People are unreasonable, illogical an self-centered.

Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.

Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you will win false friends an true enemies.

Succeed anyway.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.

Do good anyway.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.

Be honest and frank anyway.

The biggest person with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest person with the smallest mind.

Think big anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.

Build anyway.

People really need help but may attack if you help them.

Help people anyway.

Give the world the best you have and you might get kicked in the teeth.

Give the world the best you've got anyway.

"Remember, a Jedi can feel the Force flowing though him or her".

"Be mindful of the Living Force, young Padawan".

"Your focus determines your reality".

The Force is not by any means a static, unchanging inactive body of energy that merely waits to be tapped. It also bares a living, viable essense of life, with a basic primal will of it's own. In it's active state---also known as the Living Force---it has a conscious will and a plan for the greater good of the galaxy. It promotes life and peace, and harmony in the galaxy through effecting the immediate good--- saving a life, defending an innocent---merely because there are good things to do, some
times regardless of future consequences there may be for this action. The Force, in this manner is often experienced like one would sense a stream of water washing over you. You immediately detect the currents of water that are hitting you, rushing over you, and you focus on them, as opposed to paying wider heed to what may be fouling the water up
stream somewhere before it reaches you, or how you might be fouling the water for some one further downstream from you. Though this view may serve the immediate good and future better, when this sense of the "here and now" is focused upon the ignorance of the greater good. It is a heady, impulsive stance that can lead towards dark temptations, or have serious consequences in the future. The Living Force makes you sensitive to other living things, makes you intuitive. In other words, it can be said that the Living Force is personal in nature, while the Unifying Force is more universal.

The Living Force is all living beings. Jedi can sense the Living Force in life forms. Sick or dying life forms have little Living Force, while healthy ones usually have the full quality of their Living Force. The Living Force also speaks of trusting one's instincts. Love, as much as hate comes instinctively and apparently through the concept of the Living Force, it becomes possible to integrate these passions into Jedi teachings.

Propsonents of the Living Force view epsouse a philosophy of "living in the moment", relying heavily on their instincts and concentrating more on sensitivity to living things, following the will of the Force rather then fulfilling destiny, as what the Unifying Force is about. Some followers of the views of the Force, such as the Unifying Force, consider the followers of the Living Force to be reckless due to them following their instincts, with the view of "I shall do what I must", which can lead to actions that can be considered reckless.

What does it mean to "Be mindful of the Living Force"?: The Living Force guides a Jedi's actions from moment to moment and tunes him or her into what is happening in the "here and now". Being mindful of the Living Force is to let go of greater anxieties caused by things distant in time and/or space and concentrating on whats going on in the present, who it will affect, and what needs to be done about it.

"Concentrate on the moment. Don't think. Use you instincts".

"Until the possible becomes actual, it is only a distraction".

Life is all around us. The trees, the birds, the river. They are all connected to one another, and to you. you must open yourself upto them, and feel life around you. Sometime, go outside and look at a tree. Close your eyes and become aware of the tree. Feel it swaying in the wind and listen to it's sounds. Open your eyes. Look at the tree. What does it remind you of?

Never forget the Living Force. If you do no rise above it, then you will be one with it.

Only by making leaps of faith can you use it to transcend physcial and mental limitations. In this way, the Living aspect is the gateway to accessing the Unifying Force. True mastery of the Living Force will automatically result in mastery of the Unifying Force. Master yourself, and you will master the world around you to a greater extent then you might expect.

"The Living Force constantly whispers to us. Sometimes, we do not immediately understand what it tells us, but I'am certain the meaning will eventually reveal itself".

Within all life there strengths and weaknesses, and such is the same with the aspects of the Living and Unifiying Force. The Living Force is characterized, at best, as focusing on the moment. To advocates of the Living Force, the
moment is what matters; do what you must when you must, and rely on your impulses and instincts with the added bonus upon drawing on your training. However, the Living Force is not a vehicle for insight; the Living Force draws on the moment, and thus is not a vessel by which one can not learn the weaknesses of an opponent, cannot draw upon the strength of the environment around oneself, and does not allow it's wielders to see the potential reprecussions of one's actions. In essense, to see through the "eyes" of the Living Force would be the equilvalent of looking at a tele
vision: Two-demensional images, no context as to why your given these images, only the knowl
edge you have and the knowledge it gives you to determine the will of the Force.

The Unifying Force is a path, the Living Force is a journey.

There is a very special connection between the Force and living things called the Living Force. The Living Force is different from the Unifying Force because it's source comes only from living things, while the Unifying Force comes from everything that is not living, such as rocks, water, the sun. A Jedi's power will mostly come from the Living Force, rather from the Unifying Force.

The Force flows everywhere and through everything. through the Living Force, Jedi can see how all life is connected. They can how the animals are affected by the plants, weather, and bodies of water. A Jedi can sense how people interact with their environments, can see how the Force effects societies and how these socities function. Jedi can also sense thoughts and emotions from animals and people. It's important for a Jedi to be able to connect to living thing because they serve the people. In order to do that, Jedi must be able to understand the complex web of thoughts and emotions. A Jedi can sense everything, even non living things, around them.

The Force and life are forever connected and bound to each other. Without the Force there could be no life and vice versa. The strength of the Force is directly related to the amount of life living in that place. The more life one place, the stronger the Force is goin to feel. A thick, thriving forest teaming wth life will have more available Living Force then a dry, sandy desert.
A Jedi can sense the Living Force in a person and is a quick way to tell the health of that person. When a person grows weak, their life force grows weak too and can be felt as such.

Not only is the Unifying Force always around us, so is the Living Force. There will always be the Living Force where there is life. Even when a Jedi is in the dead of space, there is still the Living Force, because the Jedi is alive. The Living Force is generated by any animal, human, or smallest lifeforms, single cell organisms.

"The ways of the Living Force are beyond our understanding....But fear not. Your in the hands of something much greater and much better then you can imagine".

"Be mindful of the currents of the Living Force; to do one's duty is not always to do right. Concern yourself with the right action. Let duty take care of itself".

A Jedi must unlearn what he has learned and realize things are only different in their mind. The Living Force is not an entity or god, it is a
natural process of life. It can only manifest when allowed to flow freely, as an oak tree can only grow out in the open. The Living Force is an experience, not just a belief. A Jedi must feel the flow of the Living Force, letting go of the conscious mind. Clinging to things don't work. Imagine you are holding water in your hand. If you try and cling tighter to it, the water will flow through your fingers. If you let it flow naturally, it will be happy to stay in your hand. A true follower of the Living Force must learn to place their own wants...their desires behind them....T place their duties as Jedi and to the will the Living Force above all else. To take what is given.

One must train themselves to let go of everything one fears to lose. One must let go of their own anglish, despair, and their pain and let the Living Force move them---the Force that bounds all living things together. It will be hard. Perhaps the hardest thing will a Jedi will ever have to do, for letting go of one's pain, one will have to let go of everything and everyone. To let go, become calm, centered, free of sorrow an despair, resting in the Living Force. It is a hard lesson, but necessary, and it is a lesson that has to be learnt again and again. It's not easy letting go, to just be. So often humility is mistaken for weakness, Jedi who follow this philosophy to it's highest degree can be and are great examples of perfect humility because perfect humility is not weak, it is strong, it long suffering, it is patient, and it is willing. Followers of the Living Force learn to achieve the understanding that in order for one to achieve something greater, the sacrifice of all, however much less, is required in the present.

Characteristics of followers of the Living Force:

"Who can separate his faith from his action, or his belief from his occupations"?
-Khalil Gibran.

Those who follow the Living Force find this appealing, that they are able to live, to hold their beliefs of their hearts close and never sway from them. Thus enabling them to make seemingly impossible decisions and still be able to sleep at night. They learn to relinguish their own will to that of the Force, and that takes great humility and profound strength. They are distractable, always answering to the moment in away that keeps their ties to the Living Force fresh. They are resilient, if one path don't go the right way, they'll find another---or wait for another to present itself. They are inventive---good at what's called 'thinking outside the box'. They haver depths of wisdom wrapped in some kind of delicacy, there might be a hint of pain in their manner, and their smiles come easily for children. They have enormous power and understand that it`s greatest use is patience, awareness, even yielding. They are kind, and they notice and value kindness in others. Thier commitment is---to being a Jedi, to serving the Force, the people whose lives they share, to seeing through whatever their tasks are---they have enormous passion---the only time we get to see it is when they are fighting---that all-but- wild terribly dangerous cycle of defending and attacking, like life itself, coming and going, then coming back again, in this we see their mastery is such that they unlease this whirlwind from inside themselves and can be safe as the force at the center of it. It also makes their stillness the rest of the time that much more resonant. Maybe its also the passion we see when their meditating. What
ever it is, it`s deep and beyond compremise. You just look at them and know that there is no route into their soul unless they open it to you themselves. You might kill them, but you can`t turn them. They tend to be ruled by a stubborn yet compassionate unwillingness to sacrifice others.

They are strong in the Force, wise beyond their years, incredible warriors, (but only when they need to be), and yet there is this sort of wistful saddness that seems to permeate them.
Something that makes you guess the horrors they have lived through, the tradegy they have seen. They are compassionate, and have ultimate faith in what they do, and in the "hokey religion" they know is very real.

feel free ta commit or post yer thoughts

GENERAL GOALS:

1. To simplify my life.
2. To be present in the moment and live more mindfully.
3. To meditate and/or practice energy work on a regular basis.
4. To manifest the things I want in my life.
5. To give back to the people and the world around me.

SPECIFIC GOALS:

1. To become a Lymphedema Specialist.
2. To teach a formal Tai Chi Chih class.
3. To become a certified Level 2 Qigong Instructor.
4. To get at least 6 hours of sleep at least 5 days a week.
5. To cook more.
6. To create and follow a healthy, balanced vegetarian meal plan.
7. To weigh under 155 pounds.
8. To be able to do at least one pull up / chin up unassisted.
9. To bench press over 100 pounds.
10. To run a 5K in under 30 minutes and participate in an official race.
11. To run under a 9:30 mile.
12. To complete a Half Iron Man in under 8 hours.
13. To complete a Sprint Triathlon in under 2 hours 30 minutes.
14. To complete an Olympic Triathlon in under 4 hours 30 minutes.
15. To completely finish setting up my spare room as a spiritual and functional mediation/healing room.
16. To clear out and organize my other spare room.
17. To clear out my shed.
18. To clear out my room at my parents’ house.
19. To volunteer on a more regular basis.
20. To make a greater effort to spend more time with friends.

I usually like to start off the New Year by assessing last year’s resolutions and how I did with them. Running a bit late this year but figured since I was late anyway, I might as well pick another cool date. So here goes. . .

Sadly, looking at last year’s resolutions, I did a pretty dismal job of meeting most of my goals. Part of it was that 2010 was just an especially difficult and busy year between all the snow storms, my awning collapsing, my outdoor light fixture being severed from the wall, my roof leaking, my counter lights going haywire, my attic steps being damaged, my upstairs bathroom leaking through my living room ceiling, my lawnmower breaking, and probably a few other things I’ve forgotten. Not to mention my crazy work hours, sometimes 50-60 hours a week with 10-15 hour days. And also dealing with helping my sister with all her wedding plans. I simply didn’t have the time or energy to deal with a lot of things. Another part of it, though, was that my focus and goals simply shifted and I was no longer the same person who started 2010.

GENERAL GOALS:

1. To simplify my life. - eh

I had big plans to cut down on activities and clear out the clutter from my house. Neither of which happened. I did, however, let go of certain things such as my karate class, which was becoming a greater and greater burden due to issues with my instructor. It’s incredibly difficult for me to let go and move on from something once I’ve made a commitment, so this was actually a huge step for me, and definitely a healthy one. Additionally, I was offered the opportunity to serve as an assistant in a Chakra Balancing class, which is something I would have jumped at the chance to do in the past because of the learning opportunity. However, the instructor has turned on many of her assistants in the past, including myself, and has pushed away all the people who were closest to her and her greatest supporters. So I chose instead to offer support while maintaining my distance, and to use my limited time in healthier pursuits rather than re-entering a potentially destructive relationship. Another big step for me.

2. To be present in the moment and live more mindfully. – not really

I feel like at some points in the past year I had glimpses of this, but overall, the past year was so incredibly overwhelming for me, that those glimpses were brief and far between. I believe that this resolution will not be possible until I first learn to simplify.

3. To find joy, balance, and direction in my daily life. – yes!

Strangely enough, I think I did find a bit more balance and direction in my life this year. One of my major problems has always been that I’ve had too many interests and felt torn between trying to do everything at once. This year, with my introduction to the world of triathlon, my focus has narrowed to swimming, biking, and running fitness. Also with my recent certification as an accredited Tai Chi Chih instructor, this form has taken priority over my involvement with my many other healing modalities. It was still a struggle to have my martial arts and other energy work shift to the back burner, but it was also healthier for me to limit the number of different directions I was being pulled in.

For the first time in a long time, I feel passionate about something again. Last year I wrote about feeling like I’d lost my drive and passion, and this year it feels great to have found it again!

4. To meditate and practice energy work on a regular basis. – sadly no

With the absolute insanity of this past year and the increased clutter in my house, my Tai Chi Chih and Taiji Quan practice took a huge hit. As I struggled more and more with finding time and space to practice, my Taiji Quan form especially suffered and really showed in my weekly classes. Then my Taiji Quan instructor changed the day of his class to the night I had to work evenings, pretty much ending any practice at all.

Since Tai Chi Chih and Taiji Quan were my main form of moving meditation, my meditation was pretty much non-existent as well. And other than a few rare occasions, I hardly did any energy healing either.

Very sad, since all these things were such a huge part of my life before. But unfortunately they definitely took the back burner this past year.

5. To open myself to guidance from the Universal Life Force. – not really

I think I spent so much of this year barely surviving, there wasn’t much time or space to quiet my mind and open myself to anything else.

6. To manifest the things I want in my life. - nope

I was too busy being swept up in the current to attempt to direct or manifest anything. Hopefully that’ll change this coming year.

7. To become a healthier, fitter individual and incorporate fitness into my daily routine. – yes and no

Well, until a few months ago, I made huge gains in this area. Lost a lot of weight, getting down from 167.6 pounds at the end of 2009 to nearly 150 pounds in the summer of 2010. I finally learned how to swim freestyle and not to panic after well over 20 years of faking it. Also, not only did I complete my very first triathlon in 2 hours 48 minutes 34 seconds, meeting my goal of finishing in under 3 hours, but also beat my time by over 4 minutes in a second triathlon a few months later in 2 hours 44 minutes 6.15 seconds. And I also ran my first 5 K since 2004 in 31 minutes 59.5 seconds, only 4.5 seconds slower than my first and only other 5 K when I was 6 years younger. All pretty slow times for my age group, but an incredible accomplishment for me considering the fact I would have never even entertained the thought of even attempting a triathlon at the beginning of the year.

I was looking good, feeling great. But then suddenly started gaining weight in the late fall due to decreased activity due to the colder weather, and poor eating habits, although my vitamin D deficiency (8.8) might have also played a role. In any case, I ballooned back up to nearly 174 pounds at my heaviest and on December 31, 2010 was 168.8 pounds vs. 166 pounds on December 31, 2009. My running stamina has also suffered greatly, and in the past month it’s been a struggle to even run 2 miles at slow speeds.

A bit frustrating to say the least. I feel like I’m starting back at square one again with both my weight and my fitness level. But I did it before, so I know I can do it again.

8. To become more in tune with, and gain better insight and understanding of, my body and its natural rhythms. – a bit

I think I’ve accomplished this a bit. Definitely a bit more in tune with my cycles and with my weight. Still not as in tune with myself in general as I’d like to be, though.

9. To give back to the people and the world around me. - yes

In conjunction with my triathlon training, I joined a group called Team Fight to raise money for young adults with cancer. It felt great to not only be racing for myself, but also racing for a cause and raised $1250.00 for the group. It felt incredible to be doing something for something larger than myself.

I also did the Polar Bear Plunge which raised money for the Special Olympics of Maryland and also managed to promote greater recycling at my office at work.

I would still like to do a lot more in terms of directly interacting with people, though. Life was just so crazy this past year, tough, that unfortunately I just didn’t have the time to get as involved with volunteering as I would have liked.

10. To continue and increase my focus on my self-directed training and studies. – eh

Unfortunately, a lot of my self-directed training and studies were the things that got sent to the back burner this past year. I did move forward with my Lymphedema specialization, though, even though that’s more work related.

SPECIFIC GOALS:

1. To meditate at least five times a week and increase the focus of my meditations. - nope

Total failure on this one.

2. To do at least some form of daily energy work. - nope

Pretty big failure on this one too. My commitment to daily energy work decreased rather than improved as the year progressed.

3. To present an updated in-service related to complimentary medicine at my hospital. – sort of

Lymphedema took the forefront at work. Lost count of how many inservices I provided on that topic. Although I did provide Tai Chi Chih instruction at Return groups for brain injured patients and also did a Tai Chi Chih workshop for the Cancer Institute at work.

4. To incorporate complimentary medicine into the hospital setting where I work. – sort of

I actually am making a bit of progress in getting Tai Chi Chih integrated with my physical therapy and in the hospital environment in general. I lead a Tai Chi Chih group for brain injured patients in the Return program, led a Tai Chi Chih workshop for the Cancer Institute and am actually scheduled to lead another workshop for the Cancer Institute tomorrow. I am also getting very close to actually teaching an ongoing Tai Chi Chih class to employees and community members at my hospital.

5. To teach a formal Tai Chi Chih class. – not yet

I’ve taught a few workshops here and there but still haven’t set up a formal ongoing class yet. As I said above, I’m getting very close to setting up a course at my hospital, but just need to find a free evening to do it in. I also have a whole list of places I could approach to teach, but just haven’t had the time or energy to attempt to do so yet.

6. To become a certified Level 2 Qigong Instructor by my 30th birthday. - nope

I’ve completed all the hours, but just haven’t gotten around to submitting the application yet. Mostly because I’m OCD about making sure my records are absolutely accurate and include everything. Going to hopefully get this done this year, though.

7. To create and follow a healthy, balanced vegetarian meal plan. - nope

Not even close.

8. To get at least 6 hours of sleep at least 5 days a week. – not really

It depends on the week. Sadly, I think the number of days I got less than 6 hours greatly outnumbered the days I got over.

9. To formally work out at least 3 times a week (not including my regular classes like karate). – sort of

As active as I was this past year, I think most of it was more weekend warrior type stuff rather than consistent 3 days a week workouts. Still definitely upped my fitness level overall, though, although now I'm back at square one again.

10. To be able to do at least one pull up / chin up unassisted. - nope

The closest I got was a chin up with 30 pound assist, which was actually a step down from my best of a chin up with 20 pound assist. Another goal to bump to this coming year.

11. To run a 5K in under 35 minutes and participate in an official race. – yes!

Completed a 5K in 31:59, missing beating my previous 5 K record of 31:55 by 4.5 seconds. Not bad considering I did the last race when I was 6 years younger and I still met my goal of finishing a 5 K in under 35 minutes

12. To weigh under 150 pounds. – nope

Well, as I said above, I got close to 150, although I can't remember what my lowest weight was. Maybe 152 or 154 pounds. But all the weight gain at the end of the year definitely negates any accomplishment with that.

13. To completely finish setting up my spare room as a spiritual and functional mediation/healing room. – nope

Not even close. In fact, with everything going on this year, my spare room turned into an extra storage area to throw everything that I couldn’t handle dealing with at the time.

14. To clear out and organize my other spare room. – nope

Again, not even close. It’s been on my mind, but I haven’t had the time or energy to even make an attempt at this project.

15. To clear out my room at my parents’ house. – nope

Nope. I could barely even take care of my own house this year.

16. To volunteer on a more regular basis. - eh

See general goals above. I was active in a fundraising aspect, but not very active in terms of personal interaction with people. Definitely hope to change that next year.

17. To make a greater effort to spend more time with friends. – a bit

I’ve definitely interacted with people a lot more and been more social this past year, but am still very withdrawn. I think the main problem is that I always feel like I have so many things to take care of on my “To Do List” that I feel limited from spending time socializing.

--Moonshadow

I've got a blog?
I guess I've got a blog. :-)

Description
Sat Jan 8th 1pm.
My friend Lindsay Waxler of Rooted in Wellness, acupuncture for the body, mind, & spirit. Is kind enough to invite MD/VA Jedi Chapter into her clinic for a introduction and demonstration of acupuncture. She is willing to answer any questions or concerns you have about this wonderful branch of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Lindsay is also knowledgeable in nutritional counseling rooted in Chinese medicine energetics as well as Qi Gong and Tai Chi.

You can find out more about Lindsay and her clinic on www.rootedinwellness.org

Location:Columbia Office
8865 Stanford Blvd #114
Columbia, MD 21045

Phone: 410-227-2825

New years eve was very interesting this year. My original plans had me going out to see the fireworks in our nations capital, Washington DC. Recently I had new found appreciation for the history of the country and consider it a great way to end the year. But the important part is to spend it with the people who meant the most to me. First and foremost my family and then close friends.

The weather was fine and fairly warm for this time of year. I even has bought a decent amount of hand warmers just in case the weather was bad.

I knew no matter what my plan was I wanted to spend it with my best friend. She wanted a quiet evening away from crowds. I'm a little more of a in your face party goer. But I'm willing to go with the flow. She wanted to spend it at her parents house. Which is cool because I like them the few times I met them.

Before that I had my 17 year old sister spend the night at my house and she had to be taken to work 30 min North of where I live. She informed me that when she gets off of work at 10 she will spend nye all alone in her house. Oh this broke my heart and instantly any plans to go to DC was out the door. Bff even offered to come up to my place too so we can spend it all together.

I stayed at my house till it was almost time to pick her up. I even passed out sleeping. But I received a call that I didn't have to pick her up. Her Grandmother found out she was going to be alone and drove to surprise her. This was great news I didn't want her to be alone at all.

So I'm making plans to hang with my bff at her parents house. I'm about to head out thre door when my roommate had the most violent coughing fit. It was as if she had an asthma attack while she was coughing. Imagine trying to cough out and trying to suck in whatever little amount of oxygen you can get into your lung. At some point she was between posting out and throwing up. I was very concerned for her at that point. She said I didn't have to stick around she could call l an ambulance if it got bad. There was no way I was leaving the house after that. I made sure she got in bed to rest.

So I canceled the plans and decided too stay in and sit on the sofa texting people and wishing them a happy new year. It kinda stinks but it was the right thing to do. Staying home isn't that bad except I don't have a way to watch the ball drop on tv cause I got rid of cable tv and didn't have the box to catch digital signals. So I was stuck with netflix & posting to facebook to celebrate.

HAPPY NEW YEAR my fellow Jedi's

We at the Maryland / Va Chapter are very happy that Andy and his wife are in Baltimore for a visit.

so far we have gone to dinner at Papermoon Diner, walked around the Inner Harbor, visit Field of Screams, a haunted attraction in PA, food at Sonics, visit Washington D.C. (well sort of. I got distracted and had to turn around),

Later we will watch Andy spar with a sword master from the MD area. Not a bad visit I would say. The weather could be better.

This is an invite for All Jedi's on the JRC. Come over here for a visit. We can make time for you and go to these places and more. We did all this with less than a week notice (4 days). Think of what we could do with more than two weeks notice.

China suspends heavily polluting mines and mineral processing plants, and its efforts to make the clean environment of certain metals prices soared nike air force to record levels.

While China, including oil and copper appetite for raw materials, including large well known, but it is also the largest number of minerals and metals producers, such as coal, lead, and little-known minerals such as antimony.

Antimony market, the environmental initiatives of Beijing felt the impact of the most direct and intense. This metal is used to produce refractory products, including children's clothing. 90% of the antimony produced in China, most of which produced the "World of antimony are" Hunan Lengshuijiang.

Beijing to ban heavily polluting the mining activities, antimony price has risen to $ 11,000 per tonne, compared with January 2009 increased by 150%. 10 years ago, the trading price of the metal was as low as 1,200 dollars per tonne. This metal can be no real alternative.

Over the years, China has been trying to force the weak environmental protection measures off the metal manufacturer. But opposition by local government officials, making Beijing's intentions in setback. These officials rely heavily on these mines and processing plants, create jobs, bring tax revenue, and sometimes bribes.

However, in remote mountain areas in Hunan Lengshuijiang City, Gucci handbags officials shut down illegal mines and more than 100 processing plants, leaving only two large processing plants continue to operate.

The industry's managers and officials in the region, said a small number of manufacturers in compliance with environmental requirements, may be re-started, but the rest will be permanently closed.

Jiang Yongsheng (sound) is stopped by a local government operating without a license antimony processing plant owner. He said: "The Government has very strict." His factory was razed to the ground, and he thought impossible a short time to re-start.
Over the years, regardless of the wantonly indiscriminate mining has made the region lush green vegetation was lost, and now shows full of bare soil and jordan air barren slag heaps Ridge scene.

Many families have moved out of their home looming piles of slag, the slag heaps are higher than their roof. A local resident said: "The sky is gray here."

Local officials did not provide for antimony-related air pollution in the number of deaths caused by cancer, but they did not try to hide the high incidence of lung cancer to local residents the facts. The local community held demonstrations to protest the antimony production-related buy handbags lung cancer mortality and poisoning.

Unlike other parts of China, will quickly suppress the protests continue, Lengshuijiang city officials started to take measures, through a mine Guantingbingzhuan plan to clean the region's air, soil and water.

Lengshuijiang Beijing successfully implemented their environmental intentions, the extent of other places in China is rare, and those places usually turn a deaf ear to the environmental laws.

Over the years, pollution control requirements Lengshuijiang has been pressure, but last year, Beijing announced that the city was 44, "Resource orange dried cities".

Hunan Forestry Academy of Sciences Tongfang Ping (voice) said: "One hundred percent of the illegal nike shox tl mines have been closed, and shall not be re-started. The Government is very strict supervision."

"2010 Cross-Strait joint maritime search and rescue exercise," this morning in Xiamen, Kinmen held in nearby waters. This is the first cross-strait sea and nike shox air together to carry out full three-dimensional search and rescue exercise.

According to the Taiwan Affairs Office earlier, during the exercise on the theme "protection of cross-strait links, build peace Strait" Strait Shipping Exchange Association, China Maritime Search and Rescue Center, Xiamen city government, the Chinese search and rescue association, Kinmen County Government, and Cross-Strait joint maritime search and rescue will be the implementation of the relevant departments of the joint exercises.

The commander of the exercise by the mainland's Association for Shipping Across the Taiwan Strait Xu Zuyuan as honorary chairman of Taiwan's commander in chief by the Search and Rescue Association, honorary chairman of the Chinese male as Zhang Cheng. The two sides commander and invited guests will observe the same stage direction and exercises.

According to the China Maritime Search and Rescue coach handbags Center Duty Office Director General Di Jiugang introduction, the purpose of this exercise is to strengthen cross-strait related search and rescue communication and collaboration between departments to verify the cross-strait direct flights search and rescue emergency response plan for scientific and operational, to improve maritime emergency response capabilities, while testing the actual search and rescue search and rescue coordination and effectiveness of command, and better protection of the Taiwan Strait, maritime transport and security operations, search and rescue of life at sea to promote a higher level of cross-strait cooperation in cross-strait passenger and cargo flights safer, cleaner, more convenient.

The search and rescue exercise is strength in cross-strait cross-strait "three links", the first time around the Taiwan Strait, maritime transport and safety of life and property held in joint exercises, marking the cross-strait cooperation in maritime search and rescue departments in Fujian and Taiwan based maritime search and rescue a major step forward on, search and rescue across the Taiwan Strait will become a new milestone in the history of cooperation will also deepen exchanges and cooperation across the Taiwan Strait as a new starting point.

The exercise has three characteristics: First, the cross-strait jordan shoes common maritime search and rescue forces for the first time the planning, co-organized joint participation and co-operate together to complete large-scale joint maritime search and rescue exercise. For the smooth implementation of the exercise, the two sides conducted a number of maritime search and rescue sector depth of communication and consultation on the purpose and significance of the exercise, participating forces specific subjects and reached broad consensus. Participating forces include cross search and rescue vessel 14, three rescue helicopters, ships two simulated accident; another drill ship 10-site guard, seven other ships. Maritime search and rescue units across the Taiwan Strait in more than 20 on a total of more than 400 people will participate in drills.

Second, the content of targeted exercises. The exercise in cross-strait direct sea emergencies that may nike shox r4 occur as the background to the fire of life at sea and ship-based aid, according to the situation that may occur to simulate the accident, the ship in distress, respectively, start the alarm. Cross search and rescue agencies received warning signals at the same time, verified after the dangerous search and rescue emergency response plans are started (program) reaction. Subject Specific exercises include: shipwreck help, alarm and distress to verify the information, emergency response coordination and communication, search and rescue organizations, sea search, rescue human life, medical aid, ship fire, rehabilitation and recovery.

Third, maritime search and rescue forces across the Taiwan Strait for the first time on the same stage command, observe the same stage, same stage commentary, on the same stage exercise. Taking into account the safety and operational exercises, exercise area set in the border area between Xiamen and Kinmen, the specific location is in wholesale handbags Xiamen waters near Anchorage No. 4, the main exercise area covering about 6.2 square kilometers. Sea drill site layout viewing stand, the two sides shared the site to send an officer to explain. The two sides participating ships, helicopters, staggered in the same division of the regional search and rescue drill exercises, and common co-coordination to complete the exercise subjects.

Meeting was a success by our standards. It was hosted at my house with emphasis on getting interest in members attending the next Gathering. Physically we worked on Tai Chi warm ups aka Body Looseners. We aslo worked on basics of breakfalls. The first section of Eight Piece Brocade.

We had a total of six people and I feel all would be interested in returning. A special thanks to the Chicago Chapter for sending a potential member our way.

After the meeting Moonshadow, Pheonix, Derick and I went out to dinner at Z-Burgers and discussed the future of the MD & NoVa Chapter. So far we have some great things coming up as far as potential plans are concerned. The future is looking bright.

It is time and beyond time I took the time (haha) to make some notes about last weekends kendo seminar...before it's THIS weekend, and while it is still reasonably fresh in my mind.

On Friday morning, I popped into the University book shop and picked myself a nice little Asian themed journal, exclusively for making notes about kendo and I have done some writing in there about the seminar, but I haven't finished yet. Some of it is stuff that you folks won't be very interested in, such as exercises to improve suriashi and fumikomi, but some of it you might find quite interesting indeed. Or you can fake it ;D.

I finished up work at 12pm on Friday, then went and picked my husband up from his work and we went to the hire car place together. As we have only one car, I had arranged for a small (cheap) car for the family to use during the weekend, while I used our car to go to Christchurch. We picked up the car, then I made my goodbyes and set off in my (previously packed) car for Christchurch.

I stopped about 4 hours in to the drive in Ashburton, to go to a particular wool shop that specialises in handspinning and weaving supplies. I wanted to get there before they closed as I wanted to get a drop spindle to start teaching myself some handspinning (SCA related stuff), and I made it with about 1/2 hour to spare. From there, I called the Chatelaine of the Southron Guard SCA group, whom I had arranged to meet for dinner Friday night earlier in the week. Sure, I could have gone and joined the group for some kendo instead, but I had decided to take advantage of getting to know the Southron Guard folks a bit better too. I made good time into Christchurch and met them at 6pm for dinner at the Burger and Beer restaurant, which was playing music designed to appeal to Gen-X's like myself and served very, very large burgers. We had a good chat about SCA related things and then I headed off to the motel where the Invercargill and Otago people would be staying.

I was the first one there. I was extremely gratified to find that they'd given me a little tiny studio room by myself. Apparently it had been the intention of the Invercargill folks to have me bunk in (as I thought they would) but the elderly couple owning the motel decided that wasn't right and let me have the room for no additional cost. I was very grateful and it was such an enormous relief to be able to enjoy some quiet and privacy. I texted the Invercargill folks letting them know where I was and that I'd be going to bed early and would see them in the morning. I did indeed go to bed early but slept very poorly due to a) too much light leaking in b) people standing outside my window talking until about 1am c) a bloody magpie that started warbling at 4:30 or 5am.

Needless to say, I was perforce up bright and early and caught a ride to the high school gym where the event was taking place with the Invercargill crowd. Before we left, I learned that Mike (the moody bloke from my club) had slipped in the bathroom that morning and was going to a doctor to check he hadn't broken anything. Unfortunately for him, he was out of training for the weekend before he'd even begun.

I won't go too much into what we did on the Saturday. The sensei, a 7th level Dan from Japan who was actually a really friendly and nice guy for a change (not at all like the very stiff and proper chaps I'd seen previously), showed us and described a different way of holding the shinai that was supposed to help women and children gain more power. In kendo, we generally hold the shinai in the left hand with the emphasis on the little finger, but he said to do it with the middle finger. I instantly liked this much better, as it basically gave me a better balance point and sped up my cuts considerably. He also showed us a different method of fastening the do (chestplate) that I also like a lot better and will use in future. Mostly though we worked on different cuts, there was lots of fighting with people of the same grade or above, and by the end of the day I was absolutely exhausted, so tired that when he asked us to finish off with 50 jumping men and then dozens of suburi while standing in a deep horse-riding stance I was barely able to keep the tip of my shinai up, let along cut quickly. It seems funny in retrospect but at the time I was debating with myself whether I was going to faint or puke first. Since I had my helmet on I was hoping for fainting.

A bad point for that day was he asked us first off to do tski cuts (thrust to the throat), which I have not been taught to either give or receive. I was working with another 5th kyu and he hit me quite hard, and it really snapped my jaw and head back and I got to work the whole rest of the day with a bad headache. Other than that, working with other 5th kyu's from other clubs confirmed for me that I am most definitely ready to grade up.

By this time Mike had arrived and he asked me to drive him back to the motel, as it was paining him to drive the car. He didn't break anything but did manage to tear a muscle in his buttocks, probably the piriformis. I was glad of the excuse to get back as there was to a meeting after the training the others were staying for and I wanted nothing more than a shower and a brief collapse. Which I got.

I then went to dinner with the kendo folks and sat with a group from Lower Hutt (near Wellington) and made some friends there. Should we ever move from Dunedin we'd head for Wellington so I took advantage of the opportunity to learn more about the club there. They have quite a few senior female members and some mad keen Star Wars fans I had a good chat to. Unfortunately the food was pretty mediocre but the company made up for it.

I slept slightly better Saturday night, mostly due to exhaustion.

I was up again very early Sunday morning to pack up and to get to the dojo by 7am, as we were having early morning giedako (fighting). I found that while my body was tired, my spirit was willing and I soon figured out that there were plenty of others there even more tired than I was.

After this we split into two groups, one to do grading and the other to work with the sensei. We did various exercises, but the most interesting one that day was when he was talking about and demonstrating ki (and of course this is probably the most interesting part for you folks to read). He spoke a lot about the nature of ki, mostly in Japanese but he would use some English words as well. He picked a heavy young man (120kg) from the group and had himself and 3 little Asian girls try to lift him using only two fingers each, which they couldn't do. Then everyone held their hands over his head until all their hands felt hot, and then they quickly repeated it and were able to easily lift him. Then we all separated into groups to do it too and it did work, could be a good one to do at a gathering.

He spoke about how to merge your ki with your opponents and use it to determine when they are going to attack, and how to use it to make them think you are going to attack, and where. So it can be used both in a predictive and tactical fashion. He had us stand behind one member and we had to put our hands up when we felt him shift his ki and focus around on the opponent. I could clearly feel it, an analogy would be if someone was shining a bright, hot light at someone, and you were standing behind them and could feel the heat, then they shifted the light and you could feel the way the heat/light moved and then steadied again.

There was quite a bit more on this, but I have the horrible feeling I'm forgetting it already, the important thing is though that I understood it intuitively and was able to apply it. We seperated into kyu gradings again and I was working with a younger lad, and I was able to tell where he was intending to hit every time, using a combination of observation of his body language and his energy. I think I freaked him out a little lol. Then I worked with Shunya, and found that using this new way of sensing I was now as quick and quicker than Shunya (who is 17) and was hitting imen (simultaneous hits to the head) almost every time, I have had great difficulty with this up to now.

Best of all, we then lined up and started fighting everyone else regardless of grade, and I was definitely fighting better. The sensing technique went a very long way towards compensating for other peoples greater height, youth, and speed. I was very chuffed at getting some really nice cuts, and I know I surprised a few of the younger men who were not expecting it.

Sensei said, and Tatsuya says from time to time as well, that each person has their own style of kendo and has to learn and capatilise on their own strengths. I've been wondering what, if any, my particular strong point(s) are in kendo. My height is only average and I don't find it either an advantage or disadvantage. I don't have youthful energy and vigor. But I do think now I have two strengths. Firstly, my ability to read other people, which I haven't been applying to kendo as much as I probably should have been; and also my mind (ok, my deviousness), or I could put it as, fight smarter, not harder.

We'll see how this all pays off later in the year.

I left just after lunch to drive back to Dunedin, and made it back by dinner time. I was so tired and bruised and smelly! The kids didn't care though and climbed all over me (ouch, bruises). All up, I was glad that I went because the sensei was so very good and expressive, even if his English was poor. I could understand what he meant via the interpretation, but more so from his actions and body language. I made some friends and gained a better idea of my current (real) level of skill. Worthwhile if expensive.

Oh my word but I'm tired. Both my organisational abilities and stamina have been getting hit rather hard lately. I have been constantly on the go for the last couple of weeks and I have at least another week to go. I'll give a brief rendition of what's been on.

Uni Stuff - I had my first assignment for the semester due on the 11th August, i.e. last week. I had to arrange with a local business to do a hazard walkthrough, do the walk through, and then write and submit a report on it. I spent a lot of time on the assignment and ended up staying up late the night before it was due because I had to resize/reformat all the photos in it before the file was small enough to email. I have since been continuing to work hard to catch up on the class readings that I had to neglect because I was working on the assignment. I'm up date right now, but will shortly be behind again due to this weekends kendo seminar. I have the second assignment due on the 13th September (a health and safety audit) and I'm trying not to get panicky, because the material to do the assignment is in the readings this week and in the weeks leading up to it being due, and I'm worried that I'll get behind too much, or won't find a place that will let me audit them, and that I've done badly in the first assignment (haven't got the marks for this back yet).

Work - Work has been quite difficult of late. I have been frantically busy every moment I have been there, trying to get all that needs to be done done in my short work period (3 hrs/day), I have also been doing more hours which is meaning I'm keeping up at work but getting behind in other areas, e.g. in my studies. It has been busy because of students grants and the upcoming Blues (sporting awards) and Golds (cultural awards). Nominations for these closed last Friday and I have been processing the nominations and preparing packs for the panels that will decide who gets the awards, as well as making arrangements for the meetings and awards. The main reason I have been struggling is because of my manager, who has been quite disorganised and has left too much until the last minute, but I'm still expected to get my portions of the workload, which are dependent on her doing her bits, done on time. There are other things there too that I don't want to go into too much, it's enough to say that there are days I really don't like working with her. There is also the constant spectre of redundancies in the office and it's just not much fun. Additionally, there have been the student executive elections over the last week which have added an additional work load and stress to OUSA employees. The chap who was our Clubs and Societies Representative has now (just this evening) won the position of CFO for next year, I don't know if this is good or bad.

Work will stay frantic for at least another week.

Family - It's been a busy month family wise. It was my mothers and her twin sisters birthdays on the 11th (the same day my assignment was due) and I had to get their presents organised early enough to post off and ring them on their birthdays. My eldest boys birthday was the next day, the 12th, and I stayed up late on the night before to get a birthday cake made for him. He had asked for a Batman symbol on it, so I made a chocolate cake and poured over a white chocolate icing. The next day I sort of painted on a batman symbol in melted chocolate. It was a bit wonky but he was thrilled anyway. He got up very early on the morning of his birthday as he was so excited, so basically I didn't get much sleep last week.

The day after that, so that is last Friday, my in-laws flew over from Adelaide to visit for the weekend, and left this Tuesdays morning. Needless to say I got little done all weekend except playing host and doing housework. While it was nice to see them, I found the timing of the visit quite stressful and was feeling quite limp by the time they left.

Kendo- Kendo has also been taxing both my organisational abilities, my patience, and my health. This weekend is a big winter training camp in Christchurch (about 5.5 hrs from Dunedin) and there has been all sorts of problems with Otago members pulling out at the last minute, not communicating with me (as the coordinator for our group) regarding transport etc. In the end I threw up my hands and said I was driving up on my own and everyone else could get there how they pleased, I'd had enough of their dithering.

We are staying in some units with the Invercargill group, and I found out, to my displeasure, that I'm the only female kendoka going from our region...i.e. the only one in the units. I'm a bit worried about this and not looking forward to spending the weekend with a bunch of guys. Hopefully they'll be gentlemen and let me have the room with the double bed so I can have some privacy. There will be some females from other clubs at the training.

I've also been struggling a bit with injury. Two weeks ago one of the club members decided to hit me as hard as he could during an exercise. I ended up with my right forearm purple from wrist most of the way to the elbow, and it is still tender on the bones though the bruising is gone. I have also been having trouble with my left foot again, I have been to the physio twice in the last week and had some massage on my calves today but it is still dicey. I am also a bit worried about injuring it and then having to drive home (it's my clutch pedal foot).

Finally, the chap I don't get on well with (and the one who hit me so hard two weeks ago) is grading on the weekend, probably to 1st kyu. I'm apprehensive about the probably he will be sempai next year and not looking forward to his 'teaching'. He does know his stuff but he is almost bipolar in the way he can be really nice some times, and at others quite bitchy, moody and even cruel. I could not grade this weekend because they were restricting it to 3rd kyu up.

Basically I have a lot of worries.

I'm also feeling really guilty about going away this weekend, about leaving the family. I've been doing some cooking and baking to stock up on some things, but it doesn't make me feel any better. The kids have also been really clingy the last couple of days and saying how much they'll miss me, which also makes me feel bad. But I made a commitment to attend this weekend and I have to go through with it. Hopefully it'll improve my kendo, but I'm so apprehensive about everything and remembering how exhausted I was last time I went to one of these, and still have the 5.5 hr drive back on Sunday night to 'look forward to', that I am not expecting to enjoy it.

SCA - Oh yes, how could I forget? I've organised a pot luck (because the seneshal is the same chap who is the Clubs and Soc's representative and he is only thinking student politics right now) and have sewn up a viking dress (mostly by hand) and am making an apron dress. I'll post pictures on facebook when I have time. This is about the only leisure time I've had of late and I was proud of myself for making the dress from scratch and without a pattern, and it fit! The Southron Guard that we are affiliated to have been emailing me and encouraging me to go for seneshal when it comes up next, since I'm doing all the work at present anyway. I'll be finished with uni next year so will think about it.

GEneral - Juggling, juggling is what I've been doing of late, and it is wearing me down. I don't see any abatement coming up though until I've finished the semester on the 30th Oct. I almost desperately want to get back into meditation, tai chi etc, but when I do try to meditate at present I'm so tired that I end up dozing instead, which is something I've never had a problem with before. I'm trying to be patient with myself, after all there is an end in sight, but it is hard. Hard.

No more posts for me for a few days, I'm off to Christchurch tomorrow.

Before I begin I just want to clear the air here and say that I do have the tendancy to be a partial skeptic when it comes to "New Age" type stuff. But I totally respect that it and all that goes into it. I mean if it wasn't effective why would it be around for hundreds if not thousands of years. It's basicly the same argument I give for Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Mercury in Retrograde (Mercury Rx) is said to wreck havoc on comunication and travel. We are now in a period of Mercury Rx according to the website and a very gifted phychic roommate. A good example would be this post I'm writing right now. This is actually my fourth time writing this. It started out as me stating that I'm a skeptic. Then something would happen and the page gets lost or something. So after I wrote down that I'm a partial skeptic it seemed to let me continue.

So why am I writing about Mercury Rx? Good question it's just a segway into the rough day I had yesterday and I would love to blame it on the havoc of the Universe. But ultimately the blame lays on me and my aloof self.

I had Monday morning off and I did absolutly nothing but read and catch up on old movies online. I hardly moved and felt very guilty about it. I promised myself that on Tuesday when I get off of work I will drive down to Washington DC and visit the Library of Congress and checkout the Capitol Building. I parked my car at the Metro station and took the train down to DC. I was excited to go checkout some out of print books.

The rules to the LOC is very strict since it's a Federal Goverment Bulding. It's an archive/ museum and reserch facility all in one. They have heavy security posted at the enterance. They are backed up by police armed with assult rifles. One of the main rules is that you cannot access the reading rooms unless you are doing research. To obtain a research card you have to go to another building to apply for it. Not too tough but they do make you work for it. The other rule is no persoal belongings is allowed in there. So I had to take my backpack to the coatcheck area. My backpack had my canteen, sunscreen, book, pens, notebook, and most importantly my keys.

I requested the books at one room and had a 2 hour wait before they get delived to the reading room. The Main reading Room is the one fetured in National Treasure. I decided that I have some time I might as well kill some of it by taking the underground tunnel and checkout the Capitol visitor tour.

I got there just in time for the start of one of the tour group. I got to see all these facinating parts of the buikding I never knew about. For example the dome of the building is so tall that if you placed the statue of Liberty in it (just the statue) there will still be thirty feet of space from the end of the torch. Also there is a fresco inside of it with a theme of George Washington assending into Godhood. Yeah kinda disturbing. I wonder if he would have approved that when he was alive?

Anyway I get swepted up into learning the history of the country and took more tours around the area and had lunch in Chinatown. One thing led to another and before I knew it it was 7pm. I had to make it to the library to read my books. Last time I was there they closed at 9:30pm. BUT NOT ON TUESDAYS AND FRIDAYS they close at 5pm.

I got there went through security and my heart was sunk when they told me I couldn't go in. More importantly my backpack with my keys is in the building. They weren't able to help me. I franticly thought of things I could do. To make matters worse I was on the red as far as power for my phone is concerned. It was looking very bad.

I had to be very strategic on who I picked to help me out and it had to be someone what is a go getter and not too far away. I picked my brother. He lives in Fairfax VA and it just so happens that it's only 10 minutes away from the last metro stop. I gave him a call and he was in the middle of a poker game. That means no phone on and no leaving unless it's life or death. I waited about an hour before he checked his phone and for him to call me back. At this point I had no bars on phone and it was reminding me to charge soon.

He listened to my story and had to pass me on to his girlfriend Wendy to help me out. BUT she was in the middle of a two hour long Bikirim Hot Yoga class. So she wasn't going to pick me up till after she showers. Not a problem since the Metro stop is the last one there it might take me an hour to make it there anyway. So things will work out.

It's great to know that my brother and Wendy are able to help me. I'm on their couch right now as I'm typing this. We will be going to the LOC this afternoon to retrieve my keys. I hope my car will still be in the parking lot when I get there. They were very specific about it not being an overnight parking lot.

So to sum it all up Mercury Rx messes with travel and communication. We are just starting out in it and there doesn't seem to be an end in sight. But on the bright side. I got to hangout with my brother and checkout his new pad in VA. I know that I have extraordinary people in my life. Not just family members but also friends and Jedis :)

On an even more awesome note. While Wendy was picking me up we stopped by Targets. I got the last copy of Wii's Gold's Gym Cardio Dance game. Oh yeah don't be hating.

Don't take the people you have in life for granted.

It's good to be home. I had taken a couple of weeks off to head back east for my wedding(part one of why I couldn't attend the gathering...Part two is still waiting on the passport...LOL)

Anyhow we drove from ON to NB towing a camper(that is nicer than my first apartment) which was nice because we had a command post to operate out of the whole time, no need to hunt for dog friendly hotels and buy food at restaurants.

When We arrived things were already in full swing ref: Baking, external mods(new deck) placement planning(tentage, wedding arch etc) So we were free to Vanish so I could go get my kids in NS for their 2 wks with dad and as they were participating in my wedding kind of had to go get them...lol

Once we returned the next afternoon, my Fiancee's cousin who's 9 asked if myself and the kids wanted to explore by the brook, we all agreed(I had to go as my son is only 4 and fearless but not quite big enough to make it through the challenges he goes after... I'm 5'11" and I had a hard time crossing the rocks...lol) Anyway the young lad was leading with my daughter(6) in behind with my son and myself following. I suddenly Heard a blood curdling scream and see my daughter fall then start scrabling up the side of the hill towards the road... I told my son to stay right where he was... I rushed up over the bank ran to my daughter and she was screamin and crying about scratches or stings... I was going to investigate when my son took to screaming(like all 4 yr old boys he did not stay where he was he advanced) I jumped down to grab him out of there and that's when I discovered the other boy had accidentally stirred up a hornets nest... My son took the worst of it(12 stings) followed by me(11), my daughter only got stung 3 or 4 times... But to make matters worse I was stung on the face my left side was drooping from the amount of venom I had taken I kind of looked like I had a stroke...lol on the bright side we discovered that no one was allergic to hornets...

The rest of the first week was good, wedding went off without a hitch, except for the reception... I had given my groomsmen Lightsabers from ultrasabers as groomsmen gifts... I had a couple spares one of which was used by a bridesmaid... and she caused the breaking of one of the groomsmen's arms Poor fella...Moral of the story alcohol and lightsabers... not a good mix...Lol

The second week we just kind of adventured about and returned home...