She doesn't sleep on the bed with me, 1/2 because dogs are gross, 1/2 because Zack would pitch a fit if he found out that she was on the bed, and 1/2 because since she's never been allowed to hang out on couches/beds with us, she freaks out when you ask her to sleep in a bed with you.

(Once when she was 2.5 months old, she slept in a bed with us while we were sleeping in Zack's parent's guest room. It was desperate times and desperate measures, because the whole rest of his family was asleep and she was all WAH. WAH. WIMPER. WHINE. WAH. WHERE IS MY CAGE? WHY WON'T YOU TAKE ME OUTSIDE? I MISS MY CRATE. WAH. So I finally responded with FINE. SLEEP HERE. And it totally worked.  But it was just that one time.  Miraculously, talking about this one time that she was a whiney puppy is totally making me miss her puppyhood and her little 10 lb. body.  Her 50 lb. body is fantastic, but not nearly as... puppyish or cuddleable.  Zack is muttering to himself as he reads this, saying, "WOMAN. We are NOT getting another puppy.  FINE. POINT TAKEN. WAH.)

Anyway, all that being said: Scout is not a very protective dog.  She's still just a puppy, (nearing her first birthday, in December) and she thinks of intruders as friends, rather than enemies.  We accidentially conditioned her to be okay with middle of the night in-and-outs by way of SisterKaty and her nocturnal activities.  Scout has never once been angry about someone coming to the house.  Occasionally she'll get worked up in the backyard at a shady character (or, you know, our very friendly neighbor, Mike) and other dogs, (or, you know, trash cans) but mostly she's very chill.

So, all-in-all, it's pretty silly for me to have Scout sleep in the room with me for 'protection.'  She sleeps almost as heavily as I do, she cares naught about intruders and she didn't even bark when we thought someone was breaking into the house.  Totally useless, right?  At least she would keep me company in the closet if I had to hide?  Perhaps get in the way of the gun safe door?

But this morning, my alarm sounded at 6:35, and as I was laying motionless in bed, I saw Zack's headlights as he pulled into the driveway.  When Zack closed his car door, Scout jumped up to all fours, listening.  I heard Zack open the door, then shut it behind him.  And as the door shut, Scout growled, then let out one bark.

I couldn't have been happier.  I flicked on the light, and waited for Zack to lumber up the stairs, exhausted from his long day (the vernacular is all backwards now) at work, knowing that he would be just as excited as me.  "SCOUT BARKED!" I said.  Now, given that Scout is rather fond of the Squirrels in the backyard, it's not really that special (in and of itself) that Scout emitted a barking-type-noise.  She does that all the time.  It was special that Scout barked at 6:35 a.m. with no squirrels in sight, with the purpose of alerting me to the potential Stranger Danger.  So, when I shouted "SCOUT BARKED!" at Zack, as opposed to saying "Good Morning," or my usual, "Hi," he looked at me with a very visible elipsis on his forhead.

"Do you want to give me any more information about that sentence before you demand a reaction out of me?" He seemed to say.
So I filled him in: "She barked at you. Just now. One bark. And a growl! Cause you were an intruder!"

That's when he smiled, and patted Scout on the head, saying, "Good dog."  Cause at least if we're going to have to listen to her furiously chase squirrels around the backyard, yelping like mad, she'll also try to tell me when someone's entering the house in the wee morning hours.

I've never had a complex about starting a blog. It seemed a natural and professional step to take in my writing career and so here we are.

What I do have a complex about though is Nate making fun of my blogging voice!

A few weeks back I alarmed you with my incredibly sheltered life when I told you that Everything I Know In Life I learned From Blogging. In that post I talked about finding a voice through writing daily. In the comments section, others highlighted similar experiences. But apparently my voice is "talking to myself" as my boyfriend so kindly puts it. Like I'm schizophrenic or something. When he's teasing me he always says "Wait, What!?" Because apparently I do that a lot. I looked back and, I must concede, that he wins this round, Trebek.

Then I was like, "Wait, What!?" Why does it matter?

Nate said, "Chandler, you are always answering your own questions in your blog posts. It's like you are having a conversation with yourself."

To which I promptly replied, "I'm an only child. I can't help it. I have to keep myself entertained and it's my thing, Nathaniel Herschey."

Yeah, so sorry to go all Peaches and Herb on you, but as writers, we all have quirky (or so we like to call them) things whether it be on our blogs or in our manuscripts.

What's your thing?

Status: I keep forgetting to tell y'all that I got asked to do an article for the SCBWI Sprouts magazine on submitting graphic novel. The article is due in November, so that ought to be fun.

Last night I got the "ok" on my expanded synopsis and sequel pitch, so basically "Go me."

In other news, Nate and I have almost worked our way through 7 seasons of Gilmore Girls. Scary? or Awesome?

Well it takes two to tango, so who do you think were the likely buyers back then and which patterns did they want?

When we think of knife sales, we usually think of it from our perspective- that of a buyer, yet, as summer rolled around back 80 years ago, merchants clearly saw several knife patterns as the most important for increasing sales. 

The merchants and manufacturers targeted a very definable group of buyers: boy scouts, autoists, hunters and campers. Plus they knew the patterns that would appeal to these buyers and have the highest demand- and would sale the quickest.

The common denominator in all of this was- Vacations. In the summer months folks got out and about. They went camping. They took road trips. Young boys went to summer camps. All this outdoor activity directly resulted in more knives being sold.

But, the regular line of jack knives and heavy service knives weren't the answer. Instead, knives were produced to especially satisfy these buyers demands- the outdoor knives: (click to enlarge)

Don't think the numbers weren't huge either. In Getting Ready for the Vacationist published in the July edition of Paines' Cutlery Journal, merchants were encouraged to "Visualize an army of nearly 700,000 boy scouts ready to join their summer camps- all eager to carry with them the latest style of pocket knife... Think of the hundreds of thousands not enlisted in the scouts who are also ready to get out in the country. Pocket knives of the outdoor design are decidedly one of the dealer's best bets to increase profits at this season of the year."

And buy they did, and thankfully so. Outdoor and Scout knives are widely collected today because manufacturers back then continued to create and satisfy the demand of the time.

!!!

I don't quite know what to make of this.  It's nice to have the prospect of earing a little money, but I'm not sure how to take the fact that we clearly live in a house that conceals binge-drinkers.  I'm hoping that their breif was "find ordinary working-class looking settings" rather than "try to find somewhere totally skeevy" because I might be somewhat insulted.

Den senaste tiden har jag pluggat väldigt myckekt till min tenta som jag hade i fredags. För att fira på det så, gick jag och sambon på Avenue Q. En otrolig musikal som jag starkt kan rekommendera!

Sen så avslutade vi helgen med att ha en miniorhajk, som avslutades med "Höstfejden", som för er Boråsare kan jämföras med Du o Knopen. Detta var en tävling där alla de olika fem förbunden var inbjudna. Och inte för att skryta, men våra miniorscouter vann tävlingen! Och för att skryta lite mer så kom en annan av våra miniorpatruller på andra plats.  Sen hade vi en till patrull som kom lite längre ner. Men jag är otroligt nöjd över alla patrullers deltagande. De var väldigt duktiga allihopa! Jag är otroligt stolt!

Nu börjar vi nästan en ny kurs. Så nu kanske det blir lite mer uppdatering här! Håll tummarna!

Esta tarde hemos empezado una nueva Ronda Solar. El grupo Scout 90 de Barrio Peral arranca y con unas fuerzas renovadas.

Veréis, este es el nuevo equipo de monitores que seguro hace las delicias de toda actividad.

Por un lado, Manada con Irene, Vero, Julio y Mikel.

En Tropa están Alfonso, Cristina y Amaya.

Y en Esculta los Co's, Álvaro y Pedro, y Queca.

¡Especial! Además tenemos a Ana Victoria y a Vero ahí de apoyo en actividades que requieran más implicación de scouters. En fin, una maravilla comparado con las expectativas que teníamos.

Así que nada, hemos empezado y va a ser un año ¡fantástico!.

Ahora bien, esto no debe faltarme, a Alfonso no creo que seamos capaces de agradecerle el esfuerzo y la capacidad que ha tenido a la hora de favorecer la llegada a nuestro grupo de estas tres personas nuevas que vienen como un soplo de aire fresco (cuatro contando a Julio aunque él ya era del grupo). Y a ellos pedirles que nos den una oportunidad, no a nosotros sino a los chavales porque sinceramente son especiales y no tiene desperdicio ningún momento que se pueda pasar con ellos.

Advierto que si quedas con ellos, irremediablemente, sin escapatoria posible, acabas liado por ahí de fiesta sin saber qué va a ser de tu vida las horas siguientes... Repito, cuidaillo con ellos. Fiesteros, abstenerse, peligro de sobredosis.

Funciona así... Primero tiene lugar cualquier tipo de evento social en el que uno coincide con ellos, en este caso, una barbacoa. A continuación se propone el tema de ir a tomar algo a nuestra calle, y vale, apetece, pero luego... ahí está el secreto, en vez de a la Strada van al Miqui ese, y ahí ya uno deja de preocuparse por lo demás porque ya están las cartas echadas y no hay más tu tia.

Otra cosa, la verdad es que mola, no voy a engañar a nadie. Y eso de 'tic, tac y mucho sentimiento... ' eso es para crear escuela como poco.

Buy Eagle Scout Grand Adhesions Now

]]> http://deadlinescotland.wordpress.com/?p=1047 Mon, 29 Sep 2008 16:02:15 +0000 laurencrooks http://deadlinescotland.es.wordpress.com/2008/09/29/top-scout-plunges-to-death-at-beauty-spot/

By Douglas Walker

A TOP scout has died after plunging 50ft to his death on Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh.

Mark Muir, 19, was discovered in jagged gorse bush by a passing walker after going missing 24 hours earlier.

The teenage student had been out with friends before deciding take a detour along the precarious hillside.

Police believe he lost his footing and say his death is nothing more than a tragic accident.

Mark, who is originally from Inverkip, Inverclyde, was a keen climber and had recently surpassed the 60,000ft milestone.

He had been enjoying a night out with friends in Edinburgh’s city centre before leaving them to make his own way home in the early hours of September 18.

Cops say he had ventured up Arthur’s Seat and was walking along a precarious trail beneath Salisbury Crags when he fatally lost his grip.

Mark, who lived in the city’s Haymarket area, plummeted 50ft down the steep hillside before landing in some sharp gorse bush below.

He lay undiscovered until a walker made the grim find 24 hours later last Saturday morning.

Academic Mark left Greenock High School last year and was studying maths and accountancy at Edinburgh’s Heriot Watt University.

He had been in the Scouts since he was ten years old before becoming a youth leader with the 85th First Inverkip group.

David McCallum, district commissioner of Greenock and District Scout Association, had known Mark was the last nine years.

He said: “I knew him extremely well. He was a smashing lad and one of Scouting’s nicest sons.

“It was a dreadful accident. It’s just a shock.

“He was a real achiever and received his Chief Scout Gold Award and Duke of Edinburgh Silver Award.

“He was one of the few scouts to achieve the Double Everest Award where he climbed the equivalent of 60,000ft.

“He was a hero and an inspiration to many, and a lot of young people will be badly affected by his death.

“Mark followed the real scouting path and was friends with lots of people. He kept the scouting promise to do his best.”

Last night Holyrood Park Rangers issued a warning to people of the area’s dangers.

A Historic Scotland spokesperson said: “The terrain of Holyrood Park is diverse, open and in places extremely challenging and exposed. 

“We advise people to keep to the paths and not attempt to stray into territory that could be potentially dangerous to them. 

“It is important that people using the park are well equipped and prepared for any activity they wish to undertake. 

“If a user of the park has any doubt about what the landscape in the park may encompass or available paths and walking routes, our Holyrood Park Ranger service can provide information.

“The user can then make planned, careful and responsible use of the park, at their own risk.”

Last night Mark’s devastated mum, Karen Muir, said she was too upset to comment any further.

A spokesman for Lothian and Borders Police said: “This appears to have been a tragic accident.

“There are no suspicious circumstances and a report has been submitted to the procurator fiscal.”

Two years ago a Taiwanese schoolboy also died after falling to the bottom of Salisbury Crags.

]]> http://chandlermariecraig.wordpress.com/?p=542 Sun, 28 Sep 2008 19:46:07 +0000 cmcraig http://chandlermariecraig.es.wordpress.com/2008/09/28/farewell-to-minx/ If you havesn't heard the sad news yet, the DC Comics Minx line went under Thursday. Minx was a line of comics aimed at teen girls. I was personally a fan of several of the Minx graphic novels: Plain Janes, Confessions of a Blabbermouth, Kimmie66. I was shocked--though maybe I shouldn't have been--to hear the line had been cancelled.

Several possible reasons have been advanced as to why the Minx line failed:

Incorrect and ineffective shelving in bookstores--should it have been in the YA section instead of with the graphic novels?

DC's plan to market only to women

The quality of the books in general

The fact that most of the creators were men

Some of the marketing is just getting off the ground

Needed edgier material that appealed more to teens than middle grade

 

Anyway, lots of reasons why this may have happened. Some I agree with, some I don't. But why do we care?

 

If y'all have ever read my blog, you can probably tell that I am, well, pretty darn mainstream. Give me Banana Republic, Miley Cyrus, and Jim and Pam forever--I'll be a happy lady. And yet, I like comics. I like comics, but I wouldn't say I'm into every superhero, male fantasy graphic novel ever created.

So, believe me when I say, I wanted the Minx line to succeed. I want YA graphic novels that will appeal to teen girls. And I sincerely believe there is a place for them in the market. I mean, how does anyone explain the manga phenomenon, which has been a ginormous success with teen girls, and yet, what? There's just no place for teen graphic novels. Bone has been welcomed with open arms by middle graders. Somewhere there is a disconnect. Two years. That's how long Minx was given. Was that enough? Was there another reason?

 

What do y'all think?

For those of you just getting started in graphic novels, or those already interested, I have a couple links to help us try to figure this whole thing out:

Publishers Weekly The Beat

Occasional Superheroine's version of events--Warning: language

Goodbye To Comics--HUGE Warning: If you are under 18, please don't read. I think this is an important perspective, especially if you are a woman in comics. It's an look into the boys' club of comics. However it is NOT for the faint of heart. I had a tough time reading it, so if easily offended, you might wanna skip. Ok, consider yourself warned. (And if you choose to read, scroll to bottom and start from beginning.)

 

Would love to hear y'alls insights.

 

Status: On a lighter note, Kitty and the Midnight Hourcame in the mail today!! I've started reading it (it's the first in the Kitty Norville series) and so far, it's a fun read. I think it will make a great comparison for SCOUT. I'm still working away at the sequel synopsis--oh, and dying because of law school work, tutoring, writing a book, reading the books I'm scheduled to review and trying to declare my intent ot practice--no big.

]]> http://claireinthesky.wordpress.com/?p=69 Sun, 28 Sep 2008 16:18:39 +0000 claireinthesky http://claireinthesky.es.wordpress.com/2008/09/28/sunday-oh-sunday/ Amo questo giorno! Lo amo, lo amo, lo amo! <3
Sopratutto, da quando sono una liceale, e anche solo 4 ore al giorno (per la maggior parte di greco e latino) appena torni a casa, fanno cadere voltentieri fra le braccia di morfeo.
Inutile dirlo, la domenica sono veramente calma e rilassata.
E stato bello, per una volta, non svegliarmi alle 6, per non mettermi le lenti a contatto e non muovermi (anche perchè sono ancora indolenzita da venerdì dopo due ore di educazione fisica, e un estate all'insegna della poltrona...).
Passando a quello che è successo in questi giorni...
Ho avuto molti contatti msn dei miei nuovi compagni di classe. Ho avuto l'occasione di parlare senza fretta e senza timidezza. Quindi, devo proprio dire che sono molto simpatici.
Poi, sto seriamente pensando di candidarmi come rappresentante di classe.
Ho davvero delle belle idee (anche se me lo dico da sola) e mi dispiacerebbe molto tenerle solo per me. Modestia a parte, è sempre stato un mio sogno, e adesso che non sono più timida come prima, sento di poter provare!
Ho fatto amicizia con alcuni dei miei nuovi compagni oltre a Floriana e a Matilde... Devo dire che Chiara e Giulia sono parecchio simpatiche. Anche Jenny e Novella sembrano divertenti, mi piacerebbe conoscerle meglio.
Per quanto riguarda ragazzi... C'è n'è uno simpatico di nome Francesco, poi ben 2 metallari (così non mi sento sola XD) Brian e Joseph, soprannominato Geppetto (adesso lo si chiama tutti così) e poi Lorenzo (ho avuto la possibilita di parlarci solo su msn, ma sembra perecchio simpatico)
Da lunedì, inizieranno le interrogazioni della Finocchietti, speriamo bene...
Poi, per quanto riguarda lo sport quest'anno (perchè li cambio ogni anno, dato che non ne ho trovato ancora uno che mi piaccia veramente) ero molto indecisa sul Karatè o sul Judo. Forse, perchè erano i miei sogni di bambina, quelli di diventare un abile combattente? Chi lo sà!
Federico, invece, ha intenzione di iscriversi negli scout. Ho un paio di dubbi. Innanzitutto, Chico si è operato da poco, in più è asmatico e negli scaut c'è molto bullismo.
Mamma adesso sembra tranquilla ma la conosco fin troppo bene... appena Fede partirà... le verrà una sincope.
Vabbò, adesso devo andare a ripassare. Bacioni.

Claire

]]> http://sendchocolate.wordpress.com/?p=259 Fri, 26 Sep 2008 17:49:26 +0000 ladybughugs http://sendchocolate.es.wordpress.com/2008/09/26/the-sweetest-music/ Scout started singing in the children's choir in church at the beginning of third grade. The choir director was excited to have him on board. She's known him since he was in Kindergarten when she was the music teacher in the school. She likes that he sings loud, not overly loud, just loud enough to be heard...so many kids don't. This Sunday I heard the results of their weekly practices.

We were sitting in the 'cry room'. I was sitting at one end of the front row under the speaker. He was sitting in the row behind me three seats over. During one of the songs that the children's choir sings regularly he started singing the counter-melody/echo/harmony (whatever it's called) and I got lost in his voice. It was beautiful. I could hear him over the speaker. He was singing like no one was listening. I couldn't help it, it brought tears to my eyes.

What do your kids do, what special talents do they possess, that takes you away from the here-and-now?

]]> http://outdoorsportsman.wordpress.com/?p=302 Wed, 24 Sep 2008 15:16:50 +0000 Matt Hacker http://outdoorsportsman.es.wordpress.com/2008/09/24/whitetail-deer-trail-cam-pictures/ As hunting season will soon get into full swing, I am sure that there are plenty of avid hunters out there who have a trail cam(s) set up to scout for Whitetails.  Do you want to get your trail cam picture shown to the public?  You can attach your picture to an email and send it to me by clicking here.

I will post all pictures that I receive from my readers in The Outdoor Sportsman.

]]> http://chandlermariecraig.wordpress.com/?p=526 Wed, 24 Sep 2008 03:13:47 +0000 cmcraig http://chandlermariecraig.es.wordpress.com/2008/09/24/topical-tuesday-when-i-was-a-young-writer-i-walked-ten-miles-in-the-snow-uphill-both-ways/ In general I've found writers to be the most supportive bunch. Just today, Nate was searching through the comments on my blog and was shocked at how kind everyone was. He was like, "Doesn't anyone want you to fail!?" And I said,  "Nope, don't think so."

I love that. But there does seem to be a different feeling toward authors whom other writers feel have not "paid their dues." This is a particularly popular criticism of Stephenie Meyer.

I think the issue probably stems more from the fact that she doesn't belong to the Blueboards or AW, etc., though I'm not positive about that. However, I don't think those communities would tolerate that brand of criticism of one of their own. That line of reasoning might not work, either, though, because most folks that belong to one of those communities found them while they were paying their dues, so...yanno...I digress.

Anyway, back to the obsession with paying dues or rites of passage, if you will...

I'm trying to think of any rite of passage I went through that really made me better.

Form rejections? I mean, while those were a sweet treat in the inbox, I'm not too sure they did a whole lot for my mental health OR improved my writing.

Lots of form rejections? Just multiply the previous response by 12.

Waiting and waiting and waiting? I barely survived that.

Query Hell over at AW? I mean, if I'd gotten it on the first try, I wouldn't be complaining.

Hitting the bestseller list on book #1? Oh, yeah, well this is still probably going to happen. (Just kidding, just kidding)

That's not to say that some rights of passage weren't important. For instance, learning when to move on from a project and, by virtue of that experience, learning how to recognize when something was not working. Probably pretty useful as I move on in my writing career.

And making friends? Well, that's just invaluable.

Knowing that I wanted to keep writing whether i got positive feedback or not? The best thing I learned by far.

 

So, what do you think? Should writers have to pay their dues? Does it make you a better writer to go through these rites of passage? Which ones are important?

 

 

Status: Overall, a productive day. Huge thanks to Jennifer Lynn Barnes (Jen Barnes), one of the most helpful Blueboarders ever, for remembering the title for me of a book I needed. I was WAY off on what I thought the book was called that I was looking for. My agent had wanted me to find it as a possible book to compare to. And Jen somehow got from what I said (even my description was off) to the book I wanted. So, thanks!

I ordered the book on Amazon and it should be getting here in a couple days. It sounds like a great comparison (______ meets ______) book for SCOUT.

I finished my synopsis and winged it over to my dad for editing. I got back his comments and will be implementing them tomorrow.

Also, I have my idea for SCOUT'S SEQUEL!! I wrote it in the bathtub. Yup. Sure did. I'm glad to be getting all this stuff out because--this is sort of embarrassing--but I keep having ideas when I'm asleep and they wake me up and I can't go back to sleep until they're written down. That'd be cool if it were just plot ideas or premises and whatnot, but it's wording. The wording of my damn synopses wake me up. And I have to go in and fix them. Yuck.

]]> http://chandlermariecraig.wordpress.com/?p=517 Tue, 23 Sep 2008 01:32:54 +0000 cmcraig http://chandlermariecraig.es.wordpress.com/2008/09/23/everything-i-know-in-life-i-learned-from-blogging/ ...Not from Judy Blume.

 

Ok, seriously, wouldn't that be a sad story? Don't worry. Before you start thinking I am in serious need of a Mary Poppins outing, there are a few things I learned outside of blogging. Like the fact Pennsylvania is not in New England. Oh, and that Ashlee Simpson is very, very preggers. Not to mention The Office is the best show ever. (Oooh, maybe everything I Know in Life, I Learned from Dwight Schrute.)

Anyway, now that we understand that I...*gasp*...exaggerated...We can move on.

Everything I Know In Life, I Learned From Blogging.

 

1. Write every day. Sure Stephen King told me, but, hey, I like to learn by doing. And blogging every day, forces me to write every day. Has it improved my writing? By light years.

2. Make friends. Moms always say to play with the other kids in the sandbox. Having your blog is like putting a couch in your living room to entertain friends. It's never fun to hang out at a house that has no seating. Until I started my blog, I knew no one online. So start a blog. Meet people. Maybe even serve some chardonnay.

3. Sell your product, Sell yourself. Lots of good things have come into my life via blogging. I've been contacted by book packagers. I've had agents check it out and say the blog was a positive factor in deciding to offer representation. I've had other agents email just to say good luck. I've gotten free copies of books that haven't come out yet to review. I've had an editor read my Scout page and contact my agent to say he'd like to see the project. Good things. From blog.

4. Reflect on your craft. Whenever I have an argument with Nate (*hope he's not reading today!*), I tell him to write it down. Because writing is thinking. Writing down your reasoning helps you understand whether what you are doing is working. Is it rational? Is it effective? I don't know. Write it down.

5. Stay up-to-date. Y'all hold me accountable. I keep up with what's happening in the publishing industry because if I don't, I can't churn out the most relevant information for you on my blog. But it's beneficial for me, too. Understanding the direction in which the market is moving, helps me to hone the direction of my writing. End of story.

 

So there ya go. All I know in life in five bullet points. Who'd have thought?

 

Status: Still banging out that synopsis, then going back to make it pretty. Those Scout sequel ideas are sifting around in my brain, but I'm waiting for that idea that I know is right.

]]> http://karve.wordpress.com/?p=212 Mon, 22 Sep 2008 18:49:33 +0000 Vikram Karve http://karve.es.wordpress.com/2008/09/22/a-life-well-lived-pratap-dattatraya-joshi-rip/ LAST POST

 

 

In the early hours of the 22^nd of September 2008, Pratap Dattatraya Joshi, breathed his last, and departed for his heavenly abode, at the Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital in Pune.

 

Pratap Joshi was an epitome of simple living and high thinking. Born on the 6^th of March 1932, he imbibed sterling values from his father, DP Joshi, a Teacher and Scout, a legend in his lifetime.

 

A product of the prestigious First Course of the National Defence Academy [or 1^st JSW, as he liked to call it], Brigadier PD Joshi was certainly not the archetypal pompous hard-drinking handlebar-moustached high-falutin Colonel Blimp type of Officer. He was a simple, down-to-earth, Spartan, unassuming, dedicated, sincere, patriotic, scrupulously honest, erudite person possessing a golden heart filled with humility and compassion. Throughout his distinguished career spanning 37 years, and even thereafter, he spread happiness, benevolence and goodwill owing to his cheerful disposition, kind-hearted nature and inimitable sense of humour.

 

Forever young at heart, Pratap Joshi didn’t suffer from the Auld Lang Syne Complex. After retirement he didn’t live in the past, languishing and brooding about the “good old days”, but moved on with exceptional enthusiasm and childlike zeal to his new loves – music and social work.

 

Starting from the scratch, he studied classical music with sheer dedication, resolute grit and passionate zest for many years till he was bestowed with the prestigious post graduate degree of Sangeet Alankar. Then he taught music to one and all, free of cost, making special efforts to teach the needy and underprivileged.

 

Travelling extensively, and roughing it out in the heart of the mofussil, to rural and far flung regions, he made a significant social contribution to enhancing primary education in backward areas, as the Chief Trustee of the Natu Foundation Educational Trust. He eagerly contributed his expertise to Jnana Prabodhini and for improving the efficiency of Hospitals.

 

Pratap Joshi loved animals, especially dogs. He always had pet dogs, and showered his unconditional love on them and all the dogs that he came across in the neighbourhood, pet and stray. It was distressing to see Dolly desperately searching for him soon after he had gone away from us forever. We shall always remember the love with which he snuggled and cuddled Sherry, our Doberman girl, when she was a baby.

 

He had a genuine zest for living, and enjoyed every moment of his life, indulging himself in his favourite foods, movies, travel, music – anything he liked, he did it! He laughed, and made others laugh.

 

I first met Pratap Joshi in March 1982 and he left such a lasting impression on me that I became his fan ever since. He was my father-in-law, more like a loving father who I could count on to stand by me, advice and inspire me, in happiness and in adversity, and I shall forever cherish every moment I shared with him. My son, a seafarer, was his favourite grandchild, the apple of his eye. It was a pity he couldn’t be with his beloved grandfather during his last moments as he is sailing on the high seas. Such are the tragedies and travesties of life, and death.

 

We will miss you dearly “Daddy”. You lived your life to its fullest and loved all of us from the bottom of your heart. We are sure you will shower us with your blessings from your heavenly abode. You always did good to everyone you met and wherever you went. May your soul Rest in Peace.

 

 

VIKRAM KARVE

 

vikramkarve@sify.com

 

vikramkarve@hotmail.com

 

 

 

 

 

]]> http://choucroutgarnix.wordpress.com/?p=839 Mon, 22 Sep 2008 14:24:54 +0000 airway http://choucroutgarnix.es.wordpress.com/2008/09/22/grand-huit-pour-scouts/ On continue dans la série des roller-coasters.

]]> http://chandlermariecraig.wordpress.com/?p=513 Mon, 22 Sep 2008 03:42:38 +0000 cmcraig http://chandlermariecraig.es.wordpress.com/2008/09/22/can-i-get-an-amen/ There's only one truly awful reason not to write: You're scared.

But I get it. I do. I was scared to death to write. I thought, Who am I to write a book? More than that, Who am I to even think that I could write a book?

And publishing? Forget it!

But I want to share something that not only told me that I could and should go for it, but keeps me motivated every day to get something down on paper.

 

(*Note: I don't think you need any religion whatsoever for this to apply. Not tryin' to stand on the pulpit here!*)

The Parable of the Five Talents

To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability.  Then he went on his journey.  The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more.  So also, the one with the two talents gained two more.  But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

After a long time, the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.  The man who had received the five talents brought the other five.  “Master,” he said, “you entrusted me with five talents.  See, I have gained five more.”

His master replied, “Well done, good and faithful servant!  You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.  Come and share your master’s happiness!”

The man with the two talents also came.  “Master,” he said, “you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.”

His master replied, “Well done, good and faithful servant!  You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.  Come and share your master’s happiness!”

Then the man who had received the one talent came.  “Master,” he said, “I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed.  So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground.  See, here is what belongs to you.”

“Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents.  For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance.  Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.  And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

- Matthew 25:14-30 (NIV)

 

So, it's not like I ever fancied myself a young, white girl version of Toni Morrison or anything. I just knew that I had a huge passion for books and that writing is something I always wanted to pursue.

Since I was ten I wanted to be a writer, but always thought it impractical. (Yes, I was a very rational little girl. I think even then I wanted to be a lawyer--or maybe race dogsleds.) 

Anyway, I was a counselor at my childhood camp a couple years ago and re-heard the parable of the five talents. I swear, someone might as well have spanked my behind with a rolled up newspaper because I felt downright forlorn that I had been the servant who had buried my talent.

There was good news, though! I could dig my talent up, dust it off, and start putting it to use.

Now, every day I think, It's not about whether or not I get published because I'm peddling that talent. I'm using it to get new talents. Like writing graphic novels. And reviewing books. And now snagging my agent, getting ready to submit to publishing houses.

So many good things have come from dusting off that rusty old talent. The one I wasn't even sure was in the same spot.

I kept writing through rejections letters, through close calls, and through moments where that damn plot was stuck in a quagmire so mucky Bilbo Baggins himself couldn't wade through. I did it because I'd know there was something inherently wrong about sticking my talent back in the dirt.

Point being: If you want to write. Write. Don't be scared. I think this comes at a particularly good time because so many people are considering doing Nanowrimo. Now, I'm not saying the book you wrote for Nano will be on the fast track to the NYT bestseller list, but it's a great place to brush the dirt off your talent and let it stretch its legs. So have fun and start planning for November or whatever writing related goals you may have! Look forward to hearing about your successes!

 

Status: Still expanding my synopsis. I must say, I think it's coming out well. I mean, it should be when eeking out each page takes me a day! That's ok, though, because I want it to be perfect.

It's got some dialogue and I've incorporated several captions. I think it's really capturing the "feel" of the graphic novel. I also had a cool breakthrough with the help of the artist regarding some of the "science" behind shapeshifting. Tons of fun and I got the chance to add it to the synop.

And, if you don't know what in the heckfire I'm talking about and, instead, would like to be clued in, stop by my Scout page!

]]> http://douglasandmain.wordpress.com/?p=1141 Sat, 20 Sep 2008 14:23:07 +0000 douglasandmain http://douglasandmain.es.wordpress.com/2008/09/20/the-story-of-a-dog/ The bond between a family and their dog; tested.

]]> http://ellebeeplus3.wordpress.com/?p=617 Sat, 20 Sep 2008 13:53:16 +0000 laurie http://ellebeeplus3.es.wordpress.com/2008/09/20/the-hello-goodbye-window/

“No matter how little money and how few possessions you own, having a dog makes you rich.”

— Louis Sabin

]]> http://elpajarillo.wordpress.com/?p=853 Fri, 19 Sep 2008 07:50:57 +0000 marmoto http://elpajarillo.es.wordpress.com/2008/09/19/continuo-con-la-saga-de-fotos/ Para que veas JC, que no me olvido de ti (ni de la Luci), ahí tienes una foto en la que si apareces. Con un semblante, incluso provocador diría yo. Ese pelo a modo de tupé, y ese monte de atrás...., venga, como tu dices: quien adivine el año, premio en casa de Coco, y quien sepa el lugar, pués que se dedique a adivino.

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