HIDDEN TREASURES

We celebrate with you our Muslim friends. Post some pictures from where you are to capture your hidden treasures... especially those who are going home to an indigenious culture. Let's share the beauty of who we are as Malaysians with diverse cultures.

We often look for things we do not have and did not realize we have many gems in our own gardens.

NORTH BLUE

North Blue is a place where there is no Freedom. Read about this land in the blog I started almost a year ago in October 2007.

Someone wants to escape from North Blue, a warrior trained to deliver victory to Zeema, the power crazy zealot.

Who is this warrior and why does he want to flee?

Can he do it alone? Who helps him and what magical powers come to play in this tale of going beyond what you dare to do.

Click on this link to go to North Blue.

http://www.maryannesstories.blogspot.com/

Find out more

Try this link to see artists designs for time travel and other feats...

http://www.wired.com/culture/art/multimedia/2008/09/gallery_conceptships?slide=3&slideView=3

Sci - Fi Ships

Culture : Art
Sci-Fi-Inspired Concept Ships Show Future of Travel By Jenna Wortham
09.17.08
Future worlds described by science fiction visionaries like Philip K. Dick, William Gibson and Robert Heinlein often included wildly inventive methods of transportation to other planets, galaxies and dimensions.
These brief glimpses into the possible future of travel were left largely to the readers' imaginations, but a flourishing group of dreamers, designers and illustrators are bringing those creations to life -- at least online.
The conceptships.org website run by Igor Tkac showcases these artists' renditions of spaceships and other fantastical creations.

Wana Conquer The Future?

Zeema was a power crazy leader who wanted to control the future. I guess devouring the present was not enough for him....

I started this epic but it has not reached its destination.

Go to http://www.maryannesstories.blogspot.com to read this tale ... start with the earliest post...

Then meditate and tell me what you see in your minds eye..

Write the future with me....

Send in your ideas in the comment...

Look up futuristic ships in yahoo today

WATCH THE TAIL

Since you've been gone , someone has taken over

the kitchen....

And she sure gets away with anything.....

If not for you , ... both of us would not be here...

Remember when you chose me as your puppy..?

We miss the bones from your bar b q ....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY REUBEN !

DOGS ALOUD

I just couldn't get Snowy to come nearer...

Beware of Machiavellian Personalities

Dear Eagles,

I felt the urgency to write about this danger after reading about how Sarah Palin is being used by John McCain to confuse American voters against Barack Obama.

A Machiavellian person is someone who will use deception and cunning to power. He has no principles and does not care for truth and morals.

Unfortunately I see it happening around the use of an attractive woman to lure voters with misleading arguments to go against Obama.

He is being accused of calling her a pig with lipstick. He didnt do that. What he said was " If you put lipstick on a pig, it is still a pig . If you wrap an old fish with paper and call it change..it is still an old fish and after eight years it will stink."

Here we see how he uses analogy.. that is everyday comparisons to highlight a point.

So what the McCain people did was they twisted his words and used it to the instigate the people. Saying that he called Sarah a pig. To be specific they want to try to turn women voters against him. Err... are American women so easily misled?

If I were an American woman I would be insulted that the McCain compaign is trying to sell me a lie.

Here's a bit of info on the word Machiavellianism

Machiavellian of, like, or befitting Machiavelli. being or acting in accordance with the principles of government analyzed in Machiavelli's The Prince, in which political expediency is placed above morality and the use of craft and deceit to maintain the authority and carry out the policies of a ruler is described. characterized by subtle or unscrupulous cunning, deception, expediency, or dishonesty: Example: He resorted to Machiavellian tactics in order to get ahead. a follower of the principles analyzed or described in The Prince, esp. with reference to techniques of political manipulation. Source: The Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary Copyright © 1997 by Random House Inc.

Machiavellian using clever but often dishonest methods which deceive people so that you get what you want, esp. power or control Source: Cambridge International Dictionary of English

Machiavellian pertaining to Niccolo Machiavelli, 15th-century Italian statesman; unscrupulously cunning. Source: From The Hutchinson Dictionary of Difficult Words © Copyright Helicon Publishing Ltd. 1998

Socio-Cultural Motivation

Do you belong to a group that energises you because you identify with the values and beliefs of the group?

You are experiencing socio-cultural motivation. You want to build up your identity in the group by learning more about the group set of beliefs . You want to belong.

At first when I read about this theory I could not accept it because it sounds like giving up your real self to be part of a community. Then I realised that it was true for me in some situations.

Looking back I realize that when I was in a club called Toastmasters, an international communications and leadership club, I was very motivated. I trained myself to be a great leader. In my heart I wanted to be the voice of the voiceless.

No doubt there were all sorts of extrinsic motivational incentives like titles and competitions that were built into the system of training. However, I was a self motivated person. Intrinsic motivation.. from within.

Now I realize that the values of the members attracted and uplifted me. So this is the socio-cultural aspect of it.

As eagles , this is an important theory to impliment. If we are to energize birds to be eagles... we need to form a learning community. We need to have a culture of excellence. What this is we determine ourselves.

I see you have contributed a lot to our treasure of emerging values.

You post messages which are very meaningful.

You provoke thinking.

We are actually creating a socio-cultural motivation situation in this shared blog...eagles lead

Meet Daniel Goleman

Explore this link that takes you to Daniel Goleman's Blog. Look out for " Social Emotional Learning". ( SEL ) . Do you think we have enough of this in our system? How would you create more experiences for Social Emotional Learning?

I always believe that to really appreciate a concept we must go to the source..no point getting a watered down version of Emotional Intelligence.

We can't put new wine into old bottles. People have a way of interpreting new concepts according to their old ways of thinking. As a result, when we learn from from a translated version or a simplified version.. the whole thing can be changed beyond recognition.

So if possible... use this link to read what Daniel Goleman says about it himself.

http://www.danielgoleman.info/blog/topics/emotional-intelligence/

DAVID ARCHULETA

Watch him perform " When You Believe "...
by clicking the link in the posting below.

DAVID COOK THE TIME OF MY LIFE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAsR4q6P_fQ

This link brings you lyrics so you can sing along with this song .

What does it tell you about yourself? Write your response by posting a comment below.

Do you have a song that you wanna share with me?

Send me the link and let me know why you like it.

DAVID ACHULETA WHEN YOU BELIEVE

I was looking for another song. Think Of Me by David, when this song caught my eye. Took me a long time to get a video clip that could actually work.. and it was worth it..What can I say..its beyond words...

This is a link to a most beautiful song and a remarkable person

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EtLALxS_44

At the cross roads we stand.. and he reaches us from across the oceans and across time..

If you are reading this do write your comment about how you feel after listening to this song.

NOT TO BE MISSED

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ato7BtisXzE

WHY READ JONATHAN LIVINGSTONE SEAGULL?

It is a must-read inspirational book for the modern generation, who''s passion and desire to learn and achieve no longer exists.While flying is just another means of finding food for most seagulls, for Jonathan Livingston Seagull, flying is life itself. He practices only to fly more higher, more freely and more gracefully. and with practice, Jonathan Livingston Seagull successfully masters numerous techniques which other seagulls can''t even imagine.

JOHN LENNON THE DREAMER

If someone says you are dreaming would you feel upset? John Lennon had a dream that he could generate enough empowerment among the ordinary people to stop the Vietnam War. Near Christmas he put out BIG bill boards with the message

WAR IS OVER
if you want it

Yoko Ono his wife made posters with the same message.

Well, it makes me think..it depends on whether we want it and what we are willing to do as ordinary people..

He wrote a song , GIVE PEACE A CHANCE

" All we are saying is
Give Peace A Chance"

It became the chant for demonstraters who use it as a battle cry for PEACE.

In the end the young, the brave, the dreamers did make a difference.

The war ended.

Check out his song REVOLUTION and let me know how you feel it.

You say you want a revolution
Well you know
We all want to change the world
You tell me that it's evolution
Well you know
We all want to change the world
But when you talk about destruction
Don't you know you can count me out
Don't you know it's gonna be alright
Alright Alright

You say you got a real solution
Well you know
We'd all love to see the plan
You ask me for a contribution
Well you know
We're doing what we can
But when you want money for people with minds that hate
All I can tell you is brother you have to wait
Don't you know it's gonna be alright

( you can discover more about John Lennon in the website http://johnlennon.lyrics.info/ )
Alright Alright

ATTRIBUTION THEORY

Now I usually take theories with a pinch of salt. But this is one of my favourite theories. I first learnt about it when someone in Flinders Uni, Adelaide talked about " Locus of Control" . It means where do we see the key to our success. Is it inside us or outside us?If we have an internal locus of control we feel the key is in us and if we wana change something we go ahead and do it. Thats me : )

If we have an external locus of control we feel that things happen to us because of factors lying outside us.. so we have no control over them.To a certain extent, if a hurricane comes along,..we do not have control over the situation. Like now in New Orleans. They are trying to get the people to pack up and go because its gonna be "the mother of storms".Sheesh... what a poor way of using the image of a mother. Why not call it the Father of all storms ? Who is more stormy you tell me?

But even in a hurricane situation you can have an internal locus of control. You can decide to leave before it's too late. No doubt you lose whatever you have ( for the second time ). But would you rather be caught in the storm?

Now when it comes to freedom, to what extent do you have an internal locus of control?What about feelings in a relationship? Do you have an internal locus of control or an external locus of control?

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