VampireS Sumo

I was 13 years old in 1968 when Henson Cargill, a relatively unknown name in country music, topped the country charts with the Jack Moran and Glenn Tubb penned classic, “Skip a Rope.”

I was just getting into music in a new way. And music was changing in an important way. Pop music was becoming more politically and socially conscious. In a few short years we had grown from “I Want to Hold Your Hand” to “Sargeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” and “All Along the Watchtower.”

Country music was changing too. In another year Kenny Rogers would hit it big with the Mel Tillis Vietnam-inspired “Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love to Town.” On all popular music fronts, social commentary was on the rise.

“Skip a Rope″ was another early country entry in the “all we need is love″ musical movement.

Back in those days the teen music magazines printed the lyrics to top songs in the back of the publication. I was becoming fascinated with songwriting: who wrote the song, what do the words “really mean,” etc.

“Skip a Rope″ was one of those songs that I found the words to. As a kid experiencing big family problems, the lyrics were particularly meaningful and poignant to me.

“Skip a Rope” dealt with it all: family discord, racial discrimination, greed…and I was not yet far removed from literally skipping rope on the playground and hearing the kind of mean-spirited things kids can say, often just repeating what they had heard at home. The song rang “true” to me, and I guess for countless others as well.

Over the years I’ve often thought about “Skip a Rope″ and hummed it to myself. I didn’t recall who wrote or even who recorded the song, until I learned that Henson Cargill passed away at the age of 66 on March 24th, 2007. The news brought back a flood of memories.

Skip A Rope Lyrics
(Words and Music by Jack Moran and Glenn Tubb)

Oh, listen to the children while they play,
Now ain’t it kinda funny what the children say,
Skip a rope.

Daddy hates mommy, mommy hates dad,
Last night you shoulda heard the fight they had,
Gave little sister another bad dream,
She woke us all up with a terrible scream.

(CHORUS)

Cheat on your taxes, don’t be a fool,
Now what was that they said about a Golden Rule?
Never mind the rules, just play to win,
And hate your neighbour for the shade of his skin.

(CHORUS)

Stab ‘em in the back, that’s the name of the game,
And mommy and daddy are who’s to blame.

Skip a rope, skip a rope,
Just listen to your children while they play,
It’s really not very funny, what the children say,
Skip a rope, skip a rope.

DA Jack Hayford is the editor of the popular music reference website,

Digital Photography is more than just a fabric of the average family’s memories, it has become an art form taking on many different types. Some types of photography are artistic photography, photojournalism, documentary photography, portrait photography, event photography, family photography, nature photography, advertising photography, underwater photography, satellite photography and more. Each of these types has many different directions in which they can go.

Photography is a popular hobby, pastime, or career for many people. One of the most recent revelations in photography is the digital camera and digital photo. In an age of computers and computer technology, digital photos have become increasingly popular. People no longer have to deal with film and developing as digital photos can be downloaded onto a computer and viewed instantly.

Digital photos can be shared on the web and through email. They can also be saved on CD’s. Many digital cameras come with LCD screens so the photos can be viewed from the camera itself. You see what the picture looks like instantly instead of waiting for developing. Digital cameras are advancing every day and new technology is released on each one. Lower quality ones can be picked up at a local retail store from about $45 now. These often do not contain flash and the quality is not as great. Other digital cameras can range anywhere from $100 to $5,000. The most high-tech camera for normal individual use is about $200-$500. This may seem like a lot but when compared to the somewhat dated price of film and developing, you can save a lot by going this route. You can also send as many copies of your photos as you wish through email and the web so copies are unlimited. You can even print copies of your digital photographs from your computer.

There are also many software packages that allow you to enhance your photos, the things you can do is endless and only limited by your own creativity.

Photography has come a long way since early days but popularity has not waned. It will likely be with us for thousands of years to come.

To read similar articles please visit realdigitalcamera.com realdigitalcamera.com

Bob Wright

This week 500 human beings died in China and a massive flood, but no one seems to care because they are too worried about the Israel-Hezbollah War. In the conflict in the Middle East between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon 300 people have died over a 10-day period, where as in China 500 people died in a single afternoon due to flooding. There was hardly mention of it even in that world news.

In fact Chinese officials believe the death toll may be much more than 500 and might be triple. Yet the world is fixed to the TV sets in their living rooms watching the war between Arabs and Jews.

There will never be peace in the Middle East and is probably time that people on the planet observed that truth. Israel will eventually defeat Hezbolla and yet the president of Lebanon stated that if Israel’s army invades Lebanon fan in the Lebanese army will join in with Hezbolla and another revolutionary group and fight Israel’s army.

Yet at the same time Lebanon and Hezbollah are asking the United Nations to intervene and call for a cease-fire. Meanwhile, Israel is already passed the border by three or 4 miles and in some places 10 miles. In fact Israel has already crossed the border. This is another case of Arabs joining their Arab brother who normally they would try to kill in a Machiavellian tight unity where; the enemy of my enemy is my friend. At least for a few weeks.

It appears that neither side wants peace and both sides want total victory and therefore there can be no political negotiation and any possible negotiation can only end in impasse causing another war and both sides know this. Meanwhile Israel does not wish to give Hezbolla time to regroup or the Lebanese army time to join up with Hezbolla and therefore things are about to get worse and go to the next step.

Additionally, you can expect that if the Lebanese army joins up with Hezbolla to fight against Israel, that serious and Iran will be entering this conflict soon. This could be the start of World War III, however I would like to make a point about human life.

If we are all of the same genetics then all human life is important whether it is during that time of need of a massive flood caused by Mother Nature or two different groups of people who have never gotten along trying to kill one another. Please consider this philosophical point for a moment as we watch events unfold into a resolution or a World War.

“Lance Winslow” - Online WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/ Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance in the Online Think Tank and solve the problems of the World; WorldThinkTank.net www.WorldThinkTank.net/

Four Poems: Katrina’s Pathway

Harvest of Apoplectic Horses
((Dedicated to: Katrina)) crisis)

It has happened before:
Nearby and afar,
Where the four-horses of
Apocalypse
With their flaming nostrils
Breathed in the fury of the winds
Only to vomit out, disaster; —
Then galloped away,
Against pale faces!…

#824 9/2/05

The Vanishing
[Dedicated to: Katrina]

For a time, I left my body—
Behind me.
Still,
I resided in my darkroom—
“There is good in the world,” I said,
The spirit of the world begins
To move—slowly, after Katrina.
I closed my eyes, thinking
New Orleans, Mississippi
(a prayer, if only for one).
Women’s hands, loaves of bread…
Appear…eyes of men tired with dread
Burgundy faces, huddled
Together…appear.
I say: thank God it’s not winter.
The world is silent (mostly)
A few friends hear our cry
But they are just shadows
Turned away from the sun.
The only thing worse than death,
Is this—the vanishing.

#825 9/2/05

Bones in Water
(The Gem of the South; Katrina)

There once was this gem
Down along the Mississippi
(The Big Easy, New Orleans)
A gem, all wanted to touch:
Now in silent waters, like Atlantis;
The city in the dark:
Once the blossom of the South,
It cannot stand up right now.
Broken to its knees, with ease
In the winds of the hurricane:
Katrina’s pathway: bones and ravage.

#826 9/2/06

Doomed to Live
[Katrina]

Doomed to live
Are those who survived—?
Katrina’s massive outcry
The defiance of Mother Nature
Against mankind—.
Thus, her ultimatum, her
Remorseless, implacable
Unalterable despair—
Gave her skeleton to create
A great catastrophe
For humankind…
Her face was gaunt, with
Patched gray, colored dead
With tarnished braids around
Her eyelids—unaimed, calm
Her voice, not even rose—
She destroyed New Orleans
Her golden rival!…

#827 9/3/05

Dennis Siluk, international Poet

New immigrants who come to Canada from countries with cultures that are more like huge extended families - same language, same customs, same religion, same skin color - often have a rough ride. The loss of traditional comfort levels can give rise to a bad case of culture shock.

It takes time to adapt to a new country. Some immigrants who have lived in Canada for decades, still manage to avoid making the psychological passage from the old world to the new. They live amongst us, haunted by a past they can never return to and a present they can never quite realize to its fullest.

Some newcomers complain that they can’t relate to Canadian culture. Some complain that Canadian culture is impersonal and non-inclusive. Some feel misunderstood and even stigmatized. Those who look deeper know this isn’t true. They can see that Canadians have forged a unique way of living that allows space for the new. They understand that Canadian culture is complex precisely because it is diverse. But despite the mix of races and cultures, there are in fact defining Canadian characteristics.

I would say decency is a basic Canadian trait, along with a willingness to tolerate differences. It’s sometimes been said that the Canadian genius is the art-of-the-compromise, and I think that is very true. Canadians are shrewd deal makers, and even though they push hard for a bargain, they are fair for the most part. Of course such descriptions deal in broad generalities, but I think generally speaking these observations have truth to them.

I occasionally read a column by a Toronto based journalist who like me has Irish roots. He has a cool, rational way of viewing life, a wicked eye for the absurd and a wry sense of humor. He comes across as a guy who takes the broad view of things and who doesn′t sweat the details. That’s quintessentially Canadian to my way of thinking. Laid back, insightful, shrewd and slow with the judgments unless someone is being a class A jerk.

Canadians are civilized in the sense that they know how to give space to the people around them. I don’t mean civilized in that put-on phony way, I mean bred-in-the-bone decent. I’ve come across that trait often in people I have encountered in the normal run of things. It’s part of the “nice Canadian” stereotype for sure, but it shouldn’t be mistaken for softness or a lack of an ability to party, or even a reluctance to swing a fist when required. Canadians are nothing if not tough. They have had to be tough as nails because beautiful though this country is, she is a harsh mistress. Big spaces, big silences … that must have seemed like a huge abstract canvas to the early immigrants accustomed as they were to more homely landscapes. Britons who stepped out of a land of drumlins and dales were faced with an awesome challenge that forced them to define themselves, even as they tried to tame the nature around them.

The spirit of Canada isn’t so much that of the transplanted French or English - although these immigrant peoples have helped forge the contemporary Canadian identity. The spirit of Canada belongs to the native people who formed the earliest and most intimate relationship with the land when it was still untamed. If a country can be said to possess a soul, then the soul of this nation belongs to the First Nations.

I don’t relate to the window dressing that governments and their agencies present to the world as a reflection of all things Canadian. I don’t relate to the cultural games that attempt to finesse the elusive Canadian identity. I don’t like official exertions in the area of culture that get in the way of spontaneity - be it “official” multiculturalism or self-conscious Canadian content, or cross-cultural meet and greet fests at Harborfront. The culture that arises from such efforts is bound to be an artificial one. Who wants some official rock icon, or official poet, or other anointed standard bearer of what Canada is supposed to represent. That only creates a culture distinguished by its symbolism, and worse a culture that is boring and even static.

In the past I have been critical of this manufactured Canadian identity because I think Canada is bigger than that. There are many in the Tory camp who have reacted against the Federal ideals of Trudeau and who see a different Canada in which power is devolved to the provinces. Well I don’t want to see Canada reduced to provincial “duchies” with the Quebecois fortress to the east and the bastion of Alberta to the west. If Canada is going to avoid being downsized and come into its own as a nation we have to cut the hype and dig deep for our collective soul. That’s the Canada I believe in, not in a manufactured facade that is supposed to make us all feel good about ourselves.

The measure of a nation’s confidence in its culture and identity, is the extent to which it can absorb criticism and even ridicule. Some Canadians are very brittle on that score. They take offense easily, even when none is meant. The British have been around a lot longer and they have developed a sense of humor that’s hard to shake. Comedy routines like Monty Python’s Flying Circus and Spitting Image routinely did a hatchet job on royalty and every sacred cow in the kingdom without any howls of protest. Brits like to laugh at themselves and no slam or slight is ever too much, so long as it hits the target and gets a laugh or a groan, as the case may be.

If you try to stage manage culture, it will always have a phony ring to it. Obviously you have to facilitate it - government grants help. But rather than have people emerge from their respective tiles on the mosaic in order to represent the Indo-Canadian, Afro-Canadian or whatever other hyphenated voice you care to mention, we need instead to focus on ways of getting rid of the mosaic altogether and taking down the barriers that divide us. There are risks with this approach, but the reward will be a dynamic culture with competitive edge.

The only way any culture worth its salt has ever evolved into a force to be reckoned with has been through struggle. Countries that have been through wars and revolutions, produce cultures that are vibrant and defined from within. In the absence of such upheavals Canada needs to loosen up the red tape. All this paranoia for example about city crime (even though some of the stats have been improving), and the noises the Tories are making about police crackdowns need to be weighed very carefully against the loss of freedoms. Along with enforcement, we should be working equally hard at opening up space and opportunity for people to hang out, or we risk destroying the potential for genuine community.

Across the cultural divides we are more times than not strangers speaking with strangers, attempting to communicate internal experiences for which we lack a common syntax. This is one of the greatest challenges for Canada … to discover a way of relating that transcends ethnic and cultural definitions, so that we are relating to one and other as Canadians, rather than as hyphenated Canadians. That involves sacrifice and risk, but Canadians know all about that. It also involves courage and that is one quality they have never lacked.

Aidan Maconachy is a freelance writer and artist based in Ontario. His blog can be viewed at aidanmaconachyblog.blogspot.com/ aidanmaconachyblog.blogspot.com/

Well, you can not always tell a man from a gorilla by looks alone, can you? Why just the other day my friend, Charlie Griffin, said while we were looking over the bikes of a motorcycle gang that visited our town, “Look at that gorilla!”

I said, “Which gorilla are you talking about, thinking he was talking about a bike?”

He said, “The one by the red Harley®!”

I said, “Oh!” as in ho hum which means boring, dull, and routine.

The motorcycle gang had some gorilla-look-alikes but for the most part, they were just attorneys and doctors out on a weekend outing. They were better behaved than some of the so-called humans around here.

In fact, the gorilla my friend pointed out is a prominent entomologist who teaches in one of our finest institutions of higher learning. His name is Dr. Frank Foley, Ph.D.

I asked Dr. Foley, “Dr. Foley, are there any major differences between men and the great apes?”

He started his Harley, revved it up, and said, “Not that I’ve ever noticed and I studied insects in the mist of them.”

He drove off, spinning rubber and throwing pea gravel into my face.

I thought, Would a great ape do that to a fellow ape?

I decided to make a further investigation.

It is not in my nature just to let a question sleep.

No! Ask any question:

The question will say, “Jones the hack writer always keeps us questions awake. He keeps asking,

Is there a God?

Are there any planets in the universe that, in contrast to ours, have intelligent life?

Was all of the future determined in the instant of the Big Bang?

Where did God stand when he let the Big Bang blow?

Does God really have a wife like they sometimes tell us in Church?

Why can’t I make a buck on the Internet or in mail order?

Does Sally Brown still hate me after all these years?

Is the Bible based partly on Egyptian and Babylonian science myths?

Was the book of Daniel written after everything in it had already happened?

How many walruses can you put on the head of a pin on a neutron star?

I wonder, Is Mary Hogan still alive?

Does Marilyn Monroe’s corpse still look good?”

I read an article about Dr. Frank Foley, Ph.D. living amongst the great apes of Africa. He, of course was studying the bugs, not the apes, but I’m sure that if he had seen some major differences, he would notice.

Well, the good doctor lives in a shell. I can see many differences. For example:

The great apes never had their own Children’s Crusade causing the lives of many children and sending the rest into bondage.

The great apes never started a major war where they daily blew the stuffing out of each other.

The great apes stick to their territory and mind their own business while men do not stick to their territory and never mind their own business.

The great apes never started a religion that led to intolerance and persecution of others.

The great apes never live in hovels (unless confined by man) that cause disease and suffering.

In fact, I think that man is jealous of the great apes. That is why he continues to slaughter them and to destroy their habitat.

Write that in you log Dr. Frank Foley, Ph.D.

As a footnote, it’s obvious we did not descend from the apes. No, we descended from sea-going crocodiles. Our many-greats grandparents are still living!

To study about the great apes, the following gives a list of sites you can visit: kcls.org/hh/primates.cfm

To learn about the Children’s Crusade go to fordham.edu/halsall/source/1212pueri.html

The End

Great apes, inhumanity, the Children’s crusade, Africa, Harley, apes, people, questions, God, disease, war, intolerance, habitat, characteristics.

John T. Jones, Ph.D. (tjbooks@hotmail.com, a retired VP of R&D for Lenox China, is author of detective & western novels, nonfiction (business, scientific, engineering, humor), poetry, etc. Former editor of Ceramic Industry Magazine. He is Executive Representative of IWS sellers of Tyler Hicks wealth-success books and kits. He also sells TopFlight flagpoles. He calls himself “Taylor Jones, the hack writer.”

More info: tjbooks.com tjbooks.com

Business web site: aaaflagpoles.com aaaflagpoles.com

now is not the time to open
open that great door again
not the time to be more tolerant
not the time to play to win

now is not the time for justice
evolution mercy choices
not the time to pet the puppies
yipping with pathetic voices

now is not the time for kindness
not the time for compromise
not the time for loving blindness
not the time to close my eyes

now for one too many people
not that i have gained no good
heart has sown but flesh is reaping
tears to mind and wasted blood

now my inner wolf seeks equals
only those whose chords can howl
deadly whether lone or social
defending young or on the prowl

tell me not that you would die
upon the spines of my displeasure
live for me and for you will i
cherish each cell as if a treasure

put me not inside a cage
but roam with me through snow and sun
be by my side or breathe my dust
for i shall bleed again for none

Niki Lasher
Artist, Writer, and Webmatron
kthulah.com kthulah.com

There may not be very many Bosnia and Herzegovina casinos, but the one that is there makes up for quantity of casinos with the quality. It doesn’t matter where you are from or how far you have traveled to be at the Coloseum Casino, you’ll find that all the games that you know and love can be played in this grand establishment. While there will likely be more Bosnia and Herzegovina casinos in the future, this is the only one that is currently in the region and it is located in Sarajevo. This is the perfect location for the casino as a great many people live in the region, and there are a lot of tourists that come to the area for business and pleasure.

While you may live a world away from this region when you visit Bosnia and Herzegovina casinos, you will see all the games that you would see at any other casino. All the games that you are familiar with including Poker, Roulette, Blackjack, and Slots can be found at the Coloseum Casino and will probably be found at other Bosnia and Herzegovina casinos in the future. Eastern Europeans are known for their love of poker and for the prevalence of poker houses, so when you visit any of their casinos you will find that there are probably several different variants of Poker offered at any time. If your favorite game happens to be poker, you should definitely visit the Coloseum Casino and check out their poker tables. The competition will probably be better than average, but that will make the game play all the more fun.

Because poker houses are so common in the area, those that do not frequent the casinos are probably in the poker houses. Also, those that do not live near the casino don′t have to deny themselves the fun of playing their favorite casino games. Instead of not playing the games at all, many of the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina get online and get involved in Internet betting. Not only can people enjoy many variants of Poker, Blackjack, Roulette, and even Slots, they can also get involved in sports betting which is also quite popular in the area. While the brick and mortar Bosnia and Herzegovina casino is a lot of fun for those that can get there, online casinos are a great substitute for those that do not live near the Coloseum Casino.

This article is the property of bosnia-and-herzegovina-casinos.com/ Bosnia and Herzegovina Casinos

Tahoe has become one of the most popular places to ski, and it’s no wonder considering the wide variety of hotels and lodging, dining choices, and activities you’ll find in this scenic area spanning across parts of California and Nevada. As a matter of fact, Tahoe currently has the most concentrated resorts for a tourist area in the U.S. – how’s that for options? With the number of different ski resorts available in Tahoe, it’s easy to find the perfect ski vacation for your family.

The resorts at Tahoe have some great skiing, including cross-country skiing and Olympic quality downhill skiing, but you’ll also find a number of other winter activities here as well, including ice skating, snowmobiling, dog sledding, and snow shoeing to name a few.

One highly recommended ski resort in the area is Tahoe Donner. Located in Truckee, California, it is regarded as a world-class cross-country ski center. You don’t have to be an expert to enjoy Tahoe Donner, though; it is actually a great place for beginners. Not only does Tahoe Donner have an exceptional school for cross-country skiing, but they also have lessons for beginners.

The resort also provides trails for beginners to ski on. Overall, Tahoe Donner has 120 acres of skiable terrain with 13 trails catering to beginners as well as intermediate and advanced skiers. The trails are accessible by four lifts, which include two chair lifts and two surface lifts, and the lift ticket prices are relatively affordable. Snowboarders are welcome on the mountain, too. The top elevation here is 7,353 feet with a 601-foot vertical drop.

Tahoe Donner does have rentals as well as a variety of ski programs available. And after a fun-filled day on the slopes, be sure to visit the Lodge Restaurant for a relaxing and wonderful dining experience. On top of all of this, they also have a pleasant, family-friendly atmosphere.

If you’re looking for a ski vacation that the little ones will really enjoy, then you might want to go to Northstar-at-Tahoe. They have special runs for kids called “Paw Parks” that have trails that vary in difficulty. One of the trails even has a snow slide that kids can stop and play on. They also have a licensed daycare so that parents can get some skiing in on their own if they want. The daycare features a Minors Camp and a ski program for kids called “Star Kids.”

While we are just giving a couple of examples of good resorts in Tahoe, there are a number of great places to choose from. You can also take a break to do some shopping in Tahoe’s shops and galleries, play games at one of the casinos nearby, and there are also lots of other area attractions, activities, and events for you and your family to partake in.

One such place to tour is Vikingsholm “castle.” This castle-like home is a fascinating architectural structure nestled in a beautiful landscape dotted with tall cedars and pines. Another site to see is the Ehrman Mansion. Christmastime is particularly festive in Tahoe; one popular area event for you to see is the Reindeer Race that takes place in December, you can also enjoy a night of dancing at the Valhalla Holiday Gala, or take the family to the Silver and Snow Festival of Lights.

Tahoe makes a great destination in summer, too. While it’s not ski season, you will get a view of some gorgeous scenery and Tahoe has many summer activities and events like “Midsummer Nights “ at the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival and the chance to do some scenic Sierra hiking,

As you can see, you and your family will be hard-pressed to find a boring moment in beautiful Tahoe, and with the number of places to choose from, it is also a place to look to for an affordable ski vacation. So be sure to check out Tahoe when planning your next getaway!

Katya Coen provides information on

In this article, I am describing a spiritual realisation. It can be difficult and uneasy to read. But I hope to challenge the Reader to question upon what is generally being accepted as true.

The question for ponderance is this: Does our personality has free will?

Below is my findings on this very important subject. Reading it may change the way you understand yourself. Please proceed with caution!

The thoughts in our mind come and go… we can′t stop them, we can′t will them. For example: can we stop how we feel? When we are feeling sad, can we stop the sadness instantaneously? The answer is an obvious NO.

Our ’sense of self’… give us a sense of personal decision-making and action-taking ability… The ’sense of self’ seems to be in charge of these actions and decision-making… but is this really the case?

My opinion is that the ego/personality has no personal free-will. The sense of self is caused by the impression of continuity and connectivity of thoughts that gives the impression of coherence and personal-willing. In another word, the sense of self IS the sequence of thoughts itself… that is interspersed with the intelligence that make coherent meaning of this sequence of thoughts. This can be realised within deep meditation, when the arising of thoughts are clearly perceived… In such meditation, one will discover that there is really NO observer of these thoughts. The subsequent thoughts that arise after the previous thought are the ‘observation’ of their predecessors. All these are happening at lightning-fast rate, and therefore is perceptible only under deep clarity.

My view is that only the soul/oversoul/source has free-will… because it is the state that held the impulses and intentions/desire/purpose for the incarnated personality. But, ironically… part of the soul/oversoul/source itself may not have a ’sense of self′.

‘Sense of self/ego/personality’ is only a part of the entire field of consciousness. The ’sense of self’ is not the doer… it is part of the ‘being done’.

However, this realisation does not imply that all in existence is fixed and static. In fact, the opposite is true. The visible (our conscious self/personality) works in partnership with the formless/invisible, in order to realise the potentials into physical manifestations. All of physical manifestation that is perceptible are in fact already ‘being accomplished.’

The author runs a Self Growth Site (dreamdatum.com) with dreamdatum.com/articles.html self help and self growth resources.