Wordless Wednesday: Looking Forward to Easter

I Want Wine!

Pamela turned 21 on March 23, and she's already begging for wine! We almost had a riot over the weekend. She whined, "I want wine", in front of a bunch of church people too. And, boy, did we get a lot of stares!

. . .

. . .

. . .

I left out a lot of context in that story. If you are the parent of an autistic child, I can almost guarantee how you filled in the blanks. Our brains automatically guess missing information based on prior experience and background knowledge. When you lack both, you come to the wrong conclusion, which is why our children have problems in social situations. And now, for the rest of the story . . .

Last Sunday, Palm Sunday, our church celebrated communion, something it does once a quarter, except for special days like next Thursday, Maundy Thursday. Every denomination has its own policy about who should take communion. We have never investigated the issue because Pamela has never shown an interest--until Sunday, the most crowded service since Christmas! Fortunately, we have been attending church for over a year now and recently became members. Everybody knows us and knows about our journey with autism: I sing in the choir, David is so tall you can't miss him, Steve is on the Youth Advisory Committee, and I spoke on autism at the monthly luncheon last October. They love Pamela, and people get so excited when she talks to them as if it were a great honor bestowed by the Queen Bee herself.

These situations usually embarass David, but this time it was so funny that he got the giggles. Then, I caught the giggles. The choir director glanced over after the second plea for wine, thought "Give the girl some wine", and started giggling when she saw David and I smothering our laughter. The people behind us started chuckling too as I tried to explain to Pamela that we have to talk to the pastor about it. Then, she changed her tune, "Permission! Permission!" Our uncontrolled mirth was so scandalous and thankfully sitting near the back prevented dirty looks for those ignorant of our dilemma.

Pamela calmed down, and we escaped a full-blown meltdown. Now I'm seeking information from a church in our denomination with a special needs ministry.

By the way, our church serves grape juice, not wine! Imagine how she would have reacted had we given her grape juice.

Never mind! I don't want to go there!

Alejandro Jodorowsky: Psychomagic

The shaman, Jodorowsky, expounds on his revolutionary psychological breakthrough. The symbol facilitates healing with depth.

"The psychological mechanism that transforms energy is the symbol."

-Carl Gustav Jung

We can use the symbol for many purposes. We use it to create the future, dicipher the present, and heal the past. When we have done the healing work, we become more centered in the present, giving us leverage on creating the future that we desire.

Jodorowsky makes a priceless contribution to the human understanding. I wish we had him sooner.

Pt. 1 of 6:

Time melting away on you?

Find yourself running out of time daily and staying up late?  You'd benefit by embracing new organizational tactics!

Here's how...

By working smarter and not harder, you'll line up your days to work with your brain rather than against it. 

You and I can benefit from Lolly Daskal's amazing  teleseminar: THE MASTERS OF TIME on April 7th - 8th designed to assist busy leaders like us to find even more balance, control and choice. We can become an even more productive, master of our time. Best part is teleseminar's FREE!

Here're highlights:

We'll gain from expertise of nine leaders in different fields

Dr. Ellen Weber - Learn, Live and Lead with the Brain in Mind

Ellen is founder and Director of the International MITA Center, a brain based leadership renewal center, located in Rochester, NY. She published several books and dozens of articles about using more brain for innovative workplace solutions. Her well respected brain based approaches appear in top national and international journals, periodicals and newspapers, as far away as Dubai. Ellen provides tactics to work with your brain to improve time management.

Mike Song - Manage Your Email Before It Manages You

Mike is co-author of "The Hamster Revolution: How to Manage Your Email Before It Manages You" and is one of America's leading experts on email efficiency and etiquette.

Maria Gracia - Let's Get Organized Now!

Specializes in helping people get better organized to live the kind of stress-free life they've always dreamed of.  Over a million visitors visit Maria's Get Organized Now web site yearly!

David Peter Stroh - Managing Your Time as a Leader

David co-evolved an innovative approach to Executive Time Management to help leaders and organizations improve performance in sustainable ways despite increased workload and declining resources. His clients include: Shell, Johnson & Johnson, Partners Healthcare, Hewlett-Packard, World Bank, NASA, and the Kellogg and Soros Foundations.

Marilyn Paul, Ph.D. - Manage Your Workload. Don’t Let It Manage You

Marilyn is the author of the best-selling book, It’s Hard to Make a Difference When You Can’t Find Your Keys: The Seven-Step Path to Becoming Organized (Penguin Compass, 2004), which has sold 150,000 copies worldwide. An executive coach, Marilyn's special expertise focuses in time management, recovering from disorganization, and managing workload systemically.

Maruxa Murphy - Take Back Your Life

Maruxa knows the power “SOS – Shiny Object Syndrome” holds for a business person and provides steps she’s taken to live outside the prison of these Shiny Objects.

Dr. Eric Wolterstorff - Move Roadblocks - Reach Your Goals!

Eric will help you change all three of your memory systems to get you where you want to go. With over 25 years experience in the field of trauma, interpersonal dynamics and organizational performance, he is an internationally recognized speaker and trainer for professionals, organizations and religious and cultural groups.

Charrise McCrorey - Regain Your Valuable Time

Charrise is a Certified Business and Personal Coach, who specializes in helping people get clarity on what they want in life. She'll show you how to uncover fear and activate courage to manage your life.

Megan McDonough - Holistic Approach to Work/Life Balance

An award-winning author of Infinity in a Box, Using Yoga to Live with Ease, and the soon-to-released book titled A Minute for Me; Megan helps people get clear so they can get the results they want. Megan is a marketing consultant to wellness organizations, a corporate trainer for work/life balance workshops, and a yoga instructor.

Lolly Daskal - Time Management From The Inside Out

Lolly Daskal teaches us that TIME MANAGEMENT is all about working from the inside out. With her practical approach she will not only help us manage our time using new insights, but it will also help each of us manage life.

Don't worry if you can't make it to hear all the speakers during the free LIVE  Time Masters Summit on 4/7/10 - 4/8/10.   There will be a chance to get access to the replays as well.

Here's how:  Start with TIME MASTER recorded teleseminar. 
TIME STRATEGIST 
TIME SENSEI

Gold Bike (Bike BMX)

The Gold Bike (Bike BMX) is made of 24 carat gold.His price is + or - $12,378.See the picture:Source: Send by email.

iPhone 4 (A Real Phone)

I am sure most of you have heard of the news of a stolen iPhone? Anyway, here is the latest iPhone 4 model exposed by Gizmodo.


Caption: iPhone 4

Chit-Chattin' 'bout Collards

Recommending that a parent of an autistic child try Nothing sounds like heresy. There is also great danger in doing too much. Understood Betsy is a classic, but fairly unknown gem--enjoyed by children and adults alike--that beautifully illustrates the pitfalls of doing too much and the power of Nothing. This book ought to be required reading for every teacher and parent.

What do I mean by Nothing? "Silence, waiting, giving the child time and simply observing the child carefully."

Let me give you an example of how this looks. A few years ago, I would think of everything Pamela needed to know and tell her, which left her very little to ask.

Me: "Pamela, I'm going to Oma's house to pick up some collards. I know you don't like collards, but I love them. I'll be back in five minutes."
Pamela: "Okay."

Think about how unbalanced my actions were: Mom (27 words) versus Pamela (1 word). I left her absolutely no "scope for the imagination" (to quote one of my favorite literary characters). I discouraged Pamela from interacting. I had done all the thinking. What was there left to ask? I did not give her a chance to be a partner in the conversation because I assumed she couldn't, which was correct because years of doing too much prevented her from learning. I left no reason to initiate; I did not invite her to respond.

The other day, this is how the deal went down. I gave David the details of where I was going and what I was doing and skipped out of the house while Pamela was upstairs. Not knowing where I was going peaked her interest. After I came home, I put the warm collards on the counter and walked into the room where Pamela was and read a book.

Pamela: "Where d'you go?"
Me: "Oma's house."

I do not correct her sloppy English nor do I give her too much information. I leave her wanting more.

Pamela: "What do you get?"
Me: [I smile mysteriously.] "I got something."

I walk to the kitchen, and she follows out of curiousity. Once there, I pick up the yogurt container and hold it.

Me: "Mmmmmmm . . . it smells good."
Pamela: "What's that?"

I raise the container just out of her eye level and pop the lid, so we can sniff it.

Pamela: "Is it beans?"
Me: "No, it's collards!"

I can see she's not sure of what I meant. I position the container, so she can see them too. She wrinkled her nose and made a face.

Pamela: "I don't like it."
Me: "That's okay. I love collards."

She looks at me in disgust.

Me: "Dad likes collards. What about David?"
Pamela: "Yuck! David don't like it."
Me: "You're right! David doesn't like it."

I model correct English in a subtle way without forcing her to repeat after me.

Now, go back and read through this conversation that really happened. Look at how balanced our words were. She said about as much as I said. She was an equal partner who did not require prompting from me. She enjoyed being in the conversation because her role was as important as mine. She walked away pleased with me because she was not manipulated or controlled. She was pleased with herself because she held her own.

A feeling of competency and confidence is the emotion glue that causes positive experiences like that to stick in her mind. As each experience builds one upon the other, she feels more able to be a true partner. She finds people just a little more understandable. She finds herself just a little more capable. She feels more relaxed in a social situation, which enables her to express herself more easily.

Did you catch how Nothing works? Here is a wonderful outline by Dr. James MacDonald, author of Communicating Partners:

• Wait silently for the child to start an interaction.
• Respond briefly, then wait again.
• Wait with a look of anticipation.
• Do one thing then wait for your child to take a turn.
• Play in a back and forth way, each doing about the same amount.
• Wait when you think he can do more.

And, if you want to know more about Nothing, click here.

The parents in our RDI discussion group tried an experiment that illustrated Nothing beautifully. We did a picture study in two ways. First, we studied the picture for a few minutes, I turned it around, and I drilled them with questions. One parent objected immediately, her interest shrivelling into a little ball, "But, I wasn't looking at the details!" Another, whom I know to have a sharp eye for details, incorrectly answered some of my nit-picky, completely pointless questions. Had I not projected a sense of humor about the whole thing, I could have ticked off two good friends! Then, we repeated the process but this time had a conversation about the painting, volcanoes, spring, El Salvador, and architecture. What do you think got stored into our long-term memories, the number of hills or the impression of life in a Salvadoran village?

After reading about doing Nothing, one of the parents said mysteriously, "That got me thinking . . ."

That's we all should do . . . get thinking and let our kids do likewise!

Box up troubles to move on

When trouble strikes we have a tendency to dwell on all facets of the event.  Maybe it's a lost chance for a job or the purchase of a new home we desired.

Interestingly, you can change your outlook on trouble by sticking something related to the disappointment in a box or envelope according to a Rotman School of Management study.  The physical act of putting materials related to an unpleasant experience, even a written recollection of it, improved people's negative views and created closure.

Just telling people to "move on," doesn't work.  "What works is when people enclose materials that are relevant to the negative memories they have," Dilip Soman finds. "It works because people aren't trying to explicitly control their emotions."

People who move on benefit with an optimistic view of the future.  To let go and move on boosts individual's immune systems.  

As individuals shift from a negative to more optimistic view, it enhances activation in the brain's anterior cingulate and amygdala, which often malfunctions in depression.

Physically putting something in a box or envelope goes a step further than merely thinking about it.  I find this a powerful strategy to move past distressing events that might otherwise overwhelm me and stop me in my tracks. 

What works for you to shift gears to move on when trouble comes?

Jewish Breakfast Bread: Bagel

A Bagel

A bagel is a bread product, traditionally shaped by hand into the form of a ring from yeasted wheat dough, roughly hand-sized, which is first boiled for a short time in water and then baked.[1] The result is a dense, chewy, doughy interior with a browned and sometimes crisp exterior. Bagels are often topped with seeds baked on the outer crust, with the traditional ones being poppy or sesame seeds. Some also may have salt sprinkled on their surface, and there are also a number of different dough types such as whole-grain or rye.[1]

Bagels have become a popular bread product in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, especially in cities with large Jewish populations, many with different ways of making bagels.[2] Like other bakery products, bagels are available (either fresh or frozen, and often in many flavour varieties) in many major supermarkets in those countries.

Source: Wikipedia
Buy: Bagel shop in Munich

A Tale of Two Teachers

A couple of friends and I have been gathering every other week to read through The RDI Book. To spotlight the affect that emotions have on our episodic memory, I shared a true story about two of my ninth-grade teachers: one tried to teach me to do art and the other taught me to enjoy art and live a full life.

The first was THE art teacher whose name I have forgotten. All I remember was her scowling at those evil clods who did not get art. Since her art did not pay, she made sure we all paid for it every bloody moment of her class. The few gifted enough to earn her smiles never understood why the kids who drew stick figures despised her. I will leave it to you to discern into which category I fell. The lasting impression I carry around in my mind of her is a dried-up grump with a scrunchy, Mr. MaGoo face and a black beret cocked to the side. Whether or not it is accurate, that picture is the caricature she became in my mind.

Then, there was Mr. P, our English teacher who also taught humanities on the side. Our school, a K-12 school on a small American Navy base in Newfoundland, Canada, had only twenty-eight students in the 7th through 12th grades. He could tell that the other new student and I seemed nervous on our first day of high school in an unfamiliar place. He welcomed us and called us to the front desk. He said he could tell from our records that we were pretty girls and, winking at two other girls in the class, added, "Not like those dingbats over there."

We relaxed right away, and then he told us about the chair. It was an ugly, old, Navy-issue, sage-green upholstery chair. He pointed to it and said students could take turns reading in it. He gave us pens and explained that any time we wanted we could doodle, draw, or write on it. That chair was so special nobody ever dreamed of leaving profanity. People sat there during class and even during lunch.

Mr. P loved people. Whenever elementary school kids walked by on the way to the library, he would herd us into the hall and we would wave at and greet all the little kids. Every child in our school knew Mr. P and he knew everyone of them by name. He gave many of them affectionate nicknames like "The Terror of Ten Hundred". He coached the basketball team and chaperoned many of the activities: the fishing derby, camping trips, dances, etc.

The first book he assigned was The Hobbit. That year, I fell in love with fantasy and have gone on to read The Lord of the Rings, C. S. Lewis, George MacDonald, and others in that genre. Mr. P had an ulterior motive for it. As you can imagine, the weather in Newfoundland was dreary as dreary could be. Fog. Wind. Fog. Rain. Fog. Mist. Fog. Snow. Fog. Sleet. Fog. Slush. Oh, yeah, and fog. Mr. P had lived there long enough to know that before the end of the school year would come a glorious day, full of sunshine, in which even he could do nothing to snag our attention. On that day, he told us to put away the books because we were all going out hobbit-hunting. We happily strolled out to the docks, where no hobbit in his right mind would be.

He also taught us humanities. He spent part of the class flipping through a slide show of artwork. He paused on a picture and we talked about everything from the details we noticed to the connections we made and the feelings we felt. The warm memories of those slide shows got us through studying for the written tests. We learned from him what the professional art teacher never managed to convey: an appreciation for the beauty and originality and preciousness of art.

Before we graduated, Mr. P taught us his last lesson. For many of us, it was the first lesson of its kind. After school, he often went running with some guys. On the Thursday before Spring Break, he ran as usual, felt a little faint, and sat in the chair. His heart, which had an undetected murmur, gave out and he died. While the shock of losing him so suddenly hit us all in the gut, we slowly began to realize we were all with him when he died. Every student who had sat in that chair and made their mark on the upholstery waved goodbye to him as he headed off to the happy, hobbit-hunting grounds.

Mr. P taught us many things that cannot be measured in this No Child Left Untested world. He taught us how to learn, how to live, and how to die. He understood the power of relationships. His warmth, encouragement, and exuberance was the emotional glue that gave us lasting memories of the books we shared and the art we enjoyed.

I always tear up when I share this story with people, which even made it to an anthology ("Goodbye, Mr. P"). One of the parents in our little group reflected on the results of prompting and correcting a child with autism all of the time. You end up angry and tired. Is that really what you want them to code into their memories of their relationship with you?

"What is a parent to do?" you ask.

I suggest you do Nothing, a corollary to Charlotte Mason's mantra ("Whereby teachers shall teach less and scholars shall learn more"). If you have no idea of the power of Nothing, click here. This little gem is worthy of your refrigerator and bathroom mirror.

Gold Brick USB Flash Drive

The" Gold Brick USB Flash Drive" is a interesting gadget.Now you can "impress" your coworkers.His price is = ?See the picture:Source: Flickr - Molotalk.

Coaching

When speaking about values...

Certificate in Professional Coaching Practice

Respect
We treat everyone as equals, we value difference and promote diversity. We are fair, respectful and appropriate.

Honesty
We are open and honest with ourselves and others. We communicate clearly and ensure we are understood and we do not make excuses to ourselves or to others.

Trust
We share information openly and are able to speak freely. We build long-term relationships with others.

Integrity
We maintain high professional and ethical standards and are accountable for what we say and do.

Fun
We promote laughter, happiness and humour in our love and encourage others to achieve a feeling of contentment.

Realising Potential
We inspire others to achieve. We encourage others to look within and find their true-selves allowing their full potential to be discovered.

Choice
We promote freedom of views. We engage others to find their own path through self-directed learning and facilitation.

Kindle Ready For iPad

So fast ?

Jeff is anticipating Kindle killer. Period. Better be prepared on time. That's what he's doing. Smart Amazon.com !
iBook competition will be fierce.

Best Artworks Ever

Imagekind.
Medieval Defence by Ann Garrett
Charted Waters by Natalie Kelsey
Joy in Mobius by Scott Ferman
Flower of Light by Anne Vis
Hyperbole by Scott Ferman
A Diaphanous Existence by Lyle Hatch
Michelangelo's Dream by Sherry Holder Hunt
Deep Sea by Dan Turner
Blazing Sky by Jenn Dixon
WeaveWorld by Lyle Hatch
Tropical by Scott Ferman
fractal dandelion by Pam Atkins
Hope fractal by Jenn Bass

Well Defined and Excellent Art Work photography

Transportation is one of the daily keys to human life in the modern age. Whether you’re commuting to work in your car, or flying halfway around the world on an airplane, odds are that you rely on transportation for your daily activities. However, rarely do we step back and analyze the beauty and inspiration that is present in transportation. For photographers, transportation vehicles such

Amazing and Coolest Pictures ever taken on this planet

One of the growing areas in photography is taking photographs that are so brilliant that the viewer will initially conclude that they must have been significantly altered or manipulated in Photoshop. There are entire blogs devoted to showcasing these images, and the photographers who take them. A combination of perfect composition, lighting, color and timing are required to capture these

Excellent Sports photography

One of the most important aspects of photography is the fact that it represents only a single moment in time. As opposed to video, where the viewer can see both the beginning and end to the event, a photograph offers only a snapshot of the event. Many photographers utilize this aspect to create absolutely brilliant photographic works of art. By not giving the viewer a preview or end to

Best Ever Photography Under the Sea

Outer space may be the final frontier, but humanity knows almost as little about the depths of our oceans as the depths of space. Earth’s oceans have fascinated humanity for millenia, resulting in a variety of myths from the Earth being flat with the oceans simply pouring off into space, the kraken, and mermaids. Beyond the myths, however, lies an incredible variety of life and color. This

Amazing Photos Mixtures From some of Greatest Web Designers

There are many art forms which awe and inspire us all, we are all often green with envy in some people’s masterful talents when it comes to digital art. With the advancements of digital graphics software peoples skills have risen and grown to showcase masterful works of art. Here are 25 masterful works of photo manipulations created by some of the best digital artists on the web. All

Do , Undo, Do, Undo...

That's Business

Experiment.
Try out, see what works, what doesn't work.
Implement.
Change.
Watch.
Adopt.
Dream big.
Don't overdue.
Build something that doesn't exist.
Challenge your assumptions.
Nothing is as it seems at the beginning.
Forget $ but expect.
Listen feedback but do not fully listen your customers.
Do it your way.
Listen to your gut.
Never regret decision - move on.

iPhone Sales

As of today.

42,482, 000

Source: Wikipedia

Price For GB / 1980. - 2010.

Submit: iPad Apps

Apps submission process started.

Developers can send their apps till March 27, and after that no app will be accepted.

Guidelines to Submit iPad Apps

* Build and test your iPad application using iPhone SDK 3.2 beta 5 available on the iPhone Dev Center. Only iPad apps built with SDK 3.2 beta 5 will be accepted for this initial review.
* Upload your distribution signed app through iTunes Connect by Saturday March 27, 5pm PDT.
* The App Review Team will review your app on iPad and email you details about the readiness of your app.
* You will also receive additional information about submitting your app for final review before iPad ships.
* Only apps submitted for the initial review will be considered for the grand opening of the iPad App Store.

Cool Rising Photography

one wouldnorthern colorado



yosemite firesyosemite national park
from the firesunset through the smoke
from the passleaving the snow storm
in sunnorth of tehachapi, ca
endlessrain storm in wyoming
linesafter the rain
relocationistescape from some prison
saltdawn on the flats
ground

Street Installations

London Winston-Salem, NC Winston-Salem, NC Winston-Salem, NC Winston-Salem, NC Seoul, Korea Royan, France