VampireS SUMO

As long as I can remember, I have had the “smart guy” tag applied to me. It’s not really much different than always having been tall (definitely *not* me), or always outgoing and popular (again, not me), or always overweight (only in the last dozen years or so). The issues come about when one makes too much of the fact, or relies too much on their individual talent or exceptional characteristic.

In my own case, my social ineptitude was only magnified when my parents allowed my elementary school to move me up a grade…in the midst of the school year. To their credit, they did not allow the school to move me two grades, which would have been a complete disaster. As it was, I went from a class where I knew a few kids pretty well to a class of kids older than I was who had no intention of befriending the little nerd thrust into their lives.

Reflecting back on that time in my life, now nearly a half-century past, I can see the seeds sown of a life-long difficulty being accepted or fitting in, mostly of my own making. It was my intelligence that got me into the mess, and it was my intelligence that prolonged it.

At last, I think I am making progress at using my smarts as a tool instead of as an identity. Finally growing up when well past fifty years of age is a bit embarrassing, but I guess it beats never doing so at all.

The key for me was to begin to see with clear eyes how others viewed me. Because I identified so strongly and relied so heavily on being smart, others came to see me as a tool! “I don’t know the answer to number 4…let’s ask the smart guy!” I had become Mikey of cereal-commercial fame (“Give it to Mikey!” “Yeah…he’ll eat anything!!”).

Changing that perception was as simple as changing my own view of myself. Okay…maybe “simple” is not the way to put it, but it really was easy to do once I saw that I was creating the problem I had viewed for decades as being something others were doing to me. I’m a smart guy, yes. I’m also a shy person, a witty soul, and somewhat of an oddball. What I have only recently—and very consciously—become is someone who listens carefully to his friends when they want to talk. Someone who learns what makes others happy or feel good, and thinks of ways to provide those moments for them. Someone who is capable of caring a great deal about another who is not really very similar, yet almost a twin in some ways. Heck, it’s nothing exotic or fancy: I simply have learned how to be part of the human race!

Here’s the key: focus on the ways you are the same as someone else. That’s where the bonding opportunity lies. You can quickly get to the point with someone else that, by celebrating your similarity first, you can jointly enjoy your uniquenesses. Friendship is the best ship I know of for cruising this world, and you can go anywhere on it. I am glad to learn this lesson in my youth. After all, I have a life expectancy which projects me having almost as many years to go as I have already spent. My intent is to use that time to spread the word. We’re all unique, perfectly formed to be exactly who we are, and all stunningly the same in ways we can choose to see…or not. It’s that “not” part that has mankind in the morass it is in. We don’t belong there.

My passion, today, is to see us all grow beyond the “how are we different?” state, to the place where we can touch each other as individuals, where we can see beyond the labels, where we can find the common ground that eliminates the need to bleed. We don’t have to kill each other. We only think we do.

So, “smart” becomes “too smart” when it is a barrier to bonding. That’s why we are here, you know. It’s not to kill all the folks on the planet who don’t think as we do or worship as we do. It is to become friends with those people…try out their food…learn something of their lives and culture.

What if we did that? What if, instead of shunning people out of fear or lack of understanding, we sought out those who look like the “bad guys” to learn how they are just like us? Or, in a smaller step, what if we simply got to know that person at the office or in the plant or at the grocery store who has always rubbed us the wrong way? What if we made the conscious choice to love instead of distrust? To offer willingness to understand instead of an insistence on impenetrable walls?

You tell me. I’m done being too smart.

Rick Hamrick is a computer guy for a large corporation. His aspirations are many, and his goals are diverse. He has a strong predilection for naps on the weekends, as well.

In this essay, I will examine the American laws concerning women in regards to marriage, divorce, and property, and how Ute women responded to these laws. Before being confined to the reservations, the Ute men and women freely adhered to their own marriage customs, which gave women freedom to marry whom they chose and gave each partner relatively easy divorce proceedings. In Ute societal customs, women were valued and powerful members of the tribal community “by virtue of their labor and their ability to bear children” (Shoemaker 159).

After being forced onto reservations and the enactment of the Dawes Act, married Ute women were left with no legal standing as wives to their husbands in the allotment of land, unless the couple underwent a Christian marriage ceremony. In the event of a divorce, according to Ute custom, the ex-wife was unable to share in the couple’s assets (in this case, land).

Osburn mentions that in the years from 1905 to 1917, there were ten divorce cases “among the original allottees at Southern Ute″ reservation (Shoemaker 162). Of these ten, records exist concerning eight of them, who appealed to the Indian agent for help in gaining a portion of the land thereby resisting “their newly assigned position of economic subservience″ (Shoemaker 162). Four of the women received land from their ex-husbands, whether from the husbands’ kindness or pressure from the Indian agent is unknown. The other four women never received any land from their ex-husbands, even though they persisted in their claims based on the fact that they had fulfilled their traditional Ute role by bearing children.

Bibliography

Shoemaker, Nancy. Negotiators of Change: Historical Perspectives on Native American Women. Taylor & Francis, Inc., 1994.

Mary Arnold is an author on Writing.Com/ Writing.Com/ which is a site for Writing.Com/ Creative Writing.

Her writing portfolio may be viewed at Writing.com/authors/ja77521 Writing.com/authors/ja77521.

It can be estimated that millions of people around the world share music over a file-
sharing network. For this article, I am addressing the issue in America mainly
because I am not aware of the laws in other countries. Do you think it is illegal to
download music from file-sharing networks? What about music you already own? An
important recent court decision will answer these questions directly and you might
be surprised.

Recently the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit heard a case
against a Chicago woman, Cecilia Gonzalez. Many plaintiffs including BMG, Sony and
others brought the case against her. Gonzalez allegedly had downloaded over 1,000
songs through KaZaA—although she admitted to only 30. Keep that number in
mind, 30. Many, if not just about all, people who download files over a file-sharing
network don’t stop at one file. Thirty files can be reached in minutes to an hour
without thought. In fact, it was alleged that Gonzalez downloaded 1,370 songs in
just a few weeks, which is an average of 65 songs per day.

If you where caught downloading thirty songs over a file-sharing network, what
would your defense be? Let’s look at two specific common defenses and see how a
court might react. I have selected two defenses that I feel are most common,
because they not only appear in the court case I have referenced, but many others I
have surveyed would try to use them as their defense as well.

First Defense: I was simply trying out the songs to see if I liked
them and then I planned to buy the ones I liked and erase the ones I don’t.
(Simplified: try-before-you-buy)

Judge Eastbrook, one of the judges hearing the Gonzalez case, pointed out that this
defense is not valid because one had many avenues to hear music before
purchasing. Eastbrook names iTunes, radio, internet radio, Yahoo! Music and others
as ways to legally try before buying. If this was going to be your defense, you will
lose.

Second Defense: I am only downloading music that I already
own.

This seems like a great defense, at first. You already own the music and the law
allows you to create a backup copy. Ah, but here is where it goes south.
Downloading music you already own is not considered fair use under the U.S.
Copyright Law and your action is therefore copyright infringement. See UMG
Recordings Inc. v. MP3.com, Inc., 92 F. Supp. 2d 349.

Furthermore, the try-before-you-buy scenario is really blown away by the fact that
you no longer need to buy CD’s in whole. iTunes really helped change the legal
arena in this respect because a user can both sample songs at their leisure and
purchase single songs. The ability to purchase single songs is the big one.

In the end, Gonzalez lost her case. The thirty songs, that would have cost $29.70 at
iTunes, will end up costing her $22,500 in damages—imagine what it would be if
the plaintiffs had pushed for a decision on all 1,370 songs. She was given the
opportunity to settle for $3,500 before going to court, which she declined—another
bad decision. If you download music over file-sharing networks and are caught,
what will be your legal defense?

Jason A. Martin is a Journalism Major (Political Science minor) and future law
school student.

His blog deals with jasonamartin.com Politics, Media and
the Law. You can view it at JasonAMartin.com.

Want to keep up with his latest articles?
jasonamartin.com/subscribe.php Subscribe to receive updates!

With the World Body Painting Festival (and of course the Body Painting Award) coming up on the 17th of July, it’s about time to get you all fired up in your body painting know-how.

More about this festival coming soon, but first a short introduction in the art of body painting.

Body painting is a form of body art, and has probably been around since the beginning of civilization. In almost every tribalist culture, body painting was performed during ceremonies or merely just for the beauty of it. Back then they used clay and other natural pigments.
Body painting still survives in parts of the world, and especially ‘Mehndi’, the form of body painting that uses henna dyes, is now very popular in the western world. The henna tattoo is semi-permanent.

Since the 1960′s, body painting emerged as an actual art form. However, there is the never-ending discussion about it’s social acceptability because body painting practically always involves nudity.

But no art without paint of course, and you’ll be happy to know that the paint is restricted to guidelines: the body paint has to be non-toxic and non-allergenic. The paint easily washes of with water and soap.

As for the henna dyes, which Mehndi uses, there’s a difference between the synthetic black henna, and the natural brown henna. The natural henna dye is completely safe when body painting, but the synthetic black henna dye could cause allergic reactions. You should have yourself patch tested before using these at body painting.

This should get you started, next time, more about the festival!

For more information, visit the author’s website on painting-body.blogspot.com body painting

Our culture is defined by what we have access to!
With the concentration of media the access as been
restricted to the newest tunes…

Or the latest product of the marketing strategy
department decided you will listen and buy!
As nothing else will be available from them.

Without an historical perspective, our culture is in
jeopardy, what has come before influences what
will come next.

In the arts and music in particular this is primordial!

Lineage not only of genre but of musicians as well
For example who influenced Chuck Berry who
himself influenced Jimmy Hendrix who influenced
Edgar Winter and so on…

K.L.O.D Radio and others like it provide
an essential services to the future of culture.
It’s a responsability I take seriously.

I also support independant artists, spoken words artists,
ranters, conspiracy theorist, poets, writers.

In brief anyone with something to say and must be heard!

As mentioned in my artistic manifesto:

“Anything but cultural lethargy induced by packaged formula art!”

The respect for creators of original art is what drives me.
Being a multidisciplinary artist myself, I understand the
need for creation, that visceral need to create that cannot
be ignored! This addiction, I must create like others must breath!!!

Tune in! Turn on! Drop in!

Claude Gagne
klodradio.com K.L.O.D Radio the oldies station

Claude Gagne Owner of K.L.O.D Radio is an amateur music historian, as well as a multidisciplinary artist.

klodradio.com K.L.O.D Radio the oldies station

Online poker games using play-money don’t fall under the category of gambling because fake currency or chips, which have no intrinsic value, are used by players to take part in a game. As a result, nothing of actual value is won or lost. While some play-money poker games may be intended for the sole purpose of entertainment, some may be used by beginners to understand the basic rules, strategies, and structure of a poker game and to become accustomed to online poker software. Advanced players may also use play-money games to sharpen key skills and to experiment with new strategies.

The play style in play-money poker is often very loose and aggressive, and its main difference from real-money poker is in the preflop strategies. Loose preflop-play is common in play-money games, while real-money players will play tighter preflop and only see the flop with certain hands since they don’t want to risk losing money. There are also some similarities between play-money and real-money poker. For example, the only difference between multi-table play-money tournaments and large Freerolls is that Freerolls include real prize money.

Experts do not recommend playing online poker with play-money if you’re thinking of playing serious poker later on. That’s because winning a play-money poker game becomes very easy since nobody actually cares about winning or losing. Becoming accustomed to that style of play environment will reflect in real money games where everybody on the table will play to win the pot, maneuvering the game in the most unexpected directions.

e-OnlineCasinoGames.com Online Casino Games provides detailed information on Online Casino Games, Free Online Casino Games, Free Online Poker, Free Online Blackjack and more. Online Casino Games is affiliated with e-FreeSlots.com Free Offline Slots.

“It’s a Wonderful Life” is one of my all time favorite films. The story, acting, and cinematography are all superb. The movie is very heartfelt and I usually cry toward the end. The movie teaches us an important lesson, which is to be thankful for what you′ve got, especially for friends and loved ones.

“It’s a Wonderful Life” takes place in the fictional small town of Bedford Falls. The movie concerns the life of George Bailey, an extremely kind, good, hard-working man who always puts the welfare of his friends ahead of his own, despite his strong drive and desire to make it big and travel around the world. He ends up devoting most of his energy to fighting Mr. Potter, a heartless tycoon who is bent on buying the town.

One Christmas Eve, tragedy strikes when George’s uncle Billy accidentally misplaces $8000 of his company’s money, which falls into the hands of Mr. Potter. The bank inspectors come and it looks certain that George will go to jail for misappropriation of funds. On the verge of suicide, George contemplates jumping off a bridge into the freezing river below, when a strange old man appears and jumps in. George then jumps in to save him and the bridge operator lets them both in.

The old man then identifies himself as Clarence Oddbody, George’s guardian angel, who’d come to save his life. Naturally George is skeptical, but Clarence ends up showing George what the world would look like if he’d never been born. For the next hour or so, George becomes aware of many horrors. For instance, the town is now called Pottersville, having been bought by Mr. Potter. No one recognizes him anymore and everyone he knows is considerably worse off. Eventually George runs back to the river and begs Clarence for another chance at life.

Clarence grants George his wish and George becomes ecstatic to have his life returned to him. He runs through the town yelling, “Merry Christmas!” to everyone, including Mr. Potter. In the end, everyone comes through for him, collecting large sums of money to keep him out of jail. The movie ends with a big celebration in his honor by all his family and friends.

yourmoviepal.com/movies/daves-best-100-movies/Its-a-Wonderful-Life-Pictures-Script-Soundtrack-Quote-Collection-Ṃ.html It’s a Wonderful Life - Dave’s Top Movies

Do you own a piece of American Indian jewelry or art? If so, have you ever wondered how that item originated? There are many individuals who purchase Native American products without ever thinking about the history behind those items and the individuals that made them. There are an unlimited number of benefits to taking the time to learn about and understand Native American Indian history.

Native American Indian history is too extensive to describe in a few words, which is why many individuals who choose to research it must embark on a long journey. Despite the fact that it may take time to compile a large amount of research, the information you obtain will be useful for years to come.

To begin understanding Native American Indian history you should select a tribe to research. There are a large number of Native American Indian tribes that still exist today. These tribes often have a large amount of history. That is because in today’s society it is often difficult for many tribes to function with the rest of America. Keeping up with views, beliefs, and teachings is something that as led to many struggles, defeats, and victories.

The struggles, victories, and defeats of each Native American Indian tribe is what makes their history so amazing. Once research has started, there are many individuals who don’t want to stop learning more. Native American Indian history includes a wide variety of topics. One topic or all can be examined. You can learn as much or as little as you’d like about the history of Native American Indians.

If you are interested in learning about the history behind a piece of jewelry or art that you own, you may want to examine these topics. A large number of Native American Indians specialized in art and to this day many still do. To most individuals, art is not just a way to make money, but to symbolize their emotions and their beliefs. Without knowing it, you could be in possession of a beautiful piece of jewelry or art that held a special meaning to its maker.

There are a number of ways to go about researching the history of Native American Indians. Perhaps the easiest way is to use the internet. There are a wide variety of online resources devoted to providing internet users with valuable Native American Indian history information. This information could be just what you are looking for. Additional information can also be obtained from bookstores or local libraries.

The road less taken is one that could prove the most successful when studying the history of Native American Indians. There are a large number of museums and resource centers all around the country. In addition to providing valuable historical facts and artifacts, there may be an individual of American Indian decent who is willing to educate you on their family’s history. Firsthand information may be difficult to come by, but it could be the most valuable.

Whether you are just interested in learning more about a Native American Indian item you have in your home or the history of another culture excites you, there are an unlimited number of benefits to educating yourself. You may not be of Native American Indian decent, but you may be surprised to learn how they helped you obtain the life that you have today.

Edward Charkow is the administrator for

Children have so many stages and phases that they go through. I’m not sure if it is to make us appreciate the wonderful moments more or just a cruel joke by God to speed up our aging process.

I do look forward to the part of my day when my daughter gets home from school. I smile when I hear the bus go by, knowing in about three minutes she’ll be bounding in the door. I feel so fortunate that she shares her thoughts with me at such a crucial time in her life.

“How was your day, honey,” I say as I greet her at the door full of anticipation to share a special moment.

“It was really funny.”

“What?”

“When he did that.”

“Who?”

“Kyle.”

“Kyle who?”

“Kyle, in math class.”

“What did Kyle do in math?”

“He was so funny.”

I’m exhausted already and my daughter has only been home from school for two minutes. I explain again like a broken record (perhaps it is not sinking in because she doesn’t know what a record is) that she needs to start stories from the beginning. I explain that if I wasn’t there, I don’t know what she is talking about.

It seems like such an easy concept for an adult but it’s somehow it’s a skill lost on my 13 year old. So, I decide to better explain myself. I’m an educated writer, I can do this.

I tell her that she needs to tell a story in chronological order.

“What?”

I explain that she can set the stage, but needs to start from the beginning so I know what it is she’s talking about.

“Why?”

So, I further elaborate that it is confusing to your audience if you just throw out the ending with no explanation. You need to let people know: who, what, where, why, or when. It is just the way it is done.

“What are you talking about?”

“You’re story, about Kyle! And what was funny about it?”

She looked at me like I made absolutely no sense. There was not even a spark of understanding what I was talking about.

“I was only going to tell you that today in math Kyle fell asleep and fell off of his chair.”

“Why didn’t you just say that from the beginning?”

“Geez, you never gave me a chance,” she said.

Here is where I cut my losses in an attempt to keep my sanity.

“Oh. Go do your homework.”

Melanie Dougherty is a freelance writer who has written weekly columns for newspapers and published articles in local and national publications. She lives with her husband, daughter, stepson, and her temperamental Dachshund in New Jersey.

Atlantic City Casinos are open 24 hours a day, waiting for you to try your luck. They are the largest employers in the region and for many is the only way to really make a quality living. Atlantic City casinos are taking a closer look at “comps,” those promotional allowances designed to attract customers. Atlantic City casinos are famous for gaming and for world-class entertainment. To check out the non-stop action along the Boardwalk and in the Marina District, Atlantic City casinos are waiting for you. Atlantic City casinos are concentrated along the famous boardwalk, together with numerous fabulous restaurants, galleries, and shops. By comparison with depressed Vegas, the Atlantic City casinos are booming. These casinos are basically slot machine palaces. Donald Trump’s Atlantic City casinos are the Trump Plaza, Trump Taj Mahal and Trump Marina. Each of the casinos has its own hotel.



The Atlantic City casinos are going after a market that falls between high rollers who arrive in limousines and the lower-stakes bettors who take buses. Atlantic City casinos are the second only to Las Vegas as the most popular commercial casinos in the United States. To this day, Atlantic City casinos are not allowed to bar card counters. The Atlantic City Casinos are required to pay an annual tax of 8%. Atlantic City casinos are taking a closer look at comps - those free hotel rooms, show tickets, buffets and other goodies given out to make patrons happy. Today some $300 million in taxes collected from Atlantic City casinos are used to benefit the state′s elderly and handicapped. The Atlantic City casinos are strictly regulated by a special government agency of the state of New Jersey: Control Commission.



Their are 12 Atlantic City casinos that are competing for the public’s business everyday, by offering special promotions, buffets, tickets, and hotel rooms.

Jerry Wallace is the WebMaster of gambling.ph Gambling and has over
5 years of experience in the online gaming industry.