ilovemylife

AUSTRALIAN OPEN 2012 ~ RAFA NADAL ~ Semifinal Pictures

2012-01-26T23:31:00.033-05:00

This post is for pictures of Rafa in the semifinal match of the AO 2012.
I will continue to post the match information at the original post.

More semifinal Rafa pictures here at zimbio

I have another post: Rafa Nadal ~ Australian Open 2012 ~ Quarterfinal Pictures.

Australian Open 2012
Semifinal
Rafael Nadal defeated Roger Federer
6-7(5), 6-2, 7-6(5), 6-4
Thursday, January 26, 2012

Australian Open 2012
Final
Rafa Nadal ESP (2) vs. Novak Djokovic SRB (1) or Andy Murray GBR (4)
Sunday January 29, 2012. 7:30 p.m. Australian day and time
which is
Saturday, January 28, 2012, 3:30 a.m., USA EST day and time
Rod Laver Arena

Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates winning his semifinal match against Roger Federer of Switzerland during day eleven of the 2012 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 26, 2012 in Melbourne, Australia. Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images AsiaPac

Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates winning his semifinal match against Roger Federer of Switzerland during day eleven of the 2012 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 26, 2012 in Melbourne, Australia. Photo by Pool/Getty Images AsiaPac

Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates winning his semifinal match against Roger Federer of Switzerland during day eleven of the 2012 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 26, 2012 in Melbourne, Australia. Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images AsiaPac

Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates winning his semifinal match against Roger Federer of Switzerland during day eleven of the 2012 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 26, 2012 in Melbourne, Australia. Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images AsiaPac

Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates winning his semifinal match against Roger Federer of Switzerland during day eleven of the 2012 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 26, 2012 in Melbourne, Australia. Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images AsiaPac

Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates winning a point in his semifinal match against Roger Federer of Switzerland during day eleven of the 2012 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 26, 2012 in Melbourne, Australia. Photo by Robert Prezioso/Getty Images AsiaPac

Rafael Nadal of Spain towels down in his semifinal match against Roger Federer of Switzerland during day eleven of the 2012 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 26, 2012 in Melbourne, Australia. Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images AsiaPac

Rafael Nadal of Spain looks on between games in his semifinal match against Roger Federer of Switzerland during day eleven of the 2012 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 26, 2012 in Melbourne, Australia. Photo by Lucas Dawson/Getty Images AsiaPac

Rafael Nadal of Spain reacts in his semifinal match against Roger Federer of Switzerland during day eleven of the 2012 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 26, 2012 in Melbourne, Australia. Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images AsiaPac

Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates a point in his semifinal match against Roger Federer of Switzerland during day eleven of the 2012 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 26, 2012 in Melbourne, Australia.Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images AsiaPac

Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates winning the third set in his semifinal match against Roger Federer of Switzerland during day eleven of the 2012 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 26, 2012 in Melbourne, Australia. Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images AsiaPac

Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates winning a point in his semifinal match against Roger Federer of Switzerland during day eleven of the 2012 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 26, 2012 in Melbourne, Australia. Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images AsiaPac

Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates winning a point in his semifinal match against Roger Federer of Switzerland during day eleven of the 2012 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 26, 2012 in Melbourne, Australia. Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images AsiaPac

Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates winning a point in his semifinal match against Roger Federer of Switzerland during day eleven of the 2012 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 26, 2012 in Melbourne, Australia. Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images AsiaPac

Rafael Nadal of Spain reacts in his semifinal match against Roger Federer of Switzerland during day eleven of the 2012 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 26, 2012 in Melbourne, Australia. Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images AsiaPac

Rafael Nadal of Spain reacts in his semifinal match against Roger Federer of Switzerland during day eleven of the 2012 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 26, 2012 in Melbourne, Australia. Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images AsiaPac

Rafael Nadal of Spain towels down in his semifinal match against Roger Federer of Switzerland during day eleven of the 2012 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 26, 2012 in Melbourne, Australia. Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images AsiaPac

Roger Federer of Switzerland and Rafael Nadal of Spain plays pose for a photo before their semifinal match during day eleven of the 2012 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 26, 2012 in Melbourne, Australia. Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images AsiaPac

Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates winning a point in his semifinal match against Roger Federer of Switzerland during day eleven of the 2012 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 26, 2012 in Melbourne, Australia. Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images AsiaPac

Rafael Nadal of Spain plays a backhand in his semifinal match against Roger Federer of Switzerland during day eleven of the 2012 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 26, 2012 in Melbourne, Australia. Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images AsiaPac

Pictures of quarterfinal AO 2012 match

More quarterfinal pictures of Rafa

RAFA NADAL ~ AUSTRALIAN OPEN 2012 ~ Quarterfinal Pictures

2012-01-24T19:29:00.028-05:00

This post is a continuation of the previous post simply so I can add more pictures. I will continue to post the match information to the original post.

Quarterfinal
Rafa Nadal defeated Tomas Berdych
6-7(5), 7-6(6), 6-4, 6-3
Tuesday, January 24, 2012, First night match, 7:30 p.m., Australian day and time
Monday, January 23, 2012, 3:30 a.m., USA EST day and time
replay of the match at ESPN3

Australian Open 2012
Semifinal
Rafael Nadal defeated Roger Federer
6-7(5), 6-2, 7-6(5), 6-4
Thursday, January 26, 2012

Australian Open 2012
Semifinal
Andy Murray vs. Novak Djokovic
Friday, January 26, 2012, 7:30 p.m., Australian day and time
Thursday, January 23, 2012, 3:30 a.m., USA EST day and time

Quarterfinal Pictures

Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates a point in his quarter final match against Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic during day nine of the 2012 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 24, 2012 in Melbourne, Australia. Photo by Mark Dadswell/Getty Images AsiaPac

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 24: Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates winning match point in his quarter final match against Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic during day nine of the 2012 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 24, 2012 in Melbourne, Australia. Photo by Mark Dadswell/Getty Images

Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates winning match point in his quarter final match against Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic during day nine of the 2012 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 24, 2012 in Melbourne, Australia. Photo by Mark Dadswell/Getty Images AsiaPac

Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates winning match point in his quarter final match against Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic during day nine of the 2012 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 24, 2012 in Melbourne, Australia. Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images AsiaPac

Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates winning match point in his quarter final match against Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic during day nine of the 2012 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 24, 2012 in Melbourne, Australia. Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images AsiaPac

Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates winning match point in his quarter final match against Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic during day nine of the 2012 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 24, 2012 in Melbourne, Australia. Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images AsiaPac

Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates winning match point in his quarter final match against Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic during day nine of the 2012 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 24, 2012 in Melbourne, Australia. Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images AsiaPac

Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates winning match point in his quarter final match against Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic during day nine of the 2012 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 24, 2012 in Melbourne, Australia. Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images AsiaPac

Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates winning match point in his quarter final match against Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic during day nine of the 2012 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 24, 2012 in Melbourne, Australia. Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images AsiaPac

Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates winning a point in his quarter final match against Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic during day nine of the 2012 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 24, 2012 in Melbourne, Australia. Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images AsiaPac

Rafael Nadal of Spain reacts to a point in his quarter final match against Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic during day nine of the 2012 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 24, 2012 in Melbourne, Australia. Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images AsiaPac

Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates winning the second set tiebreak in his quarter final match against Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic during day nine of the 2012 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 24, 2012 in Melbourne, Australia. Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images AsiaPac

Rafael Nadal of Spain plays a backhand in his quarter final match against Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic during day nine of the 2012 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 24, 2012 in Melbourne, Australia. Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images AsiaPac

More quarterfinal Pictures

daylife

zimbio

uk.eurosport.yahoo

AUSTRALIAN OPEN 2012 - RAFA NADAL

2012-01-15T01:14:00.049-05:00

UPDATED Thursday, January 27, 2012, 12:30 a.m. USA EST
I have another post: Rafa Nadal ~ Australian Open 2012 ~ Quarterfinal Pictures.

I have another post: Rafa Nadal ~ AUSTRALIAN OPEN 2012 ~ RAFA NADAL ~ Semifinal Pictures

I did this to post many QF and SF pictures. I have too many pictures on this post.

I will continue to update match scores etc here throughout the tournament,
unless something in my life prohibits me from doing so.

time and date converter

Australian Open 2012
Semifinal
Rafael Nadal defeated Roger Federer
6-7(5), 6-2, 7-6(5), 6-4
Thursday, January 26, 2012, 7:30 p.m., Australian day and time
which was
Wednesday, January 23, 2012, 3:30 a.m., USA EST day and time

NOTE:
Rafa Nadal (QF score: 6-7(5), 7-6(6), 6-4, 6-3) vs. Roger Federer (QF score: 6-4, 6-3, 6-2)

Australian Open 2012
Final
Rafa Nadal ESP (2) vs. Novak Djokovic SRB (1) or Andy Murray GBR (4)
Sunday January 29, 2012. 7:30 p.m. Australian day and time
which is
Saturday, January 28, 2012, 3:30 a.m., USA EST day and time
Rod Laver Arena

The schedules are posted on the AO website daily the day before play.
Remember Australia is a day ahead of USA EST.
See my sidebar for Australian time
Schedule

TV

The Tennis Channel
Airs both in High Definition and not High Definition
The Tennis Channel reairs matches of Rafa many times

ESPN2
Airs both in High Definition and not High Definition
ESPN2 sometimes reairs matches of Rafa, or at least parts of them.

Live Stream on Espn 3

and
www.australianopen.com/live
(except Australia, Europe, UK, Japan, New Zealand)

Rod Laver Arena and Hisense Arena both have retractable roofs.

Australian Open 2012
Semifinal
Andy Murray or Kei Nishikori vs. Novak Djokovic or David Ferrer
Friday, January 26, 2012, 7:30 p.m., Australian day and time
Thursday, January 23, 2012, 3:30 a.m., USA EST day and time

❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧

Australian Open 2012

NOTE: Men's matches are best of 5
Women's matches best of 3
This knowledge can help you judge when Rafa's matches will begin.
For example, women's matches can be over in an hour or hour and a half.

Australian Open 2012
Round 1
Rafa Nadal defeated Alex Kuznetsov
6-4, 6-1, 6-1
Monday, January 16, 2012, Australian Time

Round 2
Rafa Nadal vs. Tommy Haas
6-4, 6-3, 6-4
Wednesday, January 18, 2012, Australian Time

See Most Popular tab to see highlights of Rafa's Rounds 1 and 2

Round 3
Rafa Nadal defeated Lukas Lacko
6-2, 6-4, 6-2
Friday, Jaunary 20, 2012, 11:00 a.m. Australian Time
which was
Thursday, January 19, 2012, 7:00 p.m. USA, EST Time
Match stats

Round 4 - Round of 16
Rafa Nadal defeated Feliciano Lopez
6-4, 6-4, 6-2
Sunday, January 22, 2012
which was
7:00 p.m., Saturday, January 21, 2012, USA EST

Quarterfinal
Rafa Nadal defeated Tomas Berdych
6-7(5), 7-6(6), 6-4, 6-3
Tuesday, January 24, 2012, First night match, 7:30 p.m., Australian day and time
which was
Monday, January 23, 2012, 3:30 a.m., USA EST day and time
replay of the match at ESPN3

Transcribed interview with Rafa after Quarterfinal match at the Australian Open 2012

Live Streaming

Espn 3
also available are matches already played

sportlemon

Australianopen.com

TV
TV schedule in different countries around the world

The Tennis Channel
Airs both in High Definition and not High Definition
The Tennis Channel reairs matches of Rafa many times

ESPN2
Airs both in High Definition and not High Definition
ESPN2 sometimes reairs matches of Rafa, or at least parts of them.

ESPN2 always skip around from court to court,
so ESPN3 Live Streaming is better choice,
if you want to watch a particular match all the way through.

Rafael Nadal attends Bacardi Limited 'Champions Drink Responsibly' event at Encore, St Kilda on January 12, 2012 in Melbourne, Australia. January 11, 2012 - Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images AsiaPac.

Pictures

From Zimbio ~

Rafael Nadal attends Bacardi Limited 'Champions Drink Responsibly' event at Encore, St Kilda on January 12, 2012 in Melbourne, Australia

Practice session January 10, 2012 in Melbourne, Australia

Practice session January 12, 2012 in Melbourne, Australia

Practice session January 14, 2012 in Melbourne, Australia

More Pictures

Daylife pictures of Rafael Nadal

Rafa Nadal pictures ~ uk.eurosport.yahoo

Australian Open Website

Round 1 Pictures

Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates his victory over Alex Kuznetsov of the US in their first round men's singles match on day one of the 2012 Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 16, 2012. Nadal won 6-4, 6-1, 6-1. Photo by Getty Images.

Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates defeating Alex Kuznetsov of the U.S. during their men's singles Round 1 match at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne January 16, 2012. Photo credit: Reuters.

Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates a point in his first round match against Alex Kuznetsov of the United States during day one of the 2012 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 16, 2012 in Melbourne, Australia. Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images AsiaPac.

Rafael Nadal of Spain wipes his face in his first round match against Alex Kuznetsov of the United States during day one of the 2012 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 16, 2012 in Melbourne, Australia. Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images AsiaPac.

More Round 1 Pictures
zimbio
daylife
uk.eurosport.yahoo

Round 2 Pictures

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 18: Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates in his second round match against Tommy Haas of Germany during day three of the 2012 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 18, 2012 in Melbourne, Australia.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 18: Rafael Nadal of Spain plays a forehand in his second round match against Tommy Haas of Germany during day three of the 2012 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 18, 2012 in Melbourne, Australia.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 18: Rafael Nadal of Spain serves in his second round match against Tommy Haas of Germany during day three of the 2012 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 18, 2012 in Melbourne, Australia.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 18: Rafael Nadal of Spain plays a forehand in his second round match against Tommy Haas of Germany during day three of the 2012 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 18, 2012 in Melbourne, Australia.

More Round 2 Pictures

daylife

zimbio

uk.eurosport.yahoo

Round 3 Pictures

Round 3 ~ Rafael Nadal of Spain reacts after making a shot against Lukas Lacko of Slovakia in their third round men's singles match on day five of the 2012 Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 20, 2012.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 20: Rafael Nadal of Spain looks on in his third round match against Lukas Lacko of Slovakia during day five of the 2012 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 20, 2012 in Melbourne, Australia. Photo by Mark Dadswell/Getty Images.

More Round 3 Pictures

uk.eurosport.yahoo

daylife

Day 6 Practice Pictures ~ January 21, 2012

zimbio

Round 4 Pictures

Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates winning a game against Feliciano Lopez of Spain during their men's singles match at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne January 22, 2012. Photo credit: Reuters

More Round 4 Pictures

daylife

uk.eurosport.yahoo

zimbio

Quarterfinal Pictures

I posted many quarterfinal pictures at another post Rafa Nadal

and also pictures may be found at the following links ~

daylife

zimbio

uk.eurosport.yahoo

Semifinal Pictures

zimbio

daylife (at the bottom of link's page, click on Next »)

uk.eurosport.yahoo

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 26: Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates winning his semifinal match against Roger Federer of Switzerland during day eleven of the 2012 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 26, 2012 in Melbourne, Australia. Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

Articles regarding the semifinal

daylife

Ask Rafa ~ send a question to Rafael Nadal

Rafa answers question at Elmundo in Spanish

Australian Open Twitter
#Rafa
#Nadal
@RafaelNadal
#AusOpen

If you want to get Rafa at the top of the social leader board on Twitter:
add #Nadal to your tweet

These two fan sites are a great source of up-to-date information

Vamos Brigade

Rafa's Babolat-sponsored forum

This is the Nike Rafael Nadal website:

www.rafaelnadal.com

Join Us at Facebook

RAFA-NADAL-BRING-BACK-LONG-PANTS-SLEEVELESS-TOPS

Rafa on facebook

Article links ~
Nadal doubts that he will win the Australian Open

Nadal finds passion to knock over Djokovic

Rafael Nadal fears for battered knees

Australian Open Roger Federer Downplays Rift Rafael Nadal
My opinion: the writer of this excerpt is a Federer fan, and not a Rafa fan, as I am. I think Rafa was being honest. And his only possible desire to take back is that the reporting will spin and blow up what he said and what his words simply meant - his truth).

Excerpt here ~ from the article
Nadal and Federer, despite their healthy respect for one another, have butted heads on several issues for a while.

Nadal thinks there aren't enough breaks in the schedule for players during the season; Federer takes his own mini-breaks during the campaign and thus has never agreed with the Spaniard's observation.

Although Nadal, reportedly, backed former Wimbledon champion Richard Krajicek to become the next head of the men's tour, Federer, according to reports, didn't.

Nadal was obviously simmering.

But for Nadal to air his grievances against Federer in public was wrong, as he duly noted. Interestingly, though, he didn't take back what he said, that Federer essentially didn't want to look like the bad guy as the players sought changes to the game.

"You know, what I said," Nadal said in a news conference. "I feel sorry for say[ing] that, especially to you. Because when I say that, I have to say him personally. But that's it."

Later, Federer classily took the high road.

"I have no hard feelings towards him," he said. "It's been a difficult last few months in terms of politics within the ATP, I guess, trying to find a new CEO and chairman. That can get frustrating sometimes.

"He's mentioned many times how he gets a bit tired and frustrated through the whole process, and I shared that with him. It's normal. But for me, obviously, nothing changes in terms of our relationship. I'm completely cool and relaxed about it. He seemed the same way, or at least I hope so."

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RAFA NADAL IN DOHA ~ BEGINNING JANUARY 3, 2012

2012-01-02T23:23:00.014-05:00

Qatar Tennis 2012

Final

between two French players

Tsonga defeated Monfils

7-5, 6-3

Semi Final

Gael Monfils defeated Rafa Nadal

6-3, 6-4

Friday, January 6, 2012

The Tennis Channel

LIve and reairings of this match.

NOTE: I noticed that now I can watch The Tennis Channel both on my high definition TV and on my TV that is not high definition.

Previously, it was only available on a high definition channel.

Round 1

Rafa Nadal defeated Philipp Kohlschreiber

6-3, 6-7(2), 6-3

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Round 2

Rafa defeated Denis Gremelmayr

6-2, 6-2

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Round 3 ~ Quarter Final

Rafa Nadal defeated Mikhail Youzhny

6-4,-6-4

Thursday, January 5, 2012

TV LIve and reairings on The Tennis Channel

This match should be reairing around 10:30 p.m. USA EST,

if I correctly calculated the lengths of the matches

when they were played live.

Semi Final

Rafa Nadal vs. Gael Monfils

Friday, January 6, 2012

Second match on Center Court

The first match scheduled for 8:30 a.m. USA EST

TV
Starting Thursday, January 5, 2012 on The Tennis Channel

Live streaming:

atpworldtour.com/Media/DohaStream

Maybe at ~
aljazeerasport.tv/Live/channel/global

Roger Federer (Switzerland) and Rafael Nadal (Spain) launch the ATP World Tour 2012 in Doha, Qatar where they will be playing the first tournament of the season, the Doha ExxonMobil Open. To promote the event, they played few balls at the Katara Cultural Village Amphitheatre, where the court was illuminated by hundreds of candles.

Both pictures above ~ January 2, 2012 - Photo by Pacific Coast News.com

More pictures
zimbio Rafael Nadal

eurosport.yahoo.com

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Previous Tournament: Mubadala ~ Abu Dhabi
The Tennis Channel is reairing this tournament

David Ferrer defeated Rafa Nadal
Friday, Dec 30, 2011
Semi Final #2
6-3, 6-2

Rafa Nadal defeated Roger Federer
Saturday, Dec 31, 2011
6-1, 7-5

More on this previous tournament: mubadalawtc

Fun Video New Year's Eve

Rafa, Tsonga and Monfils

at Rafa's facebook

These two fan sites are a great source of up-to-date information ~

Vamos Brigade

Rafa's Babolat-sponsored forum

It is free to register at these sites and then you can read at your heart's content.

Join Us at Facebook

RAFA-NADAL-BRING-BACK-LONG-PANTS-SLEEVELESS-TOPS

Rafa on facebook

I GAVE MY SON A SONG FOR CHRISTMAS 2011 ~ UNTIL FOREVER ENDS

2011-12-31T00:51:00.008-05:00

Christmas Eve
December 24, Saturday, 2011
Photo credit: Sandra Hammel

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This is a public video, however the purpose of this song is for my son, which is a personal matter. He is 24 years old. Some bonds are deep, some never take at all. The bond that I feel with my son is the deep kind, that of hearts, spirits - between two souls. And he came into my life when he was 8 years old.

I am grateful for this special experience, this special bond.

One day, I hope to do this song with better voice. In the meantime, I upload what I did yesterday and include the live version that I sang for my son as one of his Christmas presents on Christmas Eve 2011, which was shot with the cheapest camera sold. I dream of having a decent camera one day. I just can't afford one.

This song was written December 14, 2011 for my son.

Until Forever Ends

Written by Sandra Hammel

Though we are two hearts, many years apart,

Our bond runs deep, deeper than the blue sea,

Now, you, you sail on,

I stand here and watch you take flight……

Every day, keep your passions alive, breathe free,

I will love you always,

Until forever ends,

I will love you until forever ends.

Key: F Major

6/8 feel

Raw title: Until Forever Ends Live.mov

I WISH SANTA WOULD GRANT ME MY WISH TO SEE PAUL GROSS IN PRIVATE LIVES

2011-12-12T22:13:00.010-05:00

I love to watch the acting of Paul Gross. I have two movies that I bought years back....Wilby Wonderful and Getting Married in Buffalo Jump. I first was introduced to him in Due South, TV series - bought that too. I adore him in that. Then I bought Slings and Arrows. He is starring in New York City on Broadway right now.

Paul Gross ad Kim Cattrall in Private Lives on Broadways at the Music Box Theatre. I wish Santa would grant me the wish of going to see him in Private Lives. (If you are listening Santa, it is playing through February 5, 2012. And I would need a train ticket and accommodations).

A Good Read ~

PLAYBILLS-BRIEF-ENCOUNTER-With-Private-Lives-and-Slings-Arrows-Star-Paul-Gross

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Private Lives ~ Highlights

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Due South

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Due South
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Due South

Ride Forever
from the Gemine Awards Show

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and from the Gemini Awards Show
and sung live in Canada in 1999

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Slings and Arrows
Season 2, from Episode 6: Birnam Wood

Some of the highlights of this scene:

The major donor to the theatre, Mr. Henderson, has been presented a gift just before the evening’s play and has decided to speak to the audience:

….on a personal note, just like to say how ‘specially moved I am to be here tonight. Romeo and Juliet is one of the greatest love stories ever told and one that has special meaning for my wife Carol and me. You see, we’ve been married for 37 years. And in all that time, I don’t think we’ve ever missed a production of this play…that we could get to. Carol can’t be here tonight. She’s in hospital recovering from heart surgery. She’s going to be all right, the doctors tell me. But you know, when I think of all the times that we nearly gave up on each other, I get kind of shaky. I wasn’t much of a husband there for awhile. I’ll tell you that for free. But an experience like this ~ it teaches you something about the power of love. It certainly does. Well….enjoy (the show).

The production of Romeo and Juliet is going on while this dialogue is interspersed with the play’s dialogue:

Ellen: I hate this play

Geoffrey: Yeah

….Romeo to Juliet: My life were better ended by their hate, than death prolong it, wanting of thy love….

Ellen: You watch and feel miserable, if you don’t have that kind of passion in your life. Nobody does. It’s a fantasy. It’s irresponsible.

Geoffrey: Yeah

You know what I think. It’s painfully accurate. Two

idiots meet. They fall in love. They’re happy. Briefly.

Then, all hell breaks loose. Happens all the time.

…..Juliet to Romeo: ….sea, my love as deep. The more I give to thee, the more I have for both…are infinite.

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Getting Married in Buffalo Jump ~ Collage

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Wilby Wonderful ~ Collage

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Passchendaele
from the end credits
Written by, Directed by Paul Gross (2008).
Stars ~Paul Gross, Caroline Dhavernas and Joe Dinicol
The entire cast
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Passchendaele ~ Trailer

Toronto article on Passchendaele, 2008

The Battle of Passchendaele was one of the major battles of the First World War, taking place between July and November 1917. In a series of operations, Entente troops under British command attacked the Imperial German Army. The battle was fought for control of the village of Passchendaele (modern Passendale) near the town of Ypres in West Flanders, Belgium. The objective of the offensive was to achieve a breakthrough, outflanking the German Army's defences, and forcing Germany to withdraw from the Channel Ports. The offensive also served to distract the German army from the French in the Aisne, who were suffering from widespread mutiny.

The music ~ download it.

After the War - song
Performed by Sarah Slean
Written by Paul Gross and David Keeley
Courtesy of Debmeister Music Publishing
Produced by Asher Lenz & Jack Lenz

Lyrics ~
After the guns are silent
After your wounds have healed
After those crosses have been planted in all those fields
After that long boat ride
All the way across the sea
And after this train carries thee

Chorus:
I will love you after the war
I'll love you for always, forever more
I will love you after the war
Forever, for always, and more

After your boots dry
And the tobacco's all but gone
Along with all those postcards you've carried under your arm
After I remember all the words I couldn't say
And after this long night fades away

I will love you after the war
I'll love you for always, forever more
I will love you after the war
Forever, for always, and more

After this blackbird
Lifts up from off your chest
After your soul takes its final rest
My love, I forgive you; you never planned to die
And Love, I'll place two pennies over your eyes

I will love you after the war
I'll love you for always, forever more
I will love you after the war
Forever, for always, and more.

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Paul Gross in Cold Comfort
Another scene in Cold Comfort

Recording singing ~
Paul Gross & David Keeley - If Heaven Had a Back Door

RAFA NADAL ON DAVIS CUP TEAM DECEMBER 2, 2011

2011-12-01T23:36:00.012-05:00

Davis Cup in Sevilla, Spain

Spain won the title over Argentina

with this Final Rubber Match

Rafael Nadal defeated Juan Martin del Potro

1-6, 6-4, 6-1, 7-6(7-0)

Members of Spain and Argentina teams

Friday, December 2, 2011

Singles

First rubber at 8:00 a.m. USA EST

Rubber 1

Rafa Nadal defeated Juan Monaco

6-1, 6-1, 6-2

Rubber 2

David Ferrer defeated Juan Martin del Potro

6-2 6-7(2) 3-6 6-4 6-3

LIVE on The Tennis Channel - Schedule

Watch LIVE online

tv DavisCup

Highlights of Rubbers/Matches and Interviews

video

Other free online watching

www.fromsport.com

Rubber 3

Saturday, December 3, 2011

David Nalbandian / Eduardo Schwank

defeated

Feliciano Lopez / Fernando Verdasco

6-4, 6-2, 6-3

Rubber 4

Sunday, December 4, 2011

7:00 a.m. USA/EST

Rafael Nadal defeated Juan Martin del Potro

1-6, 6-4, 6-1, 7-6(7-0)

As a result, Spain won the final of Davis Cup

This is the 5th Davis Cup that Spain has won.

Rubber 5 was not played as it wasn't necessary

David Ferrer vs. Juan Monaco

daviscup.com

Pictures

Daylife of Rafael Nadal

SIGN PETITION TO END VIOLENCE BY POLICE ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES IN CALIFORNIA

2011-11-21T21:19:00.003-05:00

Full statement by the University of California Faculty Association -- sign in solidarity on the right. (Professors sign here. Students sign here.)

This week, we have seen excessive force used against non-violent protesters at UC Berkeley, UCLA, CSU Long Beach, and UC Davis. Student, faculty and staff protesters have been pepper-sprayed directly in the eyes and mouth, beaten and shoved by batons, dragged by the arms while handcuffed, and submitted to other forms of excessive force. Protesters have been hospitalized because of injuries inflicted during these incidents. The violence was unprovoked, disproportional and excessive.

We are outraged by the excessive and unnecessary force used against peaceful protests.

We are outraged that the administrations of UC campuses are using police brutality to suppress dissent, free speech and peaceful assembly.

We demand that the Chancellors of the University of California cease using police violence to repress non-violent political protests. We hold them responsible for the violence and believe it can only result in an escalation of outrage that holds the potential for even more violence.

Police brutality damages the University’s public image, and, more importantly, it damages the climate for free expression at UC. We condemn the assault on the legacy of free speech at the University of California.

We call for greater attention to the substantive issues that motivate the protests regarding the privatization of education. With massive cuts in state funding and rising tuition costs across the community college system, the Cal State network, K-12, and the University of California, public education is undergoing a severe divestment. Student debt has reached unprecedented levels as bank profits swell. We decry the growing privatization and tuition increases that have been the frequent — and only — responses of the UC Board of Regents.

Signed,
The Board of the Council of UC Faculty Associations

Sign the petition

Deja vu

RAFA NADAL IN LONDON 2011 - ATP WORLD TOUR FINALS

2011-11-20T20:55:00.004-05:00

Barclays ATP World Tour Finals
atpworldtour.com/Finals
Top Eight Players in the World play in Round Robin
London, England

Rafa Nadal defeated Mardy Fish
6-2, 3-6, 7-6(3)
Sunday, November 20, 1011

Roger Federer defeated Rafa Nadal
6-3, 6-0
Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga defeated Rafa Nadal
7-6(2), 4-6, 6-3
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Now, Rafa has the Davis Cup to be played in Spain vs. Argentina

The Tennis Channel is carrying LIVE matches and also reairing the matches, same day as played
Rafa and Fish's match is being reaired now Sunday, November 13, 2011 at 8:00 p.m. USA, EST

TV Schedule

Pictures

ATP World Tour Finals Gala
Zimbio Pictures

Rafa watching Federer and Tsonga match
followed by pictures of his first match (vs. Mardy Fish)
Zimbio Pictures ATP+World+Tour+Finals+Day+One

Rafa's match with Federer
November 22, 2011
Zimbio Pictures

Living YOUR Life

2011-11-19T21:30:00.002-05:00

Often, thoughts come to me that I think are remarkable. And if I don't write them down, I usually can't recall them.

While watching Tom Ford's movie A Single Man tonight, the following thoughts came.

Why do most people have so much resistance to dying when the same people don't live their lives fully alive?

How can their be "Peace On Earth" when scarcely anyone has peace in their heart?

I exceptionally like the opening of Single Man because I so relate to it.

And I exceptionally like the ending.

Click post title for a George and Jim scene lying on the rocks.

MIGHT BE UNBELIEVABLE IF IT WASN'T HAPPENING

2011-11-18T21:44:00.005-05:00

Do you have one person in your life that the bond would be unbelievable, if it wasn't actually happening to you? I do. I didn't look for this bond where I found it. I always wanted this bond to happen with one other person and expected or hoped it would happen in an intimate relationship. But that is not where it showed up.

The bond is organic, in that it is natural and just is. That doesn't mean that it has only been warm feelings, peaceful and always smooth. None of those things are true. Trying to understand his emotional pain, heartfelt best intentions to always be what I needed to be for this person, times of being on the receiving end of hurtful words are true. Importantly, the hurtful words are not definitive of who he is. He owns his mistakes. And this is a new experience for me. I feel heard when expressing my feelings. I have not witnessed this truthful and complete endeavor in others to be the best that they are in all parts of their life. More specifically, the introspection that he uses to be his best self, I have not seen before. Especially in the men I have known.

The connection is one that is deep in my soul. I believe it is reciprocal. It is a rich and complex relationship between two deeply-feeling and deeply-experiencing beings. I am so grateful to have this bond and to know the connection in the way that I do as a gift from this other spirit walking the earth at the same time that I am.

It is without pretense. There is genuine communication not only in a mortal way, but in a spiritual way. The sincerity he has is so healing for me to see in another human being.

Truthfulness is a hallmark of how we allow each other to be. It is stunning and beautiful and I am grateful.

Recently, each time I have brought a difficult conversation to him, he has shown himself to not only meet me fairly and with complete integrity, he has exceeded how I might have imagined him to show up and allow himself to be and allow me to see. The openness has been refreshing. As he has entered his young adult life and I have entered the autumn into winter season of my life, he has shown glimpses of the most beautiful human being I have ever known. We are now working through things with our roles changing and I now can ask for things not possible when my role was the grown-up and he the, child.

We are approximately 40 years different in age.

He is my son. I didn't give him birth. But, if I had, we couldn't have been more connected with more of a bond.

December 28, 1997

Since my movie camera stopped working the day that he moved in, we went out and rented a movie camera to capture memories of the first Christmas together.

More of the same day

RI GOV CHAFEE GETS A GOV'T PENSION AT 62 (in 2015) DUE TO SERVING THE REQUIRED 5 YEARS AS US RI SENATOR

2011-11-04T23:17:00.011-04:00

Since our Rhode Island Governor, Lincoln Chafee has presented a pension bill along with the General Treasurer Gina Raimondo to the State Assembly and it requires the state to break contracts with current retired public workers, I was interested to look up about Lincoln Chafee's pension that he will receive from our federal tax dollars.

What the elected politicians change in the pension plan this time, is no guarantee that this will be the final change, the final take aways from the contract current retirees signed with the state of Rhode Island. Ask any Native American about government treaties. Broken treaties/contracts never benefit both sides, but only one side.

How good is a contract with a government?

Lincoln Chafee, current Governor of the state of Rhode Island

US Senator from November 2, 1999 to January 3, 2007

Mr. Chafee was a US Senator: 7 years and 2 months

Date of birth: March 26, 1953

58 years old

US Senator salaries from 1789 until the current year

More Information about Salaries of Senators

Senator Salaries
1999 $136,700
2000 $141,300
2001 $145,100
2002 $150,000
2003 $154,700
2004 $158,100
2005 $162,100
2006 $165,200

2007 $165,200
2008 $169,300
2009 $174,000
2010 $174,000
2011 $174,000

Lincoln Chafee's last three year's of salary as US RI Senator:
2004 $158,100
2005 $162,100
2006 $165,200
___________
$485,400 divided by 3, which is the average of his last three years US Senator salary = $161,800 x 80% = $129,440

Since I am not taking the time to understand the full 16 page report to figure out how much Lincoln Chafee will receive in his US Senator pension after serving 7 years and 2 months, I don't know how much of $129,400, he will receive in his government pension as a federal public employee representing us from Rhode Island. But he gets social security and medicare benefits, if he has the quarters, as he paid in, as a US RI Senator. And COLA is explained in the report on page 11, The COLA text is copied and pasted below.

Here are the facts about US Senators and Representatives Pensions. Source pdf file Congress+pension+plan

Members of Congress are eligible for a pension at age 62 if they have completed at least five years of service. They are eligible for a pension at age 50 if they have completed 20 years of service, or at any age after completing 25 years of service. The amount of the pension depends on years of service and the average of the highest three years of salary. By law, the starting amount of a member’s retirement annuity may not exceed 80 percent of his or her final salary.

Read the full report that provides more detail on retirement benefits for members of Congress. (This is 16 pages, including the COLA on page 11). From this report in the summary is where the following paragraph was taken:

As of October 1, 2006, 413 retired Members of Congress were receiving federal
pensions based fully or in part on their congressional service. Of this number, 290
had retired under CSRS and were receiving an average annual pension of $60,972.
A total of 123 Members had retired with service under both CSRS and FERS or with
service under FERS only. Their average annual pension was $35,952 in 2006.

About US Congress people and their Social Security

Is it true that . . . Members of Congress do not pay into Social Security and when they retire they receive a pension equal to their congressional salary for the rest of their life?

The answer is no. All members of Congress pay Social Security taxes in the same amounts as they would if they were employed in the private sector at the same salary level. The amount of a congressional pension varies and depends on years of service, age at the time of retirement, and salary.

The facts: The confusion about Social Security probably results from the fact that before 1984, Senators and Representatives did not participate in the Social Security program. Like all federal government employees at that time, members of Congress were covered by a pension plan, called the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS), that did not require payment of Social Security taxes and did not provide Social Security benefits. In 1983, Congress passed a law (P.L. 98-21) that required all federal employees first hired after 1983 to participate in Social Security. The law also required all members of Congress to participate in Social Security as of January 1, 1984, regardless of when they first entered Congress. Because the CSRS was not designed to coordinate with Social Security, Congress directed the development of a new retirement plan for federal employees, called the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS), which does coordinate a federal pension with Social Security.

COLA (from page 11 of the report)

Cost-of-Living Adjustments. CSRS annuities are adjusted for inflation
once each year on the same schedule and by the same percentage as Social Security
benefits. These “cost-of-living adjustments,” or COLAs, are based on the rate of
increase in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners (CPI-W). CSRS
annuities and Social Security benefits are increased each January by the percentage
change in the CPI-W over the 12-month period ending on the preceding September
30. FERS annuities also are adjusted for inflation, but as a cost-control measure,
Congress has mandated that FERS annuities will increase by less than the percentage
change in the CPI-W whenever the annual rate of increase in that index exceeds
2.0%. If the CPI-W rises by 2% or less, FERS annuities are increased by the same
percentage as the increase in the CPI. If the CPI rises by 2.1% to 3%, FERS
annuities are increased by 2%. If the CPI rises by more than 3%, FERS annuities are
increased by one percentage point less than the rate of increase in the CPI.

Initial CSRS annuities may not exceed 80% of a Member’s final pay. Over
time, however, if Congressional pay were to remain unchanged, a retired Member’s
CSRS pension could exceed the nominal amount of his or her final pay.
Nevertheless, because COLAs merely prevent the purchasing power of an annuity
from being eroded by inflation, the real value of a CSRS pension does not increase
or decrease during retirement, provided that the price index on which the COLA is
based is an accurate measure of the rate of inflation.

THOUGHTS AS THE POWER TO LIFE

2011-10-23T00:55:00.010-04:00

National Seashore (USA) on Cape Cod
Photo taken October 1, 2011
Photo credit: Sandra Hammel

I am making affirmations be a part of my day, every day.

I started when I had been given a diagnosis that the medical profession doesn't appear to have any real remedy for. After seeing several doctors, googling, going to a support group for this specific diagnosis, finding meditation society, I found Louise Hay's affirmation book You Can Heal Your Life a great portal to my own exploration with affirmations.

Centrally Louise, maintains that we love and accept ourselves just as we are. And the statements and thoughts are to be in the present, not in the future. The reason for this is that if you state that it will happen in the future, you are setting it up to happen in the future, and the future never becomes the present. So, state it as it is already happening.

I have had some powerful experiences during my times of meditating on the affirmations. My times of doing this are very personal and they sometimes lead into thoughts that just blossom out of other thoughts. They may not strike a chord with you, but I offer some of what I have written down in my journal following some of my times. I never remember exactly what has come to me, but close.

Affirmation results from the last several days ~

My body is restored to its natural state of good health and positive energy field. Everything else will follow.

Love enters me, moves through me and radiates out from me.

I have created a safe space

to be myself free of judgment.

I have created a safe space

to use my talents,

to use my talents out loud.

I have created a safe space where I can feel vulnerable,
where I can let the guard down,
where I can be gentle, I can be kind
and not fear being attacked.

(Yes, I know it is supposed to be only positively worded, such as "free of attack" instead of "not fear being attacked".)

I have created a safe space to be whole, calm.
I am protected here.

I can love myself here, the ways I had been wanting you to love me.

I have created a safe space to be everything that I am, feel, am drawn toward and dream of.

I have created a safe space.

I can relax.

I breathe now.

I can let my breath go now.

I have created a safe space where I don't hold my breath.

I am okay here.

I don't judge myself.

I let go of my need for you to love me.

I let go of my need for you to stop judging me.

I create a safe space for me to be me.

I am grateful for this.

My voice is in a safe space now.

I am healed.

❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧

Imagine the baby you were,
the little girl
who was afraid of those who were supposed to love, encourage and protect you.
You can give her everything needed to be you.

This is the beauty of your power.

I love myself.

I am accepted in the safe space I have created.

I adore who I am.

I am grateful.

I attract people who support me.

I create a safe space where there is no resistance to my being me completely.

❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧

The pain that came and did its service to me is let go into the Universe and becomes positive light and energy.

❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧

I release the toxic statements to the Universe to dissipate into positive energy.

I let go the toxic experiences that I hold, have been holding over time.

All the judgment that I have been holding in my body is given to the Universe.

I have created a safe space
to be me
to be vulnerable
to be gentle
to be kind.

❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧

I deserve to be happy and calm.

I deserve to be whole.

I accept acceptance
I accept abundance
I accept love
I accept gentleness
I accept kindness
I accept all good
I accept wholeness
I accept healing
I accept life
I accept gratitude
I accept all the things that I once feared losing,
not having or keeping - are now mine
I accept that I am awesome
I accept joy
I accept forgiveness
I accept power
I accept prosperity

I am love
I am gentleness
I am kindness
I am goodness
I am healed
I am life
I am gratitude
I am all things I once feared losing,
not having or keeping.

I live love
I live gentleness
I live kindness
I live goodness
I live whole
I live healed
I live life
I live gratitude
I live free of fear
I live

❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧

"Uncomfortable" had become my familiar place to be. Now I want to take "it" off, like a heavy coat that I 've been wearing.

Why is is so hard to be a place so soft?
Not leaving,
stepping back into the familiar?

I have created a safe space
where I am whole
I can be child-like
I can be vulnerable
I am free of restricting thoughts and language.
It is gentle,
kind,
love.

I am free of what you think, say, judge.

It is comfortable to be only me, as I am.

I am healed.

I only want to live in this space.

I don't want to step out of this space to manifest anything.
It is here I want to always be from this moment on.

I want to live only in this space.
It's where I always have been moving toward.

It's where I can finally be home and breathe free.

I am grateful to be here.

I'm me in this space and that is all.

❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧

I am peace
I am calm
I am love
I am the holder for acceptance
I am kindness
I am awesome
I am whole in my save space
I am just as I am perfect
I am gentleness
I am vulnerability
I am protected here
I am grace
I let go of my need for you to approve of me.
I love me
I can be myself here outloud.

I welcome you in my safe space.

❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧

Heal Your Life Affirmations - Louise L Hay

GENOCIDE IN SUDAN IS A WAY OF LIFE (AND DEATH) - THE REASON I BLOG FOR PEACE ~ #8

2011-10-18T23:44:00.008-04:00

SUDAN AREAS WHERE GENOCIDE IS HAPPENING

BLUE NILE, DARFUR, EASTERN SUDAN, NUBA MOUNTAINS and SOUTH SUDAN

As a community leader in Rhode Island, who works with other community leaders across the USA, in order to bring needed attention to genocide, preventing and stopping it, I have worked specifically with the dire situation in Sudan.

Ethnic cleansing, genocide of about 3,000,000 bodies in South Sudan, Darfur, Nuba Mountains, Blue Nile, Eastern Sudan just since Bashir came into power is proof of the world, including the USA, turning a blind eye and making "never again" meaningless two words. Two words that we have used at the end of previous genocides. The current Government of Sudan supports Sudanese regional genocides/ethnic cleansings, which are focused on people who are black, have an African culture and those who've asked for government help. The victim targets' regions over the months and years have changed and multiplied in Sudan, however the strategy has not changed.

................................................................

................................................................
One who worked in Sudan in a refugee camp (2005 to 2007), from 13:25 to 21:19.

John Prendergast of the Enough Project is introduced at 21:19 and speaks at 22:44 until 33:49.

Mohamed Yahya speaks at United Nations on the UN Webcast, Mohamed is from west Darfur, Sudan. His introduction and his comments are from 33:49 to 48:40.

51:48 begins the section of various contributions of "What You Wish For" book.

At 53:27 is a German author introduction via streaming by Skype at the United Nations Dag Hammarskjöld Library Auditorium , followed by the introduction of each of the authors to speak.

At 1:00:13 the first author is supposed to be heard, but the audio is not audible for a while anyway.

Here is the explanation of the video above from the United Nations webcast ~

What You Wish For, a short story and poetry anthology for youth.

17 October 2011

Authors join Darfur experts and the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) at the UN’s Dag Hammarskjöld Library Auditorium from 3-5 PM in celebration of the launch of What You Wish For, a short story and poetry anthology for youth.

The event co-hosted by the United Nations Office for Partnerships will feature Darfur experts John Prendergast, co-founder of the Enough Project and author of Unlikely Brothers: Our Story of Adventure, Loss, and Redemption, and Mohamed Yahya, co-founder of Damanga. The Director of UNHCR’s Executive Office in New York, Udo Janz, and Senior Policy Advisor Grainne O’Hara will also speak.

Running time: 02:02:05

❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧

"They Bombed Everything that Moved"

Aerial military attacks on civilians and humanitarians in Sudan,

1999 - 2011

(report and data update as of October 15, 2011)

By Eric Reeves

www.sudanbombing.org

July 15 - October 15, 2011

Since this report and data spreadsheet were originally released on May 6, 2011, the Sudan Armed Forces---at the direction of the National Islamic Front/National Congress Party regime in Khartoum---have continued their aerial onslaught against civilians in various regions of North Sudan. This savagery has now spread from South Kordofan to another northern border state, Blue Nile. At the same time, civilian villages in Darfur, without any military presence, continue to be targeted. I have argued that in aggregate, these many hundreds of confirmed, deliberate aerial attacks on civilians and humanitarians---going back more than a decade---constitute crimes against humanity. So, too, does the widespread, systematic denial of humanitarian access on an ethnic basis, something the UN first reported in Darfur in 2003 (in South Sudan the Nuba Mountains this had begun over a decade earlier). And yet these tactics, which have defined the military strategy of the Khartoum regime for so long, show no signs of being curtailed. Nor is there any sign that these atrocity crimes will confront meaningful action by international actors, who know full well their deadly consequences---and hence the consequences of their own acquiescence.

In South Kordofan the bombing continues to be particularly intense in the Nuba Mountains, and for months has prevented planting and tending of crops; continued bombing now endangers even a meager harvest. Khartoum has prevented all international humanitarian access to a vast population that is now squarely facing starvation. Many people have made the dangerous trek to South Sudan, some 8,000 as of mid-September, and the UN High Commission for Refugees estimated at the time that there were some 500 new arrivals per day.

Civilians in Blue Nile---another region with a long history of marginalization, violence, and tyranny at the hands of the NIF/NCP regime---are consistently reported as enduring daily bombing attacks. Civilian casualties have been high and the number of civilians displaced by bombardment is enormous. Elected governor Malik Agar estimates that half of Blue Nile's 1.2 million people are now on the move. This is harvest season and it appears increasingly unlikely that those forced from their lands by aerial military violence will be able to survive without international humanitarian aid---which Khartoum has again denied categorically.

Lacking food and humanitarian assistance, and facing increasing violence, civilians from Blue Nile have begun to pour into neighboring Ethiopia, with no end to the exodus in sight:

"The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) says 27,500 people have fled the conflict in Blue Nile State to nearby Ethiopia since early September. The agency is due to open a second camp 200km from the border with a capacity of 3,000 people, as fighting and SAF aerial bombardments continue." (UN Integrated Regional Information Networks [IRIN] [dateline: Kurmuk], October 13, 2011)

In South Kordofan, the SPLA/M-North leader Abdel Aziz el-Hilu reports that as many as 500,000 Nuba have been displaced, and he has assembled locality data to support this claim. The actual figure for displaced persons can't be known, but now---after more than four months of intense bombings---it is almost certainly more than 300,000, and the number of conflict-affected civilians much greater. Khartoum's military assaults on Abyei (May 20), South Kordofan (June 5), and Blue Nile (September 1) may now have displaced 1 million civilians.

Origins and character of conflict in Blue Nile

Violence in Blue Nile was initiated by Khartoum's Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) on September 1, 2011 in yet another well-prepared assault. Such an assault was predicted in a previous iteration of this update (July 15, 2011), as it was by the elected governor of Blue Nile, Malik Agar. Malik insisted to all who would listen that the longer conflict and ethnic targeting of civilians continued in South Kordofan, the more likely it was that Blue Nile would be drawn into the fighting. Unsurprisingly, Malik's residence in Damazine was the first target of SAF shelling. Such shelling has now extended southward toward Kurmuk as Khartoum increasingly engages in "stand-off" military actions against the forces so effectively led by Malik (the Sudan People's Liberation Army/Movement-North; SPLA/M-N). Large-scale, long-range, and indiscriminate shelling has many of the same effects as aerial bombardment by Antonov aircraft, which are inherently incapable of achieving bombing accuracy sufficient to be militarily effective. It is now the greatest fear of many on the ground in Blue Nile. UN IRIN reports from Kurmuk (October 12, 2011):

"The priority is to move patients from the hospital as quickly as possible, either back home or across the border to Ethiopia where other aid agencies can care for them. 'The fear that an Antonov might bomb [the hospital] is terrible,' [Dr. Evan] Atar said, adding: 'Most of the people who were injured are people who were running. The bomb usually explodes upwards in a conical form, so if you keep down you are fine.'"

But fear in such circumstances can be extremely difficult to control; and the fact that Khartoum is notorious for its deliberate bombing of hospitals is widely known among the people who endured more than 20 years of civil war (see original May 6 report, pp. 14 - 15, 23 - 24). Moreover, as Dr. Atar also notes:

"'In the [civil] war, there was peace in the villages; now they [the Antonovs] bomb even the villages---that's the problem; and the increasing accuracy of the bombing is leading to rising patient numbers as the weeks go by.'" (UN IRIN [dateline: Kurmuk], October 12, 2011)

While still not sufficiently accurate to be militarily effective, there have been repeated reports of Antonovs increasing their accuracy through crude bomb-sighting mechanisms, and their destructiveness by using bombs with greater explosive power.

Atar, who is the only doctor in Kurmuk, notes the connection between bombing and shelling by Khartoum's SAF and the looming food shortages: "Food would also become a problem [ ]. 'First of all the war will continue and the second thing is, now, hunger will come and it is not going to spare anyone unless the people go and become refugees to be helped, but for the people left within, it is going to be a big problem.' Artillery fire directed at rebels could be the last straw. 'For now it is the Antonov bombing, but I don't think I would be here if there is shelling ... and no patients could be brought here,' Atar said" (emphasis added) (UN IRIN October 12). And even now, a major SAF force is on the move toward Kurmuk. A highly alarming report from the Satellite Sentinel Project (September 23), based on substantial satellite photography, indicates a massive formation of armor, troops, and military aircraft: "heavily camouflaged, mechanized units comprising at least a brigade---3,000 troops or more"; "these forces appear to be equipped with heavy armor and artillery, supported by helicopter gunships." Once they are in artillery range, they will likely engage in annihilating shelling, which will compel the SPLA/N to withdraw or risk large numbers of casualties among civilians who have remained (a rapidly dwindling number).

The experience of civilians who are bombed and shelled is captured in an important dispatch from Agence France-Presse (also with a Kurmuk dateline, October 10):

"Anima's eyes flicker and weep as the doctor sews up the stump of his left arm, before he rolls back on the hospital bed, one of the latest victims in Sudan's relentless bombing campaign in Blue Nile state. Dr Evan Atar says he has done seven amputations since war broke out between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and fighters loyal to the SPLM-North in Blue Nile state last month. He has treated more than 600 others for shrapnel wounds. 'We are really now running out of supplies. We have been running here and there and crying.... But now where to get it from is really an issue,' he said. President Omar al-Bashir has blocked foreign aid agencies from entering Blue Nile and nearby South Kordofan state, where a separate conflict between the army and SPLM-North rebels has raged since June."

"Kurmuk's is the only hospital between neighbouring Ethiopia and Damazin ... and Dr Atar is the only doctor. He says the hospital will run out of vital supplies such as saline solution, cotton and gauze this week if no aid arrives, after using up six months' supplies in one [month]. In another hospital bed, 65-year-old Altom Osman is recovering from a deep shrapnel wound in his back and one in his arm after a bomb hit the village of Sali an hour north of Kurmuk. 'I was taking some sorghum flour to my wife. We were passing our farm and then the Antonov came immediately and bombed,' Osman whispered."

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BEING MY OWN LIFE COACH

2011-09-12T22:48:00.007-04:00

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Recently I have begun intentional positive thoughts and stating affirmations as a way to bring things into my life that I desire. Doctors have given me depressing office visits which include their low-feeling energy and vibrations. In an effort to take back the power that I had been giving over to the doctors, I came across healing meditations. And checked out from the libary a book and a DVD of Louise Hay's story and life's work.

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On the DVD, You Can Heal Your Life, are other people who speak of manifesting in life through affirmations, and the quote below was on the DVD. It was an illustration that we get what we think about. If you tune into your internal thoughts, some not even articulated fully, you will probably find like I have, that a lot of your internal messaging to yourself, isn't helpful and isn't what you want to bring into your life. I was surprised that a lot of my internal messages were so hard on me. I am nicer to others than I had been to myself. I am changing that.

"The law of flotation was not discovered by the contemplation of the sinking of things, but by contemplating the floating of things." Thomas Troward

I am lovable because I exist....Louise Hay

Gregg Braden speaks about physical reality that science has missed until now.

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RAFA NADAL - US OPEN 2011

2011-08-29T20:38:00.030-04:00

UPDATED September 12, 2011, 10:30 p.m.

FINAL ~ US OPEN 2011
Novak Djokovic unfortunately defeated Rafa Nadal
6-2, 6-4, 6-7(3), 6-1
Monday, September 12, 2011

Arthur Ashe Stadium
Various TV Carriers will carry the Final
For me it will be aired on Cox Cable's Channel 1015
Weather for NewYork

Final US Open 2011 Rafa Nadal Zimbio Pictures

LIVE Streaming Opportunities
u s open
espn3
fromsport

The US Open website states that CBS will air the final on Monday, September 12, 2011, but according to the crawl on CBS on Saturday September 9, 2011, THAT IS NOT TRUE...
TV Schedule for US Open

The Tennis Channel Schedule may re-air the FINAL match

Semi Final
Rafa Nadal defeated Andy Murray
6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 6-2
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Arthur Ashe Stadium
Zimbio pictures of Rafael Nadal Semi Final

Semi Final
Novak Djokovic defeated Roger Federer
6-7, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 7-5
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Arthur Ashe Stadium

U.S. Open 2011
Singles ~ Men
Round 1
Rafa Nadal defeated Andrey Golubev
6-3, 7-6(7-1), 7-5
Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Round 2
Rafa Nadal defeated Nicolas Mahut
6-2, 6-2, Mahut retired
Friday, September 2, 2011

Round 3
Rafa Nadal defeated David Nalbandian
7-6(5), 6-1, 7-5
Sunday, September 4, 2011

Round 4 ~ Round of 16
Rafa Nadal defeated Gilles Muller
7-6(1), 6-1, 6-2
Thursday, September 7, 2011
At the link (quick before it's taken down), many uploads of Round 4 match...in case you were away, like me and didn't get to see Rafa on fire. Parts 3 - 13

Rafa fields questions from Press people

Quarter Final
Rafa Nadal defeated Andy Roddick
6-2, 6-1, 6-3
on Arthur Ashe Stadium
Friday, September 9, 2011

Semi Final
Rafa Nadal defeated Andy Murray
6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 6-2
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Arthur Ashe Stadium

Semi Final
Novak Djokovic defeated Roger Federer
6-7, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 7-5
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Arthur Ashe Stadium

FINAL ~ US OPEN 2011
Novak Djokovic unfortunately defeated Rafa Nadal
6-2, 6-4, 7-6(3), 6-1
Monday, September 12, 2011

LIVE Streaming Opportunities
u s open
espn3
fromsport

TV USA
ESPN2 and The Tennis Channel
TV Schedule for US Open

Great Links at the US Open site
Click the link and check out all the options at the tab Video and Radio
interactive video

NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 27: Rafael Nadal of Spain talks to the media during previews at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 27, 2011 in New York City.

My previous post ~
Rafa Nadal days before US Open - 2011

Draws

Schedule

Completed match scores

Live scores

NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 25: Rafael Nadal attends the 12th Annual BNP Paribas Taste of Tennis at W New York Hotel on August 25, 2011 in New York City.

Pictures

Zimbio ~ Rafael Nadal Unveils New Armani Jeans Campaign

Daylife

U.S. Open pictures of Rafa

U.S. Open website photos

Round 1 pictures at Zimbio

Round 2 - Better than Round 1's outfit, for sure

Rafael Nadal of Spain reacts against Nicolas Mahut of France during Day Five of the 2011 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 2, 2011 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. Photo by Nick Laham

Rafael Nadal of Spain serves against Nicolas Mahut of France during Day Five of the 2011 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 2, 2011 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images North America

Rafael Nadal of Spain returns a shot against Nicolas Mahut of France during Day Five of the 2011 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 2, 2011 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images North America

More Round 2 at Zimbio

Round 3

Rafael Nadal of Spain returns a shot against David Nalbandian of Argentina during Day Seven of the 2011 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 4, 2011 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images North America

More Round 3 Zimbio Pictures of Rafael Nadal

Round 4 - Round of 16 Zimbio Pictures of Rafael Nadal

Quarter Final Zimbio Pictures Rafael Nadal

Semi Final Pictures

Rafael Nadal of Spain reacts after he won his match point against Andy Murray of Great Britain during Day Thirteen of the 2011 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 10, 2011 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (September 9, 2011 - Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images North America

Rafael Nadal of Spain reacts against Andy Murray of Great Britain during Day Thirteen of the 2011 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 10, 2011 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images North America

Rafael Nadal of Spain reaches for a return against Andy Murray of Great Britain during Day Thirteen of the 2011 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 10, 2011 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images North America

Rafael Nadal of Spain hits a return against Andy Murray of Great Britain during Day Thirteen of the 2011 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 10, 2011 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images North America

Rafael Nadal of Spain reacts after he won his match point against Andy Murray of Great Britain during Day Thirteen of the 2011 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 10, 2011 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images North America

Rafael Nadal of Spain reacts after he won match point against Andy Murray of Great Britain during Day Thirteen of the 2011 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 10, 2011 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. September 9, 2011 - Photo by Al Bello

More Semi Final Zimbio Pictures of Rafael Nadal

Final US Open 2011 Rafa Nadal Zimbio Pictures

Davis Cup.com
Davis Cup Spain/ESP

Fan Support Sites ~ Great sources of information

Vamos Brigade

Rafa's Babolat-sponsored Forum

Facebook RAFA-NADAL-BRING-BACK-LONG-PANTS-SLEEVELESS-TOPS

Rafa's Facebook
www.facebook.com/Nadal

Rafa's Website
rafaelnadal.com

Rafael Nadal (R) unveils his new Armani Jeans campaign at Macy's Herald Square on August 25, 2011 in New York City. Photo by Thos Robinson/Getty Images North America

AFTER WE KILL THE FISH, POLLUTE OUR BODIES WITH TOXINS AND GENETICALLY CHANGE GENDERS WITH CHEMICAL POLLUTIONS, WILL WE AGREE WE WERE WRONG?

2011-08-25T21:17:00.010-04:00

WILL WE AGREE THAT CORPORATIONS DON'T REGULATE THEMSELVES? AND WE DO NEED GOVERNMENT TO CONTROL AND FUND REGULATIONS FOR THE HEALTHY WATERWAYS, SOIL, AIR?

Photo source

Only when the last tree has died

and the last river been poisoned

and the last fish been caught

will we ever realize we cannot eat money.

Cree Native American Proverb

Waterlife ~ A documentary film
This film concentrates on The Great Lakes of the USA and Canada. At the documentary website
Waterlife (see the very bottom for links to click), read the Director's Statement, About the Film, Resources/Community Action, dates and locations of screenings of the film and more.

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From the Waterlife website:
There are supposed to be 51 % boy babies to 49% girl babies...two girls to one boy are now being born....
Male frogs are losing their penis size and have been having ovaries.
There used to be fish, big fish, nice lake trout. Now, there is no fish.

When I was a kid, there was a lot of fisherman. It was right toward the middle of the 60's...that the lampreys wiped things out.

The following Lamprey information is from dnr.wi.gov/org

Evidence: Lampreys attach themselves to other fish and suck on their blood and body fluids. They leave rounded scars on the fish. When they first arrived on the Great Lakes scene, they killed large numbers of predatory sport fish. People began to notice the lack of large fish and the scars on others. Lampreys preyed on whitefish, lake trout and chub populations in lakes Superior and Michigan. The lamprey invasion made it hard on the people who fished the Great Lakes to make a living.

One sea lamprey can upset an ecosystem and food chain by eating an estimated 40 pounds of fish or more in its lifetime. Multiply that times 22,000 lamprey found in just one river and you have a lot of dead fish. Because of lower large fish populations, small fish, like the alewife, were able to increase in numbers. Alewives are also invader species which compete with native fish for food and habitat.

Invaded Territory: the Great Lakes and clear, cold streams throughout the Great Lakes region. Construction and improvements on the Erie and Welland Canal (between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie) around 1921 allowed sea lampreys to get through the canal to the next lake. Here's a list of their arrival dates in each lake:

Sea lampreys will lay over 100,000 eggs when spawning, much more than the native lamprey species.

RAFA NADAL ~ THE DAYS BEFORE THE U.S. OPEN 2011

2011-08-25T20:52:00.005-04:00

The days running up to the U.S. Open tennis tournament has had some Rafa citings....

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More pictures at zimbio

Even more pictures at zimbio with Rafa arriving at Letterman show

Rafael Nadal attends Bacardi USA President Robert Furniss-Roe hosts Rafael Nadal at "Champions Drink Responsibly"event on August 23, 2011 in New York City. (August 22, 2011 - Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images North America
More pictures of Champions Drink Responsibly" at zimbio

U.S. Open 2011
Singles ~ Men
Round 1
Rafa Nadal versus Andrey Golubev

I will do a separate post with updates of the U.S. Open, as long as Rafa is in it.

Draws

Schedule

Completed match scores

Live scores

U.S. Open pictures of Rafa

U.S. Open website photos

LIVE Streaming
www.fromsportcom

Fan Support Sites ~ Great sources of information

Vamos Brigade

Rafa's Babolat-sponsored Forum

Facebook RAFA-NADAL-BRING-BACK-LONG-PANTS-SLEEVELESS-TOPS

Rafa's Facebook
www.facebook.com/Nadal

Rafa's Website
rafaelnadal.com

THE REASON I BLOG FOR PEACE ~ #7

2011-08-23T21:10:00.002-04:00

This video is a reason to blog for peace.....

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RAFA NADAL IN CINCINNATI ~ 2011

2011-08-16T20:14:00.015-04:00

Cincinnati ~ Singles
cincytennis.com
Round 1
Rafa Nadal ~ Bye

Round 2
Rafa Nadal defeated Julien Benneteau
6-4, 7-5
August 17, 2011

Round 3
Rafa Nadal defeated Fernando Verdasco
7-6(5), 6-7(4), 7-6(9)
Thursday, August 18, 2011

At the LINK, watch Round 3/Round of 16 match of Rafa Nadal vs. (defeat) Fernando Verdasco with three sets, with three tie breaks.

Quarter Final
Mardy Fish defeated Rafa Nadal
6-3, 6-4
Friday, August 19, 2011

TV

ESPN2
Watch online at espn3

Doubles
Round 1
Rafa Nadal and Marc Lopez defeated Janko Tipsarevic and Viktor Troicki
7-6(4), 6-7 (2), 10-5

Round 2
Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes defeat ed Rafa Nadal and Marc Lopez
6-4, 6-2
Thursday, August 18, 2011

TV USA
Schedule
The Tennis Channel
ESPN2
CBS

Watch Online
espn3
This has LIVE and matches that are online after the LIVE action (See the Replay tab)
fromsportcom.com

Rafa in Pictures
Zimbio
Daylife
www.cincytennis.com/photos

Fan Support Sites ~ Great sources of information

Vamos Brigade

Rafa's Babolat-sponsored Forum

Facebook RAFA-NADAL-BRING-BACK-LONG-PANTS-SLEEVELESS-TOPS

Rafa's Facebook
www.facebook.com/Nadal

Rafa's Website
Rafa's Facebook
rafaelnadal.com

THE REASON I BLOG FOR PEACE ~ #6 ~ Monsanto verus World Justice

2011-08-12T21:00:00.000-04:00

Because we matter. Justice matters.

ENGINEERED ELEMENTS ARE YOUR FOOD TODAY ~ and it is not new and improved as corporate food producers want us to believe.

Do you remember when ketchup (also known as catsup) couldn't be called ketchup legally because the healthier types of ketchup, had different elements/ingredients than the brand Heinz ketchup was made of? So the healthier ketchup, had to be called imitation ketchup. If not, you probably are too young to remember this. Or it just didn't get under your radar of information gathering.
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Uploaded by crston7

One reason I blog for Peace
is to spotlight how the "food" growing methods have changed for the worse and therefore what we eat is killing us. One way to decrease the need for health care dollars would be for our politicians and the US Supreme Court to protect us from the sicknesses and deaths brought to us by Corporations who sell our food contaminated and far from wholesome and healthy.

If you haven't seen the documentary movie, Food Inc, check it out (in the USA) for free at your public library, go to youtube where much of it is posted, rent it, buy it. Please, for your own information, yours and your loved ones' sake, do see it.

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Uploaded by TheyDidThis

Corporations who control the farmers, our environment, how our food is prepared and grown have the politicians and some members of the US Supreme Court on speed dial. Money can buy your government and has. Many of our elected politicians are whores for the Corporate farming businesses. Not just in the USA, but all over the world. Small farmers who want to remain small farms have been denied this freedom. They have been pushed out based on laws that are pro corporate farming, they have been intimidated with lawyers and lawsuits, they have drained farmers dry with legal costs to try to save their rights to farm their own farms their own way. Farmers are not even allowed to save their own seeds. They have spent millions, if not billions on lobbying your elected representative government.

If you aren't aware of this and it has happened while you are busy with your life, I suggest you do some google searching, reading, educate yourself. Because this way of operating our food supply is killing us. And killing our environment. And those who gain monetarily from this, don't care that the people they get rich on are getting sick from the food and dying. Some day, they may very likely have less people to feed as they kill us off. Then what will they do? Who will they lobby to get rich? And what will they lobby about?

Interview by the makers of the documentary movie of FOOD INC

Watch the entire 20 minute documentary online Notes on Milk
Online viewing available through April 21, 2014.

Ariana Gerstein and Monteith McCollum, whose Hybrid aired on POV in 2002, take a quirky and poetic look at some lesser-known aspects of America’s favorite drink: the industry’s spiritual underpinnings, politics and the struggle of independent farmers.

Notes on Milk is being aired on TV following airings of Food, Inc.

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Who Controls Our Food? part 11 of 11
Uploaded by EdjeBos

Monsanto owns the world...

Monsanto’s Harvest of Fear

Monsanto already dominates America’s food chain with its genetically modified seeds. Now it has targeted milk production. Just as frightening as the corporation’s tactics–ruthless legal battles against small farmers–is its decades-long history of toxic contamination.

by Donald L. Barlett and James B. Steele

READ the full article at Vanity Fair 2008/05

Click post title for another blogger's post on Food Inc.

THE REASON I BLOG FOR PEACE ❧ POST #5

2011-08-10T23:52:00.011-04:00

Corporations, such as Monsanto, have proven that they don't care about the human race and the planet. Corporations own our politicians in the USA. And we fight to have rights that we won years ago, such as rights to have unions.

Another reason that I blog for peace is that I think common sense solutions by one or more human beings - no matter where they live on the planet Earth - should not be obstructed by politicians, should be allowed to happen and let the elements of the planet decide from there the result(s).

Yesterday, I saw a documentary film on POV (Point of View), Independent Lens, that lasted less than an hour. The title is Taking Root - The Vision of Wangari Maathai. An inspiring story that benefits the people, the families, the community, the environment, the planet. They claimed back land that had been damaged and planted trees on it. And common sense proved how uncommon it is. The healing of the land began and the people reaped from the healed earth a life-giving source to sustain their lives.

And yet, in so many places the common sense of planting trees would run into government blocks in the name of protecting corporate development which is "sold" as a point of being beneficial. But we all know that is usually a lie. If corporations get to decide, the people of the community and the planet's environment and safety... looses, more often, than not. And so do we all. So, a story like this is simply uplifting.

Spread goodness, kindness, heal the planet and we will begin to heal ourselves.

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Hummingbird

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Taking Root tells the dramatic story of Kenyan Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Wangari Maathai whose simple act of planting trees grew into a nationwide movement to safeguard the environment, protect human rights, and defend democracy—a movement for which this charismatic woman became an iconic inspiration.
takingrootfilm.com

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you, not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

Marianne Williamson in Return to Love

The following information is from takingrootfilm.com

Planting trees for fuel, shade, and food is not something that anyone would imagine as the first step toward winning the Nobel Peace Prize. Yet with that simple act Wangari Maathai, a woman born in rural Kenya, started down the path that reclaimed her country’s land from 100 years of deforestation, provided new sources of food and income to rural communities, gave previously impoverished and powerless women a vital political role in their country, and ultimately helped to bring down Kenya's twenty-four-year dictatorship.

TAKING ROOT weaves a compelling and dramatic narrative of one woman's personal journey in the context of the turbulent political and environmental history of her country. Raised in the rural highlands of Kenya, educated in the United States during the 1960s civil rights era, and the first female to receive a PhD in East Africa, Maathai discovered the heart of her life's work by reconnecting with the rural women with whom she had grown up. They told her that their daily lives had become intolerable: they were walking longer distances for firewood, clean water had become scarce, the soil was disappearing from their fields, and their children were suffering from malnutrition. Maathai thought to herself, "Well, why not plant trees?" Trees provide shade, prevent soil erosion, supply firewood and building materials, and produce nutritious fruit to combat malnutrition. With this realization Maathai founded the Green Belt Movement, a grassroots organization encouraging rural women to plant trees.

A seemingly innocuous idea, Maathai soon discovered that tree planting had a ripple effect of empowering change. In the mid 1980s, Kenya was under the repressive regime of Daniel arap Moi under whose dictatorship group gatherings were outlawed. In tending their nurseries women had a legitimate reason to gather outside their homes and discuss the roots of their problems. These grassroots women soon found themselves working successively against deforestation, poverty, ignorance, embedded economic interests, and political oppression, until they became a national political force.

As the trees and the Green Belt Movement grew, a spirit of hope and confidence also grew in ordinary citizens – especially in women – only to be met with violent opposition from the government. Maathai and her colleagues soon found themselves victims of President Moi's political oppression. In response, Maathai’s political activism only grew. At great risk she lead numerous confrontations in defense of the environment and social justice each of which brought her country closer to democracy.

Through TV footage, newspaper headlines, and chilling first person accounts, TAKING ROOT documents these dramatic confrontations of the 1980s and 1990s and captures Maathai's infectious determination and unwavering courage. Through perseverance and widespread grassroots organization, Kenya's fight for democracy finally prevailed. In 2002 a new democratically elected government replaced Moi's, and Maathai became a member of the new Parliament and Assistant Minister of the Environment and Natural Resources.

And the trees continue to grow. Today there are more than 6,000 Green Belt nurseries throughout Kenya that generate income for 150,000 people, and thirty-five million trees have deeply altered the physical and social landscape of the country. The Green Belt Movement has also started programs teaching women about indigenous foods, income generating activities, AIDS, and self-empowerment. Through cinema verité footage of the tree nurseries and the women and children who tend them, TAKING ROOT brings to life the confidence and joy of people working to improve their own lives while also ensuring the future and vitality of their land.

Through intimate conversations with Maathai, whose warm, powerful, and luminous presence imbues much of the film, TAKING ROOT captures a world-view in which nothing is perceived as impossible, presenting an awe-inspiring profile of one woman's thirty-year journey of courage to protect the environment, ensure equality between men and women, defend human rights, and promote democracy--all sprouting from the achievable act of planting trees.

THE REASON I BLOG FOR PEACE ❧ POST #4

2011-08-10T23:30:00.005-04:00

SEE THE VIDEO AT THE LINK:

House Foreign Affairs Committee Hearing on Humanitarian Crisis in Sudan | C-SPAN

The House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa held a hearing on ethnic cleansing and the continuing humanitarian crisis in Southern Sudan. The hearing comes one day after Southern Sudan’s largest rebel group declared a cease fire. Southern Sudan voted in January to split from the north, but rebel forces continued to fight with government in the new country.

At 14:50 US NJ Representative Donald Payne speaks of Darfur.

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Link to CSPAN youtube channel by clicking the post title.

SALARIES OF US CONGRESS PERSONS IS $174,000+, ANNUAL COLA, HEALTH INSURANCE, RETIREMENT PENSION AFTER 5 YEARS IN OFFICE

2011-08-10T23:11:00.007-04:00

OBSTRUCTIONISM NOT WORKING FOR US
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Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

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Salaries of US Representatives

As of January 2010, the annual salary of each Representative is $174,000.[17] The Speaker of the House and the Majority and Minority Leaders earn more: $223,500 for the Speaker and $193,400 for their party leaders (the same as Senate leaders). A cost-of-living-adjustment (COLA) increase takes effect annually unless Congress votes to not accept it. Congress sets members' salaries; however, the Twenty-seventh Amendment to the United States Constitution prohibits a change in salary (but not COLA[18]) from taking effect until after the next general election. Representatives are eligible for lifetime benefits after serving for five years, including a pension, health benefits, and social security benefits.

Those politicians who like to support the rich ("no tax increase" comment today means for the top 1% of USA) and take away our rights to unionize (Wisconsin, is one example), also can vote on their own salary amount, retirement benefits, health care benefits. Can you say the same about your career, job?

US Senators Salaries since 1789 until 2011

1789-1815 -- $6.00 per diem

1815-1817 -- $1,500 per annum

1817-1855 -- $8.00 per diem

1855-1865 -- $3,000 per annum

1865-1871 -- $5,000 per annum

1871-1873 -- $7,500 per annum

1873-1907 -- $5,000 per annum

1907-1925 -- $7,500 per annum

1925-1932 -- $10,000 per annum

1932-1933 -- $9,000 per annum

1933-1935 -- $8,500 per annum

1935-1947 -- $10,000 per annum

1947-1955 -- $12,500 per annum

1955-1965 -- $22,500 per annum

1965-1969 -- $30,000 per annum

1969-1975 -- $42,500 per annum

1975-1977 -- $44,600 per annum

1977-1978 -- $57,500 per annum

1979-1983 -- $60,662.50 per annum

1983 -- $69,800 per annum

1984 -- $72,600 per annum

1985-1986 -- $75,100 per annum

1987 (1/1-2/3) -- $77,400 per annum

1987 (2/4) -- $89,500 per annum

1990 (2/1) -- $98,400 per annum

1991 -- $101,900 per annum

1991 (8/15) -- $125,100 per annum

1992 -- $129,500 per annum

1993 -- $133,600 per annum

1994 -- $133,600 per annum

1995 -- $133,600 per annum

1996 -- $133,600 per annum

1997 -- $133,600 per annum

1998 -- $136,700 per annum

1999 -- $136,700 per annum

2000 -- $141,300 per annum

2001 -- $145,100 per annum

2002 -- $150,000 per annum

2003 -- $154,700 per annum

2004 -- $158,100 per annum

2005 -- $162,100 per annum

2006 -- $165,200 per annum

2007 -- $165,200 per annum

2008 -- $169,300 per annum

2009 -- $174,000 per annum

2010 -- $174,000 per annum

2011 -- $174,000 per annum

Below information is from US government for Congress persons pay and more

U.S. Congress salaries and benefits have been the source of taxpayer unhappiness and myths over the years. Here are some facts for your consideration.

Also See: The 10 Wealthiest Members of Congress

Rank-and-File Members:
The current salary (2011) for rank-and-file members of the House and Senate is $174,000 per year.

Members are free to turn down pay increase and some choose to do so.
In a complex system of calculations, administered by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, congressional pay rates also affect the salaries for federal judges and other senior government executives.
During the Constitutional Convention, Benjamin Franklin considered proposing that elected government officials not be paid for their service. Other Founding Fathers, however, decided otherwise.
From 1789 to 1855, members of Congress received only a per diem (daily payment) of $6.00 while in session, except for a period from December 1815 to March 1817, when they received $1,500 a year. Members began receiving an annual salary in 1855, when they were paid $3,000 per year.

Congress: Leadership Members' Salary (2011)
Leaders of the House and Senate are paid a higher salary than rank-and-file members.

Senate Leadership
Majority Party Leader - $193,400
Minority Party Leader - $193,400

House Leadership
Speaker of the House - $223,500
Majority Leader - $193,400
Minority Leader - $193,400

A cost-of-living-adjustment (COLA) increase takes effect annually unless Congress votes to not accept it.

Benefits Paid to Members of Congress

You may have read that Members of Congress do not pay into Social Security. Well, that's a myth.

Prior to 1984, neither Members of Congress nor any other federal civil service employee paid Social Security taxes. Of course, they were also not eligible to receive Social Security benefits. Members of Congress and other federal employees were instead covered by a separate pension plan called the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS). The 1983 amendments to the Social Security Act required federal employees first hired after 1983 to participate in Social Security. These amendments also required all Members of Congress to participate in Social Security as of January 1, 1984, regardless of when they first entered Congress. Because the CSRS was not designed to coordinate with Social Security, Congress directed the development of a new retirement plan for federal workers. The result was the Federal Employees' Retirement System Act of 1986.

Members of Congress receive retirement and health benefits under the same plans available to other federal employees. They become vested after five years of full participation.

Members elected since 1984 are covered by the Federal Employees' Retirement System (FERS). Those elected prior to 1984 were covered by the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS). In 1984 all members were given the option of remaining with CSRS or switching to FERS.

As it is for all other federal employees, congressional retirement is funded through taxes and the participants' contributions. Members of Congress under FERS contribute 1.3 percent of their salary into the FERS retirement plan and pay 6.2 percent of their salary in Social Security taxes.

Members of Congress are not eligible for a pension until they reach the age of 50, but only if they've completed 20 years of service. Members are eligible at any age after completing 25 years of service or after they reach the age of 62. Please also note that Members of Congress have to serve at least 5 years to even receive a pension.

The amount of a congressperson's pension depends on the years of service and the average of the highest 3 years of his or her salary. By law, the starting amount of a Member's retirement annuity may not exceed 80% of his or her final salary.

According to the Congressional Research Service, 413 retired Members of Congress were receiving federal pensions based fully or in part on their congressional service as of Oct. 1, 2006. Of this number, 290 had retired under CSRS and were receiving an average annual pension of $60,972. A total of 123 Members had retired with service under both CSRS and FERS or with service under FERS only. Their average annual pension was $35,952 in 2006.

THE REASON I BLOG FOR PEACE ❧ POST #3

2011-08-09T21:11:00.006-04:00

Created by Michelle Yd Frost in Scotland for the 2011 Blog For Peace campaign.

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I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. That is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

There are those who use their energy
to spread negativity, meanness, active hatred, bring heaviness to the space they carry around them.

There are those who use their energy
to spread positive feelings, kindness, active love, bring a lightness and grace to the space they carry around them.

There are those who fall between and contribute a blah attitude.

I want my space to be positive, kind, loving, compassionate, empathetic with a lightness and grace. It is healthier for me. It is better for those who come in my presence. It is better for the universe.

THE REASON I BLOG FOR PEACE ❧ POST #2

2011-08-08T22:45:00.008-04:00

The reason I blog for Peace ❧

The peace I feel while hearing and watching this video ❧ to help spread the goodness in our human nature.
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Quote today: Human salvation lies in the hands of the creatively maladjusted.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Click the post title for more quotes by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

BLOG FOR PEACE ~ OUR SILENCE IS A GENOCIDAL REGIME'S BEST WEAPON

2011-08-08T00:26:00.007-04:00

Mimi Lenox eplains about the Blogging for Peace
Choose your Blog Blast for Peace stuff at mimilenox.com

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Peace Globe choices

In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.: Martin Luther King Jr.

VINTAGE FAMILY MOVIE CLIPS FROM MARK O HAMMEL ❧ 1950's

2011-08-07T21:48:00.008-04:00

VINTAGE FAMILY MOVIE CLIPS FROM MARK O HAMMEL ❧ 1950's

I made the video at the link from the movie cameras' footage that our family had when I was growing up.

Ferne Jane Wiles Hammel
My Dad's Mother
My Grandma Hammel
Grandma had a disease that enlarged her bones after my Dad was born

It is so special to have these videos, though no sound was available in those days. I love seeing Grandma Hammel laugh, dry glasses in the Michigan home's kitchen, just as I remember seeing her do at the Gragg Street homestead. I love seeing Grandpa Hammel put his arm around Grandma Hammel while laughing like jello - the way my Dad also laughed. I love seeing Grandpa Hammel take the Sunday dinner roast out of the oven - and in his hat - as I saw him do more than once. I love seeing myself chew on one of Grandma Hammel's cookies, while sitting beside her. I love that Dad caught all of this through the lens of his camera....Grandma hoeing, Grandpa with his fire, Grandpa laughing behind a pole thinking my Dad was actually shooting the camera at his wife.

I love the Ring-around the Rosie with Nannette and Heidi. I love the picture of Nannette and Heidi in the red cart pulled my the pony Tony. I love all the family get together meals at Gragg Street. Just some special gems. I hope others do find some joy in watching these little clips, as I certainly do.

HAMMELofHuntingtonIN Youtube channel

My Dad's birthday was August 3rd and the Hammel Reunion would have been tomorrow (cancelled due to the Indiana heat index), August 7 ~ so how fitting to have this ready to share now. I hope everyone is okay that I made it "public". I explain below why I did that, instead of making the video "unlisted".

This is the text that I included with the video at the youtube page:

I am Sandra "Sandy" Kay Hammel. This video is a tribute. A tribute to my father Mark O'Keith Hammel (August 3, 1924 ~ May 10, 2007), third child of five that Audry Harold and Ferne Jane Wiles Hammel raised in Huntington, Indiana on Gragg Street. A tribute to Ferne Jane Wiles Hammel, a wonderful mother and grandmother. A tribute to my first cousin Nannette Hammel Stump, who I always felt a spirit kind of connection, although our actual encounters have been rare. Really a tribute to all the Hammel descendants and ancestors of which I am one. This has been a labor of love over three weeks plus. After making the video and being rejected because I was a little over the 15 minute youtube limit, I edited out some of the original and here you have what I now present.

I combed through our disorganized family movies (which my mother and brother had transferred to dvds) and edited as a whole for the extended Hammel Family. I hope you enjoy. And I hope you are okay with my including you in this little family movie. I originally made this "unlisted" so that it wasn't "public", but it wouldn't show up on the "HAMMEL of Huntington IN" channel page, unless is was accessible as a "public" youtube video. If others want to upload a video to this channel, contact me.

In this video, you will see featured the August 1, 1999 Hammel Reunion at what was the home of Vic and Freida Hammel. The photos that I shot of the grave stones were taken in late August or early September of 2005. You will also see the home of Audry and Ferne Hammel when they lived a short time in Michigan. I don't remember the town. They eventually moved back to Gragg Street where they raised 5 children beside Audry's parents' home.

The house I was born in at 910 Ray Street, Huntington, IN is down the hill from their house which is included in many shots. Featured are the five siblings of my father oldest to youngest: Ted, Jed, (Mark, my father), Dick and Evalyn and their children, my first cousins. Also, you will see brothers of my dad's father, Stanton, Victor, Meredith (Byno), Stanton's wife, Melba, their daughter Diana, their son, Rex, and maybe Stan "Bub", Meredith (Byno) and Marian's boys, Ron, Terry, Steve and Brent. (I need some help on who is at the Rook card game on our front yard in Columbia City, Indiana to be able to name more precisely the children pictured), Vic and Freida's children: Karen, Kendal, Duane, Royce, Jolene. Nannette Hammel and Gerald Stump and their children, Tara and Reggie sometime in the 1970's I believe it must be - when they lived in Colorado. My son is also pictured, Jonathan M Erickson Hammel. He just graduated May 6, 2011 from Northeastern University with Bachelors and Masters in Engineering.

See Connie Evans work of listing our ancestors and descendants at familytreemaker.genealogy.com

The pdf files of family members, pictures and stories are well worth time to look through.

The HAMMELofHuntingtonIN Youtube channel's logo picture is of my dad's parents and siblings. See below the Video Credits for the names.

❧ Video Credits ❧
❧ Music ❧
"From Here"
Written and Performed by Sandra Kay Hammel
"Did Trouble Me"
"May I Suggest"
"Help Somebody"
Written and Performed by Susan Werner
Used by permission
Susan's music at susanwerner.com, itunes & amazon

❧ Photo Credits ❧
Sandra Kay Hammel
Harold Theodore "Ted" Hammel
Contributors to familytreemaker.genealogy.com

❧ Video Credits ❧
Sandra Kay Hammel
Mark O'Keith Hammel
August 3, 1924 ~ May 10, 2007
Evelyn Viola Mickley (Michelet) Hammel
And anyone who held our camera

❧ Editing ❧
Sandra Kay Hammel

❧ Special Thanks ❧
Mark O'Keith Hammel
Evelyn Viola Mickley (Michelet) Hammel
Gregory M Hammel
Connie Evans

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Audry and Ferne Hammel's Five Children and their children:

Harold Theodore "Ted" Hammel and Dorothy King children:
Nannette Hammel
Heidi Hammel

Jerald Hammel and Freda Richards children:
Michael DeWayne Hammel
Patricia Alice Hammel
Ralph Edwin Hammel

Mark Hammel and Evelyn Mickley children:
Greg M Hammel
Sandra Kay Hammel
Nancy Jo Hammel

Richard Hammel and Arlene Funk children:
Terry Lee Hammel
Crystal Ann Hammel, born 21 Sep 1947 in Huntington, IN; died 01 Apr 1952.
Rodney DeWayne Hammel
Brenda Sue Hammel
Lynette Ann Hammel, born 21 Jan 1965 in Huntington, IN; died 27 Jan 1997 in Columbia City, IN.

Evalyn Hammel and Charles Wohlford children:
Sharon Lee Wohlford
Eric Lane Wohlford