Diary of a Broken Vessel has received more than 10,000 hits since its creation. For many bloggers out there this is not an amazing number, but for me I think it is pretty cool. I want to thank everyone who has visited my blog -even if only by accident or mistake-, taken the time to read a post or two, left comments, or simply used it as a place to find links to much cooler sites.

I hope that my writings have been a blessing to those of you that have stopped by to read. Each piece has been another step in growth and in drawing nearer and nearer to the Lord. I've made some new friends along the way and have acquainted myself with old ones. I have drawn some near, while others have been alienated. In whatever case, it has been an incredible journey that I pray will continue long into the future, and firmly in the path of Christ our Lord.

Special Shout Outs:
A special thanks to those who have touched my life, influenced my journey, or have been a kind companion.

My Wife
My Brother
Calvary Chapel Poulsbo
Jeff
Molly
Roger
Linda
Southern Baptist Convention
Pyromaniacs
Pastor John Piper
Pastor John MacArthur
Pastor James MacDonald
Ergun Caner
The Anchor Fellowship

I'm sure I have missed some. Thank you all!

NOTE: The categories do not all represent this post, but are the categories that I have used through my time writing.

Vamos recordar!

Há 10 anos atrás, as mulheres dominaram a lista das 10 músicas mais populares do ano no mundo todo! Em primeiro lugar ficou Celine Dion com o tema do filme Titanic, My Heart Will Go On, que ficou 22 semanas entre os 10 mais, sendo 16 semanas em 1º lugar. A canção composta por Will Jennings e James Horner liderou a parada de diversos países como Suíça (15x), Alemanha (13x), França (13x), Dinamarca (10x), Itália (10x) e Bélgica (10x). Em segundo ficou a parceria das cantoras Brandy e Monica com The Boy Is Mine que liderou a parada por 11 semanas consecutivas. Os homens foram representados apenas pelas bandas Aerosmith e Savage Garden que ficaram em 3º e 6º lugares com I Don't Want To Miss a Thing e Trully Madly Deeply, respectivamente. Confira abaixo a lista completa.

1- Celine Dion "My Heart Will Go On" - 666,87 pontos - #1 (16x)
2- Brandy & Monica "The Boys Is Mine" - 638,79 pontos - #1 (11x)
3- Aerosmith "I Don't Want To Miss a Thing" - 441,68 pontos - #1 (11x)
4- Janet Jackson "Together Again" - 354,13 pontos - #1 (7x)
5- Madonna "Frozen" - 338,79 pontos
6- Savage Garden "Trully, Madly, Deeply" - 285,45 pontos
7- Natalie Imbruglia "Torn" - 258,58 pontos
8- Jennifer Paige "Crush" - 245,51 pontos
9- Shania Twain "You're Still The One" - 184,92 pontos
10- Des'ree "Life" - 166,72 pontos

Traemos una recopilación de todos o casi todos los spoilers que han ido apareciendo en torno a la quinta temporada de Perdidos... ¡Disfrutadla!

• Terry O´Quinn el actor que interpreta al calvo John Locke ha sido visto en Canadá durante el comienzo de filmación. Muchos descartan que esté filmando escenas allí, por lo tanto no estará en el episodio 1. No es ilógico si pensamos que es el muerto más famoso de la televisión, seguro su historia vendrá más adelante.
• Michelle Rodríguez aparecerá en un episodio que tendrá como centro a Hurley, muchos dicen que será al estilo de Charlie.
• Uno de los rumores dice que la isla cuando fue movida por Ben, no sólo se movió en espacio, sino que se ha trasladado al pasado.
• Veremos en esta temporada los inicios de la Dharma Iniciative, un poco de historia para los que todavía tenemos muchas dudas al respecto. Muy posiblemente esto sera posible gracias al viaje al pasado que se ha pegado la isla con varios Losties dentro como Sawyer y Juliet, además de nuestro querido Daniel Faraday.
• La actriz colombiana Paola Turbay estará en la quinta temporada. La hermosa actriz, que ha interpretado a Isabel Duque en Cane el año pasado, tendrá una participación especial. Algunos dicen que podría ser la joven Danielle Rousseau.
• Una de las escenas que se estuvo filmando parece ser el después de que Sayid saca a Hurley del Instituto Mental Santa Rosa. Se los vio a ambos allí y Hurley llevaba una bata.
• Dos nuevos personajes han sido llamados a casting:
  • Darlene: una joven de veinte años, una dependienta aburrida que odia su trabajo y busca cualquier tipo de emoción para sobrevivir a su turno. Viste y tiene un estilo alternativo, toca la guitarra en su propio grupo pero necesita un trabajo para pagar las facturas. Será co-estrella
  • Jill: una mujer de entre veinte y treinta años. Sin etnia definida, es una carnicera dura de pelar. Una "tomboy" ("marimacho"), buscadora, muy competente más allá de su situación en la vida. Será co-estrella.
• El sábado pasado en la ciudad de Honolulu estaban realizando un casting donde se pedía gente que hablara en español, y luego personas que hablaran en cualquier idioma extranjero. Como dato adicional, un hombre calvo de color llamó la atención de la gente de la serie, preguntándole pos sus habilidades. Había muchos niños, de distintas edades, rubios con ojos azules. (Aaron?)
• Los productores de Lost estuvieron buscando dos barcos, uno de los cuales tiene que negro e imponente. Encontraron uno de los dos, que casualmente podría hacerse pasar por un barco del siglo XVI. ¿Contarán la historia de Black Rock estancado en medio de la isla? ¿Por medio de flashbacks o viajes en el tiempo?
• Parece que el elenco de Lost podría estar en la casa donde se han rodado hasta ahora los flashforwards de Kate, con lo que podríamos contar con un episodio de Kate pronto.
• Se comentó que dos nuevos personajes británicos podrían ser parte de un flashback donde veremos escenas antiguas, esto también podría decirnos que la historia del Black Rock se acerca.
• Richard Alpert será una figura destacada en la quinta temporada.
• La noción de flashbacks y flash forwards será reinventada, sugiriendo que los próximos episodios abarcarán diferentes perspectivas y periodos de tiempo.
• Jin volverá, aunque nadie ha dicho que esté vivo o muerto.
• Se sugirió sólidamente que Faraday sobrevivió.
• La libreta de Faraday tendrá un papel destacadísimo en la nueva temporada.
• Finalmente, conoceremos el pasado de Rousseau, pero Cuse y Lindelof dijeron que sería un error llamarlo un "episodio con flashback". Seguramente gracias al tan comentado viaje atrás en el tiempo que se ha pegado la isla.
• Parece que el set de filmación de la playa en Hawai donde estaba instalado el campamento de la playa ha sido desmantelado. No sabemos si es porque comenzarán a filmar en estudios o porque no veremos más esta parte de la historia. Si la isla está en el pasado habrá que darle otra ambientación y enseñar otras localizaciones, instalaciones no destruidas de Dharma, etc...

CLICK HERE to check out the Master Archive for any of the New World Order Family Circus cartoons you might have missed!

E così mi sono gustata tutte le quattro serie di The Oc dilazionate nel tempo, molto dilazionate.

Guardavo The Oc e ne chiacchieravo con una persona speciale e rivedermi tutte le puntate in solitudine in certi momenti è stato come un flashback.

Le serie in sè non sono un capolavoro, è solo un altro telefilm adolescenziale. E io adoro i drammi esistenziali degli adolescenti. E' ancora l'età della vita in cui vorrei tornare, i tempi del liceo, delle amicizie, delle cazzate madornali, degli amori idioti.

E qui non ci si fa mancare niente: galera, droga, alcolismo, tentativi di suicidio, amici che muoiono, famiglie sfatte, amici, diplomi. Il tutto contornato di incredibili ville con piscina vista oceano.

Alla fine però resta un gran troiaio, gli scambi di coppia che si fan in sto telefilm fanno un baffo allo zoccolaggio di Beautiful. Anche qua non si va a capire chi è fratello, zio, nipote di chi, tanto velocemente si sposano e si divorziano i protagonisti. Capisco i colpi di scena, ma qua sembra di aver a che fare con un reality sugli scambisti.

Ero tentata di svelare come finisce, ma potete immaginarlo autonomamente tanto è scontato.
In questo caso il povero e sbandato Cenerentolo-Ryan mi riporta alle fiabe a lieto fine che leggevo da piccola. Alla fine la struttura di questo genere di telefilm è questa.
Tutto porta all'happy end, che poi io non sono una grande fan dei lieti fini.

Ahh how times have changed. No Limit was the sh*t back in the '90s.

Watch Part 2 [Here]

 Come to think of it, my sister is to blame for my flashbacks. All this talk about her baby makes me realize I am much closer to my past childhood than I am to the possibility of future motherhood. Phew! Cause let me tell you, as exciting as talking about poopy-diaper services is...

 While skipping through my memories today, I stopped to read quotes from Winnie the Pooh. *Ha ha! See the pattern? From poopy-diapers to Pooh! Blaaaaah ha!* Now, admittedly, I did not actually read the book by A.A. Milne until I was older, but Pooh and his gaggle of animal friends were still a part of my childhood. I remember watching The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh cartoon every Saturday morning. Good stuff. I still remember the theme song. *Damn my affliction.*

 One of the most interesting details that A.A. Milne created in the world of Pooh is the manner in which the characters' spellings reflect the spelling mistakes made by young children. For example: the characters think that W-O-L spells ‘Owl.' No matter how off the spelling is, phonetically the words make perfect sense; a word is consistently spelled based on the way it sounds. In relation to this notion, there is a quote from one of the books that caught my attention:

 "Because my spelling is Wobbly. It's good spelling but it Wobbles, and the letters get in the wrong places." [Pooh]

 This logic makes perfect sense to me. Yet, how does a sentence look if all the words are spelled phonetically? Let's experiment, shall we?

 tha kow wnt ovur tha mun.
munkee c munkee du.
winee tha pu.
shee wurks hrd 4 hur mune.

 Huh, a bit like text messaging isn't it? Are we digressing back to a child-like way of spelling? Winnie the Pooh is making a come back, folks... and this time he comes with a cell phone.

A audiência foi tão grande que a idéia foi transformada em um site repleto de bom conteúdo (Playlists, Entrevistas, Musica, Vídeos, etc..).

Com o sucesso dos primeiros programas transmitidos pela Internet, o Flash Hits ganhou asas e uniu-se a rede Move Play, apresentado em dezenas de rádios FM em todo o Brasil. Com a mudança de segmento da Move Play, o Flash Hits tornou-se um programa independente, mantendo a parceria com as rádios afiliadas e expandindo seus horizontes.

Velhos amigos ou amigos velhos... não deixem de acessar.

www.flashhits.com.br

There you go...no stop and no disturbance until the mission is accomplished..looking around - first time after
a long time you look at the wall for spiders, cockroaches, ants...oh! god, are we useful to these many creatures..? well, but no excuse...and no philosophy...go for a kill...destruction starts in the name of house-keeping..wow..what a happiness it brings to drive these guys out and what a shame it brings when a creature escapes...finally it is so nice to see the white wall with extra white to it now.!!..

Look around see the ceiling fan..what a nasty color, how come i sleep without noticing this for months together..well get the soap water..start the wiping and cleaning...Ho god...what a mess under the cot..hey come on..this pen is hiding here? oh..that tennis ball...soon children run across here and there with full of happiness as if they got a treasure..and even you..seeing one of the bills found there..

It is full of sweat and you take a break to have a cup of tea and you realize the meaning of 'hard-work' and 'full-fillment' You get to breath with sense of satisfaction and such a fragrance in air and it is all cool there as
the water is spread in the floor and you know that - it would be a great night to sleep that day...

At the same time the risk and uncertainty is the fuel of an entrepreneur as a founder. It wouldn't be any fun if everything was all planned out.

Here is a picture of the first version of Collarfree.com. Some of the elements are the same, but the design today is much better. At least we think so!

Here is one of my favorite quotes and one that seems to simply life when it can seem overwhelming: "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." - Confucious.

Collar Free was one of a hundred or so business ideas Pat and thought about as we were researching other companies. In June of 2006 we read about Threadless and thought what if someone applied the same model towards fashionable tees, eventually other clothing, and then also sold the shirts into boutiques instead of just online. It was as simple as that or so we thought, but more on our journey to come!

In less than a month, I will be 24 years old (I'll be 26 this Tuesday --D). While that age is not old by any means, it's causing me to realize just how fast time is passing. In my lifetime I've seen (and can remember):

• the explosion of the Challenger
• the fall of the Berlin Wall
• the Black Michael Jackson
• the Oklahoma City bombing
• 9/11 (shortly after my 19th birthday)
• the first Gulf War
• Nelson Mandela freed from prison (and his election into office as President of South Africa)
• the racially-ambiguous Michael Jackson
• New Jack Swing, Miami Bass, MC Hammer, the Native Tongues Movement, Oaktown 357, Kid 'N Play, Salt 'N Pepa, Run DMC ("My Adidas"-era), Uptown, Bad Boy (when they actually produced hits), the rise and fall of No Limit and Death Row

Okay, I'm going to stop there...starting to make myself feel even older. I remember when there were times I thought I would never get close to this age, let alone knowing people for more than half of my life.

And you know what? I'm thankful and blessed for all of it.

D

--first published 8/13/06 @ Human: Being v.1

*R.I.P. Aaliyah (1/22/79-8/25/01)

I was running on the treadmill tonight at the gym and I realized something. In 2009, I will turn 40 years old. FORTY YEARS OLD. I feel like just the other day I was cutting class at Bro.oklyn Te.ch to go to the movies or hang out at Fo.rt Gre.ene park.

My life is flying by. Especially now that I have kids. I spend more of my time watching them grow than thinking about myself. In doing so, I woke up one day and realized that I was 39 with a year to go before the BIG 4-0.

This upcoming year marks a milestone in my life. I have been on a mental, spiritual and physical journey just getting this far. As a work in progress, I inevitably find myself taking stock of my personal progress.

In the first two decades of my life, I enjoyed being a kid and a teenager. My family life was not always stable. I had so many unanswered questions and I learned to bury my pain. I learned how to put on a brave face and to act like I was unphased. I got good grades and was a model child but underneath, I needed love. I needed someone to tell me that things were going to be okay. No one asked and I didn't volunteer any info. I never let the world see my wounds. In doing this, I learned not to depend on anyone but myself for the love I needed.

In my 20's, I learned about love. I let my guard down and entered the dating realm. Sometimes, I got my heart stomped on but I learned that love is not being afraid to try.... to hope. I had to take those leaps to grow and to hopefully fly. I met the love of my life. I spent much of this decade, in and out of a relationship with him but always loving him. I eventually learned that I could love someone with all I had despite the fact that I couldn't stay with him. Nothing hurt more than that lesson. No matter how much we loved each other, we didn't end up together. We wanted different things. I learned that lesson and not soon after, lost him to an untimely death. At the end of this cycle of my life, just when I had given up on ever believing in my personal happiness....I met my future husband.

This last decade has been filled with struggles, re-learning who I am and what a real relationship is all about. There have been disagreements. There have been all out FIGHTS. There has also been love. Lots and lots of love. I have been blessed with a great man. I have been doubly blessed with two children and in having them....have discovered what my true purpose in life is.

I was put on this earth to raise these two boys. They are destined for greatness and I am the one that is going to love them along that journey. I don't know why I was chosen to do this....but I am so grateful. I truly know that this is my purpose.

I am not sure what the next decade holds. Hell, I don't know if tomorrow is in the cards for me. God willing, I plan on spending the next ten years with my wonderful family but also doing more for myself. Taking the best care of me. Taking more time to stop and enjoy life. To not work as hard. To do more things that fulfill my mental and spiritual state. To rediscover things that I love to do.

My plan has already begun with running that 5K, giving up eating red meat almost three years ago. I have so much more growing to do but I am on a ten year plan. I don't have to run to get there...I can walk. As long as I cross the finish line.

Yes, my life is not perfect but the bumps in the road have made the journey all the more interesting and have made me a much smarter, more confident driver.

I can't wait to continue on to my destination.

Ich mache die Augen auf. Durch die Jalousie fällt feines Licht. Leise dringt das Treiben unten auf der Straße nach oben. Was war das für ein Traum? Wovon habe ich geträumt? Alles was davon übrig bleibt ist dieses Gefühl der Leere. Sie erdrückt mich und hält mich im Bett gefangen während ich versuche mich aus der Umklammerung des Schlafs zu befreien.

Tanja liegt neben mir. Bitte, lass sie weiter schlafen! Was würde ich nur tun wenn sie nun aufwachen würde? Mit Schaudern erinnere ich mich an ihr albernes Getue auf der Party am Abend zuvor. Ungläubig und ohnmächtig musste ich Ihrem bunten Treiben gestern zusehen.Dieses Lachen, das sie uns zeigt, ließ ihr Gesicht zur Grimasse werden; richtig abstoßend.

Doch da kommt sie. Warm füllt die Wut meinen Magen, lässt mich die Zähne zusammen beißen. Ich könnte sie jetzt über den Balkon heben, ihr nachschauen während sie die fünf Stockwerke nach unten fällt Mein Gott, hab ich eine Wut im Bauch. Wie kann ich nur entkommen?

Chapter One

Sequoia glared at the members of his family who were standing on the porch waiting for him. He could see them an entire block away. He could also see that his front steps had been replaced with a wooden ramp. Mentally, he groaned.

"All ya got to do is spin through the gauntlet once, then I'll keep them at bay." Major Kiplinger noted, picking up on his anxious vibes. "They all miss you, you know. They just want to let you know how much they care about you."

"They're here to gawk!" Sequoia snapped.

"Check the attitude, Commander." Alexandra responded softly. "Just put on your best, I love my country face and smile. If you're lucky, this will take an hour- tops. If they see your weaknesses, you'll never have a peaceful moment all week."

"There, happy now?" He hardened his face into its stark military lines.

"I didn't say scare them to death." Her eyes widened in mock horror as she bit back a snicker.

"If I scare them, they'll leave me alone." He countered.

"No, it will make them even more protective. Trust me, here, I've done this for ten years. I know whereof I speak." She smiled as she turned into the end of the lane. "I'll get your chair and bring it around. If you don't want to fall, wait for me."

"I can walk." He growled.

"Not that far, not yet." She reminded gently.

"As you wish, Slavemonger."

Alexandra let the slander slide off her emotional armor. It wasn't the first time that he'd lashed out at the medical staff, and it wouldn't be the last. She slid out the door and around to the trunk to retrieve his chair. She saw that only one person separated himself from the assembled people on the porch and came down to join them.

"Hi, I told them to stay up top. No use rattling him before he gets inside." Doctor Daniel Tanner said as he neared her.

"Hello. You must be Doctor Daniel Tanner, then. I'm Major Alexandra Kiplinger, rehab specialist." Alexandra held out her hand to shake his.

"Here, let me." He swiftly lifted the chair from the trunk. "He looks better than you said he would on the phone."

"It's all show. Wait until you see the attitude!" She winked as Sequoia opened the car door. She stepped forward, positioning herself to assist if needed. "Okay, come on, Commander. It's time to face the firing squad."

The next hour was pure hell, there was no other way to categorize it. The family had decided that the best medicine for their hero was home-cooked food, and lots of it. Every time his plate emptied and new one, packed full of food appeared in front of him. Dutifully, he chomped away until he felt like he was going to burst. Then, he leaned back in his chair and surveyed the family.

No one seemed to even mind or pay attention to the fact that he was sitting there, in a wheelchair, minus half a leg. Either they were trying to be nice, or it didn't matter to them. He was pretty sure that it was just that they were trying to be nice. Still, by the time that Alexandra stood up and started gathering plates as a subtle hint that it was time to go, he was exhausted.

Finally, the kitchen was cleaned up and the family was gone.  Only the doctor and Major Kiplinger remained.  Sequoia rolled into the living room where Doctor Tanner joined him.  Major Kiplinger disappeared into the bedroom to unpack and shower, leaving them alone to chat.

"Well, looks like that Aide of yours really knows how to clear a house."  Doctor Tanner noted with a small chuckle.

"Evidently not all the way."  Sequoia snipped as he reached for the remote.  He'd rather watch the television than talk anymore.  He'd had enough.  He was beat.

"You looked like you could use some company, maybe a day away from Attila the Hunn in the other room.  You up to it?"  Doctor Tanner offered as he leaned back in the chair and propped his feet up on the footstool.  "If you're game, we could take an afternoon to go and sweat?"

Sequoia's brow rose a full inch.  'Sweat? What did this doc know about sweating?  He didn't look native at all.  What could he know about the sweat lodge, it's traditions, or its sacredness?'

"Ah, I see, you are hesitant. Understandable, really." Doctor Tanner nodded. "The people in the tribal village call me: DannyBoy.  I know your parents, your brothers and sisters, and even your nieces and nephews.  I'm not a stranger to your family, your community, or your traditions.  But, I will understand your hesitation."

"What do you know of our traditions?  They aren't just some 'new-age' psychobabble show!  They are very sacred!"  Sequoia snapped back.

"I realize that, more than you realize that I do.  Do you want to talk about your anger?  I'm open to listening."  Daniel offered genuinely as he picked up his glass of iced tea.  He wasn't about to let a little irritability push him away.

"Your attempt at psychiatry sucks, Doc!" Sequoia suddenly growled.

"Yeah, my wife said that, too.  Then, I married her."  Doctor Tanner laughed.  "Why don't you just call me Dan. So, there's a group of us, mostly vets, who meet once a month at my sweat lodge down by the river behind the clinic.  You're welcome to join us, anytime." 

"Maybe another time."  Sequoia reined in his anger.

"Sure."  Daniel nodded.  "Did you see that grounder to left field?"

"Yeah, he shoulda gone right down to right field for a base hit."  Sequoia commented on the baseball game they were now watching.

After several moments passed, Daniel decided to break the silence.  "I've been here in Pine Ridge for about seven years, now.  Before I came here, I worked the trauma unit at University Hospital up in Ohio.  Before that, I did my residency at John Hopkins."

"Yeah, so?"  Sequoia half-listened.

"Well, just so you know a little about me is all."  Daniel paused.  "I came here a broken man, Sequoia.  My wife and child were killed by a drunk driver. When I came here, I was pissed at the world.  Here, I found healing for my soul.  There's just something about these hills that speaks to the depths of the soul."

"I think you should have stayed away from the local brew."  Sequoia quipped.

"Yeah, you're right, I should have.  It liked to have killed me that first winter I was here!  I was down with the flu and so miserable I thought I was a goner.  Then, this wonderful angel of mercy dressed in buckskin came over, bringing me the foulest smelling stuff I'd ever encountered -- and the taste..."  His face deformed itself at the memory.

"Was it brown or green?"

"Green, I believe."

Sequoia smiled. "Sparrow liked you, then.  She usually brings people the brown stuff.  It will kill you and then bring you around just long enough to hit you in the nuts."

"Yeah, well, you'll never convince me there's anything worse.  That green slime nearly killed me."  Daniel's face was still bearing the semblance of that rancid memory.

"You are alive."  Sequoia looked over to him and raised a brow as his lips curled into a smile.  'So, you've lived through one of Sparrow's concoctions.  You must have some constitution, then.'

"Damn, right lucky, too!"  Daniel smacked his thigh in ernst.

A comfortable silence ensued as they watched the bottom of the ninth play out.  They talked of common things for a few minutes as the game ended, Daniel stalling for time as he waited for Major Kiplinger to reappear.  When he heard the bedroom door open, he reopened the issue of the sweat.

"So, you want to give the old sweat lodge a try?  You can leave at anytime you want to.  It's wheelchair accessible, too."  Daniel offered again as he rose and gathered his traditional black bag.

"Sure, why not."  Sequoia shrugged his shoulders.  'Anything to get you out of my hair.' He smiled and shook hands.

"Good.  I'll pick you up tomorrow, noon sharp."  Daniel said and slipped out the door before Sequoia could protest.

to be continued in Chapter 2