❧❧❧ Whatever you can do or dream, you can BEGIN IT. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Goethe ❧❧❧
❧❧❧ You were born whole, not broken. Sandra Hammel ❧❧❧
Sunday, January 24, 2010
RAFA AND MURRAY IN SEMIFINALS - AUSTRALIAN OPEN 2010
Quarter Final Rafael Nadal versus Andy Murray Time of Match on Rod Laver Tuesday, January 26, 7:30 p.m in Melbourne which is . . . Tuesday, January 26, 3:30 a.m.in USA EST
47 Pictures of Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates winning a point in his fourth round match against Ivo Karlovic of Croatia during day seven of the 2010 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 24, 2010 in Melbourne, Australia. ................................................ ................................................ Rafa, Lust - uploader's title, not mine : ) Uploaded by QUECALORRAFA
GO RAFA! ANDY MURRAY IS NADAL'S QF OPPONENT IN MELBOURNE '10
Australian Open 2010
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My apologies for not providing the time for Rafa's Round 16 match...
Life had other things for me this week to concentrate on, so it has been difficult posting. And today it was impossible for me to get online to even find out the time of the match. And when I came home tonight from those other things' main event, Rafa was in his 3rd set of the Round 16 match. Nice way to end the night...
Rafa won Round 16 Rafael Nadal defeated Ivo Karlovic 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4
Quarter Final Rafael Nadal versus Andy Murray
Photos of Rafa's Round 16 match: daylife .............................................
............................................. Rafa interviewed on court after defeating Karlovic in Round of 16 Uploaded by luneworld Rafa has the best smile in tennis. And so comfortable being himself.
Rafael Nadal of Spain smiles as he is interviewed by Jim Courier after beating Ivo Karlovic of Croatia during their Men's singles fourth round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday Jan. 24, 2010
Today ten NGOs, including Enough, Humanity United, Human Rights Watch, Save Darfur Coalition, Genocide Intervention Network, Physicians for Human Rights, American Jewish World Service, Investors Against Genocide, and i-Act/Stop Genocide Now, released a major policy paper calling on the Obama administration to apply firm benchmarks to Sudan to prevent much broader conflict. In its Sudan policy review completed in mid-October 2009, the Obama administration indicated it would regularly assess the progress of peace in Sudanā€"or lack thereof. But the administration has not publicly disclosed precisely what benchmarks it is applying to assess progress in Sudan, even as it begins its official review process this month and as tensions increase across Sudan.
To help bring transparency to the process by which the United States ensures strict adherence to unambiguous benchmarks, and ensure that the appropriate pressures and incentives are applied accordingly, "Clear Benchmarks For Sudan" aims to provide guidance for how officials, concerned citizens, and others in the international community can assess genuine progress toward a lasting peace in Sudan.
In addition to today's release, Sudan Now, a coalition of Sudan advocacy groups, ran a new advertisement in the Washington Post. Click here to view the ads.
Take Action
1. As constituents who don't have access to these high level policy officials, it's important that we use every tool at our disposal this week to increase the pressure on these individuals. Call 1-800-GENOCIDE (1-800-436-6243) today to ask your member of Congress to contact the Deputies and ask them to implement clear benchmarks for Sudan.
2. Update your status on Facebook with the following information, urging your friends to do the same.
"This week senior U.S. Government officials will meet to review Sudan policy. Become a fan of the State Department Facebook page and publicly urge Deputy Secretary Jim Steinberg and the other deputies on the National Security Council to be firm when holding Sudan's leading parties to their commitments to promote peace."
3. Join our petition on Twitter, urging the Deputies to be strong on Sudan benchmarks when they meet this week.
Last week we sent out an email about a possible campaign - SudanSham2010 - that would be 50 days of Action by all 50 states leading to the April Sudan elections (Feb 20, 2010 - April 10, 2010). I received several emails back in support and 7 states are already signed up! We are moving forward with the idea.
We really feel this campaign will unite activists from all parts of our society (students, faith communities, grassroots groups, and others) and from all of our states. It's a compliment to other actions and a way for everyone in the state to be part of opportunities like in-district meetings that GI Net and SDC will be promoting prior to the elections (Have your action day be the same day as your meeting date - more people can participate that way!). We feel that it is very important for the campaign to build horizontally across our group and across the country upon the grassroots we've all started to be most effective! We want the actions and targets to work for each state, at a time that works for each state. That's why we need you!
1. We are still looking for people who want to help develop the campaign, actions, targets, website, help with outreach, etc! We will be having a call on:
Tuesday January 26th 3pm PST, 6pm EST.
Call Number: 1-866-213-1863
Access Code: 6316927#
2. Lead your state for a day by signing up to be a point person! You can pick the day for your state (do you want it to coincide with something else you planning in the next few months?), help develop the action/target so it works for your group, and send info out to other groups in your state to join. You can sign on your state now and find a co-leaders to help you organize in the coming days and weeks.
We have started with a draft mission:
United States, stop supporting the sham April 2010 elections in Sudan. In a climate of violent political intimidation and with millions disenfranchised in camps, there cannot be credible elections in Sudan. Our support gives the Government of al-Bashir, indicted on war crimes and crimes against humanity, legitimacy it does not deserve. It is a waste of American taxpayer money, and non-credible elections will fuel violence and divisions in a country that is already on the brink.
The website is still a blank slate, but hopefully we have something up soon. In the meantime, check out the Map we will embed and see states that have signed up!
Let me know if you are interested in working to develop this national campaign or taking the lead for your state. I, among others, feel like this could really pull together our movement and mobilize us for sustained action in Darfur.
In This Post 1) Heath Ledger - Two Year Anniversary of his death - January 22, 2010 with some of my personal writing 2) Darfur, Sudan - The On-Going Neglected Story 3) Rafael Nadal - The Australian Open 2010
I know when an actor or musician is in their sacred space
and I walk into
...move right into
that space with them.
It is holy
It is sacred
It is an experience that is never
matched by any other experience.
That is why I love to be here.
And never without.
By Sandra Hammel
Heath Ledger is one of those special and rare actors who takes me to a sacred place within me. Even though he is no longer mortal. He is immortal in our experience. He is an eternal life that lives in our spirits. It is clear to me that he was in his sacred space when he was acting.
That is why he is so dear, so precious to me. He brings me to my sacred place. He never fails to do that. All I need to do is watch him, see him expose, reveal his soul. What more can we ask of an artist. Indebted and with gratitude.
I need your help. Heath's last movie is fading badly and quickly in the USA for lack of publicity and we have to do something about it right away. I need folks from any country who are willing to give me an hour or two of their time to send emails. Here's the post I put on the support site. We need to do this immediately as we are running out of time. Do it please to get Heath's final work out there. We cannot sit back and just be complacent about something we have the ability to make better.
This situation doesn't just affect the USA, it affects all the countries out there waiting to see what the USA box office does before they release this film. Like Israel.
Dear All, President Obama was inaugurated Jan. 20th 2009.Exactly one year later, this is a glimpse of what is going in Darfur ( as I listened to the Darfuris voice their grivances to Radio Dabanga - A Darfuri broadcast from Europe): Mohamed Suleiman
- Areal bombings continue in Darfur. New villages are bombed. From Radio Dabanga:
JEM accuse the government of bombing the Western Darfur area Abu Gamra. The bombardment on Monday caused the loss of sheeps and camels told JEM’s commander in chief Suleiman Sandal Radio Dabanga. The SLM of Minni Minawi held the JEM secretary for Humanitarian Affair, Hamid Nour Shugar directly responsible for the attack. Saying that Shugar had implicated JEM in the region and this prompted the violent government reaction.
The attack forced many families seek shelter in the mountains and valleys according to the SLM. It increased the detoriating situation of the civilians.
Suleiman Sandal downplayed SLM’s accusations as unfounded and saying the SLM is to blame for the attack as long as Minni Minawi is part of the government in Khartoum.
- Famine threatens lives of IDPs (internal Displaced People) in some camps in Darfur. Leaders in the Internally Displaced Camps (IDP) camps in the area of Zalengi told Radio Dabanga this morning that there is severe shortage of food and basic necessities hitting the camps and villages in the area of Zalengi, West Darfur. The leaders said the people outside Darfur should not believe the government's lies that there is "Food Gap but no famine". Other leaders in Kalma, the largest camp in South Darfur, complained bitterly to Radio Dabanga that there is acute shortage of food, medicine, and drinking water in the camp.
- In Mait area, North Darfur, the Chadian rebels (backed by the Government of Sudan) continued to wreak havoc in the area. Due to lack of security, prices of necessary commodities shot through the roof.
From Radio Dabanga: Food and water prices in Milliet increased after Chadian opposition rebels attacked a private owned water well. Local residents told Radio Dabanga they fear the same encounter. Residents told the price of a water container (better known as Khurug) has exceeded to fifteen Sudanese pounds.
- Clashes continue between GoS and the rebels in the area of Ain Siro, North Darfur. From Radio Dabanga:
UNAMID send an investigation team along with medical supplies to the area of Ain Siru in North Darfur. The area is witnessing clashes between the Government of Sudan (GoS) and the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) of Abdul Wahid. Spokesman Noureddine Mezni told Radio Dabanga the agreement to send a team was an important change to the movement’s position. Earlier the SLM did not allow free entry to its combat zones.
Call for Clear Benchmarks for Sudan Policy
Today ten NGOs, including Enough, Humanity United, Human Rights Watch, Save Darfur Coalition, Genocide Intervention Network, Physicians for Human Rights, American Jewish World Service, Investors Against Genocide, and i-Act/Stop Genocide Now, released a major policy paper calling on the Obama administration to apply firm benchmarks to Sudan to prevent much broader conflict. In its Sudan policy review completed in mid-October 2009, the Obama administration indicated it would regularly assess the progress of peace in Sudanā€"or lack thereof. But the administration has not publicly disclosed precisely what benchmarks it is applying to assess progress in Sudan, even as it begins its official review process this month and as tensions increase across Sudan.
To help bring transparency to the process by which the United States ensures strict adherence to unambiguous benchmarks, and ensure that the appropriate pressures and incentives are applied accordingly, "Clear Benchmarks For Sudan" aims to provide guidance for how officials, concerned citizens, and others in the international community can assess genuine progress toward a lasting peace in Sudan.
In addition to today's release, Sudan Now, a coalition of Sudan advocacy groups, ran a new advertisement in the Washington Post. Click here to view the ads.
Take Action
1. As constituents who don't have access to these high level policy officials, it's important that we use every tool at our disposal this week to increase the pressure on these individuals. Call 1-800-GENOCIDE (1-800-436-6243) today to ask your member of Congress to contact the Deputies and ask them to implement clear benchmarks for Sudan.
2. Update your status on Facebook with the following information, urging your friends to do the same.
"This week senior U.S. Government officials will meet to review Sudan policy. Become a fan of the State Department Facebook page and publicly urge Deputy Secretary Jim Steinberg and the other deputies on the National Security Council to be firm when holding Sudan's leading parties to their commitments to promote peace."
3. Join our petition on Twitter, urging the Deputies to be strong on Sudan benchmarks when they meet this week.
Rafael Nadal of Spain plays a backhand in his second round match against Lukas Lacko of Slovakia during day three of the 2010 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 20, 2010 in Melbourne, Australia.
Australian Open Round 1 Rafael Nadal defeated Peter Lucza A bit can be seen by clicking post title
*UPDATED ~ Round 2 Rafael Nadal versus Lukas Lacko Wednesday, January 20, 2010 Rafa and Lukas play the third match on Rod Laver Court The first match starts at 7:00 p.m. USA EST,Tuesday, January 19th
Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates winning a point in his first round match against Peter Luczak of Australia during day one of the 2010 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 18, 2010 in Melbourne, Australia.
Rafael Nadal is my favorite tennis player. But Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France was in a zone that no one could have touched, in my humble opinion at the Australian Open. Swiss Roger Federer or Serbian Novak Djokovic will play Tsonga in the Final. That match airs on ESPN2 Friday morning at 3:30 a.m. and reairs on Friday at 3:00 p.m.………………………………………………………………………………………………… Rafael Nadal interview
Bits of the Match Rafael Nadal versus Jo-Wilfried TsongaSemi-Final at the Australian Open ‘08
Tsonga's interview This is Hatice from Australia and her children with Rafa at his hotel in Melbourne. Hatice is the Rafa fan who went to all of Rafa's matches at the Australian Open and posted her daily encounters with Rafa and other exciting stories at Rafael Nadal. She and her daughter were on ESPN2 a lot waving the Spanish flag in support of Rafa.
She also gave us the two pictures here of Rafa at a practice court.
Well, I stayed up all night long. I started to watch the Australian Open tennis match between Federer and Tipsarevic. What a match!! While watching it, I was on the live chat at Rafael Nadal's "Fan Page". Of course, we were hoping Serbian Tipsarevic would be victorious. We are Rafa fans. And it's hard to be for Roger when your heart is with Rafa ~ HIS ROYAL HOTNESS. Plus, Janko Tipsarevic had so much heart and was right in there so, so very close. I enjoyed watching Janko. He was fantastic! Surely great things are coming for him. He was special tonight! He deserves much adoration and Serbia must be proud! Kudos to Janko for a great game! He gave Roger a run for his money for sure! It will be all over Youtube.
Here is ONE .............................................................................
Australian Open '08 Round 3 Federer vs Tipsarevic From the BBC here is "Federer v Tipsarevic as it happened"
Australian Open, Melbourne
Men's third-round result:
R Federer (Swi) bt J Tipsarevic (Ser)
. . . A former junior world number two, Tipsarevic won the Aussie junior title in 2001 and is a fan of Nietzsche, Dostoevsky and Goethe. Apparently he has a Dostoevsky tattoo on his left arm that reads "Beauty will save the world".
Federer survives massive scare in Melbourne By Simon Cambers
MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Champion Roger Federer survived a massive scare before scrambling to a 6-7, 7-6, 5-7, 6-1, 10-8 third-round victory over Serb Janko Tipsarevic at the Australian Open on Saturday.
With the world number one and top seed strangely off-color, a huge shock looked a real possibility when world number 49 Tipsarevic led by two sets to one but the Swiss came through a tense final set to take his place in the last 16.
"What a great battle. Fair play, he's a nice guy -- pity somebody has to win, wish we could have draws sometimes too," Federer said in a courtside interview.
"This is where you get grey hair early in life. Pity for him, but what a great victory for me."
A sluggish Federer lost the first set, having served for it at 5-3. It was the first set he had dropped at the Australian Open since 2006.
Federer hit back to level the match by cruising through the second set tiebreak, only to lose the third after holding two set points on the Tipsarevic serve in the 10th game.
But Federer, chasing his 13th grand slam title, leveled and in a tense final set, broke in the 17th game and served out to line up a clash with Czech 13th seed Tomas Berdych or Juan Monaco, the 21st seed from Argentina.
Having looked supremely confident in his opening two matches, Federer was expected to breeze past Tipsarevic, who had won only two matches in three visits to the Australian Open until this year.
Federer looked a shadow of the dominant player who has reached 10 successive grand-slam finals and won three of the last four Australian Opens.
It looked like business as usual when the Swiss broke to lead 5-3 in the first set but Tipsarevic broke back and won the tiebreak 7-5 after Federer chose not to hit an easy volley that landed in.
The second set also went to a tiebreak but Federer took it 7-1 to level before forcing two set points in the 10th game of the third.
But, as he did throughout the match, Tipsarevic dug deep on the big points, saving both and stunning the top seed by breaking to take the set 7-5.
Federer had been upset by Tipsarevic's numerous Hawk-Eye challenges in the first three sets but shrugged off his worries by racing through the fourth.
Tipsarevic refused to lie down, however, and stayed on serve until 7-7 in the decider when a backhand pass from Federer forced an error.
The Swiss squandered one match point but an unreturnable serve sealed victory and kept alive his hopes of a third consecutive Australian Open title.
............................................................................. Rafa plays USA eastern standard time, Sunday morning approximately at 5:00 a.m., I think. ESPN2 says the ladies will be at 3:30 a.m., and Rafa will follow their match.
Melbourne, Australia is 14 hours ahead of us. It will be another match against a Frenchman ~ this time versus Paul Henry Matheiu, the number 23 of the world.
VAMOS RAFA!
Right now, Hewitt and Baghdatis are playing a charged first set at 8:30 a.m. Saturday morning ~ but I need some sleep to see Rafa play later.
"The first rule is to keep an untroubled spirit. The second is to look things in the face and know them for what they are." Marcus Aurelius .................................................................................................................... The Impossible Dream From MAN OF LA MANCHA sung by Brian Stokes Mitchell
I've always loved this song. I guess I am an idealist and pragmatist at the same time. But it is my ideals that propel me.
“Whatever you can do or dream, you can BEGIN IT. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.” Goethe
So yesterday I posted my feelings about Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. I wrote what I feel. And I still feel what I wrote. * But have a regret that I used the word STUPID in the subtitle. Remember when Bill Clinton was running for President and James Carville became known for the phrase “It’s the ECONOMY, Stupid”? Well, that is what I used as a take off with my subtitle: IT’S CHARACTER STUPID ~ THAT’S WHY I’M FOR BARACK OBAMA. But, though it made sense to put it that way, it probably wasn’t the best choice ~ to put it quite that way.
When googling the Carville statement that caught on with the media I came up with the following:
"The economy, stupid," was a phrase in American politics widely used during Bill Clinton's successful 1992 presidential campaign against George H.W. Bush. For a time, Bush was considered unbeatable because of foreign policy developments such as the end of the Cold War and the Persian Gulf War. The phrase, coined by Clinton campaign strategist James Carville, refers to the notion that Clinton was a better choice because Bush had not adequately addressed the economy, which was undergoing a recession at the time. In order to keep the campaign on message, Carville hung a sign in Bill Clinton's Little Rock campaign headquarters with the following three points: 1. Change vs. more of the same 2. The economy, stupid 3. Don't forget health care.
Although the sign was intended for an internal audience of campaign workers, the phrase became something of a slogan for the Clinton election campaign. Clinton's campaign used the recession to successfully unseat George H.W. Bush, whose approval ratings had been in the 90% range one year prior. The phrase is repeated often in American political culture, usually preceded by the word "it's", and with commentators sometimes substituting a different word in place of "economy". e.g., "It's the deficit, stupid!" "It's the corporation, stupid!" "It's the math, stupid!" "It's the voters, stupid!" The end of Wikipedia excerpt
To dream the impossible dream To fight the unbeatable foe To bear with unbearable sorrow To run where the brave dare not go To right the unrightable wrong To love pure and chaste from afar To try when your arms are too weary To reach the unreachable star This is my quest To follow that star No matter how hopeless No matter how far To fight for the right Without question or pause To be willing to march into HellFor a heavenly cause And I know if I'll only be true To this glorious quest That my heart will lie peaceful and calm When I'm laid to my rest And the world will be better for this That one man . . . scorned and covered with scars Still strove with his last ounce of courage To reach the unreachable star
* I have the audacity to say I'm sorry and hope you'll accept I'm just a human being. I also have the audacity to dream, have courage and hope ~ that we as humans can acknowledge and correct our mistakes. At worst, weakness is not being able to acknowledge our mistakes and imperfections.
" I am painfully conscious of my imperfections, therein lies all the strength I possess." Mahatma Gandhi
An aside: Last night I received an invitation to exchange homes with a family in the French Alps, near Geneva, Switzerland this summer. How exciting is that! The airfares are expensive, around $1200. Ouch! But I'll keep looking.
What are dreams made of?
Rafael Nadal v. Gilles Simon tonight on ESPN2 approximately at 10:00 p.m.USA, eastern standard time, playing at the Australian Open for Round 3. Let's hope ESPN2 comes through this time. What a disappointment they didn't air Rafa Nadal in Round 2 at all. Thumbs down to ESPN2 for that choice.
Vamos, Rafa!!
Tu eres el major! You Are The Best! Nous sommes tous avec toi Rafa. We Are All With You Rafa.
I love my life. I love where I live. And I am passionate about my passions. I love to dance. Necessary to live: music, piano, singing, writing, acting, painting.
I have been fighting for and supporting the arts all my adult life. Since 2004, I have been working with other activists to end the Darfur genocide.
I have traveled to Europe many times since my early twenties. Places I have been: many USA states including Hawaii, Montreal, Canada, Barbados, France, Spain, Luxembourg, England, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Greece and Germany - and have wonderful memories.
My last trip was in May - June 2013 to Spain.
I would like to travel to Europe and Kyoto, Japan.
I love the southwest where I have visited Hopi, Navajo, Zia and San Idlefonso potters.
Life is exciting and I intend to live it full-out to the end.
B.S. and M.M., both in music
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Khartoum, Sudan Stop Genocide Time
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Spain Time
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Melbourne Time
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Hawaii Time
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RAFA NADAL -BRING BACK LONG PANTS - SLEEVELESS TOPS
Double Click on Videos to Enlarge
Darfur - The Abandoned Genocide - a video by Sandra Hammel
Want to help? Call 1~800~GENOCIDE
"May I Suggest" by Susan Werner
Satchita - Playing for Change
Stand By Me ~ Playing for Change
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Genocide is not only a word,
it is crying of the whole human race.
There is nothing redeeming about being silent
when speaking up is the humane thing to do.
The honor and integrity of the human race is at stake.