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Saturday, November 28, 2009

THE BEST THING I EVER DID IN MY LIFE

I met my son when I was a music teacher in the public schools. He was in second grade and enrolled just before Halloween, that October. He wasn’t my son, then.

November is National Adoption Month and I am getting this in just before the end of the month. But in celebration of the great time we shared this afternoon and the best thing I have ever done, below is uploaded a video and some photos from today. It is not easy to get him to stand for a picture, but we had a ball watching the video that we made together today.

“Did you know it would take less than one percent of the U.S. population to provide a forever family for every child in foster care available for adoption? November is National Adoption Month and we’re part of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Children’s Bureau, Ad Council, and Child Welfare Information Gateway to make the difference of a lifetime for about 130,000 children who deserve a family of their own.” www.adoptuskids.org

I met him when he was eight. Now, he is 22, getting his Bachelors and Masters degrees, simultaneously in engineering at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts. A great young man.

No regrets.

The music my son was playing initially, while we were having some fun after sharing our meal together, was David Bowie’s “Space Oddity”.

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Uploaded by cutelisha

However, I was afraid that if I wanted to upload this to Youtube, it would be banned. And I had already tested some songs from Susan Tedeschi’s CD Just Won’t Burn for another Heath Ledger video tribute, so I put the song, It Hurt So Bad on and here is “our fun”.

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Uploaded by ilovemylifesblog
The picture at 2:28 is the day of his legal adoption.
We had just left the court room and were at JW's Seafood Grill
with his dad, and his dad's mom and dad.

His dad and I are no longer together,
but still help each other out,
when one or the other asked.

I sent food for his dad after our "little party".

Before we ate today, I asked Jonathan to say one thing he is grateful about life and one thing he is grateful for - about me... and I did the same for him.

He said:
I am grateful for your love, the way that you love me.... And for the understanding that you have for me not being able to talk to you, as I am studying and tutoring so much...

And I am grateful that I am able to do the work (in his engineering courses) - that I have the ability to do it (and so well, I added).

I said:

I am grateful that I have been with such great spirits lately. And I am grateful that Jonathan came to be with me, today.

It was a lovely idea and I thought he put "it" so nicely.


Jonathan's First Video - May 27, 1996
This is blocked in Germany due to the music we had playing in the background for Jonathan to dance to. This is when Jonathan was my student and visiting my home on Memorial Day. I gave him piano lessons at that time. We had planted a evergreen bush in the front yard and named it Jonathan.

9 Ways To Help Children in Foster Care

Map Quest for my area - Beautiful

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Rafa lost his third round-robin match
to Novak Djokovic 6-7(5), 3-6



Rafael Nadal of Spain reacts during the men's singles round robin match against Novak Djokovic of Serbia during the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals at the O2 Arena on November 27, 2009 in London, England. November 26, 2009Photo credit: Julian Finney/Getty Images Europe

17 pictures: Rafael+Nadal

Tournaments Website: www.barclaysatpworldtourfinals


Final
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Singles
2.30 pm London Time
9.30 am USA EST
Davydenko vs. del Potro



Online viewing ( for a fee): www.tennistv.com

You might try these links for free viewing:

www.atdhe.net

www.channelsurfing.net

Great Sources of Information

vamosbrigade.com

Sponsored by Babolat

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(I Ain't) Missing You Heath
Uploaded by mimccd
This tribute is about Heath's early films
Two Hands and The Things I Hate About You



A Very Young Heath in Roar
Uploaded by jopicca

I ordered both Two-Hands and Roar this week from Amazon. Roar came today! Two Hands is shipped and on its way.

A LITTLE STEP UP ON MY SOAPBOX

I was motivated to purchase these two dvds because
mimccd and jopicca posted these two videos. Just wanted to say that ~ because of the battle over copyright infringement issues on youtube....and the problem of being able to post movies and especially, music on youtube. As I have said before the whole copyright issue and banning use on youtube-type sites is way behind the curve on utilizing the benefits of gaining sales by our use, not losing sales. Get with it, WMG, Sony Music, Warner Brothers, and whoever else is banning music and movie use on youtube type sites. Think outside the box

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GENOCIDE IS NOT OKAY

USE YOUR VOICE
TO CALL UPON OUR LEADERS
TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT
ABOUT SOMETHING THAT IS VERY WRONG

standnow.org
www.savedarfur.org
whilewewaitsudan.blogspot.com

www.henryjacksonsociety.org/stories


Sandra from Rhode Island, but pictured here, many years ago in Paris.

That is the Arc de Triomphe in the background.

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Comments Welcome

Thank you for stopping by.


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Thursday, November 26, 2009

RAFA FANS ARE ALWAYS TRUE - NEVER WAVERING


Rafa lost to Nikolay Davydenko in London
on Wednesday, November 25, 2009
1-6, 6-7(4)

Transcipt of Press Questions and Answers
after the match

Rafael Nadal vs. Novak Djokovic
Friday November 27, 2009
not before 2:15 p.m. London time
and 9:15 a.m. USA EST


So, it is that Rafa is having a rough patch on the court. But, we Rafa fans are fans through it all. Win or lose on the court, Rafa's heart is what makes him a winner in our hearts. And we just hang in there and support him every time he steps onto a court.

We love the Rafa smile and hope he is able to flash us one at the end of winning match.

Vamos, Rafa!


Rafa is blogging on times online

Tuesday's fans' Questions and Answers

So honest is Rafa - and always...

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Rafa's Blog: It hurts to lose ... I am sorry to all my fans in London


Nadal

Hi everyone,


I suppose that the question today to me that isn't shown here is why did I lose? Well, it is simple. I didn't play the way I had to play, the way I know how to play and that it is taking me to have it back.

I felt without that confidence in the right moments, I felt a bit lack on that concentration in those points and that was it.

I came back to the locker room and there was Toni and the rest of the team waiting for me. Those are sad moments, believe me. We are down, not much talking in the locker room, serious faces... Then Toni starts analyzing points and the game and well... it is not the end of the World!. He is right. But it hurts to lose!

And I am also sad for all those fans who want me to win...

One more thing!

Forgot to say that at least I got a prize today!!!. Raul Zurutuza, the Tournament Director of the Acapulco event gave me the trophy I'd lost back in 2005 when going to the airport!. Here's the picture!.

Rafa

Thanks to that lovely tournament for this. I got this trophy twice having only won it once! smile.gif

Rafa


The website for the London Tournament
www.barclaysatpworldtourfinals.com


Online viewing ( for a fee): www.tennistv.com

You might try these links for free viewing:

www.atdhe.net

www.channelsurfing.net

Pictures of Rafa

67 Pictures of Rafa Day 4


Rafael Nadal of Spain returns the ball during the men's singles first round match against Nikolay Davydenko of Russia during the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals at the O2 Arena
on November 25, 2009 in London, England.
Photo credit: Julian Finney/Getty Images Europe
Fan Websites for Rafa - GPhoto credit: Julian Finney/Getty Images Europe

Photo credit: Julian Finney/Getty Images Europe


Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images Europe

Great Sources of
Information

vamosbrigade.com

Sponsored by Babolat


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THIS IS THE BEST TRIBUTE TO HEATH LEDGER I HAVE EVER SEEN

The text below was written on Shekhar Kapur's blog a long while ago, as a comment to his post on Heath Ledger. By clicking on Shekhar's name below, you may go there and read others' love, affection and strong bond with Heath.

Some are born with a gift to shine a light for the rest of us to touch, connect to and receive their radiant beauty. Heath was one.

I love “The Four Feathers”...I just discovered it recently. I am moved by it and specially so by Heath in it.

"...And these for whom life has no repose, live at times in their rare moments of happiness with such strength and indescribable beauty, the spray of their moment's happiness is flung so high and dazzingly over the wide sea of suffering, that the light of it, spreading its radiance, touches others too with its enchantment..." Hemann Hesse STEPPENWOLF I love this quote and use it as a tribute to those like Heath who transcend the average and lift us up where our souls belong.

Some can move us for all time in just moments. Heath is one. In vital ways, he remains with us. A gift from Life and for our souls. Enriched by seeing in him, our own selves. We are all just a part of the whole of Life. Something about what Heath was able to present turned on a vibrancy in our own inner glow and light. He makes me feel more alive still. Sadness is there, too. But death doesn't end our feelings or relationships with those whose mortal bodies no longer inhale and exhale.

We are blessed by having lived when Heath was here.

Thank you, Shekhar for bringing us “The Four Feathers”. It stays with me. And in this transient world, that is an act of grace. I am grateful for the arts. For in them we humans can radiate and share our best selves.

Sandra Hammel


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Heath, never one to be afraid of who he was inside and fearless to show it on the outside ~ in or out of a character. That is what I think draws me to him. That integrity.

This is the most beautiful tribute I have seen of Heath Ledger.

Hollywood's people could not do a better, more fitting tribute to Heath than jopicca






This is what I wrote in those little comment boxes at youtube...I used three windows:

Well.

Jo

This will be more than one window here in this "character limited" space at "our" youtube.

I came here from mimccd - Carla's channel page, seeing she had commented here and not knowing it was you.
***** ***** ***** ***** *****
Those are my stars for your beloved Heath-soul-inspired video of our Soul-Full Heath in Roar.

I felt I was having a holy experience, experiencing this work of art.

A sacred place ~ maybe the sacred place Heath is right now ~ that is where I felt I was..

I could not take my eyes from his eyes.

I have never seen this...but I cannot imagine that anyone could have done a more beautiful work than you, Johanna.

I mean no offense to anyone else who loves Heath and does work here at Youtube in his honor ~ but you, Johanna, have done all of us a wondrous thing...this is beauty before us. You have lifted us up to where we belong. And Heath would be proud to call you friend.

The way you present this reveals the richness of your soul ....

A gift you have given to us. And we all need this to soothe our grieving souls. To mourn all these many months after his mortal body continues in immortality is a wondrous and mournful thing to me. That we could be present in this life when he was also here gives me deep gratitude.

I am moved.

Music is my refuge. And this music grows out of the depths of who we are.

So, I say I am lifted up. Lifted up with a tired body, past time to be asleep, but wanting to watch this again and again.

I just had to post this before going to put my head on my pillow, though it is hours after I had hoped to be asleep.

Sometimes, creativity and its power to move me takes me over and has The Power. The Force of Life pulling me to it.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving, if you celebrate it. If you don't, have a blessed day.

Much love,

Sandra

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Monday, November 23, 2009

THE STRONGEST BONDS AREN'T NECESSARILY FROM FAMILY

Dad and Me in Indiana many years ago.
I found this picture,
as I am going through boxes
of old photos.

A lot of fun.
I really like this picture,
though the color is poor.


Included in this post

* Rafa Update

* Personal things

* Heath Ledger ~ My Latest Video


Rafa lost to Robin Soderling today in London
4-6, 4-6

Rafa vs. Nikolay Davydenko

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Rafa is blogging on times online

The website for barclays atp world tour finals

Online viewing ( for a fee): www.tennistv.com

You might try these links for free viewing:

www.atdhe.net

www.channelsurfing.net

Pictures of Rafa
ATP+World+Tour+Finals+Day+Two


Fan Websites for Rafa - Great Source of Information

vamosbrigade.com

Sponsored by Babolat




Rafael Nadal of Spain returns the ball during the men's singles first round match against Robin Soderling of Sweden during the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals at the O2 Arena on November 23, 2009 in London, England.
Photo credit: Julian Finney/Getty Images Europe

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TODAY
I was doing the wash, making the bed up, and a few other things interspersed between walks to the laundry room. I almost always have the television or music on. Often, playing is a Heath Ledger dvd. I don't sit down to watch hardly ever. It is just energy that makes me feel good. Today, I was able to have the Bonnie Hunt talk show on. I miss it a lot because the time it airs is 2:00 p.m. - not a time that falls at a good time. Bonnie has great positive energy, so it is always a pleasure to have that energy radiating out while doing whatever I'm doing.

There was a segment with Troy Dunn (The Locator television show). I have never seen the show and couldn't tell you if I have access to it. He reunites lost loved ones and family members. (You can watch the segment here)

Well, there are rare times, that I cannot go on, I just have to stop everything and what is on the television pulls me in so deeply that I move in and stand 2 feet from the screen or sit down to absorb it all.

This was one of those.

First, I had been having an internal dialogue with myself about my mother and my family members and how I feel about them. Having to emancipate myself from them because of the negative effects that they have on me, isn't a welcome result, but a necessary one for me. I find myself depressed for days after a phone call with the only one that I still have any communication with.

I am just a wonderfully happy person. I feel so glorious most every minute. But a thought of my family and it is like the sun goes away. And yet, ask one of them, and it pretty much would be all my fault that they affect me this way. We don't choose our feelings. Feelings just are.

I used to get a skin rash, that the doctor always said was from nervousness. My family lives in Indiana and I live in Rhode Island. Years ago, when I would go home on a yearly or bi-yearly basis and stay with my parents, I would get this rash. My mother would make comments to me that I got the rash when I went home to make her feel bad. I mean, it is laughable, if it weren't so hurtful.

My mother and daughter relationship is non-existent. We don't relate. We have little in common and no one in my family cares what is going on in my life. When we talk, it is never about me. I never realized this for most of my life, but now that I recognize this narcsissitic behavior, I can accept better the people in my family. I am not trying anymore to get their approval and affection. At least, I see them for what they are and that helps me.

I think it is a reflection of who you are when you see the character of the people who do gravitate toward you. I always noticed this when I was a teacher ~ the parents who appreciated my teaching and my qualities as a person and those who were critical of me. The people that criticized me were the most unhappy people and simply critical people, in the first place. The people who praised my teaching were usually sensitive, thoughtful, generous and many times hard-to-please parents because their standards were so high.

So, I try to understand the world from this view of being from a family where I am not only the outcast by appointment by them, but not knowing where I could have possibly come from. No one in my family likes the things I like ~ all of the arts, music, theatre, dance, art-art, social justice. I am the only Democrat in a Republican family. The region that I am from in Indiana ~ although the state went for Obama in the electoral college last November ~ my area where I grew up, voted for McCain and Palin. I would have had to consider leaving the country, if they had won. Eight years of G W Bush was more than I could bear and another four years with similar mentality would have made me want to leave the country.

So, my point is that I am a foreigner in my own family. I don't mind in some ways. I love who I am. I don't want to sound, well, in love with myself, but I so love my own company. I think I am a pretty neat person. So, my family can't be more important than me following my own destiny. I'll put up with their judgment that I am the awful person that they think I am. And I'll be me.

So, this segment today on Bonnie's show hit me deeply.

Three video clips were shown of a woman who had been a foster mother to a child many years ago for five years. They were reunited because they both wanted to be. They had shared five years together and this "outsider" was the only mother the young girl ever really "had".

Troy Dunn's mother was adopted and had a bad experience of the possible reuniting with her own mother, who said that if she ever knew that "it" was going to contact her in the future, she would have aborted "it".

Tony Dunn's mother works with her son in his work, which he says is the best job in the world.

I understand this bond that the foster mother and the foster daughter had. I have it with my son, that I met in a second grade music class that I was teaching. I had it since the day that I met him. It was magical. It was two soul mates of different generations. And I knew it in a deeply secure way.

He was in foster care. I love him more than anyone in the world. He is my son. He is the most special person that I have ever experienced. I never wanted children, but destiny had other plans for me and I accepted that.

He is the coolest. Yes, there were years of hell. But those are over. Now, it is just the best. The best, richest, thing I have ever done or known.

He is the most talented person I have ever seen. Talent abounds in him. And he doesn't take it for granted.

So, when I saw the way this foster mother felt for this foster child that was "ripped" from her life these many years later, I thought: here is a mother, who didn't bring this child into the world and yet she feels so deeply for this child that she wanted to be reunited. They were connected. They had the most beautiful thing a human being can have, a bond to another spirit, soul.

I was moved. To tears. I thought, "That is wonderful". How endearing, this quality of human beings. I am happy for them.

Today, I got a card from mother. She never calls. She never says anything in the cards. I couldn't handle opening it at the end of the day. I will open it in the daytime when I can afford to be more brave.

I have been going through my boxes of old pictures and letters, lately. Letters mostly from old boyfriends, but also from my dad.

Thankfully, I do feel close to my dad. Though not always was that true. But now I know why. It was my mother who was a barrier between dad and me.

He died May 10, 2007. But death does not end a relationship. Bitterness and meanness do, though.

Just a few of the posts that I have done about dad:

because-of-my-dad-i-know-i-have-known-what-love-feels-like

though-my-dad-died-he-lives-on

death-does-not-end-relationship



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I, like many, feel a bond to Heath

And now, my latest youtube video.

Another one of Heath Ledger.


I don't know what is happening at youtube. But I have an issue about them approving of the two songs that I used in this video on my tested "Private" upload and then they give me a warning about copyright issues with UMG when I posted it as a "Public" video. I think this is completely wrong. The karaoke song shouldn't be an issue. And the Pointer Sisters song was tested about four times at Youtube, before I posted the public version of the video late last night. And youtube is featuring the video.

Something also is going on with Youtube and the country of Germany. It is more restrictive than the litigious USA. A shame because many people from Germany enjoy Youtube and now all of a sudden, videos that once they had access to, no longer is true.

MY SOAPBOX

I have spoken on this before. So I will not be too lengthy, but this is all backwards. These companies and perhaps the artists they represent need to take their heads out of the antiquity of copyright laws and think outside that old box. It isn't affective and it is working against them.

If they were smart, they would seize the day and use youtube for free promotion of their business endeavors. They obviously aren't smart. Karaoke is getting my business....I am buying up karaoke after karaoke versions of songs I want to use on Youtube simply because the artists who made the songs a hit won't allow us to utilize them on our humble little works on Youtube.

It confuses Youtube, I find. They sometimes claim the karaoke version has copyright issues. But they really think the recording is owned by UMG, Sony Music or WMG when indeed it is not.

They might as well shut down Youtube if we can't use the movies and music at all. How much do you think the per centage is on Youtube of videos that don't use movie clips and music recorded by someone other than ourselves? Pretty high, I believe.

They should be giving us incentives to use their music and movie clips. Not the other way around.

I was thinking the other day that if I had a movie just about to hit the theatres, I would offer Youtube posters a contest to enter to get an advanced viewing of the movie of their favorite actor and have them create a little tribute using clips from the movie. Choose a winner ~ all the while generating free press for their upcoming movie. And musicians could give us permission to use their music, newly released or old to use - in order to promote selling more of their music.

I notice now what companies are sponsoring a movie or music.

It does not create warm feelings. So all those ads they PAY for to promote their movies and music can have all the spit and polish of professional commercialism, but the public relations is suffering from this stupid, half-baked belief that they need to crack down on Youtube posters for using the movie clips and music.

Unintelligent. Bad business sense. And a waste of their money on PAID advertisement and for all their lawyers.

Stepping down, now.

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DON'T POSTPONE JOY ~ CELEBRATING HEATH
Uploaded by me ~
ilovemylifesblog


Help us get "The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus" in our local theatres in the USA. It is our last chance to see Heath on screen in a new film. Don't let us be left out. Go to this link to Demand It!

Vanity Fair article - June 29, 2009 why-was-heath-ledger-so...

Shekhar Kapur's The Four Feathers ~ Heath Ledger

The text from my Youtube page's sidebar for this video:

In honor and with respect for the human being that Heath was and still is in our hearts.

We are visitors on this planet.
We are here for ninety or one hundred years
at the very most.
During that period,
we must try to do something good,
something useful, with our lives.
If you contribute to other peoples happiness,
You will find the true goal, the true meaning of life.
H.H. the 14th Dalai Lama

SPECIAL NOTE:
I tested these songs five times here at Youtube as private videos and each one of them passed and are MP4 downloadable for others . And this one - youtube told me immediately is blocked in some countries. Except, so far they haven't told me which one(s). If any it will be Germany. This is so sad, because I specifically tried my very best to buy music that would work in Germany. Let's hope the status will be worldwide.

A previous blog post of mine about Heath:
moving-aura-after-death-heath-ledger

Heath Ledger and his 'gentle way'

Link to the full article:
http://theenvelope.latimes.com/awards/oscars/la-en-heath11-2009feb11,0,5433699.story

(a portion of the article is below)
Even as a teen-idol, he showed signs of being separate from the pack.

By Michael Ordoña
...."His energy and enthusiasm for life will never cease to inspire me," said Ledger's longtime friend and business partner Matt Amato. "A friend of mine said after Heath died that we must continue in Heath's 'gentle way.' Those words sounded perfect to me -- Heath's gentle way."

..."I was intimidated by how worldly wise he seemed to be and how much he understood himself," said Jason Isaacs, who played the sadistic Col. Tavington in "Patriot." "He took a house in the forest while we all lived together in a condo. Like many in my profession, I seem to need company and to fill the silence with noise; he didn't need that, and he was very happy in his house in the forest. I know 21-year-olds; I'd never met a 21-year-old like him."

In 2001's "Monster's Ball," he made an indelible impression in a brief appearance as a tough death-row guard's sensitive son. It was an understated, soulful turn in a supporting role -- hardly the stuff of a teen idol lusting for fame.


Daneil Day-Lewis SAG Awardt winning speech where he dedicated his SAG award to Heath, January 2008 - just five days after Heath left his mortal body.

Making "King Rat" by Daniel Auber
we are the masses -Making-king-rat-daniel-auber

When Heath asked me to collaborate on this video I found it more than just a good cause, I was incredibly happy to have that first experience of he and I sitting by a desk and giving life to something together. So far our previous collaborations were of a different nature (a big movie production and a lot of cooking at dinner parties) I was confident because, in my opinion, if someone can cook together, they can also make a movie.

The creation of an artwork is a process that people enjoy in different ways. For some it's painful, for others it's joyful, but it's always hard work. The first part of the creation for the "King Rat" video (two weeks of making the animatic with Heath) had been just a lot of fun and discovery. We were both new to this kind of work, and that's what kept us excited.

A few weeks before starting I made a sketch of a fishing whale character. Heath liked it, so I knew more or less what kind of style I should draw going forward. When I joined him in London, Terry Gilliam let us work in the conference room of his visual effects company (Peerless). It was luxury: we had a massive window overlooking Covent Garden, and Terry's creative vibrations in the air.

Terry would come to see the progress every once in a while and we were excited to hear his advice. This is why Heath decided to have the "Monty Python trumpets" popping down from the clouds, and also why I proposed to have Terry's face as "The Sun" in our video. We felt like school kids inspired by our favorite teacher.

......After Heath left us, I didn't have any intention of finishing the video without him. It was Sara Cline who had the idea of finishing it, so Heath's cause against whale hunting would find exposure. And we would all have the pleasure of seeing another one of his challenging works. I said yes with no hesitation.

The second stage of making the video, with lead animator Norris Houk and animator Jade Taglioli, was about bringing to life the still drawings from the animatic.
My mind was still populated by all the information and details that Heath transmitted me during the London days. I knew exactly what he had in mind for the animation. For example, his description of the whales walking towards the bow of the boat, or dancing during the party, was very precise. We both had a whale dance in the office before starting to work on that sequence.

In fact, the main quality that would have made Heath a great director, in my opinion, was his ability to be contagious with his ideas, and to describe them in a very convincing way, with a lot of joy. Work has to be fun somehow, otherwise it's not worth it.

Jade and Norris did a remarkable job animating those shots for a month. My duty was to pass the message on, as precisely as possible.

My favourite memory on this video is very far from its shocking and distinctive taste. It's quite cheesy, actually: whilst we spent long days working on the animatic, listening endlessly to interrupted bits of Isaac's haunting and cavernous voice, there was another song being played constantly coming from outside the window.

It wasn't annoying us because its paradisiac nature was having a complementary effect on us. It was Israel Kamakawiwo'ole's version of "Somewhere Over The Rainbow". Every time I randomly hear that song, I think of how lucky I was to be over there for a few wonderful weeks.

More blog posts of mine:

Poetry by Sandra Hammel ~Beauty Can Be Eternity in a Moment

My Favorite Interview with Heath

Just Wonderful ~ Just like Heath

At this post are three wonderful parts of an interview with Heath on December 2, 2007, just weeks before that January winter night that he passed away interview is uploaded by springrose147 This interview is precious and priceless. Heath is comfortable and relaxed in this interview.

A very small portion of this interview:
like, what success is is, I mean the only time that I'm alive, and living and expressing and feeling, and, and relating is, is, is when I'm on set and that time between action and cut and so that's the only thing that's really important is how that experience is, and, and how that experience will affect my life and what I have to give from my life to that experience. And everything that happens after that is just irrelevant.
Heath Ledger
December 3, 2007


A MOVING AURA AFTER DEATH - HEATH LEDGER WAS A VESSEL FOR BEAUTY AND CREATIVITY

Moving-aura-after-death-heath-ledger

I HAVE LEARNED A LOT ABOUT HEATH LEDGER WHILE MAKING YOUTUBE TRIBUTES OF HIS MOVIES

I-have-learned-lot-about-heath-ledger

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One of my other passions is to prevent and stop genocide ~ it will only stop with us.
PRESIDENT OBAMA'S WORDS ~ A TEST ON HIMSELF ~ "If we care, the world will care ~ If we act, the world will follow" president-obama-words-A-test-on-himself

GENOCIDE IS NOT OKAY

USE YOUR VOICE
TO CALL UPON OUR LEADERS
TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT
ABOUT SOMETHING THAT IS VERY WRONG

standnow.org
www.savedarfur.org
whilewewaitsudan.blogspot.com

www.henryjacksonsociety.org/stories
Thank you for stopping by.

Sandra from Rhode Island ; )

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RAFA AND SODERLING MEET ON COURT IN LONDON

Rafa Nadal plays in London against Robin Soderling
Monday, November 23, 2009
Play is not to begin before 9:15 a.m. USA EST

Rafa will be blogging on times online

The website for barclays atp world tour finals


Online viewing ( for a fee): www.tennistv.com


You might try these links for free viewing:

www.atdhe.net

www.channelsurfing.net

Pictures of Rafa



Rafael Nadal of Spain has a drink as coach and uncle Toni Nadal gives advice in a practice session during the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals - previews at O2 Arena on November 21, 2009 in London, England. November 20, 2009
Photo credit: Julian Finney/Getty Images Europe

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Wednesday, November 18, 2009

PRESIDENT OBAMA'S WORDS ~ A TEST ON HIMSELF ~ "If we care, the world will care~If we act, the world will follow


To enlarge image, click on it.
"If we care, the world will care.
If we bear witness, the world will know.
If we act, the world will follow." Barack Obama
April 30, 2006


And is this true?
If we don't care, the world won't care.
If we don't bear witness, the world will know.
If we don't act, the world will follow,
......and won't choose to lead.


With respect,
which one will it be, President Obama?

"If only words could heal ~ and they can play a part,
but we need our leaders to have the political will
and moral integrity to act on behalf of courage
and basic human rights that allow living out

a normal lifespan

with dignity."

Sandra Hammel

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"Incentivize"?

Uploaded by dontgiveupondarfur

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !!!!

Genocide needs a leader to continue.

And so do the people who are the powerless victims.

Even if Bashir was telling the truth,

meaning he doesn't have and has never

had anything to do

with the Darfuri genocide since 2003 ~

he has done NOTHING to stop it.

Bashir lies time and time again.


We are waiting for the actions of our honorable

President to match the words

he so eloquently and rightly spoke

when he was a U.S. Senator

and a Presidential candidate.



New York Daily News: Obama Missing Opportunity to Deal with Darfur? Save Darfur, an organization seeking to bring an end to the mass murders in Sudan, urged President Obama to pressure China to crack down on the Sudanese government. The group contends China has the economic clout to squeeze Sudan into ending the killing and allowing humanitarian workers to take steps to curtail the famine among thousands of refugees in southern Sudan. "This is President Obama's first critical test following the release of his new strategy for Sudan," said Jerry Fowler, president of the Save Darfur Coalition. "His leadership on Sudan is essential when he meets with President Hu Jintao. If he does not make it clear that the U.S. is serious about peace in Sudan, it will send a message to China that its current Sudan policy is acceptable." Save Darfur fears Obama will drop the ball on the Sudanese genocide, noting that the issue hasn't received any attention during Obama's trip through Asia.

FrontPageMag.com: Obama's Silence on Sudan. President Obama's recent trip to China presented a golden opportunity to address a crisis that has long confounded the international community: the ongoing conflict in Sudan. Unfortunately, it turned out to be an opportunity missed. Recognizing the importance of Obama's China trip for Sudan's future, 44 members of Congress sent a letter to the president last Friday before his departure, asking him "to make Sudan a priority" in his discussions with the Chinese. "Failure to exert sufficient public pressure on China regarding its relationship with Khartoum will send a signal to the rest of the world that the United States places other interests ahead of achieving peace in Sudan," the letter states. Obama has done little to change China's thinking. So, left with only Obama's strategy of "cookies" and "stars" rather than one of hard substance, the tragedy in Sudan is set to repeat itself.

Sudan Tribune: US envoy discusses CPA with Sudanese adviser. Ghazi Salah Al-Deen, Sudanese Presidential adviser and the visiting US envoy to Sudan Scott Gration discussed today the CPA implementation and Doha peace process to settle Darfur conflict. The US envoy proposed to hold next April only elections for the Sudanese presidency and the post of president of southern Sudan government, as well as state governors. He asked to adjourn the legislative elections to the period of after the southern Sudan referendum. Further Gration suggested extend the National Assembly membership from 450 to 510 seats. The US envoy proposed to the two peace partners during his last visit also to accept the results of the fifth census but to amend the constitution in order to prevent modification of the peace agreement with a number of voters less than 80%. Also he suggests guarantying southern Sudan 30% of the executive power as it is the case currently.

Sudan Tribune: Darfur civil society meeting kicks off in Doha. The consultative forum of Darfur civil society kicked off today in the Qatari capital with the participation of 170 groups in a bid to associate them in the ongoing efforts to end the six year armed conflict in western Sudan. The Doha process started in February 2009 with talks between the Sudanese government and the rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM). However the two parties failed to continue the peace talks after Khartoum refusal to release over hundred rebels sentenced to death. JEM spokesperson Ahmed Hussein Adam told Sudan Tribune yesterday that most of the civil society representatives are supporters of the ruling National Congress Party; he also urged the mediation to include delegates from the displaced and refugees camps. Djibril Bassole, the Joint Chief mediator and Qatari state minister for foreign affairs Ahmed bin Abdullah Al-Mahmoud stressed, in their speeches at the opening session, on the important role of the civil society in the peace and reconciliation process as well as its responsibility to bring the warring parties to the negotiating table.

AFP: South Sudan clashes leave 47 dead: military. Forty-seven people were killed in ethnic clashes in south Sudan's Lakes state region, a military spokesman said on Wednesday. The violence follows an attack on Sunday in which five were killed and a minister in the semi-autonomous south's government was wounded in Central Equatoria state. More than 2,000 people have died in the south and 250,000 been displaced by inter-ethnic clashes since January, according to the United Nations, which says the rate of violent deaths now surpasses that in the western region of Darfur. Many fear the violence will disrupt ongoing voter registration for Sudan's 2010 general elections, the first in 24 years and a key part of the 2005 peace deal that ended the country's two-decade-long civil war between north and south.

Stands website:
standnow.org

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GENOCIDE IS NOT OKAY

USE YOUR VOICE
TO CALL UPON OUR LEADERS

TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT
ABOUT SOMETHING THAT IS VERY WRONG


No More Empty Promises

We are visitors on this planet.

We are here for ninety or one hundred years

at the very most.

During that period,

we must try to do something good,

something useful, with our lives.

If you contribute to other people’s happiness,

You will find the true goal, the true meaning of life.

H.H. the 14th Dalai Lama


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


GENOCIDE WILL STOP WITH US


While We Wait Sudan


blogfordarfur.org

"The Most Important Office is That of Private Citizen"
Louis D. Brandeis


Comments to President Obama:

202-456-1111 or 1-800-GENOCIDE


Join the Fast for Darfuris


"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful,
committed people could change the world.
Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."

Margaret Mead


www.savedarfur.org


www.stopgenocidenow.org


Help - Use Your Voice


1-800-GENOCIDE


NO JUSTICE, NO PEACE


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


My Speech

Newport Darfur Walk & Gathering

April 28, 2007, 3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Start: Touro Park

Newport, Rhode Island

End at Washington Square

Historical Town

This is a historical town. Newport. We have a history here rich in examples of how varied human behavior expresses itself. The good, the bad. Just every day average people.

Native Americans

This land was once the homeland of people such as the Wampanoag, Coweset, Nipmuc, Niantic, Pequot and Narragansett. The truth is we stand on land that once had an entirely different social structure than the one that came from immigrants.


Slave Trade

Newport, Rhode Island played a leading role during the Colonial Period in the Slave Trade.

By 1776, several thousand African slaves lived and work in this New England seaport.

In Colonial times, slaves comprised nearly one third of the total town population

with one in three Newport families owning at least one slave.

Jews

When Jews were forced to convert to Catholicism in Europe

and expelled if they refused,

some eventually came to Newport.

In the spring of 1658, fifteen Spanish Portuguese Jewish families arrived in Newport

who formed the beginnings of what eventually is the congregation of Touro Synagogue.

The establishment of Touro Synagogue played an unique role in Colonial American History

as well as democracy.

George Washington wrote a letter titled: To the Hebrew Congregation in Newport Rhode Island.

Today, we stand here in this historic New England seaside town, as empowered “We the People”.

In this 21st century we have a Genocide going on

and where is the attention?

On the Darfur people?

who are the victims?

Victims, not only of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir,

but of the world’s complicity.

Our being silent is used as a tool in the arsenal of Bashir.

But we gather here to say with our presence

Genocide is Not Okay with Us.

Genocide in our time

MUST Be Noticed,

Must be Reported by our media,

Must have the leaders of free nations use their political clout

To End the Darfur Genocide

And actually put some meaning to the words

Never Again

Words we love to use

At the languishing end of each genocide that this planet has hosted.

There has been no acceptable genocide.

Bad things happen when good people do nothing.

……………………………………………………………………………

Genocide is not only a word, it is crying of the whole human race.

There is nothing redeeming about being silent when speaking up is the humane thing to do.

The honor and integrity of the human race relies on it.

Complicity is not a policy.

Complicity comes from a lack of will.

It comes from an administration that has lost its moral compass.

It comes from a world too wrapped up in its self-importance to stop and contemplate

just what human disaster will we condemn, if not genocide.

Choosing to live in a world where it is okay to murder, torture, rape and starve to death a group of human beings truthfully

means we live in a world with a moral vacuum.

Just exactly when is genocide not okay with us?

Just exactly which ethnic group of people can genocide be used to rid the earth of them

and Just exactly which group of people can we turn our backs on and the definition of genocide fits our values?

A Moral Nation Needs to Stand Up for Right


And Know that Genocide flourishes when there is no accountability.

Stopping Genocide is a Choice.

What does it say about us If We Choose to Allow Darfuri families to live this 5th year of genocide as a way of every day life?

Where there is a Will there is Always a Way

Where there is No Will there is Never a Way

One voice won’t stop a genocide, but that is no excuse to be silent.


We CAN make a difference.

Get on board with we activists who have been working for the last few years.

Join a group. Join my group. Go online to www.savedarfur.org

Don’t leave this up to me

Commit a minimum of 15 minutes a week to doing something to help stop this genocide.

If not you, then who?

Don’t leave this up to me, to the few who have been carrying the torch with so little help.

Get on board.

………………………………………………

400,000 have been murdered

2.5 Million are homeless

We are not told the numbers of rape, including girls as young as 4 years old


We are not told the number of tortured victims, with eyes gouged out and arms and legs chopped off

The story is not being given the attention it should by our media

Let’s make some noise so that they will.

First Genocide with the Internet as a networking source

But this is the FIRST genocide not only of the 21st century,

but in the time of the internet with very affective dissemination of news and information

And it is the FIRST genocide with nationwide conference calls among we activists.

We THE People have power to stop THIS DARFUR GENOCIDE

· Get informed

· Tell your family, your friends, your co-workers, your employees and your bosses about it.

o Your President,

o Your US Senators, Your US Representative need and many want to hear from you on this issue.

ü When I met with Rep Patrick Kennedy on 9/11 last fall, he relayed how important it is for the elected officials to hear from their constituents on what issues are important to their hearts. Because it gives them more confidence that what they choose to support will have our support.

ü When I met with Senator Jack Reed, October 10 (the day after he returned from Iraq) last fall, his grade on Darfur was a “C”. We would like him to be more supportive of legislation regarding Darfur.

China and Sudan

· Both Senators Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse have just recently signed the Biden-Lugar Darfur Letter to President Hu of China

· You see, China could use their leverage with President Bashir of Sudan to give him the message that the world needs to see the Darfur people treated with decency and respect and

· Chinese companies, such as PetroChina and Sinopec, who are in the business of extracting Sudan’s oil for the worldwide market, in turn provide Bashir with the money to purchase the bombers and helicopters that are killing the people of Darfur.

· China could have pressure put upon it by President Bush to help stop this Genocide.

· We can tell President Bush that THAT is exactly what we want him to do.

v The President at 202-456-1111 or call 1-800-GENOCIDE and you’ll be put through to your Governor, your President, Senator or Representative after you put in your zip code.

· You don’t have Freedom of Speech unless you exercise it.

Divestment

· Have you heard of Divestment?

· Divestment from Sudan?

· There is a nationwide campaign about it.

· The state of Rhode Island has passed two bills as of April 5th, that will merge and go to Governor Carcieri to be signed – it is a Targeted Divestment from Sudan bill

o Insuring RI pension monies will not invest in companies in Sudan that are funding the genocide.

· If you go to one of three sites

· You can get an education about Divesting from Sudan and join in the campaign.

o www.Fidelityoutofsudan.com

o www.genocideintervention.net

o www.sudandivestment.org

v They are all working together on Divestment from Sudan

Added after the speech: This is an on-going campaign, so please go to the website and sign the petition. Get your family members, friends, employees, bosses and neighbors to sign the petition. www.savedarfur.org has just begun, as of May 1, 2007, to make divestment a focus of their efforts.

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Sudan and Oil - Follow the Oil Money

The government of Sudan continues to draw on its oil revenues to provide arms and funding for the genocide.

An American Investment Company, called FIDELITY, through its mutual funds, not only has been a major investor in oil companies operating in Sudan, but it has been significantly increasing its holdings.

Fidelity’s holdings of PetroChina $1.3 billion, making it the largest holder of PetroChina on the NYSE.

Join us and tell FIDELITY to stop investing our money in companies helping to fund the genocide in Darfur.

I have moved my money from Fidelity for this reason.

To be Clear

The reason to divest is that

Sudan and its Government-sponsored Janjaweed militia have committed pervasive violations of human rights in Darfur, Sudan since 2003. The link between the Sudan oil industry and the revenue of the Government of Sudan is well-established and the money made goes to increased arms and funding of the genocide in Darfur.

………………………………………………….

Rolls Royce pulls out of Sudan - 4/19/07
The British firm Rolls Royce announced its decision April 19 to leave Sudan citing "increasing international humanitarian concerns about the situation in Darfur." Rolls Royce will begin withdrawing from current contracts in
Sudan and cease pursuing news ones. Rolls Royce has had a history of selling oil-engineering equipment to the genocidal Government of Sudan.

Rolls Royce has been a top target of the Sudan Divestment Task Force movement that I have been telling you about today.

We CAN make a difference.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Time is Up

We Need Action.

We Need Now the Deployment of the already authorized UN Peacekeeping force.

We Need Now the Strengthening of the understaffed African Union force already in Darfur

We Need Now the Enforcement of the No-Fly Zone in Darfur already established by the UN

We Need Now to give safety to Aid workers in Sudan and bordering Chad, some of which have already been murdered

We Need Now to Increase Humanitarina Aid and Ensure Safe Access for delivery.

These Actions can be found on website after website.

Save Darfur.com is the one I have events that I am working on registered and you can sign-up there to join me in any one of them.

We CAN make a difference.

Let’s be the ones who can say:

WE MADE The DIFFERENCE,

Let’s be the ones who can say:

OUR CONVICTION IS THAT GENOCIDE MUST BE ENDED

OUR VOICES ARE GOING TO BE HEARD

OUR PRESENCE CAN EMPOWER US TO Make Genocide a Word ONLY

in the history books yet to be printed.

Let’s Be the Difference.

I am Sandra Hammel, Standing UP & Standing Out in the Fight against Genocide

I live in Portsmouth

Remember:

1 – 800 - G E N O C I D E

and the website:

www.fidelityoutofsudan.com

SIGN THE FIDELITY OUT OF SUDAN Petition today

Thank you on behalf of the victims of Silence. The perpetrators and governments around the world don’t realize we will not take complicity for the answer to genocide, Anywhere.

Thank you on behalf of the people of Darfur.

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Eva Cassidy sings Bridge Over Troubled Water

lyrics

Uploaded by Joner888


When tears are in your eyes, I will dry them all

I'm on your side when things get rough,

And friends just can't be found,

Like a bridge over troubled water,

I will lay me down.


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