Invictus
William Ernest Henley

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the yearsFinds,
and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll.
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

Are fitness shoes the new rip-off?

Reebok calls it the EasyTone; Skechers, the ShapeUp. These curved-sole shoes, transforming people into human rocking chairs, cost up to $130 and promise to keep you fit even while grocery shopping.
During 2009 sales grew 14-fold to $245 million, estimates market researcher NPD. One problem: "They mostly affect the foot and ankle," says Dr. Michael Ross, director of Rothman Institute's Sports Performance Lab, which counts the Philadelphia Eagles, Phillies and Flyers among its clients. "There is no evidence they will help you tone better or quicker than a regular shoe."

just wrong

Not okay by my standards!

Is this just wrong or what?

Her midrift is showing, everything is too tight and too small...

on finding a husband...

"Surely there must be some way to find a husband or, for that matter, merely an escort, without sacrificing one's privacy, self-respect, and interior decorating scheme."
Barbara Ehrenreich

Miracle in a jar...

If you have skin... you NEED Strivectin!

Although I don't usually spend lots of money on expensive creams, lotions and potions, I have to say that I had been dying to get this cream for the longest. Today, as my husband and I were looking for the perfect summer bicycle, my husband decided he was going to get me 'what I wanted' [meaning the cream]. Not only was I beyond surprised, I was excited because I knew if it wouldn't have been for him, I would have [probably] never bought it... I'm kinda cheap for these things, besides, who is going to guarantee me that the cream is actually going to work. Anyways, my sugardaddy bought the Strivectin cream for me. And while I kept reminding him of the 'ouchy' pricetag that comes with the brand name and the fact that I really didn't need it at the time, he whispered in my ear, "Babe, don't worry, I've got it". Is this sweet or what? I think it is.

I'm not going to lie, I am soooooo excited about having this cream! I have high expectations of it and I can't wait to start using it. According to the manufacturers, this is the Holy Grail of all creams and lotions designed for sculpting, lifting and tightening facial skin. It's meant to reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and crows' feet while accentuating the cheekbones and the jaw line. So, apparently this is the #&%!, and it is going to help me transform my entire facial contour [I don't know about that, but I am hopeful it's gonna make my skin look more youthful].

Well, today is going to be day one, let's see how this cream works... I'll keep you posted.

Law of attraction

Look for the gifts in everything, especially when you are facing what appears to be a negative situation. Everything that we attract causes us to grow, which means that ultimately everything is for our own good.
Adjusting to a new path and a new direction will require new qualities and strengths, and these
qualities are always exactly what we need to acquire in order to accomplish the great things ahead in our life.

A Secret Scrolls message from Rhonda Byrne
Creator of "The Secret"

May the joy be with you,
Eunice

The Uniform Project: One year in ONE dress!

She did it!
*** Check out more info on The Uniform Project on my blogs from Feb. 7th and Feb. 16th.

Uniform Project Picture Book from The Uniform Project on Vimeo.

Operation Wetback all over again?

WTH? Is this Operation Wetback all over again or what? I am so frustrated right now over the new immigration law SB 1070! This law (or should I call it a joke?) proposes that if a cop has 'reasonable suspicion' (reasonable according to whom???) that someone is here illegally, this requires the officer to ask that person for proof of legal residency. Immigrants unable to produce documents showing they are allowed to be in the U.S. could be arrested, jailed for up to six months and fined $2,500. Does this smell like BS or what? I think this proposal is as frightening as an empty bank account, this bill basically opens the doors to a form of 'legal', massive, racial profiling against all brown-skinned people, criminalizing compassion and taking us (THE people) back to a bad movie set in the 40's in the southern states of the country. The bill is probably going to bring out the worst out of people, breed violence and more. Not only do I think this is unconstitutional, it is also offensive and discriminatory. According to one of the lasts Colbert Reports, immigrants account for 29 millions of Arizona's economy... I would really like to see what's going to happen to Arizona's economy if, or when they leave!

SB1070: http://www.azleg.gov/legtext/49leg/2r/bills/sb1070s.pdf

WHAT YOU CAN DO!!**

Join the campaign at Presente.org to boycott Arizona. http://presente.org/ref/ad/32/campaigns/shame

VIDEO: AZ Students arrested trying to stop racial profiling+hate bill in AZ http://tinyurl.com/2dmaxzv - PLS ACT: http://tinyurl.com/2vszlbh

ARTICLES

RACHEL MADDOW BLOG:http://maddowblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/04/27/4210613-racist-roots-of-arizonas-immigration-law

COLBERT REPORT:http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/281867/april-21-2010/the-word---no-problemo

NY TIMES: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/20/us/20immig.html?ref=us

HUFFINGTON POST: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/20/arizona-immigration-law-s_n_544864.html

CNN: http://newsroom.blogs.cnn.com/2010/04/20/arizona-immigration-bill/

THE DAILY BEAST: http://www.thedailybeast.com/cheat-sheet/item/arizonas-tough-new-immigration-law/draconian/

Do I look ILLEGAL to you?

Chuck D – Tear Down That Wall

The Beauty and the Beast in NYC

Well, well, well... what do we have in here?
Although I have always loved the story of "The Beauty and the Beast" from the Disney version to the numerous re-tellings, I never thought I was going to actually like a modern, cheesy version of this classic. This July 2010, a new version of the classic will come out based on the novel of Alex Flinn, "Beastly". This version tells the story from the Beast's point of view and it is set in modern-day NYC (New York, New York!)
After watching the trailers I was instantly hooked, YES, hooked! I don't consider myself a fan of any of the new-generation 'actors' from the Disney channel or Nickelodeon for what that matters. But there are a lot of good, well-known actors in this movie including: Neil Patrick Harris (Doogie Howser M.D... YUP!), Peter Krause from Six-Feet Under, and Mary-Kate Olsen. I think deep inside I wanted to hate this movie because I thought it was going to be one of these lame, young adult movies that are coming out every summer (that's right Twilight!) but, darn it, after watching the trailer, I'm going to have to say that I will be watching it and that I am actually looking forward to watching it. So, here it goes, the infamous trailer. Enjoy it and leave your comments.
Do you think it will be worth watching?

@ Yahoo! Video

Mal bicho!

"Pobre del país donde lo malo controla, donde el civil se enamora de la corrupción. Pobre del país alienado por la droga, porque una mente que afloja, pierde la razón. Pobre del país que, con la violencia, crea que puede matar la idea de su liberación. Pobre del país que ve la justicia hecha añicos por la voluntad del rico o por el orden militar."
PROHIBIDO OLVIDAR!!!
Ruben Blades

La cancion que es valiente, es cancion para SIEMPRE!

Style according to Gore Vidal

"Style is knowing who you are, what you want to say, and NOT giving a damn."
Gore Vidal

Lucky life...

Life is complicated and so are humans, right? But I can't help but to think of all the wonderful things I have experienced in this life, beautiful places, interesting people, wonderful flavors, love, family and happiness... While counting my blessings I thought about one of my favorite quotes, and this one happens to be from Audrey Hepburn (Patron Saint of Fashion, thank you). I really hope you enjoy it as much as I always do.

"How should I sum up my life? I think I 've been particularly lucky. Does that have something to do with faith also? I know my mother always used to say, 'Good things aren't supposed to just fall in your lap. God is very generous, but he expects you to do your part first.' So you have to make that effort. But at the end of a bad time or a huge effort, I've always had- how shall I say it?- the prize at the end. My whole life shows that."
Audrey Hepburn

He who wants a place in the sun should expect blisters...

Aquel que quiera ocupar un lugar cerca del sol, debe esperar ampollas...

5k's are so in!

Woooooooooooooo hooooooooooooo! What a rush! Today I signed up for The Victim's Advocate 5k Walk/Race and unknowingly I completed my first 5k. Well, I had originally signed up for just the 1 mile walk/jog. I knew the 3 mile-runners and the 1 mile runners were going to split at a certain point during the race and I was paying attention to the arrows on the ground and to the helpers throughout the race but... I remember asking one of the ushers of the race for directions, I mean, after all, I only wanted to jog one mile and he (or was it a she???) pointed me to where I thought was the end of my race... yeah right! While running all I could think was "Darn, this definitely doesn't feel like a mile, it feels like the whole three miles" but I kept going at it, after all... I was doing it. Well, long story, short. I ended up jogging/walking the whole 5k (3.1 miles) and I am so proud of myself and of my fellow runners and girl friends Fe and Melody. With every heart-pumping breath and each sweaty step, I felt like the champion I know I am. I did it! We did it and we did it [as usual] in style!

Who we are...

what we wear is just one part of us. how we talk, what we talk about, what we watch, what we listen too, what we like, what we hate - basically all that extra stuff that gives us our swag...
'sui generis boutique'

My dear, sweet, Opal clutch by Mad Imports

Ciara featuring Ludacris - Ride

Earth Day's 40th Birthday!

There she is, Planet Earth.

Isn't she beautiful?

Tomorrow will be Earth Day, that day dedicated to celebrating and contemplating the beauty, health, and fragility of our dear planet. Over the years I have heard some people complaining about this day not having enough of an impact, about how Earth Day hasn't saved the planet's problems... well, it's not only about solving problems right here, right now; it's about taking little steps and educating the public so that we can make the difference [I know it sounds like a cliche].

What's so hard about taking a shorter shower, walking to places and picking up some trash? I know this alone won't save Mother Earth, but that's not the point.

Harrison on leading edge of teacher pay reform, experts say
CAROL MCGRAW
2010-01-09 10:49:56

Harrison School District 2 Superintendent Mike Miles compares his school district’s new way of paying teachers to the TV sci-fi program “Flash Forward,” where for a moment everyone sees their future with decidedly different reactions.
“We are seeing everyone’s worst fears and their best hopes,” says Miles.
Harrison last week became the first district in this region and one of a handful nationally to adopt a “pay for performance” system of compensating teachers based on how well their students do.
It turns upside down the traditional fixed-pay system based on a teacher’s education and years in the profession.
In the Harrison system, teachers will be evaluated annually on their skills and their pay will be commensurate with their performance and student achievement.
“This is a bold and exciting strategy,” says Marguerite Roza, a University of Washington professor and research associate with the Center for Reinventing Public Education.
Harrison is at the leading edge of much needed change in how teachers are perceived and compensated, she says.
President Obama and Arne Duncan, U.S. Secretary of Education have pushed for such innovation, noting that teacher evaluation and professional development is the most broken part of the profession. In the American Educator, Duncan compares the old way of doing things as “the factory model of education, where teachers are treated as interchangeable widgets who keep the educational assembly line moving.” He says, “more than 95 percent of teachers are rated good or superior even in schools that are chronically under performing. Worse yet, evaluations typically fail to take any account of a teacher’s impact on student learning.”
As enticement for change, the U.S. Department of Education has stepped up federal grants for innovative reform programs.
“The grants will help seed the climate for more change,” says Roza.
It’s an attractive carrot at a time when the dismal economy has wrecked havoc on state education budgets. In Colorado, the predicted shortfall is $370 million statewide for K-12.
The new program will cost Harrison, with 10,500 students and a $79 million budget, about $1 million a year in salary increases for 840 licensed staff members. While the district is applying for federal grants, the program is not contingent on getting them. And no program or classroom money will be used, officials say.
The district will cut $500,000 for a stipend plan for department chairpersons and $300,000 in teacher attendance incentives to pay for the program, along with adding $200,000 from the general fund, said Harrison board president Debra Hendrix, who with her four colleagues unanimously approved the plan.
Roza, and other national education experts, note that many districts nationwide are meeting the economic crisis by slashing teaching staffs and rolling back salaries. The Harrison plan, she said “is purposeful.”
In it, there are nine compensation levels with new teachers getting about $35,000 and master teachers $90,000. Those top level teachers must produce student achievement gains, community leadership, participate in lifelong learning, contribute widely to the profession and mentor colleagues.
Harrison has several things working for it as it makes the change. Districts between 10,000 and 20,000 students can get things done quicker than larger urban districts, Roza says. Likewise, “a strong trusted leader can make cutting edge change.”
Miles, a non-nonsense former Army Ranger, and the progressive school board has been widely lauded for efforts to turn around Harrison. It has put in place many innovative programs and is on the fourth year of a five year plan to raise student achievement in a district where most students are from low income families. While it lags state averages in assessments, there have been significant improvements.
Miles knows the change won’t be easy, but he is convinced it will make a difference in student achievement.
Teachers, too, are hoping for the best.
“It’s a work in progress,” says Felicia Kazmier, a teacher at Otero Elementary School. She says she embraces the pay for performance plan, especially because teachers had input. “Actually the district is not asking me to do anything I am not already doing in my classroom, except now they want to pay me for it.”
Marybeth Hamilton, an intervention specialist who heads the Harrison High School reading program, senses that the plan will “revolutionize our practice and award the integrity of teachers.” She especially likes that collaboration is built in, especially important to her area where reading and writing are promoted across the curriculum.
“Teachers still have many questions about how this will actually play out,” says Megan Sheppard, a teacher at Carmel Middle School, “We absolutely need to rethink our current accountability systems and reform how teachers are paid. But is the answer to pay teachers more or less based on how well students score on tests? The hope is, of course, that teachers will rise to the challenge and raise student achievement in ways that nurture the real needs of students.”

© Copyright 2010 Freedom Communications. All Rights Reserved.

Everyone has a story... what's yours?

Six-word memoirs is an innovative effort from SMITH magazine to get people to write their own six-word memoirs about their lives.

Everyone has a story and SMITH mag wants to hear about it. Their invitation has only one requirement... Can you tell your story in (only) six words? Write your own memoir and submit it to be considered for Smith's next six-word memoir book.

Here I go with mine for today:

NOTHING BUT BLESSINGS COMING MY WAY!