate, Pitch Shift, Flange, and Vibrato. Chain multiple effects together and apply them to selections or entire files using the Plug-in Chainer. Sound Forge 9 software also supports DirectX and VST effects, including parameter automation, to expand the number of effects you can apply to audio and increase your mastering flexibility.

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Sound Forge 9 software supports multiple video formats including AVI, WMV, and MPEG-1 and MPEG-2. Synchronize audio and video frame by frame. Import Flash (SWF) files* to visually synchronize your audio to your project. Sound Forge 9 software includes MPEG-2 templates for writing HDV-compliant files at both 720p and 1080i resolutions. Also included are templates for encoding WMV 720p and 1080p.

*ActionScripting, motion video, and audio not supported

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Use Sound Forge 9 software to export multichannel files in surround AC-3 format using the included Dolby Digital AC-3 plug-in.

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Microsoft® Windows® Vista™ Compatible
Sound Forge 9 is fully compatible with the Microsoft Windows Vista platform.

UI color customization New!
The Sound Forge 9 user interface is fully customizable. Most UI elements including waveform and envelope colors, markers, and default window heights can be customized to fit your workflow.

Gracenote® CD Album Identification New!
Sound Forge 9 software supports the Gracenote MusicID Media Recognition Service. When extracting audio from a CD, you can view information including track title, artist, and also submit song information.

Access to Sony Music Studios Internet Mastering (SIM) New!
Sound Forge 9 users can have their songs professionally mastered by the same engineers who work on the biggest projects in the music industry. Sound Forge 9 users can link to SIM directly from inside the Sound Forge application and easily upload songs for mastering. For a limited time, Sound Forge 9 users will receive one song mastered at no charge if they master one or more songs.

Regions List and Playlist Windows
The Regions List and Playlist windows in Sound Forge 9 have features for fast in-place editing and sorting. Quickly edit regions by typing new values in the Name, Start, End, or Length fields.

24-Bit, 32-Bit/64-Bit Float/192 kHz Support
Sound Forge software supports full resolution 24-bit/32-bit 192 kHz files for the ultimate in audio fidelity. Capture the subtle overtones and nuances of instruments, vocals, and effect changes that 24-bit audio provides. With Sound Forge audio software you can import, save, and even record to this resolution if your hardware supports it.

Media Explorer with Automatic File Previewing
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ACID Loop Creation Tools
Create your own music loops for use in ACID software. Create one-shots, loops, and Beatmapped tracks. Using the ACID Loop Creation Toolbar you can display and edit ACID .wav file properties including tempo and root note, finely edit audio clips and shift selections to get the sound you want. When you create a loop, the information you set is embedded in the file, so your loops will change tempo and pitch-shift along with your ACID project.

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* Microsoft® Windows® Vista™, XP, or 2000 SP4
* 900 MHz processor
* 150 MB hard-disk space for program installation
* 256 MB RAM
* Windows-compatible sound card
* DVD-ROM drive (for installation)
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Price: $299.96
Visit my other websites, for example svartling.hopto.org, MicroContent or SVARTLINKS

Two New York radio show hosts were fired for airing a prank call to a Chinese restaurant in which the caller ordered “shrimp flied lice,” claimed he was a student of kung fu, and compared menu items to employees’ body parts.
The Dog House with JV & Elvis, was hosted by Jeff Vandergrift and Dan Lay. They aired the bit a few weeks back, but nobody complained until it was rebroadcast after the Don Imus firing. Then Asian American groups started a campaign to have the Dog House crew canned.

I looked around for the clip in question, but didn’t find it. I’ll keep looking, but if anyone knows a link, please post.

Is it offensive? Without hearing it, I don’t know, but it would seem to be on the surface. But to some people it may be funny. There’s a fine line between satire that’s humorous and has a point and something that’s offensive, especially when it comes to race.

Here’s some other blogs commenting about it:

The Radio Equalizer

Vox ex Machina

The Celebrity Cafe

From our deconstruction of hundreds of Hollywood blockbusters….The Hero’s Journey is the template upon which the vast majority of successful stories and Hollywood blockbusters are based upon. In fact, ALL of the Hollywood movies we have deconstructed are based on this template.Understanding this template is a priority for story or screenwriters.The Hero’s Journey:a) Attempts to tap into unconscious expectations the audience has regarding what a story is and how it should be told.b) Gives the writer more structural elements than simply three or four acts, plot points, mid point and so on.c) Interpreted metaphorically, laterally and symbolically, allows an infinite number of varied stories to be created.and more…Jarhead (2005) deconstructedFADE IN: (Loop) narrative; his hands remember the rifle.New World and Self: you are no longer black, green, etc.Meeting the Hero: meeting Swoff.Ordinary World: Fitch being himself.On a Journey: on the bus.Threshold Guardian: presenting his papers to the officer.New World: the barracks.Meeting the Shape Shifter: Troy.New Rules: being branded; games played in the barracks.Developing the Shape Shifter: you want a brand, you gotta earn it. Welcome to the Suck.Hero’s Backstory: Swoff being conceived; his sister; breakfast conversations with dad; college;Romantic Challenge: his girlfriend; I’ll write you everyday.Resisting the Transformation: Swoff in the toilet.Meeting the Mentor: Sykes.Developing Mentor: Sykes makes Swoff play the bugle.Conscious Agreement to the Journey: I’m still here.Magical Gift (becoming a sniper):JFK shot.Training in the assault course.You are now snipers; I was hooked; Swoff fires the shot.Push to the First Threshold: listening to the Iraqi statement on TV.Belly of the Whale: watching Apocalypse Now.Journey to the First Threshold: on the aircraft.Goodbye to the Old Self: stewardess waves goodbyeFirst Threshold: arriving in Iraq.Threshold Guardian: Kazinski’s speech; the picture of the Kurdish child; kick some Iraqi ass.Outer Cave: where did the Iraqi’s get their weapons from? Forget politics; we’re here, all the rest is bullshit.Middle Cave / Meeting Allies: talking about the girlfriends back home in the tent.Inner Cave: putting on their masks; running in the suits; hrydrating, dehydrating, patrolling the empty desert.Developing Characters and Relationships: the scorpion fight.Inner Cave: Waiting in the desert; masturbation; cleaning their rifles; studying the phillipino mail order catalogue etc.Wondering what she’s doing now.Trial and Transformation 1:Outer Cave: Sykes tells them how to respond to reporters; complaints against free speech, that’s un-American etc.Middle Cave: Talking to the reporters; Swoff admits he’s scared.Inner Cave: Putting on and playing football in their NBC masks.Transformation: Taking off their masks; getting naked; Sykes sends the reporters away.Developing Characters and Relationships: Sykes makes Swoff et al take all that shit down.Trial and Transformation 2:Cortez has a son; Kristina has found a new male friend who’s a good listener.Thinking about his girlfriend in the shower.Not being able to jerk off in the toilet.Swoff calls home and is cut off.Swoff wakes up and clutches his throat; “..you’re making some weird sounds man”Transformation: Swoff wants see what it feels like to watch somebody else fuck your girlfriend.Trial and Transformation 3:Outer Cave: Swoff gets some “good shit” from the soldier who writes the major’s love letters.Middle Cave: The party.Inner Cave: The fire blows the explosives.Transformation: Swoff is made a Private.Developing Characters and Relationships: Swoff is made to burn the shit; the senior officer leaves a present.New Self: Swoff threatens to kill the sausage boy.Resisting the New Self: Swoff apologises.Foreshadow of the Final Conflict:The Arabs appear in the desert.Developing Characters and Relationships: insulting the Arab passing in the car.Meeting the Oracle: they’re going to the mother of all battles.Resisting the Journey to the Sword: resistance to taking the pills.Shape Shifter Revealed:Digging their holes.The aircraft fly by; the war will move too fast.Troy is being thrown out. Swoff told to keep him from fucking up.New Self: Troy is branded.Near Death Experience:The war comes to them; Swoff pisses himself.Retrieving the battery.Pursuing the Iraqis.Getting hit by friendly fire.Swoff sees the charred remains; throwing up.Pulled forward by the burning oil wells.Digging their holes in the oily sand; the oil burns Fowler’s face.Rebirth: preventing Fowler.Rebirth: Swoff calms the horse.Atonement with the Father: Sykes sits down and talks to Swoff; he loves is job.Apotheosis: Sykes and Troy sent out to see Kazinsky; “..fucking show me..”.Ultimate Boon: Swoff and Troy have an Iraqi in their sight; permission given for the JFK shot.Refusal:The major denies their request to take the shot.Troy argues with the Major for the perfect shot.Magic Flight:The planes take out the site.Rescue from Without: Troy’s already got his papers; have to get back.Crossing the Return Threshold: Going back to camp over the dunes.Master of Two Worlds:The party around the fire; this shit is over; shooting their guns in the sky.Freedom to Live / Challenge Resolutions: Returning home as heroes; meeting the Vietnam Vet on the bus; his girlfriend has left him; doing their various jobs; Fergis arrives; Troy’s funeral;(Loop): narrative.FADE OUT: the Jarheads.Learn moreThe Complete 188 stage Heros Journey and other story structure templates can be found at http://www.managing-creativity.com/You can also receive a regular, free newsletter by entering your email address at this site.Kal Bishop, MBA**********************************You are free to reproduce this article as long as no changes are made and the author’s name and site URL are retained.How To Keep From Sweating
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The Philippines is a Southeast Asian country. It is composed of 7,100 islands with its 3 main islands, Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. It is a unified nation of urban and rural people, of the upland and lowland people and of the rich and the poor.With more than 80 million people, it is a country of rich heritage, culture and tradition.

The Philippines was home to many people of mixed blood. There were the Spaniards, Chinese, Japanese, Americans, Europeans, the Aetas, the Malays and other people who came to our country long ago.

As such, these people greatly influenced our life, our culture, our traditons, our beliefs, our ways of living.As a Filipino, I am proud of the different culture we have in our country. Being an Overseas Filipino Worker in China, a sense of being Filipino comes when homesickness sets in. I can feel it in my heart and in my mind.We call ourselves “PINOY”, “KABAYAN”, “UTOL”. We long for Filipino native foods and delicacies, the strong family ties, the hospitality and more so the Philippine culture that we barely see and feel while working abroad.

There are a lot of Philippine culture I like to boast of. For one, the way we live tells us who we are, so our homes speak for ourselves.The way we arrange our homes show how we like to live and how we relate to the other people who live with us. The Filipinos have close family ties and we always want to spend quality time with our family. The typical Filipino home, no matter how small is always open to welcome guests and relatives who come to visit. To make them feel at home, is what the host want to do, that’s why only the best are offered to them. In the rural areas especially, the host will serve them the best food like chicken, vegetables and even sweet delicacies. The bedroom is also prepared and changed into new beddings. Indeed, it is a way of showing genuine and unique Filipino hospitality.

Filipinos love to celebrate special occasions. We always look forward to celebrate Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, All Saints’ Day, Lenten Season, and even the Town Fiesta in honor of the Patron Saints. During town fiesta, the festival season is celebrated with church ceremonies, street parades and processions, fireworks, beauty and dance contests and other traditional games like “palosebo”(bamboo pole climbing), “basagan ng banga”(earthern jar breaking), and even cock fighting. Christmas and New Year are the two most celebrated occasions. Here, all the members of the family gather together especially when midnight comes. It is the time to forgive and forget all the shortcomings with relatives and friends, and the time to hope and pray for another year of abundant blessings. On Lenten Season, we join our Almighty Lord Jesus Christ by remembering all the sacrifices he has done for humanity. We do this through penance, prayers, fasting and other good deeds.

The spirit of BAYANIHAN is also one Filipino culture I am proud of. It is the helping attitude with neighbors and friends whenever one is in dire need. One good example is when a neighbor needs to do things with the help of other people, the bystanding or surrounding people would assists in whatever undertakings.

The traditional Filipino courtship style is also commonly practiced even if we are already in the 21st century. The Filipina maiden is shy and secretive about her real feelings for a suitor and denies it even though she is really in love with the man.If a man wants to be taken seriously by a woman, he has to visit the woman’s family and introduce himself formally to the parents of the girl. In the Philippines, courting a woman means courting her family as well. Most often, the man do some household chores for the girl like fetching water, gathering firewoods, plowing the field and others. Filipino courtships are long and subdued. A Filipina maiden is someone who is modest, shy, with good up bringing and well-mannered. On the other hand, a Filipino suitor is hardworking, patient, has a good sense of humor and responsible.

Next Winter Holiday, I plan to go home to the Philippines for a much needed vacation. As early as now, I start buying and wrapping things for my husband, my children, my parents , my relatives and friends. We call this “PASALUBONG” or souvenir in English. In the Philippines, it has acquired the meaning of a small gift or souvenir from someone traveling or upon returning home. It is popular among Filipinos if good relations are to be maintained. It can range from food items such as imported confectionery, chocolates and other sweets.It caln also be other items such as shirts, perfumes, shoes, toys, and kitchen products. It is given to family members and friends as a sign of thoughtfulness and care to them.

However, there are also Philippine culture I dislike. “HIYA” or shame in English is a motivating factor behind behavior. It is a sense of sound propriety and of conformity to societal norms.Filipinos believe they must live up to the accepted standards of behavior and if they fail to do so, they bring shame not only upon themselves but also upon their family. An example might be a willingness to spend more than they can afford on a party rather than be shamed by their economic cimcumstances. If someone is publicly embarassed, criticized or does not live up to the expectations, he feels the shame and lose self-esteem. It this happens, it will create a negative impact on his personality.

“UTANG NA LOOB” or Debt of Gratitude, is owed by one to a person who has helped him through the trials he had undergone. There is a local saying, “One who does not look back to where he started will not get to where he is going”. A debt of gratitude is sometimes repaid by giving special favors to the other person regardless of the moral outcome.

Filipinos are sometimes very much concern about “self-image”. The belief that “white is beautiful” is held by Filipino women and practiced by staying out of the sun to keep one from getting dark. Even at a young age, girls are taught about this. Futhermore, many of these women use bleaching or whitening skin products to keep skin white. In fact, I once tried using one but to no avail. But then, we belong to the brown race and we should be proud of our skin color.

Philippine culture…they come and go….they can influence and greatly affect us….they can be good or bad….but whatever the outcome is… I am proud to say that I learned a lot from them. I am a filipino and am proud to be one.

HERE’S MORE FOR YOU TO READ
Chinese Suddenly Discovered Sex
Western Men Versus Chinese Men
Asia: Marriage and Family
Problems of Women in Asia
Asian Culture that I Dislike
Amazing Philippines: Haven for Retirees
Asian Women in Labor Market
Featuring Hanoi, Vietnam
Mixed Marriage on Increase
Arranged Marriages in South Asia
Asian Women Are not Cheap Shots
More Information About Filipino Women

The Cardinals…

“When you score that many runs, a lot of bad pitches are being made,” Graham said. “The key to beating Louisville is to make good pitches.”

Yeah, but is Rice capable of making good pitches? For the record, Rice has allowed more than five runs in only 3 of its last 27 games.

Look for Louisville to win this series…