The Wong Blog

2010-04-24T14:39:00.001-05:00

2010-03-28T21:29:00.000-05:00

Marshall University Blood Drive Challenge

2009-09-03T21:44:00.001-05:00

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Marshall University

2009-08-24T21:04:00.003-05:00

Blood Donation

2009-08-15T21:06:00.004-05:00

Saturday, August 19, 2009
Double Red Cell Donation
American Red Cross Rockville Donor Center
Greater Chesapeake & Potomac Region

Perkiomen School Prom 2009

2009-05-23T08:52:00.022-05:00

Perkiomen School Prom at
La Massaria at Bella Vista - Gilbertsville, Pennsylvania

Sumol

2009-04-04T11:49:00.001-05:00

2008-11-04T17:21:00.000-05:00

Perk Up

2008-09-19T09:48:00.001-05:00

2008-09-04T05:37:00.001-05:00

Photos of me when I was younger

2008-08-25T07:41:00.000-05:00

Georgetown University College Preparatory Program

2008-07-31T07:14:00.002-05:00

High School Graduation

2008-07-31T07:13:00.006-05:00

The following photos are scanned. These photos were sent to me in the mail that the photographer took.

Prom 2008

2008-05-18T08:35:00.000-05:00

Nationals Last Baseball Game at Robert F. Kennedy Stadium

2007-09-23T18:19:00.000-05:00

Pictures

2007-09-05T21:19:00.000-05:00

AAA/ATG/Coupe Mondiale 2007

2007-08-19T14:41:00.000-05:00

From Monday, August 13, 2007 to Sunday, August 19, 2007 the American Accordionists's Association (AAA) and the Accordionists & Teachers Guild International (ATG) co-hosted the CIA (Confédération Internationale des Accordéonistes) Coupe Mondiale. The events were hosted in the United States in Alexandria, Virginia at the Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Old Town Alexandria and the Crowne Plaza Old Town Alexandria (and attendees staying at the nearby Sheraton Suites). The CIA is a member of the International Music Council (IMC-UNESCO).

The CIA Coupe Mondiale can be considered the equivalent of the Olympics. Accordionists (and bayan players) from all over the world compete to represent their country in the Coupe Mondiale. The AAA and ATG also host competitions in various categories such as (general categories): Standard, Adult, Classical, Original (originally composed for accordion), Pop, Ethnic, Polka, Duet, Ensemble, Band, and Orchestra. In some categories the contestant performs a program that lasts for a set number of minutes and each composition performed has to be of a different and varying genre of music. There are also entertainment categories, where the adjudicator(s) judge the performer(s) more on their entertainment than playing.

Julie Langton and Brian Wong wait for tour bus Montana 26 to pick up players at the Festival Massed Band at the Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Alexandria- Historic District on Friday, August 17, 2007.

Katherine Archuleta, Brian Wong, and Betina Vega at the evening banquet. Friday, August 17, 2007 at the Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Alexandria- Historic District.

Frank Busso, Sr, conducts the Festival Massed Band as they perform The Stars and Stripes Forever by John Philip Sousa. Friday, August 17, 2007.

A television cameraman covers the Festival Massed Band playing on the west side of the United States Capitol Building.

Brian Wong and Betina Vega (and mother Pat Vega behind) at the Festival Banquet at the Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Alexandria- Historic District on Friday, August 17, 2007.

Julie Langton, at center with her white-colored accordion manufactured by Scandali, performs The Stars and Stripes Forever by John Philip Sousa on the West Side of the United States Capitol Building. Friday, August 17, 2007.

Frank Busso, Sr, conducts the Festival Massed Band as they perform The Stars and Stripes Forever by John Philip Sousa. Friday, August 17, 2007.

Mary Archuleta and Jennifer Lee Maun perform in the Festival Massed Band The Stars and Stripes Forever by John Philip Sousa at the West Side of the United States Capitol Building on Friday, August 17, 2007.

Esther Eugenia Bertieaux and Julie Langton (front center) perform in the Festival Massed Band The Stars and Stripes Forever by John Philip Sousa at the West Side of the United States Capitol Building on Friday, August 17, 2007.

Gordan Kohl, Michael Parziale (right behind Brian), and Brian Wong perform in the Festival Massed Band The Stars and Stripes Forever by John Philip Sousa on the West Side of the United States Capitol Building on Friday, August 17, 2007.

Brian Wong (center) and Amanda Parziale (right behind Brian on his left) perform in the Festival Massed Band The Stars and Stripes Forever by John Philip Sousa on the West Side of the United States Capitol Building on Friday, August 17, 2007.

Brian Wong shows Betina Vega how to use the Victor Reader Wave, a specialized player from Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic (RFB&D).* At the Crowne Plaza Old Town Alexandria on Saturday, August 18, 2007.

Betina Vega tries out the Victor Reader Wave on her own. At the Crowne Plaza Old Town Alexandria. Saturday, August 18, 2007.

From left to right: Mary Katherine Archuleta, Jennifer Lee Maun, Betina Vega, fellow contestant, and Katherine Archuleta compete in the American Accordionists's Association (AAA) and the Accordionist Teachers Guild International (ATG) at the Crowne Plaza Old Town Alexandria on Saturday, August 18, 2007. Ballroom.

Betina Vega at the AAA/ATG Awards Ceremony on Saturday, August 18, 2007 at the Crowne Plaza Old Town Alexandria ballroom.

Alta, Utah 2

2007-08-10T12:01:00.000-05:00

Alta, Utah

2007-08-07T11:53:00.000-05:00

Grandpa

2007-08-01T12:13:00.000-05:00

Minnesota Vikings Cheerleader

2007-07-30T21:23:00.000-05:00

Maternal Grandmother - In Memory

2007-06-17T17:38:00.000-05:00

Mankato resident, Olivia E. Burchedean, 83, died Saturday, June 16, 2007 at her home. Funeral services will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 21 at Grace Lutheran Church in Mankato with Rev. Joel Erickson, officiating. Interment will be in Woodland Hills Memorial Park. Visitation will be from 5-7 p.m. on Wednesday at Woodland Hills Funeral Home and will continue for 1 hour prior to the service at the church.

Olivia was born Thursday, April 21, 1924 in Freehold, PA to Rev. Anton and Dorothea (Sandberg) Linder. She graduated from Leadville High School in Leadville, CO in 1942. Olivia worked at JC Penny Co., Arkansas Smelting & Refining Co in Leadville, CO as a chemist, Grace Lutheran Church office, Retail Credit Co as a secretary for 17 years and in the business office at Bretts for 19 years. On Wednesday, March 26, 1947 she married Ralph Burchedean and the two have been together for 60 years. Olivia was a member of Grace Lutheran Church for 60 years, past president of Immanuel-St. Joseph’s Hospital Auxiliary and was a member of P.T.A. She liked to travel, do embroidery, liked to cook and liked observing butterflies.

She is survived by her husband, Ralph; daughter, Sandra Burchedean of Mankato; grandson, Brian Wong and son-in-law, Andy Wong of Washington, D.C.; several cousins. She was preceded in death by her parents; daughter, Kathleen Burchedean; 4 brothers who died in infancy.

http://www.katoinfo.com/mankatoobituariessingle.php?oid=3668&topbanner=1&linky=

http://www.katoinfo.com/obituaries.php?id=390&topbanner=1&amp;linky=&oid=3668#3668

http://www.katoinfo.com/pictures/obits/ob3668_class_Olivia_Burchedean_thumb_08592.JPG

__________________________

Published June 17, 2007 12:51 am - Olivia E. Burchedean, 83, of Mankato died Saturday, June 16, 2007, at her home.

Olivia E. Burchedean — 6/17/2007

The Free Press

Olivia E. Burchedean, 83, of Mankato died Saturday, June 16, 2007, at her home. Services are 3 p.m. Thursday at Grace Lutheran Church in Mankato with burial in Woodland Hills Memorial Park. Visitation is 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday at Woodland Hills Funeral Home and one hour before services Thursday at the church.

http://www.mankato-freepress.com/obituaries/local_story_168005148.html

http://www.mankato-freepress.com/obituaries/local_story_168005148.html/resources_printstory

Internship Reception

2007-06-05T06:56:00.000-05:00

Timber Lodge Steakhouse

2007-03-31T19:45:00.000-05:00

Today, I went to the Timber Lodge Steakhouse in Mankato, Minnesota. Saturday, March 31, 2007. Our waitress's name was Lindsey she was very helpful. I ate the Chuck Lindburger and for dessert I had vanilla ice cream.

I swam two miles

2007-03-21T14:08:00.000-05:00

Today Wednesday, March 21, 2007, I swam two miles, as part of the end-of-swim-season challenge on my school swim team. My time was one hour, twenty four minutes, thirteen seconds, and one mili-second.

Acupuncture

2007-03-04T16:19:00.000-05:00

On Saturday, March 3, 2007, I went to my acupuncturist in Bethesda, Maryland. I usually receive acupuncture once a month. Usually I would receive acupuncture every two to three weeks, but the Health Care insurance will only pay for every few appointments.

Voiceover

2007-02-09T18:07:00.000-05:00

School Spirit 2007

2007-01-27T09:12:00.000-05:00

2007-01-13T19:49:00.000-05:00

American City Diner
5532 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20015-2610
(202) 244-1949
http://www.americancitydiner.com

This is one of my favorite local joints to eat at.

Blackjack Condominium Lodge

2007-01-12T20:43:00.000-05:00

Blackjack Condominium Lodge
9021 South Blackjack Road
Alta, Utah 84092-6108
Local (801) 742-3200
Toll Free (800) 742-8959
www.blackjacklodge.com

The Old Georgetown Grille

2007-01-07T12:46:00.000-05:00

Today, on Sunday, January 7, 2007, I ate breakfast at

The Old Georgetown Grille

7755 Old Georgetown Road

Bethesda, MD 20814-6125

(301) 652-0808

I would give them five stars. The food was great. The service was great, they were prompt and punctual. The Old Georgetown Grille is a fabulous restaurant for families with young children to have a breakfast or brunch.

I drank coffee and organge juice. To eat, I ate three pancakes with a side of home fries with ketchup.

Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic

2007-01-02T17:35:00.000-05:00

Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic was founded by Anne T. Macdonald in 1948. At the time, she was a member of the New York Public Library’s Women’s Auxiliary. That year, she received letters from soldiers who had lost their sight in combat during World War Two.

These soldiers wanted to move forward with their lives. They were guaranteed, by the GI Bill of Rights, a college education to all war veterans and veterans who would follow them. The inaccessibility to college textbooks became an obstacle for these blinded veterans who wanted to resume their lives. This was when Ms. Macdonald began to take action.

Very few veterans knew how to read braille. Live readers difficult to find. Ms. Macdonald reminded the Auxiliary that, “Education is a right, not a privilege.” Recording for the Blind was born, as it was known then.

The attic of the New York Public Library was turned into a recording studio; this is where recording of textbooks were produced for the servicemen. They used six-inch vinyl SoundScribner discs for recording. These discs played only twelve minutes of material on each side and this was considered state-of-the-art technology at that time.

By 1951, demand for recorded textbooks were at their peak. Recording for the Blind was incorporated as the nation’s only nonprofit organization to produce audio textbooks. In 1952, Ms. Macdonald ventured across the country and established seven more recording studios. In addition to corporate headquarters in Princeton, New Jersey, there are approximately twenty-nine recording studios across the United States.

Recording for the Blind began to serve a cornucopia of individuals with learning difficulties and in 1995 the company changed its name to Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic. The title was changed to accommodate individuals with any type of print disability, individuals not being able to read standard print effectively

Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic (RFB&D) now serves approximately one hundred forty one thousand six hundred sixty individuals worldwide. In year 2005, two hundred fifty eight nine hundred eighteen titles were distributed. By then seventy percent of RFB&D members are recognized with learning difficulties; this includes kindergarten through graduate school students, and even working professionals. Four track cassettes were used. In September 2002, cassettes were gradually produced less often and AudioPlus digitally recorded audiobooks on compact disc were introduced. By then all members would soon have access to digitally recorded versions of the cassettes to more than one hundred nine one hundred six titles in the CV Starr Learning Through Listening Library. In order to play RFB&D’s audiobooks, members need to use specially adapted CD players or software or four-track cassette players.

By year 2005, RFB&D had seven thousand one hundred volunteers, producing more than five thousand one hundred thirty four titles to the library. RFB&D has Education Outreach volunteers and staff who go directly to schools to teach students and teachers how they can benefit and get the most from RFB&D’s audiobooks.

In November 2006, RFB&D and HumanWare began working together to serve Americans who are blind or who have visual impairments or learning disabilities. The Victor Reader will now paste the RFB&D logo on the players for members to will play audiobooks from the AudioPlus digital book collection. AudioPlus books enhance listening quality and gives the listener a clear sound. Also, the HumanWare Victor Reader DAISY CD players, the listener has the ability to navigate the disc much like a printed book. The Victor Reader is navigable by each individual chapter and individual section, tables of contents, and even enter electronic bookmarks.

Today, Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic records books that students need for their school and college courses, especially when other audiobook industries have not already produced the book that a student needs or needs a book that is friendly for the blind. Anyone who has a documented physical disability, learning disability, or visual impairment that keeps them from reading printed text effectively is eligible for membership. If members live outside the United States they may only borrow cassette-format audiobooks. Some students send in their syllabi so their respective recording studio may know when their audiobooks are required to be in their possession. (Sometimes we get books with an early due date that we have to cram in narrating sessions to meet deadlines.) In addition, if a book is not in our catalog (also available online at http://www.rfbd.org) then a member may request a title. Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic’s busiest times are from mid-August to mid-October and January and June.

There are two options for membership. Option 1 is Student Individual Membership. With this option, the school makes the payments. These schools recognize the student’s disability and approve RFB&D services as an approved accommodation.

Option 2 is Personal Individual Membership. These members directly pay to RFB&D their membership fees. Option 2 members may not want to share that they have a disability to their school, they may want to borrow an audiobook not part of their school’s curriculum, their school may not recognize their disability or they may not be an enrolled student.

In order to be eligible for membership, they need a certified professional, specializing in the area of learning disabilities or a physician, to prove the applicant is in need of specialized audiobooks. A physician, opthamologist, or optometrist in the case of blindness and visual impairment can certify the applicant. A neurologist, learning disability specialist, or a psychologist with a background in learning disabilities, in the case of perceptual disabilities, might be most qualified in certifying the applicant. Principals, vice-principals, guidance counselors, general education teachers, and librarians are not qualified to certify that the applicant is in need of specialized audiobooks.

Individuals who receive services from The national Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) as well as their cooperating network libraries, are accepted, provided that a librarian’s signature is given, to receive membership. Individuals in Canada or England who are registered members of the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) or the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) are required to send verification. RFB&D AudioPlus books on CD are not distributed outside of America to non American citizens, except for American citizens temporarily residing abroad.

When RFB&D produces a book, a specific recording studio is assigned to read that book based on local and national needs and research. Each studio picks books in various subjects in a book queue and an available volunteer with expertise in that book’s subject is usually chosen to read. The reader narrates the book and describes any necessary charts, graphs, pictures, or mathematical equations. RFB&D constantly tries to have narrators who are proficient in mathematics, science, finance, K-12 literature, accounting, computer science, and other technical areas.

Then a volunteer in the studio will mark two copies of the book. A “pencil path” is created by bookmarkers through the whole book to be recorded. These volunteers make notes, guiding readers through the sequence of charts, illustrations, and footnotes.

Some of the even trained readers need help. Directors act as the listener or audience. They help the reader with spotting errors or the computer’s recording software work as needed. Directors are the most important people in working with the recording equipment. Some readers self-direct themselves, thus require careful attention to their own errors.

After the book is recorded, volunteers or staff at the studio do some finishing touches on the recording and then email the file to headquarters Production Department. This is where audiobooks are burned to a compact disc. The disc is then prepared for shipping. Finally, a member gets their audiobook. Eventually, each audiobook is returned to headquarters. Because of copyright laws, RFB&D destroys the CD copy and duplicates the original for the next shipment.

Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic is a great organization to volunteer for. Whether you speak a foreign language or are a professional in your area of work, you can help RFB&D by reading textbooks that are in your professional area of work.

Visit http://www.rfbd.org for more information on membership and volunteering.

Christmas 2006

2006-12-26T08:36:00.000-05:00

Sunday, December 24, 2006; San Francisco, California

My RFB&D Membership

2006-12-06T07:54:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, Tuesday, December 5, 2006, I received my RFB&D paraphernalia. I applied for membership about a week ago. I am also a student intern for Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic. A staff member at the unit I work at assisted me in expediting my membership, thank you to her.

Palermo's III Ristorante Italiano & Pizzeria

2006-11-19T12:21:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, for lunch, I ate at Palermo's III Ristorante Italiano & Pizzeria. I had a regular Pepsi to drink. To eat, I had the 1/2 Cheeseburger, well-done on American cheese with a side order of French Fries.

1292 Lower Ferry Road
Ewing Township, NJ 08628
Phone: (609) 883-0700
Fax: (609) 88302036

Narrating at Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic

2006-11-14T08:08:00.000-05:00

I am reading some notes for Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic (RFB&D)

From reading success stories of members, I have come to understand what Anne T. Macdonald meant when she said that "Education is a right not a privilege." RFB&D is an organization everyone ought to volunteer for. I feel deeply honored to be volunteering for RFB&D. I will do my best to help RFB&D and Ms. Macdonald carry on.

RFB&D

2006-11-14T08:06:00.000-05:00

http://www.aph.org/hall_fame/stones/rfbd.jpg

2006-11-11T15:17:00.000-05:00

Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteres are at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a tatol mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae we do not raed ervey lteter by it slef but the wrod as a wlohe.

Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic of Metropolitan Washington Volunteer Appreciation Dinner 2006

2006-11-07T07:40:00.000-05:00

High School Halloween Dance 2006

2006-10-30T08:07:00.000-05:00

Library Chief Pushes for New Building

2006-10-28T09:55:00.000-05:00

Library Chief Pushes for New BuildingWilliams Urges Council to Construct Facility at Old Convention Center Site

By Yolanda Woodlee

Washington Post Staff Writer

Saturday, October 28, 2006; B01

When Adrian M. Fenty met with New York officials last week to talk about school reform, he said they casually mentioned with pride their city's improved library system as "another place where we can get some good ideas."

Fenty, expected to become the city's Democratic mayor after the Nov. 7 election, said the District has already taken a page from that book: It lured away the former director of the Brooklyn, N.Y., public library.

"I'm really excited about the hiring of Ginnie Cooper," said Fenty, the Ward 4 council member. "She has a strong reputation. It's a good time to get new dynamic leadership."

Cooper, along with Mayor Anthony A. Williams (D), testified yesterday during the third public hearing since legislation was introduced in May to authorize the construction of a new central library at the old convention center site on Ninth Street NW, near the current facility.
The council's Committee on Education, Libraries and Recreation, led by council member Kathy Patterson (D-Ward 3), is weighing the options. Several advocates want to renovate the historic Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library at 901 G St. NW, but the mayor and library officials want to replace it and lease the building.

But Cooper, like the mayor, is clear on what she'd like to see. Cooper said she's been involved in 50 to 60 library building projects in a career spanning three decades, including construction of a library in Alameda County, Calif., and restoration of the central library in Portland, Ore.

"My choice would be to build a new library on the old convention center site," Cooper said in an interview. "We could do some things with less space. This is a humongous building with lots of empty space."

At the hearing, Williams said he wants a state-of-the-art facility in the city's revitalized downtown and called for passage of legislation before his term ends in January.

"The bottom line is that we are at a critical moment where we must act decisively and affirmatively to move forward," Williams said. "Failure to approve the legislation . . . puts at risk the momentum behind our efforts."

Cooper said the mayor's efforts and a vow by the library trustees board to "transform" the system enticed her to the District, which has 27 facilities, several so badly deteriorated that Fenty called it "a shame."

Cooper left her Brooklyn job this summer, 18 months before the end of her five-year contract. She started in mid-July at a salary of $205,000, $13,000 less than her salary in New York but $83,000 more than the District's former executive director, Molly Raphael.

"I've chosen jobs that were challenging because," she paused, "why do the work, if it's not going to be challenging and have a payoff? If I know it's going to be easy, I'd get bored."
Cooper is not likely to get bored in the District anytime soon.

City officials said four neighborhood branches were closed nearly two years ago, and annoyed residents have yet to get promised new facilities. Library advocates are growing impatient waiting for the release of a task force report that has been promised "in two weeks" for several months. Morale is low among the staffers who complain of poor ventilation, broken elevators and unruly homeless visitors, officials said.

The debate over whether to build or renovate the library was fueled last month when Chief Financial Officer Natwar M. Gandhi said, either way, the construction costs are likely to be $275 million, $61 million more than estimated originally.

Council member Carol Schwartz (R-At Large), who is opposed to using the convention center's prime downtown location for a library, introduced a third option -- using the old Carnegie Library between New York and Massachusetts avenues NW.

"I do not want to use the old convention center site, which is such a valuable piece of property, to put a public service on there that doesn't raise any funds," Schwartz said. "That is penny-wise, pound-foolish."

But a feasibility study found the Carnegie Library is not large enough and lacks parking and any proposed renovations would have adverse affects on its century-old trees.

As the debate continues about the main library, some residents in neighborhoods where the four branches are closed -- Anacostia, Benning, Shaw and Tenleytown -- are rallying to pressure public officials to take action.

Eddie Rhodes, an advisory neighborhood commissioner in Northeast Washington, said his constituents plan to protest a proposal to build apartments over the new Benning library.
"We don't want housing to be a part of it," Rhodes said. "We would rather see the old library reopened."

Rhodes said he hopes Cooper will listen to the residents because they are "very passionate about libraries. The library is associated with being a safe and quiet place."

John W. Hill Jr., president of the library trustees board, said that Cooper has moved swiftly to station four new bookmobiles in communities with closed libraries. Cooper said libraries are now open on Sundays, wireless Internet access is available and hundreds of new computers are being installed.

"We're thrilled to have her here," Hill said. "She's getting things done, firmly taking control of the library."

The test will be whether Cooper can persuade residents that a new facility is needed. A similar effort in Brooklyn failed.

Robin Diener, director of the Library Renaissance Project, a local advocacy group, said Cooper's job in the District will demand community input.

"If she's going to be distracted by building buildings, and if we don't include the community, then there's going to be a lot of hostility," Diener said. "That is going to make moving forward more time-consuming than it needs to be."

2006-10-24T18:42:00.000-05:00

2006-10-17T18:46:00.000-05:00

You Are a New School Democrat

You like partying and politics - and are likely to be young and affluent.
You're less religious, traditional, and uptight than most Democrats.
Smoking pot, homosexuality, and gambling are all okay in your book.
You prefer that the government help people take care of themselves.

What's Your Political Persuasion?

You are a Believer

You believe in God and your chosen religion.
Whether you're Christian, Muslim, Jewish, or Hindu..
Your convictions are strong and unwavering.
You think your religion is the one true way, for everyone.

What's Your Religious Philosophy?

The Handwriting Is on the Wall

2006-10-16T20:05:00.000-05:00

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/10/AR2006101001475_pf.html

The Handwriting Is on the Wall
Researchers See a Downside as Keyboards Replace Pens in Schools

By Margaret Webb Pressler
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, October 11, 2006; A01

The computer keyboard helped kill shorthand, and now it's threatening to finish off longhand.

When handwritten essays were introduced on the SAT exams for the class of 2006, just 15 percent of the almost 1.5 million students wrote their answers in cursive. The rest? They printed. Block letters.

And those college hopefuls are just the first edge of a wave of U.S. students who no longer get much handwriting instruction in the primary grades, frequently 10 minutes a day or less. As a result, more and more students struggle to read and write cursive.

Many educators shrug. Stacked up against teaching technology, foreign languages and the material on standardized tests, penmanship instruction seems a relic, teachers across the region say. But academics who specialize in writing acquisition argue that it's important cognitively, pointing to research that shows children without proficient handwriting skills produce simpler, shorter compositions, from the earliest grades.

Scholars who study original documents say the demise of handwriting will diminish the power and accuracy of future historical research. And others simply lament the loss of handwritten communication for its beauty, individualism and intimacy.

"It's like so many other things in our society -- there's a sense of loss for what once was," said Laura B. Smolken, a professor of elementary education and early childhood development at the University of Virginia.

At Keene Mill Elementary in Springfield, Debbie Mattocks teaches cursive once a week to her gifted-and-talented group of third-graders -- mainly so they can read it. All their poems and stories are typed. Children in Fairfax County schools are taught keyboarding beginning in kindergarten.

"I can't think of any other place you need cursive as an adult other than to sign your name," she said. "Cursive -- that is so low on the priority list, we really could care less. We are much more concerned that these kids pass their SOLs [standardized tests], and that doesn't require a bit of cursive."

Older students who never mastered handwriting say it doesn't affect their grades. "A lot of kids have just awful handwriting. . . . Teachers don't take off points for poor handwriting," said Matt Paragamian, a 10th-grader at St. Albans School in Northwest Washington. Many of his classmates take notes in class on their own laptops and do homework on computers.

Until the 1970s, penmanship was a separate daily lesson through sixth grade, said Dennis Williams, national product manager for Zaner-Bloser Handwriting, the most widely used penmanship curriculum. At its peak in the 1940s and '50s, most teachers insisted on as much as two hours a week, but a 2003 Vanderbilt University survey of primary-grade teachers found that most now spend 10 minutes a day or less on the subject. To adapt to this new reality, the Zaner-Bloser method has been changed to a 15-minute daily plan.

In Montgomery County, schools "don't have separate handwriting instruction for handwriting's sake," said spokesman Brian Edwards. Only a handful of schools in Prince George's County teach handwriting. Fairfax educators struggle to include penmanship.

"It is hard to fit it in," said Pat Fege, the county's language arts coordinator. The goal now is only to produce legible handwriting, Fege said. "It's just not the vehicle it once was."

There are those who say the culture is at a crossroads, turning permanently from the written word to the typed one. If handwriting becomes a lost form of communication, does it matter?

It was at U-Va. that researchers recently discovered a previously unknown poem by Robert Frost, written in his signature script. Handwritten documents are more valuable to researchers, historians say, because their authenticity can be confirmed. Students also find them more intriguing.

"They feel closer to that person as an actual human, that somebody actually wrote that just like me," said Jim Mohr, a professor of U.S. history at the University of Oregon at Eugene, who wrote a book on diaries from the Civil War. "There's a kind of personal authenticity to individual writing that's hard to capture any other way."

The loss of handwriting also may be a cognitive opportunity missed. The neurological process that directs thought, through fingers, into written symbols is a highly sophisticated one. Several academic studies have found that good handwriting skills at a young age can help children express their thoughts better -- a lifelong benefit. Children who don't learn correct technique find it harder to write by hand, so they avoid it. Schools that do teach handwriting often stop after third grade -- right after kids learn cursive. By the time computers are more widely used in classrooms for writing, perhaps in fourth or fifth grade, many children already have decided they don't like to write.

In one of the studies, Vanderbilt University professor Steve Graham, who studies the acquisition of writing, experimented with a group of first-graders in Prince George's County who could write only 10 to 12 letters per minute. The kids were given 15 minutes of handwriting instruction three times a week. After nine weeks, they had doubled their writing speed and their expressed thoughts were more complex. He also found corresponding increases in their sentence construction skills.

But Graham worries that students who remain printers, rather than writing in cursive, need more time to take notes or write essays for the SAT. Teachers may say they don't deduct for bad handwriting in class, but research tells another story, he said.

When adults are given the same composition written in good handwriting and poor handwriting, "they still give lower grades for ideation and quality of writing if the text is less legible," he said.

Indeed, the SAT essays written in cursive had slightly higher average scores than those written in print, according to the College Board.

It doesn't take much to teach better handwriting skills. At some schools in Prince George's County, elementary school students use a program called Handwriting Without Tears for 15 minutes a day. They learn the correct formation of manuscript letters through second grade, and cursive letters in third grade.

In a recent daily exercise, the second-graders at Yorktown Elementary School in Bowie carefully formed letters on individual chalkboards -- first with a wet sponge, then with a tissue, then in chalk and finally in pencil in a workbook. In the future, these kids will produce far more legible letters than kids without this kind of specialized instruction, said Lynne Maydag, the school's handwriting coordinator.

There are always going to be some kids who struggle with handwriting because of their particular neurological wiring, learning issues or poor fine motor skills, teachers said in interviews. For those kids in particular, the growing dominance of typing is liberating because they can write without stumbling over letter formation. Educators often point to this factor in support of keyboarding.

Paragamian, the St. Albans sophomore, was never great at handwriting, and says he can barely read or write cursive even now.

It doesn't bother him. "These days it doesn't matter," he said, "because any important thing you turn in is typed."

2006-10-13T21:42:00.000-05:00

Your Observation Skills Get A B

Your senses are pretty sharp (okay, most of the time)
And it takes something big to distract you!

How Observant Are You?

2006-10-13T21:31:00.000-05:00

You Are 18 Years Old

Under 12: You are a kid at heart. You still have an optimistic life view - and you look at the world with awe.

13-19: You are a teenager at heart. You question authority and are still trying to find your place in this world.

20-29: You are a twentysomething at heart. You feel excited about what's to come... love, work, and new experiences.

30-39: You are a thirtysomething at heart. You've had a taste of success and true love, but you want more!

40+: You are a mature adult. You've been through most of the ups and downs of life already. Now you get to sit back and relax.

What Age Do You Act?

2006-10-13T21:27:00.000-05:00

You Are 36% Capitalist, 64% Socialist

You tend to be quite wary of businesses, especially big business.
While you know that corporations have their place, you tend to support small, locally owned shops.
As far as the rich go, you think they're usually corrupt and immoral.

Are You a Socialist or Capitalist?

2006-10-13T21:20:00.000-05:00

You Should Get a MD (Doctor of Medicine)

You're both compassionate and brilliant - a rare combination.
You were born to be a doctor.

What Advanced Degree Should You Get?

Sandra Day O'Connor

2006-10-09T09:25:00.000-05:00

Friday, December 17, 2004

2006-10-09T08:30:00.000-05:00

I am speaking at my mother's funeral at Westmoreland Congregational United Church of Christ on Friday, December 17, 2004

Wednesday, August 31, 2006

2006-10-08T17:22:00.000-05:00

Audiobook narrators I like

2006-09-22T20:09:00.000-05:00

Richard Poe (reading Angels and Demons for Recorded Books LLC)

http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/gvpages/A1552.shtml

Brian Keeler (reading The Grief Recovery Handbook for Recorded Books LLC)
http://www.sft.edu/images/staff/Brian%20Keeler.JPG

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Frank Muller (reading The Great Gatsby for Recorded Books LLC)
http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/gvpages/images/frank_muller.jpg

2006-09-21T19:06:00.000-05:00

Brian Wong - voice talent

The Original Pancake House

2006-09-04T09:56:00.000-05:00

On Monay, September 4, 2006 I went to The Original Pancake House in Bethesda, Maryland at 9:30 a.m. I had the Two By Four: 2 eggs any style, and four buttermilk pancakes served with whipped butter and hot syrup. I had orange juice, water, and hot chocolate to drink. My server was Donald.

Johnny's Luncheonette

2006-08-07T15:54:00.000-05:00

30 Langley Road
Newton Centre, Massachusetts 02459-1918
Tel: 617-527-3223
Fax: 617-527-4103

I ate there on Sunday, August 6, 2006 for lunch at 14:00 and had a Belgian waffle and a grilled cheese sandwich.

Pinckney & Joy Streets - Bosotn, MA

2006-08-07T15:50:00.000-05:00

This parking sign is at 7 Pinckney Street in Boston, at the intersection of Pinckney and Joy Streets.

Hanndicapped sign is opposite

2006-08-07T15:49:00.000-05:00

How often do you see the handicapped symbol this way?

Andros Diner

2006-08-07T15:39:00.000-05:00

Andros Diner is a nice restaurant. I only attended only twice for only breakfast. They have nice wait staff. The diner is hosted by John, Annette, and George Manetas. I ate breakfast there this morning before returning home to Washington, DC. My dad was born and raised in Belmont, MA.

Andros Diner

628 Trapelo Road

Belmont, MA 02478-1405

Phone: 617-484-7322

Fax: 617-484-6339

2006-08-01T15:52:00.000-05:00

Friday, June 23, 2006.

The Toll of an Unsolved Murder

2006-07-31T12:24:00.000-05:00

The Toll of an Unsolved Murder

A Family Torn Asunder Yearns for Answers and Finds It Hard to Move On

By Theresa Vargas

Washington Post Staff WriterSunday, July 30, 2006; C01

Kenny Brooks's mother weighs 102 pounds in her clothes, and the loose skin on her face ages her beyond 49 years. She doesn't want to eat most days, doesn't want to live on others. She sleeps on her son's mattress and watches a tape of his funeral, over and over.

His sister, 25, prone to anxiety attacks before he was killed in January, now needs medication just to get through the day. Even then, all she wants to do is sleep. His 7-year-old niece draws pictures of sad faces with angel wings in the sky.

Brooks, a 23-year-old former Marine, was the first person slain in Prince William County this year. A homicide case that looked as if it would be solved quickly now verges on going cold. Once-promising leads in the investigation have suddenly dropped off.

So Brooks's family waits -- and unravels, a bit more each day.

His mother, Rose Brooks, stumbles among all five stages of grief. She still expects her son to walk in the door. Denial. She hates that he is gone and at the hand of someone he probably knew. Anger. She'd give her life for his -- and neighbors come to check on her daily to make sure she hasn't. Bargaining. She no longer leaves the house, and with each viewing of the funeral tape, she knows he's gone and that life must go on. Depression. Acceptance.

"Whoever killed my son has killed each one of us, especially me," Rose Brooks said, crying. "This has destroyed a lot of lives. My family, we'll never be the same."

Killings happen every day, followed by the usual chaos of police cars lining streets, detectives questioning witnesses, reporters knocking on doors. The wake, the funeral, the burial.

Then, for many, comes the quiet. Days in which a family is left alone. No cameras, no flood of relatives, no daily updates from police. Days in which a family can do nothing but wait for an arrest -- wondering if it really would bring closure. The Brookses are here now. Life must go on, they said, but how, without Kenny and without his killer off the streets?

As escalating violence, particularly in the District, comes under increased scrutiny, the Brooks family's story provides insight into the mayhem caused by homicide.

Those who specialize in grief counseling say that homicide creates a mourning like none other. Celia Ryan, a Rockville-based certified grief therapist, said that for relatives, the experience is more about trauma than grief. It is a public loss coupled with the fear that they, too, may not be safe, the real or perceived judgment of others and the inevitable questions, such as why this person, why now?

"The family is amputated," Ryan said. "The whole family is altered." Each family member will mend differently, depending on age, sex and relationship to the dead, she said, but all are forever changed. "It's not about getting better," she said. "It's about learning to deal with what happened."

Kenny's eldest sister, Katrina Brooks, the one with anxiety attacks, said her brother's murderer "killed the spirit of our family."

"It has messed up everyone's lives," she said. "At times I don't want to laugh. I feel I shouldn't be laughing because I don't know who killed my brother."

One of her daughters writes letters about sadness; the other tells her daily she wants to "go where Uncle Kenny is." And her mother, the woman who seemed to hold up so well during the funeral, even as people broke down around her, mostly stays home now, losing more and more weight every day.

"I look like a skeleton with skin," Rose Brooks said.

She was once 270 pounds, nicknamed "Big Duke" by her son. A few years ago, she had a triple bypass, followed by a gastric bypass that failed and forced her to use feeding tubes. She now suffers from four hernias, but doctors said they cannot operate until she gains 20 pounds. Kenny, she said, was the one who would pop his head in the bedroom and remind her that it was time to put in her feeding tube. Now no one does.

"He was a momma's boy," she said. "He was; he still is."

When she winces, it's hard to know whether her bones ache or a memory has stabbed at her. She has moved her son's bed from the apartment in Triangle where he was shot to her townhouse in Stafford County. His television and clothes are there now, too.
"I can't handle too much more of this," she said. "It's killing me slowly."

On a recent humid morning, neighbor Porsha Davis, 41, made her usual hike around the corner and up the block to Brooks's home. Since Kenny's death, this has become her routine -- checking to make sure Rose Brooks is okay.

"It's to the point I walk up here every day. I don't care how hot it is. Once I heard an ambulance was here, and I made her give me a key," Davis said.

"Since Kenny's gone, Rose don't want to be here," Davis said. "I told her just 'cause Kenny is not here, we still need you."

She, like everyone else on this block of aging townhouses, knew Kenny. The real Kenny. The quiet, sweet Kenny and the trouble-prone Kenny.

He was the boy who helped watch the neighborhood children, making sure they didn't stray too far from their homes, but would also sling insults and punches at his peers, sometimes playfully, sometimes not.

Neighbor Jennifer Guinn, who went to Brooke Point High School with Kenny, said he would help her carry her books when she was eight months pregnant. But, she said, it was a rare side of him that many did not get to see.

She and Davis pointed to a yellow speed bump in the road and called it "Kenny's speed bump." It was put there so police would have a chance to catch some of the neighborhood boys who would speed away from them, stopping at the end of the block to make a run for it.

Police said Kenny did not have a criminal record, but they were investigating whether he was a small-time drug dealer when he was killed. Family members said they knew nothing about that.
Those who knew Kenny say he may have gravitated toward trouble as a teenager but that the Marines had changed him. "It was 'yes ma'am,' 'no ma'am,' 'yes sir,' 'no sir,' " Guinn said.
"He was the perfect person when he came back -- he had respect, he opened doors, he wouldn't let a man talk bad about a woman. Before, he didn't care," Davis added.

In Rose Brooks's home, a large picture of Kenny in Marine dress blues hangs over her favorite chair in the living room. Propped above the television is the flag she was handed at his funeral at Quantico National Cemetery. Kenny had just come home last July after four years of being stationed in California, Okinawa and Taiwan. He had recently signed up for classes at Germanna Community College and had just moved into the apartment where he was killed.

"Kenny was in a transitional stage of his life," said his uncle, Mike Baldwin, 44. "He was doing the right thing. He signed up for school, was getting his own place. The right thing."

About 3 p.m. Jan. 13, Kenny was found faceup behind his kitchen counter, shot in the cheek and the top of his head. He was still breathing when police found him -- about two hours after he was shot -- and died hours later at the hospital.

Prince William Detective Paul Masterson is sure there are witnesses who are not coming forward. Recently, Masterson fired 11 rounds from a .22-caliber revolver in the apartment to see if police could hear the gunfire from outside. They could, but no one called police to report it. He said a person also called the tip line three times with information but suddenly stopped talking to police.

"Someone saw something," Masterson said. "Right now, we are just looking for one or two little pieces to come together, and we could make an arrest."
A $5,000 reward is being offered. The family is also pleading.
"If they have any conscience at all," Rose Brooks said.

"Sometimes I feel comforted because I know that person will be punished, but the longer it takes, I get angry. I get more bitter every day," said Katrina Brooks. "If they told me my brother died in a car accident, I'd be just as hurt, but I'd know my brother didn't have to look someone in the eyes and that that person was probably someone he trusted."

Kenny had helped raise her oldest daughter, Niya, and had just met her youngest, Kianna. In his military papers, Kenny named Niya and his mother his beneficiaries.

Recently, grandmother and granddaughter walked together through Quantico to the tombstone reading: "Our sunshine, always loved." They carried their respective memories.

For Niya, it was of the uncle who took her to the dentist and broke down in giggles when a woman fell out of a chair. The one who put on her floaties at the beach, covered himself in seaweed and walked out of the ocean like a monster.

For Rose Brooks, the memories are of a child who would do the "lollipop dance" when he didn't think anyone was looking, the high school graduate who wasn't embarrassed when she kissed him in front of his friends. It was the way he cooked a mean macaroni and cheese and would sing R. Kelly songs to her: "Oh Sadie, don't you know we love you . . . "

"Say anything you want, but don't look down," Rose Brooks told Niya. "He's not there."

"Why did you leave me?" Niya asked, carrying a balloon for him. "I didn't want you to leave."

Jenna's Touch of Class

2006-06-24T13:39:00.000-05:00

http://www.celebopedia.com/jenna-bush/images/jenna-bush.jpg

The Reliable Source
By Amy Argetsinger and Roxanne Roberts

Friday, June 23, 2006; Page C03

The Washington Post

Jenna's Touch of Class

So, you know, just another D.C. school fundraiser. Go to them all the time. But this one, hosted by consulting firm DFI International for the Elsie Whitlow Stokes Community Freedom Public Charter School, featured an auction of student art that got quite aggressive. Fourth-grader Lucia Rios's sketch of the Supreme Court commanded $120, while Rebeca Gutierrez's Washington Monument fetched $410!

As the auction ended, some of the kids ran up to a fave teacher: " Ms. Bush ! Ms. Bush!" Or, as we know her, Jenna . Our city's remaining First Twin ( Barbara decamped to NYC this month) stood with a drink of some kind, casually elegant in a taupe-ish cotton-looking summer top and long-hemmed black pants. Her blond bob has grown out to a flattering near-shoulder length. She laughed a lot with the kids and tousled their hair.

So much to tell her! Alas, as we chatted with the school's founder, Linda Moore , Ms. Bush slipped quietly out the door. Must not have known we were there . . .

I shook hands with Sandra Day O'Connor

2006-06-23T20:56:00.000-05:00

Special Invitation
President John Hennessy and Law School Dean Larry Kramer cordially invite GSB alumni to join our Stanford family and friends in Washington, DC for a special evening in honor of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.

Friday, June 23, 2006
A Stanford Salute to Justice
Sandra Day O'Connor, '50, LLB '52

5:30 pm
The Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center
1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20004-3002

Program Details
5:30 pm - Hors d'oeuvres and cocktail reception
6:45 pm - Program

Remarks by President Hennessy
Special tributes honoring Justice O'Connor
A conversation with Justice O'Connor and President Emeritus Gerhard Casper
Closing by Dean Kramer

Cost/Event Registration
For cost and event registration details see the
Stanford Alumni Website.

Questions?
Contact Michael Preston at the Stanford Alumni Association at mpreston@stanford.edu or 650-725-0682.

This event is brought to you by the Washington, DC Stanford Association, the Stanford Law Society of Washington, DC, the Stanford Alumni Association, and the Stanford Law School.

Family Reunion in Hawaii

2006-06-12T23:40:00.000-05:00

Pictures to Make You Laugh/Smile

2006-06-12T23:07:00.000-05:00

How bad Do You Have to Go?

2006-06-06T08:24:00.000-05:00

How Bad Do You Have to Go?
At Some Schools, It's Bathroom Breaks vs. Grades

By Ian Shapira
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, June 6, 2006; A01

Even though Daniel Thornton occasionally needed to go to the bathroom during his AP history course last year, he also needed a B on the midterm to maintain his grade. So he did what lots of students at Forest Park Senior High School in Woodbridge do in their Darwinian pursuit of academic success: Thornton endured a full bladder and instead hoarded his two restroom passes, which, unused, were worth six points of extra credit.

It was enough to bump the 18-year-old's midterm grade from a C-plus to a B.

"Occasionally it made days unpleasant, but I was just very careful. I would try to go in the five minutes beforehand or afterwards, between classes," said Thornton, who will graduate this month. "Some of my classmates definitely had a lot of trouble. People around me would fidget, especially girls."

Bladder control, especially in an era of 90-minute classes, is a vital skill in many Washington area high schools, where administrators often limit access to restrooms during class to reduce interruptions and quash potential mischief in areas without adult supervision.

Restrooms, of course, have been a choice milieu for school scofflaws since the advent of indoor plumbing. With school security a top priority, administrators have become vigilant enforcers as they try to block loitering, bullying or drug use in student restrooms.

At many schools, doors to boys and girls restrooms have been removed altogether. In Montgomery County's Montgomery Blair High School, students can see boys standing at urinals and girls entering and exiting stalls in the bathrooms near the front office.

Teachers have whipped up creative ways to minimize restroom visits during class. Some schools have an extra-credit incentive program, which is not universally embraced among parents or within academic circles. Although advocates say the passes -- which can be used for numerous destinations -- maximize classroom time, critics say it is unfair to give anyone an academic advantage based on something as unacademic as bathroom habits.

"What's the correlation between holding your urine and succeeding on a history test?" asked Kevin Barr, principal of Georgetown Day School, a private school in the District. "My basic assumption is always that kids need to be comfortable and safe to excel in the classroom."

The Spanish class Carol Wesley's 15-year-old daughter takes at W.T. Woodson High School in Fairfax County offers hallway extra credit. Although Wesley sympathizes with teachers trying to maintain order, she said, "It's absurd to reward people for not taking care of simple human bodily functions when necessary."

Public schools in the District, Virginia and Maryland do not have systemwide policies about bathroom rules but leave it to individual schools or classroom teachers to decide. Many teachers opt for the simple and venerable hall pass, which has been around for decades. In that case, students carry a visible pass so hallway monitors can immediately tell that they are authorized to be out of class.

Other schools use a more archival approach to keep track of students and their bathroom habits: log sheets on which students must jot down the time they need to leave class and their destination. A teacher's initials are also needed.

The log sheets -- in a small agenda book given out at the beginning of the year -- help teachers check how often students use the restroom during class -- indicating which ones may be cadging a break. In one agenda book, the log sheet is euphemistically called the Hallway Passport.

Some students who use the log sheets prefer them because they don't have other people's germs and they're never scrounging for a pass. Other students, such as Samantha Mosquera at Forest Park, find the log absurd.

"Sometimes, I'll just go through the book, and I'll see how many times I've gone to the bathroom in the year, and I'm like, 'What the heck?' It's a lot," said Mosquera, 18, a senior on the crew team, who noted that she has to drink water all day to stay hydrated for her tough afternoon practices. "It should be like college, especially for seniors. We can vote. We can go to war. We should be able to pee whenever we want."

Bathroom rules have become so ingrained in students' psyches that they affect hallway culture. With only five or so minutes between classes, students must make potentially life-altering decisions: Should I go, or should I flirt with my locker neighbor?

At Albert Einstein High School in Montgomery, students find any scrap piece of paper -- or a hand will suffice -- on which to sign a teacher's name and time. But Principal James Fernandez said he wants to order agenda books with log sheets for next year.

"The agenda books provide accountability," Fernandez said.

Sometimes a game of cloak and dagger ensues. At Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Prince George's County, some students have gotten in trouble for swiping blank passes off of teachers' desks and forging teachers' signatures, said Robynne Prince, an assistant principal.

At other times, students get in trouble when they sneak off to a restroom nowhere near their class but within shouting distance to a friend in an another room. Recently, Prince caught a student in the cafeteria who had a pass for the restroom only.

"He said, 'Well I just stopped in to talk to someone,' so I followed him from table to table," she recalled. "I questioned him and said, 'What class do you belong to?' He said, 'English,' but that was on the second floor -- and we were on the first floor, so I know he passed three bathrooms."

That's why, at schools such as Forest Park in Prince William County and W.T. Woodson in Fairfax -- some teachers offer extra credit if students stay put. "It gets the students to plan ahead and organize. It's grown in popularity because teachers feel that it cuts down on disruptions," said Beverly Ellis, an AP history teacher at Forest Park. "I discourage them from leaving unless it's a real emergency. They've got to convince me."

For Daniel Thornton, one of Ellis's students, the system played a minor role in his success. He got a full tuition scholarship to Washington and Lee University. And this week, he expects to be named valedictorian.

2006-06-05T11:41:00.000-05:00

Written communication can be a problem, as confirmed by the following excerpts from letters actually received by welfare departments...

I am writing the Welfare Department to say that my baby was born two years old. When do I get my money?

I am forwarding my marriage certificate and six children. I have seven children. But one died which was baptized on a half sheet of paper.

Mrs. Jones has not had any clothes for a year and has been visited regularly by the clergy.

this is my eighth child. What are you going to do about it?

I cannot get sick pay. I have six children. Can you tell me why?

I am very much annoyed to find you have branded my son illiterate. this is a dirty lie as I was married a week before he was born.

In answer to your letter, I have given birth to a boy weighing ten pounds. I hope this is satisfactory.

I am forwarding my marriage certificate and three children, one of which is a mistake as you can see.

In accordance with your instructions I have given birth to twins in the enclosed envelope.

I am glad to report that my husband who is missing is dead.

I have no children as yet as my husband is a truck driver and works day and night.

I want money as quick as I can get it. I've been in bed with the doctor for two weeks and he doesn't do me any good. If things don't improve, I will have to send for another doctor.

Please find for certain if my husband is dead. Then man I am now living with can't eat or do anything till he knows.

You have changed my little boy to a girl. Will this make any differnece?

My husband got his project cut off two weeks ago and I haven't had any relief since.

Unless I get my husband's money pretty soon, I will be forced to live an immortal life.

My Favorite Songs

2006-05-31T11:27:00.000-05:00

My favorite songs: (random)

Somewhere Out There (James Horner, Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil)

One Song (Alan & Marilyn Bergman)

The Closest Thing to Crazy (Mike Batt)

Slipping Through My Fingers (Björn Ulvaeus & Benny Andersson)

Ave Maria (Franz Schubert)

Oblivion (Astor Pantaleon Piazzolla)

Hero (Marich Carey & Walter Afansieff)

Time To Say Goodbye (Fracesco Sartori, Lucio Quarantoto, and Frank Peterson)

The Prayer (Carole Bayer Sager & David Foster)

On Eagles Wings (Michael Joncas)

Here I Am Lord (Dan Schutte & Janet Vogt)

O Holy Night (Placide Cappeau)

The Birthday of a King (William H. Neidlinger)

All I Ask of You (Andrew Lloyd Webber)

Memory (Andrew Lloyd Webber, Trevor Nunn, T.S. Eliot)

Friends, Always in My Heart (Jessica Hammond & Kelly McConnell)

Christmas Eve in Washington

Children of the New Dawn (Dave & Jean Perry)

Stand Tall (Burton Cummings)

Runaround Sue (Dion Di Mucci and Dearnest Maresca)

When You Wish Upon a Star (Ned Washingto, Leigh Harline)

Beauty And The Beast (Howard Ashman, Alan Menken)

All I Want for Christmas Is You (Mariah Carey)

A Whole New World (Alan Menken, Tim Rice)

Send in the Clowns (Stephen Sondheim)

Some Enchanted Evening (Oscar Hammerstein 2nd, Richard Rogers)

Tomorrow (Martin Charnin, Charles Strouse)

What I Did for Love (Marvin Hamlisch, Edward Kleban)

One Bread, One Body (John B. Foley, S.J.)

Graduation (Colleen Fitzpatrick, Josh Deutsch)

Largo al factotum (Gioaccihino Antonio Rossini)

Lean On Me (Kirk Franklin)

The Mansions of The Lord (Nick Glennie-Smith, Randall Wallace)

The Pink Panther (Henry Mancini)

Gee I'm Glad It's Raining (Jim Varney)

My Heart Will Go On (James Horner, Will Jennings)

Dreaming of You (Selena Quintanilla)

She's More Than Just Another Flag (Cheryl Runquist)

2006-05-24T07:10:00.000-05:00

Dsecember 2005

San Jose & Alameda in California.

2006-05-20T16:08:00.000-05:00

Jaleo gathering

2006-05-15T08:51:00.000-05:00

I exaggerate about everything that has a physical nature. Although I may not intend to deceive or mislead, I blow things way out of proportion because that is the way I view them. I will be a good story teller. This exaggeration relates to all areas of my material world. I allow many people into my life because I am accepting and trusting. I am sometimes called gullible by my friends. That only really means that I trust too many people. I have a vivid imagination.

I have a healthy imagination and display a fair amount of trust. I let new people into my circle of friends. I use my imagination to understand new ideas, things, and people.

I iam constantly disappointed when trying to reach success. I work very hard, perhaps harder than most, then just before succeeding, something happens that keeps me from success. Often, I change to a second project just before the first one is finished, thus failing to complete the first project. Sometimes I change because I feel I need a different challenge. I feel dejected. This feeling relates to my failures. This trait is very important in a working situation and in a relationship. I must be handled in a very special way to get the most work from me or to make a relationship last. Concerning this trait, personality modification is available to change his life.

I will take action on my thoughts. I am positive that my views are correct for me. I have the ability to seem as if I am positively correct when answering a question, even if I do not have the slightest idea of the answer. I display a self-confidence that makes everyone else sure I am correct. I am positive of my own views, but not necessarily stubborn.

I am a practical person whose goals are planned, practical, and down to earth. This is typical of people with normal healthy self-esteem. I need to visualize the end of a project before I start. I find joy in anticipation and planning. Notice that I said I plan everything I am going to do, that doesn't necessarily mean things go as planned. I basically feel good about myself. I have a positive self-esteem which contributes to my success. I feel I have the ability to achieve anything I set my mind to. However, I set my goals using practicality-- not too "out of reach". I have enough self-confidence to leave a bad situation, yet,I will not take great risks, as they relate to my goals. A good esteem is one key to a happy life. Although there is room for improvement in the confidence catagery, my self-perception is better than average.

In reference to my mental abilities, I have a very investigating and creating mind. I investigate projects rapidly because I am curious about many things.I get involved in many projects that seem good at the beginning, but I soon must slow down and look at all the angles. I probably get too many things going at once. When I slow down, then I become more creative than before. Since it takes time to be creative, I must slow down to do it. I then decide what projects I have time to finish. Thus I finish at a slower pace than when I started the project. I have the best of two kinds of minds. One is the quick investigating mind. The other is the creative mind. My mind thinks quick and rapidly in the investigative mode. I can learn quicker, investigate more, and think faster. I can then switch into his low gear. When I am in the slower mode, I can be creative, remember longer and stack facts in a logical manner. I am more logical this way and can climb mental mountains with a much better grip.

I have an over-awareness of self. I often feel self-conscious. I fear ridicule, therefore I am careful not to place myself in a position to receive any ridicule. I wonder what people will think if I act in a certain manner. When encountering a new group of people, I may stay on the sidelines until I have the people categorized, or I may behave in a "positive attention getting" manner to assure people think good thoughts about me from the start. In the sales profession, this self-consciousness is called "call reluctance". They take the word "no" as a personal criticism. Therefore, there is an internal struggle when performing this type of work. Although I may be a great salesperson, I still feel insecurity. I will perform better if someone else is with me because the fear of ridicule from my peers is far greater than the fear of ridicule from my clients. Many times this type of person becomes a sales trainer, because when I am training, I don't have to put myself in a position of being told "no" as often as the salesmen do.

I am secretive. I have secrets which I do not wish to share with others. I intentionally conceal things about myself. I have a private side that I intend to keep that way, especially concerning certain events in my past.

I will demand respect and will expect others to treat me with honor and dignity. I believe in my ideas and will expect other people to also respect them. I have a lot of pride.

I am moderately outgoing. My emotions are stirred by sympathy and heart rendering stories. In fact, I can be kind, friendly, affectionate and considerate of others. I have the ability to put myself into the other person's shoes. I will be somewhat moody, with highs and lows. Sometimes I will be happy, the next day he might be sad. I have the unique ability to get along equally well with what psychology calls introverts and extroverts. This is because I am in between. Psychology calls me an ambivert. I understand the needs of both types. Although they get along, I will not tolerate anyone that is too "far out." I do not sway too far one way or the other. When convincing me to buy a product or an idea, a heart rendering story could mean a great deal to me. I put myself in the same situation as the person in the story, yet I will not buy anything that seems overly impractical or illogical. I am an expressive person. I outwardly show my emotions. I may even show traces of tears when hearing a sad story. I am a "middle-of-the-roader," politically as well as logically. I weigh both sides of an issue, sits on the fence, and then will decide when I finally have to. I basically don't relate to any far out ideas and usually won't go to the extreme on any issue.

I have a balanced ability to be social and interact with others.

Ican be defiant. I sometimes have the attitude that if someone doesn't like it the way I am doing it, then they can just "go to hell!"

2006-05-10T10:52:00.000-05:00

Parkmont Poetry Festival
Saturday, May 6, 2006