Finding great family attractions in a destination city is easy to do. There’s something for everyone. As you are visiting this city, you may instantly fall in love with their downtown area, the local music and the nightclubs. However, it is a place to bring the entire family. Numerous facilities in the area will cater to a wide range of activities for the entire group. Large or small, young or old, there is something here for everyone. You may find it is an ideal way to spend a vacation or just a weekend away from a busy life.

What to Do?

If you are planning a trip to the city, look for family attractions that suit everyone in your group. Some outstanding facilities here offer a wholesome experience and keep smiles on faces. Here are some suggestions.

There are many things an area might be known for, but a good place to start with teens is the historic district. A strong historic presence here is both whimsical and fascinating. It is the type of experience that older children will enjoy exploring.

Visit the zoo. There are hundreds of wildlife exhibits here in a spectacular display. Kids of all ages and even adults will appreciate this location. You will also learn a great deal about land and environment preservation here. Be sure to check out the aquarium and the insectarium if the city has them, too.

Check out the wildlife up close. There are various encounters present throughout the area. Nothing is as fun, though, as alligators and other megafauna. You could take a wildlife tour and get up close to the creatures.

Check out the theme parks. There are many of them throughout most regions. Amusement parks attract many people each year. They are the home of numerous slides and theme park rides, as well as an antique carousel worth visiting just for its history.

Enjoy the simple things. Go golfing. Visit one of the stables in the area to go horseback riding. Enjoy a day out in the city parks. You can even go exploring in the forts nearby to this area. You will find there is always something simple and fun to experience here.

Shopping, museums, art centers and even IMAX theaters are in cities to help you to enjoy yourself while you visit. These family attractions can be a lot of fun for everyone involved. They can also be one of the best ways for you to just relax and unwind. When you visit this area, you will smile a great deal because it is just a welcoming, friendly city with plenty to do and see throughout it. It is impossible not to enjoy spending time here.

For some reason, I am no stranger to criticism. Certainly anyone who puts themselves out there in the public eye had better learn the lesson very quickly that everyone has an opinion. Your choice is to accept whether their opinion has validity. That’s it, plain and simple.

From the time we enter our first art class in college we’re told to listen and learn. It isn’t always the easiest thing to digest when your professor is telling you why the girl that makes Cheerios in her underwear for a performance piece is better than the life-sized masterpiece of classical inspiration you’ve slaved over for three months – but you have to take it all with a grain of salt. It has been eluded that this profession seems to have it share of crazy people. I personally have found some truth to this. However, if you limit it just to what is said vs. how you take it, you’ll learn how to deal with it. The best thing about it is that the more you hear, and the more experience you get, the easier it all becomes.

Today I received this email, by accident, of course, from the editor of a particular publication I was promoting my artwork in. His wife, as it turned out had corresponded with me and was very professional and courteous. I’m sad for her that she had to be berated like a silly girl by her husband. But the best part is, that it didn’t even reach her, initially that is. Well, unless this man felt the need to call me sweetheart… I made sure I copied his wife so she had it for her records too. I mean, it seems only fair that she knows what an idiot she married – right?

(Name withheld)

Sweetheart, I thought you agreed never to respond to these e-mails.

This guy’s a nutter, and now he has a reason to expect me to treat him seriously.

Just keep forwarding the e-mails to me.

g

Wow, what a lovely thing to have sent to my inbox this afternoon – I’m a nutter! Now of course I responded, quickly and very directly, to this ridiculous accusation from a person that I’ve never met or has even corresponded with me. Worst of all, now he had to do his job! I think one could argue his intelligence when he replied to her but the email went to me instead. I love being berated by the Academe. They have tons of education but little poise to interact with real people in this business.

The problem is that I could have accepted the slander towards me. Many artists would because we’ve all been told to listen and suck it up. I don’t care who the person is, what their title is or who they know, if their opinion of me or my art is wrong I don’t have to give it my attention. The problem with accepting all opinions from others is that it should be restricted to discussions on artistic technique and context, not how you conduct your business. In my opinion, the chick eating the cereal out of her panties was a nutter – me, I’m just an ambitious painter.

This is the art business, not the studio. You don’t have to accept what others think of you. If you don’t realize that early in your career you are done for. I’ve been picked apart in my hometown newspaper on the front page, I’ve had people attack me for doing the Fire Sale and the Portrait Marathon and not one of the accusations were for doing anything that was provoking in nature. It doesn’t get easier as you get more and more successful – in this profession or any other. Everyone always has an opinion and I break down criticism from anyone down into two categories:

1. You don’t know me well enough to realize I am as good as I am at what I do

2. Jealousy because you can’t do what I can do

Keep that advice with you all of your career and it will easily derail any feelings you react with. Never take what anyone says at face value and allow it to take you down. The only advice you listen to is that of those that love you AND share your vision. Do not let anyone tell you that you can’t do something. I’ve spent a lifetime using things like this as fuel and that is exactly what I am suggesting to you.

Oh, and lastly, a secondary lesson, always look at your “To” box when you send emails…

Self-portraits provide visual information to art historians investigating famous artists of past eras. How useful a self-portrait can be in uncovering the inner workings of any artist’s mind is the question that drives my present inquiry.

Rembrandt made so many self-portraits, covering the whole of his long career, that he is a contender for champion of the field. Like me, you may well doubt he had any interest in competition for the title but his rivals now include most of the names found in any History of Art.

First among these is Vincent van Gogh.

Famously noted is the fact that during his life, Vincent made only one sale. At his death, all of the work he produced was left in the possession of his brother. Just six months after Vincent’s mysterious death, Theo also died. In his will, Theo bequeathed all of the artworks to his widow, Johanna van Gogh-Bonger.

Many tribulations, not least the death of the architect, delayed completion of this facility until 1973. When I visited in 1984, the building itself seemed to me the most stunning artwork on exhibition. Its design was far ahead of the times, setting each of its floors at slightly different levels, so that only natural daylight was needed for display of the paintings on show.

Rembrandt’s studies for his paintings often seem, to me, to show an impatience to be on with the real business of getting paint onto the canvas and bear little in common with the towering skill of the painter. Van Gogh, on the other hand, seems to lavish the same care on his drawings as on the most ambitious of his paintings. The drawings are as personal to Vincent as his signature on the letters sent to his beloved brother.

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‘Sources of Power’ by Gary Klein is a highly complex but extremely intelligent interpretation of how our mind works and how it should work. Certain people are indecisive, not because they can’t make decisions but they fail to utilize the various sources of mental powers.

Intuition and intelligence are two ends of the mental spectrum. Animals use the former primarily while humans use it only in times of crisis. If you are able to make great split-second decisions using your intuition, it doesn’t mean you are gifted with a sixth sense. It indicates that you are better in calculating various options and then taking the decision that appears amazing even to you.

How does a trained mind work?

Suppose, an investigating team finds a dead woman with no clues, it will automatically start on basic principles leaning to intuition. The nature of the place; the injury; age of the woman, all give the team certain signals and they carry on their intuition. However, it is necessary to stop at intervals and check whether they are proceeding on the right path. The other sources of mental instincts come to the fore there.

The more knowledge you gain in a field, the more specific you become. You do your doctoral thesis on say ‘Quality of movies made during 1940s’. Likewise, the more decisions you make you in a career, you start to gain perfection so as to instinctually pick the best decision available. It might seem to others that you are making a split-second decision purely by instinct and not assessing other options. However, in actuality, you have an idea that it is the best decision in present circumstances. Experience is a key to your decisive powers.

Exceptions call for exceptions

However, when you get across something that is exceptional or which would not happen again, even experienced people will have troubles. Say, you have a dinosaur lurking in your out-house. You have no mental bookmark against this hazard, apart from ways shown in ‘Jurassic Park’. You will eventually have to depend on perception and an idea that the dinosaur will act in a particular manner and you should act contrarily.

If you work as a team, proper coordination and understanding is required to make decisions. It is a given that even implied orders are understood cleanly. Otherwise, it can lead to a comic end, even if both sides think they did right.

Be prepared to take the risk

Always be alert about the bigger picture, if you are making an important decision. In case of doctors, it might lead to death and following ruckus. Decision-making requires a practical and concentrated mind, ready to take on that risk. When your aircraft wing gets broken, you take the risk of landing on the airstrip or among trees. Your decision might be based not on technical study, but on your memory of aircraft stories you have read.

You have to be good at evaluating a problem and finding a direct solution within moments. This is the summary of Sources of Power.

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A Matter of Character, Sisters of Bethlehem Springs Series #3 By: Robin Lee Hatcher, Zondervan Publishing

A Matter of Character is a Christian historical fiction novel set in 1918. I think I especially enjoyed reading this book because the main character would have been about the same age as my grandmother in that year.

As the story opens, a young newspaperman, Joshua Crawford, has made the decision to travel to Bethlehem Springs, Idaho. He is furious, and bent on confronting the author of a series of dime novels, D. B. Morgan. Why? He feels that Morgan has brought disrespect to his late grandfather’s name, using him as the unsavory main character in the novels.

Meanwhile, in the small town of Bethlehem Springs, Daphne McKinley, a beautiful young heiress, is busily working on her 11th volume of the McFarland Chronicles. No one knows she write novels, except her publisher. And the publishers don’t know she is a woman. So she writes under the pen name of D. B. Morgan.

Her carefree lifestyle is turned upside down when a handsome young man takes over as the editor of the town newspaper. The problem is not that he is the new editor, but he is intent on finding an author named D. B. Morgan. He wants it to be known that all of the facts about his grandfather are wrong in the novels. This was the strong, Christian man who helped to raise him when his father died.

Daphne is in a real predicament. If she lets him know she is D. B. Morgan, a confrontation will surely result. But what if her facts, based on local lore, were wrong, and she really was destroying the reputation of this man? She realizes that words matter, they can destroy or build up.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It kept you wondering and turning pages. The Christian values were woven throughout the novel, eventually revealing how God can completely transform a person’s life.

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Toddlers and young children love Wiggles so throwing a Wiggles theme party will be a major hit among the celebrant and his or her friends. Party games are an essential part of any party, therefore, planning various games and activities is very important.

Pin the Feather on Captain Feathersworth. Use a picture of Captain Feathersworth or draw and paint the captain on a large sheet of poster board. Give each child a purple feather and have them paste it to the feather in Captain Feathersworth hand. The winner of the game is the player that places the feather on top of Captain Feathersworth’s feather.

Dorothy the Dinosaur Egg Hunt: This game is played with plastic eggs that have been placed around various areas of the party room. Paint the eggs in Dorothy the Dinosaur green and yellow colors. On go, the players must search high and low to find the eggs. Give all the players small baskets to collect the eggs in.

Wags the Dog Bean Bag Toss: This game is played by putting a picture of Wags on a box and then cutting open a mouth area to catch the bean bags as they are tossed. The object of the game is to throw the bean bags so Wags the Dog can eat. Additionally some guests may want to use real dog bones instead of bean bags and this add to the party.

Henry the Octopus Tag Game. The party host pretends to be Henry the Octopus and tries to tag the rest of the players. If the players are tag they must become an extension of Henry and are able to tag the other players, but those players tagged must remain in the area they were tagged. The object of the game then becomes avoiding Henry and his helpers as long as possible. The game ends when there is one player remaining who has not yet been tagged.

Wiggle B.I.N.G.O. Wiggles B.I.N.G.O. Can be made by playing Wiggles characters, numbers, and letters inside the squares on the cards. This is not only a fun game but helps children recognize with letters, shapes, and numbers as well.

Furthermore having Wiggles Party Supplies and Invitations along with activities will add a great deal to a fun filled party complete with music, games and other activities. Wiggles Party Supplies and Invitations with fun party games will create a delightful party celebration the little ones will love certainly.

Aby odnaleźć atrakcyjną pożyczkę gotówkowa musisz dużo się naszukać. Na rynku istnieje mnóstwo towarzystw tak zwanych pozabankowych, jakie oferują szybkie pożyczki.

Bez wątpienia wśród tych towarzystw znajdują się również i takie, które są usposobione na szybki zarobek, przez co oprocentowanie tych wierzytelności jest bardzo wysokie.

Jest również inny sposób na otrzymanie szybkiej pożyczki. Coraz bardziej lubiane są pożyczki prywatne.

W skrócie są to zobowiązania udostępniane przez osoby prywatne a warunki na jakich pożyczka jest wzięta są precyzowane indywidualnie pomiędzy pożyczkobiorcą a pożyczkodawcą. Podstawę prawną takich wierzytelności stwarza umowa cywilno prawna.

Gdzie tych wierzytelności wypatrywać?

Propozycje pożyczek prywatnych można znaleźć w rozmaitego rodzaju serwisach ogłoszeniowych.

Aczkolwiek najkorzystniejszym miejscem w którym możesz wynaleźć atrakcyjne oferty pożyczek prywatnych są specjalne serwisy ogłoszeniowe, w których umieszczane są przede wszystkim ogłoszenia finansowe.

Parę miesięcy temu uruchomiliśmy nowy internetowy serwis z ogłoszeniami finansowymi. Zapraszamy do zamieszczania ogłoszeń, jak także analizowania propozycji.

Wiadomości pożyczki

Często wzięcie zobowiązania finansowego w instytucji bankowej, wymagać będzie od potencjalnego wnioskodawcy posiadania zdolności finansowej. W zależności od tego, na jaki rodzaj pożyczki będzie się starał wymieniony klient, bank wylicza jego zdolność kredytową. Jednak w wypadku, kiedy objawia się, że użytkownik takiej zdolności nie ma, odpowiedź instytucji finansowej będzie tylko jedna, a mianowicie odmowna. Czy w tej sytuacji otrzymanie niezbędnej gotówki jest nieprzystępne? Oczywiście nie. W takim przypadku bowiem do dyspozycji możliwego konsumenta pozostają usługi udostępniane przez firmy pozabankowe.
Zdolność finansowa – co to jest?
Licząc zdolność pożyczkową banki kierują się następującymi założeniami. W pierwszej kolejności wezmą one pod obserwację ilość domowników w gospodarstwie, a w następnej kolejności średnio miesięczny przychód netto uzyskiwany przez omawiane gospodarstwo|domostwo. W następnej kolejności pod uwagę brana jest kwota miesięcznych rat bankowych domostwa, wielkość wielkości limitów kart kredytowych wszystkich konsumentów i ilości dostępnych limitów w kontach bieżących konsumentów, a także kwota wielkości innych miesięcznych długów kredytobiorców mająca charakter stały a więc orientacyjnie alimenty, leasing itp. Na zakończenie pod uwagę brany jest liczba lat kredytowania.Tak więc osiągnięcie zdolności kredytowej jest trudne.
Bez zdolności finansowej?
Wskazane jest jednak zdawać sobie sprawę z działania jednostek pozabankowych gotowych użyczyć nam pożyczki bez posiadania zdolności pożyczkowej. Pożyczki oferowane przez te firmy są pod wielorakimi postaciami. Przystępne są kredyty chwilówki, kredyty na dowód, zobowiązania bez zaświadczeń o uzyskiwanych dochodach czy też kredyty dostępne przez sieć internetową. Co ważne, w przypadku wszystkich z nich ewentualny konsument nie tylko, że nie potrzebuje mieć zdolności pożyczkowej, ale z reguły nikt nie wymaga od niego skonkretyzowania celu zaciąganego zobowiązania. Niestety, takie zobowiązania – gdyż są powiązane z większym niebezpieczeństwem jakie ponosi firma – mają także wyższe oprocentowanie.

Szybkie pożyczki wiadomości

You got together with your friends for lunch and they all started reminiscing about the old times, and what fun you had, and you should do it again. Suddenly, you blurt out, “Let’s do it. Let’s have a party at my place. This weekend. It’ll be fun.” Now they are all excited, and looking at their iPhones to make sure they are available. It’s agreed, you will host a party this weekend.

Now what are you going to do? Fortunately, it’s impromptu and small, and you won’t have to worry about formal invitations. But there are still a lot of things to get done. Lets look at a few steps that will ensure a great impromptu party.

Invitations: Go Electronic

Even though you sat around the table with your friends at lunch, be sure to confirm their participation with a text message, Facebook invite, or invitation online from a place like Evite.com. This will also give you the chance to verify what everyone is doing to make the party succeed; whether its bringing dip or drinks or calling the others who weren’t at lunch.

Decorations: Recycle

You’ve got lots of St. Patrick’s Day decorations left over from last year. And since you and your friends didn’t celebrate St. Patty’s Day together, make it a St Patty’s Day party, or Christmas, or 4th of July. It doesn’t matter what the calendar says, you can take this opportunity to use up some existing supplies, and make a new special day with your friends.

Food & Drink: Basic Finger Foods

Your friends won’t be expecting a full dinner party, so let’s get some nice, delicious sandwiches, pizza bites and cheese chunks. Soup is quick and good, especially if there is a little nip in the air. Additionally, your friends have all got their favorite thing to snack on, and you can suggest they bring some for everyone. Get the cookie baker to bring a batch. Don’t forget the cake or pie maker.

Food, decorations, invitations. What’s next? An excuse to clean your house. Since it’s just friends, no major renovation is required. Put all the loose things away, and make sure everyone will be comfortable. A nice spritz of the bathroom, and you are ready.

Get the music playing, the meatballs warming, the wine chilling and the smart phone at the ready. You know someone is going to need directions. I was too long ago that you had your last party, and maybe they didn’t write down your address or apartment number.

The last thing when hosting an impromptu party: HAVE FUN! No need to get all panicky. Enjoy your friends and the time together.

The first thing to remember if you want to become a teen model is ‘parental consent’. You might think once you reach the age of sixteen you do not need it, but it should be stressed that if you want to be really successful you will need their support. Certainly if you are in your early teenage years you are not going to get very far without mum or dad.

No reputable agency will sign you, and forget trying to con your way through it. They will most certainly insist on seeing your passport, and they will also want your national insurance number, both of which contain your date of birth. Frankly, it is not even worth trying, as you are meant to be building a relationship with these people. In any event, as a minor you need to be chaperoned on many of the shoots, that is where family come in. Who will drive you all over the country, or accompany you on the overseas shoots, if not your parents?

What sort of jobs are you looking for, or what can you expect? The best place to start is catalogue work. Their pages are cram packed with clothing, and the teenage section is one of the biggest features. Page after page of young models, all of whom have been paid to show the garments at their best. This could quite easily be you! Apart from fashion modeling there is of course television and movie advertisement work. Here again there is a huge demand. Many of today’s established actors and actresses started by working on adverts. Patsy Kensit started out as the little girl on the ‘Fairy’ ads before going on to bigger and better things on stage and screen.

The first thing you need to do is set about finding an agent or agents to represent you. You are going to need some good quality pictures of yourself, but be very careful here. There are a lot of alleged agencies who will charge a lot of money to shoot your portfolio with promises of work, but after you have paid them they lose interest. Do your research, and find out how long they have been in business. Nowadays it is easier to check such companies out on the internet. Do a search, check forums, and only when you are sure they are reputable should you proceed. There are a lot of opportunities for you whatever you look like, but it is very much a learning process, so be patient and don’t expect overnight success.

Stained glass windows history began around 300 AD, being introduced into newly built churches by architects of that era. The beautifully designed glass told stories from the bible and soon began to be known as the poor man’s bible. During the 16th Century there was much destruction to churches due to religious upset which, led to a need for restoration of stained glass windows.

During the 18th century the use of colored windows was no longer fashionable so there was no longer a great demand for glass art. Specialists within this field started to focus on restoring glass in churches and grand homes.

Due to World War II many designs had been lost or burnt during the bombing. Most files had been recycled into fire and other things. Artists during the great restoration period had to be taught the old technique of using glass colored within a pot, painted fired and then connected with lead. Using hydrofluoric acid to treat corroded glass and then scraped the glass with a metal tool. If the artist felt that the glass could not be restored new panels would be fitted.

In the 1800′s stained glass came back into fashion with the influence of Tiffany glass, bold colors used on flat areas and heavily lined. It wasn’t until the 1900′s that colored glass windows were being used again by architects worldwide.

In the 20th Century new ideas were being formed, changing painted art into decorative art and windows of colour. Architects around the world were trialling new techniques to create their glass art work.

During the 1960′s churches were no longer being built so money was spent on restoring church stained glass windows.

Today stained glass windows are a work of art that features in plenty of homes throughout the UK and abroad.

As church windows told stories from the bible, today many people choose to create a design that tells a story of family memories or family members. There are also many, many contemporary designs to choose from or experts in the field will create a bespoke design.

With traditional or contemporary designs, the choice of designer is key to the end result. Bespoke design and production is a skill as with other trades and needs a professional to complete the work to the highest standard. A designer must be fully trained and experienced with good testimonials. Their level of competence will show in their previous work.

Stained Glass once only told stories from the bible has taken on a whole new concept; now allow people to bring vibrant colors, light and designs into their homes.

What is Life?

We all know that a life is born on Earth, grows, multiplies and finally stops all its activities by the process called death. For a common man, LIFE means the activities between birth and death whereas actually it is not so, as will be seen in this article. Also, for our article, let us consider human life for discussion because humans have the unique property called Intelligence, popularly known as the sixth sense. By virtue of this special capacity, man does not stop with the processes of birth and death but goes beyond that by conducting research about the origin of life.

In fact, life consists of three parts.

1. Life before Birth which should be rightly called, “Status of Life before Birth”

2. Life during the period covering birth to death and

3. Life after death i.e.: status of Life after death”

Let us consider all the above three aspects both in scientific and philosophical points of view.

1. Status of Life Before Birth:

What is the status of life before birth? For knowing this, one should be able to visualise a status beyond space, time and conservation laws. It is only during birth life enters the material Universe, which essentially consists of space, time and conservation laws. One more activity of life is THOUGHT which has created the Universe around him in which he is living. Discussions about all these aspects are reserved for future and what we are discussing here involves only the physical aspects of life. Naturally before birth, life is devoid of any physical matter. But all the plans are already coded in a plane above the material Universe which is activated during birth according to the secret code already inscribed.

A. Concept of MASTER INTELLIGENT PLAN is proposed by the author of this article,. Inasmuch SPACE and TIME belong to material Universe, INTELLIGENCE belongs to a plane ABOVE the material Universe. The fact that life is continuously generated in various forms of living beings leads us to think that there should be a plane which stores all the secrets of life. That generator should contain the entire genetic code in a subtle form. That plane is named as MASTER INTELLIGENT PLAN, implying that the secret code is inscribed in the form of a PLAN which will unfold in course of time as life proceeds.

In the opinion of this author LIFE is not much different from INTELLIGENCE. In other words only intelligent beings ‘live’, man possessing the highest form of intelligence. That intelligence is in the form of a master plan with various genetic codes imprinted in it. That Master Intelligent Plan (M.I.P) is behind manifestation of life, maintenance and all the behaviour we see on Earth.

Like computers, master intelligent plan is also binary in nature. (Or is it the other way? Let us give a thought over this). Matter is Ordinary state, and Life is an excited state. Matter, due to various reactions, chemical and physical, is able to touch the lifeline which is none other than the Master Intelligent Plan and life is formed. These reactions in micro level cause individual life and at macro level cause evolution. This is a simple treatment of how Intelligence enters life from Master Intelligent Plan to life during birth.

B.Concept of ‘Aperiodic’ Crystal Introduced by E.Schrodinger in His Book “Book of Life”

The above paragraph dealt with how Intelligence entered life. Regarding the material aspects of life causing physical body, the concept of ‘aperiodic’ crystal was introduced by E.Schrodinger to define the basic element creating life. He envisaged an element which is not classified by periodic table, hence beyond material perception, and it contained genetic information in its configuration of co-valent bonds. Later, scientists who discovered DNA acknowledged that Schrodinger’s aperiodic crystal was the fore runner for DNA which carried the genetic code for generations. A study about RNA and DNA will make it very clear how the genetic codes imprinted in the Master Intelligent Plan are carried over generation after generation.

2. Life During Birth to Death:

A: Bio-chemical Theories of Life:

The protein making machinery of a cell acts as the spring of all bio-chemical reactions and it is known as the Living State. (According to Prof Late R.Balasubramanian I.I.T, Chennai). The D.N.A molecules change through mutations and are instrumental in producing proteins, which determine the biochemical characteristics. The complex machinery uses existing proteins for synthesising further proteins. A large R.N.A is the key molecule in the protein synthesising mechanism.

The basis for this building mechanism is the secret code imbibed by the Master Intelligent Plan, as mentioned in the foregoing paragraph.

B: Concept of Entropy and Negative Entropy (as discussed by E.Schrodinger):

In fact, the concept of Negative Entropy is one which has given a new dimension to the study of what is life. Let us see first what the definition of Entropy is. The term entropy is not new to a graduate student of Physics. It is a thermodynamic term which means unavailability of a system’s energy to work. A decrease in energy availability is accompanied by an increase in entropy. All irreversible processes in a closed system are thus accompanied by increase in entropy. Schrodinger takes up the popular idea that the increase in entropy is a measure of DISORDER. The entropy of the Universe is progressively increasing and hence the disorder continues increasing as well. This applies to all the systems in Universe till an EXTERNAL AGENCY interferes and reverses the direction. That external agency in the form of energy converts entropy as NEGATIVE ENTROPY by giving fresh supply of energy, thus converting disorder to order. Hence entropy brings disorder, negative entropy brings order. Schrodinger applies this simple mechanism to life.

In other words, it is the mechanism by which any organism sucking orderliness from its environment is able to live and the vast Universe is the agency which supplies that orderliness. That process is called intelligent living and any intelligent living being gets its supply of negative entropy (ORDER) from the surroundings. The most powerful supplier of order for living organism is the SUN which provides all the support for maintenance of life.

B1: An Example of ENTROPY (Disorder) and NEGATIVE ENTROPY (order):

As discussed in the above paragraph, when entropy increases disorder increases. In fact it is unidirectional like the time arrow. Even the Sun which supplies enormous energy in the Solar system is affected by this law and one day it may also die due to the process called Heat death. However the living objects circumvent the above law by deriving negative entropy (order) from the universe surrounding it.

Intelligence is the cause which helps the living beings to draw that order. For example a disease may be classified as entropy whereas the medicine that man has discovered to cure it gives order which helps him to prolong his life. Even ordinary food, sunlight etc provide such power to derive order. We shall see an illustration from medicine to highlight how the concept of negative entropy nullifies disorder.

B2: Example of Penicillin as Supplier of Negative Entropy:

The concept of negative entropy as a supplier of ORDER can be applied to MEDICINE taking the disease as DISORDER and cure as order. We shall consider PENICILLIN for the purpose of explaining the above.

The DISORDER is caused by gram positive bacteria including those causing syphilis, meningococcal meningitis, gas gangrene, pneumococcal pneumonia, and some staphylococcal and streptococcal infections. Penicillin is effective against such disorders in many cases. The class of penicillin that includes ampicillin andamoxillin with clavulanate is against gram positive and gram negative bacterias such as Haemophilias’ influenza which effectively cures the disease.(More details may be obtained from books on medicine on this topic)

B3: Co-Meditation as Supplier of Negative Entropy:

Sometimes even a psychological support will bring in necessary energy to bring back order. In this regard, the saying of J.Krishnamurti, the world famous Indian Philosopher (1896-1987) is quoted as follows:

Krishnamurti with a dying patient:

Quote: He (the dying patient) said, “I’m dying. Disease, Incurable. And I’m frightened” So I (J.K) sat with him and held his hand, and said “Let us die together” “If there is any kind of attachment. I’ll die with you. You are free of attachment. Unquote.

This is what Ramana Maharishi did for his dying mother. Several Christian preachers perform this co-meditation for the dying patients.

Co-meditation brings peace to the dying patients by infusing enormous energy which is otherwise known as ‘negative entropy’ in physical plane.

However death is certain for organisms. In course of time, the living being loses its power in drawing the order and finally ceases to exist which process is known as Death.

Hence, creation by the Master Intelligent Plan, maintenance by providing Order and destruction by death goes on endlessly and the Universe never ceases to exist.

B4: RELIGION: BHAGAVAT GITA on Negative Entropy:

When seeds are sown, it is essential that they should be properly fertilised. In addition to that, the weeding out process also is to be carried out. In practical life, if unscrupulous people become a majority, the world will be totally ruined. How to compensate this disorder and bring disorder?

Lord Krishna, in Bhagavat Gita says: “Whenever Dharma (ORDER) decreases and Adharma (disorder) starts ruling, in each and every such age (YUG), I shall manifest myself in action, I shall annihilate the evil and establih the good. (Verse no 8, chapter IV).

If one understands the reality behind this verse, he need not worry that the Universe will come to an end one day whereas the Truth is that it will remain there forever.

What more we want to define the concept of Negative Entropy which E.Schrodinger brought out in his book?

3. Status of LIFE After Death:

Religious leaders and scriptures have told in various ways that there is death only for the physical body but the scheme behind it known as SOUL never dies. Hindu Philosophy has put a KARMA theory stating that as per the Karma (acts) done in this birth, the life goes to the next birth. Without going to the merits or demerits of the above, let us see how a life goes to future lives.

It is the firm conclusion of the author that life can travel only through the secret code written in GENES, transmuted from Master Intelligent plan through RNAs and DNAs. There is no other way for life to travel. The genes are transferred during life itself to the future generations. The onward transmission of DNA and RNA by reproduction constitutes the transformation of life into future lives carrying over the genetic codes.. On one hand, a new born baby has life due to the genes inherited, and on the other, it improves its intelligence through various experiences and knowledge gained due to education etc. during its life period. During its life period it transfers that code by further reproduction.

There is no death for the secret codes inscribed in the genes. They are carried over generations after generations and live eternally.

In other words, transformation of CODES from the MASTER INTELLIGENT PLAN is BIRTH, Transformation due to various experiences is LIFE and carrying them over to future generations may be called Re-birth.

CONCLUSION:

In this article, we saw the following points:

1. Various genetic codes are inscribed in the minutest form in a process called MASTER INTELLIGENT PLAN.

2. They are transferred to intelligent life through aperiodic crystals (as propounded by E.Schrodinger) which were known later as DNA and RNA molecules.

3. Living beings improve upon the organism by gaining more and more intelligence and drawing order from environment known as Negative Entropy. (E.Schrodinger). for this examples were given starting from medicine, co-meditation, as well as the Bhagavat Gita and Holistic Philosophy.

4. The genetic codes never die and they are carried over to future generations and the process continues for ever.

THIS IS LIFE!

The writer of this article wishes readers healthy, wealthy and prosperous life.

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If you are looking for a musical to produce or to see in celebration of Halloween, here are a few suggestions. Some are funny and some are serious, some are well known and some are off the beaten path, but all embody the spirit of Halloween!

Bat Boy

One of the most overlooked Halloween characters is the humble bat, but, when a half-bat/half-human boy is discovered in a cave near a small town, the bat is celebrated. Based on stories made popular in tabloid newspapers, Bat Boy is the perfect combination of humor and melodrama. And, the score is fantastic!

Brenda Bly, Teen Detective

Scooby Doo meets Nancy Drew as teenaged gumshoe, Brenda Bly, uses her wits to solve the mystery of who is trying to sabotage the school musical. The show features 50′s style tunes that audiences will love and, not only does Brenda Bly solve the mystery and capture the villain, but she also finds love along the way.

Dracula: The Musical?

Fans of cheesy comedy, goofy puns, and over-the-top slapstick will love Dracula: The Musical? It’s a silly musical farce based on the classic Dracula story and, if you can turn off your brain, sit back, enjoy the ride, and have an entertaining Halloween evening.

Halloween Hullabaloo

Overweight vampires, depressed pumpkins, and an insecure monster are featured in this hilarious, fast-paced Halloween musical revue for adults. It has a Saturday Night Live/Laugh-In feeling and is chock full of brilliantly satirical skits and original songs about Halloween.

Little Shop of Horrors

Little Shop of Horrors is a musical parody of 1950′s sci-fi movies that has delighted audiences across the country since 1982. In addition to fantastic rockin’ tunes, it features a gory plot where a clueless skid row floral assistant raises a plant by feeding it human blood.

Mystery of Edwin Drood

It’s not just a Charles Dickens novel; it’s also a skillfully written musical theatre piece inspired by British music halls and pantomimes. And because Dickens left the novel unfinished at the time of his death, the spectators get to vote on who murdered Edwin Drood, and the show has multiple endings depending on the whim of the audience.

Ruthless

It’s always good fun to watch an evil little girl get her way via homicide, and this cynical musical parody of The Bad Seed is no exception. This time, little Tina Denmark commits murder to get the leading role in her elementary school production of Pippi Longstocking. As the plot veers beyond The Bad Seed into Gypsy and All About Eve territory, mother and daughter compete for stardom, and the story spirals into an outrageously satisfying climax.

Sweeney Todd

Stephen Sondheim is one of the titans of American musical theatre and the award-winning Sweeney Todd is his most chilling work, telling the story of a homicidal barber and his meat pie-making accomplice. It’s appropriately dark and grisly for Halloween and will provide your audience with a truly spine-tingling experience.

Side Show

“Come look at the freaks!” is the siren call of the sideshow performers at the carnival where conjoined twins, Daisy and Violet live and find love. It’s a shocking story of cynicism, manipulation, and narrow-mindedness, but ultimately there is something inspiring and poignant about the twins and their hopes and dreams.

Threepenny Opera

If you like Brechtian drama and the music of Kurt Weill, you will love the dark drama of Threepenny Opera. With a score featuring the now-popular song “Mack the Knife” and a recounting of the wrongdoings of the infamous outlaw and womanizer Macheath, the show challenges the audience’s preconceptions about good vs. evil.

And if that’s not enough for you, there are tons of other options like: Clue: The Musical, Evil Dead, Ghost, Jekyll & Hyde, Kiss of the Spiderwoman, Lucky Stiff, The Phantom of the Opera, The Rocky Horror Show, The Toxic Avenger, Wicked, Young Frankenstein, and Zombie Prom.

Imagine someone handing you knowledge, handing you a book with nearly any question that you might ever ask about nearly anything growing up as a child? Imagine having a book like that as an adult to help your own children with the knowledge you didn’t get while growing up? Perhaps, this is the idea behind fully illustrated question and answer style encyclopedias.

If you can imagine such a thing, well, then let me tell you that it already exists. And I’d like to take this opportunity to recommend just such a book for you to read and own:

“Question and Answer Encyclopedia; More Than 1000 Questions and Answers to Things You Want to Know” edited by Linda Sonntag and designed by Diane Clouting; Parragon Publishing 1998.

This wonderful book is perfect for anyone of any age and is broken down by major topics such as; Space and the Universe, Land, People, History, Science, Animals, Plants, Planet Earth, Human Body and the last section is for the master student; a question and answer quiz, and let me tell you, if you can pass, I’d sure like to know a human encyclopedia like you.

Indeed, I cannot think of a better book to buy for homeschooling or for a parent to buy so they can help supplement their children’s education, when those kids come to them with questions. This book is fully illustrated and written in such a way that anyone can understand, it is a pleasure to have this book in my own library even as an adult. Consider buying a book like this for your own family.

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Nabycie nieruchomości w każdym większym polskim mieście to znaczący wydatek dla przeciętnego Kowalskiego, jednak nie dla tych osób, które się mogą pochwalić niemałymi aktywami na koncie. Filtrując oferty na kilku najpopularniejszych internetowych serwisach dedykowanym osobom zainteresowanym sprzedażą albo zakupem nieruchomości bez żadnych problemów znaleźć można co najmniej kilka ofert przeznaczonych dla najzamożniejszych. W dodatku od kilku lat na rynku funkcjonują pośrednicy, którzy, trudnią się jedynie zbyciem luksusowych nieruchomości. O niemałym zainteresowaniu nieruchomościami luksusowymi świadczy również fakt, że w miastach takich jak Trójmiasto, Warszawa, Kraków bądź Wrocław coraz częściej realizuje się ekskluzywne apartamentowce, w których cena za metr kwadratowy wynosi co najmniej kilkadziesiąt tysięcy złotych. Zważywszy na fakt, iż majętne osoby przyzwyczajone są do wysokiego standardu życia decydują się one na nabycie największych apartamentów często mierzących nawet kilkaset metrów, dlatego też cena takiego mieszkania liczona jest w milionach złotych. Najbardziej kosztowne mieszkania w takiego rodzaju inwestycjach przeważnie umiejscowione są na ostatnich kondygnacjach i często zajmują całą ich powierzchnię.

Ażeby zapoznać się z kilkoma naprawdę luksusowymi ofertami warto przefiltrować zasoby Internetu pod takim hasłem, jak chociażby: domy luksusowe. W taki sposób z całą pewnością natrafimy na kilka naprawdę interesujących ofert. Niestety, jeśli zestawimy je z ofertami pochodzącymi z Europy Zachodniej lub też Ameryki Północnej szybko przekonamy się, iż mamy jeszcze pod tym względem sporo do nadrobienia.

Donkeyland, a Side Street Saga, 1960s

Grandpa’s House [The Old House on Cayuga Street]

The house needed painting

Sun-blistered and flaking

Grandpa started to have us

Boys-start

Doing some scraping-

While he, pealed off the ole

Paint, and started painting…

Just a humble wooden house

With several rooms, but

Strong enough to keep the

Winds and winter snows out!

How he loved that ole house!…

An’ his well-kept yard, which

Contained lilac bushes, and

Big shade trees; where birds

And squirrels lived-season

To season, scattered on…

Branches-they looked like

Play things

(back in the 50s)

#807 8/18/05

1

Something Had Ended

(Part of: Donkeyland, a Side street Saga)

The old man came back to Donkeyland as, one evening he was coming home from work, he had got thinking: as a boy, growing up in the neighborhood was a trip, a great adventure. He tightly held his hands onto the steering wheel of the car, excited he could scarcely speak as he drove down Cayuga Street. His old mouth twitched nervously.

What a life the old man had led since he left the neighborhood, in 1968, it was now 2000, and thirty-two years had passed. He had been around the world.

He knew, the day he left his neighborhood, Donkeyland would disappear once and for all, and it had disappeared once on that train, after closing his eyes and leaning back in the car seat of the train-his eyes had stayed that way for a long while and when he opened them, Donkeyland, and the whole of Minnesota, and entire Midwest had disappeared. When he woke up and stimulate himself-he knew his life there had become but a setting, a backdrop, and the background on which to spread the dreams of his manhood.

He began to think of the time, long ago when he was a young fellow living in the neighborhood, how on such days he’d spend his time wandering about. He was thinking how it affected his whole life, and how a spirit of protest awoke in him, saying: ‘…that’s what I was, what about it, eh? What about it all? I was not the worse of the lot, perhaps not the better part either. Not always up to devilment, but not always up to good. I told them all, you’ll see…oh, not out loud.”

He was in a sad distracted mood and was affected by the nostalgia of the moment. Remembering how it was.

Evens was different than most of the boys-he knew that, not in that he would stand about, listening and occasionally when addressed, saying a few words-but different in that he always had the power to be a part of and yet distinctly apart from the life about him.

In the late evenings his grandfather would sit in the sofa chair, or old sofa couch on the porch and smoke a pipe, silent as he always was at that hour, look out the screened-in-windows, talk to himself, he had a great vigor. Evens could see him at different times as he roamed the streets with the neighborhood boys-see him pacing the porch in the summer evenings.

More often than not he dismissed everything from his mind-how he did it he never knew. Perhaps he couldn’t hate anything, and not being able to understand so many things, he just forgets them; his grandfather being one of those forgetful things, whose nature was always so belligerent towards him-on the whole he was victorious though, so he felt. As often he felt too, the talk of the neighborhood seldom interested him, and he’d slip away. Go up into his room with his thoughts, being alone, write his poetry. As he got older drink him self drunk. He felt it was good to be drunk in those days. If anything it taught him something in his later years-he could now think straight. He wanted to learn things, you see, things he never could understand, that’s why he had to leave the neighborhood, that’s why he did it.

This is Evens’ story. It will, however be necessary to talk a little on his neighborhood so that you will get into the spirit of it: into reading the other sketches pertaining to Donkeyland that is, and on Evens himself.

In the old days Cayuga Street was a notorious neighborhood-known as ‘Donkeyland,’ by the St. Paul Minnesota Police Department. Whomever lived within its boundaries, were aware of the gripping sounds of the Structural Steel Company (where most of the neighborhood kids worked at one time or another, once they hit adulthood), and the Railroad behind it-with its squealing steel on steel, and whistle blowing, and the screeching of cars that raced up and down Cayuga Street, as if it was a drag-strip. The fires going on in the empty lot-called Indians Hill, and the drunken behavior of the boys. All in all it was a constant noisy active neighborhood, with its share of peculiar happenings.

Then one year, there were no more steel items, like beams and so forth produced; the steel workers became laid off, and the yard was stacked with idle steal items. And in due time, all the steel that had been left, was carried away. The big mill had all its machinery then taken out soon after; removed, along with what belts, and tables, pallets, and paints, iron and lumber that were piled here and there. Everything that made a steel mill a steel mill was gone.

Ten-years later there was nothing left, the houses on Cayuga Street all gone, the railroad that had made all those weird noises, stood deserted, as did the empty lot, and now everything that was something at one time, was covered with plain old dirt. A highway was over the head of Cayuga Street- where Mississippi Street crosses it, north and south.

“There’s our old neighborhood,” Chick Evens said, driving up and down Cayuga Street, talking to himself. “There it is,” he said (in reflection and dismay). “I can remember when we played softball over in that there field, drank so much, we couldn’t walk straight, and on that there hill beyond the field we had a number of fights-Indian’s Hill, right there…right where I’m pointing,” said Chick Evens to a ghost, as he looked at and then point to what would soon be a parking lot, with no cars, just a black asphalt turnaround.

His ghost, had been left to nurture the old spirits left in Donkeyland, the old Gang, the voice of his mind told him-how noble.

“It seems more like a castle in ruins now; that is all there is,” Chick Evens mumbled out loud. Then he drove down Jackson Street, alongside Oakland Cemetery his eyes heavy likened to a slab of driftwood (it was the summer of 2000, and something had ended, he had not been back to his old neighborhood in thirty-two years: ‘…what a life his this old neighborhood and led,’ he told himself, ‘it has created a legacy…’).

2

Big Ace

(Part of: Donkeyland, a Side Street Saga)

Big Ace and Dan

If you have lived in cities, in this case let’s say St. Paul, Minnesota, in the early ’60s, and gone out to Como Park, you have seen or could have seen, in those small cages with those iron bars, sitting in a corner, a huge and grotesque ape. Strong, large, ugly and hairy, skin droopy faced ape. A true monster, if it was walking about freely. In its fullness, there was an ugly common perverted beauty in this ape.

When children seen it, they stepped back, griped their father’s hand, freighted and fascinated at the same time. The father in turn, would put on an air of repugnance, pert near a show-for various reasons, and the wife, or even single women in general-I might add, more often than not, seemed to be comparing the ape with… you got it, their mates.

In any case, had you lived in my neighborhood in the earlier years of my life, a citizen of Cayuga Street, called ‘Donkeyland,’ by the local police, there would be no vagueness to look upon, in comparison to the ape in the cage. It was likened to Ace, Big Ace. He was also, often called, Big Bopper, and we can add to that, his real name, his true name, Jerry S.

Sitting with the guys in the neighborhood on a hot summer’s day, on the church steps that is, after a long weekend drinking with his buddies, he was a sight for sour eyes.

Yes indeed, as the ape sat in his corner, the beast in the neighborhood sobered up, sitting in his corner-; there was a similarity, and let’s add an ‘s’ to that.

Big Ace, never having a job for the better part of his life, was tall and the ugliest thing in the neighborhood, no teeth, sunken in cheeks; his bulk, immense, his neck thick, his arms long. He was not dirty, but everything about him was uncommon to the eye. He was for the most part, taken care of by his family until they passed on, in his forties or fifties. There was something sensitive, simple and even kind about him, strong as an ox and just as dumb, six-foot-six, two-hundred and twenty pounds, if not more at different periods of his life; a best friend to many of us in the neighborhood, during different stages of our formative years.

He bought us all our liquor; he was ten-years older than us. And in spite of his debasement-not working at all, he was still proud of his ability to offer us younger folks a service: booze; buying booze for us with our money, which he drank his sum, and then some.

A few times, when a few older guys got to be twenty-one, the booze buying age, and we didn’t need Big Ace all the time, and he was told to put in his share of money in buying the booze he’d drink, he’d get mad, say, “I’ll have nothing to do with you-all.”

Up along Jackson Street, in the evening he’d go find old friends he once had-his own age, and drink with them or to the saloon and trouble the people there for a drink. And after drinking unbelievable quantities of beer, stagger off home to his mother and father’s house, where he lived until they passed on.

Big Ace was not a man of courage, or a coward. A thing had happened to him, which made him leave the neighborhood for a long while, abandon the neighborhood, but most everyone then was of drinking age. We all kind of felt he might hate women, or fear them. He didn’t call them “Bitches,” but he avoided them. For a long while no attention was paid to this trait of his. And he thus found a girlfriend, or one he thought liked him. But someone else like Mary as much who thought the same thing, instinctively the man felt in him a growing resentment of not only the girl but the other man, as a result, he had the courage to resent, and one night when the other man, Dan, walked through the streets to Mary’s apartment, Big Ace was there, but so was the neighborhood gang. Dan, known as Crazy Dan, had an instinct to pay Mary homage that night, and Big Ace was with her, or at least physically, surely not mentally. And Mr. Eye was there, the in-between man.

Everyone laughed unpleasantly at the situation, between Mary and Big Ace and Crazy Dan, both men about ready to fight one another over her, but Dan of course being the weaker of the two. The woman, Mary was somewhat tall, not real slender, blue eyes and dirt-yellowish hair-more plainly looking than anything else. Dan and Big Ace both chased the woman with a love as absorbing as a camel in heat-apparently she liked the attention or power, she allowed it, foolishly. Dan was a little fat man, he ran home got his shot gun and was going to shoot Big Ace.

In all of the Cayuga Street Neighborhood, there are better people to tell this end part of the story than I, ugly as it gets, and I have never told this story until now, Mr. Eye, who in fact, had nothing to do with the fight or Mary, I mean he was, or had not been a suitor, got in the middle of all this, walked about under their heated arguments, trying to calm them both down, and got shot with that shotgun. God forbid, he died.

That evening Dan tried to escape, get out of Minnesota. Down the highway he went. It was then the police picked him up.

I met Dan years later, after he got out of prison. He was working at a park, said to me – after I spotted him – “Please don’t hate me, or tell anyone where I work.”

The man looked hideous, shapeless, he even had his face changed somewhat, yet I notice him, and he had noticed I had: leering face, staring about as if he was consumed with my curiosity, as if he wanted me to guess, and I guessed right. Something in his eyes, his staring eyes told him that I had nothing to say about him bad, and he was right.

3

June Moon -Concerning Richard Z.

(Part of: Donkeyland, a Side Street Saga)

Richard Z. stumbled forward through the half-darkness of the June moon, feeling himself an outcast in his own neighborhood, ‘Donkeyland,’ as often referred to by the police, of this 1960s district of St. Paul, Minnesota.

Upon the church steps sat the gang, he so much wanted to be part of. He was depressed by the thought that he was not part of their lives.

Richard Z., knew Chick Evens, the half dangerous boy whose peculiarities added much color to the life of the neighborhood. He knew when Evens got into drinking with the Cayuga Street Gang he would become the center of a whirlwind of cries and comments, that in truth, Evens would go out of his way to please his friends, playing the guitar and such. Even Big Ace, his shouts and singing with the others would be colorful, and both Ace and Evens and some of the other guys, they’d all be secretly pleased by one another’s behavior. Gunner would race his car, and so would Mouse up and down Cayuga Street as if it was a speedway.

But it was different for Richard Z., he’d leave quietly, mutter, staring back over his shoulder. He felt that he was something more private and personal to himself. Thus, there was a wave of resentment directed against Chick Evens, his friend. And the guys, the boys of the neighborhood; he thought they were-perpetually talking of nothing, and most of all, against him, his habit of silence, it made him desperate. He slammed the door to his house when he got home, “I’m going to tell the girls, every one of them in High School, Evens is a fool, laughs at them, that he’s a bully, I’ll embarrass him, by his own declaration of false maturity, that he loves no girl and is a brute.”

Stuck with this new idea, young Richard, actually a year older than sixteen-year old Evens, sought out his girlfriends, actually ones that he was interested in.

“Look here,” he told them, “you know Chick Evens?” and they’d know the name, and him by sight, but unknowing him truly any other way. And he told them all kinds of unkindly things, and then went down the stairway and out the front school door muttering with wrath.

It turned out he was excited and resentful that he had been so boastful in his approach with Susie, about Evens, he really liked Susie, and wanted to date her, and felt at the time: wait until I get to talk to her, about Evens, and when he tried to explain, she laughed nervously, as though embarrassed if not for him, for her; he had learned that day, he was boasting too much, that the girls liked the ‘get-up’ of Evens, and he lost credit for being so outlandish.

Richard could see in their eyes that they were saying – secretly saying: ‘What is his great underlying purpose for him saying what he is saying?’

They lay back and listened, he had no definite plan, yet with calm eyes they watched the gesticulating figure of Richard, noisy as he was, the once quiet man, wanting to slander Evens, and the more he did, the more interested they became, in this once half-dark figure, known as Chick Evens. The girls became more stirred, more intrigued. And Richard Z, went and told Evens what he did, and that even made no particular interest in Evens, matter-of-fact Evens laughed, wanted to know who it was, who was the most interest in him, and it was Susie-although Evens did not peruse her, which Richard feared he would. Hence, Richard stood quietly by one side, wisely said, “It would have been better had I said nothing, because they became excited and wrangled about you, increasingly.”

4

Misfortune -Concerning Gail Johnson

(Part of: Donkeyland, a Side Street Saga)

Gail Johnson, a girl of fifteen, when Chick Evens was a mere seventeen, had lived all her life in St. Paul, Minnesota. She was a cheerleader in Washington High School’s Football Team, among other sports, and written in the 1965 High School Yearbook’s, notes and credits. She was two years behind Evens, a sophomore.

Chick Evens was a well-known artist in Washington High School, as well as roughen: no credits or notes added to the yearbook on his behalf. His story is an odd one. It will be wroth telling elsewhere, another day.

Gail was cute, large eyes, blond hair, not too tall, more shorter than tall, clean looking, too clean looking thought Evens. She was very active beneath a placid exterior, she perhaps fermented, who’s to say.

It would seem every time they bumped into each other both would have liked to have had an affair, their eyes met, pert near melted into each others. She, like Evens for that one year seen one another several times throughout the day, every school day. Walking the halls, at the dance, during lunch: they talked briefly once at the dance. Gail was then a very pretty girl and Chick Evens took her by the arm and danced with her at that one school dance, having alcohol on his breath, Mr. Turner, the school activities teacher, and Social Studies Teacher, had asked Evens and his friends to leave because of that misdemeanor-with a threat to call the police if he and they didn’t. And so he was torn away from the dance, and Gail.

At the end of the year, when Evens was to graduate, and go away, ending up getting married at the ripe old age of eighteen-divorced at twenty, she wanted to tell him how she felt, and so she wrote in his Yearbook, “I love you!” As if to say: don’t marry anyone!

Evens was puzzled with the entry, undetermined to check it out beyond asking a friend or two who she was, thinking a hundred people had signed his Yearbook, and this was a joke of some deeply touched person. He didn’t know Gail by her name, he never had asked, she never had said. “She doesn’t know what she’s talking about,” he told himself out loud in the hallways of the school.

And then a friend standing by when asked who she was said sharply “I don’t know who she is.”

For the present it would have to stay that way.

The young Evens did not succeed in his marriage, and for a time he roamed the States, going to Seattle, Omaha, and San Francisco. He began to make friends and new interests in life. In St. Paul he heard there were several print ups, or better said, articles, in 1966 and 1967 concerning him, by a Girl on the newspaper, writing about him, which evidently attracted his attention, but he forgot about it, not knowing the name, who it was, nor did the person who mentioned it in passing to him, know the girls name. When Gail graduated that year, the writings stopped.

In St. Paul the girl who had said she loved Evens grew to be a woman. And as time passed from year to year, she began to practice devices to common active people.

Evens always liked to travel, and so he did all over the world. Gail arranged and rearranged her life, but Evens’ name echoed and re-echoed through the mind of the maturing and aging woman.

In 1994, twenty-nine years had passed, it was spring, and before the long hot days of summer, she called Chick Evens at his work, said “I’m Gail Johnson, do you remember me from High School?”

In the late 1980s he had a call from an old girlfriend from the neighborhood, and she had called him to meet with him, the day he went o meet her, seemed unbearable, she was unkempt, haggard, heavy, nothing like she was twenty-years earlier. For several years that fixed his mind on never going though such an experience again. Beauty and freshness of youth had passed for her. She told him she felt she had been cheated. Sadness swept over her, she tried to talk him into rekindling the fire. He told himself, ‘Why does she tell herself this?’ And he said “It is not going to work, I would never be happy.”

So when Gail called, the voice of his mind said: ‘If you are not careful…!’ realizing what had happened several years prior. Feeble at first, he then told her, “I’m engaged at present,” it was no lie, “And to be honest, I don’t remember the name.”

“You will remember the face when you see me,” she said. “We can just go out and be friends have dinner.”

Unaccustomed to being asked, he was dumbfounded. His mind became intensely active, scared, and weary from the prior experience. He had not remembered those staring eyes of hers. He was not awakened from the long sleep of 29-year ago, at High School. But deep within her voice there was something. Some ambiguous question unanswered from life.

What? What was it? He asked, after they had hung up.

She was so certain of what she knew.

“What is the matter with me,” Evens asked himself, “check out the Yearbook!” And he did, and turning his face to the wall, began trying to force himself to picture her walking down those halls. She was cute, pretty. And thought: many people must live and die, without knowing someone once loved you very much, and hung onto that memory, how nice.

I’m so relieved to know more than one excellent painter I trust, whose presence in my home is at the very least pleasant and unobtrusive, who is orderly and respectful of my personal environment. Personally, I’m more comfortable with someone working in my own home–or in homes of my clients–who has a fairly low profile on the job site and is focused on the project at hand.

You’ll probably also want to feel comfortable with people in your home even though you don’t know them well. There might be times when you are not there, but the project must go on! Even though it’s temporary, their presence is a part of your life. Some of these things you can infer when you meet them, and some things you might just have to ask directly.

Apples to Oranges? Trying to level the playing field can be tricky, because when you start to interview your painters you find that each one can have perfectly reasonable explanations for practices and processes. If you develop a way to keep track of comments and suggestions, and balance that with your own list of project requirements, you will have something to review to try to make “apples to oranges’ into “apples to apples,” to make your best-informed decision.

Here are a few questions to start with:

How long have they been in business? Don’t be shy–ask for references.

Do they work alone or with others? If using a crew, will the owner be available for questions, follow-up and supervision? This will have a lot to do with your level of satisfaction and confidence.

What brand of paint do they use? You may want to just take the painters recommendation for brand, but you should also feel comfortable discussing this, and specifying the brand you want.

Painters often suggest substituting brands with “we can mix any color in any brand.” However, paint companies have base materials that differ and this can affect the outcome. For example, it’s simply not possible to replicate a “Full-Spectrum “paint color in a non-full-spectrum method, no matter how it looks on a small piece.

Three questions about preparation

What is the painter’s typical procedure? General painting practice specifies two topcoats and often a primer/sealer coat. Does the painter plan to prime the walls under the color coat? Some topcoat colors require a tinted primer.

How many coats of finish color do they recommend? What kind of paint for ceilings and walls? In most cases, flat finish paint is best for ceilings. However, the paint that is used for walls is often a higher quality than “ceiling white” especially if a tint or stronger color is used.

Contracts are essential The purpose of a written contract is to make sure all parties understand the scope of work, with clear explanation and details about surfaces to be painted, preparation, methods of working, time schedules and payment procedures for the project. Once you have met the painting contractors in person, this is the best way for you to evaluate the different proposals you receive. Equally important, it protects both you-the client-and the contractor. Reputable contractors will encourage the use of a written contract.

Last but not least: remember these important documents Do they carry commercial liability insurance? You can request a certificate of insurance from the painter’s insurance company.

As with most home repairs and other big projects, aligning the details in advance will set the stage for a better experience.

Do you have a question you would like to see addressed here?